Libya detains 1,500 undocumented migrant workers
With Italy some 300 kilometres away, Libya has become a key launchpad for tens of thousands of migrants who risk their lives at sea trying to reach Europe. The area targeted in the sweep east of Tripoli housed makeshift encampments surrounded by high walls and a large gate.
The labour minister said the site had 'unregulated housing that fails to meet basic requirements for decent accommodation, health and workplace safety'. The detained migrant workers will be 'transferred to centres run by the Anti-Illegal Immigration Authority and legal proceedings will be initiated against them according to national regulations', Abed said. It remained unclear whether the migrants would be immediately deported. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Senior Chinese diplomat taken in for questioning
BEIJING: A senior Chinese diplomat considered a contender for future foreign minister has been detained by authorities for questioning, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Liu Jianchao, head of a department under the ruling Communist Party that oversees relations with foreign political parties, was "taken away" after returning to Beijing from a work trip abroad in late July, according to people familiar with the matter, the report said. The reason for his detention could not be determined, it added. Liu, 61, has previously served in key diplomatic roles including ambassadorships to the Philippines and Indonesia and foreign ministry spokesperson. He has also led various national and regional bodies tasked with implementing President Xi Jinping's signature crackdown on corruption. His detention represents the highest-level inquiry into a Chinese diplomat since Qin Gang, who was removed as foreign minister in 2023 following reports of an extramarital affair. Liu has been widely viewed as a rising figure in the Chinese diplomatic world. In early July, he accused the United States' defence chief of "inciting confrontation and conflict" by urging American allies to bolster their militaries to counter China. — AFP
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
Blast near border in Lebanon kills six soldiers
BEIRUT: Lebanon's army said a blast at a weapons depot near the Israeli border on Saturday killed six soldiers as a military source said troops were removing munitions from a facility. Under a truce that ended a recent war between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah, the army has been deploying in south Lebanon and dismantling the militant group's infrastructure there. An army statement gave a preliminary toll of six soldiers killed and others wounded "while an army unit was inspecting a weapons depot and dismantling its contents in Wadi Zibqin", in the Tyre district near the Israeli border. Investigations were underway to determine the cause of the blast, it added. President Joseph Aoun said he was informed by army commander Rodolphe Haykal of the "painful incident" that led to troop casualties. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute on X to the troops who were killed "while performing their national duty", calling the army the protector of Lebanon's "unity and its legitimate institutions". — AFP
Observer
6 days ago
- Observer
Brazil judge puts ex-president under house arrest
Brasília: A Brazilian judge on Monday placed former president Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest for breaking a social media ban, escalating a dramatic standoff between the court and the politician, who is accused of plotting a coup. Bolsonaro is on trial at the Supreme Court for allegedly plotting to cling onto power after losing 2022 elections to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. President Donald Trump has sought to punish Brazil, a longtime US ally, for what he sees as a politically motivated 'witch hunt' targeting Bolsonaro by imposing eye-watering tariffs on Latin America's biggest economy. The 70-year-old Bolsonaro is banned from social media for the duration of the proceedings, and third parties are barred from sharing his public remarks. But on Sunday, his allies defied the order by sharing footage online of a call between the former army captain and his eldest son Flavio at a solidarity rally in Rio de Janeiro. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes reacted furiously, declaring that the judiciary would not allow a defendant to 'treat it like a fool' because of his 'political and economic power.' Criticizing Bolsonaro's 'repeated failure' to comply with the court's restrictions on him during the trial, he placed him under house arrest at his home in the capital Brasilia. He also barred the country's former leader (2019-2022) from receiving visitors, apart from his lawyers, and from using mobile phones, and warned that any new transgression would lead to him being detained. — AFP
