Wealthy Moroccan heirs detained for alleged rape of French lawyer  (Read more...)

Morocco to resume plan for flexible exchange rate by 2026, says Central Bank governor

Morocco is planning to loosen its exchange rate regime in 2026, gradually resuming the plan interrupted by the pandemic, Bloomberg News reported, quoting Bank Al-Maghrib Governor Abdellatif Jouahri. While attending the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington DC, Jouahri stated that «the move would involve gradually shifting the dirham from its current peg, which is based on a basket of euros and US dollars». «The central bank is

Polisario : Mohamed Abdelaziz's son promoted to commander of armed militia

Mohamed Abdelaziz's son continues to rise within the Polisario leadership. Brahim Ghali has appointed him as head of the «reserve army», according to media based in the Tindouf camps on Saturday. Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz replaces Mohamed Lamine Ould El Bouhali, who initially established the unit in 2017, following his dismissal in January 2016 by Mohamed Abdelaziz from the «Ministry of Defense». Since the 16th Congress held in January 2023 at the «Dakhla

Murcia : Investigation opened into assault of Moroccan citizen by security guard at consulate

The Moroccan Consulate General in Murcia, Spain, responded to a video showing a private security guard assaulting a Moroccan citizen on its premises. Consulate sources expressed «regret» over the incident, describing it as an «isolated» altercation between a guard from a local private security company and a Moroccan citizen. «As soon as it learned of the incident, the consulate contacted the company to express its strong disapproval of the guard's inappropriate

Morocco, Russia eye new Sahara fishing deal Post-EU rulings

Morocco and Russia are preparing the groundwork for a new fishing agreement in the Kingdom's Saharan waters. This is evident from a press release issued by the Russian Embassy in Rabat. «The Russian research vessel Atlantenero, part of the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency's Great African Expedition, has begun a research mission in cooperation with the Moroccan National Institute of Fisheries Research to assess the exploitation of small pelagic fish species in the Kingdom of Morocco's

Princess Lalla Hasnaa and Sheikha Al Mayassa chair Fashion Trust Arabia Gala in Marrakech

Princess Lalla Hasnaa and Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani chaired the Fashion Trust Arabia gala dinner at the El Badii Palace in Marrakech on Thursday evening. This event was organized as part of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture. Upon her arrival at El Badii Palace, Princess Lalla Hasnaa was welcomed by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani and Tania Fares, Vice President of Fashion Trust Arabia, before reviewing a section of the Auxiliary Forces presenting honors. After viewing

United Airlines operates first direct flight between Marrakech and New York

Starting October 25, 2024, United Airlines will operate a direct route between New York and Marrakech, offering three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The Boeing 767-300 aircraft used for this route can accommodate up to 167 passengers. The Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) closely followed the inaugural flight as part of its «Light in Action» initiative. This direct route aligns with the ONMT's strategy to attract one million American tourists

Maroc Telecom Group reports 6.1% customer growth in first nine months of 2024

Maroc Telecom Group reported 79.7 million customers at the end of the first nine months of 2024, a 6.1% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. In a communiqué released on September 30, 2024, the group revealed that its Moroccan mobile portfolio reached 19.9 million customers, driven by a 3.6% improvement in the postpaid segment. The fixed-line portfolio stabilized at around 1.7 million lines by September 2024. The strong growth of the FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home)

Heavy thunderstorms forecast this Friday in Morocco

The Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM) has issued an orange alert warning of locally heavy thunderstorms with gusty winds and hail in several provinces on Friday. These showers, expected to bring 15 to 30 millimeters of rainfall, will affect the provinces of Ifrane, Sefrou, Taza, Fes, Boulemane, Oujda-Angad, Guercif, and Taourirt between 1 PM and 11 PM on Friday.

American film director Jeff Nichols to lead Atlas Workshops at Marrakech Film Festival

The Marrakech International Film Festival will hold its 21st edition from November 29 to December 7, 2024, with acclaimed American director Jeff Nichols serving as the patron of its 7th Atlas Workshops. According to the festival's official announcement made in Rabat on October 25, 2024, the Atlas Workshops will run from December 1-5, featuring 27 selected projects from 13 countries. The selection includes 17 projects in development and 10 films in production or post-production, chosen from 320

Morocco to host third annual Flamenco World Conference

The Flamenco World Conference, organized by the Instituto Cervantes, will return to Morocco for the third consecutive year in November, according to a press release from the Embassy of Spain. The event, supported by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, the European Union's Next Generation EU recovery plan, and in collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, will feature 13 performances in 7 cities across Morocco, including Rabat, Casablanca, Meknes, Tangier,

Morocco advances in green hydrogen projects in Sahara provinces

Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch chaired a meeting in Rabat on Thursday of the steering committee overseeing «Morocco's Offer» for green hydrogen. The committee shortlisted a series of projects, primarily focused on the three regions of the Kingdom's southern provinces. These regions include Guelmim-Oued Noun, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab. The press release from the Head of Government's department stated that these projects will undergo further

Young footballer Ismail Baouf opts for Morocco over Belgium

Belgian-Moroccan footballer Ismail Baouf has chosen to represent Morocco at the international level, his father, former footballer Rachid Baouf, confirmed to the media. Baouf, who currently plays as a defender for Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht Futures, had previously represented Belgium at the U15 to U19 levels. «Ismail chose Morocco with all his heart and soul», his father said. «We are very proud of him. Hopefully, he can show his worth soon», he added. Baouf

Moroccan stars shine bright in European football : En-Nesyri, Ezzalzouli, and El Kaabi score

Yesterday, three Moroccan internationals made headlines in the Europa League and UEFA Conference League: Youssef En-Nesyri, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, and Ayoub El Kaabi all found the net for their respective clubs. المغربي يوسف النصيري يدرك التعادل لفنربهتشه ???#الدوري_الأوروبي pic.twitter.com/nIyj4uyc5y — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) October 24, 2024 Youssef En-Nesyri equalized for Turkish side Fenerbahçe SK against Manchester

Police bust ecstasy smuggling at Tanger Med, 209,000 pills hidden in cat food

A joint border control operation by police and customs officers at the port of Tanger Med on Thursday evening foiled an attempt to smuggle 209,000 ecstasy tablets aboard a foreign-registered car from Belgium. The tablets were carefully concealed in tins of cat food in an attempt to evade detection, according to a security source. The driver, a Belgian-Moroccan national, has been placed under judicial investigation by the prefectural criminal investigation department in Tangier, under the

BRICS : South Africa fails to include support for Polisario in Kazan Declaration

Participants at the BRICS summit, held from October 22 to 24 in Russia, adopted the Kazan Declaration. According to the document viewed by Yabiladi, the issue of Western Sahara was not mentioned, although the group members dedicated a long paragraph (No. 39) to the situation in Africa. «We commend the efforts and achievements of African countries in their pursuit of peace and development and in their fight against the growing threat of terrorism in Africa, particularly in the Horn of

CAF announces 2024 awards nominees with seven Moroccan contenders

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday the list of nominees for the 2024 CAF Awards (men’s category), featuring seven Moroccan nominations. In a statement, CAF revealed ten nominees in each of the seven men’s categories: African Player of the Year, African Coach of the Year, African Goalkeeper of the Year, African Team of the Year, Young African Player of the Year, Best Player within Africa, and African Club of the Year. The awards cover the period from

Former Moroccan footballer Abdelaziz Barrada dies at 35 following heart attack

Former Moroccan international footballer Abdelaziz Barrada passed away on Thursday, October 24, at the age of 35 due to a heart attack. According to media reports, he died at his home in Marne-la-Faye, France. Throughout his career, Barrada played for several prestigious clubs, starting with Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille in France, and also had a stint in the Spanish league with Getafe. He further played in the Turkish league with Antalyaspor, before moving to the Gulf leagues,

HRW criticizes Morocco for overturning landmark marital rape conviction

Morocco's Court of Cassation has overturned the country's first-ever conviction for marital rape, referring the case back to the Tangiers Appeals Court for review. The landmark 2019 ruling, which had sentenced the husband to two years in prison for raping his wife. The case began in 2018 when a young woman from Larache filed a complaint with the judicial police, alleging violence and rape by her husband. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized the Cassation Court's decision in a statement