First Independent Mena Newspaper
What muzzle did US Vice President Joe Biden agree to wear in the veep debate against Rep. Paul Ryan, the runningmate of Republican Mitt Romney? Pres. Barack Obama appeared to be muzzled also during his appearance with Mr. Romney in Denver 8 days earlier. Why the word “muzzle?” The incumbents and the hopefuls for the […]
On Sunday October 7th, The Philippine government has announced a preliminary peace agreement with the country’s largest Muslim group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). This deal aims at ending a 40-year conflict that has killed an estimated 120,000 people. But it could also open the way to boost domestic and foreign investments in the […]
The United States has reportedly deployed a dozen aircraft in the Middle East-North Africa region probably as a precaution, in case conflicts there necessitate quick action. According to Stratfor, a news outlet specialized in geopolitical analysis and intelligence news, at least a dozen military transport planes and gunships, typically used for a variety of special […]
Malta played host this weekend to the Five-plus-Five summit, gathering five Maghreb and five European countries whose heads of state or government came together to discuss ways to foster inter-Mediterranean ties. The Five-plus-Five forum, which brings together leaders from Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, the five countries forming the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) along […]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched an appeal to aid donors to raise $ 800,000 to enable the intergovernmental organization provide reintegration support to up to 1,000 stranded Sub-Saharan African migrants who want voluntarily to return to their home on flights provided by the Moroccan government. The IOM assistance will be provided to […]
The terrorist threat posed by Al-Qaeda’s branch in North Africa was at the center of secret meetings held lately by the White House, says the Washington Post, noting the U.S. administration has started seriously considering the possibility of launching a strike against that extremist Jihadist group. The secret meetings looked into ways of helping regional […]
There was no breakthrough in the East China Sea island dispute between China and Japan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Foreign ministers Koichiro Gemba and Yang Jiechi were reported to have had a “severe” exchange. This is bad news for business in the region as the row with China […]
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has asked UN to grant Palestinians the status of “non-member observer state”, stressing that a “Palestinian state must be realized” One year after his bid for full membership of the United Nations failed because of a lack of support in the Security Council, Mr. Abbas returned to the UN General Assembly. […]
The uprising in Syria has led the European Union (EU) to employ an instrument it rarely uses in the Mediterranean: sanctions. Since May 2011, the EU has deployed its sanctions toolbox in support of the anti-regime uprising in Syria. The objective of the EU is to increase pressure on the Assad regime to end repression, […]
The summer has been hot in Hong Kong this year, and not only because temperature reached 32 degrees amid intense humidity. 100 000 people, mainly Hong Kong students, have been taking to the streets, and demonstrating in front of the government headquarters to oppose a new education curriculum, called the “moral and national education”. […]