Squalid Libya Migrant Camps in Spotlight at EU-Africa Summit

European Union and African leaders pledged Wednesday to do more to help thousands of migrants stranded in squalid detention centers in Libya, the main jumping-off point for desperate people setting out in unseaworthy boats in search of better lives in Europe. While youth and development are the main themes of their EU-Africa summit in Ivory Coast, migration is an agenda topping issue, pushed further into the public eye after recent footage of migrants at a slave auction in Libya drew international horror and condemnation. Opening the meeting in Abidjan, Ivory…

UN mission facilitates elections in Libya by end of 2018

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Ghassan Salame said Wednesday that the mission is working on holding elections in Libya before the end of 2018. Salame made his remarks in a meeting with representatives of tribes, civil society, academics and activists in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. “We’re working hard to secure right conditions for elections, such as voter registration and bolstering High National Election Commission capacity, in addition to legal, political, security requirements to enable holding the elections, God…

IN ARCHIVES FROM ANTIBIOTICS’ EARLIEST DAYS, SCIENTISTS FIND BACTERIA ALREADY EVOLVED RESISTANCE

Scientists suspect the farm use of penicillin was to blame. It took nearly three decades after Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin for other scientists to develop a version of the drug that worked against E. coli and Salmonella, but it took less than two years after that for the first outbreak of antibiotic-resistant food poisoning to show up. Beecham Research Laboratories in Surrey, England, began mass-producing ampicillin in 1961. The first ampicillin-resistant Salmonella outbreak happened in the later half of 1962. How did Salmonella learn to evade its killer so quickly? It might have gotten a head start on farms, according…

Tunisian Nader Masmoudi awarded Fermat Prize for Mathematics 2017

The 2017 Fermat Prize was awarded to Tunisia’s Nader Masmoudi (Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York, USA) for his outstanding work of in-depth and creativity in analyzing non-linear partial differential equations and in particular for his contributions to the rigorous and complete resolution of hydrodynamic stability problems raised by the founding fathers of modern fluid mechanics at the end of the 19th century. This prize was awarded jointly with the German Simon A. Brendle (Columbia University, New York, USA) for his many and profound results in geometric analysis. Nader…

Squalid Libya migrant camps in spotlight at EU-Africa summit

European Union and African leaders pledged Wednesday to do more to help thousands of migrants stranded in squalid detention centers in Libya, the main jumping-off point for desperate people setting out in unseaworthy boats in search of better lives in Europe. While youth and development are the main themes of the EU-Africa summit in Ivory Coast, migration is a key issue, pushed further into the public eye after recent footage of migrants at a slave auction in Libya drew international horror and condemnation. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said the…

Oil and olive oil fair opens in Tripoli

A trade show of Libya olives and olive oil has opened at the Tripoli International Fair ground. Libyan olive oil is highly appreciated by those who know it. However, it is not widely available. As with the orange industry, Libya’s largest export earner before the discovery of oil, the olive oil industry was effectively destroyed during the Qaddafi era. The regime decided that it was easier to import olive oil from Tunisia and Spain. As a result, despite the quality, there is no proper grading or marketing. Most is said…

Salameh Makes Surprise Visit to Tripoli to Hold Negotiations

The head of the United Nations mission to Libya, Ghassan Salame, began a surprise visit to the capital Tripoli on Monday, during which he would travel to several other cities to hold consultations on what he called “the best way to implement the UN plan for Libya.” Salame tackled the amendments to the political agreement concluded in the resort of Skhirat, Morocco about two years ago, with the head of the Supreme Council of the State, Abdul Rahman al-Suhaili, and the Chairman of Parliament’s Dialogue Committee, Abdul Salam Nassieh. In…

AU-EU summit: Private sector clamours for spotlight

Heads of employers’ organizations of the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) on Tuesday exhorted heads of state meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire later this week to place the private sector “at the heart of its common strategy” to address the current migration crisis and unemployment.“We call on heads of state to redirect the EU-AU relationship by putting the private sector at the heart of their joint strategy,” Jean-Marie Ackah, the president of the Ivorian Association of Employers told the press. His desire is to see the private sector…

Up-and-coming researchers honoured for breakthrough discoveries at 7th annual Mitacs Awards

Achievements include innovations to prevent cancer from spreading, helping athletes sleep better, and improving heavy oil recovery process Five researchers from across Canada were recognized for their innovative efforts to transform the lives of Canadians. Their contributions include research to stop cancer from spreading, helping elite athletes overcome sleep disturbances, and making Canada’s heavy oil recovery process more efficient. The innovators were recognized at the 7th annual Mitacs Awards, which honours the work of outstanding participants in Mitacs’ research and training programs. Following remarks by the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic…

Union and government reach agreement on Tunisia food prices

The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) reached an agreement with the government on Monday to freeze the price of basic foodstuffs in the country. “It was agreed not to increase the prices of basic foodstuffs,” explained UGTT Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi during a joint press conference with government spokesman Iyad Dahmani. “The Prime Minister stressed that the status of public institutions will be considered separately and will be restructured to play their social and economic role.” Describing the meeting with the government as “more than positive,” Taboubi noted that it was…