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Algeria gets a new central bank governor

Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad (L), Finance Minister Aymane Benabderrahmane (C) and Governor of Bank of Algeria (Central Bank) Rosthom Fadli
AFP
Rosthom Fadli (R) is taking over after Ayman Abderrahmane (C) became finance minister

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has appointed Rosthom Fadli as the new central bank governor.

The position fell vacant in June after its holder, Ayman Abderrahmane, was appointed as finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Fadli was one of the three vice-governors in the bank.

Coronavirus: what Israel's second lockdown feels like
Two Jerusalem residents give their thoughts to the BBC from Israel, the first country to reimpose a nationwise lockdown.

Iran on red alert amid fears of 'third wave'

A woman wearing a mask walks past packs of protective face masks that are displayed on a street-side by a vendor in northern Tehran
Getty Images
Tehran is seeing the fastest rise in new infections

Iran appeared to be heading towards a "third wave" of coronavirus infections on Friday, as a senior health official declared a red alert across the whole country.

The health ministry said that new daily cases had risen by 3,049 to 416,198 and the death toll was up by 144 to 23,952.

Deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi said on TV that the system of dividing regions into white, orange/yellow and red categories based on the number of cases and deaths "doesn't make sense any more", adding: "We no longer have orange and yellow. The entire country is red."

"If the current course continues the death toll will reach 45,000," he warned, without saying when that might happen.

Earlier this week, Alireza Zali, who heads the national headquarters for coronavirus control, warned that the country was heading towards a "third wave" of the outbreak, and that the capital Tehran would be hit first.

Iran saw one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the early stages of the pandemic and suffered a second peak at the start of June.