News Flash

Tangier police arrest three minors following viral harassment video

Tangier police arrested three minors, aged 15, on Tuesday, following the widespread circulation of a video showing them harassing a girl on a public street in Tangier. These arrests came after the previous detention of a 13-year-old minor involved in the same incident. According to Hespress, the arrested minors are currently being investigated by the juvenile squad responsible for underage children. It's worth noting that the arrests occurred after a video documenting the incident was shared

Polisario appeals for «urgent aid» after Tindouf camp floods

The Tindouf camps have experienced heavy rainfall over the past 48 hours. Losses were recorded, particularly in the makeshift dwellings of destitute Sahrawis living in the «Dakhla camp», located on Algerian territory, approximately 200 km from the Front's administrative headquarters in Rabouni. Immediately following the floods, the Polisario requested urgent aid. «The Sahrawi Red Crescent is launching an urgent appeal to donors, UN agencies, and international NGOs for

Morocco PM Aziz Akhannouch holds talks with Spanish counterpart in New York

Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch met with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez in New York on Tuesday, September 24. The discussions focused primarily on «further strengthening relations between Rabat and Madrid, as well as regional and international issues of common interest», according to MAP. Sanchez highlighted the «excellent state of bilateral relations, the best in decades», during his meeting with Akhannouch. «We discussed the management of

Sahara issue ignored at AU-EU-UN meeting

The Sahara issue was not on the agenda at the high-level meeting between the African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations, held in New York on Sunday, September 22. However, African Union Commission President Moussa Faki, European Council President Charles Michel, EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres discussed issues related to Africa. «They discussed peace, development and humanitarian efforts in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa,

FC Barcelona fans launch racist attacks on Ilias Akhomach over Lamine Yamal

Moroccan international Ilias Akhomach was subjected to racist comments on his social media accounts from FC Barcelona fans over the past two days. The abuse followed a foul he committed against Spanish-Moroccan player Lamine Yamal during the match between the two teams at La Cerámica stadium. In the 91st minute, with the score at 5-1 in favor of Barcelona, Sergi Cardona and Ilias Akhomach made aggressive tackles on Lamine Yamal, resulting in yellow cards. However, FC Barcelona fans

Morocco's economy expected to reach 2.8% in 2024

Economic growth in Morocco is projected to slow to 2.8% in 2024 before rebounding to 4.4% in 2025, according to Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM) projections. The forecast includes a 6.9% contraction in agricultural value added in 2024, followed by an 8.6% increase in 2025, assuming average cereal production of 55 million quintals, BAM specifies in a press release on the third quarterly meeting of 2024 of its Council. Driven primarily by manufacturing, mining, and tourism-related activities,

Morocco's central bank maintains key rate at 2.75%

The Board of Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM), Morocco’s central bank, meeting in Rabat on Tuesday, decided to maintain the key rate at 2.75%. In a statement following its third quarterly meeting of 2024, BAM stated, «The Board deemed it appropriate to continue with the current monetary policy direction. Therefore, it decided to keep the key rate unchanged at 2.75% while closely monitoring developments in the economic and social situation».

Restoration of Tinmel's 12th-century great mosque ongoing one year after earthquake

One year after a devastating earthquake struck Morocco in September 2023, residents of the mountain village of Tinmel are working to rebuild their homes and the 12th-century Great Mosque of Tinmel. The quake killed nearly 3,000 people across Morocco, including 15 in Tinmel, and damaged almost 60,000 homes, according to government estimates. The Great Mosque of Tinmel, a marvel of North African architecture, was built by the Almohad Caliph Abd al-Mu'min ibn Ali around 1153 in the village of

Morocco blocks a wedding for foreign same-sex couple in Ourika

On Sunday, September 22, security authorities in the Ourika region of Al Haouz province intervened to prevent a planned gay wedding between a French and a New Zealander. The couple had intended to hold the ceremony at a hotel in Ourika, with approximately 50 guests invited to attend. Hotel officials initially attempted to conceal the nature of the event, claiming it was a birthday celebration. This is not the first incident of its kind in Morocco this year. In June, local authorities in Fez

Thunderstorms accompanied by hail and gusts of wind this Tuesday in Morocco

Thunderstorms, accompanied by hail and gusts of wind, are expected this Tuesday in some provinces of the Kingdom, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM). These thunderstorms, with rainfall amounts of 20-30 mm, will affect the provinces of Oued Eddahab and Aousserd from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., as specified by the DGM in an orange-level alert bulletin.

Sumar party opposes deportation of Sahrawi asylum seekers

The spokesperson for Spain’s Sumar party in parliament, Iñigo Errejón, has called on the Ministry of the Interior to reverse its decision to deport Sahrawi asylum seekers currently at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, emphasizing that this move does not align with the position of the junior partner in the government. In a post on X, Errejón argued that asylum applications submitted by Sahrawi citizens should be urgently reviewed, noting that «the

Morocco FM and Borrell to discuss strengthening Morocco-EU partnership at UN assembly

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Nasser Bourita, held a meeting on September 23 in New York, at the close of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, with Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, according to Moroccan diplomacy. «You can access the portal on your mobile device to view the latest update on the Morocco-EU strategic partnership, which aims to provide a reliable reference model in the Mediterranean

Morocco, UAE sign police cooperation agreement

Morocco's Director-General of National Security (DGSN) and Territorial Surveillance (DGST), Abdellatif Hammouchi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The MoU was signed between the DGSN, represented by the Royal Institute of Police, and the General Command of the Abu Dhabi Police, represented by the Saif Bin Zayed Academy for Security & Policing Sciences. This agreement will pave the way for implementing joint training programs and advanced internships in

Soltour expands Morocco offerings with new flights from November 2024 until June 2025

Spanish airline Air Nostrum, in collaboration with tour operator Soltour, is offering direct flights between Murcia Airport and Morocco, starting from November 2024 until June 2025. Soltour has created a flight schedule that coincides with holiday dates such as Carnival and Labor Day. Airports available for flights include Santiago de Compostela, Asturias, Bilbao, Valencia, Albacete, Zaragoza, Valencia, Almeria, La Rioja, Seville, Salamanca, A Coruña, Leon, Vitoria, Murcia, Valladolid,

Morocco blocks Polisario from chess confederation

Morocco succeeded in excluding the Polisario from the African Chess Confederation at a CAE meeting held on the sidelines of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) congress, held from September 20 to 22 in Budapest, Hungary, the president of the Royal Moroccan Chess Federation, Kadiri Bouchra, told Yabiladi. Efforts have been made to convince African countries to exclude Polisario, a former member of the CAF, since 2019. The headquarters of this continental organization are based in Algiers.

Moroccan coastguard saves 54 sub-Saharan migrants off Tan Tan

On Sunday, 83 kilometers northwest of the port of Tan-Tan, a Royal Navy coastguard intercepted a makeshift boat carrying 54 sub-Saharan migrants, including 7 women and a minor. The rescued people, who had intended to reach the Canary Islands, were brought safely back to the port of Tan-Tan, then handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the usual administrative procedures, after having received the necessary care on board, according to a press release from the General Staff of the Royal Armed

44 Rabat students hospitalized following food poisoning

About 44 students from the National Institute of Posts and Telecommunications were taken to the emergency department of the Ibn Sina Hospital in Rabat (Souissi) on Sunday due to suspected food poisoning. According to media sources, the students were taken to the hospital after suffering from severe stomach cramps. According to the same source, 34 of them were immediately discharged from the hospital, while ten others were kept under observation. The students suspect that the cause of their

Morocco to host the AfCFTA business forum in November

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Moroccan Exporters Confederation (ASMEX) will be organizing a Business Forum aimed at raising awareness and providing information on the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), reads a press release on Monday. The event, titled «Intra-African Trade: Perspectives and Opportunities», will take place on November 5, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Casablanca. The first edition of the AfCFTA-Morocco