Libya
Turkey and Russia put off talks expected to tackle Libya and Syria
Russia and Turkey have postponed ministerial-level talks which were expected to focus on Libya and Syria, where the two countries support opposing sides in long-standing conflicts. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov decided to put off the talks during a phone call on Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. “The two countries deputy ministers will continue contacts and talks in the period ahead. Minister-level talks will be held at a later date,” the ministry said in a statement. Lavrov and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had been set to visit Istanbul for the discussions. The Russian foreign ministry said discussion will be held on the date of the ministers’ meeting. The United Nations said this week that warring sides had begun ne...
US: Malta seizes $1 billion in counterfeit Libyan money
Maltese authorities have seized counterfeit Libyan money worth $1.1 billion that was printed by a Russian firm and worsen the north African country’s economic problems, the US State Department said. There was no official statement on Saturday from Valletta although Malta Today newspaper had published a report about $1.1 billion in counterfeit money seized in Malta on its Facebook site that was no longer available. “The United States commends the Government of the Republic of Malta’s announcement May 26 of its seizure of $1.1 billion of counterfeit Libyan currency printed by Joint Stock Company Goznak – a Russian state-owned company – and ordered by an illegitimate parallel entity,” the State Department said. “The Central Bank of Libya headquartered in Tripoli is Libya’s only legitimate cen...
NFF sympathises with Victor Osimhen over dad’s demise
The Nigeria Football Federation has reached out to Super Eagles’ forward Victor Osimhen who lost his father on Saturday evening, expressing grief and a groundswell of sorrow among the Nigerian Football family over the passing of the patriarch of the Osimhen family. Reports said Mr. Patrick Osimhen, 80, died in Lagos on Saturday night after a brief illness. President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, was the first to reach out to the player following the outbreak of the sad news, and he assured the former U17 World Cup winner of the empathy and support of the country’s football family at this challenging moment for the youngster and his family. “I have spoken to Victor Osimhen and expressed the sorrow of the NFF and the entire Nigerian Football family. His club, ...
Libya’s GNA says it is targeting retreating renegade strongman’s forces
Libya’s internationally recognised government has launched air strikes against forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar after his forces announced they were pulling back from Tripoli front lines. Air strikes by the Government of National Accord (GNA) targeted several locations in the west of the country, including in the Haftar stronghold of Tarhouna near the capital, Tripoli, according to GNA army spokesperson Colonel Mohamed Qanunu. In Tarhouna, two military vehicles and a vehicle carrying ammunition that belonged to Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) were destroyed, the spokesperson said. On Thursday, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said the GNA carried out five air operations against forces loyal to Haftar in the past 24 hours. A day earlier, the LNA announced it w...
Turkey will target Khalifa Haftar’s forces if attacks on its interests in Libya – ministry
Turkey’s foreign ministry warned on Sunday that it would deem the forces of Libyan General Khalifa Haftar legitimate targets if their attacks on its interests and diplomatic missions in Libya continued. Turkey backs Libya’s internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) and views Haftar’s forces as “putschists”. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that “if our missions and our interests in Libya are targeted, we will deem Haftar’s forces legitimate targets.” It also said the attacks on Tripoli’s Mitiga airport early on Saturday, part of an intensified barrage of artillery fire on the capital, were war crimes. On Thursday, Turkey and Italy said the area around their embassies in Tripoli was shelled. Get more stories like this on Twitter
