Day: February 8, 2024

Coastguard units in Mahdia rescued two people and recovered 13 bodies of irregular migrants on board a boat suspected of being made of iron that sank about 9 miles east of Chebba with 42 migrants of Sudanese nationality on board, spokesperson for the courts of Monastir and Mahdia Farid Ben Jha told TAP. The two rescued individuals said that the group had travelled from Jabniana in the governorate of Sfax, he pointed out, adding that Coast Guard units are currently combing the coastline of Chebba in search of more migrants. The public prosecution may categorise the operation as "human trafficking" based on the statements of the survivors, as the entire group holds a UNHCR-issued asylum card, which raises the suspicion of "forming a criminal association to cross sea borders illegally," he said. The investigating judge assigned a judicial mandate to the Mahdia Coastguard Guidance Squad to conduct investigations into the incident and determine its full circumstances, the same source specified. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

An Italian delegation from the Milan Municipality ended a two-day visit to Gabes city, as part of a partnership between the Milan municipality and the Société Nationale d'Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux (SONEDE). The visit focused on the project to support the capacities of the city of Gabes in terms of water management funded by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), during which the study on the implementation of a model project aimed at protecting the intersection of Mohamed Ali street and the Environment street from flooding was discussed. Secretary General of the Gabes municipality Mohamed Cherif Taher told TAP on Thursday, that this project will help solve an endemic problem, through a technology used for the first time in the region, namely the installation of an absorbent pavement which stores rainwater in such a way as to feed the water table. The project's technical studies have been finalised, he indicated, adding that a call for tenders for the achievement of this project will be launched shortly. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

A former Minister of Industry has been taken into custody for questioning on Thursday, by decision of the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Bizerte Court of First Instance. "The former Minister is accused of abusing his power to obtain unjustified benefits for himself or a third party, and to harm the administration," spokesperson for the Court Seifeddine Labidi told TAP. This decision comes within the context of an ongoing investigation into the situation of the Tunisian Iron and Steel Company "EL FOULADH," the same source added. "EL FOULADH" Company has been experiencing critical professional and social problems for several decades, in addition to numerous governance issues. President Kais Saied, on December 26, 2023, made an unannounced visit to the company, during which he voiced determination not to privatise the establishment and other public institutions in the country. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Health Minister Ali Mrabet on Wednesday called for devising an Arab strategy to rebuild the health sector in Gaza strip. Speaking during his remote participation in the 1st international Conference on Rebuilding the Health Sector in Gaza, held in Amman (Jordan), Mrabet pointed to the need to coordinate efforts with the Palestinian Health Ministry so as to identify the hospitals' short- and medium-term needs, reads a ministry press release. The minister condemned on the occasion, the massacres perpetrated by the Zionist entity against the Palestinian people, decrying the bombardment of houses, hospitals and places of worship and the assassination of civilians, including the elderly, women and children. According to the latest data, the Zionist entity bombed 30 hospitals (out of 36), 53 health centres and 122 ambulances, as well as two centres for the treatment of cancer patients. Arab health ministers and representatives of 60 international humanitarian organisations from 25 countries are taking part in th e conference. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

A 5000-m2 health trail was inaugurated in the Mhamdia town, in the presence of Ben Arous Governor Ezzedine Chelbi and a representative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This TND 640-thousand project is co-funded under the "Ma3an" programme by the Mhamdia municipality and USAID. This health trail offers a space for sport activities and entertainment for citizens, the governor said, adding that this project had been implemented as part of a participatory strategy with the region's locals. The trail is equipped with sport facilities, a space for organising cultural events, a health trail, benches, a guard post and green spaces. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Bachirou Nana was appointed on Wednesday, Director of Communications and Press Relations of the Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications. The former journalist for the national daily Sidwaya held the same positions at the Ministry of Justice from 2016 to 2023. Source: Burkina Information Agency Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Moncef Boukthir, on Wednesday, met with World Bank Group Executive Director Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah, and the World Bank Resident Representative in Tunisia Alexandre Arrobio. Tauqir Shah reiterated the Bank's commitment to continue supporting projects of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Tunisia within the strategic priorities of the department, as stated in a Ministry press release. The meeting focused on cooperation between the Ministry and the WB within bilateral projects, notably the "PROMESSE" project aimed at enhancing graduates' employability and governance in higher education. The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research expressed satisfaction at the positive outcomes achieved through bilateral cooperation between the two parties, the same source mentioned. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunisian and foreign university researchers on Thursday called for the democratisation of research by guaranteeing access to funding sources for scientific research. At a study day on "the funding of scientific research and its impact on academic freedom," organised by the Association of Academics of Tunisia for Academic Freedom and Rights in partnership with the International Network for the Defence of Academic Freedom, participants considered that it is impossible to speak of academic freedom as long as the university is subject to the dictates of capitalism and the dominant policies, underlining the difficulties of funding scientific research on a global scale. Association Chairman Aymen Bouali told TAP that "some funding may influence research and publication for political and economic ends, thereby threatening the issue of academic freedom in Tunisia." He added that the association would like to see greater support for freedom of choice in scientific research, especially as Tunisia is ranked among the top countries in the index of academic freedom. "Public funding for scientific research is still limited," he added, calling for "reliance on other funding sources through partnerships and international cooperation agreements." Besides, he underlined that "access to these sources is not easy, especially for researchers in the humanities and social sciences under the pretext of a lack of professional prospects." Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The publications of this Thursday, February 8, 2024, cover the CAN final, the SOFITEX fire and the supposed increase in the price of fuel. 'Hydrocarbons, 'no price increase', CIDPH' headlines the state daily Sidwaya. This newspaper mentions in today's publication a press release from the Interministerial Committee for Determining Hydrocarbon Prices (CIDPH), which informs that there will be no increase in the price of hydrocarbons. For the dean of daily newspapers, L'Observateur Paalga, the president of the CIDPH informs that the new structure of hydrocarbon prices which comes into force from February 11, 2024, does not include any increase in price across the entire national territory. The private daily, Le Pays, specifies that the government has decided that: 'The sale of gas contained in bottles of 1 to 12.5 kilograms, subsidized by the State, is exclusively reserved for domestic use households residing on the national territory. This is the major innovation of the interministerial decrees which must c ome into force on February 11, 2024, adds the same newspaper. In another register, Le Pays mentions in its headline: 'Fire at SOFITEX-Banfora, nearly 3,500 bales of cotton go up in smoke'. The private daily reports that a fire broke out in factory no. 1 of SOFITEX in Banfora on the night of February 6 to 7, 2024. 'For the moment, the origin of the fire is unknown. According to the regional director of Sofitex, Abdoulaye Koumaré, only a police investigation could locate the causes,' adds the same daily. 'According to testimonies, the fire started from a bale of cotton around 8 p.m. on the storage dock and spread to the rest of the warehouse,' indicates the public daily Sidwaya. For L'Observateur Paalga, the firefighters of the 5th company of the BNSP, helped by the firefighters of the SN-SOSUCO believed to have put an end to the fire around 5 a.m. when it started again in places until 'beyond 10 a.m. 'The provisional damage report indicates more than 3,500 bales of cotton affected by the fire,' underline s the dean of private daily newspapers. From another angle, the Paalga observer mentions on its front page: 'CAN 2023 final, it will be Nigeria #Ivory Coast'. This newspaper reports that on Wednesday February 6, thanks to a goal in the 66th minute from Sébastien Haller, Ivory Coast will try to 'keep the trophy at home'. The dean of private daily newspapers adds that it was on penalties that the Nigerians managed 4 shots against 2 for the South Africans. Sidwaya adds that the Super Eagles of Nigeria will go to conquer a fourth CAN trophy this Sunday against the organizing country. For the same newspaper, the Alassane-Ouattara stadium in Ebimpé has restored its image thanks to this victory against DR Congo which takes them to the final. Source: Burkina Information Agency

Bachirou Nana was appointed on Wednesday, Director of Communications and Press Relations of the Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications. The former journalist for the national daily Sidwaya held the same positions at the Ministry of Justice from 2016 to 2023. Source: Burkina Information Agency