Magharebia

A recent report indicates a new reality in Algerian schools: females appear to be more interested in learning. They have surpassed male students in academic performance.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has long been expected to announce his intention to serve a third term in office, but in the absence of any public statements from the leader the opposition is beginning to heat up.

The Tunisian city of Hammamet hosted more than 200 teachers and education professionals this week for a conference designed to bolster African educators' IT knowledge.

Throughout the month of Ramadan, Moroccans spend much of their time watching television. Network representatives have promised an improved season of programmes this year, but viewers remain sceptical.

As the number of festivals grows each year in Morocco, the Ministry of Culture is handing the reins of festival organisation and management over to civil society and regional authorities.

The Algerian government adopted a new law to step up border surveillance and improve communications between the customs authority and the gendarmerie.

The Algerian government has apparently acknowledged links between the GSPC and al-Qaeda and called upon the public to form a national front against terrorism.

Moroccan politicians and civil society leaders welcomed the creation of a new anti-corruption authority in Morocco but cautioned against its affiliation to the government.

Algerians say a new tax on new cars will hurt both dealers and middle class citizens, who will have to pay more for their vehicles.

Morocco decided to end this summer's experiment with daylight saving time early, in order to accommodate Ramadan schedules for praying and fasting.

Morocco's poor showing at the Beijing Olympics Games is leading some sports fans, athletes and trainers in the Kingdom to question government support of sports training programmes.

With two medals – silver and bronze in judo – Algeria came in 65th on the medals table.

Olympic swimmer and gold medal winner Oussama Mellouli made a triumphant return home to Tunisia on Saturday, received by family and fans at Carthage Airport.

Competitors from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia saw their medal hopes dashed on Saturday as as more athletes were eliminated at the Beijing Games.

Morocco was the only Maghreb country to compete on the 16th and final day of the Beijing Olympics. For fans back home, elite runner Jaouad Gharib's silver medal in the marathon event made the wait worthwhile.

Morocco's hopes for a taekwondo medal are pinned to only one remaining athlete. Tunisia's last athlete in the martial art will compete on Saturday.

Anticipated increases in food prices during the month of Ramadan have Moroccans worried, particularly given the rise in the cost-of-living index since last year.

In a new message broadcast Thursday, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for three recent attacks in Algeria that killed 68 people.

Two Moroccan women qualified for the 1500m finals, while two Algerian men moved ahead in the 800m event.

As Tunisian families prepare for Ramadan food expenses and paying for children's back-to school needs, people are turning to sales and bank loans to get by.

Residents of Sidi Ifni and surrounding areas mounted a new protest this week against unemployment and underdevelopment in the region. When demonstrators attempted a new blockade of the city's port facilities, police stepped in to restore order.

Further eliminations in boxing and taekwondo mean that Maghreb hopes for more medals are pinned to the region's fleet-footed runners.

Students across Algeria scored very well on their final exams in 2008, intensifying the competition for university admissions and popular majors.

The "Holidays for All" summer camps for disadvantaged Moroccan children have been well received by the public and the government, which plans to expand the programme in the coming years.

Twin explosions in Bouira on Wednesday left eleven dead after another day of deadly terrorist attacks in Algeria. The bombings prompted former GSPC leader Hassan Hattab to call for an end to the bloodshed.

The eleventh day of the Beijing Games failed to bring more medal honours to the Maghreb, though chances still remain in athletics and taekwondo.

The 44th Carthage International Festival came to an end on Sunday. Reactions from organisers and fans have been positive, with large audiences turning out for a wide variety of Tunisian, Arab and Western music.

Moroccan athlete Hasna Benhassi took third place in the women's 800m run on Monday, to win her country's first medal in this year's Olympic Games. Despite the victory, many fans are disappointed at Morocco's performance in Beijing.

A suicide bombing on Tuesday killed dozens of young military recruits. Some observers noted similarities to al Qaeda operations in Iraq.

Day 10 of Olympic competition saw Morocco earn its first medal, a bronze in the women's 800m running race. Hasna Benhassi ran her season best, but was edged out by two runners from Kenya.

Organisers of an international geography conference held in Tunisia last week noted the heightened participation of Arab geographers.

Swimmer Oussama Mellouli became the first Olympic gold medallist from Tunisia since 1968 on Sunday, beating Australia's Grant Hackett to win the men's 1,500m freestyle.

Maghreb hopes on the eighth day of the Olympics were pinned on athletics and boxing events. Moroccan runner Hasna Benhassi pleased fans with her qualification to the 800m finals and Algerian featherweight boxer Abdelkader Chadi advanced to the quarter finals.

Swimmer Oussama Mellouli made history in Beijing on Sunday by winning Tunisia's first gold medal in 40 years. Olympic medal aspirations remain alive for some other Maghreb athletes in athletics and boxing events.

Several Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian runners qualified to the next rounds of the athletics competitions, which started Friday.

Tunisia's government-owned dorms are too full to meet demand and private dorms are seen as too expensive. As the start of the academic year nears, students struggle to find lodging.

Moroccan beaches are safer to visit than ever before. Authorities have provided significant resources to guarantee safer bathing, including equipment for rescues at sea, first aid centres and well-trained lifeguards.

Maghreb boxers continue to prove themselves in Beijing, an Algerian swimmer posts a respectable finish in a tough heat and runners prepare for Track and Field events to begin.

Athletics has traditionally been Morocco's strongest event on the international scale. With all athletes apart from three boxers having been eliminated from other competitions, Moroccans have their medal hopes set on their athletics stars.

Algerian judoka Amar Benikhlef won a silver medal on Wednesday—the second for his country at the Beijing Olympics. The win has created widespread excitement and affirmed the strength of Algeria's judo programme.

Algeria won its second medal of the games on Wednesday, this time a silver in heavyweight judo. Moroccan heavyweight boxer Mohammed Arjaoui qualified to the semi-finals.

Remittances from Moroccans have been on the rise. The government hopes more Moroccans overseas will invest in their country of origin.

The military council that claims authority in Mauritania announced on Tuesday that General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz assumed the powers of deposed President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi.

The fourth day of competition in Beijing yielded no medals for the Maghreb, but boxers Hicham Mesbahi of Morocco and Walid Cherif of Tunisia both secured wins to advance them into the next round.

Morocco and Spain are working to finalise plans for a tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar, to present to a joint EU-Moroccan commission in October. If successful, the tunnel would link Africa to Europe by rail.

In an effort to halt the brain drain in Algeria, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has decided to end scholarships granted to top test-takers. The move has met with mixed reactions from Algerian universities.

Maghreb athletes had a largely disappointing Monday in Beijing, although Algeria's Driess Chaouki, Tunisia's Alaa Shili and Morocco's Driss Mousaid all moved ahead in their competitions.

Algeria scored a sports landmark on the second day of the Olympic Games, when Soraya Haddad became the first-ever African woman to win an Olympic judo medal, while a Tunisian swimming sensation failed to qualify.

The Mauritanian military's recent takeover of the state has raised questions about democratic transition in Tunisia.

Soraya Haddad of Algeria took the first medal for Algeria at the 2008 Olympic Games on Sunday, a bronze in judo. The medal was seen as a just reward for her commendable performance, given the intense competition from North Korea and China.

On the eve of their quest for Olympic gold, Algerian athletes got a boost of confidence in Beijing from former medallists and President Bouteflika.

Olympic teams from the Maghreb made a good showing on Saturday, though none have secured medals.

A suicide bomber attacked a coast guard post in Zemmouri on Saturday, leaving six dead and 18 injured in what many are calling retaliation against the government for its intensified anti-terror operations.

The Moroccan judo team will begin their quest for medals in the Beijing Olympic Games on Saturday. The team has four athletes competing, each in different weight classes.

The military council that seized power in Mauritania issued a statement a day after the coup promising a swift transition back to democratic government. Mauritanian opinion is divided amid international condemnation.

The first ID cards have been issued to artists in Morocco, in the latest official step the government has taken to improve and regulate the profession.

Al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for two recent suicide bombings in Lakhdaria and Tizi Ouzou. Algeria's Interior Ministry says it has identified the suicide bomber in the second attack.

To bridge differences and counter the "clash of civilisations" concept, Morocco's International Assilah Cultural Festival began Sunday under a unifying theme. This year, the 30-year-old event is called "The Alliance of Civilisations".

A Spanish programme comes into effect next month that will use financial incentives to reduce the number of unemployed Moroccan immigrants in the country.

A military coup led by General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz has ousted Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi from power and created a Council of State to govern the country. Mauritanians are divided over the move, while the international community condemned the overthrow of democracy.

In response to alarming levels of unemployment in the country, particularly among university graduates, the Tunisian government has pledged to provide one million new jobs by 2016.

Both Morocco and the Polisario Front have expressed their intention to continue negotiations on Western Sahara, though the latter wishes to do so without UN envoy Peter van Walsum as mediator.

Morocco called once again for re-opening its common border with Algeria after 14 years of closure. Algeria has expressed a desire to rekindle relations between the two countries, but was largely silent in response to Morocco's most recent appeal.

Algérie Télécom Satellite will soon offer customers teleconferencing, VoIP and GPS services, linking even the remote "Grand Sud" region of the country to the rest of the world.

Since oil and food subsidies may fail to reach the country's poorest citizens, Morocco is overhauling the Caisse de Compensation to provide eligible families with direct aid to pay for necessities.

A failed suicide attack targeting a Tizi Ouzou police station killed no one but the bomber early on Sunday morning. Analysts say the attack was a response to several successful and aggressive moves by Algerian security forces.

Moroccan politician Fouad Ali El Himma has long been a media sensation, thanks to his close association with King Mohammed VI. His announcement that he will lead a new political party is widely seen as a direct challenge to Islamist opposition party, the PJD.

A delegation of Casablanca high school students recently spent several days in the United States for an international youth conference aimed at increasing global co-operation at the grassroots level.

The Tunisian president announced his intention this week to seek a fifth term in next year's election. Business and labour organisations welcomed the move while opposition figures warned of a "presidency for life".