Libya

Germany will stay committed to Libya after I’m gone, says Merkel

Germany will remain committed to supporting Libya even after the government changes in Berlin, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday at a joint news briefing with the head…

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Libya’s presidency seeks consensus on election law

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The head of Libya's Presidency Council said on Saturday he would urge candidates in elections proposed for December not to take part unless there was consensus…

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Operation Irini gets new commander to monitor Libya’s arms embargo

Libya Observer - The Council of the European Union (EU) has appointed Rear Admiral Stefano Turchetto as commander of Operation Irini, in succession to Admiral Fabio Agostini. The new commander…

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Libya PM draws crowd for mass wedding and protest against parliament

Several thousand Libyans packed a Tripoli square late on Friday for a state-funded mass wedding celebration that also drew supporters of transitional Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and protesters against the…

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Libya’s eastern parliament pulls confidence from unity government

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's eastern-based parliament said on Tuesday it had withdrawn confidence from the unity government, though it would continue to operate as a caretaker administration. The vote in…

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Flights between Malta and Libya resume

The Libya Observer - The first flight from Malta to Libya touched down in Tripoli's Mitiga Airport on Monday to pave the way for resuming flights between the two countries…

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East Libyan forces say two helicopters crash in military operation

East Libyan forces said they lost two helicopters in a crash during a military operation on Sunday, after days of fighting with a formerly allied rebel group from Chad. The…

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UN concerned about detained migrants vanishing in Libya

U.N. migration agency official expressed concerns Friday over the disappearance of thousands of Europe-bound migrants who were intercepted and returned to Libya as more and more desperate people risk their…

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Libya ready to host a million workers from Egypt

The Libyan Minister of Labor, Ali Al-Abed, said Libya is ready to host one million workers from Egypt and that the agreements and contracts signed between the two countries in…

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Egypt signs flurry of deals with Libya’s unity government

Egypt and Libya’s unity government signed a series of cooperation agreements and several infrastructure contracts on as Cairo eyes reconstruction opportunities in its oil-rich neighbour. Though Libya’s political prospects remain…

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Libya’s Hariga port to return to normal operations, Es Sider and Ras Lanuf oil blockades end

Libya's National Oil Corp (NOC) on Thursday said that a blockade of the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf oil terminals had ended and that export operations had returned to normal.…

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East Libyan forces and Chadian rebels clash in southern Libya

The Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar clashed with Chadian rebel forces in the south of Libya on Tuesday and Wednesday, both sides said. The fighting underscores…

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Protesters block Libya’s Es Sider

Protesters blocked an oil tanker from loading at the Libyan terminal of Es Sider on Tuesday, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) media office and an engineer at the port said.…

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UPDATED: Loading resumes at Libyan oil ports of of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf

Loading operations at the Libyan oil terminals of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf resumed on Friday after a stoppage, National Oil Corporation and two engineers at the ports said. Exports…

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Libyan parliament speaker says election plan approved

Libya's eastern-based parliament speaker signed a law allowing a presidential election to take place in December, though another body of state rejected the move, saying the legislation was flawed. Parliament…

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Protesters stop oil tanker loading at Libya’s Hariga

Protesters entered Libya's Hariga oil terminal on Thursday and stopped a tanker from loading, the port head and another official said. On Wednesday protesters also blocked exports at the ports…

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Libyan interim PM says to visit Tunisia on Thursday amid tension

Libyan interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh said he would visit Tunisia on Thursday and meet President Kais Saied after weeks of friction between the North African neighbours over security. Neither…

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Libya’s Es Sider and Ras Lanuf ports blocked by protest

Protesters blocked oil exports at the Libyan ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf on Wednesday, an oil engineer at each port said, although other engineers said production at fields…

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EU supports Libya elections roadmap, foreign policy chief

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell landed in the Libyan capital of Tripoli Wednesday for a quick visit.The Spanish politician told ANSA in an interview that "this is the second…

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Libya frees Saadi Gaddafi, son of former leader

Libyan authorities have released Saadi Gaddafi, a son of the former leader Muammar Gaddafi who was ousted and killed during a 2011 uprising, a Libyan official source and a unity…

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Foreign fighters and mercenaries must leave Libya, says UN chief

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is again urging countries to withdraw all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya, saying they continue to operate throughout the conflict-stricken North African country in violation…

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Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi to contest Libyan Presidential election

The son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi announced that he would run in the presidential election to be held on 24 December. A source close to supporters of…

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Libya oil engineers say output normal despite blockade threat

BENGHAZI, Libya, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Engineers at the Libyan oil ports of Es Sider and Zueitina said on Saturday that production was normal despite the announcement by a group…

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Worst Tripoli fighting in a year shows limits of Libya peace push

Fighting broke out in Tripoli early on Friday between rival armed forces, witnesses said, the heaviest clashes in the Libyan capital since the conflict between eastern and western factions paused…

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Firefight at Libyan government building shows continued insecurity

Clashes erupted at a government building in central Tripoli on Tuesday after a dispute over the leadership of a state institution, its head said, underscoring the volatility and insecurity in…

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‘Stable’ COVID-19 Situation in Libya

The Libyan Health Minister, Ali Al-Zanati, said the epidemiological situation in the country is stable, denying “rumours” about the increase in registered cases infected with COVID-19, and the lack of…

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Libyan interim PM pushes back against parliament in speech

Libya's interim prime minister pushed back against parliament's threats to withdraw confidence from his unity government, saying in a speech its failure to approve his budget had set back the…

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Libya’s AGOCO warns of output stoppage

Libya's Arabian Gulf Oil Co (AGOCO) will stop operations unless it receives its budget allocation for 2020 and 2021, it said in a statement late on Thursday, without giving a…

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Suicide attack fails in Libyan desert town of Zella

A suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint into the Libyan town of Zella on Sunday, killing himself but causing no other casualties, a spokesman for the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA),…

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Libya’s NOC says total oil sales reached $2.1 bln in July

Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said its total oil revenues reached around $2.1 billion in July. The amount included about $2 billion from crude oil sales and $81 million from…

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Libya, Malta review facilitating visas granting and opening airspace

The Libya Observer reports that Libya and Malta discussed facilitating the granting of visas to Libyan citizens wishing to visit Malta, in addition to the importance of expediting the opening…

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Libya reopens borders with Tunisia

The Government of National Unity (GNU) in Libya has reopened all land and air crossings with Tunisia, while fully adhering to the precautionary measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic, it…

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Fear and hope on Libya’s reopened highway

The green bus rumbling from Benghazi to Tripoli this week was the first to traverse the main highway between Libya's two biggest cities in years - the delayed result of…

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North Africa Fires Spread to Libya and Tunisia

As unusually hot weather persists over parts of Northern Africa, new forest fires reportedly have broken out in Tunisia and Libya during the past 24 hours, in addition to many…

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Gaddafi’s son faces arrest over Russian mercenaries

Prosecutors in Libya have issued an arrest warrant for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, over suspected ties to Russian mercenaries. He is also…

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Libya implements strict three-day lockdown to curb spread of the coronavirus

Libya began a strict three-day lockdown to fight the rise in Covid-19 cases, as the country prepares to celebrate the Muslim New Year. This measure will be implemented in the…

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Libya heads for total lockdown because of coronavirus

The Libyan government announced tonight that it will impose a strict, three-day lockdown, starting on Saturday, to address the increase in Covid-19 cases. The lockdown will be implemented in central…

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Saif al-Islam Gaddafi planning political comeback in Libya

A son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi who vanished six years ago and was thought to have died has reappeared and announced his intention to re-enter politics. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi,…

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German NGO Sea-Watch rescues nearly 100 migrants overnight in Mediterranean

German NGO Sea-Watch said on Friday it had rescued nearly 100 migrants in the Mediterranean overnight, many of whom were injured, some with severe “fuel burns” - chemical burns caused…

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UPDATED: Main coast road between Misrata and Sirte reopened

Libya's warring sides said on Friday they had reopened the main coastroad across the frontline, a key element of a ceasefire they agreed last year that has involved months of…

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Libya headed back to ‘square one’ of post-Gaddafi turmoil if polls delayed: speaker

Libya will return to "square one" and the turmoil of 2011 if national elections planned for December are delayed, the speaker of parliament said, with a new rival government likely…

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At least 57 migrants die in shipwreck off Libyan coast – U.N.

At least 57 people drowned on Monday after a boat capsized off the Libyan coast near Khums, the latest tragedy in the central Mediterranean, the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration…

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Libya steps up vaccination in Tripoli as virus caseload rises

Libyan authorities on Saturday stepped up their vaccination campaign around the capital Tripoli, as coronavirus cases rise across the country. The health ministry has set up temporary centres in six…

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UNICEF warns of the alarming surge in Covid-19 cases in Libya

According to reports from the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Libya has seen a frightening increase in COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks, with infections rising faster than…

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Libya PM unaware of Russia, Turkey deal on foreign fighters

Libya's unity government Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said he was unaware of any understanding between Russia and Turkey on a withdrawal of their foreign fighters, but that such a move…

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U.N. warns Libya’s banking system at risk of collapse

Libya's banking system "will likely collapse" if the country's two parallel central bank branches do not unify and stalled political talks could unravel a ceasefire, the U.N. special envoy to…

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Amnesty International says migrants held in Libya subject to horrific sexual violence

Amnesty International said on Thursday that migrants held in Libyan detention camps are subject to horrific sexual violence at the hands of guards, including being forced to barter sex for…

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New coronavirus restrictions introduced in Libya after cases hit record high

Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said in a decree that cafes must close, weddings and organised funerals with mourners are banned and public transport use is barred for the next…

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Covid-19 infections in Libya is on the rise

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the number of Covid-19 infections in Libya is on the rise. In a statement, UNICEF's office in Libya indicated that the…

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Libya closes borders with Tunisia for a week due to rise in coronavirus cases

Libya's new unity government announced it was closing its borders with Tunisia for a week due to the rise in coronavirus cases in the neighboring country, a government spokesman said.…

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Libya central bank audit may boost reunification hopes

An international audit of Libya’s two parallel central bank branches will recommend steps on Thursday that could lead to their eventual reunification, two sources familiar with the matter said. The…

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Libyan voter registration system opened ahead of December elections

The Libyan High National Elections Commission (HNEC) opened voter registration system and said it will be closed on July 31 ahead of the general elections on December 24. The announcement…

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Egypt’s Sisi opens naval base close to border with Libya

RAS GARGOUB, Egypt, July 3 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a naval base on Saturday 135 km from the border with Libya, flanked by close ally Abu…

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U.N.-backed Libya talks fail to reach consensus on elections

U.N.-sponsored talks aimed at paving the way for elections in Libya in late December failed to find common ground, the deputy of the United Nations mission in Libya said on…

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Libya talks due to end today

U.N.-backed talks aimed at paving the way for year-end presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya are expected to end on Friday with a statement, but no press conference, a U.N.…

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Libya raises crude oil OSPs on key grades for July -list

Libya's National Oil Corp. (NOC) raised its July crude oil official selling prices across the board, particularly for key grades such as Es Sider and El Sharara, a price list…

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Libya’s foreign minister sees progress on removal of foreign mercenaries

Libya’s foreign minister said international powers had made progress at talks in Berlin on the removal of foreign fighters from the country, although a final communique from the U.N.-backed conference…

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