CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2023) Libyan Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed Menfi and Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar held a meeting in Cairo, an advisor to the Presidential Council chairman told Sputnik. Earlier, a number of Libyan media, citing a source, reported a meeting in Cairo on Monday between the LNA commander and the head of the Presidential Council. According to media reports, the meeting discussed the settlement of the intra-Libyan crisis. "I do confirm that they are in Cairo and held a meeting," the advisor said, without providing details of the talks. According to a Sputnik source close to Menfi, Libyan politicians "will continue their meetings in Cairo on Tuesday in the presence of Egyptian officials."

The Ministry of Finance of the Government of National Unity (GNU) said that the state’s revenues for the past year amounted to more than 134.4 billion dinars, and the total expenditures for the same year exceeded 127 billion and 800 million dinars. In its disclosure and transparency report, the Ministry of Finance clarified that the temporary financial arrangements allocated to the National Oil Corporation (NOC) amounted to more than 34 billion and 200 million dinars. The Ministry also said that spending on salaries exceeded 47 billion and 100 million dinars, while steering expenses amounted to more than 8 billion and 900 million dinars. It indicated that the subsidies' section amounted to more than 20 billion dinars, while the expenses of the projects and support programs amounted to more than 17.4 billion dinars.

The trial of the two men accused of killing 20-year old Sion Grech has begun. Mr. Justice Aaron Bugeja is presiding over the jury of Ismael Habesh, 51 from Libya and Faical Mahouachi, 55, from Tunisia, who are both on trial for the 2005 murder, which took place in Marsa. Grech, a transgender woman whose birthname was Simon, had been found in a field two weeks after her disappearance in April that year. Lawyers Edward Gatt and Ishmael Psaila are defence counsel to Habesh, while lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace is defending Mahouachi. The name of the victim has been changed to refer to the correct name

European and Middle Eastern governments have exploited the Libyan conflict to advance narrow self-interests — often at the expense of the Libyan people. Still, the U.N. mission has notched several notable achievements since its 2011 establishment, including the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement (2015) and the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (2020). For the United States, the political upheaval in Libya was occurring in Europe’s backyard and therefore primarily Europe's responsibility to resolve. UNSMIL’s mandate now reflects the need to achieve a cease-fire and limit the proliferation of arms and materiel. Encouraging the United States to take a tougher stance with respect to the UAE and Egypt in particular would be meaningful.

Apple will likely announce its anticipated mixed reality (MR) device in the spring of this year, ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, reports show. Power On: Apple is planning to debut the Reality Pro mixed-reality headset this spring, ahead of WWDC, and ship it later in the year. Up until fairly recently, Apple had aimed to introduce the headset in January 2023 and ship it later this year. Jeff Pu, Haitong International Tech Research analyst, explained that Apple could push back the headset up to 2026. The new device is an “all-in-one XR headset” with a lightweight form factor and diopter dial-based inter-pupillary distance (IPD) adjustment.

The General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, met today in Cairo with Chairman of the Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi, according to multiple press reports. Haftar and Al-Menfi reportedly discussed deescalation efforts between Libya’s political parties. This is the second meeting between both leaders. The two first met in February of 2021 in Benghazi.

The secretary general of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, underlined the continued support for all efforts aimed at stabilizing Libya and putting an end to the state of division that the North African country has been experiencing for years. Aboul Gheit said in a recorded message for the opening of the preparatory forum for the National Reconciliation Conference, held yesterday in Tripoli, that the Libyan parties should sit at the same table for the good of the country, resolve all outstanding issues and provide a clear vision for Libya’s future. The secretary general of the Arab League hoped that this “preparatory forum will restore hope that our Libyan brothers will take the initiative to stabilize their country and bring it to the elections that the people want”.

(AP) — Bernard Kalb, a former television reporter for CBS and NBC who quit his job as a State Department spokesman to protest a U.S. government disinformation campaign against Libya, died Sunday. (AP) — Bernard Kalb, a former television reporter for CBS and NBC who quit his job as a State Department spokesman to protest a U.S. government disinformation campaign against Libya, died Sunday. “Anything that hurts America’s credibility, hurts America.”New York Times columnist William Safire praised the resignation. “In his final official act, Bernard Kalb rose above ‘State Department spokesman’ to become the spokesman for all Americans who respect and demand the truth,” Safire wrote. At CBS Marvin and Bernard were known as “The Kalbs,” but Bernard lived somewhat in the shadow of his younger brother.

A military force halted the municipal elections in the desert town of Zella, southwest Libya, on Saturday, the Central Committee for Municipal Council Elections (CCMCE) has said. In a press briefing, representatives of the committee said they have been preparing for these elections for months. The Ministries of Local Government and the Interior had begun an investigation into the incident to reveal those behind the act, the committee's officials told the reporters. As for the municipal elections in Khums city, the participation rate reached 72%, according to the CCMCE, which considered the turnout excellent compared with other municipal elections in the country. They called on voters to show responsibility and cooperate with the staff in order to make the elections a success, away from regionalism.

President of the Libyan Presidential Council (LPC), Mohamed al-Menfi, said Sunday that ignoring reconciliation and power-sharing has only made the situation in the Libya more complicated. “The solution to the Libyan crisis lies in restoring the spirit of the homeland, reparation for damage, and a return to wisdom,” al-Menfi pointed out in his speech during the launch of the preparatory meeting for the National Reconciliation Conference. He stated that LPC stands at the same distance from all parties, and was not a party to the struggle for power in Libya. Al-Menfi stressed the need to put pressure on all political institutions in the country to reach national reconciliation. The preparatory meeting for the National Reconciliation Conference, organized by the Presidential Council, was held Sunday with the participation of representatives of the various parties to the political process, and participants from various Libyan cities.

Libya’s Ministry of Labour and Rehabilitation signed an MoU with French NGO Supernovae in Tripoli last Thursday to rehabilitate and empower conflict affected youth. Adel Ali Al-Aqbi, Director of the International Cooperation Department signed for the Ministry while Raif Wafa, Director of the Libya Office signed for Supernovae. The signing of the MoU comes in order to strengthen the strategic cooperation between the Supernovae and the Ministry of Labour and Rehabilitation regarding support, training, rehabilitation and integration of youth affected by the conflict. According to the MoU, support and training will be provided to 100 labour inspectors to activate the oversight role of the Libyan Ministry of Labour and help them settle the conditions of expatriate workers in accordance with Libyan law. Moreover, 150 Libyan youth will be trained in entrepreneurship and vocational training, with 15 trainers trained for psychological support and 10 trainers trained as labour inspectors.

The Italian government has rejected a request from a ship run by Doctors Without Borders non-governmental organization (NGO) to assign a safe port closer to the place where it rescued 73 migrants, an NGO official said on Sunday. On Saturday Doctor Without Borders’ ship Geo Barents received permission from Rome to dock to Ancona port, which is in central Italy and on the country’s east coast, far away from Sicily where NGO boats normally disembarked rescued migrants. “The interior ministry rejected our request for a closer safe port for the disembarkation of the 73 survivors on board the Geo Barents. The ship is heading north,” Doctors Without Borders’ Mission Head Juan Matias Gil said in a message on Sunday. After rescuing migrants on a rubber dinghy offshore Libya, Geo Barents on Saturday asked for a closer port, adding it would take it more than three days to reach Ancona while weather conditions were deteriorating.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Unity announced Saturday the arrival of the body of the Libyan citizen, Abdel Monaem Al-Masry, at Mitiga Airport, on board a Libyan Airlines plane. Al-Masry was found dead in his apartment, after his friends lost contact with him for several days. The ministry revealed that the Libyan embassy in South Korea is closely following up with the relevant authorities all necessary procedures and measures to finalize investigations into the circumstances of his death. The ministry explained that the embassy stated that the final investigations report of the Korean Prosecution’s will be issued within a month.

CAIRO - 8 January 2023: Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid welcomed the outcome of a meeting between the Libyan House of Representatives and Libya's Higher Council of State, which was held on Thursday. The two sides agreed to refer the draft constitutional document for endorsement, with the aim of finalizing the procedures represented in encouraging the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections. In a press release, Abu Zeid praised the role of the Libyan House of Representatives and the Higher Council of State in carrying out their responsibilities. The spokesman, meanwhile, voiced hope that the two sides would complete the rest of their tasks in the upcoming period. Egypt has also communicated with politicians, military men and social powers without mediators and paved the way for all meetings with the aim of ending the conflict, Saleh stated.

France said it “fully supports” the United Nations in its call on House of Representatives and the High Council of State to finalize the constitutional basis for the elections after achieving a breakthrough during negotiations in Cairo last week. In a statement via Twitter on Sunday, the French embassy in Libya affirmed the need to reach a “Libyan-Libyan solution to resolve the political crisis through elections within a specific timeframe.”The U.N. Mission had urged the two Libyan chambers to “swiftly reach a complete and final agreement including on the contentious issues to finalize the steps required to take the country to inclusive national elections within a specific timeframe.”