Flash actualités

Bono goes viral in Argentina after singing River Plate chant

A video of Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (Bono) singing the lyrics of a famous River Plate chant has gone viral in Argentina, surprising fans with what many described as his «Argentine accent» and prompting calls for the Atlas Lions star to join the Buenos Aires club. In the clip, shared by Argentine journalist Iván Alvarenga, Bono is challenged to name a River Plate song. He responds by reciting the opening lyrics of the club's iconic chant, «Por este

Morocco and Kuwait discuss relaunching Casablanca air route ahead of 2030 World Cup

Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Kayouh held talks on Tuesday in Rabat with the president of Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Sheikh Hamoud Mubarak Al-Sabah, to strengthen cooperation between Morocco and Kuwait in the field of civil aviation. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the 29th General Assembly of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO), focused on enhancing coordination in air navigation safety and security while exploring ways to further deepen

Moroccan farm worker dies in Italy amid extreme heat

A 55-year-old Moroccan agricultural worker, identified as Taher Haddad, died on Tuesday afternoon while harvesting melons in Borgocarbonara, in the northern Italian province of Mantua. One of the main lines of investigation is that he suffered a medical emergency linked to the extreme heat. Italian Carabinieri from the Gonzaga station, together with officials from the workplace health and safety authority, are continuing their investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the

Visa expands AI stablecoin and tokenized payments across CEMEA

Visa unveiled a new suite of artificial intelligence (AI), stablecoin and tokenization capabilities for clients across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), ahead of its Visa Payments Forum in Paris on July 1. The company said the new tools are designed to support the next generation of digital commerce by combining AI-powered payments with blockchain-based infrastructure. «Commerce is entering a new phase that is increasingly intelligent, programmable and

RAM launches 12 direct Casablanca–Houston flights for Morocco–Canada World Cup clash

Royal Air Maroc (RAM) announced in a press release on Wednesday that it is significantly expanding its flight program to Houston following Morocco's qualification for the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the Atlas Lions will face Canada on July 4. After transporting thousands of supporters during the group stage and the Round of 32, the national carrier said it is launching a new air bridge between Casablanca and Houston to help fans attend the match. RAM will operate 12 direct

After missing penalties against Morocco, Dutch players hit by racist abuse

After Morocco eliminated the Netherlands on penalties to reach the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, three Dutch players who missed in the shootout were subjected to racist and discriminatory abuse on social media. Following the 1-1 draw and Morocco's 3-2 penalty shootout victory, Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville were inundated with hateful messages online, prompting them to disable comments on their social media accounts. According to NL Times, the Dutch

Ronald Koeman resigns after Morocco ends Netherlands' World Cup campaign

Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman has resigned following his side's Round of 32 elimination to Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. «Last night I took the decision to end my stint as head coach of the Dutch national team. We all shared the dream of making history at this World Cup, but we fell short. No one is more disappointed by that than I am. As head coach, the responsibility ultimately rests with me,» Koeman wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. The 63-year-old, who returned for a

Morocco donates 1,000 tonnes of fertilizer to support Panama farmers

A Moroccan donation of 1,000 tonnes of fertilizer was officially handed over to Panama during a ceremony attended by Panama's Minister of Agricultural Development, Roberto José Linares Tribaldos, and Morocco's ambassador to Panama, Bouchra Boudchich. The ceremony, held on Monday at the headquarters of the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Capira, in West Panama Province, was also attended by Carlos Guevara Mann, Panama's Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation at the

Morocco secures 365 million euros from EIB for road and rail upgrades

Morocco and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed financing agreements worth €365 million on Tuesday in Rabat to strengthen the resilience and safety of the country's road and rail infrastructure. The agreements were signed by EIB Global Deputy Director Lionel Rapaille, National Railways Office (ONCF) Deputy Director-General Mohamed Smouni, and Daniele Dotto, Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Morocco, in the presence of Minister of Economy and Finance

BENTELER inaugurates automotive plant in Morocco, creating more than 300 jobs

German automotive supplier BENTELER officially inaugurated its new manufacturing plant in Kenitra on Tuesday, following just one year of construction. Located in the Atlantic Free Zone, the facility will begin production in summer 2026 and create more than 300 direct jobs, in addition to indirect employment across the local supply chain. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour, BENTELER Group CEO Ralf Göttel, company executives, employees,

Amina Bouayach honored at UN Geneva women leaders exhibition

The United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, is currently hosting a photography exhibition celebrating 75 influential women, including Amina Bouayach, president of Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH). This exhibition, titled «Women Leaders» and inaugurated on Tuesday, June 30, aims to «highlight the importance of international recognition for women leaders». Among those featured is an Amazigh woman from Morocco, alongside women from various

El Aynaoui, Hakimi and Diop rewrite Morocco's World Cup record books

Morocco's dramatic penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands was accompanied by several record-breaking performances from the Atlas Lions, according to data from Opta, the leading football statistics and analytics provider. Midfielder Neil El Aynaoui completed 134 passes, the second-highest total by any player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Only Argentina's Leandro Paredes has recorded more in a single match, with 153 against Jordan. Captain Achraf Hakimi also reached a milestone. His 30

Amsterdam exhibition celebrates Moroccan and Dutch football legends through string art

Moroccan artist Abdelghafour El Maftouhi unveiled an exhibition in Amsterdam on Monday featuring a series of string art portraits celebrating some of the biggest names in Moroccan and Dutch football. Titled «Art and Football: The Game as Canvas», the exhibition is being held at the Amsterdam Public Library through July 3 at the initiative of the Tamuda Foundation for Art and Culture. It showcases around ten portraits created using string art, a technique in which thread serves as

Zineb Kharroubi gets suspended sentence in Casablanca over GenZ 212 posts

Activist Zineb Kharroubi was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence on Monday by the Casablanca Court of First Instance after being convicted of «incitement to commit crimes or offences by electronic means». She was also ordered to pay a fine of 5,000 dirhams. Citing her lawyer, El Hassan Essonni, AFP reported that the France-based member of the GenZ 212 collective appeared in court while free, having been arrested on February 12 upon her arrival at Marrakech

Operation Marhaba 2026: 154,000 passengers and 41,000 vehicles recorded in second week

During the second week of Operation Marhaba 2026, there was a noticeable uptick in crossings between Spain and Morocco, with both passenger and vehicle traffic surpassing last year's figures. Notably, the Almería-Nador route emerged as a key maritime link, overtaking the Tarifa-Tangier Ville route in terms of passenger numbers for the first time. The Spanish Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies revealed that the Almería-Nador line accounted for 9.3% of total

Temperatures of up to 46°C forecast across parts of Morocco

A heatwave, high temperatures and strong wind gusts accompanied by sandstorms are expected to affect several Moroccan provinces over the coming days, the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) said on Tuesday in an orange-level weather alert. Temperatures of 44°C to 46°C are forecast from Tuesday to Thursday in the provinces of Zagora, Tata, Assa-Zag, Boujdour, Es-Semara, Aousserd and Oued Ed-Dahab. The heatwave will then extend from Wednesday to Friday, with temperatures ranging

2026 World Cup: Ronald Koeman hails Morocco’s deserved qualification

Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman admitted his disappointment after his side were eliminated by Morocco in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while paying tribute to the Atlas Lions' performance. «I am extremely disappointed. We started well, but we failed to kill the game off. Morocco stayed in the match and eventually beat us on penalties», Koeman said during the post-match press conference. The Dutch coach praised Morocco's resilience, saying the Atlas Lions fully

Moroccans celebrate Atlas Lions' World Cup triumph in New York's Times Square

An atmosphere of celebration swept through the iconic Times Square on Tuesday night as hundreds of Moroccans gathered to celebrate the Atlas Lions' qualification for the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following their hard-fought victory over the Netherlands. Wrapped in Morocco's national colors, waving red flags and chanting in support of the national team, fans turned the famous New York landmark into a sea of celebration. Ululations, patriotic songs and jubilant scenes echoed across