Tripoli has been riven by violence for the last week which has claimed almost 40 lives. EPA/STR
Tripoli has been riven by violence for the last week which has claimed almost 40 lives. EPA/STR
Tripoli has been riven by violence for the last week which has claimed almost 40 lives. EPA/STR
Tripoli has been riven by violence for the last week which has claimed almost 40 lives. EPA/STR

Hundreds escape in jailbreak near Libyan capital


  • English
  • Arabic

A mass jailbreak by 400 prisoners in Tripoli has added to the chaos in the city from more than a week of deadly clashes between rival militias.

The prisoners forced their way past guards to escape from the jail in the central Ain Zara area on Sunday. Many of them were reported to be supporters of the late dictator Muammar Qaddafi who were convicted of killings during the 2011 uprising that ended his rule.

The fighting erupted on August 27 when militias based in city were attacked by the self-styled Seventh Brigade, a militia from the town of Tarhuna, 65 kilometres to the south. The clashes have left at least 49 dead and 129 wounded, according to the health ministry.

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned “the use by armed groups of indiscriminate shelling leading to the death and injury of civilians, including children” and appealed for calm.

Many Tripoli residents were huddled in basements as rocket and tank fire echoed through the streets. The Seventh Brigade said it had launched its attack to “cleanse Tripoli of corrupt militias”, a reference to irregular forces who, in the absence of conventional police and army, control much of the city. Its units are battling city militias in several southern districts of Tripoli.

Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) declared a state of emergency on Sunday after unsuccessful attempts to broker a truce last week. The United Nations Support Mission to Libya hopes to convene talks between the militia chiefs on Tuesday.

_______________

Read more:

_______________

Meanwhile, the suffering of the city’s population continues, with residents reporting looting by militias, many shops closed, and power cuts.

Jalal Othman, founder of Libyan Institute for Investigative Journalism, tweeted: “About 30 per cent of residents in Ain Zara district are now in the areas of clashes and refuse to leave their homes for fear of theft and looting of their property. A large part of these families are in need of food and drinking water.”

The fighting puts a major question mark over plans to hold elections in December as agreed at talks in Paris in May between GNA Prime Minister Fayez Al Sarraj and Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, commander of the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA).

The LNA is controlled by a rival government to the GNA, the House of Representatives parliament based in the eastern town of Tobruk. It is not involved in the current fighting, but diplomats say the inability of the GNA, lacking its own security forces, to control the capital means voting may not be possible in December.

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

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 four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sanju

Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani

Rating: 3.5 stars

Super heroes

Iron Man
Reduced risk of dementia
Alcohol consumption could be an issue

Hulk
Cardiac disease, stroke and dementia from high heart rate

Spider-Man
Agility reduces risk of falls
Increased risk of obesity and mental health issues

Black Panther
Vegetarian diet reduces obesity
Unknown risks of potion drinking

Black Widow
Childhood traumas increase risk of mental illnesses

Thor
He's a god

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

Eyasses squad

Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)

Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)  

Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)

Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)

Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)

Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)

Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)

Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)

Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)

Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)

Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)         

Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

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.

How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
  • Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
  • Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
  • Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported. 

Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Mercedes V250 Avantgarde specs

Engine: 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo

Gearbox: 7-speed automatic

Power: 211hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 350Nm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.0 l/100 km

Price: Dh235,000

WHAT IS GRAPHENE?

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. 

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma

When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here