Islamophobic extremist : Unraveling the Magdeburg attacker's motives  (Read more...)

France-Morocco friendship group faces leadership controversy amid far-right influence

The announcement has taken the deputies of the National Assembly by surprise. For the first time, the presidency of the France-Morocco friendship group is expected to be handed to the National Rally (RN). «It’s an agreement between the Renaissance and RN groups», said Mathieu Lefèvre, a Macronist deputy who negotiated directly with far-right deputy Laurent Jacobelli, according to a source in the French Parliament. The two groups, whose relationship has been marked by

Polisario struggles to regain EU Parliament support

In the European Parliament, the new 2024-2029 legislature officially began on July 16. However, the Polisario Front has yet to establish its traditional friendship group within the European hemicycle. The Front accuses Spain's PSOE, the party chaired by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, of blocking the renewal of this group. «Indeed, the creation of this group requires the approval of three groups of MEPs. The Greens and The Left have already given their consent, but the

FIFA names Morocco, Spain, Portugal as 2030 World Cup hosts

It's official: Morocco, Portugal, and Spain have been designated as host countries for the 2030 World Cup, following an extraordinary meeting of the Congress of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) held this Wednesday via videoconference. The day before, an analysis contained in the evaluation reports of the bids determined that all the dossiers exceeded the minimum requirements needed to host the football extravaganza. Thus, the body decided to present these bids to

Algerian youth vanishes attempting swim from Fnideq to Ceuta

For four months, the family of Suhaib Lamara has been living in a state of extreme worry and sadness after losing contact with their son, a 20-year-old Algerian young man who attempted to swim across the sea from Fnideq to Ceuta. According to the family's account, Suhaib left Fnideq on the evening of Monday, August 12, at ten o'clock, heading towards Ceuta. Since then, there has been no information about him. The family has called on the Moroccan and Spanish authorities to intensify search

Family convicted for father's murder and secret burial in Tangier

A Tangier court sentenced on Tuesday, members of the same family involved in the murder and concealment of the father's body in their home in the Tangier Al-Balia district, as reported by al3omk. The court sentenced the main defendant, the victim’s son, to life imprisonment. The victim’s wife received 25 years in prison, while two other relatives of the family were sentenced to 20 years each, and a friend of the son was sentenced to 6 years. The charges against the defendants

French National Assembly President leads parliamentary delegation to Morocco

The President of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, begins a three-day diplomatic mission to Morocco from December 11 to 13, 2024, accompanied by Vice-President Naïma Moutchou and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bruno Fuchs. The delegation's agenda includes meetings with senior Moroccan officials, including Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, President of the House of Representatives Rachid Talbi Alami, and President of the House of Councilors Mohamed Ould

Moroccan singer Abdelhadi Belkhayat reflects on spiritual journey and music retirement

In his most recent public appearance, retired Moroccan singer Abdelhadi Belkhayat revealed the reasons behind his decision to retire from the music scene in 2012. In a video, he shared that during a visit to a friend's dying mother, he was deeply moved by her recitation of verse 16 from Sura 57 (Al Hadid). This moment of spiritual reflection prompted him to step away from the conventional music industry and focus on spirituality. At the graduation ceremony for students at the Imam Nafiî

Morocco YouTuber «Houyam Star» arrested over controversial videos

The Casablanca Public Prosecution has decided to place Moroccan YouTuber Aicha Sraidi, known on social media as «Houyam Star», in custody. The arrest comes after she responded to a summons from the Casablanca judicial police on Tuesday, after being asked to appear for questioning last week. The investigation concerns a series of controversial videos she published on social media, which led several associations to file complaints accusing her of insult, slander, and defamation. She

Morocco’s Justice Minister targets social media abuses with tougher penalties

The Minister of Justice has launched a new campaign against those who violate the privacy of Moroccans on social networks. «I call on all Moroccans who are victims of attacks on social media to seek justice and financial compensation... because their personal image, reputation, and secrets have been targeted. Justice will address these issues», Abdellatif Ouahbi emphasized on Tuesday at the House of Councillors. «Anyone who commits these acts on social media will

Spanish government pushes Back on PP’s claims linking Morocco to Pegasus scandal

Spain's Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, criticized the People's Party (PP) on Tuesday for persistently accusing Morocco, «without proof», of being responsible for the alleged spying on government officials' phones, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Robles' response came during a parliamentary session in which the PP questioned the status of the investigation into the phone hacking case, reopened last April by Spanish authorities. The PP also implied a connection

Mauritania requests the absence of the Polisario leader at an education congress

Mauritania is hosting an African congress on December 10-11, focused on education and youth employment. Notably absent from the official photo was Polisario leader Brahim Ghali, following a request from the Mauritanian government for him to delegate Polisario's representation to «Minister of Education» Khatri Adouh. This move highlights ongoing diplomatic sensitivities surrounding Ghali's international appearances. Despite his absence, Ghali remained active over the weekend in

Ayoub El Kaabi named 2024 Greek League foreign player of the year

Moroccan international Ayoub El Kaabi was named Best Foreign Player in Greece for 2024. The player was awarded during an awards ceremony, held on Monday in Athens, Greece. The award recognizes El Kaabi's exceptional performance last season, where he played a key role in leading Olympiacos to its first-ever European Conference title—an unprecedented achievement in Greek football history. Expressing his gratitude, El Kaabi shared his joy on Instagram, writing: «Thank God, I am very

Polisario threatens Africa Eco Race over passage through Sahara

After three weeks of silence, the Polisario Front has issued threats against the 16th edition of the Africa Eco Race, set to take place from December 29, 2024, to January 12, 2025, with stages in the Sahara and a passage through El Guerguerate en route to Mauritania. «They are responsible for the consequences of entering and crossing Saharan national territory», which the Polisario considers a «war zone». The Front warned, «The Saharawi Republic reserves the

Critical Mineral Resources signs first antimony ore deal in Morocco

Critical Mineral Resources PLC (CMR), a UK-based company focused on the exploration and development of critical mineral resources, has signed its first offtake contract in Morocco to purchase high-grade antimony ore from a small-scale operator, Proactive Investors reported on Tuesday. Through this agreement, the company will acquire all crude ore mined at this Moroccan source, a semi-massive stibnite (antimony sulfide, Sb₂S₃) product. CMR noted that the price of antimony metal has

Human rights groups urge Morocco to release Hirak Rif leader Nasser Zefzafi

Human rights groups have called for the immediate release of Hirak Rif leader Nasser Zefzafi. The Committee for Justice (CFJ), which advocates for victims of human rights violations in Egypt, the Middle East, and North Africa, the US-based NGO Freedom House, and the MENA Rights Group, which focuses on human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, praised the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s (WGAD) recently announced opinion qualifying «Zefzafi's detention as

Morocco shines as the backdrop for Netflix's 2024 biblical epic «Mary»

Morocco served as the primary filming location for the newly released Netflix film «Mary», a 2024 epic biblical drama directed by D.J. Caruso, from a screenplay by Timothy Michael Hayes. Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, one of Britain's most recognizable and prolific actors, the movie tells the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, portrayed by Israeli actress Noa Cohen. To represent Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where the events unfold, the producers selected Morocco. Filming took place in

Honoring the legacy of Moroccan Goumiers, heroes of France's liberation

A tribute was paid to the Moroccan Goumiers who sacrificed themselves for the freedom of France at a ceremony held this weekend in the commune of Fréland, near Colmar (Alsace), to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi occupation. Mobilized to carry out risky operations, often on the front line and in extreme conditions, these fighters demonstrated courage and bravery in defending liberty and fraternity, playing a key role in the liberation of France and leaving

Moroccan YouTuber «Weld Chinwiya» sentenced to 3 years in prison

A Casablanca First Instance court sentenced Moroccan YouTuber Reda Bouzidi, known as «Weld Chinwiya», to three years in prison on Monday. He was convicted on charges of threatening to assault individuals, publishing and disseminating false information and allegations intended to defame others and harm their private lives, as well as insulting public officials while on duty. The prosecutor also pursued charges against another defendant, a woman known on TikTok as «Bent