Features Headlines Tunisia

Tunisia: sovereign credit ratings lowered

As Tunisia is at grips with a seemingly inextricable political situation, rating agencies continue to reduce its standings, in an unnecessary additional evidence that the country’s economy is not faring any better than politics.  The latest of these agencies is Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services# which lowered Tunisia’s long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings […]

Business Energy Features Headlines Morocco

Longreach Completes 2D Seismic Program Onshore Morocco

Longreach oil and gas limited, an independent oil and gas company holding exploration and near term development licences in Morocco, announced earlier this week that it has completed its 2D seismic program on the operated Sidi Moktar Licence, near Marrakesh, onshore Morocco. The program was completed according to the scheduled deadlines and budget, the company […]

Features Headlines Tunisia

Tunisian Ennahda Party: Power, Power when you Hold US…

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali announced on Monday that his proposal to form a technocrat cabinet to bring the country out of the deadlock has fallen short. Following the second round of negotiations with some 15 political parties on his initiative to form an apolitical cabinet of technocrats, Jebali was quoted by Tunisia’s official news […]

Columns Features Opinions

Doing Business in the MENA Region: Going the SMART Way?

Doing business in North Africa seems to be very challenging and still largely for the intrepid. The World Bank’s annual survey ‘Doing Business’ provides data on the relative easiness (or difficulty) of running a business around the world. A high ranking on the ease of doing business index means the regulatory environment is more conducive […]

Features Letters to the Editor Opinions

Who are the “Islamists” in the Arab Spring?

In the context of the Arab Spring, the use of the term “Islamism” is very common. The new political elites throughout the North Africa, commonly referred to as the “Islamists”, often talk of replacing the old and more or less authoritarian secular regimes in the Middle East. Journalists also use the term quite excessively and […]

Europe Features International

Pope’s Resignation, Unexpected, Unprecedented move

Pope Benedict XVI announced this Monday that he would be stepping down from office by the end of the current month, in an unexpected and unprecedented move in modern times. In a speech he delivered Monday before a church council, the Pope, 85, announced that he made his decision, which he described as “a decision […]

Business Emerging Markets Features Headlines Morocco

Bombardier Aerospace Starts Components Production in Morocco

Bombardier Aerospace, one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, announced it started producing components at a transitional facility in Morocco. “This is a very exciting milestone for us as we start to see our operation in Morocco take form,” said Hugo Brouillard, General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Morocco. The group said in a release that 18 […]

Americas Features Headlines International

Big Challenges Awaiting New U.S. Secretary of State

The stalled peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, the civil war in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program, North Korea, the Arab Spring uprisings, Afghanistan, Iraq and the growing threat from Islamists in North Africa are among the major hot foreign policy issues awaiting America’s new Secretary of State, John Kerry. In addition to the thorny […]