Morocco expels two Norwegians from Laayoune  (Read more...)

Morocco 2026 World Cup bid : A FIFA delegation visits the Kingdom

In a meeting chaired by Moulay Hafid Elalamy, president of the Morocco 2026 World Cup Bid Committee, and held in Rabat Wednesday was attended by a FIFA delegation to discuss the Kingdom’s candidacy, said a communiqué sent to Yabiladi by the same committee. The two bodies explored in details the aspects related to government guarantees and other legal procedures linked to the Moroccan bid. The FIFA delegation was also received by Prime Minister, Saadeddine El Othmani with the

Fisheries agreement : The UN refuses to comment on the CJEU’s ruling

The Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU) ruling on the fisheries agreement concluded between Morocco and the European Union was in the heart of the daily press briefing held by the UN and hosted by Stephan Dujarric, the Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. The latter refused to answer a question on the topic. «No, no particular comment on» on the CJEU’s decision, he said. Another journalist insisted on asking the same

Tangier-Tarifa : Maritime traffic suspended due to bad weather

Navigation has been suspended at the Tangier city and Tarifa port due to bad weather, reports Wednesday the Tangier city port authorities. The ferries linking Tangier and the Spanish port of Tarifa were forced to temporarily stop their activities, starting from Wednesday morning because of the bad weather, Mohamed Maghazi the commandant of the Tangier city port told MAP news agency. The same source noted that navigation will be resumed as soon as the weather gets better.

Casablanca : Two Chinese tourists crashed by a lighting pole

Two Chinese nationals were crashed, Wednesday 28th of February, by a lighting pole in Boulevard de la Corniche in Casablanca, reports the Economist. The windy weather made the lighting pole fall and crash the two tourists, a man and a woman. Severely injured, the two Chinese nationals were transported immediately to the emergency room. For the record, weather forecasts show that strong wind and heavy thunderstorms are expected Wednesday and Thursday in several provinces.

USA : Immigrants can face indefinite detention

On Tuesday, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling requiring that immigrants and asylum seekers to be held by immigration officials indefinitely without appearing in bond hearings. The government, thus, can keep them in prison for an unlimited amount of time, said Tuesday the Hill. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the decision «will impact the lives of thousands of people, including lawful permanent residents, asylum seekers, and survivors of torture». Indeed,

Netflix is producing its first original series in Arabic

Netflix, an American entertainment company, released on Monday the announcement for «its first Arabic-language series», said France Info. Thus, teh series «Jinn» directed Lebanese Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya will be broadcast next year around teh world and will contain six episodes. It is a «contemporary super (natural drama)», which sheds light on the lives of several teenagers. This will be disrupted by the appearance of a «Jinn» (a supernatural

Mauritanian president meets with a Polisario envoy

On the same day that the Mauritanian ambassador to Morocco presented his credentials in Rabat, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz received in the presidential palace in Nouakchott a Polisario envoy, namely Abdelkader Taleb Omar. The latter has spent a few days at the Mauritanian capital before meeting the president. In fact, he has already held talks with the Mauritanian Prime Minister, Yahya Ould Hademine, and two political party leaders : Sidi Mohamed Ould Maham from the Union for

The new Mauritanian ambassador to Morocco presents his credentials

After six years of waiting, a new Mauritanian ambassador has taken up residence in Rabat. On Tuesday, February 27, Mohamed Lemine Ould Aboye presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Lazrak. The diplomat was appointed last December. He had previously held similar positions in Niger and Senegal. In an interview conducted by the French-Language weekly Jeune Afrique, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz stated that diplomatic relations

Melilla : The inhuman conditions of reception facilities for minor migrants

A Spanish TV channel showed images of the La Purísima minors' reception facilities, in Melilla, showcasing the inhuman conditions in which minor migrants who have been trying to reach Spain live. The center which hosts 170 people receives each year 5 million Euros to actually be home for 500 minor migrants. The images show children sleeping on the ground, forced to share mattresses, without cover and with no access to hot water. «I sleep in a room with 7 or 8 other people»,

Fisheries agreement : The Polisario rejoices over the CJEU's ruling

Unsurprisingly, the Polisario Front has openly welcomed the decision taken, Tuesday, by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) regarding the fisheries agreement concluded between Morocco and the European Union. The ruling delivered today comes as the separatist front is commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the «SADR»’s creation. M’Hamed Khadad, the Polisario coordinator with MINURSO, asked «all vessels fishing in the territorial waters of Western

Finland : Moroccan national is to face trial after the Turku knife attack

Abderrahman Bouanane, a Moroccan national who is accused of killing two people and injuring 8 others during a stabbing attack on the 18th of August in Turku is to face prosecution, reports Finnish online newspaper YLE. The suspect will be tried on «two counts of murder with terrorist intent and eight counts of attempted murder with terrorist intent». According to the same source, the preliminary hearings are to be held during spring and case will be heard by three

Morocco and the EU determined to pursue strategic partnership

The European Union (EU) and Morocco expressed on Tuesday their interest in pursuing, preserving and strengthening strategic partnership. They also declared that they are «determined to carry on cooperation in the field of fisheries». In a joint statement, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Moghrini and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita stated that they

Raja athletic club to pay for the damages caused by its fans

Raja athletic club was ordered to play two matches behind closed doors and to pay a fine of 50,000 Dirhams following the acts of vandalism that took place during the game played against Kawkab Marrakech on Sunday, the Moroccan Royal Football Federation (FRMF) announced. The Federation’s Disciplinary Committee has also decided during a meeting held on Monday that the club will also have to repair the damage caused by their fans at the Marrakech Stadium facilities. The public prosecutor

Spain : A Moroccan national dies after falling off a building

A Moroccan national was killed Monday in Oviedo (northern Spain) after falling off a building, said a source from the consulate general of Morocco in Bilbao. The 45-year-old man fell from a window in a hotel in the center of Oviedo for reasons that remain so far unknown, said the same source. The local police had to temporarily interrupt traffic on the street next to the hotel because of the man's body lying on the road. An investigation has been launched to determine the causes and

CJEU : The fisheries agreement is valid but not applicable to the waters adjacent to Western Sahara

The Court of Justice and the European Union issued on Tuesday, 27th of February, the ruling regarding the fisheries agreement put into force since 2014. In its judgment, the European the highest court in the European Union in matters of European Union law concluded that «the 'Moroccan fishing zone' under the Protocol does not include the waters adjacent to the territory of Western Sahara». In a communiqué made public on the same day, the CJEU stated that «neither the

King Mohammed VI successfully undergoes an operation

King Mohammed VI successfully underwent an operation this Monday 26th February. He had on Saturday 20th January 2018 a heart rhythm disorder. The King's doctors said that medical examinations carried out for this purpose revealed an atrial flutter. The ablation by radio frequency of this arrhythmia, performed today at the Ambroise Paré clinic in Paris, allowed the normalization of the heart rhythm. At the end of a rest period as prescribed by his treating physicians, the King will

Journalist Taoufik Bouachrine under arrest for heavy criminal charges

Akhabr Al-Youm columnist and publisher Taoufik Bouachrine is prosecuted for heavy criminal charges, Monday, after being arrested on Friday, 23rd of February, and put in custody renewed on Saturday. The Attorney General at the Casablanca Appeal court decided on Monday that Taoufik Bouachrine is to be prosecuted for human trafficking, exploiting and taking advantage of unfortunate people, using power for sexual exploitation, threatening, rape, sexual assault , inciting people to

France : A doctor suspended because of Islamophobia

In Libourne (south-west France), a doctor was suspended for six months by the disciplinary chamber of aquitaine of the medical order, reports France Bleu. He is accused of discriminating against a patient's mother who was wearing Hijab, after the Paris attacks in 2015. On the day of the incident, the practitioner took the woman to task during a consultation, indicating that the scarf she wore was «a sign that she was not integrated» and that she had to «pick a