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LIBYA

Denmark tells citizens to leave Libya

Following measures taken by countries including Britain and the United States, the foreign ministry encourages all Danish citizens to immediately leave Libya amidst increased violence.

Denmark tells citizens to leave Libya
Smoke is seen billowing from an area near Tripoli's international airport during fighting between rival factions last week. Photo: Mahmud Turkia/Scanpix
Denmark's foreign ministry issued a warning on Monday for Danes to immediately leave Libya.
 
“The foreign ministry advises against all travel to all parts of Libya and Danes are encouraged to leave the country via commercial transport,” a warning issued on Monday afternoon read.
 
“There is a high risk of terror and kidnapping in Libya. There is a risk for civil unrest and armed clashes in, among other places, Tripoli,” the warning states. 
 
The foreign ministry advises Danes that Denmark has no official representation in Libya and says that those who need consular assistance should seek out the British Embassy. 
 
Denmark’s warning comes after countries including the US, Britain and Germany told their citizens to leave Libya over the weekend. Two weeks of fighting between militias in Libya's capital Tripoli have left 97 people dead.
 
The United States evacuated its Libyan embassy staff under air cover Saturday as they faced a "real risk" from fierce fighting around Tripoli airport, Secretary of State John Kerry said.
 
The airport was closed on July 13th following clashes between armed groups in the area.
   
Britain later updated its advice to warn against travel to Libya, and told those already there to leave.
 
"British nationals in Libya should leave now by commercial means." Britain's embassy will remain open but with reduced staff, and its ability to provide consular assistance "is very limited," the Foreign Office said.
 
The US announcement that it was evacuating its embassy came hours after Libya's interim government warned that the clashes between militia vying for control of the strategic airport were threatening to tear the country apart.

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DATA

Austria’s Foreign Ministry hit by ‘serious cyber attack’

Austria's foreign ministry is facing a "serious cyber attack", it said late on Saturday, warning another country could be responsible.

Austria's Foreign Ministry hit by 'serious cyber attack'
The Foreign Ministry building on Minoritenplatz, Vienna, back in 2006. Photo: Gryffindor/Wikimedia Commons
“Due to the gravity and nature of the attack, it cannot be excluded that it is a targeted attack by a state actor,” it said in a statement with the interior ministry shortly before 11.00 pm, adding that the attack was ongoing.
   
“In the past, other European countries have been the target of similar attacks,” it continued.
   
Immediate measures had been taken and a “coordination committee” set up, it said, without elaborating.
 
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The attack came as Austria's Greens on Saturday gave the go-ahead to a coalition with the country's conservatives at a party congress in Salzburg, removing the last obstacle to the unprecedented alliance.
   
The German government's IT network in 2018 was hit by a cyberattack.
   
Last year the EU adopted powers to punish those outside the bloc who launch cyberattacks that cripple hospitals and banks, sway elections and steal company secrets or funds.