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Tunisia's truth commission wraps up 4-year mission

After four years working "under fire" and interviewing almost 50,000 witnesses, Tunisia's commission tasked with serving justice to victims of half a century of dictatorship is poised to submit its recommendations. Set up in 2014 following the 2011 revolution and in the wake of dictator...

Refugee group backs emphasis on migration causes

The Norwegian Refugee Council says a nonbinding international deal on migration “recognizes the rising threats of disaster displacement and impacts of climate change and brings hope for the people affected.” Nina Birkeland, a spokeswoman for the group, says the text “is the first...

Australia urges Thailand to release refugee Bahrain footballer

Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne has urged Thai authorities Sunday to release a footballer who holds a refugee status in Australia and who has been detained in Bangkok since late November. Hakeem al-Araibi, a former member of Bahrain's national soccer team who has been critical...

Sudanese government, rebel groups to resume peace talks

The Sudanese government and two Darfur-based rebel movements signed an agreement Thursday in Berlin to resume peace talks. The parties agreed to resume negotiations in Qatar in January, the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement. German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass welcomed...

Algerian army seizes 11 missiles near border with Mali

Algerian military discovered a hideout containing 11 missiles near the border with Mali, the Defense Ministry announced Thursday. "After a search operation in Bordj Badji Mokhtar town, an ammunition cache was found containing 11 anti-tank missiles," said the ministry without disclosing...

Libya to vote on permanent constitution in January

Libya will hold a referendum on the country’s permanent constitution in January, the electoral commission said Thursday. “The vote will be held in the first half of January,” commission chief Emad al-Sayeh told a press conference in the capital Tripoli. Results of the vote...

Libya to launch vaccine campaign after shortages

Libya is set to launch a campaign overseen by the World Health Organization to vaccinate more than 2.7 million children after months of shortages, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. The "national immunization campaign", organized with the United Nations children fund UNICEF, is...

Tunisia arrests 12 suspected Daesh members, dismantles cells: Interior Ministry

Authorities have arrested 12 suspected members of Daesh (ISIS) and seized bomb making materials since a suicide attack last month, the Interior Ministry said Friday. Authorities have also "dismantled four takfiri [Sunni extremist] sleeper cells in several parts of Tunisia", the ministry...

152,000 displaced persons return to N. Darfur: Governor

Some 152,000 displaced persons have returned to their villages in Sudan’s western North Darfur State, the country’s SUNA news agency reported Thursday. “In coordination with local and foreign organizations, North Darfur’s local government is providing assistance to returning...

Tunisia to receive $500 million Saudi loan: source

Saudi Arabia will give Tunisia a $500 million loan at a favourable interest rate, a source told Reuters Wednesday, a day after a visit from the Saudi crown prince that drew Tunisian protests. Hundreds of Tunisians staged the first demonstrations in the Arab world against Saudi...

Tunisian journalists’ syndicate praises Assad, condemns bin Salman: activists

(Zaman Al Wasl)- One of the most annoying campaigns against the Saudi Crown Prince's visit to Tunisia was led by the Tunisian journalists’ syndicate which mounted on its wall a vast banner depicting the prince holding a chainsaw, representing the gruesome dismemberment of Jamal...

Hundreds of Tunisians protest at visit of Saudi crown prince

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman arrived in Tunis Tuesday as part of his first regional tour since the murdering of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The prince was welcomed by Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi when he arrived at the airport in Tunis from Cairo, the presidency...

Tunisia lawyers seek to prevent bin Salman’s visit

Tunisian lawyers have filed a lawsuit to prevent a scheduled visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Tunisia, according to a spokesman on Monday. "We filed a request to open an investigation into crimes committed by bin Salman,” Nizar Boujalal, a spokesman for a group...

Tunisia workers to stage nationwide strike on Jan. 17

Tunisian General Union of Labor (UGTT) on Saturday announced a nationwide strike on Jan. 17 to protest low wages. The move is the latest sign of escalation by the country’s largest labor union to demand a pay raise for civil servants. The decision to stage the...

Suspected Daesh gunmen kill six in southern Libya

Gunmen Friday raided a town deep in Libya's southern desert, killing six, the municipality said, adding that it believed the militant group Daesh (ISIS) was responsible. A military source said the attackers had occupied a police station in the oasis town of Tazerbo, north of Kufra,...

Libyan officials say suspects in killing of US teacher held

Authorities in eastern Libya say they have taken into custody suspects in the 2013 killing of an American chemistry teacher in Benghazi. The self-styled Libyan National Army said on social media Thursday that "those who took part in this crime" – the killing of teacher Ronnie Smith...

Tunisia says foiled several Daesh attacks

Tunisian security forces have thwarted several attacks by the Daesh terrorist group, Interior Minister Hisham al-Furati said on Monday. “Plots by Daesh-linked groups to carry out suicide attacks against security and military forces were foiled this month,” al-Furati told...

Dozens of migrants refuse to leave container ship in Libya

Dozens of migrants have barricaded themselves in a container ship in the Libyan port city of Misrata for the past five days, after being picked up at sea, and refuse to disembark, saying Libya is too dangerous for them. Loaded with cars, the ship Nivin was already bound for Misrata when...