First Independent Mena Newspaper
In a strategic move to reduce global reliance on the U.S. dollar, China has welcomed six new financial institutions from Africa, the Gulf, and Central Asia into its Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS). The expansion, announced during a ceremony in Shanghai, brings direct participation in the yuan-based payment network to 174 institutions, as China steps […]
Algeria is entering a phase of deepening financial isolation following its inclusion on the European Union’s updated list of high-risk countries for money laundering and terrorism financing. While the blacklisting was formalized on June 10, 2025, its consequences are now materializing across Algeria’s already fragile financial system, exposing long-standing structural weaknesses. The EU’s decision, aligned […]
After more than a century abroad, 119 Benin Bronzes have returned to Nigeria, marking the largest single repatriation of looted artifacts to date. Originally stolen during a brutal British raid on the Benin Kingdom in 1897, the sculptures — including royal regalia, plaques, and ceremonial figures — were officially handed over by the Netherlands in […]
The stadiums that will host the African Cup of Nations will be delivered as planned ahead of the tournament, Fouzi Lekjaa, head of Morocco’s football federation (FRMF) said. Speaking at a press briefing, Lekjaa confirmed that the Complexe Moulay Abdellah in Rabat and the Grand Stade de Tanger will be completed by September 2025. Meanwhile, […]
In a powerful demonstration of Morocco’s commitment to African economic integration, the city of Laâyoune recently hosted a landmark event that brought together business leaders from across the continent. The latest event was marked by the signing by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) of a pivotal cooperation agreement with business federations from several […]
The year 2024 has officially been declared the hottest and driest in Morocco in more than a decade, according to a new report from the country’s General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM). The findings were presented during a climate briefing held in Rabat on June 20, 2025, showing that Morocco experienced last year record-breaking average temperature […]
Morocco’s National Fisheries Office (ONP) and Mauritania’s Fish Marketing Company (SMCP) have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in the marketing and valorization of fishery products, the ONP said in a statement. The agreement, signed in Casablanca this week by ONP Managing Director Amina Figuigui and SMCP Managing Director Yahia Ahmed El Waqf, […]
Participants in the Parliamentary Forum on Economic Cooperation between Morocco and the CEMAC highlighted on Friday in Laayoune, the strategic importance of the Southern Provinces of the Kingdom and the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region as a vital link between North Africa and Morocco’s deeper African ties, and as a promising zone for investment and integrated […]
The book “Matières à rêver”, dedicated to the textile, clothing, and leather industries in Morocco, was released last week at the UNESCO Office for the Maghreb in Rabat. This richly illustrated documentary work features 70 original photographs that offer a unique immersion into one of the country’s most dynamic sectors, UNESCO noted in a press […]
The International University of Rabat (UIR) maintains for the 3rd consecutive year its 1st position at the national level in the prestigious International Times High Education (THE) Impact Rankings, out of 14 Moroccan universities which appear in the ranking issued this week. The International THE Impact Rankings measures the commitment of universities to achieving the […]