After a blizzard of legal challenges, Libya’s presidential election is going ahead on schedule with candidates cleared by the courts to take part.
Last week, separate appeal courts ruled that Saif Al Islam Qaddafi, son of former dictator Muammar Qaddafi, and current prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah can be candidates in the poll set for December 24.
The United States shares the concerns of Libyans and the international community that armed actors and the risk of violence not be allowed to threaten elections
US Ambassador Richard Norland
Meanwhile, disputes over the election law, which opponents said was issued by parliament without consultation with a rival assembly, the High Council of State, found no traction in the courts.
Barring further legal challenges, all the country’s most prominent figures will be standing in the first national election since civil war began in Libya in 2014.
Other notable candidates include Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, commander of the eastern-based Libyan National Army, Aguila Saleh, speaker of the current parliament, and a former prime minister Ali Zeidan.
Mr Qaddafi, 49, is popular among supporters of his father’s former regime despite being indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
Mr Dbeibah, a wealthy 63-year-old businessman from the western town of Misurata, has strong backing from groups in west Libya. Opponents said he should honour a pledge he made, on becoming prime minister in March, not to stand as president.
The convoluted legal appeals against both men were marred by the lack of a single body of law governing Libya’s elections after a decade of transitional governments and contradictory constitutions.
Amid this legal uncertainty, it will now be the voters who pass judgment. More than 2.4 million of Libya’s 6.6 million population have registered to vote. There are no reliable opinion polls as to whom Libyans favour, making this election a major test of popularity.
The UN’s Libya envoy Jan Kubis praised the numbers registering to vote on Thursday, saying: “The Libyan people, from across the country, are yearning for an opportunity to elect their representatives.”
Mr Kubis unexpectedly resigned last month, and his term will end on December 10. He has yet to give a clear explanation as to why he chose to abruptly leave an election process he did so much to create.
His official reason for quitting was to allow the UN to dissolve his job and split his duties between two new envoys, one based outside Libya and the other in the capital, Tripoli.
“In order to create conditions for this, on November 17, 2021, I tendered my resignation,” he told the UN.
However, his resignation was a surprise to the UN which had no plan in place to create these new posts, and little time before the election to find a new envoy.
Elections key to peace?
Many Libyans had doubted the elections would happen, after months of delays by parliament to pass the necessary legislation. Presidential candidates were registered on November 24, leaving little time to campaign and explain their election platforms.
Peace is the ultimate prize for this election, because the civil war is only paused. Two loose alliances of forces, from east and west Libya, have largely observed a UN-mediated ceasefire signed in October last year. However, those forces remain in place either side of a frontline west of the central town of Sirte.
Transitioning from ceasefire to disarmament will depend on elections delivering leadership acceptable to all sides.
The presidential poll, being held on the 70th anniversary of Libya’s independence, will be followed by parliamentary elections a month later, along with a possible run-off for the presidency between the top two candidates if nobody wins more than 50 per cent of votes in the first round.
Outside powers are united in expressing support for the elections, with US ambassador Richard Norland warning of the risk of violence by groups opposed to the process.
“The United States shares the concerns of Libyans and the international community that armed actors and the risk of violence not be allowed to threaten elections,” he said.
His warning followed attacks by armed groups on five polling stations in western Libya last week, with the Higher National Elections Commission saying bundles of polling cards were stolen and election officials threatened, with one briefly kidnapped.
Last week, the UN Security Council said it would designate sanctions against anyone obstructing the elections.
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.
Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.
Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.
Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0
Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.
Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
RESULTS
Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
