Tunisia media magnate announces presidential bid

TUNIS: The controversial founder of a major private television channel in Tunisia has said he will run for presidency of the North African nation in November polls. Nabil Karoui, 50, announced his decision late Monday in a live interview with his broadcaster Nessma TV, playing up his highly-publicised charity work. Karoui is looking to take over from outgoing President Beji Caid Essesbi, 92, whom he backed during the last election in 2014. The media boss has been accused by regulators and some politicians of using Nessma to bolster his ambitions. Karoui has launched high-profile charity campaigns in recent years, handing out food and clothing in front of cameras from Nessma, which he launched in 2007. “I met people, I helped them, neighbourhood by neighbourhood,” he said as he announced his candidacy. “I saw the difficulty in which these people live.”