MOROCCO

Consumer prices rose a lower than expected 0.9 percent in Morocco in 2010, with gains in food prices offset by lower communications costs, the state planning and statistics authority (HCP) said on Thursday.

Morocco's cereal-planted areas were 62 percent above their level a year earlier in mid-December, while the amount of rainfall surged by almost as much, the central bank said.

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Food price protests sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East reached Jordan on Friday, when hundreds of protesters chanted slogans against Prime Minister Samir al-Rifai in the southern city of Karak.

The embattled Congress-led coalition government failed to announce major policy decisions on Thursday to tackle soaring food prices after days of wrangling, taking only minor measures seen as unlikely to make a major impact.

China dumped plans to import several million tonnes of expensive corn and South Korea unveiled cuts in import tariffs on some products, underscoring the dilemma over how to tackle rising food prices.

Marrakech, a city in the North African country of Morocco, occupies the top slot of British Airways’ top 10 destinations of 2011, along with other popular places in the US, Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.

Norway's Nobel committee held its Peace Prize awards ceremony on Friday without the award's recipient, human rights activist Liu Xiaobo.

From the Jamaican beach in Caribbean to the Christians’ Holy Lands, there are many exotic places available for a cheap vacation this holiday season. Here’s a list of 8 most cheap destinations for your Christmas getaways.

IBTimes speaks to Siemens CEO Peter Löscher about the future of renewable energy, the megatrends affecting it, and how his company is positioning itself in this industry.

The federal government has committed at least $8-billion (and counting) for the development of a nationwide high-speed intercity passenger railway system in almost three-dozen states. Rail advocates have long dreamed of an extensive railway grid that will provide clean, speedy, energy-efficient travel.

Finally, India will have its first ever jewellery week, the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW), from August 15 to 19 in Mumbai. It is a fabulous platform for jewellery designers to come together and showcase their talent. This is the first time the jewellery industry will witness something like this.

Three telecoms firms have subscribed to a new undersea cable linking Nigeria and West Africa to Europe, paving the way for a transformation in internet access in Africa's fastest-growing telecoms market.

An eagerly-awaited submarine cable linking West Africa to Europe has gone live, paving the way for cheaper and more reliable internet access in one of the world's fastest-growing telecoms markets, its operators said on Friday.

Talks between Spanish unions and business leaders on labor reform ended without success on Friday, the latest sign that the euro zone is struggling to steer its way out of a debt crisis and into growth.

UAE-based low cost airline Air Arabia will begin flights on its new Egypt-based carrier in June after it received an operating certificate from Egyptian authorities, the company said on Saturday.

United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation said global wheat crop is to fall by more than 7 million tonnes this year as poor prices turn farmers off the grain. The global wheat harvest will come in at 675m tonnes this year, below last year's level and the record 683.8m tonnes set in 2008, FAO said in a report.

Countries negotiating a deal to curb trade in fake and pirated goods are close to reaching an agreement in talks that have raised concerns among digital rights advocates, U.S. trade officials said on Friday.

Vivendi, Europe's largest entertainment group, sounded a cautious note on its profit outlook for this year despite posting better than expected results for 2009, boosted by its video games and telecoms units.

Europe's largest entertainment group Vivendi posted better-than-expected sales and operating profit for 2009, boosted by a buoyant performance at its games and telecoms divisions.

Vivendi is expected to post higher revenues and operating profit for 2009 than a year earlier, even as its music division struggles and its telecommunications units face more intense competition.