Morocco's Arrabet and Skaleet partner for a new neo-bank offering in Africa  (Read more...)

UK : Thousands of Muslims clean the streets after New Year’s Eve

The day after New Year in the United Kingdom, the streets are often strewn with rubbish following the festivities of the day before. Thousands of Muslims celebrated 2018 by cleaning the streets several cities across the United Kingdom. This initiative was organized in association with the local councils, says the British newspaper The Independent. In Liverpool, members of the Nasir Mosque in Brougham Terrace (Liverpool) helped volunteers from the local community «to put some order in the

Felipe VI of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano’s visit to Morocco had been postponed to March

King Felipe and his spouse’ visit to Morocco has been postponed for the second time, a spokesman for the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday, reports El Pais, a Spanish online newspaper. The official confirmed that the Spanish and Moroccan governments agreed that the royal trip had to be delayed to March. Diplomatic sources told the newspaper that the visit had not been officially announced yet but the preparations are under way including the bilateral agreements

Fnac to open a second shop in Casablanca

Fnac Maroc, a large French retail chain selling cultural and electronic products, founded by André Essel and Max Théret in 1954, is to open a second store in Casablanca. This shop will be the third of its kind in Morocco, reports a statement issued by group Aksal and sent to Yabiladi on Wednesday. The new store is located at 45 Ali Abderrazak Street, in the heart of the Maârif and Racine district. «The opening date is scheduled for tomorrow,» as source from

Gueguerate : The Polisario armed militia stop a rally in the buffer zone

This Wednesday, 3rd of January, three armed militia from the Polisario Front «have blocked for more than an hour and a half, people who were intending to rally from the buffer zone to Mauritania», says a source close to the matter. «The MINURSO forces intervened in order to stop the separatist movement’s militias. Morocco's response (Foreign Ministry and FAR, ed) is expected to be released in the coming hours», added the source. This final rebound comes only

Russia : A Muslim woman running for presidency against Vladimir Putin

Aina Gamzatova, a 46-year-old Muslim woman from the republic of Dagestan in Russia, decided to run for the presidential elections set for March 2018 competing with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to several international sources. The Muslim woman confirmed this information in a Facebook post last Thursday. Two days later, her supporters gathered around her to celebrate in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, writes Al Jazeera. The native of Daghestan is part of a Sufi

USA : Two Moroccan artists to perform in Coachella festival

Coachella, the best festival in the world according to The Rolling Stones magazine, will feature two artists of Moroccan descent, namely the American rapper French Montana and the French DJ and music producer, Mehdi Benjelloun, known by his stage name Petit Biscuit. The two artists are scheduled for the same day on two different dates : Sunday, April the 15th and 22nd, 2018, indicates the festival’s website. pic.twitter.com/ivjHgj9uae — Coachella (@coachella) 3 janvier

A movement of «young Royalists» interrupts one of the marches in Jerada

A movement of «young royalists» has joined the Hirak popular movement in Jerada. «The sit-in organized on Monday, January the 1st, and taking place in Al Amal square has been interrupted by five individuals from Hassi Belal», Said Al Manjami told Yabiladi. «Carrying national flags and photos of King Mohammed VI, they denounced the marches and accused protesters of sowing seeds of sedition. The intervention of some young people from the Hirak movement quickly put

Morocco : Four journalists to appear in court for publishing confidential information

Four Moroccan journalists and a member of the House of Councilors will appear in court for distributing confidential information, reports EFE. Mohamed Ahaddad, a journalist for Al Massae, as well as another defendant, told the Spanish news agency that the names of the three others involved are : Abdelhaq Lachgar, journalist for the daily newspaper Akhbar Alyaoum, as well as Kaoutar Zaki and Abdelah Sujair, from the online newspaper Aljarida24.ma. They will be tried January 25th at Rabat court

Twenty-seven Moroccans on FIFA's list of international referees for 2018

FIFA has published the list of the international referees suggested for 2018 including 27 Moroccans proposed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), announced Tuesday the governing body of the national football on its official website, as reported by MAP news agency. The list includes Redouane Jiyed, Hicham Tiazi, Noureddine El Jaafari, Samir Kazaz, Adil Zourak, Reddad Daki and Karim Sabry in the football category. Redouane Achik, Hicham Ait Abbou, Yahya Nouali, El Hassan Azgaou,

Germany : Far-right MP investigated over anti-Muslim tweets

Beatrix von Stroch, a German politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Alternative for Germany since July 2015 and Member of the Bundestag since September 2017, had her Twitter and Facebook accounts deactivated on New Year’s Eve, for calling Muslim men violent and barbaric, reports the German TV channel DW news. On New Year’s Eve, the Cologne police posted a message in Arabic on Twitter, wishing every a happy new year. The tweet did not obviously please the German MP who

Ouarzazate : A Moroccan national arrested for kidnapping and wounding an American woman

A Moroccan national was arrested on Monday, 1st of January, for allegedly kidnapping and wounding an American woman, said a statement issued by the General Directorate for National Security (DGSN ). On Monday afternoon, the Ouazazate National Security Services received a phone call from a man living in Sale who indicated that he was sent an email from a U.S. citizen he knew. Through her message, the woman claimed that she was abducted and subjected to violence by an individual in a house

CHAN-2018 : The training camp of the Atlas Lions has started on Monday

The training camp for local players expected to participate to the next CHAN-2018, a biennial football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) exclusively featuring players from the respective national championships, held in Morocco from the 13th of January to the 4th of February, has started on Monday, said the Royal Moroccan Federation in a statement. The manager of the national team, Jamal Sellami, had called 26 footballers to take part in

New York : A Moroccan woman assaulted by a group of teenagers for wearing a Hijab

A group of teenage girls has attacked a 51-year-old Moroccan veiled woman in downtown Brooklyn on Friday evening, the police said as reported by CBS News. The woman identified as Souad Kirama was at a restaurant where the assault occured. «They attacked me, beat me up and people were just standing there, watching me be beat up, called a 'terrorist' and nobody did nothing. Nothing. Nobody stood up for me», said the woman in a Facebook live video, said the same source. According to

Morocco dismantles gang involved in illegal emigration, kidnapping and extortion

The royal gendarmerie has dismantled a gang involved in illegal emigration to Europe via Libya, and in the kidnapping of candidates, extortion, illicit financial transactions and money laundering, said, Friday, a statement by the royal gendarmerie. Investigations, which started in September 2017 after the arrest by the royal gendarmerie in the city of Beni Mellal of two organizers of illegal emigration, revealed the involvement of a large network operating at national and international

France: A physician fired from a hospital, loses in court

The request of a trainee doctor practicing at the Saint-Denis hospital center, sacked in February 2014 because of his beard deemed religiously ostentatious, was rejected by the Administrative Appeal Court of Versailles, in a decision issued December the 19th, indicates AFP. However, the court ruled that «growing a beard, even a long one, can not alone constitute a sign of religious affiliation». It is only in the presence of some «elements justifying that it actually

Aeronautics : Morocco targets MAD 26 bln of turnover and 23K new jobs by 2020

Morocco's aeronautics industry aims to reach 26 billion dirhams of turnover and create 23,000 new jobs by 2020, said minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy, Moulay Hafid Elalamy. «We are confident that the goals set for the aeronautics sector will be met: to create 23,000 new jobs, reach 26 billion dirhams of turnover and double the local integration rate to 35% by 2020,» Elalamy told MAP. The minister pointed out that manufacturers, encouraged by the momentum

The number of migrants entering Spain by sea in 2017 tripled because of Moroccans and Algerians arrival

The arrival of Moroccans and Algerians has tripled the number of migrants crossing the sea to enter Spain in 2017, AFP reports quoting the Spanish Commission for Refugees. «21,500 people arrived by sea on Spain’s southern shores between January 1 and December 20» compared to 6,046 in 2016, said the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants. The number of

Maneuvers led by Polisario reflect its dismay, according to El Khalfi

The maneuvers led by the Polisario reflect its dismay and the dislocation of its ranks as a result of the successive victories accumulated by Morocco in defending its territorial integrity, said, Thursday in Rabat, minister delegate for Relations with Parliament and Civil Society, government spokesperson, Mustapha El Khalfi. Speaking at a press briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting, held under the chairmanship of the head of government, El Khalfi stressed that Morocco is now advancing