1,487 illegal migrants rescued
Tripoli, Feb 9: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that at least 1,487 illegal migrants were rescued off Libyan coast in the past week. “In the period of February 2-8, 1,487 migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea and returned to Libya,” the IOM said on Monday. So far this year, a total of 1,956 illegal migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast, including 185 women and 124 children, Xinhua news agency quoted the UN body as saying. The IOM also said that 20 illegal migrants died, while 67 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route in 2021. According to the IOM, 11,891 illegal migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast in 2020, compared with 9,225 in 2019. (IANS)
N Korea hackers stole over $300 m
MOSCOW, Feb 9: A confidential report by the United Nations sanctions regime on North Korea found that hackers working for Pyongyang may have stolen upward of $300 million dollars throughout 2020, CNN reported. The report, seen by the broadcaster, accuses North Korean leader Kim Jong-un of conducting “operations against financial institutions and virtual currency exchange houses” that have illicitly amassed some $316 million. The funds were used to prop up the sanctioned country’s dwindling economy and to support the development of its missile capabilities, the news outlet reported. The biannual report is compiled by nations and intelligence services in North Korea’s vicinity. (UNI)
Global COVID cases top 106.4 m
Washington, Feb 9: The total number of global coronavirus cases has topped 106.4 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2.32 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 106,455,846 and 2,324,794. US is the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 27,088,044 and 464,845, respectively, according to the CSSE. (IANS)