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

Contemporary art: The Biennale of Marrakech festival is postponed because of money

Established thirteen years ago, the Moroccan event, Biennale Marrakech, whose next edition was scheduled in February 2018, has a deficit of about 3.3 MADD, Le Monde Afrique reports today. Christine Eyene, a critic of Cameroonian art, has recently been appointed curator of the next edition of the Biennale of Casablanca, scheduled for October 2018. However, that of Marrakech, scheduled to start in February 2018, is postponed. «There is no money,» says Amine Kabbaj, executive chairman

The fight against torture : Morocco’s commitments must be taken into consideration according to El Yazami

Morocco’s full accession to the international human rights system requires the fulfillment of its commitments and obligations, Driss El Yazami, President of the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) said. The Kingdom has ratified all international human rights treaties, the most recent one is the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (APT). The latter was ratifies by the Kingdom on November 2014 during the International Forum of Human Rights held in Marrakech, becoming

Illegal Immigration : Moroccan nationals top the list presented by Spain

Moroccans are the most frequent citizens of illegal immigration on the Spanish coast especially in Andalusia, according to the regional online newspaper, Diario de Sevilla. Overall, Sub-Saharans are still much more numerous, but findings reveal that Moroccan nationals immigrate the most to Spain, followed by Algerians, according to statistical data unveiled last week in Rome by the Spanish Interior Minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido to his Italian counterpart, Marco Minniti. Between the end of May

Zakaria Moumni is seeking refuge in Canada

Former French-Moroccan kick-boxing champion Zakaria Moumni has applied for asylum in Canada, according to the Quebec news agency QMI. «My life is threatened in France, I escaped an attempt of murder with a gun and a weapon. The French government refuses to protect me,» he reported to the Quebec media TVA Nouvelles in Montreal. «My client was at the heart of a diplomatic conflict between France and Morocco. Obviously, on both sides, he is at risk,» added his lawyer,

Belgium : A Moroccan-Spanish man arrested for allegedly being the brain of a terrorist cell

A Spanish national of Moroccan descent was arrested this morning in Belgium, in Zaventem (center), by members of the Belgian security forces in an operation conducted by the Spanish Intelligence Bureau, according the Spanish news agency Servimedia. The information was confirmed by the Spanish Interior Minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido. Detenido en Bélgica un español de ascendencia marroquí de 26 años por liderar una célula de captación y adoctrinamiento

New exchange rate regime : The central bank prepared to carry out further studies

Bank Al-Maghrib is willing to carry out the complementary studies necessary to better accompany the new exchange rate policy, said Tuesday its governor, Abdellatif Jouahri. «If we retreat to better appreciate and support the new exchange rate regime, it seems to me that it is positive. If studies or complementary information are needed, we are there to make the simulations that are needed for a measure that will last for several years,» he said during a conference held at the end

Economic growth rate expected to rise to 4.3% in 2017, according to Bank Al Maghrib

Economic growth is expected to reach 4.3% in 2017, compared to 2016 when it was 1.2%, and to return to 3.1% in 2018, according to Bank Al-Maghrib forecasts. «Overall, after reaching 1.2% in 2016, growth is expected to increase to 4.3% in 2017 and return to 3.1% in 2018», Bank Al-Maghrib forecasts said on Tuesday during the 3rd quarterly meeting of its Board for 2017.

Casablanca : The Diorh agency delivers the results of a study on wages in Morocco

Diorh, a consulting firm in the development and optimization of human resources, organized a conference, today in Casablanca, to present the findings of a survey on the level of compensation in structured companies in Morocco in more of 14 sectors. The findings give an overview about the significant differences between managers and non-executives in Moroccan companies, across all sectors. In addition, the salaries of leaders in Morocco are much higher than those based in Spain, Germany or

Design and creation : Casablanca to host Design Week from 24 to 30 October

Casablanca is set to host the Design Week, which will be an opportunity for designers and creaters to gethaer for seven days, according to a press release issued by the Houna collective, the organizer of the event. Casablanca Design Week, «a unifying event, conceived as a free initiative and enameled by exhibitions, meetings and discoveries, to confirm the dimension of Casablanca as a place of creation» will be held from the 24th to the 30th of October and will bring together

Sahara : The US Embassy human rights officer to visit Laayoune on Thursday

On Tuesday, 26th of September, representatives from eight European countries and Canada visited Laayoune. «They are expected to meet with local authorities, members of the MINURSO and civil society (unionist and separatists», said a source from the city to Yabiladi. Diplomats, who have just spent three days in Dakhla, will leave Laayoune on Thursday 28th of September and a delegation from the US embassy will take its place.   The US mission will be led by the human rights

Belguim : Mohamed Aabbassi decorated by the city of Brussels for saving a mother and her child

Mohamed Aabbassi, who had rescued a mother and her child during a fire in a building in Antwerp, was honored on Monday by the City of Brussels for his brave gesture. This is reported by the Belgian television Bx1, indicating that the young man received the medal of heroism from the Mayor Philippe Close (PS). A well-known player from the Brussels sports world, he had saved the lives of two people, a mother and her baby, during a fire in Antwerp. He worked in a snack in the Flemish city when he

USA : A Moroccan delegation to attend Gateway to Africa festival

Gateway to Africa, an event set to be organized from 28th of September to October the 1st in Washington D.C. will be attended by a Moroccan delegation of regional officials, Business Insider reported yesterday. The Moroccan officials will participate to a number of events «on Capitol Hill and at the National Press Club, as part of a festival presented by the Moroccan American Network and the Moroccan Center for Peace and Sustainable Development». The above-mentioned festival is an

The Spanish Interior Minister continues to praise the Moroccan-Spanish cooperation

Following the deadly attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, the Spanish government has not missed the opportunity to praise cooperation with Morocco. A mission entrusted to the Spanish Interior Minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido. «Collaboration (with Morocco,) is invaluable. It is a friendly country, a partner and an ally in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and irregular immigration,» he congratulated in an interview with the right-wing daily La Razón. «The close

Two migrants died while trying to break into Mellila

Two Burkinabe migrants died on Saturday night near Beni Ensar after being asphyxiated by tear gas fired by the Moroccan security forces, according to El Faro de Melilla. The information was confirmed yesterday by Spanish journalist Helena Maleno, a specialist on migration issues. She also reported that four other men had to be taken to the hospital for medical assistance. On Sunday, early in the morning, a group of migrants tried to reach Melilla by "a sort of tunnel or old sewers" near Beni

The Spanish army denies having fortified Tierra and Mar islands

The Spanish army categorically denied having undertaken fortifications on Tierra and Mar islands. The denial was announced by the General Command of Melilla, indicates Europa Press news agency. On Thursday, 21 September, the Spanish official news agency EFE reported that Spain is constructing fundemental services on the two rocks to contain the repeated assaults of migrants, pointing out that a helicopter makes rotations to unload equipment. The army said in its statement that the helicopter

Central African Republic : A Moroccan soldier from MINUSCA severely wounded

«A soldier in the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) contingent of the UN Multi-Dimensional Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) in the Central African Republic was seriously wounded on Friday during an exchange of fire with an anti-Balaka armed group», MAP news agency reports quoting a military source. «The anti-Balaka armed group attacked a FAR contingent patrol at 15:16 on an escort mission to a UN logistics convoy,» the source said. The attack took place 100 km west of Bangassou,

UNICEF and Morocco Advocate for Early Childhood Development at the UN

On the sidelines of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Kingdom of Morocco and UNICEF organized a panel at the UN headquarters to promote South-South cooperation in the field of child development. Early childhood development is essential for achieving the vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as several of its objectives, particularly those related to the eradication of poverty, hunger and improved nutrition, lifelong learning, achieving gender

Morocco: FIDH condemns detention of journalists Hamid El Mahdaoui and Rabie Al-Albak

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders reacted to the condemnation of Mr. Hamid El Mahdaoui, director of the Moroccan news website Badil.info, and the detention of Mr. Rabie Al-Albak, correspondent of Badil.info in Al Hoceima, as well as the degradation of his health, on the website of the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH). As a reminder, on 12 September 2017, the Al Hoceima Court of Appeal sentenced Mr. Hamid El Mahdaoui to one year in prison and