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☆ Tunisian judge sentences opposition leader Ghannouchi to year in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TUNIS, May 15 (Reuters) - A Tunisian judge on Monday sentenced in absentia opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, a fierce critic of President Kais Saied, to a year in prison on charges of incitement, his lawyer Monia Bouali said. Ghannouchi, 81, has been in prison since April. He has called his critics criminals, traitors and terrorists and warned that any judge who freed them would be considered abetting them. Ghannouchi has refused to appear before judges in legal cases, arguing that the charges are fabricated and the trial is political, his lawyer said. "These trials are the purification against opposition leaders, using the judiciary, because they have not been able to defeat them politically," said Bouali.

☆ Analysis: North Africa backslides toward swirling debt troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Making debt payments could become almost impossible. EGYPTEgypt's finances also look stretched despite it securing a $3 billion IMF rescue plan in December. The rating agency, which downgraded Egypt's credit rating again on Friday, highlights that only default-stricken Sri Lanka would need to pay more. "It would not be immaterial if it were to default" Ross said about the impact on global money managers. "These very wealthy Gulf countries have generally enhanced financial stability in the region," via their support he added.

☆ Tunisia synagogue attack toll up to 6, local media says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Members of the security forces stand near the entrance of Ghriba synagogue, following an attack, in Djerba, Tunisia May 10, 2023. REUTERS/StringerTUNIS, May 10 (Reuters) - A Tunisian security officer who was wounded in Tuesday's shooting attack outside a synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba has died, hospital sources said, bringing the death toll to six including the shooter. Israel's Foreign Ministry described the attack as a "lethal shooting incident", with a spokesperson saying it was still under investigation. The United States and France said Tunisian security forces had responded quickly. The pilgrimage has had tight security since al Qaeda militants attacked the synagogue in 2002 with a truck bomb, killing 21 Western tourists.

CNN —At least three people were killed and nine others wounded in an attack near a synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba on Tuesday, according to the Tunisian Interior Ministry. Tunisia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that a 30-year-old Tunisian and a 42-year-old French national were among those killed. The attack came amid an annual pilgrimage to the island of Djerba that draws hundreds of Jews from Europe and Israel, Reuters reported. La Ghriba is Africa’s oldest synagogue, a revered and iconic location at the heart of the island, according to Reuters. One of the most well-known attacks is the 2002 truck bombing by al Qaeda militants, which killed 21 Western tourists – prompting high security at the synagogue in the following years.

☆ Shots heard on Tunisia's Djerba island, site of a Jewish pilgrimage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TUNIS, May 9 (Reuters) - An exchange of gunshots took place on Monday on Djerba, an island just off the Tunisian coast and the location of a Jewish pilgrimage, according to local residents and media reports. One resident said he had heard gunshots near the pilgrimage site, the historical synagogue of Ghibra. Another said he had heard the exchange of fire coming from a location far from the synagogue. The pilgrimage has had tight security since al Qaeda militants attacked the synagogue in 2002 with a truck bomb, killing 21 Western tourists. Though they now number fewer than 1,800 people, Jews have lived in Tunisia since Roman times.

☆ Citi appoints new North Africa, Levant and Central Asia head
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, May 8 (Reuters) - Banking group Citi has appointed Omar Hafeez as head of its North Africa, Levant and Central Asia operations based in Dubai after a reorganisation of the company's MENA region, it said on Monday. Hafeez transfers from Japan, where he was head of the corporate banking business, the third largest for Citi globally. The North Africa, Levant and Central Asia sub-cluster consists of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Israel, Citi said. Reproting by Yousef Saba Writing by Lisa Barrington Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tunisia retrieves 41 drowned migrants as death toll soars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Dead bodies, lying in bags, which according to hospital official belong to migrants, are pictured at the entrance of Habib Bourguiba hospital morgue in Sfax, Tunisia April 26, 2023. The bodies were in a decomposed state, suggesting they had been in the water for several days, said Houssem Eddine Jebabli told Reuters. The cumulative total of fatalities was unprecedented over such a short period, he said. Tunisia is struggling to contain the surge, and some morgues are running out of space to bury the victims. Reporting by Tarek Amara; Writing by Tala Ramadan in Dubai; Editing by Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Thirty years on, Zambia mourns national team killed in plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bulk of the team were experienced internationals, fancied to emerge top of their final round qualifying group and secure a first-ever World Cup final appearance at the 1994 tournament in the United States. Engine failure after takeoff from Libreville caused the plane to crash into the sea, killing all on board including the coaches, support staff and crew. A year after the crash, the team were surprise finalists at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, losing 2-1 to Nigeria. Twenty years after the disaster, Zambia finally won the African title - in Gabon, site of the crash. Just days before the final, players threw flowers into the sea at the beach where the bodies had washed up.

☆ Special forces swiftly evacuate US embassy staff from Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan on April 19, 2023. U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in warring Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. However, John Bass, a U.S. undersecretary of state, denied claims by one faction, Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, that it assisted in the U.S. evacuation. Biden had ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. The U.S. evacuation planning for American employees of the embassy got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum.

☆ Where to watch the London Marathon live stream for free from anywhere in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Brendan Griffiths | Senior Commerce Director | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wherever you are in the world, we can show you where to watch the London Marathon live stream for free. Where to watch the London Marathon (US)US viewers getting up early to watch the London Marathon online are looking at one of the most expensive routes to tune in via the local option. It's the best way to tune into the free London Marathon live stream showing in the UK wherever you are in the world. ET / 8:30 a.m. BST / 9:30 p.m. CETDo any other countries have a free London Marathon live stream? Full London Marathon scheduleHere are the times for each race in the 2023 London Marathon on April 23.

☆ Russia is landing new buyers for its sanctioned diesel all over the world and Brazil's taking advantage of the steep discounts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today we're talking energy — and I'm sharing a conversation with a leading expert on Russian diesel flows. Phil Rosen: You shared some data on how Brazil is seeing a dramatic uptick in Russian diesel imports, and a decrease in diesel imports from other sources, including the US. It really does appear that Russian diesel is muscling in on US market share in Brazil. How does this data on Brazil's diesel imports fit into the broader picture with China and India? Russian diesel is displacing traditional suppliers to these countries, while trade flows are changing to backfill the loss of Russian diesel into Europe.

☆ Tunisian judge orders detention of opposition leader Ghannouchi
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 81-year-old, head of the Islamist Ennahda party, was the speaker of the elected parliament, which was shut down in 2021 by President Kais Saied when he seized all powers. Ghannouchi, who was arrested on Monday, was ordered detained following an investigation by the judge that lasted eight hours, lawyer Monia Bouali added. His lawyer said the decision to hold Ghannouchi in custody was pre-planned because of his expressions of opinion. Tunisian authorities on Tuesday banned meetings at all Ennahda offices and police closed the headquarters of the Salvation Front, the main opposition coalition. Since Tunisia's 2011 revolution, Ghannouchi has been a major political player, leading his party to participate in successive coalition governments with secular parties.

☆ Saudi foreign minister visits Assad, further easing Syria's isolation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on April 18, 2023. The statements made no mention of an Arab League summit that Riyadh is due to host next month. On Friday, Gulf Arab foreign ministers and their counterparts from Egypt, Iraq and Jordan discussed Syria's possible return to the body at a meeting in Saudi Arabia, but no agreement was reached. Saudi Arabia has said in recent months that isolating him was not working. Syria's foreign minister, who recently visited Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Tunisia, has said his country's return to the Arab League would be "almost impossible before correcting bilateral relations".

☆ Tunisia Arrests a Leading Opposition Figure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Vivian Yee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That unpopularity has made Ennahda a convenient target of Mr. Saied’s campaign against political rivals, with Mr. al-Ghannouchi the most prominent opponent to be targeted so far. Ennahda said about 100 plainclothes police officers raided and searched Mr. al-Ghannouchi’s home in the capital, Tunis, taking him and another party member to a military barracks. The authorities then raided Ennahda’s Tunis headquarters, arresting two other prominent party officials, and searched the home of Mr. al-Ghannouchi’s daughter, according to Ennahda and Tunisian prosecutors. “The Ennahda movement condemns this very dangerous development and demands the immediate release” of Mr. al-Ghannouchi, the party said in a statement posted on the leader’s Facebook page. “It also calls on all liberals to stand together in the face of these oppressive practices.”

☆ Opinion: How Sudan went from revolution to civil war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Justin Lynch | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Four years ago, almost to the day, the people of Sudan were celebrating a revolution after overthrowing longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. On one side are the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. On the other side are the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti. Hamdok found that the legacy of 30 years of dictatorship meant that Sudan’s political and economic models were dilapidated. The lesson from Sudan is that a revolution is only the start of change, not the end.

☆ IMF says has not received request from Tunisia to re-examine reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The Fund did not impose any diktats," Azour said, according to the TAP state news agency. The IMF postponed in December its board meeting on a loan program for Tunisia that was scheduled to give the authorities more time to finalize it. "This program has been designed, proudly by the Tunisian authorities," Azour said during the briefing. Without a loan, Tunisia faces a full-blown balance of payments crisis. Most debt is internal but there are foreign loan repayments due later this year, and credit ratings agencies have said Tunisia may default.

☆ Saudi Arabia, Syria welcome thaw in ties, agree to fight drug trafficking
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Deputy Minister of Saudi Foreign Ministry, Waleed El Khereiji meets with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal Mekdad in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 12, 2023. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERSRIYADH, April 12 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Syria's foreign ministers on Wednesday welcomed a thaw in bilateral ties, including steps to resume consular services and flights, and agreed to cooperate to fight drug trafficking and facilitate Syria's return to the Arab fold. Assad, with the help of his main allies Iran and Russia, regained control over much of Syria, and Saudi Arabia has said isolating him was not working. Much of it is thought to be sold to buyers in Gulf Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia. Mekdad's trip to Jeddah came two days before Saudi Arabia hosts another meeting of regional foreign ministers that will discuss Syria's return to the Arab League.

☆ Analysis: Debt crunch looms for weaker economies with a wall of bond maturities ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"A more prolonged period without market access would be of more concern for the lower-rated tiers of the emerging markets sovereign universe," said James Wilson, EM sovereign strategist for ING. Tapping international debt markets hasn't been a problem across the board for emerging economies. The JPMorgan's emerging markets bond index (EMBI) for high yield debt is at 900 basis points over U.S. Treasuries, and has largely remained over 800 bps since the beginning of last year. The Russia conflict and then the Fed hiking cycle led to higher spreads for a much longer period," said Gregory Smith, emerging markets fund manager at London-based M&G Investment. A weaker U.S. dollar should help countries to tap international markets in the medium term, but recent data fueled jitters that restrictive central bank policies could push the global economy into recession.

☆ Jabeur targets Grand Slam success after Charleston crown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I'm glad that I'm finding my rhythm and I hope my body will allow me to play," Jabeur told Tennis Channel, looking ahead to the European claycourt swing. I'm working on a lot of things and it's going my way, so for me: step by step, and I'm going for the Grand Slam this year." "If you want to do something, believe in it and only you can really manifest it," Jabeur added. "I was imagining myself in the photoshoot after, putting the image that I won that title already, and it happened. "I'll manifest the big trophy sets, the Wimbledon one and other Grand Slams that I want to win."

☆ Boat with 400 migrants adrift between Libya and Malta, support service says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, April 9 (Reuters) - A vessel with around 400 people on board is adrift between Malta and Libya and is taking on water, support service Alarm Phone said on Sunday, amid a sharp rise of migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. Alarm Phone said on Twitter they had received a call from the boat, which departed from Tobruk, in Libya, last night and that they had informed authorities. But no rescue operation has been launched so far, they added. Alarm Phone said the boat was now in the Maltese Search and Rescue area (SAR). Another NGO, Germany's Resqship, said on Sunday at least 23 migrants died the previous night in the Mediterranean in a separate shipwreck.

☆ At least 20 migrants missing after a boat sinks off Tunisia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TUNIS, April 8 (Reuters) - At least 20 African migrants were missing on Saturday after their boat sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial official said, amidst a sharp rise in migrant boats from the North African country. The coast guard rescued 17 others off the southern city of Sfax from the same boat, two of whom are in critical condition, Sfax court judge Faouzi Masmousdi said. In recent weeks, dozens have gome missing and died in repeated drowning accidents off the Tunisian coast. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that Europe risks seeing a huge wave of migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if financial stability in Tunisia is not safeguarded. Tunisia had received equipment from Italy in the past years, but Ammar said it was outdated and not sufficient.

NEW DELHI, April 6 (Reuters) - Singapore's imports of Russian naphtha nearly tripled in the first quarter of 2023, government data showed, after the European Union banned oil products imports from Russia. The Asia oil hub imported 741,000 tonnes of Russian naphtha in the period, accounting for about 23% of Singapore's total imports of the refined product, a Reuters calculation based on Enterprise Singapore data showed. The EU banned imports of Russian oil products from Feb. 5 and the Group of Seven Nations, EU and Australia imposed a $45 cap on Russian naphtha trade using western ships and insurance. The limitations, which have changed global oil trade flows, are aimed at curbing Moscow's revenues, while allowing Russian supplies to stay in the market and keep world oil prices low. The key buyers of naphtha from Singapore are South Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan, the data showed.

☆ Uganda’s anti-gay bill is the latest and worst to target LGBTQ Africans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditi Bhandari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

Same-sex activity in Africa is punishable by … Map of the 32 African countries where same-sex activity is illegal. Same-sex activity in Africa … Map of the 22 African countries where same-sex activity is legal. In 1993, Guinea-Bissau became the first African country to legalise LGBTQ activity when it adopted a new Penal Code that didn’t include any laws criminalising it. Country Constitutional protection Broad protections Employment Hate crime Incitement Marriage or civil union Adoption Angola No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Botswana No No Yes No No No No Cape Verde No No Yes Yes No No No Gabon No No No No No No No Guinea-Bissau No No No No No No No Lesotho No No No No No No No Mozambique No No Yes No No No No Sao Tome and Principe No No Yes Yes No No No Seychelles No No Yes No No No No South Africa Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes YesNote: Broad protections include laws protecting against discrimination in at least 3 of 4 categories: the provision of goods and services, housing, healthcare and education. Namibia and Mauritius criminalise same-sex activity, but around 35% of respondents said they would dislike having a gay neighbour.

☆ Food inflation to weigh on MENA growth this year - World Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Lisa Barrington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Average year-on-year food inflation across 16 MENA economies between March and December 2022 was 29%, which was higher than the headline inflation of 19.4% year-on-year during that period, the World Bank said. "Bold policies are needed in a region where young people make up more than half of the population," said World Bank MENA Vice President Ferid Belhaj. The World Bank sees GDP per capita growth, a proxy for living standards, slowing to 1.6% in 2023 from 4.4% in 2022. "Close to one out of five people living in developing countries in MENA is likely to be food insecure this year," said World Bank MENA Chief Economist Roberta Gatti. The World Bank forecast 3.1% growth across the region in 2024.

☆ Factbox: The developing countries facing a debt crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The cocoa, gold and oil producer has already reached a deal to write down domestic debt and last week kicked off formal debt talks with international bondholders. A $1.9 billion IMF loan has been stalled for months as Tunisia's president has shown little sign of action on key reforms. SRI LANKASri Lanka defaulted on its international debt last year after economic mismanagement, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, sparked a political crisis and left it without dollars for even essential imports. UKRAINEUkraine just received the first $2.7 billion tranche under a four-year, $15.6 billion IMF loan program. Zambia's currency, the kwacha , has fallen more than 10% against the U.S. dollar this year, which the central bank has said is adding to inflation.

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