Magharebia

The Carthage Eagles staved off defeat at the hands of Les Bleus to prepare for the approaching CAN qualifiers.

Women have a pivotal role in managing family, personal and social consumption to benefit the environment, according to researchers who met last week in Tunis.

Stronger economic bonds are needed so that countries around the Mediterranean can compete with other regional trade blocs, said participants at a Hammamet conference.

On-air fighting between two Tunisian contestants on the popular singing competition angered one lawyer so much that he plans to take them and the show to court.

Legions of Moroccans turned out this week to see Elton John perform, despite demands by some to ban the legendary pianist for his gay lifestyle.

Some Algerian students and lecturers see shadows of the Black Decade's religious extremism in recent campus protests against "immoral" and "immodest" behaviours.

Despite Islamist hostility and a restrictive legal climate, homosexuals in Morocco are publishing a magazine that covers issues in their community and beyond.

Young graduates may find work opportunities in traditional industries like mosaics, which has seen a revival in El Jem.

Morocco's prime minister will establish a commission to consider opposition law-makers' critiques of his mid-term report.

"We want this place to be a platform for peace...because Mauritania is a land of peace and tolerance," said rapper and event co-organiser Kane Lima.

A new social dialogue committee that includes union representatives throughout the Maghreb will formulate new approaches to economic challenges.

Participants at a conference held in Algeria this week pushed for a return to the "marji'ya of moderation".

A new work from Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb aroused reaction in Cannes for its depiction of the Setif massacre and the suffering of a displaced Algerian family.

Some of Tunisia's past baccalaureate candidates have answered exam questions by using cell phones on the sly. That will change, if Ministry of Education officials have their way.

Moroccan legislators last week drew up a list of unions that are candidates to be part of a planned advisory council for the government.

The stone-throwing incident that caused frictions in Algerian-Egyptian relations last fall is making headlines again with a FIFA punishment that many see as a slap on the wrist.

Living abroad forces many Moroccans to adopt new customs while maintaining their roots.

Islamic experts at a meeting in Morocco pushed for consensus before issuing fatwas on major religious issues.

"These appointments send a positive message to member countries and partners," said new Corporate Human Resources Management head Gemina Archer-Davies.

Travel industry professionals now understand the importance of Tunisian tourists, according to the head of a tourism fair held this week in Tunis.

Rabat will welcome a host of local stars, as well as Elton John, B.B. King and other entertainers, to the Mawazine music festival this week.

Teachers in Mauritania believe they have an answer to the question: "How do you catch a baccalaureate candidate who tries to cheat?"

Artists from across the Maghreb gather in Tunisia for a regional heritage festival.

Young immigrants can serve a critical role as advocates of tolerance, said presenters at a Tunis forum.

Education, healthcare and employment have all improved under new government policies, Morocco's prime minister told Parliament on Monday.

Many North Africans condemn Salafist groups for using Islam to justify violence.

Algerian rail workers, who have been on strike for over a week, are ending their wage-related protest after reaching an agreement with the Transport Ministry.

Ministers from Tunisia and Libya met last week to tighten economic co-operation.

Many workers in Morocco's public sector claim that being posted in far-flung regions is inflicting severe hardships on their family life.

"The absence of Al-Jabri…is a great loss, not just for Moroccan philosophical and political thought, but also for all Arab thought," said researcher Ali Belmezian.

Obtaining quality medical care is a concern, say many Moroccan patients, even as the Health Ministry gears up to fill an acknowledged lack of doctors.

Asthma patients in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria often leave treatment to the last minute, according to a new report.

Tunisia aims to encourage political participation by establishing a youth parliament.

A US State Department invitation brought Imam Ahmed Salem Ould Cheikh Javar overseas to discuss the issue of tolerance as part of a wider dialogue among religions.

Despite revised rules of the road and a new radar system to snare speeders, Tunisia's drivers still face dangers while behind the wheel.

"I urge young people not to hasten to take up arms and engage in fighting in order to preserve lives," said former bin Laden associate Nasser al-Bahri.

More economic ties and fewer trade barriers will boost Maghreb-wide prosperity, said businesspeople from the region who met in Tunis this week.

Cheb Khaled, Hoba Hoba Spirit, Johnny Clegg and Ziggy Marley appeared at last week's Rabat concert to announce the winners of Morocco's Generation Mawazine competition.

On a high note for the Maghreb, Tahrah from Morocco is leading the public vote in "Star Academy 7".

Moderate Tunisians who try to make themselves heard on Facebook are facing a sometimes successful campaign of harassment and threats.

Algeria is exploring ways to curb the threat of online crime and hackers' attacks, and IT security experts at a recent Algiers seminar called international collaboration crucial.

The proposal by Saif al-Islam al-Kadhafi that Libya create a constitution is being hailed by some Libyans and shrugged off by others.

Middle East and North Africa finance chiefs seek to consolidate international standards against money laundering.

"This is a chance for the electronic media to be the pilot for the reform of Arab media," magazine editor Hadia Said told Magharebia.

The Moroccan Youth Ministry plans to provide better playground facilities for youngsters, as the lack of parks force many children to amuse themselves on busy arteries.

One Tunisian student's mother calls the current physical education testing the "key to the bac exams".

The lack of full disclosure about the government's counter-terror successes actually ends up compromising Moroccan security, some citizens say.

Disabled citizens should be more closely integrated into the workforce, said participants in a recent Tunisian awareness-raising campaign.

The ITQANE project will give secondary-school teachers more skills to help them keep young Moroccans from abandoning their studies.

To welcome the growing number of tourists who choose destinations using the internet, Tunisia is boosting its online presence.

In part two of a recent interview, Noman Benotman speaks out against the religious precedents often used to justify violent extremism.

Reporters and editors from Mauritania to Tunisia scrutinised their work environment during a global day in solidarity with the press.

Despite a UK move that brings Rafik Khalifa closer to extradition, Algerians who lost their savings as a result of his swindle believe that justice has yet to come.

Human rights activist Farouk Ksentini praised Algerian advances towards national reconciliation, but told participants in an Algiers meeting that more must be done.

The 2010 edition of the Rally OiLibya of Tunisia will be shorter, rougher and "sandier" than ever before.

Libyan Islamist Noman Benotman derides the al-Qaeda "two-camp" theory as "nothing but a political slogan".