A still from a video shows Guardia di Finanza personnel unwrapping the fuselage of a UAV that was found in a container at the Italian port of Gioia Tauro. (Guardia di Finanza )Italy's Guardia di Finanza has confirmed reports that it found unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in containers that were destined for Libya in contravention of the United Nations arms embargo on that country. It released a statement on 2 July saying components for two military UAVs were found in six containers that were being shipped from China to Libya via the Italian Port of Gioia Tauro. It was previously reported that Italian authorities had found containers containing suspected weapons onboard MSC Arina when it arrived in Gioia Tauro on 18 June. While the Italian authorities reportedly received US intelligence about the suspected weapons shipment, the Guardia di Finanza said the containers were identified by examining suspicious shipping routes and anomalies in accompanying customs documentation.
Source:Libya Today
July 03, 2024 22:28 UTC
America is going through a cultural war right now. A debate has enraged on what defines free speech and it's implications. The matter is of great dispute between the public and politicians. The recent protests in US universities over Israel's war on Gaza have surprised many and indicate a major shift in US public opinion on Middle East conflicts. How significant are these protests and does the subsequent strong reaction by US police to show America struggling to come to terms with changing public opinion towards the Palestinian cause.
Source:Libya Today
July 03, 2024 18:34 UTC
The city of Zliten has been grappling with a power outage lasting over 72 hours, prompting residents to threaten escalatory actions. Ismail Al-Jousmi, the Director of the Media Office of Zliten Municipality, attributed the responsibility for the outages in eastern Zliten to the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) and, by extension, the government led by Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh. Al-Jousmi further detailed that the eastern areas of Zliten, previously supplied by Misrata, are now powered by the local Zliten station. “The power outages in these areas have extended to 72 hours,” Al-Jousmi stated, noting that this severe disruption has led residents to stage protests outside the GECOL distribution office, demanding a resolution in the coming days. Al-Jousmi warned that the situation could worsen if solutions are not implemented promptly, cautioning that the public’s frustration might escalate to the point of blocking the coastal road, reflecting their growing anger over the prolonged and repeated power outages.
Source:Libya Today
July 03, 2024 15:42 UTC
Commercial banks are now trading the U.S. currency at more than 47 pounds, up from about 31 pounds. In the new Cabinet, Sherif Fathy, a former civil aviation minister, replaced Ahmed Issa as Tourism and Antiquities Minister in the new government. Badr Abdelatty, who has acted as Egypt’s envoy to European countries including Germany and Belgium, has been named Foreign and Migration Minister. The ministers, their deputies, and provincial governors took the oath in a presidential palace in Cairo before el-Sissi, elected in December for a third six-year term. A year later, constitutional amendments, passed in a general referendum, added two years to el-Sissi’s second term and allowed him to run for a third, six-year term.
Source:Libya Today
July 03, 2024 12:27 UTC
Sudan is already the world's worst displacement crisis with some 12 million forced to flee their homes and more than 2 million displaced across borders. The latest expansion of the U.N. response plan brings to seven the number of African countries taking in large numbers of Sudanese refugees. It projects 55,000 for Uganda which does not share a direct border with Sudan and already hosts 1.7 million refugees and asylum seekers from other crises. At least 20,000 refugees have already arrived in Libya since last year, with arrivals accelerating in recent months and many thousands more unregistered, Watson added. At least 39,000 Sudanese refugees had arrived in Uganda since the war, he said.
Source:Libya Today
July 02, 2024 10:33 UTC
Geneva: The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday it is expanding its Sudan aid plan to two new countries, Libya and Uganda, after tens of thousands of refugees arrived there in recent months. UNHCR's Ewan Watson told reporters in Geneva that at least 20,000 refugees had arrived in Libya since last year, with arrivals accelerating in recent months, while at least 39,000 Sudanese refugees had arrived in Uganda.
Source:Libya Today
July 02, 2024 10:25 UTC
TRIPOLI - Libya's interior minister in Tripoli said the major border crossing at Ras Ijdir with Tunisia was fully reopened on Monday three months after being shut due to armed clashes. "Two hours after this ceremony, Libyan citizens will be able to go to Tunisia," Trabulsi told journalists at the crossing. Trabulsi called on Libyans living near the western border to support regional security forces "in order to combat smuggling and illegal migration". He said Libya would open two new border crossings with Tunisia "if capabilities are provided". Besides Ras Ijdir, the two countries have a minor crossing at Wazen-Dhehiba that has remained open.
Source:Libya Today
July 02, 2024 00:12 UTC
TRIPOLI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday said a total of 303 illegal migrants were deported from Libya to their countries of origin in the past week. "Last week, IOM Libya facilitated two Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) charter flights, bringing 162 migrants from Benghazi to Dhaka and 141 migrants from Tripoli to Guinea Bissau and Benin," IOM Libya said via its account on social media platform X. The migrants were deported through IOM's VHR program, which facilitates the return of migrants stranded in Libya to their countries of origin. According to IOM, 226 migrants, including 32 women and 13 children, were intercepted and returned off the coast of Libya during June 23-29. So far this year, 8,980 migrants have been intercepted, while 358 died and 513 others went missing off the Libyan coast, IOM added.
Source:Libya Today
July 01, 2024 22:44 UTC
"We are now securing the Libyan border from Al-Assa to Wazen. Through this region, the Libyan economy was being drained through smuggling," he added during a press conference with his Tunisian counterpart Khaled Nouri.
Source:Libya Today
July 01, 2024 17:48 UTC
Necessary CookiesThis cookie is used to distinguish between humans and bots. This is beneficial for the web site, in order to make valid reports on the use of their web site. Performance/Analytical CookiesRegisters a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website.Used by Google Analytics to throttle request rate. Accept RejectAdvertising/Marketing CookiesThis cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics. (Alexa Analytics is an Amazon company.)
Source:Libya Today
July 01, 2024 16:37 UTC
Italian authorities have seized Chinese military drones intercepted at an Italian port in a bid to stop them being shipped to a Libyan warlord. Three containers packed with the weapons were impounded on June 18 by officials at Gioia Tauro port in southern Italy after they were unloaded from a cargo vessel, the MSC Arina, sailing from China, sources told The Times. Labelled as parts for wind turbines, the Wing Loong unmanned aircraft were reportedly due to be loaded on a ship bound for Benghazi in Libya and delivered to General Khalifa Haftar, the strongman running the east of the country. Two control stations were included in the shipment, which violated a UN embargo on arms shipments to Libya. The containers have been impounded by
Source:Libya Today
July 01, 2024 09:57 UTC
Russia's intervention in Africa has been systematic and cynical, aimed at establishing partnerships with military and political leaders in the region. Russia has provided arms, training and financial support to pro-coup military leaders in exchange for natural resource extraction rights and military bases. Political instability in Libya has been the focus of Russia's heavy presence in the region. Russia's presence in Africa has doubled since Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunusbek Yevkurov last visited in August 2023. A unified Libya, no longer tolerant of a Russian military presence, could do much to counter the tendency of the Military Council government in the Sahel region and the instability it brings.
Source:Libya Today
June 30, 2024 07:07 UTC
Both human traffickers were partially responsible for the April 2023 Libya boat tragedy. As soon as the court pronounced its verdict, the police arrested the human smugglers, who were out on bail, and sent them to jail. Earlier, the lawyer for one of the families of the Libya boat tragedy victims, Advocate Muhammad Afzal Jadoon, stated that Abdul Razzaq, a resident of Girja, Rawalpindi, had been deceived by the two convicts. They took the two from Rawalpindi to Libya, where the convicts disappeared. However, the boat capsized and sank within Libyan waters, and both young men, along with other passengers, lost their lives.
Source:Libya Today
June 30, 2024 01:09 UTC
If it had been the performance of the governments, Biden would have outperformed Trump on many key performance areas. In contrast, the Biden administration oversaw a strong rebound with GDP growth of 5.7 percent in 2021, moderating to around 2.6 percent by 2023. Internationally, Trump pursued an “America First” policy, while Biden emphasized repairing alliances and took firmer stances against Russia and China. The Trump and Biden Administrations have taken different approaches to protecting the interests of expatriate Pakistanis in the USA. In contrast, the Biden Administration has reversed many travel bans, eased visa processes, provided comprehensive covid-19 support, and increased engagement with expatriate communities, including Pakistani Americans.
Source:Libya Today
June 29, 2024 20:22 UTC
Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh and Khaled Shakshak, Head of the Audit Bureau, have agreed to enhance the development plan and ensure financial flows for ongoing projects. The meeting, held on Thursday at the Audit Bureau HQ in Tripoli, focused on infrastructure projects, particularly in the water and sanitation sectors. The officials discussed several service files and the features of the development budget 2024, alongside following up on the oil and gas sector. The meeting also underscored the need to support executive bodies and the electricity and oil sectors, pushing forward development efforts. The officials agreed to support the government's initiatives to transfer responsibilities to municipalities and implement local development, enhancing the role of municipalities.
Source:Libya Observer
June 29, 2024 18:38 UTC