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A consignment of approximately 1,900 heavy Irish bullsis expected to depart for Libya today on-board the dedicated Express 1 livestock carrier.

The group of bulls, consisting of a range of breeds, has been gathered by Supreme Livestock for private Libyan buyers.

The vessel will be loaded under the supervision of Department of Agriculture veterinary officials following guidelines set out in the health certificate agreed between Irish and Libyan officials.

This will be the first shipment of Irish cattle to head to Libya this year. In 2016, some 2,162 Irish cattle were shipped to Libya an increase of 1,729 on the 433 exported during 2015.

Official figures show that some 105,809 cattle have been exported from Ireland up to the week ending May 6. This is an increase of 31,106 head or 41.6% on 2016.

Calf exports, destined for markets such as Holland and Spain, account for the majority of shipments from Ireland so far this year.

In total, some 81,087 calves have been shipped from Irish shores a jump of almost 44% on the corresponding period in 2016.

Weanling, store and finished cattle exports also remain in a positive position with shipments up by 4,072 head (94.9%), 1,106 head (30.5%) and 1,209 head (11.6%) respectively.

Two boatloads of Irish cattle have already landed in Turkey this year, consisting of approximately 4,570 animals.

The shipments were organised by two different exporters, with one shipment containing heifers and the other bulls.

The Turkish market has grown in importance for Irish suckler farmers since the first boatload of Irish animals departed for the Middle Eastern market back in the autumn of 2016.

Last year, Meath-based livestock exporter Viastar shipped more than 19,000 cattle to Turkey. The consignments included both finished and weanling bulls.

It is predicted that an additional 100,000 extra finished cattle will come on stream in 2017. Increased exports this year are necessary to reduce the likelihood of a further increase in cattle supplies occurring in 2018.

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Some 1900 Irish bulls to set sail for Libya - Agriland

European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday are focusing on events in Africa as part of a general discussion this week on the blocs defence and security strategy.

The Chairman of the African Union Commission is among those present.

On the agenda are possible future military missions in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as the security situation in Somalia and South Sudan.

We are moving from the traditional purely aid centred approach to Africa to real partnership in all fields, from climate change to security, economic development, migration and obviously humanitarian support, said Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

The number of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean is again on the rise. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says more than 45,000 people have reached Italy by boat from North Africa, an increase of over 40 percent on the same period of 2016. More than 1,200 are said to have died on the way.

Italys coast guard said rescuers saved 484 migrants in the sea on Saturday and found the bodies of seven men who had died trying to get to Europe.

Italy and Germany have asked the EU for a mission to be sent to Libyas southern border which many people cross on their way north. The countries interior ministers, Marco Minniti and Thomas de Maziere, sent a joint letter on Friday to the EU seeking a greater EU commitment to help stabilise the 5,000-kilometre frontier which Libya has long struggled to control.

A senior official in the United Nations-backed Libyan government in Tripoli said on Sunday his administration was ready to create a new guard to patrol frontier, but it could only be secured if other countries helped.

If we dont resolve southern Libyas problems, we will not resolve the migrant issue, Abdudsalam Kajman, the governments vice-president, told Italys Corriere della Sera newspaper.

The difficult economic situation in that region pushes lots of young people to work for the traffickers, he added.

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Africa on Brussels agenda amid rising migration from Libya to ... - euronews

The Looted and Smuggled Antiquities Office of the Libyan Antiquities Authority has prepared a preliminary list of the archaeological objects that have been looted from Libyan museums and smuggled abroad.

The list included incidents of looting that date back to the World War II including a sandstone statue and a local sculpture representing the goddess Isis, found in Martuba town, in addition to a pharaonic statue made from black basalt stolen from Tolmeita village during the Second World War, which is being shown at Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, USA since1991.

Director of the Looted and Smuggled Antiquities Office Khaled Al-Hadar clarified that the list will be translated into English, as being the first language in the world, and will be circulated to international organizations who have an interest in antiquities including ICCROM, INTERPOL, UNESCO, and Italys Carabinieri Art Squad.

He added that all Libyan embassies abroad will be also informed of this list, which also included various collections of pottery vessels, statues, sculptures and engravings.

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Libyan authorities issue international circular on looted antiquities from Libya - The Libya Observer

As it stands, the Senate rules allow the FBI director nominee to be confirmed with just 51 votes, so Republicans can confirm any selection with zero Democratic help.

At this point, it's far from a sure-thing strategy -- while there is no shortage or Republicans who have expressed problems with how and when James Comey was fired from the FBI's top spot, there has been no rush to embrace Democratic calls for a special counsel.

"The key here, of course, is getting some of our Republican colleagues to join us," Schumer said. "We're hoping. We're waiting. We understand it's difficult, but I think patriotism and the needs of this country demand it."

The ranking Democrat of the Senate intelligence committee, Mark Warner, made a similar pledge last week.

"If (Rosenstein) doesn't (name a special prosecutor), then I think it's going to be very difficult to solicit a lot of support from Democrats and support from Democrats -- in terms of whoever the President picks to be a permanent FBI director," the Virginia Democrat told reporters Friday.

Another alternative Democrats could pursue is essentially shutting down the Senate -- refusing to grant unanimous consent for hearings to continue or occur two hours after the Senate convenes or grinding floor proceedings to a halt through procedural mechanisms. But at this point, the aide says, that is not the path they are working on.

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Democrats' strategy to block FBI pick: GOP help - CNN

A second House Democrat called for President Donald Trump to be impeached, and he's even come up with a "mantra" to push the cause.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, released a statement on Monday declaring Trump should be charged by the House over his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey as well as his recent tweet that suggested the president recorded his conversations with Comey.

Green said that by firing Comey, Trump is obstructing the investigation "of the president's campaign ties to Russian influence in his 2016 presidential election." He said Trump has committed acts that "amount to intimidation and obstruction."

Green said Democrats can succeed at pressuring the GOP-led House to take up impeachment proceedings if the public joins in. "Our mantra should be "I.T.N. Impeach Trump Now," Green wrote.

Green appears eager to spread the word about his proposal. His statement includes a line in red encouraging the recipient to "forward this email to others who may be interested."

Green is not the first Democrat to call for impeachment. Rep. Maxine Waters, of California declared on Twitter in April that she would "fight every day until he's impeached," although she later denied calling for Trump's impeachment.

The House has impeached two presidents; Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998.

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Second House Democrat calls for Trump impeachment - Washington Examiner