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Morocco travel sector facing a daunting outlook
The resumption of domestic flights at the end of June in Morocco, followed by a partial reopening of borders on July 15, all in a context of easing of containment measures, had given the travel industry hope. But the announcement on July 26 of the closure of eight...
Generalized repression in the Arab world
Repressive Arab regimes are taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to crack down on the opposition, freedom of speech, independent media, and anything they consider a threat to their control of power. Almost no country in the region is spared by the other virus,...
Morocco braces for Eid al-Adha in the middle of a pandemic
Skhirat, Morocco, July 29, 2020 - Moroccan farmer Hamid had pinned his hopes on selling his sheep for the Eid al-Adha feast, to make up for a year of drought and the economic paralysis linked to the novel coronavirus pandemic. But snap domestic travel restrictions...
Morocco: Chaotic travel as government announces ban on inter-city traffic
Morocco's roads and transport hubs saw chaotic scenes after authorities announced snap movement restrictions affecting eight cities and towns to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The measures shutting off all entry and exit to the cities, which together...
More than 143,000 cumulative Covid-19 infections in North Africa, at least 6,000 deaths so far, Egypt worst hit
The cumulative confirmed infections of Covid-19 in the North African countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt reached 143,258 over the weekend ending 26 July 2020. The combined death toll since the outbreak of the pandemic reached 6,144. Egypt, which...
Moroccan court orders journalist Soulaimane Raissouni to stay in prison
Rabat, July 20, 2020 - A Moroccan court has ordered that the chief editor of Moroccan independent daily Akhbar Al-Yaoum remain in custody over charges of "indecent assault" on another man, his lawyer said Monday. Soulaimane Raissouni, 48, detained since the end of...
Portrait: Reflections on Omar Himmi of Toubkal, Morocco, by Yossef Ben-Meir
By Yossef Ben-Meir* : Recently, I had a moment of self-reflection brought about by the passing of someone who made a difference in the trajectory of my life. Years ago, I lived in the home of Omar Himmi Ait Omrar in the village of Amsouzerte in the High Atlas...
Morocco: Second outbreak of Covid-19 forces shutdown of Tangiers
The city of about a million inhabitants was locked down from Monday at noon local time, with public transport suspended, cafes and public spaces closed and movement restricted. Residents are only allowed to leave their homes “in cases of extreme necessity”, the...
New influx of migrants raises concern in Italy
The recent arrivals have sparked protests by locals in some areas, after a few dozen migrants tested positive for the coronavirus after disembarking. Italy is facing a surge in migrants, with arrivals almost one-third higher so far this year than last, interior...
Morocco: Four arrested in Nador on suspicion of terrorism
Rabat, July 7, 2020 - Morocco on Tuesday arrested four alleged members of a "terrorist cell" linked to the Islamic State group who had plotted to attack "sensitive sites" in the kingdom, the interior ministry said. The men, aged between 21 and 26, were arrested in...
Moroccan authorities’ relentless harassment of journalist Omar Radi
Moroccan authorities have arrested a journalist for "public drunkenness and violence", authorities said Monday, days after opening an investigation into his alleged links to foreign intelligence services. Omar Radi has been at the centre of a spat between Morocco and...
Morocco and Algeria report record numbers of Covid-19 cases
Rabat (AFP) - Morocco reported Sunday 698 additional novel coronavirus infections, the highest one-day increase since the outbreak began in early March, with numerous cases discovered in a port city factory. The new figures bring the official total in the North...
How despair and misery fuel North Africa migration
"Here, I don't exist -- I die little by little. My only hope is to leave for Europe." Algiers, June 25, 2020 (By Amal Belalloufi with Aymen Jamli in Tunis) - "Here, I don't exist -- I die little by little," said Hamid, a young Algerian, his gaze fixed on Mediterranean...
Morocco cracks down on abortion practice
Rabat, June 24, 2020 - Moroccan police said they arrested 11 people Tuesday for "illegal abortions" in the kingdom, where prison sentences for terminating pregnancies remain a topic of fierce public debate. National security said it had opened an investigation after...
Amnesty says Morocco used NSO’s Pegasus software to spy on journalist Omar Radi
Jerusalem, June 22, 2020 - Amnesty International said Monday that software developed by Israeli security firm NSO Group was used to attack a Moroccan journalist, the latest in a series of allegations against the company. The Israeli firm told AFP that it was "deeply...
Morocco braces for more Covid-19 infections with new hotspot in Kenitra
Moulay Bousselham, Morocco, June 21, 2020 - A new field hospital in eastern Morocco will from Sunday receive around 700 COVID-19 patients following a sharp spike in infections in the kingdom, the government said. Morocco reported a record single-day rise in novel...
As Morocco prepares to relax restrictions, virus cases spike
Rabat, June 19, 2020 - Morocco reported on Friday its highest number of confirmed novel coronavirus infections in a single day since recording its first case in March, according to the health ministry. Over 450 of the infections were recorded in the western...
Morocco: 100 migrants rescued by Moroccan navy off the coast of Nador
Morocco's navy "rescued" nearly 100 migrants from several boats in the Mediterranean, the country's official MAP news agency reported Thursday. The navy "rescued, in the night of Wednesday to Thursday, 93 sub-Saharan African migrants who were on board makeshift...
Morocco Covid-19 Charts and Data
Below are three interactive charts depicting the evolution of Covid-19 in Morocco. Please feel free to change the display conditions. Death toll from Covid-19 in Morocco: Evolution of infections in Morocco: Evolution of testing in Morocco:
Consul of Morocco in Algerian city of Oran leaves Algeria after row over “enemy country” statement
Algiers, June 9, 2020 - A Moroccan diplomat at the centre of a diplomatic spat between Algiers and Rabat has left Algeria at the country's request, a spokesman for the presidency said on Tuesday. "The consul of Morocco has left the country at Algeria's request,"...
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