First Independent Mena Newspaper
North Africa’s wheat import landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation, with Black Sea suppliers now controlling 75 percent of the market as European Union share plummets to 25 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest analysis. The region, comprising Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, represents 15 percent of global wheat imports. During […]
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Tunisia’s Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Riadh Chaoued, has announced the launch of a new interest-free loan scheme, underpinned by a 5-million-dinar allocation from the 2025 Finance Law, to support employment for persons with disabilities. Beginning 17 July 2025, a new registration platform will be open for applicants eligible […]
Tunisia’s food trade balance registered a surplus of 824.1 million dinars by the end of June 2025, marking a sharp decline from the 1,833.9 million dinars recorded during the same period in 2024, according to data released on Tuesday, July 16, by the National Agricultural Observatory. This downturn was largely attributed to the significant drop […]
A Tunisian court has sentenced 21 prominent politicians and officials, including opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, to prison terms ranging from 12 to 35 years, in a new verdict that highlights the use of the judiciary by President Kais Saied to silence the opposition. The charges, which include inciting violence, attempting to overthrow the government, and […]
The Criminal Division of the Tunis Court of Appeal has affirmed the convictions of Wadii Jari, former president of the Tunisian Football Federation, while moderating his prison sentence to three years instead of the original four. The lower Criminal Division of the Tunis Court of First Instance had imposed a four-year jail term on Jari, […]
A Tunisian court has sentenced former President Moncef Marzouki to 22 years in prison in absentia on charges of undermining state security, triggering condemnation from rights groups who denounce the use of the judiciary by President Kais Saied to intimidate and silence the opposition at home and abroad. The verdict, delivered in June 2025, adds […]
In June 2025, Algeria and Tunisia jointly endorsed the Soumoud Convoy, a humanitarian land mission aimed at delivering aid to Gaza. The convoy, which departed from Tunis on June 9, included hundreds of activists mostly from Tunisia, Algeria, and other international leftist figures. It was intended to reach the Gaza Strip via Egypt’s Rafah crossing, […]
Tunisia’s economic prospects have taken a hit as the World Bank revised its growth forecast downward, projecting a modest 1.9% expansion in 2025, down from an earlier estimate of 2.2%. The outlook for the following years is even more subdued, with growth expected to slow to 1.6% in 2026 and 1.7% in 2027. The downgrade […]
A Tunisian criminal court specializing in terrorism has handed down on Tuesday a 37-year prison sentence to a young man convicted in absentia, following a complaint lodged by a sitting female Member of Parliament. The charges stem from a series of Facebook posts made by the defendant, which were deemed inflammatory and threatening. The posts […]
Tunisia exported 107.9 thousand tons of dates during the first seven months of the 2024–2025 season, i.e. from the beginning of the campaign in October 2024 to the end of April 2025, according to data from the National Observatory of Agriculture (ONAGRI). Comparing this to the 114.7 thousand tons exported during the same period last […]