Twenty-six-year-old Anwar had planned on following in his father’s footsteps and was preparing to study medicine. The family lived in Al-Nasr neighborhood, one of the most prestigious areas in Tunis. Anwar and his girlfriend Farah told their families seven months ago that they were travelling to Switzerland to join a medical school and managed not […]

For decades, residents of Téboulba, just south of Tunis in Monastir Governorate, have mastered the art of shipbuilding. Some 8,000 square meters worth of shipyards have been the main source of livelihood (including fishing) in this poor area. Fuad Naqbi, a 40-year-old shipyard owner, says shipbuilding witnessed a boom ages ago where Téboulba contributed to […]

During the second half of Ramadan, Tunisian families and even tourists pay  special attention to the city of Kairouan (about 150 kilometers southwest of Tunis), which turns into a religious magnet with many rituals, social activities and diverse cultures. Kairouan is considered the fourth holiest place for Muslims and it becomes during the last ten […]

General Rajaa Al-Shabbi likes to describe herself as a “free Tunisian” and her words have travelled the world through her poems about the late Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani and translated numerous poems by the late Tunisian poet Mohammad Al-Saghir Awlad Ahmad. But Al-Shabbi is not a typical poet, she also happens to be one the […]

With each funeral that passes through Bab eljnaiez street (“the gate of funerals”), merchants and passers-by stand in front of shops out of respect for the dead. Despite the gloomy name, Bab eljnaiez, a street which runs one kilometer and houses at least 100 shops, is also the lifeblood of the entire city where visitors […]

Youssef Chahed, Minister of Local Affairs speaks about the government’s willingness to ensure the impartiality and transparency of the upcoming municipal elections, amidst its current problems and believes that criticism of the government has been too harsh. Youssef Chahed, what actions have you taken to ensure the impartiality of the municipal elections scheduled next March? […]

Nearly a month has passed since Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi called for a national unity government involving all political parties across the country. No signs have yet materialized to suggest a consensual solution that satisfies all parties and embodies the president’s initiative. Nearly a month has passed since Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi called […]

Over a century ago, Fadila Barhoumi’s grandfather and his relatives left Algeria to live in Siliana Governorate, 200 kilometers northwest of Tunis. Having settled in that agricultural area, he did not think it necessary to apply for the nationality of his new country since he was not inclined to do more than to reclaim the […]

A new law that establishes legal procedures for a bank’s possible insolvency, adopted by the parliament on May 12,  raised concerns amongst opposition parties who say that such unprecedented measures could worsen the country’s severe economic and financial crisis.  Critics of the new banking act believe that its ratification was a “hasty” move imposed upon […]

Nadia Chtoi is Tunisia’s first female kickboxing coach, a sport that was long male-dominated in her southern Tunisian Governorate of Kebili. Every day, she trains tens of young men who have chosen her as their coach although it was at first nearly impossible to convince them to do so. Though only 23, Chtoi has succeeded […]