Libya

The army of Libya's internationally recognized government announced on Jan. 18 that it would cease fire, two days after an Islamist-backed militia alliance announced a truce.
      
"We declare a ceasefire from midnight (2200 GMT) Sunday," said the army said, stressing however that it would continue to pursue "terrorists", as UN-brokered peace talks resume in Geneva next week.

Almost half of French oppose publication of cartoons depicting Islam's Prophet Mohammed, according to a poll Jan. 18, as global debate deepened on the limits of free speech in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo killings.
      

BELGRADE - Libyan Ambassador to Belgrade Shradi Tajouri has hosted a reception to mark Libya's Independence Day, and the event was also attended by Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic.

EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has suggested renewal in relations with Russia in the spheres of global diplomacy, trade and other issues on Wednesday.

Turkey has expressed concerns about the escalating violence and political unrest in Libya as its special envoy will head to the northern African country in the upcoming days amid threats to Turkish aircrafts.

Defense Minister ?smet Y?lmaz has reiterated Turkey?s support for Libya?s ?elected Parliament,? while arguing that Turkey supports the territorial integrity of the country, which has been riven with divisions since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has warned Turkish citizens in Libya to evacuate the country ?immediately? through a statement released late on Jan. 7.      

?Because of the conflict and the airstrikes in Libya recently, we are suggesting that our citizens leave the country immediately,? the statement said.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has ?harshly condemned? a statement allegedly released by the Libyan Air Forces threatening that all Turkish civilian and military planes would be shot down if they entered Libyan airspace.

The United States Tuesday condemned a strike by Libyan aircraft that bombed an oil tanker off the Islamist-held port of Derna, killing two crew members.

The crewmen -- a Greek and a Romanian -- were killed on the Liberian-registered vessel, the Araevo.

Two other crewmen, both Filipinos, were wounded in the attack.

People traffickers have been recently using a new route to smuggle migrants from the Middle East into Europe, herding them onto cargo ships sailing from Turkey to Italy, euobserver.com reported.