TRIPOLI -- The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily on Saturday stressed the importance of holding national elections in the country to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity.

Bathily made his remarks during a press conference on the high-level panel for elections.

"Giving the Libyan people the opportunity to choose their leaders through the ballot box is, without doubt, the way towards peace, stability, and prosperity in the country. Elections are needed to restore and rebuild legitimate public institutions that represent and serve the people of Libya," Bathily said.

"Successive interim arrangements, endless transition governments, legislative bodies whose terms of office have expired are a source of instability which puts the future of this country at risk," he added. (Libya-UN-Elections)

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ANKARA -- At least five migrants were killed when a dinghy sank off the coast of southwest Türkiye on Saturday, the daily Hurriyet reported.

Turkish coastguard arrived off the coast of Didim district in Aydin province after learning that a boat was taking in water at 6:20 a.m. (0320 GMT).

The coastguards rescued 11 people, including a child, the daily reported, adding that search and rescue efforts continue in the area for the missing migrants.

The preliminary findings revealed that the migrants, who are African nationals, were brought to Didim by human traffickers before sailing to the Greek islands illegally, the Hurriyet reported. (Türkiye-Migrants-Boat-Accident)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's Interior Ministry said on Saturday more than 100 people in 11 provinces have been arrested on charges of involvement in the recent incidents of student poisoning at the country's schools.

The ministry announced the arrests in a statement published on its website, listing the provinces as Tehran, Qom, Zanjan, Khuzestan, Hamedan, Fars, Gilan, West Azarbaijan, East Azarbaijan, Kurdestan and Khorasan Razavi.

The statement noted that for some of the arrestees used poisonous substances as a "mischievous" way to escape classes, and the authorities have given them necessary warnings and instructions.

Some other arrestees are individuals with "hostile motivations," the statement added, noting they sought to cause fear and anxiety among people and students. The authorities are investigating them to find out if they are connected to terrorist groups. (Iran-Students-Poisoning-Investigation)

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TEHRAN -- Iran on Saturday unveiled the final prototype of a jet trainer that can help pilots learn tactics and techniques of air and air-to-surface combats, official news agency IRNA reported.

Dubbed Yasin, the aircraft can also be tasked with close air support, said Iranian Defense Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani at a ceremony held to launch an aircraft assembly line in Tehran, according to IRNA.

Equipped with homegrown subsystems such as ejection seats, avionics, engines and landing gears, the final prototype is much upgraded and developed in tactical terms compared to the first one unveiled in October 2019, according to a report by semi-official Tasnim news agency.

A domestically-developed airborne weather radar has also been installed, said the report. (Iran-Jet-Trainer-Prototype) Enditem

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