First Independent Mena Newspaper
Belgium has reaffirmed support for Morocco’s Autonomy plan offered for the Sahara under the Kingdom’s sovereignty, saying the plan is “the most serious, credible and realistic basis” for achieving a just and lasting political solution to the Sahara regional conflict. The Belgian position was voiced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime […]
Algeria is preparing to welcome Pope Léon XIV in April, a visit the government hopes will highlight the country’s historic ties to Christianity and its claim to the legacy of Saint Augustine. But the visit will take place at a context marked by church closures and mounting crackdown on Christian communities. Official media have intensified […]
A group of 40 States have reiterated steadfast backing for Morocco’s full sovereignty over its entire Saharan territory and welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2797, endorsing the Moroccan Autonomy under the Kingdom’s sovereignty. In their joint statement made at the 62nd session of UN Human Rights Council convening in Geneva, these countries commended UN Security […]
Morocco and Finland have reaffirmed their commitment to a strengthened bilateral relationship following high-level talks in Rabat between Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen, with discussions spanning economic cooperation, regional security, and key geopolitical issues. On the economic front, Bourita highlighted notable progress in trade relations, pointing to the presence of […]
Algeria’s reaction to the unfolding developments in Iran reignited questions over the coherence of its foreign policy, exposing familiar patterns of hesitation, selective outrage and inconsistencies that diplomats say increasingly undermine its credibility on the regional stage. The strikes, which killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top officials, targeted the regime with […]
Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has been among the airlines that canceled its scheduled flight from Casablanca to Doha, as well as the return Doha–Casablanca service, after Qatar closed its airspace amid rapidly deteriorating regional security conditions. A Qatar Airways flight scheduled to depart Casablanca at 15:30 on Saturday was also canceled due to the closure, […]
A group of Tunisian lawmakers has submitted a comprehensive proposal of law to Parliament aimed at overhauling key sections of the country’s nationality Code in a bid to tighten eligibility for citizenship and adapt provisions relating to birthright nationality. Under the draft legislation, naturalization would be conditioned on legal entry and a continuous seven-year […]
Morocco is reshaping the way it views and manages its artisanal sector — moving decisively from treating it as a social support mechanism toward positioning it as a genuine driver of national economic wealth and export growth. The sector’s current scale is already impressive. Artisanal activity contributes approximately seven percent of Morocco’s GDP and employs […]
The Libyan Red Crescent has recovered two bodies following the capsizing of a migrant boat off eastern Libya. In a statement issued on Sunday, 1 March 2026, the organisation confirmed that the vessel overturned in the area between Al-Tamimi and Umm Al-Razm, near Derna. Emergency teams from the Umm Al-Razm branch, supported by colleagues from […]
Finland has expressed supports to the Autonomy Plan for the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty as “one of the most feasible solutions” to the regional dispute. This position was expressed in a Joint Communiqué adopted in Rabat this Sunday following a meeting between Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, who is on an official visit […]