Death Toll Climbs in Algerian Forest Fires

The death toll in the forest fires in northern Algeria have risen to at least 69. Villagers have been using hoses and tree branches to battle the fires which have torched dozens of homes. The government has deployed the army to help fight the fires. 28 of the dead are soldiers. Hundreds of residents have been evacuated. Those who initially decided to stay and fight have started fleeing to hotels and university residences. Algeria’s President has declared three days of national mourning.

Temperature Records Shattered in Tunisia

Across the border in Tunisia, no major fires, but record temperatures. The mercury hit a record 49 degrees in the capital Tunis on Tuesday. Slightly lower temperatures, in the low 40s, are forecast for the remainder of the week. In some parts of the country, the heatwave is causing power outages with people staying home and pumping up the air conditioning. Tunisia's Meteorological Institute says the previous highest recorded temperature in Tunis was 46.8 degrees back in 1982. The heatwave has swept across the Mediterranean in recent weeks, sparking the fires in Algeria, but also in Greece and Turkey.

SA President Testifies at Corruption Inquiry

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is testifying at a corruption inquiry involving his predecessor Jacob Zuma, under whom he served as deputy president. On Wednesday, he told the judge that he chose to "remain but resist" rather than resign when the allegations of corruption first surfaced. He said resigning would have earned him praise, but said it would have "significantly impaired" his ability to end corruption, a goal he has turned into a cornerstone of his presidency:

“Ordinary people abhor corruption and they have not always seen the ANC (African National Congress) as taking action against those in its own ranks who have been involved in corrupt acts, but now the game has changed. The line has been drawn in the sand and the ANC is saying that we are renewing ourselves."

The inquiry, headed by acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, is looking into allegations including that Jacob Zuma allowed three brother-businessmen to influence policy and win lucrative government contracts. Zuma claims the inquiry is politically motivated and has refused to fully cooperate with it.