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WORLD NEWS Thursday 22 OcTOber 2020
UN envoy hails early agreements in Libya talks

By JAMEY KEATEN boost production.
Associated Press U.N. organizers say the
GENEVA (AP) — The round is expected to run
U.N. envoy for Libya said through Saturday, and Wil-
Wednesday the two war- liams' mission "hopes that
ring factions have agreed the two delegations will
on issues that "directly im- reach a solution to all out-
pact the lives and welfare standing issues in order
of the Libyan people," not- to achieve a complete
ing that the thorny work to and permanent cease-fire
cement a cease-fire in the across Libya."
restive North African coun- The meetings make up the
try will continue. Stephanie security aspect of three-
Turco Williams, the U.N. en- track talks, also involving
voy, cited agreements to political and economic
open air and land routes tracks, that are aimed at
in the country, to work to lifting Libya out of its gruel-
ease inflammatory rheto- ing conflict.
ric in Libyan media, and to In Tripoli, meanwhile, a local
help kickstart Libya's vital oil militia stormed the home of
industry, as talks in Geneva Mohammed Baio, head of
continued this week under the state-run media office,
her mediation. and detained him, security
"I am pleased to report Stephanie Williams, Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the officials said.
that the two sides have United Nations Support Mission in Libya, speaks about the fourth round of the 5+5 Libyan Joint The militia, known as Tripoli
Military Commission, during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United
reached agreement on Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Oct. 21, 2020. Revolutionaries Brigade,
several important issues Associated Press confirmed Baio's deten-
which directly impact the tion, which came after he
lives and welfare of the Pompeo commended "the new executive authority." talks involving the so-called ordered state-run television
Libyan people," she said. "I Libyans' reassertion of sov- Libya is split between a Joint Military Commission stations and media outlets
urge the two parties nego- ereignty" through the steps U.N.-supported govern- will now take up arrange- last week to "stop airing
tiating here in Geneva to toward a cease-fire. ment in the capital, Tripoli, ments for Libya's central re- and publishing materials re-
solve all outstanding issues "We repeat our call, the and rival authorities based gion, "paving the way for a lated to the civil war."
and forge a lasting cease United States' call, for for- in the east. The two sides cease-fire agreement." The militias have accused
fire agreement." eign forces to leave the are backed by an array of She said she was "quite the newly-appointed Baio
Williams hailed "emerging country and to let Libyans local militias as well as re- optimistic" about the talks of being a Gadhafi loyal-
hope" and "positive devel- decide their own future," gional and foreign powers. given the "air of seriousness ist and have pressured the
opments" for Libya's future, he told reporters in Wash- The country was plunged and commitment" shown U.N.-supported govern-
while warning of socioeco- ington, alluding to a meet- into chaos after the 2011 by the two sides. ment to sack him.
nomic troubles, rising cases ing of Libyan leaders in Tu- NATO-backed uprising that The U.N. mission said the The officials spoke on con-
of COVID-19 and the con- nisia next month. "We look toppled and killed longtime two sides agreed to work dition of anonymity out
tinued intervention and forward to the upcoming dictator Moammar Gad- on restructuring the oil fa- of fear of reprisal. There
meddling of foreign powers Libyan political dialogue hafi. Williams, an American cilities guard along with the was no immediate com-
in Libya's internal conflict. forum and to supporting who heads the U.N. support National Oil Corporation, a ment from the Tripoli-based
U.S. Secretary of State Mike the transfer of power to a mission for Libya, said the move Williams said would government.q

Spain 1st in western Europe to hit 1 million virus cases

By JOSEPH WILSON because insufficient testing, varra, which leads Spain in
Associated Press asymptomatic cases and infections per 100,000 over
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) other issues impede au- 14 days, is preparing to be-
— Spain became the first thorities from capturing the come the first Spanish re-
country in western Europe true scale of the outbreak. gion to close its borders on
to accumulate more than 1 As the numbers rise, au- Thursday. La Rioja will also
million confirmed COVID-19 thorities in charge of health close its regional borders
infections on Wednesday policy in Spain's regions are on Friday. Spain's Health
as the nation of 47 million tightening restrictions. They Minister Salvador Illa and
struggles to contain a resur- want to stem the surge that regional heads of health
gence of the virus. has been building in recent will meet on Thursday to
The health ministry said that months while avoiding a discuss their virus strategies
its accumulative case load second total lockdown of and consider employing People hold up banners in support of the hotel industry that read:
since the start of the pan- home confinements that nightly curfews to target "I search for work", in Pamplona, northern Spain, Wednesday,
demic reached 1,005,295 stemmed the first wave of late-night partying as a Oct. 21, 2020, while protesting with others against the new mea-
sures against the coronavirus in the Navarra province where
after reporting 16,973 more the virus but left the econ- source of contagion. all bar and restaurants will be closed for 15 days from midnight
cases in the past 24 hours. omy reeling. "I want to be very clear," Illa Wednesday.
The ministry attributes The regional government said Tuesday. "Some very Associated Press
34,366 deaths to COVID-19. of northern Aragón an- hard weeks are coming."
Experts say that, as in most nounced Wednesday they France is not far behind in 1.4 million cases. The U.S. Hopkins tally that is consid-
countries, the real numbers have closed the city limits western Europe with over leads the world with over ered a global standard for
of infections and deaths of Zaragoza, Huesca and 930,000 reported cases. 8 million reported cases, charting the progress of the
are probably much higher Teruel. Neighboring Na- Russia has reported over according to the Johns pandemic.q