Month: May 2025

Tunisia receives patrol boats to bolster maritime security operations

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Tunisia has received two 34-metre Island-class patrol boats from the United States government to increase the country’s ability to secure its 1 148-kilometer coastline, which faces smuggling, organised crime and terrorism threats. The boats, named Tazarka and Menzel Bourguiba, were previously part of the US Coast Guard fleet. They were refurbished and modernized before being transferred to Tunisia. Each patrol boat is powered by two diesel engines enabling speeds of up to 30 knots and a range of 3 380 nautical miles at 8 knots. Their high-strength steel hulls, combined…

Olive Oil exports rise while revenue falls by 28.9% in Tunisia

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The Tunisian olive oil export receipts during the first six months of the 2024/25 campaign (November 2024 – April 2025) went down by 28.9% to 2,442.4 million dinars (MD) compared to the same period of the previous campaign, according to information published on Wednesday by ONAGRI. Only 17.7% of revenue comes from the export of packaged olive oil. In April 2025, the average price of olive oil fell by 48.9% compared to the same month in the previous campaign. Prices ranged from 7.1 to 18 TND/kg, depending on the category.…

Tourism has exceptional potential for development, says EU Ambassador to Tunisia

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Tunisia’s tourism sector has “exceptional potential” to become a key driver of the country’s economic growth, said the European Union Ambassador to Tunisia, Giuseppe Perrone, in an interview with TAP news agency.. “My trips to Tunisia have revealed fascinating opportunities. I have been able to see projects funded by the EU”, said the diplomatic representative, explaining that he was able to see the progress of the five-year project of EU support to the Tunisian tourism sector called Tounes Wijhetouna, in support of sustainable tourism, which enhances the cultural and artisanal riches…

Tunisia: 65 million cubic meters of treated water reused in 2024

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In 2024, the National Sanitation Utility (O.N.A.S.) processed approximately 295 million cubic meters of treated water through its stations. Of this impressive quantity, 64.9 million cubic meters were reused for direct (18.66 million cubic meters) and indirect (46.31 million cubic meters) uses. Jamal Eddine Cherif, director of the sludge recovery department at the agency, stated this in a statement to TAP based on statistics from the office’s technical services. Cherif noted that 72.5 percent of the treated water, or 195.46 million cubic meters, met the required quality specifications. However, 27.5…

Tunisia forecasts 2.8% increase in the stone fruit harvest in 2025.

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Preliminary estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries suggest that Tunisia’s summer stone fruit harvest in 2025 is expected to total 251,500 tons. This figure represents a 2.8% increase from the previous season’s harvest of 244,700 tons. The cultivated area has decreased slightly, from 201,800 hectares in 2024 to 197,500 hectares today, marking a 2.1% drop. The peach harvest for the current season is estimated at 121,000 tons, which is slightly less than the 122,300 tons harvested last season. The plum harvest is expected to reach 42,700…

A NO COMPROMISE DOCTRINE, OPERATION SINDOOR SHOWCASED SWIFT YET CALIBRATED RESPONSE TO TERRORISM

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 Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India THE MASSACRE IN Pahalgam was not just an attack on innocent lives, it was an assault on the country’s principles. In response, India decided to rewrite the rulebook on counter-terrorism. Operation Sindoor is the Narendra Modi government’s clearest articulation of a zero-tolerance, no-compromise policy to safeguard national security — the Modi doctrine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the doctrine for dealing with terrorism during his televised address to the nation. The doctrine, shaped by recent events, establishes a decisive…

Cannes: Two Tunisian winners at the Critics Awards for Arab Films 2025

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Tunisian cinema marked its presence at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival and, as always, professionals won’t be going home empty-handed, especially as two prizes were awarded at the Critics Awards for Arab Films 2025. These were Best Actor, awarded to Adam Bessa for his role in the Franco-Tunisian film “Ghost Trail”, and Best Music, won by Amin Bouhafa in the Franco-Tunisian film “Aïcha”. Tunisia, represented by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image, also made its presence felt with a…

Tunisian ‘revolution oasis’ palm grove thrives on self-rule

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Since the inhabitants of Jemna in southern Tunisia wrested control of their 100-year-old palm grove from the state during the 2011 Revolution, residents say their lives have radically improved. The desert town — where the palms produce some of the North African country’s finest dates — ejected businessmen tied to the old regime when the uprising toppled longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Jemna, population around 8,000, has since become a unique grassroots experiment in Tunisian agricultural self-management — a non-profit project run by a local community to reinvest…

Arab Media Conference discusses role of media in facing climate change

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The Arab Media Conference, which this year will discuss the role of media in facing climate change, will kick off tomorrow, Tuesday, in Baghdad. The four-day conference, organized by the Arab States Broadcasting Union and the Iraqi Media Network, is attended by a number of experts, specialists and researchers and is accompanied by journalists from Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Britain, Indonesia, India, and relevant international organizations and bodies, as well as journalists from Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Britain, Indonesia and India. This session, which officially opens on May…

Tunisian filmmaker to direct film on martyrdom of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab

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Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hnia is directing a new drama on the harrowing death of Hind Rajab, the six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza by Israel in 2024. The upcoming project is produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha, known for Four Daughters, along with Oscar-winning producers Odessa Rae and James Wilson, some media reports. Hind Rajab’s martyrdom exposed Israel’s brutality and became a powerful example of its heinous war crimes in Gaza.  She was one of thousands of children killed in the conflict, but her story sparked particular international outrage.  In one…