Year: 2017

Restrictions made by politicians and administrative workers on journalists edge up

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Restrictions made by politicians and administrative workers on journalists rose significantly last July. The number of breaches made by officials doubled compared to June, the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT)’s monitoring unit revealed. However, violations against freedom of press fell sharply during the same period as only 9 assaults on 15 journalists and press institutions were reported in July against 24 in June. Security forces are responsible for 3 assaults against journalists while public officials and the Public Prosecutor committed only 1 breach in July. Three violation were made…

Bank ABC is first MENA financial institution to join global financial infrastructure consortium

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The over 80-strong consortium of the world’s biggest financial institutions is spearheading research and development of blockchain–inspired distributed ledger technologies (DLT) to build the next generation of financial services infrastructure. DLT enables participating parties to form and maintain consensus about the existence, status and evolution of a set of shared facts on their stakeholders. These systems allow competing firms to collaborate to maintain secure, shared databases and reduce cost and execution time. “We are privileged to be part of this prestigious consortium of international banks and financial institutions, which is…

Tunisia seeks equality between women and men in inheritance: President

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Tunisia was recently the first Arab country to issue a law criminalising violence against women specifically  Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi said Sunday that his country is seeking to establish equality between men and women in inheritance, as the first Arab country to make such a move.He also announced forming a committee to study the matter. In his speech at the 61st commemoration of the Code of Personal Statue (CPS) that criminalises polygamy, Essebsi asked the government and his minister of justice to end a regulation that prohibits the documentation…

Democracy between Arab aspirations and western expectations

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Findings from the Arab Transformation survey carried out in 2014 in six developing Arab states, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia suggest that the EU assumption of democratisation as a value shared with Arab states is misplaced. Few respondents wanted the EU brand of ‘thin’, procedural democracy in which civil and political rights remain decoupled from social and economic rights. Furthermore, few respondents thought the EU had done a good job of facilitating a transition to democracy in their country or had much appetite for EU involvement in the domestic politics…

On building peace, Tunisian youth say: We have a role

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Youth, community members and decision makers come together this International Youth Day to voice one clear message, that Tunisian youth can play an active role in building sustainable peace in the country, despite the barriers. Almost half of the population of Tunisia is under the age of 30, according to 2015 numbers, but many face considerable barriers to participation in decision making, particularly on issues of concern, such as security or employment. “When asked how they define themselves, youth gave an overwhelmingly positive image. Youth are powerful, but we as…

Tunisia: Forest fire Emergency Plan of Action

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A. Situation analysis Description of the disaster Current dry and hot weather conditions in Tunisia are considerably increasing the risk for fires. Hot winds from the south contributes to worsen the situation, spreading easily any fire outbreak to cause widespread destruction. On the 31st of July, a fire outbreak in Jendouba Governorate (North-West region of the country) the delegations of Ain Draham and Fernana resulted in the destruction of houses displacing around 500 persons, with the families currently being in a very vulnerable situation without any shelter. From that date…

Tunisian beachside town fights industrial pollution

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GABES, Tunisia: Next to a palm grove, a blackish mud flows into the sea. After years of living with industrial pollution, residents of Tunisia’s Gabes are fighting back. Close to the Chott Essalem beach and in front of a rare coastal oasis, the state-owned Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT) has been processing phosphate since the ’70s. The authorities say the plant pumps 14,000 tons of phosphogypsum into the sea every day. On top of the toxic mud, the factory also pumps phosphoric acid into the air. “In the past, our town…

Mumbai: Teen diagnosed with rare genetic disorder that affects speech and movement

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Tests showed the disorder runs in his maternal family with at least five of his relatives having different forms of ataxia. (Representational image) Tests showed the disorder runs in his maternal family with at least five of his relatives having different forms of ataxia. (Representational image) A 16-year-old boy from Airoli has been identified as one of the few persons in India living with a rare genetic kind of ataxia , As Reported By IE. According to the Newspaper,Tests showed the disorder runs in his maternal family with at least five…

Libya Releases 78 Tunisians Jailed Over Illegal Emigration

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Tunis: Libyan authorities released some 78 Tunisians jailed in Libya over attempted illegal emigration from the coast of the Libyan city of Zawyia. According to a statement released by the Tunisian Foreign Affairs Department, the release of these Tunisians comes after a series of contacts with the Libyan authorities, the Libyan prosecutor’s office and the Libyan Consulate General in Tunis. The Tunisians released had arrived at the border crossing of Ras Jedir. “Such cases can be settled only through official channels,” said the Foreign Affairs Department, noting that contacts are…

Tunisian CSP project takes step forward

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A giant solar project on the edge of the Sahara Desert has taken a step closer to reality, as developers of the proposed TuNur scheme filed an authorisation request with the Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energy. The consortium wants to build several huge concentrated solar plants (CSPs) near Rjim Maatoug in southwest Tunisia, with the combined potential to generate 4.5 GW of electricity which would be carried to Europe via undersea cables. The aim is both to bring economic growth to Tunisia, and to help Europe decarbonise.…