Italy's leading oil company has signed a deal with Libya's interim leaders to restart crude production and help the country to rebuild after six months of civil war.
Paolo Scaroni, the chief executive of Eni, met the head of the National Oil Company in Benghazi only a week after the capital Tripoli fell to rebel forces.
Eni and the Transitional National Council committed "to creating the conditions for a rapid and complete recovery of Eni's activities in Libya and to doing all that is necessary to restart operations on the Greenstream pipeline bringing gas from the Libyan coast to Italy", the company said.
"Eni will also provide technical assistance to assess the state of facilities and energy infrastructure in Libya and to define the type and extent of operations required to safely restart activities," it said.
Eni will also provide emergency fuel supplies to Libya's people to meet basic needs.
The company will pay for this with funds that had belonged to the Qaddafi regime until frozen by Italy in compliance with UN sanctions, a diplomatic source told Reuters.
Meanwhile, Arabian Gulf Oil Company, also known as Agoco, said it would be ready to export crude by the end of next month, only two weeks after resuming production halted by Libya's civil war.
The company expects to start pumping 60,000 to 100,000 barrels per day, said Abdeljalil Mayuf, the manager of the company's information department,
"It's just a matter of carrying out some tests and making sure the equipment is working properly before restarting production," he told Bloomberg. "We will start with small quantities and if everything went well, we could raise production to 150,000 barrels."
Despite the prospect of production from Libya's oilfields resuming, Brent crude futures rose US$1.07 to $112.40 a barrel yesterday.
The price of oil had initially fallen after Tripoli was captured by rebel forces, as traders bet on a quick return of high-quality Libyan crude to world markets.
Until hostilities began this year, Libya was the third-largest oil producer in Africa.
During the conflict, Libya's rebels were able to export and market small amounts of crude from the east of the country as part of an agreement signed with Qatar. They are hoping the capture of Muammar Qaddafi's hometown of Sirte will put an end to resistance from loyalist forces.
Col Qaddafi's whereabouts remain unknown.
ghunter@thenational.ae
* with agencies
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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