Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, has called on the United States to play a more political and economic role in Libya in order to achieve better stability. Gentiloni stated in a meeting with the US Defense Secretary, James Matisse, that a stronger American role will be crucial in confronting terrorist groups and human traffickers, according to the Italian news outlet AKI. AKI added that Matisse, who took part in a ministerial meeting of the global coalition against ISIS in Rome, stated that Italy has a crucial role in Libya, Niger and Iraq.
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The Illegal Immigration Agency in Tripoli has received 28 illegal immigrants at Sikka Road Shelter. According to a statement on their official Facebook page, the Coast Guard in Zawiya rescued 20 Moroccan illegal immigrants and another 8 from Gambia and Senegal after their boat capsized off Zawiya during a failed attempt to reach European waters. The Illegal Immigration Agency indicated that they would continue to work with Moroccan authorities to return the illegal immigrants voluntarily by air through Mitiga International Airport to their country.
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A member of the Tawergha Local Council, Abdul Nabi Abu Arrabeh, declared that a fire broke out in a tent in Qararat Qatif camp last Wednesday. Abu Arrabeh explained in a press statement that the fire was caused by a cooking stove being used inside one of the tents, but luckily there were no casualties from the fire. Two Tawerghan IDPs died at Qararat Qatif camp on Tuesday as a result of cold weather.
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The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has suspended the right of Libya to vote for the third time in three years due to debts owed by the country. The spokesman of the assembly, Brenden Varma, said that Libya lost its right to vote in the UNGA, which includes 193 countries. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, addressed the President of the General Assembly and said that Libya needs to pay about 6.6 million dollars to regain its right to vote.
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The Wadi Operation Room in Sabratha (WORS) stipulated that the return of the city's revolutionaries should be done individually rather than in the form of an armed battalion in order to approve the agreement reached for their return. In a statement published by WORS on their Facebook page, it stated that they are the only legitimate military authority in the city, and that revolutionary fighters have lost their legitimacy after a decision by the Presidential Council to dissolve the 48th Infantry Division and the Sabratha Military Council. WORS have previously denied a statement in which they supposedly gave their full consent in an initiative by the people of Zawiya and the General Investigation Department of the Western Region Branch regarding the return of Sabratha’s revolutionaries and justified their actions by stating that the initiative is still being studied.
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The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, said that the ICRC is seeking to mobilize greater international attention regarding the Libyan file in order to address the humanitarian situation and crisis of migrants stranded in the country. Maurer indicated that Libya has the highest rate of displacement in the region. At a press conference in Benghazi, he said "the ICRC will assist Libya on the issues of healthcare as well as war victims and wounded and the provision of medicines and staff training". Maurer added that the ICRC will also provide assistance with missing persons and support Libyan authorities to build a database due to the high numbers of missing person as a result of the many armed conflicts in a number of areas during the past seven years.
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A technical team, which was formed by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Tripoli Meteorology Department, visited Sirte Airport on Wednesday to assess damage caused to its facilities, the runway and the control tower. A source from the Municipal Council of Sirte said that the team, which consists of both the Director Generals of Airports and Civil Aviation Authorities and specialists from the Tripoli Meteorology Authority, examined the damage at the airport and the Meteorological Center. The team will be submit a report to the headquarters of both authorities and the Ministry of Transport to allocate the costs of maintenance for the airport and the Meteorological Center as well as the Qardabiya-Sultan Road east of Sirte, and the rebuilding of the city's transport sector building.
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The Head of the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) Noah Abdelsayed welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling that regraded the administrative judiciary is not specialized in ruling on the challenges lodged against the CDA. Abdelsayed urged state institution to conduct the referendum and help the High National Elections Commission to do its job. He also called on the House of Representatives on Thursday to do its duty for the Libyan people and issue a referendum law, asking he international community including UN to help Libyans build a law and institutions state.
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