A storm that has killed thousands of people and left thousands more missing in Libya is the latest blow to a country that has been gutted by years of chaos and division.

A former Italian premier is contending that a French air force missile brought down a passenger jet over the Mediterranean Sea in 1980 and is appealing to France's president to respond.

Libya’s central bank has announced its reunification after being split for nearly a decade due to the country’s long-running civil war that resulted in two rival administrations, in the east and the west.

Libya’s judicial authorities have formally asked Lebanon’s prosecutor general to release one of Moammar Gadhafi's sons, who has been held without charges in Lebanon since 2015.

A lawyer says the son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is suffering deteriorating health during the second week of a hunger strike.

Nine survivors from a migrant boat that sank were arrested on suspicion of smuggling as hope faded for hundreds of missing passengers and attention turned to Greece’s failure to act before the ship capsized.

Libyan activists say authorities in eastern Libya have rounded up thousands of migrants and amassed them in an area on the border with Egypt.

French prosecutors are seeking to send former President Nicolas Sarkozy to trial on charges that he received millions in illegal campaign financing from the government of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Libyan authorities say they have found 18 bodies buried in a mass grave in the central coastal city of Sirte, a former stronghold of the Islamic State group in the conflict-stricken North African nation.

Libyan officials say a powerful militia was involved in the clandestine detention and questioning of a suspect in the 1988 downing of a New York-bound PanAm flight over Lockerbie, Scotland.

The announcement that a Libyan man suspected in the 1988 bombing of a passenger jet has been taken into U.S. custody put the spotlight back on the notorious terrorist attack.

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who returned to Moscow after a swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner, is widely known outside the country as the “Merchant of Death” who fueled some of the world’s worst conflicts.

A custom wristwatch from Cambodian leader Hun Sen at the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, a foot-long dagger at the G-20 meetings in Bali, and cricket ice cream and Thai noodles with worm sauce at the APEC talks in Bangkok.

Pakistan’s new prime minister stepped onto the U.N. podium to spin a tale of floods and climate change.

President Joe Biden heads to the United Kingdom to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth II at a time of transition in US-UK relations, as both a new monarch and a new prime minister are settling in.

A video has emerged on social media of a 15-year-old Sudanese refugee boy being tormented by gunmen in Libya demanding ransom.

Egypt’s foreign minister has exited an Arab League session chaired by the chief diplomat of one of Libya’s two rival governments, in an apparent protest against her administration.

Militias patrolled nearly deserted streets in Libya’s capital a day after clashes killed over 30 people and ended Tripoli’s monthslong stretch of relative calm.

Libyan health ministry officials say clashes have broken out between rival militias in Libya’s capital, killing at least 23 civilians and wounding 140 others.

Russia’s foreign minister said his country supports reforming the U.N. Security Council to give a more powerful role to developing nations, including African countries.

Libya's National Oil Corporation says it resumed oil exports, ending a monthslong hiatus.

The U.S. Embassy in Libya says it's concerned over the struggle for control of Libya’s oil corporation after its chairman was sacked.

A Russian arms dealer labeled the “Merchant of Death” and who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines again.

Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and longtime Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi are among the prominent figures assassinated in the 21st century.

Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday by a gunman who opened fire on him as he delivered a campaign speech on a street in western Japan, shocking the country.

Nuclear Russia's pillaging of non-nuclear Ukraine is rattling what's already a destabilizing moment in nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

Clashes in the Libyan capital of Tripoli have forced one of the country’s rival prime ministers to abort his attempt to seat his government there.

The U.N. says rival Libyan officials wrapped up weeklong talks without an agreement on disputed constitutional arrangements for elections.

The U.N. General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the world organization’s leading human rights body.

The U.N. General Assembly will vote Thursday on whether to suspend Russia from the U.N.’s premier human rights body.

The United States has returned a cache of smuggled ancient artifacts to Libya as the oil-rich Mediterranean country struggles to protect its heritage against the backdrop of years of war, turmoil and unrest.

Libya’s embattled prime minister is warning that the appointment of a new transitional government could set off war and chaos in the Mediterranean country mired for a decade in turmoil.

U.N. experts say rebel groups in Darfur that signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government in 2020 continue to operate in Libya and profit from opportunities provided by the civil war and lack of government control in the oil-rich north African nation.

A senior U.N. official says Libya could hold elections by June after the county missed a December deadline to elect its first president since the 2011 ouster and killing of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Libya has failed to hold its first presidential election as planned this month.

Karolos Papoulias, a former president of Greece, has died at the age of 92, Greece’s state news agency ANA reports.

Libya is scheduled to hold elections in just over a week, on Dec. 24, a long-awaited vote that is the lynchpin of efforts to bring peace after a decade of civil war.

A Libyan court has ruled that a son of the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi can compete in next month's presidential elections.

Libya’s top electoral body has disqualified the son and onetime heir apparent of the late dictator Moammar Gadhafi from running for president next month, citing his previous convictions.

Human rights activists have sent a dossier of evidence to the International Criminal Court demanding an investigation into abuses of migrants in Libya that they argue “may amount to crimes against humanity.”.

Libya’s interim prime minister has filed a request to run for president despite being technically barred from next month's elections.

A powerful commander in Libya has announced his candidacy in the country’s presidential elections next month.

Libya's election agency says the son and one-time heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi has announced his candidacy for the country’s presidential election next month.

Libyan leaders have reaffirmed in Paris their commitment to ensure the success of the country’s political process through long-awaited elections next month.

The United Nations says it has resumed humanitarian evacuation flights for migrants stranded in Libya.

Libya is hosting an international conference aimed at resolving the country’s thorniest issues ahead of general elections in December.

Experts commissioned by the United Nations' top human rights body say they have turned up evidence of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya.

A United Nations tally obtained by the Associated Press on Monday shows that the number of migrants rounded up in Libya's unprecedented crackdown has exceeded 5,000 people.

Dubai has gambled billions to make the gleaming, built-from-scratch Expo village a triumphant tourist attraction and symbol of the United Arab Emirates itself.

The U.N. refugee agency says Libya’s coast guard has intercepted a wooden boat carrying more 550 Europe-bound migrants off the country’s shore.

Officials say a major crackdown in western Libya has resulted in the detention of 4,000 migrants, including hundreds of women and children.

Close to 45,000 migrants reached Italy’s shores so far this year, roughly five times more than in 2019.

Charities say two humanitarian vessels have rescued around 190 Europe-bound migrants, including women and children, off the coast of Libya.

A U.N. migration agency official says she's concerned about the disappearance of thousands of Europe-bound migrants who were intercepted and returned to Libya.

Germany’s foreign minister has arrived in Libya to reopen the country’s embassy in Tripoli.

Senegalese officials say that Chad's former dictator Hissene Habre has died at the age of 79 of COVID-19 in Senegal.

A U.N. official says Libya’s coast guard has intercepted four boats in the Mediterranean Sea carrying migrants trying to reach Europe.

Libya’s transitional government has underlined its commitment to holding elections on Dec. 24 at a conference with powers that have interests in the North African country.

A U.N. official says a boat carrying migrants capsized off Libya, leaving at least two dozen presumed dead.

The U.N. Security Council has agreed to deploy international monitors to watch over a nearly six-month-old cease-fire agreement in Libya.

Libya's visiting interim prime minister and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed their commitment to a controversial maritime demarcation agreement that has angered Greece and Cyprus.

FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2021 file photo, Libyan Prime Minister-designate Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah speaks during a news conference in Tripoli, Libya. On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, Libyan lawmakers confirmed a newly appointed government to lead the war-wrecked country through elections by the end of the year. (AP Photo/Hazem Ahmed, File)BENIGHAZI – Libyan lawmakers confirmed a newly appointed interim government on Wednesday, in the hopes it will help unify the divided, war-wrecked North African country, and shepherd it through to elections at the end of the year. Ad“Congratulations on the formation of an interim unity government to set the stage for elections in December,” tweeted U.S. Dbeibah named Najla Mangoush as foreign minister — the first woman to lead the Libyan foreign ministry in modern history.

The Seven Springs, a property owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump, is covered in snow, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in Mount Kisco, N.Y. Meyer's daughter, the late Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, was married at Seven Springs in 1940. The amount was based on a professional appraisal that valued the full Seven Springs property at $56.5 million as of Dec. 1, 2015. AdCohen testified that Trump had financial statements saying Seven Springs was worth $291 million as of 2012. Along with the mansion, Seven Springs has a Tudor-style home once owned by ketchup magnate H.J.

The verdict is expected in a landmark corruption and influence-peddling trial that has put French former President Nicolas Sarkozy at risk of a prison sentence if he is convicted. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS – A Paris court found French former President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling on Monday and sentenced him to a year in prison. The ruling marks the first time in France’s modern history that a former president has been convicted of corruption — and given a prison term. The court found that Sarkozy and his co-defendants sealed a “pact of corruption,” based on “consistent and serious evidence”. AdIn one phone call with Herzog, Sarkozy said of Azibert: “I’ll make him move up.

FILE - In this Dec. 26, 2019 file photo, Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha speaks during a news conference in Tunis, Tunisia. The motorcade of the interior minister of Libyas U.N.-backed government came under attack on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, in the capital, Tripoli, a government spokesman said. Bashagha survived the attack. He said the minister survived the attack and his guards chased the assailants, killing one and detaining two others. The forum also picked Mohammad Younes Menfi, a Libyan diplomat from the country’s east, to lead the Presidential Council.

(AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)TRIPOLI – Libyans on Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of their 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Many have their eyes on a recently appointed government tasked with leading Libya through elections later this year, with hopes of unifying the divided nation. Celebrations began late on Tuesday in the capital, Tripoli, where people gathered in the city's main square amid tight security. AdThere were also celebrations in the eastern city of Benghazi, once known as the birthplace of Libya’s 2011 uprising. AdLibya has become one of the most intractable conflicts, along with Yemen and Syria, left over from the 2011 uprisings.

The voting process is taking place under the mediation of the U.N. secretary-general’s acting special representative for Libya, Stephanie Williams. The prime minister is to be chosen by the candidate winning 70% of votes. Twenty-four candidates are running for the presidential council posts. Libya’s top judge, Mohammed al-Hafi's candidacy for the presidential council has stirred up controversy. The country's Judges’ Association decried the move, saying he should have retired before running,AdTwenty-one candidates are running for prime minister, including Fathi Bashaga, the powerful interior minister in Tripoli, and Ahmed Meitig, deputy prime minister of the U.N.-supported government.

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 1988, file photo police and investigators look at what remains of the nose of Pan Am 103 in a field in Lockerbie, Scotland. The Justice Department expects to unseal charges in the coming days in connection with the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people, according to a person familiar with the case. (AP Photo/Martin Cleaver, File)WASHINGTON – The Justice Department plans to unseal new charges in the coming days in connection with the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people, according to a person familiar with the case. The New York-bound flight exploded over Lockerbie less than an hour after takeoff from London on Dec. 21, 1988. One man — former Libyan intelligence official Abdel Baset al-Megrahi — was convicted in the Netherlands of the bombing, and a second Libyan suspect was acquitted of all charges.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives at the courtroom, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS – The trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy for corruption and influence peddling was suspended Monday less than two hours after it started, to allow a medical report on one of the defendants. This is the first trial for the 65-year-old politician, who has faced several other judicial investigations since leaving office in 2012. He stands trial in a Paris court along with his lawyer Thierry Herzog, 65, and the magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, 73. They face a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of 1 million euros ($1.2 million.)

In these photos taken Nov. 12, 2020, life jackets litter the beach off the coast of Libya near the port of al-Khums. The boat was carrying over 120 migrants, including women and children, when it capsized off the coast of the Libyan port of al-Khums, said the International Organization for Migration. Only 47 people were rescued by the Libyan coast guard and fishermen and brought to shore. Smugglers often pack desperate families into ill-equipped rubber boats that stall and founder along the perilous Central Mediterranean route. On Tuesday, 13 African migrants including three women and one child had drowned in a similar shipwreck off the Libyan coast.

Sarkozy, who denies wrongdoing, has been given preliminary corruption charges in the case, under investigation since 2013. Investigators are examining claims that Gadhafi’s regime secretly gave Sarkozy 50 million euros overall for his winning 2007 French campaign. In 2007, Sarkozy welcomed Gadhafi to France with high honors. Sarkozy then put France at the forefront of NATO-led airstrikes that helped rebel fighters topple Gadhafi’s regime in 2011. Sarkozy and Takieddine have faced other legal troubles in France.

The United Nations said Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, that the two sides in Libyan military talks had reached a "historic achievement" with a permanent cease-fire agreement across the war-torn North African country. The agreement also involves the formation of a joint military force and a way to monitor violations, Williams said. “I appeal to all Libya: Be one hand,” he added, warning of polarization by factions. To maintain the cease-fire, the two sides agreed to establish a “joint police operations room” that will help secure areas following the withdrawal of armed groups. The rivals also agreed to form a “joint limited military force" of personnel who report to the U.N.'s Joint Military Commission.

“The violations of the embargo are a scandal and call into question the basic commitment to peace of all involved,” he told the closed meeting. “There are nine countries that are intervening in the Libyan conflict,” Williams said, without giving any names. The country has since split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Military commander Khalifa Hifter and his self-styled army launched an offensive in April 2019, trying to capture Tripoli, the capital. The virtual meeting came amid international pressure on both sides to avert an attack on the strategic city of Sirte.

TANZANIA – Russia and China blocked the official release of a report by U.N. experts on Libya that accused its warring parties and their international backers -- including Russia -- of violating a U.N. arms embargo on the conflict-wracked country, U.N. diplomats said Friday. Germany’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Günter Sautter, said he brought the issue to the Security Council after the two countries blocked the report’s release by the committee monitoring sanctions on Libya, which Germany heads. “Many delegations have asked for the publication of the panel of experts’ interim report,” he said. But finding a replacement acceptable to all Security Council diplomats has proven exceedingly difficult. Germany's Sautter said the Security Council has agreed that there will be a special envoy “and we need an agreement urgently on who that is going to be."

Amnesty said about 8,500 migrants, including women and children, were intercepted and brought back to Libya between Jan. 1 and Sep. 14. Since 2016, an estimated 60,000 men, women and children have been captured at sea and taken to Libya where they disembarked, it said. There, the migrants and refuges face a “constant risk” of being abducted by militias, armed groups and traffickers. They are “trapped in a vicious cycle of cruelty with little to no hope of finding safe and legal pathways out," the report said. Amnesty cited an incident, without saying when it happened, in which eastern Libyan forces blocked a bus from entering the southeastern city of Kufra unless three Chadian nationals got off.

A boarding team board the Merchant Vessel Royal Diamond 7, in international waters, 150 kilometers north of the Libyan city of Derna, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. The European Union maritime force enforcing the U.N. arms embargo on Libya said Thursday it re-directed a tanker headed for Libya after determining it contained jet fuel in possible violation of the embargo. The MV Royal Diamond 7 was en route early Thursday from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates to Benghazi, Libya when members of the EU force Operation Irini boarded the ship. A statement from the EU mission said its inspection aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged MV Royal Diamond 7 determined the cargo was jet fuel, which it said was likely to be used for military purposes. The mission noted that jet fuel is considered military material by the U.N., which has authorized the EU force to seize weapons and halt weapons-transporting ships bound for Libya.

The warring parties in Libya and their international backers the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Jordan vs Turkey and Qatar violated a U.N. arms embargo on the oil-rich north African country that remains totally ineffective, U.N. experts said in a new report. The experts said the Wagner group transferred armed private military operatives and military equipment into Libya to support Hifters military operations, including two armored personnel carriers. The panel of experts said the resupply of both sides by air was extensive, with flights from the UAE to western Egypt and eastern Libya, and from Russia via Syria to eastern Libya to reinforce Hifters forces and from Turkey to western Libya to reinforce the government. AP emails to the U.N. missions of the UAE, Russia, Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Qatar got no response. Allegations regarding any violation by Turkey of sanctions are baseless, said the spokesperson who was not authorized to be identified by name.

CAIRO Libyas Tripoli-based government has suspended its interior minister following a shooting at a demonstration in the capital earlier this week, the United Nations-supported government said Friday. Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga will face an investigation over violations committed against protesters, the government said in a statement. Tripoli and other territories under the U.N.-supported government saw a series of protests starting last week over deteriorating economic conditions. Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj had said in televised comments Monday that the protesters did not have a permit for their gathering. The country is now split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by different armed groups and foreign governments.

PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron lashed out Monday against Turkey's criminal responsibility in Libya. Speaking during a visit to Germany, Macron strongly condemned Turkey's actions in Libya as unacceptable.He said Turkey doesn't respect any of its commitments." France accused Turkey of repeated violations of the U.N. arms embargo and of importing Syrian fighters to Libya. Macron also condemned interference in Libya from Russian private military contractor Wagner. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 when a NATO-backed uprising toppled leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed.

Tunisian President Kais Saied, left, is welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron for bilateral talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Monday, June 22, 2020. Tunisian President Kais Saied is for a two-day visit in France. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Turkey's attitude in Libya is unacceptable" as France sees Ankara as an obstacle to securing a cease-fire in the conflict-torn country. Macron spoke at an evening news conference with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Paris. Macron urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to end his countrys actions in Libya.

CAIRO Egypts president Saturday warned that an attempt by Turkey-backed forces in Libya to attack the strategic city of Sirte would cross a red line" and trigger a direct Egyptian military intervention in the conflict. El-Sissi's strong comments come after Libyan fighters allied with the Tripoli-based government earlier this month advanced toward Sirte, the gateway to oil facilities in Libyas south. That move ignored an Egyptian initiative, backed by the east-Libya camp, to stop fighting and embark on peace talks. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. Cavusoglu said Friday that Turkey would work with Italy to create a lasting peace and political solution in Libya.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio say goodbye by using their elbows after their joint press conference, in Ankara, Turkey, Friday, June 19, 2020. Turkey says the EUs naval operation dubbed Irini is focusing its efforts on the Tripoli-based administration and not enough on Hifters forces who launched an offensive in April 2019 to capture the capital. We will continue to work with Italy for a last peace and a solution-oriented political process, Cavusoglu told reporters, praising Italy for what he described as its balanced stance on Libya. He maintained that the operation ignores alleged constant arms transfers to Hifter by France.Cavusoglus comments come amid growing tensions between Turkey and France over Libya. He also defended the EU naval operation, describing it as balanced.The aim is to control the arrival of all armaments, Di Maio said.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks during an online news conference following a video conference of European Foreign and Defense Ministers meeting at the Europa building in Brussels, Tuesday, June 16, 2020. The operation - dubbed Irini, the Greek word for peace - was launched on April 1. He said the personnel contacted the Turkish and Tanzanian authorities to try to verify the information, and they also informed the United Nations. We cannot do anything more than to transmit this information to the United Nations. It is the United Nations who gathers this information in order to control the implementation of the arms embargo.

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis on Sunday urged political and military leaders in Libya to end their hostilities and called on the international community to take to heart the plight of migrants trapped in the lawless nation. He said thousands of migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people are more vulnerable to forms of exploitation and violence.There is cruelty, the pope said, departing from prepared remarks. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. After Gadhafi's fall and killing, Libya also emerged as a major transit point for African and Arab migrants fleeing war and poverty to Europe.

TANZANIA U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep shock late Friday at the discovery of mass graves in Libyan territory recently recaptured from forces commanded by Khalifa Hifter, and called for a transparent investigation. The U.N. chief also called on Libyas U.N.-supported government to secure the mass graves, identify the victims, establish the causes of death and return the bodies to next of kin. The discoveries have raised fears about the extent of human rights violations in territories controlled by Hifters forces, given the difficulties of documentation in an active war zone. Philippe Nassif, Amnesty Internationals director for the Middle East and North Africa, said the group was working to verify the mass killings. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed.

(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)CAIRO The United Nations said Libya's warring factions have agreed to resume cease-fire talks, following days of heavy fighting and eastern-based forces retaking a key town from their rivals after a string of setbacks. Their troops were chasing Tripoli-allied forces to their stronghold in the nearby town of Gharyan, he added. A statement for the Tripoli-allied forces did not acknowledge the defeat, with spokesman Mohamed Gnono saying only that they were targeting LAAF forces on the towns borders. The Tripoli government had been struggling to fend off a yearlong siege of the capital by Hifter's forces when Turkey escalated its air support. Hifter is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, while the Tripoli-allied militias are aided by Turkey, Qatar and Italy.

WASHINGTON U.S. Africa Command flatly rejected Russian claims that Moscow did not deploy fighter jets to Libya, saying Friday that the 14 aircraft flown in reflect Russia's longer term goal to establish a foothold in the region that could threaten NATO allies. In an interview with a small group of reporters, Hadfield said the new fighter aircraft have not yet been used. But he said they will have to be flown either by pilots from Russia or contractors employed by Wagner. Another concern, said Hadfield, is that there also are Russian surface-to-air missiles there. Eastern European nations have been increasingly concerned about Russia's expanding military involvement and incursions in the region, on NATO's southern flank.

MOSCOW A senior Russian lawmaker on Wednesday strongly rejected the U.S. military's claim that Russia has deployed fighter jets to Libya to support east-based forces in their offensive on the capital, Tripoli. Viktor Bondarev, the former Russian air force chief who heads the defense committee in the upper house of parliament, dismissed the claim by the U.S. Africa Command as "stupidity." If the warplanes are in Libya, they are Soviet, not Russian, he said. The U.S. Africa Command said Tuesday the Russian military aircraft arrived in Libya recently from an airbase in Russia via Syria, where they were repainted to hide their Russian origin. Hifter is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, while the Tripoli-allied militias are aided by Turkey, Qatar and Italy.