Mediaboss Marketing

Libyan citizens can now head to the Maltese Embassy in Tripoli in order to require visa services, as the latter will start processing visa applications.

The Maltese Embassy has signed a contract with VFS Global to ease the visa application process and will start issuing visas at the end of this month, according to Libyan news media, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

However, due to the current COVID-19 situation, the visas will be granted only for essential travel, and following the EU Council recommendations for business, medical and educational purposes, the reunion of family members, or other similar reasons.

Travellers are also urged to follow strict health restrictions on travel amid the ongoing pandemic.

In December 2020, Malta agreed to start issuing Schengen visas from the visa application centre in Tripoli. Such an announcement came after a visit to Tripoli by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana. He met Former Libyan PM Ahmed Maiteeq, Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, and Transport Minister Milad Maitouq.

Back then ministry stressed that various topics of mutual interest for both countries were discussed, amongst them; air connection between Malta and Libya, the resumption of Air Malta flights to and from Libya, the training of Libyan public sector employees in Malta, as well as investment between the two countries.

Previously, the Prime Minister of Libya, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, sought more support from Maltas government in order to ease the travel process within both territories.

In April, it was reported by Libyan media that the flights between both countries would resume within days.

Back then, it was reported that both countries reached an agreement in order to ease the visa procedures for Lybian citizens who would be able to obtain a visa from Libyas capital.

However, the COVID-19 situation provoked a decrease in the number of Schengen Visas issued worldwide, as Schengen countries temporarily suspended the issuance of visas in a bid to stop the spread of the virus and its new strains.

SchengenVisaInfo.com previously reported that in 2019, nearly 17 million people from third countries applied for a visa in order to reach Schengen Zone countries, while in 2020, the number of visas issued was under three million (2,924,365).

Despite the 82.7 per cent decrease recorded in the number of applications, the rate of visa denials also increased from 9.9 worldwide in 2019 to 13.6 per cent in 2020.

Original post:
Malta's Embassy in Libya to Start Processing Travel Visas at the End of August - SchengenVisaInfo.com - SchengenVisaInfo.com

The conflict at the center of Star Wars between the evil Galactic Empire and the brave heroes of the Rebellion is one of the most famous in cinema history. Ever since A New Hope in 1977, audiences have been enthralled by Luke Skywalkers efforts to bring peace to the galaxy but did you know that the film almost caused a very real war?

The very first Star Warsmovie, now calledA New Hope, was filmed in the North African country of Tunisia, in 1976. After rejecting his own idea of setting the movie on a jungle world as it would make him itchy, director and creator George Lucas decided to start the story on a desert planet and searched the globe for a suitable location. Given Tatooines key role as the hiding place of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker, getting it right was essential.

With its blazing sun and unspoiled sand dunes, the Tunisian desert was perfect, and principal photography began on March 22, 1976. The work immediately ran into problems as Lucas fell behind schedule thanks to malfunctioning props and equipment. To make matters worse, an ultra-rare rainstorm hit the desert production. As cinematographer Gilbert Taylor remembered, you couldnt really see where the land ended and the sky began. It was all a gray mess, and the robots were just a blur.

Construction crews at the southwest town of Tozeur worked for eight weeks on the project. Eventually, Lucas and his team were able to film with the completed sets and vehicles for two weeks. Still, little went well. Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) couldnt see out of his costume thanks to corrosion proofing and sand sent R2-D2 haywire. And then there was the threat of war

Tunisia has two neighbors: Algeria to the West and Libya to the East; at the time, Libya was ruled by dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Relations between Gaddafis Libya and almost everyone else in the world were tense. The colonel was undoubtedly nervous following a failed coup against him just the year before. Libyan relations with Tunisia were particularly poor, with Libya expelling thousands of Tunisian workers the same month that principal photography on Star Wars began in the desert. The situation only worsened when Tunisia claimed to have uncovered a plot targeting high-ranking officials, and that Libya was involved. They even alleged that Gaddafi was plotting to assassinate then-Prime Minister Hadi Nouira.

And now we go back to Star Wars. You see,from a distance, Sandcrawlers can look quite like military vehicles

We can only imagine the horror of Libyan border guards when they spotted this massive construct lumbering around the desert. Gaddafi was incensed by the reports, and demanded that Tunisia immediately end their provocations caused by the deployment of a massive military vehicle near the border, warning that war was inevitable if Tunisia did not comply and withdraw.

Not wanting to see his beloved new sets blown to smithereens nor spark a war, Lucas agreed to move the Sandcrawler to a less provocative location. He wrapped filming just a few days behind schedule and Star Wars went on to become a cultural touchstone, grossing $775.8 million and generating millions of dollars in tourism revenue in Tunisia for decades to come.

We can only pity the messenger who had to tell Colonel Gaddafi that the enemy had, in fact, been Jawas.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

Read more:
How Star Wars nearly sparked a real-life war between Tunisia and Libya - Winter Is Coming

Another batch of Nigerians repatriated from Libya on Tuesday

By Lizzy Okoji

The Embassy of Nigeria in Tripoli, Libya, on Wednesday, repatriated another batch of 107 Nigerians stranded in Libya in continuation of its rescue operations to ensure no Nigerian is stranded in the country.

Mr Kabiru Musa, Charg Daffaires en titre of Nigeria to Libya disclosed this in statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.

According Musa, the 107 evacuees, mostly victims of human trafficking were expected to arrive the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday night.

Musa said that the Nigerian mission in Libya had made it a priority to ensure no Nigerian was left stranded in Libya or subjected to inhuman treatment.

The evacuees, mostly young men and women were either irregular migrants or victims of human trafficking, some of whom were cajoled into the dangerous journey in search of proverbial and elusive greener pasture.

The evacuation exercise was carried out by NAF aircraft C-130 H which arrived same day with all the 107 passengers at Nnamdi International airport at 12 midnight (Nigerian time).

In compliance with COVID-19 regulations, a day before their departure from Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, all the passengers took the mandatory PCR test for coronavirus and only those with negative results were allowed to board the aircraft.

With sustained coordination of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and support of Ministry of Defence, the Mission will continue to render usual consular assistance to Nigerians in difficult circumstances in Libya, Musa stated.

Musa also appreciated the cooperation of the Libyan authorities for the successful evacuation exercise.

The mission had earlier evacuated 100 stranded Nigerians on Aug. 13.

Read more here:
FG repatriates another batch of 107 Nigerians stranded in Libya - The News

A new body was recovered from a mass grave in Tarhuna city, south of the capital Tripoli, the Libya Observer reported Thursday.

In March, the Libyan authority said it has a list of 3,650 missing persons in different Libyan cities, including 350 in Tarhuna, which was a stronghold of putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar before he was defeated and forced to leave the city in June 2020.

According to official Libyan sources, Haftar's forces and affiliated militias committed war crimes and acts of genocide in the period between April 2019 and June 2020.

As of July, over 140 bodies have been exhumed in a slow process that began in June 2020 after the town was captured from eastern-based forces loyal to warlord Haftar. The al-Kaniyat militia had first supported the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, which was mainly backed by Turkey and Qatar.

But when Haftar's forces used Tarhuna as a launchpad for an offensive against the capital in April 2019, the al-Kaniyat switched loyalties. They chose the losing side.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says at least 338 people were abducted or reported missing during the five-year rule of the al-Kaniyat. "Residents reported that the militia often abducted, detained, tortured, killed and (caused the) disappearance of people who opposed them or who were suspected of doing so," the HRW said.

The rest is here:
Another body recovered from Tarhuna mass grave in Libya | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

Early historyEdit

Libya's national team was first initiated in 1918, but did not play an official international until 3 August 1953, when they defeated Palestine 52 in the first Pan Arab Games in 1953. The team's first manager was Masoud Zantouny, and the first foreign manager was Englishman James Bingham, who took charge of the Libyan national team for the 1961 Pan Arab Games. The first player ever to score for the Libyan national team in an official international was Mukhtar Ghonaay.

The first penalty ever scored by a member of the national team was in the 1953 Pan Arab Games group stage; in the match against Egypt, Ali Zantouny scored in the 32 defeat. The national team's first participation in the Arab Cup was in 1964, the second edition of the competition, held in Kuwait.

The first ever player to score for the Libyan national team in a non-official international was Mustapha Makki in a warm-up friendly played prior to the 1953 Pan Arab Games tournament, played against Palestine in Alexandria in 1952. The national team's first attempt to qualify for an Olympic football tournament was in 1967, where they played their first qualification match against Niger in an attempt to qualify for the 1968 Olympic football tournament in Mexico City.

Libya first entered the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in 1970. Their early attempts failed, but during the 1980s the national side strengthened. The country's geopolitical position, however, affected the football team, who had to withdraw from qualifying for the 1982 and 1990 World Cups.

Libya came closest to qualifying for the World Cup in 1986. They came to within a game of reaching the finals in Mexico. After winning their match against Sudan in their first game, the Libyans beat Ghana in the next round before taking on Morocco for a place at the finals. Morocco won the first game 30 and went through, even though Libya won the return leg 10.

After not entering the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup competition, Libya came back in the qualifying competition for Korea/Japan. The Libyans advanced to the second round at the expense of Mali, who were beaten 43 on aggregate. In the group stage, Libya managed only two draws in eight games.

In the qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a 90 two-legged victory against So Tome and Principe put the Libyans through to the group stage. Libyan player Al-Saadi Gaddafi was banned from the team after failing drug test.

A difficult group followed containing Egypt, Cameroon and Ivory Coast, the eventual group winners and qualifiers for the World Cup. However, The Knights were able to secure good results against these sides, as they beat Egypt 21 in Tripoli, and held Cameroon and Ivory Coast to 00 draws, helping them to a 4th-place finish and a place at the 2006 African Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.

During the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Libya defeated each side in the second round during home matches (they also defeated Lesotho away). However they were defeated by Gabon in an away match, and failed to qualify to the next round on goal difference.

In the qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Libya reached the final match in the group stage without a defeat. They were defeated 10 by Cameroon and failed to advance to the final round.

In the qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Libya defeated Rwanda 41 on aggregate in the second round but were eliminated after losing the first three matches in the group stages.

The biggest football tournament to be held in Libya was the 1982 African Cup of Nations. Libya qualified automatically as hosts and were put in a group alongside Ghana, Cameroon and Tunisia. The opening match of the tournament saw the hosts take on Ghana in Tripoli in a 22 draw. A 20 win over Tunisia and a goalless draw against Cameroon saw Libya topping the group.

In the semi-finals, Libya came from behind to beat Zambia 21 and set up another match with Ghana, this time in the final on 19 March. Ghana scored first in the 35th minute, but Libya equalised in the 70th. This was followed by a tense period of extra time in which no goals were scored. In a long penalty shootout, Ghana came out triumphant 76.[3]

Libya's second African Cup of Nations saw a return to the higher levels of the international footballing scene at the 2006 African Cup of Nations finals in Egypt. They qualified for the competition after a goalless draw with Sudan in their ninth qualifying match.

Libya were drawn in Group A with Egypt (the hosts and eventual winners), 2006 World Cup-qualifiers Ivory Coast and Morocco. Libya lost 30 to Egypt in Cairo, then lost 21 to Ivory Coast. A goalless draw against Morocco saw Libya finish bottom of the group.

Libya played its first match after the Battle of Tripoli (and thus the end of the Gaddafi era in Libya) on 3 September 2011, with a new uniform sporting the National Transitional Council flag of Libya.

The match, part of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, resulted in a 10 victory over Mozambique. The historic goal was scored by Rabee'a al Laafi. Like Libya's previous home match, a 30 defeat of Comoros in qualifying, played in Stade 26 mars in Bamako, Mali, a relocation was necessary due to the ongoing Libyan Civil War, and so the Petro Sport Stadium in Cairo, Egypt became the venue. The match was played behind closed doors for security reasons.[4]

Prior to the team's final game in the qualification campaign, against Zambia, coach Marcos Paquet claimed that the team was now "not only playing for football success but for a new government and a new country".[5] The match was played on 8 October 2011, and resulted in a 00 draw which was good enough for both teams to qualify. Paquet and his team danced and celebrated afterwards.[6]

In November 2011 the team travelled to the United Arab Emirates to play a friendly match against Belarus organized by FIFA and broadcast Dubai Sports. The team members, along with the Libyan national chess team, also attended an event at the Libyan Consulate in Dubai organized to honour their contribution to their country in the field of sports.[7]

On 7 June 2013, Libya met DR Congo in its first match on home ground in two years.

Having qualified, Libya were drawn into Group A with co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, qualification rivals Zambia and pre-tournament favourites Senegal.

The Mediterranean Knights' first game, the tournament's opening match, saw them lose to an 87th-minute winner from ex-Real Madrid winger Javier ngel Balboa. Libya went on to secure a 22 draw with Zambia in terrible conditions at the Estadio de Bata, before two goals from Ihaab al Bousseffi guided them to a 21 victory over Senegal, their first Nations Cup win in 30 years and a first on foreign soil. After four points from three games Libya was eliminated at the group stage.

Libya played Ghana in the 2014 CHAN final. Extra time was given (two 15 minutes), however both teams failed to score. It was taken to penalty shootouts, where the Libyan team scored the first three penalties, missed two others and scored the final sixth and their Ghanaian opponents missed the first two, scored the next three then missed the final sixth penalty (resulting in 3 penalties scored). The match finished (00) and was won by the Mediterranean Knights by penalties (43).

After Javier Clemente's dismissal in 2016, Jalal Damja took over the national team. He left in 2017 after his contract expired. Omar Almaryami was later appointed as coach and led Libya to the semi-finals of the 2018 African Nations Championship. After Libya's elimination by Morocco, Adel Amrouche was appointed in May 2018. His goal was to help Libya qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. He led Libya to a 00 draw against South Africa away from home. However, days before Libya's match against Nigeria, Amrouche suddenly left the team's camp and later resigned. During an interview with Reuters, Amrouche said that the reason for his resignation was that the Libyan Football Federation was repeatedly interfering with his work as a coach. He also cited unpaid wages as a reason for his resignation.

Omar Almaryami was again appointed as a caretaker coach of Libya. The team lost twice to Nigeria (40 away, 32 home) and Almaryami was replaced by former striker Fawzi Al-Issawi, who led Libya to an 81 away win over Seychelles. However, Libya later lost to South Africa 21, and Libya failed to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. It was noted during the match that al-Issawi's assistant, Abu Bakr Bani was the one who made substitutions and instructed players, leaving many to wonder who was the actual coach.[citation needed]

After the match against South Africa, Jalal Damja was reappointed as the head coach for temporary matches in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification before Faouzi Benzarti was named as new coach of Libya. Under Benzarti, Libya opened their campaign with a disastrous 14 loss to Tunisia, the home of Benzarti, before managed to salvage an important 21 win over Tanzania to gain hope for qualifying to an AFCON tournament since 2012. Yet, managerial crisis once again erupted when Benzarti left the team and Libya had to appoint a local coach, Ali El Margini, in charge against Equatorial Guinea, a team that had not won a single game in the qualification. Internal instability proved to be a rupture, as Libya lost two consecutive games against the Central African opponent and fell out of top two position. El Margini left after losing all three of his games in charge. He was replaced by Zoran Filipovi, who led a team of domestic players into the 2020 African Nations Championship. Libya were eliminated in the group stage after two draws and a loss in three games. Defeats in their final two AFCON qualifiers saw Filipovic sacked in May 2021.[8] Javier Clemente was reappointed as head coach shortly afterwards.[9][10]

Visit link:
Libya national football team - Wikipedia