Magharebia

Cinema can become a bridge for co-operation and cross-cultural exchange, participants at Tunisia's 17th European Film Days festival emphasised.

As many as 30,000 Algerians could be living with HIV or AIDS.

While violence against women is down across Morocco, a new public awareness campaign centred on men aims to further reduce the problem.

Algerians seek to hone their emergency assistance skills through a massive new programme.

While the US State Department report on religious freedom praised Maghreb states for their efforts to confront extremist ideology, it noted that restrictions on religious liberties persist in the region.

This year's edition of Mauritania's well-known film festival features new female directors, sensitive issues and a brand-new documentary film award.

Under-equipped and overcrowded rural schools in Morocco cause concern among educators, parents and officials.

A bill aimed at rescuing Algeria's struggling film industry is stirring mixed reactions from MPs.

Family structures in Morocco remain strong, but assistance between neighbours and communities at large are in decline.

While some argue that Tunisian young people join party ranks to inject new energy into the country's political scene, others see it as a merely selfish act.

An American artist assisted Mauritanian painters in producing a mural and several other works to mark the country's independence.

For many young Tunisians, urban walls become a space to express their likes and frustrations.

The death of a well-known Moroccan Jewish activist has touched off a range of reactions from the public.

Faced with a growing number of big shopping malls, Tunisian small enterprises endure not only low demand but increasing obstacles from producers.

Tunisian government employees choose to hold two or more jobs to provide for themselves, a practice that not only puts them at odds with the law but frustrates their job-hunting compatriots.

Business groups seek to encourage female economic entrepreneurship in order to bolster employment in Tunisia.

Policy-makers and civil society groups call for action on rising deaths in childbirth in Morocco.

The natural wealth gap between cities and rural areas is widening in Morocco, experts say.

Journalism in the Maghreb is still in its early stages, according to a Tunisian news presenter working in Libya.

Members of the so-called "Facebook Generation" are confronting the traditional notion that age defines ability.

A major grassroots campaign recently called international attention to the underreported issues of sexual harassment and assault against women in Muslim states.

While experts note that Algeria has come a long way to tackle gender-based violence, attacks on women remain a persistent problem.

A long-awaited financial assistance programme for Moroccan female divorcees begins in 2011.

Tunisia's upcoming match against Botswana is critical if the team is to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Building an empowered and equitable information society for young people was the main topic of an international ICT conference in Tunisia.

Despite soaring food prices, pre-Eid shopping madness in Algeria turns even the stingiest consumers into lavish spenders.

A few days before Eid al-Adha, frustration and panic are running high among Algerian buyers as the country's main postal company is experiencing a rare crisis.

Pirates based in Somalia took 23 Tunisians hostage just days before Eid al-Adha.

Sightseeing businesses in Algeria expressed anger at the government's decision to limit foreign visitors because of kidnapping concerns.

A growing number of Algerians are demanding Islamic banking products in order to avoid riba and the turmoil of the financial markets.

Foreign military intervention is a "last resort" in the fight against terrorism, according to a senior US defence official.

Algeria prepares for the post-oil future by promoting its most famous agricultural product.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's decision to free imprisoned journalists raises questions about a possible rift between hard-liners and reformists in the country's political scene.

Even though the UN-backed Western Sahara informal negotiations ended without a breakthrough, the parties agreed to meet again.

Both sides agree that Moroccan forces dismantled a Sahrawi protest camp. There's less unanimity on the reason.

Terrorists have used tens of millions of euros in ransom from kidnapping and other criminal activities in the Sahel-Saharan region to finance operations across the globe.

The CAF decision to disqualify the Mourabitounes for three years disappointed fans and football players. Some, however, see a silver lining to the move.

Tunisia's experienced medical personnel, coupled with the country's mild climate, render the country a prime health spot for Maghrebi patients.

Protestors continue to gather outside parliament to decry the new austerity measures.

Moroccan officials met with the European Union representatives to gauge the successes and failures of the National Human Development Initiative.

As Algerians are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha, many are concerned about the possibility of increased money counterfeiting during the holiday season.

In what some view as an important step towards Maghreb unity, Tunisia and Libya reached an agreement to lift restrictions on movement of travellers and goods.

Smoking claims 7,000 lives every year in Tunisia, and educators, parents and officials are worried that young smokers are on a dangerous path.

Despite modest progress over the last year, corruption remains rampant across Algeria, an annual report says.

Meeting in Morocco, experts recommended ways to overcome the chasm separating Western and Islamic cultures.

One young Moroccan began his media career by writing a satirical blog. Now he's one of the most popular presenters on Nessma TV.

Officials defended the decision to end al-Jazeera broadcast rights as an effort to protect Morocco's image and territorial integrity.

Isabelle Gilier spoke to Magharebia about the joys and challenges of performing in Algeria.

Unemployed Tunisian youth see electronic recruitment agencies as a way out.

Algeria and Mauritania are the only Maghreb countries to avoid a decline in press freedom, according to a newly-released Reporters Without Borders report.

Is Rai music disappearing? Magharebia met with rai trailblazer Houari Benchenet to find out what lays in store for the genre.

A just-released Human Rights Watch report criticised Morocco for what it called "illegal detentions" of terrorism suspects, provoking strong reactions from the Kingdom.

Gender equality must be realised in order to advance sustainable economic development, Arab women said in Gammarth at the AWO Congress.

While the number of people flocking to the 15th Algiers Book Fair attests to Algerians' unflagging interest in reading, exorbitant prices turned off even the most intrepid readers.

Authorities are betting on social projects as a way to combat terrorism and boost relations among Sahel-Saharan states.