First Independent Mena Newspaper
Tunisian lawmakers are preparing a law that would remove the exclusivity of the central bank in setting the benchmark interest rate, thus ending the bank’s monetary policy independence. The bill suggests that the central bank should set the interest rate after the approval of the government. President Kais Saied has often taken aim at the […]
The World Bank has revised Tunisia’s 2024 economic growth forecast downward to 1.2%, compared to the 2.4% projected in April 2024. In its October 16, 2024 report, “Growth in the Middle East and North Africa,” the Bank expects Tunisia’s growth to stabilize at 2.2% in 2025. The report cites weak growth across the MENA region, […]
Since he took power in 2019, President Kais Saied has followed an Algerian blueprint to destroy checks and balances, backtracking on Arab Spring assets that once made Tunisia a democratic country. Nothing depicts the vassalization of Tunisia by Algeria than the recent election, won by Kais Saied with 90.7% of the votes, with his main […]
The Criminal Chamber of the Jendouba Court of Appeal has upheld the initial verdict issued by the Jendouba Court of First Instance, sentencing presidential candidate Ayachi Zamal to one year and eight months in prison. Zammel was found guilty of fraudulent practices, including falsifying recommendations and unlawfully using personal data without authorization. Abdesattar Al-Massoudi, the […]
Twelve individuals, including the organizer of a failed emigration attempt and his Tunisian wife, were arrested following the tragic drowning of at least fifteen migrants near Djerba, Tunisia, the National Guard reported on Wednesday, October 2. Last Monday, the coastguard rescued 31 people from a boat that sank 500 meters off the coast and recovered […]
Ayachi Zammel, a candidate in Tunisia’s presidential election scheduled for Sunday October 6, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentence adds to two other recent verdicts, but “he remains in the running for the ballot”, his lawyer said on Tuesday October 1. These new convictions come just five days before an election […]
Twelve Tunisians, including women and babies, tragically drowned while attempting to illegally migrate to Europe when their boat sank off the coast of Djerba, a tourist island in southeastern Tunisia, according to a judicial source. The accident occurred at dawn under unknown circumstances. Some 29 would-be migrants were rescued. Fethi Baccouche, spokesperson for the Medenine […]
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has adjusted Egypt’s economic growth projection upward, anticipating a 4% increase in FY2024/2025, indicating a positive recovery trajectory. Growth for FY2023/2024 was revised to 2.7%, with GDP expansion expected to reach 3.2% in 2024 and 4.5% in 2025. Inflationary pressures have moderated, with inflation declining to 25.7% […]
The Center for Research, Studies, Documentation, and Information on Women (CREDIF) launched on Thursday its first digital publication, Tunisian Women in Figures 2024, a comprehensive scientific document that compiles statistical data from a variety of public institutions and national professional bodies. This report offers a detailed examination of women’s roles and experiences across several sectors, […]
Few days ahead of Tunisian one-man show presidential election, candidate Ayachi Zammel received a 6-month prison sentence as Tunisia’s strongman and incumbent president Kais Saied continues to use the judiciary against political opponents. This is the second sentence against Zammel, who was handed a 20-month jail term for falsifying popular endorsement, in a verdict described […]