GENEVA: Two senior Libyan officials began two days of talks Tuesday on constitutional arrangements for elections, the latest UN effort to bridge gaps between the country’s rivals.
Aguila Saleh, the influential speaker of the country’s east-based parliament, and Khaled Al-Meshri, head of the government’s Supreme Council of State, based in the west, in the capital of Tripoli, met at the UN headquarters in Geneva.
According to the United Nations, the talks will focus on a draft constitutional framework for elections after Libya’s rival factions failed to reach an agreement in their last round of talks in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
Stephanie Williams, the UN special adviser on Libya, said they would discuss “timelines, modalities and milestones to guarantee a clear path to the holding of national elections as soon possible.”
“It is now the time to make a final and courageous effort to ensure that this historic compromise takes place, for the sake of Libya, the Libyan people and the credibility of its institutions,” she said.
The criteria for a presidential candidacy were a contentious point in the talks, according to Libyan media. The Tripoli-based council insisted on banning military personal from running for the country’s top post — apparently a move directed at the divisive commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces are loyal to the east-based administration.
Haftar had announced his bid in elections slated for last December but the vote was not held because of myriad issues, including controversial hopefuls who had announced bids and disputes about election laws.
There are growing tensions on the ground, and sporadic clashes between rival militias recently erupted in Tripoli. Living conditions have also deteriorated, mainly because of fuel shortages in the oil-rich nation. Tribal leaders have shut down many oil facilities, including the country’s largest field.
The blockade was largely meant to cut off key state revenues to the incumbent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who has refused to step down even though the vote was not held in December.
Now, Dbeibah and another prime minister, Fathy Bashagha, appointed by the east-based parliament to lead a transitional government, are claiming power. The rivalry has sparked fears the oil-rich country could slide back to fighting after tentative steps toward unity last year.
Libya has been wrecked by conflict since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. The country was then for years split between rival administrations in the east and west, each supported by different militias and foreign governments.
Libyan rival officials meet for UN-led talks on elections
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Libyan rival officials meet for UN-led talks on elections
- Two senior Libyan officials from the country's rival camps have begun talks on constitutional arrangements for elections
India and Canada restore diplomatic services nearly two years after killing of Sikh separatist
- Ottawa accused New Delhi of alleged involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader two years ago
- New Delhi vehemently denied the allegations and accused Justin Trudeau’s government of harboring extremists
The announcement was made after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, met Tuesday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.
“The leaders agreed to designate new high commissioners, with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries,” a statement from Carney’s office said.
High commissioners are senior diplomats, representing their country’s interests and fostering relationships with the host nation.
Modi and Carney reiterated the importance of a bilateral relationship based on mutual respect and a commitment to the principle of territorial sovereignty, according to the statement. They also discussed further collaboration in several sectors, including technology, digital transition, food security, and critical minerals.
Meanwhile, India’s foreign ministry underscored the importance of restarting senior ministerial engagements to “rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship.”
Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, shocked the world in September 2023 after announcing in Parliament there were credible allegations about India’s link to the killing of Hareep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver. New Delhi vehemently denied the allegations and accused Trudeau’s government of harboring extremists.
The Indian government had declared Nijjar a terrorist in 2020 under a law meant to suppress dissent. The Sikh independence advocate was a prominent member of the Khalistan movement, banned in India, to create an independent Sikh homeland. He was seen as a human rights activist by Sikh organizations.
Ties between the two countries continued to worsen and in October, India expelled Canadian diplomats and withdrew its high commissioner and other officials from Canada. Ottawa retaliated by dismissing Indian diplomats and accusing the Indian government of an intensifying campaign against Canadian citizens, a charge New Delhi denied.
India’s anxieties about Sikh separatist groups have long strained its relationship with Canada, where some two percent of the population is Sikh.
Modi Calls Trump
As Trump abruptly left the G7 summit, Modi had a detailed phone conversation with the US president and shared India’s military response against Pakistan last month following the killings of 26 innocent people, mostly Hindu men, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said.
In recent weeks, Trump had claimed to have brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and offered trade concessions in part to make the nuclear-armed rivals reach an agreement after shooting at each other for days, which was checkmate by New Delhi. Trump had also proposed mediation over Kashmir.
In a statement, Misri said Modi clarified to Trump that India had never in the past accepted nor would it encourage in the future a third-party mediation over the simmering dispute of Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed by both India and Pakistan in its entirety.
Misri said Modi made it clear to Trump that during multiple talks held between New Delhi and Washington senior officials amid the ongoing military conflict, there was no mention of a trade deal or the US mediation over Kashmir.
The talks to stop military actions were held directly between the military leaders of India and Pakistan through existing channels, Misri said.
Beijing says almost 800 Chinese citizens evacuated from Iran
BEIJING: Almost 800 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran since Israel launched military strikes against the country last week, Beijing said Wednesday.
“Currently... 791 Chinese nationals have been relocated from Iran to safe areas,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference.
“More than 1,000 other people are in the process of relocating and withdrawing,” Guo added.
And some Chinese nationals have also safely evacuated from Israel, he said.
“China expresses its thanks to the relevant countries for providing full support and assistance,” Guo said.
Iran said early Wednesday it fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes between the archfoes, hours after Donald Trump demanded the Islamic republic’s “unconditional surrender.”
The US president insists Washington has played no part in ally Israel’s bombing campaign, but also warned Iran his patience is wearing thin as the conflict enters a sixth day.
World powers have pushed to find an off-ramp, hoping to prevent the conflict from spiralling into a region-engulfing war.
Gaza rescuers say 30 killed by Israel fire
- Civil defense spokesman says 11 people were killed and more than 100 wounded “after the occupation forces opened fire and launched several shells... at thousands of citizens”
GAZA: Gaza’s civil defense agency said 30 people were killed by Israeli fire in the Palestinian territory on Wednesday, including 11 who were seeking aid.
Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 11 people were killed and more than 100 wounded “after the occupation forces opened fire and launched several shells... at thousands of citizens” who had gathered to queue for food in central Gaza.
In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid deadlock in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May.
Since then, chaotic scenes and a string of deadly shootings have occurred near areas where Palestinians have gathered in hope of receiving aid.
The civil defense agency said another 19 people were killed in three Israeli strikes on Wednesday, which it said targeted houses and a tent for displaced people.
When asked for comment by AFP, the Israeli military said it was “looking into” the reports.
Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency.
The UN humanitarian office OCHA said on Monday that its partners “continue to warn of the risk of famine in Gaza, amid catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity.”
The civil defense agency reported that at least 53 people were killed on Tuesday, as they gathered near an aid center in the southern city of Khan Yunis hoping to receive flour.
After Israel eased its blockade, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing aid in late May, but its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and dozens of deaths.
In a statement on Tuesday, the organization said that “to date, not a single incident has occurred at or in the surrounding vicinity of GHF sites nor has an incident occurred during our operating hours.”
UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
The Hamas attack which triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to Israeli official figures.
The Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday that 5,194 people have been killed since Israel resumed major operations in the territory on March 18, ending a two-month truce.
The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out has reached 55,493 people, according to the health ministry.
US President Trump to host Pakistan army chief at White House lunch today
- After years of strained ties over counterterrorism disagreements, Pakistan and US seem keen to rebuild military, economic ties
- This will be the first time in several years that a Pakistani army chief is hosted by a sitting US president at the White House
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump will host Field Marshal General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief, at a White House lunch, according to the president’s daily public schedule for today, Wednesday.
The gathering comes amid heightened Middle East tensions and will be a rare direct engagement that signals a cautious thaw in ties between the two countries under Trump’s second presidency. After years of strained relations mainly over counter‑terrorism disagreements, both nations appear keen to rebuild military and economic ties.
Under Trump’s renewed outreach, Washington has praised Pakistan’s leadership and reinstated military cooperation previously curtailed over Afghanistan-related concerns. Islamabad, in turn, seeks to balance its longstanding partnership with China, including arms supply and defense infrastructure, with growing engagement with the United States
“The President has lunch with the Chief of Army Staff of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” Trump’s daily public schedule for Wednesday released by his office read.
This will be the first time in several years that a Pakistani army chief is hosted by a sitting US president at the White House. The last publicly known high-level visit was by the then-army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who met senior Pentagon and State Department officials in Washington in 2022 but did not have an appointment with Joe Biden who was the president at the time.
In May, Trump lauded Pakistan’s “very, very strong” leadership, and the White House described Pakistan as a “major non‑NATO ally,” signaling deeper security alignment. Last week, the head of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Kurilla, praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counterterrorism efforts, citing continued operations against militant groups and active intelligence-sharing between the two countries.
Pakistan’s powerful military plays a central role in shaping the country’s foreign and security policies. Direct outreach to its top commander reflects Washington’s effort to manage key regional security issues, including the aftermath of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, tensions between Pakistan and India after their brief but deadly military exchanges last month, and the broader fallout of the escalating Israel-Iran confrontation.
Security analysts say today’s meeting also reflects Washington’s renewed effort to maintain its influence in a region where Beijing’s footprint is steadily expanding through infrastructure investment and defense ties with Islamabad.
Ship collision off UAE coast due to navigational misjudgment: Ministry of Energy
DUBAI: Tuesday’s collision between two ships in the Sea of Oman was due to a ‘navigational misjudgment by one of the vessels’, the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said on Wednesday, citing preliminary information.
The oil tanker named Adalynn, flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, and the vessel named Front Eagle, flying the flag of Liberia, collided and caught fire approximately 24 nautical miles (44.448km) off the coast of the UAE, the ministry said in a report by state news agency WAM.
Harrowing images of dark fleet tanker ADALYNN (IMO #9231767) post collision. pic.twitter.com/Y1FUBNNtis
— Ed Finley–Richardson (@ed_fin) June 17, 2025
The incident caused minor surface damage to the outer hulls of both ships, a small oil spill, and a fire that broke out in the fuel tank of one of the ships. No injuries were reported among the crew members of either vessel, the ministry added.
UAE coastguard personnel evacuated 24 crew members from the Adalynn to the port of Khor Fakkan.
A technical investigation was underway in coordination with relevant international bodies, the ministry noted.
