Trump, meanwhile, has been working to appeal to the blue-collar and union voters who were critical to his victory in 2016. But Trump was again most focused on his grievances, opening with a 15-minute screed about the criminal and civil cases against him. Trump lost the county to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, both times by eight percentage points. The remaining 39 will be distributed by precinct delegates at a Michigan GOP state convention on March 2. Trump’s visit came as the state’s GOP has been in turmoil, amid competing claims on the chairmanship and financial crisis.

According to Avvenire, the investigation, linked Milad and al-Khuni to three torturers which had been arrested in Sicily and sentenced to 20 years in prison each. Officers in Lampedusa had separately interrogated some migrants who arrived to Italy through the Libyan city of Zawiyah, where Milad and his associates operate. According to Avvenire, Milad was introduced at the meetings as “a commander of the Libyan coastguard”. Minniti has denied any wrongdoing, saying Italy was unaware of the allegations of criminal activity against Milad at the time. “His authority over the Zawiyah refinery makes him a key figure in the lucrative fuel smuggling network in western Libya,” the UN report stated.

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's top appeals court has established that sending sea migrants back to Libya is unlawful, a ruling hailed by charities and human rights groups. The Court of Cassation upheld the conviction of the captain of an Italian towboat, Asso 28, who in 2018 rescued 101 migrants from a rubber dinghy and returned them to Libya. The rescue took place in international waters about 105 km off Libya, the court said. The Libya to Italy crossing is one of the most-used sea migration routes. Under international humanitarian law, migrants cannot be forcibly returned to countries where they risk serious ill-treatment, and widespread migrant abuse has been extensively documented in Libya.

More than 80 migrants were saved, but two died and three were missing following two sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity said on Sunday.

ROME (Reuters) - More than 80 migrants were saved, but two died and three were missing following two sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity said on Sunday. MSF's vessel Geo Barents picked up over 60 people late on Saturday from a rubber dinghy in distress in international waters off Libya. It also recovered one body, and one of the migrants taken on board died shortly after the rescue. Mediterranean sea crossings from North Africa to Italy or Malta are among the world's most dangerous migration routes. Last year almost 2,500 migrants died or went missing on those routes, according to the International Organization for Migration.

New twist in the political crisis in Libya. The United Nations envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily, was declared “persona non grata” by the so-called Government of National Stability (gsn), the executive based in the east of the country not recognized by the international community. In reality, the eastern authorities have stopped celebrating February 17th for some time. “The question is whether this is an attempt by Haftar to curry favor with the Greens,” a Libyan source tells “Agenzia Nova”. Hammad's National Stability Government is excluded from this table, a circumstance that led the House of Representatives and Haftar's Army to block the negotiations.

As the Libyan National Army's operation to seize Tripoli reaches its one-year milestone, the canvas of Libya is painted with the strokes of ongoing conflict, international intrigue, and the unyielding spirit of its people. The fierce skirmishes between the rival Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Government of National Accord (GNA) underscore a larger narrative of power, ambition, and resilience. Today, February 18, 2024, we delve into the labyrinth of Libya's conflict, aiming to illuminate the shadows of this complex crisis. AdvertismentThe Battle for Tripoli: A Year OnIt began as an operation by the Libyan National Army to capture Tripoli, the heart of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord. The recent clash near Al-Ghayran Bridge, a critical artery for the Coastal Road, underscores the relentless nature of this conflict.

The Libyan economy and trade minister said Saturday that a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi would pave the way for the rapid reconstruction and development of Libya. Muhammad Ali al-Huweij expressed satisfaction with the Erdogan and Sisi meeting in an interview with Al-Shams television in Egypt. Al-Huweij noted that Türkiye and Egypt are Libya's historical economic partners. He stressed that the meeting, as well as the convergence of Turkish and Egyptian companies, would accelerate Libya's reconstruction and development. Erdogan met Sisi during a Feb. 14 visit to Egypt where relations between the two countries and Libya were discussed.

18 February 2024 10:40 (UTC+04:00)Ulviyya Shahin Read moreAbdoulaye Bathily, special representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), on Saturday called on Libyan leaders to come together to build a strong, united, and resilient Libya, Azernews reports, citing foreign media. "It is imperative that Libyan leaders acknowledge their responsibility and be held accountable for their decisions and actions, as they directly impact the lives of the Libyan people. They must come together, settle all politically contentious issues, and agree on a way forward to build a strong, united, and resilient Libya," Bathily said in a statement on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the Feb. 17 revolution. Bathily reiterated UNSMIL's commitment to supporting the Libyan people in their pursuit of peace, justice, legitimate institutions, and inclusive governance. Libya failed to hold general elections in December 2021 as previously scheduled due to disagreements among the Libyan parties over election laws.

The current situation in Libya poses a significant risk to the North African nation's unity, the UN's special representative to the country warned on Saturday. "It is imperative that Libyan leaders acknowledge their responsibility and be held accountable for their decisions and actions, as they directly impact the lives of the Libyan people," Bathily said in the statement, released by UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). He reaffirmed UNSMIL's commitment to "supporting the Libyan people in their pursuit of peace, justice, legitimate institutions, and inclusive governance." Libyans hope to hold parliamentary and presidential elections to end conflicts and divisions that have manifested since early 2022. Two governments currently exist in the country: One led by Osama Hamad and mandated by the House of Representatives in the east of the country, and the other the Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, based in the capital Tripoli, which enjoys international recognition.

The Japanese Defense Ministry will allow Self-Defense Forces recruits to have longer hair from April this year as it aims to make the armed services more attractive to young people. "As our nation faces a serious workforce shortage, we recognize competition with others, including the private sector, to secure talent has been intensifying," Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told the expert panel meeting on Jan 18. It is his "mission" as the defense chief to improve the working environment for each SDF officer and secure excellent personnel, Kihara added. The move comes as Japan faces a worsening regional security environment caused by China's rapid military buildup and North Korea's expanding missile and nuclear programs. In a related move, the Defense Ministry has also been considering allowing people with tattoos to join the SDF by reviewing the current guidelines banning them from applying to be SDF cadets.

"As we reflect on this occasion today, it is crucial for all Libyan leaders to recognize the daily struggles faced by their fellow citizens and work towards fulfilling their aspirations." Bathily added in a statement published by UNSMIL. He added that the current status quo poses a significant threat to the unity of Libya. "It is imperative that Libyan leaders acknowledge their responsibility and be held accountable for their decisions and actions, as they directly impact the lives of the Libyan people. "On this occasion, I reiterate UNSMIL’s commitment to supporting the Libyan people in their pursuit of peace, justice, legitimate institutions, and inclusive governance."

A delegation from the Libyan Navy has joined a US maritime security workshop for African naval forces, the US Embassy reports. "We value the participation of the Libyan Navy delegation in the US Naval Forces Africa maritime security workshop, and we look forward to continuing to engage professional Libyan Navy officers from throughout the country as they seek to improve security in Libya's maritime domain," the embassy stated on its X account on Friday. The embassy explained that the workshop aims to enhance collaboration and promote maritime awareness, safety, and prosperity with Washington's regional maritime allies and partners.

“As it relates to our support for Ukraine, we must be unwavering and we cannot play political games,” she said. The Gaza war began with Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel’s retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed at least 28,858 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. The foreign ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia also underlined in Munich the catastrophic situation facing civilians in Gaza. “That is why moving on with Saudi Arabia will clearly be a victory over what Hamas did,” he added.

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