Educational astronomy project to tour Morocco in November  (Read more...)

Moroccan economy estimated to have grown by 3.2% in 2018, says World Bank

In 2018, the Moroccan economy is estimated to have grown by 3.2%, according to the January 2019 Global Economic Prospects report released by the World Bank on Tuesday. «Robust agricultural production and tourism have helped support growth of Morocco», the report pointed out. According to the World Bank's medium-term growth forecasts, Morocco's economy is expected to grow by 2.9% in 2019 and by 3.5% in 2020 and 2021.Investment will be further supported by reforms that strengthen

CAF Awards : Morocco's Achraf Hakimi 2018 best young African footballer

Moroccan international player Achraf Hakimi was named, Tuesday in Diaminadio, the best young African footballer of the year 2018. Hakimi, who plays for the German club Borussia Dortmund, received the trophy at the 2018 CAF Awards, ahead of Ivorian Franck Kessié (AC Milan, Italy) and Nigerian Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England). For his part, chairman of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, won the Ydnekatchew Tessema Trophy for the Federation president of the Year.

Sahara : Nasser Bourita in Cairo to support the next president of the African Union

Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita paid a short visit to Cairo on Tuesday, January 8th, to meet his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Choukri. Four weeks before the next African Union summit, Morocco is relying on the intentions of the strong man in Egypt regarding the Sahara issue. President Abdelfattah al-Sissi is also a member of the troica created by the African Union at the ordinary summit in Nouakchott in July 2018, and whose mission is to keep up with the developments of the file and report that

Moroccan food company launches a tea line certified organic by the USDA

Mina, a Casablanca Foods brand that makes tea, is introducing its organic line of teas in the US, reports New York Times. After selling Harissa condiments and Moroccan sauces, the company is launching Moroccan tea «with toasty overtones; Atay, a traditional blend of mint with Chinese green tea that’s usually served sweetened; and Louiza, or lemon verbena», the same source wrote. The tea comes also in sachets and biodegradable bags that do not have any staples, pins or

Muslims in the US volunteer to clean parks amid shutdown

Muslims in the USA are organizing cleanups in parks as the shutdown enters third week, the Washington Post reports. Muslim men in Washington, Pennsylvania, Florida, California and Ohio gathered last weekend to pick up litter and empty trash cans in national parks after President Donald Trump announced that the government shutdown, which occurs when Congress fails to pass sufficient appropriation bill to fund federal operation and agencies, could last for months. These Muslim men, who belong

The Vatican unveils the official logo of the Pope’s visit to Morocco

The Vatican has released the official logo of the Pope’s visit to Morocco, reported Vatican News on Monday January the 7th. «Servant of Hope» is the theme of the Pope’s visit to the Kingdom, scheduled for March the 30th and 31st. During his trip to Morocco, Pope Francis will be visiting the cities of Rabat and Casablanca in response to the invitation of King Mohammed VI. The chosen logo was picked from about 50 entries in a competition, the same source added,

Egypt to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations

Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), President of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), Ahmad Ahmad, announced Tuesday in Dakar. Egypt was preferred to South Africa, the only other nation to submit a bid, at a Caf executive committee meeting. Original host nation Cameroon was stripped of staging the event in November because of slow preparations. Egypt has hosted the tournament four times. The AFCON will be held from June 15 to July 13.  Tuesday's announcement

A Hirak appeal hearing rescheduled for January 14th

Initially scheduled for Monday, January the 7th, an appeal hearing for Hirak detainees and journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui has been postponed to January the 14th. Mohamed Jelloul, a Hirak activist currently prosecuted, announced at the opening of the session that the rest of the detainees refuse to appear before the judge after they were locked in a glass cage. They started a sit-in in the court before the judge decided to reschedule the hearing. Yesterday’s hearing was marked by the

BCIJ dismantles a three-member terrorist cell in Nador and Driouch

Morocco’s Central Bureau for Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) dismantled Tuesday, January 8, a three-member terrorist cell, operating in Nador and Driouch, announced the body in a communiqué sent the same day to Yabiladi. BCIJ forces managed to seize, during the raid, electronic devices, white weapons, military suits, firearms and manuscripts, glorifying extremist ideology in addition to sulfur, batteries and electric wires, the same source added. According to the investigation

MEP urges EU to work towards integration of Morocco into European single market

The European Union has everything to gain from pushing for greater integration of Morocco into the European single market, said MEP Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández. In a written question to the European Commission, the Spanish MEP from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Group and member of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade recalled that the European Commission has reaffirmed in one of its recent reports its conviction that

Morocco and the Sultanate of Oman strengthen cooperation

Morocco and the Sultanate of Oman signed on Monday in Muscat several memorandums of understanding to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in multiple areas. These agreements were concluded at the end of the 5th Morocco-Oman joint commission co-chaired by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Omani counterpart Youssef bin Alaoui. These memoranda of understanding focus on social development, Habous and Islamic Affairs, higher education and scientific research, agriculture, tourism and

Norway : Two-minute silence observed to remember the two tourists killed in Morocco

On Monday, January the 7th, students and lecturers at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) observed a two-minute silence to remember the two tourists Louisa and Maren who were brutally murdered in December 2018 in Morocco, France-Presse (AFP) reported. «It is very difficult for all of us, especially for the student who lived and studied with them», said USN’s faculty director. At the university «we spoke to students about it not to make them understand what is

UK’s Penspen to execute the first phase of the FEED for Nigeria-Morocco pipeline

British engineering and management services company Penspen has announced that it is expected to execute the First Phase of the FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) of approximately 5700 km gas pipeline expected to link Nigeria to Morocco, reports World Pipelines. The decision was announced after the London-based firm was awarded a contract by Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) and Nigeria’s National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to conduct the

Moroccan-Spanish footballer Brahim Diaz joins Real Madrid

Moroccan-Spanish attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz has joined Real Madrid from Manchester City. «Real Madrid C.F. and Manchester City have reached an agreement over the transfer of Brahim Diaz, who joins the club for the remainder of this season and the next six campaigns, until 30 June 2025», the Spanish team announced in a press release. In total, Diaz has made 15 appearances for Manchester City.

A failed coup attempt in Gabon, Morocco’s main ally

Gabon soldiers have seized national radio station in a failed coup attempt only one week after President Ali Bongo delivered a speech to his people from Rabat. The Gabonese government announced hours later that things are «under control» and that it has arrested the soldiers who briefly took over the station, wrote the Guardian. «The government is in place. The institutions are in place», the same source said, quoting the Gabonese government’s spokesman

Additional support Morocco is requesting from Spain to be taken into account

Morocco's recent request for additional support from the Spanish government to better manage migration flows and intensify border control deserves to be taken into account, as it can help further strengthen collaboration between the two countries, Spanish daily El Pais wrote on Saturday. «Morocco's list of requests to the Spanish government in exchange for increased surveillance of its borders includes proposals that should not fall on deaf ears», the paper stresses in an

Nearly 14 tons of cannabis resin seized at Tangier Med Port

Moroccan security services seized, Saturday at the Tangier Med port, 13 tons and 750 kilograms of cannabis resin (hashish), says the national police (DGSN) in a statement. Search operations conducted with the help of police sniffer dogs have led to the discovery of drug shipments in a hollow of an international transport semi-trailer truck intercepted on one of the port's docks, the same source adds. The prefectural service of the Tangier judicial police is continuing its research and

Terrorism : Denmark extradites a Moroccan national close to Al Qaeda

Moroccan extremist Said Mansour, 58, was extradited by Denmark to the Kingdom. His extradition has been announced Saturday, January 5th, by the Danish authorities, reports EFE quoting Copenhagen. The decision was expected since 2016 when the Danish Supreme Court ordered the extradition of the Moroccan national. The man in question was denaturalized, according to a terrorism law adopted in 2002. Mansour was sentenced in July 2015 to four years in prison for spreading terrorist propaganda. He