BENGHAZI // Just days ago, the fervour of the residents of this seaside city could not be contained.
Freed from the yoke of Muammar Qaddafi and his spies for the first time in decades, Benghazis luxuriated in their new-found freedom, speaking their minds night and day without fear of penalty and imprisonment - or worse.
Now, however, storm clouds are gathering over what may be an all-too-brief political spring in Benghazi. Forces loyal to the Libyan leader are drawing near, and a note of fear has crept into those once irrepressible voices.
Rebels lost control of the oil port of Brega yesterday and government warplanes launched air strikes on the rebel-held town of Ajdabiyah, only 140km south of here. From Ajdabiyah, a highway cuts through the desert directly to Tobruk and the Egyptian border. Within days, Benghazi could be surrounded by pro-Qaddafi forces.
Abdel Fattah Younes, a former minister of interior and now rebel chief of staff, called the retreat a "tactical withdrawal", but the signs of crumbling rebel lines and fraying security are everywhere.
Qaddafi loyalists are re-emerging, and as the enemy closes in from without, the fear of the enemy within casts a lengthening shadow for the rebels and their supporters.
"During the day, there are a lot of people in the streets and we feel secure," said Azzadine al Farjan, a 20-year-old shopkeeper in Benghazi. "But in town there are still some Qaddafi supporters, former members of his revolutionary committees."
"We have a list with their names," boasted Mustafa Gheriani, an opposition spokesman. "We will arrest them."
Despite the creation by the rebels of patrols to police Benghazi's streets at night, violence has escalated.
A cameraman for al Jazeera, Ali Hassan Jaber, a Qatari national, was shot dead on Saturday while driving on the outskirts of Benghazi. Jaber and other members of the al Jazeera television crew were ambushed as they returned to Benghazi city centre after covering a demonstration outside the city.
"It is clearly a targeted attack against the press, in particular against al Jazeera," said Mohammed Sharif, 25, a dentistry student at Benghazi University.
The killing of the al Jazeera journalist was the latest sign that Col Qaddafi's allies in Benghazi have become bolder as his forces close in.
As reports from the battlefield turned grimmer for the rebels last week, unknown assailants tossed a grenade before dawn at a Benghazi hotel popular with foreign journalists, and bomb threats against known rebel gathering places escalated.
By Sunday, rebel-assigned security guards were ubiquitous at hotels, and the courthouse, once a hive of insurgent activity, was silent except for the occasional laughter of a young boy watching cartoons on televison.
Benghazi's nights are now punctuated by the pop and roar of explosions. Their source is a mystery.
"A Molotov cocktail was thrown at my neighbour's house," said Mr Sharif. The targeted family had no political affiliation and had not been active in the rebellion, he said. The attack, like others in Benghazi, appear intended simply to terrorise the population.
"Do not go around after dusk," advised a pro-Qaddafi taxi driver. "There's a lot of armed people roaming around town, trying to rob people."
There appears to be no brake on the slide towards bloodshed and anarchy here. After several weeks of combat, the insurgents still do not look like a cohesive army.
A senior rebel officer at the courthouse acknowledged the disorganisation of their ranks, but added optimistically that arms and more skilled fighters were moving to the front.
"Five days ago, professional army officers and members of the special forces joined the youth, which is now on the second lines of the battle," the officer said.
"Our problem is the regime attacks from the air," he said. "This is why we are asking the international community for a no-fly zone."
For the people of Benghazi, the weapons for the upcoming battle, which appears all but inevitable, are likely to be the arms that were looted from military bases during the start of the uprising last month.
With the aid of local mosque officials, rebel leaders are trying to collect the looted arms to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and to discourage armed violence. Few here think their campaign will be successful, however.
rscolari@thenational.ae
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Liz%20Truss
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Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February 9 v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Suad%20Amiry%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Pantheon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20304%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Where%20the%20Crawdads%20Sing
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOlivia%20Newman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Daisy%20Edgar-Jones%2C%20Taylor%20John%20Smith%2C%20Harris%20Dickinson%2C%20David%20Strathairn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
