CAF approves RS Berkane's jersey with full map of Morocco, sparking anger in Algeria  (Read more...)

After closing H&M in Casablanca, AlShaya lays off 2,000 Starbucks employees

AlShaya Group, a Gulf retail firm that owns the operating rights of Starbucks in the Middle East and North Africa, will be laying off 2,000 employees of the franchise due to financial difficulties stemming from Gaza war-related boycotts. According to Reuters, which quotes unnamed sources close to the matter, the layoffs will account for 4% of AlShaya's total workforce of almost 50,000 people. Most of the impacted employees are concentrated in the company’s Starbucks franchise in the

Spanish farmers renew protests over Moroccan strawberries, allege presence of Hepatitis A

Spanish farmers are once again protesting the import of Moroccan produce, alleging fruit contamination with Hepatitis A, El Mundo reported on Wednesday. This follows a notification from the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) warning of the alleged presence of Hepatitis A in Moroccan strawberries. The Spanish agricultural association AVA-ASAJA has expressed its «concern» and called on the Spanish government and the European Union to take «urgent

Icelandic budget airline PLAY to launch first-ever direct route to Morocco

Icelandic budget airline PLAY will launch the first-ever direct route to Morocco, Simple Flying reported on Tuesday. Starting in October, the new route will link Reykjavik to the popular Moroccan city of Marrakech twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. «This is a magical city that is rich in history and culture. Everywhere we go, we give the competition a run for their money. We want to make travel more affordable and I am sure our Marrakech services will be well received by people who

Princess Lalla Asmae, First Lady of Côte d'Ivoire launch newborn hearing program in Rabat

Princess Lalla Asmae and the First Lady of Côte d'Ivoire, Dominique Ouattara, launched a newborn hearing screening program in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region on Wednesday at the Moulay Youssef Hospital Center maternity ward. This continental initiative aims to diagnose and treat hearing problems in newborns. Treatment options include cochlear implants and speech therapy. Additionally, the program fosters collaboration between Moroccan doctors and their counterparts in other African

Polisario leader warns against handing Sahara airspace to Morocco

Polisario leader Ibrahim Ghali sent, Sunday, a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, regarding recent Spanish media reports. The reports claimed that the Spanish Prime Minister offered to transfer management of the Sahara's airspace to Morocco during his visit to Rabat. In the letter, Ghali warned that if Spain confirms its intention to transfer airspace management to Morocco, «this would constitute a violation of the international status of the territory as a

Morocco Royal Navy intercepts boat carrying 27 migrants off Dakhla

On Tuesday, a Royal Navy patrol vessel intercepted a boat carrying 27 potential irregular migrants from sub-Saharan African countries, 183 kilometers southwest of Dakhla. According to a report from the General Command of the Royal Armed Forces, the migrants, who departed on February 29, were attempting to reach the Canary Islands. The rescued individuals received first aid before being safely transported to Dakhla port. There, they were handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for processing

Leader of Melilla's party popular with Moroccan community arrested

Spanish police arrested Mustapha Aberchan, the leader of the opposition political party Coalition for Melilla (CpM), on Tuesday. Aberchan is accused of «electoral fraud» (during the 2023 municipal elections campaign), «influence peddling, and embezzlement in the awarding of public contracts», according to Iberian media reports. Police also arrested six other CpM members and conducted searches of their homes and offices. CpM was previously part of a coalition government

Spain installs anti-drone systems on islands claimed by Morocco

The Spanish army has installed anti-drone systems on islands also claimed by Morocco, according to Spanish online publication El Confidencial Digital. The islands include Chafarinas (Jaâfarine Islands), located 3km off the coast of Ras el Ma in the Mediterranean. Other small islands, such as Vélez de la Gomera and Alhucemas, could also receive these systems, the publication adds. The Spanish army has declined to comment on the details of the deployment, citing security reasons.

Morocco’s Islamist party PJD slams France's «hesitant» stance on Sahara

Morocco's Islamist party, the PJD, has refused to endorse the visit of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, to Morocco on February 26. The party expressed «disappointment» with what it perceives as France's «hesitant and ambiguous position on the Moroccan Sahara question». Despite this criticism, the visit was preceded by «the sending of signals on France's desire to open a new page in its relations with Morocco, in

To isolate Morocco, Algeria seeks Mauritania's participation in its Maghreb initiative

Algeria is actively promoting membership in its North African project, a political and economic initiative aimed at regional integration. Following a tripartite meeting on March 3 in Algiers between Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, President Abdelmajid Tebboune discussed the project with his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Cheikh Ould El Ghazouani, on Tuesday, March 5. Notably, Mauritania was not present at the aforementioned meeting held in the Algerian capital. «The President of the

Morocco police seize over 2 tons of chira in Kenitra

On Tuesday evening, members of the Judicial Police in the Kenitra Security Province, in collaboration with the General Directorate of National Territorial Surveillance, thwarted an attempt to smuggle a significant amount of drugs. The operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals, aged 25 and 38, one with a prior criminal record. Both are suspected of involvement in a drug smuggling network. A report from the General Directorate of National Security stated that the arrest occurred at the

Sahara : Algeria responds to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Algeria promptly responded to the intervention of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on Monday, March 4. In his speech delivered during the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, Turk made no mention of the so-called «war» in the Sahara. Taking exception to this omission, the Algerian ambassador to the United Nations organizations in Geneva sought to «recall» the «existence» of the conflict in the Sahara. The Algerian ambassador

GNV bolsters fleet with two new ferries, reopens line for Morocco's «Marhaba» operation

The maritime shipping company GNV, part of the MSC group, is gearing up for the new season with the arrival of two new Ro-Pax vessels, GNV Sirio and GNV Auriga, bolstering its fleet on Italian routes. This brings their total to 28 ships, serving 31 routes across 7 countries. Notably, the Almeria-Nador line to Morocco will also reopen next June. Both GNV Sirio and GNV Auriga can accommodate over 2,900 passengers each and offer spacious, comfortable facilities. Passengers can enjoy 319 cabins, a

Morocco to increase wheat imports as drought weakens crop

Due to drought and a weak crop, Morocco will need to increase wheat imports for this season, according to Moroccan agricultural interprofessional organization Comader. Wheat harvest this year will be «a lot less» than the previous year's 4 million tons and lower than the government's budgeted 7.5 million tons of wheat, Comader Chairman Rachid Benali told Bloomberg on Monday. «We will need to increase imports. We have no choice», Benali said. «Agriculture is a

Spanish firm Ineco wins contract to redesign, expand Casablanca airport

Spanish general engineering firm Ineco has won a deal to redesign and expand Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport. During his visit to Morocco, the Spanish Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Oscar Puente Santiago, discussed the significance of Ineco's presence in Morocco with his Moroccan counterpart, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil. Ineco has been operating under contracts in all modes of transport in the country since 2006. They highlighted the

English singer James Blunt to grace the stage at Jazzablanca 2024

The 17th edition of the Jazzablanca festival, from June 6 to 8, features British artist James Blunt, who will perform on the Casa Anfa stage on Friday, June 7 at Anfa Park. Though not initially destined for music, James Blunt achieved global success with hits like «You're Beautiful» and «Goodbye My Lover». After studying aerospace engineering, he followed his family's military tradition before discovering his musical passion during a UN peacekeeping mission in Former

Morocco, Spain fast-track sea line launch, explore rail investment

Morocco and Spain agreed , Monday in Rabat, to accelerate the activation of the memorandum of understanding related to cooperation in transport and logistics. The memorandum was signed in February 2023 in Rabat during the 12th session of the high-level meeting between the two countries. A statement from the Ministry of Transport and Logistics stated that this desire was expressed during a working meeting between the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohammed Abdeljalil, and the Spanish

Spanish government stands firm on Laayoune location in Morocco

The Spanish government refused to change a reference listing Laayoune as part of Morocco, despite pressure from the Polisario and its supporters in Spain, unnamed sources at the Spanish Ministry of Defense told El Pais. The reference was published in the Official State Bulletin (BO) in an announcement about construction work at the Spanish college in the city. Usually, «errors» published in editions of the official Spanish state newspaper are «immediately corrected»,