News Flash

17,000 Moroccans receive direct housing assistance

The number of people who have benefited from the Direct Housing Assistance Program has reached 17,000 by July 15, 44% of whom are women and 22% are expatriates, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch said on Monday. Speaking at the House of Representatives' question time, Akhannouch revealed that 84,500 requests to benefit from the program have been submitted to the dedicated platform. The total value of the homes acquired amounted to 6.3 billion dirhams, with the State contributing 1.3 MMDH, said

Morocco opens door for importing pet food animal meal

Morocco has created a new system for importing animal meals, specifically for use in dog and cat food, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported in a July 9th announcement. This framework, implemented by the Moroccan government for the first time, now permits the use of animal meal specifically in dog and cat food production. The new regulation, issued by Morocco's Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits

UK government warns citizens of protest risks in Morocco

The British government has warned its nationals wishing to travel to Morocco of the safety risks posed by popular protests. «Protests and demonstrations could occur across the country, particularly in large cities, often without warning», the UK Foreign Travel Office said in a recently updated travel warning. «These events are typically monitored closely by law enforcement. While authorized protests are generally peaceful, unauthorized ones have sometimes led to clashes

Spain urges Pedro Sanchez to address Moroccan agricultural imports

A Spanish farmers' union, closely aligned with Vox, has urged the government of Pedro Sanchez to take action against the entry of agricultural products from Morocco. «If measures do not start to materialize in September, meaning real decrees with concrete decisions, then we will resume protests with our tractors in November and December», warned the coordinator of the Union told media. For the record, on April 25, the Spanish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas,

South Africa's new Foreign Minister meets Polisario envoy

South Africa’s Unity government was quick to respond to the Polisario's request, expressed on July 2, to meet its new Foreign Minister. On Monday, July 15 in Pretoria, Ronald Lamola received the Front's «Minister of Foreign Affairs» and Brahim Ghali's envoy. «South Africa will continue to raise the issue of the self-determination of Western Sahara with the international community», Lamola said on X. Mohamed Sidati's visit to Pretoria comes after Ronald Lamola

UN approves 9.1% budget increase for MINURSO operations

The UN General Assembly has approved a budget of $75.35 million for the operations of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) from July 2024 to June 2025. This represents a 9.1% increase compared to the previous fiscal year. The financial allocation is broken down into several components: $68.79 million for the day-to-day running of MINURSO; around $5 million to fund the peacekeeping support account; $872,000 for the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy; and $686,000 for

Samir case : Corral Holding awarded only $150 million of claimed $2.7 billion

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) dismissed, on Monday, most of Corral Morocco Holding's claims, amounting to $2.7 billion. The tribunal awarded the group only $150 million, less than 6% of the amount initially claimed. Moroccan Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah, speaking to MAP-Washington, emphasized the measures Morocco took to help SAMIR, the oil refinery at the center of the dispute. She highlighted the significant resources mobilized and the

AfDB launches «RASME» digital tool to modernize Morocco's development projects

The African Development Bank (AfDB) launched the new «RASME» digital solution on Monday, which collects accurate and reliable data in real-time to monitor the progress of projects in digital formats. The RASME (Appraisal Supervision Monitoring and Evaluation), soon to be extended to all other African countries, utilizes several digital technologies to further improve project monitoring and evaluation processes, according to a press release from the AfDB. Speaking on the occasion,

Algerian National Assembly president criticizes Morocco

A new edition of the Boumerdès summer university for Polisario cadres opened on Sunday, July 14, in Algeria. In the absence of Brahim Ghali, the president of the Polisario Front's parliament, Hamma Salama, presided over the opening ceremony. Unlike last year, Algeria sent Mohamed Reda Ousahla, the Vice-Chairman of the Lower House in charge of foreign relations, to read a speech by the Chairman, Salah Goudjil. Goudjil, officially Algeria's No. 2 figure, denounced «Morocco's

Amazingh Festival brings Amazigh Music to Morocco's coast

The first edition of the Amazingh Taghazout Bay Festival will take place from August 2 to 10 in Taghazout Bay (Agadir), offering an immersive experience celebrating musical diversity. An inspired combination of «Amazigh» and «Amazing», Amazingh aims to be a fusion reflecting a balance between the region's cultural heritage and the extraordinary experience the festival promises to deliver, according to Seven PM, the event organizers. Over nine days, festivalgoers can

Swimmer Hassan Baraka becomes first Moroccan to cross the English Channel

On Saturday, July 13, swimmer Hassan Baraka crossed the English Channel, a 55-kilometer journey from England to France, becoming the first Moroccan to achieve this feat. Baraka swam from Dover in the UK to Cap Blanc-Nez (Pas-de-Calais, France) in 15 hours and 55 minutes, culminating years of preparation that included participation in long-distance races across diverse weather conditions. Baraka contended with cold waters (ranging from 12 to 14 degrees Celsius), strong currents, and the

Polisario supporters in Spain decry imports of octopus from Dakhla

Polisario supporters in Spain have issued a warning to Salgado Congelados S.L., a Galician company that imports octopus from Dakhla. To meet the rising demand for octopus, a popular summer season product in the region, Salgado Congelados S.L. has increased its imports from Morocco. «This decision is a serious violation of the rights of the Saharawi people», the Polisario supporters wrote in a statement. «Western Sahara is a non-autonomous territory according to the United

Algeciras : Record influx with 54,669 vehicles and 176,894 passengers to Tangier and Ceuta

This weekend, the port of Algeciras recorded a sharp increase in the number of vehicles and passengers bound for Tangier and Ceuta. To accommodate this temporary surge, the port utilized the Llano Amarillo circuit for pre-boarding, according to Campo de Gibraltar Siglo XXI magazine. However, compared to 2023, the overall figures for this year's marhaba operation show a slight decline. Despite a slight increase on last year's figure (176,894 vs. 175,197 passengers), ferries between Algeciras

Over 54,000 reported AstraZeneca vaccine side effects, says Morocco Health Minister

Moroccan Health Minister Khaled Ait Taleb responded to a written question from MP Naima Elfathaoui of the Justice and Development Parliamentary Group regarding concerns about injuries or deaths linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine. In his response, Minister Ait Taleb emphasized close patient monitoring and the provision of free healthcare to those experiencing serious side effects requiring extensive examinations and treatment. He elaborated on the reporting mechanisms established to collect

Gladiator 2 trailer partially filmed in Morocco

Paramount Pictures recently unveiled the much-anticipated trailer for Ridley Scott's Gladiator 2. The film, which is partially shot in Ouarzazate, Morocco, is set to hit theaters on November 15, 2024. The trailer for the movie showcases spectacular battles, including water arenas and gladiators fighting wild animals. The images are accompanied by the song «No Church in the Wild» by Jay-Z and Kanye West. Paul Mescal plays the main character Lucius, who, several years after

InDrive initiates internal probe, ensures user safety after YouTuber incident

In Rabat, police arrested an InDrive app driver on Thursday after he allegedly insulted and threatened YouTuber Fatima Zahraa Lassakri following a ride booked through the app. In response to the incident, InDrive expressed regret and launched a «thorough internal investigation». In a press release on Monday, the platform emphasized its commitment to user safety, highlighting that they maintain detailed data on every journey. InDrive will cooperate fully with local authorities and

Italy : Moroccan boxing champion Bilal Boussadra dies in tragic accident

Four young people died in a tragic accident that occurred on the night of July 13-14 in the Italian town of Mirabella Eclano, including 19-year-old boxer Bilal Boussadra. Originally from the southern Italian region of Irpinia, Bilal's Moroccan parents had acquired Italian nationality on his 18th birthday. Last October, he distinguished himself by winning the Italian championship in the Youth 6.35 category, although this victory was marred by racist insults from the opposing team. From a

Spain rejects Sahrawi asylum seeker's plea

The Spanish Interior Ministry has refused to grant political asylum to a Sahrawi named Hafed Zergui. Spanish media reports state his application «does not meet the conditions required for examination». The reason cited is that Zergui had previously submitted the same request to authorities in French Guiana, where he resided for a year. After his application's rejection and a stay in Mexico, he took a flight to Laayoune, with a brief layover in Madrid. Upon arrival at Barajas