Magharebia

The sport of beach football has come a long way since becoming an organized sport in Brazil in the early 1990s. Emerging as a fast-paced, smaller version of its predecessor, the game can be played anywhere there is sand; a fact that helped it spread quickly to other parts of the world, including North Africa.

Moroccan society has been divided since King Mohammed VI presented the reform draft of the family code in a 10 October 2003 speech. The legislation, particularly introducing the principle of equality between men and women, is somewhat unsettling to Moroccan traditionalists.

Tunisians, particularly residents of Sfax, were disappointed Friday (15 April) when Amani Souissi failed to win the "Star Academy" title. The situation marks the second time a Tunisian made it to the final rounds of the popular reality programme, only to lose in the final vote tally.

Rai's international popularity often overshadows other musical styles native to Algeria. Yal, which combines traditional Berber song styles with elements of modern music, is one such style. Yal was conceived by Hassen Zermani, who records under the name Takfarinas. His popularity rivals that of rai artists like Khaled and Cheb Mami. Like those two, Takfarinas is based in Paris, where he dreams of world harmony through a universal musical genre that appeals to everyone.

World ranked Moroccan tennis professional Hicham Arazi has been on the international circuit for over ten years and played at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Arazi recently spoke with magharebia.com about his life as a tennis star.

Over the past decade, Tunisia earned a reputation for excellence in handball by making progressively stronger showings at international tournaments. The sport is gaining such popularity in Tunisia that sports journalist Sami Akrtmi now calls it "the second sport of our country." Akrtmi's point was highlighted when Tunisia hosted the 19th World Handball Championship from 23 January to 6 February.

Rai singer Khaled spoke with magharebia.com about the most challenging moments in his career and gives advice to young singers striving to make a name for themselves in the highly competitive music business.