20

Jan

Mediterranean Sea claims lives of 170 persons in two shipwrecks (Updated)

An estimated 170 migrants have been lost in the Mediterranean in two incidents involving dinghies that left from Libya and Morocco, migrants organisations said on Saturday. The United Nations' Refugee Agency said…

Read More Here

19

Jan

Diplomatique.Expert Libya News Roundup

The clashes south of the capital Tripoli, which have killed 13 and 52 were wounded, including women and children, according to the statistics of the Health Ministry's Central Operating Chamber,…

Read More Here

18

Jan

Two days of clashes in Tripoli leave 10 dead and 41 wounded

Two days of clashes between rival militias near Libya's capital Tripoli have left 10 people dead and 41 wounded, the health ministry said Thursday. Fighting between armed groups erupted Wednesday…

Read More Here

18

Jan

#10YearChallenge – Syria, Libya, Iraq Then and Now

Internet this week has been exploding with #10YearChallenge pictures and videos of how people and their lives have changed. The challenge faced by these countries has been unspoken and unjustified for…

Read More Here

16

Jan

UN condemns new fighting in Tripoli

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemned the recent military mobilisation of forces in southern Tripoli and is monitoring the situation closely. UNSMIL warned parties against any…

Read More Here

10

Jan

Libya and Malta agree to resume direct flights

Chairman of the Presidential Council (PC) Fayez Al-Sarraj agreed with the Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat to resume direct flights between Malta and Libya by the end of the…

Read More Here

10

Jan

European Union chooses Tripoli and Tunisia as HQ for governing board for borders and reform of security services in Libya

The European Union (EU) have chosen Tripoli and Tunisia as the HQ of the governing board for borders and reform of security services in Libya. Tunisie-telegraph website reported Monday that…

Read More Here

09

Jan

Situation in Libya, Bilateral relations and Migration tops Maltese and Libyan Prime Ministers meeting’s agenda

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Libyan counterpart Fayez al-Sarraj held a meeting during a scheduled, fleeting visit by the Libyan Prime Minister on Wednesday. Bilateral relations, the current situation…

Read More Here

08

Jan

Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Romania ready to take persons stranded off Malta, if Malta lets them in

Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, Luxembourg, the Netherland and Romania are reported to have expressed their commitment to take the people stranded off Malta in the diplomatic stand-off which is seeing…

Read More Here

08

Jan

Libyan authorities foils attempt to smuggle shipment of Turkish arms camouflaged as children’s toys

Libyan authorities announced Monday that an attempt to smuggle a shipment of Turkish arms into Libya through the port of Misurata was foiled, marking another violation by Ankara of the…

Read More Here

06

Jan

Pope makes a “heartfelt appeal to European leaders to show concrete solidarity”

Pope Francis urged European leaders on Sunday to stop bickering over the fate of 49 migrants stuck aboard two humanitarian rescue ships on the Mediterranean and to give them a…

Read More Here

06

Jan

Weather conditions force Libya to shut oil export terminals

Libya’s oil exports have been suspended as bad weather conditions forced the OPEC country to shut all its export terminals, a local shipping agent and a Libyan oil source told…

Read More Here

05

Jan

Cargo ship “Atlantic Peach” runs aground at Tripoli Port

A freighter carrying the name "Atlantic Peach" ran aground at Tripoli Port Wednesday, the Maritime Affairs Department of Tripoli Maritime Port confirmed on Thursday. The Marine Affairs Department clarified that…

Read More Here

05

Jan

European illegal migration falls to lowest level in five years

The number of people caught trying to enter the EU illegally has fallen to its lowest level in five years, the bloc's border agency says. An estimated 150,000 illegal crossings…

Read More Here

05

Jan

Arrest warrants issued for 37 suspects over attacks on key oil ports in Libya

Libyan authorities issued arrest warrants for 37 suspects over attacks on key oil ports in the east of the country and a military base in the south, a source in…

Read More Here

02

Jan

UN Security Council says that Libyan assets held outside Libya are to remain frozen

The United Nations Security Council, putting an end to the controversy surrounding the Libyan frozen assets and their interests abroad, said in an Implementation Assistance Notice No.6 that assets owned…

Read More Here

28

Dec

Open Arms boat, with over 300 migrants on board, docks in Spain (Updated)

Update: A Spanish charity rescue ship docked in Algeciras port in southern Spain on Friday, bringing ashore more than 300 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea one week ago. Several European…

Read More Here

28

Dec

2,241 died in 2018 in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean

A total of 2,241 irregular migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of the year, the non-profit Spanish Refugee Aid Commission (CEAR) said Thursday, reports Anadolu Agency. In a statement,…

Read More Here

28

Dec

British classified documents publication – “When Craxi forewarned Gaddafi of attack on family in the 80s”

West Berlin’s La Belle nightclub was a popular haunt for American soldiers in April 1986, when a bombing by Libyan agents killed two US servicemen and a Turkish woman, as…

Read More Here

28

Dec

Libyan Post issues stamp set commemorating bitter truth of illegal migration

The Libyan Post company has issued a new stamp commemorating migrants who have tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea, thereby illustrating negative consequences and the 'bitter truth' of illegal immigration.…

Read More Here

27

Dec

Libya announces limit of foreign currency allowed into or out of country

The National Anti-Money-Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Committee issued a decision to determine the foreign currency allowed to be brought into or taken out of the country at the individual level…

Read More Here

27

Dec

ISIS claimed responsibility for suicide attack in Tripoli – Updated

Suicide attackers stormed the Libyan foreign ministry in the capital Tripoli on Tuesday, killing at least three people including a senior civil servant in an attack claimed by the Islamic…

Read More Here

25

Dec

Sea-Watch calls for safe port for the 33 migrants on board in the Mediterranean

It is not a sos, but almost. And it is launched via Twitter. It reads like this: "We need a safe port" The NGO Sea Watch, whose ship is now…

Read More Here

25

Dec

Three people were killed in suicide bombing attack in Libya’s foreign ministry in Tripoli (UPDATED)

At least three people were killed when suicide bombers attacked Libya’s foreign ministry in Tripoli on Tuesday, the health ministry said. The assailants were suspected to be Islamic State militants,…

Read More Here

25

Dec

Bodies of 34 Christians executed by ISIS in Libya have been exhumed from mass grave

The bodies of 34 Ethiopian Christians executed in Libya by ISIS in 2015 have been exhumed from a mass grave, Libyan authorities said on Monday. The news site Al Arabiya…

Read More Here

23

Dec

Libya and Turkey agree to investigate arms consignment seized in Tripoli

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and the head of Libya’s High Council of State discussed bilateral relations as reported by Anadolu Agency. The Middle East Monitor reports that Cavusoglu met Khalid Al-Mishri in the Libyan capital…

Read More Here

11

Dec

Haftar and Al-Sarraj to meet in Rome next week

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte indicated that next week there will be a meeting between the Presidential Council's (PC) head Fayez Al-Sarraj and commander of the so-called Dignity Operation Khalifa…

Read More Here

11

Dec

Libyan NOC declares force-majeure on oil exports from the El Sharara oilfield,

Libya’s National Oil Company (NOC) on Monday declared force majeure on exports from the El Sharara oilfield, which was seized at the weekend by a local militia group. NOC said…

Read More Here

09

Dec

EU flight ban for seven Libyan airlines extended

The European Commission has extended the ban on seven Libyan airlines from flying into the EU. According to the European Commission's website, the decision came for reasons of safety and…

Read More Here

09

Dec

El Sharara oilfield closed after protests by Libyan tribesmen

Libyan tribesmen protested at the giant El Sharara oilfield on Saturday and shut down production, the force guarding the facility and a spokesman for the protesters said. Al Arabiya reports that…

Read More Here

03

Dec

Monday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Your morning briefing with the daily newspaper review and a roundup of the main headlines from around the world. Start your day informed The Malta Independent carries a…

Read More Here

03

Dec

Protestors storm GNA Presidential Council in Libya

Protestors yesterday stormed the headquarters of the Presidential Council of Libya’s internationally-recognised Government of National Accord in the country’s capital of Tripoli, Anadolu Agency has reported. The demonstrators were a group of…

Read More Here

24

Nov

Islamic State linked with gunmen attack in Southern Libya

Gunmen on Friday raided a town deep in Libya’s southern desert, killing nine people and kidnapping several others, a resident said, with officials blaming the attack on the militant group…

Read More Here

18

Nov

American medical team performs first paediatric heart surgery in Tobruk, Libya

Tobruk Medical Centre announced Thursday the first paediatric heart surgery performed by an American team of Novick Cardiac Alliance, the Libya Observer reports.  The operation was done on a two-year-old child…

Read More Here

18

Nov

Libya’s sovereign wealth fund says five EU countries defied sanctions and have paid money from Gaddafi’s frozen accounts

Libya’s sovereign wealth fund said five EU countries paid out money from frozen accounts in Europe that once belonged to Muammar Gaddafi, despite international sanctions. Politico reports that the Libyan…

Read More Here

15

Nov

Concern over new violence in Tripoli

Media reports and eyewitnesses confirmed the deployment of the Seventh Brigade on Wednesday evening in the vicinity of Tripoli International Airport amid conflicting news about the brigade's control of the…

Read More Here

15

Nov

Manchester’s bomber’s brother is to be extradited by Libya this year – Libyan Prime Minister

The brother of Manchester arena bomber Salman Abedi could be extradited to the UK by the end of the year, Libyan prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj has said. The Independent reports that Hashem Abedi was arrested in Libya shortly…

Read More Here

15

Nov

Rescued migrants on board container ship in Misrata refuse to disembark

The Libyan coast guard reported Wednesday that migrant passengers aboard a container ship docked at the port of Misrata are refusing to disembark. The migrants, who are from Eritrea, Somalia, Bangladesh and…

Read More Here

14

Nov

Fears of renewed clashes in southern Tripoli as 7th Brigade of Tarhuna reported to take control of Tripoli International Airport

The Libya Observer's facebook page reports that the 7th Brigade of Tarhuna took control of Tripoli International Airport, sparking fears of renewed clashes in the southern part of the capital.

Read More Here

14

Nov

US welcomes conclusions of Palermo Conference on Libya

The United States welcomed the conclusions announced by Italy following the Palermo conference for Libya. The Libya Observer reports Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Heather Nauert saying…

Read More Here

13

Nov

Libya Conference in Palermo underway (UPDATED)

Premier Giuseppe Conte said after a Palermo conference on Libya that "we leave Palermo taking with us a feeling of confidence" for giving "a prospect of stabilisation" to Libya. He…

Read More Here

13

Nov

How France and Italy’s rivalry is hurting Libya

Since the 2011 revolution against Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libyans have often blamed outside actors for their continuing woes. Too frequently, this grievance has been overstated and used as an excuse to minimize the…

Read More Here

12

Nov

Haftar expected in Palermo for Libya conference

The strongman who rules eastern Libya, Khalifa Haftar, is on his way to Palermo to attend a conference hosted by Italy to discuss a peace plan, an Italian diplomatic source…

Read More Here

11

Nov

UN Libyan Ambassador says that Security Council resolutions have been breached on several occasions

The Libyan Ambassador to the United Nations, Elmahdi Elmajerbi said that Security Council resolutions on Libya have been breached on several occasions, especially with regard to the political process, the…

Read More Here

09

Nov

Libyan navy rescues 199 persons who were trying to reach Europe by sea

The Libyan Navy has rescued 199 illegal immigrants, including women and children, while attempting to reach Europe by sea. "A Libyan Coast Guard patrol rescued 179 men, 16 women and…

Read More Here

06

Nov

Security on the agenda at high-level meeting in Libya

The Head of the Presidential Council, Fayez Al-Sirraj, held a meeting on Monday with the Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, Justice Minister Mohammed Abdelhamid, and the Head of the Investigation Bureau…

Read More Here

04

Nov

The UN stresses its commitment to prevent illegal export of Libyan oil

The chairman of the UN Security Council’s Sanctions Committee on Libya Olof Skoog emphasized during his meeting with Mustafa Sanallah Chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) the UN's commitment…

Read More Here

01

Nov

Libya’s situation discussed in meeting between Merkel and Tunisian president

The Libyan situation was highlighted at a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Tunisian president, Beji Caid Essebsi on Wednesday. Merkel received Essebsi in Berlin after participating in Tuesday’s…

Read More Here

30

Oct

Five killed and 10 kidnapped in suspected Islamic State attack in Central Libya

  At least five people were killed on Monday and 10 others kidnapped in an attack by suspected Islamic State group jihadists on a town in central Libya, local and…

Read More Here

26

Oct

Libya’s international heritage sites endangered

Insecurity and looting have hit Libya’s archaeological sites in the chaos and fighting that followed the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, as rival groups struggle to consolidate control of…

Read More Here

20

Oct

On this day in 2011, General Muammar al-Gaddafi was captured and killed in Sirte

On this day in 2011, Muammar Gadhafi, the longest-serving leader in Africa and the Arab world, was captured and killed by rebel forces near his hometown of Sirte. After more…

Read More Here

19

Oct

Tajani urges EU member states to have unified stance and strategy for Libya

The President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani has urged member states to have a unified stance and strategy for Libya. Tajani said on the sidelines of the EU Summit…

Read More Here

19

Oct

Friday Morning Briefing

Good morning, In the last hours, there were significant changes from the US administration, in their view on the Khashoggi's murder with President Trump affirming that he believes that Khashoggi…

Read More Here

17

Oct

Haftar orders reopening of investigation of killing of Abulfattah Younes

Khalifa Haftar, has ordered the military prosecutor in east Libya to immediately and urgently reopen the investigation” of the killing of Abdulfattah Younes and two of his comrades: Mohammed Al-Abedi…

Read More Here

12

Oct

Friday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Your morning briefing, with an update and review of the latest headlines from the main news agencies, news media and newspapers from Malta, Europe and the World. Start…

Read More Here

12

Oct

Italian trawlers seized in Libya, granted permission to return to Italy

The two Italian trawlers Matteo Mazzarino and Aphrodite Pesca, which had been seized by the Libyan military units since Wednesday, have been granted permission to return to Italy. “Our citizens can…

Read More Here

10

Oct

Two Italian fishing boats seized by Haftar’s forces close to Derna in Libya

The naval forces in eastern Libya under the command of the leader of the self-styled army Khalifa Haftar said they had seized two Italian fishing boats with 13 crewmen on…

Read More Here