Rabat- Aissa Hayato, the President of the African Football Confederation (CAF) asked South Africa to consider hosting the African Cup of Nations (CAN).

This move comes few days after Moroccan asked the CAF to postpone the 2015 edition of the prestigious continental tournament, initially scheduled to be held in Morocco from January 17 to February 8.

In a communiqué released last Friday by the Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sport, the request was made after the Moroccan Ministry of Health stressed the need to avoid sports events that include the participation of people coming from countries affected by Ebola.

According to South African media, Hayato will meet the President of South Africa’s football federation next week to officially propose that his country host the 30 edition of the CAN.

If South Africa accepts Hayato’s proposition, it will be the third time it hosts the tournament after 1996, when it won the cup for the first in its history, and it 2013.

In such a case, African football fans will witness a remake of the 1996 and  2013 scenarios. In 1996, South Africa was asked to organize the tournament after Mali said it was unable to host it. And in 2013, it was also  asked to replace Libya at last minute after the North African country renounced hosting the tournament due to the political instability it was facing following the toppling of former President Muammar Ghadafi.

Rabat- French President Francois Hollande seized the occasion of the inauguration on Tuesday of the exhibition "Contemporary Morocco" at the Arab World Institute, to highlight the willingness of his country to revive its partnership with Morocco.

In his speech, Holland paid tribute to King Mohammed VI, "with which (he) maintains friendly relations since (his) accession to the presidency of the Republic."

"This exhibition is an opportunity to recall the importance I attach to the friendship between France and Morocco," he said, hoping that "the two countries remain not only exceptional partners but also deepen their cooperation in all areas.”

"I want to maintain the trust and overcome the difficulties that sometimes arise because we need each other," said the head the French President.

He went on to assay that he will "personally ensure that bilateral relations can be expanded and consolidated.

The relations between Morocco and France have been strained in recent months after a series of incidents that highlighted a crisis of trust between the leaders of both countries.

Last March, French custom services subjected Moroccan Foreign Minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, to what was described by Moroccan media as a “humiliating” search while he was on transit at Paris Charles De Gaulle airport on his way to Morocco.

The inspection procedure, was long and the head of Moroccan diplomacy was forced to remove his coat, belt and other footwear.

This incident took place a month after the relations between Morocco and France had entered a period of tension following a lawsuit filed by an NGO against Abdellatif Hammouchi, the head of Moroccan Domestic Intelligence Agency (DGST), and the decision of a French judge to send 7 policemen to Moroccan ambassador’s residence to inform Hammouchi, who was accompanying the Interior Minister on a visit to Paris, of a summon issued by the investigating judge.

To make things worse, French press reported few days later a statement made by Javier Bardem, one of the staunch supporters of the Polisario. In the statement, the Spanish said that during an alleged meeting he had held with the former French Ambassador to the United Nations in 2011, the French diplomat had told him that “Morocco is a mistress who you sleep with every night, who you don’t particularly love but you have to defend.”

These incidents sparked outrage in Morocco and prompted Paris to apologize to Rabat.

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Rabat- Mahyuba Mohamed Hamdidaf, a 23-year old Spanish citizen is being held by her parents in the Tindouf camps in Algeria, according to Spanish daily El Mundo.

According to the same source, the young professional went to visit her family in August, as her grand-mother was allegedly seriously ill.

But as soon as she arrived in the camps, her biological parents deprived her of her passport and prevented her from returning to her job in London.

Mayhuba, who was born in the Tindouf camps, settled in Spain in 1999 after she was adopted by a Spanish couple. In 2002 she became Spanish citizen. Ever since she has been visiting her family every summer.

The young woman was supposed to return home on August 18, but few days before her return, her biological family told her that she would never go back and they locked before her. They also stripped her of her phone, though they allowed her to use for some days in order to communicate with her family in Spain.

"She is tired of this situation and just want to get out of there," her adoptive family was quoted by El Mundo saying. "She has the right to be free to choose his life and no parent can deprive her of that," they added.

According to BuzzFeed, the case of the young woman has reached the office of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.

The case has also been widely denounced by Spanish civil society who is mobilizing to help the Mahyuba retrieve her freedom.

A petition has been addressed to the Spanish Ministry of foreign affairs in order to take the necessary steps toward bringing the young woman to back to Spain.

The petition, which has so been signed by 3790 people claims that Mahyuba received death threats from her biological family in case she tried to flee.

Marrakech- A business conference entitled "Morocco, Africa's business gateway" will be held on October 22 at the prestigious Mansion House in London.

Organized by the Moroccan Embassy and the Moroccan-British Business Leaders Forum (MBBLF), The conference will be divided into three successive panels that will address the following subjects: "Morocco: Actor in African financial integration", "The National Energy Strategy: Strengths and Opportunities", and "The New industrial strategy 2014-2020 Acceleration: What impact on the investment climate in Morocco?".

The Moroccan delegation includes Economy and Finance Minister Mohamed Boussaid, Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP) CEO, Mustapha Terrab, , ONHYM Managing Director Amina Benkhadra, and a number of other financial, energy, and other industry sector leaders.

Participants from the UK include Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf, Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy Lord Sharman, and Economic Secretary of the Treasury and City Minister Andrea Leadsom. Other Moroccan business leaders that will be present include President of Casablanca Finance City Said Brahimi, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Industry, Trade, Investment, and the Digital Economy Mamoun Bouhdoud, CEO of Casablanca Stock Exchange Karim Hajji, and General Manager of the Agency for National Development of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ADEREE) Said Mouline. Jon Marks of Cross Border Information, an expert on Morocco, will play a key role as moderator for the various sessions and speakers in the first session.

Mohammed Boussaid, Moroccan Minister of the Economy and Finance, will give a keynote speech, followed by different panel sessions on financial services, industrial services, and energy. This important conference highlights the efforts that both the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Kingdom are making to improve business relations and create more bilateral investment.

Speaking at a debate on Morocco in the House of Lords in 2013, as recorded by the official parliamentary journal Hansard, Lord Sharman, British Economic Secretary to the Treasury and Trade Envoy for Morocco, remarked that Morocco was neither too French nor too risky.

In response, British businessmen raised various concerns. Sharman feels that the Casablanca Finance Center offers an important business opportunity for the UK in Francophone Africa. He said he would concentrate on specific areas for trade development and investment with Morocco, including financial services and education, working to provide English language training and English university degrees through agreements between Moroccan and British universities with courses in business, science, and technology.

The third sector for development that Lord Sharman mentioned is energy and renewable energy. He also mentioned agribusiness, which has seen steady development in recent years, and tourism, including conferences and events.

There have been a number of high-level conferences and exchange visits since 2000 between Moroccan and British business and government leaders. The desire to do business undoubtedly exists, and it has been bolstered by the work of Morocco’s Ambassador to the UK, Lalla Joumala Alaoui.

However, the strong trading and investment relationship between the two countries could still be stronger. There is no British bank in the financial hub of Casablanca. Moroccan insurance industry cooperation with Lloyds in the City of London could be improved.

The long discussions about cooperation between the City of London and the Casablanca Financial Center have yet to reach fruition. There are great prospects that can lead to a bright trading future. It’s also worth mentioning that the British legal firms in Casablanca are growing, and there are exciting developments in English language training and universities. Many Moroccans want to take full advantage of English language opportunities.

There are some 50,000 Moroccans residing in the UK, and there are an important number of key Moroccan financial experts working in the City of London. English experience in developing its private sector with entrepreneurs, investors, and startups can be of great value to Morocco.

Rabat- The American website “Richest Lifestyle”, dedicated to the lifestyle of celebrities, rich and fabulous people around the globe, released its 2014 ten Most Beautiful First Ladies in Africa, ranking Princess Lalla Salma, consort of Mohamed 6, king of Morocco, on top of the list.

“Physically as well as intellectually, Lalla Salma is beautiful. She has a beautiful face crowned with red hair, and holds a degree in engineering,” the website wrote.

Lalla Salma also ranked third in the website’s 2014 list of World’s Most Beautiful First Ladies, preceded only by the Queen Rania of Jordan and Asma al-Assad, spouse of Bashar Al Assad of Syria.

The wife of Gabonese president Ali Bongo Ondimba, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, who ranked 7 on the website’s list of world’s most beautiful First Ladies, comes on the second rank followed by the Cameronian first lady Chantal Biya.

In addition to her stunning elegance, the Moroccan first lady is involved in many philanthropic activities in the kingdom and abroad, especially in the fight against cancer.

In a poll organized by the Washington-based Radio Sawa on the occasion of International Women’s Day this year, the Princess was chosen “most inspiring woman” for Arabs.

In May 2013, she was elected by UK’s magazine the most elegant woman attending the coronation ceremony of the new Dutch King, Willem-Alexander after his mother Queen Beatrix abdicated the throne.

Marrakech  - The multi-sectoral cooperation between Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire is a great example of south-south cooperation and of an Africa that takes its destiny into its hands, said Ivorian president Alassan Ouattara on Wednesday in Rabat.

In a statement to MAP as he was leaving at the Marrakech airport, the Ivorian head of state underlined that several leaders and heads of states affirmed, at the opening of the 9th African Development Forum, Africa's will to take its destiny into its hands and agreed to make south-south cooperation an engine for inclusive development in the continent.

The strong ties between Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire and their multi-faceted cooperation give a great example of south-south cooperation, he said.

"We are glad of the presence of Moroccan businesses in Côte d'Ivoire whether in the financial, the real estate or the industrial sectors," he said, thanking King Mohammed VI for his invitation to take part in the Forum.

Ouarzazate - Merzouga, a small village in the south east of Morocco, located about 35 km from Rissani and 55 km from Erfoud, is the largest oasis in Morocco. It has become a favorite destination for enthusiasts and lovers of golden sand as well as for those who seek therapy for certain illnesses.

While some seek the oasis' therapeutic sand, others seek to discover lifestyle of the remaining nomadic tribes in the region.

Before becoming a tourist destination, the inhabitants relied on traveling and trade as their main sources of livelihood, thus the famous trade road to Mali which takes traders about 52 days to reach Timbuktu. However, since the past few decades, the region has invested in agriculture and tourism.

Merzouga's natives are specialized in healing several diseases such rheumatism, bone pain as well as some skin diseases, using the temperature of the hot desert sand. This process takes place from the end of June until the end of August; that is to say, while the temperature is at its highest. Tourists who travel here to recover from an illness follow their hosts' instructions; entailing that they be fully buried, from the neck down, in the hot sand.

During this procedure the healers make sure that the 'patients' refrain from eating or drinking cold liquids and that they are covered with a blanket immediately after getting out of the sand to avoid any air stream. While in the sand, for about 15 minutes, the tourist regularly drinks warm water. Afterwards, he or she heads into the tents for comfort, sweating and drinking herbal tea, followed by a shower. This process is repeated for at least three days until the treatment is complete.

Following the treatment, visitors are offered trips designed to familiarize them with the nomadic culture and the beauty of the region's landscapes. Also, tourists spend at least a full day and night in the tents so as to witness the sunset and sunrise. Other adventures such as participating in races organized in the desert are also available to tourists.

Among approximately 22 km of high sand dunes, the majority of tourists who target Merzouga find comfort in the simplicity of life here, enjoying traditional music, and amazed by the natives' hospitality.

Rabat – The American website “Richest Lifestyle”, dedicated to the celebrities lifestyles and rich people around the globe, released its 2014 list of World’s Most Beautiful First Ladies last week. Princess Lalla Salma, consort of Mohamed VI, king of Morocco, was ranked third on the list.

Behind only by Queen Rania of Jordan and Asma al-Assad, wife of Bashar Al Assad of Syria, the Moroccan first lady ranked ahead of several world first ladies, including Michelle Obama, who frequently makes headlines for her beauty and fashion choices since her husband became the President of United States.

The Moroccan princess has topped the list of 2014 ten Most Beautiful First Ladies in Africa, released by the same source.

Lalla Salma and Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, wife of Gabonese president Ali Bongo Ondimba, who ranked 7, are the only first ladies from Africa who made it on the list of world’s most beautiful First Ladies.

In addition to her stunning elegance, the Moroccan first lady is involved in many philanthropic activities in the Kingdom and abroad, especially in the fight against cancer.

Driven by humanitarian motives, Lalla Salma founded the “Lalla Salma Foundation – Prevention and Treatment of Cancers” in 2005, which is working to prevent and treat cancer.

In a poll organized by the Washington-based Radio Sawa on the occasion of International Women’s Day this year, the Princess was chosen “most inspiring woman” for Arabs.

In May 2013, she was selected by UK’s magazine the most elegant woman attending the coronation ceremony of the new Dutch King, Willem-Alexander, after his mother Queen Beatrix abdicated the throne.

Marrakech- According to General John R. Allen, US President Barack Obama’s Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Morocco is one of 60 countries that have joined the US-led international coalition to fight the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as ISIL.

“What we’re facing in northern Iraq is only partly a crisis about Iraq. It is about the region and potentially the world as we know it,” he said.

Allen outlined the coalition’s objectives against ISIS on the State Department website and listed 60 countries that have agreed to take part in the coalition to eliminate the terrorist organization.

Although Morocco is on the list, its specific contribution is not specified, which signals that its role is perhaps limited to intelligence.

Morocco did not participate in the Paris meeting held on September 15, which was devoted to devising a strategy to destroy ISIS.

30 countries attended the Paris meeting, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Along with Egypt, Morocco has a substantial number of troops and military equipment at its disposal. Morocco is already assisting the coalition by stopping ISIS recruiting networks from encouraging young people to join Jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

Morocco has also enacted legislation targeting money laundering for terrorist purposes. A report published by CNN earlier this month said that over 1,500 Moroccans have joined the ranks of terrorist groups in Syria, including IS.

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Marrakech- The outbreak of the Ebola Virus in West Africa prompted Morocco to ask for African Cup of Nations (CAN) 2015 to be postponed.

But the request, which was sent on 10 October 2014 to the African Football Federation (CAF), was turned down without the CAF taking into account the serious effects that might be brought about because of such event.

Due to this rejection, every Moroccan and any country that will take part in the tournament should worry about such a decision, taken as non-debatable issue, because changes have never been made to the schedule in the past, as CAF claimed.

Ebola first appeared in remote villages in Central Africa near tropical rainforests, and takes its name of the Ebola River in Sudan. It has taken many lives since its first cases in Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan in 1976, an outbreak that killed about 481 people, according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics.

“Ebola hemorrhagic fever”, as it is known, is a mortal illness in humans. Its transmission occurs easily because of peoples’ direct and close contact, and from close contact with wild animals. It is also difficult to be distinguished from other diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, and meningitis.

Every person who cares about the health in the world should pose questions that might help understand why Morocco was right in asking the CAF to postpone the upcoming of the African Cup of Nations.

Is Morocco really ready to face this ghost disease? Does is have the suitable means to reduce the contact between infected people and others in an event such as this continent-wide football tournament?

Does is have the means to protect its citizens, mainly those who serve in hospitals and airports, who are supposed to have direct contact with people who might be infected?

What measures are participating countries taking when sending their players and fans abroad?

What measures will the WHO take for this event in terms of supporting surveillance, community engagement, case management, laboratory services, contact tracing, infection control, and logistical support?

The answer is simple: Morocco does not have the means to face the fallout of a potential outbreak of Ebola.

This event will be a very large gathering and will bring together people who could have been infected with this deadly disease.

Being realistic might save lives of many Africans. Thus, to ask the CAF to postpone the CAN is not only a Moroccan issue, but also a global one.

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Marrakech - Less than a month after decisive defeat of the Scottish referendum on independence from the United Kingdom, Alex Salmond who is standing down as Scotland’s First Minister and is being replaced by Nicola Sturgeon, accused British Prime Minister David Cameron of betraying Scotland by reneging on pledges to grant more spending powers to the Scottish Parliament. His successor Nicola Sturgeon, echoed his concern.

The leaders of the UK’s three main parties, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Labour Party, made several promises for increased Scottish autonomy.

Since then, Britain's London-based politicians have bickered over what amount to overhaul the way the United Kingdom is ruled.

However, the game-changer may very well be the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and its leader Nicholas Farage, who just won a critical election and are poised to win more seats. UKIP wants English MPs to only decide legislation and matters relating to England. This raises the question of how much public money should be allocated to devolved administrations and how much they should be allowed to raise their own revenue. It also raises the question of whether or not the number of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Members of the Westminster Parliament should be reduced, since they have autonomous parliaments of their own. The so-called West Lothian question asks why MPs from devolved areas can vote on English legislation affecting England but English MPs cannot vote on legislation affecting Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales. Thus far, no answer has been forthcoming.

Alex Salmond has threatened that Scottish voters will take revenge against the Conservative-led coalition in the next UK parliamentary elections, due on 7 May 2015, unless Parliament calls for an earlier date. The Conservative party has one Scottish MP in Westminster and 15 members of the Scottish Parliament. The Liberal Democrats  are likely to lose heavily in the next election.

This might leave the Labour party as the winner, or there may be a more complex scenario with UKIP determining the balance, a party gaining strength at the expense of the Conservatives. UKIP wants Britain to leave the European Union. David Cameron is committed to holding a referendum on Britain’s EU membership in 2017 if he wins the next election in 2015. The EU remains the Achilles’ heel of the Conservative party, and may indeed be the cause of yet more defections to UKIP. “A suivre”, as they say.

Rabat - A Moroccan man residing in France was arrested at Mohammed V airport in Casablanca on Wednesday, as he was attempting to travel to Turkey to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

He was accompanied with his two daughters, of French nationality, aged 2 and 4 years and a Moroccan woman, with whom he contracted a customary marriage (Orfi), the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The man had already been arrested in France and has been under judicial supervision, the ministry added.

The man, who was in contact with the terrorist cell dismantled on August 14th, 2014 dispatching fighters to Syria and Iraq, was in close contact with ISIS extremist leaders.

The Grand Prix Jean Giono, created in 1990, crowns the career of a French-language author who has championed or celebrated the art of the novel.

Fouad Laroui is a Moroccan economist and writer who was born in Oujda, Morocco. He authored several works as: "Les Dents du topographe" (1996) and "La Meilleure Façon d'attraper les choses" (2001).

He won in 2013 the Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle (short story) for "L'Etrange Affaire du pantalon de Dassoukine."

Photo Courtesy Le360

Casablanca  - King Mohammed VI launched, on Thursday, the construction of the Casablanca Grand Theater (CasArts), a project of the 2015-2020 Greater Casablanca Region Integrated Development Plan.

 The broad-scope project, to be carried out at the center of Morocco's metropolis for an amount of 1.5 billion dirhams, shows the sovereign's interest in promoting culture, deemed as a basis for the Nation's cohesion, identity and authenticity.

 A reference site for art and culture and an architectural and urban icon for the city of Casablanca, "CasArts" will mirror the city's cultural and artistic renewal. It seeks to improve local population's access to cultural and artistic facilities with the aim of developing intellectual potential, talents and creativity.

 The facility, to be built according to international standards, will also contribute to the Moroccan public's artistic education, promote local artistic creations via cooperation with other national and international cultural actors, and turn the region into a national and international destination for trade, entertainment and major events.

 The project, to be undertaken by the company "Casa Aménagement" within 36 months, will be funded by the State's General Budget (280 mln MAD), the Interior ministry's department in charge of local councils (480 mln MAD), Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social development (400 mln MAD), the Greater Casablanca region (100 mln MAD) and the Casablanca Urban Commune (180 mln).

 "CasArts" will consist of halls for shows (1,800 seats), drama (600 seats) and concerts (300 seats), areas for rehearsal and creation, kids pedagogical workshops, a village for artists and technicians, shops, and an open air area for concerts that can seat up to 35,000 people.

 The project features the development of the "Rachidi" and "Mohammed V" squares which will house afterwards underground parking lots for 900 cars.

The Casablanca Grand Theater will fit perfectly into the Casablanca agglomeration's urban layout, on the back of the 2015-2020 Greater Casablanca Region Integrated Development Plan, launched last September by HM the King and the "Wessal Casablanca-Port" project.

Washington DC - The case of the Mahyuba Mohamed Hamdidaf, a young Spanish national of Saharan descent, being held against her will in the Algeria controlled camps for Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf raises serious questions about the legitimacy and ethics of Polisario’ s practice of sending young kids to Cuba and Spain. It brings to the forefront the tragedy of thousands of Sahrawi kids forcibly sent by the Polisario to foreign lands to fight for “the cause”.

During a meeting in Washington, Mr. Ahmed Cheikh Ismaili, former Polisario fighter who lived in the Camps for 21 years before returning to Morocco, denounced his former comrades for amputating  Saharan families by taking away children from their mothers to send to Cuba for indoctrinations and to Spain for Spanish family to “adopt”. Mr. Ismaili knows first-hand the emotional implications of such cases as he witnessed families torn apart. He insists that Sahrawis don’t support these activities since they know they may not see their kids again.

As in the case of Mahyuba, young Sahrawi kids either stay in Spain where they are turned over to Spanish families without the approval of their biological parents or are recruited by the Polisario that turned them into political operators serving in the Algerian war against Morocco in the Western Sahara.

The Hamdidaf family actions are a cry to the international community for help. Mahyuba arrived in Spain in 1999 and was given to a family in Valencian in 2002, according to the Spanish Daily El-Mundo. Therefore, the young girl was basically taken from her biological mother and given to a Spanish family without parental consent.

The Spanish authorities  and media’s insistence that Mahyuba has the right to choose her life and that no parent can take that choice away from her shows a level of indifference and apathy towards the thousands of Sahrawi families that lost their children to adoptive households in Spain.

The Hamdidafs should release their daughter and let her live her life. It is too late for them to reclaim her; however, the international community must hold the Polisario and the Algerian government responsible for the illicit activity of sending kids for overseas adoption without parental consent.

By all accounts, these children were forcibly separated from their parents at an early age; some of them were banned from contacting their families in Algeria. This long standing practice is illegal and immoral.

Spain, Algeria and the Polisario have been getting away with what amounts to children abductions. Morocco’s timid and inconsistent campaigns on behalf of these defenseless children have further encouraged the Saharan militia to continue such controversial “ritual.”

The Polisario assurances about the fate of these vulnerable children ring hollow as several returnees from the Polisario camps decried this practice. The Sahrawi culture is tribal-based where the family unit is at the heart of the local society and the children are sacred. Several civilians who fled Tindouf have confirmed that parents rather keep their kids in the impoverished camps than send them to Cuba and Spain where they may not come back.

Rabat’s flawed response to the plight of hundreds of young refugees many of them are technically Moroccan citizens must be ratified through a more rigorous political and diplomatic campaigns to denounce and publicize the alleged violations. Spain should consider the social and psychological impacts of these forced exiled on the kids and their families before accepting to settle them in Europe. In short, this inhuman practice must stop.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy

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Taroudant, Morocco - After various statements made by Lahcen Daoudi, Minister of Higher Education, in which he highlighted the importance of scientific training, the Minister once again would like to see more science baccalaureate students in the Moroccan school system.

According to the Minister, having more students enrolled in science branches is "one of the key means to fight against unemployment."

Daoudi, who previously declared that there are "too many graduates in arts and humanities and not enough math and science students," believes that orienting more students into scientific disciplines “will be one of the key ways to improve employment and the fight against unemployment."

According to Media 24, the Minister said that the number of graduates in science and mathematics has declined by 2% in the 2014 baccalaureate, against a rise of 9% of graduates in arts.

For Daoudi, "this is due to the organization of primary and secondary systems that needs to be reformed."

"No economy can absorb such trends,” the Minister said, adding that “we must give mathematics its proper place in the Moroccan educational system."

In addition to his favor of science branches, the minister called several times on the importance of the English language as a key element to science and academic research.

In order to make this a priority for science students, the Minister of Higher Education has reportedly signed a circular making it obligatory for science students to master English before they can be admitted to science Universities.

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Taroudant, Morocco - Following the recent decision of the National Federation of owners of bakeries to rasie the cost of a loaf of bread throughout Morocco, Mohamed El Ouafa, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Public Affairs and Governance, said that the government will not allow the price increase to take place. 

At a press conference held on Wednesday, October 15, in the Ministry headquarters, the Minister of Corporate Affairs said that the government would not let the National Federation of owners of bakeries to increase in the price of bread.

The Minister said "the government will not bow to pressure and threats from bakers.” He added that the law states that price regulation should be in conformity with the competition without destabilizing the market.

El Ouafa confirmed that the Head of Government has called for the establishment of a ministerial delegation to follow this case closely study the current problems in the baking sector to ensure that the claims of the Federation are well justified.

It is worth mentioning that Lahoucine Azaz, President of the National Federation of bakeries, said earlier this week that the current critical situation of bakeries forced them to increase the price of bread, “in order to safeguard the dignity of the professionals at risk of going bankrupt.”

During a meeting of the House of Representatives on February 11, 2014, broadcasted live on the national channel, the Minister said that “the bread that costs MAD 1.20, funded by the Caisse de Compensation” (Compensation Fund), “is bad for the health of Moroccans,” but “unfortunately they love it.”

In turn, the Minister called for “reconsidering the basic components of our nutrition.”

The Minister’s statements were very controversial, given the fact that bread is the staple food that any Moroccan family cannot do without and is widely served with nearly all meals.

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Tangier - The United Nations on Thursday elected Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela for non-permanent seats on the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2015.

While Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Venezuela were elected at the first round, the General Assembly had to go for two more rounds to choose the remaining seat. Spain and Turkey were the two candidates competing for the second seat allocated to group of Western European and Other States Group.

At the third round of vote, Spain obtained 133 votes, while Turkey obtained 60 votes. For any country to be elected to the Security Council, it needs to receive the votes of two-thirds of the 193 members of the General Assembly, which are 129 votes.

The new members will join Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania and Nigeria, whose terms end on 31 December 2015, in addition to the veto-wielding five permanent Council members, which are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.