Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed has ratified two guarantee agreements between Tunisia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IBRD to support the modernization of the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company STEG. The decrees, published in the Official Gazette on July 21, 2026, formalize state guarantees for two loans. The first loan, totaling 384.8 million euros, is for STEG's program to improve energy reliability, efficiency, and governance. The second, an additional 30 million US dollars, is provided through the Clean Technology Fund, also for STEG's modernization efforts. These ratifications follow the adoption of relevant laws on July 20, 2026. The financing was a subject of intense parliamentary debate, with some deputies criticizing a last-minute postponement of the vote and accusing the President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, Brahim Bouderbala, of attempting to influence the outcome. Despite the controversy, both texts were adopted by Parliament on July 14, paving the way for presidential ratification. The state guarantees these funds to support STEG's energy sector improvements, addressing national priorities amid electricity load shedding.
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The French Parliament definitively adopted a bill on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, prohibiting social media access for individuals under 15 years old. This measure, a first in Europe, is set to take effect in September to safeguard the health of children and adolescents. The reform, a key promise from President Emmanuel Macron, was passed by deputies with 279 votes to 81, following approval by the Senate. President Macron hailed it as a "major step forward," positioning France as a pioneer in this area. The ban will be implemented in two phases: new accounts will be affected from September 1, while existing accounts will have a four-month grace period, with the ban applying from January 1, 2027. Anne Le Hénanff, Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs, stated that French citizens will need to prove their age for four months, and accounts of those under 15 will be closed. Despite parliamentary doubts about the rapid implementation, she affirmed its feasibility. The legislation also extends the mobile phone ban to high schools, a measure already in place in primary and middle schools, with some exceptions possible through internal school regulations. The law does not impose penalties on children or parents; instead, social media platforms are mandated to implement age verification systems. However, the practical application of this ban has drawn criticism, with questions raised about the swift operationalization of such complex verification mechanisms. Senator Mathilde Ollivier of the
Lawyer Haïfa Chebbi, a member of the defense committee in the alleged state security plot case, shared an emotional video on Facebook on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, following a visit to Mornaguia Civil Prison. The daughter of opposition figure Ahmed Néjib Chebbi, she condemned the detention conditions during the current heatwave and called for collective awareness. Visibly moved, she described her experience after visiting her father, Ahmed Néjib Chebbi, and detainees Abdelhamid Jelassi and Zied El-Heni. She stated, "I cannot describe what it feels like to leave prison. I can no longer breathe," referring to the stifling heat inside the facility. She noted that temperatures exceed 50 degrees Celsius in several regions of the country and highlighted that detainees live without air conditioning, are deprived of contact with loved ones, and are confined to overcrowded cells. Haïfa Chebbi reported witnessing the condition of some prisoners firsthand, including Rached Ghannouchi after his return from the hospital, confirming he was suffering greatly from the heat. However, the lawyer absolved prison administration agents, stating that wardens "do everything they can" with available resources, especially for elderly detainees. She insisted, "The prison is not responsible. The prison administration is not responsible." Instead, she attributed responsibility to the political class and, more broadly, to all elites. "We are all responsible. We are all complicit," she declared, regretting t
Tunisia's electricity and gas company, STEG, announced extended power cuts across nearly all regions of the country, lasting from noon until 10 PM on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. This follows an initial round of outages scheduled from 6 AM to noon. STEG justified these intermittent cuts as necessary to "preserve the security and sustainability of the electricity network," noting that power restoration could occur without prior notice. The company also stated that the provided lists of affected areas were not exhaustive and could include additional zones, a point reinforced by citizen reports of outages in unlisted neighborhoods and interruptions exceeding the announced durations, some lasting four to five hours. Occurring during a heatwave, these power cuts are causing significant disruption, affecting air conditioning, elevators, water pumps, and economic activity. Numerous areas are impacted, including Fouchana, La Soukra, El Mourouj, Hammamet, Zaghouan, Bizerte, Makthar, Kairouan, Sousse, Sfax, Gabès, Djerba, Kebili, Tataouine, Zarzis, Ben Guerdane, Médenine, and Gafsa, among others.