News Roundup - Thu, Jan 12, 2017

The Tripoli-based salvation government chaired by Khalifa Al-Ghawiel said it has retaken three government buildings in Tripoli, in another blow to the fragile UN-proposed government of Fayaz Sirraj. Prime minister Khalifa Al-Ghawiel announced in a press conference from the ministry of defense this evening his government's full control of the ministries of defense, martyrs' affairs and labour.

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Foreign ministry of the interim government in east Libya has regarded the reopening of the Italian embassy and return of Italian ambassador Giuseppe Perrone to Tripoli as a military offensive. The government, headed by Abdullah Al-Thanni, sent a “very urgent” diplomatic note on Wednesday to all Libyan embassies and consulates abroad to inform them about what it called “the military return of the Italian embassy to the capital.”

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members of Tobruk-based House of Representatives, who are backing the Libyan political agreement, are planning to seize the HQ of the General Authority for Tourism in Tripoli, sparking anger among the staff of the authority. The staff came to their HQ in central Tripoli Thursday morning to find a signboard reading "The HQ of House of Representatives - Tripoli" on top of the building.

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The candidate for the Libyan Football Federation presidency elections, Tareq Hashad, has said that he was surprised by the electoral conditions, adding that some of these conditions are specifically designed to eliminate some candidates. "For example, the condition of not having other citizenship, it is not in the internal codes, and if it was not removed; I'll escalate the matter, and take it to the FIFA", He elaborated.
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Some of the locals of the western city of Nalut have organized a protest under the slogan "11th January movement", in front of Nalut municipality HQ, to protest the crisis that is facing the city and the country at large. The protesters demanded an end to the lack of fuel and liquidity crises, saving Nalut central hospital and activating the judiciary system in the city. 

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The General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) said today that the shutdown of the gas pipeline that feeds Al-Zawiya power plant; continues for the third consecutive day, adding that this will lead to more power outages in the region and if the problem was not dealt with swiftly; it will eventually lead to a total blackout.

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The House of Representatives MP, Mohammed Erraid, said that the pro-political agreement members are preparing to hold what he described as a full quorum session in Tripoli within two weeks.

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The Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Authority is planning to install solar panels in Tripoli mosques as a source of power energy after the capital was hit with long hours of outages. The authority agreed with Alqemma Company for Renewable Energy to start the project next week in seven mosques as a pilot phase before the full scale launch of the solar project.