Algeria news - May 12

El Khabar - With the Paris club's acceptance of Algeria's offer to pay it off, Algeria's debt drops by over 50% to $7 billion, down from over $30 billion in 1995-7. Excellent news; one can but hope that they'll pay off the rest as well. But do they have a viable economic strategy for when oil is cheap, as well as when it's expensive? (though oil may never be cheap again...)

Liberte: Communal guard killed at fake roadblock at Chabet el Ameur, bomb aimed at pursuing troops kills civilian on roadside; ex-communal guard killed at Bordj-Menaiel; bomb injures two soldiers by Bouaydel near Ammal.

El Khabar: Regional branches of Pasteur Institute to be opened, creating 5000 jobs for doctors.

Liberte: A total of 51 km of cable stolen in the wilaya of Medea over 2005; and ~10% of energy produced is stolen. Well, that's one excuse for the abysmal electric system, anyway.