Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi in the running for CAF's best youth player of the year

Moroccan international player Achraf Hakimi has been shortlisted for the best Youth Player of the Year title, organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The list, which was unveiled Wednesday by CAF, shows that Hakimi will be competing with several other young African players, including Senegal’s Kribin Diata, Mali’s Moussa Djenbo and Nigeria’s Samuel Chikwizi and Victor Osmin. For the record, winners will be awarded during a ceremony scheduled for January the

The chronicles of Sieur Mouette, the curious account of a French captive in Morocco

Germain Mouette is a French man who was sailing to the Americas when he was captured by the Salé pirates. During his eleven years of captivity in Morocco, Mouette learned a lot about the country, publishing a detailed map of the Kingdom in one of his chronicles.

HRW urges Morocco to adopt CNDH’s recommendations on individual freedoms

International NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Moroccan parliament, Wednesday, to implement the proposals submitted by a government-appointed human rights council to «enshrine individual freedoms». In a recent statement, the New York-based NGO referred to the recommendations, it called «groundbreaking», published in a memorandum in October 28 by the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) on «decriminalizing consensual sex between unmarried adults and

Mike Pompeo to meet Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu in Portugal before visiting Morocco

Expected to visit Morocco on Thursday, December 5, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will reportedly meet, Wednesday in Portugal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before flying to the Kingdom. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Pompeo and Netanyahu’s meeting will focus on Israel’s wish to normalize ties in the Arab World.   «Pompeo will head to Lisbon on Wednesday and hold talks with Netanyahu, a day before flying to Morocco which has a growing, if quiet,

To Saudis, Saad Lamjarred is a persona non grata in Riyadh

Moroccan pop singer Saad Lamjarred is a persona non grata in Saudi Arabia. Saudis took to Twitter to denounce the participation of Lamjarred in a music festival, announced by Saudi Arabia’s Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment Turki Al Sheikh. Al Sheikh posted on Twitter the festival’s poster that included a photo of the Moroccan singer. However, his tweet was not well received by his Saudi followers who said that they are opposed to the idea, citing

Italy expels a Moroccan man over extremist vision of Islam

The Italian Interior Ministry has announced that it had expelled two suspected extremists from the country, including a Moroccan national, American news agency Associated Press (AP) wrote on Monday. The Moroccan suspect is a 24-year-old who was living in Turin, the ministry said. According to the police, the Moroccan has alleged links to another Moroccan who was «convicted of association with the aim of terrorism». The other suspected extremist, expelled from Italy, is a

After Spain, Canada warns its nationals against traveling to Tindouf

On Tuesday, December 3, the Canadian government issued a travel warning, advising its citizens against visiting the Algerian territory. Citing «terrorist threats» and «social unrest», the alert referred to the upcoming presidential elections in Algeria, expected to take place on December 12. The travel warning urged Canadian nationals to avoid visiting several Algerian provinces in particular, including «Adrar, El Oued, Ouargla, Tamanrasset, Tebessa and

After the demolishing of its Holocaust memorial, PixelHelper ordered to remove Moroccan flag

German NGO PixelHelper, known for attempting to build North Africa’s first Holocaust Memorial in Morocco, denounced the recent decisions taken by the caid of a small commune that hosts its property near Marrakech. In a statement sent Monday to Yabiladi, the founder and president of the NGO Oliver Bienkowski said that the local authorities in Ait Faska have ordered him to «remove the Moroccan flags hoisted on top» of his property in the small village. He further argued that

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #22 : David Laskar, the legendary saint of Ighi

David Laskar is the legendary saint of Ighi, a small village near Marrakech. While little is known about his life in Morocco, the rabbi is venerated by both Jews and Muslims.

Kidnapping threats in Tindouf : Algeria refutes news about alleged warning sent to MINURSO

The Algerian Foreign Minister refuted, Monday, news reported on «the alleged warning issued by the Algerian government» to the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), quoting the ministry's spokesperson Abdelaziz Benali-Chérif. The latter said that reports on the alleged «warning» are «false and unfounded», adding that they were used to «harm Algeria, its people and its