TUNIS: Four Tunisian migrants died and 21 others were rescued after their boat sank while trying to reach the Italian coast, a judicial source said on Wednesday.
The boat capsized after leaving Sfax in eastern Tunisia on Tuesday, court spokesman Faouzi Masmoudi told AFP, noting that an investigation had been opened.
Sfax has become a major hub for migrants from Tunisia and other parts of Africa attempting perilous voyages across the Mediterranean, often in rickety boats, in hopes of a better life.
The eastern Tunisian port city is located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Four passengers — a woman and three children — perished in the shipwreck, while the 21 others, all Tunisians, were rescued by the coast guard.
Tunisians have opted for the perilous sea journey in growing numbers as the country faces a grinding economic crisis and severe shortages of basic staples.
The country has also been shaken by major political tensions since President Kais Saied launched a power grab in July 2021 in what his opponents call a “coup.”
Four migrants dead after boat sinks off Tunisia
https://arab.news/jwmq8
Four migrants dead after boat sinks off Tunisia
- The boat capsized after leaving Sfax in eastern Tunisia on Tuesday
- Sfax has become a major hub for migrants from Tunisia and other parts of Africa attempting perilous voyages across the Mediterranean
Qatar joins US-led Pax Silica Alliance to secure semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains
- Doha says participation in alliance will enhance its international partnerships in fields of semiconductors, computing, cybersecurity and digital technologies.
- Qatar is the second Middle Eastern country to join the US-led economic-security coalition, after Israel
LONDON: Qatar joined the US-led Pax Silica Alliance on Monday in a move described as a strategic step to enhance cooperation in advanced technologies and supply-chain security.
The alliance was launched last month in Washington with the aim of securing global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence technology, critical minerals and digital infrastructure.
Doha said participation in the alliance will enhance its international partnerships in the fields of semiconductors, computing, cybersecurity and digital technologies, helping to boost the country’s technological capabilities and economic diversification efforts, the Qatar News Agency reported.
Ahmed Al-Sayed, Qatar’s minister of state for foreign trade affairs, and Jacob Helberg, the US under secretary of state for economic affairs, signed the Pax Silica declaration during a ceremony in Doha.
Al-Sayed said the world was undergoing a significant transformation driven by AI, rising energy and mineral demands, and rapid technological advancements.
He described the declaration as “a new milestone in the Qatar-US partnership, founded on trust, shared interests, and a unified vision for advancing stability and prosperity.”
He added: “Qatar recognizes that the currency of geopolitical power has changed. Sovereignty is no longer just about protecting borders, it is about securing the supply chains of the artificial intelligence era.”
Qatar is the second Middle Eastern country to join the alliance; Israel signed up in December. Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the UK and Australia have also joined the bloc.
“In a region often defined by its fractures, Pax Silica marks a historic opportunity for the region to shift from political rivalry to economic interoperability,” Helberg said.
