Morocco

Morocco says it dismantled Islamic State cell that was planning attacks

Moroccan authorities this month arrested a dozen people they said were planning attacks on behalf of the Islamic State in the Sahel, a region south of the Sahara Desert, officials said on Monday. The discovery of the terrorist cell and what authorities called an imminent dangerous terrorist plot reflect the expanding ambitions of extremist groups in the region. Authorities did not provide details of the suspects' motives or their plot, beyond saying they planned to set off bombs remotely. They released photographs and videos showing officers raiding terrorist cells throughout the country. The images showed weapons stockpiles found during police raids, Islamic State flags drawn on walls, and thousands of dollars of cash. Morocco remains a major target in the agenda of all terrorist organisations operating in the Sahel, Habboub Cherkaoui, the head of Morocco's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, said at a news conference. Militant groups have been expanding their presence in

Boat carrying migrants capsizes near Morocco; over 40 Pakistanis dead

Pakistan on Thursday said that a boat carrying 80 migrants attempting to reach Spain capsized near Morocco, with over 40 Pakistanis reportedly among the dead. Migrant rights group Walking Borders said as many as 50 migrants may have drowned. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people a day earlier from a boat that had left Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis. Forty-four of those presumed to have drowned were from Pakistan, Walking Borders CEO Helena Maleno said on X. They spent 13 days of anguish on the crossing without anyone coming to rescue them, she said. The Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement that its embassy in Morocco was in touch with the local authorities. Our Embassy in Rabat (Morocco) has informed us that a boat carrying 80 passengers, including several Pakistani nationals, setting off from Mauritania, has capsized near the Moroccan port of Dakhla. Several survivors, including Pakistanis, are lodged in a camp near Dakhla, it said. It

INS Tushil boost India-Morocco maritime ties with port call in Casablanca

The visit marked an important step in strengthening maritime and diplomatic ties between India and Morocco, the Ministry of Defence stated

Morocco produces Africa's 1st mpox tests as continent rely less on imports

After African countries struggled to get testing kits during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials vowed to make the continent less dependent on imported medical supplies. Now, in a first for Africa, a Moroccan company is filling orders for mpox tests as an outbreak continues. Moroccan startup Moldiag began developing mpox tests after the World Health Organisation declared the virus a global emergency in August. Africa's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 59,000 mpox cases and 1,164 deaths in 20 countries this year. The WHO has also announced a plan to provide mpox tests, vaccines and treatments to the most vulnerable people in the world's poorest countries, after facing criticism for moving too slowly on vaccines. It recommends all suspected mpox cases be tested. But in some far-flung areas of the mpox outbreak, tests have to be delivered to distant labs for processing. Most of Congo's 26 provinces don't have such facilities. And some areas have no tests.

Back after 300 years, conservative efforts help bring iblis back to Europe

Northern Bald Ibis bird returned to Europe after 300 years, thanks to concerted conservation efforts helping its remarkable resurgence

Tata to build 150 DRDO-developed WhAP armoured vehicles for Morocco

Trials of the vehicle have been ongoing in Morocco for the last several months

Sahara's green miracle: Desert blossoms after unprecedented heavy rainfall

The unusual rainfall in the Sahara was caused by the northward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, bringing equatorial-like downpours to the region

Paralympic Games: Morocco's El Idrissi smashes women's marathon record

Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi smashed the world record in the women's marathon for runners with visual impairments on the last day of the Paralympic Games. El Idrissi finished in 2 hours, 48 minutes, 36 seconds on Sunday, beating the previous record from Japan's Misato Michishita in Hofu City in December 2020 by nearly six minutes. I wasn't running for a time, only for a medal," the 29-year-old Moroccan said. "I wasn't aiming to get the world record, just to get the gold, and now I have both." Compatriot Meryem En-Nourhi was just over nine minutes behind, followed by Michishita, almost 15 minutes behind the winner. Elena Congost thought she'd won bronze, but the Spanish runner was later disqualified for releasing the tether to her guide, Mia Carol Bruguera, before the finish. Michishita only found out she was upgraded to bronze while on her way to doping control. I just couldn't believe it, said the Japanese runner, who said she got injured after winning the last edition in

Olympics 2024 controversy: How VAR denied Argentina victory vs Morocco?

In the final moments of added time, Argentina's Medina scored a controversial equaliser, causing Moroccan fans to react violently by throwing objects onto the field. Check what happened next here

Olympics 2024: Morocco beat Argentina 2-1 in chaotic opening game in Paris

The game proved to be an exciting encounter between two teams that have been producing some decent results for themselves in recent times

Morocco wants to become airplane manufacturing hub amid high demand

Moroccan officials are aiming to turn the country into an aviation hub, luring investors aiming to spread out their supply chains to more nations with available and affordable workers. The North African kingdom is among a longer list of countries vying for contracts with big manufacturers aiming to speed up production and deliver more planes to meet demand. Companies like Boeing and Airbus as well as the manufacturers that build their components are outsourcing design, production and maintenance to countries from Mexico to Thailand. In Morocco, efforts to grow the country's USD 2 billion-a-year aerospace industry are part of a years-long push to transform the largely agrarian economy through subsidising manufacturers of planes, trains and automobiles. Officials hope it dovetails with efforts to grow Moroccan airlines, including the state-owned Royal Air Maroc. The needs are huge and we are in a very good position, said Hamid Abbou, the airline's CEO. Most of the big suppliers in .

A difficult choice

Postponing IMF reforms in strategic interest

Work in progress

Multilateral bank reforms will need more effort

World Bank needs headroom to help low-income countries, says G20

Addressing a press conference, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the members appreciated the work of the Independent Expert Group (IEG) and welcomed the report

IMF's focus has to be macroeconomic surveillance, policy guidance: FM

Finance and central bank deputies meeting to start discussions on key agenda

Morocco welcomes annual meeting of IMF, WB a month after its deadly quake

Less than a two-hour drive from where families sleep in tents and earthquake rubble remain in piles, the world's most powerful financial institutions are gathering for a week of discussions on economic challenges during times of war, inequality and climate change. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank decided in 2018 to host their annual meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, bringing the affair to the African continent for the first time in 50 years. Their original timeline was delayed by the pandemic, but the meeting beginning Monday arrives at an apropos time. After a devastating earthquake last month killed nearly 3,000 and wreaked USD 11.7 billion in damages, both officials and civil society groups are eagerly anticipating discussions about how to promote economic resiliency in light of natural disaster. In no other area is the need for international cooperation as evident as in addressing the existential threat of climate change. The world has a responsibility to stand with

Morocco giving cash to families whose homes were destroyed by earthquake

Moroccan authorities on Friday will begin providing money to families whose homes were destroyed in an earthquake last month that took nearly 3,000 lives and will require an estimated USD 11.7 billion in reconstruction funds over the next five years. After a commission tasked by King Mohammed VI to oversee recovery efforts met earlier this week, the government said an initial monthly payment of 2,500 Moroccan dirhams (USD 242) will be disbursed starting October 6. The September 8 earthquake wreaked havoc on rural regions south of Marrakech, where mountain roads remain unpaved and the economy relies on herding and small-scale agriculture. As autumn nights get cooler, many are sleeping outside in donated tents with the daunting task of rebuilding before them. The payments are among several forms of relief that Morocco plans to provide residents displaced by the earthquake. It will provide temporary rehousing assistance and up to 140,000 dirhams (USD 13,600) to rebuild destroyed homes

Earthquake-struck Morocco to spend nearly $12 billion on recovery

Funding for the reconstruction will come from the government budget, local authorities, donations, international aid and a special fund for the management of earthquake's effects

Moroccan quake survivors struggle even as response appears to scale up

The 6.8 magnitude quake that struck the High Atlas Mountains late on Friday killed at least 2,901 people and injured 5,530, according to the latest official figures

LIVE: Centre releases agenda of Parliament's special session from Monday

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