Year: 2018

Some 3,073 illegal Tunisian migrants arrived in Italy since early 2018 (IOM Mission Chief in Tunis)

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Some 3073 irregular Tunisian migrants have arrived by sea in Italy, since the beginning of this year, and until mid-July 2018, revealed Monday Lorena Lando, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Mission Chief in Tunis. Tunisia ranked first in 2018 in terms of irregular migrant arrivals in Italy, during this period, she said, during her participation in a hearing session held by the Tunisian Affairs Committee on the subject of foreigners within the House of the People’s Representatives (HPR). The number of Tunisian migrants arriving in Italy from 1 January to…

BCE says PM should quit if crisis continues

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President Beji Caid Essebsi called on Sunday for Prime Minister Youssef Chahed to step down or seek a confidence vote if the country’s political and economic crisis persists.  Prime Minister Youssef Chahed must “move to change the situation and improve it,” Essebsi said on Nessma TV. “If that is not possible, then he must resign or to go to the parliament” for a vote of confidence, he said. There is a difference between the parties and national organizations about the government, between government and key players like UGTT and some…

Matmata Underground Houses

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Made famous by “Star Wars,” these troglodyte homes face an uncertain future. The Berber underground homes of Matmata lie in an arid, pockmarked landscape in the parched valleys of southern Tunisia’s Djebel Dahar region. Made famous by Star Wars, these traditional structures are now threatened as residents move away to live in towns and villages. Every Star Wars fan worth their salt knows a little about the location of Luke Skywalker’s house: not Tatooine, but the actual filming location in Tunisia. Or, to be more precise, the Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata, chosen as the set…

Morocco among the Most Innovative Countries of the MENA Region

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Morocco’s recent efforts at modernization and digitized economy have not gone unnoticed in international circles, with a new study ranking the North African nation among the countries leading technological advances and innovation-driven development in the MENA region. Despite some structural setbacks, especially regarding institutional hurdles sustained by a political culture still–to a considerable degree–unwelcoming of unorthodox ways of creating wealth or capital, Morocco is among the innovation and information technology trailblazers of North Africa and the Arab World, according to the latest Global Innovation Index annual report. Published by Cornel University, the 2018 Global…

EU foreign policy chief visits Libya to reopen mission

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“The return of the diplomatic presence of the EU in Libya will further strengthen co-operation with the government,” said the EU Europe is keen to see stability return to Libya to help stem the flow of migrants The European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini visited Libya’s capital Tripoli on Saturday to reopen the bloc’s diplomatic presence and border assistance mission. “The return of the diplomatic presence of the EU in Libya will further strengthen co-operation with the government, local authorities and the United Nations,” the EU said in a…

Tunisia receives crucial backing from IMF with third loan instalment

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) allocated a $249 million loan instalment to Tunisia after endorsing its progress in implementing difficult economic reforms. The approved payment is the fourth tranche of a 4-year, $2.8 billion loan tied to sweeping changes aimed at keeping Tunisia’s deficit under control. The Tunisian economy took a hit following the 2011 ouster of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, which led to widespread social unrest, particularly in rural and interior areas. Since then, eight different governments have been unable to cut the country’s budget deficit or…

 Export value of olive oil reaches 168.31% by late June 2018

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As of 1 September 2017 to 30 June 2018, the value of olive oil exports increased by 168.31% compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.685 million dinars (MD) said the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, Friday in a statement. Exports of olive oil also rose by 149.53%, registering a 7.54% increase in the average export price compared to the same period of 2017. Over the same period, the quantities exported of olive oil reached 167,436 tonnes, against 67,100 tonnes, during the same period of the last…

IPPC Assists Tunisia in its Second Round of the Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation Process

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Under the framework of the FAO project TCP/SNE and with the support of the FAO Sub-regional office for North-Africa (SNE), the  International Plant Protection Convention  (IPPC) Secretariat carried out the second mission to support the application of the Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE) tool. The 2nd round of the Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation  (PCE) was facilitated by Mr Mekki CHOUIBANI, the PCE facilitator and Executive Director of NEPPO, with the contribution of Ms Sarah BRUNEL, IPPC Implementation Facilitation Officer. A workshop was organized in Tunis from 26 to 28 June 2018 with government officials…

Trials open in Tunisia over deaths of Arab Spring…

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Families of people killed during protests that led to Tunisia’s revolution hold photographs of their relatives inside a courthouse in the central city of Kasserine on July 13, 2018 Two trials opened in Tunisia on Friday over the killings of protesters during the 2011 revolution, part of a process aimed at redressing rights abuses under the toppled regime.  Judges will rule on the guilt of deposed president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, his former interior minister Rafik Belhaj Kacem and high ranking security officials. The trials are the first cases…

Eight financial and development institutions will give Tunisia 5.5 billion Euros (Hahn)

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The eight financial and development institutions will give Tunisia 5. 5 billion Euros, including 2.5 billion Euros scheduled for the year 2018/2019 to be granted in the form of donations and loans, said Thursday, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn. Speaking at a press conference, the European official added, that these financial institutions; namely the French Development Agency (AFD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF),…