Latest from Ya Biladi
Ya Biladi
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Ya Biladi
Morocco braces for thunderstorms hail and heatwave from August 18 to 20
Morocco is bracing for a series of intense weather events, including thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds, alongside a heatwave with chergui winds and temperatures soaring between 39 and 47°C. These conditions are expected to impact several provinces from Monday, August 18, to Wednesday, August 20, as reported by the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM). The DGM has issued an orange-level alert, forecasting thunderstorms with hail and gusty winds (20 to 40 mm) on Monday from 3 PM to 11 PM in the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, and Taroudant. Meanwhile, sweltering temperatures between 44 and 47°C are anticipated from Monday to Wednesday in the provinces of Tata, Assa-Zag, Es-Semara, Boujdour, Oued Ed-Dahab, and Aousserd. Additionally, on Monday, temperatures are expected to range from 39 to 44°C in a wide array of provinces, including Fahs-Anjra, Tétouan, M'diq-Fnideq, Al Hoceima, Taourirt, Oujda-Angad, Berkane, Guercif, Nador, Driouch, Chefchaouen, Larache, Ouezzane, Moulay Yacoub, Fès, Taounate, Meknès, Sidi Kacem, Sidi Slimane, Benslimane, Khemisset, Khouribga, Khenifra, Sefrou, El Hajeb, Taza, Azilal, Béni Mellal, Fquih Ben Salah, Settat, Rehamna, Marrakech, Youssoufia, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Al Haouz, Essaouira, Chichaoua, Taroudant, and Guelmim.
Ya Biladi
16 hours ago
- Science
- Ya Biladi
Hassan II University of Casablanca shines in 2025 Shanghai ranking for second year
On Monday, Hassan II University of Casablanca (UH2C) proudly announced its inclusion for the second consecutive year in the prestigious 2025 Shanghai Ranking, a global benchmark curated by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. In its statement, UH2C highlighted its distinction as the only Moroccan institution to feature in this esteemed Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), which annually lists the top 1000 universities worldwide. UH2C is placed in the 901st-1000th global category. The university underscored that this recognition, achieved for the second year running, underscores UH2C's unwavering commitment to academic and scientific excellence and its strategic vision for advancing Morocco's higher education landscape. In the realm of biological sciences, UH2C ranks between 301st and 400th globally. This achievement, as noted in the statement, reflects the high caliber of research conducted in disciplines with profound societal impact and showcases the dynamism of its educational and scientific teams. Additionally, two UH2C faculty researchers, Abdessalam Houmada and Idriss Benchekroun, have distinguished themselves this year by ranking among the top 200 researchers globally, according to the AD Scientific Index 2025. This accolade reaffirms UH2C's status as a leading force in research and innovation, contributing significantly to Morocco's scientific, economic, and social progress. It also reaffirms the university's mission to serve society and its ambition to elevate Moroccan higher education to meet international standards of quality and performance.
Ya Biladi
20 hours ago
- Science
- Ya Biladi
Morocco unearths Africa's oldest evidence of Turiasaur dinosaurs
DR In a remarkable scientific breakthrough, an international team of researchers has unearthed fossilized teeth of a Turiasaurus dinosaur in Morocco's Middle Atlas Mountains, dating back to the Middle Jurassic period, around 168 million years ago. Collected from the Middle Jurassic El Mers III Formation, these fossils represent the oldest evidence of this giant dinosaur group ever found on the African mainland, according to a study published in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. Turiasaurians were massive, long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs outside the neosauropod lineage. They lived from the Early or Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous and were previously known mainly from discoveries in Europe. The three teeth, recovered from the Boulahfa plains near Boulemane, display the distinctive heart-shaped profile typical of the Turiasauria family. While they resemble the teeth of Turiasaurus, a species discovered in Spain, they lack certain rounded protrusions and instead feature a pronounced ridge and elongated edge. These differences suggest they may belong to a new species or an early evolutionary branch of the group. This discovery marks the first confirmed record of Turiasaurians in Morocco and sheds new light on their early spread across Africa during the Jurassic period. These teeth fill an important gap in our understanding of the evolution and distribution of this dinosaur group, which lived across both ancient continents, Laurasia and Gondwana, explained Dr. D. Cary Woodruff, one of the study's authors. The El Mers III Formation is already celebrated among paleontologists. It previously yielded Spicomellus afer, the world's oldest known ankylosaur, as well as early stegosaurs. Such diversity indicates the region supported a rich variety of dinosaurs during the Middle Jurassic, offering valuable insights into their evolution and geographic range. The research was a collaboration between scientists from the Miami Museum of Science, the Natural History Museum in London, and Morocco's Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez.
Ya Biladi
a day ago
- Climate
- Ya Biladi
Extreme fire risk identified in Chefchaouen and other Moroccan provinces from August 17 to 20
An extreme fire risk has been identified in the provinces of Chefchaouen, Fahs-Anjra, Tanger-Asilah, M'diq-Fnideq, and Taza from August 17 to 20, according to a bulletin from the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF). Released to the public this Saturday, the bulletin also reports a high risk in the provinces of Al Hoceïma, Larache, Ouezzane, Tétouan, Ifrane, and Taounate during the same period. The bulletin further indicates a medium risk in the provinces of Berkane, Driouch, Nador, Oujda-Angad, Sefrou, Rabat, Salé, Skhirate-Témara, Azilal, Béni Mellal, Khénifra, Essaouira, and Agadir Ida-Outanane. The ANEF issues its Forest Fire Risk Bulletin (BRIF) using scientific prediction models and data analysis, taking into account the characteristics of the areas studied, their combustibility and flammability, as well as topoclimatic parameters. In this context, the agency urges residents, holidaymakers, visitors to forested areas, and professionals to exercise the utmost caution and take all necessary precautions to prevent fires. The ANEF also called on citizens to remain vigilant and promptly alert local authorities in the event of smoke or suspicious behavior near forested areas.
Ya Biladi
a day ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
US diplomats to visit Laayoune amid UN resolution talks on Sahara
Diplomats and military officials from the United States Embassy in Rabat are set to visit Laayoune this Monday, August 18. Their itinerary includes meetings with top officials from MINURSO in the Sahara, notably the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara and head of MINURSO, Russian Alexander Ivanko. This visit to the UN mission's headquarters in Laayoune coincides with the Security Council's preparations to adopt a new resolution at the end of October, which aims to extend MINURSO's mandate in the region for another year. Prior to this, a report by Alexander Ivanko detailing the current situation on the ground will be presented during a closed-door session. It is worth recalling that on August 2, U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for Morocco's claim over the Sahara and the autonomy plan proposed by Rabat in 2007, within the framework of the kingdom's sovereignty, in a message addressed to King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the throne celebration. Washington plays a pivotal role as the drafter of all UN Security Council resolutions concerning the Sahara.
