UK : Polisario leader courts new left-wing PM

Following the Labour Party's landslide victory in the July 4 UK general election, the Polisario leader congratulated Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In his message, Brahim Ghali emphasized that «the Polisario Front is a sister organization to the Labour Party, expressing his hope to continue and deepen the existing relations between the two organizations in their pursuit of a better world where international solidarity, justice, human rights, and the right of peoples to self-determination

Morocco clarifies : Standardization of Friday sermons not mandatory amid criticism

After a wave of controversy over the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs' decision to standardize Friday sermons, the Supreme Council of Ulemas has confirmed that the standardized sermon will not be mandatory.

PJD calls for early legislative elections in Morocco, inspired by France

The PJD is calling for early parliamentary elections, a stance expressed by Abdellah Bouanou, president of the party's deputies, on Monday, July 8. In his speech at the opening of the PJD's weekly deputies' meeting, Bouanou emphasized that this call is «not based on any partisan logic and is not meant to create confusion within the government, but rather as an exercise in democracy». Bouanou defended his proposal by citing examples from the UK and France, where a loss of public

Belgian-Moroccan kickboxer Jamal Ben Saddik arrested for kidnapping and assault

Belgian authorities have arrested 33-year-old former world kickboxing champion Jamal Ben Saddik as part of an investigation into a kidnapping and assault. Local media reports confirm that the Antwerp-born boxer is in jail after allegedly ordering the kidnapping and assault of a dock worker at the port of Antwerp. The worker reportedly accepted an advance payment to extract a shipment of cocaine but failed to do so. Consequently, the criminal gang kidnapped and beat him. Chris Loix, Ben

Reda Bennani, first Moroccan in 20 years to win at Wimbledon Juniors

Moroccan tennis player Reda Bennani, seeded No. 14, qualified for the Wimbledon Juniors round of 16 on Monday, beating Britain's Oliver Bonding in three sets (6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (10-6)). With this victory, Bennani becomes the first Moroccan boy to win a junior main draw match at Wimbledon in 20 years, according to the official X account of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The last similar win was by Mehdi Ziadi in 2004. Additionally, Bennani is only the fifth Moroccan junior player

Rotterdam : Arson suspected in fire at Dutch-Moroccan Deputy Mayor's home

A fire broke out on Saturday in the house of Faouzi Achbar, the Dutch-Moroccan Rotterdam Deputy Mayor for the center-left political party THINK (Dutch: DENK), according to a Monday report by the Netherlands' national broadcaster NOS. The fire, believed to be arson, started around 22:30. Fortunately, Achbar and his family were not home at the time. It is unknown who started the fire and why the alderman was targeted, NOS explained, adding that the police say they are currently investigating the

After life sentence, wealthy Italian fugitive believed to be on the run in Morocco

The escape of a notorious Italian fugitive has triggered an international manhunt. Italian media reports reveal that entrepreneur Giacomo Bozzoli is believed to have fled to Morocco by boat from Spain. In 2015, Bozzoli was sentenced to life imprisonment for the grisly murder of his uncle, whom he allegedly disposed of by throwing into a furnace at the family foundry in Marcheno. According to Il Messaggero, Giacomo Bozzoli initially went into hiding in Switzerland to secure his assets and

Two more Saharawis seek asylum in Spain during Madrid stopover

Following the case of Youssef El Mahmoudi, who identifies as a «Saharawi activist», two other Sahrawis applied for political asylum in Spain on Monday, July 8th, at Madrid's Barajas airport. They were traveling from French Guiana to Casablanca with a layover in Madrid, where they seized the opportunity to submit their asylum applications, according to Spanish media. These applications will first be reviewed by the Sub-Directorate of Borders under the Ministry of the Interior, and

Moroccan AI influencer Kenza Layli wins world's first AI beauty pageant

Moroccan AI influencer Kenza Layli has claimed victory in the world’s first-ever AI beauty pageant. «While I don’t feel emotions like humans do, I’m genuinely excited about it», said the Hijabi Instagrammer in an interview with New York Post on Monday. The lifestyle influencer secured the $20,000 grand prize for her human creator, winning over 1,500 computerized challengers. This beauty pageant is part of the inaugural World AI Creator Awards (WAICAs), in

Honoring 12,000 young Moroccans : Builders of the 1957 the Al Wahda Road

Every summer, a significant commemoration goes largely unnoticed: the launch of the Al Wahda Road, or Unity Road, on July 5, 1957. Initiated by King Mohammed V, this monumental project mobilized nearly 12,000 young Moroccans, symbolizing the collective efforts of an entire generation in the wake of independence.