Latest Tunisia News

Rescue group saves 11-year-old girl floating alone in the Mediterranean for days after shipwreck

Dec. 12, 2024 13:44 PM EST

MILAN (AP) — An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone was found floating in the Mediterranean Sea off Italy’s southernmost island of Lampedusa, believed to be the only survivor of a shipwrecked migrant boat that had departed from the port of Sfax in Tunisia, a humanitarian group said Thursday. ...

A French student who was arrested and detained in Tunisia returns to Paris

Nov. 15, 2024 10:45 AM EST

PARIS (AP) — A French doctoral student detained in Tunisia returned to Paris on Friday after weeks of top-level diplomatic discussions. Victor Dupont, a 27-year-old pursuing a Ph.D. at Aix-Marseille University’s Institute of Research and Study on the Arab and Islamic Worlds,...

A colorful kite festival in South Africa raises awareness for mental health

Oct. 27, 2024 10:51 AM EDT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Enthusiasts flew kites of all shapes and sizes Sunday at a festival in South Africa that raises awareness for mental health and provides a burst of beachside color. The Cape Town International Kite Festival is celebrating its 30th year, with...

Tunisian commentator sentenced to two years under controversial anti-fake news law

Oct. 25, 2024 13:15 PM EDT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A well-known Tunisian attorney and commentator was sentenced to two years in prison over remarks she made about the North African country and its treatment of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Sonia Dahmani was found guilty on Thursday of violating a statute...

Tunisia's president is inaugurated for a second term following a crackdown on his opponents

Oct. 23, 2024 02:57 AM EDT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia's President Kais Saied has been inaugurated for a second term, following a monthslong crackdown and string of arrests against his political opponents. Weeks after winning reelection with a 90.7% share of the vote, the 66-year-old former law professor...

Tunisia's Kais Saied wins landslide reelection, entrenching his power in Arab Spring's birthplace

Oct. 07, 2024 19:53 PM EDT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — President Kais Saied won a landslide victory in Tunisia's election Monday, keeping his grip on power after a first term in which opponents were imprisoned and the country's institutions overhauled to give him more authority. The North African country's...

Tunisia's President Saied wins second term after cracking down on the opposition

Oct. 07, 2024 14:24 PM EDT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s President Kais Saied won re-election in landslide victory after a campaign season saw his opponents jailed alongside journalists, activists and attorneys. The North African country’s Independent High Authority for Elections said on Monday evening...

Tunisia votes Sunday in its third presidential election since the Arab Spring

Oct. 06, 2024 08:46 AM EDT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisians voted Sunday in an election expected to grant President Kais Saied a second term, as his most prominent detractors, including one of the candidates challenging him, are in prison. The 66-year-old president faces few obstacles to winning reelection,...

US 'Welcome Corps' helps resettle LGBTQ+ refugees fleeing crackdowns against gay people

Oct. 02, 2024 15:16 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Cabrel Ngounou's life in Cameroon quickly unraveled after neighbors caught the teenager with his boyfriend. A crowd surrounded his boyfriend's house and beat him. Ngounou's family learned of the relationship and kicked him out. So Ngounou fled — alone and...

12 migrants die off Tunisia's Mediterranean coast after their boat sinks

Sep. 30, 2024 11:05 AM EDT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia's coast guard on Monday found 12 bodies of migrants, including three young children, off the Mediterranean coast, as authorities struggle to stem unauthorized boat crossings from North Africa to Europe. The bodies were recovered after a boat carrying...