Algeria

Protests have been held in several cities in Algeria to demand more action to stop violence against women following the rape and murder of a teenager.

Rocket fire targeted the Libyan capital's sole functioning airport on Wednesday, dealing another setback to peace efforts a day before regional foreign ministers meet in Algeria to discuss the crisis.

Algeria released several prominent anti-government protest figures from detention on Thursday, including well-known independence war veteran Lakhdar Bouregaa, one of his lawyers told AFP.

Algeria's parliament Thursday adopted a controversial law aimed at boosting investment in the oil and gas sector, state media said, as activists warned that multinational companies would plunder the country's wealth.

A powerful businessman has become the latest of Algeria's financial and political elite to be arrested as part of a major corruption investigation.

Algiers - More than 1 000 Algerian judges said they would refuse to oversee the country's election next month if President Abdelaziz Bouteflika contests it, in one of the biggest blows to the ailing leader since protests started more than two weeks ago.