VALLETTA : The widow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has appealed a decision by a Malta court ordering the Bank of Valletta to return to Libya some 95 million euros (US$100 million) deposited by Gaddafi's late son Mutassim, court officials said. Safiya Ferkash Mohammed and her lawyers argue in their appeal that the courts lacked jurisdiction and could not decide the case over the funds. The original court had upheld arguments by Libya's attorney-general that according to Libyan law, as an army officer, Mutassim had been precluded from drawing benefits from any business interests. In her appeal, the widow argues that the Libyan laws invoked in the case were criminal ones but that no criminal case was ever initiated against Mutassim Gaddafi or his heirs. Furthermore, the Maltese courts were asked to grant Libya a remedy pursuant to a foreign penal law whereas in principle a domestic court cannot apply the penal law of a foreign state to grant such remedy.

In May, a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of sugar cost about the equivalent of 72 cents in Mogadishu, the capital. Food export restrictions aimed at protecting domestic supplies and capping inflation is one reason for the rising cost of food. Food prices had been steadily climbing worldwide because of drought, supply chain issues, and high energy and fertilizer costs. There's concern that the impact of all these factors will lead more countries to resort to food export bans, which are felt globally. Analysts say food export bans are shortsighted because they have a domino effect of driving up prices.

The US ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, has affirmed his country's support for efforts to reopen Libyan oil and gas production, saying that it stands ready with international partners to support Libyan-led efforts to manage oil revenues in a transparent and accountable way so that all Libyans benefit from their nation’s oil wealth. The United States is closely following court proceedings regarding the National Oil Corporation (NOC) and encourages Libyan actors to allow judicial authorities to carry out their duties without interference, Norland tweeted. He considered that NOC’s independence, and apolitical status in recent years is a legacy that should be maintained to sustain Libya’s reputation in the international oil sector, adding “We are paying particular attention to the status of NOC subsidiaries and any attempts to appoint unqualified representatives to the boards”.

Adds statement by Libya's National Oil Corp, backgroundCAIRO, July 23 (Reuters) - Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) aims to bring back production to 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in two weeks, NOC said in a statement early on Saturday. Current oil production is at 860,000 bpd, compared with 560,000 bpd before resuming production, NOC added. "NOC is striving to increase production and bring it back to its normal rates of 1.2 million barrels per day in two weeks," according to the statement. The Libyan oil ministry had said earlier that production is at more than 800,000 (bpd) and will reach 1.2 million bpd by next month. The country's oil exports at times last year reached 1.2 million bpd.

Clashes broke out overnight in the country’s capital, Tripoli, killing at least one civilian and forcing around 200 people to flee the area. The Libyan Presidential Council, based in Tripoli, said in a statement early in the morning that all forces involved should go back to their bases immediately. However, there were signs Friday that the clashes were continuing and spreading to other areas of the Libyan capital. Malek Merset, a spokesman for Tripoli's emergency services, said at least one civilian had died as a result of the clashes. Libya has for years been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each supported by various well-armed militias and foreign governments.

The head of the High Council of State (HCS), Khaled Al-Mishri, and the Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Libya, Stephanie Williams, have condemned all forms of violence, stressing the need for the executive authority to control the security situation in the country. This came during their meeting on Friday, to discuss the constitutional base file that is currently being submitted for approval by the HCS and House of Representatives, according to the HCS media office. The meeting also discussed the development of a comprehensive map with accurate dates for the elections, while the UN advisor briefed the HCS head on the last meeting of the countries interested in the Libyan affairs 3 + 2 + 2.

Clashes broke out in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, overnight, between militia forces just days after a deal that saw the country relaunch oil production and exports after a months-long force majeure. By early Friday, clashes had reportedly died down after intervention from Ministry of Defense forces, though sporadic gunfire could still be heard on the streets, according to the Libya Observer. Libya’s Presidential Council released a statement Friday calling on all parties to cease fire and return to their headquarters. Some media accused interim prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah of being too soft on militias that are subsidized by the government through oil revenues. On Wednesday, the first tankers arrived in Libya to load oil for export, ending a force majeure on key oilfields and ports that had been in place since April.

Fighting between rival militias in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Friday killed at least 13 people, the city's emergency services said. Three of the victims, including a 12-year-old child, were civilians, said emergency services spokesperson Osama Ali. The North African country has been experiencing a period of relative peace following almost a decade of violent civil war. Rival lawmakers in the eastern city of Sirte then elected their own prime minister, Fathi Bashagha, in response. An earlier attempt by Bashagha to establish his government in Tripoli ended with him withdrawing after clashes that killed one person.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) -Rival factions fought each other in Tripoli overnight and into Friday, ki…

The divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent months, but most have been over in a matter of hours. The Libyan Presidential Council, based in Tripoli, said all forces involved in the clashes should go back to their bases immediately. Malek Merset, another emergency spokesman, said 200 people had already fled the area, some of them who were attending a wedding. However, there were indications it was part of the ongoing power struggle between militias backing the country's rival administrations. An attempt in May by Basghagha to install his government in Tripoli also ended in clashes that killed one, after which he withdrew.

UK failing to sanction Iranians responsible for arrests: MPsLONDON: The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is failing to sanction Iranians linked to the regime who are responsible for arresting and intimidating British nationals, MPs have said. Bryant said the state TV journalist was seen filming Zaghari-Ratcliffe as Iranian officials attempted to force a confession from her. Taeb ran the political prisoner department at Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where the mass arrests and torture of hundreds of prisoners had taken place, The Guardian reported. Bryant said that Taeb was the driving force behind hostage operations within the IRGC. Bryant said: “If the UK had taken action against these individuals in September or in December, they may have thought twice about abusing British hostages.

Three people were killed and two wounded in armed clashes between two armed groups Tripoli, an official said on Friday. Fighting took place in the Ain Zara region late on Thursday night between an armed group loyal to the Presidential Council’s and the Special Deterrence Force, also known as RADA. Osama Ali, a spokesman for Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Services, said casualty figures could rise as reports come in from other hospitals in the area. Reuters reported clashes also took place in the central district near the Radisson Blu hotel, an area where several government and international agencies and diplomatic missions are based, as well as military vehicles mobilized around Zawiyat Dahmani. No motive for the fighting was immediately apparent, but it is the latest wave of an on-and-off violence to rock the capital as rival militias, which with their own political affiliations, compete for power.

There were militia clashes in central Tripoli overnight that led to civilian deaths, injuries and damage to property, initial reports say. The clashes were between the Abdelrauf Kara led Special Deterrence Force (SDF/Rada) and the Ayoub Aburas led Tripoli Revolutionary Brigades. Aldabaiba’s silence as Defence Minister is deafeningAldabaiba’s silence as Defence Minister is deafening. His usual propaganda machine is nowhere to be heard whenever it comes to Tripoli militia clashes. Aldabaiba ineffective as Defence MinisterAldabaiba still insists on holding on to the post of Defence Minister despite urgings and warnings from the Presidential Council to appoint a stand-alone Defence Minister.

By Julia PayneLONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices fell on Friday on a weakening global demand outlook and the resumption of some Libyan crude oil output. While signs of softening U.S. demand weighed on oil prices and sent benchmark contracts sliding around 3% in the previous session, tight global supplies continued to keep the market buoyed. Supply fears were easing slightly though after resumed production at several oil fields earlier this week. In contrast, signs of strong demand in Asia propped up the Brent benchmark, putting it on course for its first weekly gain in six weeks. "This signals much more than a strong recovery from COVID-plagued years," RBC analyst Michael Tran said in a note.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) settled US$1.65, or 1.7per cent, lower at US$94.70 a barrel, while Brent crude futures fell 66 cents, or 0.6per cent, to US$103.20. Under tweaks to sanctions on Russia that came into force on Friday payments related to purchases of Russian seaborne crude oil by EU companies would not be banned. "Short term that definitely is a negative headline that probably gave us a little bit of a sell-off here," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures group. "Perceptions are growing that the U.S. and EU will implement price caps on Russian oil by year end," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial. Prices, however, were held back by worries of interest rate hikes that could slash demand and the resumption of some Libyan crude oil output.