Air strikes hit Tripoli’s only functioning airport on Monday and flights were cancelled as the most serious escalation in violence in Libya for years rumbled on.
Six passenger flights were cancelled and passengers moved to safety from Metiga Airport in eastern Tripoli as two rockets were fired by a fighter jet from the east Libyan forces.
At least 25 people were killed and 50 people wounded in clashes, the internationally recognised Government of National Accord in Tripoli said.
The UN said more than 2,800 people had fled fighting that increased “the misery of refugees and migrants arbitrarily detained in detention centres in areas of active conflict”.
Brigades loyal to the GNA said they had wrested back control of the disused international airport in southern Tripoli from the forces of eastern commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
His Libyan National Army launched an operation to take the capital last week and said 22 of its fighters had been killed.
The former international airport was destroyed during inter-factional fighting in 2014 and was being rebuilt.
GNA military spokesman Col Mohamed Gnounou said on Sunday Operation Volcano of Anger had been launched to "purge all Libyan cities of aggressor and illegitimate forces", referring to Field Marshal Haftar's fighters.
On Monday, EU foreign ministers gathered in Luxembourg to urge an end to hostilities but without proposing concrete steps.
British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt tweeted: “The UK is engaging all partners to send an unambiguous message on Libya.
"Consensus from European foreign ministers this morning: no military solution. The UN process must be supported.”
Mr Hunt said on Sunday night there was “no justification for the LNA move on Tripoli”.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said earlier that the united European message should be for “a full implementation of the humanitarian truce and to avoid any further military action and escalation, and a return to the political track”.
The LNA initially faced little resistance when entering the town of Gharyan, 80 kilometres to the south of the capital, last week but has struggled to advance further than the southern suburbs of Tripoli and the town of Zawiya to the west.
The GNA is largely protected by militias in the capital but has been reinforced by brigades from nearby battle-hardened cities in recent days.
The LNA says it wants to rid Tripoli of the armed groups, which it sometimes refers to as terrorists.
Field Marshal Haftar has steadily extended his control over eastern and southern Libya in recent years but the fighters in the north of the country provide a harder foe.
The LNA offensive has been widely condemned by the international community, with the UN failing to secure a two-hour humanitarian ceasefire on Sunday as both sides unleashed their war planes and heavy weapons.
"We have made it clear that we oppose the military offensive by Haftar's forces and urge an immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday.
"This unilateral military campaign against Tripoli is endangering civilians and undermining prospects for a better future for all Libyans."
Mr Pompeo stressed that there was "no military solution to the Libya conflict", and urged all parties to return to political negotiations mediated by the UN.
The US military also announced on Sunday that it had temporarily pulled troops out of Libya "in response to security conditions". It was the first admission that American soldiers were there.
Libya has been riven by chaos since the Nato-backed uprising in 2011 that killed dictator Muammar Qaddafi, as rival administrations and armed groups battle for power.
On Friday, the UN Security Council called on Field Marshal Haftar's force to halt its advance and warned that the offensive would further destabilise the country.
But on Sunday, Russia – a supporter of Field Marshal Haftar – blocked proposals for the council to adopt a formal statement, diplomats said, and instead insisted that all Libyan forces should be urged to stop fighting.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was visiting Libya ahead of a planned UN-backed national conference aimed at uniting Libyan rivals and paving the way for elections.
Ghassan Salame, who leads the UN Support Mission for Libya, insisted the conference in the south-western town of Ghadames would go ahead between April 14 and 16.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3
Producer: JAR Films
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi
Rating: 3 star
The%20specs
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BABYLON
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Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
Midfield - Angel di Maria (€47m); Adrien Rabiot (youth academy); Marco Verratti (€12m)
Forwards - Neymar (€222m); Edinson Cavani (€63m); Kylian Mbappe (initial: loan; to buy: €180m)
Total cost: €440.4m (€620.4m if Mbappe makes permanent move)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km