Flash actualités

Forest fire rages in Morocco's Taroudant province

A forest fire has broken out in the mountainous commune of Ounaine, in Morocco's Taroudant province, where strong winds, high temperatures and rugged terrain have fueled the rapid spread of the flames, local media reported on Wednesday. Civil Protection teams, forestry officials and local authorities remained mobilized overnight into Thursday to contain the blaze, which is threatening the area's forest cover, the same sources said. The rugged terrain has hampered access for heavy firefighting

Morocco's Amir Richardson set for Le Havre return

Morocco international midfielder Amir Richardson is set to return to his boyhood club, Le Havre, on a one-year loan from Fiorentina, with an €8 million purchase option, according to L'Équipe. The 24-year-old, who came through Le Havre's academy before leaving in 2023, returns after a six-month loan spell at FC Copenhagen, which opted not to exercise its purchase option. According to the French sports daily, Le Havre reached an agreement with Fiorentina after pushing to bring

Vox challenges EIB funding for Morocco road and rail projects

The Patriots for Europe group, the third-largest political bloc in the European Parliament, has questioned why the European Investment Bank (EIB), led by Spain's Nadia Calviño, is financing €365 million worth of road and rail projects in Morocco while Spain faces growing challenges in maintaining its own railway network. Spain's Vox party, a member of the group, sought to include criticism of the funding in the European Investment Bank's annual report by submitting an oral

RSF welcomes Ali Lmrabet release as Morocco probe continues

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed the release of journalist Ali Lmrabet on Wednesday, after he was detained at Tangier Airport on July 12 upon his arrival from Spain. The organization said it would continue to closely monitor the investigation announced by the public prosecutor's office.Oussama Bouagila, head of RSF's North Africa bureau, said Lmrabet's release and the return of his equipment were a positive development, but stressed that this «should not make us forget that

Stellantis launches two new Fiat models at Morocco's Kénitra plant

Morocco's Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour on Wednesday launched production of two new Stellantis models, the Fiat Fastback and Fiat Grizzly, at the group's Kénitra plant, marking the rollout of its Smart Car platform for affordable petrol, hybrid and electric vehicles. According to Mezzour, the launch reflects the rapid growth of the Kénitra factory since its inauguration by King Mohammed VI in 2019. The site now has an annual production capacity of nearly 535,000

British widow sues Marrakech hotel over husband's death in spa fire

The widow of a British man who died in a fire at the spa of a Marrakech's five-star hotel has filed a lawsuit in the UK High Court seeking more than £500,000 in damages, according to The Independent. Anthony Barnes, 48, from Cambridgeshire, died in March 2023 while on a business trip to Morocco after a fire broke out in the hotel's spa, also killing a hotel employee. Court documents filed by his widow, Rachel Barnes, allege that the blaze resulted from the hotel's negligence and accuse

Former Spanish FA chief says Morocco agreed Spain would host 2030 World Cup final

Amid an ongoing exchange of statements between Morocco and Spain over which country will host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final, a tournament the two nations are co-hosting alongside Portugal, Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has made fresh claims. He said he had reached an agreement with Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), under which Spain would host both the opening match and the final before the joint bid was

Morocco, France aim to take strategic partnership to the next level

Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch met French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu in Rabat on Thursday on the sidelines of the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting, held as part of the renewed momentum in bilateral relations following French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Morocco in October 2024. The talks were attended by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Morocco's ambassador to France, Samira Sitail, as well as French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and

New details reveal Morocco's role in $25 billion gas pipeline

The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, which will connect Nigeria and Morocco, has entered a new phase of implementation following the completion of technical and engineering studies and the launch of preparations ahead of construction. An environmental and social impact assessment for the Moroccan section of the project, details of which were published by Asharq Bloomberg, shows that the pipeline will stretch nearly 6,900 kilometers across 13 countries along Africa's west coast. The Moroccan

Morocco, U.S. hold counterterrorism talks in Washington

The United States and Morocco reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening counterterrorism cooperation during a bilateral dialogue held in Washington on July 8, co-chaired by U.S. Acting Principal Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism Monica Jacobsen and Ismail Chekkori, Director of Global Affairs Issues at Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the U.S. Mission to Morocco. The meeting, held as the two countries mark nearly 250 years of diplomatic relations, highlighted their

Yassine Hssine breaks Moroccan 200m record again in Budapest

Moroccan runner Yassine Hssine broke his own national 200-metre record on Tuesday in Budapest during the Gyulai István Memorial meeting, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold. The 23-year-old athlete completed the distance in 19.92 seconds, shaving a few thousandths off his previous best of 19.97 seconds. That performance was historic in its own right, as it marked the first time a Moroccan sprinter had dipped below the symbolic 20-second barrier in the 200 metres. This

ONMT launches new Morocco tourism pavilion for 2027 global fairs

Morocco’s National Tourism Office (ONMT) has launched a call for tenders for the design, construction, programming, and management of a new-generation Morocco Pavilion, which will represent the destination at key professional events around the world. According to a statement, the setup will be rolled out in 2027 at the seven leading tourism trade fairs, with the aim of supporting «the destination’s development strategy in its priority markets». The pavilion will be

Morocco airports welcomed more than 18.8 million passengers in six months

Morocco's airports handled a total of 18,831,461 passengers in the first six months of 2026, up 8.83% from the same period in 2025, according to the National Airports Office (ONDA). This total breaks down into international air traffic, which rose by 8.86% to 16,835,752 passengers, and domestic traffic, up 8.6% to 1,995,709 passengers, ONDA stated in its commercial air traffic statistics for June 2026. Casablanca Mohammed V Airport handled 5,756,388 passengers, an increase of 10.13%, followed

Rapper Mehdi Black Wind referred to trial in custody

The Public Prosecutor's Office in Casablanca has decided to prosecute Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi, better known by his stage name Mehdi Black Wind, while in custody, referring him to trial at a hearing on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, according to Voice of Morocco. Mehdi El Youbi was placed in police custody on the evening of Monday, July 13, after being questioned by the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca. He had also been barred from leaving Morocco for France late

Morocco signs agreement to participate in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza

Acting on the instructions of King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, Nickolay Mladenov, High Representative of the Peace Council for Gaza, was received by Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, and Abdeltif Loudyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the National Defence Administration. The meeting was held in the

Burglars target Lamine Yamal's home after World Cup semi-final victory

An attempted burglary targeted the Barcelona home of Moroccan-Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal early on Wednesday, just hours after he helped Spain defeat France 2-0 to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, AFP reported. According to the Catalan regional police, two masked individuals climbed the wall of the property in Esplugues de Llobregat, on the outskirts of Barcelona, but fled after being spotted by private security guards. While police did not identify the homeowner, La Vanguardia

French ambassador marks National Day in Rabat with focus on Morocco ties

The French Embassy in Morocco hosted a reception in Rabat on Tuesday, July 14, to celebrate France's National Day. Addressing more than 1,500 guests, French Ambassador Philippe Lalliot highlighted a bilateral partnership firmly focused on the future. «Here in Rabat, as in Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech and Laâyoune, where I was a few days ago to inaugurate the city's first Alliance Française, we are not merely talking about the future: we are building it, day after

Moroccan publishers condemn ministry over regional media subsidies

The Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers has condemned what it described as a policy of discrimination and exclusion by the ministry in charge of communication against small press companies and regional media. The criticism follows the ministry's recent disbursement of wage support to press companies that had previously benefited from flat-rate subsidies, a move the federation said has triggered widespread discontent among a number of media outlets.In a statement, the federation said