Cairo, Egypt - Maybe the war between Algeria and Egypt is not quite finished. The Cairo International Book Fair, to be held this January, has already experienced the fallout of the recent football row that saw Egyptians and Algerians attack one another in the street. Publishers are pulling out of the region’s largest book fair. The Algerian National Union of Book Publishers has decided, after the meeting of the Executive Board in its regular session held December 17 last, to boycott the Cairo International Book Fair to be held in January.
Algeria is planning to introduce a centralised system for filtering (i.e. censoring) the internet. It is also proposing stiff penalties for anyone who circumvents the government's filtering, according to the Magharebia news website. Algeria is one of the few Arab countries (along with Egypt and Iraq) that does not routinely block access to disapproved websites at present, though it seeks to control internet use in other ways.
Algiers, Algeria - Maghreb film-makers and directors made a strong showing in France at the 14th International Prize for Mediterranean Documentary and Reportage organised by the Mediterranean Centre for Audiovisual Communication (CMCA), which ended its 5-day run in Marseilles on Monday (December 14th).
An Algerian court on Sunday sentenced Guantanamo Bay detainee Ahmed Belbacha to 20 years in prison for being part of an "overseas terrorist group." Belbacha has been cleared for release from the US military prison facility but has said he does not want to return to his home country of Algeria for fear of torture and has requested asylum in the US. Belbacha has been held in Guantanamo since 2002 after he was captured in Pakistan
Algiers, Algeria - In a move to boost the country's film industry, Algeria plans to create a state-owned cinema-production company, ANSA reported on Monday (November 9th). Culture Minister Khalida Toumi said the funds necessary for the creation of the studio would be included in the "cinema bill to be presented to Parliament in 2010".
Algiers, Algeria - Despite some stormy disagreements, the Salon du Livre d'Alger (SILA) 2009 is under way in Algiers and will run until Friday (November 6th). This year's slogan for the international book fair, the most important literary event in Algeria, is "The Book is King". More than 120,000 titles are on offer to readers at the event.
Algiers, Algeria - The Ministry of Culture advertised a book that insulted the president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and criticized the regime in Algeria, allowing even a dedication at Mohamed Zinet cinema room, at Ryad El Feth, Algiers. The novel, entitled "Poutakhine", written by Mehdi El Jazairi, has obtained an ISBN number through the Ministry of Culture despite containing harsh criticism of President of the Republic Bouteflika.
Algiers, Algeria - The production team for Star Academy Maghreb rolled into Algiers on Sunday (October 25th), where over a hundred aspiring performers nervously waited to audition. Organisers estimate 160 young people came to perform, each hoping for a chance at stardom.
Cairo, Egypt - The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), stated that the upcoming 27th of October will be a critical day for press freedom in Algeria, as the court of Djelfa, southern Algeria, will issue its sentence against the journalist Hefnawy bin Amer Al-Ghoul. The Prosecutor General accused Al-Ghoul of insult, libel and defamation of "governmental bodies", as well as the "abuse of power" in three different cases which penalties range from 34 months to 14 years in prison and fines in accordance with Articles 156 and 66 of the Algerian Penal Code.
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