Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the head of one of Libya's two rival governments, said his Tripoli-based administration was ready to hold delayed elections this year, vowing that 2023 will be one of “elections and the unity of institutions”.
Engulfed by more than a decade of civil conflict, Libya is divided between Mr Dbeibah's government in Tripoli and a rival government based in eastern Libya headed by Fathi Bashagha, a former interior minister.
“There are still those with despicable attempts to drown us in the quagmire of political conflict. We will spare no effort in preserving Libyan blood, unity and sovereignty of Libya, whatever the cost to us,” Mr Dbeibah said in a national address on Monday.
Mr Dbeibah's government was appointed under a UN process in early 2021 to oversee national elections in December that year. The vote was never held following disagreements among rival factions and prominent candidates over the laws governing the election.
Libya's eastern-based parliament, the House of Representatives, called on Mr Dbeibah to step down after the failed election attempt, saying his mandate had expired. The parliament voted to appoint Mr Bashagha prime minister in February last year after Mr Bhashagha rejected its calls.
Last week, UN special envoy for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily urged political leaders to avoid any escalation that would threaten Libya's stability, which he described as “fragile.”
“Best wishes to all people in Libya on the occasion of the new year. I hope 2023 will be a year to make up for lost opportunities and find a lasting solution that paves the way for holding elections and building sustainable peace and prosperity in Libya,” Mr Abdoulaye said in a statement.
Libya plunged into chaos following an uprising that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
Late last week, Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar said there was a “last chance” to draw up a road map and hold elections in Libya in 2023, stressing that the country's unity was “a red line that cannot be violated”.
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Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
