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☆ Putin looms over a third successive US election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —“Russia, Russia, Russia.”Ex-President Donald Trump’s scathing catch phrase for a torrent of investigations during his administration also serves as an apt catch-all for the current meltdown over Moscow roiling US politics. But Russia and its leader, whom President Joe Biden described as a “crazy S.O.B.” at a Wednesday fundraiser, won’t go away. All the ways Putin is playing in US politicsPutin is advancing Russian interests against the US on multiple fronts. Putin recently formalized his warming ties with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un by presenting him with a new limousine. The Russian leader was particularly incensed by the US-led operation to topple Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, won’t, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ukraine –, –, Alexander Smirnov, “, Trump, Smirnov, Biden, it’s, Putin can’t, ” Douglas, Alexey Navalny, Biden lambasts Trump, ” Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, he’s, he’d, Mike Turner, Ksenia, Paul Whelan –, Evan Gershkovich, Geopolitically, Kim Jong Un, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Moammar Gadhafi, Hillary Clinton, Robert Mueller, “ We’ll, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, United States, European NATO, ”, Moscow, House Republicans, GOP, CIA, NATO, Republican Party, Republicans, Republican, Trump, Marine, Wall Street, Putin, Biden, US, Democratic Locations: Russia, Moscow, United States, China, Soviet, East Germany, United, Ukraine, Russian, European, Washington, Asia, Sweden, Finland, Berlin –, Europe, Ukrainian, California, North Korea, Iran, Crimea, Helsinki, Geneva

He is charged with illegal campaign financing, embezzling, passive corruption and related counts. Investigators examined claims that Gadhafi’s government secretly gave Sarkozy 50 million euros for his winning 2007 campaign. The sum would be more than double the legal campaign funding limit at the time and would violate French rules against foreign campaign financing. After becoming president in 2007, Sarkozy welcomed Gadhafi to France with high honors later that year. In an unrelated case, Sarkozy was sentenced to a year of house arrest for illegal campaign financing of his unsuccessful 2012 reelection bid.

Persons: Nicolas Sarkozy, Sarkozy, ”, Moammar Gadhafi, Ziad Takieddine, Takieddine, Gadhafi, Gadhafi’s Organizations: PARIS, Sarkozy, NATO Locations: Libya, Lebanese, France

☆ Storm-ravaged Libya faces a long road to recovery as humanitarian groups ask for $71 million in aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Dalya Al Masri | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ahmed Elumami | ReutersStorm Daniel has left Libya, a country grappling with conflict and economic crisis for over a decade, in catastrophe. We need specialized and experienced rescue teams," Mohamed Elkwafi, a volunteer with the Eastern Libyan National Army Security Units in Derna, told CNBC. A man sits on a damaged car, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 12, 2023. Libya's reconstructionThe Central Bank of Libya convened an emergency meeting last Thursday to discuss support for the impacted areas. General view of flood water covering the area as a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Al-Mukhaili, Libya September 11, 2023, in this handout picture.

Persons: Ahmed Elumami, Reuters Storm Daniel, Mohamed Elkwafi, Storm Daniel, Moammar Gadhafi, Esam Omran, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, Kristalina Georgieva Organizations: Reuters, UN, UNDP, CNBC, World Health Organization, International Organization for, Maxar Technologies, Eastern Libyan National Army Security, Government of National Unity, Fetori, Government of National, Central Bank of, Bank, Monetary Fund, IMF, surveilling Locations: Libya, Derna, Libyan, Soussa, Benghazi, Albayda, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, North Africa, Tripoli, Central Bank of Libya, Africa, surveilling Libya, Mukhaili

For many Libyans, the collective grief over the more than 11,000 dead has morphed into a rallying cry for national unity in a country blighted by 12 years of conflict and division. The oil-rich country has been divided between rival administrations since 2014, with an internationally recognized government in Tripoli and a rival authority in the east, where Derna is located. "The wound or pain of what happened in Derna hurt all the people from western Libya to southern Libya to eastern Libya,” he said. Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s forces besieged Tripoli in a yearlong failed military campaign to try to capture the capital, killing thousands. The Prime Minister of Libya’s Tripoli government, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, said he and his ministers were accountable for the dams' maintenance, but not the thousands of deaths caused by the flooding.

Persons: — Zahra, Gerbi wasn't, “, ”, Gerbi, Moammar Gadhafi, Ali Khalifa, Mohamed, Derna, Khalifa Hifter’s, Claudia Gazzini, Ibrahim al, Noura, Sour, Abdul, Hamid Dbeibah, Aguila Saleh, ’ ”, Saleh, ___ Jeffery Organizations: Facebook, NATO, United Nations, Tobruk, Crisis Locations: TRIPOLI, Libya, — Zahra el, Libyan, Derna, Benghazi, Tripoli, Ali, Zawiya, London

Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel caused deadly flooding across eastern Libya last weekend. He said prosecutors would investigate local authorities in the city, as well as previous governments. But there was no warning about the dams, which collapsed early Monday as most residents were asleep in their homes. The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Marj and Shahatt. Others had come to Libya to work or were traveling through in hopes of migrating to Europe.

Persons: —, Daniel, Sour, ”, Moammar Gadhafi, _____________ Magdy Organizations: Crescent, NATO, Arsel Construction Company, Local Locations: DERNA, Libya, Libyan, Derna, Bayda, Susa, Marj, Shahatt, Europe, Egypt, Syria, Cairo

☆ Derna: Deadly floods leave Libyan city looking like a war zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Jomana Karadsheh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Derna, Libya CNN —Driving into Derna in the early hours was like arriving in a ghost town. One official told CNN he doesn’t believe the search for survivors is over. Libyan officials say bodies are still washing back up on the shores of Derna, days after the wall of water swept through the city. However, some Libyans told CNN how they felt this tragedy has brought a divided country together, at least for now. But some told CNN they were not equipped to deal with this kind of situation.

Persons: Moammar, doesn’t, Storm, Abdullah Doma, Mohammad Shteiwi, Derna, “ Divers, “, ” Shteiwi Organizations: Libya CNN, Libyan National Army, CNN, International Organization for Migration, Getty, Volunteers, Security Locations: Derna, Libya, –, AFP, Benghazi, Tripoli, Misrata, Turkish, ”

☆ ‘We knew ahead of time’: A decade of turmoil left Libya unprepared for natural disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Split between two rival administrations since 2014 and having failed to hold presidential elections, Libya faces an uphill battle when it comes to severe natural disasters. Planet Labs PBC/AP Planet Labs PBC/AP Satellite images show Derna, Libya on September 2, before the flooding, left, and after the dams collapsed, right. Responding to criticism regarding lack of preparedness by the LNA, Al-Mismari said that in such situations, 50% of the responsibility falls on authorities (LNA) and 50% falls on citizens. Turkey, which backs the Tripoli government, also said it is mobilizing personnel and supplies to assist authorities in eastern Libya. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya does not affect their operation.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Khalifa Haftar –, ”, Anas El Gomati, Moammar Gadhafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Haftar, Jalel Harchaoui, ‘, ’, Harchaoui, Gomati, Osama Hamad, Osama Aly, ” Aly, “, Al Hurra, Jamal Alkomaty, ” Harchaoui, Ahmed al, Mismari, Al, ” Gomati, there’s, Ramadan, ” Ramadan Organizations: CNN, Planet Labs PBC, AP Planet Labs PBC, AP, ISIS, Libya –, Sadeq Institute, NATO, Libyan National Army, Royal United Services Institute, Emergency, Ambulance Service, Twitter, Analysts, United Nations, United, United Arab Emirates, Civil Protection Department, Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies Locations: Libya, Split, Libyan, Derna, Greece, Morocco, “, Tripoli, Benghazi, “ Libya, London, Cyrenaica, tatters, Derna’s, Al, Italy, Egypt, Russia, United Arab, Algeria, Turkey

☆ Libya, Tripoli: at least 27 dead following clashes between rival factions in capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Hamdi Alkhshali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —At least 27 people were killed and 106 others injured when clashes broke out between two powerful armed factions in the southern Libyan capital of Tripoli, the country’s emergency services said in a statement Tuesday. He was apprehended by a rival faction, the Special Deterrence Force, which controls the airport. The clashes ceased late on Tuesday following an agreement reached with the UN-recognized Government of National Unity to transfer Hamza to a neutral party, as reported by state news agency LANA. The fighting is considered the most severe of this year with images showing smoke rising above the capital following the overnight battles. The Special Deterrence Force and the 444 Brigade are considered the strongest military forces in the Libyan capital, according to Reuters.

Persons: Fighting, Mahmoud Hamza, Hamza, LANA, Moammar Gadhafi Organizations: CNN, Brigade, Force, UN, of National Unity, Government of National Unity, United, Mission, NATO, Reuters Locations: Tripoli, Libya, Libyan

☆ Lea Salonga on the groundbreaking representation of Broadway’s ‘Here Lies Love’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Ann Bindot | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Here Lies Love” arrives onto Broadway, though, at a moment of greatly increased visibility, representation and empowered Filipino identity. Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images“Here Lies Love” is an immersive experience that invites show-goers to the dancefloor, literally, imbuing the proceedings with a fun, nightclub-meets-karaoke vibe. That’s what I remember.”When the Marcoses fled to Hawaii in 1986, having been granted asylum by the United States, Salonga was celebrating her 15th birthday in Manila. The cast of "Here Lies Love" performing onstage. Watching “Here Lies Love” over two decades later, the emotion returned, packing an even stronger punch.

Persons: —, Lea Salonga, Kim, Salonga, Tony, ”, Imelda Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos, Aurora Aquino, Benigno “ Ninoy ” Aquino, Corazon Aquino, Marcoses, Corazon’s, Benigno “ Noynoy, Corazon III, Imelda, Andy Hernandez, Conrad Ricamora, Ninoy Aquino, she’s, “, ’, ’ ”, I’ve, ” Salonga, …, “ I’m, Willa Kim, Will Rogers, ” Lea Salonga, Jonathan Pryce, Sonia Moskowitz, Marcos, “ Laban, John Nacion, Jose Llana, ‘ We’ve, I’m, Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Romualdez Marcos Jr, Ferdinand, Moses Villarama, Apl.de.Ap, H.E.R, Jo Koy, Jose Antonio Vargas, David Byrne —, Fatboy Slim, Moammar Gadhafi, Fidel Castro, Ronald Reagan, Castro, Gadhafi, Billy Bustamante, Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman Organizations: CNN, New York, Broadway, San Francisco Bay Area, Manila International, Getty Locations: United States, Miss, ”, New, London, American, San Francisco Bay, Philippines, Manila, Mindoro, New York, ‘ Miss, New York City, Hawaii, “, Virginia

☆ Nicolas Sarkozy: Former French president ordered to wear electronic tag after losing corruption appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Dalal Mawad | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his appeal against a 2021 conviction for corruption and influence-peddling at the Paris court of appeals. The court on Wednesday upheld his initial sentence of three years of prison, with Sarkozy being required to wear an electronic bracelet under house arrest for one year, and two years suspended. “Nicolas Sarkozy is innocent,” his lawyer Jacqueline Laffont ttold CNN affiliate BFMTV on her way out of court. Sarkozy, who served as president between 2012 and 2017, has been convicted twice in separate cases since leaving office, both of which he has appealed. He also faces a number of other investigations including one into allegations of illegal campaign funding from Libya.

☆ Libya Seeks U.S. Help in Fresh Effort to Recover Gadhafi Billions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Benoit Faucon | Chao Deng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A study estimates that as much as $120 billion in Libyan state assets was looted. Artifacts at a museum in Shahat, Libya. Photo: Abdullah Doma/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesLibya’s United Nations-backed government is asking Washington to help it recover tens of billions of dollars in state assets that it alleges were stolen by the country’s former dictator Moammar Gadhafi and his cronies and stashed around the world. Gadhafi ruled the oil-rich country for 42 years before he was ousted and killed and Libyan officials say family members and others close to him looted government coffers of cash, gold and rare antiquities. A 2016 study by Berlin-based Transparency International estimates as much as $120 billion was taken.

☆ Bernard Kalb, longtime foreign affairs newsman, dies at 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

“You have a historical memory to call upon and you see the trust of American foreign policy and other foreign policy,” he said. “Anything that hurts America’s credibility, hurts America.”New York Times columnist William Safire praised the resignation. “In his final official act, Bernard Kalb rose above ‘State Department spokesman’ to become the spokesman for all Americans who respect and demand the truth,” Safire wrote. At CBS Marvin and Bernard were known as “The Kalbs,” but Bernard lived somewhat in the shadow of his younger brother. One widely circulated, but apocryphal, story had their mother calling the CBS foreign desk in New York and saying: “Hello, this is Marvin Kalb’s mother.

☆ Pioneering U.S. television journalist Barbara Walters dead at 93
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Bill Trott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Television personality Barbara Walters arrives for the premiere of the film "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" in New York September 20, 2010. "I asked Yeltsin if he drank too much, and I asked Putin if he killed anybody," Walters told the New York Times in 2013. "These two men were really quite brutal to me and it was not pleasant," Walters told the San Francisco Examiner. The New York Times called her "arguably America's best-known television personality" but also observed that "what we remember most about a Barbara Walters interview is Barbara Walters." Walters' three marriages - to businessman Robert Katz, theatrical producer Lee Guber and television executive Merv Adelson - ended in divorce.

☆ Viktor Bout praises Putin, enjoys celebrity status after Griner exchange
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

He has since given high-profile interviews to state media and on Monday appeared on stage at a political event as he joined an ultranationalist party. Viktor Bout on a plane in Abu Dhabi before departing for Russia on Thursday. Russian media also showed him walking off a plane in Moscow, where relatives waiting with flowers embraced him. AFP - Getty ImagesSince his return home, Bout has given a pair of interviews to Maria Butina on the state-run TV channel RT. Like Butina, who was elected to the State Duma last year, Bout spared no time kicking off a potential political career.

Ashton also questioned how Mas’ud came to be in custody in the U.S. — something that remains unclear. Late last month, local Libyan media reported that Mas’ud had been kidnapped by armed men from his residence in Tripoli, the capital. He was convicted of 270 counts of murder, was given a life sentence and was the only person convicted for their involvement in Lockerbie. The release was met with scenes of jubilation in Libya, where al-Megrahi was greeted by thousands of well-wishers in the capital, Tripoli. He is among the victims’ family members who question the evidence used to convict al-Megrahi in 2001.

☆ Who Is Viktor Bout? What to Know About the Man Traded for Brittney Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( James Hookway | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A former Soviet air force officer, Viktor Bout had been regarded as one of the world’s leading arms traffickers when the U.S. agents helped arrest him in a sting operation in Bangkok in 2008. Critics called him one of the world’s most effective arms traders and he was rumored to have been the inspiration for the Hollywood movie “Lord of War.” Suspected clients included Liberia’s Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi . He has spent the last 10 years in a U.S. prison, to which he had been sentenced after being convicted of trying to sell weapons to Colombian rebels. Russian authorities had long tried to secure his release, however, finally achieving their goal in a prisoner exchange with Brittney Griner , the WNBA star who had been sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony.

☆ Who Is Viktor Bout? The ‘Merchant of Death’ Russian Arms Dealer Swapped for Brittney Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( James Hookway | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A former Soviet air-force officer, Viktor Bout had been regarded as one of the world’s leading arms traffickers when U.S. agents helped arrest him in a sting operation in Bangkok in 2008. Critics called him one of the world’s most effective arms traders and he was rumored to have been the inspiration for the Hollywood movie “Lord of War.” Suspected clients included Liberia’s Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi . He has spent more than a decade in a U.S. prison, to which he had been sentenced after being convicted of trying to sell weapons to Colombian rebels. Russian authorities had long tried to secure his release, finally achieving their goal in a prisoner exchange with Brittney Griner , the WNBA star who had been sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony.

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