Boat heading to Canary Islands capsizes, killing at least 49 passengers
At least 49 people have died and around 100 remain missing after a migrant boat sank off Mauritania’s coast, officials said. Seventeen survivors were rescued, and search efforts are ongoing, BBC reported.
The vessel had left The Gambia six days earlier with about 160 people, mostly Gambians and Senegalese, heading for Spain’s Canary Islands. Survivors said it capsized after passengers rushed to one side on spotting coastal lights near Nouakchott.
According to BBC, the Canary Islands route has become one of the deadliest paths to Europe. Rights group Caminando Fronteras warned the toll could be higher, calling the sinking one of the summer’s worst tragedies.
Musk files to dismiss lawsuit over his purchase of Twitter shares
Elon Musk is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which oversees financial markets and investor protections, accusing him of delaying disclosure of his Twitter investment to save about $150m, according to BBC.
The SEC says Musk should have revealed crossing the 5 percent ownership threshold by March 14, 2022, but waited until April 4. His lawyers argue the case is baseless, insisting the late filing caused “no intent, no harm” and was corrected immediately.
They also accuse the SEC of targeting Musk with unusually harsh penalties. The regulator declined to comment, BBC reported.
Trump ends Secret Service protection for Harris
President Donald Trump has revoked extended Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a memo seen by the BBC.
Harris, entitled by law to six months of security after leaving office in January, had her protection extended by Joe Biden for an additional year. Trump cancelled that order in a directive dated Thursday, instructing the Secret Service to end any extra measures beyond legal requirements starting September 1.
The decision comes just weeks before Harris begins a national book tour promoting her memoir 107 Days, which recounts her brief 2024 presidential bid. The White House and Secret Service have not commented yet according to BBC.
UK bans Israeli officials from major arms exhibition
Britain has barred Israeli officials from next month’s DSEI arms fair in London, reflecting growing tensions over the war in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.
The Ministry of Defense said no Israeli government delegation would be invited, though private defense firms may still attend. Israel denounced the decision as discriminatory and vowed to withdraw entirely.
The move comes after the UK suspended some arms export licenses, froze trade talks, and sanctioned two Israeli ministers. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also warned he will recognize a Palestinian state if Israel fails to agree to a ceasefire and take steps toward ending its occupation.
Across Europe, pressure on Israel is rising, with France restricting its arms displays and EU ministers set to debate further sanctions, according to Al Jazeera.
