A total of 24,920,297people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,421,591, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,877,153 people have received the third dose of the vaccine, while 60,001 people have got the fourth shot.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,272,299, while recoveries increased to 1,255,931, i.e. a recovery rate of 98.7%.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the regions of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (11), Souss-Massa (03), Casablanca-Settat (02), Marrakech-Safi (01) and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab (01).

As for coronavirus-related fatalities, their number remained at 16,296, with no case recorded in the last 24 hours.

The number of active cases stands at 72, with no severe or critical case reported in the past 24 hours.

Citing financial investigations, reports from the Spanish Civil Guard and terrorism experts, the daily highlights recent large-scale financial deals and transactions between the "polisario" militia and a Hezbollah network specializing in money laundering through the “Hawala” system, which transfers money through an informal clearing mechanism between exchange nodes.

Once the dirty money is injected into the official financial system, Hezbollah transfers value to its criminal clients by buying and selling goods using classic money laundering techniques, the publication explains.

According to "Die Welt", the investigators discovered illegal money transfers between many European countries, including Germany, Belgium, France and Great Britain, as well as the Gulf States and the Tindouf camps controlled by the "polisario" in southern Algeria.

“The 'Hawala' commercial network of the 'polisario' was set up in Tindouf by two agents and frontline courtiers, Ahmed A. and his associate Azman. Ahmed A. boasts that he can transfer up to 50,000 euros anywhere, anytime. He says he will be able to make even bigger transfers," Die Welt points out, citing reports from the Guardia Civil's financial department.

''Ahmed A., who studied in Libya, has lived in Spain since 2007 and specializes in transferring illegal money from Europe to West Africa and vice versa. He and his associates are based in Spain. They have good contacts with Algerian generals," the same source adds, noting that ''to conceal their illegal financial activities, the two 'Hawala' brokers of the 'polisario' have opened butcher shops and food and computer stores, and private accounts in several European banks where their clients can transfer money''.

The revelations confirm the link between the "polisario" and Hezbollah, alarming terrorism experts and international counter-terrorism agencies, while Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, is expanding its influence in West Africa, the daily notes.

In addition, the Tehran regime has supplied the "polisario" militia with missiles and drones, threatening regional stability, while Hezbollah has established a training site in the Tindouf camps for "polisario" fighters with the blessing of the ruling Algerian junta, the German newspaper stresses.
 

Speaking at the MAP forum, held under the theme "The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency: 25 years of actions in the service of Al-Quds and its inhabitants" with the director in charge of the management of the Agency, Mohamed Salem Echarkaoui, as a guest, the Palestinian diplomat also highlighted the action carried out by the Agency, under the supervision and the high benevolence of HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, in support of the Holy City's inhabitants in all aspects of life.

Morocco is a historical partner of Palestine regarding the question of Al-Quds, he said, welcoming the accompaniment and support of the Kingdom to the Palestinian proposals during the last meeting of the League of Arab States.
 

Despite limited funding in recent years, the Agency has managed to maintain the regular pace of implementation of projects, with a budget of between 3.5 and 5 million dollars, said Echarkaoui who was the guest of the Forum of MAP, held under the theme "The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency: 25 years of actions in the service of Al-Quds and its inhabitants," referring to the difficult working conditions in the Holy City dictated by its specificity, but also the political, social and administrative complexities, in addition to the attempts of the occupier to impose the fait accompli.

He also said that the contributing states have stopped their financial contributions since 2011, noting that the Kingdom remains the only donor (100 pc) in terms of state donations and up to 70 pc in terms of donations from institutions and individuals.

Over the past 25 years, the Agency has received some $64.9 million in grants, including $22.3 million in government grants with a Moroccan contribution of 75%, $27.1 million in institutional grants and $15.5 million in individual grants, Echarkaoui said.

He attributed the suspension of funding to geostrategic challenges in the region, calling for Arab, Islamic and international support to the affected sectors including tourism, housing and employment, through ensuring consistent and sustainable support to institutions in the Holy City by providing them with the means to enable them to continue their missions.

Echarkaoui referred, in this context, to the Palestinian plan to support social sectors as a suitable framework for funding established following a broad consultation with the institutions and representatives of the population, noting that the Agency has spared no effort to contact the bodies and institutions concerned, through the bodies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to request support to enable the Agency to continue the implementation of projects programmed in Al Quds.

The director in charge of the management of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency also stressed the need to build between 15,000 and 20,000 housing units in the old city, the construction or acquisition of 28 schools with a capacity of 864 classrooms, the setting up of 20 kindergartens spread over the regions of Al-Quds, the equipment of care centers in specialized hospitals and support their operating budgets.

It is also a question of creating recreational spaces including cultural centers and sports fields, supporting women's associations to promote their empowerment and enable them to develop their capacity in trades and income-generating projects, restoring 3,000 buildings including historical sites, mosques and cathedrals, repairing Muslim cemeteries and other socio-economic dependencies in order to preserve the cultural and civilizational heritage of the Holy City.

The cost of the projects carried out reached 64 million dollars, spread over several sectors such as housing, health and education, in addition to social assistance projects for orphans, widows, the elderly and those with disabilities, said Echarkaoui who was the guest of the MAP Forum, held under the theme "The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency: 25 years of actions in the service of Al-Quds and its inhabitants."

The Agency has also focused its action on developing the skills of Holy City's inhabitants, he said, noting that a program on human development has been established with empowerment and capacity building projects dedicated to women and youth.

It also pays special attention to social assistance programs for various categories impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as launched the e-commerce platform "DLALA Marketstore" of Palestinian products made available, within a framework of solidarity, to traders and associations and which the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency is the first customer.

Echarkaoui said that the Agency has also established the club "children for Al-Quds", dedicated to projects and activities of children, summer camps and awards and organized a simulation of the international summit of children for Al-Quds, with the participation of students from the Holy City and their counterparts from different nationalities.

He added that the Agency ensures, moreover, the development of its programs and projects on the basis of updated indicators of the social and economic situation in the city of Al-Quds, provided by the Observatory "Arribat" for observation, monitoring and evaluation, which is a mechanism under the Agency, whose mission is to carry out studies and periodic reports that shed light on the various facets of development in the Holy City.

This meeting, which coincides with the celebration of the silver jubilee of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency, was an opportunity to highlight the achievements of the Agency over the past 25 years.

This strong impetus makes the Agency, with all its commitments, an institution of humanitarian nature that has socio-economic objectives and has the duty to contribute, within the framework of its prerogatives and within the limits of its means, to serve the Holy City and its population, stressed Echarkaoui who was the guest of MAP Forum, held under the theme "The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency: 25 years of actions in the service of Al-Quds and its inhabitants".

He pointed out that the Agency, which plays its role as a coordinating mechanism par excellence of Arab-Islamic support dedicated to the Holy City, has achieved success in managing funds by directing them to the projects for which they were intended, noting that its action continues to grow stronger thanks to an important moral capital represented by the presence on the ground of the team of the Agency which shares with the Al Quds inhabitants, their daily sufferings and whose members, Moroccans and Palestinians, encounter the same difficulties.

All those who follow the situation on the ground are now convinced that plans to alter the identity of the Holy City and change its legal status are doomed to failure, he said, noting that Al Quds has been and will always remain the civilizational cradle of humanity where all followers of monotheistic religions gather in unity and sharing of the values of coexistence and otherness.

The natural, economic, demographic and environmental imbalance of the Holy City only complicates the daily life of the Palestinians and reduces the chances of a decent life for the rising generations, which translates into resentment pushing young people to brave all the dangers, while the Palestinians are only defending their right to live in their territory in freedom and dignity, Ercharkaoui stressed.

The MAP forum was an opportunity to emphasize the roles of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency in preserving the legal status and the civilizational, historical and religious identity of the Holy City.

This meeting also addressed the importance of economic and social projects piloted by the Agency for the benefit of the inhabitants of Al-Quds for the improvement of their living conditions and the development of their city.

Ambassador Mohamed Arrouchi, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the AU and the UNECA, who was speaking on Monday at a videoconference meeting of the PRC, recalled the reform process underway within the AU, while reiterating the support of Morocco to the various departments and bodies of the Union to enable them to effectively carry out their mandates, through ensuring the strengthening of the effectiveness and efficiency of the pan-African organization to better meet the aspirations of the African citizen, especially in peace, security and development.

Arrouchi, who is leading the Moroccan delegation at this session, also called on the Committee and the AU bodies to establish a financial management that reflects the spirit of the current institutional and financial reform.

The Moroccan diplomat noted in this regard the importance of an internal management of projects and programs that is focused on results, in compliance with the rules and procedures.

The Moroccan delegation also emphasized the importance of a credible intergovernmental process capable of supporting the Committee in the implementation of the objectives of the AU Agenda 2063.

This meeting will be held immediately after the oral question session, scheduled from 3 p.m., and a plenary session, devoted to the examination and vote of legislative texts, the upper house said in a statement.

The Madrid team, four-time winners of the trophy, will meet in the semi-finals on Wednesday evening (8 p.m.) at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, the Egyptian club Al Ahly, which has validated its ticket to the last four at the expense of the Americans of Seattle Sounders.

The winner of this match will meet either Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia or Flamengo of Brazil, which will play the other semi-final, scheduled for Tuesday in Tangier.

A few minutes after the opening, the MASI 20, which includes the 20 most liquid stocks, gained 0.78% to 836.52 points, and the MASI ESG, an index of companies with the best ESG rating, rose 0.69% to 792.97 points.

On Monday, the MASI closed slightly lower by 0.1%.