Tunisia halts paying the salaries of 17,000 teachers
BBC World Service
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Almost a third of the country's primary school teachers are affectedImage caption: Almost a third of the country's primary school teachers are affected
Tunisian authorities have suspended the salary payments of 17,000 teachers and sacked 350 school principals.
The move affects nearly a third of the country’s primary school teachers, and follows widespread recent protests by education staff across the country.
These protests have included refusing to hand in the school grades of pupils.
The Tunisian government has insisted that the country’s dire economic problems mean that the teachers’ pay demands are unaffordable.
Tunisia is facing high inflation, rising unemployment and severe shortages of some staple foods.
Libya has huge oil reserves but production has been affected by the conflictImage caption: Libya has huge oil reserves but production has been affected by the conflict
Rival sides in politically divided Libya have agreed to set up a committee to oversee the sharing of oil revenues.
Eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar had threated to force the shut-down of oil production unless the UN-backed Tripoli-based government agreed to address the issue.
Libya sits on Africa’s biggest oil reserves but friction between administrations in the east and west have severely hampered production.
Crude oil provides the main source of revenue for the country, which has been plagued by unrest since a Nato-backed revolt in 2011 toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Tunisia urged to stop 'expulsion' of black African migrants
Muthoni Muchiri
BBC News
AFPCopyright: AFP
Tensions flared in Sfax earlier this week after the burial of a young Tunisian stabbed to death during a scuffle between residents and migrantsImage caption: Tensions flared in Sfax earlier this week after the burial of a young Tunisian stabbed to death during a scuffle between residents and migrants
HRW says that in the past few days Tunisia has expelled several hundred black African migrants and asylum seekers, including children and pregnant women from the port city Sfax, close to the Libyan border.
It says they have been left stranded and in dire conditions in a remote desert area.
“The Tunisian government should halt collective expulsions and urgently enable humanitarian access to the African migrants and asylum seekers already expelled to a dangerous area... with little food and no medical assistance,” said Lauren Seibert, refugee and migrant rights researcher at HRW.
The recent unrest was triggered by the killing
of a Tunisian man during a brawl between Tunisians and migrants in Sfax, on
3 July. Tension continued to escalate, leading to a
surge in racially motivated attacks.
HRW urged the Tunisian government to
conduct a thorough investigation into the reported abuses and hold the
responsible security forces accountable.
Tensions have increased in Tunisia since President Kais Saied alleged that the migrants were part of a conspiracy to change the demographic composition of the North African country.
Algeria announces $30m donation for Jenin reconstruction
BBC Monitoring
The world through its media
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The Israeli operation in Jenin was the largest in the West Bank in recent yearsImage caption: The Israeli operation in Jenin was the largest in the West Bank in recent years
Algeria has announced a $30m (£23.5m) aid package to the Palestinian Authority for the reconstruction of the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, according to a statement made on the Algerian presidency Facebook page and website on 6 July.
The decision was taken by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune "in
the wake of the barbaric criminal aggression carried out by the Israeli
occupation forces against the town of Jenin and its camp", the statement
noted.
"Algeria expresses once again its everlasting solidarity
with the Palestinian people's struggle," it added.
The Israeli Defence Forces described its action in Jenin as a "counter-terrorism operation", saying they were targeting weapons stores and manufacturing facilities belonging to militant groups in the area.
Hundreds of Israeli troops backed by drone strikes entered Jenin refugee camp - where almost 24,000 people live in an area of less than half a square kilometre - on Monday morning, triggering intense gun battles with armed Palestinians inside.
Palestinian health officials said 12 Palestinians were killed over the next two days, including four children, and that more than 100 others were injured. The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was killed as its forces started to withdraw on Tuesday night.
The 48-hour operation was described as the largest in the West Bank
since 2002, with thousands of Palestinians fleeing the city as fighting intensified,
causing major destruction to the camp.
Migrants attacked in Tunisia and 'thrown off balconies'
BBC World Service
Newsroom
AFPCopyright: AFP
Tunisian men blocked the road to migrants by setting tyres alight on TuesdayImage caption: Tunisian men blocked the road to migrants by setting tyres alight on Tuesday
Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been attacked in the Tunisian city of Sfax, with dozens reportedly wounded.
The unrest was triggered by the killing of a Tunisian man on Monday during an altercation with several migrants.
AFPCopyright: AFP
Many migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been evicted in Sfax in the last few daysImage caption: Many migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been evicted in Sfax in the last few days
A non-governmental group said that in reprisal attacks, some migrants were thrown from balconies and others attacked with swords.
Women and children were among those targeted.
Witnesses say that dozens have been forced out of the city, which is a key departure point for people seeking to enter the European Union by sailing to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
