12 migrants died while trying to cross the Aegean Sea, including six whose bodies were found after their boat collided with a Greek police vessel, according to what Greek authorities announced Monday.
The Greek Coast Guard stated that among the six victims who died off the island of Lesbos on Monday were an infant and four women. The Coast Guard added that the other six died after a small boat they were on board capsized off the island of Samos, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
The accident occurred about 3.5 nautical miles south of Agrilia on the Greek island of Lesbos. The Coast Guard reported that rescue teams recovered the bodies of four men, a woman, and an infant, while eight people survived and were taken to hospital.
The authorities arrested a 37-year-old Turkish citizen who was among the survivors, and identified him as the suspected smuggler who was operating the boat.
Greek Maritime Transport Minister Vassilis Kikilias blamed migrant smugglers for these deaths, and said that the evidence so far indicates that the speedboat collided with the bow of the Coast Guard ship from the left side, adding that the exact circumstances of the accident are under investigation.
He said in a post on the X website: “Our position is non-negotiable. We will never tolerate smugglers.”
Greece has long been a favorite gateway to Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Between 2015 and 2016, Greece was at the forefront of the migration crisis in Europe, after nearly a million people arrived on its islands, most of them coming from Türkiye.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing informed sources, that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed holding a summit next month with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the four-year-old Ukrainian conflict in a way that is in Moscow's interest.
The summit proposal comes amid improving relations between Trump and Putin, especially after the US President announced an agreement to purchase Russian diesel and signed an order on Friday exempting Moscow from major sanctions.
On Sunday, the newspaper quoted a former Russian intelligence officer familiar with the matter as saying that Putin’s proposal came during a phone call that took place on October 9 with Trump, which also resulted in an agreement on diesel between the two countries.
The newspaper also reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions, that the Kremlin proposed holding the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, scheduled to be held in Shenzhen on November 18-19.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the newspaper that discussions are taking place regarding a possible meeting. He said: “There is not yet a clear understanding about the meeting itself or its potential agenda, but all three parties acknowledge the hypothesis that holding such a meeting is possible.”
A senior American official told the newspaper that Trump did not agree to hold such a summit, but he might be receptive to the idea.
Trump's agreement with Putin on diesel and the executive order exempting Moscow from sanctions sparked criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who warned that this would embolden Putin and prolong the war.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is facing pressure following violence on the sidelines of the protests over the weekend, admitted on Monday that there were “failures in being proactive and gathering intelligence information,” but he rejected the resignation of his Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, according to what the Elysee Palace announced.
The French presidency added that Macron asked Nuñez to “establish new working methods for internal security forces on the ground as soon as possible, to confront saboteurs,” with the aim of “putting an end to the phenomena of setting up barricades and acts of looting,” according to Agence France-Presse.
For his part, Nunez acknowledged that the police “lost control” in some cities during violent protests that broke out across the country at the weekend, noting that 350 people were arrested yesterday (Sunday) and overnight in Paris against the backdrop of violence during the protests.
The French Interior Minister indicated that there was a “lack of expectations” during the preparations phase, explaining that he submitted his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron “because he felt responsible for what happened.” Macron did not accept his resignation, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
More than half a million people demonstrated in France the day before yesterday (Saturday), on a nationwide day of protest against the rising costs of living. Looting, arson and property damage occurred in many cities, as masked rioters attacked municipal buildings, police stations and other government buildings.
