Libyan officials have taken steps to shore up the state’s control over the country’s oil wealth as the country’s attorney general issued an arrest warrant for Abdulhakim Belhaj, an Islamist politician and terrorist, and his one-time ally the militia leader Ibrahim Jahdran.
In the indictments, the duo are accused of involvement in the massacre of 141 soldiers and civilians loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar at the Tamenhint airbase in 2017 as well as helping to blockade some of Libya’s largest oil export terminals.
Another four Libyans were included in the official documents, as were 31 Sudanese and Chadian rebels who were said to have committed murder and kidnappings in southern Libya.
Mr Belhaj, who was placed on sanctions lists by UAE, Saudi, Bahrain, Egypt in 2017, rejected the accusations and said it was an attempt to remove him from the political scene.
He is a former commander of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), an Islamist faction linked to the Muslim Brotherhood that sought to overthrow long-time ruler Muammar Qaddafi and was at one point proscribed by the USA and UK.
The LIFG continuously rejected accusations it was linked to Al Qaeda, which stemmed in part from many of its commanders, including Mr Belhaj, having fought alongside Osama Bin Laden against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
The UK was forced to apologise to Mr Belhaj and his wife last year due to their involvement following the 2004 rendition by US intelligence officers from Thailand to Libya.
Mr Belhaj would later be among those to storm Tripoli during the 2011 revolution that ousted Colonel Qaddafi. Now based in Turkey, he heads the conservative-leaning Watan party.
Mr Jahdran’s forces held Libya’s central oil crescent from 2013 until 2016, a region that provides a large chunk of the country’s roughly 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd) output. Dissatisfied with the central government Mr Jahdran lost Libya billions of dollars when he closed the oil fields and attempted to independently export.
Mr Jahdran’s fighters were eventually ousted by General Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) but attacked the same area again in the summer 2018. The US and UN both sanctioned Mr Jahdran after these actions.
General Haftar’s forces do not recognise the Attorney General in the capital Tripoli and are supported by a rival administration in eastern Libya, but nonetheless welcomed the arrest warrants for two of their main rivals.
LNA brigades have chased with Mr Jahdran’s fighters and another group, the Benghazi Defence Brigades, in recent weeks. It is the furthest west General Haftar’s forces have pushed.
Confirming the move, an LNA official told The National: "We are no longer going to wait for these militias to attack the oil fields. We are going to track and hit those militias wherever they are."
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Read more:
Neglected locals storm Libya's largest oilfield
Couple in Libyan rendition case granted appeal to UK’s highest court
Exclusive: Libya expects exemption from Opec production cuts
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Libya’s south is rife with an array of rebel groups from Sudan and Chad, who are able to move around the sparsely populated with relative ease amid the security vacuum. It is common for Libya’s array of competing factions to accuse each other of employing sub-Saharan mercenaries.
Its embattled oil industry remains a vital economic lifeline for the fractious country, but output often plunges when angry groups take over its facilities.
Last month disaffected locals the neglected south stormed and closed its largest oilfield in protest at their living conditions.
Despite this, on Sunday Libya’s state oil company announced an average of 1.107 bpd and revenues of $24.4 billion for 2018 – a five-year high.
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Sevilla v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad (7.15pm)
Eibar v Valencia (9.30pm)
Atletico Madrid v Alaves (11.45pm)
Sunday
Girona v Getafe (3pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7.15pm)
Las Palmas v Espanyol (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Deportivo la Coruna (11.45pm)
Monday
Malaga v Real Betis (midnight)
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Ramy%3A%20Season%203%2C%20Episode%201
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Company%20profile
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Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
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
Specs
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