TUNIS: The JS Manazeh women’s basketball team retained Tunisia’s basketball Cup title (2023-2024) after defeating ASF Jammel 82-70 in the final, played on Saturday in Rades.
This makes the second cup in the club’s history, at the expense of the same opponent, who failed to secure their first title.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: Club Africain won the Tunisian Basketball Cup for the 2023-2024 season, after defeating US Monastir 87-55 in the final in Rades on Saturday evening.
This is the seventh Cup trophy for Club Africain.
US Monastir were crowned champions earlier this season.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
TUNIS: Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur, world’s 10th, was eliminated from Wimbledon tournament by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, (21st), in two sets, 1-6, 6-7, at a third-round game played on Saturday.
Jabeur had previously defeated Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima (70th) 6-3, 6-1 and US Robin Montgomery (161st) 6-1, 7-5 in the first two rounds.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: Tunisia has so far issued 93 certificates of origin under the Agreement on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to export chemical products, agri-foodstuffs and semi-automatic machinery to several African countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Tanzania and Mauritius, said Director in charge of Economic and Trade Cooperation with Africa at the Ministry of Trade and Export Development Bochra Lejmi.
The chemical products exported to these countries include resin, chemical fertilisers, quicklime and hydrated lime, as well as agri-food products such as cheese and mustard, she told TAP.
The certificate of origin, which is considered a key factor in the effective entry into force of the agreement, will allow exporting companies to enjoy the reductions in customs duties due to be lifted from January 1, 2026.
Tunisia, which joined the Guided Trade initiative launched on October 7, 2022 by the Secretariat of the AfCFTA Agreement, is one of the first 8 African countries (Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, Rwan
da, Kenya, Tanzania and Mauritius) preparing to launch the AfCFTA under this initiative.
The AfCFTA agreement came into force in May 2019. It was ratified by Tunisia on August 7, 2020. It is one of the African Union’s (AU) flagship projects aimed at stepping up South-South cooperation for an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063.
It also aims to consolidate trade relations between the AU 55 Member States, in a market of over 300 million consumers and $3,400 billion in annual trade. The agreement aims to lift customs barriers to the free movement of goods and services between African countries.
According to CEPEX data, the untapped potential in Africa is estimated at some $1.2 billion. Untapped export opportunities represent about 61% in North Africa ( $754 million), 22% in West Africa (about $270 million) and 8% in East Africa ($94 million).
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: Four cooperation agreements were signed on Friday between the Agency for Training in Tourism Trades (AFMT) and hotel units on the island of Djerba, in the presence of Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Mohamed Moez Belhassine.
The agreements will offer the staff of the units in question the opportunity to follow theoretical and practical training courses in order to improve their skills, explained AFMT CEO Ahmed Jemal, adding that the signing of these agreements is in line with the revision of the vocational training system in the tourism sector so as to adapt it to the requirements of the profession.
The minister, for his part, called for this pilot experiment to be rolled out to all tourism training structures, urging tourism companies to participate in such training courses to ensure that their units perform better.
He underlined the importance of the public-private partnership between state training structures and private tourism units, considering that this partnership marks the establishment
of a new framework for cooperation which will benefit both human resources and the beneficiary companies.
The tourism minister held a working session with the region’s tourism industry professionals, during which he pointed out the need for good coordination between the various players to ensure a successful tourist season.
He also underlined the need to pay due attention to the environmental aspect, calling for support for the role of municipalities in protecting the environment and combating plastic.
Belhassine called for tighter control on the distribution channels for handicrafts, in order to promote national products, and for the provision of high-quality services at the Djerba-Zarzis international airport, which is a tourist’s first point of contact with the country.
Besides, the minister Belhassine inaugurated two tourist information offices in Midoun and Houmt Souk, and took note of the quality of services in a number of hotel units.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: Foreign exchange reserves grew by TND 1.4 billion, amounting to TND 24.3 billion at the end of this week compared to the same period last year, BCT figures show, that is the equivalent of 111 days of imports.
An extra TND 161.9 9 million secured one additional day of imports.
Tourist receipts – one source of foreign currency reserves – rose by TND 250.7 million to TND 2.8 billion, according to June 30 figures.
Tunisian expat remittances helped inject about TND 3.6 billion at the end of June, growing by TND 270.7 million in comparison with the same period last year.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunisia: The sky will be partly cloudy across most regions on Saturday night, with occasional dense clouds over the northern coastal areas, accompanied by light local rain.
According to the National Institute of Meteorology, overnight temperatures would range from 23 to 27°C in coastal areas and from 28 to 34°C elsewhere.
Winds, blowing from the east, will be light to moderate inland and strong in coastal areas, especially in the north, before gradually easing towards the end of the night.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
An ambitious action plan for the next two years was adopted on Friday in Agadir during the closing meeting of the 36th session of UNESCO’s International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere Programme (ICC-MAB), against a backdrop of major climate change challenges.
“Among the new MAB Executive Board’s tasks, chaired by Morocco, is the preparation and coordination of the Fifth World Congress on Biosphere Reserves, to be held in Hangzhou, capital of China’s Zhejiang province, on September 22-27, 2025,” the ICC Presidency said in a press release.
The Congress will host UNESCO’s ICC-MAB, the same source added, noting that discussions will focus on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the MAB Programme’s impact and climate change effects on the programme.
During the Council’s 36th Session in Agadir, a new Executive Board has been elected under Morocco’s chairmanship, in the person of Latifa Yaacoubi, Director General of Morocco’s National Agency for the Development of Oases and Argan Zones (AN
DZOA) and President of the MAB-Morocco National Committee.
The new Executive Board also includes Zuzana Guziova from Slovakia, Helena Freitas from Portugal, Do-Soon Cho from the Republic of Korea, Cyprien Katongo from Zambia, and Andrés Pérez Saenz as representative for the Latin America and Caribbean region.
The session, attended by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, was attended by over 270 delegates from 72 countries, including ambassadors from member states, Morocco’s permanent ambassador to UNESCO, Samir Addahre, as well as representatives of biosphere reserves, scientists and partners from a variety of backgrounds.
“Morocco’s election to ICC-MAB presidency marks an important step in the Kingdom’s commitment to conservation and sustainable development,” according to the press release, which added that “Morocco’s choice is based on its rich biodiversity and its exemplary commitment to the conservation and development of its biosphere reserves, which have become open-air laboratories for different
forms of sustainable development and observatories of the impacts of climate change.”
The Kingdom is currently home to four UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserves, namely the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, the Southern Moroccan Oases Biosphere Reserve, the Mediterranean Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve and the Atlas Cedar Biosphere Reserve.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse
His Majesty King Mohammed VI has sent a message of congratulations to the President of the Union of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, on the occasion of his country’s national holiday.
In this message, the Sovereign expresses His warm congratulations to President Azali Assoumani and His sincere wishes for further progress and prosperity to the brotherly Comorian people.
His Majesty the King seized this opportunity to reiterate His constant determination to strengthen the solid relations of brotherhood and cooperation between Morocco and the Union of the Comoros, expressing a joint desire to strengthen these relations and enhance them in various fields, in keeping with the common hopes and aspirations of the two brotherly peoples.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse
Morocco’s General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST) and Spanish Civil Guard have dismantled a nine-member terrorist cell in several Spanish cities, the Civil Guard announced on Friday.
‘This operation, carried out jointly by the Civil Guard Information Service and Morocco’s General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), identified and neutralized a group of young people who had undergone a process of radicalization into the most violent postulates of the Daesh terrorist organization,” the Civil Guard said in a press release.
Eight people were arrested on Tuesday in Melilia, Madrid and Malaga, while another person was apprehended on Monday in Cornellá (Barcelona) for producing and disseminating terrorist content, the same source added.
“We must stress the cooperation of Morocco’s DGST, whose constant and qualified support has enabled the investigations to progress. This underlines the importance of international cooperation between counter-terrorism services in tackling this threat a
nd the major challenge of anticipating terrorist actions,” it added.
‘Throughout the investigation, evidence was obtained on a group that has been formed and organized over time, both online and offline, and whose members have imbibed the most extreme and violent postulates of jihadist terrorist organizations,” the same source noted, adding that much of the propaganda material detected belongs to terrorist organizations such as Daesh.
The detainees were brought before the courts on July 4, and five of them were remanded in custody.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse
The operationalization of the Sahel countries’ membership of the Atlantic Initiative is already underway, Ambassador Mohamed Methqal, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) said on Friday in Dakhla.
Speaking during the 7th edition of the “Morocco Today Forum” (MTF), Methqal recalled a meeting of foreign ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad, held in Marrakech, during which a national task force was set up in each country to prepare the modalities for the operationalization of this Royal Initiative.
This Initiative is a ‘transforming’ project, which will promote economic integration in the region’s countries, he added, stressing that these countries face common challenges.
In this respect, he cited the challenges of infrastructure and mobility, emphasizing the role of the new Dakhla Atlantic Port in meeting these challenges.
Methqal also mentioned energy transition and human development challenges.
For his part, Ambassador of the Republic of Mali to Morocc
o, Fafré Camara, stated that his country fully endorses this “bold and credible” Initiative, noting that it offers the opportunity to develop and create infrastructures and new projects.
The Technical Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Burkina Faso, Lingani Hugues Christian, stressed his country’s adherence to this “positive” initiative, recalling the measures taken to operationalize this adherence, including the setting up of a national task force.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse
His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s Atlantic Initiative to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean for Sahel states creates a bridge between continents and an area for strategic cooperation, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, said on Friday in Dakhla.
Speaking during the opening session of the 7th edition of the “Morocco Today Forum” (MTF), held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Benali stressed that Morocco is resolutely committed to providing its road, rail, air and energy infrastructure to accomplish the Royal Vision.
This ambitious project will transform the Atlantic seabord into a ‘high place of human communion, an economic integration hub and a center of continental and international influence,” the minister underlined.
“This Initiative stems not only from a traditional geographical neighborhood policy, but above all from a deep conviction of historical, cultural, political and geostrategic belonging,” she added, noting that the countries of the re
gion share common aspirations and a collective will to promote sustainable development.
‘Africa faces several challenges, including poor access to modern energy and dependence on imported fossil fuels,’ she said, adding, however, that the region presents many opportunities in the renewable energy sector.
In this vein, Benali stressed the importance of focusing on innovative renewable energy solutions and increasing international partnerships and foreign investment in this sector, to resolve the increasing “poverty and energy insecurity” problems in the region.
For his part, the Minister of Transport and Equipment of the Republic of Niger, Colonel Major Salissou Mahaman Salissou, said that the Royal Initiative to facilitate access to the Atlantic Ocean for Sahel countries illustrates the Kingdom’s firm commitment to promoting the continent’s development.
In this respect, Salissou called on ‘the Sahel countries to promote innovative and audacious solutions based on the spirit of sincere cooperation and code
velopment, in order to achieve this vision of solidarity which can only be beneficial to our populations.”
‘Niger has reiterated its commitment for this Initiative during the Ministerial Coordination Meeting in Marrakech,’ he recalled, adding that this cooperation will allow Sahel countries to better exploit and invest their resources.
The various participants at this inaugural session were unanimous in stressing that the Royal Initiative is an extension of Morocco’s active commitment, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, to active, mutually supportive South-South cooperation.
The panelists also noted that this initiative, which is in line with the expectations of the countries of Atlantic Africa, opens up promising prospects in terms of economic integration, stability, peace and development.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse
Manouba: Over 96% of the area sown to grain, i.e. 34,000 hectares, has been harvested in the governorate of Manouba, where grain production up to Monday July 2 amounted to 456.7 thousand quintals.
So far, 182.730 thousand quintals (over 38%) of this crop has been transported to the region’s collection centres, including 136 thousand quintals of durum wheat, 13 thousand quintals of common wheat and 31 thousand quintals of barley.
Some 128 combine harvesters have been supplied for the harvesting season, along with 160 balers, 23,000 wheat collection bags and 97 tonnes of wire for hay bales.
The region counts 5 collection centres with a storage capacity of over 200,000 quintals.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
35 scholarships to study at French and German universities or at the Tunis Preparatory Institute for Scientific and Technical Studies (IPEST) are offered to 155 graduates of the 2024 baccalaureate, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced on Friday.
Students in the Mathematics, Experimental Sciences, Economics and Management, Technical Sciences and Computer Sciences sections with an average score of 16 out of 20 or higher, as well as students in the Humanities section with an average score of 14 out of 20 or higher, are eligible to apply.
A ceiling of 10% of open places is set for applicants with a foreign diploma equivalent to the baccalaureate, who are ranked highest in terms of total points among all applicants for access to the preparatory cycle for engineering studies in France and at IPEST.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Some 19,607 sixth graders out of a total of 49,421 passed their entrance exam to pilot middle schools, that is a pass rate of 39.67% against 36.15% last year, Information and Communication Officer Mondher Afi said on Friday.
The official further told TAP 3,680 pupils had already been assigned to pilot schools bearing in mind that the overall maximum capacity for the next school year is of 3,850.
Pupil Lina Bent Ali Haki, Al-Rawabi private primary school in Kasserine, had the record grade of 19.65/20.
Results will be officially announced on July 7.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
