Pakistani man's irregular Europe crossing via Morocco thwarted  (Read more...)

2024 Olympics : Schedule of matches for Morocco U23 in Group Stage (Football)

Morocco's U23 men's football team kicks off its eighth Olympic appearance against Argentina on July 24 in Saint-Etienne at the Paris 2024 Games. The Atlas Lions will then face Ukraine on July 27 and Iraq on July 30 in Group B. Unveiled by U23 coach Tarik Sektioui on July 5, the final list includes players from several international clubs, including Achraf Hakimi (PSG/France), Bilal El Khannouss (K.R.C. Genk/Belgium), Amir Richardson (Stade de Reims/France), and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real

The Urban Agency of Al Hoceima sets up a one-stop shop for Moroccan diaspora

The Urban Agency of Al Hoceïma is implementing a set of measures to support Moroccan expatriates (MREs) during their summer stay, aiming to improve service quality and reception conditions. In a statement, the Agency highlighted a one-stop shop dedicated to MREs, set up at its headquarters (80, Mohammed V Avenue) to expedite file processing, resolve administrative matters [e.g., permits, approvals], and support their projects. On-call services will also be available outside of working

Heatwave in Morocco : Up to 48 degrees from Monday to Wednesday

A heat wave with red and orange alert levels is expected from Monday, July 22 to Wednesday, July 24 in several provinces of the kingdom, with temperatures ranging between 38 and 48°C, announced the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM). Thus, temperatures ranging between 42 and 46°C are expected on Monday in the provinces of Oued Ed-Dahab, Youssoufia, Fquih Ben Salah, Meknès, Errachidia, Khénifra, Khouribga, Aousserd, Settat, Fès, Sefrou, Chichaoua, El Kelaa des

Former Bar president Mohamed Ziane sentenced to five years in prison

On Saturday, July 19, the Rabat Court of Appeal sentenced the former President of the Bar, Mohamed Ziane, to five years in prison and a fine of 5,000 dirhams. The lawyer was prosecuted following a complaint lodged by the Rabat section of the Free Liberal Party (PLL) for «misappropriation and squandering of subsidies granted by the State to the party». He headed the party from 2002 to January 2021. The court also handed down the same sentence to the ex-treasurer of the PLL, while a

US Ambassador : Recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Sahara is «historical fact»

As her term ends, US Ambassador to Algeria Elizabeth Moore Aubin addressed the US position on Western Sahara in a recent interview with Algerian media. She acknowledged the recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara by former President Donald Trump in 2020. «This proclamation hasn't been changed by the Biden administration because it's considered a historical fact», she explained. However, Ambassador Aubin emphasized the Biden administration's different approach.

Morocco's Nadia Annouz elected to African Union anti-corruption body

Morocco's Nadia Annouz, Vice-President of the National Authority for Probity, Prevention and Fight against Corruption, was elected to the African Union Advisory Board on Anti-Corruption (AUABC) on Friday. The election took place during the 45th session of the AU Executive Council held in Accra, Ghana. Annouz will serve a six-year term. Running for the position reserved for the continent's northern region, Annouz secured a strong victory with 35 votes. This result, according to Moroccan news

African Union meeting in Ghana hosts Algerian-Polisario talks

The recent ordinary session of the African Union's Executive Council in Accra, Ghana, facilitated a meeting between Algeria's Foreign Minister, Ahmed Attaf, and his Polisario «counterpart», Mohamed Sidati. On July 19th, the two officials held a private working session away from media scrutiny. According to the Polisario Front's press agency, the discussion focused on topics related to the African Union session's agenda, developments in the Western Sahara issue on the diplomatic

2030 World Cup : Morocco hosts 6 of 20 stadiums in joint bid

Following the presentation of their joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, Morocco, Spain, and Portugal have unveiled the number of stadiums that will be hosting the games, according to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Spain is proposing 11 stadiums, Morocco 6, and Portugal 3, thus respecting the limit of 20 sites set by FIFA. Among the proposed venues, Spain plans to use two stadiums in Madrid (Bernabeu and Metropolitano) and two in Barcelona (Camp Nou and Cornellà-El

Casablanca union protests dean's denial of Keffiyeh-wearing student's award

On Friday, July 19, 2024, the Casablanca branch of the National Syndicate for Higher Education staged a protest at the Faculty of Sciences Ben M’sik. They condemned the Dean's refusal to award a prize to a High School of Technology student for wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh. The union called the Dean's action «a dangerous breach of academic ethics and internationally recognized freedoms». They further described it as «reckless, disrespectful, and an insult to the

Global outage : National cybersecurity agency issues recommendations for Moroccan users

Morocco’s General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI) has issued a series of recommendations for Moroccans potentially impacted by the recent Microsoft IT outage that occurred on Friday. This outage caused disruptions in various parts of the world, affecting airlines, banks, businesses, and even emergency services. In its note, the DGSSI, an entity affiliated with the National Defense Administration, acknowledged the outage that left several users disconnected from their

British national arrested in Marrakech for UK drug trafficking

On Thursday, July 18, Marrakech security officers apprehended a 31-year-old British citizen wanted internationally. The man was arrested at Marrakech Menara Airport after authorities discovered an Interpol warrant for his arrest issued by the National Central Bureau in Manchester. The suspect is suspected of involvement with a Scottish criminal network engaged in international cocaine, hashish, and synthetic drug trafficking (including diamorphine and amphetamines). He is also accused of

You had Down syndrome, and yet…

You had Down syndrome, andYet they unleashed on you a fierceCombat dog, trained to kill as much asThey were all educated to hate. Your name was Muhammad. AndLike the Prophet, peace be uponHim, you were also loved, cherishedAnd above anything else, «most praised». Your mother used to care for you,And so did every member of theCamp in Gaza, though plunderedBy a mob bereft of any sign of faith. You called your killer «my dear»,Begging it while it was crunchingYour arm,

Raja president Mohamed Boudrika to be extradited to Morocco after German arrest

German prosecutors have confirmed the arrest of Raja de Casablanca president Mohamed Boudrika at Hamburg airport on an international arrest warrant. «He is being held pending extradition to the Moroccan authorities», the prosecutor's office stated. Boudrika was traveling to Hamburg on Wednesday to meet with first-team coach Josef Zinnbauer to convince him to continue coaching the Green team. Last March, the Aïn Sebaa Criminal Court sentenced Mohamed Boudrika in absentia

Marhaba 2024 : 538,000 passengers cross Moroccan ports by mid-July

Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil, announced on Monday that Moroccan ports have received approximately 538,000 passengers by July 15 as part of the «Marhaba 2024» operation, marking a 4% increase compared to the same period last year. Abdeljalil, presenting the «Marhaba 2024 provisional figures» at the House of Councillors, emphasized that the Ministry, through all its components, will continue the general mobilization to ensure that the arrival

Spanish police seize 15 stolen cars headed to Morocco

The Spanish National Police recovered 15 stolen cars hidden inside containers at the Algeciras port. Most of these vehicles, originating from France, Germany, and Italy, were intercepted before being shipped across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco. According to Spanish media, the thieves employed a technique known as «triangulation». This method involves fraudulently obtaining ownership documents for rental cars, essentially hiding the true owner's identity through a series of

Major tech disruption : Morocco's RAM and Ryanair impacted

A major technical failure is currently disrupting computer systems of numerous companies worldwide, according to statements from Australia's national cybersecurity authority. The disruption first impacted entities in Australia, including the ABC television network, Sydney Airport, and a major supermarket chain. The impact extends beyond Australia's borders, with reports of similar disruptions at airlines like Ryanair and Transavia, emergency services in the US state of Alaska, and airports

Morocco’s govt strives to regulate right to strike

The Moroccan government is striving to provide a regulatory and legal framework for the right to strike, as part of a serious, responsible, and participatory dialogue with trade unions, Government Spokesperson Mustapha Baitas said on Thursday in Rabat. Speaking during a press briefing following the Government Council, Baitas stated that after presenting draft organic law n° 97.15, which defines conditions and procedures for exercising the right to strike, discussions would begin today to

King Fahd Translation School apologizes for mislabeling Amazigh a «foreign language»

Following a social media uproar, the King Fahd School of Translation in Tangier, affiliated with Sultan Abdelmalek Saadi University, issued an apology for designating Amazigh, an official language of Morocco alongside Arabic since 2011, as a «foreign language» in a recent announcement. The school said, Thursday in an official apology, that it was an «unintentional mistake» and assures the public that the issue has been corrected. Said announcement, shared both online