Latest news with #French-Moroccan
Morocco World
a day ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Official: AS Roma Sign Neil El Aynaoui From Lens
AS Roma have completed the signing of Moroccan midfielder Neil El Aynaoui from RC Lens for €25m, including bonuses. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 24-year-old arrived in Rome on Saturday to finalize the move and will sign a five-year contract. It is Roma's first major signing of the summer window. El Aynaoui joined Lens from Nancy in 2023 for €600,000. The French club now make a significant profit, while Nancy will receive €2.3m due to a 10% sell-on clause. He scored eight goals in 25 Ligue 1 appearances last season. Roma moved quickly after the player agreed personal terms a week ago. Lens lowered their asking price during final negotiations. El Aynaoui, who holds dual French-Moroccan nationality, is the son of former professional tennis player Younes El Aynaoui. He will be available for selection immediately after completing his medical. Roma is also preparing to welcome another new face in this summer transfer window. Following the arrival of Neil El Aynaoui, it's Brighton striker Evan Ferguson's turn to begin his new adventure with the Giallorossi. The 2004-born player will land at Ciampino Airport today. Roma and Brighton have finalised an agreement on a loan with an option to buy for €40 million. He'll be Roma's first Irish player in history – handpicked to round off Gasperini's new-look attacking front. Tags: El AynaouiRomaSeria A
Morocco World
4 days ago
- Business
- Morocco World
France Appoints Vallaud-Belkacem to Senior Audit Role Amid Accusations of Political Deal
Rabat — French-Moroccan Najat Vallaud-Belkacem now holds one of the highest positions in France's financial oversight institution. On July 16, during the weekly cabinet meeting, the government officially named her senior advisor at the Court of Audit, following a proposal from Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. The timing of the decision and the circumstances surrounding it have sparked criticism and fueled doubts over political motives. Just a few days earlier, the former minister suggested she was preparing for a competitive exam to reach the post. Her sudden arrival at the highest level has prompted questions. For many in the opposition, the move looks less like a result of merit and more like a convenient gesture. Thomas Ménagé, a member of parliament from the far-right National Rally, wrote on social media, 'Congratulations to Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, who joins the Court of Audit directly at the top rank after passing an exam that does not exist.' Vallaud-Belkacem, who previously served as minister of education, rejected any suggestion of favoritism. 'Not very hard to find out that I voluntarily used the exam path,' she wrote on the social media platform X. In a sharper tone, she added, 'Keep throwing dirt, something always sticks.' Pierre Moscovici, president of the Court of Audit, came to her defense. A former minister himself, he insisted the procedure followed proper protocol and was overseen by an independent commission. 'I am not her friend,' he said. 'I was her colleague.' The appointment lands as the government faces one of its most difficult political moments. François Bayrou is trying to push through an ambitious savings plan worth €43.8 billion. The proposal includes unpopular measures such as freezing social welfare payments and cancelling public holidays. With pressure mounting in parliament, the executive appears to need support, or silence, from the socialists. For Vallaud-Belkacem, the new position marks a return to public office. For her critics, it raises old suspicions about how power moves in Paris. Tags: FranceFrance economyNajat Vallaudpolitics
Ya Biladi
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Family of French-Moroccan rugby player calls for expanded investigation into tragic death
Eleven months after the tragic death of Medhi Narjissi, a 17-year-old French-Moroccan rugby player who was swept away by waves at Dias Beach in South Africa during a training camp with the French U18 team, his family is calling for a broader investigation, reports La Dépêche. Two staff members, the team's physical trainer and manager, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. However, Medhi's family is urging the justice system to go further. According to his parents, Medhi was brought to a location known for its dangerous conditions. «There were twelve adults, nine on the beach, who allowed this reckless venture into the water. For us, there's no hierarchy of responsibility», said his father, Jalil Narjissi, a former Moroccan international rugby player, speaking to France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The family denounces a lack of supervision, the absence of immediate rescue, and serious lapses in risk management. The family's lawyer, Édouard Martial, is relying on a damning report by the Ministry of Sports to push for further investigation, including into the president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), Florian Grill, and the travel agency responsible for organizing the trip. The agency, operated by a French national based in South Africa, is accused of failing to meet safety requirements despite being fully aware of the site's risks. So far, the FFR has not provided the contract linking the federation to the organizer, something the family's legal team is strongly criticizing. A new request will be submitted at the start of the next judicial term, with a new investigating judge expected to take over the case. A parallel investigation is also ongoing in South Africa, where the family plans to file a complaint. On May 24, a sports complex in Sainte-Colombe-en-Bruilhois, in the Lot-et-Garonne, was inaugurated in Medhi's honor. «It was our way of telling you that you will not be forgotten», said Jalil Narjissi during the ceremony, La Dépêche reports.
Ya Biladi
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
French-Moroccan student faces charges for hacking Paris-Dauphine profiles with Palestinian flag
Motawassim L., a 22-year-old French-Moroccan computer science master's student at Paris-Dauphine University, is facing charges for altering the intranet profiles of 18 students on October 7, 2024. He allegedly replaced their profile photos with a Palestinian flag and the slogan «Free Palestine». According to Le Monde, the cyberattack, carried out from his family home in Saint-Denis, targeted students identified as members of the Dauphine chapter of the Union of Jewish Students (UEJF). At a court hearing on Friday, July 11, the public prosecutor requested a five-month suspended prison sentence and mandatory participation in a citizenship program at the Shoah Memorial. While the main charge is «fraudulent modification of data», civil parties—including LICRA and the Union of Jewish Students of France—have called for the act to be qualified with the aggravating circumstance of antisemitism. They argue that both the selection of targets and the timing point to a deliberate attack based on religious affiliation. Motawassim L. denies any antisemitic intent. He described his actions as a political statement made «in a moment of emotion… in reaction to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza», and insisted it was not driven by hate. «It was more of a political act, in the context of student protests», he said, explaining that he selected the profiles based on visible interactions on UEJF's Instagram page. His defense team argued that emotional context should not distort the legal interpretation of the incident. His lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, cautioned against framing the case as overly symbolic. «It is not this court's role to make up for the events of October 7», he said, as reported by Le Parisien.
Ya Biladi
12-07-2025
- Ya Biladi
French-Moroccan killed after trying to stop a violent altercation
Georges Abdel Malek, a 36-year-old French-Moroccan, died on Tuesday, July 8, at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, after being violently struck by a driver in Corbeil-Essonnes, in the Paris region. The incident took place overnight between July 4 and 5, at the market square in the Tarterêts neighborhood, where Abdel was spending time with relatives. According to Le Parisien, a confrontation broke out between Abdel's group and a man using cocaine in a parked car. The individual, identified as Walid B., a homeless man, was reportedly told to leave the area. Tensions escalated when he allegedly threatened the group with a box cutter before being chased away. He later returned, this time behind the wheel of his car. According to preliminary findings, he tried to run over several people. Abdel, who was reportedly trying to calm things down, was violently hit, dragged for several meters, and thrown to the ground. He died from a head injury three days later. Married and the father of a young daughter, Abdel was well known and respected in his neighborhood. Born in France to Moroccan parents, he had previously worked as an ambulance driver before moving into the security field. «Abdel was the calm, composed guy who hated conflict. That he left us like this is tragic», a close friend told Le Parisien. The driver has been charged with murder and placed in pre-trial detention. While he denies the accusations, videos filmed by witnesses may confirm the intentional nature of the act. Another person, who was involved in confronting the suspect before the tragedy, has also been charged. A funeral prayer will be held at the mosque in Corbeil-Essonnes before his body is repatriated to Morocco. A fundraiser has also been launched to support his family.
