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       A dramatic night-time rescue by a non-profit ship in the Mediterranean saved dozens of people after a boat capsized off the coast of North Africa.

       The packed boat was riding low in the water as the crew from the 'Geo Barents' ship approached.

       The rescue team managed to distribute lifejackets and began taking people aboard rescue dinghies when their fibreglass boat flipped over leaving 45 people in the water.

       Geo Barents managed to rescue all 75 people that night and saved 249 people over the course of the weekend in three rescue missions.

       On X, Medicines Sans Frontiers said the rescued people were slowly recuperating from the trauma and shock following the incident and the situation on board is now calm.

       The post added that Geo Barents is heading towards Marina di Carrara, in the North of Italy, designated as a place of safety.

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       Russia's newly re-elected president has said he is open to French President Emmanuel Macron's plan to propose a ceasefire during this summer's Paris Olympics.

       Macron said in an interview from Paris shown on Ukrainian television on Saturday that Russia would be asked to observe a ceasefire, in line with the customary host country's appeal for peace.

       Vladimir Putin said Russia's interests would always take precedence, but he would consider the request:

       "We are for peaceful negotiations, but not because the enemy is running out of ammunition. We are for it, if they really seriously want to build peaceful, good neighbourly relations between the two states in the long term, instead of taking a pause for one and a half or for two years to rearm," he said.

       The call for a ceasefire comes after Macron recently said that sending Western troops into Ukraine should not be ruled out — though he said the current situation does not require it and insisted Russia cannot be allowed to win the war.

       Macron still doesn't rule out sending troops to Ukraine IOC suspends Russian Olympic Committee for incorporating Ukrainian sports regions

       The International Olympic Committee in December decided against a blanket ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes over the invasion of Ukraine.

       “As the athletes will participate in an individual and neutral capacity, they will not march in the Opening Ceremony on August 28 or have a flag bearer at the Closing Ceremony on September 8,” the IPC said.

       On Thursday, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee said the ROC would not boycott this year's Paris Olympics, despite the restrictions placed on athletes.

       The Paris Olympics take place from 26 July to 11 August with 10,500 athletes from 206 countries competing over the two and a half weeks.

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       Monday marked another day of protests at prisons in Spain after a cook was murdered by an inmate in a centre in Catalonia last week.

       Prison workers are demanding safer working conditions.

       Despite a deal this Sunday, prison workers in Catalonia have taken to the streets again, putting up barricades and burning tyres at the entrances of detention centres to prevent both the entry and exit of officials and prisoners, as well as food and other services.

       The aim is to generate tension inside the centres by preventing shift changes, although in some prisons workers were urged to stay overnight to ensure the service on Monday.

       Councillor Gemma Ubasart indicated that Monday's blockade affects some 4,000 inmates, as it has been impossible to let some out of their cells.

       Ubssart said the "situation is serious and worrying", as "the right to protest cannot prevent the functioning of essential services."

       She added some lawyers have not been able to assist clients, "violating the right of defence".

       Plus it has not been possible to carry out non-urgent health outings or to make videoconferences in the centres at the request of the judiciary.

       "We are in a situation of restrictions that did not even occur in the pandemic", said Ubasart, urging unions to return to the negotiating table to resolve the blockade.

       Anti-riot police have been sent to some prisons to allow access of goods and staff.

       Unions are demanding the resignation of prison directors, Gemma Ubasart and the secretary of Penal Measures Amand Calderó.

       Unlike previous days, there has been more police presence this Monday in the main Catalan prisons to ensure normal service in the centres.

       Protests on Friday and Saturday generated problems of coexistence when thousands of prisoners could not leave their cells because there were not enough staff and family members were not allowed to visit.

       Police carried out actions to prevent the blockades but only succeeded in two prisons.