Libya is moving closer to ejecting foreign mercenaries and military groups from its soil, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Progress towards ending outside interference in Libya was made at a gathering of Libyan representatives and international powers in Berlin, the second conference on the conflict to take place in the German capital.
"We have progress in terms of mercenaries," Najla Mangoush told reporters at the close of the UN and German-led conference.
"Hopefully within the coming days, mercenaries from both sides are going to be withdrawing, and I think this is going to be encouraging.
"We've built the trust measurement from both sides and then other steps will follow," she added.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that although progress had been made, the withdrawals would likely proceed gradually.
"I believe that between the Turkish and the Russian sides, there was also an understanding that if you stop, this will not mean that everybody will take their mercenaries back overnight," he said.
Mr Maas said Germany "will not falter" in its pursuit of ridding Libya of foreign mercenaries but warned that a military imbalance could be created if one side withdrew its mercenaries faster than the other.
Earlier in the day, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh called on the international community to take Libya seriously and to respect its sovereignty.
He also promised to stop at nothing to ensure national elections, set for December 24, go ahead.
We must put an end to all foreign interference, including the full withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya
"I will not shy away from any efforts to make sure we overcome any obstacles in the way of sticking to the national elections and to make it possible for the people of Libya to elect officials," he told representatives from the US, UAE, UK and other countries.
The unity government took office in March with the backing of the UN and Western powers.
It replaced two warring governments that had ruled different parts of Libya, which had been in turmoil since the fall of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for free participation in the elections, which many see as key to securing a lasting peace in the country, as well as in a community-led reconciliation programme.
“We must put an end to all foreign interference, including the full withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya," he said.
"I urge Libyan and and external parties to agree on a comprehensive plan with clear timelines to achieve this goal, which UNSMIL stands ready to support.”
Some $189m had been requested to meet humanitarian needs in Libya, he said, adding that the first group of UN peacekeeping monitors would be deployed to the North African country "soon".
Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, UAE Minister of State and head of the UAE's delegation to the talks called on Libyan and international parties to "commit themselves to the political process and provide all factors to its success in order to realise security, stability and unity of Libyan institutions to fulfil the aspirations of the Libyan people for a more prosperous future,"
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Libya had its best opportunity in years to move forward as a safe and sovereign country.
“We share the goal of a sovereign, stable, unified, secure Libya, free from foreign interference,” he said. “It’s what the people of Libya deserve, it’s critical to regional security as well."
But Mr Dbeibeh raised a number of concerns over Libya's progress towards becoming a peaceful, democratic state.
The prime minister said Libya's legislature had not made "serious efforts" to create electoral laws and a functioning constitution.
One of the issues at hand is exactly what Libyans will vote for, particularly if the president should be directly elected.
Libya's High National Election Commission (HNEC) has said a decision on the constitution should be made by July 1 to prevent a delay to the December 24 election.
Mr Dbeibah told the conference that the continued presence of mercenaries and foreign military personnel in the country could jeopardise the political process.
“There are security concerns over the political process based on the direct and armed control of mercenaries in some areas, the presence of military forces with political dimensions… and the presence of some terrorists,” he said.
The meeting at the foreign ministry in Berlin followed a conference in January 2020 at which leaders agreed to respect a UN arms embargo and to push Libya's warring parties to agree to a full ceasefire.
For the further stabilisation of the country, it is crucial that elections take place as planned and that foreign fighters and mercenaries really do leave Libya
Germany is acting as an intermediary.
Countriesinvolved in the process include the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with the UAE, Italy and Turkey.
Before the conference, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that much has been achieved in the past two years.
An October ceasefire agreement included a demand that all foreign fighters and mercenaries leave Libya within 90 days and a transitional government took office in February.
But “many challenges still lie ahead of us”, said Mr Maas.
“For the further stabilisation of the country, it is crucial that elections take place as planned and that foreign fighters and mercenaries really do leave Libya.”
He said that Wednesday’s conference launches a new phase “in which we no longer only talk about Libya, but in which we are now speaking with Libyan men and women about the future of their country”.
Ms Mangoush, the Libyan foreign minister, said: "It’s time for actions because my people have heard enough."
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
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
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INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
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8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
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10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Company%20profile
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
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
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Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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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.
