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 boat overturned north of Zuwara on Friday, leaving only two survivors, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This tragedy adds to the hundreds of migrant and asylum seeker deaths already recorded this year along the central Mediterranean route.
The IOM did not provide further details on the cause of the capsizing or the nationalities of those involved. The incident highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea.
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 day after the launch of the Ebo Taylor music festival and exactly a month after his 90th birthday. He was often compared to Fela Kuti for his impact on Ghanaian music.
Meanwhile, in Dakar, Senegal, a university building caught fire during protests over unpaid student aid. Footage showed people climbing out of windows to escape the blaze. Authorities reported that one student died during the unrest, which reflects growing pressure over Senegal's worsening finances.
Elsewhere, an Irish man has been detained by ICE for five months in the US, describing the facilities as "like a modern-day concentration camp." Seamus Culleton, who has been living in the US for almost 20 years and is married to a US citizen, told Sky News that he felt the situation was "torture." He hopes Irish premier Micheal Martin will raise his case with US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the White House in March. Culleton, originally from Co Kilkenny, was detained by ICE.
Finally, regarding international politics, observers do not expect any countries to take action to stop Israel’s West Bank annexation, despite condemnation of Israeli moves tightening its grip on the occupied West Bank.
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