Five Years Ago, ISIS Executed 21 Christians on a Beach in Libya
After the Islamic State released a video of their murders, images of this massacre of Coptic Christians reverberated around the world. Your listeners will be more familiar with churches, like the Russian Orthodox church or Greek Orthodox church, and the Coptic Orthodox church is just the Egyptian Orthodox church—that's why I always used the term “orthodox” as well within the title. The Coptic Orthodox church is a scriptural church, using the Old and New Testament. Can you take us back to five years ago this month, and how you ended up hearing about this story of these 21 Coptic Christians? Your sisters and brothers in the Coptic Orthodox Church are also members of the body of Christ as your listeners are.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 17:48 UTC
UN negotiator seeks to overcome sticking issues as Libya talks resume
Ghassan Salamé, UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Libya, was trying to convince the Tripoli delegation to stay in Geneva and resume indirect talks earlier on Wednesday, the UN confirmed to Reuters. The Tripoli government left the ceasefire talks late on Tuesday and a defiant Sarraj, visiting the shelled port on Wednesday, rebuffed calls to return immediately to the negotiation table. He suggested fighting was likely to continue: "We have an even stronger signal than that, which is defending our people." Nearly nine years after rebel fighters backed by NATO air strikes overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Libya still has no central authority. Since the LNA marched on Tripoli nearly a year ago, fighting has displaced 150,000 people.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 17:42 UTC
Turkey clashes with EU over Libya weapons embargo
TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the EU today for “interfering” in Libya by trying to stop him landing troops and weapons there. Rebel General Khalifa Haftar of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) is besieging the capital and already controls most of eastern Libya. Instead the bloc said that it would launch a new mission aimed at enforcing the arms embargo on Libya. Turkey is among the countries supporting the Tripoli government and Mr Erdogan has sent weapons and deployed jihadists relocated from Syria to Libya, including fighters aligned with al-Qaida and Isis. It is trying to interfere.”Turkey, he vowed, would ensure that the Tripoli-based government is able to “establish dominance” across Libya.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 17:26 UTC
Neville Gafa claims credit for migrant interceptions by Libyan coastguard
Neville Gafa has claimed that through his contacts in Libya, thousands of migrants would be saved at sea by the Libyan coastguard. The former official within the Office of the Prime Minister, told the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry on Wednesday that “Malta was spared thousands of immigrants”. Gafa courted controversy last year when it turned out that he had met a senior Libyan militia leader in Tripoli, Haithem Tajouri, who faced UN sanctions. “I take responsibility for this… through my intervention, Malta was spared thousands of immigrants. Gafa said that he used to be accompanied on his trips in Libya by Kenneth Camilleri, a member of Muscat’s security detail.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 17:03 UTC
Hillary’s War: Nine Years Later Libya Still a Living Hell
Nine years after a US-led attack on Libya and murder of its leader, the democracy and liberation promised by Hillary Clinton and her band of “humanitarian interventionists” has never arrived. Instead, the once-wealthiest African country is mired in civil war and the standard of living has plummeted. There are several warring factions and militias vying for control, none of which seems strong enough to rule the country. This is a valuable cautionary tale about the disasters of US interventionism – which is precisely why no one wants to talk about it. Watch today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report:Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 16:41 UTC
IOM Calls on the International Community for Urgent Action to Find Alternatives to Disembarkation in Libya - Libya
“Libya cannot wait," says IOM Libya Chief of Mission Federico Soda. More than 3,000 others arrived in Italy and Malta, many of whom were rescued by NGO search and rescue vessels. The lifesaving efforts of NGO vessels operating in the Mediterranean should be recognized and any restrictions and delays on disembarkation must be lifted. A new approach to the situation in Libya and the central Mediterranean is needed. Concern must now be translated into action to avoid further tragedies bound to occur, should the status quo continue.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 16:30 UTC
Di Maio: Blocking weapons flow to Libya will push parties to dialogue
Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio has said that preventing the flow of weapons into Libya will push the parties to the conflict further towards dialogue. "If the Libyan parties agree, the EU mission to stop the flow of weapons into Libya could be expanded to a land mission, in order to control the Libyan borders," Di Maio said following the (2 + 2) meeting with Russia in Rome, on Tuesday. Italian foreign minister's view is that by blocking the entry of weapons would get both parties more interested in finding a peaceful solution, says Italian foreign ministry.
Source:Libya Observer
February 19, 2020 14:26 UTC
Inside Futures: Relevant trading-focused information authored by key players in the futures, options and forex industries
Libya was exporting 1.2 million barrels a day. S@P global Platt’s reports that, “The EIA revised its February total US shale oil production forecast downward from last month’s prediction. The EIA sees total U.S. oil production at 9.156 million b/d in February and 9.174 million b/d in March. The Permian in West Texas/New Mexico is pegged to grow in February by 42,000 b/d on a month to 4.816 million b/d and increase by 39,000 b/d in March to 4.855 million b/d. The kingdom’s oil inventories declined to 155.199 million barrels in December, from 167.013 million barrels in November, according to data on the website of the Riyadh-based Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI).
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 14:03 UTC
Crude-oil prices settle at a nearly 3-week high
Oil futures posted their highest settlement in nearly three weeks on Wednesday, with Brent oil tallying seventh straight session advance. Venezuela is already under severe U.S. sanctions as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign to remove Maduro from power. April Brent crude BRNJ20, +0.32%, meanwhile, picked up $1.37, or 2.4%, to $59.12 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe. The American Petroleum Institute’s report will be released late Wednesday and Energy Information Administration will issue its own figures Thursday morning. On Tuesday, prices rallied by 7.8% to settle at their highest in a month on colder weather forecasts.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 13:27 UTC
Customs seize 9,500 contraband vodka bottles at Freeport
Customs has seized 9,500 bottles of contraband vodka which were hidden inside a container at the Freeport. The find comes following a joint operation coordinated between the Customs Department Container Monitoring Unit and its Scanning Team. The 20-foot container was supposed to be carrying gypsum powder, and was travelling from Odessa in the Ukraine to Khoms in Libya, with a stop in Malta. The estimated unpaid taxes on the bottles are estimated at €61,000.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 13:18 UTC
Would-be car radio thief gets a beating
A man who was beaten up as he allegedly tried to steal a car radio has been remanded in custody this afternoon. Inspector Trevor Micallef arraigned unemployed Abdulhamid Saied, 39 from Libya, accusing him of attempted aggravated theft, voluntary damage and being drunk in a public place. The court was told that he claimed the car’s owner had beaten him up. The inspector told the court that the man claimed to have lost his identification documents. Lawyer Martha Mifsud, defence counsel to the accused, told the court that she would not be requesting bail at this stage.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 12:56 UTC
NOC evacuates fuel tankers from Tripoli Port
The National Oil Corporation (NOC) has cleared Tripoli Port of fuel tankers and urgently evacuated the area, calling a halt to all unloading operations. The NOC took this action due to shelling which landed meters away from a tanker that was carrying explosive liquid petroleum gas (LPG) as it was being off loaded. The head of the corporation, Mustafa Sanalla, strongly condemned the targeting of the port and called on the international community to intervene urgently in order to permit the NOC to continue in its management of fuel delivery without difficulty. Sanalla stressed that the NOC would be forced to seek alternative methods to supply Tripoli and the outskirts with fuel after this latest attack on the port. He added that this attack could have led to a huge catastrophe to humanitarian and environmental matters leading to disruption of hospitals, schools, power plants and indeed other vital services throughout the city.
Source:Libya Observer
February 19, 2020 10:30 UTC
Libyan government boycotts UN-led Geneva talks
The Presidential Council (PC) said Tuesday it will boycott the ongoing military talks in Geneva until firm stances were taken against Haftar and his violations. In a statement, the PC vowed to respond firmly to the violations committed by Haftar with the appropriate form and timing. The PC insisted it is not enough to issue statements of condemnation. "The violations committed by Haftar require warrants of arrest and habeas corpus procedures at the internal and international levels, the PC added. It demanded the international community to take firm and concrete measures towards the aggression and the countries supporting it.
Source:Libya Observer
February 19, 2020 10:18 UTC
AP News in Brief 02-19-20
President Trump goes on clemency spree, and the list is longWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has gone on a clemency blitz, commuting what he called a “ridiculous” 14-year prison sentence for former Illinois Gov. The clemency actions come as an emboldened Trump continues to test the limits of his office now that impeachment is over. Bloomberg finally faces foes after spending millions of dollars on adsFor Mike Bloomberg, the one way conversation with Democratic voters is about to end. As he faces his rivals onstage for the first time, they’ve made it clear they’re eager to take him on. “Plenty of pro-life Catholics are looking for an alternative to voting for President Trump,” said Kim Daniels, associate director of Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 10:07 UTC
Oil: Supply Risks From Rosneft To Libya Push Crude Back Toward $60.
XThe U.S. sanctioned a unit of Russia's Rosneft PJSC for maintaining ties with Venezuela's president and its state-run oil company, threatening to crimp the nation's ability to export crude. "Throttling this Asian supply channel will provide some support for oil prices." The nation's crude output had dropped to around 123,000 barrels a day from 1.2 million barrels before a blockade of the country's ports by Haftar's supporters started in mid-January. At the end of the day, there is still far too much oil in the world." Other oil market news
Source:Libya Today
February 19, 2020 05:15 UTC