Morocco News

The head of the Ministry for the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM), Elena Espinosa, has said that the Spanish Government is prepared to do “everything possible” to make sure that the renewal of the fisheries agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco is “not a problem.”

Spain “will try to lend a hand,” said the minister when asked about the agreement, during a visit to the International University of Menéndez Pelayo in Santander.

Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, Spain’s interior minister, has sought to defuse a dispute with Morocco over immigration and the alleged abuse of Moroccans by Spanish police, during a visit to Rabat.

Morocco has issued five statements in recent weeks claiming police in Mellila, a Spanish enclave in north Africa, beat up visiting Moroccans, as well as accusing Madrid of abandoning African migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.

A Yemeni man implicated in the attacks on Sept 11, 2001, was secretly detained in Morocco after Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operatives took him there in 2002, American officials have said.

While the man, Ramzi bin Al Shibh (picture), was detained in a prison near Rabat, Moroccan officials videotaped several of his interrogation sessions and gave the recordings to the CIA.

Morocco on Wednesday sent a planeload of humanitarian aid to flood victims in Pakistan, official sources said in Rabat.

The aid, ordered by King Mohamed the VI, includes 12 tonnes of medical and pharm aceutical products.

The Pakistani government says hundreds of people have died following the floods which have also affected millions of people, destroyed villages, houses, farms, harvest and cattle.

Dominica’s prime minister says Morocco has pledged to help finance construction of a $13 million hotel on the tiny eastern Caribbean island.

Roosevelt Skerrit says the 50-room hotel will be built near the airport on the north side of the island. A construction date has not been set.

Morocco is inviting investors who have expressed interest in phase one of its $9 billion solar power project to submit pre-qualification bids by October 4 at the latest, its solar energy agency said on Thursday.

The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) said it will accept bids by individual firms or companies teaming up in consortiums.

The sun was setting over this southern Moroccan village and in his room above the local mosque, Abderrahim Oulgoum’s thoughts turned to a subject far removed from his Quranic law studies: football.

“It’s the World Cup final today,” said Mr Oulgoum, 34. “The whole village is going to be watching down in the café.”

Moroccan police have allegedly beaten up and verbally abused a female activist from Western Sahara who claimed her right to her passport, seized by the invading Moroccan authorities, so as to be able to travel. Aminetu Ameidan was beaten on the morning of July 13 in El Aaiun, the capital of Occupied Western Sahara. Hillary Clinton, where do you stand? More >

Kareena Kapoor has been speaking about her love for Morocco.

The actress, who is currently filming Agent Vinod with boyfriend Saif Ali Khan in the Moroccan city of Tangiers, revealed that she is enjoying working in the country because of its cultural similarities to India and its love of Bollywood. More >

There was heartbreak in Morocco in 2004 when FIFA announced that South Africa had won the bid to host Africa’s first ever World Cup in 2010. Now the country plans to launch a bid to host the African Cup of Nations in 2016.