Hundreds of activists took to the streets of Morocco's main cities late on Saturday to protest against corruption, the high cost of living and other causes of discontent, according to AFP reporters and witnesses.

Rights groups, trade unionists and the February 20 protest movement had called the demonstrations, amid frustration at the perceived failure of the Islamist-led government to make good on its electoral promises.

Rights groups, trade unionists and members of the February 20 protest movement have called for demonstrations across Morocco on Saturday against the high cost of living and other causes of social discontent.

An association of 18 rights groups announced a "national day of action against the high cost of living, rising prices, arrests and repression targeting protest movements."

The International Monetary Fund on Friday announced it was opening a "precautionary" $6.2 billion line of credit for Morocco to protect the economy from external shocks.

"The Moroccan authorities have stated that they... do not intend to draw on the line, unless Morocco experiences actual balance of payments needs from a deterioration of external conditions," the IMF said in a statement.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI vowed on Monday to press ahead with reforms, including strengthening the independence of the judiciary and battling corruption, in a speech to mark 13 years on the throne.

"Justice, regionalization and territorial governance are among our top priorities," he said in the speech broadcast live on state television.

Syria declared Morocco's ambassador persona non grata on Monday, the foreign ministry said, in a tit-for-tat move hours after Rabat expelled Damascus's envoy to the North African country.

"Syria has just considered the accredited Moroccan ambassador to Syria persona non grata," ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said via Twitter, after Morocco demanded that Syrian ambassador Nabih Ismail depart the country.

At least 26 people, including several foreigners, have been killed in two separate road accidents in Morocco, police and medics said on Tuesday.

The first accident took place on Monday afternoon near Nador, in the northeast of the country, killing 10 people, with another 33 injured, five of them seriously.

Moroccan rapper Mouad Belghouat, who was jailed for insulting police, began a 48-hour hunger strike on Monday to protest against the conditions of his detention, a friend told Agence France Presse.

Belghouat's decision came as an appeals court delayed for a third time a review of his one-year jail sentence, with a new hearing postponed from Monday until July 23.

A solar-powered plane landed in Spain Saturday on its way back home after breaking a record with the first intercontinental flight by an aircraft run on the sun's energy, organizers said.

Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, 54, piloted the experimental plane Solar Impulse on the 17-hour flight from Rabat in Morocco and landed at Madrid's main airport overnight early on Saturday, his team said in a statement.

Lebanese national Mohammed Yammout, who had reportedly disappeared in Morocco, is in a good condition and returned to his house there, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

Lebanese charge d’affaires in Morocco Youssef Rajji briefed Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on the case, confirming that Yammout is in a good condition.

A solar plane made history Tuesday by landing in the Moroccan capital after flying across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain on the world's first intercontinental flight in a plane powered by the sun.

Bertrand Piccard, a 54-year-old Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist, landed Solar Impulse at 11:30 pm (2230 GMT) under a full moon at Rabat Sale airport where he was welcomed by officials of the Moroccan Solar Energy Agency (MASEN).