Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, second left, meets with Libyan leaders Mohamed Al Menfi, right, Mohamed Takala, second right, and Aguila Saleh in Cairo. AP Photo
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, second left, meets with Libyan leaders Mohamed Al Menfi, right, Mohamed Takala, second right, and Aguila Saleh in Cairo. AP Photo
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, second left, meets with Libyan leaders Mohamed Al Menfi, right, Mohamed Takala, second right, and Aguila Saleh in Cairo. AP Photo
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, second left, meets with Libyan leaders Mohamed Al Menfi, right, Mohamed Takala, second right, and Aguila Saleh in Cairo. AP Photo

Libyan leaders back unity government efforts after talks in Cairo


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The leaders of three Libyan political bodies agreed to work on forming a unity government in the divided country after talks in Cairo hosted by the Arab League.

A political process to resolve more than a decade of conflict in Libya has stalled since a UN-backed plan to hold elections in December 2021 collapsed amid disputes over electoral laws and the eligibility of the main candidates. The country remains divided between rival governments in the west in Tripoli and the east in Benghazi.

On Sunday, the chairman of the Presidential Council, Mohamed Al Menfi, the head of the High Council of State, Mohamed Takala, who are both based in Tripoli, and Aguila Saleh, speaker of the House of Representatives in Benghazi, said they agreed on the “necessity” of forming a unified government to supervise the delayed elections.

“The measures that were agreed upon today, we believe, are a very important beginning,” Mr Al Menfi said after the meeting, held at the invitation of Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

“They are results that live up to the ambition of Libyans to hold elections.”

Mr Al Menfi assumed his post in 2021 as part of the UN-backed process that appointed an interim Government of National Unity under Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to lead the country towards elections later that year.

The House of Representatives was elected in 2014, while the High Council of State was formed as part of a 2015 political agreement and drawn from a parliament elected in 2012, the year after dictator Muammar Qaddafi was overthrown in an uprising backed by western air strikes.

The House of Representatives no longer recognises the legitimacy of the GNU but Mr Dbeibah has vowed not to cede power to another government without national elections.

Saudi Arabia welcomed the outcome of the talks in Cairo to reach a political settlement in Libya, the kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

International diplomacy to resolve the conflict in Libya has focused on pushing for parliamentary and presidential elections to replace the House of Representatives, the High Council of State and the GNU.

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Based: Tunisia 
 
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No more lice

Defining head lice

Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.

Identifying lice

Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.

Treating lice at home

Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.

Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital

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Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.

Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.

"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."

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UK’s AI plan
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Updated: March 11, 2024, 10:47 AM