Forces in disarray, many militia groups hold sway in tripoli and elsewhere, supposedly enlisted to prop up the government, but in most cases, mostly loyal to their own leaders and agendas. The cicely why the Prime Minister was taken may remain murky, but it is thought many militias were angered by the recent seizure by u. S. Forces of an al qaeda suspect on the streets of chirpily and accuse the government of complicity, although it denied this. What has unfolded now in tripoli raises further questions and alarms about the stability of libya. What do we know about the libyan Prime Minister . Who he is and the challenges he faces as libyas leader. Mr. Zeidan was a career diplomat but affected from colonel qaddafi in 1980 and was working as a human rights lawyer in geneva when the 2011 civil war began. He then returned to libya and then became the main point of contact with europe and the opposition. He is credited with winning recognition from several european countries. Entering parliament as an office int, he won 2012. The challenge for his interim government has been to unite various Interest Groups in libya ahead of new constitution and first parliamentary elections. With me now is the bbcs reporter who just returned from Eastern Libya where he spoke to live rebels there. It is tempting, isnt it, having seen what we just seem to think that libya is a place with absolutely no control or lawless. But that is not quite what is happening, is it . I think the real problem is, it is not really correct in the sense to use the word rebels. The dividing line between militias and government is very, very murky, because most of the security, to the degree there is security, throughout the country is now and i havent these militias. Because there is no real effect of the national army. So, these militias are being paid buy the government to perform very security tasks. It is early days, early hours. But what do we particularly know about the specific groups that may have been behind the abduction of the Prime Minister . This is a Group Exactly in that category, that has been subcontracted, if you like, i the interior ministry to perform security functions. And that is the case throughout tripoli. So, all these groups there are two main militias controlling tripoli. They both are paid by the government but sometimes they are at war with one another. We know zeidan over the last year has become an increasingly unpopular figure throughout the country and no construction, no infrastructure, nothing like that has restarted again in the two years. But there is also a question, simply the ideological agenda and many of the islamists, also former jihadist, it in the government with links to the militia and that is the reason all of this may well be linked to the american raid earlier this week with the al qaeda suspect. I was going to say. That is the suggestion. Is there any evidence at all that the government, such as it is, has any idea that that special forces raid was going to take place . Government said it didnt. It would say it, wouldnt it . But there are many different eyewitness reports of how i leiby a l libi as opposed limit people taking him, supposedly actually had libyan accent. That suggestion is not really clear. You could argue taking the american position that they would be very foolish to have given much prior notice because of the sheerleakiness of the libyan government. Think, for example, the Deputy Defense minister, former jihad i, member of the fighting grew. Thank you very much. Now let me give you a round up of other news. The United States says it is suspending a large part of its military aid to egypt until it makes credible progress port free and fair elections. The u. S. Has been under pressure to respond to the ousting of egypts first ever democratically elect the leader Mohamed Morsi earlier this year. Aircraft tanks, missiles, and cash are being withheld. Of liberiapresident the first head of state to be convicted by International War crimes courts of the second world war. He will serve 50 years for crimes against humanity, including terrorism, murder, and a rate. It has just been announced that indias recordbreaking batsman will be retiring. He celebrated his 40th birthday this year. Highest run scorer in the history of test cricket. Since 1901, the nobel prize for literature has been awarded to a person who, in the words of alfred nobel himself, produce, and im quoting here, and the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction. The past 10 minutes, the nobel prize has been awarded to the canadian author alice monroe. To talk over the winter and those who missed out, our arts editor. The time of year we test you. Every time, george. What do we know about alice monroe . She is fantastic. I absolutely adore her writing. She has been at the very, very top of her game since she started in the early 1960s and remains all the way through to her recent autobiography of which she said she was going to retire from writing. She might change her mind. I hope so. Thought she might not win because she is not overly political will political, and because and of late it has gone to more political writers. Is political because all art is political, but she actually writes pretty much about smalltime canada. The welcome that return, if you like . I welcome brilliant writing and acknowledging brilliant writing. She is a terrific writer. She gets to the heart of what it is to be human. Subtitle dear life. Of the happy days is the earlier novel where she won the prestigious award. There are a lot of books. My recall you are doing incredibly well. She writes short stories so she is reasonably prolific. That was and is feeling before we heard about the prize it was high time a woman won it. It has been some time. I think she is the 13th. Quite a gap. Will that have played any part, do you think him much in the way . I doubt it. It is interesting since 1901 i think she is the 13th. You can acknowledge there has been an embarrassingly few. May be. I generally think i hope it is awarded for great writing. We always get the same list . Will it be philip roth . There hasnt been an american for 20 years. Toni morrison, 1993. A long time ago. Always on that list for many years has been alice monroe. This is her year. Finally, you say an american has not won it. What does it take . Any pattern one can establish . Talking about the look roth what a body of work. A lot of interesting people. There are a lot of interesting people. Churchill won it. Where did that come from . Communicate using the written word. That is really what the prizes for, what great literature is. Someone who can open our eyes to the world or see the familiar differently, just by using words. It sounds easy. It is remarkably difficult. And for me, alice monroe is one of the best in the world doing it. Does it mean her books will fly off the shelves . It is not the same thing i think it probably wont make a huge commercial difference, but it makes a huge difference in how her work will be viewed in historical terms, i think. There are great omissions. But the idea that she would die and not have won the prize would be a terrible omission. Thank you very much. On bbc stay with us world news but still to come spread by rats and fleas, the bubonic plague was one of the most overstating pandemics in u. S. History and now 700 years on, the red cross is warning it is still a risk. A member of the French Parliament has sparked outrage and has been fined after he mocked a female colleague by clucking like a chicken. It was widely denounced as sexist in a country where the word for chicken is often used a derogatory word for chicken. Word for women. Washe French Parliament discussing pension legislation will the squawking begins. A green party mp is interrupted by clucking noises. That is enough. Stop, i am not a chicken. In france, the word chicken is often used as a derogatory term for a woman. The clucking continues, and irritated, the speaker suspends the session. The leap from the opposition centerright was the man responsible. He has been fined a quarter of his monthly salary. To apologize, but it is a bit too easy after all the fuss has been made. Not everyone is apologetic. Says one. The machos, others are furious. It is pathetic. It proves female politicians still have to fight for respect very respect. Another minister blamed the mps having food at dinner. Some women ministers arrive late for the session this show of support, and in response, a brief walkout from those on the right. There has been cap calling in parliament before. Any year a deputy hissed minister apparently because she was wearing a dress. He said, maybe she wore it because she cannot listen so we would not listen to what she had to say. It is being hailed as a major breakthrough in the fight against brain diseases such as alzheimers. Movies are by a team of u. K. Scientist has shown a chemical can completely halt the death of brain cells. It is hoped experiments on mice could eventually lead to the development of a drug to prevent people from developing degenerative illnesses. John andrew reports. It is being hailed as a probable turning point in the treatment of degenerative brain diseases like alzheimers and parkinsons. Working with diseased mice, a team used a drug that prevents brain cells from dying. Five weeks on, the one group of mice were free of symptoms like memory loss and impaired resources reflexive. The team believes their work shows it may be possible to develop a pill to protect the human brain from degenerative disease. If it stops brain degeneration in its tracks it will halt disease for people who got it and if we can detect early disease, it could prevent a lot of degeneration. So, the hoped for Something Like this is that we are able to brain cellprocess of death. That is what is so exciting. The Team Stressed they are still a long way from a usable drug for humans and any medicine could be 10 years ahead or more. Some 800,000 people in the u. K. Suffer from dementia of one kind or another. A spokesperson from the Alzheimers Society said the research was rummaging but they are still a long way from seeing the drug suitable for humans the research was promising but they are still a long way from seeing a drug suitable for humans. Helpving the potential to worldwide lets take a look at one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, alzheimers. Locally more than 35 Million People already have dementia. Alzheirs is the most common manifestation. That number is predicted to double every 20 years. And it is predicted that the total will be 66 million by 2030. Professor roger morris, neuroscientist at kings college, london. I think i am right by saying that you described this as a turning point. Rare for scientists normally you would expect them to be terribly cautious. I suppose we should because this cautious about how long it takes to turn the turning point into medicine. But a turning point for this reason in dealing with something as complex as how the brain decays, it is very difficult looking at human material, our brains, to understand what is the beginning, what is the middle, and what is the end. What is causing it . What is there at the beginning . That is what the professor managed to do what these mice, able to identify very clearly what is the beginning of the death of the neurons and then turn to chemicals on the shelf by glaxosmithkline, give it to the mice and stop the process. That as far as i know is the first small molecule, first drug that stop the beginning of neurodegeneration. You mentioned prion disease is what she was looking at i was talking about alzheimers. Ons the fact that it works prion disease mean necessarily it works in other diseases . The importance of prion disease is of this group of diseases alzheimers is the most common and devastating in man. Prion disease, best known as mad cow, has this unique advantage it is infectious. We can put it into the mouth and watch the very beginning of the effect, which we cannot do with another disease. Being done with prion disease suggests the same things occur in alzheimers and man at lots of points and was there been tested and so far held up. Upice cried that as a step change, if you like. Where were we you described it as a step change, if you like. Where were we up to this point . My colleagues would probably jump on my back about this, but my view is that the research so far has been focused on looking at the phenomenology of the end stages of the disease. So we know what appears on the brain, pathologists see that and say, it looks dreadful. But what started it . This is the beginning of understanding what is there at the beginning of the these. And what the science is identified is actually a process. It happens in all cells of the body. I think we will have to leave it there, but thank you very much. , in the middle ages, the bluebonnet lane clady bubonic plague claimed half the population of europe and now the red cross and the Pasteur Institute warned bubonic plague, spread by rats, it still a threat in large part of the world. Our geneva correspondent has the story. Madagascars main jail is overcrowded. But the 3000 prisoners are not the only inmates. Lack of spacend are causing a major health hazard. Here. Sease many last year, madagascar had more 256, with the 60 deaths, then anywhere else in the world. Unlike the prisoner, the rats dont have to stay in prison. They can take the plague out onto the city streets. Thef the plague is in prisons, there could be a sort of Nuclear Explosion of plague and the town. The prison walls will never prevent it from getting out and invading the rest of the town. So, we need to do something for humanitarian reasons. So, the Pasteur Institute and the International Committee of the red cross are working in the prison to combat the plague. But it is more complicated than simply catching the rack and killing them. Which transmit the plague will just move elsewhere, to human beings. The fleas have to be removed and killed as well. Rural areas,scars there is little understanding of the disease and little access to medical care. The bonnet leg can be treated, but it has to be caught early. Can benic plague treated, but it has to be caught early. This was not the option for this mans daughter. Her temperature went up and she became delirious and then she died. After she died, they prevented us from taking her body. They buried her. Octobers warm, wet weather marks the start of leg season in madagascar are. The eradication process in the prison is in full spring. The goal is to get rid of plague , both inside the jails and out, before the disease so many of us thought was gone for good, comes back with a vengeance. Bbc news, geneva. A big shakeup of britain by the immigration laws is to be spelled out later on today. The government plans to prevent migrants from using Public Services to which they are not entitled. Such as the National Health service. Amid public concern about the abuse of the immigration system, there will also be stricter controls on Opening Bank Accounts and accommodation. Tom simons reports. The government has made no secret of its desire in his own words to crack down on illegal immigration. When the summer, a series of controversial operations resulted in the removal of those alleged not to have permission to be in britain. Part of todays announcement will focus on making it less attractive to come here in the first place. Focused on thens Everyday Services needed to live in the u k thomas such as health care. Those with temporary visas will have to pay a contribution. A bank account that banks will have to check immigration records before opening one. Driving license, again, will depend on immigration status. As will accommodation. Landlord will be required to make the checks. People living in the u. K. Have contributed to the nhs, contributed to the welfare system and what people get fed up about is seeing the health towards him, people coming into the u. K. , using the help of servers are coming in and having the advantage of the benefits system when they have not actually contributed to it. While spending more than a decade trying to do remove a radical cleric, the government is cutting the number of immigration decisions that can be appealed from 17 to 4, and stressing the presumption in the future will be to before the port first and hear the appeal later. Coming up in the next half hour, the last major british forced to go to Helmand Province in afghanistan has begun its deployment as western forces scaled down their role in afghanistan. We will be speaking to a british director, the first british feature film to focus on the conflict in afghanistan. It is called the patrol, and the recently won the best film colade at the rain dance festival. That is still to come. Do stay with us here on bbc world news. Make sense of International News at bbc. Com news. Funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newmans own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. At union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions. We offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. What can we do for you . Bbc world news was presented by kcet, los angeles. Welcome back to newsline. Im yuko aotani in tokyo. Heres some of the stories were following this hour. Is. U. S. President barack obama has called for talks with republican law nierks try to put an end to their battles over the budget. Southeast asian leaders are discussing ways to deal with territorial disputes in the east china sea. And a solution to one of the biggest headaches. Finding someone to take care of their children. U. S. President barack obama is preparing to welcome some of his political rivals to the white house. Pressure is building on both sides to resolve their differences over the shutdown of the government and the limits of the national debt. Republicans and democrats could not agree on a spending bill. So last week, 800,000 federal employees were sent home, disrupting government services, and the two sighs need to raise the governments Borrowing Limit by next week or risk a default. Obama summoned the leaders to resolve the standoff the House Republican leader, eric cantor said its time to put partisan politics aside. He said they cant waste any more time. Obama has nominated a champion of the American Worker to be the head of the bank. Obama made the announcement at the white house alongside yellen and ben bernanke. I want to announce my choice for the next chair of the Federal Reserve. One of the nations foremost policy maker, current vice chairman, janet yellen. [ applause ] if confirmed by the senate, i pledge to do my utmost to keep that trust and meet the great responsibilities that congress has entrusted to the Federal Reserve. To promote maximum employment, stable prices and a strong and stable financial system. Yellen has been the feds second in command since 2010. She headed the council of economic advisers under former president bill clinton. And she helped established the current plan of monetary easing. If confirmed by the senate, she would take over after bernanke steps down in january. Well, yellen and her colleagues decided not to change anything anything at their policy meeting last month. But minutes of the meeting show many policy niicymakers think i appropriate to start scaling back the program by the enof this year and that it could conclude by the end of 2014. They released the minutes from september 18th. They showed discussions were heated this time around. Bernanke said they agreed not to start tapering the 5 billion in monthly asset purchases until they saw clear improvement in the economy and employment. At the latest meeting, several Board Members remained opposed to reducing the bond buying. They said the outlook of the economy is unleer as the budget battle continues in congress. Markets have been led to expect a scale back. The Federal Reserve is scheduled to hold its next policy meeting later this month. The partial shutdown in the government is expected to affect policy decisions. Financial chiefs of the glup of 20 are expected 20 meet in the capital. Theyre expected to talk about ongoing risks for the economy and a fiscal stalemate in the u. S. Is likely to dominate the talks. Earlier, we spoke with dr