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Egyptian President Reiterates Importance of Holding Elections in Libya

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with the head of national unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with the head of national unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egyptian President Reiterates Importance of Holding Elections in Libya

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with the head of national unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with the head of national unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed the upcoming Libyan elections with the head of national unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, in Cairo.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly and Director of the General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel.

Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said that Sisi underscored the utmost priority to restoring stability in Libya.

He also stressed Cairo's firm position towards respecting Tripoli's sovereignty and territorial integrity and rejecting all forms of foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Libya.

Sisi confirmed the importance of strengthening the cohesion of Libya's national institutions and uniting its national army to protect the resources of the Libyan people and reinforce their free will.

The meeting touched on the latest developments in Libya. The President lauded the approval of the electoral law, saying it is an essential step in implementing the roadmap approved by the Libyans.

Sisi said Egypt is ready to help Libyans hold the elections based on cooperation, development, and respect for the values of good neighborliness.

He lauded the endeavors of Dbeibeh's government to improve the living conditions of Libyan citizens.

The President expressed confidence in the ability of the Libyan people to overcome all challenges they are facing toward the reconstruction of a robust modern state capable of reinforcing security and stability across the country.

For his part, Dbeibeh reiterated Libya's profound appreciation for Egypt's pivotal role under the wise leadership of Sisi to maintain peace and stability in Libya.

This comes in light of the historic and brotherly relations that bind the two countries, mainly supporting Libya's national institutions. It also addressed transferring Egyptian expertise in the reconstruction and development of Libya to fulfill the aspirations of the Libyan people for a secure and dignified life.

Dbeibeh said he looks forward to further advancing Egyptian-Libyan relations across all areas for the benefit of the two peoples and support Egyptian investments to implement various projects in Libya.

Madbouly met with his Libyan counterpart ahead of the High Joint Libyan-Egyptian Committee meetings in Cairo.

Speaking at the joint press conference, Dbeibeh said that Sisi asserted Egypt's support to Libyan people, adding that the delegation's visit to Cairo confirms Egypt's significant role in the region and the world.

Dbeibeh explained that the delegation includes several ministers to confirm Libya's seriousness in the projects implemented by Egyptian companies.

Madbouly announced that Cairo and Tripoli agreed on several projects to be implemented by Egypt.

He described the meeting as "historic" because it represents the resumption of relations between the two countries during the next phase, stressing that Egypt will continue to provide political and economic support to Libya.

He encouraged the Libyan side to invest in Egypt through the Libyan Investment Corporation and the Development Fund.

Madbouly and Dbeibeh witnessed the signing of several agreements and joint memoranda of understanding (MoU) by the relevant ministers in transportation, ports, oil, infrastructure, energy, health, education, housing, communications, agriculture, security cooperation, civil aviation, and sports.

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Arab World

Lebanon Judge Calls in Two Hezbollah Officials over Explosives Shipment

FILED - 17 April 2026, Lebanon, Jiyeh: FILE PHOTO - A displaced Lebanese woman flashes the victory sign and displays Hezbollah and Iranian flags as they drive along the highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon in the Jiyeh area. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
FILED - 17 April 2026, Lebanon, Jiyeh: FILE PHOTO - A displaced Lebanese woman flashes the victory sign and displays Hezbollah and Iranian flags as they drive along the highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon in the Jiyeh area. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
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Lebanon Judge Calls in Two Hezbollah Officials over Explosives Shipment

FILED - 17 April 2026, Lebanon, Jiyeh: FILE PHOTO - A displaced Lebanese woman flashes the victory sign and displays Hezbollah and Iranian flags as they drive along the highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon in the Jiyeh area. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
FILED - 17 April 2026, Lebanon, Jiyeh: FILE PHOTO - A displaced Lebanese woman flashes the victory sign and displays Hezbollah and Iranian flags as they drive along the highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon in the Jiyeh area. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa

A Lebanese judge on Tuesday ordered two Hezbollah officials to appear for questioning over their alleged involvement in a delivery of explosives seized by authorities this month, a judicial official told AFP.

Lebanese authorities had been carrying out investigations after arresting two suspected Hezbollah members accused of transporting half a tonne of explosives, which the Iran-backed group subsequently said were part of its "capabilities" to be used against Israel.

They were caught on October 8 at a security checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar in Lebanon's east in a vehicle headed towards Beirut, with a source telling AFP that one was the son of a Hezbollah official and the other was also a group member.

The judicial official, requesting anonymity, told AFP that the judge on Tuesday ordered two Hezbollah officials to appear for questioning "after initial investigations... established their identities".

Security agencies are working to locate them and take them into custody, the official added.

Last week, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the explosives belonged to the militant group, demanding the shipment be returned and calling for those arrested to be released, in a rare admission by the group.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently urged Lebanon not to return the explosives.

Lebanese authorities have announced the seizure of three large shipments of explosives this month alone.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has vowed that authorities "will deal with weapons outside the legal framework with the required firmness".

President Joseph Aoun on Saturday said the army and security forces were "implementing the government's decisions on extending the state's authority... and confiscating weapons and ammunition".

"Violators are referred to the judiciary, which carries out its duties fully in applying the law and the political authorities' decisions," he added.

Lebanese authorities last year committed to disarming Hezbollah after months of cross-border hostilities culminated in a 2024 war between the group and Israel.

But Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war this year by attacking Israel, which responded with heavy strikes and a ground invasion.

In June, Lebanese and Israeli authorities signed a framework agreement which involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from territories it occupies, and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the area.

Hezbollah, the only militant group that refused to disarm after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, has rejected surrendering its weapons and the direct negotiations with Israel.

Arab World

Shabwa Deputy Governor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Supplied Terrorist Groups with Drone Technology

Shabwa Deputy Governor Fahd Al-Khulaifi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Shabwa Deputy Governor Fahd Al-Khulaifi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Shabwa Deputy Governor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Supplied Terrorist Groups with Drone Technology

Shabwa Deputy Governor Fahd Al-Khulaifi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Shabwa Deputy Governor Fahd Al-Khulaifi (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Fahd Al-Khulaifi, First Deputy Governor of Yemen's Shabwa province, warned that the Houthi group has supplied some terrorist organizations with drone technology as part of what he described as ongoing cooperation between the two sides.

His remarks came after a Houthi missile attack on Monday targeted the Martyr Ahmed Al-Sulaimani Training Center on the outskirts of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa province in southeastern Yemen.

Local authorities reported that the facility was struck by three ballistic missiles while newly recruited internal security personnel were undergoing training, leaving more than 70 people dead and over 200 wounded.

In exclusive remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Khulaifi said Houthi attacks would not break the resilience of Shabwa's residents but would instead strengthen their determination to confront the group.

He said local authorities possess information confirming cooperation between the Houthis and terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS, noting that the Houthis had enabled some of these groups to acquire drone technology.

According to Al-Khulaifi, this cooperation is evident in attacks targeting security forces, the Shabwa Defense Forces and the Nation's Shield Forces as they pass through the province en route to other governorates.

Local authorities announced that those killed would be officially recognized as having died in the line of duty, with their salaries permanently allocated to their families. They also pledged to safeguard the rights and financial entitlements of the wounded and ensure payment without delay, while mobilizing the necessary resources to provide medical care.

Al-Khulaifi said the dead and wounded were newly recruited members of the province's police and security agencies.

He noted that Shabwa Governor Awad bin Al-Wazir had revealed that local authorities possess evidence of cooperation between the Houthis and other terrorist organizations.

Al-Khulaifi added that such coordination had intensified recently and was being monitored by security agencies.

He said the Houthis and terrorist organizations were carrying out direct attacks and planting explosive devices and booby traps along roads and at locations used by security forces and the Shabwa Defense Forces.

He added that their cooperation had expanded to include the use of drones after the Houthis provided some of these organizations with the necessary technology.

Al-Khulaifi stressed that such terrorist acts would not undermine the determination of Shabwa's residents to confront the Houthis.

He called on the Arab Coalition to support the front lines with advanced weapons capable of countering Houthi military capabilities, particularly drones, and to provide ground-based air defense systems to intercept ballistic missiles.

Shabwa's local authorities held the Iran-backed Houthi group fully responsible for the attack and the resulting casualties, describing the targeting of recruits during training as an extremely serious military escalation.

They also called for urgent measures to protect military and security facilities and their personnel.

Meanwhile, Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi was briefed on developments following the attack during a telephone call with Shabwa Governor Awad bin Al-Wazir.

Al-Alimi instructed the relevant authorities to provide necessary medical treatment to the wounded, care for the families of those killed, complete procedures to settle their entitlements and ensure payment of their salaries, and take the necessary measures to respond firmly to the sources of the attack.

He said the targeting of recruits reflected what he described as the Houthis' tendency to resort to attacks whenever they faced pressure or setbacks in plans backed by the Iranian regime.

Al-Alimi stressed that such attacks would not deter the state from fulfilling its responsibilities to protect citizens and restore national institutions.

He also vowed that the victims' deaths would not go unanswered, emphasizing that caring for their families and honoring their sacrifices was a national responsibility.

Arab World

Drone Strike in Disputed Sudan-South Sudan Area Kills Dozens, Minister Says

A person wounded in a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan is carried to Ameth Bek hospital, October 20, 2026. (Reuters/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout)
A person wounded in a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan is carried to Ameth Bek hospital, October 20, 2026. (Reuters/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout)
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Drone Strike in Disputed Sudan-South Sudan Area Kills Dozens, Minister Says

A person wounded in a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan is carried to Ameth Bek hospital, October 20, 2026. (Reuters/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout)
A person wounded in a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan is carried to Ameth Bek hospital, October 20, 2026. (Reuters/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout)

At least 73 people were killed when drones struck a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border of South Sudan and Sudan, the caretaker information minister for the jointly administered region said on Tuesday, accusing Sudan's army of carrying out the attack.

The minister did not provide evidence for his claim of who was responsible for Monday's attack.

Abyei is an oil-rich area that is jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, which have both staked claims to it. It experiences frequent bouts of ‌violence, with clashes ‌usually involving rival ethnic groups or armed militias.

"Around ‌73 ⁠people have been ⁠killed and 19 have been wounded ... a number of drones were shot yesterday by the Sudanese armed forces," Yohana Akol Ngor, the caretaker minister of information of the Abyei region, told Reuters on Tuesday.

Last year, at least six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in a drone attack by separatist armed ⁠groups on a UN base in Abyei, Bangladesh's ‌armed forces said.

South Sudan's foreign ‌ministry said in a statement late Monday that drones struck a market ‌located north of Abyei town, but did not specify the ‌number of civilian casualties resulting from the attack.

The ministry said it had summoned the Sudanese ambassador to convey the government's "strong protest and deep concern regarding the attack and its implications for the security of civilians and ‌the stability of the Abyei Area."

The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said in a statement that ⁠it was ⁠treating more than 20 wounded people at the nearby Ameth Bek Hospital.

"So far we received over 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns were also admitted. We are providing surgical services and wound dressing, along with other emergency care," said Christian Lindauer, MSF medical activities manager at Ameth Bek Hospital.

Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has devastated large parts of the country and created what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.