News Flash

Three men arrested in France for having explosives and the authorities suspect links with Catalan terrorists

Two men, aged 36 and 47, were arrested yesterday in Kremlin Bicêtre, a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, for having 100 grams of Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) explosives in their apartment. A third suspect was arrested afterwards as reported by EFE which quotes official sources. The French Interior Minister, Gérard Collomb said today in an interview with France Info that it is «possible» that this cell had been in contact with the terrorists that carried out

20 year after his death, Mobuto Sese Seko is still buried in Morocco

20 years after his death, Mobutu Sese Seko is still buried at the Christian cemetery of Rabat. He was the military dictator and President of Zaire, known nowadays as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mobutu went into temporary exile in Togo but lived mostly in Morocco where he died on the 7th of September 1997. Visiting his grave in Rabat, the cemetery’s caretaker, Abu Fida, told AFP that «a lot of people come to visit the tomb. There are at least a dozen every day»

Qatar offers visa-free entrance to Moroccans

Moroccans are now free to travel to Qatar without visa requirement. The information was confirmed on Tuesday by the Qatari Interior Minister, Abdallah bin Hamad Al Thani during the visit of Habib El Malki, President of the Moroccan Parliament and the Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy, Moulay Hafid Elalamy to Qatar. The two politicians represented attended the inauguration of «Hamad Port» on the behalf of King Mohammed

Donald Trump to put an end for DACA program

Donald Trump has put an end to the DACA program, an immigration policy in the United States allowing certain immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive deferred action from deportation, the Guardian reports today. According to the same source, 800,000 young undocumented migrants will face deportation after DACA was annulled. «I am here today to announce that the program known as Daca that was effectuated under the Obama administration is being rescinded», sessions said

Italy : Two minors of Moroccan origin arrested on suspicion of rape

Four people, three minors and a 20-year-old man, were arrested in Italy for alleged rape in Rimini, a popular seaside resort southern Bologna, Belga news agency reports today. The group is suspected of having assaulted a couple of Polish tourists on the 26th of August. They allegedly assaulted the young man and then raped his partner. Secondly, they also allegedly raped a transgender prostitute of Peruvian origin. This Saturday, two brothers of Moroccan origin have admitted their deeds

The Spanish President of the Congress of Deputies to visit Rabat tomorrow

The President of the Congress of Deputies in the Spanish Parliament is expected to visit Rabat Tomorrow, EFE indicates quoting a statement issued by the House of Representatives of Morocco. In Rabat, Ana Pastor Julián will meet with her counterpart Habib El Malki, Prime Minister Saâdeddine El Othmani and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita. This is going to be Julian’s first official visit to Morocco who was elected on July 2016.

Moroccan Imams in Germany highlight their role in fighting extremism

Moroccan Imams in Hesse, a central German state highlighted the primordial role of Imams in fighting against extremism and in promoting the values of coexistence in the German society. At a recent meeting with MP Gerhard Merz, chairman of the socialist group's integration and social affairs committee in the Parliament of Hesse, Moroccan imams have stressed their rejection of the negative image and stereotype attributed to worshipers and preachers by some media platforms and politicians. The

The Algerian Foreign Minister reacts to the Maputo incident

The Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs has finally reacted to the incident that took place during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held in Maputo from the 23rd to the 25th of August. Asked by journalists, Abdelkader Messahel said that «the Moroccans attempts will always be doomed to failure, such as those of Malabo (Africa-Arab summit in December 2016) and Mozambique», the APS reported. Messahel added that in the capital of Mozambique, the African

Hirak : HRW urges King Mohammed VI to investigate police suspected violence

Human Rights Watch, an American-founded international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights has urged King Mohammed VI today to «press for effective investigations into allegations that Morocco’s police forces tortured people suspected of participating in the 2017 ‘Hirak'» protests in the Rif region». The NGO has commented on the King’s speech, delivered on the 30th of July to commemorate the Throne day, saying

King Mohammed VI and the Nigerian president to strengthen bilateral relations

King Mohammed VI and the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari promised on Monday during a phone call to further strengthen bilateral relations. The two leaders vowed to reinforce mutual projects that were agreed on during King Mohammed VI’s last visit to Abuja, the King’s office said in a statement. Morocco is working with Nigeria to construct a major gas pipeline, a project that is seeing tangible achievements as stated by the same source. The two countries are also working on

Fes to host the 10th edition of the Sufi Culture Festival in October

From October the 14th to 21st, 2017, the city of Fes will host the 10th edition of the Festival of Sufi culture, organizers said on Monday in a. the edition is entitled «Sufism to meet the wisdom of the world : the road to Sufism from Morocco to India». «Many speakers, brotherhoods and artists from Morocco and from different countries of the world will come to testify to the richness of this living heritage of literary, poetic, artistic and spiritual Sufism,» the

Sound Energy to collaborate with AFG for the commercialization of gas

Sound Energy PLC, said on Monday that the Morocco-focused gas junior has received an offer from investors. The London-based Mediterranean exploration and production company that the funding proposal «comes from Advisory and Finance Group Investment Bank (AFG), a Moroccan financial institution that funds Oil and Gas Investment Fund (OGIF), Sound’s partner, and soon-to-be major shareholder», indicates the company. The funding might provide US$ 60 to 100 million to construct a

Football : Munir El Haddadi to join Alavés

The football player, Munir El Haddadi, has left FC Barcelona to join Departivo Alavés. The right winger is member of the Spanish club since Friday, the daily newspaper L’Equipe said. The Spanish player of Moroccan origin was loaned to the club of Valencia with an option of purchase during the last season. Yet the Spanish club did not take advantage of this opportunity. The 22-year-old striker had many contenders in recent months, as our colleagues from Huffpost Morocco have

Professor Driss Guerraoui is now a member of Lisbon Academy of Sciences

Professor Driss Guerraoui was elected a member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, becoming the first Moroccan to join this prestigious institution, founded on 24 December 1779 during the reign of Mary 1 of Portugal. The Academy of Sciences is a scholarly society dedicated to the advancement of science and learning, with the goal of promoting academic progress and prosperity in Portugal. It includes the fields of the exact sciences such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicine and

Morocco-Japan : Attijariwafa Bank joins Sumitomo Corporation Europe Limited for Africa

Attijariwafa Bank and Sumitomo Corporation Europe Limited, a direct branch of the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Corporation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the end of July, Attijariwafa Bank said on Monday. Through the Memorandum signed by Boubker Jai, Managing Director of Attijariwafa Bank and Bin Hafa, CEO of Sumitomo Corporation Europe Limited, both parties agreed to develop a long-term partnership for large-scale operations in Africa. The memorandum aims at promoting cooperation

Sweden puts on hold plans of building a youth care center in Morocco

The project of building care homes for Moroccan youths whose asylum applications have been rejected by Sweden has not seen any progress, Chinese news agency Xenhua reports today. Sweden’s plan is meant to help Moroccan asylum seekers return to their country with the help of Germany. According to the same source, last February both Sweden and Germany declared that they would collaborate to construct youth centers in Morocco for migrants deported from the two countries. Unfortunately

Two Moroccan twins awarded in Canada for their graduation projects

Two Moroccan students named Ibtissam and Ikram Benzian, twin siters, have won two prizes for their graduation projects in electrical engineering at Polytechnique Montreal, an engineering school affiliated with the Université in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Middle East Monitor reports. According to the same source, Ibtissam «won the first prize for two separate projects that she accomplished in electrical engineering courses» and her twin sister Ikram was «ranked third

Morocco is the most prolific exporter to Spain according to Fepex

Morocco is the most prolific exporter to Spain according to recent data issued by the Fepex, Fruitnet reports. The kingdom shipped during the first semester of the current year 404 million Euros fresh vegetables and fruits to Spain. According to the same source the exports to Spain resulted in growth of 33 per cent. The organization said that the Spanish imports from Morocco, Costa Rica and Brazil «came in at 859 million Euros for the six-month period, representing 63.45 per cent of