Moroccan woman dies of swine flu during hajj

2009-11-22 A Moroccan woman is one of four hajj pilgrims to die from the H1N1 swine flu virus, Saudi Arabian health officials announced on Saturday (November 21st). According to the Saudi health ministry, none of the four foreign victims had been vaccinated against the virus. As part of H1N1 precautions during the hajj, Saudi Arabia outfitted air and sea terminals in Jeddah with thermal cameras and some 20,000 health workers have been deployed to Western Saudi Arabia, AFP reported.

Algerian teachers extend national strike

2009-11-22 Algeria's Autonomous Union of Secondary and Technical Teachers (SNAPEST) decided "unanimously" on Saturday (November 21st) to continue a nationwide strike for one more week. Teachers seek "further clarifications" from the government regarding their demands for a wage review and a retroactive system of benefits, APS quoted SNAPEST chief Meziane Meriane as saying.

Speaking Saturday to a national conference of provincial education officials, Education Minister Minister Boubekeur Benbouzid said schoolchildren "continue to suffer the vagaries of a highly disrupted schooling which, if [the strike] were to continue, irreversibly reduces their ability to cope with announced exams".

Tangier forum calls for Mediterranean co-operation

2009-11-22 The 2nd MEDays Forum ended Saturday (November 21st) in Tangier with a call to boost multilateralism and regional development, MAP reported. After meeting to discuss projects for a "new Mediterranean", some 200 political and economic actors also said in their "Declaration of Tangier" that the UN "must be the principal place of major decisions relevant to the common good of humanity".

EU, Libya ink infectious disease accord

2009-11-22 Libya and the European Union on Friday (November 20th) signed an agreement in Tripoli to enhance co-operation in infectious diseases prevention, treatment and control, ANSA reported. The agreement follows a 2007 memorandum of understanding credited with helping transform Benghazi Hospital into a leading regional HIV centre.

CAF draws Algeria, Tunisia CAN group pairings

2009-11-22 The two Maghreb teams set to play in the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola learned their CAF draw results in Luanda on Friday (November 20th). Algeria will play their first Group A match against Malawi in Luanda on January 11th. Angola and Mali are the other Group A teams. Tunisia will start their CAN campaign on January 13th, with a group D match against Zambia in Lobango. The other teams in group D are Cameroon and Gabon. The Cup runs from January 10th-31st.

The Algerian Football Federation, meanwhile, announced on Saturday that the national squad would hold a CAN training camp next January in France.

Algeria, top European squads to play World Cup practice friendlies

2009-11-22 Algeria coach Rabah Saadane will choose between England, Italy, Croatia and France for two World Cup practice friendlies in March and June of 2010, Tout sur l'Algerie reported on Saturday (November 21st).

In related news, Algeria is working to establish an Algerian sports TV channel before the 2010 World Cup, to provide "good coverage of the world event, particularly since our team has realised the dream and will be present in South Africa", Echorouk quoted Secretary of State for Communications Azzedine Mihoubi as saying on Saturday.

Sfaxiens host CRB for UNAF Winners' Cup semi-final

2009-11-22 Tunisian club CS Sfaxien will host reigning Algeria Cup champions CR Belouizdad on Sunday (November 22nd) in a UNAF Winners' Cup semi-final return match. Tunisia won the first leg 1-0. FAR Rabat and Ahly Benghazi will play the other semi-final in Libya on November 25th. Their first leg match in Morocco on October 13th ended in a goalless draw.

Tunisian swimmer Mellouli wins FINA World Cup medals in Singapore

2009-11-22 Tunisian Olympic medallist Oussama Mellouli won two FINA World Cup short course metre finals in Singapore on Saturday (November 21st). The 1500m freestyle gold medal winner at the Beijing Olympics posted a winning time of 4:05.79 in the men's 400m individual medley and took the 400m freestyle title in 3:38.18.