First Independent Mena Newspaper
Ismail Serageldin, the director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, is being sued for squandering public funds after library staff accused him of abuse of power claiming he unfairly appointed advisors and gave them huge salaries. He was also accused of embezzling donations destined to the library and illegally transferring them to a bank account controlled by […]
Mauritania is increasingly worried about the mounting terrorist threat in the Sahel that has become a safe heaven for organized crime and terrorism networks. Mauritania’s worries were recently expounded before the 67th session of the UN General Assembly by Mauritanian Foreign Minister Hamadi Ould Hamadi who warned that the Sahel region has become “a safe […]
When, in 1949, Mao Zedong forced Chiang Kai-Shek’s army to retreat from mainland China, thus consolidating the Communist Party’s grip over the People’s Republic, the reverberations could be felt across the world. In the United States, Republicans put forward a poignant, yet rhetoric question: Who Lost China? In the eyes of the Republicans, the answer […]
Algeria is expected to invest US$71 billion in the energy sector over the five coming years, becoming thus the third largest investor in the sector in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. According to a report released earlier this week by the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), with its USD 71 billion worth […]
Gas production in the Mauritanian Banda field may start in late 2014 or early 2015, it was announced in Nouakchott earlier this week. The construction of a gas pipeline for the Banda gas field, whose reserves are estimated at 500 billion cubic feet, may be entrusted to U.K.-based explorer Tullow Oil Plc (TLW). Construction works […]
A nationwide awareness campaign to the danger of plastic bags on the environment and the need to use other alternatives was launched this week, under the motto “Morocco without plastic bags.” The campaign, sponsored by a local association, “Mawarid”, seeks to foster public awareness as to of the danger posed by non-biodegradable plastic bags to […]
Stakes owned by Vivendi SA in Maroc Telecom are being sold as part of debt reduction plan by the former. The sale is estimated to generate more than $5billion. Two potential investment banks have already been contacted by Vivendi but political policies might make a deal hard to come by, the source added. Vivendi accounts […]
Tunis Financial harbor was the topic of discussion between the Tunisian government and Bahrain’s investment bank Gulf Finance House. The latter wants to develop the harbors aiming to be North Africa’s first offshore financial centre. A high profile delegation from GFH led by acting CEO, Hisham Alrayes, and Lutfi Alzaar, the CEO of Tunis Financial […]
Negotiations for a loan agreement have commenced between the World Bank and the Egyptian government for the financing of the privatization and restructuring of the public sector. The government is being urged by Dr. Fakhry El-Fekky, the former International Monetary Fund’s assistant managing director to uphold the privatization process that was began by the former […]
Before the Soviet Union controlled the former republics of Central Asia, Sufi brotherhoods dominated the religious scene in Chechnya, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. However, the Soviet policy toward Islam drove these Sufi groups underground for fear of persecution. In the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet bloc, legions of radical Islamists filled the gap left […]