North Africa

Some 150 people have been arrested by officials in Tunisia for staging protests kicking against current economic reforms in the North African country.

Protesters defied threat from the government to crackdown on their agitations as they poured onto the streets on Wednesday to demand improvement in living conditions.

Survivors from a boat that foundered off Libya’s coast on Tuesday said about 50 people who had embarked with them were feared dead, while the coastguard said the number of missing might be as high as 100.

Mobile phones are among some 900 products Algeria has temporarily banned from being import into the northern African country.

Tunisians have been agitating in parts of the country as they protest the rising prices of commodities and new economic reforms.

Protests over increasing levels of prices for bread in Sudan have turned violent resulting in the death of a student on Sunday.

Sudan has shut its eastern border with Eritrea, state media reported on Saturday, days after Khartoum declared an emergency in the neighbouring state of Kasala.

Officials in Egypt have confirmed the death of a tourist with 12 others sustaining injuries after a hot air balloon crashed near the city of Luxor.

Egyptian authorities have arrested 75 people including government officials and foreigners over an array of corruption-related charges.

Prosecutors in Egypt have detained a female singer for four days for "incitement to debauchery" after an online video clip sparked controversy, a judicial source said on Tuesday.