Spain denies citizenship to Moroccan over «Islamist proselytizing»

Spanish courts have denied citizenship to a Moroccan national, upholding a 2022 decision by the Interior Ministry. A Spanish police investigation accused the Moroccan of «Islamist proselytizing» among unaccompanied minors in a reception center, according to El Confidencial Digital. The accused allegedly urged the minors to strictly adhere to religious precepts, especially outside Muslim countries, and «justified certain Daesh terrorist actions», the same source

Raja player's transfer drama : Near miss between Russia and Morocco

In June, a representative from FK Dynamo Moscow traveled to Casablanca to negotiate the transfer of a Raja de Casablanca player. The process, however, was met with unexpected hurdles. An agent claiming exclusive representation for Raja, backed by an official power of attorney, intervened to lead the negotiations. The agent made exorbitant demands, including illegal commissions that violated FIFA regulations, according to Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. Frustrated, the Moscow club's representative

From stardom to shadow, Dutch-Moroccan rapper Ali B convicted of rape

Moroccan-Dutch rapper Ali B, once celebrated for his successful career and contributions to Dutch-Moroccan relations, has been sentenced to two years in prison for rape, marking a dramatic fall from grace.

Moroccan man gets 3 years for falsely reporting a bomb to avoid missed flight

A Moroccan national residing in Belgium was sentenced to three years in prison on Monday, July 15, by a Fez court for disrupting a flight by falsely reporting a bomb. He was also fined 10,000 dirhams. The public prosecutor decided to prosecute the 50-year-old man after he was provisionally detained in Bourkaiz Prison. Scheduled to fly from Fez Sais Airport to Belgium earlier in June, the man called and falsely reported the presence of a bomb on the plane fearing he might miss his flight. The

Morocco opens door for importing pet food animal meal

Morocco has created a new system for importing animal meals, specifically for use in dog and cat food, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported in a July 9th announcement. This framework, implemented by the Moroccan government for the first time, now permits the use of animal meal specifically in dog and cat food production. The new regulation, issued by Morocco's Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits

UK government warns citizens of protest risks in Morocco

The British government has warned its nationals wishing to travel to Morocco of the safety risks posed by popular protests. «Protests and demonstrations could occur across the country, particularly in large cities, often without warning», the UK Foreign Travel Office said in a recently updated travel warning. «These events are typically monitored closely by law enforcement. While authorized protests are generally peaceful, unauthorized ones have sometimes led to clashes

Spain urges Pedro Sanchez to address Moroccan agricultural imports

A Spanish farmers' union, closely aligned with Vox, has urged the government of Pedro Sanchez to take action against the entry of agricultural products from Morocco. «If measures do not start to materialize in September, meaning real decrees with concrete decisions, then we will resume protests with our tractors in November and December», warned the coordinator of the Union told media. For the record, on April 25, the Spanish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas,

South Africa's new Foreign Minister meets Polisario envoy

South Africa’s Unity government was quick to respond to the Polisario's request, expressed on July 2, to meet its new Foreign Minister. On Monday, July 15 in Pretoria, Ronald Lamola received the Front's «Minister of Foreign Affairs» and Brahim Ghali's envoy. «South Africa will continue to raise the issue of the self-determination of Western Sahara with the international community», Lamola said on X. Mohamed Sidati's visit to Pretoria comes after Ronald Lamola

UN approves 9.1% budget increase for MINURSO operations

The UN General Assembly has approved a budget of $75.35 million for the operations of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) from July 2024 to June 2025. This represents a 9.1% increase compared to the previous fiscal year. The financial allocation is broken down into several components: $68.79 million for the day-to-day running of MINURSO; around $5 million to fund the peacekeeping support account; $872,000 for the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy; and $686,000 for

In 1839, the sultan of Morocco gifted the United States president Martin Van Buren a pair of lions

In 1839, sultan Abd al-Rahman ibn Hisham of Morocco sent a pair of lions to the US consulate in Tangier as a present for President Martin Van Buren. The gift was impossible to refuse and was shipped to the US by 1840.