Three ministers quit new Tunisian government

Ghannouchi earlier defended his government, saying some ministers had been kept on because they were needed in the run-up to elections.

"We have tried to put together a mix that takes into account the different forces in the country to create the conditions to be able to start reforms," Ghannouchi told Europe 1 radio.

In Egypt, a man set himself ablaze Tuesday outside Egypt's government headquarters in Cairo, and another did so in Alexandria, apparently copying the actions of a protester in Tunisia who sparked an uprising and led to Ben Ali fleeing the country, AFP reported.

Ahmed Hashem al-Sayyed, a 25-year-old who set himself ablaze in Alexandria, died later in a hospital Tuesday. He was unemployed and suffered from mental problems, a local security official told AFP.

Agencies