عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Morocco: Prime Minister Criticizes 2M TV Channel

Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani (Reuters)
Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani (Reuters)
TT
TT

Morocco: Prime Minister Criticizes 2M TV Channel

Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani (Reuters)
Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani (Reuters)

Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani strongly criticized the Moroccan TV channel 2M for what he described as "unprofessional behavior" during its coverage of the government's weekly meeting last Thursday, which discussed the ramifications of a campaign to boycott three consumer products within the month of Ramadan.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister revealed the contents of the letter, sent by head of the Ottoman court, Jamae al-Moatasem to Salim al-Sheikh, the director general of 2M, which stated that the channel published a short video of the Prime Minister apologizing for not answering a question of the channel’s journalist.

"It is totally unacceptable for a public channel to film someone without the knowledge or authorization of the person concerned, let alone if the person in question is the prime minister, and the occasion is the weekly meeting of the government council," he said.

The message was also addressed to the Minister of Culture and Communication, the President of the National Company for Radio and Television, and “Soread 2M”.

The PM also criticized the opening segment of the channel’s news which broadcast the video which clearly showed that the Prime Minister did not stop to talk to the press, and was not aware of the cameraman who was filming from behind without agreeing to making a statement.

The prime minister's objection also included the publishing of a report by the channel about the cabinet meeting, in which he said that a price offer was presented, was considered "unrealistic".

During its Thursday meeting, the government warned of the severe ramifications of the boycott on the economy and small farmers, especially with regard to milk, which consumption doubles during the month of Ramadan.

The cabinet also indicated that it will monitor any false news on social media relating to the prices of some products, which angered the boycott campaign.

It is noteworthy that this is not the first time the prime minister clashed with 2M. Disagreements peaked during former prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane, and secretary-general of the Justice and Development Party.

During his government tenure, Benkirane accused the channel of targeting him and his party. He repeatedly criticized 2M news director, Samira Sitail.

Sitail in turn he also condemned the former prime minister and she even participated in a stance in front of the parliament protesting a statement in which he described women as "chandeliers."

A number of women's associations considered it a derogatory role.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

UN Security Council Delegation Visits South Lebanon, Urges All Sides to Stick to Truce

A convoy carrying a UN Security Council delegation, tours the border with Israel close to the southern Lebanese area of Naqura on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
A convoy carrying a UN Security Council delegation, tours the border with Israel close to the southern Lebanese area of Naqura on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
TT
TT

UN Security Council Delegation Visits South Lebanon, Urges All Sides to Stick to Truce

A convoy carrying a UN Security Council delegation, tours the border with Israel close to the southern Lebanese area of Naqura on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
A convoy carrying a UN Security Council delegation, tours the border with Israel close to the southern Lebanese area of Naqura on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)

A United Nations Security Council delegation on Saturday urged all parties to uphold a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, expressing support for a state weapons monopoly at the end of a Lebanon visit.

"We came to Beirut at a pivotal time for the implementation of... the cessation of hostilities agreement of November of last year," Slovenian UN ambassador Samuel Zbogar, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the UN body, told reporters.

"All parties must uphold the November 2024 cessation of hostilities agreement, and we recognize progress achieved by Lebanon this year," he said.

"We reaffirm the council's support for Lebanon's territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence."

"We also reaffirm commitment to the full implementation of Resolution 1701 in support of Lebanon's -- as well as regional -- security and stability," he added, referring to a 2006 Security Council decision that forms the basis of the current truce.

The November 2024 ceasefire was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon.

Israel has mainly said it is targeting the group, and has maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.

The Lebanese government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, and the army is set to dismantle the group's military infrastructure near the border by year end before tackling the rest of the country.

"We support the Lebanese government's decision to ensure the state's monopoly of arms," Zbogar said, also urging "intensified international support" for Lebanon's army.

The delegation met senior officials including President Joseph Aoun, and on Saturday went to south Lebanon near the Israeli border, visiting UNIFIL peacekeepers.

In August, the Security Council voted to extend UNIFIL's mandate until the end of 2026 and then withdraw the force from Lebanon by the end of the following year.

The visit was a chance to "examine options for the implementation of Resolution 1701 following UNIFIL's departure from Lebanon", Zbogar said, adding that "this is a topic that will deserve a thorough conversation during 2026".

Zbogar also emphasized that the "safety of peacekeepers must be respected and that they must never be targeted", after Lebanon's army said it arrested six people following an attack by gunmen on UNIFIL personnel this week.

Arab World

Egypt and Russia Discuss Developments in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the launch of the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor at the El-Dabaa nuclear plant last month (Egyptian presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the launch of the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor at the El-Dabaa nuclear plant last month (Egyptian presidency)
TT
TT

Egypt and Russia Discuss Developments in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the launch of the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor at the El-Dabaa nuclear plant last month (Egyptian presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the launch of the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor at the El-Dabaa nuclear plant last month (Egyptian presidency)

Egypt and Russia discussed developments in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza on Friday during a phone call between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, in the latest round of ongoing coordination and consultations between the two countries on bilateral ties and regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the call covered the close relationship between Egypt and Russia, which it said has gained growing momentum across various areas of cooperation, particularly economic and trade fields.

Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s pride in the strategic partnership binding the two countries, describing it as the governing framework for bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.

He stressed the need to continue joint work to advance ongoing projects, notably the Dabaa nuclear plant, in order to boost Russian investment in Egypt and expand cooperation between both sides.

Last month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin witnessed via video conference the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor unit at the nuclear plant, as well as the signing of the nuclear fuel procurement order.

Experts described the step as the first milestone toward nuclear energy production.

El-Dabaa plant is Egypt’s first nuclear power facility, located in the town of Dabaa in Marsa Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast. Russia and Egypt signed a cooperation agreement in November 2015 to build the plant, with the contracts entering into force in December 2017.

Abdelatty underscored during Friday’s call the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and moving ahead with the second phase of the US president’s peace plan for Gaza, noting the need to enable the international stabilization force to carry out its mandate and consolidate the ceasefire.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty outlined Egypt’s efforts within the Quad mechanism to stop the conflict and preserve the unity and integrity of the Sudanese state. He also reiterated Egypt’s longstanding position supporting the unity, sovereignty, security and stability of Lebanon.

He renewed Cairo’s call for respecting the unity and sovereignty of Syrian territory and rejecting any actions or interventions that could undermine the country’s stability, urging the activation of a comprehensive political process that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people.

Egypt said in late November that it hoped to see the start of a political process in Sudan without exclusion and reaffirmed its respect for Sudanese sovereignty.

The Quad, which groups Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, has been working to secure a ceasefire in Sudan.

It held a ministerial meeting in Washington in September and stressed the need to exert every effort to resolve the conflict. In August, it proposed a roadmap calling for a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire, paving the way for a political process and the formation of an independent civilian government within nine months.

The call also touched on developments related to Iran’s nuclear program.

Abdelatty stressed the importance of continued efforts to de-escalate tensions, build confidence and create conditions that offer a real opportunity for diplomatic solutions and the resumption of talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement that accommodates the interests of all parties and contributes to regional security and stability.

Separately, Abdelatty and Lavrov discussed the war in Ukraine.

The Egyptian foreign minister reiterated Cairo’s consistent position that efforts must continue to pursue peaceful settlements to crises through dialogue and diplomatic means in a way that preserves security and stability.

Arab World

Yemen Leader Warns against Unilateral Actions Undermining Unity, State Sovereignty

Yemeni armed forces flash the V-sign for victory as they ride in the back of a lorry as they celebrate the 58th anniversary of National Independence Day, in the port city of Aden, November 30, 2025. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)
Yemeni armed forces flash the V-sign for victory as they ride in the back of a lorry as they celebrate the 58th anniversary of National Independence Day, in the port city of Aden, November 30, 2025. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)
TT
TT

Yemen Leader Warns against Unilateral Actions Undermining Unity, State Sovereignty

Yemeni armed forces flash the V-sign for victory as they ride in the back of a lorry as they celebrate the 58th anniversary of National Independence Day, in the port city of Aden, November 30, 2025. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)
Yemeni armed forces flash the V-sign for victory as they ride in the back of a lorry as they celebrate the 58th anniversary of National Independence Day, in the port city of Aden, November 30, 2025. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad al-Alimi warned on Friday that unilateral actions and internal disputes within government-controlled areas risk undermining state sovereignty and strengthening the Iran-backed Houthi group.

Al-Alimi made the remarks before leaving the interim capital Aden for Saudi Arabia, where he is set to hold high-level consultations with regional and international partners amid sensitive developments in eastern Yemen, particularly Hadramout.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to national partnership and collective responsibility to complete the transitional phase in line with the 2022 power-transfer declaration and the Riyadh Agreement.

“The state alone bears responsibility for protecting its national institutions and safeguarding citizens’ interests,” Al-Alimi said, warning against any measures that would challenge the government’s or local authorities’ exclusive powers, harm security and stability, deepen humanitarian suffering, or undermine economic recovery and international confidence.

The council chief said restoring state institutions, ending Houthi militia control, and pursuing economic reforms would remain top national priorities. He cautioned that any distraction by side conflicts “only serves the Iranian project and its destructive tools,” according to the state-run Saba news agency.

Al-Alimi praised Saudi Arabia for mediating the latest truce agreement in Hadramout and urged full adherence to its terms. He said the deal should serve as a foundation for stability in Hadramout and the wider region, describing the province as “a cornerstone of Yemen’s and the region’s stability.”

He voiced full support for local authorities and tribal leaders seeking to restore calm and enable Hadramout residents to manage their own local affairs in line with the PLC’s pledges and plan to normalize conditions in the province.

Al-Alimi also instructed the local authorities and relevant ministries to form a committee to investigate alleged human rights and humanitarian law violations and damages to public and private property in the province’s Wadi and desert districts, and to ensure victims receive redress.

The Yemeni leader urged all political and social groups to put aside differences, act responsibly, and unite in facing common challenges. He called for rallying behind the government to fulfill its obligations and place citizens’ welfare and dignity above all else.