Results, expected Thursday, will decide if ruling party keeps its majority in parliament
More than 3,000 candidates vied for seats in the National Assembly; more than 18,000 municipal officials will be elected
Ould Abdel Aziz going home after six-week stay in France to recover from reported accidental shooting by soldier
Many in Bamako worry that country's army is still too disorganized, poorly equipped to take back region alone
Education ministry, aid agencies scramble to meet needs in region controlled by al-Qaida linked Islamist militants
Troops from West African bloc would be used to retake northern Mali from al-Qaida-linked Islamist militants who seized control of region in April
Analysts blame Algeria's complex and opaque decision making process for not taking a clear position about fights across its south border
The government takes unorthodox measures to help flood victims
