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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

Somalia Welcomes Its First Bowling Alley as the Middle Class and Diaspora Returnees Grow

People bowl at the Feynuus Bowling Center in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Jan. 15, 2026. (AP)
People bowl at the Feynuus Bowling Center in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Jan. 15, 2026. (AP)
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Somalia Welcomes Its First Bowling Alley as the Middle Class and Diaspora Returnees Grow

People bowl at the Feynuus Bowling Center in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Jan. 15, 2026. (AP)
People bowl at the Feynuus Bowling Center in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Jan. 15, 2026. (AP)

In a city long defined by conflict, Somalia ’s capital of Mogadishu now echoes with the crash of pins at the country's first modern bowling alley.

It's the latest sign of revival in the once-thriving Indian Ocean port shaped by 35 years of civil war and militant bombings. Millions of people were forced to flee what became one of the world’s most dangerous cities. Those who remained avoided public spaces as the al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab waged an insurgency against the Somali state.

In recent years, improved security measures against al-Shabab, an expanded government presence and growing private investment have allowed daily life to re-emerge. Cafes line newly reopened streets, beaches draw evening crowds and traffic congestion, once unimaginable, now clogs key intersections.

The Feynuus Bowling Center opened last year and draws many locals and Somalis returning from the diaspora, who bring investment and business ideas after years of sending billions of dollars in remittances from abroad.

On a recent evening, young Somalis gathered in groups, laughing and filming each other on their phones while music played. Many from the diaspora are visiting Mogadishu for the first time in years, or the first time ever.

“I couldn’t believe Mogadishu has this place,” said Hudoon Abdi, a Somali-Canadian on holiday, as she prepared to take her turn to bowl.

“I’m enjoying it. Mogadishu is actually safe,” she said, urging others to visit.

Mogadishu remains vulnerable to militant attacks, however, with security measures like checkpoints and heavily guarded zones part of daily life. Non-Somalis remain largely confined to a compound at the international airport.

But residents say the ability to gather for recreation signals an important psychological shift. Such venues provide a welcoming environment for a younger generation eager for safe spaces to socialize.

Abukar Hajji returned from the United Kingdom on holiday after many years away and found the difference between what he imagined and what he experienced eye-opening.

“When I was flying from the UK, I believed it was a scary place, like a war-torn country,” he said. “Everyone told me, ‘Good luck,’ but when I came and saw it with my own eyes, I didn’t want to leave.”

Sadaq Abdurahman, the manager of the bowling center, said the idea for the business emerged from a growing demand among young people for recreational facilities.

“It has created employment opportunities for at least 40 youths,” he said.

According to the Somali National Bureau of Statistics, Somalia’s unemployment rate stands at 21.4%.

The bowling alley has private security guards, bag checks and surveillance cameras, reflecting the precautions common at public venues in Mogadishu.

Urban planners and economists say businesses like the bowling alley signal a broader shift in Mogadishu’s recovery, as private sector growth increasingly complements international aid and government-led rebuilding efforts.

Ahmed Khadar Abdi Jama, a lecturer in economics at the University of Somalia, said innovative businesses are responding to the needs of diaspora returnees and the growing middle class, “which in turn adds to the expected increase in Somalia’s GDP.”

Outside the bowling alley, traffic hummed and neon signs flickered, other reminders of Mogadishu’s fragile transformation.

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Benefit of Taking Magnesium Does Not Get Enough Attention

Nutrition experts recommended trying to get more of magnesium in our diet from food first (Harvard University)
Nutrition experts recommended trying to get more of magnesium in our diet from food first (Harvard University)
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Benefit of Taking Magnesium Does Not Get Enough Attention

Nutrition experts recommended trying to get more of magnesium in our diet from food first (Harvard University)
Nutrition experts recommended trying to get more of magnesium in our diet from food first (Harvard University)

Nutrition experts revealed that magnesium is often not given the same attention as other vitamins and minerals, although it plays a pivotal role in supporting the overall health of our body, especially improving blood sugar management and supporting neuro-psychological balance.

According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), magnesium is an abundant mineral in our body and it’s naturally present in many foods.

The mineral is required in more than 300 different reactions in our body, including those that regulate muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure.

“Magnesium plays a role in how our body handles sugar,” Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy told Prevention magazine.

“It helps with the action of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.” When you have enough magnesium in your body, insulin can work better and your body can manage blood sugar more effectively, Keatley said.

Also, stress can cause our body to use more magnesium than usual, which can limit our body’s ability to do other tasks with the nutrient, Keatley said.

“In addition, magnesium can help reduce the release of stress hormones like cortisol,” he said. “It’s like a natural chill pill that can help keep our body’s stress response in check.”

Magnesium helps regulate brain function and mood. It plays a role in releasing and using neurotransmitters, which are chemicals in our brain that affect our mood and emotions.

The mineral may help improve bone density and decrease fracture risk.
“Magnesium is stored in bones and is an important part of bone health,” said Deborah Cohen, DCN, an associate professor in the department of clinical and preventive nutrition sciences at Rutgers University School of Health Professions.

At baseline, magnesium can help to relax and widen your blood vessels, Keatley said. “This makes it easier for blood to flow and can help lower blood pressure,” he added. “It’s like making the highways wider so that traffic can move more smoothly.”

A 2025 review in hypertension found that magnesium seems to be beneficial for lowering blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and magnesium deficiency, but larger studies are needed.

There are a lot of foods that are high in magnesium. Nutrition experts recommended trying to get more of the nutrient in our diet from food first.

These are the most magnesium-rich foods, according to the NIH are: Pumpkin seeds, Chia seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, shredded wheat, soymilk, black beans, edamame, peanut butter, potato with skin, brown rice and plain yogurt.

Varieties

SpaceX Prioritizes Lunar 'Self-growing City' over Mars Project

FILE - A SpaceX logo is displayed on a building, May 26, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
FILE - A SpaceX logo is displayed on a building, May 26, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
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SpaceX Prioritizes Lunar 'Self-growing City' over Mars Project

FILE - A SpaceX logo is displayed on a building, May 26, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
FILE - A SpaceX logo is displayed on a building, May 26, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX has shifted its focus to building a "self-growing city" on the moon, which could be achieved in less than 10 years.

SpaceX still intends to start on Musk's long-held ambition of a city on Mars within five to seven years, he wrote on his X social media platform, "but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster."

Musk's comments echo a Wall Street Journal report on Friday, stating that SpaceX has told investors it would prioritize going to the moon and attempt a trip to Mars ⁠at a later time, targeting March 2027 for an uncrewed lunar landing.

As recently as last year, Musk said that he aimed to send an uncrewed mission to Mars by the end of 2026.

The US faces intense competition from China in the race to return humans to the moon this decade. Humans have not visited the lunar surface since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Less than a week ago, Musk announced that SpaceX ⁠acquired the artificial intelligence company he also leads, xAI, in a deal that values the rocket and satellite company at $1 trillion and the artificial intelligence outfit at $250 billion.

Proponents of the move view it as a way for SpaceX to bolster its plans for space-based data centers, which Musk sees as more energy efficient than terrestrial facilities as the demand for compute power soars with AI development.

SpaceX is hoping a public offering later this year could raise as much as $50 billion, which could make it the largest public offering in history.

On Monday, Musk said in response to a user on X that NASA will constitute less than 5% of SpaceX's revenue this year. SpaceX is ⁠a core contractor in NASA's Artemis moon program with a $4 billion contract to land astronauts on the lunar surface using Starship.

"Vast majority of SpaceX revenue is the commercial Starlink system," Musk added.

Earlier on Sunday, Musk shared the company's first Super Bowl ad, promoting its Starlink Wi-Fi service.

Even as Musk reorients SpaceX, he is also pushing his publicly traded company, Tesla, in a new direction.

After virtually building the global electric vehicles market, Tesla is now planning to spend $20 billion this year as part of an effort to pivot to autonomous driving and robots.

To speed up the shift, Musk said last month Tesla is ending production of two car models at its California factory to make room for manufacturing its Optimus humanoid robots.