Eight Tunisian international football players have shown atypical anti-doping results, with traces of clenbuterol detected, according to an investigation published by The Times on Friday, July 3. Clenbuterol is a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA. However, the detected quantities were below the threshold set by anti-doping authorities for cases potentially linked to food contamination. Consequently, the players have not been suspended and are not expected to face sanctions at this stage. Clenbuterol, a beta-2 agonist, can promote muscle development and reduce fat mass. Its illegal use in some cattle farms in Mexico has been documented for several years, leading WADA to adapt its procedures for competitions held in that country. The Tunisian national team had its base camp in Monterrey during the World Cup. Investigations by anti-doping authorities suggest contamination from meat consumed locally, with a city restaurant reportedly identified in the inquiry. There is no indication of intentional doping. A similar incident occurred during the U17 World Cup in Mexico in 2011, where over a hundred players from nineteen teams showed traces of clenbuterol attributed to contaminated meat. This led FIFA and anti-doping authorities to revise their approach for such cases. The Tunisian Football Federation, the players, and their clubs have been informed. FIFA declined to comment, and the Tunisian Federation had not reacted at the time of the article's publication.
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Ridha Guellouz, a telecommunications engineer and a leading figure in Tunisia's information and communication technologies ICT sector, has passed away. The Ministry of Communication Technologies issued a statement on Friday, July 3, 2026, honoring his nearly five decades of dedication to telecommunications development, the digital economy, and international cooperation in the field. Guellouz, a graduate of the Tunis School of Telecommunications, began his career as a teacher before holding numerous strategic positions. His roles included project management at the Ministry of Communications, development director at the Tunis Afrique Presse TAP Agency, director of the Telecommunications Studies and Research Center CERT, and advisor to the Minister of Communication Technologies for over a decade. He also served as director general for the follow-up of the World Summit on the Information Society WSIS, directed the International Center for Communication Leaders Training CIFODECOM, and presided over the Tunisian Association of Information and Communication Technologies ATTIC since 2013. Guellouz held significant responsibilities within national institutions such as the boards of Tunisie T茅l茅com, the National Frequencies Agency, and the Broadcasting and Television Company. Internationally, he represented Tunisia at top global telecommunications bodies, participating in the work of the International Telecommunication Union ITU, Arabsat, RASCOM, the World Trade Organization, and NEPAD
On Friday, July 3, 2026, the criminal chamber specializing in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced political opponent Khayam Turki to four years in prison. This judgment includes a financial fine and relates to several tax-related cases. This new conviction follows a previous sentence on April 20, 2026, where Khayam Turki received fourteen years in prison and a fine in a money laundering and fraud case. He was also sentenced on appeal to 45 years in prison in the "conspiracy against state security" case, along with a 100,000 dinar fine, confiscation of his assets held in Tunisian financial institutions, and five years of administrative surveillance.
Alessandro Prunas, the Italian Ambassador to Tunisia, discussed the Tunisian-Italian economic and entrepreneurial forum on Express FM, focusing on mobility, training, and legal migration. He noted that a 2023 memorandum aimed to facilitate the entry of approximately 4,000 Tunisian workers into Italy annually for three years. Since then, the number of work visas issued has more than tripled, with over 15,000 work visas granted to date for the 2024-2026 period. Student visas have doubled, and overall legal mobility flows have nearly tripled. Prunas emphasized a shift towards "circular" mobility to prevent brain drain and promote "brain gain" by ensuring skills return to Tunisia. This involves targeted training to meet Italian labor market needs while preserving Tunisia's productive sector. He mentioned about 20 projects to create legal migration pathways, supported by approximately 15 million euros for vocational training for young Tunisians, aligning with the broader Mattei Plan for Africa. Prunas highlighted that, for the first time, regular arrivals of Tunisian citizens in Italy have significantly surpassed irregular arrivals. He views this trend reversal as crucial for worker protection, as legal entry provides social security, legal status, and access to banking, unlike irregular paths that expose individuals to exploitation. The ambassador also touched on the economic and strategic aspects of the partnership, noting the participation of over 200 Italian companies and more