A Tunisian security officer was killed in a clash with extremists on Monday as campaigning began for the presidential election this month, underlining the challenges facing the only democracy to emerge from the 2011 Arab uprisings.
National guardsmen and army troops were tracking a radical group in the Kef mountains near the Algerian border when shooting broke out, killing the national guard officer and three militants, state TV reported.
Tunisia has struggled to contain extremist violence since the overthrow of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 201. The country's tourism sector, an important source of revenue for its struggling economy, is still struggling to recover from two attacks four years ago that killed dozens of tourists. Meanwhile, unemployment has risen from 12 per cent before the uprising to 15.2 per, and as much as 30 per cent in some cities. Dissatisfaction with government over the lack of jobs and development remains high in the country's impoverished interior.
Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, despite being widely blamed for the failure to improve the economy, is one of 26 candidates in the running for the presidency in the September 15 poll. The post would give him control over only foreign and defence policy under Tunisia's new constitution, while domestic affairs will be overseen by the next prime minister to emerge from parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
Several presidential candidates including Mr Chahed began their campaign at the stroke of midnight when the election season officially began, with the prime minister meeting hundreds of supporters in the impoverished Kabarya district of the capital Tunis.
The shortlist of approved candidates released on Saturday included businessman Nabil Karoui, the owner of the private Nesma television station, who was arrested last month on charges of money laundering and tax evasion and remains in detention.
His Heart of Tunis party says the charges are politically motivated. His supporters began putting up campaign posters and said they planned to stage a large rally in the southern city of Gafsa later on Monday.
Other prominent candidates include former president Moncef Marzouki, former prime minister Mehdi Jomaa, Defence Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi and parliament speaker Abdelfattah Mourou.
Mr Mourou is the first presidential candidate to be fielded by the moderate Islamist Ennahda party since 2011.
"It is the first time that Tunisians have no idea who will become their president," according to the Tunis-based Joussour think tank.
There were only two front runners in the last election in 2014 – Mr Marzouki and Beji Caid Essebsi, who ultimately won in a run-off vote. "Now everything is possible," Joussour said.
Caid Essebsi's death in July at the age of 92 caused the presidential election to be brought forward from November.
Political analyst Hamza Meddeb said he believed Mr Mourou would make it to the second round of voting expected to be held the first week of November.
"The big unknown is who will be his rival", Mr Karoui, Mr Chahed or Mr Zbidi, he told Agence France-Presse.
There only two women presidential candidates – former tourism minister Salma Elloumi and Abir Moussi, who heads a group formed from the remnants of Mr Ben Ali's ruling party.
Campaigning ends on September 13.
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
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Explained
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
