TUNIS: Law professor Kais Saied and detained media mogul Nabil Karoui are set to advance to the next round of Tunisia's presidential polls, the electoral board said Tuesday.
Saied gained 18.4 percent of votes and Karoui 15.6 percent, it said, giving them places in a runoff likely to be held early next month.
The result is a major upset for Tunisia's political establishment, in place since the fall of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali eight years ago after mass protests that sparked the Arab Spring revolts.
Both candidates -- though very different -- are seen as outsiders, drawing "anti-system" votes from an electorate disillusioned with the status quo.
Mistrust of the political establishment runs high in Tunisia, where unemployment is at 15 percent and the cost of living has risen by close to a third since 2016.
Saied, a fiercely independent academic, advocates radical decentralisation of power, with local democracy and the ability to remove elected officials from office during their mandates.
Karoui, who built his appeal on high-profile charity campaigns, is under investigation for alleged money laundering and has been in pre-trial detention since August 23.
Potential appeals notwithstanding, the second round could be held the same day as legislative elections on October 6, or a week later, the electoral commission has said.
Saied and Karoui to face off in second round of Tunisia's presidential election
Saied and Karoui to face off in second round of Tunisia's presidential election
- Saied gained 18.4 percent of votes and Karoui 15.6 percent
- Both candidates -- though very different -- are seen as outsiders
One killed, 13 injured in Marib shopping mall fire
- Civil defense teams, supported by police forces, were able to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other shops in the area
MARIB: One person was killed and 13 others were injured after a fire broke out at a shopping mall and neighboring shops on Aden Street in Marib Governorate, Yemen, on Sunday morning, local authorities said.
According to a security source cited by SABA News Agency, the blaze erupted after midnight, engulfing Ibn Al-Hajj Mall and adjacent commercial premises.
Civil defense teams, supported by police forces, were able to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other shops in the area.
The source said the fire completely destroyed the Ibn al-Hajj Mall, including its second-floor warehouses, as well as a neighboring shoe store. A nearby furniture store sustained partial damage, but its contents were swiftly removed, helping to limit losses and stop the fire from spreading further.
All casualties were reported to have suffered from smoke inhalation, the source added.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. Authorities urged merchants and residents to adhere to occupational safety procedures and preventive measures to protect lives and property.
