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Turkey has announced the last-minute postponement of a visit by the Russian foreign and defence ministers for discussions that had been expected to focus on ending the fighting in Libya.

Ankara and Moscow support opposing sides in the conflict, which has displaced tens of thousands of people since April last year.

The Turks support the government based in Libya’s capital, Tripoli.

Russia backs the other side, supporting renegade General Khalifa Haftar - who in recent weeks has suffered a series of major defeats.

The government side has pushed his forces far back into eastern Libya and it may well want to carry on advancing and seizing ground.

But earlier this week, Russia said it shared with Turkey a desire to create conditions for talks and reconciliation.

Turkish media had suggested that the Syrian conflict would also be discussed.

• Read: Libya conflict - end of a bleak chapter

Reuters

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia are expected to discuss efforts to end the fighting in Libya at talks in Istanbul on Sunday.

Ankara and Moscow support opposing sides in the conflict, which has displaced tens of thousands of people since April last year.

Neither has given details as to what exactly will be discussed at the gathering - but there is little doubt that high on the agenda will be the war in Libya, as both parties have significant influence in the conflict.

The Turks support the government based in Libya’s capital, Tripoli.

Russia backs the other side, supporting renegade General Khalifa Haftar - who in recent weeks has suffered a series of major defeats.

The government side has pushed his forces far back into eastern Libya and it may well want to carry on advancing and seizing ground.

But earlier this week, Russia said it shared with Turkey a desire to create conditions for talks and reconciliation.

Perhaps at their meeting in Istanbul, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov will come up with ways of reining in their allies on the ground in Libya, and persuading them to accept a ceasefire.

• Read: Libya conflict - end of a bleak chapter

BBC

The bodies of 46 people have been recovered off the coast of Tunisia after a boat carrying migrants on the Mediterranean Sea capsized near the city of Sfax at the weekend, the coastguard says.

The coastguard is still carrying out a search operation, according to a senior civil protection officer in Sfax.

The nationalities of those who were trying to make the crossing to Italy have not been officially released but state news agency TAP suggested that a large number may have been from Ivory Coast.

At least half of those who drowned were women.

One of those who drowned has been identified by the police as a Tunisian male, and it is believed he may have been the person piloting the boat.

A court order has also been issued to investigate who organised the ill-fated crossing, according to local news reports.

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Another seven people have been killed in landmine blasts in Libya's capital, Tripoli, the health ministry for the UN-backed government says.

The victims are reported to include a woman and members of the security forces.

Three members of the interior ministry's de-mining department were also wounded in the blasts in the Ain Zara and Wadi al-Rabie areas.

A week ago, Human Rights Watch said fighters linked to renegade general Khalifa Haftar's forces had laid mines as they withdrew from the south of the capital.

Two people were killed last week by explosions in residential areas.

• Read: Libya conflict: End of a bleak chapter