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After detecting Covid-19 in the city: Curfew announced in Sabha

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Sabha Security Directorate announced a curfew on all citizens from 12 pm, through until 9 am daily, beginning from today and lasting for a full two weeks, in an effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The directorate clarified that this decision came after the diagnosis of two new cases of infection by the Coronavirus in the city, announced by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday.

This announcement of the two new cases by the NCDC brings the total number of cases registered in Libya to date up to 77, with 40 cases recovered and 3 fatalities.

AFRICOM: Russia Deploys Fighter Jets to Libya

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U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) says Russia recently deployed military fighter aircraft to Libya to support Russian state-sponsored, private military contractors, who are helping forces fighting the U.N.-supported Libyan government.

The Russian fighter aircraft arrived at al-Jufra Airfield in Libya from an airbase in Russia after a stop in Syria where they were repainted to camouflage their Russian origin, AFRICOM said Tuesday. 

The fighter jets are expected to provide close air support for Russian military contractors with the Wagner Group, who have been supporting Libyan strongman Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) in their yearlong offensive against the country’s Government of National Accord (GNA).

AFRICOM commander Gen. Stephen Townsend called out Russia in a press release Tuesday for expanding its military footprint in Africa by sending mercenary pilots to “bomb Libyans.” 

“For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict. Well, there is no denying it now. We watched as Russia flew fourth generation jet fighters to Libya, every step of the way,” Townsend said.

He added that neither the LNA nor private military companies could arm and operate this type of aircraft without the “support they are getting from Russia.”

World’s deepest gold mine shut down due to COVID-19

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Global gold mining company AngloGold Ashanti says it temporarily halted operations on a voluntary basis.

The coronavirus outbreak in South Africa has closed Mponeng, the world’s deepest gold mine after 164 workers tested positive for the disease.

The global gold mining company AngloGold Ashanti said it conducted 650 tests since last Thursday, including primary contacts and many others who wished to be tested voluntarily.

“All positive cases will be isolated in line with national health protocols, with on-site facilities available for those who may need them,” it said in a statement on Sunday.

“As a precautionary step, and after discussions with the regulator, operations at Mponeng Mine — which were running at 50% capacity — have been temporarily halted voluntarily, to complete contact tracing and to again deep clean and sanitize the workplace and key infrastructure,” it added.

WHO suspends hydroxychloroquine trials for COVID-19

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Citing safety concerns, organization says it is temporarily halting testing of hoped-for malaria drug.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday that due to safety concerns, it is temporarily halting a clinical trial of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for treating coronavirus patients. 

The announcement follows the publication Friday by the Lancet medical journal of an observational study on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine and its effects on hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

“The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the safety data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He said that more than two months ago, the WHO initiated its “Solidarity Trial” to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four drugs and drug combinations against COVID-19.

On April 19, US President Donald Trump said he had been taking hydroxychloroquine, which he has repeatedly touted for the treatment of coronavirus patients.

“A lot of good things have come out about the hydroxy. You’d be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the frontline workers,” Trump said at the White House. “I happen to be taking it. I’m taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now.”

More than 400 hospitals in 35 countries are actively recruiting patients, and nearly 3,500 patients had been enrolled from 17 countries to test the drug, said the WHO.

The study published in the Lancet peer-reviewed journal looked at over 96,000 virus patients.

It found a higher risk of abnormal heartbeats, or arrhythmias, that could cause a heart attack in those treated with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine.

The Lancet study looked at patient medical records in 671 hospitals across six continents, making it the most extensively published evaluation of the drug’s impacts on coronavirus patients.

Tedros said the Lancet report researchers found a higher mortality rate among patients receiving the drug when used alone or with a macrolide.

“I wish to reiterate that these drugs are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria,” said Tedros.

The Executive Group of the WHO’s Solidarity Trial, representing 10 of the participating countries, met Saturday and agreed to review a comprehensive analysis and critical appraisal of all evidence available globally.

“The review will consider data collected so far in the Solidarity Trial and, in particular, robust randomized available data to adequately evaluate the potential benefits and harms from this drug,” said the WHO chief.

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said: “We’re just acting on an abundance of caution based on the recent results of other studies to ensure that we can continue safely with that arm of the trial.”

Oil prices climb as faith in supply cuts grows

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Oil prices rose on Tuesday, supported by growing confidence that producers are following through on commitments to cut supplies and as fuel demand picks up as coronavirus lockdowns ease.

Brent crude futures were up 29 cents, or 0.8%, at $35.82 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 2.3%, or 74 cents, to trade at $3402. There was no WTI settlement on Monday because of the U.S. Memorial Day holiday.

“The current recovery in oil prices has primarily been driven by supply considerations. The world’s swing producers, the OPEC+ group, is more than living up to expectations to adhere to the 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd), or perhaps even bigger, self-imposed and co-ordinated output restraint,” said oil broker PVM’s Tamas Varga.

“As lockdown restrictions are being eased, the demand side of the equation also provides support.”

The market was buoyed by Russia saying that its oil output had dropped close to its target of 8.5 million bpd for May and June under the supply deal agreed by major producers (OPEC+).

Russia’s energy ministry on Monday quoted minister Alexander Novak as saying that a rise in fuel demand should help to cut a global surplus of about 7 million to 12 million bpd by June or July.

OPEC+ countries are due to meet again in early June to discuss maintaining their supply cuts to shore up prices, which are still down about 45% since the start of the year.

The world’s major producers, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed in April to cut their collective output by nearly 10 million bpd for May and June.

Data from energy services business Baker Hughes, meanwhile, showed that the U.S. rig count hit a record low of 318 in the week to May 22, also indicating lower future output.Oil prices climb as faith in supply cuts grows

Libya intensifies security during Eid al-Fitr

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The Law Enforcement Department of the Tripoli Branch has beefed up security across Greater Tripoli during the Eid al-Fitr period, as part of its plan to ensure safety and protection for the people in these happy days.

Additional security patrols roamed the streets while checkpoints were deployed along the highway up to the area known as the “Gate 27” west of the capital. Central squares, as well as vital state institutions, were also put under surveillance.

The Law Enforcement Department explained that their work also comes to support the security services in implementing the curfew imposed by the authorities during the Eid time. Libyans this year are celebrating the Eid under tight lockdown restrictions due to the Coronavirus crisis.

The security department emphasized their readiness to deter any suspicious or criminal activity that could disturb the Eid atmosphere.

Libya stops nearly 400 migrants attempting to cross to Europe

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 Libya’s coastguard has stopped nearly 400 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean in five boats in the past two days, the United Nations migration agency said on Monday.

That brings to more than 1,000 the number of people who have attempted the crossing this month despite the closure of Libya’s international borders because of the coronavirus.

The pandemic and a surge in fighting around Libya’s capital Tripoli have added to the problems for the thousands of migrants trying to pass through the country en route to Europe.

The International Organisation for Migration said 317 migrants were returned to Libya on Sunday night. More than 70 others were stopped and returned earlier on Sunday.

The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said two people on the boats stopped on Sunday night had drowned.

The Chairman of the National Oil Corporation calling again on all parties to lift the blockade

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 The oil sector in Libya experienced a severe obstruction that never occurred before since the beginning of the production in 1961, Which hindered the government required budgets due to income insufficiency, and oil, as We know, it constitutes about 95% of the general budget, and stopping the oil means that there is no other source of income, and therefore the budget became extremely limited. 

“We have a major dilemma in the oil sector,” said NOC chairman. In fact, last April, the income was approximately $ 50 million, compared to almost “two billion or a bit less ” in April 2019, so the difference is obvious, and the income at its current level does not count for anything, it doesn’t even reach up to a third of the monthly budget of the NOC itself, let alone the other required expenses, the salaries, the operating expenses and confronting Covid19 pandemic. 

“Once again, I implore those who have obstructed the production to fear God, especially in these blessed days and to stop the closure and let the NOC restart the production. Moreover, the consequences of the closure are not salient in the time being, yet they will be as the war stops and reproduction is once again enabled.” said Mustafa Sanalla

He also stressed that the consequences will reach a dangerous level as the existing savings are depleted and sales opportunities are lost forever, worth mentioned, savings are getting depleted daily and this is a real issue, “so we implore once again the responsible group to fear God.”

Actually, Sanalla stressed that the NOC is suffering already from technical issues every day such as leaks, and now some working-programs have stopped in the Wells, also the drillings, increasing production and increasing reserves, everything is halted due to this closure, the state of force majeure and the new Coronavirus causes serious issues, and again I call on those responsible for the closure to stop this and be aware that this is a serious dilemma, and this is not only a violation of the law but in contrary to the sharia-law and in contrary to costumes and everything. 

In fact, looking at the status of Libya and the depletion of its savings makes it clear that the country is running out on finance soon.

In a statement, the Chairman highlighted that Libya is a great country with all its capabilities and its respectable country that lives respectfully among all nations and also its respected and generous people and its small-in-size population with its huge resources, so it is unreasonable for Libya to take subsidies from international banks such as ” Rice and flour ” with having immense recourses of oil production that is disrupted by a group of people that don’t represent the Libyan people at all, and those who disrupted production by force claiming that they represent tribes and these tribes asked for no representation regarding the closure, so this group represent only themselves as these tribe never committed such actions before and will not do so now. I personally, communicated with some of the tribal compositions and they declared no such affiliation to this group regarding the closure.

“Also, we have a problem in the south as we were unable to tackle due to security problems, the south did not obtain the required fuel or even propane gas for a year now or about 15 months, forcing people to return to the Stone Age and collect firewood for cooking for their children which is a real tragedy due to the security situation But, praise is to God, “Brega for the marketing of oil” company under the supervision of the National Oil Corporation has contacted the mayors of various municipalities in the south in order to deliver supplies.”