Tunisia slaps arrest warrant on critical ex-president
Ahmed Rouaba
BBC News
AFPCopyright: AFP
It is not clear what the charges against former president Moncef Marzouki areImage caption: It is not clear what the charges against former president Moncef Marzouki are
A Tunisian court has issued
an arrest warrant against former president Moncef Marzouki, a strong opponent of the current President Kaïs Saïed.
It is not clear what the charges against Mr Marzouki are.
The president in October ordered a judicial inquiry
into Mr Marzouki’s call for France to end its support to "Kaïs Saïed's dictatorial
regime".
President Kaïs Saïed had then suspended
parliament, which his opponent described as a coup and a violation of the constitution.
Several MPs, lawyers and
politicians critical of the president have been arrested since then.
Some TV channels and radio stations that are close to the opposition have also been shut down.
Algeria accuses Morocco of deadly drone attack
Ahmed Rouaba
BBC News
AFPCopyright: AFP
It's the latest escalation in a row that saw the two nations sever ties in August (generic file photo)Image caption: It's the latest escalation in a row that saw the two nations sever ties in August (generic file photo)
Algeria has written to the
United Nations, the African Union and the Arab League to inform of them of Monday's killing of its nationals in a drone attack in
Western Sahara.
"Foreign Minister Ramtane
Lamamra has informed the international organisations about the seriousness of
state terrorism which cannot be justified in any circumstances", the Algerian foreign ministry said.
Algeria accuses Morocco
of killing the drivers who were en route to Nouakchott in Mauritania, from the
southern Algerian city of Ouargla.
Morocco has neither admitted nor denied carrying out the drone attack in the disputed Western Sahara territory close to the border with Mauritania.
Algeria has vowed that "the assassination will not go
unpunished. [It] has the desire and
the ability to protect its nationals and their properties in all circumstances".
The attack occurred on the
day Algeria stopped exporting natural gas to Spain through Morocco.
Algeria cut off
diplomatic relations with its North African neighbour in August, accusing it of backing
Algerian separatists and using Israeli technology to spy on its military and
political officials.
Video caption: The puppet's 5,000-mile trip to "re-write" the refugee narrative ends in Manchester.The puppet's 5,000-mile trip to "re-write" the refugee narrative ends in Manchester.
Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has directed the government to begin its transfer to a new capital city next month.
A spokesman for Mr Sisi said the move would be part of a six-month trial period.
The so-called New Administrative Capital is being built some 45km (28 miles) east of Cairo.
The multi-billion dollar project is intended - according to officials - to ease the congestion in Cairo, providing a home for more than six million people - as well as a new centre for the government, embassies and the presidency.
Algeria's presidency has announced the deaths of three Algerians in an attack that it has blamed on Morocco, a local television station reports.
Ennahar television says the statement from the presidency describes the incident as a "barbaric Moroccan bombardment", which it says occurred on Monday on the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania.
It says the three Algerians were killed as they were engaged in transferring shipments as part of a commercial enterprise.
Renewed tensions over the disputed territory of Western Sahara have recently led to a complete breakdown in relations between Algeria and Morocco - which have been under strain for years.
Sea level rise could make Gaza's water source unusable
Tom Bateman
BBC Middle East correspondent
BBCCopyright: BBC
Abu Mansour al-Dajni (L) at his home in the Gaza StripImage caption: Abu Mansour al-Dajni (L) at his home in the Gaza Strip
When Abu Mansour al-Dajni turns on the tap at his home in Gaza City the salty mix of groundwater and seawater that comes out is undrinkable.
“During the past two or three years it has become unbearable,” he says. “My young son had ulcers in his skin and the doctor said it was because of [washing with] the contaminated water.”
The piped supply for Gaza’s two million residents is drawn from a natural aquifer under the Strip. But it is polluted because over-pumping causes Mediterranean seawater to flood in.
And as COP26 focuses on the impact of climate change, scientists warn rising sea levels could lead to “catastrophic” contamination of Gaza’s aquifer.
“Sea level rise and over-extraction combined could have very severe consequences. Almost the whole aquifer could become contaminated with salt... making it unusable for human or other uses,” says Prof Akbar Javadi of the University of Exeter.
Meanwhile, Dajni walks to a grocery store where he spends up to £35 ($47) per month to fill a can with clean water from filtration and desalination plants in the blockaded strip.
“If the water is that bad now, what will happen after 10 years,” he asks. “How will we guarantee our children a good future?”
'Suspicious' tunnel near French ambassador's Tunis home
Ahmed Rouaba
BBC News
A tunnel has been discovered
near the French ambassador’s residence in Tunis, originating from a house frequented by an
extremist known to the police, local media have reported.
The Interior Ministry said on Facebook security services had received intelligence about "suspicious
activity" in a house in the Marsa area close to the ambassador’s residence, and they found a tunnel being dug.
The anti-terrorist unit is undertaking further investigations, the ministry added.
It is not known who has been
digging the tunnel and for what reason, nor have French diplomats commented yet, according to the Reuters news agency.