Rabat - A shocking video footage published this Tuesday shows a group of men throwing a naked woman out of a vehicle onto the pavement of the street in Tangier.

The graphic video shows the car pulling over on one of Tangier’s main streets. The street was almost empty, since the incident reportedly occurred at a late hour of a rainy night this week.

The footage shows a naked woman, who was allegedly forced to leave the car, on the pavement rushing to the vehicle and entering it.

Two men, then, attempted to pull her out of the car, but in vain. Her resistance prompted the third man, who was driving, to help the two others to throw her out of the car.

One of them, then, threw a blanket on her naked body, while the driver drove the car away from the scene.  His two partners stayed with the woman on the pavement in order to prevent her from returning to the car.

They walked away as the car departed.  The woman, then, started running aimlessly. The fate of the victim remains unknown as of this writing.

The video footage was shot from another car that was chasing the vehicle in question. The person who shot the video is believed to be an accomplice in the crime, as he/she did not try to intervene to save the woman.

[video width="700" height="500" id="1Ay7yQydk2c" type="youtube"]

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Rabat - For the third year in a row, Morocco ranked highest in North Africa in the annual global Prosperity Index, a survey that ranks the most prosperous countries in the world.

The index was released by the London-based Legatum Institute on Monday.

In the Prosperity Index, which coveres 142 territories. Morocco ranked 79 overall, up six spots compared to last year, when it landed at 85. Neighboring Algeria ranked 96, while Tunisia ranked 97.

According to the index, Morocco was ranked 73 in 2012 before moving down to the 82 in 2013.  However, the report warns of underlying weakness in Morocco, as unemployment has risen and job market expectations are among of the lowest in the MENA region.

“Social support has fallen 20 points in Morocco since 2009,” the report noted.  “Employment is also down from 45 percent in 2012 to just 34 percent today, and unsurprisingly job market optimism is down from 43 percent in 2013 to just 20 percent today,” the same source added.

The annual Legatum Prosperity Index ranks 142 countries across eight categories: the Economy; Entrepreneurship & Opportunity; Governance; Education; Health; Safety & Security; Personal Freedom; and Social Capital.

Globally, Norway was named the world’s most prosperous country for the seventh year in a row. Norway’s neighboring countries Denmark and Sweden also made it to the top five.

Edited by Timothy Filla

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Rabat - Moroccan Industry Minister Moulay Hafid Elalamy told Reuters in an interview that Morocco expects auto industry exports to reach MAD 100 billion ($10.2 billion) per year by 2020.

The increase in auto industry exports is expected as a result of recent investments, such as the $630 million PSA Peugeot Citroen factory, planned to be opera­tional in 2019.

The leading French carmaker’s factory, which is expected to produce 200,000 cars and 200,000 motorbikes a year, “will lift the overall industrial component of gross domestic product (GDP) to 20 percent,” Elalamy told Reuters, adding that “the plant will mean others may come to produce too.”

“It will go even farther. We will exceed the 100 billion dirhams only in auto exports by 2020,” the Minister said.

“And it is not excluded that Morocco will attract other car and truck makers in the near future and could double these figures,” he added.

Morocco’s automotive sector has witnessed a boom over the last decade, and has become Africa’s second leading automaker and first in North Africa.

On the sidelines of the signing ceremony of the agreement to set up the factory last June, the Chairman of the managing board of the French carmaker Carlos Antunes Tavares said, “PSA Peugeot Citroen aims to bring its sales of cars in the region of Africa and the Middle East to one million in 2025.”

According to Reuters, “Morocco's auto industry has already surpassed traditional Moroccan exports such as agriculture and phosphates.”

“At the end of September, total exports rose 6.2 percent from a year earlier to 160.07 billion dirhams, including 35 billion dirhams of auto exports against 34 billion for phosphate sales and 31 billion of agricultural products,” the same source added.

According to the Minister’s earlier statements, PSA Peugeot Citroen’s new plant will generate 4,500 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect, and will also house a research and development center employing 1,500 engineers and technicians.

With a remarkable increase of investors in auto sector, insightful policies, and its strategic geo­graphic location near Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa, Morocco is paving its way steadily to become Africa’s leading auto manufacturer.

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New York - The Moroccan-Jewish community of Toronto, Canada celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Green March, one of the important events in Morocco’s recent history, and reaffirms its attachment to Morocco’s territorial integrity.

“The Sahara has been, is and will always be Moroccan,” the President of the Moroccan-Jewish community of Toronto (CJMT), Simon Keslassy, said in a statement according to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).

The Sahara region, “is an integral and indivisible part of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom," Keslassy stressed, stressing that the Green March celebration is a “key event for all Moroccans.”

He went on to add that the anniversary of the Green March recalls with pride and patriotic commitment the unity of Moroccan people of all faiths and walks of life to defend the unity of their country.

Moroccans came together as one to regain a region “so dear to the hearts of all” by means of of a peaceful and civilized march – a one-of-a-kind demonstration in the modern world, Keslassy said.

The anniversary of the Green March also highlights "the tireless efforts of our Sovereign, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, for development and progress in all regions of Morocco," he noted.

He also highlighted the unprecedented progress Morocco has achieved in all areas, especially in its southern provinces to benefit their people.

Moroccan-Jews in Canada have worked together in support of the many development projects initiated by King Mohammed VI across the Kingdom and the Moroccan Sahara, he stressed.

"Although the Atlantic separates us from Morocco, our souls and hearts will be present to celebrate with our compatriots the 40th Anniversary of this great epic that will remain forever engraved in golden letters in the history of mankind" he said on behalf of the Moroccan-Jewish community of Toronto.

Moroccan-Jews in Canada remain attached to their native Morocco and united under the King to end the maneuvers and conspiracies of the enemies of the Kingdom’s territorial integrity and its national sovereignty, the statement read.

It is imperative to put an end to the “artificial” conflict of the Sahara, which has lasted too long, in defense of “relevant, credible and realistic initiatives”, Keslassy concluded.

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Rabat - The overall crime rate in Morocco has dropped in 2015 compared to 2014, and Moroccans are benefiting from greater security, according to figures revealed by the Ministry of the Interior.

Morocco’s crime rate has decreased by more than 9 percent in the first nine months of 2015, compared to the same period in 2014, Minister Delegate of the Interior, Charki Draiss, said in a meeting held before the Interior Committee at the House of Representatives on Monday.

The number of crimes dropped from 211,576 in the first nine months of 2014, to 192,947 in the same period in 2015, Draiss indicated.

Crimes related to sexual assaults have registered the largest decrease. The rate of sexual offenses and attempted assaults decreased by 16.5 percent.

According to the Delegate Minister, crimes related to ‘morality’ have also declined by 28 percent in 2015.

Charki Draiss addressed the committee stressing the government’s work in crime-reduction and the safety of the Moroccan people.

"Security services continue their efforts in the fight against all forms of crime, in order to ensure the security and tranquility of citizens," he stressed.

Minister Draiss revealed that the Ministry of the Interior "made great efforts in the fight against human trafficking networks, thanks to the mobilization of over 13,000 elements of the police force.”

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Rabat - King Mohammed VI is to visit Laayoune in the south of Morocco on Friday in the first stage of a long-awaited royal tour to Morocco’s southern provinces.

The King’s visit will last two weeks and include Guelmim, Dakhla, and Tarfaya, according to Moroccan newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum

The first stage of the tour is scheduled to begin in Laayoune, where the sovereign will present a long anticipated speech to Moroccans on the 40th anniversary of the Green March.

The King is expected to launch several major projects in the southern provinces. King Mohammed VI will inaugurate construction of a new highway that will link Tiznit to Laayoune, a distance of 500 km. The sovereign will also launch the widening of the road from Laayoune to Dakhla, according to the same source.

“The budget package that will be allocated to these two projects amounts to over MAD 8 billion" underlined Al Yaoum.

The king will also inaugurate in Tarfaya the largest wind power station in Africa (300 megawatts).

“The royal visit to the Moroccan Sahara comes as negotiations to find a political solution to the conflict remain strained, a blockage due to the counterproductive position of the opposing party, which continues to defend a hackneyed, unrealistic and unachievable vision,” asserted Al Yaoum.

“Morocco obviously cannot accept this blockage highly defended by Algeria and strives to implement its projects as part of the advanced regionalization of the Sahara as a precursor to the implementation of Morocco’s initiative to grant autonomous status to its Saharan provinces,” the same source said.

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Rabat - Algerian singer Cheb Khaled, who obtained the Moroccan citizenship, has outraged Moroccans after it was reported that he performed in the Tindouf camps, on Tuesday.

Citing official Algerian sources, Moroccan daily La Vie Eco reported that Khaled had participated in a concert on Tuesday, in the Algerian Tindouf Camps.

According to the same source, the event was organized under the patronage of Algerian President Abdelaziz Boutaflica, on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Algerian Revolution against the French occupation.

Cheb Khaled’s performance at the Sahrawi refugee camps has been labeled as “provocative” by Moroccan media outlets, as it comes at a time when Moroccans are preparing the celebrations of the 40th Anniversary of Morocco’s Green March.

The Algerian musician who has always expressed his love for Morocco and defended the Moroccanness of Sahara, has fallen into an awkward and conflicting situation when he agreed to perform in the camps of Tindouf, La Vie Eco said.

The 55-year-old Khaled is one of Algeria’s most famous artists, married to a Moroccan woman. On August 20, 2013, he was offered the Moroccan nationality by issue of a Royal decree.

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Rabat - The Moroccan association Matkich Weladi (or Don’t Touch My Children) has expressed its dismay at the Court of Appeals in Rabat, which sentenced a convicted pedophile to a mere sixth-month suspended prison term.

Earlier this week, a convicted pedophile was given a six months suspended prison sentence for raping a 10-year old child.

In a statement, the Moroccan association Matkich Weladi condemned the ruling of the Court, describing it “as a step back in the fight against pedophilia and sex abuse in Morocco.”

The association commented further by saying that the court’s ruling did not do justice to the 10-year old child who was sexually abused by the convicted pedophile.

The statement went on to add that such light sentences do not adequately, punish and deter pedophilia and sexual abuse of children.

This is not the first time convicted pedophiles get light sentences in Morocco. In August, a 65-year-old shop owner in the region of Taroudant received an 8-month prison sentence for sexually abusing a ten-year old girl.

Crimes of solicitation in minors and their sexual abuse are punishable with a maximum sentence of 30 years in jail under the Moroccan Penal Code.

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Rabat - Tunisia has officially become the first Arab and African country to announce the screening of the controversial Moroccan film, Much Loved (Zin li Fik).

Much Loved, which has been banned in Morocco, is listed among the 500 films which will be screened in Tunisian theaters at the Carthage film festival, scheduled to take place from November 21 to November 28.

Much Loved is set to compete against 71 other films in the Official Competition Feature category. Ayouch’s film follows the lives of four women working as prostitutes in Morocco’s most popular tourist destination, Marrakech.

The Moroccan government banned the film for “encouraging promiscuity and immorality,” shortly after it was screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival ahead of a planned autumn release.

Ayouch’s film has been screened in multiple European countries, including France, Belgium and Italy.It was also featured at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada. It won multiple prizes, including top prize at France’s Angoulême Festival in August.

Much Loved’s lead actress, Loubna Abidar, took the award for best actress at the same festival. In October, she won the second award- the Golden Bayard Best Actress Award- at Belgium’s International Francophone Film Festival.

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Taroudant - Schools in Alsace-Moselle, a region in the eastern part of France, will reportedly introduce Islam as an option in theology class starting in the 2016 school year.

The French website Yabiladi cited Le Figaro as saying that Islam will be offered as an optional course in the schools of the Alsace-Moselle region for all students regardless of their religions.

"Catholic and Protestant religious authorities are currently working on writing a program that would be a cultural and religious awakening in all the major monotheistic religions, and for students who wish to take the course, irrespective of their religion," the same source said. A Muslim expert also seems to be involved in the preparation of this program for the Islamic component.

The same source said that the courses will start from the next school year in 2016 and will be offered initially to high schools, which have an important number of Muslim students.

The Islam lessons will be taught by trained imams who have honorable academic achievements.

The idea began after the deadly attacks in Paris last January. Following the attack, religious Catholics, Protestants and Jews of Alsace-Moselle decided to mobilize in order to integrate the teaching of Islam in schools in accordance with the Concordat of 1801, which recognizes and organizes Catholic, Protestant Lutheran, reformed and Jewish.

This initiative is strongly encouraged by the authorities as well as by the Muslim community.

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Rabat - Three Moroccans accused of having pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) have been arrested in Madrid.

The men, who are aged between 26 and 29 years of age and have Spanish residency, allegedly were planning to commit terrorist attacks in Spain, according to Elpais.com.

The three Moroccans were arrested early this morning in two different districts in Madrid.

Unlike other Jihadists who have been arrested in Spain in the last few days, “these persons do not seek to indoctrinate, radicalize or recruit other persons to send them to Syria or Iraq to join ISIS, but their objective was to commit terrorist attacks on Spanish soil,” stated Minister of Interior Jorge Fernandez Diaz.

The group was well organized with a leader and two subordinates, all charged with plotting to commit terrorist attacks, including suicide attacks in Madrid. One of the members lived on the outskirts of Madrid where he worked in the black market and had access to various kinds of weapons, the police explained.

The operation is still ongoing, with searches being carried out at the homes of the three detainees, who are all aged around 25 and have been living in the Spanish capital for several years, according to radio network Cadena SER.

The Ministry has said that 131 people have left Spain to join the Islamic State group in recent years.

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Rabat - Local authorities in the city of Fez have arrested nearly 1,757 criminals between October 20 and November 2, according to sources cited by Le360 news website.

Among the suspects arrested, the same source noted, 1,182 were caught red-handed and accused of different offenses and crimes.

Around 575 offenders were taken into custody for previous arrest warrants issued against them on crimes related to robberies, drug-trafficking, knife stabbings, violent assaults, and aggressive incidents, among others.

According to the same source, these police operations are part of the city’s the new security approach ordered by the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) for the safety of citizens.

Local authorities seek to identify perpetrators of serious crimes that create a feeling of insecurity and fear among Fez’s residents and tourists.

This approach to crime-reduction combines preventive and repressive measures, Fez police officials stated, in an attempt to end the increased level of violence and crime in the city.

Last week, three German tourists were brutally assaulted with knives in Fez’s old Medina.

This type of police interventions had previously led to the arrest of over 2,645 criminals in Fez in a period of 20 days, between September 15 and October 5.

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New York - On the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of Morocco’s Green March, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FARMAROC) has released a rarely seen video of the historical moment on the unforgettable November 6, 1975.

The 30-second footage shows a journalist (media was allowed to tape the March under strict regulations) describing in French the exact moment when 350,000 Moroccan marchers peacefully crossed the border, putting an end to the Spanish presence in the Sahara.

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Rabat - Local authorities have arrested a woman in the city of Oujda, in northeastern Morocco, for stabbing a senior police officer on Wednesday morning.

The suspect violently assaulted the city’s Central Commissioner several times before being taken into custody, according to a statement issued by the Oujda Police Department, cited by H24 info news.

The 33-year-old Moroccan woman, whose name was not disclosed, stormed through the Oujda Police Department, entered the office of the Central Commissioner, pulled out a knife that was concealed under her clothes, and stabbed the senior police officer numerous times, the statement noted.

The perpetrator injured the official in an alleged act of retaliation to avenge her brother who was sentenced to prison after being accused of an attempt of premeditated murder against the same Commissioner.

According to the same source, the accused woman was immediately detained and taken into custody at police headquarters and is awaiting an investigation led by the Public Prosecutor.

The victim, the Central Commissioner who was seriously injured, remains under medical supervision, the statement concluded.

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Rabat - The Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) has recently announced that one hundred years’ worth of Moroccan film archives will be digitized.

CCM’s digitization project will start with 20 feature films, 70 documentaries, and 150 television news reports, among other files, according to the statement released on Medias24’s website.

The initiative to digitize these archives dates back to October 2012, when the National Forum on Cinema recommended the conversion to the CCM Board of Directors, who decided to take on the project in 2014.

According to the same source, both negative- and positive-type 35 and 16 millimeter film archives will be digitized and split into 100-minute units, for a total of 4,000 minutes.

The conversion of hundreds of files to digital media will be carefully overseen to ensure the preservation of content, facilitate operation, as well as protect the cultural and historical heritage of Morocco under the archive law, the CCM statement noted.

The digitization will take place at the Moroccan Cinematographic Center’s headquarters, maintaining the authors’ intellectual property intact in accordance with proper regulations.

The project’s main objective is to protect Morocco’s cinematography in a digital, longer-lasting legacy, the same source said.

The first phase includes the digitization of files from early to mid-1900’s (1905-1940).

According to the film organization, contracts for the project were issued and accepted with the necessary permits and by public decree.

CCM was created in 1944 and reorganized in 1977. It looks after the promotion of Morocco’s film industry and the application of all legislation and field regulations.

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Rabat – 4,945 Moroccans received unemployment benefits during first three quarters of 2015.

In a meeting held November 4 by the Productive Sectors Committee in the House of Representatives in Rabat, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Abdeslem Seddiki, said that 4,945 people have received government compensation for loss of employment during the ninth first months of 2015.

The budget package allocated to unemployment benefits is MAD 58.34 million, the minister said.

The state’s contribution to financing the plan, set at  MAD 250 million, was not released until the middle of 2015, explained the minister.

During the meeting, Seddiki also highlighted that his ministry “has made significant efforts prevent child labor, with 354 children under 15 years old and 189 teenagers aged between 15 and 18 no longer obliged to work,” said the minister.

Unemployment benefits became available to Moroccans last November. They cover only six months, are targeted to middle-income wage earners, and are capped at 70% of the salary earned by the beneficiary over the last three years of work before his or her dismissal.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission

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Rabat - Morocco’s Atlas Kasbah Ecolodge in Agadir has won the award for “Best Hotel for Local Sourcing” at the World Responsible Tourism Awards 2015 in London.

The Atlas Kasbah Ecolodge received the gold medal as the top hotel in the world for local sourcing at the Word Travel Market, the most prominent event for the travel industry in the world, which took place in the UK’s capital city, November 2-5, according to a report by Responsible Travel website.

The category for “Best Hotel for Local Sourcing” is awarded in the hospitality industry to a hotel accommodation that excels in “sourcing their goods and services locally”.

“From the décor to the desk-staff, the cleaning products to the cook, this category is for accommodations that draw inspiration, expertise and supplies from the local area, infusing everything they do with the uniqueness and authenticity of the destination,” the same source noted.

Agadir’s Atlas Kasbah Ecolodge is the number one hotel in the world that sources its full operation from its local region providing their guests with an unforgettable experience native to Morocco’s historically rich Agadir.

The gold medal winner, Atlas Kasbah, is a protected UNESCO World Heritage location in the High Atlas Mountains of Agadir, due to its emblematic “Argan tree” from which the prestigious and uniquely Moroccan argan oil is extracted.

This Moroccan eco Kasbah was built in 2009 in the Argan Biosphere Reserve by husband and wife Hassan and Helene Aboutayeb, as a form of tribute to their Berber heritage and to support sustainability development.

Its infrastructure maintains the look of an ancient Berber fortress, built to Kasbah’s historical specifications and traditional architecture. It consists of 11 hand-crafted bedrooms and is decorated in its entirety to reflect the traditions of the Berber people.

The ecolodge’s staff is 100 percent locally sourced and guests can enjoy the many products handcrafted by Berber women who work at the Kasbah, as well as exquisite Moroccan cuisine made from scratch with local foods.

The World Travel Market noted that “81 percent of the Atlas Kasbah’s revenues are spent within a 50-kilometer radius around the hotel”, making it a great source of income for the region.

In a statement, the Regional Council of Tourism in Agadir Souss Massa (CRT) welcomed this distinction and stressed that "this year, in addition to coastal and local products, Agadir will be responsible to pull up the tourism industry."

The Atlas Kasbah Ecolodge was previously granted the international Green Key Ecolabel from King Mohammed VI Foundation for the Environment. It was also recognized one of six projects in the world by the International Network of Responsible Tourism in 2011 and awarded the ALM Ecology Trophy, according to the hotel’s official website.

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Rabat - The International Boxing Association has selected Moroccan Welterweight World Champion, Mohammed Rabii, as Boxer of the Month for October.

The 22-year-old Moroccan World Champion cemented his legacy as the first African and Arabian boxer to capture the gold medal in the World Boxing Championships held in Doha, Qatar last month.

He also had an undefeated season at the World Series of Boxing with Morocco's National Team, the Atlas Lions.

Following the announcement, Rabii said, "It was an incredible feeling to win the gold in Doha after a lot of hard work and an intense training schedule, and I am honored that AIBA has also recognized that effort".

The shortlist of boxers who shined in the World Boxing Championship was created by a panel of AIBA specialists. Social media followers voted for the Boxer of the Month.

While Rabii got the most votes, two major boxers were close seconds: Irish star Michael Conlan and French super heavyweight champion Tony Yoka, according to AIBA.

AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu said, "Congratulations to Mohammed Rabii on his achievements in Doha and winning the AIBA Boxer of the Month for October.”

He went on to add, "It is with great pleasure that we saw the reaction of Morocco's boxing fans to his gold medal win, which I have no doubt will help inspire Africa's boxers to further success."

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Rabat - Morocco’s unemployment rate reached 10.1 percent in the third quarter of 2015, an increase of 0.5 percent compared to the same period in 2014, according to a report on the 3Q 2015 results for the labor market issued by the Haut Commissariat au Plan (HCP).

The number of unemployed people in the labor force grew by 5.8 percent, increasing from 1,140,000   people registered as unemployed in 2014 to 1,206,000 jobless in the same period in 2015, according to HCP.

The unemployment rate in urban areas rose from 14.5 percent to 15.1 percent, and in rural areas from 4.1 percent to 4.3percent.

Unemployment is acute for young people holding diplomas and those aged between 15 and 24 years old (collectively, 21.4 percent), and for those living in the countryside (39.3 percent).  The highest unemployment rates were reported among diploma holders (up 1.2 points) and young people aged between 15 and 24 years old (up 0 .8 point), underlined HCP.

The unemployed labor force also includes discouraged workers of legal employment age who are not actively seeking employment or who did not find employment after long-term unemployment. In the 2015 third quarter results, those unemployed persons accounted for 79,000 of the unemployed, or 6.6 percent of the total compared to 5.4 percent last year, according to the same source.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission

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Rabat - World kickboxing champion, Badr Hari, announced today that he is retiring.

In a shocking statement made during a live interview with Moroccan sports radio station Radio Mars this evening, Hari said that he will officially retire this year after fighting his last scheduled match.

Hari, 30, went on to say that he hopes that his last match will be held in his motherland, Morocco. Asked where exactly he would like to fight for the last time, the Golden Boy said, “Marrakech,” and exactly where, in the Red City’s big stadium.

“I have never asked the King [Mohammed VI of Morocco] for anything. But now I hope he will intervene in order to make my dream come true,” Badr Hari concluded.

Hari who was born in December, 1984 in Amsterdam, is the proud father of a young daughter. He said he will retire to take care of her and spend more time with her.

This unexpected announcement comes after Hari posted a picture of him and Radio Mars journalist AdilAomari on his Facebook page last night, and wrote in the caption: ‘’Tomorrow I will shock the world.”

In the ring, Hari is one of the most ferocious and successful fighters that kickboxing has ever known. In twenty years of training and fighting, he has twice been the World Heavyweight Champion.

In what has been a hugely successful and impressive career, Badr has fought more than 100 professional fights in locations such as Japan, China, Russia, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates.

The explosive success of his early years earned him a call from the K-1 organization in Japan, where he would become a crowd favorite and the organization’s first World Heavyweight Champion.

[video width="700" height="500" id="BDIr5qT5mY8" type="youtube"]

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