Dutch-Moroccan ex-anti-terrorism official denies «spying for Morocco», seeks PM's testimony  (Read more...)

Football : Moroccan striker Khalid Boutaib to join Egypt’s Zamalek

Moroccan international player Khalid Boutaib, 32, is expected to join Egyptian club Zamalek. According to a source within the club, Zamalek is «interested» in the Atlas Lions’ striker who currently plays for Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor, says 2M.ma. Reportedly, Khalid Boutaib was going to Cairo to meet the Zamalek president, Mourtada Mansour. Meanwhile, Turkish media announced that the player has already signed a contract with the club for 2 million euros. Khalid

Da Costa, Hakimi and Ziyech in the African team of the year

Weekly magazine «France Football» has selected three Atlas Lions, namely Manuel Da Costa, Achraf Hakimi, and Hakim Ziyech, for its African team of the year, reports MAP news agency. The names of the three Moroccan internationals appear alongside other football stars in Africa, including Egypt’s Mohammed Salah, Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly, and Sadio Mané. Yassine Bounou, a Moroccan footballer who plays currently for Girona FC, was

Manchester stabbings : Authorities consider the mental health of the arrested suspect

Arrested on December the 31st for stabbing three people at the Victoria railway station in Manchester, authorities in England are considering the mental health of the 25-year-old suspect. Quoted by the BBC, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said : «I know that the events will have affected many people and caused concern». The official added that «given how frenzied the attack was officers were considering the mental health of the arrested

Morocco’s economic growth to drop in the first quarter of 2018

According to the forecasts of the planning agency, Morocco’s economic growth have reached 2.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to 3 percent in the previous quarter, reports Reuters quoting the Moroccan body. The agency said in a statement Wednesday that non-agricultural growth to be at 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, less than what has been registered in the previous period (3 percent). The agricultural sector, according to the same source, will fall to 3.4

Born in Casablanca, French-Israeli singer Maya Casabianca passes away

French-Israeli singer Margalit Azren, known by her stage name Maya Casabianca, passed away Sunday, December the 30th. Maya Casabianca is famous in the Arab World, Israel and the Soviet Union since the 1950s. She was born in Casablanca in 1940 and was inspired by the city for her stage name. Maya Casabianca arrived in Paris in the 50s with her family, where she became a star after signing a contract with a record company called Philips. «The Moroccan-born chanteuse, whose music was also

Raja and Wydad Ultras boycott a game to be hosted by Marrakech

Raja Club Athletic and Wydad AC are expected to play a game scheduled for January the 6th in Marrakech. The game will be boycotted by Ultras supporting the two teams, announced the two groups in a communiqué. «It is an unusual decision», said Raja’s fans on their official Facebook page, explaining that «the decision has been taken after it was announced that the decisive game will be played in Marrakech and not in Casablanca». The two groups denounced the

Moroccan poet Mohamed Bennis wins the 2018 «Arab Creativity» award

The Lebanese Cultural Forum in Paris has announced that the 2018 «Arab Creativity» award was won by Moroccan poet Mohamed Bennis. This award was handed down to several Arab poets, said the president of the Lebanese Cultural Forum, Nabil Abu Chakra, quoted by Anahar newspaper. «Mohamed Bennis is a distinguished poet because of the great attention he pays to human experiences», the same source added. Born in Fez in 1948, the poet published his first collection of poems

Sahara : Two Spanish nationals expelled from Laayoune

On Monday, December the 31st, authorities in Laayoune expelled two Spanish nationals, from the Basque Country. Patricia Ibáñez and Irati Tobar arrived Thursday, December the 27th, in the city. Once there, they were welcomed at the place of Hassana Aalia’s family, a Sahrawi man who received a life sentence in 2013 by the military court in Rabat because of the Gdim Izik events. He lives in Spain, where he was granted political asylum since 2016. The two Spanish nationals

Authorities dismantle a migrant-smuggling network in Salé

Authorities in Sala Al Jadida dismantled, Tuesday morning, a migrant-smuggling network, the General Directorate for National Security said in a communiqué quoted by MAP news agency. Two individuals, aged 35 and 39 years old, were arrested. The suspects are allegedly the ones who orchestrated migrant smuggling campaigns. The two suspects were placed in police custody and an investigation has been launched by the authorities, the same source concluded.

Gabonese President Ali Bongo reassures his people about his health via Rabat

Currently staying in Morocco, Gabonese President Ali Bongo delivered a speech, Monday, to his people on New Year's Eve. In a two-minute video, Bongo reassured Gabonese citizens about his health. His speech was also a way of replying to opposition parties in the country which sent on December the 21st a letter to the Gabonese Prime Minister, asking him to set up a «medical committee» to check on the President's health. «Today, as you can see, I am better, and I am looking

Imlil murders : The Swiss-Spanish suspect had a criminal record in Geneva

The Swiss-Spanish suspect arrested Saturday by the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) in Marrakech «has a criminal record in Geneva for robberies committed between 2007 and 2013», says a Swiss newspaper. The individual suspected of having links with the Imlil killings that took the lives of two Scandinavian tourists, «is known to the Geneva police», the same source added quoting the spokesman for the Swiss federal police. The man was convicted before for

A man stabs three people in Manchester, counter terrorism police lead an inquiry

Three people, including a police officer, were injured, Monday, near the Manchester Victoria railway station (England) after they were stabbed by a man with a knife, BBC reported. The man stabbed the police officer in the shoulder after attacking a man and a woman in the 50s at around 20:50 GMT. The assailant was held in custody after he was stopped by the police, which used pepper spray and a Taser to arrest him, the same source added. British counter terrorism police said that they have

Moroccan authorities reject Amnesty International's statement on Hirak trial

The Moroccan authorities flatly rejected the statements made by Amnesty International (AI) about the trial of the Al-Hoceima events' detainees for «lack of objectivity and impartiality». The Moroccan authorities expressed their categorical rejection of statements by the organization of Amnesty International in its report that lacks objectivity and impartiality as dictated by international standards, said on Monday the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights in a

As in Al Hoceima, Moroccan celebrities visit Imlil to promote tourism

Moroccan celebrities, including radio host Mohamed Boussfiha known as Momo, singer Mohamed Reda and members of rap group Achkayen visited Imlil last week. The initiative was launched to «deny rumors suggesting that the tourism sector has been negatively affected» after the terror killings that took place in Imlil two weeks ago, the Hit Radio host Momo told Alyaoum 24. The bodies of the two Scandinavian tourists were found Monday, December the 17th, near Imlil. «The region

Morocco's net international reserves down 4.6%

Morocco's net international reserves amounted to 228.2 billion dirhams until December 21, 2018, recording a 4.6% year-on-year decrease, Morocco's central bank (Bank Al-Maghrib) said. During the week of December 20-26, Bank Al-Maghrib injected 65.3 billion dirhams. As for the interbank rate, it has remained at 2.27%, the source added in a press release. During the same period, the Dirham appreciated by 0.12% against the Euro and by 0.06% against the Dollar. 

Art criticism : Two Moroccans awarded in the United Arab Emirates

Moroccan researchers Aicha Ammour and Mohamed Zbiri won two prizes at the ninth edition of the Sharjah Award for Plastic Art's Critical Research. Aicha Ammour was awarded for her research «The relationship between visual arts and other artistic expressions : Interactive study of several Arab models», reported Sunday Le Matin. Mohamed Zbidi was also awarded for his work «Art and Society : Visual Arts and the Arab landscape». Speaking to media, Aicha

Hirak : Nasser Zefzafi calls the Riffian diaspora to rally for women in Brussels

From his cell in the Oukacha local prison in Casablanca, Hirak figure Nasser Zefzafi called for the organization of a march to support Riffian women in Brussels on February the 16th, reports Dalil Rif quoting Zefzafi’s father. The march is expected to show support for women in the region. Speaking to his father, Nasser Zefzafi said that «women in the Rif suffered from the Hirak movement, shame and ignorance». He also acknowledged that women were subjected to

Oued Ifrane : Authorities arrest a suspect with alleged ties to the murder of a young woman

On Sunday, December the 30th, authorities in Midlet arrested an individual with alleged ties to the murder of a young woman in Oued Ifrane, a small town between Ifrane and Azrou. The arrest came after the decapitated body of a 24-year-old woman was found on Friday. The arrestee's family said that he disappeared after the tragedy. According to an authorized source quoted by Hespress, the 33-year-old suspect, who is from Ait Fdouli village, was arrested after local officials realized that he