North Africa

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has ordered on Monday the release of jailed journalists Taoufik Bouachrine, Omar Radi and Soulaimane Raisouni, local media reported. The release is part of a pardon granted to 2,476 convicts, a government source said. “This is a humane gesture on the 25th anniversary of king’s reign, …

The Algerian army has killed three armed “terrorists” during a military operation in northern Algeria, the Algerian Ministry of Defense announced in a statement on Sunday, July 28. “As part of the fight against terrorism, a detachment of the army yesterday (Saturday) killed three dangerous terrorists, namely the terrorist Debar …

Twenty-one people died in 24 hours in the Beni Mellal urban area in central Morocco due to a new heat wave that hit the country, which is in the grip of its sixth consecutive year of drought, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday, July 25. The General Directorate of …

Mohamed Ziane, the 81-year-old former Moroccan Minister for Human Rights, was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption. His lawyer described the sentence as retribution for his outspokenness and defense of political prisoners. The court had found him and two colleagues guilty of corruption and embezzlement during the 2015 …

A Tunisian court has sentenced opposition party leader Lotfi Mraihi to eight months in prison on a charge of vote buying, his lawyer said on Friday. The court also banned Mraihi, leader of the Republican Union Party and one of the most prominent critics of President Kais Saied, from running …

In Tunisia, the lack of water is a major development problem, and access to this essential element is becoming a chore. According to the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, global warming is causing water to evaporate. Despite the presence of numerous dams to conserve water, the situation …

Arab diplomats announced on Tuesday, June 18 that at least 550 pilgrims had died during the hajj, the great Muslim pilgrimage in western Saudi Arabia, the majority Egyptians due to the heat. This annual pilgrimage, from Friday to Sunday, took place this year again in the middle of summer in …

Six people were killed on Thursday in Algeria following flooding caused by heavy rains in the country’s western governorates. This is according to a press release from Algeria’s Civil Protection Services (Défense Civile), after receiving calls on Wednesday evening reporting missing people swept away by the floods. “Five bodies of …

Algeria on Tuesday proposed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that demands a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of all hostages held by Hamas and essentially orders Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive” in Rafah. Algeria’s U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama said earlier on Tuesday – after a …

An Egyptian soldier has been killed in an incident involving Egyptian and Israeli troops in the border area near Rafah, local media reported. The Egyptian and Israeli militaries are investigating what happened. Israeli media say there was an exchange of fire, but there are few other details and no reports …