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Israeli pioneer of direct action protest movement

Lawrence Joffe
Thursday January 31, 2008
The Guardian

The Moroccan-born social campaigner Sa'adia Marciano, who has died in a Jerusalem hospital, aged 57, was the founder and public face of Israel's Black Panthers protest movement, and one of the most charismatic, if tragic, figures in Israeli society. He battled ceaselessly for Israel's poorer Sephardim and Mizrahim (Jews of Spanish and oriental origin) and at his death was still campaigning to provide food and heating for Jerusalem's needy.

Sa'adia was a lanky, long-haired 20-year-old when he first galvanised unemployed youths in the rundown Jerusalem neighbourhood of Musrara in 1971. The Panther moniker was an echo of the African-American group: "Golda Meir was aware of [their] reputation, and we wanted to scare her."

The rebels took to the streets, accusing Israel's European-origin Ashkenazi establishment of betraying their community. The Sephardim were a small minority when the state of Israel came into being in 1948, but by 1971, after immigration from the Middle East and north Africa, they represented almost 60% of all Israeli Jews. However, only 3% of top official posts and a fifth of parliamentary members were Sephardi.

The Panthers attacked the ruling Labour party for housing Sephardi immigrants in substandard ma'abarot (transit camps) and "development towns", and denigrating Arabic-Jewish culture. A spontaneous uprising soon turned into protests outside Jerusalem town hall. They bore coffins to symbolise the death of social equality, and stole milk bottles from outside middle-class homes to redistribute in disadvantaged areas.

The Panthers won attention after Marciano's face, bruised by police batons, appeared on television. In 1971 Golda Meir called them "not nice boys", and a month later 20 were wounded and 74 arrested when they clashed with police. But they forced her to call an inquiry and increase social budgets.

Marciano's group challenged two sacrosanct ideas of Israeli society: that Jews constituted one, indivisible bloc, and that social concerns had to wait until peace arrived. They also claimed common cause with Israeli Arabs and Palestinians in the occupied territories, and were among the first Israelis to meet Yasser Arafat in 1972.

In September 1973, the Panthers won several seats in the Histadrut labour federation, but in the wake of the Yom Kippur war that October most Sephardim disagreed when the Panthers blamed Zionism for engendering social rifts.

In 1977 Marciano entered the Knesset (parliament) for the leftwing Sheli party. Three years later he formed the one-man Equality in Israel-Panthers party, but failed to pass the 1% election threshold in 1981. He then founded a drug rehabilitation centre, organised concerts and dabbled in film production. He later joined the Labour party, though he never stood for election again.

Despite their failures, the Panthers set a model for direct action in Israel, which has been followed by the leftwing Peace Now, Yesh Gvul and Four Mothers, and pro-settler rightist groups such as Gush Emunim and Zo Artzeinu. They also put social issues on the national table. The ruling Likud party launched projects to revive development towns; culturally, Mizrahi music has entered mainstream pop; and restaurants sell more bourekas, shwarma and hummus than bagels, schnitzels and gefilte fish. Since 1971 Israel has had two Mizrahi presidents and many government ministers. Sa'adia's cousin became chief aide to the Moroccan-born Amir Peretz, who was elected Labour's second Mizrahi leader in late 2005.

Marciano was born the sixth of 11 children in Oujda, a town on the Moroccan-Algerian border. He emigrated to Israel in 1950 after violence between local Arabs and Jews. He is survived by his wife Vicky; they had a son.

· Sa'adia Marciano, campaigner, born May 1 1950; died December 21 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,2249494,00.html

Magharebia
Published on Magharebia‎ (http://www.magharebia.com) ‎
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/01/30/feature-01
Morocco to launch Amazigh channel

30/01/2008

A Moroccan television channel devoted to Amazigh language and culture has stirred up interest from the Amazigh cultural movement. Government officials say the programming will cater to a sizeable number of Moroccan viewers, but one Amazigh activist is worried that the channel could be divisive.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 30/01/08

[Sarah Touahri] Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) rector Ahmed Boukous's staff will be responsible for producing content for Morocco's new Amazigh channel, with the aim of bringing Amazigh to an audience unfamiliar with the language.

A new Moroccan television channel will broadcast entirely in Amazigh, satisfying a long-awaited demand by a significant percentage of the country’s citizens. The Moroccan government is finalising broadcast specifications to ensure that the national channel, which will air a range of general-interest programmes, can soon begin operations, Communications Minister Khalid Naciri announced before parliament last Wednesday (January 23rd).

A statement from the prime minister’s office said that "the government is prepared to make all the necessary arrangements for the creation of an Amazigh television channel." The finance and communications ministries will foot the bill, which is expected to come to 168m dirhams ($21.7m), the National Radio and Television Company (SNRT) will provide the channel’s headquarters and a significant share of the staff, and the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) will be responsible for training and also some producing.

Plans for the television station were shelved in November 2006 because of financial difficulties, but the government is now determined to get the Amazigh channel on the air. A committee made up of the SNRT, IRCAM and the Ministry of Communication worked on the production, technical equipment and human resources aspects of the project before it was taken over by the government.

According to the minister, programmes will be broadcast in all three dialects of Amazigh: Tamazight, Tarifit and Tachlhit. "This channel is intended to cater to the needs of a sizeable number of Moroccan viewers in the fields of information, culture, education and leisure," Naciri noted.

IRCAM says the aim is to bring Amazigh to an audience unfamiliar with the language.

The creation of a special channel devoted to Amazigh language and culture has stirred up interest from the Amazigh cultural movement. Even groups which do not support IRCAM are welcoming the move.

Brahim Baouche, a representative of the Amazigh Citizenship Network in Rabat, told Magharebia that all Amazighs are eagerly awaiting the new channel: "It’s a kind of reconciliation with the Amazigh as part of a move to promote cultural diversity. The request by the Amazigh movement to integrate Amazigh into the public media will finally come to fruition." While the two national channels have certainly made efforts to broadcast programmes in Amazigh, he said, the shows are scheduled during off-peak viewing hours.

Said Ameskane, a spokesman for the Popular Movement, which has made defending Amazigh language a key policy, said the channel will meet the expectations of people who do not speak Arabic. He worried, however, that the creation of the new channel would create a kind of separation. He believes that an alternative solution would have been to broadcast more Amazigh-language programmes on existing channels.

"We’re all part of one society," he said. "No Moroccan can say he is either 100% Arab or Amazigh. Morocco is made up of a cultural mix."

Overseas property guides for anyone interested in buying property in Tangiers, Morocco. Plus, find property in the rest of Morocco.

Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco and its location means that it has long been held as a gateway to the Arabic world for people from Europe.

Lying on the coast of the continent, near the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, the city has a population of 669,680.

It is the capital of the Tangier-Tetouan Region and has long attracted creative people from Europe. In fact, William S Burroughs and Malcolm Forbes both opted to live in the city during their lives.

To find property in Tangiers and elsewhere in Morocco, visit: www.justoverseas.co.uk/propertyinmorocco

As a result of its proximity to Europe and its enduring popularity with foreigners, the city has many international educational facilities. These include the American School of Tangier, the English College of Tangier and the Tangier Anglo Moroccan School.

Lonely Planet has noted that the city perfectly captures the mysticism and romance of Morocco, praising its “hint of spice".

What's more, it added: "Jostling crowds, the piquant tension of debate, space in perpetual motion - the minute you set foot in the country you know you've arrived somewhere very different."

The site yourkeytomorocco.co.uk added that the city has attracted people looking for second homes because of its "narrow passageways teeming with excitement all the way into its port area".

It added that two very popular destinations for people thinking of buying properties are the Avenue Mohamed VI on the beachfront and the Place de France in the Ville Nouvelle.

Finally, the site said that the area around Grand Socco square is popular, explaining: "Mendoubia Gardens in the surrounding area of the square is a calm and cool respite from the crowds of the marketplace."

Pros of Buying Property in Tangiers

Many people have recently tipped Morocco as a good spot for investments and this is particularly true of Tangiers.

Michael Kent, marketing director of Moroccan Sands, explained that people could buy a ''decent villa'' in Morocco for around half the price of equivalent property in the Costa del Sol.
He added: "[Morocco] is very much at an investment stage at the moment - over the next five years I think we are going to see some really exciting projects.

"It's the sleeping giant of Mediterranean tourism really - everybody knows about it and it comes out with very high approval ratings as a destination."

Indeed, the Global Property Guide showed that prices in the country remain very reasonable. Its data suggested that the average price for a home in the country is $1,973 per square metre.

Website theoffplanstore.com suggested that buyers need to make a decision about whether they want a new build property or a more traditional home in Tangiers.

It explained: "If you were attracted to Morocco by its vibrant culture you may simply prefer to plump for a charming riad or dar."

Cons of Buying Property in Tangiers

While many properties in the city do not have the correct title deeds, it is vital these are obtained before a purchase is completed. Without them, a person does not own the house, regardless of how much they paid for the property.

When buying in Tangiers, it is important to employ a notary. Some experts have also suggested that hiring a local solicitor could be useful as they can provide sound independent advice.

What you need to know when buying property in Morocco

Foreigners are generally encouraged to buy property in Morocco and do not typically find it hard to secure a mortgage. There are also no restrictions on selling a home; although a capital gains tax of 20 per cent is usually required.

© Adfero Ltd
http://www.financedaily.co.uk/showArticle.aspx?loadid=00910

Press release from: Moorish Architecture & Home Decorating By Saint Tropez Boutique
Dieses Bild im Großformat speichern
(openPR) - Moroccan tiles are a testimony to their deep heritage and rich culture and are usually handmade or handcrafted. The practice of making handcrafted Moroccan tiles has been passed down through the ages. They are the true epitome of Moroccan culture and heritage. They showcase the different colors and designs that have influenced Moroccan design since the early days of Middle Eastern culture. Many people have loved the designs and the colors that handcrafted tiles bring to a room.

Why Are They Unique?

Handcrafted Moroccan tiles are unique because they are traditionally crafted by artisans from varied local materials. These tiles are made specifically in Morocco and wood fire is used to make them hence the natural variations in their color tone and shade. It is this aspect that makes the tiles unique even from each other.

The fact that customers are often encouraged to design their very own tiles with designs to suit their preferences. The choices of tiles are varied both in color and design. The handcrafted tiles also come in several shapes and sizes in order to make unique designs which are specific to the preference of the owner.

Zellige Tiles

Zellige tiles often come as loose tiles and some customers can make their very own Moroccan designs to suit their color preferences and tastes. Other tiles come pre-assembled and can be used to make up Moroccan inspired areas in the home. These pre-assembled tiles are also handcrafted but they already have designs of their own and they are already glazed compared to the designs your own tiles which will have to be fired up when you have decided on the design. Some stores even have a sticky paper backing where you can try out several designs. This is part of the uniqueness of handcrafted Moroccan tiles.

Some specialty stores carry tiles that are bigger in size and already have designs of their own. Some are handcrafted while others are made, with the aid of modern technology so technically, they are not quite the same because they are probably not made in Morocco nor are they handcrafted. The handcrafted Moroccan tiles are more expensive than the other Moroccan inspired tiles.

In spite of their price tags, many people still prefer handcrafted Moroccan tiles due to their authenticity and uniqueness. Many prefer to design your own tiles because they can really integrate their ideas and likes into the design. Saint Tropez Boutique of San Francisco offer this as part of their service, before having the tiles created individually for their clients in Fez, Morocco and flown to anywhere in the world.

For more info, please contact:
Mark Logan
Saint Tropez Boutique
25 Evelyn way
San Francisco, CA 94127
(415)-513-5920
www.sainttropezboutique.us

Saint Tropez Boutique is a manufacturer and distributor of fine handcrafted Moorish tiles, Moroccan tiles, Moroccan lighting, Moorish wood lattice, Moroccan furniture, zillij mosaic tiles, zellige tile, terracotta tile, limestone tile, Moorish inspired home decorating, Bedouin tents.

What: African Cup of Nations, Group A
Who: Ghana (1st, 6/6pts) vs Morocco (3rd, 3/6pts)
When: Monday 28 Janaury 2008, 17:00 GMT
Where: Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra

A Decisive Encounter

The Ghanaians have yet to impress in this year’s tournament, and even though the team lies atop their group with the maximum six points, a faltering performance against Namibia has left a lot of Ghanaian supporters wondering if the Black Stars can really go all the way to the final.

The team has particularly lacked that cutting edge upfront, and the defence has shown itself capable of caving in under some carefully-orchestrated pressure.

However, a mere draw will see the host team progress to the next round, and that should not be asking too much from the team.

The Ghanaian midfield is undoubtedly the squad's most treasured asset, and it is a central line that can hold its own against any country in the continent.

But coach Claude Le Roy will be looking forward to seeing how the other department in his team can step up their play and give the millions of supporting Ghanaian fans something to cheer about.

Meanwhile, opposite number Henri Michel watched with some sadness as his Atlas Lions were being tamed by a more purposeful Guinean side in their last group game. He was utterly disappointed with the all-round performance of his team, and at a press-conference after the match promised to make drastic improvements before this game against Ghana.

“We thought of injecting new blood in the midfield to make it more efficient but I just realised it was the whole team. We were affected as things didn’t work out the way it should. So, we are just working on it and expecting it to be better,” the Frenchman said.

“They made mistakes which they paid for. Next is Ghana, and that is all they have to focus on,” he concluded.

The Moroccans have it all to do if they are really intent on making it to the next round. Aside from the 11 Ghanaian players on the pitch of play, the team will also be playing against a vociferous crowd, all cheering on the hosts.

This is a massive game for both sides, and even though a draw could still mathematically take both teams through, the Moroccans really do not want to bank on Namibia pulling off a result against Guinea. Not even the bookmakers would want that to happen.

Down Memory Lane

The sides have met 11 times in the past, with the Moroccans coming out tops on five occasions, with four draws and two Ghanaian defeats.

In the 1980 edition of the African Nations Cup in Nigeria, this same scenario played itself out. The Ghanaians only needed a draw to qualify to the next round of the competition while the Moroccans needed to win and, bingo, the Moroccans got their victory against all odds.

This time around, the Moroccans will be the determining factor as to the pace and intensity of this game. If the Atlas Lions are able to apply enough pressure on the Ghanaians, the Black Stars could be forced to come out and attack as well, creating a fast-paced game of football. But if the Moroccan midfield cannot find a way round that of the Ghanaians, then we will have a game destined to end in a draw.

TEAM NEWS

Ghana

Claude Le Roy pulled a fast one on many soccer analysts in the last game with regards to his squad list. With several players supposedly ruled out with injury prior to the Namibian encounter, it was a shock to find them all on the pitch of play.

So, the team will no doubt however remain the same, as this match is as crucial as the previous two. A slip up in tactics for the Ghanaians could result in a loss against Morocco, and that would effectively end the tournament for the host team: a nightmare scenario to be avoided.

In goals should be Birmingham City’s Richard Kingston, who, since dethroning Sammy Adjei, has maintained the number one spot in the squad.

The defence should be manned by captain John Mensah and Bayer Leverkusen’s Hans Sarpei. The full-back spots would be held by John Paintsil and Erci Addo.

The team's midfield is set to be led by the England based duo of Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari. Hearts' Laryea Kingston would be on the right wing, while we could see son of legendary Ghanain striker Dede Ayew making his first start for the team on the left side.

Up front, the forward line should be led by Junior Agogo and Udinese's Asamoah Gyan.

Coach Le Roy should maintain his favoured 4-4-2 formation with a very compact midfield that absorbs the opponents' attack early and also feeds the attack. If this midfield is breached, however, then may can be problems ahead.

Morocco

Coach Henri Michel has promised to ring some changes to the side that performed poorly against the Guineans.

Hat-trick hero Soufiane Alloudi should return to the starting squad for the Moroccans. But otherwise, the substitutions will be quite hard to predict at present, considering the coach’s outburst at the performance of his team in the last game.

In goal, however, should be Raja Casablanca’s stopper Khalid Fouhami.

The defence is set to be led by Abdeslam Ouaddou and Talal El Karkouri, while Michael Chretien and El Armine Erbate should play out wide.

The midfield should have Tarik Sektioui in the starting line up, along with Soufiane Alloudi and Youssef Safri. Either Houcine Kharja or Youssef Mouktari could join them.

French-based duo of Youssef Hadji and Maroune Chamakh should comprise what is on paper a formidable front pairing.

Henri Michel should maintain a flexible 4-4-2 formation that sometimes transforms into a 4-3-3 later in the game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ghana- Michael Essien: The Chelsea midfielder should be instrumental to the squad in today’s game. His wealth of experience should come into play, ensuring that the team’s midfield holds strong against the rampaging Moroccans

Morocco- Youssef Alloudi: The hat trick hero should prove decisive yet again for his team. His impeccable positioning abilities might just be the difference between exit and qualification for the next round for the Moroccans.

PREDICTION

This is a very hard one to call. Neither teas has played particularly well so far in the tournament, yet they would both be conscious of the result in the other game being played simultaneously between Guinea and Namibia - thus, one slip in concentration could prove decisive.

But history has a way of repeating itself, and I just sense a reoccurrence of 1980. This might not be the popular opinion of many soccer analysts, but it seems to me to be in the offing.

Ghana 0:1 Morocco

Awenlimobor Sylvester
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=563775

JOANNE KATES

jkates@globeandmail.com

January 26, 2008

93 Harbord

93 Harbord St., Toronto. 416-922-5914. Dinner for two with wine, tax and tip, $110.

I have now watched Ratatouille twice and I continue to find more of myself in the restaurant critic character. Differences aside (gender, animated character), he and I are more similar than we are different. We're picky, we're hard to please and we like the finer things in life. My detractors, whom I read whenever possible (for their entertainment value), enjoy accusing me of classist snobbery. That might be fun, but my food values are based purely on the taste of things. If the likes of farmhouse cheeses and wild-caught salmon sold for bottom dollar, wouldn't that be grand? But unfortunately a lot of really good-tasting things cost money and/or require significant labour to produce, so they don't go cheap.

I don't need upscale to be happy, but I do need great flavours. A big bowl of pho at Golden Turtle will make me as happy as foie gras at a stuffed-shirt platinum-card kind of place - happier, on some days. Which is why 93 Harbord is turning my crank. Chef/owner Isam Kaisi's Middle Eastern cooking is about as far from the basic dip 'n' pita school of cuisine as Jamie Kennedy's frites are from McDonald's. Kaisi is self-taught and had never worked in a restaurant before he opened 93 Harbord in 2003. Then it was notable only for being Toronto's first upscale Middle Eastern restaurant. Today, Chef's toque is taller, for in the intervening years he has honed his skill dramatically, which explains the buzz about 93 Harbord. His spicing has grown more assertive and jazzy, his technique masterful. But the tone of the restaurant is charmingly informal.
Perhaps at times too informal: On one occasion, we stand beside our table feeling stupid for a good three minutes before somebody offers to take our coats, and good luck getting water and wine glasses refilled on a busy night. One evening, we ask our server what's spicing the lentil soup. He has no idea, promises to find out and never comes back with the answer.

But if I could make lentil soup like Isam Kaisi's, I might not be writing this for you. Mysterious spicing aside, this soup is astonishingly flavourful. It's deep and rich and almost too exciting for words. Chef Kaisi's other two star turns among appetizers are red and golden beet bulgur salad, and shrimp with sour grapes (not the interpersonal kind).

Beet and bulgur salad sounds like something way too healthy, and in the hands of a lesser chef it would be bland but politically correct. Chef Kaisi builds a cake of bulgur held in place with chunks of red and gold beets, all dressed in stand-up-and-take-notice spiced vinaigrette. The moat around the cake is fresh mint chutney seasoned with arak, a distilled alcohol that lends a hint of anise to the mint.

Chef's shrimp dish is equally dazzling - barely sautéed shrimps atop apple rings that have been sautéed in cumin-spiked butter and sauced with dill and sour grapes. The light dill sauce goes from pleasant to exciting thanks to the slightly citric bite of the tiny (and truly sour) grapes.

Among other apps, one might particularly skip the grilled calamari, which are texturally uninteresting (neither marks nor sizzle of the grill) and not jazzed by their too-sweet fig salsa. Diners can be forgiven for mistaking dips for Middle Eastern food, but humdrum hummus and tired tabbouleh hardly speak for the cuisine. 93 Harbord's wardrobe of dips (aside from their surprisingly banal hummus) is both varied and jazzy. The tabbouleh, composed mostly of parsley and scallions, is spiky with flavour. Red pepper dip is jumped up with garlic and walnuts. Parsley dip is a jade river of more big flavours.

Chef's mains continue down the path of big flavours. Tagine (Moroccan sweet-spiced stew) of lamb has tender lamb swimming in ginger-scented red wine. Vegetable tagine has much more flavour than expected, thanks to its harissa-tomato mint sauce. The other vegetarian main, couscous "risotto," is equally astonishing in its flavour wallop. Cardamom, cumin, garlic, ginger, tamarind, cinnamon, lemon, harissa and saffron are the taste tools that this Middle Eastern kitchen uses to such great effect.

Plump chicken breast comes with sweet/sour pomegranate and walnut sauce. Lamb shank is braised tender and sauced with apricot and ginger. Tilapia, which is normally the most boring fish in the world, outdoes itself thanks to sweet, sour and spicy benediction of ginger tamarind sauce (the sour) with mango chili relish (sweet and spicy).

In another movie about a restaurant critic, Adam Sandler of Spanglish worries that his life will be no fun if an important critic gives his restaurant a rave and that neighbourhood customers won't be able to get tables. To the Annex-oise who currently crowd 93 Harbord, I apologize, and say: Caveat emptor.
from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080126.KATES26/TPStory/Entertainment#

Thriving African tourism backed by private investments

* Story Highlights
* Moroccan private sector to play prominent role in developing tourism
* The country's potential was proven by large number of MTM attendees
* Event was supported by King Mohammed VI and organized by Rahal Group
* Morocco has been dubbed the new Dubai

By Sylvia Smith for CNN

MARRAKECH, Morocco -- The North African country with the fastest growth rate in tourism sent out a clear message that its own private sector will now play a more prominent role in developing its all-important travel industry, indicating that it is ready to use expertise acquired over several decades of steady growth to spearhead new initiatives that would put a large number of unknown sub-Saharan countries on the map.

Supported by Morocco's King Mohammed VI and inaugurated by the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, the Moroccan Travel Market (MTM) was organized by the Rahal Group, one of the country's most respected firms with interests in the entertainment and catering industries, as well as a budding interest in tourism.

A first for the MTM, confidence in the country's potential was underlined both by the number of those exhibiting at the event and further stressed by the thousands of enthusiastic travel agents, tour operators and international investors, the latter being partially responsible for the huge increase in tourist-related construction. While the Moroccan tourism sector does welcome a massive increase in foreign investment, this private initiative showcasing the diversity of its wares was undoubtedly intended to stake out its territory.

MTM President Abdel Karim Rahal referred to the event's success as a result of both Morocco's own natural resources and a greater global perspective.

"We have a wide variety of terrain from mountains, forests and deserts to beaches and modern cities," he explained. "We can offer hunting, fishing and eco-tourism as well as the more traditional beach holiday or cultural visits."

Rahal went on to lay out a vision for the future of pan-continental African tourism that would benefit from a network of interlinked groups. Each would have its own tourist destinations while still offering the proximity to its neighbor's marvels.

"We here in Morocco have shown that it is possible to achieve high visitor numbers. By making a north-south bridge we believe that tourists from Europe will discover virtually unknown areas of Africa," he said.

Rahal also stressed that King Mohammed VI was taking a keen personal interest in tourism-related developments and that all major decisions were made at the level of the palace.

This new Maghrebi perspective was apparent from the series of big white tents housing the exhibition center evoking the sense of north Africa. The main entrance was lined with scores of chanting and drumming traditional musicians and the glistening points of the tents echoed the snowy Atlas mountain peaks in the background.

Regardless, it is inside where the MTM revealed the international nature of its tourism sector by offering more than 250 exhibition stands ranging from Moroccan spas and specialist trekking organizations to exhibitors from Cameroon, Madagascar and Mauritania. It is hoped that the MTM will stimulate a more coordinated approach to tourism among Morocco's neighboring states to the south.

With India also exhibiting many of its colorful and appreciated holiday destinations, Marrakech remained the focus of the event. Investors pointed out that the main holiday property market moved outside the city, along roads leading to the mountains or away to the coast. Developers there build either detached riads in their own grounds or big Moroccan-style villas, houses and apartments on large complexes, usually focusing on a golf course.

Two years ago, the Association of British Travel Agents recognized the growing importance of the region by holding its annual convention in Marrakech. Alarmed by the drop in their own tourism market, the Spanish attended the MTM in droves, keen to invest and conduct business.

Stung by the fall-out from money-laundering mayors, land-grabbing developers and coastal over-pricing and over-supply, Spain is suffering from having its confidence dented and its property market brought to a near standstill. Prices on the Iberian peninsula generally are rising by five percent, only just above the rate of inflation. With April's stock market correction and now rumors of coastal demolition, the impression given is that Spain is in a negative loop.

Moroccan prices rose by 15 to 20 percent last year and the tourism push is also seeing secondary cities like Fez and Tangier benefiting from both large corporate investment and fledgling foreign individual interest. The contraction in its neighbor's market contrasts starkly with the building explosion being encouraged by King Mohammed VI, who decided some years back that tourism was the future for his kingdom.

Aiming to increase visitor numbers to 10 million by 2010, he has been establishing development incentives along Morocco's impressive Atlantic coastline, as well as inland. This ambition has been boosted by the European Open Skies policy that has seen low-cost flight operators opening new routes into the country.

Currently Marrakech airport is being extended to cope with this new influx. Morocco has already been dubbed the new Dubai and developers from the United Arab Emirates have recently committed to long term, billion-dollar investments that would bring luxurious lifestyle resorts in and around Morocco's most popular destination.

Nevertheless, Marrakech's market is underpinned by domestic demand from wealthy Moroccans in Casablanca and Rabat searching for weekend homes, and not solely reliant on tourists, as the coastal resorts are. Developments around Marrakech are top end, aimed at a sophisticated buyer who is happy to abandon being a pebble throw from a beach for centuries of history, color and the choice of golf, skiing in the Atlas mountains or meandering round the souk.

Inevitably showcase seminars presented at the MTM considered the need to balance economic growth with environmental protection. Several key speakers voiced concern over sustainable development and the impact of such a huge amount of construction, while questioning whether it could be sustained without having a negative impact on water supply and global warming. However according to one British tour operator visiting the MTM, the exhibition enhanced the notion of travel to distant cultures as a highly creative pursuit.

"You won't find the mundane, trivial or amateurish here," he said. "This steers us away completely from the idea that it is foreigners who are running the country's tourism industry."

It seems that the timing was just right for the MTM. With South Africa's Indaba Travel Market concentrating solely on southern Africa and another of Africa's premier destinations, Kenya, overwhelmed by tribal conflict, Morocco appeared on the international scene at just the right moment.

With some of the sharpest architectural designs for new tourist complexes on display, the exhibition was a forceful reminder that the number of foreign tourists who visited Morocco last year topped 8 million, reflecting the reality of achieving the aim of 10 million visitors by 2010.

It also seems that The Moroccan Travel Market will become the most influential travel market in Africa and that neighboring countries will share the benefits.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/01/25/morocco.tourism

By Lucy Cockcroft
Last Updated: 2:36pm GMT 25/01/2008

The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have been accused of wasting money raised by public donations on searching for their daughter in Morocco, despite no firm evidence she was taken there.
# Madeleine sketch man: First photograph
# In full: The Madeleine McCann investigation

Private investigators, who are being paid £50,000 a month to find the girl, have invested huge sums in sending teams to check out reported sightings of her in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco and Marrakech in the south.

New image of Madeleine McCann suspect
Watch: The man seen loitering on the beach at Praia da Luz

One theory is that Madeleine, four, was abducted and brought there after vanishing from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz while on a family holiday on May 3.

The agency Metodo 3 is following the line she was kidnapped by a paedophile gang to take to North Africa, where blonde children are said to be highly prized as a symbol of social status.

More than 40 investigators are working on the case in Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

However, some experts claim the line of inquiry is fruitless and is just being fuelled by tourists who have mistaken blonde local girls in Morocco for Madeleine.

Fair-haired children are rare in the country, but not unheard of among the Berber population.

Mark Williams-Thomas, a former detective and managing director of child protection consultancy WT Associates, said: "It is an astonishing amount of money that is being spent focusing on Morocco.
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"There is a big difference between a sighting and information. Unless you have definite information that suggests she is in Morocco then it seems pointless.

"The likelihood of Madeleine being taken out of Portugal is very slim. I would be concentrating more on Portugal than anywhere else. To me, it holds the key."

Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate McCann, admitted the search in Morocco was difficult.

"It's a needle in a haystack," he said.

To date, all reported sightings of Madeleine in Morocco investigated by Metodo 3 have drawn a blank.

The country's interior minister Chakib Benmoussa, who met the McCanns when they visited in June, said: "There is absolutely no evidence Madeleine is here."

Meanwhile the Madeleine Fund, set up to find the missing girl, is said to be running out of the estimated £1 million it has received in donations.

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright

January 27, 2008
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KATE and Gerry McCann have been approached to appear on both The Oprah Winfrey Show and for an interview with American network ABC, but their spokesman denies a bidding war is taking place.

It has been reported that the McCanns were at the centre of a £1 million ($2.2 million) bidding war between Winfrey and ABC star Barbara Walters, who both want an exclusive interview with the couple.

The McCanns' three-year-old daughter Madeleine vanished more than seven months ago during a holiday in Portugal.

While their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said the McCanns had been approached by both chat shows, he insisted no money had been discussed.

He also ruled out any interview of that kind while Madeleine's parents remained arguidos - suspects.

"There is categorically no truth to the suggestion that any sort of bidding war is taking place between American networks or American programs," Mr Mitchell said.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/26/1201157737469.html

January 27, 2008
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KATE and Gerry McCann have been approached to appear on both The Oprah Winfrey Show and for an interview with American network ABC, but their spokesman denies a bidding war is taking place.

It has been reported that the McCanns were at the centre of a £1 million ($2.2 million) bidding war between Winfrey and ABC star Barbara Walters, who both want an exclusive interview with the couple.

The McCanns' three-year-old daughter Madeleine vanished more than seven months ago during a holiday in Portugal.

While their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said the McCanns had been approached by both chat shows, he insisted no money had been discussed.

He also ruled out any interview of that kind while Madeleine's parents remained arguidos - suspects.

"There is categorically no truth to the suggestion that any sort of bidding war is taking place between American networks or American programs," Mr Mitchell said.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/26/1201157737469.html

Magharebia
Published on Magharebia‎ (http://www.magharebia.com) ‎
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/01/25/feature-01
UN hails Moroccan progress with gender equality reforms

25/01/2008

Morocco presented a combined report on the status of its reforms to promote gender equality to a UN committee in Geneva on Thursday. Initial feedback has been positive, saying that Morocco will soon achieve its goals.

By Imane Belhaj for Magharebia in Casablanca – 25/01/08

[Imane Belhaj] Nouzha Skalli, Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity in the middle during the briefing in Casablanca

Morocco presented two reports on its official efforts against gender discrimination to an ad hoc UN committee on Thursday (January 24th) in Geneva.

The UN committee reviewed Morocco's third and fourth periodic reports on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Moroccan delegation highlighted the efforts it has made for the elimination of gender-based differences, including the lifting of reservations on certain provisions of the convention.

Moroccan women, according to the panel, have made significant advancements in terms of equality and economic and social rights. Committee Chairperson Dubravka Simonovic hailed the country's progress, saying Morocco will soon achieve gender equality.

During a preliminary briefing held January 18th in Casablanca, Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity Nouzha Skalli said she was optimistic about the positive strides made in Morocco since ratifying the CEDAW in 1993.

She also discussed the reservations Morocco has lifted on several convention provisions, based on feedback from the two previous CEDAW reports presented to the UN in 1995 and 1999. The successful changes concern the harmonisation of domestic laws to international conventions; accelerating reform of the Family Code; establishing a limit to provisions of discrimination in terms of legal rights; speeding up ratification of citizenship law; increasing women's representation in decision-making circles; and reforming labour and criminal law.

Naima Ben Yahia, Director of Women, Family, and Childhood Affairs in the Ministry, said the findings included in the last two reports are the product of extensive efforts made by women's associations in Morocco, in a society that looks forward to justice, equality and democracy.

The two June 2006 reports consist of three sections. The first covers reforms to promote the defence of human rights through democracy and the rule of law. These reforms have taken the form of restructuring the Advisory Council for Human Rights and the creation of Grievances Board, the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture and the Authority for Equity and Conciliation.

The second section addresses 16 articles related to combating violence against women; changing women's and men's social and behavioural norms; combating the exploitation of women; equality in political and public life on the national and international levels; laws governing citizenship, education, work and health, social security, rights of rural women and child labour.

The third section, meanwhile, includes provisions on monitoring Morocco's implementation of previous recommendations. These include the Beijing Platform for Action - which promotes the integration of gender equality-based development policies and programs - and the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

Some 185 states have ratified the CEDAW since its adoption by the UN General Assembly in 1979.

Definition of learning :

Learning refers to an intensive activity that increases the capacity and willingness of individuals, groups, organizations, and communities, to acquire and productively apply new knowledge and skills, to grow and mature, and to adapt successfully to changes and challenges. It has several forms and aspects that change from one time to anther.

Variation in aspects of learning:

Aspects of learning have changed progressively from a very ancient structure to a modern form to serve learners in an easy and efficient way. It is a continuous emergence to the archaeological inscriptions and drawings, figures and images that is used by people in the past that can be considered as means of education aimed to deliver messages to another recipient that is compatible with his learning abilities at that period of time. Afterward, people learn through self-education and stimulation. There are many movies and series that dramatize the way people used to learn. What we observe is a small mosque with dozens of small boys. The Imam is the only teacher whose main concern is to deliver the right message to his students, and increase their knowledge abilities and potentials. The material he uses is exclusive to the holly Quran teachings and some of the Arabic language.

Aspects of learning in the Quran :

The words of God carry significant indications of learning aspects. These words come out to existence either through the prophet words or in God's books. Some of the hints are transmitted in Quran:

And We ordained laws for him in the tablets in all matters, both commanding and explaining all things, (and said): "Take and hold these with firmness, and enjoin thy people to hold fast by the best in the precepts: soon shall I show you the homes of the wicked,- (How they lie desolate). (Al A'raf, 7.145) [1]

24. Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? - A goodly word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens,- of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition.

25. It brings forth its fruit at all times, by the leave of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition.

26. And the parable of an evil Word is that of an evil tree: It is torn up by the root from the surface of the earth: it has no stability. (Ibrahim, 14.24,25,26) [2]

In Christianity, The monks learn from Christ the sole of his teachings. In their teaching process, they depend on a live environment using methods that transfer learning into a discovery. They used to form alphabets from bones and give them to children to play and learn spelling.

Later than that, with the modern renaissance in Europe and the French revolution, which the Islamic in heritage is one of its improvement features, the aspect of learning takes a new approach due to the appearance of the printing machine. This discovery gives birth to a large number of books with thousands of copies.

Moreover, in 1905, appears what is called "museums schools". These schools serve learning a lot through offering mobile conferences, photographs, slides, films, drawings, paintings… From 1941 to 1945, the World War II consists of new aspects of learning through the growth of the audio-visual tools that has military and industrial uses. Moreover, through the fax invention and the radio technology, learning adopts new aspects. Throughout Radio and Television, people become more connected to each other than before. Also, in the forties of the twentieth century, there is the creation of the computer technology which encloses the main role of the evolution of learning and human knowledge, which is the best reliable aspect of learning in the world. Furthermore, In 1980, Technology products accelerates a lot to an extent that some of it passes the light speed. This technology is used in the video and interactive multimedia system. Finally, in 1990, Internet achieved The Extreme Growth among learners in the globe. It grows rapidly and excessively in the United States as well as in other countries. Therefore, Internet provides learners many educational means and different aspects by which individual can have success to education: wherever, whenever, and whatever domain he likes.

On the basis of what I have talked about above, Man's aspects of learning are very old and variable to the place and time. I can divide these aspects into four steps:

1- Visual means: they are called by that name for the reason that they relay on sight as the principal source of education. Man sees reality fulfilled his environment, he realizes that and understand his realization through direct sensory expressions.

2- Audio-Visual: This is to confirm that it uses more than one sense property in the educational process such as sight and hearing. Cinema helps with that a lot through providing knowledge by animated pictures and its sound effects.

3- Information technology (IT) schools: Such schools are used to serve theoretical and practical methods in the context of the educational process. The function of this schools is to give access to new aspects of learning and education.

4- Technology of learning and education: It is a common concept that people link technology learning with the new modern innovation, electronic machines, and computers. It is the a consequence of the industrial revolution. Unlike education, people should use all use all these things for his benefit to achieve better goals in this field.

Within the framework above, we can say that the new aspects of learning can be used in a great deal to help students deal with their educative program. We, thanks to Technology availability, are capable to speak about Sparknotes[3]or Bookmooch[4]. But, still, old aspects of learning give us very important intellects in deferent specialties and fields

References

Alsharaf, Hisham ;Fajr network; Attaalim bayna lmadi wa lhader "Learning between the present and the past"; http://69.57.136.227/?act=artc&id=2321 accessed 17/01/2008

McCanns guilty.. only of caring | The Sun |HomePage|News|Columnists|Lorraine Kelly

By Caroline Gammell

Kate McCann has offered her support to the parents of a five-year-old girl who has vanished in Spain, not far from the Portuguese resort where her own daughter disappeared. Watch: Search for Mari who disappeared 120 miles from where Madeleine vanished The 39-year-old contacted Juan Jose Cortes and Irene Suarez, whose five-year-old daughter Mari Luz went missing from Huelva on Sunday after going out to buy a packet of crisps, to say the couple were in her thoughts. The Spanish border town is just two hours' drive from Praia da Luz in the Algarve where the McCanns were staying when four-year-old Madeleine disappeared from their holiday apartment last May. Mrs McCann, and her husband Gerry, also 39, travelled to Huelva in August to launch a poster campaign and raise the profile of their missing daughter. They sent a message to Mari Luz's parents via the Spanish private detective agency Metodo 3, who have spoken to the couple to see if there are any possible links between the two cases. Spanish police said they were keeping an open mind and have sent dark-haired Mari Luz's picture to Portuguese police amid fears she had been snatched by a child trafficking gang and taken across the border between the two countries. Scores of Spanish volunteers joined more than 150 firefighters in Huelva to search for the little girl, while helicopters and sniffer dogs were brought in to help with the search. Mr Cortes, a 34-year-old former professional footballer turned builder, said: "Kate McCann has been in touch to send her condolences. "She knows what we're going through and I understand them now too." Empathy: The family of missing Mari Luz Cortes have been touched by Kate McCann’s message A family friend added: "Knowing they have the support of Gerry and Kate has been comforting. "They have been touched by the fact someone who is going through her own turmoil can find the strength to think of them in their moment of need." The pledge of support came after Mr McCann wrote on his blog: "Hearing of the probable abduction of Mari Luz Cortes has brought many awful emotions flooding back. We hope and pray that Mari Luz is quickly found and returned safely to her family." Mari Luz's distraught grandmother, whose shares the same name, pleaded for the little girl to be returned safely: "Please give me back my granddaughter, she's the only one I have." Like the McCanns, Mr Cortes said they would set up an appeal fund to raise money to help find Mari Luz: "All I want is to make sure everything possible is being done to look for my daughter and all the money that is needed in the search is available." In Portugal, there were reports the McCanns, who are still formal suspects Madeleine's disappearance, will have to wait another eight months before being allowed access to the police files in the case. Judge Pedro Frias decided last autumn the case should remain private until the first anniversary of Portugal's extensive judicial reform, according to Correio da Manha. The ruling would also affect third suspect, British ex-patriate Robert Murat. A judicial source told the newspaper: "The Madeleine McCann process will never become public before September 15 this year, a year after Portugal’s new penal code came into force. "The decision was taken by Pedro Frias on September 18 2007 who considered that the maintenance of judicial secrecy for a year was required by the rules that emerged from the judicial reform. "The judge felt the deadlines only began to count from the start of the new code." Publishers wishing to reproduce photographs on this page should phone 44 (0) 207 931 2921 or email syndication@telegraph.co.uk

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright

Rabat (Morocco), in the presence of, Mr. Abbas El Fassi, Prime Minister of Morocco: Mr. Salaheddine Mezouar, Minister of the Economy and Finance, Mr. Ahmed Chami, Minister of Trade, Industry and New Technologies, Mr. Karim Ghellab, Minister of Equipment and Transportation, Mrs Amina Benkhadra, Minister of Energy, Mining, Water and the Environment Mr. Jamal Arhmani, Minister of Labor and Professional Training and Mr. Bernard Rey, Renault Senior Vice President, representative of Renault s.a.s, Mr. Christian Estève, representative of the Renault Tangier Mediterranean project enterprise, signed a framework agreement and six application agreements.

The Kingdom Of Morocco And The Renault-Nissan Alliance Sign The Final Agreements Posted by: MSulka on Jan 18, 2008 - 03:49 PM The Kingdom Of Morocco And The Renault-Nissan Alliance Sign The Final Agreements Rabat (Morocco), in the presence of, Mr. Abbas El Fassi, Prime Minister of Morocco: Mr. Salaheddine Mezouar, Minister of the Economy and Finance, Mr. Ahmed Chami, Minister of Trade, Industry and New Technologies, Mr. Karim Ghellab, Minister of Equipment and Transportation, Mrs Amina Benkhadra, Minister of Energy, Mining, Water and the Environment Mr. Jamal Arhmani, Minister of Labor and Professional Training and Mr. Bernard Rey, Renault Senior Vice President, representative of Renault s.a.s, Mr. Christian Estève, representative of the Renault Tangier Mediterranean project enterprise, signed a framework agreement and six application agreements. By signing these agreements, the Renault Nissan-Alliance confirms the project to build a manufacturing complex near Tangiers. These agreements are in accordance with the protocol signed on September 1, 2007 in the presence of his Majesty King Mohammed VI, by Mr. Driss Jettou, Prime Minister and Mr. Carlos Ghosn, President of Renault and President of Nissan. The Renault-Nissan Alliance will start work on the manufacturing complex in February 2008. The new complex, which will include an assembly plant, will be located on a 300-hectare site inside the Tangiers Mediterranean Special Economic Zone and will use the TangerMed port platform. Once completed, the site will have an operating capacity of 400,000 vehicles per year (200,000 vehicles per year from 2010), providing the Renault-Nissan Alliance with one of the largest manufacturing complexes in the Mediterranean. Representing a global capacity investment of more than €600 million, the complex will create 6,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs. Under the lead of Renault, this site will extend Renault's manufacturing system for the production of competitive vehicles derived from the B0 Platform (Logan platform) and Nissan's system for the production of new-generation light commercial vehicles. On December 1, 2007, Edouard Armalet was appointed General Manager of the Renault Tanger Méditerranée project. http://www.paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=75178

Article Date: 18/01/2008
Article Time: 08:00:00
Topic: Lifestyle

Morocco has been praised for offering visitors the chance to enjoy various outdoor activities.

The north African country was described by Ukrainian publication the Kyiv Post as a place that offered "amazing" beaches and scenery.

Morocco's climate was said to be "tourist-friendly" for 12 months of the year, particularly along its Mediterranean coastline.

However, the Kyiv Post went on to highlight some of the other attractions the country had to offer, such as its mountain ranges.

The newspaper stated that people would be able to enjoy activities such as skiing in these areas, particularly between December and March.

Alternatively, it suggested that people could go driving off-road in the country's deserts.

The wide range of attractions on offer could be important in helping the Moroccan government achieve its aim of attracting ten million a visitors a year by 2010.

This would be likely to have significant economic benefits for the country, particularly its tourism industry.
http://www.ready2invest.co.uk/news/article.jsp?id=18430357&category=18430357

14/01/2008

The Amazigh New Year on January 12th was celebrated with events as diverse as the many Amazigh communities across Algeria. Festivities for "Yennayer" were held even in non-Amazigh regions and Algiers offered cultural events. With the widening popularity of the New Year festival, Amazigh activists hope to see January 12th recognised as an official holiday in Algeria.

By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 14/01/08

[File] Some Algerians have called for the Amazigh New Year to be made into an official holiday

The Amazigh people of Algeria celebrated New Year 2598 on January 12th with traditional festivities, special food and parties reflecting their cultural heritage and ethnic pride. The annual event, known as "Yennayer", marks the beginning of the new farming year.

The origin of the celebration is unclear. Some think that the Amazigh calendar dates back to the victory achieved by Amazigh King Chachnaq against the Pharaohs in a battle fought on the banks of Nile in 950 BC. Rachid Malika says in his book "The Early Berbers between the Mediterranean Tassili and the Nile" that after defeating the Pharoahs, the Berber king announced the birth of the 23rd Berber dynasty and thus began the Amazigh calendar.

Today, Algeria celebrates the Amazigh New Year by holding festivities that differ from one region to another. In the predominantly Amazigh province of Kabylia, many children wear ornamental henna tattoos and families prepare traditional dishes, such as couscous with the meat of a home-slaughtered rooster. To mark the occasion, circumcisions may also be performed. These celebrations symbolise the relation between man and nature, according to Said Bouterfa, a specialist in Amazigh traditions.

The Amazigh of the Algerian desert, known as the Touareg, celebrated the day with their unique music, dance and traditional dishes. Researcher Badi Dida explained that the Touareg people maintain Yennayer customs to commemorate an historical milestone.

Another Amazigh community, the Chenoua (named after the Chenoua Mountains in Tipasa province), celebrates by preparing special bread using herbs collected from the wilderness.

Some non-Amazigh regions of Algeria also join in the New Year's events. In the western city of Tlemcen, birthplace of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, young and old celebrate Yennayer together. Directly after sunset prayers, family members have dinner and exchange gifts. Tlemcen children await a visit from "Yennayer Woman", who goes around by night from house to house bringing candy and presents.

To highlight Algeria's cultural diversity, events and seminars were offered in the capital to mark the occasion of Yennayer. The Algiers Centre for Culture and Arts, for example, organised traditional industry exhibitions and music concerts featuring artists from Amazigh regions.

Beyond its festive and historical significance to the Amazigh people, the New Year is taking on a political element. Some activists in the Amazigh Movement want to include January 12th each year as one of the eids. They are campaigning to make Yennayer an official holiday like the Muslim New Year.

Voices have been calling for making Yennayer an official holiday since 2001, when confrontations between citizens and security forces in the Kabylia region left 127 protestors dead. Those events calmed when the government officially recognised the Amazigh language.

In a statement made on January 12th, the head of the National Consultative Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights asked the government to make Yennayer an official holiday. Farouk Ksentini said the move would contribute to national solidarity.

Portuguese detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have asked for the case's secrecy limit to be extended beyond the usual eight months, officials said.

Portuguese law provides for an eight-month period where documents remain classified after police identify a formal suspect, with the deadline in the McCann case due to expire next week.

Police can ask for an extension and - while a case remains classified - official suspects, police and lawyers can be prosecuted if they discuss it in public.

A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office confirmed investigators had asked for an extension but she declined to provide details, although the Portuguese media said a three-month extension had been sought because of the complexity of the case.

No date has been given for any decision by the attorney general on the request.

Madeleine vanished last May, a few days before her fourth birthday, from her bedroom during a family holiday in the Algarve region.

The first formal suspect in her disappearance was Robert Murat, a British man who lives near the hotel from which she vanished. He has denied involvement.

Weeks later, Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann were also named as suspects. They have denied involvement in their daughter's disappearance and have launched a worldwide campaign to find her.

Murat and the McCanns have complained that they are unable to give their versions of events because of the secrecy laws.

Portuguese detectives met last month with forensic scientists from Britain who have examined evidence in the case.

Last updated at 21:52pm on 11.01.08

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A woman whose modelling agency offers Madeleine McCann lookalikes for hire has been received death threats.

Shona Juliet-Adams, 41, said she had received "threatening phone calls and death threats" since the £600-an-hour lookalike trade was revealed.

Her firm, the Juliet Adams Modelling and Talent Casting Agency, had been contacted by parents who said their daughters looked like the missing four-year-old.

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Three-year-old American girl Kelsey Lynn Kudla was said to bear a "compelling" resemblance to Madeleine, and Ms Adams said she would have a good chance of earning £9million if she played the child in any films about the disappearance.

But her comments triggered a furious reaction after Kate and Gerry McCann's spokesman said the money-making scheme was "disgraceful, hurtful and offensive".

The businesswoman, of Streatham, South West London, refused to apologise and yesterday remained defiant.

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She said: "I wouldn't back away from it because if a film is being made then it's entertainment."

But she added: "I have had threatening phone calls and death threats.

"I am not speaking to anybody until I have spoken to the police about my security - I received death threats."

Ms Adams said Kelsey Lynn's mother had contacted her from the U.S. about the likeness, and said 120 other "doubles" had been sent to her.

Kelsey Lynn's mother Kris Pfister said her daughter was stopped in the street by strangers who commented on her resemblance to Madeleine.

She claimed her daughter had formed an "emotional bond" with the missing girl because of the likeness.

She said: "When we heard a film might be made, Kelsey said, 'Mommy, I could play Madeleine'". "Every night she prays for Maddy. Every morning she gets me to check if she's been found."

Ms Juliet-Adams said playing the lead role in a Madeleine film was "a huge opportunity", adding: "She will become her name in her own right and make it as a child model and actress because she's got her foot in the door."

The McCanns' representatives have met with production companies and Channel 4 about proposals to make a documentary film about their daughter's disappearance, but have stressed it would not be a Hollywood drama.

If the proposal goes ahead the film could be released in cinemas worldwide but is thought to be unlikely to feature child actors playing Madeleine or her twin brother and sister.

A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: "Brixton police have received a complaint from a 41-year-old woman with regards to threats to kill.

"Brixton CID are investigating, there have been no arrests and our inquiries are continuing."

The agency, based in a council flat in Streatham, South-West London, has scores of lookalikes, including Queen, Elvis and Harry Potter impersonators.

Her modelling and talent agency has offered Kelsey Lynn Kudla a 30-minute photo session costing £300.

A contract for more extensive work was available for a £500 non-refundable payment, plus £1,057 up front and another £3,500 on completion.

Miss Juliet-Adams said: "The entertainment world is an expensive business.

"We've kept them [the Madeleine lookalikes] on our books, but it is not such a sensitive issue now as the McCanns will obviously be looking for someone to play Maddie in the film."

Earlier this week, it was reported that a film about Madeleine's disappearance could raise £2million for the campaign to find her.

Asked if she would apologise to the family, Miss Juliet-Adams said: "I'm just doing my job. I provide lookalikes.

"I've done nothing wrong."

In an email, Miss Juliet-Adams wrote: "Her daughter is completely aware of this missing little girl and also aware that she bears an extreme resemblance to this child.

"The parents are stopped everywhere by numerous people - in shopping centres, grocery stores and many other places and told how much she resembles this missing child."

Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said: "This is an offensive way to make money out of Madeleine's disappearance.

"This is deeply offensive to Kate and Gerry. I would urge this woman to think again about what she is doing."

It also emerged yesterday that the detective agency hired by the McCanns to locate their daughter is facing the sack.

Metodo 3, which has cost the Find Madeleine fund £50,000 a month since September, has so far failed to turn up any firm evidence of her whereabouts.

Its director, Francisco Marco, has also angered the McCanns by boasting he knew where the four-year-old was.

With the agency's six-month contract running out in March, a McCann family source said: "We will carry on the search for Madeleine but not necessarily with Metodo 3. We are stuck with them to the end of the contracted period.

"The question of whether it is renewed or not has still to be decided.

"They have faced not having their contract renewed ever since Francisco shot his mouth off. It was made clear what they were doing was foolish and unhelpful."

The fund's directors have not ruled out sacking the firm, which represents the not-for-profit company's single biggest expense.

The Barcelona-based agency's investigators have followed up leads and sightings of Madeleine in Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

Mr Mitchell said: "We were unhappy with some of the public comments and that was made very clear to Metodo 3 and, since then, Francisco has made no further comments."

He said the Find Madeleine board members and the McCanns' multi-millionaire backer, double glazing tycoon Brian Kennedy, would meet to discuss the contract next month.

The Find Madeleine fund has raised £1.2million but is expected to run out of cash by June.

In a Vanity Fair interview published this week, Mr McCann, a hospital consultant from Rothley in Leicestershire, admitted he felt guilty over his daughter's disappearance.

She vanished from the family's holiday villa in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 last year.

The fund yesterday filled two vacancies on its board of directors.

Coming in are Jon Corner, a family friend of the McCanns who has worked in TV production, and Edward Smethurst, a commercial law specialist..

This article is from

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23431920-details/Death%20threats%20for%20woman%20hiring%20out%20Madeleine%20lookalikes/article.do

The government in Morocco has announced plans to develop several new tourist areas in the country to help achieve its goal of attracting ten million visitors by 2010.

Tourism minister Mohamed Boussaid said $14.4 million would be spent creating desert and oasis resorts in the southern regions of Errachidia, Ouarzazate and Zagora, Maghreb Arabe Presse reports.

Hotel units will be built in these resorts alongside camping grounds and other facilities to cater for tourists holidaying in the north African country.

Mr Boussaid said the government hopes to integrate areas of Morocco where tourism projects are currently lacking by promoting their natural beauty.

The development of the new resorts and the drive to attract more tourists may be good news for property investors in Morocco, who could benefit from increased demand for holiday accommodation.

Official figures show that between January and October 2007 the number of tourists visiting Morocco increased by 14 per cent to reach 6.3 million.

Breaking news provided by Real Estate TV, specialists in Morocco property for sale

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front resume UN-sponsored talks on the disputed Western Sahara in suburban New York Monday amid warnings that failure to clinch a deal could lead to renewed fighting.

UN spokeswoman Michele Montas confirmed Friday that a third round of closed-door discussions would be held in the New York suburb of Manhasset from Monday through Wednesday to try to resolve the 32-year dispute.

As in the two previous exploratory rounds held last year at the same location, the secluded Greentree estate in Manhasset, UN envoy for Western Sahara Peter Van Walsum will serve as mediator.

The two rounds held in June and August failed to narrow wide differences between Rabat and the Polisario independence movement.

And diplomats say they do not anticipate any breakthrough this time around either.

Last month, the Algerian-backed Polisario warned it would resume its armed struggle against Morocco if negotiations fail.

"We hope that Morocco this time is going to cooperate for the full implementation" of UN resolutions on the issue and "will engage in substantive negotiations," Ahmed Bujari, the Polisario's UN representative, told AFP Friday.

He said the Moroccans must agree to discuss not just their proposal for broad autonomy for the Western Sahara but also the Polisario's call for a referendum that would include the option of independence for the former Spanish colony.

"Our people have been frustrated (in their aspiration for independence)," he said. We believe peace is possible... But a new failure of the (negotiation) process would have negative consequences for the entire (northwest African) region)."

"It could push us on the way to a resumption of hostilities and Morocco will be responsible," he added.

Last October, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to urge the two sides to resume stalled talks "without preconditions" to settle their 32-year dispute over the Western Sahara.

It passed a resolution calling on the parties to "engage in substantive negotiations ... without preconditions and in good faith ... with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution."

Morocco annexed the phosphate-rich, mainly desert Western Sahara in the 1970s following the withdrawal of colonial power Spain, sparking a war with the Polisario guerrillas.

The two sides agreed a ceasefire in 1991, but a promised self-determination referendum never materialized and since 2002 Rabat has insisted that holding such a plebiscite is no longer realistic.