News Flash

Crisis cell activated for Moroccans in Lebanon amid Israeli attacks

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is paying special attention to the situation of the Moroccan community in Lebanon, according to well-informed sources. They added that with the first manifestations of the crisis, a crisis cell was set up to track the situation of the Moroccan community in Lebanon. The same sources emphasized that the cell is working continuously to react to the developments of the situation and take the necessary measures. They confirmed that according to the available

Morocco sentences five for social media incitement of mass migration to Ceuta

Five people have been sentenced to prison for inciting mass migration to Ceuta in connection with events that took place last week in the Fnideq region. The Tetouan court sentenced two of them to six months in prison, while the other three will serve three months. Last week, the Minister Delegate for Relations with Parliament and Government Spokesman, Mustapha Baitas, announced that 152 people had been referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office for their alleged involvement in the spread of

Morocco bus tragedy : Death toll from torrential rains reaches 11

On Wednesday morning, a new body was found after a bus was swept away by torrential rains in the Wadi Tata, bringing the death toll to 11 and the number of missing people to 5. «Volunteers launched an operation today to search for the missing, which led to the discovery of the body of one of the victims of the bus tragedy, under the supervision of local authorities», Mbarek Outchrift, head of the local NGO Ifouss Forum, told Yabiladi. The number of people missing from the bus is

Previously convicted Moroccan national accused of killing 19-year-old in Paris

On Tuesday, September 24, a 22-year-old Moroccan national was arrested at the Geneva train station in Switzerland for his alleged involvement in the rape and murder of a 19-year-old student in France. The victim's body was found lifeless in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris four days earlier. According to BFMTV, citing corroborating sources, the Paris public prosecutor's office is expected to make an extradition request without delay. The suspect reportedly arrived in France illegally from Spain

French MEP Rima Hassan urges Morocco to cut ties with Israel

French left-wing political party France Insoumise (LFI) MEP Rima Hassan has commented on relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv, established on December 10, 2020. «One wonders what the King of Morocco is waiting for to break off diplomatic relations with Israel», the Palestinian-born MEP wrote on her X account. «Most of the Moroccan people are demanding support for the Palestinian people. Normalization with Israel is a betrayal», she argued. On se demande ce

Spanish authorities intercept 22 stolen luxury cars smuggled to Morocco

Spanish police have seized a total of 22 stolen vehicles in the port of Tarifa over the past three weeks. The vehicles, equipped with fake license plates and documentation, were intercepted during inspections in the port's vehicle inspection area. In collaboration with the Customs Investigation Office (UDAIFF), authorities conducted thorough checks to prevent the shipment of these stolen vehicles to Tangier. All of the recovered vehicles are luxury models, including a Porsche 911 Carrera

Moroccan royal holding Al Mada acquires Nutella competitor Nutkao

Teralys, a subsidiary of Moroccan royal holding Al Mada, has announced the acquisition of Nutkao, an Italian food company specializing in the production of cocoa and milk spreadable creams. According to a press release by Al Mada on Tuesday, September 24, the transaction will be finalized once the necessary administrative authorizations have been obtained. Founded in 1982, Nutkao owns production units in Italy, Belgium, and the United States, as well as a cocoa processing plant in Ghana. The

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