Algerian president names a new prime minister ahead of elections next year

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has dismissed the prime minister and replaced him with the head of his cabinet ahead of national elections next year and at a time when economic anxieties are running high. The state news agency says the outgoing prime minister will be replaced by Mohamed Laboui, a 73-year-old lawyer and presidential ally who has headed the cabinet since March. The swap comes as Algeria prepares for presidential elections next year, when Tebboune will seek a second term. Inflation has spiked and there are continued concerns about governmental treatment of pro-democracy protesters.