Magharebia

Algeria has the fourth-highest accident rate in the world and the highest in both the Maghreb and Arab world. On Saturday, the government announced new measures intended to reduce the number of accidents.

Human rights professionals from throughout the Arab world gathered in Hammamet for a ten-day symposium on human rights education organised by the Arab Institute for Human Rights. The training ended Monday (July 30th).

Saïdia, a beautiful Mediterranean town in the northeast of Morocco, will be home to the first crafts medina, an area reserved exclusively for trade in local handcrafts. The project is expected to be completed in June 2008.

A group of journalists and civil society organisations in Morocco is considering legal action against Communications Minister Nabil Benabdallah, following statements the official made in connection with the criminal case currently underway against Al-Watan Al-An employees Abderrahim Ariri and Mustapha Hormatallah.

As Algeria's diesel consumption overtakes domestic production, the Algerian government looks for ways to reduce losses from the fuel's falling exports and rising imports.

A recently announced government initiative aims to assist Morocco's beleaguered film industry. The programme envisions 40 locally-produced feature films per year by 2020, up from the current average of fifteen.

In a recent report from the Tunisian Ministry of Development, statistics claimed the poverty rate in the country has declined, from 4.2% in 2004 to 3.8%. The middle class saw a boost, rising to 81.1% of the population, up from 77.6% in 2000.

Driss Marrakchi, Moroccan actor and theatre advocate, speaks to Magharebia about his involvement in establishing a new organisation to promote the arts in the Maghreb region.

The Moroccan legislature recently announced the adoption of a much-anticipated regulation requiring government officials to declare their personal assets prior to taking office. Officials see the new law as a step forward in the country's fight against corruption.

Moroccan playwright and director Messaoud Bouhcine spoke to Magharebia recently about the importance of renewing Moroccans' taste for theatre. He has called on officials to adopt a new strategy to promote this artistic sector.

Terrorism and other forms of crime have led the Algerian government to make changes to the laws governing the entry and movement of foreigners in the country. The bill has not yet been made public, but should be submitted to parliament in September.

Prime Minister Driss Jettou presented parliamentarians with a positive assessment of his government and its accomplishments. According to opposition parties, certain weaknesses have yet to be addressed.

The curtain came down yesterday on the 9th All Africa Games in Algiers. At the end of the tournament Egypt took first place in the medals count, followed by Algeria and South Africa. Cameroon confirmed its status as football champion for the third consecutive time at the African Games.

The Ninth All Africa Games in Algiers are scheduled to end Monday (July 23rd). Though generally viewed as successful, the Games have raised questions about costs and the level of integration with the Olympic Games process.

The Moroccan Ministry of Housing recently announced the second phase of its Dar Lakbira programme to stimulate growth and stability in its real estate and housing sectors. The new phase will build 12,000 new homes and provide investment opportunities to residents of all income levels.

After years of marginalisation in Algerian media, Gnaoui music saw its first attempt at revival during a week-long Gnaoui festival. The festival was a part of Algiers' programme as Arab Cultural Capital for 2007.

The final of the All Africa Games men's football tournament will be played between Cameroon and Guinea in Blida on July 23rd, the last day of the Games. On Thursday Cameroon knocked out Zambia 2-1 in Touiba, while Guinea dispatched Tunisia 1-0 in Blida. Zambia and Tunisia will face each other at 4:30pm on Sunday in Touiba to play for the bronze medal.

Morocco has announced an aggressive programme to reform its energy sector, committing $7.7 billion through 2012 to diversify its energy sources and enhance competition in domestic and regional markets.

In what could be an important turn in the tide for relations between Algeria and Morocco, the two countries have expressed interest in co-operating in order to fight terrorism.

With the All Africa Games drawing to a close on July 23rd, Tunisians are taking increasing interest in the competition. The country is currently third in overall medals, behind Algeria and South Africa.

Algeria remains in the top spot for overall medals in the All Africa Games. Despite its elimination from the men's football tournament, the host country took medals in tennis, kickboxing, boxing, and swimming, raising its medal total to 100. South Africa is in second place in the Games with 70 overall medals.

The Tunisian government has passed a tough new law aimed at protecting the environment. Minister of Environment Nadhir Hamada organised a media event last week to inform journalists about the specifics of the new legislation.

Recent Ministry of Education data show that more than 709,000 Moroccans have received training from national literacy programmes, an increase of nearly 54,000 over the previous year.

The 43rd International Carthage Festival opened Saturday (July 14th) in Tunisia, with 270 dancers, poets, singers and other artists participating. The event runs through August 16th.

Reporters Without Borders and some local journalists have criticized an amendment to Morocco's press code for not decriminalising press offences. The national press syndicate welcomed the new draft.

Algeria has 11 gold medals so far in the competition, nine from judo. South Africa still leads the medals table with 12 gold.

The third edition of the Amazigh culture festival in Fez promotes shared Maghreb values and the role of folk culture in developing the region. Magharebia interviews the festival's director, Mouha Naji.

Competition began in earnest Thursday (June 12th) in the 9th All Africa Games. The host nation Algeria won a gold medal in judo, while Tunisia took gold in fencing. South Africa captured three golds in swimming.

Tunisia's Dar Assabah media group held a roundtable discussion Thursday (July 12th) on the role of media in combating extremism, one of a series of debates organised by Tunisian NGO DEFI, with support from the Middle East Partnership Initiative.

During his first visit to the Maghreb in his new capacity as French President, Nicolas Sarkozy discussed his plans for regional co-operation and partnership with Algerian and Tunisian leaders.

The 9th All Africa Games were officially opened Wednesday (July 11th) at the July 5 Stadium in Algiers, with a colourful ceremony to mark the participation of 52 countries. Nine thousand police officers have been deployed to oversee security at the Games.

Algerian officials condemned Wednesday's terrorist attack on an army barracks and voiced their support for Algerian security forces.

In his latest album, Saber al-Rubai is trying to expand into the Maghreb market by offering songs in rai and Tunisian dialect.

A delegation of Moroccan legal professionals visited Casablanca's Centre for the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Young Offenders recently, to provide detainees a humane and educational dimension to their sentences.

The Ninth All Africa Games will open on Wednesday (July 11th) in Algiers, with 8,000 athletes from 52 countries participating. The competition will span 40 different sites, including the July 5 stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies and the football final.

Cervical cancer is a "quiet" disease that shows its symptoms only at a very advanced stage, making it a real public health problem in Algeria. With its recent decision to introduce a vaccine, the government is attacking the problem at its roots. Aid associations for cancer patients and the medical community have applauded the measure.

Morocco's Ministry of Tourism announced it will open contracts to build and operate new domestic tourism facilities to international investors. These projects fall under the Biladi Plan to promote domestic tourism in Morocco.

Algeria's JS Kabylie beat FAR Rabat of Morocco 2-0 on day two of the African Champions League, in a Group A match played Friday at the November First stadium in Tizi Ouzou.

Results in Algeria's 2007 baccalaureate exams show the highest passing rate (53.27%) since the country’s independence 45 years ago.

In a speech on Algeria's National Day, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika voiced his support for the army and stressed the country's need for institutional reform. Notably absent was any discussion of a proposed constitutional referendum, a question that has already kept Algerians waiting more than a year.

Moroccan organisation COCASSE has released a report on child abuse in the country including its current state, causes and potential solutions. The group criticises the Moroccan government as being too lax in prosecuting sexual crimes, and calls on legislators to stiffen mandatory sentences.

Algeria's "Justice 2" programme of institutional reform will move forward, courtesy of an announced 17m euro grant from the European Union. The funding is intended to alleviate overcrowding by supporting the construction of new prisons and the rehabilitation of existing facilities.

A critically acclaimed Moroccan-American film produced in the Hollywood style has come to Morocco. Ziad Ahmed's "Real Premonition" tells the story of a young Moroccan who finds trouble when he moves to the United States.

Until now, few in Algeria have been inclined to engage the religious community in raising awareness of the dangers of AIDS. Religious Algerians have made the decision to participate more actively to curb the spread of this dangerous disease.

Spanish club Atletico Madrid will visit Morocco later this month to announce the creation of a football school in the northern Moroccan city of Tetouan, in partnership with the Moghreb Athletico team from Tetouan.

The distribution of audiovisual airtime to Morocco's political parties has sparked debate across the political spectrum.

Algerians held a conference on June 27th to discuss drug prevention on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. During the conference, officials and representatives from civil society groups discussed the growing problems of drug use and production in Algeria.

Arab Drug control officials met in Tunis from June 27th-28th for their 21st conference on anti-narcotics policy and strengthening Arab co-operation. Participants recommended establishing more drug rehabilitation centres.

Mouloudia d’Alger carried off the Algeria Cup this year after defeating USMA 1-0 before a crowd of 80,000. The final was played amid high security with 8,000 police officers on duty.

With 15 million people watching, 20-year-old Moroccan Hajar Adnane beat out fellow finalists Ahmed, Hamid and Soraya during a star-studded prime, winning the first Star Academy Maghreb competition and a recording contract with Universal Music.