First Independent Mena Newspaper
Major international hotel chains are expanding their footprint in Morocco, drawn by sustained tourism growth and the prospects tied to 2030. Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Radisson and IHG are all reinforcing their presence in the Kingdom, which now counts 75 hotels and resorts in development totaling 10,606 rooms, according to the Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in […]
Far from the images of the mass border rushes at Ceuta and Melilla, a different migration story is unfolding in Algeria in the western Mediterranean. According to data released on August 12 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Algeria has become the leading country of origin for irregular migration to Spain, well ahead of […]
Morocco is marking this Friday the 47th anniversary of the recovery of Oued Ed-Dahab, marking the return of the southern region to Moroccan rule on August 14, 1979. The anniversary follows Mauritania’s withdrawal from the territory under the Algiers Agreement with the Polisario Front, after which tribal leaders from Oued Ed-Dahab travelled to Rabat to […]
UN Secretary-General has announced the appointment of Pakistani Maj. General Jawad Ahmed as new Force Commander of the MINURSO in replacement of Maj. General Md Fakhrul Ahsan of Bangladesh, who completed his assignment on 2 August 2026. In a press release, the UN says General Ahmed brings to this position over 35 years of leadership […]
Far from the images of the mass border rushes at Ceuta and Melilla, a different migration story is unfolding in Algeria in the western Mediterranean. According to data released on August 12 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Algeria has become the leading country of origin for irregular migration to Spain, well ahead of […]
A rare cross-party coalition in Spain has called for Morocco’s exclusion from co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, treating the global governing body as if it were a family heirloom, even as the joint Spain-Portugal-Morocco bid succeeded largely thanks to African support secured by Rabat. Right-wing Vox, left-wing Sumar and Podemos, and elements of the […]
Morocco’s women’s national football team fell short of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco 2026) after losing to Cameroon 3–1 on penalty shoouts (0–0 after regulation and extra time) in the semi-final played Wednesday evening at Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. Cameroon will face Malawi in the final on Sunday at the same […]
Kenya has officially submitted a bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, seeking to become the first African country to stage this global event. The bid, submitted on August 10, 2026, puts Nairobi in competition with London, Rome and Munich. World Athletics is expected to announce the successful host city next month. Athletics Kenya […]
The Confederation of African Football has thrown its full weight behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of the next FIFA presidential election scheduled to take place on March 18, 2027, during the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco. The CAF support comes as incumbent president Gianni Infantino is facing backlash following a controversial proposal regarding […]
Ongoing protests in Tunisia have reopened a question many observers have preferred to avoid, according to an analysis by Algerian writer Boualem Sansal. In Sansal’s analysis, published on le360, the real turning point came in August 2022, when Kais Saïed received the secretary-general of the Polisario Front with full state honors, a deliberate snub to […]
The 21st edition of the Timitar Festival closed Saturday night in Agadir after three days of strong turnout across its two stages, capping what organizers and attendees described as a flawless edition of the annual music festival built around Amazigh culture and its dialogue with the wider world. The opening night set the tone, with […]
Far from the images of the mass border rushes at Ceuta and Melilla, a different migration story is unfolding in Algeria in the western Mediterranean. According to data released on August 12 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Algeria has become the leading country of origin for irregular migration to Spain, well ahead of […]
Dr. Sofia Ghacham, electrical engineer, ICT researcher, and founder of Women in AI Morocco, made the case that artificial intelligence cannot reach its full potential without the full participation of women — and that Morocco, despite its academic promise, still has significant ground to cover. The path to AI advocacy of Ghacham, who made the […]
