Magharebia

The number of people enrolling in Morocco's institutions of higher learning is on the rise, benefitting from programmes to encourage students and to lessen their financial burdens.

Magharebia speaks with Fnaïre rap group member, Mohcine, about the foundations and goals of the group and its messages.

Despite the rising prices of sweets during the month of Ramadan, many Tunisians cannot get enough of them. Some sweets are considered an inseparable part of Tunisians' evening gatherings, as they are offered with coffee and tea or at first-rate cafes.

Protests have broken out in several Moroccan cities due to recent food price hikes. Although the government has taken steps to halt the rises, returning to normal is proving difficult and sit-ins continue.

At a recent press conference, Tunisian director Fadhel Jaziri announced he would begin shooting a film on the lives of influential Tunisians in the 1930s, with a focus on reformer Tahar Haddad.

Recent statistics indicate that road accidents are not declining in Tunisia, despite education campaigns to alert drivers to the importance of road safety.

Television viewers in Morocco have expressed their discontent with programming during the month of Ramadan, wishing networks would air content centred more closely on current affairs.

Algeria is lagging behind in making information available on the Internet. There are scarcely 5000 domain names in Algeria and only 200,000 ADSL subscribers.

Magharebia speaks with Hachemi Nouira, vice-president for Africa of the newly created International Covenant for the Protection of Journalists.

Club Africain continued their winning streak in the Tunisian premier league. Stade Tunisian Coach Mourad Mahjoub is expected to leave the team after losing 4-0 to Espérance.

Secretary General of the Progressive Democratic Party Maya Jribi and Ahmed Néjib Chebbi, director of the party's newspaper Al Mawkif have gone on hunger strike to protest what they consider repeated government attacks on the opposition.

The call of al-Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman Zawahiri for attacks against the French and the Spanish came as the organisation is looking for justification for its unpopular war on Maghreb regimes.

Morocco recently focused its technology strategy on Dubai in a bid to attract investors from the United Arab Emirates and Asia. The recent GITEX technology exhibition provided an opportunity for the country to showcase the know-how of its IT companies and experts.

The sentencing of al-Watan al-An journalist Moustapha Hormatallah and Editor-in-Chief Abderrahim Ariri for publishing confidential intelligence documents raises questions about the relevance of Morocco's press law.

Morocco moves closer to implementing a large grant from the US Millennium Challenge Corporation. The grant is intended to alleviate poverty and contribute to the country's development.

In light of several repentant terrorists' confessions they were recruited by imams to join armed groups, Algerian authorities have increased the attention paid to mosques and have stepped up efforts to monitor imams.

The British Council is stepping up its programming for Tunisian youth as part of a wider focus on the Middle East and North Africa. Although the organisation had had some poor results in the past, it appears recharged following the success of recent projects such as Music Matbakh.

King Mohammed VI has appointed Istiqlal Secretary-General Abbas El Fassi as Morocco's new Prime Minister, in line with the results of the September 7th legislative elections in which Istiqlal took first place with 52 seats in the lower chamber of the Moroccan Parliament.

Three party leaders from different corners of Algeria's political spectrum formed a common front last week with a joint proposal to end the country's security crisis. In recent weeks Algeria has seen a resurgence of violence and politicians have called on Algerians to engage in dialogue.

King Mohammed VI called meetings Thursday (September 13th) with the leaders of all parties which won more than 20 seats in the upcoming Parliament. The consultations are intended to aid the monarch in appointing the country's next prime minister. Some parties held their own meetings to determine the new legislature's political landscape.

ES Sahel's fourth consecutive win keeps the team on top of the Tunisian Premier League with 12 points, two points ahead of challengers Club Africain.

Moroccan non-governmental organisations issue their findings after observing the September 7th parliamentary elections.

Fewer women were elected in Morocco's 2007 legislative elections than in 2002, leading many to question the state of women's participation in the nation's politics.

A recent seminar held in Tunis provided experts an opportunity to discuss the advancement of international co-operation in the Mediterranean region through the Barcelona Process and France's proposed Mediterranean Union.

Morocco rings in the new school year with new initiatives designed to increase civic knowledge and participation and to promote math and science in an effort to create "10,000 engineers".

Although no group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Zemmouri that left 3 dead, Algerian authorities have vowed to defeat terrorism and increase security during the month of Ramadan.

At the end of the Tunisian Football League's third round, ES Sahel tops the tables after defeating guests CA Bizertin 1-0 in a late match in Sousse on Wednesday (September 12th).

A videotape reportedly containing remarks by fugitive al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, released on the sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, was largely ignored in Morocco.

In response to union demands, Tunisia has established a fund to provide assistance to the country's journalists. The new fund will provide unemployment and health benefits to members, as well as low-cost loans and other services.

Recent declarations by former AIS official Madani Mezrag, who plans to form a new political party in Algeria, have raised a number of polarising questions about political rights under President Bouteflika's Charter for Peace.

Evidence that drug money contributes to terrorism is growing and Algeria is turning to international experts to help the country identify and address the problem.

Algerians are locked in a struggle between security forces and terrorists who have sunk to a new low by recruiting teenagers and sending them on suicide missions against their will.

Following two recent bombings in Algeria that left 50 dead, Tunisians have shown sympathy for the latest victims of terrorism.

Despite low turnout, Morocco's largely free and transparent elections have produced a right-leaning government. The question remains how the parties will form alliances and how the Prime Minister will be selected.

At a September 5th press conference in Casablanca, Reporters Without Borders made public a letter it intends to send to the King, calling on him to protect press freedom in Morocco.

FIFA concludes a five-day training course in Tunisia for football referees on Sunday. The course is part of a larger programme aimed at developing football in the Arab and African regions.

Despite being the freest elections in Moroccan history, the September 7th legislative elections failed to excite the majority of voters and motivate them to cast their ballots.

Algerians and foreigners condemned Thursday's attack in Batna, Algeria, while the government vowed to maintain its policy of national reconciliation.

Renaissance and Virtue Party (PRV) candidate Abdelbarii Zemzami's former work as an imam and his split from the Justice and Development Party (PJD) have attracted attention both in Morocco and abroad. His campaign platform and recent remarks against the PJD indicate the fierceness of his campaign.

Despite a slow start to the voting day, many Moroccans are heading to the polls with hopes of securing new and more responsive leaders in the House of Representatives.

As the September 7th elections approach, the question on many Moroccans' minds is whether or not they matter.

In the days leading up to Morocco's legislative elections, neither poll data nor public opinion offers a clear picture of what the next government will look like. Of equal interest is the cause of many Moroccans' reluctance to participate in the democratic process.

Algerian Customs have announced they will purchase six helicopters by the start of 2008, for the purpose of surveillance of smuggling activity across its borders with Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger and Tunisia.

Magharebia provides a guide to Morocco's election basics, from voter registration and casting one's ballot to counting the votes and resolving disputes.

For the first time, Morocco is allowing international observers full access to the country's Election Day proceedings. Observers hail from a number of countries and are organised under Morocco's Consultative Council for Human Rights and the US-based National Democratic Institute.

Moroccan Centre for Human Rights President Khalid Cherkaoui Semmouni discusses the Centre’s decision to independently monitor the September 7th elections, his thoughts on the U.S.'s National Democratic Institute's participation in the monitoring effort and the participation of Islamic parties in politics.

Seemingly unaffected by the conflict in the Sahara, front-running candidates in the Western Sahara are pulling out all the stops campaigning for the Moroccan elections in a highly-charged competitive atmosphere.

Algerian families have begun stocking up on extra food for Ramadan, but must also purchase supplies for the return to school on September 15th. This increase in spending is aggravated by a rise in food and consumer goods prices. To lessen the strain on family budgets, the government has opted to import large quantities of potatoes despite a record price increase in recent days.

In preparation for the September 7th legislative elections, political parties in Morocco have announced programmes targeting youth and women more than ever. Many parties seek to enhance public services for these sectors, in hopes of both securing their votes and aiding their integration into mainstream society.

Influential religious leader Sheikh Abdul-Bari az-Zamzami has chosen to run against the PJD in the September 7th elections. The split represents a challenge to the PJD, although many politicians believe both parties will win seats in the next Parliament.