Three cities, one capital: Libya’s political heart and economic pulse
Drone strikes target Zawiya’s energy complex, igniting fires at a refinery tank and damaging a power plant. Authorities report ongoing firefighting and state of emergency as rival Libyan administrations blame each other for security lapses.
The UN-backed 4+4 committee has forged an initial framework to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within 24 months under a unified executive. While rival institutions signaled tentative support, implementation remains the biggest hurdle as divisions persist and power-sharing is tested.
Muslim leaders are urged to unite against what Tehran deems the enemies of Islam, with calls for cooperation and mutual defense as the Iran war enters its sixth month. Reports say West Bank violence and regional tensions are escalating alongside diplomatic engagements in Istanbul and Tehran.
The U.S. ambassador has highlighted security responsibilities for Palestinians in the West Bank as settler violence surges, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict intensifying amid Israeli government activity in the occupied territories.
Latakia authorities have arrested two senior officers linked to Bashar al-Assad’s forces for detaining civilians, extortion, and war-crime involvement. The arrests follow a broader crackdown on regime-era officials accused of rights abuses.
BRICS leaders are gathering in New Delhi as tensions over Ukraine, the Middle East, and U.S.-China dynamics test the bloc’s ability to find common ground. Leaders push for reforms to global institutions, digital collaboration, and currency diversification, while facing fractures over sanctions and regional conflicts.
The Masud trial for the Pan Am 103 bombing is moving toward jury selection in Washington, D.C., with January 19 identified as the likely start. A delay earlier this year followed newly discovered evidence; prosecutors and defense teams are preparing for a two-month trial.
Libya’s oil infrastructure remains disrupted as the Sharara to Zawiya pipeline stays shut or is threatened by protests. The National Oil Corporation warns that continued shutdowns are reducing Sharara output, threatening state revenues and domestic fuel supplies amid ongoing instability.
Hundreds of inmates at Roumieh prison have been on hunger strike since September 12 to protest the suspension of Lebanon’s amnesty law. Authorities monitor health as the Constitutional Council prepares to rule next month on the law’s status; overcrowding and lengthy pre-trial detention remain acute problems.
The New Arab reports that a Syrian national, known as Al-Daameesh, has been detained in Batroun after allegedly preparing an IS-aligned attack during the pope’s 2025 Lebanon visit. Authorities say he previously served with Nusra Front and IS, with the cell’s dismantling attributed to security measures around the pope’s trip.
The Libyan conflict deepens as drone strikes target western energy infrastructure, prompting scrutiny of Saddam Haftar’s role. Reports connect Haftar’s faction with plots against Tripoli, while regional powers weigh a plan to unify Libya’s rival administrations. The UN-backed process faces renewed tensions ahead of potential elections.
Libya’s eastern House of Representatives has replaced speaker Agila Saleh with Abdulnabi Al-Obeidi after approving a new rule limiting the speaker and deputies to a single 12-month term. The move follows parliamentary discontent and aligns with Haftar’s eastern bloc, raising questions about national reconciliation as UN-backed talks stall.
A US judge has allowed a Libyan claim of a forced confession in the Lockerbie bombing case to be used as evidence. Abu Agila Mas’ud Al-Marimi, extradited from Libya in 2022, faces trial in Washington for the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 attack. Defence alleging the confession was coerced has been rejected; the trial remains scheduled for January after multiple delays.
A heavy rainfall overwhelmed Tripoli, flooding streets, submerging vehicles, and prompting emergency operations. One Jumhouria Bank employee has died by electrocution as floodwaters entered the bank’s HQ; power is cut in several districts. Authorities are draining water and closing routes as the city deals with continued downpours and infrastructure damage.
Eastern Libyan Parliament has ratified the 2019 maritime memorandum with Turkey, reversing years of opposition. Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus reject the move; the EU calls it null and void. The vote underscores a broader shift as Haftar-aligned forces seek strategic gains and Ankara strengthens influence in both Libya and the eastern Mediterranean.
The Libyan central bank is under pressure as parliament accepts the governor’s resignation in principle and appoints an interim successor amid continued instability between Tripoli and Benghazi. Banks face a raid and ongoing governance crises, with the eastern parliament and Haftar-aligned actors seeking to shape the outcome.
Egypt has reopened its embassy in Tripoli after 12 years, signaling a shift in Cairo’s Libyan policy. The move comes amid regional realignments, with Egypt seeking broader ties beyond Haftar’s eastern faction and addressing maritime deals with Turkey that have unsettled Cairo. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty led the ceremony and discussed energy cooperation with Libya’s unity government.
Former Iraqi Sunni politician Ahmed Al-Alwani has been found dead in a Beirut apartment. Lebanese investigators say preliminary findings point to strangulation, with a Lebanese national arrested and two Syrians sought. Iraqi authorities coordinate with Lebanon to identify suspects as DNA testing is expedited.