Author: Himalaya Post

TRIPOLI – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the continued violation of the UN-brokered cease-fire agreement in the Libyan capital Tripoli. “The secretary-general is alarmed by the increasing number of violations of the cease-fire agreement signed by armed groups in Tripoli … under the auspices of his Special Representative Ghassan Salame,” said a statement by the Secretary-General’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Guterres called on the warring parties to “respect the cease-fire and refrain from any actions that would increase the suffering of the civilian population,” the statement added. He also warned that violators of international humanitarian law and international human rights law “must be held responsible.” Earlier in the day, the Libyan Ministry of Health announced that fierce fighting in southern Tripoli on Friday killed 10 people and injured 59 others, including civilians. The death toll of the violence has increased to 106 since the beginning of the fighting on Aug. 26. Violent clashes continued in southern Tripoli between forces allied with the UN-backed government and the “7th Brigade” militia from the city of Tarhuna, some 80 km southeast of Tripoli. The Libyan government later on Friday called on the international community and the UN to “take more firm and effective practical actions to stop the war and protect civilians.” Earlier in September, the UN Support Mission in Libya brokered a cease-fire agreement between the warring parties. However, the agreement...

Riyadh [Saudi Arabia] – A woman from Saudi Arabia has created history by becoming the first female to deliver an evening news bulletin on television. Weam Al Dakheel, appearing alongside anchor Omar Al Nashwan, presented the news bulletin on the state-owned Saudi TV Channel 1, Khaleej Times reported. “Jumanah AlShami was the first women to present morning newscasts in 2016. Today history repeats itself as #WeamAlDakheel becomes the presenter of the main nightly newscast, setting a precedent in a historic first for Saudi TV 1,” Saudi TV said on its official Twitter channel. This comes as a part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform programme, which aims to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil and relax strict rules on gender restrictions. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman initiated the lifting of a number of restrictions since last year, particularly the ones on women, in a bid to open up the conservative kingdom country. Earlier this month, Riyadh-based carrier Flynas had announced that it would be recruiting Saudi women as co-pilots and flight attendants for the first time. In June, the Saudi government had lifted a longstanding ban on women driving. Prior to this, the kingdom country was the only nation where females were barred from getting behind the wheel of a car. In March, Saudi Arabia had organised its first-ever women’s run, marking a historical moment for...