IFC loans €197 million to expand Morocco's Tanger Med Port Complex  (Read more...)

Morocco is ready to abandon its currency in order to join ECOWAS, according to Marcel de Souza

Morocco is abandoning its currency after legally joining the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), according to Marcel de Souza, Chairman of the pan-African organization. In an interview with Sputnik, a Russian news agency, de Souza insisted that the kingdom is willing to join the common monetary zone scheduled for 2020. «In its (membership) application, the King has written that when there is a single currency, he will be ready to abandon the Dirham and to join

Morocco’s national team is the strongest in Africa, according to the German coach

Joachim Low, a former football player who is currently the head coach of the Germany national team, which he led to victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2017 FIFA Confederation Cup in Russia, has declared that the Moroccan team is stronger than Nigeria’s. As reported by the football online platform, Brila, while speaking on his team’s chances and options in the World Cup 2018 in Russia,Low commented on African teams that would perform well in the international

Workplace headscarf ban in France : The court of cassation issues its ruling

The Court of Cassation, a high instance court in France, issued a ruling on Wednesday, 22nd of November, confirming that a private company can ban its employees who have a direct contact with costumers from wearing religious symbols, reports Les Echos newspaper. The issue was decided when it comes to public sector, including privates companies. For the record, an employee who used to work for Baby Loup nursery had been dismissed in 2008 because she wore a headscarf while the rules

Hirak: Al Hoceima court acquits a 14-year-old teenager

The Criminal Chamber of Al Hoceima Court of Appeal acquitted a 14-year-old teenager, named Abderrahman Azri, who is considered one of the youngest Hirak detainees, according to the Spanish online newspaper El Diario Vasco. Azri participated to a Hirak demonstration. The minor was accused of «participating in the organization of an unauthorized protest» and «holding public rallies without permission». Abderrahman Azri was arrested last August while attending

The Morocco national football team advances in the latest FIFA ranking

Morocco’s national football team has advanced in the latest FIFA ranking. Positioned 40th in the world, the Atlas Lions managed to climb 8 places in the list. Beating the Ivorian team in Abidjan at the beginning of the month and being qualified for the 2018 World Cup to be hosted in Russia has certainly been behind Morocco’s ranking. Regionally, the national team was ranked fifth in Africa, followed by Senegal (23rd), Tunisia (27th), Egypt (31st) and the Democratic Republic of

Sahara : Kohler presented his «vision» to the Security Council

As planned, the Security Council held a meeting last night in a closed session on the Western Sahara conflict. Horst Kohler, the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Western Sahara presented during the meeting, his first remarks following his latest trip to the region in October. The briefing of the German official is «an important contribution to give a new boost, and a new spirit to advance in the political process», said Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent

Italy : A Moroccan national expelled for terrorist threats

A 37-year-old Moroccan national who lives in San Colombano al Lambro, a municipality near Milan, was expelled for terrorist threats, according to the Italian newspaper Affairitaliani. The decree was signed by the Italian Interior Minister, Marco Minniti. The man is described as a follower of the terrorist organization «Islamic State» (Daesh). He lived with his brother, his sister-in-law, and their three children who ran butchery. As for him, he owned a small construction

Five Moroccan athletes suspended by IAAF for anti-doping rule violation

The International Athletics Federation (IAAF) confirmed on November 15 the suspension of five Moroccan athletes for anti-doping rule violations, Le Matin said yesterday. They are Amine El Manaoui, Abdelmajid El Hissouf, Abdelhadi Falil, Abdellah Tagharrafet and Nader Belhanbel. The IAAF suspects that Nader Belhanbel, a Moroccan athlete competing primarily in the 800 metres, attempted to use prohibited substance. Last July, his name was added to the list of Russian hackers Fancy Bears who had

Mehdi Benatia to start a charity foundation for needy families

Mehdi Benatia, a Moroccan footballer who plays for Italian club Juventus, and for the Morocco national team, as a centre back announced on Monday, 20th of November, on his Facebook page that he is starting a charity foundation bearing his name to help needy people. The player stated the reasons that motivated him to open this foundation. He said that he is aware of the fact that he had the chance to grow up in a good health which made him achieve what he is now. «I wonder how I

Morocco's Exchange Office to ban Virtual currency transactions

Morocco's Exchange Office has announced on Monday, 20 of November, the ban of virtual money transactions, said the financial institution in a statement. Virtual currency transactions violate the exchange regulations and is punishable by the law, warns the Exchange Office. The office is urging natural and legal persons that make use of digital money in their transactions to comply with the foreign exchange regulations and carry out their financial transactions through authorized

The White House : Trump nominates Suburban Collection’s David Fischer for ambassador to Morocco

President Donald Trump nominated on Tuesday, 21st of November, David T. Fischer, an American businessman, Chairman and CEO of The Suburban Collection company, to be ambassador of the U.S. in Morocco, said the White House in a statement. «Mr. Fischer provides philanthropy to many charities and has joined the boards of numerous academic, cultural, and social welfare institutions and foundations. He has been a Member of the Judicial Tenure Commission in Detroit since 2012. Mr. Fischer

Hirak : A lawyer accuses Ilyas El Omari of having incited Zefzafi to «conspire against the king and the country»

The trial of Nasser Zefzafi has been resumed this morning in Casablanca. In his pleading before the court, Mr. Isaac Sharia openly accused Ilyas El Omari, the previous General Secretary of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, of instigating Hirak activists to «commit serious acts», reports Alaoual online newspaper. «My client, Nasser Zefzafi told me that Ilyas El Omari had contacted him many times pushing him and other Hirak activists to conspire against the king and the

World Cup Qualification: 6 people arrested and 12 others identified following the Brussels' riots

The violent incidents that occurred on Saturday 11 November in the city of Brussels, following Morocco National football team was qualified to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, have so far led to six arrests and twelve identifications, says Belga news agency. «New arrests are expected over the next few days,» said Philippe Close the burgomaster of Brussels. Celebrations in Brussels, Belgium to mark the qualification of Morocco national football team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in

Felipe VI could visit Morocco on the first quarter of 2018

The Catalan crisis forced King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to postpone their official trips abroad. Morocco is concerned by this change, says the Spanish newspaper El Pais. The «priority» trip, announced informally since 2016, has since been postponed. El País affirms that the Spanish and Moroccan parties are continuing the preparation of this major meeting, but without fixing the date of this royal visit for the moment. According to the same source, Felipe

Food stampede in Sidi Boulaalam: Fifteen dead and five wounded

Fifteen people have died in a food stampede in Sidi Boulaalam, a village near Essaouira, on Sunday 19 of November. Five other were wounded in the same accident, according to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry and sent to Yabiladi. King Mohammed VI instructed the relevant authorities to take all necessary measures and to support and assist the families of the victims and the wounded. The expenses of burial of the remains as well as the hospitalization fees of the five wounded, will

Morocco participates to the dismantling of an international cocaine trafficking network

The Civil Guard has arrested 40 people, 34 men and 6 women from Spain, the UK and Morocco, involved in an international cocaine trafficking network and money laundering, reports La Marina Plaza . They were all arrested in several cities, including Madrid, Melilla, Girona (Catalonia) and Pontevedra (northwestern Spain). Their arrest was carried out as part of a coordinated operation by the Europol and Eurojust agencies, with the collaboration of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the US

Morocco and China to strengthen strategic ties

Morocco and China have agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership as the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita met with the Chinese State Councilor, Yang Jiechi Friday in Beijing, reports Xinhua, the Chinese News agency. During their meeting, the Chinese official who is also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee stated that the 19th CPC National Congress has set China «on a new journey» towards a modern socialist

Salah Abdeslam’s recent letter to his cousin reveals his obsession with Islam

Salah Abdeslam, the Belgium-born French national of Moroccan descent who is accused of involvement in the attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015, has recently sent a letter to his cousin, breaking finally the silence. According to L’Express, Abdeslam’s letter has revealed how obsessed with Islam he is. On the 19th of July, the alleged terrorist wrote a two-page letter to his cousin from his cell, where he mentioned Allah 17 times in 31 lines. «How many of us have passed away