Armed group attacks Criminal Investigation Department in Sorman
The head of the Criminal Investigation Department, the west branch, Ali Benini, said that an armed group attacked the headquarters of the department in the city of Sorman and that security forces fired back in response. Benini explained in a press statement that the attack on the department came against the backdrop of the killing of two members of the armed group, during clashes between them and a special patrol of the Criminal Investigation Department, in the area of Abu Issa on Wednesday morning. A source from the region said that the armed group was engaged in fuel smuggling operations and that the clashes continued until Wednesday evening, resulting in the closure of the coastal road between Sorman and Zawiya.
Source:Libya Observer
August 02, 2018 10:50 UTC
Libya's Coast Guard rescues 574 migrants in three separate operations
Libya's Coast Guard patrols rescued 574 illegal migrants in three separate operations from off the Libyan coast. The rescue operations took place on the coasts of Garabulli town and Zawiya city, the Libyan Navy Information Office clarified Wednesday on Facebook, noting the migrants were of African and Asian nationality, including women, children and one Libyan. The Information Office confirmed that the migrants were handed over to the Illegal Immigration Agency at the shelters of Tajoura, Ain Zara and Janzour, after providing them with humanitarian assistance.
Source:Libya Observer
August 02, 2018 10:41 UTC
Released video show kidnapped foreign workers urge their release
Four foreign staff members of the Man-made River Administration -3 Filipinos and one South Korean- urged in a video clip released by the management of the southern region of Al-Hasawnw System, their heads of state to seek their release, after being kidnapped on July 6 by an unknown armed group. The videotape showed the four abducted workers in an unknown place in the middle of the desert, appealing to their heads of state to rescue them without any delay. The abductees said they were suffering from lack of food, water, and health services, pointing out that they are the sole breadwinners for their families and their only income comes from their work in Libya. The General Manager of Al-Hasawna System Mohammed Al-Hajjaji has stated earlier that the search for the foreign workers is still on. Click to view the video:
Source:Libya Observer
August 02, 2018 10:33 UTC
Benina International Airport resumes air traffic after Ground-handling Service ends strike
Benina International Airport in Benghazi resumed on Wednesday, the passenger flights and air freight after the Ground-handling Services employees ended a strike that began Tuesday. The employees decided to end the strike after receiving promises from the competent authorities to pay their delayed salaries. An official at the airport administration of Benina Airport said that the airport resumed air traffic and that flights are back to normal, stressing that the airport is operating on a regular basis. Libyan Ground-handling Service officials announced Tuesday an open strike in protest for their salary arrears, resulting in the interruption of flights to, and from Benina International Airport.
Source:Libya Observer
August 02, 2018 10:30 UTC
Journalist abducted in Libya found bound and shot dead
Abdul Kareem, a local reporter and photojournalist, was abducted on July 31, and found dead later that day, according to the Libyan Center for Freedom of the Press and news reports. Ahmed added that Abdul Kareem co-authored an article three weeks before his death that detailed kidnappings and robberies in the city. "Any authority purporting to exercise control over Sabha should demonstrate their legitimacy by investigating his death and ensuring that local journalists can do their jobs safely." In a tweet on July 31, the Libyan Center for Freedom of the Press said that the body of Abdul Kareem, 24, was found near Sabha city center with his hands bound. At least 11 journalists have been killed in Libya since conflict broke out in 2011 after the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi, according to CPJ research.
Source:Libya Today
August 01, 2018 21:56 UTC
Libya's CBL governor and Presidential Council head review economic reforms
The Head of the Presidential Council (PC), Fayez Al-Sirraj, met Wednesday with the governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Al-Siddiq Al-Kabeer in an attempt to agree on the mechanisms of carrying out necessary economic reforms. The media office of Al-Sirraj said he told CBL's governor that the PC is ready to conduct the reforms agreed upon earlier, while the governor said that the CBL is also ready to materialize the proposed reforms on the ground. The two officials also talked about the impact of the reforms, which they said will be conducted soon, on the Libyan people. The reforms include tackling dinar-to-foreign-currencies exchange rates, fuel subsidies, adding more to the yearly families' foreign currency allocations and other matters. The meeting was attended by PC member Ahmed Mitig, Planning Minister Al-Taher Al-Jihami and other officials.
Source:Libya Observer
August 01, 2018 19:52 UTC
Libya's Navy explains details of AFP, Reuters journalists' detention in Tripoli
The Libyan Navy issues a statement on Wednesday, saying the hours-long detention of the four Libyan journalists who work for Reuters and Agence-France Presse (AFP) was exaggerated by media outlets and legal groups alike. "Abu Sitta Naval Base's security personnel at the main gate were doing their duties when they detained the four journalists. "We were heading to Abu Sitta Naval Base in Tripoli to cover illegal immigration news and we were stopped by an armed group despite having permits to be there. On Tuesday, the Libyan Center for Freedom of Press (LCFP) reported that a security bureau under the command of the Presidential Council's Interior Ministry freed the four Libyan journalists. LCFP reminded on Twitter the Interior Minister Abdelsalam Ashour of the need to take precautions to protect journalists and to establish a friendly environment for dialogue between journalists and security personnel for the best interest of Libya.
Source:Libya Observer
August 01, 2018 19:18 UTC
Trump should learn from Mideast history and stop promoting regime change in Iran
(Photo: epa-EFE/STR)Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's speech on Iran in May was widely interpreted as a call for regime change. Promoting regime change in Iran would fit this definition. More: Donald Trump takes North Korea approach to reopen Iran negotiations — Mullahs should listenIf we're headed for regime change in Iran, get ready for a military draft. If the president’s most recent overture is a step back from calling for regime change, this is to be welcomed. The U.S. government should focus on policies that increase the likelihood of a positive outcome from regime change, if and when it comes.
Source:Libya Today
August 01, 2018 16:41 UTC
Mismari: Sisi has always backed Libyan Army
He also stressed on the importance of the unity of the Libyan army and the need to hold elections in Libya as soon as possible.In his interview with eXtra news, Mismari said that the Egyptian president has always supported the LNA and that his statements came after he deeply studied the situation in Libya. He added that Sisi is a military person who knows how to analyze the strategic situation.The LNA spokesman praised the age-old Egyptian role in supporting Libya, saying that Egypt has even supported Libya in natural crises and tribal fights which Turkey had caused, according to him. He further added that these elements went back to Libya with Qatari grants and money.The LNA spokesman said that after the Dignity Operation was launched in 2014, Qatar started to lose everything, and it definitely lost all the money it paid in Libya.Mismari said that a number of terrorist camps supported by Qatar started to completely disappear, adding that Qatar has nothing left in Libya except some elements the LNA leadership knows well. Mismari revealed that the Islamists’ demand to create a constitution first is part of their plan to stay for more years in power.He added that the current constitution is full of defects and was created to serve the Muslim Brotherhood group.In late May, Libya’s main rival leaders agreed on running presidential and parliamentary elections in December. They also agreed to finalize a constitutional base for the elections by September 16, 2018.This came in a meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, with the aim of ending the Libyan crisis, in the presence of Libya’s four main rivals, including Head of the Libyan High Council of State Khaled Mishri, General Commander of Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar, Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and speaker of the Eastern House of Representatives Aguila Saleh.
Source:Libya Today
August 01, 2018 11:03 UTC
Suq al-Juma'a Municipality studies establishing new power plant
Suq al-Juma'a Municipality said that it is considering a proposal to install a new power plant at Mitiga Airport. The Mayor of the municipality held a meeting with council members to discuss the status of the old power plant and the possibility of installing a new one, after agreeing to coordinate with the Director of Mitiga Airport Lutfi Al-Tabib to consider the establishment of the station from the technical aspect and its impact on air navigation. The country is suffering in general frequent power cuts for long hours, on a daily basis, especially in the capital Tripoli.
Source:Libya Observer
August 01, 2018 10:53 UTC
Civil Status Department stress unity of institution, away from political strife
The directors of branches of the Civil Status Department in eastern Libya said in a statement Tuesday that the department is far from all the ongoing strife in the country. The statement insisted on the unity of the institution nationwide, stressing their support to the Director of the Civil Status Department Mohamed Bettamer. This statement came after the meeting of the directors of the department in the city of Benghazi, with the aim of seeking further support for the institution and to launch new developing projects.
Source:Libya Observer
August 01, 2018 09:22 UTC
Tawergha official accuses government of slow pace on ending IDPs crisis
The member of the Committee for the Implementation of the Reconciliation Agreement between Tawergha and Misrata, Abdul Nabi Bouarabeh confirmed that security conditions in Tawergha are excellent, calling on the government to start creating conditions for the return of the displaced people to their homes, including preparing and maintaining the health and educational facilities. "Since the signing of the Reconciliation Charter, there has been a slow progress in the implementation of the equip program for the return of the people of the city by the government," Bouarabeh said in a statement Tuesday, adding that the school year is approaching and all the government has done is to assess the damage without any real action on the ground.
Source:Libya Observer
August 01, 2018 09:22 UTC
Human trafficking in Libya is growing, local human rights group warns
Human Rights Solidarity (HRS) revealed in its report on the occasion of the World Day for Human Trafficking that it had monitored a rise in the crime of human trafficking in Libya. The HRS added that the crimes of exploitation of illegal migrants, torture, and forcing children to beg, have grown significantly in Libya because of unstable security conditions. The group called through its statement on the Libyan authorities to work actively, in order to reduce the phenomenon of human trafficking, stressing the need for the cooperation of the countries of origin and transit with Libya, in order to develop an effective strategy to counter this phenomenon.
Source:Libya Observer
August 01, 2018 09:11 UTC
UNICEF hosts open day in Libya
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) organized in the past two days in Tripoli an open day with the participation of more than 100 civil society organizations from all over Libya. The UNICEF reviewed during the event the programs implemented by the UNICEF in Libya, including child protection, education, health, food, youth, and water and sanitation. The UNICEF's Special Representative for Libya Abdul Rahman Ghandour spoke during his opening speech on the organization's commitment to expand its programs for children in Libya, through implementing new country programs for the period 2019-2020.
Source:Libya Observer
August 01, 2018 09:00 UTC
Head of (PC) and (HCS) meet to review political and economic crisis
The Chairman of the Presidential Council (PC), Fayez Al-Sarraj, discussed Tuesday with the President of the High Council of State Council (HCS), Khaled Al-Mashri, the latest developments of the political and economic situation in the country, and the current crises. The meeting, which was held in the presence of First Deputy of HCS, Naji Mukhtar, also reviewed the economic reform plan, which aims to support stability and alleviate the suffering of citizens, in coordination with the Central Bank of Libya and other concerned parties. The two sides also stressed the importance of respecting the democratic process and holding presidential and parliamentary elections within a sound constitutional framework, in addition to the unification of the state institutions.
Source:Libya Observer
August 01, 2018 09:00 UTC