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Klibi's Farewell...a Prominent Tunisian Politician, Sincere Arab Nationalist

Chedli Klibi (Getty)
Chedli Klibi (Getty)
    Cairo - Mohamed Abdo Hassanein, Tunis: Mongi Saidani
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Klibi's Farewell...a Prominent Tunisian Politician, Sincere Arab Nationalist

Chedli Klibi (Getty)
Chedli Klibi (Getty)

Chedli Klibi, who had been among the most prominent political and cultural figures of modern Tunisian history and the only non-Egyptian Secretary-General of the Arab League, passed away.

Klibi, who died aged 94 in his home in Carthage, a suburb of the capital Tunis, had occupied the position of Secretary-General of the Arab League for 10 years, during what was described as a “critical period” in the history of joint Arab action; the Arab League’s headquarters had recently been relocated to Tunis from Cairo in 1979 because of Egypt’s signing a peace agreement with Israel when he took over.

The Arab League mourned his death and Secretary-General Ahmad Aboul Gheit decided to “half-staff the flag”, and said that “The Arab nation lost a sincere Arab nationalist politician who played an important role during an exceptional period in the contemporary history of the Arab League, in addition to playing a major political role in his country, Tunisia.”

He dealt with many pressing and controversial issues during his time as secretary-general, eventually handing in his resignation on the eve the outbreak of the second Gulf War, citing his objection to "foreign interference".

Klibi managed “to maintain the continuity of the work of the League amid the difficult circumstances facing Arab action during his time in office in the eighties," according to Aboul Gheit, who said that Klibi’s time in office "strengthened the Arab League's great institutional capacity to survive and adapt to crises, and continue to serve the nation regardless of circumstances".

The former Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Klibi handed over the League in an acceptable condition structurally after having played a major in preserving the entity during a turbulent period for the Arab world”.

The prominent Tunisian politician was known for his conspicuous pro-Arab-Nationalist positions and his loyal devotion to joint Arab action. The Egyptian political thinker Dr. Mustafa Al Faqih also told Asharq Al-Awsat that Klibi “clearly played a major role in pushing Tunisian politics towards an Arab orientation because of his strong nationalist ideas, especially in the period during which the league was relocated and Tunisia hosted the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.”

Klibi was the Arab League’s fourth secretary-general, succeeding Abdul Rahman Azzam, Abdul Khalek Hassouna and Mahmoud Riad. They and those whom he preceded, Ahmed Asmat Abdel-Meguid, Amr Musa, Nabil Elaraby, and the current secretary, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, are all Egyptian.

The Arab Parliament also mourned Kilbi’s death, with the Speaker of the Arab Parliament Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami saying that “the Arab nation, with Kilbi’s passing, lost a political figure who played a prominent historical role as leader of the Arab League, and in the most critical of circumstances that the Arab peoples ever faced.”

He also played a role in forming the committees for improving Arab ties, and he supported Arab-African cooperation, efforts to establish Arab national security, the Arab boycott of Israel, and the Palestinian Intifada.

Klibi was born to a family linked to the National Movement led by Habib Bourguiba on 6 September 1925. As well as being elected to the Tunisian parliament, he became a member of the central committee of the Constitutional Liberal Party in 1964 and was a member of its political bureau member between 1968 and 1979.

At the beginning of his political career, he was the general director of Tunisia TV and also held several ministerial positions during Bourguiba’s era, including the Minister of Communication and Minister of Culture. In 1965, during his time in the latter ministry, he established the International Festival of Carthage. He also served as chief of staff at the Office of the President.

Most Tunisians have a “favorable view” of Klibi who was an intellectual as well as a politician. He wrote prolifically for most of the country’s newspapers and magazines, publishing many studies and political articles. He also gave literature lectures frequently and wrote several books, gaining a reputation for his bold liberal positions on the problems that faced Arab societies.

He published several prominent texts on controversial issues like the relationship between Arabism and Islam, the issue facing Arab women, oil issues, the new global economic order, and Arab dialogue with Europe and Africa.

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Varieties

How Bomb Cyclones Form and Create Dangerous Conditions 

A man works in a snowstorm, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP)
A man works in a snowstorm, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP)
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How Bomb Cyclones Form and Create Dangerous Conditions 

A man works in a snowstorm, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP)
A man works in a snowstorm, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP)

When turbulent weather with whipping winds and heavy snow is in the forecast, meteorologists sometimes warn that a storm could “bomb out” or become a bomb cyclone. But what exactly does this mean?

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, certain storms undergo bombogenesis, which happens when a storm’s central pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. These storms are sometimes called bomb cyclones. Storm intensity is measured by central pressure, so the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm.

Such rapidly strengthening storms are capable of producing heavy rain, blizzard conditions and intense winds that can create dangerous conditions such as downed trees and power outages.

“If you’re watching TV at night and the weather report comes on and you’re hearing ‘bomb cyclone’ being used, that usually means there’s quite a bit of active weather going on,” said Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

Bomb cyclones can happen in any season, but mainly occur during fall and winter when frigid air from the Arctic can creep south and clash with warmer air masses.

“It’s really the clash of those air masses that really kind of helps to generate the areas of low pressure in the first place,” said Orrison.

Regions in North America that are prone to seeing bomb cyclones include Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region.

Varieties

New York Orders Citywide Travel Ban as Major Storm Hits US 

People walk along Manhattan's Times Square during a snowfall in New York City, on February 22, 2026. (AFP)
People walk along Manhattan's Times Square during a snowfall in New York City, on February 22, 2026. (AFP)
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New York Orders Citywide Travel Ban as Major Storm Hits US 

People walk along Manhattan's Times Square during a snowfall in New York City, on February 22, 2026. (AFP)
People walk along Manhattan's Times Square during a snowfall in New York City, on February 22, 2026. (AFP)

New York ordered drivers off the road and shut down schools on Monday, while residents braced for a massive snowstorm hitting the United States northeast.

Tens of millions of Americans from the US capital, Washington, to the northern state of Maine have prepared for up to two feet (60 centimeters) of snow forecast in some areas.

Light snow and "freezing fog" with lows of 30F (-1C) were recorded in New York in the early hours of Monday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) said on its website.

NWS also predicted blizzard conditions would "quickly materialize" from Maryland up to southeastern New England, making travel "extremely treacherous."

Snow could fall at a rate of two to three inches per hour at the peak of the storm, with nearly 54 million people in its path, it said.

Early Monday morning, the storm had already begun to hit New York, slashing visibility to the extent that the skyscrapers of Wall Street were barely visible from the adjacent borough of Brooklyn.

Power outages are likely due to heavy snow and strong wind gusts, forecasters said. Just after 01:39 am local time (0639 GMT) on Monday, nearly 80,000 customers were without power in the state of New Jersey, according to tracking website poweroutage.us.

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 flights have been cancelled, data from the tracker FlightAware showed early Monday.

In New York, which has more than eight million residents, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said streets, highways and bridges would be shut down from 9:00 pm Sunday until noon Monday.

"New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade," he said, explaining the state of emergency. "We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel."

The ban will not apply to essential workers or New Yorkers needing to travel due to emergencies.

Brandon Smith, 33, who lives in Brooklyn, complained that some workplaces had remained open, even if roads were not.

"It's going to be difficult for most New Yorkers to get around because we still have to go to work. It's unfortunate (roads) are suspended as jobs are not going to stop calling us in," he said.

Tourists, on the other hand, were delighted by the spectacle of their first experiences of snowfall.

Macarena Gonzalez, who came from Chile, said that she knew it was going to snow but didn't realize to what extent.

"I'm happy, it's a great experience," she told AFP on Sunday while exploring Times Square.

- 'Worst yet to come' -

The NWS warned heavy snow, high winds and low visibility were "expected to cause dangerous to impossible travel" conditions.

Gusts of up to 60 miles (100 kilometers) per hour were expected late Sunday and into Monday, the NWS said.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency beginning midday Sunday, freeing up funds and allowing the swift deployment of resources to address the weather crisis.

In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu closed all public schools and municipal buildings on Monday.

"We ask everyone to plan ahead, stay safe and warm, and stay off the roads to help our public works and public safety efforts," Wu said.

The NWS said "moderate to major" coastal flooding affecting waterfront roads and properties was possible from Delaware up to Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

The storm comes just weeks after the region recovered from another devastating winter weather system that was linked to more than 100 deaths.

"The worst is yet to come," New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a press briefing on Sunday.

"Whatever you need -- any groceries, any medicines you need to be refilled at the pharmacy, any pet food you need to have -- do it right now."

Then, she advised, "just settle in."

"Watch some more Olympics, read a book, catch up on the news, call your family members, call your moms -- especially your moms."

Varieties

French Artist's Installation Will Transform Paris' Oldest Bridge Into Giant Cave

A photomontage shows the project by French artist JR called Pont Neuf Cavern in his studio, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A photomontage shows the project by French artist JR called Pont Neuf Cavern in his studio, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
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French Artist's Installation Will Transform Paris' Oldest Bridge Into Giant Cave

A photomontage shows the project by French artist JR called Pont Neuf Cavern in his studio, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A photomontage shows the project by French artist JR called Pont Neuf Cavern in his studio, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

He is known as the French Banksy — or simply JR. Now the artist popular across France for large-scale projects, from photographs to graffiti and street art, wants Parisians to do something unusual on the city's arguably most famous bridge: stop.

In June, he plans to transform the bustling bridge that dates back to the 17th century into a walk-through “cave” — a temporary, monumental public artwork that will cover the stone arches with a rocky illusion and invite visitors to cross the River Seine through a tunnel complete with sound and digitally augmented reality.

He says it's possibly the “largest immersive installation ever made” and — one that will be accessible around the clock and offer a “totally different approach” to the bridge.

“We’re about to leave something pretty incredible in the middle of Paris,” JR told The Associated Press at his studio in eastern Paris, wearing his trademark hat and shades.

His project, the Pont Neuf Cavern is to run June 6-28, spanning 120 meters (yards) in length and over 17 meters in height.

French artist JR shows his project Pont Neuf Cavern during an interview with The Associated Press in his studio, in Paris, France, on Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

The installation is a nod to a Paris legend: the late artistic duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude who in 1985 wrapped Pont Neuf — and its streetlamps — in a pale golden fabric.

The project, which took years of negotiations with the authorities, helped define the genre of monumental public art in modern cities across the world.

To JR, the homage is both aesthetic and personal.

“I had the chance to meet Christo along the years," he said. "We had big respect for each other’s work.”

While walking recently on the street with an AP crew, an older woman stopped JR — now, a household name in his country — to share her memories of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapping. She told him she was excited to see the bridge transformed again.

Still, JR — a pseudonym stemming from first name, Jean-René — acknowledges the weight of following in the iconic pair's footsteps.

“It’s pretty hard to go after them,” he said, “but I’m doing it in a very different style, in my own way.”

His idea is about “bringing back mineral and nature" to the heart of Paris.

From the outside, his installation will make Pont Neuf look “as if it has been overtaken by a prehistoric outcrop,” a structure visible along the banks of the Seine — a rocky mass that is “literally going to break the landscape,” he said.

JR said there will be two main ways for people to experience his installation. From the outside, those heading to Pont Neuf will see the giant installation hundreds of meters away.

And from the inside, once visitors enter the “cave” on Pont Neuf, they will be able to walk through a long tunnel-like structure, having a feeling of "total immersion,” he said.

The cave will allow no daylight in and once inside, visitors “will lose track of time,” JR said.

A key collaborator on the project is Thomas Bangalter, a former member of French rock band Daft Punk who is creating the sound to accompany the installation — “something you’ll only hear from the inside,” JR said.

Snap’s AR studio in Paris is developing the augmented reality technology. Visitors will be able to use their smartphones to “experience and see things that you can’t see with your eyes,” JR said.

He is intentionally mysterious about what that is — keeping it a surprise until closer to the opening.

JR's team conducted extensive engineering studies, including tests in a hangar at Paris' Orly airport, to understand how the structure behaves, especially in an emergency when the electricity that fuels the cave's air supply cuts off. Tests show the structure stays the same. There is also the security question — the bridge is a busy zone, especially during Paris’ tourist-packed early summer.

JR said visitor numbers will be limited at any given time, and that his team is consulting with authorities on that. During the three weeks of the exhibition, the installation will be continuously monitored.

JR is best known for his large-scale art — enormous portraits pasted on buildings, border walls and rooftops. Because of his origins in graffiti and street art he has inevitably drawn comparison with Banksy, the elusive UK-based artist famous for his huge murals and activism.

JR's installation will not have any massive faces, but the theme is still human, he says: gathering, connection, and what people project onto a shared space.

He says his installation is also an allusion to Plato’s allegory of the cave in which chained men interpret shadows on the cave wall as reality, ignorant of the real world outside — and compares that to the fake reality created by the visual world of our social media platforms.

“What are our caves today is our phone,” JR said, “because we ... believe that ... our algorithm on social media ... is the reality.”

During the installation, which will coincide with June's Paris Fashion Week and World Music Day, the bridge will close to traffic.