A villager near the town of Amizmiz in central Morocco. Sheep numbers have dropped dramatically in the country due to environmental and economic challenges. AFP
A villager near the town of Amizmiz in central Morocco. Sheep numbers have dropped dramatically in the country due to environmental and economic challenges. AFP
A villager near the town of Amizmiz in central Morocco. Sheep numbers have dropped dramatically in the country due to environmental and economic challenges. AFP
A villager near the town of Amizmiz in central Morocco. Sheep numbers have dropped dramatically in the country due to environmental and economic challenges. AFP

Morocco's king appeals to citizens to forgo Eid Al Adha sheep sacrifice due to drought


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Morocco's King Mohammed VI has told people to refrain from sacrificing sheep on Eid Al Adha this year due to a drop in the country's herd following years of drought that have increased the price of meat.

During the religious ritual, millions of sheep, goats and other livestock are sacrificed every year across the Muslim world. However, Morocco has recorded a drop in its livestock of 38 per cent in the last 12 months amid a seventh consecutive year of drought, according to official figures.

There has been 53 per cent less rain in 2025 than the average of the last 30 years, according to the agriculture ministry, leaving a lack of pasture for livestock to feed on.

“Our country is facing climatic and economic challenges that have resulted in a substantial decline in livestock,” King Mohammed VI said in a speech read by the minister of religious affairs on national television.

While acknowledging the importance of the Eid festival, the king called on his people “to refrain from performing the rite of sacrifice”.

“Our commitment to enabling you to fulfil this religious rite under the best conditions is accompanied by the duty to consider the climatic and economic challenges facing our country,” the king said.

Performing the rite “under these difficult circumstances will cause significant harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income”, added the king, who is Morocco's supreme religious leader.

Morocco's meat production has dropped in the last year, leading to higher prices in the local market and greater imports. The country recently signed a deal to import up to 100,000 sheep from Australia.

Eid Al Adha commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son.

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The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.

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Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world

New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.

The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.

Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.

“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.

"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."

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Updated: February 27, 2025, 8:03 AM