A surge of high-profile diplomatic visits to Libya’s new unity government have begun, with foreign powers keen to signal support for the fledgling administration.
The Government of National Unity, installed earlier this month, is the country’s first united government since civil war broke out in 2014.
While the ceasefire agreement continues to hold, there are reports of ongoing fortifications
States are underlining their support in the most visible way possible.
A trio of EU foreign ministers arrived in Tripoli this week, while the head of Libya’s new presidential council, Mohamed Al Menfi, travelled to Cairo and Ankara for talks on pushing the peace process forward.
In Tripoli, French, German and Italian foreign ministers on Friday met Najla Al Mangoush, Libya’s first female foreign minister.
Germany hosted the peace conference in Berlin last year that laid the foundations for the unity government. Italy is offering training for coastguard units.
France will reopen its embassy in Tripoli on Monday. As did most countries, Paris evacuated its embassy there when the civil war broke out six years ago.
Ms Al Mangoush said her priority was the removal of foreign forces from Libya in light of the UN Security Council report this month that stated about 20,000 foreign troops were in the country.
“We demand that all mercenaries leave the Libyan lands immediately,” Ms Al Mangoush said after the meeting.
Her call was backed by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
“This [foreign forces withdrawal] is indispensable so that Libya can regain its security,” he said.
“By fulfilling these conditions, Libya can finally turn the page after so many years of a crisis that has divided the country.”
The EU also lifted sanctions on Friday on Khalifa Ghwell, prime minister of a former rival Libyan government -- the General National Congress -- who had been accused by European officials of blocking the peace process.
The move follows the removal from the sanctions list of Parliament speaker Agila Saleh last October, again after Mr Saleh confirmed support for the peace process.
Meanwhile, the head of the new presidential council, Mohamed Al Menfi, has begun a whistle-stop tour of key powers, and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged their co-operation.
Mr El Sisi said his talks with his western neighbour were extensive, covering “political, economic and development fields.”
The Ankara and Cairo visits are a reminder that Libya needs more than a ceasefire: It also needs substantial foreign help to rebuild.
Six years of war have pushed the economy close to collapse. Protests erupted across the country in the past few months prompted by shortages of power, water, gasoline and even banknotes.
There are no reliable estimates for the number killed in the war, while the UN says 1.3 million of Libya’s 6.6 million population need humanitarian aid.
Parts of Tripoli and the centre of Benghazi, Libya’s second city, have been reduced to ruins by fighting and need major renovation.
Welcoming the spate of diplomatic support, the UN’s Libya envoy Jan Kubis told the UN Security Council the new government represents a “historic milestone”.
Mr Kubis also urged compliance with the ceasefire, which has mostly held since being signed in October. He said rival armies continue to reinforce positions on the front line near the coastal town of Sirte.
“While the ceasefire agreement continues to hold, there are reports of ongoing fortifications,” he said.
Mr Kubis said on Friday that the GNU needed to move swiftly to fix basic services.
“Over four million people, including 1.5 million children, may face being denied clean water and sanitation if immediate solutions are not found.”
Ceasefire holds for now
Translating the current ceasefire into a lasting peace is the toughest nut for the new government to crack.
Along the Sirte front line, the Libyan National Army of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar faces off against units of the former Tripoli administration, the Government of National Accord.
These armies, along with their allied foreign forces, are reluctant to step down unless they see the other side doing the same.
But small steps are being made. Military barriers are set to be removed along the coastal highway, Libya’s key east-west road.
Flights between Tripoli and Benghazi have resumed. Meanwhile, in Geneva, the UN-chaired Joint Military Commission, made up of officials from both sides, is negotiating phased troop withdrawals, and the UN is considering deploying ceasefire monitors.
But tension remains. A prominent former LNA commander, Mahmoud Al Werfalli, was killed in Benghazi last week. The International Criminal Court had accused him of war crimes.
The circumstances of his killing, by unidentified gunmen, are still being investigated, but illustrate the challenge of ending the instability resulting from six years of war.
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
MATCH INFO
Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
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1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Griselda
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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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
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Marital status: Single
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
