In the seveteenth century, sultan Moulay Ismail grouped Christian slaves in Meknes to build him a palace that would outshine «Louis XIV’s at Versailles». Trying to escape hard labor, these slaves paid smugglers to flee the powerful Alaouite sultan.
After setting up a 27-member «committee of wise men» to establish a «roadmap» for the Polisario Front’s upcoming congress, Brahim Ghali found himself in a difficult situation. The Committee established to prepare for the Polisario’s next congress has submitted several suggestions, aimed in particular at creating a «presidential council» and a position for a «vice president», reports pro-Polisario online newspaper Futuro Sahara
Dutch professional football club Ajax Amsterdam announced, Monday April the 1st, in a Facebook post that it is extending the contract of 21-year-old Moroccan right-back Noussair Mazraoui to 2022. Speaking to reporters, Moroccan international footballer said that he was «very happy to sign with this wonderful club». Meanwhile, the Dutch club said that Mazraoui won’t be able to play for three games, after receiving a red card during a game against PSV Eindhoven, another
In a report on the two round-table talks that brought Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario together in Geneva, the Un Secretary-General referred to «the lack of trust on all sides». To Antonio Guterres, building trust between the parties involved in the conflict would lead to a solution.
Moroccan gastronomy will be at the heart of the 11th edition of the DC Embassy Chef Challenge, a competition that features chefs from different countries and cultures in the world, MAP news agency reports. Two Moroccan chefs, namely Faycal Zahraoui and Yassine Khellal, will compete with other cooks from more than thirty accredited diplomatic missions in the US. The culinary competition was attended, last year, by 1,500 people. Organized at the prestigious Ronald Reagan Building by DC
German club Dortmund confirmed, Monday, that Moroccan international player Achraf Hakimi suffers a metatarsal break and won’t be able to play for the rest of the season, AS reports. The footballer will be transferred to Madrid to undergo a surgery, teh same source said. For the record, the Real Madrid right-back has been loaned for two seasons to Borussia Dortmund. He joined the new team in July. Achraf Hakimi, 20, felt pain this weekend during a game against German club Wolfsburg.
Muslim scholars’ associations have criticized the Mohammed VI Institute for the training of Imams for hosting a performance that included a call to prayer and church songs. The performance was staged, Saturday, before King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis.
Moroccan energy firm Neo Themis signed a partnership agreement with Nigeria’s Kingline Development to build a $600 million gas-fired power plant in Akure, Nigeria. The project is going to include «one of the world’s lowest cost gas-to-power facilities», Global Construction Review reports. «Kingline offers compelling advantages for the Federal Government of Nigeria given its extremely competitive pricing, availability of peripheral gas and transmission
An Italian-Moroccan national has admitted that he killed Stefano Leo, an Italian young man who was found stabbed to death near the River Po in Turin in February, prosecutors said on Monday. According to the Italian press agency ANSA, the 27-year-old suspect said he murdered the man for «the sole reason that he wanted to kill someone». «I chose to kill that young man because he looked happy. And I couldn’t stand his happiness», the suspect, identified as Said M.,
It is one of the most significant images that marked Pope Francis’ visit to Morocco. While in the Kingdom, the head of the Catholic Church kissed the hand of father Jean-Pierre Schumacher, the last monk who survived the Tibhirine massacre. After the ceremony that took place at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Rabat, Pope Francis met the monk who lives in the monastery of Tibhirine, AFP reports, adding that it was a «very important moment». Jean Pierre Shcumacher has