Rabat - The Forum Azzahrae for Moroccan Woman said female journalists who wear the hijab are virtually banned from appearing on visual media. 

The forum, which is affiliated with the Justice and Development Party and includes over 100 organizations dedicated to addressing women’s issues, noted that Moroccan laws forbid gender-based discrimination in all of its forms.

Despite the law, women who choose to wear the hijab are discriminated against in the public and private sectors of the media, according to the report.

Aziza Al-Biqali, the president of the forum, said in a press conference on Monday that the report her organization sent to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights at the United Nations tells the international governmental organization to ask the Moroccan government about the absence of hijabi women from Moroccan media.

The forum, which hold an advisory position at the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, asked Morocco to prevent gender-based discrimination and to strengthen the punishments for organizations that use discriminatory practices against women based on the clothes they choose to wear.

The forum’s report, published in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, also noted that the maximum punishment for domestic abuse cases in Morocco “needs to be increased” in order to combat the rising rates of physical violence occurring between husbands and wives.

Despite efforts by feminist activist organizations to encourage media to portray a positive image of women, women continue to suffer from the effects of negative media stereotypes that make it difficult for society to move forward, the report added.

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By Jonathan Walsh

Rabat - The United Kingdom’s national head of counterterrorism warned that the so-called Islamic State (IS) may be plotting terror attacks of ‘enormous and spectacular’ scale on British soil.

The remarks were made by Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, during a briefing in London today. Rowley went on to claim that the number of terror-related offenses had hit record levels this past year.

In the wake of the Paris attacks last November, Prime Minister David Cameron had revealed that seven smaller scale terror attacks in the UK were foiled in 2015 alone. Rowley claims, however, that intelligence suggests IS is now looking to commit attacks on a much larger scale. Such attacks, he said, would represent the ‘natural next step’ for the radical organization that aims to attack ‘Western lifestyles’.

"In recent months we've seen a broadening of that… Going from that narrow focus on police and military as symbols of the state to something much broader,’’ Rowley said.

"And you see a terrorist group which has big ambitions for enormous and spectacular attacks, not just the types that we've seen foiled to date."

Rowley also used his speech to warn of the increasing diversification of active IS members. The increasing number of women and children joining the IS is a dangerous new trend not  found in previously existing extremist organizations. Statistics show that of all those arrested in the UK on terror-related charges last year, 14 percent were female and 13 percent were 20 years old or younger.

"That would not have been the picture that one would have seen a few years ago. That is an indication of that radicalisation, the effect of the propaganda and the way the messages of Daesh (IS) are resonating with some individuals," Rowley said.

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Rabat - A Muslim has participated in and reached the finals of Mister Gay Belgium (MGB) for the first time ever.

Abdellah Bijat is a 22-year-old Belgian-Moroccan homosexual whose participation in the pageant-style competition has stirred up controversy in Belgium because of his religious affiliation.

In an interview with Belgian radio station Studio Brussel, Bijat said, “I want to show that 2016 should be a feasible year for the existence of different cultures, including Islam, in order to all live in peace. It should be feasible for everyone to accept people as they are.”

Through his participation and strong desire to win the title of MGB 2016, Bijat hopes to break the taboo of homosexuality in Islam. “The religion is somewhat contradictory when it comes to its stance on homosexuality,” he said.

“The Koran says that we should tolerate each other - this means we have to respect others regardless of their choices and way of life,” he explained.

The organizers of MGB noticed that in the past seasons, there were Muslim candidates who came to the auditions but they retracted their candidacy because of “fear and suppression from their families.”

Bijat noted that many homosexuals are currently “asylum seekers in Belgium because of their sexual orientation,” which is prohibited in their culture.

The 22-year-old nominee expressed his “delight to receive positive feedback from his family and his friends from Belgium and the Middle East.”

Bijat described his participation in the MGB as a “challenge to prove his strength to people who do not accept homosexuality.” He also expects his nomination for the final round of the contest will help to integrate homosexuals into their communities and “become accepted as human beings.”

The final round of Mister Gay Belgium will take place on May 28, in the city of Antwerp, Belgium.

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By Jonathan Walsh

Rabat - A man was stabbed to death in India after arguing with a friend over whether Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Barcelona’s Lionel Messi was a better footballer.

The incident took place in Mumbai on Sunday morning following birthday party of the victim on the previous night.

Inspector Kiran Kabadi told AFP sources that Michael Chukwuma, 21, had subsequently been charged over the killing of Obina Durumchukwu, 34.

"The two were discussing football players. One is a fan of Messi and the other was for Ronaldo," the police inspector said.

He continued, "During the conversation, a quarrel broke out. The deceased threw a glass into the face of the murder. The glass broke and caused him small injuries.

"After that, the accused took the broken glass and assaulted the victim, who died of heavy bleeding."

The debate between who is more talented between Messi and Ronaldo is a hot topic between football fans. The two have dominated the annual Ballon d’Or Accolade for best footballer since 2008. Portuguese national captain Ronaldo has received the award three times, while Argentinian Messi has won it five times.

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Geneva  - Morocco Green Plan could serve as a model for countries in the region in the field of food security, the Special Rapporteur on Right to Food, Hilal Elver.

"The Plan could play a determining role in improving food security, and inspire other countries in the region as a model of good practice", Elver said during a plenary session at Human Rights Council in Geneva.

She stressed that Morocco Green Plan has "enormous potential for transforming the agricultural sector into a stable source of growth, competitiveness and broad-based economic development".

She also hailed "significant" accomplishment made by Morocco in eradicating extreme poverty and eliminating hunger.

He highlighted a number of other policies and strategies that have also been introduced in Morocco to achieve inclusive economic growth and reduce poverty in the country with the goal of investing in and developing the sustainability of the sector.

"Morocco continues to demonstrate its political willingness and responsibility to fight climate change", she said, commending "the important role" it has played in international climate change diplomacy.

She also highlighted the "significant efforts" being made to develop infrastructure in Dakhla, noting the important agricultural and fisheries projects in the region.

The UN Rapporteur recommended Morocco to strengthen existing efforts to significantly reduce the unemployment rate by targeting women and young people, and increase the number of retraining programmes and vocational and technical training programmes, as well as incentives for employers to create jobs, and hire women and youth where appropriate.

This meeting was held in the presence of Morocco's Permanent Representative Ambassador in Geneva Mohamed Aujjar."

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Rabat - Moroccan journalist Malika Malak died on Monday night at Rabat Military Hospital after a long battle with disease.

Malika Malak, a Moroccan journalist and television presenter, served for more than 20 years in 2M TV Channel.

Malak rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s for her well-known shows on 2M TV, “Wajhoun wa Hadath (1993-1996) and “Fi Al Wajiha” (1998-2004), where she hosted several prominent faces of the Moroccan political scene.

According to the late journalist’s entourage, Malak will be buried on Tuesday in Achouahadaa cemetery (Martyrs' Cemetery) in Rabat after Al Asr prayer around 4 p.m.

Malika’s health began to deteriorate after a medical malpractice in January.

Malika was admitted in emergency to a clinic in Rabat where she underwent two surgeries, but after her condition only worsened, she was transferred to Rabat’s Military Hospital at the request of King Mohammed VI.

The medical team at the Military Hospital discovered a dressing compress that was forgotten at the time of her first two surgeries at the Rabat clinic.

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Rabat - Acwa Power, the Saudi Arabian company that built Noor I in Ouarzazate, plans to bid for the tender to construct the Noor Midelt solar power complex in Morocco.

"Our development team has been working on an offer for this project." Badis Derradji, the manager for Acwa power projects in Morocco told L'Economiste on Monday.

At the beginning of the year, Masen, Morocco’s solar power agency, announced a call for expression of interest to develop the first phase of Noor Midelt. The overall investment in this project is estimated to be MAD 1.8 billion.

Noor Midelt, which is also known as NoorM I, will use a form of hybrid technology to combine concentrated solar power (CSP) with photovoltaics (PV), according to Masen. The facility is expected to produce 400 MW of energy once all phases are developed.

Acwa Power has previously won the bid to develop and operate the Noor I, II and III solar power plants in Ouarzazate as part of a consortium of corporate partners, which includes the Spanish companies Sener, Acciona and TSK Electronica y Electricidad. The construction of the Noor II and III phases is expected to be complete by the end of 2017.

Masen has also planned Noor solar projects in Laayoune and Boujdour, both of which are located in the southern part of Morocco.

In addition, Acwa Power is to begin construction on the 120 MW Khalladi wind farm in the northern part of Morocco in the coming weeks. The company secured the capital for the project in November 2015 with a MAD 1.3 billion loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur.

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Rabat - King Mohammed VI, Chairman of Al-Quds Committee, reiterated on Monday that Morocco supports any serious initiative aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders, and with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Moroccan king made his statement to the participants of the 5^th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held this year in Jakarta.

The Moroccan monarch voiced hope that this extraordinary summit will be the prelude to a series of initiatives with the aim of securing peace and exerting “our determination to get out of this deadlock.” He expressed Morocco’s support for any serious initiative in accordance with UN resolutions and with the Arab peace initiative, sponsored by the OIC.

He also praised the participation of the international quartet in this extraordinary summit and its symbolic importance. The king also expressed his strong support for calling Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to hold an international peace conference aimed at ending the Israeli occupation. He also thanked France and other friendly countries for their tireless efforts and sponsorship of the initiative. The summit believes that resuming negotiations, according to a specific schedule and in accordance with international resolutions, is the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive solution to the conflict.

The Al-Quds Committee was established to defend Jerusalem, which is at the heart of this conflict, the Sovereign noted, adding that the presidency of the Committee is not "an honor nor a privilege, but a great responsibility before God and history."

"Due to my position as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, when I stress the need to combine political action and diplomatic efforts with field work, it is because I believe in the need to focus efforts on improving the daily lives of Palestinians and supporting their resistance, without forgetting the contribution of international efforts to establish a just and lasting peace in the region,” the sovereign said.

"Defending occupied Palestinian land and protecting the holy city of Jerusalem against Zionist attempts, as well as supporting the resistant population, cannot be achieved with hollow slogans, let alone by exploiting this noble cause with sterile arguments. It is rather through efforts in favor of Palestine and Palestinians that we succeed," King Mohammed said.

He also stated that the OIC established an agency under the supervision of Al-Quds Committee (Bayt Mal Al Quds) in order to protect Al Quds against anything that could alter its genuine identity as a symbol of coexistence and peace, as well as provide assistance to the Palestinian people and institutions in the holy city.

The sovereign added that the agency was entrusted with the task of assisting the people of the holy city and NGOs in Jerusalem to provide the means for decent life in their city, contribute to the city’s preservation, protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy places—a s well as its civilizational, religious, and cultural heritage, and promote the history of the city of Al-Quds and its specific legal status, in accordance with international resolutions.

Mohammed VI also stressed that Morocco contributes 85 percent  of the agency's budget, which allows the agency to carry on of a set of projects. He does this not out nationalistic pride, but because the Kingdom has always been committed to helping Palestinians. The king added that the door is wide open for all who wish to benefit from the agency's rich work on the ground with the people of Jerusalem.

“The Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency belongs to us all, on the basis of collective responsibility. We are called to support it and put it at the service of Jerusalem, its citizens, and all Muslims who have special affection for the first Qibla and the third holiest site of Islam," the sovereign pointed out.

King Mohammed VI noted that the Jakarta Summit is held during a delicate and difficult time on both regional and international levels. “We witness a resurgence of crises and the alarming increase of tensions in the Islamic world. In addition to the exacerbation of security and terrorist threats, we see the upsurge of extremism, sectarianism, and violence, all of which are rejected by Muslims. Yet, the enemies of Islam exploit these occurrences as a pretext to undermine their cultural and civilizational values, or as a means of distorting the essence of Islam,” he said.

“This Summit,” the Sovereign continued, “also coincides with the obvious violation of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights by the Israeli occupation authorities, which undermines the Two-State solution. We reject their ongoing aggressive practices, as well as their occupation policy and expansion projects.”

Amidst all this, the sovereign concludes that he is confident that the results of the summit "can only be positive," adding that if it proves too difficult to achieve a just and lasting solution, the "we will have at least helped to promote the achievement of this objective, support our Palestinian brothers and sisters, and be by their side.”

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Rabat - The video bellow details the life of Assma, a young woman from the southern city of Ouarzazate. Like so many other women in Morocco, Assma spends her days making and selling Msamen on the streets.

In the video, Assma vividly describes the difficulties she faces in day to day life; from her father insisting she remain in the home, to disapproval from male customers. Assma also voices her dreams of wanting to travel and find a husband.

 "I could dream to have more" she explains, "but education is important and I didn’t study."

Despite this unfortunate reality, Assma says that being able to earn her own money to support herself is what keeps her motivated.

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Bonn - Morocco has all the assets to ensure the success of the 22nd session of the United Nations Framework Climate Change Conference (COP22), which will be held on November 7-18 in Marrakech, COP22 Commissioner Abdeladim Lhafi said Tuesday.

Morocco, which has proven experience in organizing international events, is mobilized not only to host the event, but to contribute to the achievement of the goals endorsed by the international community on climate change, Lhafi, who led a delegation of the COP22 steering committee on a working visit to Bonn, told MAP.

He stressed that "holding this global conference in an African country should result in major initiatives for the continent, which corresponds to the African depth of HM the King's policy towards southern countries"'.

Lhafi said that Morocco has a roadmap to meet all the conditions for the success of the conference, calling for the mobilization of all stakeholders (civil society, business, media, politicians, citizens) to ensure full success of COP 22, which is a universal challenge.

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Rabat - The Moroccan government reacted vehemently on Tuesday to the statements that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made during his recent visit to the Tindouf camps in Algeria this past weekend.

Following his meetings with Algerian officials, as well as with the leaders Polisario, Ban Ki-moon expressed his sympathy with the separatists and described Morocco’s sovereignty over its Saharan provinces (known as Western Sahara) as “occupation.”

"The Government of the Kingdom of Morocco expresses its strongest protest following the remarks made by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his recent visit to Tindouf and Algiers on the Sahara issue," said a statement released by the Moroccan government on Tuesday.

"His comments are politically inappropriate, unprecedented, and contrary to Security Council resolutions," the statement said.

"It is with great amazement that the Moroccan government takes note of the verbal excesses, the fait accompli and unjustified complacency gestures of the UN Secretary General during his visit to the region."

The statement went to add that the UN chief showed his bias in favor of the Algeria-backed Polisario front.

"Morocco has seen, both in terms of the conduct of the visit and the content of the statements, that the Secretary General has abandoned its neutrality, objectivity and impartiality.”

"Morocco also regrets that the Secretary General has yielded to the blackmail of the other parties by following the fait accompli in violation of the commitments and guarantees he gave to Morocco and that he gives credit to the false claims of the other parties."

The statement said that Morocco has seen "with amazement that the Secretary General used the term ‘occupation’ to describe the recovery by Morocco of its territorial integrity."

“This departs from terminology traditionally used by the United Nations in the Moroccan Sahara,” said the statement.

The Moroccan government pointed out that Ban Ki-moon statements make him unfit to play the role of a neutral mediator in the conflict, adding that this his position has “hurt the feelings” of the Moroccan people.

"This type of semantic slippage dangerously undermines the credibility of the UN Secretary General," says the statement.

"These outrageous words hurt the feelings and dignity of the entire Moroccan people," the statement concluded.

Ban Ki-moon attempts to revive an unworkable solution

During his tour in the region, Ban Ki-moon said that the UN Mission in the Western Sahara, known as MIUNRSO, was ready to conduct a referendum if the two parties agreed to proceed with it.

The UN chief’s statement stands in contrast to the conclusions made by his predecessor Kofi Anan, as well as two former UN Personal Envoys to the Western Sahara, both of whom stressed that the referendum was unworkable.

The United Nations settlement plan adopted by the UN Security Council in 1991 called for organizing a referendum to enable the Saharawi population to decide whether it wants independence or integration with Morocco.

After 10 years of failed attempts, former US Secretary of State James Baker, who was between 1997 and 2004 the UNSG’s Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara, concluded that a situation by means of a referendum was unworkable. The main insurmountable hindrance was voter eligibility. The parties involved in the conflict spent 10 years trying to determine who was Saharawi and who had the right to participate in such a referendum.

Beginning in 2004, the UN Security Council started progressively putting the option of the referendum and the independence of the territory on the back burner and called on the parties to develop new, innovative ideas likely to help the parties reach a long-lasting and mutually acceptable political solution.

In April 2008, Peter Van Walsum, a Dutch diplomat, who was appointed in July 2005 as UNSG Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara, said that the establishment of an independent state in the territory was “not realistic.” This statement stoked the ire of Algeria and the Polisario, who pressured Ban Ki-moon to push for Van Walsum’s resignation.

Following the resignation of Van Walsum, Ban Ki-moon appointed American diplomat Christopher Ross as his new personal envoy. From January 2009 until 2012, Ross led nine rounds of indirect talks between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario.

In his seven years as UNSG personal envoy, the American diplomat failed to bring any proposal to the negotiating table and help the parties break the deadlock.

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Rabat - Three Lebanese singers, Diana Haddad, Myriam Fares and Yara, will perform at the 2016 Mawazine Festival: Rhythms of the World, according to a March 8 statement released by Maroc Cultures, the cultural foundation responsible for organizing the event.

The 15th annual festival will mark the return of three prominent singers from the Middle East.

Dianna Haddad—whose fan base includes millions of Moroccans—will perform at the opening of the eight-day event at the Nahda stage on Friday, May 20.

Nicknamed “the princess of Arab music,” Haddad released her debut single entitled “Saken” in 1997. She is considered one of the most popular singers in the Arab world. Her widespread success is often attributed to her fluency in several Arab dialects.

In 2013, Haddad released a song in Darija, or Moroccan Arabic Dialect, entitled “La Fiesta” as a tribute to her Moroccan fans. Her debut performance at Mawazine occurred during the festival’s 8th year in 2009.

“The Queen of Lebanon,” Myriam Fares, will perform on Sunday, May 22 at Nahda stage.

The 33-year-old singer has released several albums, including “Myriam” in 2003 and “Nadini” in 2005. She is known for her unique style, a blend of traditional music and pop.

Fares gained famed by posting video clips of her music on YouTube, where her uploads became popular among listeners from all over the Arab world.

Yara will appear on the Nahda stage on Tuesday, May 24.

After Yara won Kass El Nojoum, a musical competition broadcast on LBC, she released her debut track “Hob Kabeer” in 2005. She quickly rose to fame following a successful duet with Palestinian singer Fadel Shaker.

The 15th annual Mawazine Festival is scheduled to take place in Rabat May 20–28. The festival will also include performances by French rapper Maitre Gims, Samia Tawil, Kadim Al Saher and Christina Aguilera.

Edited by Kelsey Fish

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Salé - Princess Lalla Meryem, Chairwoman of the National Union of Moroccan Women, chaired, on Tuesday in Salé (Rabat Twin-city), the ceremony of celebrating the International women's Day.

In a speech at the opening of this ceremony, held under the theme "Regionalization: New Impetus to Integrated and Sustainable Human Development", Farida Khamlichi, UNFM Advisor, commended the choice of the theme for this year’s celebration, which is inspired by the Royal Speech on the occasion of the 2015 Throne Day.

"The regionalization we want for our country must be the outcome of serious endeavors to find appropriate solutions for each region, adapted to its resources, characteristics, potential employment opportunities and development challenges", Khamlichi quoted HM King Mohammed VI as saying.

She noted that the choice of this theme is also justified by the continued instructions of HRH Princess Lalla Meryem to UNFM to guide its services and activities aimed at enabling Moroccan Woman to enjoy all her rights.

Since its establishment, UNFM has accumulated important experiences, notably in the field of combating illiteracy among women and their economic vulnerability, she noted.

UNFM is also committed to cooperate with bodies concerned with advanced regionalization to help promote the economic and educational conditions of Moroccan woman and empower her to effectively exercise her rights and accomplish her role as active citizen in the public life.

Afterwards, Princess Lalla Meryem chaired the signing ceremony of five agreements.

The first agreement, initiated by UNFM President-delegate Rabia Lamrini, and Handicraft and Social and Solidarity-based Economy Fatema Marouane, aims to lay the foundations of cooperation between the two sides to integrate women into the job market, develop her skills and encourage her to join handcraft cooperatives.

The second agreement, inked by Lamrini and Director General of OFPPT and Abderrahim Kadmiri, provides for setting up a framework for common action to achieve projects related to UNFM’s international activities.

The third agreement, which was signed by UNFM President-delegate and Director of Ibn Sina University Hospital Center of Rabat Abdelkader Errougani, aims to provide trainees at Lalla Meryem Center with nursing training.

The fourth agreement, which provides for the support of UNFM’s projects meant to women living in rural areas, was inked by Lamrini and the president of the directorate of Al-Barid Bank, Redouane Najm Eddine.

Signed by Lamrini and Director General of Barid Al-Maghrib, Amine Benjelloun Touimi, the fifth agreement provides for the issuance of a commemorative postal stamp which reproduces painting of Abderrahmane Ouardane who offered it to UNFM on the occasion of the 2015 International Women's Day on the theme "non-violence culture against women: prospective vision".

On this occasion, Amine Benjelloun Touimi presented the stamp to Princess Lalla Meryem.

Explanations were also provided to the Princess on Princess Lalla Meryem Center for Social Qualification, which will be established by UNFM in Salé to host women victims of violence.

Princess Lalla Meryem also visited the various stands where revenue-generating projects by women who benefited from professional training at UNFM’s centers were showcased.

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Rabat - Moroccan rapper Taoufik Hazeb, known by his stage name Don Bigg, is the greatest beneficiary of financial aid granted by the Fund to Support Music Production in 2016, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Culture on March 4.

Followed by Issam Kamal with 200,000 MAD and Oum with 150,000 MAD, Don Bigg received 640,400 MAD, the largest amount granted during the fund’s the first award period of 2016.

What sets the rapper apart from his contemporaries is the fact that he received grants in three categories: 200,000 MAD for music production, 200,000 MAD for the promotion of musical products and 240,000 for the distribution and marketing of musical products.

According to the same source, the committee selected 55 artistic projects out of 192 applicants.

The committee was chaired by several prominent Moroccan artists and musicologists, including Haj Younes, Najia Attaoui, Regragui Mustapha, Ahmed Mahjour, Mourad Kadiri,  Fouad Chaa and Said Mosker.

Edited by Kelsey Fish 

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By Asmaa Bahadi

Rabat - Agadir will host the second Gastronomic Meeting on March 18-20 under the theme "Gastronomy: A pole of excellence on economic development."

The honorary presidency will be entrusted to Mr. André Marcon, president of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI).

The meeting will also shed the light on another form of gastronomy, pastry, with the exceptional presence of five chefs from the Alain Ducasse cooking school.

French chefs Régis and Jacques Marcon will host this year’s Gastronomic Meeting.

After more than 30 years in the kitchen, Régis teamed up with his son Jacques in 2004 to set up the Régis et Jacques Marcon restaurant. In addition, the meeting will be hosted by Kamal Rahal Essoulami, the president of the Moroccan Federation of Culinary Arts.

Many activities are planned for the meeting, from cooking demonstrations to lectures, tastings, and brunches, as well as a gala. Of course, one cannot forget the main event: gastronomic meals.

Joël Cesari, Johan Leclerre Trochain Laurent, Henri Gouny, Myriam Ettahri, Chef Moha or Karim Ben Baba are a few of the 30 chefs attending.

The Gastronomic Meeting aims to highlight diversity and promote the quality of local products, specifically seafood, by uniting political, economic, tourism, and education actors in the context of exchanging experiences in order to give Agadir an image of a tourist destination on a gastronomic level by bringing together the Moroccan and French cuisines.

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Rabat - A former Moroccan immigrant, charged with “exposing the lives of others to risk” because he interrupted the King Mohammed VI’s official motorcade on Monday, has been forgiven by the king for his actions, according to Hespress.

Sources close to the issue told Hespress on Wednesday that the man, who ran onto the street as the motorcade was passing in Rabat, was granted amnesty for his actions after the king sent a message to security forces telling them to freeze follow-up on the case.

A video posted to YouTube earlier this week pictures him trying to deliver a letter to the king.

“The amnesty underlines, once again, the human side of the character of King Mohammed VI,” the source said, as the decision was made on the basis of the man’s social and familial situation.

New details about the man say that he lived in Spain as a legal immigrant since he was 11 years old, but returned to Morocco due to the deepening economic crisis on the Iberian Peninsula. The man also earned a master’s degree in management during his time in Spain.

Investigations by Moroccan authorities into the man’s life revealed that he has experienced “severe” family problems in recent years. After he divorced from his wife, with whom he has a child, he fell into conflict with her over alimony.

When he felt that “all of his doors were shut,” he thought to “storm” the royal procession and present his problems to the king, investigators added.

The king was headed to ground-breaking of the construction of two new train stations in Rabat - Rabat-City and Rabat-Agdal - when the man interrupted the royal procession.

The post King Mohammed VI Forgives Man Who Interrupted Royal Procession appeared first on Morocco World News.

Paris - France reiterated on Wednesday its support to Morocco’s autonomy plan in the Sahara. 

"For France, the autonomy plan submitted by Morocco in 2007 represents a serious and credible basis for a negotiated solution" to the Sahara issue, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Romain Nadal told the press.

"France’s position regarding the Saraha is well known and has never changed," Romain said, stressing that Paris supports "a just, sustainable and mutually accepted solution under the auspices of the United Nations."

He added that his country supports UN mediation regarding the Sahara issue.

Morocco has strongly condemned on Tuesday the comments made by the UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon on the Sahara issue.

Morocco's government has noted with great surprise "the verbal excesses, the accomplished facts and unjustified complacency of the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his recent visit to the region," the Kingdom's government said in a statement on Tuesday.

Rabat said that the UN chief has lost his neutrality by adopting the thesis of the and Algeria Polisario and using their terminology when referring to the conflict.

The kingdom of Morocco has noticed, regarding the visit and the content of the comments made, that the UN Secretary General "has dropped his neutrality, objectivity and impartiality and showed a guilty indulgence with a puppet state without attributes, territory, population nor a recognized flag."

Morocco "notes with amazement that the Secretary General used the word 'occupation' to describe the recovery by Morocco of its territorial integrity which departs drastically from the terminology traditionally used by the United Nations on the Moroccan Sahara," the statement added.

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Rabat - Moroccan security forces arrested a “radicalized” Frenchman in Fez for having knives and a gas bottle in his luggage onboard a Ryanair flight on Wednesday, according to a French official.

The suspect, Manuel Broustai, a former French soldier who converted to Islam, had boarded the plane in the city of Nantes, located in the western part of France.

According to Yahoo7 News, Broustai carried in his luggage at least four kitchen knives, a machete, two pocket knives, a baton, a gas bottle, and a black balaclava -  a knitted cap that covers the neck and parts of the face.

The local government chief for the French municipality of Loire-Atlantique said that the police arrested the 31-year-old man in November after the Paris attacks and subsequently placed him under house arrest for three months.

The chief added that when he checked into the airport in France, he was no longer under house arrest and there was no reason to stop him from leaving the country.

Another source from the municipality said that French authorities had informed Morocco about the man's travel plans and that his arrest in Fez "was not a matter of chance".

The municipality also noted that Broustai's hand luggage contained nothing out of the ordinary and that security scans did not detect potentially dangerous items in his checked baggage because it did not contain explosives.

Broustail and his wife moved to Morocco last year, according to a source close to the investigation. He had returned to France to sell his apartment.

A spokesperson for Ryanair, a Dublin-based airline, told AFP that the case falls under the responsibility of Nantes airport security officials, who are investigating the incident.

The incident comes as European countries have reportedly been ramping up security measures since the attacks carried out by the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) in Paris last November.

The post Morocco Arrests “radicalized” Frenchman in Fez for Carrying Knives and a Gas Bottle in Luggage appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat - Germany’s Federal Center for Health Education has launched a website to educate new immigrants about safe sex practices and sexual norms in German society.

According to an introductory video posted on the website, the main purpose of the website is to give “advice on sex and sexuality for migrants who have not been living long in Germany.” The website provides a variety of language choices, including Arabic.

The website Zanzu.de is a project of the German Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) and Sensoa, the Flemish Expertise Centre for Sexual Health.

According to German media, the website addresses some specifically non-Western issues, such as “honor violence.” This shows that the website is aimed exclusively at the country’s 1.1 million new arrivals in order to educate recent immigrants about sexual safety and sexual norms in their new home.

The website is divided into six main sections: body, family planning and pregnancy, infections, sexuality, relationships and feelings, and rights and law.

The website uses animated videos to explain the details of sex and sexuality as accepted in German society. These cartoons demonstrate the mechanics of sex as well as explain the norms of sexual behavior, from how babies are conceived to resources for those suffering from sexual abuse or assault.

Earlier in the year, many held refugees and recent immigrants responsible for the widely-reported Cologne New Year sexual assaults. The events have subsequently been used by anti-immigration campaigners and far-right groups to claim that the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers in Germany is putting women at risk.

However, a leaked police report published by the Independent has revealed that “refugees and migrants are responsible for a tiny fraction of sex crimes in Germany.”

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