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3 killed, several missing after incident involving migrant boat off southeastern Spain
- A boat carrying migrants encountered trouble off southeastern Spain, resulting in at least three deaths and several missing persons.
- Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service reported discovering two survivors and three bodies on a partially sunken boat near Motril.
- The boat reportedly departed from Algeria with 12 people onboard, raising concerns about seven potential victims lost at sea.
A boat carrying a group of migrants ran into trouble off the coast of southeastern Spain killing at least three people and several others were believed missing, authorities said Friday.
Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service said in a statement that two survivors and three bodies were found on a partially sunken boat off the coast near the town of Motril.
The two survivors said the boat had been carrying 12 people when it set sail from Algeria six days ago, leading authorities to suspect seven others may have fallen into the sea.
SPANISH MIGRANT CRISIS ESCALATES AS OVER 1,000 MIGRANTS REACH CANARY ISLANDS IN 3 DAYS
The two survivors and three bodies were taken by helicopter to the mainland.
Empty boats used by migrants are moored on Nov. 21, 2021, on the Canary island of Gran Canaria, Spain. A boat carrying a group of migrants ran into trouble off the coast of southeastern Spain, killing at least three people and several others were believed missing, authorities said on Friday. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Tens of thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan countries fleeing poverty, conflict and instability in West Africa try to reach Spain each year in large open boats.
SPAIN’S CANARY ISLANDS SEE RECORD NUMBERS OF AFRICAN MIGRANTS SEEKING BETTER LIVES
Most go to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, while others from Morocco, Algeria and Middle Eastern countries try to cross the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean to mainland Spain. Several thousand die making the hazardous journey.
The Interior Ministry says 14, 405 migrants arrived in Spain by boat between Jan. 1 and Mar. 15, up from 3,528 in the same period last year. The vast majority arrived on the Canary Island route.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball landed a potential starting infielder from the transfer portal.
Will Craddock, who played one season at South Carolina, committed to the Bulldogs on June 26.
“Hail State,” Craddock wrote on Instagram.
The freshman batted .260, leading the Gamecocks in home runs (10) and runs (36) while ranking third with 29 RBIs. In SEC play, his average dipped to .172 with two home runs, six RBIs and 14 runs.
Craddock primarily played first base, but also made starts at second base, third base and designated hitter. He started all three games against Mississippi State in April, batting 3-for-14 with a walk, no RBIs but two runs.
He was a standout player for T.L. Hanna in Anderson, South Carolina, and was the state’s 5A Player of the year in 2025. He hit .442 that season with eight doubles, 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases while ranked as the No. 26 player in South Carolina.
Mississippi State’s starting first baseman, Reed Stallman, is out of eligibility.
The transfer portal opened June 1 and closes June 30.
Mississippi State baseball transfer portal class
Craddock is the 10th transfer to commit to Mississippi State and the second South Carolina player, joining relief pitcher Zach Russell.
Other position players who are transferring to MSU include Georgia Southern catcher/outfielder Brady Christman, Samford outfielder Jake Souders, Army utility player Josiah Overbeek, South Dakota State third baseman Nolan Grawe, Oregon catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus and North Florida outfielder Carter White.
Twelve Mississippi State players have entered the transfer portal as of June 26, including relief pitcher Tyler Pitzer who committed to South Carolina.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — FOX 17 News issued a Code Red alert for heavy rain and storms on Saturday.
Rain is expected to start Saturday morning across the area. The heaviest rain will fall along and north of I-40, where flash flooding could happen.
A flood watch is in effect through Sunday morning for areas north of I-40. Those areas could see between 2 to 3 inches of rain, with some spots getting even more.
Most of Middle Tennessee is under a small risk for severe storms Saturday afternoon into the evening. Damaging wind will be the main threat, and there’s a very low chance for tornadoes.
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The storms will clear out by Saturday evening. After that, attention turns to a heat wave building in next week.
Westland church prepares for changes to mass schedule
Father Sean Bonner: ‘Once upon a time, just about every parish had two or three priests, now just about every priest has two or three parishes’
The Texas Board of Education on Friday approved mandated reading lists for public school children that include passages from the Bible – the latest effort by leaders there to infuse the education system with conservative and religious ideals.
The Republican-dominated board, in a 9-5 vote with one member absent and not voting, approved the reading lists for over 5 million public school students beginning in 2030.
Texas had already mandated that the Bible’s Ten Commandments be displayed in all public schools, a decision that was upheld by a federal appeals court earlier this year, following on the heels of other Republican-led states seeking to infuse public education with Christian teachings.
Critics say these decisions are at odds with the Constitution’s “establishment clause,” long understood by courts as separating church and state. Supporters say the measures restore basic Judeo-Christian teachings to school systems, which many have said are historically significant.
The required reading list is wide-ranging and includes mostly non-Biblical and classical texts, such as Aesop’s fables, tales about Native Americans, and a children’s versions of Don Quixote. Critics have noted that much of the list comprises texts written by white male authors, in a state with a majority of Latino and Black students.
Rachel Laser, the head of the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said in a written statement that the Texas board of education’s decision sought to “misuse public schools to impose one narrow set of religious beliefs and indoctrinate a new generation of Americans in the lie that America is a Christian country.”
Reporting by Brad Brooks in Colorado; Editing by David Gregorio
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