Magharebia

Celebrations are always tempered by high prices and limited budgets and New Year's Eve is no exception. Tunisians discuss the money factor in gift-giving and attending soirées.

While not traditionally considered one of the nation's holidays, New Year's celebrations are becoming a reality for many Moroccans.

Authorities in Mauritania arrested three new suspects in the investigation of the killing of four French tourists on Christmas Eve. Police in neighbouring Mali and Senegal have joined in the hunt for the three suspected attackers.

The Tunisian government has launched a new campaign to promote the handicrafts industry, featuring traditional goods from the city of Nabeul. If successful, the programme will be extended to other cities.

A recently published report reveals causes of the sex tourism industry in Morocco and suggests several ways to combat the phenomenon.

Algeria's top authority on telecommunications recently announced the country will change from 9-digit to 10-digit telephone numbers early next year. The change is intended to serve Algeria's fast-growing mobile and fixed-line telephone markets.

This week's High Council on Employment provided an opportunity for Moroccan employers, labour leaders and government officials to assess the progress of three distinct job-creation programmes.

ES Sahel failed to score in their first match after placing fourth in the FIFA Club World Cup, reaching a draw with ES Zarzis. In weekend action, Club Africain built their point tally to keep the top spot in League rankings

A new government body announced Friday by King Mohammed VI will protect the rights and interests of expatriate Moroccans.

A recent poll posted on Aljazeera.net has sparked controversy in Algeria, where citizens have demanded apology for what they deem support for al-Qaeda's violent operations in the country.

In its third year running, Morocco's hajj lottery system has been expanded to include travel agencies. However, demand still exceeds the population-based quotas established by Saudi Arabia.

Morocco's Royal Advisory Council for Sahara Affairs called on the Polisario Front last week to accept an autonomy proposal. A Polisario Front congress that ended Thursday reiterated a possible return to arms if future negotiations are not fruitful.

The most important game in round 11 of Morocco's top league championship was played Sunday (December 16th) between Ittihad Zemmouri de Khemisset (IZK...

Recent attacks in Algeria have stimulated a debate in neighbouring Morocco over the country's ability to prevent similar events.

Claiming they lost their contracts for political reasons, three Tunisian secondary school teachers launched a hunger strike five weeks ago to compel the education ministry to restore their jobs. Attention to their protest has mounted, along with concern about their deteriorating health.

Spanish judge Juan Del Olmo arrived in Morocco on Monday to continue his investigation of the terrorist attack in Madrid in March 2004. Saad El Houssaini, a prisoner in Moroccan custody, is suspected of preparing the explosives used in the bombing.

Tunisia has taken steps to make this year's pilgrimage easier for participants. Even though all participants attend training sessions on how to perform the rites, the government has implored people to be calm and patient

One week after terrorist bombings shook the Algerian capital, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon travelled to the scenes to honour UN workers killed and send a message to terrorist groups that the organisation is undaunted by the attacks.

Club Africain's winning streak came to an end in the 13th round of Tunisia's Premier League tournament, following a tie against ES Zarzis on Saturday.

Morocco will compete for the first time in the 2008 Dakar Rally. A female race car driver for the country's inaugural team wants to "raise the Moroccan flag" at the finish line on January 20th.

Prime Minister and FLN leader Abdelaziz Belkhadem says his party will seek to amend the Algerian Constitution to permit a third term for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The announcement has sparked fierce debate both inside and outside the ruling coalition.

Moroccan politicians seeking to tap into the skills of Moroccans living overseas have established a network of "business ambassadors". They hope to get expats involved in boosting the economy of their home country, raise the interest of foreign investors and attract large-scale investment projects.

In an attempt to stimulate the deregulation and development of Tunisia's airwaves, Radio 6 recently launched programming exclusively on the internet.

Trade delegations from Jordan, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco met in Tunis on December 12th-13th for the first economic forum under the Agadir free trade agreement.

Polisario Secretary-General Mohamed Abdelaziz told the 12th congress that his group is waging a "war of liberation". Morocco considers holding the congress in an UN buffer zone a violation of the ceasefire.

A new survey of Moroccan society offers the first scientific look at religious values and practices in the country. While young Moroccans are less religious than their elders, they are also more inclined to embrace radicalism.

Draws, new coaches mark Moroccan premier league tenth round play.

The 7th Marrakesh International Film Festival, running from December 7th-15th, pays tribute to key cinema figures from across the globe. As Morocco hosts international stars, directors and cinephiles, hopes are high that the event will boost the country's struggling film sector.

Spain announces plan to boost farm worker permit program for Moroccan women. The agricultural workers say the seasonal employment pay makes it worthwhile to leave their families behind in Morocco for three months.

Following Tuesday's bloody attacks in neighbouring Algeria, Tunisians hope the violence will not spread to their country.

From average citizens to high-ranking officials, Moroccans roundly condemned Tuesday's attacks in Algiers. They see the tragedy as a call for Morocco and Algeria to co-ordinate counter-terrorism efforts.

Experts say Tuesday's twin attacks show that remnants of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in Algeria are going out of their way to impress leader Osama bin Laden. Algerian officials have vowed to fight terrorists "most severely".

With ES Sahel's match against AS Gabès postponed, Club Africain take the lead in Tunisian Premier League football.

Exactly eight months after a twin attack in Algiers, the indescribable drama was replayed today. After a few months of calm, suicide bombers have returned to spread panic in Algiers.

Two bombings in the centre of Algiers on Tuesday morning have left over 60 dead and many more injured. Eyewitnesses have recounted similarities to the fatal attacks of April 11th.

Faced with his country's agricultural and economic troubles, King Mohammed VI may decide to cancel this year's celebration of Eid al-Adha.

Since Moroccan Minister of State Mohamed El Yazghi's resignation last week from his position as first secretary of the USFP, the prestigious party plans changes to usher in a new era.

A seminar in Tunisia addressed the issue of illegal immigration in the lead-up to this weekend's EU-Africa summit in Lisbon on the same issue. Officials at both events call for a balanced strategy and the "political will" to improve the situation.

International journalists view Slim Boukhdhir's conviction and sentencing last week as a form of state-sanctioned censorship. The Tunisian Journalists Association declines to take an official position.

Morocco's agriculture ministry announces plans to help farmers contend with the effects of drought. The comprehensive effort for next season includes irrigation, crop diversification, mechanisation and financial assistance.

As Morocco's popular training class for female preachers gets ready to start, women comment on the innovative program's success.

A seminar in Tunis this week offered historians and theologians the opportunity to exchange ideas on the Christian history of Carthage, with a focus on Tertullian, the "Father of the Latin Church".

Morocco passes bills reducing profit taxes for corporations and banking institutions following a week of tensions and heated arguments in parliament.

To call for a law prohibiting violence against women, international group Global Rights has partnered with ten Moroccan NGOs for a two-week national campaign.

Business leaders gathered in Tunisia last week to discuss financial integration between the Maghreb countries and development of trade and investment relationships with Asia.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Algeria yielded a number of economic agreements, as well as new remarks on the two countries' colonial history.

In Round 11 of Tunisia's top football championship over the weekend, Club Africain defeated La Marsa and Espérance sustained a second consecutive loss.

KAC Kenitra surprised Raja Casablanca in the ninth round of the Moroccan Football Premier League and FAR Rabat held on to league ranking lead, while Olympique Khouribga climbed to second place.

A recent Tunis seminar on gender inequality drew representatives of development associations and NGOs from across the Maghreb region.

The Moroccan Interior Ministry claims the ethnocentric Moroccan Amazigh Democratic Party is illegal. The party counters that the move compelling it to go to court this month is part of an Arabisation policy to destroy the Amazigh identity.

Algeria's recent local elections yielded some surprises in the voting results, but the process passed without disruption or violent incident.

Regulation of Algeria's journalism trade is under scrutiny, with a new draft bill currently under review by lawmakers and media professionals alike. Editors and journalists have until December 9th to submit their comments and suggestions.

With crime on the rise in Morocco’s cities, the government has acted to reassure the public by adopting a raft of new security measures.