Tunisia

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — About 20 African migrants were found dead Thursday after their smuggling boat, which was trying to reach Europe, sank in the Mediterranean Sea, Tunisian authorities said. Five survivors were rescued and the Tunisian navy is searching for up to 20 others still believed missing.

Tunisian coast guard boats and local fishermen found the bodies off the coastal city of Sfax in central Tunisia, Defense Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ben Zekri told The Associated Press.

24 Dec 2020; MEMO: Tunisia has declared its categorical rejection of normalising relations with Israel, stressing that this decision will not be affected by ongoing international developments.

This declaration came in the first statement released by the Tunisian authorities following Morocco's announcement of its normalisation agreement with Israel.

21 Dec 2020; MEMO: The Speaker of the Parliament in Tunisia, and the head of Ennahda Movement, has pointed out that the normalisation agreement between Morocco and Israel is a violation of the Arab consensus. He insisted that Tunisia will not join the normalisation frenzy.

"Regarding Morocco," Rached Ghannouchi told Sputnik, "we were shocked by this step, which contradicted the Arab consensus as expressed by the Arab Peace Initiative."

TUNIS, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied on Thursday discussed with visiting Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva the ways to boost cooperation and diversify its fields, the Tunisian Presidency said in a statement.

Saied underlined Tunisia's desire to promote the ties with Portugal and the European Union as a strategic partner.

"Portugal will assume the periodic presidency of the EU in the first half of 2021," said the Tunisian president.

03 Dec 2020; MEMO:  The Tunisian government decided on Wednesday to reopen roads and production sites that had been closed following protests that took place two weeks ago.

This came during a meeting held at the government headquarters with the participation of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, Defence Minister Brahim Bartagi, Minister of Justice Mohamed Boussetta and Interior Minister Tawfiq Sharaf Al-Din to discuss the security situation in the country, according to a statement issued by Mechichi.

25 Nov 2020; MEMO: Tunisian authorities have decided to extend the state of emergency for an additional month.

According to the Official Gazette of the Republic of Tunisia, the government took the decision to extend the state of emergency until 25 December.

26 Nov 2020; MEMO: Head of the Tunisian Ennahda Movement Rached Ghannouchi has announced that he respects the movement's internal law that prevents him from running for another mandate.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera on Tuesday, he stated: "It is my duty to respect the internal regulations of Ennahda, and I am doing so by respecting and adhering to Chapter 31 and all articles of the basic law."

18 Nov 2020; MEMO: Protests were renewed yesterday in the Tunisian governorate of Tataouine a day after the general coordinator of El Kamour sit-in, Dhaou El-Ghoul, was arrested.

The arrest of El-Ghoul came a week after the government of Hichem Mechichi signed an agreement with demonstrators in Tataouine, ending the movement which has lasted nearly four years.

14 Nov 2020; MEMO: Tunisia and Libya will start an air travel bubble November 15, an official statement said Friday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Flights will resume after being halted for eight months because of the novel coronavirus, Tunisia's Ministry of Transport and Logistics said in a statement.

They will be arranged within the framework of measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with a health protocol agreement reached Wednesday between the two countries.

13 Nov 2020; MEMO: A marine unit of Tunisia's coast guards has rescued 19 Tunisian illegal immigrants from drowning 60 kilometers off the fishing port of the country's province of Sfax, the spokesman of the maritime guard, Ali Ayari, announced yesterday.

Ayari said that the migrants were from Sfax, adding that they ranged in age from two to 46 years old.