The government says that Thursday 20 February will be a public holiday to “allow citizens to vote in the constituent assembly elections.”

Two Italian workers kidnapped near Derna last month have been released, said Italy's foreign ministry.

The government says that Sunday 2 February will be an official public holiday after the national football team won the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The civil registry office in Sirte says it is facing long queues for people requesting ID numbers, after government bodies in the city began using the new system.

Two employees of Rome-based contractor General World went missing near the north-east Libyan town on 17 January.

The government says that Monday 13 January will be an official public holiday to mark the occasion of the Prophet's birthday.

Mohamed Sualem says that the ongoing oil crisis may mean the government cannot pay public-sector wages, echoing similar warnings made by other government officials in recent weeks.

The Benghazi Local Council says it has transferred LD27m ($21.6m) to the Benghazi General Services Company to help fund its operating costs, after strikes by the company’s employees led to accumulated rubbish in the city.

Strikes by cleaners in Benghazi have led to an accumulation of household waste on the city's streets, with the local council organising a clean-up campaign in the interim period.

Staff at the company began a strike on 3 December to demand better pay and conditions.

Some 360 Egyptian nationals were deported on 1 December after arriving at Misrata airport on fake visas, the state news agency said.

Three days of mourning and a general strike have been declared by the Benghazi Local Council, with workers in the oil sector declaring they will take part in the protest.

As part of its 2014 budget preparations, the Ministry of Finance has asked all government departments and ministries to provide the ID numbers of its workforce before 28 November.

Many shops, businesses and government departments remain closed on 18 November, days after some of the worst violence since 2011 prompted the city's council to call for a three-day strike.

The Ministry of Education will pay its October salaries using the new National ID card scheme, which is aimed at reducing duplicate public-sector wages.