Tunisian Lionel Messi – Youssef Msakni – tells England: We will beat you because we’re mentally stronger.

Injured playmaker has revealed the top talents among his international team-mates ahead of crucial clash  THE Lionel Messi of Tunisia taunted Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions, declaring: We will beat you because we’re mentally stronger.Youssef Msakni will not  be on the Volgograd Arena pitch after tearing his cruciate knee ligament in April during a Qatari league match. His cruel KO came just a month after Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul claimed being without their talisman would be the same as Argentina  losing superstar Messi. But gifted Al-Duhail playmaker Msakni, 27, is such…

74% of Tunisians do not trust banks’ transparency

Some 74 per cent of Tunisians do not trust the transparency of the country’s banks, a survey on the quality of banking and telecommunications services conducted by the Tunisian Organisation to Inform the Consumer (OTIC) has revealed. OTIC, which polled 2,415 customers of banks and financial institutions across Tunisia, also found that 84 per cent of the respondents were not satisfied with banking services and 94 per cent were not aware of the free services that were available to them. President of the OTIC, Lotfi Riahi, expressed concern at the…

ILLITERATE BY THE SECOND

There is no denying the fact that we are living in the apex of technology and there is no sign that it is slackening. Perhaps one major outcome of this fact is the unprecedented flux of information by the second. However, this on-going surge of information has taken its toll over people mainly social networks such as facebook, twitter. It has become painfully arduous to keep up with what is going on in the world. There is this constant dilemma between the need to keep being updated about what is…

Developing financial institutions for more inclusiveness in the MENA region

In its study entitled “Financial Development and Inclusion in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia”, the Euro-Mediterranean Network for Economic Studies (EMNES) analyses a financial system that is frequently under-developed and fails to provide sufficient lending to SMEs and households. “Financial institutions and markets need to be well developed in order to contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth”. In its latest study, the Euro-Mediterranean Network for Economic Studies (EMNES) takes an in-depth look at financial systems and their involvement in sustainable economic growth in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. “The financial…

Tunisians target knockout stage

Tunisia are aiming to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in their history when they head to Russia, defender Yohan Benalouane has said.The African nation recorded their first victory in the World Cup finals when they beat Mexico in 1978 but have not won at the tournament since. Having qualified for the finals for the first time since 2006, Tunisia face a tough test in Russia, where they compete against England, Belgium and Panama in Group G. “The first objective is to get through…

IOM Very Concerned After Tragic Sinking of Migrant Boat Off Tunisian Coast

Sixty-eight survivors, at least one hundred dead and missing migrants off Kerkennah-Sfax, Tunisia – this is the provisional report of the night of Saturday to Sunday, 3 June, when some 180 migrants undertook an uncertain crossing to European coasts on a fragile and overloaded craft. According to Lorena Lando, IOM Chief of Mission in Tunisia, among the 60 victims transferred to the forensic department at Habib Bourguiba hospital in Sfax, 48 are Tunisians, of whom 24 have already been identified, while 12 are non-Tunisian (6 women and 6 men); their…

Conference Contrasts Authoritarianism and Democracy in Middle East

The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) held its annual conference in Washington, DC on April 26 to discuss the perilous state of democracy in the Middle East. The theme of this year’s event was “Authoritarianism and Democratic Decline in the Age of Sectarianism and Populism.” University of Denver professor Nader Hashemi, a conference co-organizer, began the day by challenging the notion of “authoritarian stability,” which asserts that strongmen are needed to bring stability to the volatile region. Hashemi described this theory as “a recipe for greater…

Urgent Tunisian measures to reap benefits of joining COMESA

Digitization of business transactions to dismantle obstacles to investors and launching new maritime route to deliver exports to African markets The Tunisian government unveiled a package of urgent reforms aimed mainly at overcoming the large trade deficit as the countdown to the country’s formal accession to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) began. Officials believe that export is an existential issue for the economy,  and therefore development must be accelerated in addition to strengthening the reserves of the Central Bank of foreign currency. “The ministry is currently…

Closer integration of Tunisia with Europe to include agriculture

82% of farmers fear the DCFTA would benefit only large farming operations that have easy access to bank loans and markets. Tunisia, facing lingering social and economic problems, has begun talks to further link its economy and society with the European Union through a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA). The DCFTA involves integrating Tunisia’s economy, including its farming sector, with the European Union. Tunisia’s long-neglected farmers contend with growing competition from the European market and the agricultural sector needs reform, officials said. Tunisian Chief Negotiator Hichem Ben Ahmed…

THE RISE OF OLIVE OIL FROM TUNISIA

Olive oil is becoming more and more popular with food lovers who enjoy a good quality olive oil as much as a glass of expensive wine. And just as wine lovers enjoy sampling vintages from different parts of the world, lovers of good food are seeking out extra virgin olive oils from less known olive-producing regions. When it comes to olive oil, Italy and Spain are the first countries that probably come to mind. But olives have been cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin for millennia and today olive oil is…