In Tunisia, president dismisses prime minister and suspends parliament

Tunisia's president has sacked the prime minister and suspended parliament, after violent mass protests nationwide on Sunday. Anger over the government's handling of a massive recent spike in Covid cases has added to general unrest over the nation's economic and social turmoil. President Kais Saied, who was elected in 2019, announced he was taking over. His supporters erupted in celebration, but opponents in parliament immediately accused him of staging a coup. Mr Saied, an independent, has had a long-standing feud with the man he has removed, PM Hichem Mechichi. Mr Mechichi has the backing of the largest party in parliament, Ennahda.
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