News Flash

Facebook takes down fake accounts used by Iran to target Morocco

American online social media service company Facebook announced on January the 31st that it took down 783 pages and accounts after they were «engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior» on the platform. In a communiqué, quoted by American financial website Business Insider, Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy Nathaniel Gleicher stated that this «activity was directed from Iran (…) each localized for a specific country or region, including Afghanistan,

Bocuse d'Or : Morocco wins the best poster award

A Moroccan team participating to the Bocuse d’Or, a biennial world chef championship that takes place in France, won the «best poster» prize. The ranking was topped by Scandinavian countries, namely Denmark, Sweden and Norway, respectively in first, second and third places. France is seventh, ahead of Finland and Switzerland. For the record, Morocco had already participated in this prize through an invitation presented by Aissam Ait Ouakrim. The championship is named after

Five deaths due to H1N1 flu in Morocco, Minister of Health says

Five deaths from the H1N1 flu have been reported in public and private facilities, Health Minister Anas Doukkali said on Thursday, underlining that the deaths concern mainly vulnerable people. In a statement to MAP, Doukkali said that the H1N1 flu is the dominant subtype this year, like all countries in the world, reassuring that the Ministry of Health is still maintaining the epidemiological watch.

Accused of plagiarism, Morocco's Gad Elmaleh banned by a Canadian comedy club

After he was accused of allegedly plagiarizing American and Canadian stand-up comedians by an anonymous Youtube channel, French-Moroccan-Canadian comic Gad Elmaleh is now declared persona non grata by Quebec’s Bordel Comedy Club. After the video shared by CopyComic went viral, the Montreal theater decided to ban the Casablanca-born stand-up comedian from its guest list, reports Paris-based newspaper Courrier International. Gad Elmaleh has already performed at this comedy club, which is

Moroccan midfielder Youssef Aït Bennasser loaned to Saint-Etienne club

Moroccan international footballer Youssef Aït Bennasser, who plays for Monaco, has officially been loaned by Saint-Etienne where he will spend the end of this season, report French sports newspapers on Thursday. «I am very happy to join Saint-Etienne, a very big French club. It's a new stage for me», said the player quoted by Goal. His deal with Saint-Etienne is expected to expire in June, 2021. The 22-year-old midfielder played before for other clubs, including Nancy and

Nasser Zefzafi is fine, says Moroccan Human Rights Council amid concerns over his health

The National Human Rights Council (CNDH), an institution for the protection and promotion of human rights in Morocco, announced Thursday that Hirak figure Nasser Zefzafi is fine amid concerns over his health. The good news was announced after CNDH sent a three-member delegation to the Casablanca local prison to check on Zefzafi’s health. The delegation concluded that Zefzafi’s «health condition should not be anything to worry about», wrote the Council in a

Berlin warns Germans against traveling near Morocco’s borders with Algeria

The German Foreign Ministry has «strongly» warned its citizens against traveling near Morocco’s borders with Algeria, reports Austrian newspaper quoting the ministry’s website. «Trips to regions near Morocco’s borders with Algeria and generally beyond paved roads is not recommended», wrote the ministry on January the 31st. This decision doesn’t cover popular tourist destinations, including Zagora, Erfoud and Merzouga. «Despite

Spain : The Canary Islands Parliament refuses of interfere in Morocco’s Hirak

In a plenary session held at the Canary Islands Parliament, held Wednesday, the secretary general and spokesperson for Podemos Canarias, Noemi Santana, denounced the «hypocrisy» of Spanish parliamentary groups which «refuse to condemn human rights violations in the Rif», reports the parliamentary group on its website. Together with Luis Campos from «Nueva Canarias», a nationalist party in the Canary Islands, the general secretary launched an

Belgium denies political asylum for a Moroccan woman accused of terrorism

The Council for Alien Law Litigation denied political asylum for Moroccan national Malika El Aroud, nicknamed «Jihad’s black widow», reports Belgian newspaper Laatste Nieuws. The woman appealed against the decision, stressing that she might be tortured and illtreated when extradited to Morocco. Held in a center in Bruges (Belgium), El Aroud served an eight-year sentence for financing a terrorist organization in 2002 and for recruiting fighters in the favor of the same

After sacking Carlos Garrido, Raja Casablanca hires France’s Patrice Carteron

After Raja Casablanca sacked Spanish coach Juan Carlos Garrido, the club announced, Wednesday, that it is hiring French coach Patrice Carteron, who recently managed Al Ahly (Egypt). The deal with French manager Carteron came three days after the Casablanca club said that it is no longer relying on Garrido. «The club has officially signed a one-year contract with the French coach Patrice Carteron», Raja said, adding that the deal could be renewable. Patrice Carteron, 48, has

Moroccan-French stand-up comedian Gad Elmaleh accused again of plagiarism

While the Moroccan-French-Canadian stand-up comedian Gad Elmaleh is accused of alleged plagiarism by a Youtube channel called CopyComic. The latter reveals the times when French humorists borrow jokes from other stand-up comedians. In 14 minutes, the video published Monday shows how Elmaleh, who is expected to receive a trophy, February the 4th, by the Globes de Cristal Awards, allegedly copied someone else’s text and gestures, French newspaper Le Figaro says. It is not the first

Seven people escape a Tindouf camps prison

Seven suspected drug dealers escaped a Polisario prison, reports pro-Polisario online newspaper Futuro Sahara, Tuesday, quoting sources in the Tindouf camps. The men in question were imprisoned in May 2018 after they were arrested east of the Moroccan Wall. «The inmates joined their places in Laayoune», the same source added, recalling that this scandal comes after 19 Moroccan men from the Sahara managed to flee a Polisario prison. These inmates escaped prison in September,

A Belgian mother stabs her daughter for converting to Islam

In Brussels, a 54-year-old woman received a suspended sentence of three years in prison after she was charged with «assault and battery» on her 19-year-old daughter. According to the judge, this sentence «should make the mother reconsider her unacceptable behavior». Indeed, the mother assaulted her daughter, Sara, after discovering that she had converted to Islam and married a man without telling her family. On March 13th, 2016, the mother was invited to the family

A Tindouf camp family sit in in front of the Minurso’s building in Mijek

A Tindouf camp family has been sitting in in front the MINURSO Team-site in Mijek, a small town located east of the Moroccan Wall, to protest against the «unfair» distribution of aid in the camps. In a letter sent to the UN Personal Envoy to Western Sahara Horst Köhler, the MINURSO’s head and NGOs, and which Yabiladi took a look at, the father Hamoudi Bouchray Saleh mentioned the reasons behind his family’s move. For the record, three Sahrawi merchants from the

After boycotting Marks & Spencer, Muslims accuse Nike of «blasphemy»

Muslims are angry at American sportswear retailer Nike for selling an «offensive» pair of Air Max trainer, reports British tabloid the Sun. They are demanding Nike to recall the pair that, according to them, has the word «Allah» written on the sole. Saiqa Noreen, the woman who started a petition against the American company, accused the sports brand of «blasphemy». In her petition, which has been signed by more than 5000 people, Noreen urges Nike to recall

Venezuela intends to reconsider its recognition of «SADR»

Venezuela intends to «reconsider its recognition of the SADR under the government of interim President Juan Guaido», said, on Tuesday in Caracas, Manuel Avendano, foreign affairs advisor at the Venezuelan National Assembly (Parliament), the only opposition-controlled body. «Venezuela will reconsider its recognition of the Saharawi Republic under the government of Guaido», Avendano said in a statement to MAP, noting that the SADR recognition is more related to the Left

Morocco expels three Spanish activists for visiting Laayoune

Three activists were expelled this week from Laayoune by the Moroccan authorities, reports EFE quoting one of the three Spanish nationals. According to the Spanish news agency, they arrived in Laayoune where they spent four days before the authorities decided to send them back home. They were, reportedly, taken to Agadir and Marrakech, from where they will have to fly back to Spain on Thursday. Activist Pérez de Larraya, a member of an association called Friends of Western Sahara, told

The top baby names in the Netherlands for 2018 split between «Lucas» and «Mohamed»

The Dutch Social Security Bank released on Monday, January the 28th, the list with the most popular baby names of 2018 in the Netherlands. The list was topped by the name «Lucas» for baby boys and «Julia» for female newborns. However, some people think that the name chosen by the Dutch Social Security Bank was not really the one that should top the 2018 popular baby names list. The name «Mohamed» has several variants, including «Mohamad»,