The only survivors, two Nigerian women, were rescued by the Libyan authorities on Friday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) announced on Monday. The boat was carrying migrants and refugees from various African countries, it said. The boat sank after taking on water approximately six hours after departing from the coastal city of al-Zawiya in north-western Libya. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe IOM says that almost 500 migrants have been reported dead or missing trying the cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya so far in 2026. Libya has become a staging point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to reach Europe since long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in 2011.

France and Canada deepen Arctic ties with Greenland consulates154France and Canada will open consulates in Greenland’s capital Nuuk on Friday, deepening Arctic ties amid rising geopolitical tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his interest in acquiring the strategically located island. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Governor General Mary Simon will visit Greenland on Friday and attend the opening of Canada’s consulate. Anand is due to meet with Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt in Nuuk to discuss collaboration on Arctic security. Canada announced its plans in December when Anand said the country would open consulates in Greenland and Anchorage, Alaska, as part of efforts to reinforce its presence in the Arctic. France, whose foreign minister is due to visit in the next few weeks, will be the first country from the European Union to open a consulate general in Greenland.

A rubber boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, leaving 53 people dead or missing, the United Nations migration agency reported on Monday. Details of the Tragedy and Survivor AccountsThe ill-fated vessel was carrying 55 migrants of various African nationalities, including two babies. A Lethal Trend on the Central Mediterranean RouteThis incident underscores the extreme dangers of the Central Mediterranean route, the world's deadliest migration path. In January 2025 alone, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing due to multiple "invisible shipwrecks," with many more fatalities believed to go unrecorded. Broader Context and Unabated CrisisThe IOM's Missing Migrants Project reports that more than 1,300 migrants have vanished in the Central Mediterranean since the start of 2025.

Two Babies Among 53 Dead or Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off LibyaGeneva/Tripoli, 9 February 2026 – Fifty-three migrants, including two babies, are dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Spokesperson said on Monday. IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route. According to survivor accounts, the boat – carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, at around 11:00 p.m. on 5 February. According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, more than 1,300 migrants have gone missing in the Central Mediterranean in 2025. The latest incident brings the number of migrants reported dead or missing on the route in 2026 to at least 484.

The U.N. migration agency says a shipwreck off Libya's coast has left at least 53 Europe-bound migrants dead or missing. The inflatable boat carrying 55 African...CAIRO(AP) — Two babies are among at least 53 people dead or missing after an inflatable migrant boat sank off Libya, the U.N. migration agency said on Monday, the latest tragedy on a dangerous route for those seeking a better life in Europe. The number of migrants reported dead or missing in 2026 on the central Mediterranean route now stand at 484, according to the IOM’s missing migrants project. Last year saw more than 1,300 migrants dead or missing on that route, it said. Human traffickers in recent years have benefited from the chaos in Libya, smuggling in migrants across the country’s lengthy borders, which it shares with six nations.

Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. ShareCAIRO (AP) — Two babies are among at least 53 people dead or missing after an inflatable migrant boat sank off Libya, the U.N. migration agency said on Monday, the latest tragedy on a dangerous route for those seeking a better life in Europe. The number of migrants reported dead or missing in 2026 on the central Mediterranean route now stand at 484, according to the IOM’s missing migrants project. Last year saw more than 1,300 migrants dead or missing on that route, it said. The abuse often accompanies efforts to extort money from families of those held, before the migrants are allowed to leave Libya on traffickers’ boats.

At least 53 migrants, including two babies, are dead or missing after a rubber boat capsized off the coast of Libya, the UN said on ⁠Monday. The survivors said the boat, carrying migrants and refugees from African countries, departed from Al Zawiya, in Libya, at about 11pm on February 5. In January, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing following shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean amid extreme weather, IOM data shows. The latest incident brings the number of migrants reported dead or missing in the area this year to at least 484. In November, 42 people went missing and are presumed dead after a rubber boat carrying 49 migrants and refugees capsized off Libya, the UN said.

File photo of migrantsAFPGeneva: The UN migration agency on Monday said 53 people were dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast. The International Organization for Migration said the boat overturned north of Zuwara on Friday. "According to survivor accounts, the boat -- carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, at around 11:00 pm on February 5. "IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route." It called for stronger international cooperation to tackle the networks, alongside safe and regular migration pathways to reduce risks and save lives.

TRIPOLI Feb 9 (Reuters) - Fifty-three migrants, ‌including two babies, were dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 people ‌capsized off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration said ‌on Monday. The boat departed from Zawiya on Thursday and then overturned off Zuwara on Friday, the IOM said in a statement, citing the survivors. In January alone, at least 375 migrants were reported dead ⁠or missing in the area following multiple "invisible" shipwreck amid extreme ‌weather, with hundreds more deaths believed to have gone unrecorded. "The latest incident brings the number of migrants reported ⁠dead or missing ‍on the route in 2026 to at least 484," the agency said. (Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Ahmed Elumami, Writing by Ahmed Elimam and Ahmed Elumami; Editing by Alex Richardson and Anil D'Silva)

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) completed the renovation project in six months, reviving a key cultural landmark. This project underscores Türkiye's active role in cultural preservation abroad, particularly in regions with shared historical ties. TIKA's role in cultural restorationAli Suha Bacanakgil, TIKA's Tripoli coordinator, explained the building's historical significance and its state before the intervention. TIKA's work in Libya is part of Türkiye's broader strategy of fostering international partnerships through development and cultural projects. By investing in the restoration of shared historical assets, Türkiye reinforces a narrative of enduring connection and constructive partnership in the post-Ottoman space.

Children perform on stage at the Libya National Children’s Theater during its reopening ceremony in Tripoli, Libya, Feb. 8, 2026. (AA Photo)After years of dust and closure, the stage lights are back on in Tripoli. Its new identity as the Libya National Children's Theater marks the end of a lengthy period in which the site had been shut down and left out of service. Guests attend the reopening ceremony of the restored Ottoman-era theater in Tripoli, Libya, Feb. 8, 2026. A Libyan child performs on stage during the reopening ceremony of a restored Ottoman-era theater in Tripoli, Libya, Feb. 8, 2026.

Benghazi – Benghazi witnessed an exceptional spiritual and humanitarian event. The Friends of People of Determination Association organized a competition. Mohamed Said Al-Warfali, head of the Friends of People of Determination Association, told the Libyan News Agency. He noted the mastery of recitation witnessed today. These strengthen the role of people of determination in society.

Migrants rescued south of Crete walk after their arrival at the port of Lavrio, on Thursday. [Petros Giannakouris/AP]Authorities on Crete said Sunday that another 27 migrants have reached the island’s southern shores after making the long and dangerous journey from north Africa. The Coast Guard said one of the migrants required hospitalization for an unspecified condition. The Coast Guard said the vessel had departed Libya late on Tuesday. On Friday, a group of 43 migrants, mostly minors, was rescued from a small boat south of Crete.

This resolution approves the minutes of the Municipal Council meeting for Suluq Municipality. It concerned the election of the mayor and members of the Municipal Council. Article One of the resolution approved the results of the Suluq Municipal Council meeting. Suleiman Yusuf Al-Jarm Yusuf. It aims to enhance the legal legitimacy of elected municipal councils.

Damning footage not seen outside a courtroom puts alleged killer and conspirator Zubayar Al-Bakoush at the scene of the crime at the US embassy compound in Benghazi, Libya the day militants attacked the facility and killed four Americans. US Ambassador Chris Stevens, US security contractors Tyrone Woods, Glen Doherty, and IT officer Sean Smith were killed in the attacks. “The government’s witness at trial had known Bakoush since he was a teenager when they were in Scouts together,” he noted. He was a commander and acted as the “tip of the spear” for the Benghazi attacks, the government said in related cases. 4 Bakoush did not enter a plea at his preliminary hearing in Washington on Friday.