Europe-bound migrant boat capsizes off the Libyan coast, leaving at least 15 people dead
The boat was bound for Europe and was carrying dozens when it capsized around 2 a.m. near the eastern Libyan town of Tobruk, according to Marwan al-Shaeri, the media spokesperson of general administration of the coast guard in Tobruk.
Al-Shaeri confirmed that all those known to have died were Egyptian nationals. The crews were able to rescue two Sudanese crewmembers, but a third is still missing.
He told The Associated Press that the sea is not suitable for any sailing activity but couldn't say why the boat capsized.
It was unclear how many people were still missing. Local aid group Abreen, which tracks migrant activity, said early Friday afternoon on Facebook that 10 people survived the incident.
Libya is a dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. Drowning incidents near the country's coast have been common. In December, at least 61 migrants, including women and children, drowned off the town of Zuwara on Libya's western coast.
According to the missing migrants project run by the International Organization for Migration, at least 434 migrants have been reported dead and 611 missing off Libya in the past eight months. More than 14,100 migrants were intercepted and returned to the chaos-stricken country.
Libya was plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Unicef sounds alarm as funding cuts put Sudan's most vulnerable children at starvation risk
Sudan is facing a dire humanitarian crisis as funding cuts leave millions of children at risk of starvation and permanent harm, Unicef warned. read more Displaced children play, following Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks on Zamzam displacement camp, as they shelter in the town of Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan. File image/ Reuters Funding cuts are putting an entire generation of Sudanese children at risk of permanent injury, as support is reduced and malnutrition cases remain throughout the nation, according to the UN children's agency on Tuesday. Unhcr and other UN agencies are facing one of the greatest financing crises in decades, exacerbated by the United States and other donor countries' choices to cut foreign aid spending. 'Children have limited access to safe water, food, healthcare. Malnutrition is rife, and many good children are reduced to just skin, bones,' said Sheldon Yett, Unicef's Representative in Sudan, speaking via video link from Port Sudan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sudan's conflict between the army and opposing Rapid Support Forces has uprooted millions of people and divided the nation into competing zones of authority, with the RSF remaining strongly established in western Sudan. Several districts south of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, are at risk of famine, the World Food Programme warned in July. Children are being denied life-saving care as a result of financial cuts, despite the astounding extent of demand, according to Unicef. 'With recent funding cuts, many of our partners in Khartoum and elsewhere have been forced to scale back… We are being stretched to the limit across Sudan, with children dying of hunger,' Yett said. 'We on the verge of irreversible damage being done to an entire generation of children in Sudan.' Only 23% of the 4.16-billion-dollar global humanitarian response plan for Sudan has been funded, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Access to areas in need also continues to be a challenge, with some roads rendered inaccessible due to the rainy season, hampering aid delivery efforts, Unicef said. Other areas continue to be under siege, such as Al-Fashir. 'It has been one year since famine was confirmed in ZamZam camp and no food has reached this area. Al-Fashir remains under siege. We need that access now,' said Jens Laerke of Ocha. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Krill fishery in Antarctica shut down after record catch triggers unprecedented early closure
MIAMI (AP) — Officials have shut down early the remote krill fishery near Antarctica after trawling for the tiny crustacean — a vital food source for whales that also helps fight climate change — exceeded the seasonal catch limit for the first time. The unprecedented early closure of the fishery follows a report by The Associated Press last week detailing a record surge in the krill catch after a longstanding conservation framework was allowed to lapse with no plan in place to handle growing pressures in the world's southernmost fishery. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, or CCAMLR, the international organization that manages the fishery, declined to comment but confirmed the closure earlier this month of the 2024-25 season, which should have extended until December, after fishing hit the 620,000 metric ton limit. The U.S., Russia, China and two dozen other governments last year failed to approve a new management plan that would have mandated spreading out the area in which krill can be caught and create a California-sized reserve along the environmentally sensitive Antarctic Peninsula. In the absence of a deal, industrial trawlers were allowed this season to essentially fish anywhere at any time, including in smaller habitats preferred by whales, penguins and seals. In one hot spot, the catch through June 30 was nearly 60% higher than all of last season's haul, according to an internal CCAMLR report obtained by the AP. Krill is one of the most abundant marine species in the world, with an estimated biomass of 63 million metric tons. But advances in fishing, climate change and growing demand for krill's Omega-3 rich oil – for fishmeal, pet food and human dietary supplements — have increased pressure on the krill stocks. In the 2023-24 season, a fleet of 12 trawlers from mostly Norway and China caught 498,350 tons of krill — until now the largest harvest since CCAMLR began collecting catch data in 1973. Underscoring the competition between humans and whales, three humpback whales were found dead or seriously injured last year in the long, cylindrical nets deployed by the vessels to vacuum up the paper-clip sized crustacean. Krill aren't just vital to marine ecosystems. Increasingly, researchers are focusing on their role as a bulwark against climate change. One peer-reviewed study found that krill remove from the atmosphere and store in the ocean 20 million tons of carbon annually. That's the equivalent of taking off the road 5 million cars every year. This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Contact AP's global investigative team at Investigative@ or
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: 80 years after the bombing
Share Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit 80 YEARS AGO The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki cleaved history into 'before' and 'after' — for Japan, the U.S., and the entire world. A remembrance of the first, and thankfully last, time humans used atomic weapons in war Video credits: Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New York NEAR-TOTAL RUIN At 8:15 am on August 6, 1945, the U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay released 'Little Boy', a uranium-powered atomic bomb, over Hiroshima. The explosion unleashed a firestorm. An estimated 70,000 people were killed instantly, with total deaths by the end of 1945 reaching around 140,000. The majority were civilians, including a significant number of children. Three days later, a plutonium implosion bomb dubbed 'Fat Man' was detonated over Nagasaki, causing approximately 74,000 deaths by year's end. In Hiroshima, about 70% of all buildings were razed or burnt, with damages extending up to 2 km from the bomb's hypocentre. Steel frame buildings suffered severe structural damage up to 1.7 km while multistorey brick buildings were completely demolished as far as 1.3 km. Roof tiles were melted by the flash heat and virtually all wooden or timber-framed buildings within 3 km were either destroyed or heavily damaged. Strong reinforced concrete buildings were blown down 700 m away in Nagasaki. Fires after the blast consumed almost all combustible materials, compounding the destruction by burning wooden structures, tearing away windows and doors, and damaging ceilings and equipment. In Nagasaki, the bomb levelled 6.7 sq. km and destroyed buildings up to 2.5 km away. Some earthquake-resistant structures such as reinforced concrete smoke stacks were overturned within 1.2 km of ground zero. The bombs also flattened nearly all masonry buildings and caused mass structural failures in residential, religious, and industrial buildings. All together, the blast's concussive force, intense heat, and ensuing fires reshaped the urban landscapes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki into scenes of near-total ruin. The survivors, known as hibakusha, endured horrific injuries and long-term health consequences including radiation sickness, increased cancer rates, chronic diseases, and permanent psychological trauma. Nagasaki before Nagasaki after JuxtaposeJS Move the line to see images of Nagasaki before and after IN THE BALANCE The August 30, 1945, telegram from Hiroshima to Tokyo The scale and nature of devastation were unprecedented in human warfare. A Red Cross delegate sent this telegram on August 30, 1945, from Hiroshima to his colleague in Tokyo. The first four lines read: VISITED HIROSHIMA THIRTIETH CONDITIONS APPALLING STOP EIGHT PERCENT ALL HOSPITALS DESTROYED OR SERIOUSLY DAMAGED INSPECTED TWO EMERGENCY HOSPITALS CONDITIONS BEYOND DESCRIPTION FULL STOP EFFECT OF BOMB MYSTERIOUSLY SERIOUS STOP MANY VICTIMS APPARENTLY RECOVERING SUDDENLY SUFFER FATAL RELAPSE DUE TO DECOMPOSITION OF WHITE BLOOD CELLS AND OTHER INTERNAL INJURIES NOW DYING IN GREAT NUMBERS STOP The U.S. justified the bombings on several grounds. Foremost was Japan's refusal to accept unconditional surrender, as outlined in the Potsdam Declaration. The bombings were also part of a broader geopolitical contest with the Soviet Union. While it was a U.S. ally during World War II, rising tensions and distrust had fuelled a desire in Washington to assert technological and military supremacy before Soviet influence in Asia expanded. NEW WORLD ORDER Leaders of the Allied powers of the Second World War meet at the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 to discuss post-war Europe and the terms for Japan's surrender The atomic bombings marked a profound shift in American foreign policy. The U.S. shaped the postwar order using its nuclear umbrella to guarantee the security of Western European allies and Japan, thus cementing alliances and shaping political economies that aligned with American strategic interests. Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, and Joseph Stalin in July 1945 The psychological impact of nuclear weapons redefined warfare and diplomacy. Nuclear deterrence became foundational, setting up doctrines like 'mutually assured destruction' that underscored superpower relations for decades. The bombings also marked the beginning of a struggle to balance the strategic benefits of nuclear arms with their horrifying humanitarian consequences. The bombings accelerated the onset of the Cold War. The Soviet Union perceived the atomic strikes as a direct threat and a demonstration of American geopolitical and technological dominance. Anti-nuclear protests intensified in the 1980s In response, the USSR rapidly pursued its own nuclear weapons programme, testing its first atomic bomb in 1949, just four years after Hiroshima. This initiated the nuclear arms race, embedding nuclear weapons at the core of superpower rivalry and global tensions. The Cold War era was defined by periodic crises such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and arms control negotiations, including anti-ballistic-missile treaties and successive arms limitation talks. The baleful legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki also catalysed international attempts to control nuclear weapons and prevent their spread. Early initiatives such as the Baruch Plan (1946) sought to place atomic energy under international control but couldn't succeed. More comprehensive frameworks emerged only decades later. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968 became the cornerstone of non-proliferation policy. It established a threefold objective: prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, achieve nuclear disarmament, and foster peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The treaty recognised five nuclear-weapon states (U.S., USSR/Russia, UK, France, China) and barred other signatories from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was tasked with inspection and verification roles to ensure compliance. The IAEA inspection team that on September 1, 2022, began IAEA's first inspection of a nuclear plant in a war zone: the Zaporizhzhia facility in Ukraine. Credits: IAEA Imagebank The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), opened for signature in 1996, represented an effort to ban all nuclear explosions worldwide. Though it has not entered into force due to key states' non-ratification, it embodies near-global consensus on eliminating nuclear testing. These treaties shaped international norms and institutions around non-proliferation. However, implementation remained complex. States like India, Pakistan, and North Korea never joined or withdrew while covert proliferation raised new challenges. Non-proliferation efforts also intersected with regional conflicts, nuclear latency, and the politics of deterrence. This said, by the late 20th century, the anticipated flood of nuclear states hadn't come about, partly due to the NPT and diplomatic pressure. Key success stories include South Africa's voluntary dismantling of its nuclear arsenal and post-Soviet denuclearisation agreements that removed weapons from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Still, the international community wrestled with mistrust, technical verification issues, and geopolitical rivalries that complicated the ultimate goal of complete disarmament. Aerial footage of thermonuclear tests during the Cold War era: Castle Romeo (left) and Castle Bravo, both in 1954. The fallout from Castle Bravo hit the 23-member crew of the Japanese fishing vessel Daigo Fukuryū Maru, drawing international condemnation of atmospheric nuclear testing and later contributing to the genesis of Nihon Hidankyo. Eighty years on, the spectre of nuclear weapons is as real and complex as ever. The Cold War's end did not eliminate nuclear weapons. Instead, it shifted the focus to non-proliferation and disarmament, with treaties like the NPT and CTBT becoming central to global security. However, the post-Cold War era has seen new challenges, including North Korea's nuclear programme, Iran's contested nuclear ambitions, and the erosion of arms control agreements. The 21st century has also witnessed a resurgence of great power competition, with nuclear deterrence remaining a key element in U.S.-China and U.S.-Russia relations. While large-scale use has thankfully been avoided since 1945, the global stockpile is still around 12,000 warheads worldwide. Contemporary conflicts from Ukraine to Korea and tensions around Israel and Iran in West Asia and between India and Pakistan in South Asia continue to bear nuclear overtones. The risks of accidental launch, escalation from conventional conflicts or the introduction of novel technologies like hypersonic delivery systems and cyber warfare are new destabilising factors. Efforts continue through the United Nations, the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and new calls for arms control diplomacy, among others. One particularly bright light is Nihon Hidankyo, an organisation representing the hibakusha that took shape in Japan in 1956. Nihon Hidankyo secretary general Terumi Tanaka speaks to youth about surviving the Nagasaki bombing at a UN event in Vienna in 2007. The organisation was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2024 for its 'its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.'
