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North Africa and the Sahel on Alert Over Locust Upsurge$

FAO monitoring shows Northwest Africa entering a new phase of desert locust activity, with Morocco facing the highest pressure and neighboring countries preparing for possible summer migrations toward Sahelian breeding zones.

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Morocco: Draft Law 66.23 Deepens Standoff Between Moroccan Lawyers and Government$

Morocco’s courts are facing major delays as a nationwide strike by attorneys over Draft Law 66.23 enters its third week, with lawyers arguing that the proposed overhaul of the legal profession was prepared without adequate consultation and fails to protect defense rights, while the Justice Ministry defends the bill as a necessary modernization of access, training, and client protections.

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Egypt joins China’s tariff-free initiative as Beijing opens its market to nearly all of Africa$

Egypt joined China’s expanded zero-tariff scheme on 1 May 2026, gaining duty-free access to the Chinese market alongside 52 other African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing. The move eliminates tariffs that previously ran from 8 to 30 percent on key Egyptian exports, though the arrangement is a two-year preferential window through April 2028 rather than a permanent deal, and non-tariff barriers like rules of origin and phytosanitary standards still apply.

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While its Minorities are Winning World Cup Games, France is Preparing to Pivot to the Far Right$

As France’s multiethnic World Cup squad marches toward the semifinals, the country’s 2027 presidential race is tilting hard right. Right-winger Marine Le Pen leads first-round polling and beats nearly every rival in hypothetical runoffs. With RN president Jordan Bardella waiting in the wings and Jean-Luc Mélenchon consolidating the left, France’s fractured center may not be able to stop either a far-right or hard-left runoff in 2027. Here is our take.

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