Moroccan rescue services recovered the corpses after the crew of a passenger ship spotted them in the water.

The dead are believed to be migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

It is thought they may have been hoping to reach Europe by trying to land in Melilla, despite storm warnings being issued for the region.

Melilla, which is just 12 sq km (7 square miles), is a major crossing point for migrants seeking work or asylum in Europe.

Together with a second Spanish enclave, Ceuta, it is the EU’s only land border with Africa.

Spanish newspaper El Pais reports that the bodies were found floating around 6-8km from Melilla’s coast.

The exact death toll has not yet been confirmed. Spanish rescue services resumed a search on Sunday morning.

The sea crossing between north Africa and southern Spain is increasingly favoured by migrants, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

So far in 2018, Spain has been the second most popular entry point for incomers to Europe. IOM figures say some 1,279 arrived there, while 4,256 went to Italy.

Not including those recovered this weekend, 243 migrants have already died or gone missing this year after trying to cross the Mediterranean.

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Source: BBC

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Both sides came through tough semifinals on Wednesday evening: Morocco needed extra time to overcome a resilient Libya 3-1 in their North African derby in Casablanca, while Nigeria edged Sudan 1-0 in a hard-fought clash in Marrakech.

The Atlas Lions and the Super Eagles are bidding to become the fourth different winners of the Chan, joining the honours board of DR Congo (champions in 2009 and 2016), Tunisia (2014) and Libya (2014).

Morocco coach Jamal Sellami paid tribute to his team after their victory, which was inspired by a brace from striker Ayoub El Kaabi. He has now netted eight times in this Chan tournament.

“I congratulate my players, who made a great match despite the difficulties they faced,” said Sellami after the clash with Libya.

“We were opposed to an organised selection that caused us a lot of problems.

“The fatigue of the Libyan players has done us a great service,” he admitted. “No matter who our opponent is in the final, what matters is the state of my players.”

As for Nigeria, they have come good on their coach Salisu Yusuf’s promise that they would reach the final of the Chan, with Gabriel Okechukwu’s goal securing victory over Sudan.

“Our target is the trophy, no less,” said the Nigeria coach, who added: “Reaching the final alone will mean history for this team.

“The final of the African Nations Championship beckons and we will go out there with all that we have got.”

In head-to-head statistics, Morocco and Nigeria have met in 12 official matches according to Fifa’s database. Each side has claimed five wins, while two games have been drawn.

The teams’ most recent meeting was in the 2014 edition of the Chan, with the Super Eagles claiming a thrilling 4-3 victory after extra time in the teams’ quarterfinal clash in Cape Town. The West African came from 0-3 down to win the match.

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Source: SuperSport

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Nigeria, who were crowned champions of Africa in 2013, will face Argentina for the fifth time in the group stages of the World Cup

They are joined in Group D by Iceland and Croatia.

Morocco who beat Ivory Coast to make it to the tournament will face a huge task of making it out of their group after they were drawn against European Champions Portugal and Spain who have won the World Cup in 2010.

Senegal were grouped with Poland, Colombia and Japan while Tunisia will be hoping they can make it out of a difficult group with Belgium, Panama and England.

Defending champions Germany will be expected to qualify from a group which has Sweden, Mexico and South Korea

Hosts Russia play Saudi Arabia in the World Cup’s opening game in Moscow on 14 June (16:00 BST).

The 2018 tournament takes place across Russia between 14 June and 15 July.

World Cup groups in full

• Group A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay
• Group B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran
• Group C: France, Australia, Peru, Denmark
• Group D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria
• Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia
• Group F: Germany, Sweden, Mexico, South Korea
• Group G: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England
• Group H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The incident occurred in the town of Sidi Boulaalam in Essaouira province. The aid was being handed out by a private local charity.

Some reports indicate that up to 40 people were injured in the crush. Local media reported that most of the victims were women and elderly people.

Pictures on social media showed bodies of women laid out on the ground.

Witnesses told local media that this year’s annual food aid distribution at a local market in Sidi Boulaalam, an impoverished town with just over 8,000 inhabitants, attracted a larger crowd than usual.

“This year there were lots of people, several hundred people,” a witness who asked to remain anonymous told AFP news agency.

“People shoved, they broke down the barriers,” he said, adding that the injured had been evacuated to a hospital in Marrakesh.

Morocco’s interior ministry said that King Muhammed VI had instructed the local authorities to help those affected, adding that he would personally cover all medical and funeral costs.

An unverified video shot by a bystander before the incident showed a large crowd gathered at the open-air market, waiting for the food distribution.

It is not clear what triggered the stampede, and an investigation is now under way.

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Source: BBC

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Namely, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia and Morocco.

At its meeting on September 23, 2017, CAF Executive Committee decided to complete the process of selecting a new host country for the tournament scheduled for January 2018, within 15 days. After Kenya, the initial host, failed to meet the requirements.

Total CHAN is a competition that brings together 16 national teams made up of players selected in their national championships. The 5th edition is to be held in 2018.

Source: CAF Online

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Fifa confirmed it received an expression of interest in bidding to host the tournament from the African country by Friday’s deadline.

The United States, Canada and Mexico had already announced in April that they intend to put forward a joint bid.

The World Cup has only been hosted once in Africa – in South Africa in 2010 – and this will be Morocco’s fifth bid.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) gave its backing to a Moroccan bid in July.

A total of 48 teams, rather than the current 32, will compete at an expanded tournament in 2026 after changes announced by Fifa earlier this year.

The decision on who will host event will be made in 2020.

Fifa’s rotational hosting policy means Africa is one of four confederations that can bid to host the 2026 finals as Europe (Russia 2018) and Asia (Qatar 2022) cannot be considered.

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Source: BBC

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But Ecowas leaders meeting in Liberia said the implications of its membership still needed to be considered before Morocco could formally join.

King Mohammed VI was not at the summit because Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been invited.

Morocco’s application comes after it rejoined the African Union in January.

Morocco left the continental body in 1984 after it recognised the independence of Western Sahara.

Morocco regards Western Sahara as part of its historic territory and has spent much of the last three decades trying to strengthen ties with Europe at the expense of relations with Africa.

There has been no official confirmation of the decision to admit Morocco but highly placed Ecowas sources have confirmed it to the BBC.

Morocco, along with Tunisia which is seeking observer status with the organization and Mauritania, which wants to return to the body, will be invited to the next meeting of heads of state in Togo in December, the source said.

Ecowas is made up of 15 West African nations, none of which shares a border with Morocco.

Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed West African leaders on Sunday saying: “Israel is coming back to Africa and Africa is coming back to Israel.

“I believe in Africa. I believe in its potential, present and future. It is a continent on the rise.”

This trip comes nearly a year after Mr Netanyahu was in East Africa as part of his efforts to strengthen ties between the continent and Israel.

Morocco does not have diplomatic ties with Israel so King Mohammed VI last week announced he would not be attending the summit.

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Source: BBC

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Five of the MOUs are with the government directly, whiles 22 are with private sector players in the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”pJfM6JAGpKNnsT7uHVrZNULBPRXYQ2QA”]The MOUs signed today [Friday], at a ceremony held at the Flagstaff House and witnessed by both President Nana Akufo-Addo and King Mohammed VI, is aimed at Positioning the Ghanaian economy to tap into, and learn from the Moroccan economic success as Ghana takes progressive steps to transform her economic circumstances going forward.

Addressing the gathering before the signing ceremony, Nana Dr. Appiagyei Dankawoso, President of Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the signing of the 27 MOU’s signify the beginning of greater corporation between the two countries.

Representative of the Moroccan team, Miriem Bensalah- Chaqroun, who is the President of Morocco’s CGEM, says her country is delighted to partner with Ghana and to make their economic and industrial models available to Ghanaian companies to ensure efficient and rapid development in all the sectors that are covered in the MOUs that have been signed.

The Moroccan King, who arrived at the presidency Friday afternoon, inspected a guard of honour formed in his honour amidst a 21 gun salute.

He later held bilateral talks with the President after which both leaders honoured each other with the highest national award of their respective countries.

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By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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After an emotional and tense debate, member states decided by consensus to leave the question of the disputed territory of Western Sahara for another day, and resolve it with Morocco “back in the family”.

“Morocco has been admitted to join the AU with a view that it will become the 55th member of the continental body. That’s made with the understanding that Western Sahara will remain a member of the AU,” said Lamine Baali, ambassador of Western Sahara to Ethiopia and the AU.

“All the debates were focused on [the issue] that Morocco should respect the internationally recognised border of Western Sahara.”

The only African country not to belong to the AU, Morocco left its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity, in 1984 after the body recognised the independence of Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.

Morocco submitted its bid to rejoin last year, reportedly in the hope that being inside the AU would bring it diplomatic gains against Western Sahara’s independence movement  – the Polisario Front – and allow it to lobby against Western Sahara’s membership in the AU.

But Baali said Morocco had been re-admitted “with the understanding that Western Sahara will remain a member of the AU”.

The membership of relatively wealthy Morocco was welcomed by many members of the AU, which has been criticised for being overly dependent on non-African donor funding.

There was also some opposition from countries supporting the Polisario, observers said.

An African Union source, who followed the debate for Morocco to return to the continental body, said that 39 countries supported Morocco’s bid but nine voted against it.

Polisario leader and member of the Sawhrawi delegation Minister Mohamed Beiset told Al Jazeera that while there was a lengthy debate, “the wisdom of the African leaders made it possible to reach a consensus that was acceptable to everyone”.

The delegation decided, said Beiset, that “it was better to have Morocco inside the house, inside the family, and to try to reach African solutions to African problems”.

He congratulated Morocco for joining the AU, and said it was “a new opportunity that we should all seize in starting a … genuine dialogue between us to reach a solution to the long-standing conflict that has separated us”.

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Source: Aljazeera

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A statement from the presidency singed by acting Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin, said the visit is aimed at deepening the existing, cordial relations between Ghana and Morocco.

The statement further said the visit will also present the two countries an opportunity to define new areas of co-operation that would serve the mutual interests of the two countries.

“On Friday, January 20, President Akufo-Addo will hold bilateral talks with King Mohammed VI, before hosting him to an official lunch at the Presidency,” the statement added.

King Mohammed VI will thereafter depart for Morocco.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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