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. The tragedy, which occurred north of Zuwara on Friday, left only two survivors. This incident is the latest in a string of deaths this year as hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers attempt the perilous central Mediterranean route, according to The Guardian.
In other international developments, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to assert itself on the world stage, stating it was time to act like a "power." Speaking to a group of European newspapers, Macron warned of growing threats from China, Russia, and the US, calling it a "wake-up call." He emphasized the need for Europe to strengthen its economy, finance, defense, security, and democratic systems, according to BBC World.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no desire to end the nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine and believes he can outsmart the United States during talks about ending the war, a senior European intelligence official told The Associated Press. Kaupo Rosin, the head of Estonia's foreign intelligence service, said Moscow is playing for time in the talks with Washington and is not interested in genuine cooperation.
In the realm of business, Novo Nordisk, the maker of weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, filed a lawsuit against a rival firm for selling what it claims are "unsafe, knock-off" versions of its products in the US, as reported by BBC Business. The Danish company is seeking to ban Hims & Hers' range of weight-loss pills and injections, which it alleges are not approved by US authorities and infringe on its patent. Hims & Hers initially launched a new weight-loss pill on Friday, prompting the legal action. The company has since said it would stop selling the pill, and its share price slumped after Novo Nordisk pressed ahead with the lawsuit.
In sports news, the United States is fielding its largest-ever Winter Olympics team for the 2026 Games, with 232 athletes competing, according to CBS News. Skier Breezy Johnson won the first gold medal for the US in women's downhill, and U.S. figure skaters secured gold in the team competition. Ben Ogden earned a silver medal in cross-country skiing, marking the first American man to win an Olympic medal in the sport since 1976. Alex Hall took silver in freestyle skiing, while Jackie Wiles and Paula Moltzan won bronze in the team downhill event.
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