From potatoes to paleontology, Morocco posts gains across economy, science, and sport, while DV-2025 visa delays put pressure on applicants.

Morocco’s potato exports surged after a five-year slump, paleontologists uncovered the country’s oldest Turiasaurian teeth in the Middle Atlas, and UIR teamed with Cisco on a new AI & cybersecurity center. Authorities also approved the Amazigh name “Massinissa,” Morocco beat Zambia 3–1 at CHAN, and DV-2025 lottery winners sounded alarms over stalled interviews. FreshPlazaMorocco World News+3Morocco World News+3Morocco World News+3Hespress

The Briefing

Morocco’s news cycle on August 14, 2025 offered a snapshot of a country diversifying—export recovery in agri-food, frontier science with Jurassic-era finds, digital capacity-building through a new AI/cyber hub, and a culture-rights win on Amazigh naming—rounded off by a CHAN victory and visa-processing anxieties for DV-2025 winners. FreshPlazaMorocco World News+3Morocco World News+3Morocco World News+3Hespress

Economy — Potatoes Are Back

After five years of decline, Morocco’s ware-potato exports rebounded to 42,900 tons worth US$14.9 million between July 2024 and May 2025—a 5.7× increase versus the prior season. Analysts credit renewed West African trade links and firmer European demand. The uptick helps farmers and cold-chain logistics while testing resilience ahead of the 2025–26 campaign. FreshPlaza

Explainer takeaway: A stronger potato campaign increases rural incomes and stabilizes supply chains; monitoring fertilizer prices, shipping rates, and weather will indicate whether the rebound is durable.

Science — 160-Million-Year-Old Giants

Researchers identified three dinosaur teeth from the Middle Atlas (El Mers III Formation), marking the oldest evidence of Turiasauria on mainland Africa—a Middle Jurassic lineage previously best known from Iberia. The peer-reviewed study tightens biogeographic links between North Africa and Europe and invites fresh fieldwork in Boulemane province. Morocco World NewsYabiladiResearchGate

Explainer takeaway: Morocco’s Jurassic strata continue to fill global fossil gaps, boosting scientific tourism and training opportunities for local geoscience programs.

Technology — UIR × Cisco Unveil AI & Cybersecurity Center

The International University of Rabat (UIR) and Cisco signed an MoU to create a Cisco EDGE Incubation Center focused on AI and cybersecurity, aligning with Morocco’s Digital 2030 ambitions. The hub aims to link academia, startups, and public services while leveraging Cisco Networking Academy pathways. Morocco World NewsMap NewsMedafrica TimesLinkedIn

Explainer takeaway: Expect new pipelines for SOC talent, secure-cloud skills, and AI safety research—areas where Morocco seeks digital sovereignty and exportable know-how.

Society — A Win for Amazigh Naming Rights

Following an initial refusal, Meknes authorities approved the Amazigh name “Massinissa.” The reversal reflects ongoing normalization of Amazigh names in civil registry practice and reduces administrative friction for families seeking culturally rooted identities. Morocco World NewsHespressFacebook

Explainer takeaway: Documentation shapes access to education, healthcare, and travel; clearer acceptance of Amazigh names streamlines everyday life and affirms linguistic rights.

Sport — CHAN Boost: Morocco 3–1 Zambia

Morocco’s locally based national team defeated Zambia 3–1, strengthening its CHAN 2024 (played in 2025) campaign and securing a quarterfinal berth. Wins at CHAN raise player visibility, support domestic leagues, and can lift transfer valuations for homegrown talent. Hespress

Explainer takeaway: CHAN is a showcase for domestic football systems; Morocco’s result supports the broader talent pipeline from Botola clubs to continental competition.

Migration — DV-2025 Interview Delays

DV-2025 lottery winners in Morocco report stalled interview scheduling at the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca as the September 30, 2025 fiscal-year deadline nears, raising fears that selectees could time out despite “current” case numbers. Civil-society calls urge transparent scheduling and capacity updates. Morocco World News

Explainer takeaway: Diversity Visas are time-bound; absent appointments by the end of the fiscal year, eligibility ends—even for qualified selectees. Applicants should ensure DS-260s are complete and monitor consular notices.

What to Watch Next

• Agri-exports: Does the potato rally carry into Q4 logistics and pricing? FreshPlaza
• Science & tourism: Will new Middle Atlas digs expand fossil trails and museum programs? Morocco World News
• Talent & tech: Can the UIR–Cisco hub seed startups and feed national SOC capacity by 2026? Morocco World News
• Civil registry: Are further Amazigh naming cases resolved consistently across regions? Hespress
• CHAN: Injury management and fatigue as fixtures compress. Hespress
• DV-2025: Any scheduling updates from Casablanca before Sept. 30. Morocco World News

New anti‑drug hiring rule touted as moral reform masks regulatory gaps and risks deepening exclusion of young Algerian jobseekers

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ALGIERS — In the tense hours after candidates queued outside recruitment centers, a quiet panic spread—not over exam scores, but uncertainty. Without official guidance, aspirants unsure whether to submit to compulsory drug tests found their career hopes hanging in limbo.

This administrative confusion stems from a law published on 13 July 2025 in the Journal officiel (No. 43), which mandates that job applicants—both in public service and private sector roles—present a negative drug test to be considered for employment.

Though framed as a means to moralize the labor market, the new requirement has left candidates, officials, and legal experts scrambling. The Direction Générale de la Fonction Publique, which should oversee implementation, admits no regulations or guidelines have been issued. It has shifted responsibility to the Ministry of Justice, deepening procedural uncertainty.

“In principle, this is about professionalism and safety. In reality, it’s a move fraught with legal and ethical risks,” says Farah Mansouri, a labor rights advocate based in Oran. “Without clear protocols, many qualified graduates stand to be unfairly excluded.”

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Human Toll Amid Legal Silence

For Algeria’s growing cohort of unemployed youth—especially university graduates—the measure feels like yet another hurdle. Among them is *Amine, a 24-year-old from Constantine, who prepared for a highly competitive exam only to be turned away.

“They told me I needed to submit a test, but I wasn’t given details. I couldn’t afford private clinics, and local hospitals don’t even have certificates ready,” he recounts.

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A Measure in Search of Structure

Introduced as part of a broader law ramping up penalties against narcotic trafficking and usage, the drug test rule has been criticized as more symbolic than systematically grounded. Observers question the absence of provisions protecting personal medical data, ensuring test accuracy, or even specifying official testing centers.

Legally, veterans of employment rights and administrative law note the dangerous precedent of imposing conditions with no roadmap for compliance.

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Context & Broader Significance

This development unfolds in a broader Algerian context marked by rising authoritarianism and restricted civic spaces. Measures purportedly aimed at protection or security are increasingly viewed as tools of social control.

Rather than investing in prevention, support systems, or rehabilitation services, the state appears to favor exclusionary tactics—compounding the frustration of youth already navigating economic instability.

Full Story

Source: Maroc Diplomatique

Health officials scramble to contain a rapidly escalating mosquito-borne virus as China battles its largest Chikungunya outbreak in years.

By El Mostafa Ouchen | MAG212NEWS

Beijing, August 5, 2025 — Hospitals in southern China are filling fast as the country faces a growing public health crisis: over 7,000 confirmed cases of Chikungunya virus, a painful and debilitating mosquito-borne disease that has swept through several provinces in less than a month.

The outbreak, centered in Guangdong, Fujian, and parts of Guangxi, is now being described by epidemiologists as the worst Chikungunya surge in recent Chinese history. Health authorities have issued emergency alerts, and vector control teams are racing against time to curb mosquito populations as new cases continue to rise daily.

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💥 “It Felt Like My Bones Were Shattering”

For 38-year-old Liu Fen, the fever came quickly—but the joint pain was what she remembers most.

“I couldn’t walk. It felt like my bones were shattering from the inside,” she said from her hospital bed in Guangzhou. “I didn’t even know what Chikungunya was until I was infected.”

Chikungunya, although rarely fatal, is notorious for its intense joint pain, high fever, and long-lasting fatigue. The virus spreads through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, which also transmit dengue and Zika.

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📊 Key Figures and Health Response

• 7,342 cases confirmed as of August 5, 2025
• Majority located in Guangdong (3,600+), followed by Fujian and Guangxi
• 22 severe complications, though no fatalities reported yet
• Over 400 hospitals now equipped with temporary response wards
• China CDC has deployed 300+ mobile containment teams

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) has issued travel advisories and urged the public to eliminate standing water, wear protective clothing, and use mosquito repellents, particularly in affected zones.

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🧬 A Perfect Storm: Climate, Urbanization, and Global Movement

Public health experts point to a dangerous mix of factors behind the outbreak’s scale:

• Warmer, wetter summer seasons, ideal for Aedes breeding
• Dense urban environments with poor drainage infrastructure
• Increased regional travel and trade, especially across Southeast Asia, where Chikungunya is also resurging

“This isn’t just a local outbreak—it’s a warning of how climate change and globalization are reshaping infectious disease risks,” said Dr. Zhang Wei, an infectious disease specialist at Tsinghua University.

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🌍 Global Health Implications

International health agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), are now monitoring the situation closely. Neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand have heightened vector surveillance and border screenings.

There are growing concerns that if not contained, the outbreak could affect international supply chains, tourism, and labor productivity, particularly in China’s southern manufacturing belt.

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🧠 Beyond the Virus: The Psychological Toll

Aside from the physical symptoms, many patients and families are experiencing anxiety, isolation, and loss of income. For gig workers and factory employees, a two-week fever means lost wages and job insecurity.

“We need to treat this not just as a virological event, but a social crisis, too,” said sociologist Dr. Li Yujin. “Outbreaks like this test the resilience of our healthcare and social safety nets.”

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🛡️ Containment Measures Intensify

In response, authorities have launched:

• City-wide mosquito fogging operations
• Public awareness campaigns in schools, metro stations, and factories
• Emergency vector control funds for rural areas
• Coordination with international disease monitoring networks

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🔍 What’s Next?

While a vaccine for Chikungunya remains in clinical trials, public health officials stress that vector control and public awareness are the most effective tools at present. China is also working with partners in India and Brazil—two other countries that have fought large Chikungunya outbreaks—to share response models.

Experts warn that urban mosquito-borne outbreaks could become more frequent unless infrastructure and climate adaptation measures are implemented at scale.