In his swan song to Libyans, UN envoy Jan Kubis has urged voters in upcoming elections to choose the candidate that will bring unity and justice to a country marred by a decade of chaos and insecurity.
Mr Kubis steps down as UN envoy to Libya this week after less than a year on the job and before a key presidential vote on December 24 that has faced fierce legal rows and an ever-expanding pool of candidates.
The UN envoy’s departure and divisions in the UN Security Council over appointing a successor have strained an already ailing effort to restore peace and stability to the turbulent North African country.
“I appeal to all Libyans to go and vote for candidates that can guarantee unity, stability and sovereignty based on national reconciliation, justice, accountability, democracy, rule of law and good governance,” Mr Kubis said on Wednesday.
The vote is a chance for Libyans to turn the page on “division, disunity, paralysis and dysfunctional institutions” and free it from the grip of “foreign interference”, added the Slovak diplomat.
Mr Kubis said he was leaving for "professional and personal reasons". The envoy, who has been based in Geneva, previously said the job should be carried out by somebody based in Libya’s capital Tripoli, and that he resigned to “to create conditions for this”.
Dozens of candidates have put their names forward, including Saif Al Islam Qaddafi — son of the country’s former leader and wanted by the International Criminal Court — and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, leader of the eastern-based Libyan National Army who is being sued in the US over civilian deaths.
Other hopefuls include Aref Nayed, a former Libyan ambassador to the UAE, businessman and head of the liberal Ihya Libya party, former interior minister Fathi Bashaghaf, and interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
Libya's electoral commission has not yet released a final list of candidates for the race following a fractious process of court appeals over the eligibility of the 98 who have registered to run.
The rows exposed deep differences over the basis for an electoral process that has already diverged from the election road map backed by the UN and major world powers.
The road map envisaged the election as a way to forge consensus over the legitimacy of Libya's rival political bodies, which emerged amid the chaotic fallout of the 2011 revolution that toppled dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
Libya’s High Council of State on Wednesday called for the presidential election to be delayed until February amid growing jostling over the rules and the legal basis of a vote.
The council's advisory body was installed through a 2015 peace agreement. The extent of its powers has been a cause for debate and it is not recognised by all the entities in Libya's complex, fractured political environment.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday appointed US diplomat Stephanie Williams to lead mediation efforts in Libya after Mr Kubis's departure. She was, however, named a special adviser, not an envoy — a designation that did not require approval from the divided Security Council.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
