Tunis
Tunisia has abruptly canceled the long-planned Arab League summit it was supposed to host this week. Two days before the summit was to start, foreign ministers, who were in Tunis hammering out the agenda, were suddenly told to go home. Tunisian President Zine Abidine Ben Ali was reportedly annoyed that the Arabs had refused to take up his reform proposals, which included an endorsement of democracy and a condemnation of terrorism. Syria and Saudi Arabia were firmly opposed to the inclusion of the word “democracy,” and Egypt didn’t want to set a deadline for political change. “Not only is the concept of democracy absent,” said the Tunisian government in a statement, “so are other equally important ones, like civil society, cultural dialogue, and the fight against terrorism.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Political cartoons for January 11Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include green energy, a simple plan, and more
-
The launch of the world’s first weight-loss pillSpeed Read Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been racing to release the first GLP-1 pill
-
Six sensational hotels to discover in 2026The Week Recommends From a rainforest lodge to a fashionable address in Manhattan – here are six hotels that travel journalists recommend for this year
