Month: November 2017

AGRICULTURE Tunisia to reinforce its presence in Japan’s olive oil market

BGMN

In Tunisia, the Fund for the Promotion of Conditioned Olive Oil (FOPRHOC) will initiate a scheme to increase exports of olive oil to Japan, to satisfy 5% of the Asian nation’s demand. This was announced by Abdessalem Loued, president of the Chambre syndicale nationale des exportateurs d’huile d’olive. This scheme should help boost export revenues which are currently estimated at 1 million dinars per year and tap into an annual consumption of about 59,000 tons of oil. In addition to this program, Aziza Htira, CEO of the Exports Promotion Centre (CEPEX) indicated…

Boyd County students making global connections

BGMN

Maddie Bolt and her fellow students at Boyd County High School are learning a lot these days about how students just like them, thousands of miles away, have a lot in common with their counterparts here in the United States. Students in the Boyd County classroom of social studies teacher Lindsay Bryan are participating in The Global Nomads learning experience. It is a virtual exchange program that connects the students this semester with kids in Tunisia. A Greenup County High School class recently featured by The Daily Independent is also…

Abraaj buys Tunisie Telecom from Dubai Holding-Tunisian minister

BGMN

Private equity firm Abraaj Group has bought from Dubai Holdings’ telecoms arm its 35 percent stake in state-controlled Tunisie Telecom, a Tunisian minister said on Monday. In 2006 Dubai Holding’s Emirates International Telecommunications (EIT) bought the stake for $2.25 billion, according to its website. “The UAE’s Abraaj became a new partner in Tunisie Telecom to succeed Dubai Holding which sold its 35 per cent stake,” the Tunisian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Anwar Maarouf, told parliament. “The entry of the new partner contributes to the development of the company’s…

EU plan to boost Africa’s growth, curb migration

BGMN

Roughly 60% of Africa’s population is under 25 years of age – a driving force for potential growth that is however in part migrating to Europe with Italy as the first country of arrival. And the need to invest in youths in Africa is at the top of the agenda of the fifth EU-African Union summit scheduled on November 29-30 in the Ivory Coast, which will gather heads of State and government from the European Union and African Union. Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni is scheduled to travel to the capital…

EU supports Libyan and European universities to train municipalities’ staffers

BGMN

The Delegation of the European Union to Libya delivered this week a new training as part of an initiative linking together European and Libyan Universities to support training of staff from Libyan municipalities. This is part of the wider ‘Nicosia Initiative’, created by the EU’s Committee of the Regions and funded by the European Union, which links together European regions and Libyan Municipalities. This week’s ‘Crisis Management’ module was delivered by staff from the Centre International d’Etudes pour le Développement Local (CIEDEL), based in Lyon, France. This is one of…

Behind Every Great Man There’s a Great Woman: His mom

BGMN

On life, mothers and the art of belief. This is what mom told me 20 years ago. Yet 20 years later, she turned out to be right. 7 months ago, we were in the hottest city in the world where all the magic happens. Now I have probably told this story countless times. It’s true I have worked hard. It’s true I have met many people along the way who helped me become who I am today. And it’s also true that nothing would have happened if my parents — my mother in particular — turned…

EESL to host INSPIRE 2017, global event on energy efficiency

BGMN

 Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)  hosts its flagship international event “INSPIRE 2017” (International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy Efficiency) along with The World Bank, and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) from November 27th to December 1st in Jaipur. The five-day event will showcase Innovation and Implementation of Best Practices in Energy Efficiency Technologies, Policies and Financing. More than a hundred international delegates representing countries such as the United States of America, Singapore, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Korea, Turkey, Nepal, Thailand, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, and United Kingdom will…

Al-Quds, Tunisia capitals of Islamic culture for 2019

BGMN

Al Quds is declared as a twin Capital of Islamic Culture for the Arab region for 2019 with Tunisia, according to an official statement issued by the Islamic Conference of Culture Ministries (ICCM). “In conjunction with the celebration of Al-Quds Al-Sharif as Capital of Islamic Culture for 2019, we urge its competent parties to schedule activities and events for the benefit of Al-Quds Al-Sharif to mark the 50th anniversary of the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” a statement explained. Tunisian Minister of Culture Zine El-Abidine asserted on the importance of increasing…

Africa’s internet economy needs more data servers on the continent

BGMN

The internet is a good thing for Africa. But it could be an even better thing. This is the subtext of an Internet Society report, out this month, titled Promoting the African Internet Economy. The economic case for the internet in Africa is unsurprisingly strong, but the report points out that there’s still plenty of room for improvement. In developed countries, the internet contributes up to 3.7% of GDP on average, while in African countries it’s just 1.1%. The internet sector makes up 3% to 5% of the workforce in OECD countries,…

Tunisian migrant influx back under control: Italy PM

BGMN

The influx of Tunisian migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy is back under control after a spike in numbers at the end of summer, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Saturday. “After some problems over the course of the summer, the accord started to work very effectively again,” he told reporters in Tunis, referring to a six-year-old agreement between the two countries aimed at curbing illegal immigration. According to the International Organization for Migration, 1,357 Tunisians reached the Italian coastline between January and August, a number which jumped to more…