BBC News Middle East

Kennedy RubangakeneCopyright: Kennedy Rubangakene

Hundreds of African workers in the United Arab Emirates have been brutalised, thrown into jail and then deported, researchers from two NGOs have found.

In a new report, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor and Impact International for Human Rights Policies detail how the migrants were arrested en masse in June and then subjected to brutal treatment while in prison.

"They took us straight to prison, not even a police station," Ugandan Kennedy Rubangakene told BBC Focus on Africa TV.

"I was surprised because I did not know why I was there... I had the legal documents. My contract had just been renewed.

"There was no offence that I was charged with. They did not even take me to court."

The authorities in the UAE said the arrests were legal and aimed at "prostitution networks [which] were involved in human trafficking offences, indecent acts, and extortion" adding that "those arrested were found to be involved in these crimes".

The researchers spoke to more than 100 of those affected, mostly from Uganda, Cameroon and Nigeria.

They had valid paperwork and were employed in a variety of roles including cleaners, waiters, nurses and electricians, the report says.

The "attacks were planned, targeted and racially motivated", Michela Pugliese from Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor alleged on the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

She also detailed how privileges among workers in the UAE vary according to ethnic origin.

In response, the UAE government "categorically denied the report's racist suggestions, stressing that the [country] adopts strict laws and practices with regards to non-discrimination in all cases".

Fighting has broken out in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, between fighters backing the National Unity Government and others supporting the presidential council.

It is a sign that there are still divisions as the country inches towards elections scheduled for December.

The presidential council is in place until a new president is voted in and is supposed to be in command of the armed forces.

December's vote is aimed at ending more than a decade of violence and chaos in the country, which has seen rival governments and a plethora of militia groups battling each other.

Friday's exchange of fire is believed to have started when fighters backing the presidential council attempted to take control of a military camp south of Tripoli.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

A Tunisian court has issued an arrest warrant against former presidential candidate Nabil Karoui who is detained in neighbouring Algeria for entering the country illegally.

The warrant issued by the court in Kasserine also includes his brother Ghazi Karoui, a businessman and an MP, local media reported.

The Tunisian authorities are believed to be requesting the deportation of Mr Karoui from their Algerian counterparts.

Mr Karoui, who is the leader of the second largest party in parliament Qalb Tounes (heart of Tunisia) is under investigation for money laundering and tax evasion - a charge he denies.

In 2019, he was jailed for more than six months during the presidential campaign which he lost in a runoff to current President Kais Saied.

On Sunday Algeria media reported Mr Karoui was arrested for entering the country illegally with four others including his brother Mr Ghazi.

They were intercepted in the city of Tebessa on the Tunisian border.

The Algerian national team will play the football World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso in the Moroccan city of Marrakech as scheduled.

There were speculations the fixture would be moved to a different venue after Algeria severed ties with Morocco following a diplomatic fallout, built up over years of strained relations.

An Algerian football official confirmed in a video released on the football association website that the game would go ahead as scheduled.

Amin Abdi said: "the Algerian football delegation has visited the facilities dedicated to host the Algerian national team in Marrakech and have been well received by their Moroccan counterparts".

Marrakech was designated to host the game between Burkina Faso and Algerian on 7 September because Ouagadougou Stadium was suspended by the African Football Confederation.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Tunisian media mogul and ex-presidential candidate Nabil Karoui has been arrested in Algeria for illegally entering the country.

Mr Karoui, who owns Nesma TV, was arrested in the city of Tebessa on the Tunisian border together with four others including his brother Ghazi who is a member of parliament.

Mr Karoul is also leader of the second largest party in parliament Qalb Tounes (the heart of Tunisia).

In 2019 he was arrested in Tunisia during his presidential campaign - which current president Kais Saied won in a runoff with a landslide - and put in custody for more than six months.

He still is under investigation for money laundering and tax evasion after being released in June. He denies the allegations.

He is expected to appear before an Algerian court on Monday.

AFPCopyright: AFP

A Tunisian MP has filed a legal court against President Kais Saied for violating the constitution and suspending parliament last month.

Bichr Chebbi, of the Ennahdha party, is accusing the president of a power grab and using the military force to shut down parliament.

Ennahdha party, the largest party in parliament, has distanced itself from Mr Chebbi's court case.

But it has denounced the president’s measures, which have included the sacking of the prime minister.

The 63-year-old leader's actions have largely been welcomed by those deeply disillusioned by the performance of the country's political parties.

Mr Saied says he wants to save the country from collapse amid economic woes and rising Covid cases.

Read more:

• Tunisia crisis: Democrats, despots and the fight for power

Tunisia's Paralympic veteran Raoua Tlili has proven she reigns supreme by winning gold in the women's shot put F41 in Japan - and breaking a world record.

She produced the 10.55m record-breaking throw in the second round.

This is the 31-year-old's fifth Paralympic gold - following on from two at Rio in 2016, one in London in 2012 and her first Beijing in 2008.

It is also Tunisia's first medal at the Paralympics.

“I want to show everyone that a woman of short stature can do extraordinary performances," World Para Athletics quotes her as saying.

Algeria's Cherine Abdellaoui has won gold in the women's 52kg judo event at the Paralympics in Tokyo.

The 22-year-old beat her Canadian opponent Priscilla Gagne. A perfect present on the eve of her birthday.

Judo at the Paralympics is only open to athletes with a visual impairment.

The official Paralympics Twitter account said it was a tough fight for Abdellaoui - who won bronze at Rio in 2016 - to win Algeria's first gold of the Games: