Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron launched on Nov.15 the first high-speed train in Africa. The Moroccan king and Macron took the train from the northern city of Tangier to arrive in the capital Rabat, in a ride that lasted 80 minutes, compared …
Read More »Five migrants die off Morocco as Spain searches for more boats
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Five migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean, the Spanish coastguard said Thursday after rescuing more than 180 others, while they searched for another two boats with dozens aboard. Rescue boats, helicopters and planes from southern Spain carried out a series of rescue operations …
Read More »Africa football boss wants Europe to back Morocco World Cup bid
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | The head of African football, Ahmad Ahmad, has urged Europe to back Morocco’s drive to host the 2026 World Cup, in return for African support for a future European bid. In an exclusive interview with AFP, Ahmad Ahmad, the Confederation of African Football president, appealed …
Read More »FIFA to return to Morocco to check hotels, stadiums
Casablanca, Morocco | AFP | FIFA experts will make a second visit to Morocco next week after expressing some concerns over hotel capacity and stadiums earmarked for the North African nation’s ambitious bid to host the 2026 World Cup. The visit follows this week’s four-day trip by FIFA’s evaluation group …
Read More »FIFA to begin Morocco World Cup inspection
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | FIFA inspectors arrived in Morocco on Monday ahead of a three-day assessment of the north African country’s ability to host the 2026 World Cup, the local bid committee said. The five-member FIFA Task Force will begin its inspection on Tuesday, visiting stadiums, training facilities, fan …
Read More »UN disputes Morocco’s claims of incursions in W. Sahara
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United Nations on Monday disputed claims by Morocco that the Polisario Front had carried out incursions in a buffer zone of Western Sahara, where a UN mission is monitoring a ceasefire. Morocco wrote to the Security Council on Sunday to report that …
Read More »Four migrants found dead off Spain, others missing: rescuers
Madrid, Spain | AFP | At least four migrants were found dead off Spain on Sunday, with others who had been on board a make-shift boat missing, rescuers said. The bodies were recovered in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar between Morocco and southern Spain. Rescuers found one survivor …
Read More »Man arrested after Morocco sexual assault video
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Morocco announced Wednesday the arrest of a man allegedly seen in an online video sexually assaulting a girl in broad daylight, a scene that sent shock waves across the country. The interior ministry said the unnamed 21-year-old was arrested for attempted rape of the girl …
Read More »Police investigate as sexual assault video shocks Morocco
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Moroccan police on Tuesday announced an investigation into a video showing a teenage girl being pinned down, stripped and assaulted in broad daylight after it stirred a wave of anger. In the footage circulated online an assailant kneels on top of the teen touching and …
Read More »Morocco seizes more than 500 kg of cocaine
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Moroccan authorities said Sunday they had seized nearly 541 kilos (1,200 pounds) of cocaine in a container from Latin America which arrived in Casablanca. Six people including a Brazilian suspected of being the “mastermind of a criminal network” were arrested, according to the Central Bureau …
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