A UN envoy has made his first visit to Western Sahara. He pledged to advance the political process
The United Nations has doubled down on its pledge to revive stalled negotiations over the disputed Western Sahara in a visit to the region this week in which its top negotiator met with officials on all sides.
Morocco moves toward legalizing medical marijuana
FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2014 file photo swaths of cannabis are pictured n the village of Bni Hmed in the Ketama Abdelghaya valley, northern Morocco. Morocco's government on Thursday approved a landmark bill that would legalize non-recreational uses of marijuana. (AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar, File)RABAT โ Moroccoโs government on Thursday approved a landmark bill that would legalize nonrecreational uses of marijuana. If it passes, Morocco would be one of the few countries in the region or in the Arab world to legalize the drug for nonrecreational use. Morocco is seeking to establish a regulatory framework for the entire chain of cultivation, production, processing and marketing of cannabis for medical, cosmetic and industrial uses such as textiles or paper.
Trump gives award to Morocco's king in private ceremony
Workers cart boxes into the West Wing of the White House, as offices in the White House complex are being packed up and moved out, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump has awarded a top U.S. honor to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, citing his decision to begin normalization of relations with Israel. Moroccoโs ambassador to the U.S., Princess Lalla Joumala, accepted it on his behalf in a private ceremony, according to a White House statement. Earlier this week, Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, one of his fiercest GOP allies, in a private ceremony at the White House. The White House also announced this week that Trump would be awarding New England coach Bill Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl winner, the Medal of Freedom.
Stick to your diet, but still eat like a king at this Ann Arbor restaurant
Ann Arbor โ Want to keep your diet on track, but eat a feast fit for a king? Well, you will feel like royalty when you head to Palm Palace. So he opened the Palm Palace in 2008 in Ann Arbor. When COVID-19 hit, like many restaurants, Palm Palace re-structured things. If you would like to try Palm Palace they are located at 2370 Carpenter Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48108.
20 migrants dead off Tunisia after boat sinks, more missing
Tunisian authorities say 20 African migrants have been found dead after their boat, which was trying to reach Europe, sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Five survivors were rescued Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 and authorities are searching for up to 20 others believed missing. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios, File)TUNIS โ About 20 African migrants were found dead Thursday after their smuggling boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to reach Europe, Tunisian authorities said. Five survivors were rescued and the Tunisian navy is searching for up to 20 others still believed missing. According to survivors, the migrant smuggling boat was carrying about 40 or 50 people heading toward Italy, Ben Zekri said.
Worried Morocco bans parties to stem holiday virus spread
(AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)RABAT โ Morocco has imposed a curfew, closed restaurants in major cities and banned public and private gatherings for three weeks โ including the usually festive New Year's Eve โ to curb the spread of the virus. The curfew between 9 p.m and 6 a.m went into effect Wednesday night and is set to last until Jan. 13. All restaurants in the cities of Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir and Tangier must close for that period, according to government orders this week. The new restrictions come as Morocco prepares to launch a massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign using two different vaccines, one developed by Chinaโs Sinopharm and the other by Britainโs Oxford University and AstraZeneca. The government had promised to start the vaccinations this month but the launch date for the campaign remains unknown.
Bahrain approves Chinese COVID-19 vaccine for use
DUBAI โ Bahrain said Sunday it approved the use of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine, following its earlier approval of a vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. Bahrain's state-run news agency said the Sinopharm vaccine would be available in the island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain said over 7,700 signed up to take part in a trial of the Sinopharm vaccine in the kingdom. Morocco is gearing up for an ambitious COVID-19 vaccination program, aiming to vaccinate 80% of its adults in an operation starting this month thatโs relying initially on the Sinopharm vaccine. On Sunday, Kuwait's state-run KUNA news agency announced the oil-rich country's Health Ministry had granted emergency use for the Pfizer vaccine.
Israel's Netanyahu: Vaccination campaign to begin Dec. 27
Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu welcomed the first shipment of doses of the Pfizer vaccine, calling it a โbig day of celebrationโ for the country. In an evening news conference, Netanyahu said a public vaccination campaign would begin on Dec. 27, with the capacity to innoculate 60,000 people a day. While questions remain about the Sinopharm shot, already at least one country outside China plans to roll it out in a mass-vaccination campaign. The Sinopharm vaccine has been approved for emergency use in a few countries and the company is still conducting late-stage clinical trials in 10 countries. Morocco is gearing up for an ambitious COVID-19 vaccination program, aiming to vaccinate 80% of its adults in an operation starting this month thatโs relying initially on the Sinopharm vaccine.
Spain in diplomatic push over migrant flow to Canary Islands
(AP Photo/Javier Bauluz)MADRID โ The Spanish government is ratcheting up its response to the steady build-up of migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands from Africa, including a fresh diplomatic offensive. Moroccans have been the most numerous among recent migrant arrivals to the Spanish archipelago, whose nearest islands lie around 70 miles (110 kms) west of the north African nation. Around half of those arrivals โand most of the deathsโ have been in the past 30 days, a spike that has strained resources on the Canary Islands. Spanish Transport Minister Josรฉ Luis รbalos, also on the island, pledged more resources to the stretched maritime rescue services. The IOM's Spain envoy, Marรญa Jesรบs Herrera, who was on a field visit in the islands this week, described the situation as โcritical."
Spain opens 2nd migrant camp on overrun Gran Canaria island
The establishment of a second temporary migrant processing center on the island of Gran Canaria comes amid increasing criticism from local authorities and human rights groups. A pier on the quiet southwest coast of Gran Canaria has become the center of Spainโs ongoing humanitarian crisis. The new camp opening Wednesday will be able to hold 800 people in tents, according to the Interior Ministry. โThe Canary Islands are a powder keg. With at least 493 deaths recorded so far this year, the route to the Canary Islands has seen proportionally more deaths per every arrival than the Central Mediterranean journey from Libya to Italy or Malta.
Spanish islands struggle with migration surge amid pandemic
While Mediterranean crossings are down this year, arrivals on the Canary islands across a treacherous part of the Atlantic Ocean are up nearly 700% on the year. Beefed-up security in the Mediterranean has reduced migration from Africa to the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands in 2020, with 30% fewer arrivals between January and mid-October compared to a year earlier. But the surge in traffic to the Canary Islands comes at a high cost in human lives. Arguing that they lack enough resources, local and regional officials in the Canary Islands have asked the Spanish government for more help, including the use of two military facilities to process the migrants. Prime Minister Sรกnchez told parliament Wednesday that โwe have to do much moreโ in the Canaries.
Morocco reopens some mosques, even as infections grow
Moroccans wear face masks and pray respecting social distancing at the great Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. In Morocco today, around 10,000 mosques have opened their doors for the faithful to perform the Friday. For the first time since the outbreak of coronavirus in March, Morocco has allowed mosques to reopen for Friday prayers. Morocco announced the suspension of prayers in mosques back in March to limit the spread of the coronavirus, including the five daily prayers and the important Friday prayers. The restrictions were lifted for 10,000 mosques across the country Friday, but another 40,000 remain closed because of growing new infections.
That time when an Olympic marathoner won a gold medal running barefoot. Yes, barefoot.
Abebe Bikila was the only marathoner in history to win an Olympic gold medal running barefoot, but that fact hides the more significant question: Someone actually won an Olympic gold medal in the marathon running BAREFOOT?
This Detroit Moroccan restaurant has won several awards
Originally he thought of making Fat Panda Kitchen into a restaurant but noticed there were several Asain Fusion restaurants in the area. Where are the closest Moroccan restaurants in the city? So I did a Google search and nothing popped up, said Omar. So in April of 2019, he opened Saffron De Twah, adding his own flair to classic Moroccan foods and flavors. The restaurant is small but features lots of colorful lanterns on the wall, and a beautiful mural on the outside wall. If you would like to try out Saffron De Twah they are located at 7636 Gratiot Avenue in Detroit.
EU finalizing virus 'safe list,' US unlikely to make the cut
European Union envoys are close to finalizing a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed back into Europe once it begins lifting coronavirus-linked restrictions. The United States appears almost certain not to make the list, as new infections surge and given that President Donald Trump has imposed a ban on European travelers. Importantly, the countries are also expected to drop any travel restrictions they have imposed on European citizens. Infection rates in Brazil, Russia and India are high, too, and their nationals are also unlikely to make the cut. Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzlez Laya said the EU is considering whether to accept travelers from China if Beijing lifts restrictions on European citizens.
Ivanka Trump rejects notion family profits from presidency
Ivanka Trump, the daughter and senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, is interviewed by the Associated Press, Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, in Rabat, Morocco. President Trump and some of his allies lately have been pressing mainstream journalists to publicize the whistleblower's name. But Ivanka Trump said the person's motives were more important than knowing their identity. Ivanka Trump said her family has faced constant criticism since her father became president and that impeachment is part of that pattern. As for the future, Ivanka Trump said she had yet to decide on what role she will play in her father's re-election campaign.