Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Libyan interim government will be chosen in Switzerland

libya
The new caretaker government will govern the country until the general elections expected to take place in December. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Libya's new political leadership - until the elections in December - will be decided on Swiss soil, it has been announced. 

Members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) will meet in Switzerland in early February to elect their interim executive. The 75 representatives of the Forum have been invited by the UN Mission in Libya (UNMIL), whose new head Jan Kubis is due to begin his term of office at the beginning of February. 

In its announcement on Thursday evening, UNMIL did not specify whether the election would take place at the Palais des Nations, the seat of the UN in Geneva, as several recent meetings on Libya have done. What is known is that the members of the LPDF will meet from February 1 to 5 for this election. 

As of Thursday, candidates for the three seats on the governing Presidential Council have one week to declare their intention to run. An 18-member LPDF committee representing various regions of Libya will decide their fate while the entire 75-member LPDF will elect an interim prime minister. There have been several disagreements about the process of selecting the interim leaders of the nation.  

The country must try to reunite after years of conflict that has resulted in many civilian casualties. The running of the country is split between the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), which controls the west of the country, and forces loyal to the rebel General Khalifa Haftar in the east. 

Foreign military and mercenaries 

Despite the cessation of violence, tens of thousands of foreign military and mercenaries in Libya, supporting both sides, are still estimated to be in the country. They were due to leave by the end of this week. 

The United Nations Security Council will consider a resolution on whether to add mercenary monitoring to the UNMIL’s mandate in a few days’ time. 

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Rubble and cars in massive landslide is seen next in Fontana, in Val Bavona in the Maggia Valley, southern Switzerland on Thursday July 4, 2024. Severe storms and torrential rain over the last weekend left five people dead in Switzerland's Val Maggia and its side valleys in Ticino.

More

Natural disasters cause billions in damage worldwide

This content was published on In the first six months of the year, natural disasters caused billions in losses worldwide, with severe thunderstorms in the USA being a major factor, according to a Swiss Re Institute press release on Wednesday.

Read more: Natural disasters cause billions in damage worldwide
Black and white picture of 3 people in a car: a male driver and a man and a woman in the back seat. The seat belt is visible on all 3 passengers.

More

Rear seat belts save lives: a 30-year Swiss milestone

This content was published on For 30 years now, seat belts have been compulsory in the rear seats of cars in Switzerland. Current data from the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) and the Federal Statistical Office confirm the effectiveness of this road safety measure.

Read more: Rear seat belts save lives: a 30-year Swiss milestone
Hand reaching for medicine on a shelf. The medicines are in white and red boxes.

More

Women receive fewer painkillers than men in emergencies

This content was published on The situation is similar in Switzerland. Three years ago, a study from Swiss intensive care units showed that women had a lower chance of receiving intensive medical care than men.

Read more: Women receive fewer painkillers than men in emergencies
people watch a yellow screen with a black and yellow leopard. People watching are wearing headphones that are glowing orange.

More

Locarno Film Festival opens with 225 screenings, 104 world premieres

This content was published on The 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival opens today, marking the beginning of the Maja Hoffmann era. Situated on the shores of Lake Maggiore, the eagerly awaited festival features a packed programme: 225 screenings over 10 days, including 104 world premieres.

Read more: Locarno Film Festival opens with 225 screenings, 104 world premieres
Quality of breast cancer screening not equally good in all cantons

More

Swiss breast cancer screening quality varies across cantons

This content was published on The quality of breast cancer screening programmes in Switzerland varies from canton to canton. However, according to a study published on Tuesday, the results align with the European standard.

Read more: Swiss breast cancer screening quality varies across cantons
In its press release, the army stressed that unexploded ordnance must never be touched. Anyone who discovers any ammunition remains should mark the spot clearly and alert the police by calling the emergency number.

More

Swiss army neutralised 280 unexploded ordnances in 2023

This content was published on The Swiss army neutralised 280 unexploded ordnance last year. A total of 1,122 reports were received, a record figure attributed to increased leisure activities and greater public awareness of this danger.

Read more: Swiss army neutralised 280 unexploded ordnances in 2023

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR