First Independent Mena Newspaper
US President Donald Trump has acted on his threats to slash aid to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) withholding $65 million while offering only $60 million. A US official confirmed the news noting that the Trump administrations demands the UNRWA to carry out reforms to its system. US President Donald Trump earlier this […]
Morocco has been described as one of the few safest countries in the globe for travelers by the US travel advisory issued by the US Department, while Algeria has been included in tier 2 danger requiring “increased precaution” due to the threat of terrorism. The contrast reflects the security gap in the Maghreb between oil-rich […]
Laureate Education, a Baltimore-based company, said it will sell its university in Morocco, Université Internationale de Casablanca, for $53.6 mln to KMR Holding Pédagogique, a company that owns the Private University of Marrakech and invests in education in west Africa. The Université Internationale de Casablanca, which opened in 2010, is one of the few state-recognized […]
Morocco’s special forces will receive $18 million dollars as part of a US administration plan worth hundreds of millions of dollars to equip allies in the MENA region to counter the IS threat as the group seeks to relocate its terrorist activities from Iraq and Syria to Africa. The news was relayed by Al Monitor […]
After the ban imposed by the US Federal Aviation Administration on Air Algérie, China followed suit banning the Algerian flag carrier from landing in its airports. The ban was issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which has barred Air Algérie along with China United Airlines, MIAT Mongolian Airlines and Ariana Afghan Airlines […]
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf has taken part in naval drills alongside Morocco’s frigate Sygma Sultan Moulay Ismail on the coast of Agadir, Moroccan media reported. The naval war games took place on the sidelines of a visit by the USS Vella Gulf to Agadir in December. “The visit serves to enhance US-Morocco […]
Morocco will bolster the defense capabilities of its F16 fighter jets with the acquisition of advanced medium range air-to-air AMRAAM missiles, the Pentagon said in a press release. A contract has been signed between Morocco’s air force and the US defense contractor, Raytheon, providing for the acquisition of the air-to-air missiles as well as for […]
The US State Department has commended Morocco for its leading contributions to global initiatives aiming at countering terrorism, citing notably the Kingdom’s input to the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). “The United States and the Kingdom of Morocco are leading a global effort under the auspices of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and in partnership with […]
A decisive vote in the UN General Assembly has further isolated the US in the international community. The vote of 128 against nine, with 35 abstentions and 21 countries not voting, has been received in Washington as a stinging rebuke for Trump and a rejection of his unilateral declaration of Jerusalem as a capital of […]
Morocco remains the first market for US armament industry in North Africa, with sales amounting to $244 million in 2016. Moroccan media reports said that US weapons represent 96% of Moroccan weapon acquisitions in 2016 compared to 100% ($274 million) in 2015. Morocco, which earmarks 3% of its GDP to military expenditures, has an army […]