US unites Morocco and Algeria in joint naval exercise  (Read more...)

UNCTAD : Foreign investments in Morocco reached $2.7 billion in 2017

Foreign direct investments (FDI) into Morocco reached $2.7 billion in 2017, up 23% compared with last year, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). «Strong diversified investment into Morocco contrasted with declines in FDI to the rest of North Africa (…). FDI flows to North Africa were down 4 per cent to $13 billion», notes the «World Investment Report 2018», published on Wednesday. It also points out that Morocco still

Donald Trump hosts his first Iftar and American Muslims are not invited

President Donald Trump hosted Wednesday, 6th of June, his first Ramadan Iftar at the White House but without inviting members of the Muslim community,  says France 24. In gathering together this evening, we honor a sacred tradition of one of the world’s great religions”, he stated during the meal attended by Cabinet members and ambassadors from from Muslim-majority nations. The annual tradition has obviously snubbed Muslim Americans. Several of them said they were not

Morocco's new ambassador to Spain asks the county’s federation to support Morocco's WC bid

Morocco's new ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich, officially took office yesterday by issuing the credentials to King Felipe VI, says Iusport. Karima Benyaich, the first woman to head the Moroccan Embassy in Madrid, attended a ceremony at the Royal Palace, where other diplomatic representatives also presented their accreditation. The diplomat then went to the Madrid municipality of Las Rozas, where she met Luis Rubiales, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). She urged

Morocco’s national football team ranked 41ts by FIFA

Morocco national football team is ranked 41st by the International Football Federation (FIFA) for the month of June, says MAP press agency on Thursday. Qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Atlas Lions are positioned fourth in Africa with 686 points behind Tunisia (21st, 910 points), Senegal (27th, 838 points) and DR Congo (38th, 706 points). Morocco is followed in this ranking by Egypt (45th, 649 points), Ghana (47th), Nigeria (48th), Cameroon (49th) and Burkina Faso (52nd, 604

A Moroccan national re-deported from Italy for religious extremism

A Moroccan national suspected of being a religious extremist has been expelled by the Italian authorities for the second time, says IANS quoting the Italian Interior Ministry on Wednesday. The suspect was deported before and managed to re-enter Italy through a 10-day-visa, says the same source. The 44-year-old man was arrested in Como, a city in northern Italy and was expelled via a flight from Venice, said the ministry. He was able to return to Italy on a 10-day visa to attend a court

After supporting Central Danone's workers, Lahcen Daoudi presents his resignation

Delegate-Minister for General Affairs and Governance Lahcen Daoudi presented his resignation Wednesday, 6th of June, in an extraordinary meeting held the same day by the Justice and Development Party (PJD) and headed by Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani. The meeting was to discuss Daoudi's participation to a sit-in organized last night in front of the parliament by Central Danone's employers, who protested against a viral boycott campaign targeting the products of their company. In a

EU wants to set up terrorism fighting cooperation with Morocco

The European Police Office (Europol) is planning to cooperate with third countries to fight against terrorism and organized crime, says the European Union (EU) in a communiqué released Tuesday, June the 5th, and relayed by Chinese press agency Xinhua. The Council of the European Union has agreed on a proposal that aims to strengthen Europol’s role inside and outside the regional union. The European Commission will start discussions with eight countries namely, Morocco, Algeria,

Tazmamart survivor Bayazid Bourequat to be buried Thursday in France

The funeral of Bayazid Bourequat, a Moroccan-French national who survived the Tazmamart secret prison, will take place on Thursday, 7th of June, a member of El Manouzi family said on Wednesday. Bayazid-Jacques Bourequat, held for 19 years in prison with his two brothers Midhat-René and Ali-Auguste, will be buried at the cimetière parisien de Thiais at around 2pm according to Banali El Manouzi. The Bourequat brothers, arrested in 1973 to survive the Tazmamart secret

Libya : 14 Moroccan illegal migrants repatriated Tuesday to Morocco

In a Facebook post, the Illegal Immigration Agency, Tripoli branch, announced that 14 illegal migrants from Morocco have been repatriated on Tuesday, 5th of June, to their country via the Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, in Libya. Photos posted by the agency showed the Moroccan nationals getting on a plane that is heading to Tunis–Carthage International Airport and then to Mohammed V airport in Casablanca. According to the Agency, the repatriation process of Morocco

Centrale Danone’s workers urge Moroccans to end the boycott in a sit-in held Tuesday

Centrale Danone’s workers took their anger and worries on Tuesday night to the streets of Rabat, organizing a sit-in after they lost their jobs because of the viral boycott campaign launched by consumers since April, reports Reuters. Almost 2,000 people stood yesterday in front of the parliament with their banners, calling Moroccans to put an end to the boycott that is targeting the French company’s Moroccan subsidiary, mineral water company Oulmes and the country’s leading

HCP : Morocco’s economy grew by 4.1% in 2017

The High Commission for Planning (HPC) states that the Moroccan economy grew by 4.1% in 2017 compared to 1.1% in 2016, mainly due to the significant increase in agricultural activity. In its briefing note on the provisional national accounts for 2017, the HPC notes that this rise was also driven by household final consumption and foreign demand, within controlled inflation and a reduction in the national economy's financing requirement. In this regard, the HPC points out that the added value

The 2018 Marhaba operation kicks off on Tuesday

The operation of receiving Moroccan expatriates dubbed «Marhaba» starts on Tuesday and runs until 15 September 2018, said the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity. The Foundation, which contributes to the implementation and the organization of this operation, has set up 20 rest areas in Morocco and abroad to respond to the intensity of maritime and air traffic regularly recorded on this occasion, the same source pointed out in a statement. These rest areas are: Tangier

Morocco’s MMA fighter Rizlen Zouak loses to South Africa’s Amanda Lino in an epic fight

Moroccan Judoka and mixed martial artist Rizlen Zouak was defeated Saturday, 26th of May, in front of South African flyweight champion Amanda Lino, in an epic fight held in Durban, South Africa. The 7-minute fight was organized by the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), one of the world's leading Mixed Martial Arts organizations available in over 600 million homes worldwide. «I want to be the alpha female in the EFC», said Zouak before her EFC fight, adding that «Amanda

Morocco : 4.8-magnitude earthquake hits the Midelt province

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook on Monday, 4th of June, the municipality of En-Nzala (Midelt province), says the government-run National Institute of Geophysics announced in a statement. The earthquake was reportedly felt at around 10:11 pm (GMT), according to the National Network of Seismic Monitoring and Warning ING in a seismic warning bulletin.

The boycott reduces Central Danone's daily revenue from 18 to 7 million dirhams

The news fell like a bombshell. Central Danone listed in the Casablanca Stock Exchange has just issued a profit warning, advising the stock market that profits will be lower than expected in 2018. The Moroccan subsidiary of the Danone Group (which owns 99.68% of its shares) has witnessed, since the start of a boycott campaign on April the 20th, a decline in its consolidated turnover of about -50%. It also indicates that its net income will drop by -20% in the first half of 2018, which accounts

2018 World Cup : Morocco defeats Slovakia 2-1 in a friendly

Morocco defeated Slovakian national football team 2-1 in a friendly played Monday, 4th of June, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Atlas Lions, to face Iranian squad on 15th of June in Russia, succeeded in scoring two goals through Berkane forward Ayoub El Kaabi (64 minutes), and the Galatasaray French-born Moroccan player Younés Belhanda (74 minutes). C'est terminé à Genève. Grâce à des buts inscrits par Ayoub El Kaabi et Younès Belhanda, le Maroc

Moroccan women in Huelva's fields : Mohamed Yatim sticks to his guns

On Monday afternoon at the House of Representatives in Rabat, Minister of Employment and Vocational Training Mohamed Yatim stuck to his guns when answering questions related to Moroccan women working in strawberry farms in Huelva, Spain. «I have never said that there were no cases reported», said the Justice and Development Minister during a weekly oral session held today in the parliament, when asked about the alleged sexual abuses these women claim being subjected to. However,

2018 World Cup : Morocco's coach names final 23-man squad

Morocco’s national coach Hervé Renard announced, on Monday, the final list of 23 players selected to play in the 2018 World Cup, which will take place from 14 June to 15 July in Russia, said a statement by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). Placed in Group B, the Atlas Lions will begin the finals of the World Cup on 15 June in St Petersburg against Iran. Five days later, they will play their second group match against Portugal (20 June) at the Luzhniki stadium in