North Africa

18 months is how long Sanaa Seif, a leading Egyptian activist, will spend in prison for spreading fake 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 …

A fire at a clothing factory in Egypt has killed at least 20 people. Reports still coming in say that another 20 or so were injured. Twelve fire engines dealt with the blaze, on the eastern outskirts of the capital, Cairo, BBC News reports. Read also: At 90, Warren Buffett …

Five people died and 25 others were hospitalized in central Tunisia after consuming non-food alcohol, according to preliminary evidence, regional health authorities said. The director of health for the Kasserine region (in the center-west of the country), Abdelghani Chaabani, told AFP that 30 people living in the same area of …

Tunisia received its first major delivery of coronavirus vaccine doses Tuesday, almost a month later than expected, paving the way for the start of its inoculation campaign this week. Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi was on hand for the delivery of 30,000 Sputnik V doses in Tunis, AFP journalists said. The …

A court in Tunisia has sentenced the brother-in-law of the ousted president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, to 10 years in jail for corruption. The court found that Belhassen Trabelsi and the owner of El Hiwar TV had set up a private company where they siphoned off advertising revenues from state …

The family and supporters of Saudi-Australian theologian Usama Hasani have pleaded with the authorities in Morocco not to extradite him to Saudi Arabia where he’s wanted. Dr Hasani, 42, and his wife Hana Hasani, have also appealed to the Australian government to intervene. The theologian was arrested on February 8 …

Algeria is preparing a law which would strip the nationality of its citizens who join, finance or glorify a terrorist organisation abroad. The justice minister outlined the proposed changes during a cabinet meeting, reports the state-run news agency APS. « The new law would remain compatible with international conventions and guarantee …

Egypt on Thursday expanded its coronavirus vaccination rollout to include the elderly and people with chronic diseases after several weeks of vaccinating medical staff, the cabinet said. The Arab world’s most populous country with more than 100 million, has prepared 40 vaccination centres and plans to increase that number after …

At a joint news conference in Cairo on Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Sudan and Egypt met to discuss bilateral cooperation. They also discussed the urgency of reaching a legal agreement on the filling and operation of the Ethiopian Renaissance Grand Dam on the Nile, which has sparked controversy in …

Morocco has announced that it has suspended contacts with the German embassy in the country over its stance on Western Sahara. The country’s foreign affairs ministry cited « deep disagreements concerning crucial issues,” without elaborating, reports BBC News. A senior Moroccan diplomat cited Germany’s reaction to the US decision in December …