Morocco's exports surge 5.3% to 331 billion dirhams  (Read more...)

Racist and hate-related crimes on the rise in Italy

In Italy, the assault that took place on Sunday 29th of July in Turin, targeting an Italian-Nigerian athlete Daisy Osakue and the death of a Moroccan national near Aprilia (Center) brought back a debate on the disturbing rise of racist attacks.  According to Le Monde, ten cases in which Italians opened fire on foreigners, including the murder of labor activist Soumaïla Sacko, in San Calogero (Calabria) have occurred only in early June. The French media also refers to the car

The Journalist behind the Huelva Gate investigation invited to the EU parliament

Photojournalist and investigative reporter Stefania Prandi is invited to the European Parliament (Brussels) to present, in September, her new book «Oro Rosso» on female farm workers in Morocco’s southern province Souss-Massa, Italy and Spain, reveals Spanish online newspaper La Mar de Onuba. The journalist is invited by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats(S&D), the political group in the European Parliament of the Party of

Casablanca to be soon linked to Miami through nonstop flights

Miami and Casablanca will be soon linked through nonstop flights, reports local online newspaper The Next Miami. The project is pending government approval, says the same source, stressing that the flights are expected to be operational starting from April 2019. Morocco’s national carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM), submitted an application last week to the US Department of Transportation to launch the service. Meanwhile, attorneys for the airline are «asking for approval as soon as

Pedro Sanchez urges the European Commission to help Morocco manage borders

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has sent a letter to the European Commission, citing a Moroccan demand of resources for border management, reported London-based online newspaper Euractiv on Tuesday. In his letter, the newly elected Spanish PM urged the EU institution to provide emergency assistance to tackle the surge in migrant arrivals. According to an EU official Euractiv spoke to, Sanchez’s request is being «quickly» assessed by the Commission. For the record, the

Morocco’s ambassador to Lebanon comments on the two nations’ diplomatic relations

For Morocco’s ambassador to Lebanon, «there is a cloud on the horizon when thinking of Beirut and Rabat». «But this does not affect relations between the two brotherly countries», he added during an interview aired on a Lebanese radio station on Monday. «We know the Lebanese state and its official positions», said the diplomat, adding that Beirut «does not recognize the separatist entity and supports the UN body in finding a political solution

Eid al-Adha : The Islamic Commission of Melilla seeks the help of the Minister of Agriculture

The Islamic Commission of Melilla has sent a letter to the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, urging him to reconsider the ministerial decree implemented as an emergency measure to ban the entry of Moroccan lambs because of the foot-and-mouth disease in the Maghreb countries, says Europe Press. The Commission is hoping that the Spanish government allows Muslims to import 6 000 lambs from Morocco to Melilla on Eid al-Adha. The federation of Islamic associations recalled that in

A Moroccan national killed in a car chase in Italy

A Moroccan national was killed in a car chase on Saturday, 28th of July, in Aprilia, Italy, reports online newspaper La Stampa. The Moroccan was wandering in a car with another man lat at night in Aprilia (central Italy). They were followed by another car driven by two Italian men who suspected that they could be thieves. During the car chasing, the first vehicle got off truck, before crushing near the highway, says Corriere Della Sera. The 43-year-old Moroccan national who had a criminal

Sacha Baron Cohen's «Who is America ?» exposes Islamophobic comments in Arizona

British comedian and producer Sacha Baron Cohen is back again with a controversial episode of his new show «Who is America ?». The actor, who goes undercover, to interview people, meet personalities and sometimes locals, headed to Kingman, Arizona where he told a group of people that a new multimillion-dollar mosque will be built in the city. In the episode broadcast by Showtime, an American premium cable and satellite television network, Cohen appeared speaking to the

4th African Youth Games in Algiers : Moroccan athletes win 106 medals

Moroccan athletes competing in the 3rd edition of the African Youth Games (AYG-2018), held from July 18 to July 28 in Algiers, were ranked 4th, winning 106 medals in various disciplines. Thus, the young Moroccan athletes won 29 gold medals, 37 silver medals and 40 bronze medals. The gold medals were won in the disciplines of swimming (5), karate (5), taekwondo (3), boules (3), judo (2), wushu (2), wrestling (1), boxing (1), athletics (1), cycling (1), tennis (1), archery (1), shooting (1) ,

Spain : Dakhla Week in Torremolinos concludes festivities despite tensions

Despite the dissatisfaction with the Dakhla Week, held from July 21 to 28 in Torremolinos (province of Malaga, southern Spain), the activities that were initially canceled took place at the end of the day. These cancellations, approved by the mayor of the city of Torremolinos, José Ortiz Garcia, were regarding «the fashion show and musical songs scheduled for July 26, and the closing party scheduled for the 28th», according to a document relayed Thursday July 26 by Spanish

Morocco to start importing beef fat from Argentina

Argentina’s Ministry of agribusiness stressed through its National Service of agri-food, health and Quality (SENASA), that it has been given the go-ahead to start exporting «edible beef fat» to Morocco, reports the online newspaper Agritotal. The Latin American country is Morocco’s fifth food supplier. More than 98% of the country’s imports are agro-industrial, including products such as corn, soybean oil, soy flour, wheat and frozen beef. The Minister

2020 Olympics : A Japanese company creates a mosque on wheels for Muslim fans

As Japan prepares to host the 2020 Olympics, a Tokyo-based sports and cultural events company has created a mosque on wheels in hopes of making Muslim visitors feel at home during the summer Olympics, says the London-based daily newspaper Evening Standard. The director of Yasu Project, the company behind the project, Yasuharu Inoue warned against the possibility that the existing mosques in the city might not be enough for the Muslim visitors during the event. «As an open and

Spain : Torremolinos cancels some of the festivities held to honor Dakhla

Several activities planned during the «Dakhla Week», held between the 21st and 28th of July in Torremolinos, a Mediterranean resort town on southern Spain's Costa del Sol, have been canceled, reports online newspaper La Vanguardia. The decision was approved by the city’s mayor José Ortiz Garcia, canceling a «fashion show, and musical show, scheduled for on July the 26th, and the closing party planned on the 28th», says the same source. The

China's Citic Dicastal to build two aluminum car wheel factories in Morocco

Moroccan Ministers of Industry and Economy, Moulay Hafid Elalamy and Mohamed Boussaid, along with the chairman of Citic Dicastal, Xu Zuo signed an investment agreement in Rabat, Thursday 26th, to build aluminum car rim factories in Morocco, says Reuters.  Signature en compagnie du ministre du Commerce et de l’Industrie de la convention d’investissement avec le groupe chinois citic dicastal pour la réalisation d’une usine de production de jantes aluminium :

Morocco’s planning agency warns against state-run companies’ growing dept spree

Morocco’s economy finances costs will rise if state-owned companies don’t control their external borrowing spree, reported Bloomberg quoting the country’s planning agency. Chief planner Ahmed Lahlimi told the American magazine that «strict vigilance is in order today», warning against the «external debt of public companies that has started to slightly surpass the government’s». According to the same source, state-run companies’

UN : Moroccan ambassador Omar Hilale elected vice-president of ECOSOC

The United Nations Economic and Social Council elected, on Thursday, by acclamation, Morocco's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Omar Hilale vice-president of the body on behalf of the African continent, reports MAP news agency. The decision will enable the Kingdom to chair one of the key segments in the council, namely : Integration, humanitarian affairs, operational activities for development and management meetings for the ECOSOC. The Moroccan diplomat will

Casablanca : Rick’s Café’s founder Kathy Kriger passes away

American expatriate, diplomat and founder of the notorious Rick’s Café Kathy Kriger passed away, Thursday 26th of July, wrote the US Embassy on its Twitter account. Kriger has been living in Morocco since 1998. She was working as a commercial counselor for the U.S. Embassy in Rabat but decided three years later to quit her job and live the Moroccan dream. So in love with the Kingdom, the retired diplomat had the idea of recreating a café that appeared in one of the

Netherlands : A Moroccan national faces deportation because of his criminal record

A 22-year-old Moroccan national, living in the Netherlands, is facing deportation because of his criminal record. The young man has been sentenced in 2012 for being involved in a mob murder of a football linesman after a youth game in Almere in December of the same year, says Dutch online newspaper DutchNews. According to the same source, the Netherlands National Press Agency (ANP) reported that the Immigration & Naturalization Service (IND) had told the man two years ago that his