First Independent Mena Newspaper
Saudi authorities have caught 18 people having direct link to Iranian intelligence services, exacerbating secret war and tensions between the Sunni Arab monarchies and Shiite Persian Iran accused of seeking to destabilize the Gulf countries by inciting their indigenous Shiite communities to stage demonstrations during the Arab Spring. According to Saudi Interior ministry, the spy […]
Hope is twinkling in Tunisia after a report stated that sectors involved in travel and tourism have attained positive results during 2012. The report from Timetric claimed that tourism has recovered from the woes of the 2011 revolution. It pointed out that the increase in activity of local tourism and the arrival of foreign tourists […]
Algerian Islamist extremist Djamel Okacha has become the new commander of operations of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Northern Mali, replacing Abu Zeid who was killed in a French-led military campaign in the impoverished African country. The confirmed death of Abu Zeid, who raised millions of dollars from kidnapping of Western hostages, […]
In a gloomy economic environment, Morocco turned its eyes from Europe and opened its hand towards the South, wanting to free itself from the shackles and chains locked by trade agreements with a self-centered Europe. According to African countries, the EU uses its quotas and standards as leverage against them. The recent African tour led […]
Women in MENA countries have made big strides over the past four decades in the fields of education and health coverage, but they still face serious hurdles in the labor market, says a World Bank report. The progress made by countries of the region to bridge gender gaps has not been matched by increases in […]
The role of civil society in bringing about change in the Arab world has been widely acknowledged. Today, civil society organisations (CSOs) face the challenge of helping consolidate the process of reform at a time when progress towards democratisation is uncertain. Emerging think tank and policy research initiatives are at the centre of these efforts, […]
The sovereign debt crisis is often being called the mother of all problems, especially those with no-win solutions (or double-win of any sort for that matter). The consequences of the European sovereign debt crisis, touched off by Europe’s weakest economies in 2011, have been piecemeal yet deep and noticeable far beyond the EU’s borders. As […]
The current African tour undertaken by King Mohammed VI of Morocco is taking place in a particular juncture marked by the war in Mali and the growing activity of Al Qaeda affiliated groups in the Sahel-Sahara strip. The situation in Mali will thus be a focal issue in the talks the Moroccan King will successively […]
Chakib Benmoussa, a brilliant businessman, skilled technician and smart politician has been appointed Morocco’s ambassador to Paris, a position that remained vacant since October 2011. The former Minister of the Interior will also represent the North African Country to Andorra and Monaco. The rumour about his appointment to the position has been circulating for months […]
Interpol and the European Union have agreed with Libyan authorities to set up a real-time passport control capacity at Tripoli International Airport to help Libyan government improve border security. The project, that costs about € 2.2 million, is funded by the EU’s Instrument for Stability. It will enable the Libyan law enforcement and control authorities […]