Libya In Crisis: Elections Off, Armed Groups Mobilize In Tripoli, UN Warns of Conflict
Good day from REEDNEWSARABWORLD for Wednesday, December 22, 2021! Libya leads the breaking news, as elections planned just two days away are abandoned, and the United Nations team on site is working franticly to avoid resumption of warfare between armed militias... Libya's electoral commission dissolved its committees nationwide without making any confirming announcement, but the action was leaked, clarifying that the presidential elections scheduled for December 24 won't be held and are suspended, if not cancelled.... The London court ruling in a Dubai royal divorce case demonstrates how huge wealth can buy diamonds and horses... Iran is blaming Saudi Arabia for the death of its ambassador to Yemen... Saudi Arabia denies a U.S. Border Patrol claim that a 21-year-old arrested in Arizona is a Saudi and a "potential terrorist." The Saudi embassy in Washington says flatly the man is not a Saudi national... And More!
Libya is on the brink of sliding back into civil war after more than a year of relative peace. Libya's presidential elections are all but officially cancelled, troops are in the streets, and the United Nations warns of renewed armed conflict. The head of Libya's High National Electoral Commission ordered the dissolution of electoral committees nationwide, effectively postponing or cancelling the vote that had been scheduled for this week, December 24. The commission didn't make the order public, but it was leaked and confirmed by a director. Soon armed groups started mobiizing in Tripoli, and two presidential candidates went to Benghazi which is controlled by renegade general Khalifa Haftar and his militia. (Note: Haftar is a former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency asset who lived for years in Virginia.)
The National, UN warns of conflict in Libya as armed groups mobilise in Tripoli.
The Guardian, Fears of Libya violence as UN races to manage election postponement
New York Times, Libya's Long-Awaited Elections Will Most Likely Be Delayed.
Al Jazeera, Libya electoral commission dissolves poll committees.
The Independent, Days before Libya votes, election chief tells poll workers to stand down.
Anadolu Agency, 2 presidential candidates arrive in Libya's Benghazi, amid expected vote delay
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met in Cairo Tuesday with the head of Libya's presidency council and affirmed Egypt's "full support" of Libya.
Xinhua, Egyptian, Libyan leaders discuss developments in Libya.
Iran buried its ambassador to Yemen and blamed Saudi Arabia for his death, saying it would lodge a formal protest. The Irani foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, said Saudi Arabia was late in allowing Iran to evacuate the ambassador for treatment of Covid 19. He said at the funeral ceremony :" We will not forget the injustice that our ambassador was subjected to by those who besieged Yemen." He referred to the Saudi air and land blockage of Yemen's rebel-held territory; Saudi Arabia allowed an Iraqi plane to transfer Ambassador Hassan Erlo from Sanaa, after mediation by Oman. The Iranian minister added: "We tried to transfer the martyr Erlo as soon as possible, but the party that has been bombing... (Yemen) has fallen short in this regard and wronged us."
Middle East in 24, Iran announces a move against Saudi Arabia over the death of its ambassador.
Xinhua, Iran blames Saudi 'foot-dragging' for death of envoy to Yemen.
Agence France Presse, Iran's Yemen envoy dies of Covid after evacuation.
The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has been ordered by a London court to pay at least 554 million pounds ($734 million) to his estranged wife, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, and their two children. The court ruled in the royal divorce case that Al Maktoum must pay his former wife 251.5 million pounds within three months, then make annual payments of around 11 million pounds for the children's costs while being educated. The payments will be secured by a 290 million pound bank guarantee, the judge ruled. The remaining millions account for backdated amounts and a learning fund. The princess is the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan. She was the sixth wife of Al Maktoum.
Bloomberg, Dubai ruler ordered to pay princess $734m in royal divorce case.
The London divorce case of ultra-rich Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum spotlighted the opulent lifestyle of a royal couple. Ex-wife Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussein said Al Maktoum was very generous to her during their marriage and that she had left behind her collection of haute couture and jewelry when she fled Dubai, and that it was worth 53 million pounds. One diamond alone was worth a million pounds. She said in court that if she could spread all the diamonds, pearls, sapphires and emeralds across the courtroom, "it would be full." Al Maktoum is known as a buyer of expensive horses, often on a whim, and Princess Haya said that while she was married, "if I wanted a horse, I bought one."
Reuters, Factbox: Mansions, horses, and blackmail: The Dubai royals' custody battle.
Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington is denying that a 21-year-old migrant "potential terrorist" arrested after crossing into the United States from Mexico is a Saudi citizen. "Based on the engagement with the relevant U.S. authorities on this matter, the embassy confirms that the individual mentioned here is not a Saudi citizen. We will continue to coordinate with the U.S. government and bring forward any facts on this matter," the embassy said in a statement.
Saudi Gazette, Saudi embassy denies 'potential terrorist' arrested by US is Saudi national.
The U.S. Border Patrol captured a 21-year-old man it identified as from Saudi Arabia and a "potential terrorist" who "is linked to several Yemeni subjects of interest." The man was apprehended in Arizona after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Fox News, Saudi Arabian 'potential terrorist' nabbed at US-Mexico border; ties to Yemeni subjects of interest, feds say.
Sudan's prime minister Abdalla Hamdok is reported ready to resign soon. He was elected, removed in a military coup, then reinstated by military leaders on November 21. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have been marching in Khartoum, rejecting both military rule and Hamdok's decision to stay in office. Hamdok maintains he stayed to avoid bloodshed.
Reuters, Sudan's PM Hamdok intends to resign within hours - sources.
Tunisia's government, trying to address a looming financial crisis, plans to raise fuel and electricity prices next year, freeze pay for the public sector, and impose new taxes. The actions are expected to anger the country's powerful labor union President Kais Saied can approve the budget plan without going to parliament, which he has suspended.
Reuters, Tunisia to cut subsidies, raise taxes and freeze pay in 2022.
Qatar plans to invest $10 billion in U.S. ports, and Washington can be expected to welcome the money. Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority, is said to be looking at ports on the East Coast of the U.S., "aging medium-sized ports south of Boston and north of Jacksonville," an adviser said. A Middle East source said the investments would be backed by debt, which would be tied to port assets. Qatar is in early discussions with international banks. Qatar has close relations with the U.S. and is described as "preparing for almost a year to test the waters with U.S. port investments."
(Note: The prospective deal would be reminiscent of a previous time when a Gulf country showed interest in U.S. ports. In 2006, Dubai Ports World, a United Arab Emirates company, wanted to take control of six major U.S.ports, a deal that was rejected after causing controversy that affected U.S.-UAE relations for years. Qatar wants to invest in, not buy, some of the 360 ports in the U.S. )
Reuters, Exclusive: Qatar targets $10 billion of investments in U.S. ports - sources.
Qatar is seizing children's toys from stores. The Commerce and Industry Ministry said it carried out "inspection campaigns" across Qatar and confiscated toys "bearing slogans that go against Islamic values."
Agence France Presse/Khaleej Times, Qatar seizes children's toys bearing 'un-Islamic' slogans.
The United Arab Emirates placed spyware on a phone used by the wife of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi months before his murder, new forensics show. "The new analysis provides the first indication that a UAE government agency placed the military-grade spyware on a phone used by someone in Khashoggi's inner circle in the months before his murder," the Washington Post reported.
Washington Post, A UAE agency put Pegasus spyware on a phone of Jamal Khashoggi's wife months before his murder, new forensics show.
Only weeks are left to revive the nuclear deal with Iran, the U.S. negotiator Robert Malley said. ;He warned of a "period of escalating crisis" if diplomacy fails to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Agence France Presse, Only weeks left to revive Iran nuclear deal: US negotiator.
The joint nanosatellite of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain has reached the International Space Station. It was launched aboard a rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From the space station, the nanosatellite called Light-1 will be re-launched into orbit in early 2022 to study terrestrial gamma ray flashes.
Bahrain News Agency, Bahrain-UAE Nanosatellite Light-1 arrives at ISS.
Citi UAE is joining other global banks to adapt to the United Arab Emirates new working schedule of Monday to Friday and changing to a Saturday-Sunday weekend. Citi employees will receive a two-hour fixed break time in the afternoon on Friday, but will be required to return to work after the break.
Reuters, Citi joins JPMorgan, others in switching to Mon-Fri work week in UAE.
Judges in a Bahrain court will hear closing arguments Thursday in the trial of three people who are accused of disclosing state secrets. The three were associated with a national petroleum company. Named were a senior manager, one man who worked for a firm providing services to the petroleum company, and an Asian national who was an adviser to the company. The three are accused of forging documents to prove a financial capacity of $20 billion that would allow them to enter tenders in Bahrain.
News of Bahrain, Bahrain Court to Hear Closing Argument Of Three Accused Of Disclosing State Secrets.
Iraq is suffering from acute water shortages and is sending a delegation to Iran to help save the country's southern marshes. The marshes are home to some of Iraq's hardest-hit areas, with the Hawizeh marsh straddling the border between Iraq and Iran. Iraq says the area is drying up as a direct result of Iran's water policies, including building dams to divert the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The National, Iraqi delegation set to visit Iran as water scarcity bites.
The Biden administration and U.S. military leaders are increasingly concerned about rising tensions with Iran and see 2022 as as potential flashpoint. A debate is taking place inside the administration about how to respond to attacks and provocations by Iran and its proxies.
NBC News, Tensions rise between US and Iran; New Year's seen as potential flashpoint.
From Tehran's perspective, there has been progress in the nuclear talks in Vienna, even though Western powers including the United States are concerned the talks may fail. An Iranian spokesman said two new texts have been agreed on after intense discussions, and that they are "documents in which Iran's position has been taken into account." The Vienna talks have been suspended, and no date has been set to resume.
Agence France Presse, Iran, unlike West, upbeat about nuclear talks, say experts.
MORE: New shipping service from China to Eastern Saudi Arabia opens, Asharq Al-Awsat... EU firms can scrap Iran deals if U.S. sanctions' costs too high, EU top court says, Reuters... UAE's in-country value programme to create up to 120,000 new jobs by 2031, The National... Morocco's central bank keeps benchmark interest rate at 1.5%, Reuters... Shell, other partners to develop gas from Oman's Saih Rawl field with startup in 2 years, S&P Global/Platts.
Correction: The correct figure for Saud Arabia unemployment in the third quarter of the year is 11.3 per cent.
MENAFN, Saudi Arabia's joblessness rate settles at 11.3 pct.
NEWS YOU MISSED
Seven months after a war with Israel, hundreds are dead but otherwise little has changed. It's a familiar pattern, but Hamas still calls out claims of an imminent victory over Israel. At a recent conference of Gaza civic leaders, a speaker said "the state of israel will be history. Palestinians outside Palestine: Prepare your papers. You will return to Palestine after the liberation." The reality, however, has been nearly the opposite.
New York Times, Hamas, Claiming Victory Over Israel, Is Stuck in Same Old Cycle.