Magharebia

The Moroccan government met with union leadership for the second time on Friday (April 27th), in a bid to put an end to disputes that have led to a series of strikes. The government is under pressure to address workers’ grievances before May Day celebrations begin on Tuesday (May 1st).

A group of university educated people with visual handicaps have been demanding public sector jobs. Although the Moroccan government has offered them employment in call centres, many have refused to work in private enterprise.

Algerian authorities have killed the al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb's second-in-command in a security operation on Thursday. On Friday, a regional leader was also killed.

Lemina Mohammed Bouya Oummam, former Mauritanian parliamentarian and current president of the Support Team for Women's Attaining Decision-making Positions spoke with Magharebia in Casablanca, while attending a "Study Day" organised by the Daba 2007 association.

In Morocco, civil society organisations and the government are working together to bring counselling centres to a larger number of public schools, where students frequently fall behind due to preventable problems.

Late last week, legislators, lawyers and academics called for involving women and youth in preparing a national report on good governance in Tunisia.

Following last week’s elimination of the young Tunisian singer Yosra and the ensuing public backlash, the producers of Nessma TV’s Star Academy Maghreb have chosen to bring her back for another chance, along with Dounia who was eliminated the week before.

Wireless internet is on the rise in Morocco but is facing restrictions laid down by the National Telecommunications Regulation Agency. Magharebia speaks with Aziz Bouabe, managing director of FirstMile Telekom, to learn the latest news on developments in this high-tech sector.

Political activists gathered in Algiers to discuss women in the workplace, to identify the issues they face and develop responses and solutions to improve their status and overall integration into the nation's workforce.

Morocco recently announced plans to lease 116 farms to private investors, in a bid to increase efficiency and productivity in key agricultural sectors.

Star Academy Maghreb moves into its fifth week with another dismissal. This time, 19-year-old Tunisian Yosra will go home.

Moroccans from all over the country joined together this week to reiterate their absolute rejection of terrorism following the March 11th, April 10th and 14th attacks in Casablanca.

Tunisia has seen a rate of economic growth nearly unparalleled in Africa. Unfortunately for many Tunisians, the accompanied improvement in living standards has created a surge in health problems ranging from obesity to sexual dysfunction.

The Moroccan government published the entirety of its legal bulletins on the Secretariat General's official website. Available in Arabic and French, the database covers nearly a century of legal texts.

Oussama Mellouli became the first Tunisian and Arab to become a world champion swimmer when he seized the gold medal in the 800-metre freestyle final in Melbourne, Australia on March 28th.

With their confidence bolstered by last year’s successful harvest, many Moroccan farmers chose to reject agricultural insurance policies and are now turning to the state to protect them from heavy losses due to drought.

A rally in Algiers and marches in the provinces on Tuesday (April 17th) offered Algerians a chance to speak out against terrorism and show support for their government's policy of national reconciliation. Radio and television echoed the calls for people to take to the streets in response to the April 11th car bombings that reawakened the anguish of the 1990s.

Algeria hosted a conference earlier this month to examine the phenomenon of "brain drain" from the country and to identify methods of harnessing the skills and knowledge of expatriates.

The United Nations will hear proposals from Morocco and the Polisario Front on how to settle the dispute over Western Sahara. A brief look at the plans put forth by the two sides.

Four days after the suicide bombings which targeted symbols of authority – the Government Palace and a police station in an eastern Algiers suburb – concerned members of the public still wonder about the reasons behind the upsurge in violence which rings of the instability of the 1990s.

Recent bombings in Morocco and Algeria have left many wondering whether Tunisia could be next in line. Analysts, politicians, and other citizens voice their opinions.

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up on Saturday morning (April 14th) in Casablanca, one outside the headquarters of the US Consulate General and the other outside the American Cultural Centre. The public were instrumental in helping to bring about the capture of a third suicide bomber.

Morocco's government is holding meetings with trade unions to open dialogue and resolve issues such as the Labour Code, minimum salaries, pension reform and the new bill on traffic regulations.

Bombings have returned to Algiers, after a decade-long lull. Analysts believe the choice of targets and timing signal al-Qaeda’s desire to make its presence felt as the country prepares for legislative elections scheduled for May 17th.

The Algerian government has decided to import 20,000 tonnes of powdered milk to bring an end to a shortage caused by rising prices on the international market. At least 78 dairy companies ceased production when the price of powdered milk nearly doubled.

In the most violent such attack in years, suicide bombers struck two locations in Algiers on Wednesday morning. Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem was an apparent target in one bombing, and has condemned the attacks as "criminal and cowardly".

Four suicide bombers hiding out in an otherwise peaceful Casablanca neighborhood were discovered by police on Tuesday. All four were killed as they attempted to escape.

At a press conference on Friday (April 6th) in Casablanca, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Moroccan government to redouble its efforts to promote press freedom and guarantee proper protections for journalists.

Last week Tunisia invited international experts to evaluate progress in the international information sector. The summit set out to establish statistical indicators to measure successes and failures in individual countries.

Top African officials met Friday in Rabat to discuss human development strategies with donor countries and aid organisations. During the conference, leaders vowed to combine their efforts with those of the international community to satisfy UN and African policy goals.

The Tanmia Association has launched Morocco’s first portal dedicated to podcasting on the Internet. Visitors to the site can access podcasts created by schoolchildren, teachers and those involved in Moroccan civil society.

Because many Moroccans continue to put their faith in male political leadership, the country's women’s associations are calling upon female voters to elect more women to parliament.

Construction of the Trans-Saharan Highway, which will link Algiers to Lagos in Nigeria, via Mali, Niger and Chad, is nearing completion after more than thirty years of construction and delays.

An international workshop entitled Desertification: what future for Africa? was held April 2nd to 4th in Algiers. The event was organised by the Pan-African Parliament in collaboration with the National Popular Assembly (APN). Several experts from international organisations and institutions took part in the meeting.

The Moroccan government, with the support of the UN, released a report on violence against women. The report showed that most violence occurs in the home and is carried out by family members.

With no compromise in sight between transport unions and the government, Morocco's transport strike continues to be a serious obstacle to economic activities.

A newly announced government initiative in Morocco offers preventative and corrective measures to reduce the number of students who withdraw from school. The initiative will enlist the help of current students to compile a list of dropouts and to meet with their families.

Moroccan King Mohammed VI has designated a National Day for Mosques, to stimulate better regulation and assistance for the country’s mosques.

Candidate lists for Algeria's May 17th parliamentary elections were due at midnight on April 1st. Many political parties included women in their lists but the country's conservative tendencies will likely preclude women from being elected.

Pardoned terrorists will not stand for the legislative elections on May 17th. Their leader, Madani Mezrag, former national leader of the Islamic Salvation Army, the armed wing of the Islamic Salvation Front, chose the eve of the closure of candidate lists, set for midnight on April 1st, to issue a statement announcing that his followers would not take part in the ballot, and explaining that he would not be calling for a boycott.

The future of Moroccan cinema is uncertain. With the number of theatres down from 280 in 1980 to just 85 today, representatives of the nation's film industry seek to identify the causes of this downturn.

The tradition of setting off fireworks and bangers to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Mohammed (PBH) has spread to Algeria. Despite religious sermons denouncing the practice and a ban on importing fireworks, each year the festival of the Mouled is welcomed with more noise and sparkle than the year before.