BBC News Middle East

The US has welcomed the formation of an interim government in Libya, and emphasised the need to end the conflict through an “inclusive political process”.

State Secretary Antony Blinken spoke to Libya’s interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah on Monday where he said the interim administration was an "important milestone" in the process.

He also cited the need to provide essential public services, and ensuring free, fair, and credible elections planned for 24 December.

Mr Dbeibah, who was selected during UN-brokered peace talks last month, will lead the country until the elections

The two leaders also spoke about the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between rival sides in Libya, that includes the “removal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without delay”.

Libya descended into conflict after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi 10 years ago.

It then split between a UN-recognised government in the west fighting against the warlord Khalifa Haftar whose rival administration controlled the east.

Dhouha AljaneCopyright: Dhouha Aljane

It has been 10 years since 26-year-old Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire, sparking the Arab Spring uprisings.

He was struggling to make a living to support his family - and his desperate act triggered nationwide protests against corruption, unemployment and high food prices.

Sahar Mahri was 16 when the protests started and thinks that some things have improved over the last decade.

“Today, we have the freedom of expression; I have the freedom to ask; I have the freedom to criticise; I have the freedom to talk about politics and… express my dissatisfaction.”

Dhouha Aljane, who was also 16 at the time of the uprising, says the most significant change for her has been that she is now able to wear a headscarf, which were previously banned public institutions.

“After the revolution, I put it on. I was so confident. I wear the hijab the way I like - with a pin or without a pin.”

The government of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, which was overthrown in 2011, was secular and women who covered their hair in the Islamic tradition were denied access to education and jobs.

But unemployment still remains an issue for many, with a third of young people in the North African nation unemployed.

This, coupled with the rise in the price of basic goods and anger at poor public services, has caused frustration.

“Some of my friends didn't even finish their studies because they knew it was pointless to do so - all they think about is going abroad and finding good opportunities in Europe or elsewhere," says Ms Mahri.

"The many of my friends who did finish their studies are currently unemployed and staying at home.”

Listen to this week’s episode of The Comb - Life After Revolution - to the hear the young women reflect on their lives before and after the uprising.

Anti-racism campaigners in France have defaced a street sign in the capital named after Thomas Bugeaud, a former military commander and the first colonial governor of Algeria.

Members of the group SOS Racisme decided that Avenue Bugeaud in Paris should be renamed and put up a sign in its place reading: “Avenue of the Butcher Bugeaud".

In the explanation below, instead of saying he was a French marshal and giving his dates 1784-1849, it labels him a "war criminal" and "the executioner of Algeria's conquest", according to a photo the group tweeted.

Le Parisien newspaper says a sign was added next to it, saying: “Scorched Earth Avenue”.

These are references to Marshal Bugeaud’s military tactics during his conquest of the North African nation in 1830.

A scorched-earth policy - including the burning of all crops and demolishing of homes - was used.

Algerians who resisted were often killed. Another technique his troops used was called “smoking”, when those who had taken refuge in caves were suffocated with smoke.

Activists in France have been urging the authorities to rename public areas named after controversial figures like Marshal Bugeaud and those involved in the slave trade

They have pinpointed about 200 streets and squares in Paris that have controversial colonial references.

Since coming to power, France’s President Emmanuel Macron has been trying to repair relations with Algeria, especially concerning the bitter war of independence - however he has stopped short of issuing an apology.

You may also be interested in:

• The tale of Algeria's stolen cannon and France's cockerel

AFPCopyright: AFP

Reports from Libya say that up to 15 bodies have been found handcuffed and dumped in the eastern city of Benghazi.

The security forces have cordoned off the area around a cement factory as they investigate the scene.

Extrajudicial killings by armed groups in and around Benghazi have been denounced by the UN and local human rights groups for years.

The area is controlled by forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar - the military commander who dominates eastern Libya.

Last November, Hanan al-Barassi - a prominent activist critical of Gen Haftar - was shot dead on a busy street in Benghazi.

AFPCopyright: AFP

A leading Egyptian activist has been sentenced to 18 months in prison on charges of spreading false news.

Sanaa Seif has been held in jail since June when she was taken into detention as she was trying to deliver a letter to the prison where her brother Alaa Abdel Fattah was being held.

He was a key figure in the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, while other members of her family are also prominent human rights campaigners.