News Flash

Morocco and UK Foreign Ministers discuss bilateral relations in phone call

Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs had a phone call, Monday, with his British counterpart, David Lammy. During their call, Lammy expressed his congratulations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of King Mohammed VI's accession to the throne. ??-??| MFA Nasser Bourita, had a phone call, today with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, Mr. David Lammy. pic.twitter.com/vs6MI3Zihj — Moroccan Diplomacy ??

Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali and Mohamed Tandouft advance to 3000m steeplechase final

Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali qualified for the 3000-meter steeplechase final at the Paris Olympics on Monday evening. El Bakkali secured his place by winning the qualifying heat in 8 minutes, 17 seconds, and 91 milliseconds. Fellow Moroccan Mohamed Tandouft also advanced to the final after winning his qualifying heat in 8 minutes, 10 seconds, and 63 milliseconds.

Marrakech police arrest 18-year-old Daesh supporter plotting terror attacks

Marrakech’s judicial police, acting on intelligence provided by the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), arrested an 18-year-old suspected supporter of the terrorist organization Daesh on Monday. The suspect is alleged to have been planning large-scale terrorist attacks targeting sensitive sites within the Kingdom, according to a statement from the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ). The operation led to the seizure of electronic equipment, a plastic

Morocco misses final after 2-1 loss to Spain in Olympic

Morocco’s Olympic team lost 2-1 to Spain’s Under-21 team, losing their chance to reach the final. The Atlas Cubs played a tough game, opening the score with a penalty awarded to Soufiane Rahimi, who secured the team’s first goal in the 37th minute. The Spanish team managed to reach the Moroccan net in the 66th minute, with a goal of Fermin Lopez. They doubled their lead in the 85th minute, with a goal of Juanlu Sanchez. Morocco missed several opportunities to equalize the

Far-right riots target asylum seeker hotels in the UK

Two hotels housing asylum seekers in the United Kingdom were attacked by far-right demonstrators on Sunday amid ongoing anti-Muslim, anti-migration riots. According to Al Jazeera, hundreds of people gathered in front of a Holiday Inn Express hotel housing asylum seekers near the town of Rotherham. They threw bricks at police, broke hotel windows, and set bins on fire. Videos of the riots showed police preventing masked rioters from storming the hotel. On the same day, Staffordshire Police

American doughnut chain Krispy Kreme to open first store in Morocco

American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain Krispy Kreme announced on Monday, August 5th, that it will open its first store in Morocco on August 9, 2024, reinforcing its position as a leader in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. «Known for its iconic Original Glazed® Doughnuts and coffee, the brand will now be making fresh Doughnuts daily in Morocco. This move marks a strategic expansion in the MENA region, further solidifying Krispy Kreme's leadership

Spain refuses asylum to two more Sahrawis

Spain's Ministry of the Interior has denied asylum requests from a brother and sister claiming to be Sahrawi activists persecuted by Moroccan authorities. The disabled siblings, residing in Laayoune, arrived in Madrid from Casablanca and subsequently applied for asylum at Barajas airport, Spanish media reported. Despite the rejection, the pair have received support from the Spanish representation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which urged the Spanish government

Spain hits record 1.35 million passengers in largest Cross-Strait Operation

Spain's Director General of Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, announced that the current Operation Strait Crossing (OPE) is on track to be the largest in its 35-year history, based on passenger and vehicle numbers. During a press conference at the Ceuta Government Delegation on Saturday, Barcones assessed the operation's progress. The past weekend was considered a peak period as many Moroccan families living in Europe traveled to and from their home country for summer

Tottenham Hotspur eye Moroccan midfielder Amir Richardson for transfer

English club Tottenham Hotspur is eyeing Moroccan international Amir Richardson, according to French media. Foot Mercato revealed that the 22-year-old midfielder, who played a key role for the Moroccan national team at the Olympic Games, is being closely monitored by Tottenham Hotspur. «His performance in recent games has been followed with interest by the English club», the website said, adding that Tottenham Hotspur has included his name on a list of potential players to

Moroccan man fatally stabbed in Pontecorvo, Italy

On the night of August 4-5, a 24-year-old Moroccan man was stabbed to death in Pontecorvo, a municipality in the Italian region of Frosinone, according to the Italian press. Residents of the area called the police after hearing screams, and when the police patrol arrived at the scene, they found the young man lying on the ground in a pool of blood, while his attacker had fled. The incident began with an argument between two young men, during which one of them used a knife to fatally stab the

Anti-normalization activists condemn Morocco's reception of new Israeli official at Liaison Office

The National Secretariat of the Moroccan Front for Palestine Support and Anti-Normalization expressed strong disapproval of the recent decision to receive a «new official at the Zionist Liaison Office in Rabat», replacing David Govrin who served Israel's permanent ambassador to Morocco. They group emphasized the «sentiment among many Moroccans who wish to sever relations with the occupation entity, cancel the normalization agreement and its subsidiary agreements, close the

Moroccan inmate commits suicide in Lombardy, Italy prison

A 31-year-old Moroccan took his own life on Saturday, August 3rd, in his cell in the Cremona District Prison in Italy’s Lombardy region, local media reported. The inmate who committed suicide was homeless, according to the same source, adding that he had been charged with «robbery and sexual violence». The Moroccan is the 62nd inmate to take his own life since the beginning of 2024 in Italy, the local newspaper reported. The same source adds that the Cremona prison,

Moroccan Navy rescues 59 migrants bound for Canary Islands

On Sunday, August 4, 2024, a Royal Navy frigate intercepted a pirogue carrying 59 sub-Saharan migrants attempting to reach the Canary Islands. The vessel was located approximately 229 kilometers southwest of Dakhla. The migrants received necessary care aboard the frigate before being transported to the port of Dakhla. They were subsequently handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for further processing.

Royal Air Maroc to resume direct Casablanca-Beijing flights in January 2025

Royal Air Maroc (RAM) announced on Monday the re-establishment of the direct Casablanca-Beijing air route as part of the reinforcement of its international network. Launched in January 2020, this direct route was suspended a few weeks later due to the health crisis. Starting January 20, 2025, flights will operate three times a week, according to a press release from the airline. Flights departing from Casablanca will take place on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 3:15 p.m. (local time),

Olympics : French mayor closes Moroccan stand over Sahara comments

The mayor of Ile-Saint-Denis, Mohamed Gnabaly, ordered the closure of the Moroccan stand at Station Afrique, a fan zone within the Olympic Village. The decision followed comments made by Moroccan singer Saida Charaf, of Saharan origin, expressing support for Morocco's position on Western Sahara. In a press release, the ecologist mayor justified terminating the agreement with the Moroccan embassy due to a breach of neutrality commitments. He stated, «International politics have no place

Morocco and Algeria compete for AU Vice-Presidency in 2025

The next ordinary summit of the African Union, scheduled for February 2025, will see a race between Morocco and Algeria to win the first vice-presidency of the AU Commission, a position that is designated for the northern region of the continent. On August 3 and July 31, respectively, the two neighboring countries submitted their candidacies to the SADR's representative, Lamine Baali, who acts as dean of the regional grouping. He will forward them to the AU organs, according to Polisario media

Despite its recognition of the «SADR», a Nigerian government delegation visited Dakhla

A government delegation from Nigeria, led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation/Marine and Blue Economy, Olufemi Oloruntola, paid a working visit to Dakhla on Thursday to learn about Morocco's experience in the fields of maritime fishing and ports, according to MAP. The mission visited the construction site of the Dakhla Atlantique port project, an industrial unit for the enhancement of small pelagics, the aquaculture laboratory of the Institut National de

Anti-Muslim violence erupts in UK amid murderer identity rumors

Violent riots erupted in multiple British cities on Saturday following the murder of three young girls in northern England. The unrest involved hundreds of anti-immigration protesters who took to the streets after false rumors circulated on social media. These rumors falsely claimed that the suspect in Monday's fatal stabbing at a children's dance class in Southport was a radicalized Muslim immigrant, reports Reuters. Police have identified the suspect as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, a