First Independent Mena Newspaper
Brazil increased its fertilizer imports from Morocco in 2025, with phosphate-based shipments rising 30.19 percent year on year to $559.18 million between January and October, according to data compiled by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and relayed by the Ministry of Trade. Total Brazilian imports from Morocco reached $1.31 billion in the first ten […]
The French Navy has intercepted nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine aboard a stateless fishing vessel off the coast of West Africa, marking one of the year’s largest drug busts and highlighting the region’s growing role as a key transshipment route in the global cocaine trade. The 9.6-tonne haul — valued at roughly $600 million — […]
West Africa is becoming a central node in global cocaine trafficking, as powerful criminal groups from the Western Balkans expand their footprint across the region, a new report has revealed. Once operating largely behind the scenes, Albanian- and Slavic-speaking networks have now entrenched themselves in countries like Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Cape Verde. These […]
Morocco is moving forward with a major modernization of its Royal Air Force (FRA), with plans to acquire Embraer’s KC-390 Millennium aircraft, according to defense outlet Military Africa. The procurement is part of a broader strategy to gradually replace the FRA’s aging fleet of 14 C-130H Hercules transport aircraft and KC-130H aerial refueling tankers. If […]
Japan is intensifying its African engagement ahead of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), with ambitious plans centered on youth employment, digital transformation, and climate resilience. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has already deployed $2.9 billion of a pledged $5 billion private sector investment package, signaling sustained commitment despite global economic […]
Morocco’s OCP Group has partnered with environmental management specialist Ambipar and local organizations to launch an ambitious land restoration project targeting 100,000 hectares of degraded pastures in Brazil’s Araguaia Valley. The ALM Carbono Verde do Araguaia initiative represents a significant expansion of OCP’s sustainable agriculture efforts in Latin America’s critical Cerrado biome. The 50-year project […]
On Monday, July 14, 2025, Mali has issued a strong diplomatic protest against the Czech Republic for denying entry visas to its U19 women’s basketball team, preventing their participation in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup held in Brno, from 12 to 20 July. The Foreign Ministry labelled the move as an “unfriendly act” and […]
Morocco and Brazil are charting an ambitious path toward enhanced economic cooperation, with officials pledging to transform historical ties into concrete business opportunities during a high-profile forum in Marrakech on Wednesday. Investment Minister Karim Zidane, addressing over 100 business executives and institutional leaders at the LIDE Forum, positioned Morocco as more than just an African […]
Nearly 17,000 Brazilian tourists visited Morocco during the first four months of this year, said Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT), noting that this number represents a 48 % increase compared to same period of last year. In April, Brazilian tourist arrival spiked by 41% to reach 4,870 tourists against 3,465 in April 2024. Yet, inbound […]
The 68th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, held on March 10-14 in Vienna, adopted a groundbreaking resolution put forward by Morocco, France and Brazil on the impact of illicit drug-related activities on the environment. The adoption of this resolution, named “Combating the environmental impact of illicit drug activities”, marks Morocco’s substantial contribution […]