Libya's oil sector, the country's major source of income, has been a target for local and broader political protests since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. Members of PFG, a military group tasked with protecting oil facilities, made the threat in videos posted online on Sunday. Mellitah is a joint venture between Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) and Italy's Eni (ENI.MI). "We regret and we are unwilling to close oil facilities," members of the PFG said in a different video statement. It also asked the GNU to include them "administratively and financially under the National Oil Corporation, and technically under the defence ministry".

The Libya dinar crashed further in value in the black-market against the major hard currencies as the security forces charged with guarding all of Libya’s oil installations, the Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG), closed several oilfields pipes and installations. The dinar broke the LD 8 to the dollar today – the first time it has reached that rate for nearly 10 years. The PFG say they are demanding their legitimate rights as prescribed by a court ruling in 2007 – a ruling to which governments have not responded. They say they had warned him that if there was no response, the oil fields would be closed. Aldabaiba’s offer initially rejectedLate today Aldabaiba has issued a decree linking the PFG pay to a specific military paygrade.

Members of Libya's Oil Facilities Guard have abandoned the Mellitah oil and gas complex, reopening the valve on the line connecting the facility to the Wafa gas field, an important step for Libyan gas exports to Italy. Moatasem Mustafa, a member of the Libyan armed group, made the announcement in a statement to the information website “Fawasel Media”. Yesterday morning, Sunday 25 February, members of the Oil Facility Guard raided facilities, including the Mellitah facility, to protest the failure to meet their demands regarding wages and working conditions. In the evening, the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GUN, based in Tripoli), Abdulhamid Dabaiba, issued a decision to review the salaries of the Guards of the oil facilities, following the salary plan provided for army employeesRead also other news on Nova NewsClick here and receive updates on WhatsAppFollow us on the social channels of Nova News on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Telegram

Exports from an oil field in western Libya and a subsea natural gas link to Italy were closed following protests, according to a person familiar with the matter, the latest disruptions to the North African country’s energy infrastructure. The Wafa field’s output of 40,000 to 45,000 barrels a day won’t reach the port of Mellitah for exports after a valve was closed on Sunday, the person said, asking not to be named because the information isn’t public. The oil is being stored at the field’s site, where tanks can hold about seven days of production, they said.

DA allows milk imports from Thailand, Russia, South Korea, LibyaMANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has allowed the importation of milk and milk products from Thailand, Russia, South Korea and Libya after he had previously ordered a ban on the entry of live cattle and buffalo from the four countries amid the threat of lumpy skin disease (LSD). He emphasized that the ban on live cattle and buffaloes from Thailand, South Korea, Russia and Libya was necessary to prevent the entry of LSD to the Philippines and protect the health of the local cattle and buffalo population. “LSD is a disease of economic importance as it causes temporary reduction in milk production, temporary or permanent sterility in bulls, damage to hides and, occasionally, death,” Laurel said. Thailand, Russia, South Korea and Libya have reported ongoing cases of LSD as shown in the World Organization for Animal Health’s World Animal Health Information System. “The virus can still potentially spread through the movement of animals and animal products,” Laurel said.

The Guards of the oil facilities of the Libya they announced the closure of all fields, valves, oil and gas pipelines in the country. This is what we learn from a statement arrived today by the armed group, after a ten-day deadline given to Libyan officials "to satisfy our requests without receiving a response". Previously the Night he would have asked the prime minister of Gun to intervene urgently to resolve the issue and prevent the closure of the gas pipeline of the Mellitah oil and gas complex, located on the coast of western Libya. The closure announced today could cause a serious energy crisis in Libya, especially if the oil fields and valves of the Mellitah complex and the Zawiya refinery continue to be closed, as well as a gradual decline in oil and gas flows to Europe, in particular regarding the Italian Green Stream gas pipeline. The Snam interactive map of the national gas network shows that for the moment gas flows to Italy are continuing.

The Prime Minister and the Opposition leader are engaged in a constructive discussion about who should be the new president of Malta. Responding to questions from PBS’ Mario Xeureb, Nationalist Leader Bernard Grech expressed satisfaction with how the discussion is unfolding with Robert Abela. I must say that this is what I always expected since the first time I became Opposition Leader,” Grech said. Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Bernard Grech held their first face-to-face meeting on the matter in the second week of February. Abela and Grech have a frosty relationship but sources privy to the talks told MaltaToday the meeting was “friendly”.

Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh held talks in Tripoli today with Germany’s special envoy to the country, Christian Buck. According to a statement by Dbeibeh’s media office, Buck affirmed his country’s support for the peace initiative of UN Special Envoy Abdoulaye Bathily. For his part, the Libyan premier reiterated his commitment to attend the UN-sponsored dialogue meeting between Libyan warring parties. The two also discussed “economic cooperation between both countries”.

The Acting Chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Masoud Suleiman, held a meeting in Tripoli today with the Head of the Petroleum Facilities Guard, Brigadier General Abdul Razzaq Al-Khurmani. The meeting notably comes after the Petroleum Facilities Guard, affiliated with the government of Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, announced shut down of all oil facilities today including the Greenstream pipeline which links gas supply between Libya and Italy. The Guard claimed they’re protesting Dbeibeh’s disregard for their demand to officially recognize the group as security force under the authority of NOC among other demands. Al-Khurmani discussed the Guard’s demands with Suleiman while the latter urged protection of staff and property at oil sites, according to a statement by the NOC. Suleiman insisted that oil sites “must be kept away from any tensions”, urging the Guard to “follow official and legal channels to implement their demand”.

Tripoli, 25/February/2024 – The Government of Germany has renewed its partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in support of Libyan elections. Committing additional German resources to UN-coordinated international election support, Dr. Buck underscored the importance of elections to sustainable peace, political stability and development. The generous contribution from Germany will significantly bolster our efforts in ensuring that the upcoming elections are transparent, inclusive, and reflective of the Libyan people's aspirations." PEPOL provides technical assistance to Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC), supporting its capacity and readiness to prepare and hold national elections as part of its 2023 – 2025 Country Programme. The project is implemented by the United Nations Electoral Support Team (UNEST), comprised of experts from UNDP and the UN Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL).

Wagner's Strategic Maneuvers in LibyaUnder the command of General Andrei Averyanov, Russia's Wagner PMC is not just expanding its footprint in Libya; it's embedding itself into the fabric of the nation. Breaking Barriers: Women in Technical EducationWhile the echoes of geopolitical chess games reverberate from Africa, a different kind of revolution unfolds in the halls of the Government Technical Institute (GTI). Wagner's deeper inroads into Libya under General Averyanov's leadership showcase a relentless drive for expansion and influence. Simultaneously, the stories of women at GTI, led by figures like Eva Butcher, highlight a relentless pursuit of personal growth and societal change. As we witness Russia's strategic maneuvers in Libya and celebrate the triumphs of women in technical education, we are reminded of the diverse yet interconnected world we inhabit.

The Attorney General's (AG) Office has ordered the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the Abu Salim mass murder, which claimed the lives of 10 people, without specifying the identity of the murderers. The AG Office said Saturday that the prosecution’s orders came after the investigators and autopsy reports had confirmed that the cause of death was due to the victims being subjected to gunshots. The AG Office said that the investigating authority had obtained evidence that contributed to understanding the circumstances surrounding the incident and identifying the perpetrators, so the Public Prosecutor assigned the Tripoli Security Directorate to supervise the implementation of the arrest. Last Sunday, the Tripoli Security Directorate announced that the Public Prosecution had launched its investigations into the Abu Salim murder, explaining that the incident claimed the lives of ten people. They moved to the crime scene in order to take record of fingerprints, search the house, and conduct a physical examination of the bodies.

For the past ten years, Bangladesh has consistently been among the top ten countries from where people attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. Yet, even after such tragedies, the flow of Bangladeshis attempting to reach Europe continues, as evidenced by the return of 144 Bangladeshis from Libya just on Friday (23 February). Besides, Dhaka-Istanbul-Dubai to Libya, Dhaka-Qatar-Libya, and Dhaka-Dubai-Syria-Libya are common routes for people from Bangladesh to take to reach Libya. Law enforcement agencies need to collaborate closely to identify local brokers and human trafficking networks," he added. Moreover, concerted efforts are needed to track down international human trafficking networks operating in Libya and other countries, said Hasan.

Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed’s side trailed the Libyans 16-25 in the first quarter but bounced back to win the second quarter 19-15. In the third quarter, however, D’Tigers failed to build on their four-point lead as they slumped to a third-quarter loss of 20-15. In the final quarter, Mohammed’s side bounced back to win 25-15 which forced the game into overtime where they lost 12-7. D’Tigers, who crashed out of the Paris Olympics and the World Cup, will face Uganda in their next game on Saturday. Their final Group B game is against Cape Verde on Sunday.

Malta voiced its doubt on a statement pledging support for Ukraine from the European Union, citing its concern about the language used on defence, sources have told MaltaToday. Sources said Malta’s “doubts” were specifically about pledging military support to Ukraine, specifically missiles. It also criticised EU institutions over the “silence” on the situation in the Middle East. POLITICO reported the statement was prepared by the office of the European Council president, Charles Michel, who on Friday afternoon sent an email to member countries. That version of the statement was released Friday afternoon.