Day: September 27, 2017

Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar met Italy’s defense minister and security chiefs in Rome on Tuesday, bolstering his stature as a key player in international efforts to stabilize his troubled country. Forces under Haftar’s command provide backing for a Tobruk-based adminstration that controls much of the east and south of the oil and gas-rich country. Former colonial power Italy has hitherto been the strongest backer among Western allies for the UN-recognized Government of National Unity, which is based in Tripoli and sees Haftar as an arch foe. But that did…

Energy Secretary Rick Perry scolded climate change activists at an oil conference on Monday by telling them that the oil industry saves lives. The two activists heckled Perry while he was delivering remarks in Washington, D.C., to the National Petroleum Council, including one who said, “people’s lives are on the line,” alluding to the impact of fossil fuels on the Earth’s temperature. Many scientists blame the burning of fossil fuels for heating the planet with potentially disastrous consequences.  But Perry said the oil industry is helping, not hurting. “This industry…