President Kais Saied has been in power since 2021, according to hundreds of Tunisian activists, calling his government an “authoritarian regime” that has made the nation an “open-air prison.”
Four years have passed since Saeed’s actions to consolidate his one-man rule in a nation known as the site of the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings, and the protesters marched in Tunis’ capital on Friday.
They demanded the release of jailed opposition leaders, including Abir Moussi, the Free Constitutional Party’s leader, and Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahdha, the self-declared “Muslim Democrat” party.
Difficulty of politicians, lawyers, activists, and journalists face lengthy prison sentences as a result of anti-terror and conspiracy laws. Others have emigrated and are seeking refuge in Western nations.
On the occasion of the president’s fourth anniversary of his power grab, a man holds a sign in Tunis, Tunisia [Jihed Abidellaoui/Reuters]
Saied imposed a state of emergency on July 25, 2021, ordering mass arrests and politically motivated trials to silence dissent, and dismissed his prime minister.
Although some praised his actions, critics claimed that Tunisia’s descent into authoritarianism was the result of its actions.
As well as carrying portraits of political prisoners and a cage, which the protesters claimed represented the state of political life in Tunisia, they chanted slogans like “No fear, no terror… streets belong to the people” and “The people want the fall of the regime.”
According to Monia Ibrahim, the wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, “our first goal is to fight against tyranny to restore the democracy and demand the release of the political prisoners.”
Saib Souab, the son of Ahmed Souab, the imprisoned lawyer who is a critical voice for Saied, claimed that prisons are “crowded” with his opponents, activists, and journalists.
Even those who are not behind bars remain in a state of temporary freedom, he told Reuters, “Tunisia has turned into an open-air prison.”
On July 25, 2025, protesters in Tunis, Tunisia, display a banner as they march against Tunisian President Kais Saeed on the occasion of his fourth power-grabbing anniversary.
In another move, Saied said, “One-man rule is established,” and he also disbanded the independent Supreme Judicial Council and fired dozens of judges in 2022. No one is above accountability, no matter what their name or position, according to Sayed, who claimed he does not interfere with the court system.
Saied claimed that the politicians were “traitors and terrorists” and that their accomplices were the judges who would convict them in 2023.
Tunisia’s declaration as a republic in 1957 is also commemorated on July 25. The pro-Saied “July 25 Movement,” which pushed for a crackdown on the country’s largely unpopular political class, later adopted it as its rallying cry.
As a Cambodian soldier patiently waited his turn for surgery to remove shrapnel embedded in his body from a Thai artillery shell, explosions reverberated in the distance along the Thai-Cambodia border.
Along the disputed border that separates Oddar Meanchey from Surin, the soldier claimed to have been injured in a fight with Thai troops on Friday near the famed Ta Moan Thom temple.
“I have shrapnel in my back, but it hasn’t been taken out yet.” The soldier, who was seated next to his wife and son in a hospital corridor bed and was seated on the floor next to him, said, “I need surgery.”
The soldier remarked, “They first took me to the military hospital, but they didn’t have an X-ray machine.”
My clothes were blown off when I was struck, he continued.
Another Cambodian soldier who was injured told how he had taken shrapnel to his left shoulder while fighting nearby the Ta Krabei temple, another disputed location on the Thai-Cambodia border.
Cambodian soldiers who have been injured wait in a hospital corridor on Friday for treatment [Coby Hobbs/Al Jazeera]
Soon after the clashes broke out Thursday, Cambodia claims to have regained control of the areas around Ta Moan and Ta Krabei, along with six other disputed sites. That assertion was unable to be independently verified.
The temples have long been a hotspot for disputed territorial claims, just like many other locations along the more than 800km (500 miles) of the border between these two Southeast Asian neighbors.
The 11th-century Preah Vihear Hindu temple, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the site of the most recent major border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia in 2011.
More than 30 people have been confirmed killed along the border as of Saturday afternoon, the majority of them civilians.
Authorities claim that at least 13 people have died in Cambodia, and 20 have reportedly died in Thailand.
In the three days of fighting, bombs were also dropped on civil infrastructure on both sides of the border.
We “went for our lives,” the statement read.
The artillery and rocket fire clashes along the Cambodian border have forced people to flee.
A displaced Cambodian villager who fled her home in Oddar Meanchey, which is located about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Thai border, said Chheng Deab, “I miss my home.”
Chheng Deab described how she left her house after receiving a call from the local authorities, and how she is now sheltered with her children at a primary school without violence along with dozens of other families who have fled the border region.
We’ll move if the shooting continues,” the leader declared. We’re not sure when it will come to an end, she said.
Food is already running low for the displaced people, and more people are worried about the fate of their farms, livestock, and homes, which are essential lifeline in Cambodia’s impoverished border regions.
Cambodians who have been displaced by clashes along the Thai-Bangalore border gather at a site for displaced people on Friday [Coby Hobbs/Al Jazeera]
Families told Al Jazeera that they had already briefly left Thailand for good, despite the danger, just to tend to their livestock and take things home.
The majority of respondents said food is now their most pressing need right now.
Chheng Deab said, “We haven’t left much food.”
We won’t have anything to eat if this persists.
Many displaced Cambodians said their support from the government had been constrained, and that many people at a second site expressed the same concerns.
Residents have been putting together rice and other supplies to aid one another, according to a village chief there.
A day before the fighting broke out, a woman, who requested anonymity, recalls her escape. She claimed that some members of her community had been working in fields when Thai military bombs started to pour down.
The Thais have bombed the most of the area’s “Samraong district,” in Oddar Meanchey. She told Al Jazeera, “We ran for our lives and couldn’t take everything we needed.”
Thailand-Cambodia tit-for-tat escalation
About 140, 000 Thai civilians have fled or been ejected from their homes, according to local officials, with the fighting reportedly robbing and spreading to many locations along the border.
Eight of the Thai military’s border districts have also declared martial law.
Around 38, 000 people have been displaced from their homes in Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, and Pursat provinces in Cambodia.
A Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief exchange of gunfire with Thai troops in May, which ended the long-running border disputes between the two countries, some of which date back more than a century.
Tensions erupted earlier this week when Thai soldiers were hurt by landmines in the disputed border zone between the two nations after months of trading punitive tit-for-trade and diplomatic measures.
Thailand accused Cambodian troops of ostensibly burying new mines. Cambodia’s government vehemently refuted this claim, claiming that the mines were left over from the 1980s and 1990s civil war.
Thailand fired its ambassador and expelled the ambassador from Cambodia. In response, Phnom Penh fired its diplomats, which negatively impacted diplomatic relations between the two countries.
On Thursday morning, direct fighting broke out, with both parties sharing responsibility for the first shots fired.
On Friday, there were sporadic but intense exchanges of machinegun, missile, and artillery fire across the border in Oddar Meanchey province, the site of the most bloody fighting on the Cambodian side.
Thailand has also accused Cambodia of using cluster munitions, which are prohibited by international treaties, while Thailand has also accused it of repeatedly firing long-range rockets into civilian areas, including a hospital.
Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, said he thought Cambodia might have committed war crimes as a result of its alleged attacks on civilians.
Hun Manet, the prime minister of Cambodia, claims that Thailand’s armed forces carried out “unprovoked, premeditated, and deliberate attacks.”
Authorities on both sides of the border appear to be making preparations for what might turn out to be an extended conflict as both leaders are eager to portray the other as the aggressor.
The Dumfries and Galloway News in Scotland welcomed the news with the headline “South West Scotland Hotelier Becomes President Of America For Second Time” when Donald Trump reclaimed the presidency in the previous year’s election.
The locals now appear to have taken a more amusing stand, suggesting that Trump, who owns expensive golf courses in Scotland, was amusing.
His arrival for a four-day visit this week was welcomed by the following headlines from the National, Scotland’s pro-independence newspaper.
What’s the purpose of Trump’s trip to Scotland, and why?
Before US President Donald Trump arrives on July 25, 2025, police patrol the South Ayrshire course’s perimeter [Robert Perry/PA Images via Getty Images]
In Scotland, how has Trump been viewed?
His mother is the one who inherited Trump’s ties to Scotland.
While his father, Fred, was the son of German immigrants, Mary Anne MacLeod, the mother of Trump, was a Scottish immigrant to the US and was born in the Tong, Isle of Lewis, a Scottish immigrant.
Trump has made significant progress in making significant progress in this connection and his general adoration for Scotland, as well as making grand promises regarding the benefits of tourism to his golf courses.
Before meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for talks on trade on Monday, he arrived in the small Ayrshire village of Turnberry for a round of golf. The Ailsa, which has hosted the Open Championship twice, and King Robert the Bruce, which are Trump Turnberry’s two championship golf courses.
Turnberry, a tiny town with about 200 inhabitants, might have been a good place to escape bigger problems. Trump can’t stop speculation about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, from being dissuaded by many in his MAGA fan base.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump allegedly sent Epstein a birthday note with a naked woman and a text that read, “Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
According to the report, Bill Clinton and Trump both wrote letters to Epstein in a book that was given to him in 2003.
A Scottish reporter yelled at Trump on Friday, “Are you in Scotland to escape legal issues?” He didn’t respond.
On Friday, some people showed up to protest against his visit to Scotland. A protester in Turnberry was holding a sign that read, “Scotland hated Trump before it was fashionable.” The rest of the protest signs were less polite.
Because he would be “washing his hair,” Stephen Flynn, a member of the Scottish National Party who is notably bald, said he wouldn’t meet Trump.
Scotland doesn’t need to bowe to the White House in the same way that the Westminster bubble does, according to author and journalist Dominic Hinde of Glasgow. In a way that Keir Starmer cannot, we can afford to be rude. He harked back to his Scottish roots and hoped to be greeted with a regal welcome. His standing has only gotten worse and worse. We are not interested in his style of politics at all.
Turnberry temporarily became home to 5, 000 police officers, army trucks, and road checkpoints on Friday as a result of this apprehension and an attempted assassination during his election campaign last year. Since Queen Elizabeth II passed away, this security operation has been the largest and most expensive.
Trump also intends to take a four-day trip that is scheduled to end on July 29 to visit his golf course in Balmedie, close to Aberdeen, and a new course that will open in August.
This is not a paedophile island, a man seen through a moving car’s windshield holds up a sign. As the motorcade of President Donald Trump arrives at Turnberry, Scotland on Friday, July 25, 2025 [Jacquelyn Martin/AP]
Why does Trump annoy some Scots?
14 years ago, a dispute between Trump and locals began over a project to construct windmills on his golf course in Aberdeenshire. He demanded that they be stopped, calling them “monstrosities” that would only harm tourism. He continued to oppose both wind and solar power despite failing to stop wind farms.
Trump has requested Starmer to reduce wind and increase oil production in previous discussions. He claims that offshore wind farms “drive the whales crazy” However, wind generates about half of Scotland’s electricity.
Aberdeenshire Golf Course for Trump has also proved controversial. According to conservation organizations, the course has destroyed nearby dunes. Additionally, the course has struggled to generate as much money as it had hoped.
On Friday, the Stop Trump Scotland protest group made clear that it was against him. The Scottish people don’t want Donald Trump’s government to “roll out a welcome mat for him,” it said.
On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Alastair Grant/AP photos of Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland.
Trump and the UK’s prime minister will talk about what?
The focus of Keir Starmer’s discussions will be on improving a US-UK trade agreement that mandated a 10% tariff on imported British goods.
Additionally, it increased the UK market’s access to US goods and established tariffs of 10% on the first 100, 000 UK vehicles shipped to the US each year, compared to 25% for other nations.
According to car manufacturers and the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK exported about 106, 000 cars worth $9 billion ($12.1 billion) to the US in 2024, including premium brands like Jaguar, Rolls Royce, and Aston Martin.
Although the UK already hopes to see a 25% reduction in its steel and aluminum tariff, a 50% duty on the same goods would be applied to the rest of the world.
The UK is in a good position, according to Philip Shaw, an economist at Investec in London, given that Trump only imposes 10% of its car exports and that most other nations also have 25% of their exports. A tariff-free trade agreement would be beneficial, but it would be challenging to achieve in everyday circumstances, let alone right now.
At the Group of Seven (G7) summit in June, Trump claimed that the UK is “very well protected” and that the UK receives a better deal than other large economies. You understand the reason. because I enjoy them. Their greatest defense is that.
We were the first nation in the world to sign a trade deal, according to Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Friday, adding that it is in Britain’s national interest to have strong relations with the US administration and as a result of both that long-term special relationship and, more importantly, the work that our Prime Minister Keir Starmer has done to build those relationships with President Trump.
However, Kathleen Brooks, research director at UK investment firm XTB, stated that while the UK was “blessed” by an early trade agreement, it has not yet improved its economic situation.
It’s interesting that Trump has visited Scotland while the EU is still awaiting confirmation of its tariffs on US goods. Trump’s visit to Scotland may serve as a rebuttal to the EU because he also owns golf courses in Ireland. The Epstein scandal might also help to deflect some of the controversy.
Some Trump supporters have expressed disapproval of the UK as a whole, claiming that it lacks freedom of speech and that London has “no-go” zones. Starmer’s trade negotiations are thought to be unrelated, and it’s unlikely that he will raise these issues.
What other possibilities exist?
Trump will also have the opportunity to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who has praised the country’s “strong friendship” with the US, which dates back a long way. Through economic, cultural, and ancestral ties, the partnership endures unwaveringly, including, of course, with the president himself.
He has also pledged to bring up issues involving conflict in countries like Israel and Gaza.
Saying goodbye can be the most difficult thing for any athlete who has reached the top of their sport. When you are able to make that choice on your own, it becomes even more difficult.
Two weeks after receiving the devastating diagnosis that abruptly ended his boxing career, Josh Taylor says, “My world has just caved in.”
After Ekow Essuman lost in May, a routine eye examination revealed significant damage.
A closer examination revealed there were actually six tears in the retinal tissue behind Taylor’s left eye at first glance. Continue boxing and you run the risk of blindness, the expert declared in plain English.
The Tartan Tornado won four belts in a single division as the undisputed light-welterweight world champion in 2021, making him the only male fighter from the UK to do so so far. In a career that few fighters could hope to achieve.
It was difficult to process the sudden switch from an active boxer to a former fighter.
The 34-year-old admitted to feeling “quite down in the dumps” when asked how she felt. I only have two weeks to absorb it, but I become more and more irrational.
I’m aware that I’ve sort of gotten there, but not going out on my own terms, so it was kind of like a kick in the teeth.
The blow was softened by the heartfelt response.
Elite athletes frequently discuss the challenges of letting go of a sport that has dominated their lives for the most part. Everything that drives them on a daily basis disappears overnight, including the training schedule, the lofty objectives to achieve, and everything else.
Taylor speaks incredibly openly and clearly about “the slump” he has been through since being told his boxing career is over.
The mountain of messages honoring the Scot for his incredible accomplishments since he publicly announced his retirement on Monday has provided solace in this trying time from both fans and fellow fighters.
He claims that the messages of support have helped me and lifted me because they have made me feel a little better, appreciated, and proud of my performance in the sport.
“I’ve received a lot of wonderful messages from some well-known people, mostly my friends and acquaintances.”
Every single post I’ve written has always contained nothing but hate, and there’s always a section containing hate and other things like that. For the past few years, I’ve had nothing but hate with every single one of it. This is, in my opinion, the first one I’ve had in the past two or three years.
Someone who didn’t fear being great.
A fighter will always want to fight, Taylor acknowledges that his diagnosis may have “saved me from myself.”
The boy from Prestonpans who ruled the world has no idea what the future holds.
He would seem made for that with his direct, unvarnished honesty and openness to some punditry work.
He will join his friend and mentor Terry McCormack in reviving the spirit of the previous generation by returning to Lochend Boxing Club, where it all began. He claims that “someday we’ll find the next Josh Taylor.”
In East Lothian, he might even start his own gym one day. Even though his time spent under the lights is now over, he still has a lot to give the sport.
How would you like to remember Josh Taylor, then?
He claims, “I don’t know, I’ve never given it any thought.”
They can remember me any way they like, but I’d like to think they saw me as an all-action fighter and wasn’t afraid to fight.
Someone who “come up and faced any difficulties and made the effort to be great.”
With a 3-0 win over the West Indies, Tim David gave Australia the fastest Twenty20 International century by an Australian.
Australia won by six wickets at Warner Park in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, with the batter hitting 11 sixes and six fours in the 102-run innings.
Josh Inglis had a previous century-best century against Scotland, with 43 balls in his bowling debut.
“I was just having a great time,” I said. David, who has previously played for Singapore and made his Australia debut in 2022, said he is excited because he didn’t believe I would have the chance to score 100 for Australia.
You must support your strengths because the pitch was good and contained some small boundaries. It was great to have some CPL (Caribbean Premier League) experience at Warner Park.
I’ve spent a lot of time improving my shot selection, but I’ve also focused on improving my power hitting.
The hosts made a strong start, but Australia won the toss and introduced the West Indies. In 11.4 overs, captain Hope recorded an unbeaten 102 off 57 balls as the first pair put together a 125-run opening stand.
With a score of 214-4, the West Indies maintained their lead of more than 10 runs per over.
After 5.5 overs, Australia’s response initially faltered as they were 61-3, but David’s century saw his team win with 23 balls to spare.
Mitchell Marsh, the captain of Australia, said, “There are no words for that innings from David.”
It is the third-fastest T20I century between full-time International Cricket Council members.
Rohit Sharma’s feat was matched by David Millar’s 35-ball century for South Africa against Bangladesh in 2017.
Abhishek Sharma’s feat for India and England in February 2025 is David’s.
Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball T20I against Cyprus in 2024 is the fastest T20I for Estonia.
Australia won the first T20 by three wickets, and the second by eight.
Despite the fact that Moonroe Bergdorf has claimed that their efforts to aid the trans community are insufficient, she also claimed that they are “direless” in their approach.
The model wants to get a plan together to do more for the trans community(Image: Getty Images)
After the Supreme Court ruling excluding trans women from the definition of a woman – it’s more important than ever to be an ally, but according to one activist, not enough is being done.
An ally is someone who stands up and supports equal rights for everyone, doing all they can to call out discrimination and make the world a better place for those who identify as LGBTQIA+.
But according to trans model and activist Munroe Bergdorf, more needs to be done. Munroe was the UK’s first transgender model in history. She has since used her platform to advocate for the queer community, especially in advocating for trans people and their rights.
READ MORE: MAFS star Ella Morgan shares mental health struggle since Supreme Court’s trans ruling
Munroe Bergdorf has said allies need to do more to help(Image: FilmMagic)
“People want to say the right thing but it’s directionless. Not meaningless, but I think it’s important that people know where you stand,” she told Daily Mirror.
The 37-year-old has walked the catwalk in both London and New York fashion weeks, saying, “Let’s get a plan of action together.” It is crucial to direct traffic, money, support, and awareness to the support services we depend on, because it’s not just us who are impacted. Organizations are constantly attacked.
For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror’s Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox.
A study by Zoah found that 49 per cent of trans and non-binary people felt their lives had been negatively affected and issues raised ranged from healthcare to finding work. The study showed that 72 per cent of transgender and non-binary people do not feel safe because of their gender identity.
A consortium of LGBTQIA+ organizations, including the trans charity Mermaids and Gendered Intelligence, stated in a statement that they are “deeply concerned at the widespread, harmful implications of the Supreme Court ruling.”
Reach Out, a mentoring and support collective for young people state the importance of being a visible ally, whether that be attending rallies and events, “calling out homophobia, transphobia or queerphobia wherever you see it, and supporting businesses, charities or other initiatives owned or operated by LGBTQIA+ people”.
The group also suggests the following suggestions to ensure meaningful allyship:
Respectfully and actively learning about LGBTQIA+ history: Take the initiative to learn about it and not undervalue or devalue other people’s experiences. Being able to engage in and learn from these discussions helps you and others treat those around you with respect.
By respecting the names and pronouns chosen by community members and choosing words that don’t assume gender or relationship roles, we can use inclusive language and accept gender diversity. For instance, the phrase “partner” is inclusive.
Uplifting diverse voices: Often, the queer community’s experienceis also effected by other factors such as religion, ability, culture and race. Seek these diverse stories out for a more well-rounded understanding of the complexities being LGBTQIA+.
Seeing a person from the perspective of their entire person: It is simple to categorize someone by a single quality or factor. People have many interests, passions, and skills, and they deserve to be celebrated because of how they are layered and complex.
Do you have a tale to tell? Message niamh . kirk@reachplc.com
![Cambodians who have been displaced by clashes along the Thai-Bangalore border gather at a site for displaced people on Friday [Coby Hobbs/Al Jazeera]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MG_7583-1753512470.jpg?w=696&ssl=1)
