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☆ Japan loans Jordan $100 million for electricity reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan sign agreements in Amman, Jordan September 3, 2023. REUTERS/Muath Freij Acquire Licensing RightsAMMAN, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Japan extended a $100 million loan to help Jordan's electricity sector reforms as part of Tokyo's support for the kingdom's IMF-guided reforms, officials said on Sunday. "Japan will continue our support for Jordan in its economic and financial reforms and further modernization," Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said in joint remarks with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman al Safadi at the start of a visit to Jordan. Japan is one of Jordan's main donors, contributing over $4 billion in loans, aid and technical support in recent decades. Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi Editing by Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Muath, Ayman al Safadi, Jordan's King Abdullah, Hayashi, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Ros Russell Organizations: Planning, Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, IMF, Jordan, Thomson Locations: Amman , Jordan, Japan, Jordan, Tokyo, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

☆ Libya recovers colonial wolf statue sold as scrap and found on a farm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Ayman Al-Warfali | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] The female wolf statue (Lupa Capitolina), which was found in the farm of a citizen, is pictured after disappearing for over thirty years in Benghazi, Libya, July 31, 2023. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-FetoriBENGHAZI, Libya, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Libyan authorities have recovered a large bronze wolf statue that once sat atop a pillar in central Benghazi before disappearing decades ago, found on a farm whose owner said he bought the sculpture as scrap. Italian colonial authorities erected the statue in the new Benghazi city centre they were building in the 1930s, promoting a connection between ancient Roman settlement of Libya and their modern colonial rule over the country. However, many priceless Libyan antiquities have disappeared: pillaged by Europeans in colonial times, appropriated after independence or looted in the chaos that has followed a 2011 NATO-backed uprising. Khaled al-Hadar, a Libyan researcher on stolen antiquities, said heritage monitoring remained weak in Libya and had not been started until 1974 - after the wolf had disappeared.

Persons: Omran, Saied Mohammed Bourabida, Bourabida, Khaled al, Muammar Gaddafi's, suckling, Romulus, Remus, Ayman al, Angus McDowall, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Fetori, Libya, Thomson Locations: Benghazi, Libya, Fetori BENGHAZI, Rome, Sabratha, NATO, Libyan, Warfali

☆ Iraq plants mangrove forest to fight climate disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Essam Al-Sudani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BASRA, Iraq, June 29 (Reuters) - As Aymen al-Rubaye plants mangrove seedlings in the sprawling tidal flats of southern Iraq, the black smoke rising over the skyline behind him shows the ecological damage that he is toiling to undo. Rubaye, an agricultural engineer, is working for a project started by Iraqi government bodies and a United Nations agency to grow up to 4 million mangrove trees in the Khor al-Zubair mudflats region, located near major oil fields. The tidal flats south of Basra are a baking landscape of water, salt, mud and hazy sky, riven by channels that Rubaye and his team navigate by boat. [1/5]Engineer Ayman Al-Rubaie, 47, plants mangrove trees in the wooded areas of the Shatt Al-Arab River, in Basra, Iraq June 21, 2023. Mangrove plants "can resist these harsh conditions we are passing through" without needing irrigation water, Rubaye said.

Persons: pats, Ayman Al, Essam, Rubaye, Ahmed Albaaj, Angus McDowall, Peter Graff Organizations: United, World Bank, REUTERS, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: BASRA, Iraq, United Nations, Khor, Basra, . Southern Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab

☆ Eastern Libya administration threatens oil blockade
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGHAZI, Libya, June 24 (Reuters) - Authorities based in eastern Libya on Saturday threatened to blockade oil exports over the Tripoli government's use of energy revenue, accusing it of wasting billions of dollars without providing real services. Libya has been locked in a political standoff since last year, when the parliament in eastern Libya rejected the interim Government of National Unity in Tripoli and designated a new administration that has been unable to take over in the capital. The last major blockade was resolved last year when the Tripoli government appointed a new head of National Oil Corporation (NOC) who was said to be close to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar. Haftar said on June 17 he backed a move by the eastern-based parliament and another legislative body to appoint a new interim administration in a clear challenge to the current government in Tripoli. On Thursday a court in eastern Libya ruled that the eastern administration had won a case against NOC allowing it to take control of the company's accounts.

Persons: majeure, Khalifa Haftar, Haftar, manouevring, Ayman al, Angus McDowall, Toby Chopra Organizations: Authorities, of National Unity, NATO, National Oil Corporation, OPEC, Central Bank of Libya, Thomson Locations: BENGHAZI, Libya, Tripoli, Libyan, Warfali, Benghazi

☆ Libya's Haftar backs creation of new government in challenge to Tripoli
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGHAZI, Libya, June 17 (Reuters) - Libya's eastern forces under commander Khalifa Haftar support a proposal to set up a new interim government, they said late on Friday, setting up a challenge to the existing administration in Tripoli. The committee's recommendations have been adopted by parts of Libya's divided political establishment and rejected by others. The eastern-based parliament, which has been allied to Haftar, rejected Dbeibah's mandate but the new prime minister it designated was unable to replace the Tripoli government, leading to a long political standoff. Diplomacy has focused on bringing the parliament and another legislative body, the High State Council, to agree clear rules for an election aimed at resolving Libya's political stalemate. Critics of Libya's political elite believe they have little intention of holding elections that could remove them from power and are more focused on control over government in Tripoli and its access to state resources.

Persons: Khalifa Haftar, Abdulhamid, Haftar, Ayman al, Angus McDowall Organizations: Tripoli . Haftar's Libyan National Army, NATO, of National Unity, High State Council, Dbeibah, Thomson Locations: BENGHAZI, Libya, Tripoli . Haftar's, Dbeibah, Tripoli, Dbeibah's, Warfali, Benghazi

☆ Opinion: A blistering indictment of the Trump-Biden legacy in Afghanistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The withdrawal agreement was supposed to be predicated on the Taliban negotiating with the elected Afghan government about some kind of power-sharing arrangement and cutting their ties to terrorist groups like al Qaeda. Zawahiri was living in Kabul with the “awareness” of Taliban officials, according to a Biden senior administration official. Worrisomely, al Qaeda is “covertly rebuilding its external operations capability,” according to the UN, i.e., its ability to launch attacks outside of Afghanistan. Of these, an astonishing 35 hold cabinet-level positions in the de facto Afghan government, according to the report. In sum, “debacle” seems almost too kind a word to describe the Trump-Biden legacy in Afghanistan.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Biden, Zalmay Khalilzad, “, al Qaeda, Ayman al Zawahiri, Zawahiri, Hibatullah Akhundzada, Edmund Fitton, Brown, ”, Fitton Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, United, US, Afghan, Biden, Trump, US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Taliban, UN, ISIS, Pakistan, Twitter, “, NATO Locations: New America, United Nations, Afghanistan, al Qaeda, United States, Qaeda, Kabul, Pakistani, Afghan, Kandahar, America

☆ Qatar’s prime minister met with top Taliban leader in Afghanistan earlier this month, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Qatar’s prime minister met secretly with the Taliban’s top leader earlier this month in Afghanistan, two sources familiar with the meeting confirmed to CNN. The meeting happened in the southern city of Kandahar on May 12, between the Taliban Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada and Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. The meeting, first reported by Reuters, is believed to be the first between Akhundzada and a foreign leader. Despite American warnings to the Taliban not harbor terrorists, Al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri took up residence in Kabul before being killed in a US drone strike last July. Qatar serves as the US protecting power in Afghanistan, where it does not have a diplomatic presence.

Persons: CNN —, Haibatullah, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Biden, Antony Blinken, Qatar’s, ”, Qatar’s Al Jazeera, Thani, Al Qaeda’s, Ayman al, Zawahiri Organizations: CNN, Taliban, Qatar’s, Reuters, State Department, ” CNN, US State Department, Qatari Embassy, US Locations: Afghanistan, Kandahar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al, Thani, Qatar, Washington, Al, Doha, Kabul, Kabul –

☆ Libya court sentences 23 to death for Islamic State campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MISRATA, Libya, May 29 (Reuters) - A Libyan court sentenced 23 people to death and another 14 to life in prison on Monday for their role in a deadly Islamic State militant campaign that included beheading a group of Egyptian Christians and seizing the city of Sirte in 2015. [1/4] Suspects sit behind bars during a judgment sentence against 56 defendants accused of joining Islamic State group (ISIS) in the court in Misrata, Libya, May 29, 2023. "My son is missing and my relative, my brother-in-law, was murdered in Sirte Square," he said. Speaking in court on Monday, Fawzia Arhuma said she welcomed the death sentences after her son was killed by the group at a power station near Sirte. Reporting by Ayman al-Sahily, writing by Angus McDowall, editing by Andrew Heavens and Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Taliban promised to provide security to Afghans. New data shows threat from ISIS is growing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Eliza Mackintosh Ehsan Popalzai Antonio Jarne Lou Robinson | Eliza Mackintosh | Ehsan Popalzai | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

“Currently we don’t have security in Afghanistan at all, whenever we go out we don’t know if we will come home alive or not,” he added. Taliban security forces guard a checkpoint near the foreign ministry in Kabul on March 27, after an ISIS-K suicide bomber struck the site. The data, which is available in a live map, includes 367 pieces of open-source evidence — largely videos and images shared on social media — about 70 ISIS-K attacks since August 2021. As the Taliban try to minimize the threat ISIS-K poses, attacks on civilians continue. Taliban security forces have been waging ongoing operations and night raids against ISIS-K.

☆ 'This is madness': Libya's bitter divisions split Eid holiday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People attend an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan at a public square, in Benghazi, Libya April 21, 2023. Religious authorities in east Libya, aligned with the parliament which is based there, said they had sighted the crescent moon on Thursday, making it the last day of fasting and setting Friday as Eid. "This is madness and I pray it ends here," said Ahmed Mesbah, 50, in Tripoli, who has chosen to celebrate Eid on Friday. The country split in 2014 between warring factions in east and west, a rift that remains despite comparative peace since 2020. "The split between east and west on such a happy occasion is hurtful and makes me sad.

☆ Quake deals new blow to Syrian medics after years of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Khalil Ashawi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

AL-DANA, Syria, Feb 21 (Reuters) - As a nurse working near the frontlines of the Syrian war, Ibrahim Zeidan endured many desperate moments including when shelling destroyed a hospital, leaving him trapped by rubble. But he says an earthquake which hit the region on Feb. 6 has proved the most difficult challenge yet for medics in the rebel-held region, overwhelming health facilities already battered by more than a decade of conflict. The night of the disaster, Zeidan oversaw the evacuation of infants from the hospital where he was working in the town of al-Dana. CCTV footage from the hospital showed masonry falling and equipment shaking as the quake struck. Zeidan previously worked at a hospital that operated out of a cave in the Kafr Zeita region of the rebel-held northwest.

☆ Al Qaeda's new leader Adel has $10 million bounty on his head
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Michael Georgy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Zawahiri's death piled pressure on the group to choose a strategic leader who can carefully plan deadly operations and run a jihadi network, experts on al Qaeda say. The department’s Rewards for Justice programme is offering up to $10 million for information on Adel, whom it says is a member of "al Qaeda’s leadership council” and heads the organisation’s military committee. He and other Al Qaeda leaders were placed under house arrest in April 2003 by Iran, which released him and four others in exchange for an Iranian diplomat who was kidnapped in Yemen. OPERATIVE TO LEADERAdel, one of the few remaining al Qaeda old guard, has been close to the central command for decades, experts say. Adel gained more jihadi credentials after he joined other Arab militants fighting Soviet occupation troops in Afghanistan, where he eventually headed a training camp before becoming a senior figure in al Qaeda.

☆ Italy's Eni signs $8 billion Libya gas deal as PM Meloni visits Tripoli
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Gavin Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The deal, signed during a visit to Tripoli by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, aims to increase gas output for the Libyan domestic market as well as exports, through the development of two offshore gas fields. Output will begin in 2026 and reach a plateau of 750 million cubic feet per day, Eni said in a statement. "This agreement will enable important investments in Libya's energy sector, contributing to local development and job creation while strengthening Eni's role as a leading operator in the country," said its chief executive, Claudio Descalzi. Meloni met Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli for talks that also focused on migration across the Mediterranean. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who oversees the migration issue for Rome, accompanied Meloni to Libya, as well as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

☆ Italy's Meloni expected to sign major gas deal as she starts Libya visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the head of Libya's Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah attend a joint news conference in Tripoli, Libya. TRIPOLI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Tripoli on Saturday where she is expected to agree a major gas deal aimed at boosting energy supplies to Europe despite the insecurity and political chaos in the North African country. Meloni is meeting Mohamed al-Menfi, the head of Libya's three-man Presidency Council, and Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli. Insecurity and lawlessness has made Libya a major, but dangerous, route for migrants seeking to reach Europe, often via the Italian island of Lampedusa. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who oversees much of the migration issue for Rome, flew to Libya with Meloni.

☆ CIA chief makes rare visit to Libya
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TRIPOLI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief William Burns made a rare trip to Libya on Thursday, meeting Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah in Tripoli, the Libyan government said. Dbeibah's Government of National Unity announced the visit on its Facebook page, posting a picture of Burns and Dbeibah together. Two sources close to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, who is based in Benghazi, said Burns had also met with him. The United States has previously said it is worried about the role played by Russia in Libya's conflict, and fears continued instability in the OPEC member could impact global energy supply and give space to Islamist militant groups. The detention of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi and his transfer to the United States prompted anger inside Libya, which has no extradition treaty with Washington, and led to recriminations from Dbeibah's political foes.

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The succession of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was believed to have been killed in a U.S. raid last year, remains unclear, a U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday. "The question for Al Qaeda, that it has not answered for itself, is who follows (Zawahiri)," Christine Abizaid, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, said in an event organized by the Washington Institute when asked about Al Qaeda's "center of gravity" after Zawahiri's death. Al Qaeda has not named a successor. Saif al-Adel, a mysterious, low-key former Egyptian special forces officer who is a high-ranking member of Al Qaeda, is seen by experts as the top contender. The United States is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ Joe Biden's biggest successes and failures in his second year in office
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

His second year in office was marked by historic legislative achievements despite Democrats' razor-thin majority in Congress. Here are some of the highs and lows from Biden's second year:Success: UkrainePresident Joe Biden talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outside the White House. Conservative New York Times columnist Bret Stephens in September called the "staggering gains" by Ukrainian forces "a victory for Joe Biden, too." Universal pre-K was included in a sweeping spending plan passed by House Democrats until their Senate colleagues cut that out too. Failure: InflationPresident Joe Biden arrives for an event focused on inflation and the supply chain at the Port of Los Angeles in June.

Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison Wednesday, more than what was meted out to a co-defendant. “I do think of Mr. Croft as the more seriously culpable … more so than even Mr. Fox," Jonker said. “I think he was the person who gave Mr. Fox something to grab on to." Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler said Croft needs to go away for an extended period of time to protect the public. I say all of this to say that Mr. Croft needed some intervention."

☆ Al Qaeda releases video it claims is narrated by leader al-Zawahiri who was believed dead -SITE
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda has released a 35-minute recording the group claims was narrated by its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was believed to have been killed in a U.S. raid in August 2022, SITE intelligence group said on Friday. The recording was undated and the transcript did not clearly point towards a time frame for when it could have been made. Al Qaeda has not named a successor. But Saif al-Adel, a mysterious, low-key former Egyptian special forces officer who is a high-ranking member of Al Qaeda, is seen by experts as the top contender. Reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Nadine Awadalla, Chris Reese, Michael Georgy and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jordan seeks more coordination with Russia to bring stability to southern Syria
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMMAN, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Jordan and Russia have agreed to step up coordination in tackling instability in southern Syria, which Amman blames on Iran-linked militias and multi-billion dollar drug smuggling across its border, Jordan's foreign minister said on Thursday. Ayman al Safadi was speaking after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that centered on south Syria to "neutralise the potential dangers of instability" in the area. The danger of drug smuggling to Jordan and across its territory by hostile militias," Safadi told a news conference. The growing influence of Iranian-backed militias including Lebanon's Hezbollah group in southern Syria in recent years has already alarmed both Jordan and Israel. "With the continued situation in the south (Syria), the kingdom will do what is needed to preserve its national security," Safadi said.

☆ CIA reveals model used to plan strike against Al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The CIA on Saturday unveiled the model of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s safe house in Kabul used to plan the U.S. drone strike that killed the Al-Qaeda leader last month. The scale model of Zawahiri’s house was shown to reporters as part of a tour of a newly refurbished museum at the agency's headquarters. “This was the model that was used to brief President Biden on the Zawahiri mission,” said Janelle Neises, deputy director of the CIA museum. Zawahiri was struck by a Hellfire missile as he stood on the balcony of the house, U.S. officials say. “He carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats and American interests,” Biden said.

☆ CIA Unveils Model of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Safe House in Revamped Museum
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Warren P. Strobel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LANGLEY, Va.—The CIA’s newly refurbished museum tells the story of some daring spy schemes that were successful, others that worked only partially or for a while, and some flat-out failures. Its newest exhibit is from the first category. The model of the Kabul safe house where the CIA located al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and killed him on July 31 in a drone strike remained a secret until a few days ago, when it was declassified and took its place alongside spy cameras, expendable one-shot pistols and hundreds of other artifacts in the museum at the Central Intelligence Agency’s suburban Virginia headquarters.

☆ U.S. CIA's in-house museum adds new spy exhibits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LANGLEY, Va., Sept 24 (Reuters) - They like to call it 'the greatest museum you'll never see.' Tucked away in the corridors of its Langley, Virginia, headquarters, the revamped Central Intelligence Agency museum – while still closed to the public – is revealing some newly declassified artifacts from the spy agency's most storied operations since its founding 75 years ago. The hundreds of museum items, some of which have been on display since the 1980s, are all declassified. Neises said the agency does from time to time loan some to presidential libraries and other non-profit museums. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Michael Martina Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Langley Files': CIA launches podcast to ‘demystify’ its spy work
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The CIA launched its own podcast Thursday, saying it wanted to step out from the shadows to “demystify” its spy work and to help Americans understand the intelligence agency’s role. During Burns’ tenure, the CIA and other intelligence agencies have broken with past practice and declassified intelligence about Russia’s war effort in Ukraine as part of an information war with the Kremlin. Burns also said the agency had placed a priority on China and set up a new center focused on the country. The CIA was trying to devote more resources to that effort and was recruiting more Mandarin speakers, he said. “It’s a tally of the lives of stranded American citizens and Afghan partners, partners who had fought and bled with us over two decades in Afghanistan.

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