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

Fouzia Assouli awarded by the Mediterranean Foundation for Peace

The Mediterranean Foundation for Peace (FMP), based in Naples, has just awarded Fouzia Assouli, President of the Euro-Mediterranean Women's Foundation (FEMF) and Honorary President of the Democratic Federation of Women's Rights (FLDDF) the 2017 Mediterranean Prize for Women. According to a press release, the founding president of the FMP, Michele Capasso, affirmed at the award ceremony at the headquarters of the foundation that this distinction is a tribute to Mrs Assouli's action in favor of

One of the largest cacti farms in Africa is in Marrakech

Twenty minutes from the old medina of Marrakech, not far from the Guéliz district built in the 1920s, lays a vast desert land. On a fence that does not seem to protect anything, a handwritten sign pointing down a rocky path indicates «Cactus». «Cactus Thiemann» is a cactus crib of 6.88 hectares. More than 150 varieties stand in perfect rows, says the New York Times Travel. The garden was founded in the 1960s by Hans Thiemann, a German agricultural engineer whose

London : Hassania School of Public Works to take part in the Enactus World Cup

The Enactus EHTP team will take part in the world’s biggest social entrepreneurship competition, the Enactus World Cup, which will be held from the 26th to the 28th of September in London. The team has been named national champion for the 2nd consecutive year, during the national competition which took place on June 20th, said a statement of Enactus Morocco on Tuesday. Supported by the OCP Group, the OCP Entrepreneurship Network program and the OCP foundation, Enactus Morocco is bringing

The war against the Sahara’s sands at the center of the European parliament

Importing sand from Western Sahara has been at the center of the European parliament. An MP from Izquierda Unida, (United Left) a political coalition that was organized in 1986, and which is very involved with the Front, raised questions on the same theme addressed to the European Commission. The coalition considers the import of tons of sand from Western Sahara «a serious violation of the European and international laws» and of the CJEU's verdict pronounced on the 21st of December

Spain : A Moroccan national sentenced to two years in prison for wanting to join ISIS

The Spanish Audiencia Nacional will convict a Moroccan national residing in Padilla de Arriba, a town located in northern Spain, to two years and two months in prison for visiting Turkey in 2016 with the intention of joining Syria to fight for ISIS, states the Spanish news agency EFE. The Moroccan man will also be deported after serving the sentence. At the hearing, Yesterday, Ali Afarkhane,  agreed with the public prosecutor’s office to acknowledge all the allegations and pledged

The Moroccan navy stops eight illegal migrants en route to Spain

Eight people were arrested for trying to immigrate illegally to Spain using a rubber coast, the Moroccan announced on Monday 18th of September. According to Middle East Monitor, a source from the Moroccan navy told the Anadolu, a Turkish news agency that «a boat carrying eight African migrants (Sub-Saharan) was intercepted in the Moroccan territorial waters while heading towards the Spanish coast». The migrants were sent to the port of Tangier and were received by security

Hirak : Morocco rejects Human Rights watch report on security measures

The Moroccan government has rejected the findings of a report conducted by Human Rights Watch, an American-founded international NGO, on security crackdown on Rif protests, Middle East Monitor reports. The inter-Ministerial Delegation for Human Rights replied to allegations saying that  : «Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on the events of Al Hoceima, published on 5 September, contains unfounded allegations and errors concerning the management and treatment by the public authorities

The Moroccan caftan starring at the London Fashion Week

Fashion professionals, who took part of the 2017 London Fashion Week (LFW), were seduced this weekend by the beauty of the Moroccan caftan, the richness of the gastronomy and music of the Kingdom. During a nationally organized cultural event on the 16th and 17th of September in London, guests, including members of the Moroccan community in England, were dazzled by the caftan , a symbol of the Moroccan elegance and designs. Named «Stories from Morocco», this artistic event, marked

the Israeli singer Noam Vazana performs at Tanjazz despite riots

Noam Vazana, an Israeli singer of Moroccan descent who has been invited to perform at the 18th edition of Tanjazz festival, was met at her arrival in Tangier by riots. According to Israel National News, the singer was called a «child-Killer», in a video where a number of people set the Israeli flag on fire. Vanzana was summoned by the Tanjazz organizers to perform on the 15th of September alongside a Dutch-Morocca, artist named Teema. «I had already performed in Morocco

The Catalonia attacks : A father and his son of Moroccan descent feel abandoned

Victims of the deadly attacks in Barcelona on August 17th, a father and his son of Moroccan and French descent believe they have been abandoned by the French authorities, Midi Libre reports. The family who is based in Montpelier, a city southern France, were enraged over the fact that no one came to check on their physical and mental health after the attacs. The father, Omar El Hamzaoui, was indeed hit in the leg and his 6-year-old son Aboubakr was seriously wounded. «Journalists, and

Sahara: Horst Köhler is planning to visit the region

Horst Köhler, the newly-appointed UN Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, officially took office on the 8th of September, said the UN in a statement. «For eight days, Köhler met with Antonio Guterres, senior United Nations officials, representatives of the parties and neighbors, and member states», added the same source. Guterres welcomed Köhler's tour of the region, stressing «the importance of this visit that would restart the political process with a new

Spain : the President of an NGO accused of misusing aid destined to Sahrawis in Tindouf

The leadership of the Polisario Front is no longer the only part accused of misusing international aid sent to Sahrawis in Tindouf camps. According to El Confidencial, a Spanish online newspaper, the President of a local NGO has stood in trial for corruption. The highly respected Oriol Homs Ferret, who also presides the Catalan association of sociology, has allegedly hijacked thousands of Euros. Funds granted by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID), under

Canada : The man who allegedly set the President of CCIQ’s car on fire is arrested by police

Mathieu Bilodeau, a man 33-year-old man who lives under the supervision of the center for Rehabilitation in Intellectual Disabilities (IDRC), was accused on Friday of burning the car of Mohamed Labidi, the President of the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec (CCIQ), according to Le Soleil. The suspect lives in a supervised rooming house in the Sainte-Foy area for almost a year at the time of his arrest. A person from the residence told the same source that «when we saw him acting, we had

Survey : Canadians have a predominantly positive feeling about Muslims

A study suggests that Canadians have a predominantly positive feeling about Muslims. This is reported by several Canadian media outlets such as Journal Metro and 680 News, which relayed the survey conducted by «Think for Actions and Insights Matter», a Think Tank of the University of Calgary. The study indicates that the perception of Canadians has changed when it comes to the religious leaders of Islam and their beliefs. The survey found that 78% of respondents believe that

Italy : Controversy erupts over the expulsion of a Moroccan prisoner

Jailed for sexual assault in Italy, Rachid A. , a Moroccan national is about to be expelled to the kingdom. According to the Italian online newspaper, Polizia Penitenziaria, which quotes La Republica, a Turin court ordered the expulsion of Rachid. The latter reportedly published a few days ago and after spending 9 years and 4 months in prison, concrete evidence attesting the abuses of the police in Italian prisons. «He reported alleged abuses of the prison police and at the same time

AfroBasket 2017 : The Moroccan team defeated by Tunisia

The Moroccan basketball team was eliminated was eliminated from the AfroBasket 2017 after being defeated on Friday by its Tunisian rival in the semifinals (60-52). Before the semifinals, the national team was qualified after their historical visctory in Dakar before Angola after playing against Egypt. The preliminary round of this tournament, co-organized by Tunisia and Senegal and finals will be played on Saturday. For the record, AfroBasket 2017 is the 29th edition of the AfroBasket, a

The judges are worried about Salah Abdeslam's mental health

Salah Abdeslam, the Belguim-born French national of Moroccan descent who has been accused of involvement in the attacks in Paris on 13th of November 2015, is apparently losing his mind at the Fleury-Mérogis prison, according to L'OBS. Abdeslman who has been held in solitary confinement for a year and a half is now suffering from prostration, paranoia and irritability which pushed the judges to loosen the detention restriction. Glass was removed from his room's windows to allow Salah

Sahara : A Polisario delegation is received in New York by Horst Köhler

«A delegation from the Polisario led by M’Hamed Khadad and Ahmed Boukhari met last night with the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy for Western Sahara», a source told Yabiladi. The talks between the two sides took place at the UN headquarters in New York. This is the first official contact between members of the Front and the UN envoy, Horst Köhler. «It is believed that they have discussed the situation of the MINURSO. The separatist movement is not