Flash actualités

Moroccan film La Más Dulce selected for Cannes 2026 Un Certain Regard category

The latest feature film by Moroccan director Laïla Marrakchi, «La Más Dulce», has been selected for the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, set to take place from May 12 to 23, 2026, in France. The film will compete in the Un Certain Regard category, as announced yesterday by the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM). This Moroccan, French, Spanish, and Belgian co-production tells the compelling story of two young women who leave Morocco to work as seasonal laborers in the

Visa propels African fintech with 100 startups supported through Africa Fintech Accelerator

Visa has marked a symbolic milestone in its dedication to Africa. On the sidelines of GITEX Africa in Marrakech, the payment giant unveiled 18 fintech startups from 10 countries during the Demo Day of the 5th cohort of its Africa Fintech Accelerator, pushing the total number of supported startups to over 100 since the program's launch. These startups, active in 28 markets, showcase the sector's diversity and dynamism, offering solutions that address a broad spectrum of payment and financial

From Rabat, Spain condemns racist chants during football friendly

Spain's Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with Parliament, Félix Bolaños, assured his Moroccan counterpart, Abdellatif Ouahbi, of his government's rejection of the racist chants that occurred during a recent friendly match between the national teams of Spain and Egypt, emphasizing that they «do not represent the Spanish people». Bolaños made this statement on Friday in Rabat, on the sidelines of signing a trilateral agreement with Morocco and

Morocco, Spain and Portugal sign agreement to boost judicial cooperation for 2030 World Cup

In Rabat on Friday, Morocco, Spain, and Portugal signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening judicial cooperation mechanisms ahead of their joint organization of the 2030 World Cup. The agreement was signed by Morocco’s Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, his Spanish counterpart Félix Bolaños, and Portugal’s Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, who highlighted the significance of an event bringing together countries with diverse

Anwar El Ghazi says «I wouldn’t change what I did with Mainz» after court victory

Moroccan footballer Anwar El Ghazi said he «wouldn’t change what (he) did with Mainz», referring to his former club, which terminated his contract over pro-Palestinian social media posts. El Ghazi took the case to court and later won, with German labor judges ruling the dismissal unlawful and ordering Mainz to pay compensation estimated at over €1.5 million. The decision was recently upheld on appeal, confirming the ruling in his favor. Speaking Thursday in an interview

Morocco international Zakaria Aboukhlal undergoes knee surgery

Moroccan international Zakaria Aboukhlal, who plays for Torino, has undergone knee surgery after struggling with a persistent injury for several weeks, ruling him out for an unspecified period. Aboukhlal has been sidelined since February 15, following his participation in a match against Bologna, due to ongoing knee pain. After initial attempts to manage the injury without surgery, Torino’s medical staff opted for an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee, which was carried out in

Mali withdraws recognition of «SADR», supports Morocco's autonomy plan

Mali announced on Friday, April 10, that it has withdrawn its recognition of the so-called «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic» (SADR), following an «in-depth analysis» of the Sahara issue and its impact on sub-regional peace and security. The decision was outlined in a government declaration issued after a meeting in Bamako between Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, who is visiting the country on high instructions of King

Severe thunderstorms and snowfall expected in Morocco from Friday to Sunday

Severe thunderstorms, accompanied by hail and snowfall, are forecasted from Friday to Sunday across several Moroccan provinces, as reported by the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM). Intense thunderstorms, with rainfall expected to reach between 25 and 35 mm and a potential for hail, are predicted from Friday at 2:00 PM until 11:00 PM in the provinces of Marrakech, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Chichaoua, Al Haouz, Settat, Khouribga, Taroudant, Khénifra, Benslimane, Fquih Ben Salah,

Morocco doubles sweet pepper exports to UK in 2025

Morocco doubled its sweet pepper exports to the UK in 2025, according to EastFruit. The UK imported 8,100 tons last year, more than twice the 2024 volume. Since 2020, shipments have grown 35-fold, with an average annual increase of 104%. Morocco’s competitive edge lies in the November–April period, when winter demand is high and Spain, France, Germany, and Türkiye are its main competitors. While France, Germany, and Spain reduced their exports in 2025, Morocco benefited from

FIFA picks four Moroccan referees for 2026 World Cup

Four Moroccan referees have been selected by FIFA to take part in officiating matches at the 2026 World Cup. The list, unveiled on Thursday, includes Jalal Jayed as a match referee, Mostafa Akardad and Zakaria Brinsi as assistant referees, and Hamza El Fariq as a video match official. In total, FIFA has selected 170 match officials for the tournament, set to take place this summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The group includes 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video

Algeria seeks Canada’s support ahead of MINURSO mandate review

Algeria’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Attaf, held a phone conversation on Thursday with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, who has been in office since May 13, 2025. The Western Sahara issue was at the heart of their discussions. The two officials «discussed recent developments in the negotiation process to resolve the Western Sahara issue, in light of UN Security Council Resolution 2797», according to a statement from Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The

CAF referees' committee president admits to controversial instructions during 2025 AFCON final

Olivier Safarie, president of the referees’ committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has plunged the organization into controversy after admitting he instructed the referee of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) final not to issue yellow cards to Senegalese players, in an effort to avoid expulsions. During a press conference held this Thursday, April 9, at the Maâmora sports complex in Salé, CAF’s secretary-general avoided addressing the sensitive

«State Terrorism»: Algeria's quiet response to French accusations

After several days of official silence, Algeria has finally broken its silence regarding the legal actions initiated in France by the anti-terrorism prosecutor over accusations of «State terrorism». The response, however, was rather subdued, emanating from the office of the Council of the Nation (the upper house), and almost slipped under the radar. In a statement that addressed more than just this issue, the institution labeled the comments made by the French anti-terrorism

Hammouchi receives Polish Minister to advance security cooperation

Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, received on Thursday in Rabat Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of coordinating security services and special agencies. The meeting took place as part of an official working visit by the Polish official, who led a high-level delegation and was accompanied by Poland’s ambassador to Morocco. The visit aims to strengthen and expand security cooperation

Morocco’s Economic Council urges generalization of AMO health coverage

The Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), in its opinion on draft law No. 54.23 amending Law No. 65.00 on compulsory basic health insurance (AMO), recommended the generalization of AMO, the removal of «closed rights», and the conduct of an actuarial study of health insurance schemes. Adopted unanimously on January 28, 2026, following a referral from the House of Representatives, the opinion builds on CESE’s previous work on social protection. It outlines key

Moroccan student in China who saved woman from drowning praised by country’s Foreign Ministry

Ayoub Fadil, a Moroccan student, has made headlines in China after saving a woman from drowning in a lake in the eastern city of Hangzhou. His bravery has been praised by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs days after a video of the rescue went viral online. During a press conference, the spokesperson for the ministry Mao Ning said she was «very much touched by his bravery» and gave him «a big thumbs up», adding that «kindness knows no borders» and

Morocco approves senior appointments reform, adopts 15 international agreements

During the Council of Ministers chaired by King Mohammed VI on Thursday at the Royal Palace in Rabat, a draft organic law amending and supplementing the framework governing appointments to senior positions was approved. The reform introduces several changes, including the addition of the National Agency for Child Protection to the list of strategic public institutions whose heads are appointed in the Council of Ministers, the renaming of the Mohammadia Foundation for Social Works of

Morocco rolls out new territorial development programs worth 210 billion dirhams

During the Council of Ministers chaired by King Mohammed VI on Thursday at the Royal Palace in Rabat, the Minister of the Interior presented the broad outlines of a new generation of integrated territorial development programs, based on a bottom-up approach that sets priorities according to needs expressed locally by citizens, in line with Royal orientations. The initiative aims to improve living conditions, preserve citizens’ dignity, strengthen territorial attractiveness, stimulate