Macron hosts leaders to keep Libya elections on track

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron hosted leaders and diplomats in Paris on Friday for an international conference aimed at ensuring Libya sticks to a plan to hold elections in December, which are seen as crucial for ending a decade of violent conflict.

The North African country has been mired in civil war since the overthrow of dictator Moamer Qadhafi in a 2011 uprising, with the bloodshed drawing in competing Libyan factions and Islamist groups, as well as regional powers.

The presidential vote on December 24 is the core part of a United Nations plan to help restore stability, but the calendar has been under pressure as tensions flare once more between rival camps.