BBC Copyright: BBC MAHMOOD YAKUBU Image caption: MAHMOOD YAKUBUChairman of di Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, don tok say di 2023 general elections go be di best ever for di kontri. E say “We bin assure una say we go kontinu to work not only hard but harder to deliver di 2023 general elections. “We bin promise say Osun go dey beta, and Osun election beta. We dey promise say 2023 general elections go be our best election ever and we dey committed to deliver di best election ever,’’ Yakubu tok. Di meeting be di first wey go shelle afta di Osun state governorship election wey happun last weekend.

President of UAE, Sheikh Mohamed, reached Paris on Monday, July 18, during his two-day state visit to strengthen the already strong relations between the UAE and France. Sheikh Mohamed chose France as the first place for his state visit since being elected as the President of the UAE marks a particular symbolic weight. Sheikh Mohamed described France as a close strategic partner of the UAE yesterday while adding that our nations enjoy longstanding partnerships in many fields. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, was the first western leader who visited the UAE to offer his sincere condolences for the demise of former President Sheikh Khalifa. Earlier, Sheikh Mohamed visited France in September 2021 and got a warm welcome during the official ceremony in Paris on Monday.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday received another batch of 143 stranded Nigerians from Libya at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Farinloye said that the stranded Nigerians arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 3:18 p.m with Boeing 737-800 Al Buraq Air with registration number 5A-DMG. He said that the returnees were brought back to the country by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through a voluntary repatriation programme. ” We advised the returnees on the need to realise that there’s no country better than Nigeria. He said that the returnees were received by NEMA, along with other sister agencies such as: Immigration Service, Refugee Commission, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Police.

Another batch of 143 Nigerians stranded in Libya returned to the country on Tuesday. The South-West Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the development to journalists in Lagos. At least more than 400 Nigerians stranded in the North African country had returned home under the arrangement in the last three months. Farinloye said: “The returnees include 96 male adults, 36 female adults, eight male and one female child, one female infant and one male infant. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Libya will begin loading oil for export on July 20 after the force majeure was declared lifted following an intense battle for control of the National Oil Company (NOC) last week. The statement also said that an additional two tankers would arrive at the port of Ras Lanuf, either on the 20th or 21st. “These arrangements have been made in order to resume production operations,” NOC added. As of June 30th, Libya was exporting between 365,000 and 409,000 barrels per day. Prior to the declaration of force majeure in April, the country was exporting up to 865,000 bpd, according to NOC data cited by S&P Platts.

Burkan Al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage) Operation's Martyrs Families Association condemned the visit of Khalifa Haftar forces' Chief of Staff, Abdelrazik Al-Nathori, to Tripoli and his meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army Mohammed Al-Haddad on Monday. The Association said in a statement that Al-Nathori was one of the participants in the offensive on Tripoli and one of those involved in the crimes of that war, urging Libyans to reject the militarization of the state and any forma of coup, and saying that the visit was a violation and should not be accepted no matter the outcome. The statement reiterated support for any steps that lead to the unification of state institutions but through independent national figures who are not under the influence of foreign agenda and have never committed crimes against Libyans. "The General Staff and Defense Ministry are responsible for making a farce out of the instructions of military judiciary that ordered the arrest of Al-Nathori and this visit is a way of ignoring the blood shed by Libyans." Al-Haddad received Al-Nathori on Monday along with the eastern members of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission to discuss the unification of the military institution.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived today in Iran for a visit intended to deepen ties with regional heavyweights as part of Moscow’s challenge to the United States and Europe amid its grinding campaign in Ukraine. Turkey, a NATO member, has found itself opposite Russia in bloody conflicts in Azerbaijan, Libya and Syria. Israel maintains good relations with Putin, a necessity given Russian presence in Syria, Israel’s northeastern neighbor and frequent target of its airstrikes. In his fifth visit to Tehran, Putin will meet Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with whom he has a “trusting dialogue,” Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said. Talks to lift a Russian blockade and get Ukraine’s grain into global markets will also be on the agenda.

(Reuters) - Farhat Bengdara, who was declared chairman of Libya's National Oil Corp last week by the Government of National Unity in Tripoli said his appointment did not change the company's legal position after its validity was challenged. Under his leadership, NOC will seek new relationships with international investors to facilitate increased energy production, the former central bank governor said. (Reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

TRIPOLI :Libya's new National Oil Corporation (NOC) chief Farhat Bengdara on Tuesday rejected challenges to his appointment as most of the company's major subsidiaries publicly acknowledged his leadership and work at some shuttered fields and ports resumed. "The GNU's decision to appoint me as NOC chairman does not represent any change in the legal position of the NOC or in its relationship with the government," he added. Libya's eastern-based parliament, which does not recognise the GNU, has said that Mustafa Sanalla remains the NOC's legitimate chairman. Analysts say Bengdara is seen as close to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, long an ally of the eastern-based parliament. They say Dbeibah's appointment of Bengdara may represent an effort to court Haftar's support for the GNU.

Libya has reportedly lifted the force majeure on oil fields and ports as of Monday, according to ship agency company GAC. The country’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) has issued instructions to restart production arrangements, considering the standards of security, public safety and safety of operations.

One of the main challenges facing Libya’s oil sector is the lack of funding, said Farhat Binqadara, chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC). Speaking during interview with Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath channel on Saturday, Binqadara claimed the state-owned oil company does not necessarily need money as method of funding, as it can also “use bonds or borrow from international institutions, or invest with partners or the Libyan private sector.”Binqadara pointed out that financing NOC requires “flexibility in dealing with laws and institutions, including the Central Bank of Libya.”Regarding the budget allocated by the government of Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, estimated at 43 billion dinars, the NOC chairman revealed “there are financial arrangements with this amount to implement the plan to develop the oil sector, and we will try to use this amount for optimal use.”

Despite the differences between them, military leaders in Libya are the most of achieving consensus and bridging gap in the country, said Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, the spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA). Al-Mismari remarks came on Monday; the same day that the 5+5 Joint Military Commission held a meeting in Tripoli. It was the first time that LNA representatives met their fellow military commanders from western Libyan in the capital. “The ability of the sons of this institution to forget their major differences and go to the higher goals on which the Libyan military doctrine is built, which is protecting the homeland and the citizen and defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, is the essential point that makes the military institution more responsive to the voice of reason and logic,” he added. “Even if we put forward the assumptions of deals and political agreements, we will find the sons of the military institution that are most committed and disciplined and most eager to fulfill their covenants and pacts,” said the LNA spokesman.

Turkey, a NATO member, has found itself opposite Russia in bloody conflicts in Azerbaijan, Libya and Syria. Israel maintains good relations with Putin, a necessity given Russian presence in Syria, Israel's northeastern neighbor and frequent target of its airstrikes. He will also hold talks with President Raisi on issues including Tehran's nuclear deal, of which Russia is a key signatory. The focus of the talks among the three presidents will be the decade-old conflict in Syria, where Iran and Russia have backed President Bashar Assad’s government, while Turkey has supported armed opposition factions. Talks to lift a Russian blockade and get Ukraine’s grain into global markets will also be on the agenda.

TRIPOLI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 193 migrants were returned to Libya after being rescued off the coast last week. "In the period of July 10-16, 2022, 193 migrants have been disembarked back on Libyan shores," IOM said in a statement. A total of 10,465 migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya so far in 2022, including 694 women and 400 minors, IOM added. IOM also said 176 migrants died and 634 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route in 2022. In 2021, a total of 32,425 migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to IOM.

The Ambassador of Malta to Libya, Charles Saliba, has confirmed resumption of granting visas to Libyans in Benghazi city starting from July 24, through the visa office located in the Al-Fuwaihat area, according to Benghazi Municipality. This came during his meeting with the mayor of Benghazi Municipality, Saqer Bujwari, to discuss the procedures related to granting visas to Libyan citizens. Both sides also discussed ways of cooperation in the educational, health and cultural fields, in addition to coordinating with the Benghazi Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry to arrange a meeting for a number of Maltese and Libyan businessmen in Benghazi.