Syrian official says 60 dead after migrant boat sinks

BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian provincial governor says 60 people have been killed from a boat that sank with Lebanese migrants aboard. Abdul- Halim Khalil, leader of the coastal province of Tartus, told the pro-government Sham FM Friday that the boat sank in Syrian waters. Thousands of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians have left Lebanon on boats over the past months seeking better opportunities in Europe. Khalil said the boat sank two days ago. Lebanon has a population of 6 million, including 1 million Syrian refugees, and has been in the grips of a severe economic meltdown since late 2019. More than three-quarters of people in Lebanon have been pulled into poverty.