NORTH AFRICA

Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thanion Wednesday said that Egypt will help train the Libyan army, and then called on his compatriots to fight the militia that has overrun parts of the country. Thani and most of the parliament elected in June are virtually in domestic exile in the city of Tobruk because of extensive security problems in capital city Tripoli, …

A fuel depot near Tripoli airport continued to burn for the third consecutive day on Tuesday while a paramilitary warplane crashed in the city of Benghazi during clashes with militants. General Sagr al-Jerouchi, chief of air operations for rebel ex-general Khalifa Haftar, said that it is not immediately clear if the fighter jet suffered a malfunction or was hit by …

Syrian rebel forces in the city of Daraa shelled a rally for President Bashar Assad’s re-election campaign late on Thursday, killing 21 people and wounding 30 others. The strike comes after the Syrian army had cut off a key rebel supply route to the city of Aleppo. Bashar Assad faces two little-known other candidates in the upcoming poll on June …

On Thursday, a high-level government intelligence official, Colonel Ibrahim al-Senussi Akila, was assassinated by gunmen in Benghazi. Colonel Akila, Head of General Intelligence in Benghazi, was reportedly shot and killed near the Medical Center in the city. According to sources, unknown assailants had opened fire on his car, killing him instantly. Benghazi was the epicenter of the uprising in 2011 …

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika “flunked” an apparent test of oral skills at his inauguration ceremony, newspapers reported on Tuesday, raising their concerns over the ailing Presidents ability to carry out his duties. The ailing 77-year-old, sitting in a wheelchair, struggled to deliver his oath of office and give a televised speech on Monday, following his re-election for a 4th term. …

On Saturday, an Egyptian court handed out a yearlong jail sentence to Islamist leader Mohammed al-Beltagui and deposed President Mohammed Morsi, both standing on trial for murder, for insulting a state prosecutor, judicial sources said. Mohammed al-Beltagui, a senior Muslim Brotherhood member, and Mohammed Morsi were both in attendance on Saturday, standing trial for inciting the deaths of opposition members …

On Friday, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika won his fourth Presidential election by a landslide despite his ailing health, in an election tainted by allegations of fraud and a poor turnout. The 77 year old voted from his wheelchair on Thursday, and picked up 81.53% of the votes; his main rival Ali Benflis received only 12.18% of the vote. In a …

France-based international Media organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday hit out at Algerian authorities for delaying the issue of visas for foreign journalists who want to cover the Presidential elections in the country. Many journalists were “issued visas late in the day accompanied by drastic restrictions”, the Paris based organization said in its statement, issued on the eve of …