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Libya: Bashagha Chairs First Meeting in Sebha

Libya's Fathi Bashagha (Reuters)
Libya's Fathi Bashagha (Reuters)
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Libya: Bashagha Chairs First Meeting in Sebha

Libya's Fathi Bashagha (Reuters)
Libya's Fathi Bashagha (Reuters)

The Libyan government, chaired by Fathi Bashagha, held its first official meeting in the southern city of Sebha after failing to enter the capital, Tripoli.

At the onset of the meeting, Bashagha said that the assembly was conducted in Sebha to ensure that the government is for all Libyans and regions.

Bashagha stated that Libya is not to be seized by a particular person, government, or family that believes it can buy the country with the money of the Libyans, in reference to his rival Abdulhamid Dbeibeh.

"The era of corruption, chaos, and despotism is gone. Today marks the beginning of a new national era where all Libyans will unite to achieve reform, reconstruction, and justice," said Bashagha.

Before the Sebha meeting, Bashagha pledged more than once to enter Tripoli and exercise his governmental duties from within.

The government renewed its commitment to pursuing the "peaceful option" to assume its duties in the capital.

Meanwhile, the official Tunisian news agency (TAP) quoted a brief statement from the Department of Information and Communication in the Dbeibeh government denying any tensions in the relations with Tunisia.

TAP asserted that Dbeibeh's recent meeting with the Tunisian ambassador in Tripoli was fraternal and cordial, addressing ways to enhance cooperation in various fields, contrary to what is being promoted.

Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Libya Richard Norland and Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Eric Meyer discussed with the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Governor the joint efforts to enhance transparency at the CBL, especially in public spending.

Norland underlined that "The US shares Libyan concerns that funds can be diverted to support partisan political purposes or undermine Libya's peace and security."

The Ambassador and Meyer urged the CBL to safeguard Libya's oil revenue from misappropriation to rebuild confidence in the institution and contribute to stability.

The participants in the call jointly reaffirmed that it is critical to provide financial support for the National Oil Corporation's operations, even as discussions continue to reach broad agreement on other government expenditures.

Norland also expressed concern about half of Libya's oil production shutdown.

"Forced, prolonged disruptions to oil production create adverse conditions for the Libyan people, including power outages, water supply issues, fuel shortages, and damage to oil infrastructure, threatening the future of Libya's energy sector and its ability to continue generating revenue for the benefit of the people," said Norland.

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Arab World

Colombia Recognizes Israeli Claim Over the Golan Heights

Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech at the Pichincha Battalion after swearing in, in Cali, Colombia, on August 7, 2026. (AFP)
Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech at the Pichincha Battalion after swearing in, in Cali, Colombia, on August 7, 2026. (AFP)
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Colombia Recognizes Israeli Claim Over the Golan Heights

Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech at the Pichincha Battalion after swearing in, in Cali, Colombia, on August 7, 2026. (AFP)
Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech at the Pichincha Battalion after swearing in, in Cali, Colombia, on August 7, 2026. (AFP)

Colombia's newly appointed hard-right government on Monday recognized Israel's claim over the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in 1967.

The United States was until now the only country to recognize Israel's annexation of the territory in 1981.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella took power on Friday, following a bombastic campaign during which he promised tight relations with the US and Israel as a way to combat armed groups in his own country.

His foreign ministry announced recognition of Israel's claim on the same day that a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia, killing at least 111 people and injuring dozens more.

"The Government of Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as that State's right to protect itself against external threats," read a statement published on X.

"Colombia recognizes that maintaining Israel's control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights is an essential component of its national defense," it added.

The United Nations maintains that the plateau is Syrian territory under Israeli military occupation.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar thanked his "good friend" De la Espriella for the recognition.

The pair had agreed on the move in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, he said, one day before De la Espriella's inauguration.

"Defensible borders are essential to guarantee the continued existence of the Jewish people in our historic homeland," Saar, who attended the swearing-in, posted on X.

Last month, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres reiterated that the Golan Heights were part of Syria, describing Israeli occupation as "totally unacceptable."

De la Espriella's leftist predecessor Gustavo Petro had ardently criticized Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, severing diplomatic relations and halting Israeli arms imports into Colombia.

The US-backed millionaire now in office has promised to restore ties.

Last month, he said he planned to open a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem, which Israel regards as its capital, including the occupied Palestinian part.

This is not recognized internationally, however, and most countries conduct their diplomatic missions from Tel Aviv.

Arab World

Return of Displaced Syrian Kurds to Hometown Suspended After Violence

Onlookers take pictures of Syrian Kurds, who were living in displacement camps in the city of Hasakeh, heading back to the northeastern border town of Ras al-Ain on August 10, 2026. (AFP)
Onlookers take pictures of Syrian Kurds, who were living in displacement camps in the city of Hasakeh, heading back to the northeastern border town of Ras al-Ain on August 10, 2026. (AFP)
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Return of Displaced Syrian Kurds to Hometown Suspended After Violence

Onlookers take pictures of Syrian Kurds, who were living in displacement camps in the city of Hasakeh, heading back to the northeastern border town of Ras al-Ain on August 10, 2026. (AFP)
Onlookers take pictures of Syrian Kurds, who were living in displacement camps in the city of Hasakeh, heading back to the northeastern border town of Ras al-Ain on August 10, 2026. (AFP)

The return of displaced Syrian Kurds to their northeastern hometown of Ras al-Ain was suspended on Monday after a first group of returnees was attacked, prompting protests in other Kurdish-majority parts of Syria.

Hundreds of people had gone back to the town on Monday, months after a January agreement with the Syrian government on merging Kurdish forces and civil institutions into the state that included provisions for the return of displaced Kurds.

Jawan Isso, from a committee representing displaced people from Ras al-Ain, told AFP that a "first batch" of around 2,500 people were headed home but were later attacked by "armed groups".

Mahmud Khalil Ali, deputy head of security forces in Syria's Hasakeh province where Ras al-Ain is located, said several of those involved in the attacks were arrested, but return trips were "temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of residents".

"These trips will resume as soon as the situation stabilizes and full protection is provided for the returnees."

A second batch of Kurds was supposed to head to the town in the coming days, according to Isso.

Tens of thousands of Kurds were uprooted when Türkiye and allied Syrian fighters seized an Arab-majority strip of territory along the Turkish border, including Ras al-Ain, from Kurdish control in 2019 during Syria's civil war.

The attacks on Monday sparked a demonstration in nearby Kurdish-majority Qamishli, where an AFP correspondent saw angry protesters try to break into the security forces' headquarters, with Syrian officers pushing them back.

In Kobane, a Kurdish-majority town in the north, Syrian state television said people attacked government offices and took down the Syrian flag in front of the local security forces headquarters.

Quoting a security source, state television then said authorities imposed a curfew on Kobane while looking for the perpetrators.

"We condemn the assault to which the displaced Kurdish families were subjected during their return," Mazloum Abdi, leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces who signed the January deal with Damascus, said on X.

"We understand the angry reactions in the Kurdish street in response to this assault, and at the same time, we call on our people to exercise self-restraint, refrain from being drawn into any irresponsible acts, and preserve our civil and security institutions," he added.

Ahmad al-Hilali, deputy governor of Hasakeh condemned both the attacks on returnees and on state institutions in other areas like the multiethnic Hasakeh city.

"A number of rioters have already been arrested in several areas," he added, vowing that there will be "no leniency" towards those who threaten "civil peace".

- 'Waiting for this moment' -

Earlier in the day, an AFP correspondent saw dozens of trucks loaded with furniture and other belongings waiting to set off from near the city of Hasakeh, with men, women and children eager to depart.

"I've been waiting for this moment... It's like a dream for a person to return to their home," said returnee Nora Khodor, 37.

Isso said that around 100,000 people from the Ras al-Ain area had applied to return.

Human rights groups say residents' homes and belongings there were seized or looted after the offensive.

Some of the fighters subsequently settled in the area with their families, with some reportedly still living in the formerly ethnically mixed region, known as Sari Kani in Kurdish.

Türkiye launched successive cross-border offensives against Kurdish-led forces in the country's north before Syria's new authorities ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Since then, the authorities have been extending central government control across the country, including formerly Kurdish-held areas.

"We are very happy about returning," said Rawda Mohammed, 39, before the violence erupted.

"I asked about my home. They told me it is totally destroyed, but we did not get pessimistic because we're happy to return, and when we get there we'll see what we can do."

Some 5.5 million people remain internally displaced in Syria following the more than 13-year civil war, according to the United Nations.

Arab World

Car Bomb Kills Eastern Libyan Military Intelligence Chief

A photo of the bombing circulated by Libyan media.
A photo of the bombing circulated by Libyan media.
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Car Bomb Kills Eastern Libyan Military Intelligence Chief

A photo of the bombing circulated by Libyan media.
A photo of the bombing circulated by Libyan media.

The head of military intelligence for eastern Libya's Libyan National Army was killed on Monday when an explosive device detonated in his car outside his home in the Hawari area of Benghazi, two security sources told Reuters.

Brigadier Fowzi Mansouri ‌was killed ‌in the evening ‌blast, the ⁠sources said, speaking ⁠on condition of anonymity.

They did not say who was responsible for the attack or provide further details on the device.

The killing ⁠highlights continuing security challenges ‌in Libya, where ‌rival administrations and armed groups ‌have retained influence despite a 2020 ‌ceasefire that halted major warfare.

Libya split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions after ‌a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime ruler Maammar al-Gaddafi.

The ⁠Libyan ⁠National Army, led by commander Khalifa Haftar, controls much of eastern and southern Libya. It is aligned with authorities based in Benghazi, while the Government of National Unity is based in the capital Tripoli and controls much of the west.