First Independent Mena Newspaper
An Algerian court on Tuesday handed prison sentences to six people, ranging from 18 month suspended sentence to 6 years in prison plus fines, in a corruption case involving the country’s state-run oil firm Sonatrach. Seven defendants were acquitted while four companies, including Italy’s Saipem and the German Funkwerk, were also sentenced to fines ranging […]
Egypt and Russia have signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding meant to boost trade and industrial cooperation between the two countries. The accords were signed at the end of the tenth Russian-Egyptian intergovernmental commission session on trade, economic and scientific cooperation held in Cairo. Some of the major agreements provide for the establishment of […]
France’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius Tuesday dismissed claims that France will join a US-led international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) in Libya. “There is absolutely no question of military intervention in Libya,” Fabius said, at a conference in Rome gathering members of the Global coalition against IS. It has been recently reported that France […]
Tunisian forces on Monday clashed with a group of militants in the Gabes region killing at least two of them and suffering one casualty. The confrontation took place during what the Interior Ministry calls “counter-terrorism operations” as the country is at grips with mounting terrorism since Libya became a training ground for Tunisian terrorists. Tunisia’s […]
Mauritania is set to launch on Wednesday a new global initiative, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI,) meant to improve the management of fisheries and preserve fish stocks. The move comes following the warning of economic affairs minister Sid’Ahmed Raïss who said that “overfishing by foreign boats is threatening our way of life.” Highlighting the dangers […]
Morocco has set up the steering committee for the 22nd United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP22) scheduled in Marrakech next November 7-18. This steering committee, chaired by foreign minister Salaheddine Mezouar, includes ten members. Its formation shows Morocco’s firm determination to ensure success to this landmark international event. The holding of COP22 in the […]
Egyptian popular cartoonist Islam Gaweesh has been arrested Sunday for publishing cartoons deemed critical of the regime. According to his lawyer Mahmoud Othman, the cartoonist was arrested in Cairo at his office at “Egypt News Network” headquarters, owner of the al-Warka paper. His laptop and other computers were seized. The interior ministry which accused him […]
The African Union decided to reactivate the “High Level Contact Group on Libya” through the establishment of a task force of five heads of state in a bid to end the war that has already killed thousands and forced millions to flee their homes. The announcement was made by Smail Chergui, head of the African […]
A new presidential decree coming into effect this February 1 will increase import duties on luxury goods from 10% to 40% as the government tries to boost its foreign reserves and ensure that they are spent on essential products while hoping to contribute to an increase in demand of local products. Ahmed Shiha, head of […]
Morocco took a number of measures worth over $5 million to help farmers and mitigate the impact of the current drought on the rural world. The measures were announced on the morrow of the meeting King Mohammed VI convened on Thursday with the Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Aziz […]