Libyan delegates at UN-backed talks on Tuesday held the first round of voting for a three-member presidency council, part of a new transitional executive to govern the country until December elections.
It is part of a complex process hoped to guide the deeply divided country towards peace and build on a fragile ceasefire to end more than a decade of devastating conflict.
Oil-rich Libya has been torn by civil war since a Nato-backed uprising led to the removal and killing of long-time dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
The country has become a key corridor for migrants fleeing war and poverty in desperate bids to reach Europe.
The 75 participants at the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum near Geneva, who were chosen by the UN to represent a broad cross section of society, were shown on UN footage casting their ballots in three boxes, each representing a region.
But with none of the 24 candidates meeting the required threshold of 70 per cent of votes, elections moved to a second round.
The three council posts, a president and two vice presidents, will represent Tripolitania in the west, Cyrenaica in the east and Fezzan in the south.
The 24 candidates for the three posts gave campaign speeches on Monday by video, with many calling for reconciliation and the withdrawal of the estimated 20,000 foreign troops and mercenaries in Libya.
The UN said the future transitional council would have the job of "reuniting state institutions and ensuring security" until elections that are set for December.
Control of the country is now split between the Government of National Accord in Tripoli and its rival, the House of Representatives in the eastern city of Tobruk.
The Tobruk administration is backed by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, which launched an offensive to seize the capital in 2019.
A fragile ceasefire agreed on in Geneva in October has largely held.
The Speaker of the Tobruk Parliament, Aguila Saleh, took nine votes on Tuesday to become the leading eastern candidate.
The top western candidate was Khaled El Mechri, who leads the High State Council aligned with the GNA, with eight votes.
From the south, Abdel Majid El Nasser, Libya's ambassador to Morocco who is descended from a long line of influential tribal leaders in Fezzan, took six votes.
But with none of the top three meeting the threshold, the next round of voting will be based on a list-based system, the UN announced.
"It is going to be complicated," Claudia Gazzini, from the International Crisis Group think tank, said on Twitter.
"Much can still go wrong. But it is uplifting to see candidates delivering political speeches, rather than making hate-filled declarations of war."
Delegates have until Friday to choose from 21 candidates vying for the post of prime minister.
GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, a heavyweight in local politics, is a favourite for the job.
The political talks began in mid-November in Tunisia, where the 75 delegates were given the job of laying out a roadmap towards elections.
In mid-November, they agreed to organise "national" elections on December 24, 2021.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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Norway
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Canada
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
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Gothia Cup 2025
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26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
