TUNIS: Migration activists are sounding the alarm this week about mass expulsions and arbitrary arrests in Tunisia, where authorities are seeing more migrants arrive for attempted Mediterranean crossings from the North African nation to Europe.
The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights on Monday accused the government of waging a campaign of repression against migrants at the expense of humanitarian concerns, “to satisfy European blackmail and ensure a steady stream of financial and logistical support.”
It said in a statement that witness accounts indicated the situation had become particularly dire around Tunisia’s borders with Libya and Algeria as well as around the country’s second most populous city, Sfax, a common stopover point for migrants aiming to cross the Mediterranean.
The nongovernmental organization said that migrants in Sfax, which is 117 miles (188 kilometers) from the Italian Island of Lampedusa, regularly experience arbitrary arrests and violence. Many have their property destroyed.
Such treatment hasn’t been limited to migrants who enter Tunisia without authorization and has extended to refugees, students, and workers, the group said.
It said it had received frequent reports of mass expulsions across the Algerian and Libyan borders. In Algeria, that has included migrants being deported into the desert regardless of weather conditions. In war-torn Libya, deportations often lead to migrants ending up in detention centers run by armed groups.
Tunisian officials have said small groups of migrants have been pushed back across the country’s desert borders but disputed reports of systemic abuse and expulsions.
The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights implored the government to end the deportations, provide migrants safe haven and update laws to allow those without papers to obtain some sort of legal status.
“Sovereignty is not achieved by intimidating vulnerable groups and resorting to outdated laws and discriminatory circulars, but rather by initiating national policies that guarantee dignity, rights and freedoms for all humans,” it said.
Tunisia faces increased scrutiny over how it deals with migrants. More than 97,000 people crossed the Mediterranean from Tunisia to Italy in 2023, according to UNHCR. Tunisian migration groups estimate there are between 20,000 and 50,000 sub-Saharan migrants in the country.
Tunisian authorities receive financial assistance from Europe to help police borders. The country brokered a $1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) aid agreement in July that included a pledge of 105 million euros ($110 million) earmarked for migration.
Despite the aid, President Kais Saied has insisted that Tunisia will not become Europe’s “border guard” or accept migrants that European politicians, including ascendant right-wing leaders, don’t want.
Saied last year faced allegations of racism after calling the presence of sub-Saharan African migrants part of a “criminal plan to change the demographic makeup of the country.”
Tunisian group accuses authorities of mass expulsions of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa
Tunisian group accuses authorities of mass expulsions of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa
Oil Updates — Crude retreats on demand concerns after Fed signals slower easing ahead
LONDON: Oil prices fell in Asian trade on Thursday after the US Federal Reserve signaled it would slow the pace of interest rate cuts in 2025, which could slow economic growth and reduce fuel demand.
Brent futures fell 47 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $72.92 a barrel by 8:15 a.m. Saudi Time. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 39 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $70.19.
The declines reversed most of the benchmark contracts’ gains from Wednesday when prices settled higher as US crude stocks fell and the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points as expected.
Prices weakened after US central bankers issued projections calling for two quarter-point interest rate cuts in 2025 on concerns about rising inflation. That was half a point less than they had anticipated as of September.
Lower rates decrease borrowing costs, which can boost economic growth and demand for oil.
“The demand-supply balance going into 2025 continues to look unfavorable and predictions of more than 1.0 million bpd demand growth in 2025 look stretched in our opinion. Even if OPEC+ continues to withhold production, the market may still be in surplus,” DBS Bank’s energy sector team lead Suvro Sarkar said.
Meanwhile, although demand in the first half of December rose year-on-year, volumes remained lower than expected by some analysts.
JP Morgan analysts said in a note that global oil demand growth for December so far was 700,000 barrels per day less than it had expected, and for the year-to-date, global demand had risen by 200,000 bpd less than it had forecast in November 2023.
Official data from the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday showed US crude stocks fell by 934,000 barrels in the week to Dec. 13, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.6 million-barrel draw.
While the drawdown was less than expected, the market found support in the data as US crude exports rose by 1.8 million bpd last week to 4.89 million bpd.
Five suspected militants killed in Indian-administered Kashmir
- The disputed region is home to a 35-year insurgency in which tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and militants have been killed
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government canceled the territory’s partial autonomy in 2019, bringing the region under its direct rule
SRINAGAR: Security forces in India-administered Kashmir on Thursday killed at least five suspected militants in ongoing clashes, the army said, the latest outbreak of violence in the disputed Muslim-majority Himalayan region.
Kashmir has been divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan since their partition at the chaotic end of British rule in 1947, and both countries claim the territory in full.
“Five terrorists have been neutralized by the security forces in the ongoing operation,” the Indian army’s Chinar Corps said, adding that two soldiers had been wounded in the firefight.
Half a million Indian troops are deployed in the far northern region, battling a 35-year insurgency in which tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and militants have been killed, including at least 120 this year.
Separatist groups demand either independence or the region’s merger with Pakistan.
New Delhi regularly blames Pakistan for arming militants and helping them launch attacks, an allegation Islamabad denies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government canceled the territory’s partial autonomy in 2019, bringing the region under its direct rule.
The territory of about 12 million people has since been ruled by a New Delhi-appointed governor who oversees a local government that voters elected in October in opposition to Modi.
5 suspected militants killed in Kashmir fighting, Indian military says
- India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety
- Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989
SRINAGAR, India: Government forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed five suspected militants in a gunbattle on Thursday, the Indian military said.
Soldiers and police launched a joint operation after receiving a tip that rebels were hiding in a village in southern Kulgam district, the military said in a statement. The militants opened “indiscriminate and heavy volumes of fire” at the raiding troops, leading to a gunbattle, it said.
Five militants were killed in the fighting, the statement said, adding that two soldiers were also injured. Troops continued to search the area. There was no independent confirmation of the battle.
India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.
Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
‘Landmark reforms’: Pakistan cabinet approves amendments to century-old Code of Criminal Procedure
- The CrPC governs all stages of criminal proceedings in Pakistan, from investigation and prosecution to adjudication and appeals
- Key changes include facilitating police complaints, electronic recording of statements, and establishing timelines for case hearings
KARACHI: Pakistan’s federal cabinet has approved amendments to more-than-a-century-old Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a senior official said on Wednesday, adding that the “landmark reforms” would address long-standing issues in the criminal justice system.
Enacted during the British rule in 1898, the CrPC governs all aspects of criminal proceedings in Pakistan, from investigation and prosecution to adjudication and appeals. But many of its provisions were deemed outdated and in need of reforms.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet approved amendments to CrPC, which would now be presented before both houses of parliament for approval. The draft of amendments would then be sent to the president to be signed into law.
Barrister Aqeel Malik, adviser to the prime minister on law and justice and a government spokesperson on legal affairs, said the changes were essential to “streamline” the criminal justice system of the country.
“The amendments to the CrPC were long overdue,” Malik told Arab News. “These landmark reforms will simplify and streamline processes.”
The reforms followed the creation of a committee by PM Sharif, which engaged bar councils, prosecutors, judges, lawyers and experts to ensure the amendments address issues within the system.
The key changes include measures to protect vulnerable groups, such as women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, by recording their statements at the place of their ease, instead of calling them into a police station.
Under Section 46, only female officers can now arrest women, and male officers have been prohibited from arresting female suspects. Newly added provisions, 54-A and 54-C, seek to align the laws with international standards on the treatment of detainees, while modern electronic devices would now be used to record witness statements and facilitate cross-examinations under Section 161-A, according to Malik.
Another reform requires a police station in-charge, or station house officer (SHO), to be an officer of the sub-inspector rank, instead of an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), while other amendments focus on making it easier for citizens to file police complaints. Previously, if a police officer refused to lodge a complaint, people had to resort to lengthy procedures to seek redressal. Now, people can approach a superintendent of police (SP) to address their grievances.
The role of prosecutors has been strengthened in the new draft, allowing them to flag deficiencies in police reports and recommend suspending or closing cases. Timelines have also been introduced for speedy resolution of cases.
“The trial court will now have to set a timeline for each case within 15 days of taking cognizance, similar to practices in countries like the UK and the US,” Malik said.
A “case management schedule” has been recommended in the amended draft of CrPC and trials must conclude within a year, with a one-time, four-month extension. Appeals must be decided within six months to a year, with fewer adjournments, and legal heirs can now file appeals if the convicted person dies before appealing a verdict to ensure justice may continue posthumously, according to the official. One of the amendments is the inclusion of psychologists and psychiatrists in medical boards.
“The term ‘lunatic’ has also been removed from the CrPC and replaced with a more appropriate definition for individuals suffering from mental disorders,” he added.
Haider Imam Rizvi, a lawyer and former vice-chairman of the Sindh Bar Council, supported the government’s move, but urged it to “avoid using the reforms to consolidate its power.”
“We had been demanding that the outdated 1898 system needs to be amended,” he said. “If the amendments are being introduced to assert dominance over others and deprive people of their rights in certain aspects of the criminal procedure, then I would consider it an improper exercise of power. However, if these changes are genuinely positive, as we still need to see the draft, then we will support them.”
Malik emphasized the reforms were not politically motivated: “These changes are aimed solely at improving the system to ensure speedy justice.”
Saqib Bashir, a local media reporter who has excessively covered legal cases, welcomed the amendments, urging their effective enforcement.
“The use of modern devices like video links for recording statements is a great step. The timeline is also a welcome step but unless there is a will and enforcement, it could remain an unfulfilled promise,” he said. “The mindset of the police, especially regarding FIRs (first information report), also needs to change for the reforms to succeed.”
British historian explores Nabateans’ ‘cool culture’ in documentary
- Bettany Hughes’ series ‘Lost Worlds’ travels through AlUla, Europe and Petra
JEDDAH: For British historian Bettany Hughes, the story of the Nabateans is as vital as those of the ancient Greeks, Romans or Egyptians.
In a new three-part series, “Lost Worlds with Bettany Hughes: The Nabataeans,” Hughes traces the titular civilization’s incense trade routes from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean, accessing newly revealed research across Saudi Arabia’s Al Ula, Jordan, Greece, Italy and Oman.
“For me, you can’t understand the classical world unless you understand the Nabataeans — they are the missing link in the story of society, because, in many ways, they were the engine that drove many other civilizations. They connected the far edges of the Arabian Peninsula with the center of Europe, and without them, that line of connection wouldn’t have happened,” Hughes told Arab News on the sidelines of this month’s Red Sea International Film Festival, where the show’s first episode was screened.
Her decades of research have revealed that Petra, the Nabateans’ iconic capital, was just a small part of a vast empire that is only now revealing its secrets.
“When you say, ‘These are the guys that built Petra,’ then people go, ‘Oh, yeah. I always wondered.’ But that’s why we’re doing this series; to remind the world that they have this whole other story, whole other centers of operation. And to try to write them back into history. They’re a very cool culture. I’m very impressed by them.
“They love happiness. They love liberty. Women seem to have a really strong role in their society. They’re all about trade and communication — and therefore understanding people beyond borders and boundaries. So, I think there’s a lot that we can learn from them as a culture,” she continued.
Hughes’ entry point to the Nabateans came almost three decades ago.
“It was initially through trying to do detective work on the trade network,” she explained. “I knew that the Romans were obsessed with incense. I knew that Tutankhamun was buried with incense balls in his tomb. And I thought, ‘So, who’s delivering that?’ Because I also knew that incense came from that southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. So, who was in charge?
“And then I saw this coin of Aretas IV, who was probably the most powerful of all the Nabatean kings. And Huldu, his queen, was also on the coin. And I just thought that that doesn’t happen often. That’s really interesting, so I needed to get to the bottom of their story,” Hughes added.
And since Saudi Arabia’s AlUla has been opened up to the outside world over the past few years, Hughes jumped on the opportunity to learn more about the civilization that’s recurrently appeared on the edges of her research efforts.
She first travelled to the historic site in 2022, heading deep into the deserts of AlUla, even spending time with the still-existing Bedouin communities there, tracing how the Nabateans traversed the harsh landscape with their camels and the stars as guides.
The first episode of “Lost Worlds” is dedicated entirely to AlUla, in the second episode they visit Europe, before heading to Petra in the third and final episode.
Hughes credited her love for history to one of her schoolteachers.
“When I was growing up, history wasn’t fashionable. People would say, ‘Oh, it’s irrelevant. All the answers lie in the future.’ And I just knew that couldn’t be true — that there was this reservoir of ideas and inspiration and understanding that came in the past,” she said. “And then I had a brilliant teacher who said, ‘Go for it. Even if you’re unpopular, even if people are saying no, make it happen.’ That kind of gave me the confidence to plow ahead.
“I then went to Oxford to study history, and I was very aware that in the official stories of the world that I was reading as a student, women didn’t feature very much. Even though I knew, obviously, we’d been 50 percent of the human population forever, we only occupied a tiny percentage of recorded history. So I felt that was something I could help with,” she continued. “I don’t just write about women’s history, but I’m always looking for the gaps — and the story of the female role in history is one of those gaps that needs filling.”
