Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit leads an urgent virtual meeting of foreign ministers on the conflict in Libya after Egypt's request. AFP
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit leads an urgent virtual meeting of foreign ministers on the conflict in Libya after Egypt's request. AFP
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit leads an urgent virtual meeting of foreign ministers on the conflict in Libya after Egypt's request. AFP
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit leads an urgent virtual meeting of foreign ministers on the conflict in Libya after Egypt's request. AFP

Arab League calls for de-escalation in Libya and withdrawal of mercenaries


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The Arab League has sought to reduce tension in Libya, throwing its weight behind Egyptian plans for a ceasefire and a road map to peace.

In a video conference on Tuesday, League foreign ministers passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and rejected “all illegitimate foreign interference” in Libya.

The resolution also expressed its support for Egyptian proposals, announced on June 6, to end the conflict.

They included a return to UN-sponsored talks and the departure of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya, a reference to Turkey and the thousands of Syrian fighters it sent.

“A political settlement among all Libyans, regardless of their affiliations, is the only solution to restore stability and security, and the elimination of terrorism,” the resolution said.

“The council expressed its extreme concern that the foreign military escalation worsens the existing crisis in Libya and poses a threat to the security and stability of the entire region, including the Mediterranean.”

The text of Tuesday’s resolution said Qatar, Tunisia and Somalia had reservations about parts of it.

Egypt's calls for an immediate ceasefire in Libya and a return to peace talks was backed by Gulf states including the UAE, and welcomed by European nations and the US.

But after Cairo’s peace plan was rejected by the Government of National Accord in Tripoli and its Turkish backers, Egypt said it could intervene in Libya to protect its western border.

Ankara has turned the tide of Libya’s civil war with air support and thousands of mercenaries to end a year-long offensive on Tripoli by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army.

On Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi told members of his air force and special forces near the Libyan border that they should be ready for combat missions outside their country if needed.

Mr El Sisi said an attack by GNA forces on the coastal city of Sirte and central Al Jufra was a “red line” for Egypt’s security.

For years, Cairo complained about militant groups in Libya, saying they posed a threat to Egyptian national security.

Libya has been mired in violence since a 2011 uprising that removed and killed dictator Muammar Qaddafi.

Egypt blames militants in Libya for attacks against Cairo's security forces and minority Christians in recent years.

It says weapons smuggled across the countries’ desert border since 2011 have fuelled an insurgency by militants in the northern Sinai Peninsula.

“Egypt has long warned against the danger of terrorism in Libya,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said at Tuesday’s Arab League meeting.

“Egypt does not and will not tolerate terrorism and its backers, and will not hesitate to take measures to prevent Libya from falling prey to terrorist groups and armed militias.”

Tension between Egypt and Turkey are also ideological.

The nations have been at odds since 2013, when Mr El Sisi, who was Egypt's defence minister at the time, led a military uprising against the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi, who had Ankara’s support.

Cairo has since accused Turkey of supporting armed groups across the region.

On Monday, France said it would not tolerate Turkish involvement in Libya.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who met Tunisian leader Kais Saied in Paris, said Turkey was playing a “dangerous game” in Libya and was “in breach of all its commitments” to the country.

Mr Macron accused Ankara of disregarding Libya’s arms embargo, to which it recommitted in January at a conference in Berlin.

He said Mr El Sisi’s security concerns were legitimate.

On Tuesday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry accused France of backing Field Marshal Haftar’s forces. Paris insists it is neutral.

The counter-offensive in western Libya has forced US re-engagement in the country and Washington accused Russia of involvement.

On Tuesday, the US called for de-escalation in Libya and warned of “the dangers posed” by Russian-sponsored Wagner mercenary operations in Libya.

Russia has repeatedly denied the presence of the mercenary group in Libya.

On Monday, the UN’s International Follow-up Committee on Libya, co-chaired by the Arab League, welcomed talks that sought to build on the Berlin conference.

The committee repeated its concerns over human rights breaches in Libya and the flouting of its weapons embargo, and called for the withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries and military forces.

Figures from the UN refugee agency show the number of migrants who arrived in Italy in the past two weeks, by far most of whom come from Libya across the Mediterranean, has almost doubled compared with the same period last year.

In the first four months of this year, the numbers were up on 2019, with almost 25 per cent of the arrivals in Italy being children.

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Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule

 

  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
  • 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
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Scoreline

Germany 2

Werner 9', Sane 19'

Netherlands 2

Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'

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Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

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Directed by: Anthony Mandler

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington 

3/5

 

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Key facilities
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  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
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  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS

Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)

Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye

Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine

Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye

Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)

Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)

Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra

Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh

Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar

Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine

 

What is graphene?

Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.

Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)

Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.6-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 285bhp

Torque: 353Nm

Price: TBA

On sale: Q2, 2020

Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15

Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered

UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered

Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered

Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered

Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered

Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia

Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins

Favourite dish: Grilled fish

Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.

RACECARD

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7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m

7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m

8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m

8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m

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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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

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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

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Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

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You Were Never Really Here

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov

Four stars

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