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Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives has elected Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi as its new speaker, ending Aguila Saleh's 12-year tenure. The vote followed a move by lawmakers to cap the speaker's term at 12 months, reflecting mounting frustration with his leadership. The change comes as Libya remains split between rival administrations in Tripoli and the east.
Teachers in Libya have turned pay protests into an open-ended strike at public schools, halting the national school year. Other unions have threatened to join unless the government negotiates over the cost-of-living crisis, while Tripoli weighs a unified pay system that would require lengthy approvals.
The western-based Government of National Unity says it can no longer work with Saddam Haftar after accusations that he directed a UAV campaign against fuel and power facilities. The alleged strikes, which deepened blackouts in western Libya, threaten a US-backed plan to unify the country's rival administrations and complicate UN-sponsored election talks.
After 15 years of civil war, Libya's rival factions have signed a UN-mediated '4+4' agreement aiming for elections within two years. Yet deep mistrust and entrenched powers cast doubt on whether it can truly unify the country.
A US judge has postponed the trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a former Libyan intelligence officer accused in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, citing new evidence. The trial, which was set to begin jury selection last week, is now expected to start next year. Mas'ud, who denies the charges, faces life in prison if convicted.
Syria and Libya have agreed to reopen the Syrian embassy in Tripoli after a 14-year hiatus and reactivate a joint high committee to coordinate bilateral relations. The decision came during talks between Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, with a consulate also set to open in Benghazi.
Representatives of Libya's rival governments on August 24 signed an agreement to hold national elections within two years, aiming to end years of political division. The signing took place in Tripoli at the UN support mission's headquarters, following a draft initialed earlier in Tunis.
Qatar's Minister of State met with Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi, reaffirming Doha's support for Libya's political process and national reconciliation. The visit comes as Libya grapples with deep divisions since 2014 and a preliminary electoral agreement aimed at ending the crisis.
Libya's rival factions have signed a preliminary election agreement, but fragmented institutions and legal gaps threaten its implementation. The UN-backed deal, which includes electoral laws and restructuring the election commission, faces criticism from various Libyan bodies and politicians over its ambiguity and lack of consensus.
