Africa International

Africa’s Pinochet temporarily released from prison due to COVID-19

Chad’s former ruler Hissene Habre has been granted two months leave from prison in Senegal, where he is serving life for crimes against humanity. The prison is being used to hold new detainees in coronavirus quarantine. Habre, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at an […]

Headlines Libya

Libya: former Prime Minister dies of Coronavirus in Egypt

Mahmoud Jibril, a former Premier has died in Egypt where he hospitalized after he tested positive for covid-19 in March, reports say. Jibril’s party, National Forces Alliance, founded in 2012, announced his death Sunday. The 68-year old man led National Transitional Council, the de facto Libyan government during the months-long NATO-backed revolution that removed and […]

Egypt Headlines

Gulf crisis: Egypt objects return of citizens stranded in Qatar

Egypt has refused to welcome its citizens stranded in Qatar amid global battle against covid-19 and diplomatic tension between the two countries. A source at Qatar’s foreign ministry told Doha-based news network Al Jazeera that the Gulf country has charted a plane to bring home Egyptian nationals but Egypt has refused to let the Spanish […]

Europe Headlines International Maghreb Morocco

Coronavirus increases public trust in Moroccan authorities- Chatham House

The measures taken by the Moroccan government to counter the coronavirus outbreak have strengthened citizens’ trust in institutions, said a policy paper published by UK think Tank the Chatham House. Citing a recent study conducted by the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis, the policy paper, signed by Mohamed Masbah and Anna Jacobs, showed that a […]

Business Headlines Maghreb Morocco

COVID-19: Casablanca to transform international exhibition center into 700-bed hospital

Local authorities in Morocco’s largest city of Casablanca announced their plan to transform an exhibition center into a hospital able to accommodate 700 coronavirus patients. The exhibition center is the largest in Morocco stretching over a surface area of 20,000 square meters, authorities said in a statement. The center will be transformed into a hospital […]

Asia Headlines International Morocco

Morocco accommodates 1000 nationals stranded in Istanbul; pays for burial costs of deceased expatriates

Morocco has booked hotel rooms for 1000 of its nationals who have been stranded in Istanbul after the country imposed a passenger flight ban over coronavirus fears. The Moroccan consulate in Istanbul booked 479 rooms in 16 hotels in Istanbul for the stranded Moroccans. Turkey has become a favorite destination for Moroccan middle class tourists […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco braces for austerity measures in wake of Covid-19

Morocco seems to have opted for austerity measures instead of a revision of its appropriation bill to offset the rise in public spending to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Morocco expects a spike in spending to counter coronavirus and mitigate its social and economic impact combined with a drop in tax and customs revenues as demand […]

Headlines Morocco

Coronavirus: Confirmed cases in Morocco surge to 919 Saturday evening

The total number of confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in Morocco jumped Saturday evening at 9:00 p.m. to 919, while the death toll stood at 59, announced the Ministry of Health on its portal www.covidmaroc.ma. The number of remissions was established at 66. Saturday, the Moroccan medical staff was affected by […]

Business Headlines Maghreb Morocco

Over half of Morocco’s non-agricultural GDP to be unaffected by Coronavirus crisis – Minister

The Moroccan economy is well-equipped to absorb the shocks relating to the measures imposed to contain the coronavirus as over half of Morocco’s non-agricultural GDP operates as usual, Finance Minister said. Banks, agri-business, extractive industries and public administrations, representing 53% of non agricultural GDP, maintain normal operations and are unlikely to be affected by the […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Coronavirus: World Bank redirects a $275-million loan to Morocco

The World Bank approved a first set of emergency support operations for developing countries around the world, using a dedicated, fast-track facility for COVID-19 (coronavirus) response. The first group of projects, amounting to $1.9 billion, will assist 25 countries, and new operations are moving forward in over 40 countries using the fast-track process, the international […]