It seems that Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni had a few teething problems while on his visit to Malta last week and was seen escorted to a private dentist’s practice for treatment.

A security detail which was – pardon the pun - armed to the teeth, was spotted by this newsroom escorting the Libyan PM to a private practice in the centre of the island. When this newsroom investigated further, sources said  “a high-profile government guest” was taken for dental treatment.

Given the situation in Libya and the fact that Mr Al Thinni’s government is holed up in the far east of the country in Tobruk, dental practitioners are not so easy to come by. It is understood that the dentist who treated him is a former PL general election candidate.

An hour or so before the guarded motorcade pulled up at the dentist’s, Mr al-Thinni gave a news conference at Castille with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The visit came a day before a meeting where the internationally recognised Tobruk-based government Mr al-Thinni represents and the rival Tripoli faction were meant to sign an accord to form a unity government.

Despite holding their first face-to-face negotiations since March, the opposing factions left the Moroccan talks without reaching agreement.