BBC News Middle East

AFPCopyright: AFP

Rights group Amnesty International has condemned what it called the complicity of European states in horrific abuses suffered by migrants intercepted at sea and forcibly returned to Libya.

A report by the group suggests that conditions in Libyan detention centres are worsening and migrants are subjected to torture, forced labour, sexual violence, and extortion.

Amnesty urged European countries to suspend cooperation on migration and border control with Libya.

United Nations figures say the Libyan coastguard returned more than 13,000 people to Libya in the first six months of this year.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has issued a pardon for dozens of youths who had been jailed for cheating in the national Baccalaureate exams for school leavers.

His decision comes a week before the Muslim festival Eid al-Adha.

More than 60 people had been prosecuted in various parts of the country and imprisoned.

The pardoned youth will be released in time to celebrate Eid with their families.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Algeria is set to start producing coronavirus jabs from September, a cabinet minister has announced on state radio.

"In addition to the Russian vaccine Sputnik, we will be producing the Chinese Sinovac as well," Lotfi Benbahmed told National Radio Algeria.

Chinese technicians would arrive in Algeria by the end of this month to "prepare the arrival of raw materials" and "the production of the vaccines would start in September", he said.

The state-owned pharmaceutical company Saidal will be producing 2.5 million doses of both vaccines a month, according to the minister.

These locally made vaccines would be 45% cheaper than imports and 90% cheaper once the raw materials were produced in Algeria, Mr Benbahmed said. Per dose it was a saving of at least $5 (£3.60), he added.

Sinovac has also agreed to supply Algeria - which has a population of 45 million - with 15 million imported doses of its vaccines by the end of the year.

More on this topic:

• What is happening with Africa's vaccine supplies?
• How South Africa hopes to bridge the divide

SATELLITE IMAGE ©2021 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIESCopyright: SATELLITE IMAGE ©2021 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES

The ship that was the focus of worldwide attention when it blocked the Suez Canal has finally left Egyptian waters.

The vessel - called Ever Given - was detained in the area during protracted negotiations in which the canal authorities were demanding compensation.

These were concluded last Wednesday, after an undisclosed sum was agreed.

The Ever Given has now resumed her journey, more than 100 days after she became wedged in the busy canal - blocking it for nearly a week and disrupting global trade.

You may be interested in:

• How did they move the Ever Given?
• A quick guide to Egypt