A fundraising event set up to help the reconstruction of areas hit hardest by deadly floods in eastern Libya has been postponed, officials said, citing “logistical reasons”.
The decision to delay the event was reached after requests by mayors of impacted areas and business owners who had expressed their interest in attending, the Supreme Preparatory Committee's head Saqr Al Jibani said.
The conference scheduled for October 10 will now be held on November 1 and 2 in Derna and Benghazi, he said.
The postponement will allow international and local companies to “present their studies and projects for reconstruction”, Libya's state news agency said.
Mr Al Jibani said a website and social media accounts would be launched to explain the conference's “agenda and objectives” and other details like participation and registration.
The conference was announced last month with invitations extended to the “international community” following flash floods on September 10 and 11 that killed thousands of people in the country's east.
On Friday, the US called on Libyans to set aside their differences to allow aid to flow more easily to the impacted areas in the east.
“We urge Libyan authorities now to form such unified structures – rather than launching separate efforts – that represent the Libyan people without delay,” US special envoy Richard Norland said.
Terrible consequences
Earlier, UN envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily said the impact of Storm Daniel would have been minimised under a unified Libyan government.
“I emphasised that, while natural disasters cannot be prevented, the terrible consequences of Storm Daniel could have been mitigated if Libya had unified political, security and administrative institutions,” Abdoulaye Bathily said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Despite a wave of nationwide solidarity since the flood, there has been no show of support for the proposed conference from the Tripoli-based government of disputed Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
Last week, Libya's eastern government announced the creation of a fund for the reconstruction of areas impacted by the floods but did not indicate how the fund would be financed.
Libya has had little peace or security since a 2011 Nato-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi, before a split in 2014 between warring eastern and western factions.
Although major warfare paused after a 2020 ceasefire, there is little trust between the main factional leaders.
The%20specs
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Plastic tipping points
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
School uniforms report
Scream%20VI
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S23%20ULTRA
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
Plastic tipping points
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
