France allocates one million Euro in support of UNDP initiative for IDPs safe return
France has committed to contribute1 million Euro to support UNDP’s initiative aimed at helping the safe return of internally displaced persons in Greater Tripoli, according to the UNDP. In June 2019, anti-tank missiles belonging to France were found by the GNA forces in a camp south of the capital Tripoli, used by Haftar's militias. According to various sources, Paris has also provided these militias with advice, training, and information. However, France now finds itself in a difficult position, following Haftar’s disastrous defeat in western Libya on the hands of the GNA forces. According to western media, some within the French foreign ministry and security apparatuses are beginning to pile pressure on their government to push back and reconsider its policy in Libya.
Source:Libya Observer
August 05, 2020 17:23 UTC
GECOL discusses solutions to power-cuts crisis
The Board of Directors of the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) held a meeting on Monday at the company’s HQ, to discuss practical steps to alleviate the power cut crisis, which have plunged entire areas into darkness. The meeting, which was chaired by the company's CEO dealt with setting a quick concept to conduct maintenance work and massive overhauls for some generation units, in addition, to identify the companies that will accomplish the required work. The officials also agreed on a mechanism for providing the generation units with necessary spare parts and maintenance requirements. Hours-long power cuts have persisted over the past years, despite repeated promises of devising a lasting solution from consecutive governments. The power crisis has fueled the grievances of a protest movement mobilized since June by activists.
Source:Libya Observer
August 05, 2020 09:56 UTC
U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien Says Libya Must Unite In Order To Win” :: The Pavlovic Today
On August 4th, national security advisor Robert O’Brien released a statement regarding the ongoing conflict in Libya. O’Brien stated that the only way Libya will “win” is if they unify and reclaim their sovereignty. Implementing NOC would allow Libyan oil to be available through agreement with various foreign companies. Last year, the U.N. emphasized that there is “no military solution to the [Libyan] conflict.”Human Rights In LibyaCurrently in Libya, there are medicine and power shortages. How Did The Libyan Conflict Begin?
Source:Libya Today
August 05, 2020 08:15 UTC
Evarist Bartolo in Libya on Thursday for talks on cooperation
Evarist Bartolo will be discussing regional stability with a focus on migration with his Libyan counterpart when he visits Tripoli on Thursday. Malta and Libya agreed to set up joint cooperation centres in Valletta and Tripoli last May to tackle migration in the region. The Libyan coastguard rescued and returned to Libya 6,265 people this year, the Maltese foreign ministry said in a statement announcing Bartolo’s visit. Prime Minister Robert Abela had travelled to Libya in May to secure the Libyan government’s cooperation on migration after Malta and Italy faced an influx of migrant arrivals since the start of the year. Since Abela’s visit, Malta has seen a drop in migrant arrivals, which only picked up recently.
Source:Libya Today
August 05, 2020 08:08 UTC
MABUX: Bunker market this morning, Aug. 05.
MABUX World Bunker Index (consists of a range of prices for 380 HSFO, VLSFO and MGO (Gasoil) in the main world hubs demonstrated irregular changes on Aug. 04:380 HSFO – USD/MT – 300.80 (+0.61)VLSFO – USD/MT – 357.00 (+1.00)MGO – USD/MT – 437.17 (-0.22)Meantime, world oil indexes increased on Aug. 04 on significant crude draw. The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a draw in crude oil inventories of 8.587 million barrels for the last week. In the previous week, the API reported a draw in crude oil inventories of 6.829 million barrels. It also was reported a draw of 1.748 million barrels of gasoline. The market expects the U.S. Energy Information Administration to report today a 3-million-barrel decline in domestic crude stockpiles last week.
Source:Libya Today
August 05, 2020 06:56 UTC
Court transcript exposes Turkey-Qatar sponsorship of extremists in Syria
Terzi found out about the illegal transfer of Qatari funds to jihadists in Syria. Turkish Brigadier General Semih TerziAlakus testified at a hearing at the 17th High Criminal Court in Ankara in March, 2019, that this aimed at strengthening Turkish stand and worsen the Syrian conflict. Alakus further added that Terzi got to know that Aksakalli was part of the secret mission, led by the Turkish intelligence agency (MIT), which ran illegal operations in Syria supporting militants in the war-torn country. “Terzi was aware of who in the government was involved in an oil-smuggling operation from Syria, how the profits were shared and what activities they were involved in,” Alakus added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has said that the number of the Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries in Libya has risen to 15,300 so far.
Source:Libya Today
August 05, 2020 06:45 UTC
Libya: Army ‘Sentences’ Freelance Photojournalist Al-Zway to 15 Years
[CPJ] The Libyan National Army should immediately release photojournalist Ismail Abuzreiba al-Zway, and stop prosecuting journalists in secret trials and in military courts, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Like this: Like Loading...
Source:Libya Today
August 05, 2020 06:00 UTC
US Troubled By Libya Escalation, Calls For Ceasefire
O'Brien said the United States is "deeply troubled" by the escalating conflict in Libya. The United States opposes any foreign military involvement in Libya, including via the use of mercenaries and private military contractors, O'Brien added. US President Donald Trump has discussed the situation in Libya with several world leaders over the last several weeks, O'Brien said. Libya has been suffering from internal conflict since its long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011. Turkey and Egypt have also been involved in the situation by providing military assistance to the GNA and the LNA, respectively.
Source:Libya Today
August 04, 2020 21:00 UTC
Oil Prices Jump On Significant Crude Draw
The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported on Tuesday a draw in crude oil inventories of 8.587 million barrels for the week ending July 31. In the previous week, the API reported a significant—and unexpected--draw in crude oil inventories of 6.829 million barrels, after analysts had predicted a small build. The API reported a draw of 1.748 million barrels of gasoline for the week ending July 31—compared to last week’s 1.083-million-barrel build. This week’s draw compares to analyst expectations for a 170,000-barrel draw for the week. Distillate inventories were up by 3.824 million barrels for the week, compared to last week’s 187,000-barrel build, while Cushing inventories saw an increase of 1.63 million barrels.
Source:Libya Today
August 04, 2020 20:48 UTC
French Intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy Slams ‘Disgraceful’ Turkish Government Media for Stoking Violent Assault in Libya
The French public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy has lambasted Turkey’s pro-government press for its alleged role in a violent attempt last month to derail his investigation of a gruesome massacre in the Libyan town of Tarhuna. “I had hardly set foot on Libyan soil before the schedule was posted to Turkish and Qatari Facebook pages,” Lévy said. “On at least two occasions, Erdogan has done me the dubious honor of condemning me by name,” Lévy said. “The Turkish press was disgraceful in this matter,” he said. However I am not a ‘Jewish writer’; I am a ‘French writer.’ And the Turkish journalists know this very well.”Antisemitism does exist in Libya, Lévy observed, “but less, apparently, than in the country of Erdogan.
Source:Libya Today
August 04, 2020 19:18 UTC
Libyan National Army ‘sentences’ freelance photojournalist Ismail Abuzreiba al-Zway to 15 years
Share this: TwitterFacebookWhatsAppLinkedInEmailTelegramWashington, D.C., August 4, 2020–The Libyan National Army should immediately release photojournalist Ismail Abuzreiba al-Zway, and stop prosecuting journalists in secret trials and in military courts, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Al-Zway was detained for allegedly working for Al-Nabaa, a privately owned Libyan news channel broadcast from Turkey, CPJ documented. “The Libyan National Army must immediately and unconditionally release Ismail Abuzreiba al-Zway and allow journalists to live and work safely.”Major General Ahmed al-Mesmary, spokesperson for the Libyan National Army, did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment sent via his official Facebook page. Libya is split between rival governments led by the Libyan National Army in the east and the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord based in Tripoli, Libya’s capital. The four Libyan press freedom rights groups condemned al-Zway’s sentence and said that the photojournalist did not participate in any acts of violence and that he was within his rights, according to their statement.
Source:Libya Today
August 04, 2020 18:54 UTC
Why Libya deserves better from the U.S. and the world
ANALYSIS/OPINION:Over the past nine years, the world has failed to deal effectively and humanely with any of Libya’s geopolitical challenges. The primary contributing factor for this failure is that following the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, Libya has become a hotbed of many global intelligence agencies. Divided by an ideological wall that is even more formidable than the Berlin Wall, today Libya is currently split into two parts — east and west. As it currently stands, France has taken the best approach in facing the Mediterranean’s national security threats. Had it not been for this position, Libya would now be a prey to the most extremist terrorist group in the world, under the auspices of a NATO member country, Turkey.
Source:Libya Today
August 04, 2020 18:11 UTC
226 new cases and 10 deaths as Coronavirus cases pass the 4,000 mark – Is Libya’s Coronavirus pandemic out of control?
226 new cases and 10 deaths as Coronavirus cases pass the 4,000 mark – Is Libya’s Coronavirus pandemic out of control? London, 4 August 2020:Libya’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 226 news Coronavirus cases and 10 new deaths today. This brings the new total to 4, 063, with 3,345 active cases, 625 recovered cases and a total of 93 deaths. The cases are spread across the country – with Tripoli and the south being the hot spots. Sources in Tripoli have told Libya Herald that there is general fatigue amongst many Libyans who choose not to wear masks or socially distance.
Source:Libya Today
August 04, 2020 16:52 UTC
Misrata airport closed after fire, Mitiga to reopen on 9 August – as Maltese inspection delegation considers flight resumption
Misrata airport closed after fire, Mitiga to reopen on 9 August – as Maltese inspection delegation considers flight resumptionBy Sami Zaptia. London, 4 August 2020:Libya’s Airports Authority announced today that Tripoli’s Mitiga airport will reopen next Sunday 9 August. The Airports Authority said that it could not reopen Mitiga airport any earlier due to ongoing maintenance work. Maltese Civil Aviation Authority delegation inspects Mitiga for possible flight resumptionMeanwhile, the Airports Authority also reported that a specialist delegation from the Maltese Civil Aviation Authority visited Mitiga airport yesterday to ‘‘inspect and evaluate the airport and its facilities and determine the possibility of operating scheduled commercial flights between Libya and Malta’’. While Turkey has agreed to let outgoing passengers from Libya land at Istanbul, there has been no such agreement forthcoming from neighbouring Tunisia.
Source:Libya Today
August 04, 2020 16:41 UTC
Beirut explosion: Large blast rocks Lebanese capital wounding thousands
A massive explosion ripped through the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, killing scores of people and injuring thousands. The head of the Lebanese Red Cross told local broadcasters on Wednesday that more than 100 people had died following the blast at a warehouse in the city's port. Huge explosions rock Beirut A massive unexplained explosion has torn through Beirut’s port and caused damage across the city. A journalist at local newspaper the Daily Star uploaded a video of its newsroom approximately 1.5km from the explosion, showing massive destruction inside. BREAKING: Massive explosion in Beirut.
Source:Libya Today
August 04, 2020 15:32 UTC