Less than five years after the death of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, his home city of Sirte is now under ISIL’s full control.
It is estimated that as many as 6,000 ISIL fighters are in the city, mostly foreigners from countries including Tunisia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Iraq, Sudan, Chad and Nigeria.
The first ISIL-manned checkpoint is 50 kilometres to the west of Sirte, and its fighters can move relatively freely as far as Ras Lanuf oil terminals 200km to the east. On January 21, they set five oil storage tanks on fire.
Sirte is dangerous for journalists and, combined with difficult phone communications, the world is left with little information about life there.
According to residents, there is only one internet cafe and it offers an expensive satellite connection. Sirte’s banks are closed and medical supplies are scarce.
Residents usually travel to nearby cities such as Misrata to get money and other essentials. Some travel all the way to Tripoli, 450km west, and it was in Tripoli where I spoke to two people from Sirte. I also spent more than an hour on the phone talking to a friend who had come to Misrata from Sirte to get some money. For obvious security reasons, the names I use are pseudonyms.
I met Omar, who has worked in Sirte for 20 years, at a friend’s house in Sarraj district south-west of the capital. Omar wanted some advice on how to smuggle a few packets of cigarettes to his friend back home, because smoking is now banned in Sirte. He settled on tying them beneath his car.
He told me that the company he worked for has a new ISIL-appointed manager from Nigeria.
“Generally he is a nice guy who does very little. However his approval is required when we need supplies. Usually he won’t argue much since he does not understand much of the stuff we do.
“Right after he took over, he demanded that all company cars be brought in and he redistributed them to some managers, while keeping a few others at his office. I guess he gave them to ISIL members, since I never saw those cars again.
“He does not conduct meetings and hardly talks to us, but he comes in every day.”
After Omar got back to Sirte, he sent me a message that he and the cigarette packets had arrived safely.
Abdu has an office job in Sirte. He is single and lives with his two brothers, sister, father and mother.
He told me: “You might not believe this, but Sirte has been more peaceful and safe since ISIL took over. The crime rate is down and theft in particular is completely finished.
“People selling smuggled fuel leave their small buckets by the road side at night and no one will touch them. Security in Sirte now is much better than it was under Misrata militias when they were in charge between October 2011 and August 2015.
“As long as you do not cross the line, ISIL members will not intervene. The line is crossed when you are caught smoking, listening to music in public, carry tobacco in your pockets or car, or do not come to pray at the mosque.
“My brother was caught smoking outdoors so they jailed him for two weeks and taught him the Quran.”
Mohammed, who is a schoolteacher, told me: “At the beginning of the new school year we did not receive any particular instructions about what we have to do.
“Two weeks later, an ISIL member gave us instruction via the local education office that we have to separate the boys from the girls and that the girls must wear veils.
“After a month or so, we had an alert that jihad studies would be incorporated in the school curriculum but nothing has happened yet.”
One of the men told me that ISIL had made sure that the electricity supply was a priority.
“We’ve hardly had any blackouts for the past three months or so,” he said.
I asked all three men about the possibility of international air bombardment of ISIL forces in Sirte. All three thought that any intervention would have little effect on the ground.
One of them said he thought that the people of Sirte could drive out ISIL “if we have support from outside the city, but since Libya has no government it’s unlikely that we can do much”.
Another said “there are no specific locations” for ISIL members in Sirte.
“They are everywhere and within residential areas including houses. They are well dispersed among the local people, meaning any attacks on them will be harmful to civilians.”
Mustafa Fetouri is an independent Libyan academic and an award-winning journalist
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
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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Wallabies
Updated team: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Dane Haylett-Petty, 13-Reece Hodge, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-Kurtley Beale, 9-Will Genia, 8-Pete Samu, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Lukhan Tui, 5-Adam Coleman, 4-Rory Arnold, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16-Folau Faingaa, 17-Tom Robertson, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Izack Rodda, 20-Ned Hanigan, 21-Joe Powell, 22-Bernard Foley, 23-Jack Maddocks.
Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
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'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
