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Morocco continues to use judicial harassment against journalists
By Ismail Bellaoualli and Philippe Agret: Morocco's top court has rejected the final appeals of two journalists, Omar Radi and Soulaimane Raissouni, imprisoned on sexual assault charges they deny, their lawyer said Wednesday. The court of cassation in Rabat on...
Morocco and Spain arrest two people they say are supporters of Islamic State
Police in Morocco and Spain said on Wednesday two people have been arrested in a joint operation by both countries' security services targeting "terrorists". An Islamic State jihadist group supporter "active between Morocco and Spain", was arrested Wednesday by...
Morocco: Navy rescues 800 migrants trying to get to Spain
Morocco's navy has rescued more than 800 would-be migrants and recovered one body since early last week, state media reported Tuesday, as attempts to reach Spain increase. Morocco in northwest Africa is a transit country for many migrants trying to get to Europe via...
Israel’s settlement expansion plan in West Bank threatens Abrahamic Accords, puts Arab regimes on the defensive
The United States has been working hard toward a diplomatic rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. But the aggressive plans on expanding the Israeli settlements into the West Bank, as championed by the hardliner and far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich...
Migrations: Spike in sea crossing incidents shines spotlight on Moroccan and Spanish governments’ inability to manage the crisis
By Valentin Bontemps: Activists on Friday criticised Madrid and Rabat for failing to act faster to help migrants trying to reach Spain by boat, after at least two people died this week. Spanish campaign group Caminando Fronteras, which takes calls from migrants or...
Corruption: European parliamentarian charged by Belgian prosecutors in alleged bribery scheme involving Qatar and Morocco
Belgian prosecutors on Wednesday charged Italian European Parliament member Andrea Cozzolino with corruption and money laundering in a high-profile graft scandal. The socialist MEP, 60, flew into Belgium on Monday for questioning after being arrested four months ago...
Spain: Hundreds of migrants rescued at sea as more boats head to the Canary Islands
Emergency services in Spain said Thursday they had saved at least 350 migrants in five separate vessels over the last 24 hours off the Canary Islands. These latest operations came the day after at least two people drowned attempting the crossing when another vessel...
Morocco: 51 Moroccan migrants missing in attempt to reach the Canary Islands
A group of 51 Moroccan migrants have been missing for days since embarking on a perilous sea journey to Spain's Canary Islands off Morocco's Atlantic coast, a family member said Thursday. Spain is a major gateway for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. Attempts...
Algerians and Moroccans intensify Internet attacks on each other ($)
On November 9, 2021, Algerian radio station Radio M announced that the group of Moroccan hackers "MoroccoHack Team" was behind a cyberattack against the website of the Algerian Ministry of Finance. The former Algerian Minister of Communication and government...
Reports of Morocco getting Chinese drones amid rising feud with Algeria ($)
Media sources say Moroccan soldiers have recently undergone training in China on the use of new generation drones, the Wing Loong II. The information has not been confirmed by any official source and may be just information meant to confuse or a scare tactic as...
Morocco: Islamist Opposition figure Mohamed Baassou gets jailed for another case of “sexual harassment”
A Moroccan court on Wednesday sentenced a leader of the kingdom's principal Islamist movement, which rejects the king's authority over religion, to a year in prison for "sexual harassment", an official in the movement said. Al Adl Wal Ihsane (Justice and Dignity)...
Morocco: Building collapses in Tit Mellil, at least two killed
At least two people were killed and five injured on Thursday when a building collapsed in an industrial area near Morocco's commercial capital of Casablanca, state media reported. "Two people were killed and five others were seriously injured in the partial collapse...
Morocco: Dozen Israeli soldiers in Morocco for military exercises
Israeli soldiers will for the first time take part in military exercises in Morocco when the biggest war games event in Africa kicks off Tuesday, the Israeli army said. "This is the first time that the IDF is taking an active part in the 'African Lion' international...
Morocco: Demonstrators protests in Casablanca against surging cost of living
Hundreds demonstrated Sunday in Morocco's economic capital Casablanca to protest against the surging cost of living in the North African country and urge action by the government, AFP correspondents said. Protesters from the Democratic Labour Confederation (CDT)...
Morocco: Article from the Economist forces King Mohammed VI to reemerge
By Philippe Agret: Morocco's king has embarked on a whirlwind of public activities, which observers say aim to "restore the authority" of the monarchy, as international media have questioned his prolonged absences from the country. Royal watchers say King Mohammed...
Morocco ups campaign to capture more migrants crossing seas
Morocco's navy has intercepted 552 migrants attempting to reach Europe over 10 days in both the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, a military source told state media on Thursday. Morocco in northwest Africa is a transit country for many migrants trying to get to...
Morocco arrests 70 migrants for attempting to enter Spanish enclave
Moroccan security forces on Friday foiled an attempt by 150 sub-Saharan African migrants to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and arrested 70 people, local authorities said. The attempt to reach Ceuta comes less than a year after at least 23 people died when around...
Morocco’s conundrum: deepening alliance with Israel’s ultra-nationalist government vs. supporting the Palestinian cause,
By Philippe Agret: Morocco is struggling to balance its alliance with Israel with support for the domestically popular Palestinian cause, an increasingly complex challenge with Israel ruled by its most right-wing government ever. The North African country normalised...
10 dead after Moroccan fishing boat sinks off Western Sahara
At least 10 fishermen drowned Tuesday when a Moroccan trawler sank in the Atlantic off the coast of disputed Western Sahara, authorities said, adding that two crew members remained missing. "Five sailors were rescued while the bodies of 10 others were recovered," an...
Moroccan police announce arrest of three suspected militants
Moroccan police on Wednesday arrested three suspected members of the Islamic State group over the killing of an officer whose charred body was found this month, the authorities said. The two main suspects were detained following "security operations" in Casablanca and...
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