News Flash

Morocco dominates Panama 6-3 in Futsal World Cup

Morocco's futsal team clinched a 6-3 victory over Panama in their second Group E match of the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup, held in Uzbekistan. Soufiane El Mesrar put Morocco ahead early in the second minute, followed by two goals from Soufiane Charraoui. Panama briefly narrowed the gap with a goal from Ortie Abdiel, but Morocco maintained a comfortable lead. Idriss Raiss extended Morocco's lead with two goals in the second half. Campos Aquiles and Maquesni Alfonso scored for Panama, but El

Lamine Yamal's grandmother : «He has no connection to Morocco»

The grandmother of Barcelona and Spanish national team player Lamine Yamal stated in a media interview that her grandson has no connection to Morocco. «He was born here, he studied here. This boy is not from Morocco, do you understand me? My son was not forced to do anything», she said. The 17-year-old Yamal chose to represent the Spanish national team, despite efforts by the Royal Moroccan Football Association to convince him to play for the Atlas Lions.

Secegsa launches seismic study for potential Spain-Morocco tunnel through Gibraltar Strait

Secegsa, the Spanish Society for Fixed Communication Studies through the Strait of Gibraltar, is conducting a seismic research campaign to explore the feasibility of constructing a tunnel between Spain and Morocco. To support this research, Secegsa has issued a tender for the lease, with an option to purchase, of four ocean bottom seismometers (OBS). These instruments will be used by the Geophysics Department of the Royal Observatory of the Spanish Navy (ROA) for a six-month research campaign,

FIFA world ranking : Morocco remains Africa's highest ranked team

Morocco maintained its position as Africa's top-ranked team in the latest FIFA world rankings, released on Thursday. The Atlas Lions held steady at the 14th position with 1,676.14 points, surpassing Senegal, who ranked 21st globally with 1,620.87 points. Egypt completed the African top three, occupying the 31st spot worldwide with 1,515.64 points. Globally, Argentina continued to hold the top spot, followed by France and Spain.

Morocco-Spain : Ryanair launches direct route between Girona and Beni Mellal

Low-cost carrier Ryanair has introduced a new direct route connecting Girona and Beni-Mellal, operating three times per week. During a presentation at Girona-Costa Brava airport on Wednesday, Elena Cabrera, the airline's director for Spain, Portugal, France, and Morocco, announced that this launch is part of a strategic shift in destinations from the Spanish city, with a focus on Marrakech and Beni-Mellal. Additionally, Elena Cabrera emphasized Ryanair's commitment to expanding operations at

Starbucks MENA stake sale delayed due to Gaza war boycotts

The sale of a stake in Starbucks' Middle East and North Africa, a franchise operated by the Kuwaiti group AlShaya, is postponed, according to a source with knowledge of the process who spoke to British news agency Reuters on Thursday. AlShaya, which is also present in Morocco through Starbucks and the retail shop H&M, is «not in a rush to sell», one of the people told the same source, adding that the sale process is delayed by boycotts preventing bidders from valuing the

Morocco votes for UN resolution against Israel

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a new, non-binding resolution demanding that Israel «end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory within 12 months». The resolution was approved with 124 votes in favor, 14 against, and 43 abstentions. Morocco was among the countries that voted in favor, along with other Arab states. European Union members Greece, Spain, Belgium, and France also supported the resolution, as did Russia. Opponents included the United

Polisario bans Sahrawi traders from leaving Tindouf camps

Dozens of Sahrawi traders and their trucks staged a sit-in in front of the Polisario headquarters in the Rabouni camp on Wednesday, September 18. They were protesting against the separatist movement's refusal to issue them with permits to leave the camps for Algeria or Mauritania. In statements posted on social media and viewed by Yabiladi, the protesters denounced the «monopoly» held by certain parties in trade with Algiers and Nouakchott. These restrictions on the free movement

Sahara : British diplomats receive Staffan de Mistura

Hamish Falconer, Under-Secretary of State at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, received Staffan de Mistura in London on Wednesday, September 18. «A constructive discussion today with Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, on the importance of the UN-led political process», wrote the British diplomat on X. «Finding a solution agreed by all would contribute significantly to regional security and

Thundershowers, gusty winds expected from Thursday to Sunday in Morocco

The Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM) has issued a weather alert, warning of heavy thunderstorms, hail, and gusty winds across several Moroccan provinces from Thursday to Sunday. The DGM expects particularly intense rainfall, exceeding 50 millimeters in 24 hours, in Es-Smara, Assa-Zag, and Tata provinces from Thursday afternoon (3 p.m.) to Sunday evening (11 p.m.). Additional weather alerts will provide updates on the severity and geographic extent of the storms. The provinces of

Faouzi Bensaïdi's Moroccan take on «The Cherry Orchard» to premiere

Director, screenwriter, and actor Faouzi Bensaïdi's fifth feature film, «Jours d'été» (Summer Days), is slated for nationwide release on September 25, 2024. A Moroccan adaptation of Anton Chekhov's renowned play «The Cherry Orchard», this cinematic masterpiece is a dramatic comedy that delves into themes of intrigue, manipulation, passion, thwarted love, generational clashes, and the revealing of long-held truths. The film follows Jalila (Mouna

Morocco and Gabon sign memorandum to strengthen judicial cooperation

Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi and his Gabonese counterpart, Paul Marie Gondjout, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday in Rabat to enhance cooperation in the field of justice between Morocco and Gabon. The MoU aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation and expand its scope to include technical aspects of judicial administration, the exchange of expertise, know-how, best practices, and the organization of scientific meetings to leverage the strengths of both countries'

Teenager fatally struck by lightning in Chefchaouen

A 17-year-old man tragically lost his life on Tuesday evening when he was struck by lightning in the Tamourt community of Chefchaouen province. According to media reports, the incident occurred as the young man was holding a sharp object in a tree near his family's home. A companion who was with him at the time survived the lightning strike.

Two shepherds killed in an attack near Algerian-Moroccan border

Two shepherds were killed in a terrorist attack near the Algerian-Moroccan border on Monday, 16 September, according to local authorities. The incident occurred in a forested area of Beni Snouss in western Algeria. The victims, identified as Abdelhamid Jorda, 40, and Abdelkader Ben Chert, 43, were working when they were attacked by an armed group. Following the assault, the attackers rigged the crime scene with explosives, injuring three soldiers who arrived to recover the bodies. While the

French visa applicants in Morocco required to complete video verification

Effective September 18, 2024, Schengen visa applicants seeking services from the French consular service in Morocco through TLScontact must now undergo video call identification at the Rabat visa center. This new procedure has been implemented to safeguard applicants against fraudulent and costly third-party booking agencies. The appointment scheduling subcontractor aims to ensure fair and equitable access to appointments for all legitimate visa applicants. The types of visas affected by this

Madrid judge halts deportation of Sahrawi activists

A duty judge in Madrid has blocked the deportation of two Sahrawi activists to Morocco after the Spanish Interior Ministry rejected their asylum applications. The case has been referred to the National Court, which will issue a ruling this week. The two individuals, who identify as human rights activists, Ali Hamou (30) and Abdelrahman Kamal (29), were being held in the inadmissible detainees hall at Barajas Airport. They were scheduled for deportation to Marrakech on the night of Sunday,

Morocco sends firefighting support to Portugal amid devastating wildfires

Devastating wildfires have ravaged central and northern Portugal, forcing emergency services to seek assistance from neighboring countries, including Morocco and Spain. According to Reuters, citing the Portuguese civil protection authority, reinforcements from Morocco are expected to arrive on Wednesday to help contain the blazes that have tragically claimed seven lives in the Aveiro and Viseu districts. These fires have also destroyed numerous homes and consumed tens of thousands of hectares

Spain arrests Moroccan hacker sought by Morocco

The Spanish National Police identified and arrested an individual in Segovia based on an international arrest and extradition warrant issued by Morocco. The suspect was involved, along with others, in purchasing products online from shopping centers in Morocco using stolen bank cards. Spanish authorities began their investigation on August 20 after reviewing documents submitted to the Foreigners Office in Segovia, located about 90 kilometers from Madrid. The individual had applied for