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Tunis: The weather is expected to be partly cloudy on Saturday night across most regions, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (INM).
The wind will blow from the east, light to moderate. The sea conditions in the Serrat area will range from slight to gradually choppy.
Nighttime temperatures will range between 25 and 31°C in coastal areas and between 32 and 36°C in other regions.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: Over 50% of prickly pear plantations are now infested by the cactus cochineal insect, according to the Head of the management division at the General Directorate of Plant Health and Control of Agricultural Inputs Naima Mahfoudhi.
Speaking at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries to present the national strategy against the cactus cochineal, Mahfoudhi revealed alarming infestation rates: 100% in the governorates of Mahdia and Monastir, approximately 70% in Sousse and Sfax, and 50% in Kairouan.
Addressing control measures in areas with low infestation and bordering production zones, Mahfoudhi outlined that surveillance and eradication efforts have been deployed to curtail the rapid spread of the insect.
She emphasised the formation of specialised teams within local agricultural development commissariats, trained for vigilant monitoring and swift intervention.
Mahfoudhi urged all citizens, especially farmers, to diligently monitor their lands, repo
rt any infestations to the local commissariats, and facilitate prompt action.
She highlighted the establishment of local teams comprising all relevant stakeholders, tasked with monitoring the pest, raising awareness, and conducting extensive farmer training on the insect’s threat.
The initiative aims to sensitise both citizens and farmers about the critical need to report infestations promptly.
Mahfoudhi specifically called on workers in prickly pear plantations to remain vigilant, ensuring regular checks and monitoring for the pest.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: President Kais Saied has called for an urgent clean-up campaign in the town of Hammam-Lif in the Ben Arous governorate, pending radical solutions to the problem of pollution and the improvement of the situation not only in this town but also at the national level, according to a statement from the Presidency of the Republic.
The President visited on Friday the city of Hammam-Lif, where he took note of the disastrous environmental situation caused by negligence, the dumping of waste water into the sea, urban development that does not take into account the most basic rules of development and the presence of historical monuments that have been turned into dilapidated buildings.
The Head of State also stressed the need to hold accountable all those responsible for these acts, which, according to the same statement, are tantamount to crimes.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: The criminal division of the Sousse 2 Court of First Instance on Friday sentenced Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP) deputy Moez Ben Youssef to a 4-month suspended prison sentence and a fine.
Lawyer Houssem Zayani told TAP that the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Sousse 2 Court of First Instance had issued a warrant against the MP on July 1, accusing him of “insulting a public official and drunkenness.”
The warrant had been issued following an altercation between the MP and a taxi driver, which subsequently escalated into an argument and verbal exchange with law enforcement officers, he specified.
“The defence will appeal this ruling against the MP, who enjoys parliamentary immunity, in accordance with the provisions of Article 65 of the Tunisian Constitution,” said Zayani.
Under article 65 of the Tunisian Constitution, no MP may be prosecuted or arrested during his or her term of office for criminal offences until the Assembly of People’s Representatives has lifted the immunity covering
him or her.
However, if they are caught in the act, they may be arrested. The ARP is informed without delay and the arrest is maintained if the immunity is lifted. Article 66 stipulates that MPs do not enjoy parliamentary immunity for offences of insult, defamation and exchange of violence committed inside or outside the parliament, nor do they enjoy immunity if they interfere with the proper functioning of the assembly.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: The Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) urged citizens to report fraudulent endorsements of presidential candidates by calling the free tall number 1814.
The ISIE pointed out in a press release issued on Saturday that complaints can also be lodged directly with one of the ISIE’s nearest offices.
The ISIE unveiled the electoral calendar for the forthcoming presidential election on October 6 at a press conference last week.
President of the authority Farouk Bouasker spoke at the time about the new criteria required of candidates, notably with regard to the issue of sponsorship. Candidates must secure the endorsement of ten members of the Assembly of People’s Representatives or the National Council of Regions and Districts, or 40 elected presidents of local authorities in office at the time of acceptance of candidacies (local, regional or municipal councils), or the endorsement of 10,000 registered voters spread over at least 10 legislative constituencies, with a minimum of 500 voters per c
onstituency.
To date, more than forty people have withdrawn their endorsement forms from within and outside the country. Nominations are due to be submitted between July 29 and August 6.
Bouasker announced that the ISIE would check the list of endorsers and their signatures, which would be published so that voters could consult it and lodge appeals if necessary.
Bouasker warned that endorsements which do not comply with the model drawn up by the authority and which do not include the required data will not be accepted by the authority.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Tunis: President of Ennahdha movement Rached Ghannouchi and his son-in-law former Foreign Minister Rafik Bouchleka were sentenced by the Correctional Chamber of the Judicial Financial Division to 3 years in prison, to be served immediately.
The case concerns foreign funding of the Ennahdha Movement, according to a statement released on Saturday by the Tunis First Instance Court.
The accused, along with the legal representative of the Ennahdha Movement, have also been sentenced to a fine equivalent to the amount of foreign funds received in this case.
On February 1, the Criminal Chamber specialising in financial corruption crimes at the Tunis First Instance Court sentenced Rached Ghannouchi and his son-in-law Rafik Bouchleka to three years in prison with immediate effect.
The Court also imposed a fine of $1.17 million or its equivalent in Tunisian dinars on the Ennahdha Movement for accepting financial donations from a foreign entity in connection with the funding of the 2019 electoral campaign.
Source:
Agence Tunis Afrique Presse