North Africa news stories on Newser

Thousands March in Morocco

Evann Gastaldo — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 12:48:05 CST

The protests sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa have made their way to Morocco, where demonstrators took to the streets of the capital today. An organizer estimates more than 5,000 people attended, demanding a new constitution, among other things; police put the number at less than 3,...

Tunisian Police Kill 2, Injure 17

Mark Russell — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 05:24:11 CST

Two people were killed by police gunfire and 17 were injured in northwestern Tunisia yesterday, after a local police chief allegedly slapped a woman during a demonstration, causing protesters to turn against the police. About 1,000 people threw stones and small firebombs at the local police station, burning two...

Rush: Who Cares About Journalist Attacks in Egypt?

Kevin Spak — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:00:05 CST

For some reason, Rush Limbaugh isn’t particularly worried about the journalists being systematically attacked in Egypt. “It is being breathlessly reported that the Egyptian army is rounding up foreign journalists,” Rush said, in a segment caught by Mediaite . "Now this is supposed to make us feel what exactly? Are we...

Algeria Lifting 19-Year State of Emergency

Rob Quinn — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 07:20:00 CST

Algeria's president, apparently trying to stave off unrest, says the state of emergency that has been in place since 1992 will be lifted "in the very near future." President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has told ministers that state-controlled media should give air time to all political parties, and that protest marches—currently...

Global Rates of Alzheimer's Disease Soar

Nick McMaster — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:40:37 CDT

Rising life expectancy in the developing world will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of people stricken by Alzheimer’s disease, HealthDay News reports. The number of dementia cases worldwide will reach 35.6 million in 2010, a 10% increase over the total in 2005. That number is expected...

Face of Jihad Ever More Youthful

Wesley Oliver — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:03:46 CST

They’re young, impressionable, disillusioned, and they’re seeking out al-Qaeda: Muslims as young as 15 are connecting with Islamic extremists over the web and becoming radicalized through jihadist videos and literature, the Christian Science Monitor reports. In Morocco and elsewhere, teenagers reinforce an increasingly decentralized al-Qaeda. They have “no clear links...

Algiers Searches for Missing

Lucas Laursen — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:44:35 CST

Rescuers worked though the night to locate missing UN workers and others trapped in the rubble left by yesterday's twin car bombs in Algiers, which a North African group linked to al-Qaeda claims to have detonated. Death counts vary, but the UN estimates that 45 were killed, including a dozen...

European Militants Find Training in Pakistan

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 18:38:38 CDT

Renewed Al-Qaeda strength on the Pakistan-Afghan border is wooing European militants to train in Pakistan, the Los Angeles Times reports. Fighters who are wary of Iraq—where they may have to strap on a bomb on short notice—can enjoy being groomed for missions in Pakistan. “Pakistan worries me more...

BP Snags Libyan Gas Fields

Sam Gale Rosen — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT

The deal BP made with Libya this week for rights to huge gas fields demonstrates the new attraction North Africa has for investors. Once controlled by what Business Week calls "pariahs and basket cases," the area now looks stable (compared to the Middle East, that is) and is a good...