Magharebia

On May 27th, a group of musicians and vocalists from the Maghreb and Middle East wrapped up a musical workshop in London called "Music Matbakh" (Music Kitchen).

In June, the Lalla Salma Cancer Prevention Association will launch a smoking prevention programme targeting young students and companies in order to prevent smoking in schools and workplaces.

In an interview with Magharebia, Moroccan rapper Bigg talks about his musical roots and his opinions on the importance of Moroccan dialect and culture.

The kidnapping of Yacine Bouchelouh has raised awareness about the high number of child abductions in Algeria.

Abdessalam El Kanbech was the first martial artist to bring the South Asian discipline of pencak silat to his country. In an interview with Magharebia, he talks about his start in the sport, and its future in Morocco.

Through an ambitious development plan for the Bouregreg valley, Morocco is attempting to revitalise its capital city.

In Morocco's most recent step to encourage participation in its upcoming elections, the government has adopted a new law which requires political parties to set aside membership quotas for young people.

Moroccan singer Hayat Al Idrissi speaks with Magharebia about her recent international tour and her efforts to promote Moroccan music around the world.

The Moroccan government has published the findings of the first comprehensive survey conducted on literacy in the country. Illiteracy levels have dropped from 43% in 2004 to 38.45% in 2006. El Habib Nadir tells Magharebia about the programme responsible for the progress.

Morocco lost a pioneer in human rights on May 20th with the passing of Driss Benzekri. Prime Minister Driss Jettou was overcome with emotion as he announced Benzekri’s death to the media.

The Mawazine World Rhythms Festival concluded Thursday (May 24th) in Rabat. The event offered some 500,000 spectators a taste of music from throughout Morocco and abroad.

Continuing its struggle against extremism, the Moroccan government announced a new programme in Rabat on Wednesday (May 23rd) to promote a culture of civic behaviour in the nation’s schools.

Players and managers share their thoughts on Esperance de Tunis's Sunday night victory over CA Bizerte, which won the team Tunisia's President's Cup.

Algeria has created a multinational company called the Oil Spill Response Company, with the mission of combating marine pollution caused by hydrocarbons. The Algerian-registered company plans to cover more than 20,000 km of coastline ranging from the Suez Canal in Egypt to Cabinda Bay, Angola.

Religious scholars from throughout Morocco gathered to deconstruct terrorist thought in a seminar held May 19th by the Supreme Council of Scholars in Casablanca.

Algeria's three main Islamist parties lost ground once again in the recent legislative elections. The steady decline of the parties is due in part to internal divisions and a lack of public interest in religious views. Some argue that the parties' decline stems from the fact that these parties no longer espouse radical Islamic ideology.

After sixty days in Star Academy Maghreb, Libyan favourite Khairi decided on Sunday morning to withdraw from the contest and return to Libya, sighting homesickness. Badro, who had been eliminated on Friday, was welcomed back to the Dar.

The Centre for American Progress hosted a seminar on May 10th in Washington, to discuss the latest initiatives to bring the long-running dispute over Western Sahara to an end.

The Moroccan government has undertaken a programme to promote private education, with the hope that up to 20% of the country's children will be enrolled in private schools by 2015.

Friday (May 19th) saw the elimination of two contestants from Star Academy Maghreb: Algerians Badro and Dounia. The two aspiring singers spoke to Magharebia following their dismissal.

Mohamed Meziane, chief of the Algerian oil and gas company Sonatrach, announced that Algeria is determined to increase natural gas exports to the U.S. market and ink a deal on civilian nuclear co-operation.

The National Liberation Front (FLN) carried Algeria’s May 17th legislative elections, keeping 136 of the 389 seats in the National People’s Assembly. The new parliament appears ready to move forward, despite low voter turnout and allegations of election fraud.

Turnout in Thursday's (May 17th) legislative elections has been lower than expected. Many Algerians have chosen not to vote, despite numerous calls from officials and the media to use their votes to combat terrorism and to enhance the credibility of the electoral process.

Algerians voted on Thursday (May 17th) in legislative elections, despite fears of terrorist attacks and a general climate of distrust in the process and institutions of government.

Algerian politicians have just concluded their two-week campaigns for legislative elections on May 17th. Despite attempts to engage them, many Algerian citizens find themselves unconvinced of the value of their votes.

As Algerian politicians prepare for the country’s May 17th legislative elections, national security services are working to ensure a peaceful vote in the face of calls for boycotts from al-Qaeda and Islamist groups.

In preparation for the country’s upcoming legislative elections, Algeria’s political leaders made their final bids to win over prospective voters. Much of the electorate appears apathetic about the process.

Media professionals have put pressure on the Tunisian government to open up communications with government agencies and ministries. In response, the Ministry of Communications has promised certain improvements.

Nearly 100,000 Moroccan farmers have benefited from the latest government write-off of debts owed to the Agricultural Loan Corporation, totalling nearly 3 billion dirhams.

As part of its mission to develop nuclear technology for peaceful use, Algerian authorities have recently conducted a training and readiness exercise for emergency response workers that will be called upon in the event of a nuclear accident.

Jamel speaks with Magharebia about his departure from the Star Academy Maghreb competition.

In co-operation with the National Music Committee and the Bouregreg Association, Moroccan musician Hassan Megri organised an evening dedicated to the country’s musicians.

Many private and public institutions are beginning to see the benefit e-learning brings to students and employees.

Al-Jazeera recently aired a video allegedly showing al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb preparing for their April attacks in Algiers. Some believe the video is an attempt to conceal the group’s internal weakness stemming from its recent shift in tactics and ideology.

The election of Nicolas Sarkozy to the French presidency elicited a wide range of reactions, both congratulatory and wary, in the Maghreb.

Morocco's first voter registration drive yielded limited success in registering new voters. A second enrolment period provides an opportunity for more citizens to join the democratic process.

Despite the relatively high cost of mobile phone ownership in Tunisia, the device has become ingrained in Tunisian social life; so much so that it has been described as part of the family.

Teams both high and low in the Tunisian Champions League rankings gear up for the final three rounds of the championship.

A law passed by the Moroccan parliament will require all magistrates to report their individual assets as part of a larger effort to increase transparency in government.

An international conference on cultural diversity affirmed the need to preserve cultures through education and continued dialogue. Participants said that democratic values and secular governments are a good way forward.

Morocco's bid to organise a world fair in the city of Tangier could revitalize the city and provide job opportunities for thousands of young Moroccans.

At the peak of their campaigns for the upcoming legislative elections on May 17th, many Algerian political parties have spoken out against a 2001 penal code imposing restrictions on press freedom. The National Union of Journalists wants politicians to follow their statements with action.

Every May on World Press Freedom Day, the Association of Tunisian Journalists releases its assessment of the media freedoms in the country. This year the Association levelled its criticisms against state-controlled media and the over-sensationalising of news.

The 25th annual Tunis International Book Fair, which runs from April 27th – May 6th, focuses on African literature, culture and intellectual thought.

Moroccan athlete Hicham Sammo developed polio as a two-year-old and doctors were unable to save the use of his right leg. Despite his lifelong handicap, at the age of 34, he has defied the odds and turned his love of sport into an internationally competitive track career.

A stampede that left seven dead and 20 injured at a concert featuring artists from Star Academy Lebanon leaves Tunisians wondering who is at fault.

Mauritanian Prime Minister Zeine Ould Zeidane has formed the country’s first cabinet since the election of President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi.

In adopting Resolution 1754 on Monday (April 30th), the United Nations Security Council has entered a new bid to bring the three-decades-old dispute over Western Sahara to a peaceful and lasting conclusion.