First Independent Mena Newspaper
Trade union leaders at the Tunis Transport Company (Transtu) have agreed to hold a general workers’ rally, following an emergency meeting held on Sunday, December 14, under the supervision of the executive bureau of the General Transport Federation (UGTT). The date and modalities of the rally are to be announced later. The unions said the […]
North Africa’s tourism sector is experiencing remarkable growth, with Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia collectively welcoming 42.2 million visitors through October 2025. Morocco has cemented its position as the continent’s leading destination, now surpassing Egypt by one million arrivals while posting impressive double-digit growth rates. Morocco recorded 16.6 million tourist arrivals by late October, marking 14 […]
Human Rights Watch has denounced the arrest of three Tunisian prominent activists and their unjust convictions in a sham trial on charges of conspiracy and terrorism. On November 27, 2025, a Tunis Appeal Court sentenced 34 defendants in the politically motivated “Conspiracy Case”, including political opponents, activists, and lawyers, to between 5 and 45 years […]
On 27 November 2025, President Kaïs Saïed instructed Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti to deliver a second “firmly formulated” protest to a foreign State representative in Tunisia, following an initial protest sent two days earlier. Meeting at Carthage Palace, Saïed emphasised the imperative of respecting diplomatic protocol and national sovereignty, declaring that any disregard for […]
Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed summoned the European Union Ambassador to Tunisia, Giuseppe Perrone, on Tuesday to express a “strong protest” regarding what he considers a “violation of diplomatic protocols.” An official statement, released Wednesday morning, did not specify the exact reasons for this reaction. President Saïed conveyed to the ambassador his rejection of “practices outside […]
Human Rights Watch has called on Tunisian authorities to drop what it described as “unfounded charges” against five employees of the Tunisian Council for Refugees, who went on trial on Nov 24, amid an escalating crackdown on civil society groups. The rights watchdog also urged the immediate release of two staff members who have been […]
Algeria has fostered its grip on impoverished Tunisia, worsening the dependence of its fragile neighbor on gas rent in a bilateral relationship that constrained Tunisia’s diplomacy, a recent Chatham House op-ed showed. Tunisia’s recent trajectory marks a profound shift in Maghreb geopolitics, Safae El Yaacoubi wrote in the Op-ed, adding that “power in the region […]
Tunisia’s trade deficit reached 18,435.8 million dinars (MD) by the end of October 2025, up from 15,716.4 MD over the same period in 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The coverage rate fell to 73.9% compared with 76.7% last year. The deficit was primarily driven by energy (-9,181.5 MD), raw materials and […]
Tunisia’s draft State budget for 2026 has earmarked approximately 6,304.8 million dinars for the Ministry of Interior, reflecting a 5 percent increase — or 309 million dinars more — than in 2025. According to a report presented during the parliamentary session of the Defense, Security, and Legal Affairs Committees, the ministry’s expenditure breakdown includes 4,160.8 […]
Tunisia is witnessing a troubling escalation in authoritarian practices, marked by hunger strikes, expedited trials, and a crackdown on civil society, according to repeated alerts from human rights organizations and independent media. Despite mounting concerns, President Kaïs Saïed’s administration appears increasingly unresponsive to criticism, deepening fears of democratic backsliding. The suspension of the Tunis office […]