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23 Jan 2011 10:33

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World: Tunisia violence: Two differing death toll estimates

  • 100+ the United Nations estimate of the death toll in Tunisia in the wake of the extended protests
  • 78 the estimate from the country’s interior minister, Ahmed Friaa … so which estimate is right? source
  • » Currently under house arrest (reportedly): Two of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s strongest confidantes, Abdelaziz Ben Dhia and Abdallah Kallel, are in custody of the new government. Meanwhile, a third adviser, Abdelwaheb Abdallah, is on the run. The info comes from the country’s state-run Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, which didn’t reveal a source. Oh yeah, in case you’re wondering, those police officers from yesterday want to make it clear they weren’t responsible for the death toll above.
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22 Jan 2011 11:04

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World: Tunisian police officers: Screw it, we want to protest, too!

Police officers are standing in solidarity with other protesters today. Why? According to al-Jazeera, “They no longer want to be persecuted” for helping defend the government. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jan 2011 10:52

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World: Some more quick numbers from Tunisia’s volatile situation

  • eight ministers loyal to Ben Ali are out, and a powerful central committee that included them has disbanded
  • 33 members of Ben Ali’s family, have been charged with “crimes against Tunisia” for their gaudy lives
  • 1,800 political prisoners have been released from jail, and those with short sentences should be released, too source
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16 Jan 2011 17:32

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World: Update: Three things you should know about Tunisia’s unrest

  • one Protesters are wary of trusting the police; the situation remains volatile. Two major gun battles took place on Sunday, one of them near the presidential palace.
  • two Tunisia’s prime minister is promising a new government on Monday, and at least one ousted party plans to return to the country after the unrest dies down.
  • three High-profile members of former president Ben Ali’s staff have been arrested, and some of his family members have been attacked and killed by angry citizens. source
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15 Jan 2011 13:32

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World: A quick recap of Tunisia’s presidential situation at the moment

  • one Tunisian president in the 23 years before yesterday’s freefall
  • three Tunisian presidents in just 24 hours; sounds fairly stable to us source
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14 Jan 2011 14:30

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World: Tunisia’s Prime Minister, Mohamed Ghannouchi, taking over

  • And I urge all the sons and daughters of Tunisia, from all political and intellectual backgrounds, of every affiliation, to adhere to the true national spirit. So we can safeguard our nation that is so dear to us, in order to overcome this difficult phase and return security.
  • Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi • While informing Tunisian residents that he’ll be taking over presidential duties from troubled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who has ruled since 1987 and just dissolved the government. There are reports that Ben Ali has straight-up left the country.  source
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14 Jan 2011 13:34

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Biz, World: Could food prices be a root cause of Tunisia’s unrest?

  • 32% increase in food prices in 2010’s second half source
  • » How does this matter? We’re at a record with food prices, making it hard for people to live in third-world countries. With quick growth in countries such as China, reserves are becoming harder to keep, and the supplies of basic crops like corn and soybeans (which also get used in vast quantities for such things as ethanol) are down significantly. And since Americans tend to eat more processed foods (which use fewer raw materials), price increases aren’t felt in the developed world as much as they are in the third world. “In this country, a much higher proportion of your food dollar is spent on processing, advertising and promotion and marketing,” said Global Insight economist Tom Jackson. “There’s not really that margin built in between the farmer and the consumer in the developing countries.”

 

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14 Jan 2011 11:58

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World: More on the (very scary) Tunisia government dissolution

  • Running battles amid extreme violence from police. Protesters being chased on to rooftops. This is turning very, very bad. Gunshots are now ringing around us and in the other sidestreets around interior ministry.
  • Guardian reporter Angelique Chrisafis • Tweeting about the scene in Tunisia, where violent protests have led to the country’s dissolution. At least 23 people have died, many shot by police, since the protests began a month ago. Another 12 died in Tunis and Ras Jebel last night alone. The president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, promised that police would leave protesters alone, and that he would resign office by 2014. “I understand the Tunisians, I understand their demands,” he said. “I am sad about what is happening now after 50 years of service to the country, military service, all the different posts, 23 years of the presidency.” He’s been in office since 1987. Protesters, upset about the poor economic situation, want him to step down immediately. source
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14 Jan 2011 11:44

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World: Tunisia’s government falls apart violently and dramatically

Guess this means the dissolution of Lebanon’s government wasn’t the worst dissolution of the week. During this protest, security forces violently beat protesters. Yikes. source
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