German defense minister rejects Turkey complaint over search

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's defense minister on Tuesday rejected Turkey's complaints over the search of a Turkish freighter in the Mediterranean Sea by a German frigate participating in a European mission, insisting that German sailors acted correctly. Sunday's incident prompted Turkey to summon diplomats...

Libya’s rivals meet to discuss transitional government

CAIRO (AP) — Libya’s rivals began a second round of talks Monday on a mechanism to choose a transitional government that would lead the conflict-stricken country to elections in December next year, the United Nations said. U.N. acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams headed the online meeting of...

Turkey protests German search of Libya-bound Turkish ship

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey summoned top diplomats representing the European Union, Germany and Italy on Monday after a German frigate that is part of a EU mission enforcing an arms embargo against Libya intercepted a Turkish freighter in the Mediterranean sea and carried out what a senior Turkish...

French ex-President Sarkozy's trial for corruption suspended

PARIS (AP) — 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. Sarkozy is accused of having tried to illegally obtain information from a magistrate about...

UN-led Libya talks end without naming interim government

GAMMARTH, Tunisia (AP) — Libya's rival sides wrapped up a week of U.N.-brokered talks without agreeing on a transitional government that would lead the county to an election in December next year, the top U.N. official for Libya said Monday. The political forum, which concluded late Sunday in Tunisia, was...

UN-led Libya talks set December 2021 date for elections

GAMMARTH, Tunisia (AP) — Libya's warring sides have agreed to hold nationwide elections in December next year, the top U.N. official for the North African country said Friday in a sign of progress from the U.N.-brokered peace talks underway in Tunisia. The gathering, which started on Monday, was aimed at...

Humanitarian group: 20 migrants drown off coast of Libya

CAIRO (AP) — A wooden boat carrying migrants bound for Europe capsized off the coast of Libya and 20 of them drowned, an international humanitarian group said. The statement from Doctors Without Borders late Thursday came just hours after it was revealed that another shipwreck had claimed the lives of at...

UN migration agency: 74 drown after boat capsizes near Libya

CAIRO (AP) — At least 74 migrants drowned after their Europe-bound ship capsized off the coast of Libya on Thursday, the U.N.'s migration agency said, in the latest in a series of at least eight shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean since last month. The boat was carrying over 120 migrants, including...

UN migration agency says at least 74 migrants have drowned after a Europe-bound ship broke down off the coast of Libya

France's Sarkozy seeks closure of Libyan corruption case

PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants authorities to drop an investigation into alleged illegal financing of his 2007 campaign by the regime of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, after a central accuser backtracked on claims that he had handed Sarkozy’s team suitcases of Libyan...