The Libyan Government of National Unity has strongly condemned Egypt's decision to receive Osama Hamad, the Prime Minister of the rival Government of National Stability, for an official visit on Sunday.
The GNU, based in Tripoli and backed by the UN, stated through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation that Egypt's move “is not of any real impact, but it is considered a departure from the unity of the international position that rejects the country's return to a state of division and infighting”.
The ministry's sharp rebuke underscores the heightened tensions between the GNU and the GNS – which is backed by the Commander of the Libyan National Army, Khalifa Haftar, in the eastern city of Tobruk.
Hamad's visit marked a provocative step by Egypt into Libya's complex political landscape, where militias have become a dominant force since the fall of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
According to the Egyptian government, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with Mr Hamad and his delegation, including Belqasim Haftar, the son of Khalifa Haftar and director general of the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund, in the New Alamein city.
The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral co-operation and Egypt's role in rebuilding Libya, Mr Madbouly said.
Mr Hamad praised Egypt's constant support for the Libyan people and the significant efforts of Egyptian companies in Libya's reconstruction.
He also highlighted the recent aid provided by Egypt under the directives of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi after Storm Daniel hit Libya last year.
However, the GNU views Egypt's engagement with the rival government as a dangerous escalation.
Jalel Harchaoui, a North Africa expert at the Royal United Services Institute, warned that this “slide towards overt diplomatic assault from abroad against Dbeibah's government is profoundly dangerous” and “jacks up the probability of a hot war across the greater Tripoli area between pro- and anti-GNU factions”.
The move coincides with Egypt's emergence as a strategic regional power due to its role in crises such as Gaza and Sudan.
Mr Harchaoui noted that by confronting Egypt, GNU Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah “has chosen to escalate rather than maintain a low profile, as he did when Ankara welcomed Belqasim Haftar as royalty two weeks ago”.
Turkey, which has thus far supported the GNU, also recently hosted Belqasim Haftar, signalling a potential shift in its Libya policy.
The shift to a position that is markedly closer to Egypt’s stance on Libya was highlighted during a visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Egypt last week during which he announced increased co-operation between Cairo and Ankara on trade, foreign policy and regional security.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty noted that Cairo and Ankara have “a new joint vision” on several regional matters including Libya, Syria and Sudan.
Since the fall of Gaddafi in 2011, numerous armed groups have emerged in Libya, filling the power vacuum and operating under the guise of state legitimacy while primarily defending their leaders' and social base's interests.
The militias have undergone consolidation and institutionalisation, with their leaders acquiring top government and military posts, which has, in turn, blurred the lines between militias and state forces, diminishing prospects for disarmament and reintegration into a unified army under state control.
As militia leaders use their military power for political and financial gain, they have become poised to heavily influence any future elections, creating a challenging environment for civilian political forces in Libya's fractured landscape.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
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Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
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