Morocco goes underwater to smuggle hash to Spain Spanish police have discovered a drug ring using divers to help bring hashish from Morocco to Spain, police said Thursday, describing the method as unprecedented. The ring transported drug cargoes across the Mediterranean to near Estepona on the southern Spanish coast, then lowered the hashish bundles to a depth of about 20 metres on the sea bed. Helpers in Spain sent divers to locate the drug and to mark it with a buoy. The next day, a diver attached the drug bundles to a jetski, which pulled the packages closer to the beach and then were lifted from the water. Police arrested eight people and seized 1.6 tonnes of hashish, 700 kg of which were retrieved from the sea. Algerian captain dropped from opener Algeria captain Yazid Mansouri has been dropped for their opening World Cup match against Slovenia, coach Rabah Saadane said on Thursday. The 32-year-old hard-tackling midfielder, who made his debut in 2001, has been replaced by Hassan Yebda who will be joined in the centre of midfield by French-born Medhi Lacen. Saadane told a news conference the new captain would be Germany-based defender Antar Yahia, who scored the stunning volley that secured their World Cup ticket when Algeria beat Egypt 1-0 in a playoff in November. Tunisia celebrates Maghrabi youth day On Thursday, Tunisia celebrated the Maghribi Youth Day, held this year under the theme “for an effective participation of Maghribi youth of the International Youth Year (2010) and the World Youth Congress (2011). Mr. Samir Laabidi, Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Education, will inaugurate at the Rades Maghribi Youth Club, the event which will be attended by delegations of young people from Maghribi countries and many guests, including ambassadors from the countries of the Arab Maghreb Union. UNHCR wants dialogue with Libya over office closure The UN refugee agency said Thursday that it was seeking discussions with Libya to allow it to resume its work in the country, two days after the agency announced that it had been asked to leave. “UNHCR is confirming its awareness of the concerns of the Libyan Government and is seeking an open, constructive dialogue with Libya to dispel any misunderstandings and hopefully to reach consensus on resuming its work,” said Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Fleming disclosed on Tuesday that Tripoli had ordered the agency to close its Libya office and leave the country. She said then that no reason was given by Tripoli. Sudan wants to diversify before south vote Sudan must ease its dependence on oil by investing in agriculture and new industries before a January vote on independence by the southern region where most of the crude is produced, said central bank Governor Sabir Hassan. “If Southern Sudan secedes, it could affect the economy negatively unless the government takes measures to counter it,” Hassan said late yesterday in a lecture in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. He said the event was perhaps the first time the economic implications of secession have been discussed publicly. BM
