馃嚬馃嚦TunisiaNorth Africa
Tunisia eliminated from World Cup after second-round loss to Japan
via Business News1 min read
Tunisia has been officially eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after a 4-0 defeat to Japan, following an earlier 5-1 loss to Sweden. This marks Tunisia as the first Arab team to be eliminated from the tournament. Daichi Kamada opened the scoring for Japan in the 4th minute, a goal contested by the Tunisians. Japan, described as superior and better organized, extended their lead with Ayase Ueda scoring a brace and providing an assist. The match also marked the 1000th game in the competition's history. Herv茅 Renard was appointed as the national team coach after the initial defeat against Sweden, replacing Sabri Lamouchi, whose tenure included one win, one draw, and three consecutive losses in five matches. Renard's mission was to revitalize the team, which was at the bottom of Group F. Japan, having previously drawn 2-2 with the Netherlands, is now close to qualifying for the round of 16 and will compete for the top spot in their group in the final match. Tunisia has one remaining match without stakes.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Business News.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has once again responded to attacks from Donald Trump, rejecting his accusations and defending her country's sovereignty. In a social media post on June 20, 2026, Meloni stated this would be her final comment on the controversy, emphasizing her belief in Western unity. She directly addressed the former US President, denouncing his "repeated and gratuitous, meaningless attacks." Trump had claimed earlier on Truth Social that Meloni had repeatedly asked him for a photo at the G7 summit in Evian and was now trying to regain his friendship to boost her popularity. Meloni retorted that being his friend certainly did not help her popularity, which she stated depends solely on her ability to defend Italy's national interest. She also addressed Trump's criticism regarding Italy's refusal to allow the US to use Italian military bases, stating that their use is governed by international agreements that Italy has always respected and will not violate while she is Prime Minister. Meloni concluded by telling Trump that her popularity "is none of your business" and suggested he focus on his own. This exchange marks a further escalation in the dispute between the two leaders, which began after the G7 summit in Evian.
Several civil society organizations and associations held a solidarity march against racism and hate speech in the streets of Tunis on Saturday, June 20, 2026. The procession started from Nelson Mandela Square in the Lafayette district, bringing together activists, human rights defenders, and citizens. They gathered to denounce recent racist aggressions that have generated strong reactions on social media. Demonstrators carried signs with slogans such as "Against racism... We are all migrants," "Your crime is racism... Down with injustice," and "No More Hate, No More Fear, Racism Ends Here." Other messages called for respect for human dignity and the rejection of hate speech. In their call to demonstrate, the organizers stated that recent racist aggressions could not go unanswered by society, emphasizing that "racism is a crime, not an opinion." They urged mobilization for human dignity and equal rights for all. This march was organized by several Tunisian associations and NGOs committed to human rights defense, including the Tunisian League for Human Rights, in response to a recent increase in racist acts and discourse.
Tunisia's Ministry of Health plans to significantly enhance its addiction treatment infrastructure by creating a national network of five specialized centers. This initiative comes in response to the increasing prevalence of drug and psychoactive substance use in the country. Nabil Ben Salah, the ministry's head of addiction affairs, announced the plan during a scientific day on addictology on June 20, 2026. The network will include the existing "Al Amal" center in Jebel Oust, a rehabilitated center in Sfax, and three new facilities in Dougga, Monastir, and potentially Tozeur in the south. The goal is to provide more accessible care, especially as new psychoactive substances are regularly seized by authorities. Additionally, the ministry aims to strengthen specialized addictology consultations, with 18 already operational and plans for each governorate to have one or two dedicated consultations by the end of the year. A national study on addictions will be conducted between 2026 and 2027 among Tunisians aged 15 to 65 to accurately assess the situation and inform public policy. Previous studies from 2013, 2017, and 2021 showed a fourfold increase in cannabis and narcotic pill use among adolescents aged 15 to 17 over eight years, with narcotic pill use being higher among girls. Psychiatrist Rabiha Che茂hani highlighted the lack of a comprehensive national strategy to combat addictions, noting that the Jebel Oust center is currently the only active specialized facility and lacks