Mali (and Beyond) Live Coverage: At Least 78 Killed in Fighting in North
Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 12:15 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 
A car bomb in Tessalit in Mali on Friday (see 0750 GMT) (Photo: AFP)
See also Syria Live Coverage: Opposition Boycotts International Talks Over Aleppo Deaths
Friday's Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Parliamentary Elections set for April-June
1755 GMT: Tunisia. Thousands of protesters rallied today against Prime Minister-designate Ali Larayedh.
President Moncef Marzouki asked Larayedh of the Ennadha Party, the leading faction in the ruling coaltion, to form a Government on Friday.
Outgoing Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali resigned on Tuesday because Ennahda rejected his plan for an apolitical technocrat Cabinet to prepare for elections.
Opposition secularists accuse Larayedh of leading a Ministry of Interior which has failed to curb Islamist violence.
About 3000 demonstrators marched on Tunis' main street Habib Bourguiba raising banners hostile to the Ennahda party and Larayedh and chanting, "Larayedh out" and "The people want to bring down the regime".
Meanwhile, Larayedh has tried to assemble a new Cabinet. Fights are expected over the posts of Justice and Foreign Ministers, which independents are demanding for their preferred candidates.