NEW YORK — The new tax law, and in particular a new deduction aimed at small business owners, is making this income tax filing season more complicated than usual.The deduction aimed at giving tax breaks to sole proprietors, partners and owners of S corporations allows many of them to deduct 20 per cent of what’s called qualified business income. But which business owners can claim the deduction, and how much they can claim, involves a lot of interpretation and complex calculations, tax professional say.Some tips for making this filing season a little easier:— Get on your CPA’s calendar soon. Tax pros always advise clients to see them early in tax season, but it’s even more important to do so this year. CPA Steven Wolpow advises business owners to have those meetings by the end of February. Even if owners don’t have all the necessary documents, they should meet with tax advisers to get a sense of where they stand, says Wolpow, managing partner with Nussbaum, Yates, Berg, Klein & Wolpow in Melville, New York. If documents like 1099s are still outstanding when returns are due, it’s time to get an extension of the filing deadline.Owners should be sure their records are in order before they give them to their advisers. The more time a preparer spends trying to sort out all the numbers, the more expensive it will be for an owner, Wolpow warns.— Expect to do more of the work this year as your tax pro determines whether you can claim the deduction. “They’re used to giving us the information and letting us figure it out. They’re going to have to be very involved as well,” says Angela Dotson, a CPA with Aprio in Atlanta.— If you’re a do-it-yourselfer and don’t use a paid preparer to compile your return, don’t be in a rush to file. The creators of tax preparation software are also still figuring things out and may amend their products before the filing deadlines. That will change the calculations for some owners, Dotson says. Owners who do the work themselves should consider asking a tax pro to look over the return — the investment in their fee may save you from costly mistakes.___For more small business news, insights and inspiration, sign up for our free weekly newsletter here: http://discover.ap.org/ssb_____Follow Joyce Rosenberg at www.twitter.com/JoyceMRosenberg . Her work can be found here: https://apnews.com/search/joyce%20rosenbergJoyce M. Rosenberg, The Associated Press
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The Kin Club is in need of entertainment for the Seniors Supper held in Taylor, December 7th, 2018.The Seniors Supper has become a staple of holiday events in the community, with several community groups committed year after year to see the success of this evening everyone’s participation is significant to this night.After a recent story submitted to the paper, Teressa Cotton, Chair of the event, stated the response has been “more than I ever expected when I decided to write it.” she says “at this time we are mainly looking for entertainment.” The set up for the Seniors Supper is at the Taylor Hall which is provided for the night. Seniors travel by city buses donated by the City of FSJ to attend the event. Each Senior receives a gift, dinner will be served and during the evening entertainment is needed to provide the additional spirit and ambience of the celebration.Save on Foods has been providing all the food since the very first supper, different groups in the community come to help such as the FSJ Huskies serving the seniors their meals. Everyone participating is wanting to ensure the communities seniors experience a seasonal event.If you are apart of a group or an individual that can provide an entertainment experience such as singing or dancing please contact Cotton at; teressac@kinclubfsj.com
Council voted in favour for City staff to bring forward more information to the next meeting, for further review before adopting the policy. To read a copy of the draft policy, click here.Watch the full discussion and presentation to Council belowSnow Removal Jan 7 201900:00/49:51 LIVE00:00undefinedNext Video× FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Fort St. John City Council was recently presented with the draft policy for Snow Removal at a Committee of the Whole meeting.Victor Shopland, General Manager of Integrated Services, and Jeremy Garner, Director of Public Works and Utilities, gave Council a presentation on the current performance of snow removal in Fort St. John.The purpose of the policy is to establish priorities for snow and ice control within the transportation corridors and other designated snow and ice control areas of the City of Fort St. John. Within the presentation, Garner noted that the City is not able to meet the existing policy directive with its current resources. He says the ongoing process of snow removal has worked well but is now dealing with ageing equipment.“This process of using graders and snow blowers worked really well, it leaves the street clean from curb to curb, and the snow is neatly placed on the boulevard. It is, however, very slow, it can take the crews up to five weeks to clear the entire city from curb to curb and this, in turn, frustrates many residents due to the time it takes. These 5250 snowblowers that were inexpensive to purchase, however, have reached end of life.”In 2018, the City was $450,000 over budget when it came to snow removal. Shopland says they will have to be more prudent on spending in the 2019 budget.“We certainly have to be very prudent in our budget and contracting lease for the next year, the 2019 year, to ensure that we stay within that amount.”While the City did not go into the snowfall reserve in 2018, the question that Council will have to discuss further is whether or not the City will have enough in the snowfall reserve as the population continues to grow.The draft policy is also looking at some changes as to what areas are considered high priority in the snow removal process and review the measurement of snow that should be removed off commercial and residential streets. In addition, they will look at the upgrading and replacement of equipment.
Birmingham: India’s Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth made a winning start to the All England Championship, notching up straight game victories in the women’s and men’s singles competition here. A former finalist, Saina defeated Scotland’s Kristy Gilmour 21-17 21-18 in 35 minutes, while Srikanth took half an hour to dispose off France’s Brice Leverdez 21-13 21-11 on Wednesday night. In the next round, Saina will take on Denmark’s Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt, while Srikanth will face Asian Games gold medallist Jonatan Christie. Also Read – Dhoni, Paes spotted playing football together”I really enjoy it a lot, it’s something every player looks up to and the challenge is even more tougher than regular Super Series events,” Saina, an Olympic bronze medallist, said after progressing to the next stage. “Everyone wants to have that trophy but, as I said, you have to play your natural game to be the best and can’t really put pressure on yourself that you have to have it. If it is in your destiny you will definitely get it, but the challenge is to give your best and beat the best players,” she added. Also Read – Andy Murray to make Grand Slam return at Australian OpenB Sai Praneeth also made it to the second round and will face Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus. Sameer Verma squandered a first game advantage to go down fighting 21-16 18-21 14-21 to former world champion and world no 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, bowing out of the tournament. The women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy fought a gruelling battle before losing 21-16 26-28 16-21 to seventh seeded Japanese pair of Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto. Sikki and Pranaav Jerry Chopra, who is coming back from an injury, lost 21-23 17-21 to Hong King’s Chang Tak Ching and NG Wing Yung. The men’s pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also lost 19-21 21-16 14-21 to the Chinese combination of Ou Xuanyi and Ren Xiangyu.
Bengaluru: The death toll in the building collapse at Dharwad in north Karnataka rose to three Wednesday with one more body recovered from the rubble, police said. Rescuers have so far pulled out 56 people from the debris of the four-storeyed building under construction, which collapsed Tuesday evening at Kumareshwaranagar in the heart of Dharwad, about 400 km from here. Police said rescue operations have been intensified to extricate 30 people believed to be still trapped beneath the debris. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss bank a/c details In addition to 10 ambulances and five fire tenders deployed for relief and rescue operations, three teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been pressed into service, two from Ghaziabad and one from Bengaluru. “Two more teams of #NDRF are being airlifted from Ghaziabad in addition to one team which was moved from Bangalore in connection with Dharwad building collapse,” the NDRF tweeted. About 150 police, fire and emergency personnel too have joined the rescue operations. Also Read – Tourists to be allowed in J&K from Thursday No arrests have been made so far. Former Karnataka minister and Congress leader from the region Vinay Kulkarni said Tuesday that one of the partners in the building was his relative and that whoever was involved should face action. An eye-witness had alleged that the building did not have the capacity to bear four storeys whereas an extra floor was being added. “The builders had used substandard materials,” he told reporters Tuesday. Most of those trapped were migrant labourers from north India who were engaged in laying tiles.
Kolkata: All India Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee rubbished the reports claiming that his wife Rujira Banerjee had been detained with 2 kg gold at Kolkata Airport, calling it a ‘completely false story’ and a ‘politically motivated’ one. He claimed that the same has been shared on social media platforms to malign his reputation.He said he will take legal action against channels showing the story and claimed that the complaint wasn’t even signed. He added: “It reached media offices before reaching the police station.” Defamatory action will be taken against all those tweeting regarding the issue, said Banerjee. “Did the Customs officials seize any dutiable or objectionable item from her baggage? Why did they not mention them in the FIR? They did not mention any gold seizure in their official complaint,” he added. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss bank a/c detailsAn irate Banerjee challenged Customs officials to exhibit proof that his wife was carrying even 2 grams of gold, saying that he will quit politics if the same can be proved. The Trinamool Youth Congress president posed five questions on Sunday, calling for release of the CCTV footages of his wife’s stay at the airport. Rujira had been detained by Customs officials from 12.40 am to 1.55 am on the intervening night of March 14-15. The TMC leader asked why the customs officials did not seize or confiscate the gold. He also raised questions on why the Customs took a week to register an official complaint in this regard, where his wife had lodged a complaint with the police on the very next morning. Also Read – Tourists to be allowed in J&K from Thursday”The FIR was lodged by the Customs after the commissioner of Customs wrote to the assistant commissioner of Customs (Admin), in a file marked as secret. The draft of the FIR was prepared from Delhi. It was also mentioned that the action was taken as per instruction of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs under the department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance. Did the customs officials lodge a complaint a week after the incident after being instructed by their political bosses?” he asked. “All this was done following the instruction of CBIC and due to pressure from Delhi. If you read the first paragraph of the FIR it says that Rujira Banerjee and Menka Gambhir were randomly selected considering their movement and profile. I need an explanation from the Customs as to why the term profile was used by them. They could have used the word appearance, suspicion or body language,” Banerjee maintained. He also stated that no police personnel from Bidhannagar intervened when she was detained by the Customs officials. He alleged that customs officials had demanded Rs 50,000 from her. A lady police personnel only intervened after Banerjee’s wife fell ill. “Why did the Customs officials not seek help from the CISF if Bengal police had intervened? My wife was heckled only because she refused to pay the money,” Banerjee pointed out.Turn to PG7
Mishmeret: A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a house in a community north of Tel Aviv on Monday, wounding seven Israelis and leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cut short a visit to the United States. Israel’s army said the rocket was fired from the Palestinian enclave run by Islamist movement Hamas, raising the risk of another escalation between the two sides just ahead of April 9 Israeli elections. Netanyahu is currently in Washington and said he would return home after meeting US President Donald Trump later Monday, cancelling an address to pro-Israel lobby AIPAC’s annual conference on Tuesday. Also Read – Saudi Crown Prince ‘snubbed’ Pak PM, recalled jet from US Israel also closed its people and goods crossings with the blockaded Gaza Strip and reduced the zone in the Mediterranean it allows for Palestinian fishermen off the enclave, a statement said. The house hit was located in the community of Mishmeret, around 20 kilometres north of Tel Aviv, police said. Mishmeret is more than 80 kilometres from the Gaza Strip and rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave at that distance is rare. The hospital treating the wounded said seven Israelis were injured lightly by burns and shrapnel, including four adults and three children. Also Read – Record number of 35 candidates in fray for SL Presidential polls One of the wounded was a six-month-old child and six of them were members of the same family. The house was destroyed in the wake of the rocket and subsequent fire, with burnt wood, a children’s toy and other debris piled at the site. Netanyahu said “there has been a criminal attack on the state of Israel and we will respond with force.” “I have decided, due to the security incidents, to cut short my visit to the United States,” he said in a video released by his office. “I will meet President (Donald) Trump in a few hours and just after that I will return to Israel to lead closely the operations.” There was no immediate response from Hamas or other militant groups in Gaza. The rocket comes after mounting tensions in recent weeks. Netanyahu is believed by many analysts to want to avoid another war in the Gaza Strip — the fourth since 2008 — with unpredictable results ahead of the elections. But he faces a tough challenge from a centrist political alliance led by former military chief Benny Gantz and he will come under heavy political pressure to react firmly. Monday’s incident comes after two rockets were fired from Gaza towards Tel Aviv — also rare — on March 14. No damage or injuries were caused, but Israel responded to that and further rocket fire by hitting what it said were around 100 Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip. Four Palestinians were reported wounded in those strikes. Both Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad denied they were behind the March 14 rocket fire towards Tel Aviv, raising the possibility they were launched by fringe groups. Israel’s military said they were launched by Hamas, but later there were Israeli media reports that the army’s preliminary assessment was that they had been fired by mistake during maintenance work. The reports were a sign that Israel was seeking to calm tensions. The military refused to comment on the reports at the time. Monday’s rocket comes just days ahead of the March 30 one-year anniversary of Palestinian protests and clashes along the Gaza Strip’s border with Israel. An informal truce between Hamas and Israel had led to relative calm along the border, but recent weeks have seen another uptick in violence. Netanyahu’s visit to the United States was expected to include Trump’s formal recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. Breaking with longstanding international consensus, Trump said last week that the United States should recognise Israeli sovereignty there.
Kolkata: Popular Bengali actor and Trinamool Congress MP Dev, alias Deepak Adhikari, who is contesting to retain his Ghatal Lok Sabha seat, said on Thursday that his party did not need to indulge in mudslinging as the state government has undertaken numerous development works.Dev, contesting the polls for the second time, also said that he was more experienced this time. “I have worked whole heartedly for the people of Ghatal. The first two years were spent in learning. This time I am more experienced and if I win, you will see a new ‘Dev’. We don’t need to indulge in mudslinging as our Chief Minister has done enough for the state,” Dev said after kicking off his election campaign by offering puja at a temple. Also Read – Bengal family worships Muslim girl as Goddess Durga in Kumari PujaAddressing the people of Keshpur, which is part of his Lok Sabha constituency, the actor elaborated the development works undertaken by the state government and the various schemes that have benefited the people. For Dev, the priority is “to reach out to the people with the development works done by him and the party.” Asked to rate himself as a parliamentarian, he said: “The number keeps changing. As I belong to the film industry, I am used to the fact that if one film is successful, it is not necessary that the next one will do well too.” Also Read – Bengal civic volunteer dies in road mishap on national highway”I am a very practical person,” he said. Dev mentioned that he read somewhere that in terms of the funds released under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), he occupied the third position, but he never thought about all this while working. “I had spoken about the Ghatal Masterplan in the parliament. It had been sanctioned, but the funds have not been released till date. I also spoke about the railways. In this way, I have learnt how to work,” he said. Appealing to the people to repose their trust in him, Dev said that given a chance, he would do more things that he could not accomplish in his first tenure as the MP. Ghatal goes to the polls on May 12 in the sixth round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. With agency inputs
NEW DELHI: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Wednesday alleged that the AAP is seeking votes from Delhiites by spreading “lies” on several issues and asserted that a party which does not have the expertise of running an administration nor dedication towards works, is resorting to lies. The Union housing and urban affairs minister tweeted a purported campaign pamphlet of AAP’s east Delhi candidate Atishi and said a bunch of lies has been prepared by her. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murderIn the pamphlet, the party promises regularisation of unauthorised colonies once the national capital gets full statehood and also promises to stop the sealing drive in the city. “Every citizen knows that the sealing drive had been carried out following the direction of the Supreme Court-appointed Bhure Lal committee, and neither the Centre nor any civic body had anything to do with it,” Puri said in a series of tweets in Hindi. No immediate reaction was available from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Also Read – Two brothers held for snatchingsPuri alleged that it was the BJP-led central government which provided relief to people by making amendments in the Master Plan, but surprisingly, the AAP is not “ashamed of spreading lies”. The ruling AAP is currently running a campaign in support of its demand for granting full statehood to Delhi in run up to the Lok Sabha elections. The Lok Sabha polls being conducted in seven phases will begin on April 11 and continue till May 19. Delhi will vote on May 12 and the overall results will be declared on May 23.
New Delhi: A one-and-a-half-year-old boy was murdered in Fatehpur Beri area of South Delhi. Police said that they have apprehended a minor in the case. The investigating agency said that the accused child (8.5) had grudges after the incident where the deceased’s sister fell down accused’s younger brother. So, in order to take revenge, the accused killed the deceased.According to police on April 27 morning, they received a PCR call at Fatehpur Beri police station regarding a missing child. Also Read – Odd-Even: CM seeks transport dept’s views on exemption to women, two wheelers, CNG vehiclesDuring the enquiry, it was revealed that the deceased, who was sleeping with his mother and sister on the roof, had gone missing from his house in Mandi Village in the night between 1 am to 4 am. Deputy Commissioner of Police ( South) Vijay Kumar said that another boy (8.5 years old) who was a tenant in the neighbouring house was also found missing. Later during the search, the dead body of the deceased child was recovered from the drain near the house. Also Read – More good air days in Delhi due to Centre’s steps: Javadekar”Injuries were conspicuous over right eye, abdomen and leg. Blood was also seeping out from the right ear. The body has been got preserved in the mortuary, AIIMS. A case under section 363 (Punishment for kidnapping) and 302 (Punishment for murder)of Indian Penal Code has been registered at Fatehpur Beri police station and investigation has been taken up. During probe role of another boy came out and later police nabbed him. “Another boy who was also found missing as above is found involved in this crime. He has been traced on the same morning. Further investigation is on,” police said. DCP South added that he has a grudge that a few days back elder sister of the deceased boy caused his younger brother fell down on the floor which caused a minor swelling on his head. “He will be produced to JJB from his home only,” said DCP South.
CAIRO – Gunmen opened fire on a five-star hotel in Cairo near the famed Giza pyramids on Friday, an Egyptian police general said, in what appeared to be a labour dispute.Interior ministry spokesman General Hany Abdel Latif said the attack was carried out by laid off hotel workers, and that there were no casualties.The attackers fired birdshot or pistol rounds at the Amarante Pyramids Hotel, he told AFP. A hotel employee who requested anonymity said the attack happened early in the morning, and that police were investigating.The official MENA news agency reported police were searching for the laid off workers suspected of being behind the shooting.The attackers were angered after they were refused entry to the hotel, the agency reported.
Rabat- It seems that the direction of Raja of Casablaca was determined to hire a Tunisian coach no matter what. After Nabil Maaloul, the former coach of Tunisia’s national team and the Esperance of Tunis, was prevented from rescinding his contract with the Doha-based Al Jazeera Sport channel, the Moroccan team hired his fellow countryman Faouzi Benzerti.According to Moroccan news portal Menara, the direction of Raja has officially finalized its negotiations with the Tunisian coach, who is reported to arrive in Casablanca next Monday. Last Thursday, the Casablanca team decided to sack Moroccan coach Mohamed Fakhir.The dismissed coach was instrumental in helping Raja of Casablanca win Morocco’s football soccer last year, which qualified the club to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup scheduled to take place from 9 to 21 December in Morocco.© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed
Rabat – Moroccan exports, excluding phosphates and by-products, reached a record MAD 145.7 billion in 2013, compared to MAD 136,5 billion in 2012, which is a 6.7 pc progression, says the exchange office.This positive trend is credited to the car-making sector which progressed by 23.3 pc while the sector of agriculture and food industry grew by 3.4pc, says the source which notes that exports of the aeronautic sector went up by 14.7pc.Meanwhile, imports of energy products were worth MAD 102.4 billion , compared to MAD 106.62 billion in 2012, scoring a 4pc decline.
Taroudant, Morocco- In an attempt to combat sexual harassment or sex crimes, a Saudi religious scholar has advocated chemical castration as a punishment for sexual predators.According to Alquds, Saud Bin Abdullah Al Fanisan, a former dean of the Sharia College at the Riyadh-based Imam University, said that sexual abusers should undergo chemical castration to put an end to sex crimes.Through a telephone call for the TV show “Ya Hala” podcasted by “Rotana Khalijiya” channel, the Saudi scholar said “Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had banned castration.” But the scholar added, “if there is a chemical solution to make offenders lose interest in sex, then I believe castration should be allowed.” “A harasser is usually a person whose sense of self-discipline and consciousness is weak,” Abdullah Al Fanisan said.The same source added that the scholar justified his “Fatwa” (a religious edict) by the fact that anti sexual harassment laws and punishments were not able to deter sex offenders even in countries where these laws are implemented.According to the medical dictionary, chemical castration is “the treatment of men with paraphilia with methoxyprogesterone acetate, which inhibits gonadotropin secretion, thereby reducing sexual drives.”© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed
Casablanca – Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani education activist, travelled to Nigeria to give hope and strength to the concerned families at an international hotel in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. During her visit, she aims to campaign on behalf of the Nigerian kidnapped girls to appeal for their release and their right to education.Viewing the abducted girls as her sisters, the young Pakistani activist declared: “ I am going to stand up for them.” Malala Yousafzai is a 17-year-old activist known worldwide. In early 2009, young Yousafzai anonymously wrote a blog for the BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule while promoting her views on women’s education. In 2012, she barely survived 3 gunshot wounds inflicted by a Taliban hit-man in Pakistan. Activists hope that Malala’s activism in Nigeria will help bring the girls back to their homes.At a small gathering in the hotel’s conference room, Malala, her father and relatives of the kidnapped girls gathered with the intention of spreading more awareness and putting more pressure on the local government. Malala also granted the families with moral support by talking about her incident and how important it is to speak up for one’s right.90 days of uncertainty of their daughters’ futures has left a lot of parents on the brink of despair.According to BBC World News, one father of the abducted girls stated: “Is it because we’re [a] poor country people that the government isn’t doing anything? Suppose these were the daughters of someone important; would they still be in the forest after 90 days?”Moreover, parents fear that their daughters will be married off against their will as Boko Haram threatened. Parents are also afraid that their daughters have been physically abused or raped.Although Boko Harram proposed to free the girls in exchange for the government to release its men from prison, the Nigerian army opposed the deal.The viral #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign has already reached numerous celebrities and non-celebrities, pressuring the government to bring back the girls in a healthy condition.
By Zineb El MechrafiBoston- The press service of the General Inspection of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) on Wednesday has finally concluded that there is no concrete proof of the death of the pilot Yassine Bahri.Two days after the announcement of the disappearance of the Moroccan F-16 jet in Yemen, the whereabouts of pilot Yassine Bahti remain a profound mystery. An analysis of multiple sources has demonstrated that efforts have been made to manipulate the story behind the crash by sharing false images on social media, according to a statement made by the Royal Armed Forces. The images published on social media and websites of the pilot is “unacceptable and irresponsible”, since they might endanger his life by making him a noticeable target. The Bahti family and the rest of the nation are desperately hoping that Yassine has survived and will return to his motherland. The newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum has revealed that Yassine’s father, Noureddine Bahti, has received a call from officials informing him that they are still trying to locate his son and that they will keep updating him throughout the development of the story.His father later revealed that he learned the tragic news from Yassine’s friend the day after the incident. He told Akhbar Al Yaoum: “My son’s friend called me on the phone on Monday and has informed me that a jet has crashed in Yemen and that it was likely my son was involved in it.”The enigma continues to be the main subject of discussion, as the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) have not yet confirmed the death of the pilot. Al Massae reported that a representative of the Royal Armed Forces said: “Even though the Houthis have instantly taken responsibility for shooting the jet, nothing is certain until the body is recovered.”Many Moroccan citizens have expressed their sincere empathy toward the family of the pilot, and are praising him for being a “hero” and “the pride” of the nation. Many are praying for his safety and well being, as he undoubtedly demonstrated a remarkable act of courage.A Moroccan F-16 taking part in a Saudi led strike against the Shiite rebels was shot down on Sunday, only a day before a five-day humanitarian cease-fire was set to begin and a United Nations envoy was to arrive to settle the conflict and promote peace in the area.
New York – In a move that the Moroccan and Muslim communities praised, Royal Air Maroc (RAM)has offered Ramadan Iftar meals to its passengers in New York throughout the holy month.Since the beginning of Ramadan, passengers traveling from New York to Casablanca were offered a meal before boarding the plane to allow them to break the fast before takeoff.In the summer, the 8:30pm departure of RAM flights coincides with sunset, the time when Muslims break the Ramadan fast.If the airline carrier did not offer an Iftar before boarding the plane, Muslim customers would have to bring their own food or wait for an extended period of timefollowing the sunset until the airline provided dinner after takeoff.“With this gesture, RAM shows that its cares about its customers,” a traveler speaking on the condition of anonymity told Morocco World News.“The airline takes into consideration that they are fasting and need to have some food before the usual dinner meal the company serves once in the air.” “Over the past years, we have seen some changes in the way the head of RAM office in New York treats customers. The decision to provide iftar is a move in the right direction, and we hope the company will take more measures to meet the expectations of its Moroccans and foreign customers,” another customer told MWN.This is the first time that the Moroccan state-owned company, which is preparing to launch a new Washington D.C.- Casablanca route next September, has offered Iftar meals to its customers. In addition to the meals it offered to its customers, the company also offered Ramadan Iftar meals to the Muslim community in a number of mosques, including ones in Queens and Brooklyn. These steps demonstrate the director of RAM ‘s determination to boost the company’s image.
By Chaimaa ZahaarRabat – Construction on a PSA Peugeot Citroën plant was launched in Kenitra on Thursday, in the presence of the PSA Group CEO and the Minister of Industry Investment, Trade and the Digital Economy, Moulay Hafid Elalamy.The plant, which will be completed in 2019, is “expected to generate around 3,500 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs,” said Elalamy, speaking at a press conference. The PSA Group held a press briefing yesterday to introduce the public to the project, which is expected to boost the economy of the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (RSK) region. Part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in June, 2015 between the Ministry of Industry and the PSA Group, Morocco will provide the French company with the adequate human and technical resources it needs in order to implement this industrial project.According to Carlos Tavares, the President of the Executive Board of the group PSA, and Elalamy, the new generation plant will produce 90,000 vehicles in its first year, and it intends to reach an annual rate of 200,000 units.PSA is the second French automaker to establish an industrial unit in Morocco, after Renault in Tangier. The Tangier plant was founded in 2012 and is currently Africa’s largest automotive production facility.
By Sana ElouaziRabat – After receiving harsh criticism for defending gender equality in inheritance in Islam, former Salafi detainee Mohamed Abdelouahab Rafiki, better known as Abou Hafs, took to his Facebook page this time to express his support to Global Orgasm Day.Global Orgasm for peace, is an initiative dedicated for sexual orgasm, observed annually with the end of solstice day that marks the longest night of the year. Launched since December 21, 2006 by an activist couple Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell, to urge people throughout the world to have an orgasm during this one day while thinking about peace.Abou Hafs, who was previously jailed because of his connection with the 2003 Casablanca terror attacks, welcomed this initiative in a Facebook post.However, he criticized the lack of sex education in Moroccan society that he considers one of “the signs of underdevelopment.”“As the world now celebrates this human pleasure, many of us are still unaware of its importance and have never experienced it in life, especially women who need further time to reach orgasm,” said Abou Hafs.He recalled on this occasion, the Islamic Hadith stating that “if any of you has sex with his wife let he be true to her. If he attains his pleasure before her then he shouldn’t hurry her away until she also attains her pleasure.”The former salafi scholar, who wore a sexologue cap, asserted that fulfilling women’s sexual pleasure would contribute to the stability and happiness of the family.He also pointed out that “sexual intercourse is not only a mean of procreation, it is also a mean to provide pleasure and intimate complicity.”“The day when we will integrate this culture into our lives, recognize the role of sex in life and its importance in forming a psychologically balanced personality, reconcile with our bodies and our natural needs, and freely discuss these topics, at this time only, we could celebrate with the whole world the Global Day of Orgasm,” he concluded.The public figure has previously blamed the recent case of sexual assault that occurred on a bus in Casablanca, on the prevailing sexual frustration among Moroccan youth.Rafiki has also expressed several liberal Islamic views in the last few years, and held what he called a culture of “frustration and persecution” and the lack of sex education as responsible for the spread of many cases of rape and sexual harassment.Furthermore, Abou Hafs’ position to hold “reformist” positions had prompted several preachers to criticize him, including Moroccan Salafi sheikhs Abdelhamid Abounaim and Hassan Kettani. It also prompted his dismissal from the Association of Arab Maghreb Scholars.
Rabat – Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Alfonso Dastis, has once again reassured the Spanish parliament that Morocco is not exploiting the territorial waters of the Canary Islands. According to the Spanish official, “development and prosperity in Morocco are legitimate objectives that Spain should respect and encourage.”Dastis’ pronouncement was made in the plenary session of the Spanish Congress, as reported by the Spanish news outlet Europa Press on February 7. The minister’s remarks came in response to a question asked by a parliament member from the Podemos Party, Mira Pita.The parliamentarian urged the minister to use diplomatic powers to “prevent” multinational companies from exploiting the natural resources of a marine area that is considered a “cetacean sanctuary.”The Podemos parliamentarian claimed that the waters between the cities of Tan-Tan and Sidi, where oil exploration projects are carried out by the Italian company, ENI, belong to the area ‘taken away from the Sahrawi people.” According to the MP, Morocco’s decision to give exploration rights to ENI would “violate the 2005 agreement of delineation of waters between Spain and Morocco.” To respond to Pita’s accusations against the Moroccan government, Dastis said that Morocco and Spain have not delineated their waters. Instead, both countries are acting in accordance to standard equidistance principles. The minister reinforced his statement by emphasizing that applying this criterion would further prove that the waters are undoubtedly within the jurisdiction of Morocco.The minister added that the actions of both Spain and Morocco must be in line with international laws, which require respect for the environment, reported Europa Press.Dastis also recalled his talks held with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs about this issue. Dastis said that he and Bourita both agreed that Morocco wants to “continue to talk about this issue in a spirit of respect and mutual trust.”Dastis echoed a statement he made in January during a meeting with Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo, where he reaffirmed that Morocco is not exploiting the Canary Islands waters.Speaking at the congress, Dastis said the Spanish Embassy in Morocco is “closely monitoring” the issue and diplomats are in contact with local authorities. “The Spanish government is willing to inform the Canarian authorities with transparency as it recently did in a meeting with the regional president, Fernando Clavijo.”
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