Moroccan Government Approves Plan to Promote Youths

Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani delivers his first speech presenting the government's program at the Moroccan Parliament in Rabat, Morocco April 19, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani delivers his first speech presenting the government's program at the Moroccan Parliament in Rabat, Morocco April 19, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
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Moroccan Government Approves Plan to Promote Youths

Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani delivers his first speech presenting the government's program at the Moroccan Parliament in Rabat, Morocco April 19, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani delivers his first speech presenting the government's program at the Moroccan Parliament in Rabat, Morocco April 19, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

The Moroccan government has approved a plan to promote youths and enable them to play an effective role in developing the country.

Government spokesperson Mustapha Khalfi said in a press conference on Thursday that the roadmap set by the Ministry of Youth and Sport would provide opportunities that qualify youths to move to adulthood through high-quality education and access to respectful jobs, adequate health services and active participation in social, political and cultural life.

The new policy’s objectives include increasing economic opportunities available for youths, enhancing services presented to them, reducing geographical gaps, reinforcing their effective participation in social life, and advancing the respect for human rights.

Khalfi said Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani tackled during the cabinet session the importance of monitoring prices during the month of Ramadan.

In another context, the Moroccan PM prepares to brief the parliament on Monday on his government's achievements in the first half of its term in line with article 101 of the constitution. 

Moreover, Othmani chaired in Rabat on Wednesday the second meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee to follow up and facilitate the government program.

During the meeting, Othmani lauded the joint efforts of public sector institutions in implementing the government program. He also noted that several achievements have been made.

The PM added that workshops and programs are in progress while taking into consideration the aspirations of citizens.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee was established in August 2017. It consists of all cabinet members.



Israel Carries Out Deadly Strikes in South Lebanon Despite Truce Announced with Hezbollah

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer       TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Israel Carries Out Deadly Strikes in South Lebanon Despite Truce Announced with Hezbollah

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer       TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Israel carried out deadly strikes in south Lebanon on Saturday, hours after the US announced a renewed ceasefire in fighting that had strained a fledgling deal with Iran.

US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian this week signed a preliminary agreement to halt the Middle East war on all fronts, including Lebanon -- a key demand of Tehran's.

But follow-up talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland were indefinitely postponed as Israel launched a wave of strikes in Lebanon that left dozens of people dead after four of its soldiers were killed in combat, sparking a furious reaction at home.

On Friday afternoon, a US official announced a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brokered by US and Qatari mediators, with Israel's ambassador to Washington saying it would respect the truce if Hezbollah did.

But on Saturday an Israeli military official said it was conducting fresh attacks against the Iran-backed movement, which it accused of having "launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon" overnight.

Lebanese state media reported Israeli air raids on around 20 locations, with the country's civil defense agency saying 16 people were killed in the Nabatieh area.

The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road and accused Israel of undermining efforts to restore stability.

Israel's Arabic-language military spokesperson said calm could be achieved if Hezbollah halted what she described as hostile activity and violations of agreements, adding Israel's presence in a security zone aimed to remove threats and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, not harm civilians.

The US-Iran understanding announced this week calls for an immediate, permanent end to military operations by the parties and their allies across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.

Israel, which was not part of those negotiations, has opposed provisions it says could constrain its campaign in Lebanon.


Gaza Health Officials Say Israeli Strikes Kill Five

Palestinians inspect a destroyed vehicle following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 18 June 2026. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians inspect a destroyed vehicle following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 18 June 2026. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Gaza Health Officials Say Israeli Strikes Kill Five

Palestinians inspect a destroyed vehicle following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 18 June 2026. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians inspect a destroyed vehicle following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 18 June 2026. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Gaza health officials said Israeli strikes on Saturday killed five people, including four members of the same family, in the latest violence to rock the Palestinian territory despite a ceasefire.

Israel and Hamas trade near-daily accusations of truce violations and the Gaza Strip remains gripped by bloodshed as progress on permanently ending the war remains stalled.

An overnight Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City killed four members of the al-Safadi family, including the husband, wife and their two daughters, said the civil defense agency, a rescue service that operates under Hamas authority.

AFP quoted it as saying that the strike also injured 12 others.

Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital confirmed receiving the bodies of four members of the al-Safadi family, including two children.

The hospital also said it had received another body following a separate Israeli drone strike near an intersection in the north of Gaza City.

When asked by AFP about the two incidents, the Israeli military did not offer an immediate response.

At least 1,012 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on October 10 last year, according to Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

The Israeli army has reported five deaths in its ranks during the same period.

Restrictions imposed on media outlets and limited access in Gaza prevent AFP from independently verifying tolls or freely covering the violence there.


One Dead after Freight Trains Collide in Munich

20 June 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Two freight-train cars lie on a road after falling off a bridge in Munich. Photo: Ehsan Monajati/dpa
20 June 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Two freight-train cars lie on a road after falling off a bridge in Munich. Photo: Ehsan Monajati/dpa
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One Dead after Freight Trains Collide in Munich

20 June 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Two freight-train cars lie on a road after falling off a bridge in Munich. Photo: Ehsan Monajati/dpa
20 June 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Two freight-train cars lie on a road after falling off a bridge in Munich. Photo: Ehsan Monajati/dpa

One person has died after two cargo trains collided on a bridge in Munich in the early hours of Saturday, causing two of the carriages ⁠to derail and ⁠crash onto the street below, according to local police.

The cause of the ⁠incident is under investigation, a police spokesperson in the southern German city told Reuters.

Emergency services were alerted to the collision in Munich's northern district of Milbertshofen ⁠at ⁠1:40 a.m. (2340 GMT on Friday), with around 60 first responders dispatched to the scene, a fire department spokesperson said.