Fifty-three people are dead or missing after a migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast on Friday, according to the UN migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Only two survivors were rescued from the incident north of Zuwara, marking the latest tragedy in a year that has already seen hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers perish while attempting to cross the central Mediterranean route, as reported by The Guardian.
In other international developments, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to assert itself on the world stage, warning that the continent faces a "wake-up call" in a world of disorder. Speaking to a group of European newspapers, Macron emphasized the need for Europe to act like a "power" in the face of growing threats from China, Russia, and the US. He questioned whether Europe was ready to become a power in areas such as economy, finance, defense, security, and democratic systems, as reported by BBC World.
Meanwhile, the European Union has told Meta that it breached its rules by blocking rival AI firms' chatbots from WhatsApp and must make "urgent" changes. The EU stated that WhatsApp was an "important entry point" for AI chatbots to reach people and accused Meta of abusing its dominant position. A Meta spokesperson responded that the EU had "no reason" to intervene, claiming the assumption that WhatsApp Business was a key way people use chatbots was "incorrect," according to BBC Technology.
In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a landslide victory in a snap election, with her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) gaining a decisive majority of 316 out of 465 seats. The focus now shifts to whether Takaichi can address the long-standing economic challenges facing Japan, including sluggish growth, a massive public debt, and an aging and shrinking workforce, as detailed by BBC Business.
Finally, the UK government awarded contracts to a record supply of renewables projects, including 157 solar developments across England, Scotland, and Wales. This move is expected to boost the country's clean power goals, but some local communities have expressed opposition to the large-scale developments, according to BBC Business. The West Burton solar farm, planned for the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire border, is set to become the largest ever to win a government contract.
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