Ould Sidi Mouloud father falls ill in US

2010-10-15 The father of the jailed former Polisario police chief Mustapha Ould Sidi Mouloud was taken to a Washington hospital on Wednesday after fainting during a meeting with a US congressman, MAP reported on Thursday (October 14th). Salma Ismaili Ould Sidi Mouloud is in the US to lobby legislators regarding his son's arrest and imprisonment. On September 21st, Polisario police arrested their former chief for treason after he returned to Algeria to mobilise support for Morocco's Western Sahara autonomy proposal.

In related Western Sahara news, Amnesty International called on Morocco to free three jailed Sahrawi activists scheduled to go on trial Friday in Casablanca. Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane and Ahmed Naciri have been imprisoned since last October, when they were arrested at the Casablanca airport after returning from the Tindouf camps. Four other activists received provisional release.

Algeria convicts French drug traffickers

2010-10-15 Three French nationals received prison sentences of 20 years to life for drug trafficking, Algerian press reported on Thursday (October 14th). In 2008, they were arrested at the Algiers port when customs officers uncovered 55 kilos of cannabis in a vehicle bound for France.

Maghreb indoor football teams to compete for Med title

2010-10-15 Libya held the draw for the first Mediterranean Indoor Football Championships, scheduled to begin November 1st in Tripoli, TAP reported on Thursday (October 14th). Libya and Morocco play in Group A with Greece and Syria, Algeria join Slovenia, France, and Albania in Group B and Tunisia are in Group C with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Malta. Group D features Croatia, Turkey, Palestine, and Lebanon.

"This championship will provide a good opportunity for the national teams of Tunisia, Morocco and Libya to prepare for the African nations' indoor football championship, scheduled on December in Burkina Faso," said Libyan indoor football commission chief Saadi Abdessalam.

Algeria hosts '5+5' military air drill

2010-10-14 As part of the 5+5 Initiative, Algeria on Wednesday (October 13th) launched a multinational air security exercise. Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia, along with European partners Spain, France, Italy, Malta and Portugal are participating in the 2-day "Circaète 2010" drill.

Algeria launches energy-efficient housing project

2010-10-14 Algeria plans to build some 600 new energy-efficient homes across the country, government officials announced on the sidelines of a renewable energy expo in Algiers, APS reported on Thursday (October 14th). The ambitious pilot project, to be launched in 2011, envisions the construction of "high energy performance" dwellings in Algiers, Blida, Djelfa, Setif, Skikda, Tamanrasset, Oran, El-Oued and other cities.

Antar Yahia stays with Bochum

2010-10-14 Algeria captain and Bochum defender Antar Yahia officially extended his contract with the German Bundesliga side until 2014, Le Buteur reported on Wednesday (October 13th). The deal was reached after negotiations on Yahia's salary.