Year: 2017

Duty of many politicians to avoid fallacies and biased speech

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The interview broadcast few days ago on national tv” al watania1” with Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, spread anxiety because of the biased positions and views of a number of politicians  after he explained his opinion frankly of what he described as ”fallacies”, referring to their erroneous leaks about the finance law. The anxiety becomes common among most people including lawmakers, which is a dangerous and undermines confidence with the political class that has become increasingly critical of every fact and every statement. We expect a better and positive result from…

Europe rights chief warns Italy on Libya migrant interception and return

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 The Council of Europe [official website] published a letter [text] Wednesday in which Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muiznieks [official website] asked the government of Italy to explain why the Italian navy dispatched ships to the coast of Libya. In July the Italian government announced[ABC report] that it was sending ships to the Libyan coast to help the Libyan government prevent people from fleeing the country. The day before the letter, dated September 28, was sent, the Italian government allegedly played a role [Reuters report] in intercepting and return 228 migrants who left Libya and returned them to the nation’s…

Turkey backs UN plan for Libya, envoy says

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Turkey’s special envoy to Libya says Ankara is opposed to foreign intervention in North African country urkey backs a UN plan to resume the political process in Libya, the Turkish envoy to the North African state said Friday. Emrullah Isler, who is also a lawmaker with Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, said Ankara would stand against any foreign intervention in Libya. “We, as Turkey, are supporting the UN’s attempt [to restart Libya’s political process] and we stand against foreign intervention,” Isler, who recently returned from a two-day visit…

New concept of Constructive journalism is solutions-focused approach to news

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“A new approach to deal with sensationalism and negativism in news that are increasingly turning off audiences and pushing them to trust media less and care less about the world is the application of constructive journalism,”  Mark EGAN an experienced media professional with expertise in training and new ways of working both in television and multi-media environments told media. At a training session on Constructive journalism  held on October 9-13, 2017 by the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) Academy in association with EUROVISION Academy, with the support of the European Union…

USIP’s Work in Tunisia

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CURRENT SITUATION The sole fledgling democracy to arise from the Arab Spring represents an encouraging yet incomplete victory against authoritarian rule and violent extremism. Tunisia’s sustained progress since the revolution that toppled its dictatorial regime in 2011 is key to developing a strong democratic U.S. partner in this volatile region and countering radicalization and terrorism around the world. Yet economic stagnation, unemployment, political disaffection in poorer regions, and the inherent difficulties of a major political and social transition continue to threaten the country’s stability USIP’S WORK The U.S. Institute of…

Boosting Tunisia’s Economic Recovery: EU Grants Further Macro-Financial Assistance

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The European Union has approved the disbursement of a €200 million loan to Tunisia, marking the launch of the second Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) to the North African country. The new tranche will be distributed in three installments in 2017 and 2018. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, commented that the financial aid to Tunisia was proof of the EU’s strong commitment to support the economic recovery of one of Europe’s closest neighbors. “With a renewed sense of urgency, Tunisia has reaffirmed its dedication to an effective partnership. The…

Breaking taboos: Unwed mothers in Tunisia speak out

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The year 2017 has so far been a good one for women’s rights in Tunisia. A landmark law to end violence against women was adopted in July. The following month, president Beji Caid Essebsi proposed to amend the country’s inheritance law to allow women to inherit as equally as men and, on September 14, a ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men was lifted. But despite this progress, one group of women continues to find itself forced to live on the margins of society, their mere existence seen as taboo:…

EU aims to reopen embassy in Libya

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The European Union is seeking to reopen its embassy in Libya pending security conditions, officials said on Tuesday, offering further political support for the Tripoli government struggling to establish control. EU leaders will announce at their summit in Brussels on Oct. 19-20 that they “encourage work underway to rapidly establish a permanent EU presence in Libya”, according to their draft joint statement seen by Reuters. But the statement makes clear no such move is imminent as it would be conditional on improving the security situation on the ground. The EU…

‘If the land isn’t worked, it decays’: Tunisia’s battle to keep the desert at bay

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With social tensions high and unemployment rife, agriculture offers Tunisians a vital lifeline. But as vast swaths of countryside turn to desert, the race is on to ensure there is land left to cultivate. The dusty Peugeot rumbles along the road, parallel to the ancient aqueduct that once delivered water from the springs of Zaghouan in Tunisia’s Dorsal mountains to ancient Carthage, about 57km north. However, the waters around Zaghouan have long run dry and, if action is not taken soon, so might much of the land around it. It…

World Olive Oil Production Figures for 2017 Show Mixed Results

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Global olive oil production will reach 2.854 million tons for the current crop year (September 2017 through August 2018), according to preliminary estimates from the International Olive Council — a 12-percent increase over the previous year’s 2.538 million-ton output. World production in 2017/18 is estimated at around 2.854t, which would be an increase of approximately 12 percent compared to the previous year.– International Olive Council The current season looks mediocre when compared with the average for the last five years (2.945 million tons) after heat waves and droughts affected some areas over…