News Flash

Morocco’s Brahim Diaz aspires to win the African Ballon d'Or

Fresh from his successes with Real Madrid, midfielder Brahim Diaz is gearing up for a historic achievement with the Moroccan national team. Having won the Supercup, La Liga and Champions League this season, he now aspires to win the African Ballon d'Or, a prestigious trophy on the continent. «It would be a dream to win this Ballon d'Or and other trophies with the Moroccan national team», he tells Spanish sports newspaper Marca. With 45 appearances, 12 goals and nine assists this

Morocco and Palestine forge industrial pact following Netanyahu's map controversy

Morocco and Palestine signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Rabat on Wednesday to strengthen their industrial cooperation. The agreement focuses on mutual recognition of certificates of conformity, quality marks, and halal labels between the two countries. Ryad Mezzour, Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, and Arafat Hussein Suleiman Asfour Abusnina, Palestinian Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion, signed the agreement. Mezzour emphasized the importance of the MoU

Morocco arrests four ISIS suspects

Morocco's Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) arrested four people belonging to the «Daech» terrorist organization on Thursday for their alleged involvement in preparing terrorist attacks aimed at seriously undermining public order. Special Forces under the DGST conducted simultaneous operations to arrest the suspects, aged between 21 and 41, in the cities of Salé, Tangier, and Tetouan, according to a BCIJ press release. Searches of the suspects' homes led to

Four dead, dozens injured in a fire in Fez

At least four people were killed and 26 others injured in a fire that broke out Wednesday evening in a market (Qayssaria al dabbagh) in the Bab Ftouh neighborhood of Fez. The injured were transferred to both the regional hospital and the Fez University Hospital for treatment. Ten of the injured sustained burns, three of which were serious. The remaining 16 suffered minor cases of suffocation. The fire also caused significant material losses in around 25 stores. The fire is believed to

Morocco’s RedOne set to produce Real Madrid's new anthem

For the second time, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has commissioned renowned Moroccan songwriter RedOne to produce the Merengue's new anthem. The artist officially announced the news on Tuesday, June 4, on his Instagram account, expressing his gratitude: «Thank you Dear President Don Florentino Perez (the BEST president ever) for believing and giving me the chance to be part of Real Madrid’s history!!! By creating the theme of ‘El Madridismo’ for The

Tangier Med cracks top 5 in global container port efficiency

The port of Tangier Med has been ranked fourth in the World Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) for 2023. According to this index, compiled by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, Tangier Med outperforms all African and European ports for the second year in a row. The port of Yangshan in China tops the ranking, followed by Salalah in Oman and Cartagena in Colombia, while Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia) rounded out the top 5 best-performing ports, the World Bank said in a

South Africa's election : ANC's decline could boost Morocco's Sahara stance

Could the defeat of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa's legislative elections on May 29 be an «opportunity for Morocco on Western Sahara», asks the daily Le Monde? «The weakening of the ANC, which won 40.21% of the vote and thus lost its absolute majority, would be 'good news for Morocco'», the French daily estimates. Nevertheless, the reality of the numbers gives Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC every chance of leading the country for at least the next five

Confusion reigns over 2025 Afcon in Morocco

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) denied, on Wednesday, the statement made by its secretary general on the postponing of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), originally planned for Morocco, to early 2026. In a statement shared to social media, the African football body called Veron Mosengo-Omba's announcement «false». «The CAF Executive Committee will meet to deliberate and take a decision on the dates of CAN 2025», reads the statement. «CAF will

Electrical short circuit behind phosphate conveyor belt fire in Boukraa

A well-informed source told Yabiladi on Wednesday that a fire broke out in the phosphate conveyor belt at the Boucraa mine due to an electrical short circuit. Maintenance teams have already begun repairs on the damaged section and aim to complete them as soon as possible. The incident did not cause any human injuries, and only about 10 meters of the 200-kilometer-long belt, the world's longest, was affected. All human and logistical resources have been mobilized to return the conveyor belt to

From Rabat to Doha : Amazigh jewelry takes center stage

Shown abroad for the first time between February 21 and May 20, 2024, the «Berber Jewelry from the Royal Palace» exhibition closed to great acclaim from visitors to Doha's Museum of Islamic Art. This event, which kicked off the Qatar-Morocco 2024 cultural year, was organized in partnership with the National Museums Foundation (FNM) and supported by the Kingdom's embassy in the Gulf country. It was intended to be «a unique window on Moroccan culture». It also bears

Mauritania's presidential elections are also being played out in Morocco

Mauritania's presidential elections, scheduled for June 29, have echoes as far away as Morocco. In Laayoune, a committee has been set up to support the candidacy of incumbent President Mohamed Cheikh Ould El Ghazouani, who is seeking a second term, according to a media outlet in Nouakchott. The initiative, launched by a Mauritanian investor in the city, is aimed not only at the Mauritanian community settled in the province, but above all at the thousands of Moroccans who have acquired

Spain creates commission to examine Morocco's relations with Ceuta, Melilla

Tuesday, June 4, the Spanish Senate approved the creation of an inter-ministerial commission to examine Morocco's relations with Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish media reported. The People’s Party (PP), Spain's main opposition party, proposed the creation of the commission due to Morocco's stance on Ceuta, Melilla, and delayed customs openings. The far-left supported the initiative, while the ruling PSOE opposed it, fearing a «diplomatic conflict». The socialists argued that

Methanol poisoning : Death toll rises to 8

The death toll from the methanol poisoning incident in Sidi Allal El Tazi commune (Kenitra region) has reached eight, reported the Regional Directorate of Health and Social Protection in Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region on Wednesday. «Between 6 pm on Monday, June 3 and 8 am on Wednesday, June 05, 2024, 114 cases of methanol poisoning were confirmed in the commune», the directorate said in a statement, citing the Moroccan Center for Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance in

Morocco approves 28 projects worth 20.5 billion dirhams

Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch chaired, Tuesday, June 4, in Rabat, the fifth meeting of the National Investment Commission, as directed by King Mohammed VI. This marks the third meeting held in 2024 and follows the implementation of the new Investment Charter since March 2023. The Charter aims to strengthen support for private investment and job creation. At this session, 27 projects were approved under the main scheme, representing a total investment of nearly 7.7 billion dirhams.

Moroccan AI influencer makes Miss AI shortlist

A Moroccan influencer has been shortlisted for a new beauty pageant. However, this Instagram influencer and the nine other contestants share a very interesting feature: they are not real. The frontrunners for the first Miss AI beauty pageant are all AI-generated. The recently published shortlist includes AI influencers from all over the globe. Representing Morocco is Kenza Layli, who boasts 192k followers on Instagram. Through her content, the Moroccan AI-generated influencer can earn

Did the Polisario cause the Boucraa phosphate conveyor fire?

A phosphate conveyor at the Boucraa mine, located 100 km east of Laayoune, caught fire. «The investigation has just begun», said a security source contacted by Yabiladi: «It is still premature to draw any conclusions». «Investigators are working on the theory of a technical failure that may have triggered the flames in the world's longest phosphate conveyor. The possibility of an isolated act by a Polisario supporter based in the Sahara is not to be ruled out,

Leïla Kilani's film «Indivision» to premiere in Tangier

The latest feature film by French-Moroccan filmmaker Leïla Kilani, «Indivision», will be screened at the Alcazar cinema in Tangier on June 8 at 7 pm. The film, shot in the same city, is part of the World Environment Day (June 5) celebrations organized nationally by the Moroccan Coalition for Climate Justice (CMJC). The screening is the result of a partnership between the CMJC and the director, which aims to combine the film with «discussions and hearings on environmental

EU invests €600,000 to boost Morocco's cultural and creative industries

A partnership agreement between the European Union and the General Confederation of Enterprises in Morocco (CGEM) allocates 600,000 euros to the Moroccan Forum of Cultural and Creative Industries (FICC), to support this sector at national level. A signing ceremony was held on Monday June 3, attended by Patricia Llombart Cussac, Ambassador of the EU Delegation, and Chakib Alj, President of the CGEM, in the presence of Neila Tazi, President of the FICC. The project, titled «ICC: