Russian tanker on fire in Mediterranean Sea

"A Russian-flagged liquified natural gas (LNG) tanker, the Arctic Metagaz, reportedly caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea.
Reuters reported, citing maritime sources, reported that the U.S., EU, and U.K.-sanctioned vessel was ablaze near the coast of Malta, while other outlets placed the incident closer to Libya’s shoreline." KI

Violent Clashes Erupt in Libya After Top Official Assassinated

"Rival gunman exchanged fire in Libya's capital following the killing of a local militia leader

in clashes which prompted international calls for calm.
Following the night of violence, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday that security had been restored.
The clashes followed the killing of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, also known as "Gheniwa," who is the head of the powerful Stability Support Authority (SSA) militia.
The SSA is under the Presidential Council, which came to power in 2021 with the Government of National Unity (GNU) through a United Nations-recognized process." Newsweek

NATO state threatens to invade Israel

"Turkey could ultimately “enter” Israel over the enduring conflict in the Gaza Strip between West Jerusalem and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned. “Just like we entered Karabakh and the way we entered Libya, maybe we'll do the same thing. There’s nothing we can’t do. We have to be strong.” RT

U.S. suspected in drone attack on Russian plane in Libya, possible ties to Wagner Group

"Satellite images have confirmed the destruction of a Russian Il-76 transport plane stationed at the Al-Jufra base in Libya. This vast aircraft succumbed to an attack likely initiated by American forces using drones or missiles, with the intention of eliminating members of the Wagner Group. The Pentagon currently refrains from commenting on these reports." MS

Libya Flood Toll: More Than 5,000 Dead, 10,000 Missing and a City Destroyed

"As the storm grew more fierce, the two dams, which had protected the city since the 1970s,

began to groan. Then they burst with a furious roar, and Derna was lost.
"Bodies are lying everywhere—in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings," Hichem Abu Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the regional administration that controls eastern Libya, told Reuters."The number of bodies recovered in Derna is more 1,000," he said.

The toll in Derna alone had crossed 1,500 by midday. Across the affected area, officials reported more than 5,000 people dead and at least 10,000 missing.....an unknown number of people were washed away after the Abu Mansur and Derna dams, built to control flooding and soil erosion, failed and sent a wall of water barreling towards the sea—taking entire families and neighborhoods with it." TM

US officials pressing Africans over Wagner Group

"The Biden administration has attempted to pressure African nations into expelling the
Wagner private military company, with the firm’s presence in Sudan and Libya “at the top of every meeting” between American and Egyptian officials....Egypt reportedly asked that Haftar not station Wagner soldiers near its borders, while the US demanded that Wagner fighters be removed from their posts safeguarding Libyan oil facilities. The US declared the Wagner Group a “transnational criminal organization” last month, after Wagner forces notched up a series of victories against the Ukrainian military in Donbass." RT

Deadly Clashes In Tripoli May Signal Imminent Libyan Civil War

"Though Libya has been a disaster ever since Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama teamed up with NATO to facilitate regime change in 2011, the last two years have been relatively calm. That calm ended as combatants fired small arms, heavy machine guns, mortars and other heavy weapons. Explosions occurred in various sectors of Tripoli -- the country's capital -- and smoke drifted across the skyline.  

Two groups are contending for rule over Libya : The Government of National Unity (GNU), which is led by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, and a rival group led by Fathi Bashagha, the former interior minister. Bashagha has the support of Libya 's eastern parliament, which is based in Tobruk. In essence, this is a battle of two rival prime ministers and two rival governments...... fighting broke out when a convoy of Bashagha-backing militia was challenged by GNU forces. ... militia forces seemed to be closing in on the city from three directions. A witness says one of the convoys was 300 vehicles strong, but had turned back toward its Misrata base.........In Tripoli, the house of the commander of the an-Nawasi group, Mustafa Kaddoura, who supports Fathi Bashagha, was blown up. " ZH

Ship Ukraine says is carrying stolen grain leaves Lebanon

"A Syrian ship that Ukraine says is carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has left a Lebanese port
after officials in Lebanon allowed it to sail following an investigation, Lebanon’s transport minister tweeted on Thursday.
The Syrian-flagged Laodicea had been anchored at the port of Tripoli since it arrived last Thursday, carrying 10,000 tons of wheat flour and barley. Ukraine says the grain was stolen by Russia, a claim it denies." ArabNews

Libya's Fragile Peace Is A Major Oil Market Risk

"The relentless oil price is causing economic havoc around the world, and Libya represents a
major supply risk that could send prices even higher. 

The recent failed attempt by Bashagha to take power in Tripoli has heightened tensions in the country and could lead to significant supply outages.

Until there is genuine progress on the issue of fair distribution of oil revenues within the country, this risk of major supply outages will continue to plague markets. 

The economic pain for many countries being caused by still-high crude oil (and gas) prices may be exacerbated by another extensive series of blockades of key oil facilities in Libya." ZH

il Spikes On Reports Libya Shuts Down Nearly All Its Oil Fields

"Libya is losing oil production at the rate of 1.1 million barrels daily, the country’s oil minister
Mohammed Aoun has said, adding that almost all of the country’s oil fields were shut down.

Libya is currently in the throes of yet another flare-up of violence as two politicians vie for the post of Prime Minister: interim PM Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and eastern-affiliated Fathi Bashaga. According to reports, the groups shutting down fields and export terminals are affiliated with the Bashaga camp.

Bashaga has been sworn in as the new prime minister of the country, but Dbeibah has refused to step down." ZH