Monday, July 26 2021

*) Tunisian president suspends parliament, dismisses PM Tunisian President Kais Saied says he will assume executive power after suspending parliament and sacking Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. ​​Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi said Saied's move is nothing but a "full-fledged coup" after soldiers at parliament did not allow him and other lawmakers to enter the building. Saied's decision comes after violent protests against the government rocked several Tunisian cities amid a spike in Covid-19 infections and a worsening economy. *) US offers further air support to Afghan troops amid Taliban offensive The United States will continue to carry out air strikes in support of Afghan forces fighting the Taliban, a regional US commander has said. US has drawn down troops in recent weeks, prompting an escalation in the Taliban's offensive as it takes rural districts and surrounds provincial capitals. Meanwhile, the UN said nearly 2,400 Afghan civilians were killed or injured in May and June, warning of an "unprecedented" number of civilian deaths in over a decade. *) Kidnappers in Nigeria release 28 schoolchildren Gunmen in northwestern Nigeria who kidnapped 121 students at a high school in early July have released 28 of them, a school official has said. The attackers stormed Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna state on July 5, abducting students who were sleeping in their dorms. Nigerian authorities have attributed the kidnappings to what they call armed bandits seeking ransom payments. *) Evacuations ordered after two California wildfires converge into one California's largest wildfire has merged with a smaller blaze and destroyed homes in remote areas where firefighters have limited access. The Dixie fire gained ground over the weekend and was only 21 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Crews battling the California fire that incinerated more than 77,000 hectares are preparing for potential lightning storms triggered by smoke columns. And finally