Morocco is planning to boost its renewable energy capacity to 11GW by adding 6.5GW over the next four years, energy minister Leila Benali said. Currently, renewable energy represents 40% of the energy mix, with plans to bolster that share to 52% before 2030. Besides renewables, Morocco aims to increase the share of gas in its energy transition by investing in LNG terminals, ports, and pipelines. She said Morocco is well-positioned to lead the energy transition thanks to its regulatory framework and investments to develop the grid. Morocco plans to connect Dakhla, in the southern provinces, to Casablanca through a 3GW electricity connection.

Israel's tanks pushed into the heart of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Thursday, facing anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs from militants concentrated there, while in the south, its forces pounded Rafah without advancing, Palestinian residents and militants said. South Africa asked the top U.N. court to order a halt to Israel's Rafah offensive, saying it was "part of the endgame in which Gaza is utterly destroyed". Israel has denied South African allegations of genocide in Gaza and said it had complied with an earlier court order to step up aid. Israel declared major operations over in northern Gaza months ago while pledging to return to prevent Hamas regrouping. In the southern tip of Gaza, tanks held their positions in eastern neighbourhoods and outskirts of Rafah while keeping up pressure with aerial and ground bombardments.

Benin-Niger spat: China may try to mediate to access crude oil from ‘its’ pipelineTensions between Benin and Niger have escalated since the military coup in the latter in July 2023, with the borders between both countries remaining closed and with Benin preventing Niger from using its port to export its crude oil, mostly bound for China. Relations between the two nations soured after the Nigerian military overthrew the country’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum last year. In response, Benin has prevented Niger from using its port to export its first crude oil, with President Patrice Talon accusing Niger of treating its neighbor like an “enemy”. “The Nigerian government is still afraid that ECOWAS or France could try to reinstall the ousted president through military intervention.” Laessing also adds that “China will probably try to mediate. After all, China built the oil pipeline.

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of the Tunisian capital after a lawyer was allegedly tortured by police. Lawyers in the north African nation of Tunisia have launched a one-day strike following the recent arrest of two of their colleagues, as opposition to repressive measures by President Kais Saied intensifies. Tunisian police raided the bar association’s headquarters on Monday to arrest Mahdi Zagrouba, a lawyer who has been critical of the president. The association said that Zagrouba was tortured and that his body showed signs of abuse, including bruises. It is a scenario to escape responsibility after it was proven that he assaulted a policeman during a protest this week,” Tunisian Ministry of Interior official Fakher Bouzghaia said.

“For example, one large nuclear power plant can replace multiple coal-fired power plants to provide the same level of energy. Japan is set to continue its revival of nuclear energy as public opinion starts to favour the restart of nuclear reactors for the first time since the Fukushima incident. The COP28 declaration urges financial institutions to reconsider this stance and include nuclear energy in their energy lending policies to achieve the goal of tripling nuclear energy by 2050. The Ministry of Energy in Algeria and Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom signed a memorandum of cooperation around the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Rosatom also reiterated a plan touted in 2023 which involves South Africa and the Russian state nuclear corporation jointly developing a floating nuclear power plant project for the country.

Floating solar photovoltaic systems (FPV) are gaining traction thanks to their potential for higher energy yield and efficiency compared to conventional land-based solar PV systems. FPV gaining traction slowlyWorldwide installed capacity of FPV power plants reached more than 3GW in 2021, from just 100MW in 2016. While RE consumption is high in European countries, China has taken the lead in FPV energy production with a 320MW FPV plant in operation since 2021. The Central Electricity Board of Mauritius in early 2023 invited bids for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 2MWac floating solar power plant at Tamarind Falls Reservoir. In late 2022, China installed a pilot-scale two-floater 0.5MWp marine FPV system in the Yellow Sea, outside Shandong, which integrates FPV with offshore wind.

EasyJet plans to increase capacity on routes to North Africa by 35% during winter 2024-25 as part of efforts to narrow financial losses during the low season. During the winter 2023-24 season, easyJet served nine destinations in North Africa, including Agadir, Essaouira, Marrakech and Rabat in Morocco; Giza, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt; and Enfidha in Tunisia. Alongside the planned North Africa growth, easyJet is also introducing its first flights to West Africa from late October with the launch of two routes to Cape Verde. This has included a rationalization of capacity in Berlin—a process that began in 2022—and further growth from Lisbon and Porto. CCO Sophie Dekkers noted that the competitive landscape remains challenging, highlighting that Ryanair is adding 40 aircraft and 8.9 million seats this summer.

Standard Bank assisted Lowmar Farm, a commercial farming enterprise, with the financing of a new hydro project, costing approximately R24 million. This is the most significant private hydro project for which the bank has ever provided financial support. The 362kWp hydro plant is expected to produce about 2.9GWh in its first year, which will provide sufficient power for two farms. Within the first seven weeks of operation, the hydro system generated power to the value of R550,000 at Eskom’s rates. Standard Bank intends to continue to play a leading role in helping clients bring their energy projects to fruition.

OverviewThis map displays countries covered in the Middle East/North Africa geographic region. This map displays countries covered in the Middle East/North Africa geographic region. Show MoreThe MENA region is home to more than 879 million people and spans across 25 countries where over 22 languages are spoken. Today, CDC's presence in the region includes the MENA Regional Office established in 2020 in Muscat, Oman, a country office in Pakistan, and technical experts based in the region. The MENA region is diverse socially, politically, and economically.

CAIRO/JERUSALEM, May 16 (Reuters) – Israel’s tanks pushed into the heart of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Thursday, facing anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs from militants concentrated there, while in the south, its forces pounded Rafah without advancing, Palestinian residents and militants said. The slow progress of Israel’s offensive, more than seven months after it was prompted by Hamas’ deadly cross-border raid, highlighted the difficulty of achieving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aim of eradicating the militant group.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) expects Morocco’s economic growth to reach 3 per cent in 2024, before rising to 3.6 per cent in 2025, supported by a recovery in external demand and government investment. Despite additional expenditure related to the post-earthquake reconstruction and expanding targeted social protection spending, inflation eased to 0.3 per cent by February 2024. However, Morocco’s high dependence on energy imports and seasonal agricultural production makes the economy vulnerable to climate risks, underlines the report. In its projection for the whole southern and eastern Mediterranean region, EBRD expects growth to accelerate from 2.7 % in 2023 to 3.4 % in 2024 and 3.9 % in 2025. This represents a downward revision compared with the previous forecast due to the negative impacts of the war in Gaza on the region’s tourism and investments.

Job Description: Join our team as a Cross-Channel Campaigns Manager for Europe North Africa! As a Cross-Channel Campaigns Manager, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the Director of Cross-Channel Campaigns in Europe North Africa. You will be responsible for strategically planning and coordinating commercial campaigns for our brands, maximizing web direct revenue, and enhancing the customer experience. - Package of benefits and perks of working for Accor, including discounts for hotels worldwide, annual bonus based on your own performances, and much more! Ready to embark on this exciting journey as a Cross-Channel Campaigns Manager?

The US-based VC firm has partnered with the university to launch the digital platform, while the agreement also entails the launch of a specialised entrepreneurship studio Kemtech Valley-BTU, which aims to support and promote research outcomes and graduation projects. The initiative aims to support and promote research outcomes and graduation projects while leveraging the expertise of the university’s faculty and students. Ultimately, the goal is to transform these valuable resources into investment ventures, practical solutions, and industrial products that can be effectively marketed. “The students will be trained and mentored by industry and entrepreneurship experts, with the assistance of university professors, to develop initial models for innovative project ideas. Some projects will be selected for sponsorship and support from the specialised entrepreneurship studio Kemtech Valley.

Senegalese logistics platform for informal retailers Maad has raised US$3.2 million in seed funding to expand domestically and internationally, and launch new products. The platform leverages this distribution infrastructure to offer additional high-value services to brands – data, software, and services for advertising, distribution, and market understanding. Maad’s US$3.2 million seed round, which is made up of both equity and debt, was led by Ventures Platform, with participation from Seedstars International Ventures, Reflect Ventures, OuiCapital, Launch Africa, Voltron Capital, and Alumni Ventures. “Among startups operating in this space, Maad benefits from a clear first-mover advantage in Sub-Saharan Francophone Africa. “Maad’s innovative approach to digitising the informal retail sector in Francophone Africa has the potential to create a significant impact on the lives of small business owners and consumers,” said Dotun Oloworopoku, managing partner at Ventures Platform.

Special Collection on the Middle EastThe Middle East and North Africa is a troubled region, and it isn’t easy to find a success story to write about or a rewarding political experience to report. Much of what shaped the region today stems from its historical experiences: the region did not have its renaissance and missed the age of reason and the industrial revolution. European colonialism blocked Arab and Muslim efforts to modernize and espouse rational thinking. This complete work consists of several dozen essays spread out over 8 parts tackling the region’s conflicts and historical evolution, relating them to contemporary issues. Divided into distinct regions and critical issues, the Special Collection of the Middle East is your source to better understand this volatile region and to be prepared for what comes next.