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Bashagha Makes Arrangements to Assume Office in Tripoli

Fathi Bashagha, designated as prime minister by the parliament, delivers a speech at Mitiga International Airport, in Tripoli, Libya February 10, 2022. Picture taken February 10, 2022. (Reuters)
Fathi Bashagha, designated as prime minister by the parliament, delivers a speech at Mitiga International Airport, in Tripoli, Libya February 10, 2022. Picture taken February 10, 2022. (Reuters)
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Bashagha Makes Arrangements to Assume Office in Tripoli

Fathi Bashagha, designated as prime minister by the parliament, delivers a speech at Mitiga International Airport, in Tripoli, Libya February 10, 2022. Picture taken February 10, 2022. (Reuters)
Fathi Bashagha, designated as prime minister by the parliament, delivers a speech at Mitiga International Airport, in Tripoli, Libya February 10, 2022. Picture taken February 10, 2022. (Reuters)

Libya’s Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha has said he is making arrangements to assume office in the capital Tripoli. He also called on state bodies to stop obeying the Government of National Unity (GNU).

He ordered all heads of public departments and bodies not to arrange financial or contractual obligations on behalf of the Libyan state.

The Minister of Interior in Bashagha’s government, Major General Essam Abu Zariba, underscored the need to follow his instructions and orders and called for raising the level of preparedness, securing state headquarters, institutions and vital facilities, and preventing any breaches that affect the security of the capital and the safety of Libyans.

Abu Zariba said the ministry is finalizing all arrangements for the government to start its work from the capital to ensure the peaceful transfer of power and maintain security and stability.

Meanwhile, head of the GNU Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah has vowed not to cede power before holding elections.

During a meeting with various heads of diplomatic missions in Tripoli on Tuesday, Dbeibah said he respects people’s will to hold elections as soon as possible.

He further reviewed the government’s plan to restore people’s trust.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland said his country maintains contacts with Libyan conflicting parties to ensure calm and avoid escalation.

“In the context of ongoing political tensions in Libya, I have been in touch with PM Dbeibah and PM-designate Fathi Bashagha and am confident both leaders want to avoid escalating violence,” he disclosed via the US Embassy Twitter account.

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Arab World

Indonesia Says No to $1bn Fee for Trump's 'Board of Peace' Seat

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. (Reuters)
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. (Reuters)
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Indonesia Says No to $1bn Fee for Trump's 'Board of Peace' Seat

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. (Reuters)
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. (Reuters)

Indonesia's president, under fire at home for signing up to US counterpart Donald Trump's so-called "Board of Peace", has insisted his country would not pay the $1 billion joining fee for permanent membership.

Jakarta had only committed peacekeeping troops for the initiative, Prabowo Subianto said in a statement published on the presidential YouTube channel Sunday, AFP reported.

The "Board of Peace" came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of devastating war in Gaza.

Countries that want to be permanent members must pay $1 billion -- sparking criticism the board could become a "pay-to-play" version of the UN Security Council.

Prabowo, a former general, has come under criticism from Indonesian Muslim groups for joining the board and pledging to send 8,000 peacekeeping troops to Gaza.

Prabowo attended the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" in Washington last month.

But he later said he would withdraw from the board if it does not bring benefits to Palestinians or align with Indonesia's national interests.

"We never said that we wanted to contribute $1 billion," Prabowo said in statements broadcast on his YouTube channel Sunday.

He said he did not make any financial commitments "at all".

Prabowo signed a tariff deal with the US last month, but insisted Sunday that Indonesia could withdraw from any agreement if its conditions or execution threatens the national interest.

Talks with Washington about any peacekeeping mission to Gaza have been put "on hold", according to state news agency Antara, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela.

Arab World

Sharaa Receives Kurdish Delegation for Eid, Nowruz: Cultural Diversity Source of Syria’s Strength

A group photo during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s reception in Damascus of a Kurdish delegation marking Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz. (Syrian Presidency)
A group photo during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s reception in Damascus of a Kurdish delegation marking Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz. (Syrian Presidency)
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Sharaa Receives Kurdish Delegation for Eid, Nowruz: Cultural Diversity Source of Syria’s Strength

A group photo during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s reception in Damascus of a Kurdish delegation marking Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz. (Syrian Presidency)
A group photo during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s reception in Damascus of a Kurdish delegation marking Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz. (Syrian Presidency)

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa received in Damascus on Saturday a Kurdish delegation on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz. The event was attended by the governors of Aleppo, Raqqa and Hasakeh, as well as a presidential envoy overseeing the implementation of a January 29 agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Sharaa said Nowruz was a “national holiday” reflecting the identity of Syria’s Kurdish community, while stressing that “the Syrian people are one.”

He said guaranteeing Kurdish rights was a fundamental principle and described Syria’s cultural diversity as a source of strength, according to state news agency SANA.

Participants welcomed a 2026 presidential decree granting rights to Kurds, stressing the importance of national unity, partnership and restricting weapons to state control.

It was the first time Nowruz has been celebrated as an official national holiday in Syria.

Kurdish academic and independent politician Farid Saadoun told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sharaa announced plans to allocate up to $1 billion to rebuild infrastructure in northern Syria.

The meeting, coordinated by authorities in Hasakeh, lasted about 90 minutes and included between 50 and 60 Kurdish figures, including representatives of the Kurdish National Council, independents, academics and civil society figures.

Saadoun said the delegation represented Kurds from across Syria, including Kobani, Afrin and Damascus, but noted that the Democratic Union Party (PYD) did not attend despite being invited.

He described the meeting as “historic,” saying it was the first time a Syrian president had received a Kurdish delegation to exchange greetings for Eid and Nowruz.

According to Saadoun, Sharaa said Syria was entering a “new phase,” declaring that “the past has ended” and calling on Syrians to unite to rebuild the country.

He emphasized Kurdish rights to “dignity, freedom and participation” after years of marginalization under the previous government, adding that Kurds would have a role in state institutions.

Sharaa said the government would focus on rebuilding infrastructure in the north, improving education and reinstating dismissed public employees.

On the January 29 agreement with the SDF, Saadoun said the president reaffirmed his commitment to its implementation, aimed at stabilizing the country and restoring services.

“We are moving steadily toward integration and delivering services to the people,” Sharaa was quoted as saying.

Mahmoud Khalil, deputy head of internal security in Hasakeh, said he attended the event alongside local officials. He said discussions also covered detainees and the return of displaced people to Afrin and Ras al-Ain.

Khalil said a special committee had been formed on Sharaa’s instructions to follow up on these issues and support stability efforts.

Arab World

Opposition to Beirut Displacement Center Rises over Security, Sectarian Concerns

The site of a displacement shelter under construction in the Karantina area near Beirut port (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The site of a displacement shelter under construction in the Karantina area near Beirut port (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Opposition to Beirut Displacement Center Rises over Security, Sectarian Concerns

The site of a displacement shelter under construction in the Karantina area near Beirut port (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The site of a displacement shelter under construction in the Karantina area near Beirut port (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Security and sectarian concerns are fueling opposition in Lebanon to plans for a displacement center in central Beirut, as ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah drives new waves of displaced people.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has called for tighter security measures, amid growing political and public debate over establishing shelters for those displaced, most recently in the Karantina area near Beirut port.

At a security meeting at the Grand Serail, Salam stressed “the need to intensify security measures across Lebanon, particularly in Beirut, to safeguard citizens and their property,” citing developments in the south and the resulting displacement and security challenges.

A government decision to set up the displacement center in Karantina has triggered controversy, with several lawmakers urging it be scrapped on security and political grounds.

Although about 70 percent of the facility had been completed shortly after work began, informed sources said construction has been temporarily halted pending further review, without ruling out cancelling the project altogether. Funding is provided by international organizations and civil society groups.

Sources said the dispute reflects both political and sectarian sensitivities, while acknowledging that some concerns are legitimate. They added that security forces and the Lebanese Red Cross would oversee the center, with detailed registries of residents to ensure control.

The facility is intended to house around 800 people, particularly families unwilling to relocate to northern Lebanon or Mount Lebanon, preferring to remain in Beirut near their homes.

The suspension followed criticism from several political figures. MP Nicolas Sehnaoui of the Free Patriotic Movement described the project as “wrong in every sense,” calling for alternative solutions.

Lebanese Forces MP Razi Hage warned against turning the Karantina-port area into “a security and social hotspot under the pretext of a displacement center,” adding that temporary measures often become permanent.

For his part, Independent MP Waddah Sadek warned Beirut risked fragmenting into “security zones” and areas lacking oversight, while MP Fouad Makhzoumi urged the government to reconsider plans for large shelters in Karantina and Martyrs’ Square.

“While we fully recognize the humanitarian dimension, we respectfully urge reconsideration,” he said, warning of security and organizational repercussions.

The debate comes after Israeli strikes targeted areas previously considered relatively safe. Israel said it had targeted members of Hezbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in Aramoun in Mount Lebanon and areas near central Beirut.

The strikes have heightened concerns among residents in host communities, complicating efforts to respond to the growing displacement crisis.