02/08/10 ( Morocco Board News Service ) --- Akamai, The U.S. Company that specializes in managing Internet, has recently published a report on Internet around the world, during the 3rd quarter 2009. According to the report, Morocco has best connection in Africa.
The UK has the fastest connection to Africa. Rabat tops the rankings by city, with a connection speed of 3251 kilobits per second (Kbps). Followed by Tunis (2211 Kbps) and Casablanca (2030 Kbps). The best in Africa still remains behind the rest of the world. For example, the United States, (18th worldwide) has a rate that is 10 times higher than Morocco (33464 Kbps). The golden award winner goes to South Korea (14.6 Megabits per second).
Iran started production of two lines of drones, remotely piloted aircraft for surveillance and attack, said Monday the Minister of Defense Iranian.
UAVs like Raad (Thunder) and Nazir (Warning) will be produced. These UAVs should be able to conduct operations to attack long range and high precision, "said General Ahmad Vahidi, whose remarks were reported by state television.
No information has been given yet on the exact scope of these unmanned aircraft. Iran had announced two years ago that it has built a drone with a range estimated at more than 1,000 km, putting Israel as a potential target.
Rabat - Morocco has urged Spain to make good the damage undergone by Moroccan soldiers who engaged in Spain's civil war (1936-1939).
Morocco's Foreign Minister Taïb Fassi Fihri said, during the House of Representatives' question time on Wednesday, that the government deems that it is about time justice was done to these combatants and their assigns, especially with regard to improving their material conditions.
The arrangement between Algeria’s President Bouteflika and the Algerian military intelligence all-powerful DRS, the Military Directorate of Intelligence and security, is in trouble.
Last January, a political earthquake shook the Algerian government, the removal and placement under judicial review of Sonatrach's president and four of its vice-presidents. It was unprecedented.
In Algeria, the state oil Monopoly Sonatrach is a real state within the state (120,000 employees, 98% of Algeria’s exports and 60% of its budget revenues). No one thought, until today, to intervene in this holy of holies, the state oil Business, not even the Muslim extremists, during Algeria's civil war, did not dare to interfere.
MARRAKECH, Morocco, (2/3/10) - The Utah Air National Guard's KC-135 Stratotanker and flight crew participated in the Aeroexpo Marrakech at the Royal Air Forces Military Base in Marrakech, Morocco in January. The KC-135 was showcased as a static display at the international air and trade show. The KC-135 also served an air refueling mission en-route to the show, refueling two F-16 Fighting Falcons, from South Carolina. The two McEntire Joint Forces National Guard base F-16s were also in Morocco performing in the air show to demonstrate their capabilities. The objective of US participation in the air show was twofold: to demonstrate support to the Moroccan decision to purchase 24 F-16 aircraft, and to support US Africa Command's strategic engagements in the region, AFRICOM reports. "The Moroccans' purchase of the F-16s is positive," said Colonel Dar Craig, commander of the 151st Operations Group, at the air show.
Washington, 02/02/10 - The Tangier-Casablanca, Morocco, high speed train will carry 8 million passengers per year, CEO of Moroccan National Railways Mohammed Rabie Khlie said.
With a capacity of 500 passengers, the new HST will be accessible to the average citizen with a departure in every hour and every half hour during periods of heavy traffic, Mr. Khlie said on Monday.
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(Morocco Board News Service)--Amazighs across North Africa have celebrated recently their New Year. Yennayer, as it is known, is the first day of the Amazigh calendar and is marked by various events from throwing parties to collecting food for the poor. But the festivities were marred by protests in Northern Algeria. Activists took to the streets calling for autonomy for the Kabylie region. For centuries the Amazigh people have complained about discrimination and marginalization of their culture and heritage.
Washington, 01/28/10 (Morocco Board News Service)-- On the tarmac of the Marrakesh, Morocco international airport and on the stands, are exposed many aircraft and helicopters, civil and military (Hercules C130, F16 U.S., business jets, regional aircraft last ATR ...). In the air, the Green March, the Moroccan Air patrol is operating a low altitude refueling demonstration that is delighting the audience.
The second edition of the Marrakech air show, Aeroexpo, which is held from January 27 to the 30th, has substantially grown. About 300 exhibitors are present, and 40,000 visitors are expected. "In two years, the activity has almost doubled. Twenty foreign ministerial delegations are attending and they are followed by their countries respective civilian aviation delegations "said the show’s Commissioner Frederic Le Henaff.
An international conference under the theme " Judeo-Muslim Peaceful Coexistence: is it possible from the example of Morocco?" will take place on March 13, 2010 in Marrakech.
Initiated by the Association "Permanence of Moroccan Judaism" (APJM), this meeting will bring together more than a hundred historians, researchers and scholars from five continents.
02/06/10 ( Morocco Board News Service ) - - An investigation, initiated by the Moroccan internal intelligence services division, lead to the arrest of 14 Moroccans and an American citizen at a home in Amzmiz, a town located 54 km from Marrakech, Morocco.
The authorities investigated the relationship between the American citizen and the 14 Moroccans, who had converted to Christianity in 2003, the location of their first acquaintance, and the contents of their meetings. The Investigators tried to learn the reasons why the group chose to undertake their evangelization campaign in the small and impoverished town of Amzmiz, in particular.
Linda Morgan / Staff Photographer Photographer Heather DiPaolo and Joseph Grieboski, founder of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, stand with one of Ms. DiPaolo's photos from Morocco during an exhibit of her work Friday night at Scranton City Hall. Ms. DiPaolo traveled to the North African country as official photographer for a trip sponsored by Mr. Grieboski's organization.
thetimes-tribune - The burning question at Scranton City Hall on Friday night had nothing to do with sewer rates or libraries.
"Where is the monkey?" asked guest after guest, elbowing gently through the crowded first-floor hallway with canapes in one hand and cups of Moroccan wine in the other.
Heather DiPaolo's black-and-white portrait of a Moroccan man holding a wiry little simian proved a fan favorite in her exhibit of photos from the North African country at the First Friday art walk in downtown Scranton.
Brussels - Spanish Foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos underlined, here Wednesday, the importance that the Spanish presidency of the European Union gives to boosting its ties with Morocco.
"It is very important to maintain good relations with Morocco," Moratinos said before the European Parliament, recalling that the next Morocco-EU summit will be held next spring in Spain.
Moroccan blogger Boubaker Al Yadib was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 500 dhs fine, by a Court in southern Morocco city of Guelmim. Mr. Al Yadib was arrested last January 26.
The trial of blogger was held January 28. And according to his lawyer, Mr. Darchil Ahmed, Al Yadib was sentenced for participating in an illegal demonstration, “attacking public officials”, defacing public property and inciting a protest against government policy towards the Amazigh”
Julia Fairclough 1/21/10/ Somerville News--- -Somerville artist Pauline Lim learned while in Tiznit, Morocco, that making a collaborative mural with children-an activity that the painter had always avoided-can be fulfilling, entertaining and educational.
"The other artists chided me for trying to control the outcome of the project too much," she said, "But it was true, because I always think collaborative murals end up looking like a chaotic mess. This one did too, but (Cynthia Maurice, a fellow Brickbottom artist) taught me to see the beauty and energy in it."
Lim is among a dozen city officials, artists, and other community members who came back from last month's week-long professional development trip in Tiznit, who looks at life a bit differently.
Rabat, Morocco - The military and enclosed nature of the Tindouf Camps in the Algerian territory is "a unique case in the humanitarian world" and as a host country, Algeria assumes a political responsibility as well as legal and humanitarian duties, Moroccan Foreign minister Taib Fassi Fihri said.
"The military and enclosed nature of these camps is in fact a unique case in the humanitarian world," said Fassi Fihri in a letter to the UN secretary-general.
"This situation calls upon the human conscience and cannot be tolerated, three decades later, by the international community which clearly bans the presence of armed individuals in the refugees' camps and calls for the free movement which is denied to the Tindouf population," he added.
The arrangement between Algeria’s President Bouteflika and the Algerian military intelligence all-powerful DRS, the Military Directorate of Intelligence and security, is in trouble.
MARRAKECH, Morocco, (2/3/10) - The Utah Air National Guard's KC-135 Stratotanker and flight crew participated in the Aeroexpo Marrakech at the Royal Air Forces Military Base in Marrakech, Morocco in January.
Washington, 01/28/10 (Morocco Board News Service)--
Moroccan blogger Boubaker Al Yadib was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 500 dhs fine, by a Court in southern Morocco city of Guelmim. Mr. Al Yadib was arrested last January 26. 
Rabat, Morocco - The military and enclosed nature of the Tindouf Camps in the Algerian territory is "a unique case in the humanitarian world" and as a host country, Algeria assumes a political responsibility as well as legal and humanitarian duties, Moroccan Foreign minister Taib Fassi Fihri said.
