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

Chinese ambassador highlights strategic importance of Morocco relations

Li Changlin, the Chinese ambassador to Morocco, emphasized the «strategic importance» of cooperative relations between China and Morocco, particularly in the areas of economy, culture, education, and technology, during a round table held Wednesday in Casablanca. Speaking at Mundiapolis University's Institute of Political, Legal and Social Sciences (ISPJS) on the theme of «Sino-Moroccan relations in the new era», the Chinese diplomat noted a significant surge in trade

Nearly 900 palm trees destroyed in devastating fire at Ouled Chaker oasis

A devastating fire broke out on Wednesday in the Ouled Chaker oasis, located in the commune of Aoufous within Errachidia province, according to the Drâa-Tafilalet regional civil protection command. Bouâaza Mimouni, the regional commander, reported that the fire erupted at 10:30 am, destroying nearly 900 palm trees across an area of 11 hectares. Speaking to MAP, Mimouni said the fire, which fortunately caused no casualties, spread rapidly due to strong winds in the region. Thanks

A Moroccan army drone kills three members of Polisario near buffer zone

A Morocco Royal Armed Forces (FAR) drone killed three Polisario members, including the new «commander of the 6th military region», Hmaida Dabada. Riding two vehicles, they were planning to launch missiles at FAR-held positions east of the Sand wall. During the same operation, seven other militiamen were wounded. The two vehicles were blown up by the FAR drone. The three bodies were discreetly buried this afternoon in the Tindouf camps. Only a dozen or so people, the majority

Société Générale sale : New owner will need new license, Bank Al-Maghrib Governor says

The governor of Morocco’s central bank has commented on the potential sale of the majority stake in Société Générale Maroc. «The banking law is very clear», Abdellatif Jouahri said during a press briefing held Tuesday. «If there is a change in the shareholding structure and a new majority shareholder, they must apply for a new license», he added, referring to reports on Moroccan private holding Saham’s plan to purchase 57% stake

Achraf Hakimi played key role in Brahim Diaz’s switch to Morocco, Marca reports

Brahim Diaz's decision to switch football allegiance to Morocco continues to make headlines in Spain. Spanish newspaper Marca claims Paris Saint-Germain winger Achraf Hakimi played a significant role in convincing Diaz to choose the Moroccan team. Marca reports that the Royal Moroccan Football Association has a well-established network of scouts across Europe who monitor players with Moroccan descent. The association reportedly utilizes its diplomatic and political resources to assist in its

13-year-old Moroccan-Belgian footballer Ilyes Bennane sparks transfer battle in Belgium

13-year-old Moroccan-Belgian footballer Ilyes Bennane is making waves in Belgium after announcing his decision to leave his current club, Racing Genk. Bennane, also known as the youngest international player in Belgium's history, is expected to depart by the end of the season, according to Belgian media. Already capped at U-15 level for both Belgium and Morocco, Bennane is set to choose between two clubs, namely Anderlecht and Club Brugge. The young player, who has also been invited to

Moroccan visual artist Mounir Fatmi to co-exihibt at Venice Biennale

Moroccan visual artist Mounir Fatmi will be featured in a co-exhibition at the Venice Biennale, an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. From April 17th to June 29th, the Venice Biennale will showcase Fatmi's exhibition Embodied Echoes: Stories of the Foreign Soul alongside Cuban artist Dagoberto Rodríguez, according to a press release sent Wednesday to Yabiladi. Through their work, both Fatmi and Rodriguez celebrate their

Spain and Morocco to compete for hosting 2030 World Cup final after Portugal's exit

It's now official. Portugal has withdrawn from the race to host the 2030 World Cup Final. Portugal's Antonio Laranjo, coordinator of the tripartite bid, announced on Tuesday, March 19, in Lisbon, that «Portugal does not have a stadium with a capacity of at least 80,000 seats, nor will it invest in increasing capacity, effectively removing Portugal from hosting the World Cup final». Spanish media welcomed the withdrawal. «The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) believes

Morocco orders hundreds of Javelin Missiles in $260 million US deal

The US Department of State has approved a sale of Javelin Missiles and related equipment to Morocco for an estimated cost of $260 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a press release on Tuesday. The possible sale includes 612 Javelin FGM-148F missiles, including 12 fly-to-buy missiles and 200 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LWCLUs). This proposed sale is expected to support the «foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping

«YallaVamos 2030» : Morocco, Portugal, Spain unveil World Cup bid slogan, visual identity

The slogan and visual identity of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain's bid to host the 2030 World Cup, «YallaVamos 2030», were unveiled on Tuesday in Lisbon. The event, attended by the presidents of the football federations, showcased the bid's pillars, narrative, official website, video, and social media pages. Central to the presentation was the visual identity of the «YallaVamos 2030» bid. The coordinating committee drew inspiration from a simple, colorful art style shared

Moroccan journalist and TelQuel magazine publishing director Reda Dalil dies aged 45

Reda Dalil, a Moroccan journalist, and editor of French-language weekly news magazine TelQuel, died on Tuesday, March 19, in Rabat aged 45. Despite initial recovery from a long illness, he had been forced to undergo surgery following a relapse. Dalil previously served as publishing director of Moroccan magazine Le Temps and editor-in-chief of Economie Entreprises, before joining TelQuel in the same position in 2018. At the same time, he published his first novel "Le Job" in 2014. The book was

Morocco’s Central Bank maintains key interest rate unchanged at 3%

Morocco’s Central Bank has decided to maintain the country’s key interest rate unchanged at 3%, reads a statement by Bank Al-Maghrib relayed by MAP on Tuesday. The decision was announced during a meeting of the Board of Bank Al-Maghrib on Tuesday in Rabat. The Board considered that the current 3% level of the key rate remains appropriate to reinforce the anchoring of inflation expectations and support its return to levels in line with the objective of price stability. Bank

Crime rates among Moroccan-Dutch minors drop over decade

The number of Dutch minors of Moroccan descent registered as crime suspects has declined over the past ten years, according to the Netherlands Youth Institute (NJi). Analyzing police registration data, the Dutch institute revealed on March 13 that in 2012, there were 83 registered suspects per 1,000 Moroccan-Dutch youth. This number fell to 31 per 1,000 young people with a Moroccan migration background in 2022. In 2012, Moroccan-Dutch minors had the highest number of registered suspects,

Italy extradites two Moroccans for suspected jihadist links

Two Moroccan citizens were extradited, this week, by the Italian authorities for suspected close ties to jihadist movements. Labeled dangerous extremists, the two nationals had their asylum applications rejected by the Italian authorities, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Monday, quoting the Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. Due cittadini marocchini, pericolosi estremisti vicini a movimenti jihadisti, sono stati rimpatriati. Uno di loro era stato trattenuto presso il CPR di

Morocco rejects Algeria’s property claims, calls accusations «baseless»

A Moroccan diplomatic source said that Algeria's accusations that Rabat has confiscated properties belonging to it in Morocco are «baseless» and part of an «unjustified spirit of escalation». The Moroccan diplomat, speaking to AFP, called the Algerian accusations «baseless», containing several false allegations and motivated by an «unjustified spirit of escalation». According to the Moroccan source, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Morocco rescues 55 irregular migrants near Laayoune

Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces, responsible for coastal surveillance, intercepted a boat on Monday, March 18, about 74 kilometers north of Laayoune. The boat was carrying 55 irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. A report from the General Command of the Royal Armed Forces stated that the rescued people received first aid before being safely handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for processing under current administrative procedures.

EU, Morocco to reportedly finalize migration pact by end of 2024

The European Union is reportedly planning to finalize a migration pact with Morocco by the end of 2024, Austria's largest newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported on Monday. Quoting high-ranking diplomats from Brussels, the newspaper indicates that Rabat and Brussels have been negotiating said deal for the last seven years. Indeed, Morocco and the EU agreed on a migration pact in December 2023. This agreement is expected to be finalized by the end of this year. The same source explains that the deal

Spain warns of new alleged Hepatitis A infection of Moroccan strawberries

Spanish health authorities have issued a new warning regarding a batch of Moroccan strawberries, after suspecting a Hepatitis A infection. According to information gathered by the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), consulted yesterday by the Spanish news agency EFE, this second notification was issued on Friday. It follows routine border controls carried out for the entry of products into the European Union territory. The shipment was destined for Poland. According to the same