US Stresses Need for Economic Reforms in Tunisia

 Tunisia’s President Kais Saied reiterated his country’s adherence to its sovereignty and rejected US intervention in its internal affairs. (EPA)
Tunisia’s President Kais Saied reiterated his country’s adherence to its sovereignty and rejected US intervention in its internal affairs. (EPA)
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US Stresses Need for Economic Reforms in Tunisia

 Tunisia’s President Kais Saied reiterated his country’s adherence to its sovereignty and rejected US intervention in its internal affairs. (EPA)
Tunisia’s President Kais Saied reiterated his country’s adherence to its sovereignty and rejected US intervention in its internal affairs. (EPA)

Tunisia's President Kais Saied held talks with the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf at Carthage Palace on Tuesday.

The Tunisian presidency said the meeting was a chance for Saied to clarify many issues related to the situation in the country.

Saied called on the US authorities to hear from Tunisian counterparts to find out the reality of the economic and social conditions in his country.

He renewed Tunis’s adherence to its sovereignty and rejected any intervention in its internal affairs.

The US Embassy in Tunis quoted Leaf as underscoring that the US-Tunisia partnership is strongest when there is a shared commitment to democracy and human rights.

She stressed the importance of achieving economic reforms that will lead to equal measures of prosperity for all Tunisians.

Leaf also met with Tunisian Minister of Interior Taoufik Charfeddine to discuss security and counter-terrorism cooperation.

She underlined the importance of human rights, protecting rule of law, and freedom of expression for all Tunisians.

The meeting touched on the distinguished bilateral ties in all fields and means to bolster them.

Both sides also discussed joint cooperation projects in the security field, such as the police academy project in Enfidha.

Leaf later discussed with Tunisia’s Defense Minister Imed Memmiche direct regional and transcontinental threats.

They hailed the existing cooperation between Tunis and Washington to support the ability to address various challenges.

Barbara expressed her country’s commitment to continue supporting Tunisia to address security and development challenges.



Two Killed in Israeli Strike North of Lebanon’s Capital

An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
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Two Killed in Israeli Strike North of Lebanon’s Capital

An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)

At least two people were killed in an Israeli strike near the Christian-majority town of Jounieh, north of Beirut, Lebanon's health ministry said on Saturday, in the first attack on the area by Israeli forces.

The Israeli military was looking into the report of the strike in Jounieh, a spokesperson said. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group that is fighting Israeli troops on Lebanon's southern border and whose top leadership has suffered blows from targeted Israeli strikes.

The health ministry said the Israeli strike targeted a car.

Two witnesses told Reuters they heard a small blast and saw a Honda sports utility vehicle travelling on the main highway south in the direction of Beirut begin to lose control.

The car stopped about 100 meters down the highway and a man and a woman ran out of the vehicle and into a grassy area on the side of the highway before another blast, the witnesses said.

One witness saw the charred remains of a person in the grassy area.