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[ad_1] In a major development for U.S. mineral strategy in Africa, KoBold Metals, a California-based company backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has signed a landmark agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to explore and develop the Manono lithium project — one of the world’s richest untapped lithium deposits.The deal, witnessed by President Félix Tshisekedi and U.S. Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn, was signed last week (17 July) by Congo’s Mines Minister Kizito Pakabomba and KoBold DRC’s Managing Director Benjamin Katabuka. The agreement grants KoBold exploration rights to the contentious Roche Dure site, which has been mired in…

[ad_1] Rabat– Legal advocacy organizations “Due Process International” and “Detained in Dubai” are urging the UK Parliament to launch an urgent inquiry into the government’s involvement in the prosecution of Lee Brahim Murray-Lamrani. Murray, 47, is a British-Moroccan former MMA fighter. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Morocco over his involvement in the 2006 Securitas depot robbery of nearly £53 million in Kent, the biggest robbery in UK history. Nicknamed “Lightning” Lee, Murray started his MMA career in 1999 with a knockout, before building an impressive record that led him to his first UFC victory in 2004.…

[ad_1] A new U.S. policy introducing a non-waivable $250 “visa integrity fee” for nonimmigrant visa applicants — particularly from African nations — has drawn sharp criticism for raising barriers to travel, education, and business.Part of the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, the fee applies to nearly all visa categories, including tourist (B-1/B-2), student (F-1/F-2), work (H-1B/H-4), and exchange (J-1/J-2) visas. When combined with existing visa costs, total application fees for African citizens could exceed $500 — excluding additional travel and documentation expenses. The fee, expected to take effect later this year, disproportionately affects countries not covered…

[ad_1] Rabat – Morocco continues to position itself as a key player in Africa’s economic landscape, topping North Africa in economic freedom despite lingering structural challenges. According to the 2025 Nomad Capitalist Freedom Index, Morocco ranks 101st out of 196 countries, with a balanced yet partial score reflecting its progress and room for improvement. The index, compiled by the tax and migration advisory firm Nomad Capitalist, evaluates countries based on five pillars: financial freedom (30% of the score), asset protection (25%), human rights (20%), safety (15%), and quality of life (10%).  Morocco achieved a 30/50 score overall, with consistent ratings…

[ad_1] Morocco has uncovered 20 historic shipwrecks beneath its Atlantic and Mediterranean waters, marking a significant milestone in understanding the kingdom’s maritime heritage and prompting new legislative protections for underwater cultural assets.The National Center for Studies and Research in Underwater Cultural Heritage announced the discoveries across several coastal regions, including El Jadida and northern Morocco. The vessels, primarily dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, encompass warships and merchant vessels that illuminate Morocco’s overlooked naval history.“These discoveries help us reconnect with a part of our history that remained hidden under the water for generations,” explained Azeddine Kara, from SNRT News.…

[ad_1] Rabat — Morocco’s central bank has completed its first digital currency experiment focused on peer-to-peer retail payments and now moves forward with cross-border payment trials. Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM) Governor Abdellatif Jouahri announced the news on Monday, adding, “We are conducting another experiment in collaboration with the Central Bank of Egypt and with support from the World Bank on cross-border transfer use cases.” BAM’s governor made the announcement during the opening of the 2025 continental seminar of the Association of African Central Banks (ABCA), which runs from July 21-23 in Rabat under the theme “Cyber-risks and innovative financial technologies: challenges…

[ad_1] Somalia has intensified its campaign against terrorism financing, taking decisive action to dismantle the financial infrastructure sustaining extremist group Al-Shabaab.The National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), led by Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh, reported the deactivation of 575 mobile lines and the freezing of 21 bank accounts linked to the group between January and June 2025. In a high-level meeting in Mogadishu, the committee detailed a sweeping national strategy that also included shutting down 88 merchant accounts suspected of laundering extorted funds, dismantling illegal checkpoints, and neutralizing high-ranking financial operatives. Several individuals…

[ad_1] Rabat — North Macedonia announced its support for Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan as the only basis for resolving the Western Sahara dispute, marking another diplomatic victory for the North African country’s position on its territory. The North Macedonian government announced this stance in a joint declaration signed Monday in Skopje by Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita. Mucunski reaffirmed his country’s longstanding support for the UN-led process aimed at finding a fair, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution for all parties involved in the dispute. The two countries expressed commitment to UN leadership in the…

[ad_1] Rabat — Syrian government troops have cleared Bedouin fighters from the city of Sweida and declared an end to deadly clashes that killed at least 260 people over the past week. The announcement came Saturday after President Ahmed al-Sharaa ordered a new ceasefire between Bedouin and Druze groups. The US also brokered a separate deal to stop Israeli attacks on Syria. According to converging sources, the violence began when someone kidnapped a Druze truck driver on a public highway. This sparked revenge attacks that drew tribal fighters from across the country to support the Bedouin community in Sweida province.…

[ad_1] Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family who spent nearly two decades in a coma, died on Saturday in Riyadh. He was 36. The prince sustained severe injuries in a car accident in 2005 while attending a military academy in London.  The crash caused a major brain hemorrhage and serious internal damage.  He was transferred to Saudi Arabia for treatment and remained in a vegetative state at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh until his death. Throughout the 20-year period, his condition did not significantly improve. His father, Prince Khaled…