The Program promoted the development of a national Disaster Risk Management (DRM) strategy, the World Bank said in a statement.

According to the same source, the Program has supported structural risk reduction investments for more than 174,000 beneficiaries, insuring close to 9 million people against bodily injury in catastrophic events, and establishing a solidarity fund benefiting close to 6 million of Morocco’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

To address the challenge of intensifying disaster and climate risks in Morocco, the project has sought to improve the institutional frameworks to finance disaster risk reduction activities and strengthen financial resilience to natural disasters for targeted populations, the source added.

To achieve those objectives, the World Bank has relied on a mix of finance and technical assistance.

Two IBRD loans finance a comprehensive Program-for-Results (PforR), the first time this financing instrument has been used by the World Bank for DRM operations. The program promotes institutional reforms and capacity building, scales up disaster risk reduction investments, and supports an innovative, catastrophic risk insurance regime involving both the public and private sectors. All these areas of work have benefited from World Bank technical assistance and capacity building.

The “Vigirisque” project, led by the Natural Risk Management Directorate, received funding from the Fund for the Fight against the Effects of Natural Disasters (FLCN), which is supported by the World Bank, said  Achraf Hadine, Head of the National Center for Risk Forecasting, Natural Risk Management Directorate, as quoted in the statement.

It is implemented in four pilot provinces and aims to improve flood risk management in the Kingdom of Morocco, he added, noting that the project is carried out in close collaboration with the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM), the Directorate of Water Research and Planning (DRPE), as well as the four hydraulic basin agencies and pilot provinces.

"It essentially aims to set up an integrated risk management support system articulated around a national center and provincial operational centers to monitor flood risk, as well as support authorities responsible for emergency response with the implementation of preventive actions”.

With its focus on strengthening disaster risk management and disaster risk finance, the program is directly contributing to Morocco’s CPF Objective 10, which aims to “enhance adaptation to climate change and resilience to natural disasters.”  

The program has enhanced Morocco’s climate change adaptation and resilience to natural disasters, said the Washington-based institution, which cites the redesign of Morocco’s Fund for the Fight against Natural Catastrophes (FLCN) from an emergency response vehicle into a national resilience fund.

As of March 2022, the fund had supported 180 disaster risk reduction projects, for a total investment volume of US$304 million, with FLCN co-financing of US$111 million.

In February 2021, Morocco’s first National Disaster Risk Management Strategy (2021–2031) was prepared under the leadership of a newly created DRM Directorate within the Ministry of Interior.

The program also enabled the adoption in 2018 of an innovative disaster risk insurance regime (Law No. 110-14), which became effective in January 2020, it said.

Until program closure (expected on December 31, 2023), the program will continue to work on improving the impact of disaster risk reduction projects financed through the FLCN and to support the operationalization of the new DRM Directorate. The DRM Directorate will ensure the sustainability of the progress achieved by the program, since the Directorate will act as the key coordinating institution on DRM and supervise the implementation of the national DRM strategy. 

A total of 24,885,632 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,377,146, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,725,696 people have received the third dose of the vaccine, while 34,144 people have received the fourth dose.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,263,591, while recoveries increased to 1,246,446, i.e. a recovery rate of 98.6%.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the regions of Casablanca-Settat (32), Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (17), Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima (13), the Oriental (13), Fez-Meknès (08), Marrakech-Safi (07), Souss-Massa (06), Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra (02), Dakhla-Oued Eddahab (01) and Béni Mellal-Khénifra (01).

As for coronavirus-related fatalities, they remained at 16,269, with no death reported in the past 24 hours.

The number of active cases has dropped to 867, while seven severe or critical cases has been reported in the past 24 hours, their total number being at 31.

Once notified of the incident, the local authorities, the Gendarmerie Royale and the civil protection services rushed to the scene to rescue the three people trapped (aged 52, 44 and 43) but their efforts were unsuccessful.

The bodies of the three victims who perished inside the well have been recovered.

An investigation into the tragedy was launched by the relevant authorities under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office, according to the same source.

The accused were arrested, in close coordination with the services of the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), during simultaneous security operations carried out in different areas of the city, the National Police (DGSN) pointed out in a statement.

These operations have allowed the dismantlement of these criminal gangs, according to the same source.

All the suspects arrested are ex-offenders, some of whom are the subject of a national wanted notice for their involvement in various criminal activities ranging from drug trafficking to violent crimes.

Search operations have led to the seizure of 8 kilograms of hashish, three cars, and several doses of cocaine, in addition to weapons and money suspected to be the spoils of these criminal activities, the same source said.

The accused were placed in custody at the disposal of the investigation conducted under the supervision of the prosecutor's office, to identify all the criminal acts imputed to each suspect.

The accused, aged between 20 and 30, were arrested as a result of investigations and security operations conducted following the fire that broke out in the "Kodiat Tifour" forest, near the city of M'diq, it pointed out in a statement.

The investigations showed that the accused were present at the scene of the fire and that they started the fire in this forest area, the DGSN added.

Investigations are underway to determine whether this act had criminal motives or was a mere accident, according to the same source.

The suspects were remanded in custody at the disposal of the judicial police's investigation conducted under the supervision of the prosecutor's office to determine the circumstances of this case, the DGSN concluded.

This event, organized in partnership with the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) and the Réseau des diasporas solidaires (FORIM), was an opportunity for Moroccan expatriates to discover the projects carried out by the two partner associations in this area of Morocco.

This edition, attended by the president of the CCME Driss El Yazami, was also an opportunity for the organizers to raise awareness about the potential of Imilchil, a town nestled at 2,200 m altitude in the heart of the High Atlas mountain range in the province of Midelt.

On this occasion, El Yazami welcomed the organization of this event which he described as "a new proof of the ability of Moroccan associations to establish partnerships for the benefit of the local population."

El Yazami stressed that dozens of economic projects have been funded in the valley of Imilchil through the partnership between the Akhiam and SENS associations. "This partnership also reflects the effective involvement of the Moroccan diaspora in development projects launched in Morocco," he said.

For his part, Marghine Lhou, vice president of the Akhiam association and coordinator of the SENS association, said that this festival aims to create strong ties between the Moroccan community abroad and local actors, including local authorities and institutions and partners involved in socio-economic development.

On the sidelines of this event, a partnership agreement was signed between the Akhiam association and the Council of the territorial community of Imilchil to promote the proper management and maintenance of the drinking water network.

Placed under the theme "What roles of road infrastructure in the new model of economic and social development of Morocco," this edition is a professional event for all road stakeholders, a statement from the Ministry said on Tuesday.

Interested companies can associate their brand with the congress by requesting to be a sponsor. They can also participate in the exhibition area provided for this occasion or request that their brand is included in the documents that will be distributed during the event.

A circular published on this occasion provides all the information on how to register to participate in the conference, sponsorship, renting a stand in the exhibition area and advertising. The association's website (www.ampcr.ma) contains all the information on this matter.

The injured were transferred to a special care unit in Tangier to receive the necessary treatment, according to the same source.

This wildfire, which broke out on Monday evening, required the intervention of all authorities and competent services which have mobilized all human resources and logistics to fight the fire, including specialized aircraft Canadair.

The intervention teams are still working to overcome the flames and prevent them from spreading to densely populated areas, the authorities added.

The fire destroyed about 90 hectares of forest cover, according to initial estimates.

Preliminary investigations have led to the arrest of four individuals suspected of having started the fire, said the same source. The suspects were handed over to the judicial police for further investigation, under the supervision of the prosecutor's office, before being referred to justice.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the first time in US history, executed a search warrant of a former president of the United States on August 8.

Immediately, Republicans unleashed a torrent of criticism, crying foul that the search of the former president, who is now a private citizen, is nothing more than “political persecution” of one of President Biden’s political rivals. Many Republicans, including sitting Congress member Marjorie Taylor Greene, called for the defunding of the FBI itself, with Senators and Congress members likening the FBI to the “gestapo.”

With the statements of Republican leaders fanning the flames, far-right extremists started calling for “war” and “revolution,” urging Americans to buy ammunition and “lock and load.”

An armed man in body armor tried to breach the FBI’s Cincinnati office, before leading federal agents on a high-speed car chase ending in him being shot and killed in a standoff.

Speculation about the basis for the search and what the FBI was looking for abounded on both the right and the left.

The Biden administration said that it did not know about the search in advance.

Law enforcement, which does not reveal information regarding searches and seizures to protect the integrity of investigations and preserve the target’s civil rights, remained silent. It was the former president who posted on “Truth Social” Monday evening that his home had been “sieged” by the FBI.

On Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland broke his silence, stating that he had “personally approved” a search warrant signed by a federal magistrate based upon probable cause. He said federal agents had executed a lawful search of Mar-a-lago.

Garland also announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had filed in court a motion to unseal the warrant and the inventory of documents that were seized from Mar-a-lago.

He emphasized that DOJ investigates wrongdoing “without fear or favor,” vowing once again to pursue facts wherever they lead. “No one is above the law.”

Trump had the opportunity to weigh in by Friday afternoon, but did not object. The court unsealed both documents on Friday.

The search warrant cites three statutes for the basis of the search and seizure: (1) removal or destruction of records, (2) obstruction of justice, and (3) the Espionage Act, each of which carries a prison term sentence ranging from up to 3 years to up to 20 years.

Among the documents sought by the FBI, according to The Washington Post, was classified information relating to nuclear weapons. Trump disputed that claim, calling it a “hoax.”

In January this year, Trump returned to the government 15 boxes of documents that he had taken with him when he left the White House in January 2021. Some of that material was classified.

In the spring, DOJ issued a subpoena for additional documents, but Trump did not comply. On June 3, a top FBI official visited Mar-a-lago to resolve the matter.

On June 8, the FBI told Trump to put an additional lock on the storage room, and on June 22, the FBI subpoenaed surveillance footage of the storage room.

One of Trump’s lawyers signed a declaration in June asserting that all classified material had been returned, and none remained at Mar-a-lago.

That statement turned out to be false. The FBI’s search on August 8 turned up 27 additional boxes of materials Trump had taken from the White House. According to the FBI’s inventory, the materials included photos, a clemency document related to the pardon of Roger Stone, handwritten notes, records labeled “Info re: President of France,” and 11 sets of documents marked classified at several different levels of sensitivity including "top secret" and “TS/SCI,” one of the highest levels of government classification.

Trump told aides last year that he believed that some of the documents were his personal property, but he had agreed to return some, giving the government “what he believed they were entitled to,” according to an advisor interviewed by the New York Times.

To have conducted such an unusual search and seizure, the DOJ must have believed that there was a grave danger to the US’s national security, compounded by Trump’s failure to fully cooperate, according to national security experts. Sources and methods can be compromised and lives lost by the release of such information, they said. The treasure trove of classified documents seized seems to have borne out their concern.

While Trump could face indictment, that may not stop him from running again for president. In the immediate aftermath of the search, Trump’s approval ratings went up dramatically. The GOP’s election strategy now is to harness the voter outrage.

Republicans have not only defended the former president, calling the DOJ and FBI “corrupt,” but they are politically capitalizing on the search as the springboard for Trump’s candidacy. They are urging him to announce his run before the midterm elections in November and are using the search to heavily fund raise.

Significantly, as far right extremists are using the search as a rallying call to action, polls are showing an increase in the numbers of their supporters who believe that violent action is justified to achieve political means.

With threats of violence escalating on far-right platforms of all kinds, law enforcement officials are issuing stark warnings about domestic terrorism.

A total of 24,884,859 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,376,311, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,722,534 people have received the third dose of the vaccine, while 33,539 people have received the fourth dose.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,263,491, while recoveries increased to 1,246,283, i.e. a recovery rate of 98.6%.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the regions of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (10), Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (09), Souss-Massa (08), Casablanca-Settat (04), Fez-Meknes (03), Marrakech-Safi (02), the Oriental (01) and Beni Mellal- Khénifra (01).

As for coronavirus-related fatalities, they remained at 16,269, with no death reported in the past 24 hours.

The number of active cases has dropped to 939, while one severe or critical case has been reported in the past 24 hours, their total number being at 35.