Latest news with #NATO-backed
Libya Review
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Libya Review
Libyan Football Federation Launches Probe into Al Ahli Tripoli-Al Ittihad Match Incident
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has announced the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the incidents that occurred during the match between Ahli Tripoli and Al-Ittihad. The game, part of the fourth week of the return leg in the first hexagonal round of the Libyan Premier League, was held on Tuesday, June 19, 2025, at Tripoli Stadium. The decision was issued by the LFF Board of Directors under Resolution No. 96 of 2025. The investigative committee includes Ali Mahdi Al-Sanousi (Board Member), Al-Mabrouk Mohamed Shouia (Appeals Committee Member), and Adel Misbah Swaisi (Referees Committee Member). According to the resolution, the committee is tasked with reviewing official complaints submitted by both clubs, Ahli Tripoli and Al-Ittihad, and will collect testimonies from all parties involved in the match-day events. The investigation will also include a full review of official reports and all available video footage and photographic evidence. The committee must submit a detailed report within 72 hours of the decision's issuance. The report will outline the circumstances of the incident, identify responsibilities, and provide recommendations to the LFF Board. The LFF also directed the Competitions Committee to postpone any decision regarding the outcome of the match until the investigation is complete. However, the Federation confirmed that the final round of the hexagonal stage will proceed as scheduled and will not be impacted by the ongoing inquiry. The decision is effective immediately and is binding on all relevant entities. Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations. Libya's economy, heavily reliant on oil, has suffered due to the ongoing conflict. The instability has led to fluctuations in oil production and prices, impacting the global oil market and Libya's economy. The conflict has led to a significant humanitarian crisis in Libya, with thousands of people killed, and many more displaced. Migrants and refugees using Libya as a transit point to Europe have also faced dire conditions. The planned elections for December 2021 were delayed due to disagreements over election laws and the eligibility of certain candidates. This delay has raised concerns about the feasibility of a peaceful political transition. Despite the ceasefire, security remains a significant concern with sporadic fighting and the presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters. The unification of the military and the removal of foreign forces are crucial challenges.
Libya Review
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Libya Review
140 Migrants Rescued from Illegal Detention Sites in Libya
Libya's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the eastern border town of Musaid has successfully freed 140 undocumented migrants from three illegal detention sites used by human trafficking networks, according to an official statement. The operation was carried out following precise intelligence indicating severe abuses against the detained migrants, including torture and extortion. Victims reportedly endured inhumane conditions, including being denied food for four consecutive days, and were subjected to abuse as smugglers attempted to extract ransom money from their families. The rescued individuals include nationals from Egypt, Sudan, and Somalia. The CID confirmed that several suspects involved in the illegal detention and abuse were apprehended, while the makeshift detention facilities were secured and legal action initiated. Following the rescue, the migrants were transferred to CID headquarters where they received urgent medical care and food. The department emphasized its commitment to humane treatment in line with Libya's obligation to uphold human rights and international standards. Officials stressed that the operation reflects ongoing efforts to dismantle human trafficking networks and combat illegal migration in Libya, particularly along key smuggling routes near the Egyptian border. Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations. Libya's economy, heavily reliant on oil, has suffered due to the ongoing conflict. The instability has led to fluctuations in oil production and prices, impacting the global oil market and Libya's economy. The conflict has led to a significant humanitarian crisis in Libya, with thousands of people killed, and many more displaced. Migrants and refugees using Libya as a transit point to Europe have also faced dire conditions. The planned elections for December 2021 were delayed due to disagreements over election laws and the eligibility of certain candidates. This delay has raised concerns about the feasibility of a peaceful political transition. Despite the ceasefire, security remains a significant concern with sporadic fighting and the presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters. The unification of the military and the removal of foreign forces are crucial challenges. Tags: Egypthuman traffickinglibyamigrationSudan
Libya Review
12 hours ago
- Health
- Libya Review
Libya's Benghazi to Host 3rd Medical Conference
The third edition of the Scientific Conference at Benghazi Medical Center will officially begin on Friday and run until June 22, bringing together leading doctors, consultants, and researchers from both Libya and abroad. The event spans a wide array of medical specialties and aims to spotlight the latest scientific and technological advancements in the healthcare sector. According to an official statement from the Benghazi Medical Center, the conference serves as a platform for professional networking, the exchange of knowledge, and the presentation of cutting-edge medical practices. The program includes scientific lectures, hands-on workshops, and specialized professional meetings designed to enhance collaboration among healthcare professionals. Notably, the event unofficially launched on Thursday with a vascular surgery workshop attended by numerous doctors and trainees interested in this highly specialized field. Organizers say the conference reflects the Center's commitment to continuous medical education and its effort to bridge the gap between local and international medical communities. With a packed schedule featuring high-level speakers and interactive sessions, the event is expected to contribute significantly to the development of medical expertise in Libya and beyond. Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations. Libya's economy, heavily reliant on oil, has suffered due to the ongoing conflict. The instability has led to fluctuations in oil production and prices, impacting the global oil market and Libya's economy. The conflict has led to a significant humanitarian crisis in Libya, with thousands of people killed, and many more displaced. Migrants and refugees using Libya as a transit point to Europe have also faced dire conditions. The planned elections for December 2021 were delayed due to disagreements over election laws and the eligibility of certain candidates. This delay has raised concerns about the feasibility of a peaceful political transition. Despite the ceasefire, security remains a significant concern with sporadic fighting and the presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters. The unification of the military and the removal of foreign forces are crucial challenges. Tags: benghaziHealthcarelibyaVascular Surgery
IOL News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
The Spectacle of Innocence: How the Narrative of 'Stolen Children' Became the West's Weapon of War
The portrayal of children in the Ukraine-Russia conflict serves as a potent tool of propaganda, revealing the complexities behind the narratives that shape public perception and policy, writes Gillian Schutte. Image: IOL / Ron AI In war, the image of a suffering child has long been one of the most potent tools of propaganda. A child is the cipher of innocence, the mirror of adult failure, the vessel into which we pour our grief, outrage, and moral certainty. It is no wonder, then, that in the ongoing geopolitical conflict between NATO-backed Ukraine and Russia, children have become a front line in the information war. The Washington Post's tear-soaked profile 'Thousands of Ukraine's children vanished into Russia. This one made it back' follows the return of 12-year-old Illia Matviienko, a child allegedly abducted, reprogrammed, and rescued just in time from the clutches of Russian state adoption. It is a finely crafted narrative. Illia is traumatised but eloquent. His grandmother is tireless and brave. His toys are metaphors. His memories are edited for maximum effect. But behind the Lego blocks and Garfield plush toys lies a darker machinery of manipulation. The story reads like it was written by a Pentagon-funded scriptwriter, with emotional cues planted at every paragraph break, not to report on the tragedy of war, but to mobilise sentiment for war. Let us look past the misty-eyed storytelling and ask the harder questions. What really happened to Ukraine's children? Who is keeping the score? And who benefits from turning their suffering into clickbait diplomacy? The Propaganda Template, From Wag the Dog to Wag the Child The Washington Post, long known for its role in manufacturing consent for U.S. foreign policy, frames Illia's ordeal as evidence of systematic Russian child theft. His story becomes the keystone in a broader claim: that tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been deported, re-educated, and erased by the Russian state. The article even cites figures: 'at least 19,500 children' according to Yale University's Conflict Observatory, whose funding, incidentally, is being cut under Donald Trump's administration. Ukrainian officials inflate the figure still further: 'maybe 50,000, maybe 100,000.' No one knows for sure. No one can prove anything. But certainty is not required in the spectacle of war propaganda, only repetition and righteous tears. The real figures? According to Russia's official delegation at the Istanbul peace talks, led by Vladimir Medinsky, the only list ever presented to Moscow by Ukraine contains 339 names. Russia says it has already returned 101 of these children. Ukraine, for its part, has returned 22 Russian children who ended up in its care. These are verifiable exchanges. And yet the Western press refuses to mention these facts. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Selective Suffering, Why Is Only One Child a Headline? The case of Illia Matviienko is tragic. But why is it the story? Because it performs well. It has all the ingredients of pathos: dead mother, lonely boy, forbidden adoption, grandmother's heroism, poetic justice. It sells. It moves. It inflames. But in Russia's version of events, there are also children traumatised by shelling, evacuated from war zones, not abducted. Many were found alone in buildings or hospitals. Others were taken to safety at great personal risk by Russian soldiers, some of whom died in the effort. And when relatives come forward, parents, aunts, grandmothers, the children are reunited. No obstacle, no cover-up. Just bureaucracy and war. Yet these stories are not told. There are no Washington Post front pages for the Russian soldier who saves a wounded child under fire. There is no Pulitzer bait in the case of a child returned to a reunited family in Donetsk. These children do not cry in English. They are not crying for NATO. Manufactured Numbers, Manufactured Consent Russia has repeatedly demanded evidence: names, documents, statements from parents. None have been forthcoming. The Ukrainian and U.S. positions rely on estimates, projections, and a deep well of emotional speculation. Russia, meanwhile, says: here is the list you gave us, here are the returns we've made. The disparity between accusation and evidence is not accidental. It mirrors the propaganda campaign that preceded the war in Iraq, the intervention in Syria, the bombardment of Libya. Western soft power thrives on emotional shorthand: Saddam's incubator babies, Gaddafi's Viagra-fuelled soldiers, and now Putin's child kidnappers. It is a pattern. The facts are fluid. The imagery is fixed. What Russia Says, and the West Won't Print Medinsky's statement in Istanbul was clear. Russia is open to verification. Russia is returning children. Russia is establishing regular exchanges. It has proposed temporary ceasefires in 'grey zones' so commanders on both sides can collect the corpses of fallen soldiers, a practical and humane suggestion, met with silence. Meanwhile, Western media focuses on Lego toys and bedtime trauma. It does not ask why Ukraine will not publish a full list of the missing children. It does not examine the political utility of these stories in maintaining Western support, arms supplies, and diplomatic cover. Nor does it question why the first move in any peace negotiation is not truth and reconciliation, but a spotlight on Russian war crimes. The narrative must be secured before the facts can catch up. The Illusion of Innocence Yes, Illia's story is heartbreaking. All war stories involving children are. But to isolate it from the broader matrix of wartime reality, to use it as a blunt weapon against the Russian state, to decontextualise and sentimentalise it into a moral fable, is to exploit that child all over again. War is complex. Children are not pawns. But in the battle of narratives, they become precisely that. They are used to distract from inconvenient truths, to derail diplomacy, to justify endless escalation. And while the West cries for Illia, what of Vitalii, the friend left behind in the Donetsk hospital? What if he was never abducted, just never found? What if he was just another casualty of the same propaganda war that made Illia a headline? Beyond the Toy Box The Washington Post piece may be compelling. It is certainly emotive. But it is not journalism. It is spectacle. A carefully staged morality play in which there are only villains and victims, no context, no complexity, no dissenting voice. The weaponisation of children is one of the oldest tricks in imperial warfare. And as long as mainstream media continues to traffic in half-truths and Hollywood storylines, the real victims of this war, on both sides, will remain unheard. We should care for every child affected by war. But we should be suspicious of which children we are told to care about, and why. The portrayal of children in the Ukraine-Russia conflict serves as a potent tool of propaganda, revealing the complexities behind the narratives that shape public perception and policy, writes Gillian Schutte. Image: IOL
Libya Review
2 days ago
- Business
- Libya Review
EU & Libya Discuss Economic Crisis
European Union Ambassador to Libya Nicola Orlando held a productive meeting in Tripoli yesterday with Central Bank Governor H.E. Naji Issa to discuss Libya's mounting economic challenges. During the discussions, Orlando emphasized the urgent need for currency stability and inflation control amid rising public expenditures. Both agreed on the essential role of fiscal responsibility across institutions and highlighted the necessity for the House of Representatives to adopt a unified, transparent, and accountable public spending framework. The meeting reaffirmed the critical importance of safeguarding the independence, integrity, and effectiveness of Libya's economic and regulatory institutions—starting with the Central Bank. Orlando stated that this institutional strength is vital for the country's future economic resilience. This high-level engagement comes amid broader EU-supported efforts through the Berlin Process and initiatives backed by institutions like UNSMIL and the Central Bank to push for systemic financial reforms and foster a unified national budget—an essential step toward stabilizing Libya's economy. The EU ambassador's visit reflects increasing global diplomatic backing for Libya's economic reform agenda, with the aim of building trust in financial governance, combating inflation, and ensuring long-term economic sustainability. Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations. Libya's economy, heavily reliant on oil, has suffered due to the ongoing conflict. The instability has led to fluctuations in oil production and prices, impacting the global oil market and Libya's economy. The conflict has led to a significant humanitarian crisis in Libya, with thousands of people killed, and many more displaced. Migrants and refugees using Libya as a transit point to Europe have also faced dire conditions. The planned elections for December 2021 were delayed due to disagreements over election laws and the eligibility of certain candidates. This delay has raised concerns about the feasibility of a peaceful political transition. Despite the ceasefire, security remains a significant concern with sporadic fighting and the presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters. The unification of the military and the removal of foreign forces are crucial challenges. Tags: cbleulibyaNicola Orlandounsmil
