Morocco to attend a meeting on Western Sahara issue in Austria Aug 9, 2009
RABAT, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Morocco will take part in a limited-person meeting in Austria on Aug. 9 to 11, at the invitation of UN Secretary General's Special Envoy Christopher Ross, to seek a permanent solution to the issue of Western Sahara, state MAP news agency quoted Moroccan Foreign Ministry as saying. The informal meeting is to be held in preparations for the fifth round of talks between the regional parties directly related to the situation. (Xinhuanet, China)
Western Sahara: The Sahrawi - Seeking Solace in a Dream [analysis] Aug 8, 2009
But where international justice continues to fail the oppressed, the fight continues in Laayoune's alleys and streets, where the idea of independence from Rabat is rooted in the lives of the 160,000 refugees, as well as families torn apart. The walls on these neighbourhoods are tagged 'Morocco, Morocco out. (allAfrica.com)
Morocco suppresses poll despite favorable results for king Aug 6, 2009
Rabat, Morocco - A news weekly that dared to ask Moroccans what they thought of their king was seized and destroyed over the weekend even though the survey's respondents gave the monarch an overwhelming thumbs up. Local and international human rights groups condemned the confiscation, but the Moroccan courts upheld it on Tuesday. (Christian Science Monitor)
Morocco: New Law, But the Same Old Men Aug 1, 2009
Rabat The new Moroccan family law was designed to give women equal rights in the family. But five years after its introduction, Moroccan women leaders say opposition to the law from politicians and within the judicial system persists, and the new law has not been able to change Moroccan mentality. (allAfrica.com)
Morocco: Western Sahara Drains Development [analysis] Aug 1, 2009
Rabat Informal talks are being held in Vienna between the different parties involved in the long lasting conflict over the Western Sahara. A new plan proposed by the Obama administration will be discussed between the Polisario and the Kingdom of Morocco. (allAfrica.com)
World's Best Beach Food? Jul 29, 2009
Rabat, Morocco at this little beachfront bistro that served the freshest of fish and about 10 different kinds. Everything there was especially good but the fish was amazing. (Epicurious.com)
Islamic Moroccos king calls Holocaust tragic Jul 26, 2009
RABAT, Morocco - From the western edge of the Muslim world, the king of Morocco has dared to tackle one of the most inflammatory issues in the Middle East conflict the Holocaust. At a time when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's dismissal of the Holocaust has made the biggest headlines, King Mohammed VI has called the Nazi destruction of the Jews "one of the most tragic chapters of modern history," and has endorsed a Paris-based program aimed at spreading the word among fellow Muslims. (MSNBC -- International)
Giresse turns Gabon into a World Cup force Jul 22, 2009
To the coach who made the best choice of players and tactics and to the players who executed the style of play, said the former Toulouse (twice), PSG, FAR Rabat and Georgia coach. I expect my players to always be committed and ready to achieve something big. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Sports)
Lemerre resigns as Morocco coach Jul 11, 2009
RABAT: Roger Lemerres departure as Morocco coach was made official on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation over the future of the French manager. Lemerre leaves a year into his four-year contract after a resolution of pay-off terms was reached with the Morocco Football Federation, spokesman Abdelah Ghellam told reporters. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Sports)
Morocco give Lemerre the boot Jul 9, 2009
RABAT: Frances Euro 2000 winning coach Roger Lemerre was sacked on Tuesday as coach of the Moroccan national team just a year after being appointed, a senior member of the Moroccan Football Federation said. The 68-year-old, who was also sacked by France after they exited in the first round of the 2002 World Cup when they were defending champions, was slammed by the official for his general behaviour. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Sports)
Satanic verses? Jul 7, 2009
By James Copnall BBC News, Rabat. Heavy metal is known as rebel music - and that is particularly true in Morocco. (BBC News -- Africa)
IMF Seminars, Conferences and Workshops Jul 5, 2009
IMF Seminars, Conferences, Workshops and Economic Forums. of Press Briefings and Speeches by Senior IMF Officials. (IMF News)
ANALYSIS-Morocco changes tack in anti-terrorism policy Jul 5, 2009
RABAT, July 5 (Reuters) - Morocco has shifted from mass arrests to tight surveillance in its fight against Islamic militants and hopes a new campaign to reinforce the authority of state-appointed imams will cut off support for jihadism. As militants reach a growing audience through DVDs and the Internet, the government has tried to seize back the initiative, revising laws governing mosques and adding new theological councils to tighten control of religious life in the regions. (AlertNet)
Western Sahara: UN Envoy En Route to Morocco Jun 27, 2009
He added that Mr. Ross is in Nouakchott, Mauritania today, and will travel to the Moroccan capital, Rabat, tomorrow. Morocco holds that its sovereignty over Western Sahara should be recognized, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the Territory's final status should be decided in a referendum that includes independence as an option. (allAfrica.com)
World Cup Qualifiers: Drogba leads Ivory Coast Jun 21, 2009
In Rabat, Morocco, Mounir El Hamdaoui missed a penalty in the 32nd minute for the hosts, leaving them third with two points, one back of second-place Togo in Group A. El Hamdaoui led the Dutch league in scoring with 24 goals for champion AZ Alkmaar. Togo was without suspended Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- Soccer)
Morocco, Togo draw 0-0 in World Cup qualifier Jun 21, 2009
RABAT, Morocco (AP) - Morocco was held to a 0-0 draw by Togo on Saturday after Mounir El Hamdaoui missed a penalty for the host in a World Cup qualifier. The result leaves Togo in second place in Group A with four points from three games, while Morocco remains third on two points. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Sports)
Odicy.com, the Online Booking Agency Dedicated to Morocco, Launches the New Connexplace Affiliation Platform Jun 17, 2009
Odicy is an online hotel booking agency dedicated to the legendary cities of Morocco : Marrakech, Casablanca, Tanger, Rabat, Ourzazate. (PRWEB) June 17, 2009 -- Headed by Ghali Alaoui and Eric Yvan Gautier, is an online hotel booking agency dedicated to the most famous Moroccan cities. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Morocco Holds Local Elections, Test For New Party Jun 16, 2009
Associated Press Writer Hassan Alaoui in Rabat contributed to this report. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. (CBS News -- World)
AfDB President in Morocco Jun 2, 2009
Rabat, May 28, 2009 - The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group President, Donald Kaberuka, is currently in Rabat, Morocco, on an official visit ... After having financed the construction of the second runway of the Mohamed V airport in Casablanca as well as the National Air transport Security Centre for 78 million, the Bank Group has recently renewed its support to ONDA through a 240 million loan to upgrade infrastructure and strengthen security facilities in the F;s, Agadir, Marrakech and... (allAfrica.com)
Inside Morocco May 29, 2009
I also visited Marrakech and Rabat ... Also travelled to Marrakech by train and a stop in Rabat ... In Casablanca in a suburb called Californie with friends, in Marrakech in a Riad (B establishment) in the middle of the market because we didn't know better, and Rabat was a day trip as it's about an hour's drive from Casablanca. (iAfrica.com)
Gay Moroccan writer takes on homophobia May 28, 2009
Surrounded at Rabat University by children of Morocco's French-speaking elite, he began to keep a diary to improve his written French. His journals now serve as the foundation of his novels, which are written in French and have been translated into seven languages, including Arabic and now English. (MSNBC -- Lifestyle)
11 killed at music festival stampede in Morocco May 27, 2009
Among the victims of the stampede at the Mawazine festival in the capital city of Rabat were five women, four men and two children, the Maghreb Arab Press said. They were among thousands who had packed the Hay Nahda stadium on Saturday night. (CNN -- World)
Acheulian human remains found in Morocco May 26, 2009
RABAT, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A Moroccan-French archaeology team has discovered the rear part of a human mandible that dates back to the prehistoric Acheulian phase, local MAP news agency reported on Monday. The mandible, which belongs to a young human, holds a premolar and a molar, the report said. (Xinhuanet, China)
Music festival stampede: 11 dead May 25, 2009
Australian singer Kylie Minogue performed at the 8th Mawazine festival in Rabat, Morocco ... Some 70,000 spectators were at the Hay Nahda stadium in the southeast of Rabat on Saturday to see home favourite Abdelaziz Stati sing when the accident occurred shortly after midnight on the final night of the Mawazine (Rhythms) festival ... Rescuers rushed to the scene to pull out survivors and transport the injured to Rabat's main hospital, Ibn Sina, where a source said all but seven of the injured had... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Spain says Gabon's ruler is in Barcelona hospital May 21, 2009
She died in Rabat, Morocco on March 14 after suffering an unidentified yearslong illness. Speaking by phone from Libreville, Gabon, Information Minister Laure Olga Gondjout denied Bongo was ill. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
AfDB and Morocco Sign Loan and Grant Agreements May 13, 2009
The AfDB and Morocco on Friday, May 8, 2009, in Rabat, signed two loan agreements, one guarantee agreement and one grant agreement for three different operations in education, transport and water management sectors ... It concerns, in particular, the Casablanca, Fez, Agadir, Marrakech and Rabat airports which handle the bulk of air traffic to and from Morocco, registering a total of 12 million passengers in 2007, or 91% of the country's total traffic. (allAfrica.com)
AfDB Helps Morocco Improve Airport Efficiency Apr 17, 2009
Tunis This project involves upgrading facilities at the Casablanca, Fez, Agadir, Marrakech and Rabat, airports, which handle the bulk of air traffic to and from Morocco. The project is part of the implementation of the general framework of the National Development Plan (NDP) initiated in 2002 by the government, to consolidate the rule of law and improve the efficiency of the Moroccan administration; open up the domestic market to competition; strengthen and modernize transport networks, upgrade... (allAfrica.com)
U.N. council urged to press Morocco, Polisario to talk Apr 15, 2009
U.N.-mediated talks over the territory began two years ago but have been deadlocked over whether Western Sahara should be an autonomous part of Morocco, as Rabat proposes, or hold a referendum on whether to secede, as Western Sahara's Algerian-backed Polisario independence movement wants ... Rabat and the Polisario Front have often accused one another of breaching the U.N.-supervised military truce in the phosphate-rich former Spanish colony, abandoned by Madrid in 1975 and then annexed by... (AlertNet)
Sahara movement denies breaking truce with Morocco Apr 14, 2009
He said Rabat had "deliberately distorted" the incident "to present it as a breach of the ceasefire.". Rabat and the Polisario Front have often accused one another of breaching the U.N.-supervised military truce in the phosphate-rich former Spanish colony, abandoned by Madrid in 1975 and then annexed by Morocco ... U.N.-mediated talks over the territory began two years ago but are deadlocked over whether Sahara should be an autonomous part of Morocco, as Rabat proposes, or hold a referendum on... (AlertNet)
Morocco expels five missionaries Apr 1, 2009
But BBC Rabat correspondent James Copnall says Morocco has always prided itself on its religious tolerance. But human rights groups have protested at the recent series of events targeting those apparently promoting the Shia form of Islam. (BBC News -- Africa)
Where Will Obama Deliver His Speech to the Muslim World? Mar 25, 2009
Rabat, Morocco "Any place in the Arabic-speaking world sends a message of outreach and dialogue," says Hooper ... A speech in Rabat would resonate especially with North African nations like Algeria and Tunisia, where fundamentalism and terrorism are on the rise ... If Jakarta is too far east from the Muslim mainstream, then Rabat is too far west. (Time.com)
The Americans need to apologize Mar 19, 2009
BERKELEY, California - Dr Kazem Jalali, an influential conservative member of Iran's parliament, the Majlis, and rapporteur of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, sees possibilities for a thaw with Washington, but believes that many Arab states in the Gulf "see their interests in keeping the current state of continual conflict among the West, the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In recent years, Tehran has experienced growing tensions with its Arab neighbors, particularly... (Asia Times Online)
Morocco: Activists Move to End Violence Against Women Mar 18, 2009
Rabat The campaign against violence towards women has been the focus of media attention in Morocco recently, in order to press for an end to gross abuses committed by men against women and make victims aware of the need to break the silence which allows it to continue ... "The coming into force of the new Family Code has helped victims to step up and demand justice," says Fatima Maghnaoui, president of the Annajda Listening Centre in Rabat ... Saadia Lachgar, a lawyer based in Rabat, explains... (allAfrica.com)
A wary Arab world eyes Iran's elections Mar 17, 2009
Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri said that Iran had been similarly "active" in Rabat. The crisis was caused by a statement by Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, an advisor to Iran's Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said that his country had sovereignty over Bahrain, claiming that it was once Iran's 14th province. (Asia Times Online)
* Morocco severs ties with Tehran Mar 8, 2009
INTOLERABLE: Rabat said that Shiite Iran had been trying to spread its version of Islam in the largely Sunni Arab country, altering its religious fundamentals AP, RABAT Sunday, Mar 08, 2009, Page 6 ... The ministry accused largely Shiite Irans embassy in Rabat of trying to alter the religious fundamentals of the kingdom and threaten Moroccos religious unity. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Morocco cuts relations with Iran Mar 7, 2009
Rabat led a chorus of disapproval from Arab states, who interpreted the remark as a claim of sovereignty over Bahrain. Tehran issued an apology, claiming Mr Ali's comments had been misunderstood and saying it made no claim to Bahrain. (BBC News -- Africa)
Morocco cuts ties with Iran on diplomatic row Mar 7, 2009
RABAT, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Morocco has cut its diplomatic ties with Iran on Friday following Tehran's remarks over Bahrain, a press release of the Foreign Ministry said. The decision was triggered by Iran's "inadmissible attitude" against Morocco, and its "interference" in the country's religious affairs, the release was quoted by official MAP news agency as saying. (Xinhuanet, China)
Morocco jails Madrid bombing suspect Feb 28, 2009
An anti-terrorist tribunal in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, heard how Housseini, a chemistry graduate, had gone to Afghanistan for training in bomb-making and other lethal techniques. The bombings in Madrid were said by al-Qaeda supporters to be to be revenge for the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq; the troops were later withdrawn. (BBC News -- Europe)
* World News Quick Take Feb 27, 2009
Rabat has recalled its envoy to Iran, the news agency MAP said on Wednesday, after an Iranian official questioned Bahrains sovereignty, provoking an outcry in much of the Sunni Muslim word. Media reports said Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said earlier this month that Iran had sovereignty over the kingdom. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Graduates' grief Feb 26, 2009
By James Copnall BBC News, Rabat ... Every day frustrated and highly educated young people gather outside parliament in the capital Rabat to shout out their frustration. (BBC News -- Africa)
Africa border opens for Gaza aid Feb 22, 2009
Though the Morocco-Algeria crossing was opened for the convoy, there is little sign ordinary people will be able to travel overland between Morocco and Algeria any time soon, the BBC's James Copnall reports from the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have long been poor, and disagreements are currently focused on the disputed territory of the Western Sahara. (BBC News -- Africa)
Local Weather Feb 8, 2009
Melbourne, FL 32935 Last Updated: 02/08/09 07:15:32 EDT. C) Relative Humidity: 89% Barometer: 30. (Florida Today)
On the trail of torture Feb 7, 2009
43am the following day, was the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Though never confirmed officially by the United States, evidence that verified this rendition to Morocco came from the flight logs of the now notorious Gulfstream jet involved. (Times Online)
