CAIRO: A military buildup around the Libyan city of Sirte has raised fears of a major battle for control of the area’s strategic oil reserves.
The Libyan National Army (LNA), which has occupied Sirte since May, accused Turkey of targeting the oil-rich city and supplying militias in the area with weapons.
LNA spokesman Ahmed Al-Mesmari said that western Libya is under total Turkish control.
He said that Turkey aims to reach Libya’s “oil crescent,” a coastal region home to most of its oil export terminals.
The LNA is closely monitoring Turkey’s moves in Sirte and Al-Jufra, he added.
“We expect an attack on Sirte by Turkey and the militias at any time,” Al-Mesmari said.
His statement was confirmed a few days ago on a social media account affiliated with Turkey, which posted a map of areas under its control as well as the latest developments in Libya. The map showed areas under the control of Khalifa Haftar, LNA commander, and the Government of National Accord (GNA). It also featured arrows illustrating that Sirte and Al-Jufra are the next targets of the GNA, despite a no-fly zone on the area imposed by the LNA.
The developments led UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to warn on Wednesday against a military buildup near Sirte, which is located between the capital Tripoli and Benghazi.
The warning came after LNA troops led by Haftar retreated and GNA troops led by Fayez Al-Sarraj, prime minister of the GNA of Libya, advanced.
In a UN Security Council meeting chaired by Germany via video conference, Guterres said foreign interference in Libya had reached “unprecedented levels.”
He condemned the violation of a cease-fire in place since 2011, which also called for the handing over of advanced military equipment and a declaration of the number of mercenaries involved in the conflict. However, Guterres did not name the parties who violated the cease-fire.
Guterres called on Al-Sarraj and Haftar to engage in political negotiations and agree to a cease-fire.
During the conference, the representatives of Germany, the US and France warned Turkey about its involvement in Sirte.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry indirectly criticized Turkey for sending Syrian militants to Libya.
“The transfer of Syrian extremist militants to Libyan territories by one of the regional parties aggravates the situation in Libya. This issue is a serious threat to the security of the Libyans as well as neighboring Mediterranean countries,” he said.
Shoukry added: “These threats clearly and currently endanger Egypt, and we will not tolerate this type of threats which are close to our borders, at a time when foreign interferences provide those militants with support.”
He said: “Supporting extremism must stop. We have to put an end to the sources of support by regional players who are confirmed to care less about the stability of the Mediterranean region. Solving this problem and resisting such policies is a prerequisite for the success of our efforts to protect the future of our peoples and that of the Libyan people.”
Shoukry expressed Egypt’s concern regarding the deployment of what he labeled “terrorist groups” west of Libya, with Daesh presenting the greatest potential threat. He said he considered such a deployment a threat to the security and stability of Egypt.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi suggested that any violation of Sirte and Al-Jufra will push Egypt to intervene in accordance with international norms and conventions.
Egyptian military expert Samir Farag said that oil is the main reason behind Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s interference in Libya. Farag said that Sirte and Al-Jufra are Erdogan’s two main goals in controlling Libya’s “oil crescent.”
Farag said: “Erdogan knows very well the competence of the Egyptian forces and is afraid of facing them. President El-Sisi said that Sirte and Al-Jufra are red lines.”
He added that if Turkey interferes in those areas, “there will be a strong reply.” He said the Egyptian Air Force is ready and capable of reaching any place which poses a threat to Egyptian national security.
Farag hailed the French role in the Libyan crisis. He said a speech by the French representative during the Security Council meeting on Libya was clear and strong.
“Erdogan faces a difficult situation internally and externally,” Farag said, adding: “Perhaps NATO would adopt resolutions on preventing Turkey from using military coordinates.”
Mohamed El-Ghobary, former director of the Egyptian National Defense College, said Libya has become “an international venue for conflict that is not only regional.”
“The whole world agreed that Sirte is a red line and that whoever crosses that line is an aggressor,” he said.
El-Ghobary added that Sirte is in the middle of Libya and controls the transfer of oil from south to north, and that Turkey aims to deploy there because of this. But Egypt would not allow this, he said.
“Egypt has a development plan that requires it not to slip into any potential losses,” he said.
The Egyptian leadership has a military strategy and political ideology. Any intervention will be “accurately calculated,” El-Ghobary said.
Battle looms for key Libyan city Sirte
https://arab.news/9zckt
Battle looms for key Libyan city Sirte
- LNA spokesman Ahmed Al-Mesmari said that western Libya is under total Turkish control
- “We expect an attack on Sirte by Turkey and the militias at any time,” he said
King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language honors winners of “Harf” competition
RIYADH: Contestants from Italy, Malaysia, Nigeria and India have won the four categories of the second “Harf Arabic Language Competition,” dedicated to non-native Arabic speakers.
The second Harf competition began on Nov. 3.
The final results of the “Harf” competition, organized by King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, or KSGAAL, were announced at a special ceremony in Riyadh.
The event was attended by experts and enthusiasts in the field of Arabic language, along with representatives from various linguistic institutions.
Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, KSGAAL secretary-general, said that the “Harf” competition had showcased the beauty and richness of the Arabic language, and had created a competitive environment among learners, motivating them to excel in language skills. The competition had helped in developing solutions to support non-Arab speakers in overcoming the challenges they faced, he said.
Nearly 1,000 contestants participated in the competition, representing more than 20 educational institutions from universities and colleges across Saudi Arabia. More than 600 participants qualified to compete, with 70 advancing to the final stage.
The closing ceremony was distinguished by performance and poetry presentations, as well as success stories shared by the winners.
The KSGAAL allocated prizes for the top three winners in each category of the competition, with a total prize pool of SR100,000 ($26,624). Additionally, the remaining finalists were honored with cash prizes totaling SR22,000 ($5,857).
Simon Focazola from Italy, a student at Qassim University, was ranked first in the vocabulary proficiency category. Shah Jahan Ansari, an Indian student at Taif University, was ranked second, while Abu Ubaidah Othman, a Filipino student at Northern Borders University, came in third place.
First prize in the language and technology category was awarded to Nooraludada Binti Asmi Anwar, a Malaysian student at King Abdulaziz University. Khadijah Abdul-Muttalib Jalo, a student from Mali at Princess Nourah University, won second place, while Ahmad Mo Zakir Kheral, an Indonesian student at Qassim University, came in third place.
The top three winners of the language and cultural communication category were, respectively, Abdulkadir Mohammed Mirashikh, a Nigerian student at the Islamic University of Madinah, Mwatinah Adam Yusuf Amobolaji, a student at Qassim University, and Suniya Yayiour, a Thai student at Princess Nourah University.
First place, in the “research paper” category, was awarded to Junaid Yusuf Abdulraqib, an Indian student at King Saud University. Second and third places went to Asma Abdul-Muttalib Yahya Jalo, a student at Princess Nourah University, and El-Sisi Bangali, an Ivorian student at Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University.
WHO says fake finger markings hampering Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts
- Health officials terminated polio team members found involved in 60 such cases in Balochistan province in August
- Pakistan has reported 49 new polio cases this year mainly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces
ISLAMABAD, PESHAWAR & QUETTA: The World Health Organization said on Friday “fake finger markings” were one of the major factors hampering Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts, as the South Asian country reported the 49th case of the virus this week.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The nation’s polio eradication campaign has hit serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that has raised doubts over the quality of vaccination reporting and prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.
Polio, a disease transmitted through sewage which can cause crippling paralysis particularly in young children, is incurable and remains a threat to human health as long as it has not been eradicated. Immunization campaigns have succeeded in most countries and have come close in Pakistan, but persistent problems remain.
“Some of the gaps and issues that were identified during campaigns included fake finger marking and altered campaign modalities mainly in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” WHO spokesperson Maryam Younas told Arab News on Friday in answers to written questions.
Local officials say parents suspicious of mass immunization campaigns have been getting hold of special markers, used by health workers to put a colored spot on the little fingers of children to identify that they have been vaccinated.
The fake finger marking, sometimes done in collusion with health workers, hide the true scale of refusal rates and thus gaps in vaccination.
Provincial authorities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 10 cases have been confirmed this year, and Balochistan, where 24 were reported, also said fake finger markings were an obstacle for eradication efforts.
In August this year, the Balochistan Provincial Emergency Operation Center said it had exposed a nexus between parents refusing polio drops for their children and polio teams involved in fake finger marking. Around 60 cases of fake finger markings were identified in various districts of Balochistan and the teams involved were terminated.
“Fake finger markings, low immunization drives, and malnourished children are three prime causes for this rapid surge in polio cases,” Dr. Aftab Kakar, the provincial team lead for the National Stop Transmission of Polio (N-Stop) in Balochistan, said.
The KP Governor’s Focal Person for polio, Tariq Habib, also said fake finger-marking had led to “decreased trust and effectiveness in vaccination efforts.”
The WHO spokesperson suggested that the targeted vaccination of children was pivotal for achieving success against polio, adding that it was essential to focus on children who were “consistently missed due to operational gaps, vaccine hesitancy, security issues, and boycotts.”
This year, 24 cases of polio have been reported in Balochistan, 13 in Sindh, 10 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each in Punjab and the federal capital of Islamabad. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio eradication program began in 1994, and the number of cases has declined dramatically since then. But efforts to eradicate the virus have for years been undermined by opposition from some religious hard-liners, who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies. Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccine teams.
In July 2019, a vaccination drive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was thwarted after mass panic was created by rumors that children were fainting or vomiting after being immunized.
Public health studies in Pakistan have shown that maternal illiteracy and low parental knowledge about vaccines, together with poverty and rural residency, are also factors that commonly influence whether parents vaccinate their children against polio.
5 things we learned from the latest action-packed 2026 World Cup 3rd-round qualifiers
1. Saudi Arabia leave Australia frustrated but facing in the right direction
Following the 0-0 draw with the Socceroos in Melbourne, Saudi striker Saleh Al-Shehri summed it up as: “We wanted to win, but a draw is not a bad result.”
The frustration was due to a disallowed goal. Had Sultan Al-Ghannam’s injury-time strike not been ruled out due to the tightest of offsides, this would have been one of the Green Falcons’ most famous qualification victories ever. It would have put them in the driving seat for second place, the only automatic qualifying spot remaining with Japan out in front.
Overall, however, there was much about which to be satisfied. While this was a love-to-win game, it was not a must-win — just a must-not-lose. It means, all things being equal, that a win over the Socceroos at home in 2025 will be enough.
After the first four Group C games, this felt like an oil tanker turning around. The Green Falcons may now be flying in the right direction.
2. Renard offers hope and second chances
It is not about who is the better coach — Herve Renard or Roberto Mancini — but about who is the best fit for Saudi Arabia.
The answer is, without question, Renard. The Frenchman has recalled players like Yasser Al-Shahrani, who was ditched by the Italian, and the decision was vindicated by the full-back’s performance.
Returning to four at the back, after the majority of Mancini’s games saw three, seemed to be welcomed by the players. They looked more comfortable from the beginning, with an impressive first half, and when the hosts took control after the break Renard was ready to make changes — helped by the excellent Saud Abdulhamid.
Given the injury to Salem Al-Dawsari, the team’s greatest offensive threat, the lack of creativity was no surprise. Scoring goals is a problem — taking just three from five games is a worry — and that has to change against Indonesia next week. If it does, the situation will look much better.
3. Bahrain will regret blowing their chance
There was plenty of drama all around Asia on Thursday and Riffa had more than its fair share as China beat Bahrain 1-0.
After Saudi Arabia and Australia drew earlier in the day to move onto six points, Bahrain had a chance to go two points clear and take control of the second automatic qualifying slot. Playing China at home was a perfect opportunity. Just imagine — if the Reds have won that and then beaten Australia next week, the Socceroos would have probably been out of the running.
That seemed to be the case in the 87th minute. Ali Haram stretched for a ball from deep and then scored an opportunistic goal, but it was ruled offside by a similar margin to that of Saudi Arabia’s. The defense fell asleep in injury time and then Zhang Yuning shot home.
It means that China are now level with Australia and Saudi Arabia, and suddenly there are four teams in the hunt for second place. For Bahrain, it could be a setback from which they do not recover.
4. Ali and Suhail the heroes for the UAE and Qatar
Over in Group A, the UAE beat Kyrgyzstan 3-0 while Qatar had a more difficult game as they defeated Uzbekistan 3-2. Both needed the victory.
A victory by Iran moved them clear in the top spot, meaning Uzbekistan, Qatar and the UAE are all chasing second. Qatar looked to be strolling to victory thanks to two goals from Almoez Ali, but then young forward Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored twice in five minutes for the opposition.
A draw looked imminent as play entered the 112th minute, but a last-gasp goal from Lucas Mendes sent the home fans wild.
The UAE had a much easier ride, with Hareb Abdalla bagging a brace as the Whites made short work of their Central Asian opposition. It means there is much riding on Tuesday’s clash between the two West Asian rivals in Al-Ain, and whoever loses may be out of the running for automatic qualification. It should be quite the occasion.
5. Oman make Group B a three-way clash
South Korea won 3-1 in Kuwait to move five points clear at the top of the group and there is little doubt the Taeguk Warriors will automatically qualify.
Yet something interesting is happening below them. It really looked as if the battle for second would be between Jordan and Iraq but these two teams played out a 0-0 draw in Basra to leave the 65,000 passionate home fans a little disappointed. Now both are on eight points.
Iraq were predictable and a bit too reliant on in-form forward Aymen Hussein, while Jordan will be the most satisfied of the two with the away draw.
Happier still are Oman, who beat Palestine 1-0 to collect a second successive win that moved them on to six points, just two behind the second and third spots. It means Palestine and Kuwait have a lot to do just to try and finish fourth.
Oman have their sights set on a bigger prize. A win against Iraq in Muscat on Tuesday really would really put the cat among the Group B pigeons.
Primary schools empty as smog persists in India’s capital New Delhi
- New Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, consistently tops world rankings for air pollution in winter
- The smog is blamed for thousands of premature deaths each year and is an annual source of misery for residents
NEW DELHI: Residents in India’s capital New Delhi again woke under a blanket of choking smog on Friday, a day after authorities closed primary schools and imposed measures aimed at alleviating the annual crisis.
Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, consistently tops world rankings for air pollution in winter.
The smog is blamed for thousands of premature deaths each year and is an annual source of misery for residents, with various piecemeal government initiatives failing to measurably address the problem.
All primary schools were shut by government order on Thursday night with young pupils – particularly vulnerable to smog-related ailments due to their age – instead moving to online lessons.
“I have an eight-year-old kid and he has been suffering from a cough the past couple of days,” Delhi resident Satraj, who did not give his surname, said on the streets of the capital.
“The government did the right thing by shutting down schools.”
Thursday’s edict also banned construction work, ordered drivers of older diesel-powered vehicles to stay off the streets and directed water trucks to spray roads in a bid to clear dust particles from the air.
Delhi’s air quality nonetheless deteriorated to “hazardous” levels for the fourth consecutive day this week, according to monitoring firm IQAir.
Levels of PM2.5 pollutants – dangerous cancer-causing microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs – were recorded more than 26 times above the World Health Organization’s recommended daily maximum shortly after dawn on Friday.
Critics have consistently said that authorities have fallen short in their duty to tackle a crisis that blights the city each year.
“We haven’t responded to the emergency with the same intensity with which we are facing this crisis,” Sunil Dahiya of New Delhi-based advocacy group Envirocatalysts said.
The acrid smog over New Delhi each year is primarily blamed on stubble burning by farmers in nearby states to clear their fields for plowing.
A report by broadcaster NDTV on Friday said that more than 7,000 individual farm fires had been recorded in Punjab state, to the capital’s north.
Emissions from industry and numerous coal-fired power stations ringing the city, along with vehicle exhaust and the burning of household waste, also play a part.
“Since we haven’t yet carried out any systemic long-term changes, like the way we commute, generate power, or manage our waste, even the curtailed emissions will be high,” Dahiya said.
Cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds worsen the situation by trapping deadly pollutants each winter.
A study in The Lancet medical journal attributed 1.67 million premature deaths to air pollution in the world’s most populous country in 2019.
Pakistan’s Punjab launches 10-year smog plan amid record air pollution
- Government has distributed super seeders to farmers to support precision seeding
- 800 brick kilns demolished instead of being sealed which briefly happens each year
ISLAMABAD: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday announced the provincial government had launched a 10-year smog mitigation plan, as record-high air pollution levels have triggered hundreds of hospitalizations, school closures and stay-at-home orders in several districts of the Pakistan’s most populous province.
On Friday, the provincial capital of Lahore, home to 13 million people, had the worst air quality of any city in the world, according to live readings by IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company.
Toxic smog has enveloped Lahore and at least 17 other districts in Punjab since last month, where health officials have been forced to close down schools and government offices, among other measures.
“For the first time, Punjab has developed a 10-year climate change policy,” Aurangzeb said while addressing a press conference in Lahore, saying Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was “personally” monitoring the plan’s implementation.
Pakistan, like neighboring India, battles pollution each year as temperatures fall and cold air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke as farmers illegally burn paddy stubble to clear fields. Prohibited brick-kilns and smoke-emitting vehicles also contribute to the problem.
Speaking about measures taken to combat air pollution, the minister said the Punjab government had distributed super seeders to farmers, bearing 60 percent of their cost while farmers paid the remaining 40 percent. The no-till planters are designed for precision seeding which helps farmers contribute to cleaner air, improved soil health, and a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem.
“We have an aim of distributing 5,000 super seeders in Punjab by July next year,” the minister said. “We have now engaged more companies to increase production of super seeders.”
Aurangzeb also said authorities had demolished 800 brick kilns.
“We did not seal them this time because they would begin operating again from January if they were only sealed,” she added.
The minister said environmental control systems to detect smoke had been set up through loans provided by the Punjab government.
“More than 90 small and medium sized industries have installed the system using this loan,” she said, encouraging people to help with the afforestation of Lahore.
“Forest cover of Lahore should be 36 percent on international standard, it is 3 percent now,” Aurangzeb said. “Green master plan of Lahore has been made. Implementation has started. Forest cover is planned to be increased, which is a part of this plan.”
Earlier this week, the government of Punjab closed all high schools in the province until Nov. 17 due to persisting smog.
Primary schools and government offices had already been closed until Nov. 17 in many districts of Punjab earlier this month, with school closures likely to affect the education of more than 20 million students, according to associations representing private and government schools.
Authorities in 18 districts of Punjab also closed all public parks, zoos and museums, historical places, and playgrounds for ten days last week.
On Friday, a court in Lahore ordered the government to shut all markets after 8pm. Authorities have already banned barbecuing food without filters and ordered wedding halls to close by 10pm.
On Monday, the UN children’s agency said the health of 11 million children in Punjab province was in danger because of air pollution.
