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

Imlil killings : 15 suspects brought before investigating judge in charge of terrorism cases

Fifteen people with alleged ties with the murder of two foreign tourists near Marrakech on December 17 have been brought this Sunday before the investigating judge in charge of terrorism cases, the Attorney General at Rabat’s Appeal Court has announced. The Prosecutor’s Office has asked the judge to investigate them for terrorist acts, including the crimes of forming a gang to prepare and carry out terrorist schemes, deliberately putting the life of people in danger, inciting

Imlil killings : Authorities arrest a Swiss-Spanish suspect

The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) arrested on Saturday, December the 29th, a Swiss national who has a Spanish citizenship and lives in Morocco. The man is suspected of being involved in the killing of the two Scandinavian tourists brutally murdered in Imlil. The arrest was announced by MAP news agency, which confirmed information reported earlier this day by TelQuel. 19 people, allegedly linked to the Imlil killings, have been arrested so far by the authorities, as

No after Brexit deal would turn Britain into «Morocco», says an EU commissioner

Not making a deal with the European Union after the Brexit would leave Britain like «Morocco», said European Commissioner Gunther Oettinger while warning British Prime Minister Theresa May against the country's divorce from the European bloc. According to the Express, the European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources in the college of the Juncker Commission believes that leaving the European Union without managing to secure agreements is bad news for Theresa May. He then

The body of a decapitated woman found Friday near Ifrane

The decapitated body of a woman was found, Friday, in Oued Ifrane, a town located between Ifrane and Azrou, Arabic-language newspaper Alyaoum 24 reported, citing sources in the region. The crime took place Thursday night, the same source added, stating that the victim is a twenty-year-old woman who worked in the region’s farms before getting divorced. A medical source told Alyaoum 24 that the body of the woman has not been transferred to the town’s morgue yet.

Morocco launches its first microsatellite to study the Ozone layer

Morocco has launched its first microsatellite to study the Ozone layer, using the Internet of things (IoT), French language newspaper Le Matin reports. This project was initiated by the British Space Agency KSF Space. The latter, which collaborated with the High National School for Computer Science and Systems Analysis (ENSIAS) announced that the launch was successful. «This is a unique experience in the Arab world, based on the use of the technology Internet of Things,

Football : Moroccan international player Hakim Ziyech wins the «Lion d’or 2018» prize

Moroccan international player Hakim Ziyech was awarded the «Lion d’or 2018» prize following a poll that was conducted by sports magazine «Almountakhab», MAP news agency reports. The Ajax attacking midfielder was granted 332 points, ranked ahead of Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund) who scored 190 points. Winger Nordin Amrabat was ranked 3rd with 80 points. The poll was initiated in 2004, the previous edition was dedicated to African players.

Morocco to extend suspension of customs duty on soft wheat

Morocco is planning to keep the suspension of customs duty on soft wheat until April 30, 2019, Reuters reported quoting, Thursday, government spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi. The decision has been taken in order to preserve price stability and «ensure regular supply» of soft wheat, the same source added. This step was announced by El Khalfi after it was adopted by the government council, Thursday. For the record, soft wheat import price is limited to 260 Moroccan dirhams per

Imlil murders : Prime Minister lauds security services' efforts to ensure Morocco's stability

Head of government Saaddine El Othmani hailed, on Thursday in Rabat, the huge efforts by the various security services to ensure security and stability in the Kingdom. Speaking at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, El Othmani said that some isolated criminal and terrorists acts can not undermine the security and stability of Morocco, praising, on that occasion, the work done by the different security services that have succeeded during this year to dismantle nearly 20 terrorist

Morocco’s Royal Navy rescues 367 migrant in the Mediterranean

367 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, were rescued by the Royal Navy, Thursday December the 27th, in the Mediterranean, military sources told Map News agency. This group of migrants, which included women and children, were carried by several makeshift boats that were struggling to illegally reach Spain, the same source added. The migrants were brought safely to the nearest ports by the Royal Navy units.

Morocco : Gabonese President Ali Bongo to deliver a speech from Rabat

Still recovering from a stroke in Morocco, Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba will deliver his New Year’s speech from Rabat, reports France Presse (AFP). The Gabonese President ordered his Prime Minister, Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet, «to meet the expectations of the Gabonese people», the same source added. Ali Bongo flew to Morocco after he was hospitalized in Saudi Arabia because of a stroke, said his wife Sylvia Bongo. In a Facebook post, the Gabonese first lady wrote that her

While Israel allows medical marijuana exports, Morocco bans the activity

Israel’s Parliament announced on Wednesday that it had approved a law to permit exports of medical marijuana. The law was passed Tuesday, giving the green light to farmers to export cannabis for medical purposes, reports AFP. «The Israeli medical cannabis company iCAN predicts the global industry will reach $33 billion in the next five years, as stigma fades and demand grows for the few countries certified to export», Associated Press says. While Israel took this

Spain rescues a Moroccan minor who was hiding in a ferry

Spain’s Civil Guard agents were able to rescue a Moroccan minor who was hiding in a ferry, reports Spanish news agency Europa Press. The 15-year-old teenager was hiding in one of the ship’s porthole, a generally circular window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. The ferry left Nador, Morocco, and was heading to the Motril port in Spain, the same source added. The ship’s staff spotted the young man and called the police. Civil Guard rescued the minor

Drug trafficking : Five Sahrawis sentenced to two years in prison after fleeing a Polisario jail

In September 2017, 18 Sahrawi inmates with Moroccan citizenships escaped a Polisario prison in Tifariti where they were held for drug trafficking. Five people among them were arrested by a Moroccan army unit. Since then, they have been detained pending trial. Reportedly, this week a court in Es-Smara sentenced them to two years in prison for «drug trafficking». This case dates back to July 2017, when the Polisario announced the arrest of a drug trafficking network. In November

Macroeconomic risks remain moderate overall, according to Morocco's Central Bank

Macroeconomic risks remain moderate overall in an international environment marked by uncertainties, according to Morocco’s Central Bank (Bank Al-Maghrib). "In an international environment marked by uncertainties (persisting trade and geopolitical tensions, rising protectionism, Brexit concerns, markets volatility) macroeconomic risks remain moderate overall," said the Bank in a statement issued after the eighth meeting of the Coordination and Systemic Risk Monitoring Committee (CSRMC),

No Moroccan national was killed in the Libya terror attack, Morocco Foreign Ministry says

Following the terror attack that targeted, Tuesday, the Libyan Foreign Ministry in Tripoli, killing three people, an authorized source from the Moroccan Foreign Ministry confirmed to Yabiladi that no Moroccan national was killed in Libya. Contrary to several reports, including the one published by Turkish news agency Anadolu, the woman who was injured in the attack is Libyan and not Moroccan, the same source added. The same thing was announced today by the Libyan Foreign Ministry which said in

The Arab Maghreb Union wants to restore the Trans-Maghreb railway line

The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) will launch, in January 2019, a big campaign for restoring the Trans-Maghreb railway line. According to Tunisian newspaper L’Economiste Maghrebin, the first phase of this campaign will focus on «attracting donors and promoting this project which will affect Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, the three countries that this train crosses». The second phase of the said campaign will target Mauritania and Libya. The same source recalls that after a

Algeria to include Couscous in UNESCO's Intangible Heritage list on behalf of Morocco

Algeria is submitting, in March 2019, on behalf of Maghreb countries an application to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to include Couscous in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, the Algerian news agency (APS) reported. The decision was announced by Algeria’s Minister of Culture Azzedine Mihoubi, during the opening ceremony of a Museums Fair held in Ain Defla. «It is useless to say that Couscous is a shared heritage for all

Italy : A Moroccan man shouts «Allah» after storming a church on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, a Moroccan man forced his way into a church shouting «Allah». The incident took place in a small town called Maclodio (Lombardy region), causing panic, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The 35-year-old Moroccan man, who looked weird, has reportedly uttered sentences in Arabic, the same source added. Church attendees were terrified after realizing that the man kept one of his hands behind his back. It turned out later that the man was unarmed. The city’s