* On July 25, one year exactly after Kais Saied moved to seize near-total power in Tunisia, Saied will hold a referendum seeking to formalize his remaking of the country's political institutions. The draft of the new constitution would create a system in which the president has virtually unchecked power, with control over the government and the judiciary. Critics stated that such a system would create conditions ripe for authoritarianism. Saied announcement at the time to suspend parliament and firing the prime minister was met with cheers and support from those who has become disillusioned with the country's young democracy. However, as Saied's autocratic approach increased, so did the opposition. On June 15, the General Union of Tunisian Workers held a general strike. The strike practically immobilized the country. However, despite the 2010 Arab Spring protests, the economy never improved and unemployment remained high. A youth-led protest movement last year decried the post-revolution elites as corrupt and inept and demanded that parliament be dissolved. Thousands took the streets a week after the strike, signaling their dissatisfaction with both Saied and the fractured nature of the opposition, but polls still indicate that the majority of Tunisians support the president.

* Libyan protesters have stated that they will continue to protest until all the ruling elites quit power, after protests in most major cities culminated in a crowd storming the parliament building and torching parts of it. They stated they would step up their campaign urging protestors to camp in city squares and practice civil disobedience until they achieve their goal. "We affirm our determination to continue the path of peaceful demonstration until the last breath to achieve our goals," the Beltrees youth movement. They stated they would continue occupying city streets and squares until all ruling political bodies "announce their resignation in public" The protests spanning the country show the growing frustration of Libyans on both sides of the main political dividing line between eastern and western factions that were at war for years. Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh condemned "acts of sabotage" in the protesters' attack on the parliament building in Tobruk, saying it was punishable by law.

* The Palestinian Prime Minister's Office said Thursday that the US Agency for Development will provide aid to the Palestinians this year, amounting to 125 million dollars, in addition to 270 million dollars next year. These amounts will be allocated “to support water and sanitation projects, youth empowerment, vocational and technical education and training, support for the private sector, Jerusalem hospitals, food aid for poor families, and support for civil society institutions after the American aid to the Palestinians stopped during the previous American administration.”

* The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Middle East University, Dr. Yaqoub Nasser Al-Din, affirmed that achieving the ultimate goal of the empowerment process based on real participation in making Jordan's future is "activating the role of youth in all sectors, and opening up areas of creativity, excellence and leadership." He said during the ceremony announcing the winners of the "Dr. Yaqoub Nasir al-Din Free Reading and Creative Writing - in its first season" award that the aim of the award is to develop students' cognitive abilities, deepen their connection to their beautiful language, their authentic identity, and their interaction with the issues of their nation and their lives.