Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz ready to write history with Morocco  (Read more...)

Emmanuel Macron’s fromer personal guard, the story of Alexandre Benalla aka Maroine

In July, French media revealed that Alexandre Benalla, the former personal guard of President Emmanuel Macron who was filmed beating protesters on May the 1st, has changed his Arabic name. BFM TV confirmed the information in an investigation, published on Tuesday, 11th of September. The French 24-hour rolling news channel revealed that the controversial security agent, who used to be called Maroine Benalla before changing his first name, was born in September the 8th, 1991. His father,

Ambassador Omar Hilale elected president of ECOSOC humanitarian segment

Morocco's permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, ambassador Omar Hilale, was elected on Tuesday as president of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the period 2018-2019. This election took place at the first meeting of the Bureau of the Economic and Social Council, chaired by ambassador Inga Rhonda King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and attended by the vice-presidents of the Economic and Social Council,

France : The Prosecutor’s Office appeals against Saad Lamjarred’s conditional release  

On Tuesday, 11th of September, the Prosecutor’s Office in Draguignan appealed the decision, allowing Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred to leave prison, reports Le Monde. The appeal, lodged last week and examined on Tuesday by the Court of Appeal of Aix-en-Provence, «asks the court to remand the singer in custody, at least during the investigation phase», said the Draguignan Prosecutor’s Office. Indicted for «rape», the Moroccan pop star was arrested on August

Morocco shows interest in French-born midfielder Matteo Guendouzi

French-Moroccan midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, who currently plays for Arsenal, is at the heart of a war between Morocco and France. The London-based club spent £7million to secure the transfer of the 19-year-old player who used to play for Lorient, says Tribal Football. Quoting the British newspaper, the Mirror, the same source points out that Morocco is trying to convince Guendouzi into joining the Atlas Lions. It indicates that Coach Hervé Renard might be traveling to London

Morocco's Miss Universe Nouhaila lmelki accused of killing two teenagers in a fatal car accident

Nouhaila Lmelki, a 20-year-old Moroccan woman who was granted the title of Miss Universe the World 2018 in Lebanon, has been imprisoned as she awaits trial for killing two homeless teenagers in a fatal car accident in Marrakech on Saturday, says Alyaoum24. Speaking to security sources, the Arabic-language newspaper stated that the young woman crashed into a tree, driving under the influence of alcohol. Two homeless people were sleeping under the tree, Lmelki hit with her car, which led to

Migrants expelled from Ceuta sentenced to two months in prison in Tetouan

17 migrants, sent back to Morocco by Ceuta in August, have been sentenced to two months in prison and fined 500 dirhams by the court of first instance in Tetouan, reported Le360 on Tuesday. Accused of «illegally entering the enclave, using violence and presenting fake IDs», these 20 migrants were the only ones to have been brought before the Moroccan justice. They are part of a group that climbed the fence, separating Ceuta and Morocco. Arrested by the Spanish authorities, these

Spain expels a Moroccan Imam based in Granada

Spanish police expelled a 39-year-old Moroccan man who served as an Imam in the Islamic community of La Rabita (province of Granada) for his extremist and violent messages. Police sources told EFE that the procedure took place Friday because of the Imam's activities, which were deemed «undermining to national security». As a member of the Islamic community of La Rabita, the man had always conveyed extremist messages, supporting the non-integration of Muslims in the Spanish society.

Spain opens an investigation after the expulsion of Moroccan minor migrants

An investigation has been opened to determine the reasons behind the expulsion of 13 unaccompanied Moroccan minor migrants in Palencia (Spain), reports Publico. These girls aged between 13 and 17 years old were sent back to Melilla on Friday, said the same source.  They have been transferred to Melilla against their will, denounced a Spanish NGO called PROCEIN and based in the enclave. A letter was sent to the prosecutor of Palencia, to denounce the «unfair» expulsion of

OCP to supply Ghana with phosphate fertilizers

Phosphate giant Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP) and the Ghanaian government have signed in Accra a Memorandum of Understanding. The latter obliges OCP to supply the West African country with phosphate fertilizers. Initialed by the Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture and OCP-Ghana, this Memorandum of Understanding aims at developing Ghana's fertilizer and aggro-ecosystem value chain through a program dubbed fertilizer and launched by the government, said Monday OCP Ghana in a

King Mohammed VI revisits the United Arab Emirates

King Mohammed VI is back in the United Arab Emirates. On Monday, 10th of September, the sovereign met with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, reports the official United Arab Emirates news agency. The UAE’s ruler and crown prince praised the «diplomatic relations between Morocco and the UAE and discussed means to strengthen them», added the same source. The King and his guest discussed general regional and international issues. The meeting

Japan's Maruzen Tea creates one of the country’s first tea joint ventures in Morocco

Japanese tea manufacturer Maruzen Tea is the first company in the Asian country to invest in Morocco's tea industry. The Shizuoka-based firm (southern Japan) is teaming up with a local enterprise in the Kingdom to produce tea products and promote green tea in both Europe and America, repots Mainichi Shimbun, one of the major newspapers in Japan. The Japanese company invested 20 percent of its founding capital for the creation of the joint venture, dubbed Maruzen Tea Morocco (SARL). The

Spain to examine the expulsion of a Moroccan Imam for radicalization  

The Spanish police have recommended the expulsion of Moroccan Imam, Mohamed Attaouil, reports online newspaper El Nacional. Revealed by TV3, this exceptional measure might be implemented as the man in question «is considered as a threat to national security». According to El Confidencial, the police's report states that «Attaouil’s behavior is a real and sufficiently serious threat to national security». The Imam of the Salt mosque in Girona, is also accused of

Businessmen in Melilla rely on Zapatero to solve the commercial border crisis with Morocco

Businessmen in Melilla have «little hope» in the meeting that will be attended by the Spanish Customs director, Maria Pilar Jurado and her Moroccan counterpart to discuss the closure of commercial borders separating northern Morocco and the Spanish enclave, says El Faro de Melilla. On the other hand, businessmen rely the most on former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s expected trip to Nador. The Spanish politician will have to

Morocco vs. Malawi : Coach Hervé Renard comments on Amine Harit’s absence

After winning a game against Malawi on Saturday, Coach Hervé Renard commented on the absence of Moroccan-French midfielder Amine Harit. During a press conference, the Atlas Lions' coach explained that the player couldn’t be part of Saturday’s squad because of disciplinary-related reasons. @Herve_Renard_HR sur l'absence d' #Amine_Harit du groupe. pic.twitter.com/9HGAq2iPvY — Arryadia TV officiel (@arryadiatv) 9 septembre 2018 «He was supposed to be here, but

Two Royal Navy fighting units rescue 19 would-be illegal migrants off Casablanca

Two Royal Navy fighting units operating in the Atlantic rescued nineteen Moroccan would-be illegal immigrants, including a woman and a child, on Saturday, according to a statement by the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. The individuals, who set sail in a wooden boat without any means of propulsion and without any awareness of the danger they face, were abandoned by their smuggler in the middle of the ocean, the same source points out. Alerted by the families, the Royal Navy set in

OCP's first-half net profit affected by its rising cost of debt

Moroccan phosphate giant Office Cherifien des Phosphate (OCP) said on Friday, 7th of September, that it its first-half net profit drooped by 18.5 percent because of a rise in the cost of servicing its debt, reported Reuters. The firm's net profit reached 1.885 dirhams in the first six months of the current year (2018), almost half of what was registered in the same period last year, 2.315 billion dirhams, said the company in a statement. OCP's dept grew to 805 million dirhams in the first

Hirak : Morocco summons again the Dutch ambassador

The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation summoned on Friday, 7th of September, the Dutch ambassador. The decision was taken after the Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok presented on Thursday, 6th of September, a report on the Hirak movement. «He has been informed about Morocco's rejection of Blok's statement», a diplomatic source told Yabiladi. Rabat takes this as «direct interference in the country's internal affairs», added the same

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development backs Morocco’s motor industry

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the automotive industry in Morocco by lending €16 million to Varroc Lighting Systems Morocco, the Moroccan subsidiary of the Indian motor industry’s lighting systems giant, Varroc Engineering Pvt Ltd. The EBRD’s financing will allow Varroc Engineering to supply the Tangier Renault factory and the Peugeot PSA plant in Kenitra, as well as to set up a research and development center, the bank said in a