Flash actualités

Morocco shines at Paris Andaloussiyat festival

The second edition of the Arab World Institute’s (IMA) Andaloussiyat festival opened on Friday in Paris, with Morocco in the spotlight. This year’s program celebrates the richness and diversity of the Kingdom’s Arab-Andalusian musical heritage. Running at the IMA until June 3 and organized in partnership with the Association of Lovers of Andalusian Music of Morocco (AAMAM), the festival showcases musical expressions rooted in Morocco’s Andalusian tradition. The opening

Spain: Podemos exploits the death of a Sahrawi man at sea for the Polisario’s benefit

For Spain’s far-left party Podemos, undocumented migrants who lose their lives trying to reach Spain are not all treated in the same way. That is the message conveyed by a written question submitted to Pedro Sánchez’s government by MP and the party’s secretary-general, Ione Belarra, about the circumstances surrounding the death of Daha Mohamed Fadel Lehbib, a 35-year-old Sahrawi from Laâyoune. The deceased had set off on board a makeshift boat carrying around 60

Morocco cucumber exports to Germany hit new record

Morocco’s cucumber exports to Germany continue to set new records, with the 2025/2026 season already surpassing last season’s peak, according to EastFruit. Germany imported 3,900 tons of Moroccan cucumbers between July 2025 and March 2026, worth more than €8 million. This represents a 10% increase compared with the previous season and a 28-fold rise compared with the 2021/2022 season. German importers now rely on Moroccan cucumbers year-round, with demand peaking between

Two brothers arrested near Benslimane for inciting minor nephew to drink alcohol

As part of ongoing investigations into a case involving the incitement of a minor to consume intoxicating substances, officers from the National Brigade of Judicial Police, acting on precise information provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, arrested two brothers of the main suspect in the early hours of Saturday, May 30. The first suspect had been detained on Friday. The two men are suspected of taking part in these criminal acts. National Security services

Nora Fatehi to headline Toronto countdown concert for FIFA World Cup 2026

The Canadian city of Toronto will host the first countdown concert for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 10, FIFA announced on Friday. The concert will feature Moroccan star Nora Fatehi, Canadian singer Bryan Adams, British DJ Sanjoy and French rapper Vegedream, and will also include a special collaboration between AHI and Wyclef Jean, FIFA said in a statement. For the occasion, the capital of Ontario will welcome fans for a major celebration at the FIFA Fan Festival, held at the historic Fort

Sahara: MINURSO closes its hospital facility in Laayoune

Three weeks after ending the duties of around 20 members of its medical staff, MINURSO has decided to close the hospital facility set up at its headquarters in Laayoune. The facility’s equipment is expected to be handed over to local humanitarian organizations, Yabiladi learned on Friday. With this latest measure, the UN mission is continuing to reduce its staff and refocus its activities in Western Sahara. Since 2025, under pressure from the Trump administration, MINURSO has been

Benslimane police arrest suspect in viral child alcohol video

The General Directorate of National Security said in a statement that officers of the National Brigade of Judicial Police, acting on precise information provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, arrested the main suspect on the afternoon of Friday, May 29, in the case involving the incitement of a minor to consume a substance suspected of being intoxicating, an incident captured in a video that was widely circulated on social media. The National Security services

Morocco and France bust drug network with 2692 kg cannabis seized

Investigations conducted by the investigation unit in the French city of Lille, in coordination with Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security, have led to the dismantling of an international drug-trafficking network and the arrest of two people implicated in the case, along with the seizure of 2,692 kilograms of narcotics, most of it cannabis resin. According to a statement from the French Interior Ministry, the public prosecutor’s office in Lille had, on April 13, 2026,

Moroccans lead Spanish citizenship grants in 2025

Moroccans topped the list of foreign nationals who obtained Spanish citizenship in 2025, with 42,114 people granted nationality, according to recent figures released by Spain’s National Statistics Institute. Spain recorded a new high in the number of people acquiring citizenship last year, granting nationality to 299,732 foreign residents, an increase of 18.7 percent compared with 2024. Moroccans ranked first, ahead of Colombians, who numbered 37,712, and Venezuelans, with 36,271. The

Rabat unveils Yuri Gagarin bust marking spaceflight anniversary

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday that the Moroccan capital, Rabat, hosted an official ceremony on May 20, 2026, to unveil a bust of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel into space, marking the 65th anniversary of the first crewed spaceflight. The ceremony was held at the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Rabat, providing an opportunity to celebrate a landmark human achievement that opened new horizons for scientific and technological

Melilla: Spain strengthens its military presence amid tensions with Trump

The Spanish government is strengthening its military presence in Melilla. «The armed forces are prepared and ready to intervene at any time» in the area, Spain’s Ministry of Defense says. The statement comes at a particularly sensitive moment, marked in particular by Morocco’s military rearmament and growing concerns over the security of southern Europe, OK Diario reported on Thursday. «Morocco has significantly increased its investment in weapons, drones, air

Algeria reassures Polisario after Ahmed Attaf remarks on Western Sahara

The session of the United Nations Committee of 24, held in Nicaragua from May 25 to 27, gave Algeria an opportunity to reassure the Sahrawis of the Polisario, who had been badly rattled by Ahmed Attaf’s remarks on the occasion of Africa Day. In a speech, Algeria’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Toufik Koudri, denounced «false allegations», «celebrations of a fait accompli» and «biased readings» of the comments made by Ahmed Attaf on

Eight migrants enter Ceuta during Eid al Adha celebrations

Eight migrants managed to enter Ceuta over the past few hours, taking advantage of the Eid al-Adha celebrations, according to Spanish security sources. The same sources said some of the migrants reached the city by swimming, while others succeeded in crossing the double border fence separating Ceuta from Morocco at various points along the 8.2-kilometre land border, without being detected by surveillance cameras. They added that the Sudanese migrants made their way to the Temporary Stay

Two French nationals missing off Tangier found safe near Asilah

A merchant ship has found the two French nationals who had been missing off the coast of Tangier since Sunday. They were in good health when located off Asilah, according to Agence France-Presse, citing the National Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center. According to an official at the center, the ship was able to locate them "thanks to the message sent to all vessels entering the search area. After that, it was necessary to confirm their identities." The Moroccan center assisted the

Spain arrests eight in Morocco to France drone drug smuggling ring

The Spanish National Police have arrested eight people after dismantling a criminal network operating between the provinces of Cádiz and Álava, specializing in smuggling drugs from Morocco to France through Spain using drones. Police said in a statement that investigations launched last year as part of an operation dubbed “Horus” revealed that members of the network had been using fixed-wing drones to fly shipments of hashish and cocaine from Morocco into Spain across

Daher eyes Tangier for Airbus parts production shift

The French group Daher is considering transferring part of the manufacturing and assembly of components for its Airbus programs to its Tangier site and to subcontractors in several countries, as part of a move to shift industrial workload away from its historic plant in Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées. In line with the internal «Edge» plan, the move is intended to turn around Daher Industrie, the group’s main but financially fragile division, reports L’Usine

Senegal beat Morocco on penalties to reach U17 AFCON final

Senegal’s U17 football team booked its place alongside Tanzania in the final of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco 2026) after defeating Morocco 7-6 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time, on Thursday at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. From the opening minutes, Senegal opted for long balls in an attempt to reach the Atlas Cubs’ penalty area, but without seriously troubling goalkeeper Rayan Yaakoubi. Morocco’s first threat came in the 4th minute,

Moroccan defender Chadi Riad wins UEFA Conference League with Crystal Palace

Moroccan international Chadi Riad won the UEFA Conference League on Wednesday with Crystal Palace after the English side defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the final in Leipzig. A second-half goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta secured Crystal Palace’s first-ever European title, capping off a historic period for the club under coach Oliver Glasner. Born in Palma de Mallorca to Moroccan parents, Chadi Riad is a central defender who represents Morocco internationally. The 22-year-old joined