Fifty-three people are dead or missing after a migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast, the UN migration agency reported on Monday, as France announced plans to encourage 29-year-olds to have children. The tragic incident, which occurred north of Zuwara on Friday, left only two survivors, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The capsizing is the latest in a series of deadly incidents on the central Mediterranean route, where hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers have died this year alone, according to The Guardian. The IOM did not specify the cause of the boat's overturning.
In other news, Ghanaian highlife pioneer and guitarist Ebo Taylor died at the age of 90. His son, Kweku Taylor, announced the news on Sunday, calling his father "a colossus of African music." Taylor, who was considered a definitive force behind the highlife genre, passed away a month after his 90th birthday and a day after the launch of an Ebo Taylor music festival. He was often compared to Fela Kuti for his impact on Ghanaian music.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Ghislaine Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right and refused to testify before a US congressional committee. Her lawyers stated that she would only answer questions if granted clemency, according to Al Jazeera. Maxwell is a convicted associate and former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein.
Also, the French government is launching a campaign to encourage all 29-year-old citizens to have babies, according to Sky News. This initiative is part of a 16-point plan to increase French fertility rates, which also includes more free egg-freezing centers. Health officials hope to avoid fertility problems later in life by encouraging people to start families sooner.
Finally, the UN is facing pressure regarding Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank. Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo questioned the UN Secretary-General's spokesman about plans to deter Israel amid mounting criticism over new measures to tighten its control of the region.
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