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

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — 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.