First Independent Mena Newspaper
Thousands of families, mostly in northern Morocco, breath a sigh of relief following a royal pardon that benefited 4781 farmers indicted or wanted on illegal cannabis farming charges. Cannabis is the main agricultural activity in many areas in western Rif, where it has been grown for generations illegally. Since 2021, Morocco opened a legalization process […]
A hotel that makes guests feel like “royalty,” thus CNN described Marrakech luxury hotel Royal Mansour after it won the title of the “world’s most welcoming hotel for 2024.” Thanks to its authentic Moroccan architecture and outstanding services, the hotel outperformed the Art of Hospitality Award by The World’s 50 Best Hotels ahead of the […]
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2024 has been awarded to Kenyan Esther Kimani for her innovative early detection system for crop pests and diseases. This breakthrough will help small-scale farmers improve yields and protect their crops. Awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the prestigious “Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation” recognizes innovative engineering solutions […]
U.S. Forbes magazine has lauded the decision of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to pardon 4,831 people convicted, prosecuted, or wanted in cases related to cannabis cultivation, saying the move is an important step toward strengthening Morocco’s position in the global legal cannabis market. The royal pardon was made on the occasion of the 71st […]
Tanzania registered 409 investment projects in the first half of the year, which is a whooping 200 times more projects that were registered in the east African country in 2023, according to the Tanzania Investment Center (TIC). In the first six months of 2024, Tanzania registered 409 investment projects, worth $3.09 billion, of whom 385 […]
The Egyptian Government has secured an €8 million agreement with the European Union (EU) through the EU Tigara program to enhance trade, industry, and market access. According to the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the initiative aims to strengthen Egypt’s enterprise growth and trade mechanisms, while boosting the involvement of small and medium-sized Egyptian […]
In a significant shift from decades-long practice, Ghana’s cocoa regulator, Cocobod, has announced it won’t be seeking its usual syndicated loan for the upcoming 2024/25 cocoa season. This marks the first time in over 30 years that the world’s second-largest cocoa producer has opted for self-financing. The decision, revealed by Cocobod’s Chief Executive Joseph Boahen […]
Malawi, grappling with a severe El Niño-induced drought, has received a much-needed financial boost. An insurance payout of $11.2 million has been disbursed to the southern African nation, offering a glimmer of hope in the face of a dire food crisis. This payout comes at a critical time for Malawi, one of the world’s poorest […]
Libya’s central bank has resumed normal operation after it was forced to suspend activities due to a kidnapping of one of its senior officials. Head of the bank’s information technology department, Musaab Muslamm was abducted on Sunday by an “unidentified party,” in Tripoli, while other bank employees received threats of similar kidnappings. The Bank resumed […]
South Africa’s official unemployment rate rose to 33.5% in the first half this year as the economic outlook worsens. The country, once Africa’s largest economy, has failed to curb inequalities amid widespread criminality and infrastructure bottlenecks. Unemployment in South Africa is now one of the highest globally and has exceeded Covid-19 levels, when a lockdown […]