https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:59:28 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-turkiye-withdraws-as-host-of-cop16-blaming-februarys-earthquakes/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:46:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657942 Turkiye has withdrawn from hosting the United Nations' Cop16 biodiversity summit in 2024, citing three large earthquakes in February that devastated parts of the country, Reuters reports. According to the report, the UN convention on biological diversity announced that Turkiye had withdrawn due to "a force majeure situation", inviting other countries to offer to host the conference. It is hoped the scheduled dates – 21 October to 1 November – will not change. France, the UK, Switzerland and Spain are all possible replacement destinations for the conference, where governments will discuss how they are meeting targets to protect 30 per cent of land and sea, reform $500bn of environmentally damaging subsidies and restore 30 per cent of the planet's degraded terrestrial, inland water, […]]]> 657942 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-saudi-spending-has-changed-football-transfer-market-says-pep-guardiola/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 13:21:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656495 Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola has said Saudi Arabia has "changed the football transfer market" following Riyad Mahrez's move on Friday to join Jeddah-based football club Al-Ahli in a deal worth almost $40 million, becoming one of the latest high-profile Premier League player to play in the Saudi Pro League. Guardiola who led City to win their historic treble last season, made the comments yesterday while the club is on a pre-season tour of South Korea. It is worth noting that City is heavily backed by the UAE and are owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of the ruling family. "The Saudi league has completely changed the market" Pep Guardiola says more big names will move to […]]]> 656495 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-asias-strategic-autonomy-how-the-new-era-could-shape-our-collective-identities/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 11:30:40 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656406 In a recent speech, China's highest-ranking diplomat Wang Yi spoke of a "united Asia" and its need to develop a "strategic autonomy". In principle, Wang was not wrong; after all, a stable and prosperous Asia would benefit the region's peoples and deny Western meddlers the chance to exploit historical fault lines and sow the seeds of political division. Wang's language, although from the outside may seem simple and straightforward, is quite loaded with meaning. "No matter how blonde you dye your hair, how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner," Wang said, as cited by Chinese state media. In fact, common culture, beliefs and origins have historically served […]]]> 656406 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-spain-grants-nationality-to-runaway-iran-chess-player/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:59:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655974 Spain has granted citizenship to a self-exiled Iranian chess player, after she fled to the country following her refusal to wear the headscarf. In December last year, 26-year-old Iranian chess grandmaster, Sara Khadem, participated in the international chess World Cup in which she refused to wear the hijab mandated by Iran's sports authorities. She later confirmed, in an interview with the AFP news agency, two months later, that her refusal to don the headscarf was an expression of solidarity with the protests sweeping across Iran at the time, after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini under police custody in September last year. Following her stance, a relative warned Khadem that she would be arrested if she returned to Iran, leading […]]]> 655974 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-tunisia-says-it-has-contained-wildfires-that-have-swept-several-regions/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 16:32:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655239 Tunisian firefighters have completely contained the fires that broke out in a number of regions of the country, with the help of members of the Algerian army and fire fighting planes from Spain, the Tunisian Interior Minister said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. Wildfires that swept across regions of Algeria, leaving at least 34 people,  including 10 soldiers, dead, spread to Tunisian regions including forests of Tabarka, Jendouba, Beja, Bizerte and Siliana. Earlier on Wednesday, Algeria managed to contain the bush fire that had been raging in its forests, the state TV said. Wildfires in Tunisia forced hundreds to evacuate their homes, as a heat wave spread across North Africa and southern Europe. Temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) were recorded in some […]]]> 655239 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-irregular-migrant-dies-on-boat-near-spain/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 13:46:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655190 The Spanish Maritime Rescue Service said yesterday that a dead person had been found on a boat carrying 84 irregular migrants, which was spotted near the Canary Islands in the Mediterranean. The service said in press statements that its members were able to rescue 84 irregular immigrants who were on a boat near the Spanish island of Gran Canaria (the third largest of the Canary Islands), while one person was found dead, according to the American ABC network. The survivors were 83 men and one woman, all from sub-Saharan Africa. The Spanish authorities said the boat was spotted by radar and tracking devices belonging to the Spanish Civil Guard before dawn yesterday. According to the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, nearly […]]]> 655190 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-filmmakers-including-oscar-winner-withdraw-from-israels-jerusalem-film-festival/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 14:56:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654852 A group of filmmakers, including Oscar winner Jane Campion and Basque filmmaker Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, have requested their films be withdrawn from Israel's Jerusalem Film Festival. According to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), at least four other international film directors from the Basque region in Spain, UK and US have also boycotted the festival, which is partnered with the Israeli Ministry of Culture. Award-winning screenwriter, producer and director, James Schamus, praised the show of solidarity.  "Last year, Emma Watson spoke for a growing chorus of international cultural workers in support of Palestinian rights when she attested that 'solidarity is a verb.'" READ: Israel army covering up mass wave of unrest in its ranks "This […]]]> 654852 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-all-eyes-on-turkiye-as-olive-olive-oil-production-in-europe-threatened-by-drought/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 18:49:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654407 While olive and olive oil output in Europe, especially in Spain, is in crisis due to the drought, Turkiye aims to boost its market share with establishing new production and export strategies, Anadolu Agency reports. Close to achieving a $1-billion olive oil exports record, Turkiye focused on value-added production and sales, according to data compiled by Anadolu. Extreme heat in Spain, the world's largest olive oil producer, will cause production to remain below expectations leading to price hikes. With the surge in foreign demand, Turkiye will cut Turkish lira equivalent of 20 cents per kilogram on all kinds of olive oil exports, the Official Gazette announced on Wednesday. READ: Netanyahu to meet Erdogan in Turkiye, a first visit for Israel PM […]]]> 654407 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-morocco-rescues-900-migrants-in-8-days/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 08:57:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654069 According to the latest figures from the Spanish Ministry of Interior, 12,704 migrants arrived in Spain illegally in the first half of the year, the majority – 7,213 – landed in the Canary Islands. For its part, the Moroccan authorities said they have thwarteThe Moroccan Navy has rescued 845 irregular migrants and recovered the body of one over the past eight days, amid a rise in attempts to reach the Spanish Canary Islands in the Atlantic,  state news agency MAP reported. "The Royal Navy Coast Guard units provided assistance, during the period between July 10 and July 17, to 845 candidates for illegal immigration of different nationalities, most of whom hail from sub-Saharan African countries," MAP quoted a military source […]]]> 654069 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230715-algeria-detains-28-person-morocco-smuggling-network/ Sat, 15 Jul 2023 10:28:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652397 The Algerian Gendarmerie Nationale on Friday detained a network of 28 Moroccans and four Algerians who arranged secret immigration trips to Spain, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported. In a statement, the Gendarmerie Nationale in the governorate of Wahran disclosed that it: "Dismantled an international criminal network specialised in planning and organising secret voyages setting off from Morocco to Spain, passing through Algeria." The detention of this network came after intelligence efforts related to the smuggling of immigrants to Spain were intensified. According to the statement, the network comprises 32 people, including 28 Moroccans and four Algerians. The gendarme seized a boat, four tourist cars, a large sum of Algerian, Moroccan, Euro and Turkish cash, passports and mobile phones. The group collect people […]]]> 652397 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-spain-court-halts-probe-into-spyware-due-to-israel-lack-of-cooperation/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:44:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652357 A Spanish judge investigating the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware used against top politicians, including Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has halted the case due to a "complete" lack of cooperation from Israel, a court statement announced on Monday. According to The Times of Israel, the Audiencia Nacional, Spain's top criminal court said Jose Luis Calama had sent a formal letter to the Israeli government more than a year ago requesting information about the software made by Israeli firm, NSO Group, but never received a response. "This silence clearly shows an absolute lack of legal cooperation on the part of the government of Israel. This leads us to presume that the judicial request in question, which has been sent four times, will never […]]]> 652357 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-production-shuts-down-at-libya-el-feel-sharara-and-108-oilfields-tribal-leader-oil-engineers/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:24:19 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652353 Production at Libya's El Feel, Sharara and 108 oilfields was shut on Thursday in a protest against the abduction of a former finance minister, a tribal leader told Reuters on Thursday. The shutdown was confirmed by oil engineers and a protester, Reuters reports. It is a protest by the Al-Zawi tribe against the kidnapping of Faraj Bumatari, a former finance minister, according to the tribal leader. The protesters released a video statement from the 108 oilfields saying, while they closed a valve: "We affirm the continuation of the oil closures, and we may escalate the situation to more than that if our son, Faraj Bumatari, is not released." No protesters have entered the Sharara oilfield, so far, two engineers working in the field told Reuters on Thursday. […]]]> 652353 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230713-deaths-of-people-trying-to-reach-spain-amount-to-5-people-per-day-report-says/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 20:07:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652184 An average of 5 people, per day, has died attempting to reach Spain during the first six months of this year, according to the findings of a new report. According to a report released by Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) a week ago, at least 951 people – including 49 children – have died while trying to reach Spain by sea in the first six months of 2023, with those lost at sea hailing from 14 countries such as Syria and others located in north, west, central and east Africa. The group, which compiled its findings from official sources, refugee testimonies and rescue organisations operating on the ground, reported that 19 boats went missing with all their passengers on board between […]]]> 652184 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230710-complaining-israel-failed-to-cooperate-spanish-judge-hits-pause-on-pegasus-espionage-probe/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:34:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651069 A Spanish judge announced, on Monday, that he was pausing an investigation into who hacked the phones of Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and other high-ranking politicians due to Israel's "absolute" lack of cooperation, Anadolu Agency reports. The investigation concluded that between 2020 and 2021, Sanchez's phone was infected five times with the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware. In total, at least 2.7 MB of material was downloaded from the Premier's phone. The probe also found that the Spanish Defence Minister's phone was hacked four times, the Interior Minister's phone was hacked twice and the Agricultural Minister's phone was targeted once. However, Judge José Luis Calama of the National High Court said the investigation hit a dead end after Israel ignored four […]]]> 651069 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230706-nearly-1000-migrants-died-trying-to-reach-spain-in-first-half-of-2023/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 16:38:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650226 A total of 951 migrants died trying to reach Spain in the first half of 2023, according to a report published Thursday by the Walking Borders organisation, Anadolu Agency reports. The victims came from 14 countries – from Morocco to Congo, Syria to Sudan to Sri Lanka, according to the report. Most perished during the Atlantic voyage to the Canary Islands. An estimated 778 died on the route, including all passengers on 19 vessels, making it one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. Included in the figure are an estimated 36 people who died in June in the waters between Spain and Morocco. Their rubber dinghy had been sending messages of help for more than 10 hours before […]]]> 650226 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230703-turkiye-intelligence-agency-exposes-ghost-network-of-mossad-operatives/ Mon, 03 Jul 2023 15:00:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649023 Turkiye's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) has exposed a vast "ghost" network of dozens of operatives working for the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, in the latest Turkish operation to bust a foreign espionage ring. According to the Turkish newspaper, Daily Sabah, the MIT recently uncovered a cell of 56 Mossad operatives, based primarily on confessions obtained from seven relevant people who were apprehended in an operation conducted in collaboration with the Istanbul Police Department's Anti-Terrorism Branch. Citing MIT documents, the paper reported that the spies were tied to nine networks overseen by nine senior Mossad agents based in the Israeli capital, Tel Aviv, and were responsible for the gathering of biographical intelligence on non-Turkish foreign nationals residing in Turkiye. The operatives […]]]> 649023 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230702-spain-through-its-eu-presidency-aims-to-boost-eu-turkiye-relations/ Sun, 02 Jul 2023 12:45:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648793 Spain made a commitment to "promote EU-Turkiye relations with a positive agenda" as part of its presidency program, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, reports Anadolu Agency. According to the EU Presidency Program released by the Spanish Foreign Ministry, the country aims "to foster mutually beneficial collaborations, including the resumption of EU and Turkiye High-Level Dialogue meetings, with a constructive approach towards Turkiye." The program also highlights Spain's dedication to ensuring security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean throughout its EU presidency. READ: EU looks for 'strategic, forward-looking' ties with Turkiye "These include facilitating the reindustrialization of the EU through strategic planning and self-sufficiency, expediting the transition towards ecological and environmental sustainability, advancing social and economic justice, and reinforcing political […]]]> 648793 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230630-spain-rejects-israel-settlement-expansion-condemns-settlers-violence/ Fri, 30 Jun 2023 18:45:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648387 Spain, on Friday, rejected the expansion of Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territories and condemned violence by settlers, calling Tel Aviv's decision contrary to international law and an impediment to peace, Anadolu Agency reports. "The Government of Spain rejects the measures approved this week on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the West Bank and condemns the violence exercised by settlers," Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Ministry noted that the settlements are contrary to international law, are an obstacle to peace and hinder the realisation of the two-state solution. "… The only possible response to the legitimate national aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis," the statement added. Israel, on Tuesday, approved plans for over 5,700 more illegal […]]]> 648387 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230630-fc-barcelona-receives-109m-sponsorship-proposal-from-qatar/ Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:13:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648347 Barcelona is reported to have received an offer worth €100m ($109m) from a team in Qatar with a view to using La Blaugrana's name as part of their franchise, 90 min football webpage reports. According to the report, club president, Joan Laporta, was recently spotted in Qatar and, according to Tot Costa, his visit could have concerned a potential franchise partnership. The report states that an unnamed Qatari side has offered Barcelona a cool $109m in exchange for the rights to use the Blaugrana's name as part of their own. The report added that whether this offer will be accepted is unclear, but the potential benefits for Barcelona, who are still working to lower their wages to fall under La Liga's salary […]]]> 648347 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230626-israel-is-targeting-palestinian-christians/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 17:00:15 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647256 Israel continues its policy of Judaising the occupied city of Jerusalem where it targets Islamic and Christian holy sites. It is trying to change the historical mark of Jerusalem as a multicultural city that is sacred to all three religions and to turn it into a city with an exclusive Jewish identity. Over the years, Israel has invested billions of shekels in archaeological tourism projects aiming to entrench the Jewish narrative to change the way the city is perceived. In recent weeks, it has announced an additional investment of tens of millions of shekels in archaeological excavations and projects run by the far-right Elad Association (City of David), claiming that these projects tell the story of Jewish Jerusalem. It also […]]]> 647256 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230626-boat-capsizes-between-tunisia-and-italy-newborn-among-missing/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 11:44:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647280 A boat has capsized between Tunisia and Italy and 37 people including a newborn baby are missing, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The survivors are from sub-Saharan Africa and arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa last Thursday. The boat they were on left from Tunisia's second city of Sfax carrying refugees from Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. A spokesperson for the IOM said that the arrival of sub-Saharan Africans from Tunisia was because of discrimination that they faced in Tunisia. In February, Tunisian President Kais Saied announced that immigration was a plot to change the country's demography and that security forces should take "urgent measures" against "hordes" of undocumented sub-Saharan migrants. Armed mobs attacked homes where black […]]]> 647280 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230622-no-justice-for-deaths-at-melilla-border-human-rights-watch/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 16:07:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646667 Human Rights Watch slammed Spain and Morocco on Thursday for failing to credibly investigate the Melilla border tragedy a year ago, claiming there has been "no justice" for the deaths, Anadolu Agency reports. "Both Spain and Morocco have exonerated their security forces following flawed or insufficient investigations into the violence at the Melilla enclave border," said Alice Autin, Europe and Central Asia researcher at the human rights organisation. "And what happened to dozens of the people who attempted to cross on that day is still unknown." On 24 June, 2022, around 1,700 men, mostly from Sudan, South Sudan and Chad, tried to scale the fortified border fence separating Morocco from Spain. That action was met by violence from Spanish and Moroccan […]]]> 646667 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230621-39-feared-dead-after-boat-sank-on-canary-islands-migrant-route/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 18:26:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646492 As many as 39 people are feared dead after a ship sank in the waters between Morocco and Spain's Canary Islands on Wednesday, according to the Spanish migrant organisation, Walking Borders, Anadolu Agency reports. The Spanish Coast Guard has confirmed one death, so far, according to Spanish news agency, EFE. The ship was carrying some 60 people. Moroccan authorities rescued 24 passengers, some of whom were already in the sea when the rescue team arrived, EFE reported. The migrant ship had been begging for help for 12 hours in Spanish waters, Helena Maleno Garzon, head of Walking Borders, said on Twitter. "Europe's border policy is what happened in Greece, Italy and Spain. It's torture and death," she wrote. READ: Save […]]]> 646492 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-spain-jordan-move-toward-strategic-partnership/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 17:22:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645580 Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and King Abdullah II of Jordan agreed on Monday to begin work towards forging a strategic partnership, setting a new course in bilateral relations, Anadolu Agency reports. Meeting in Madrid, the leaders signed a joint declaration dedicated to enhancing bilateral ties and collaborating on international stability and prosperity. "Spain acknowledged Jordan's pivotal role in Middle Eastern stability, as well as the need to preserve and respect the status quo in holy Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem," read the statement, in which both countries emphasised the need for a two-state solution in Israel. The leaders of Spain and Jordan also emphasised the need to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis, as well as […]]]> 645580 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230617-spanish-charity-rescues-117-migrants-sailing-from-libya/ Sat, 17 Jun 2023 14:30:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645296 Spanish charity Open Arms said it rescued 117 migrants on Saturday crowded onto a precarious wooden boat from Libya in the latest such perilous crossing over the Mediterranean sea, Reuters reports. Last week's shipwreck off Greece, killing at least 78 among hundreds packed onto a fishing boat, has shone a light once again on the deaths of thousands of migrants each year fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East. Open Arms said in a statement that it had picked up 117 people on Saturday, including 25 women and a three-year-old boy, mainly from Eritrea, Sudan and Libya. The rescue operation took place in international waters 30km off the coast of Libya after the boat left the port of […]]]> 645296 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230614-spanish-waste-is-being-smuggled-in-morocco-govt-must-act-mp-says/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 08:18:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644594 A member of the Moroccan parliament has questioned what measures the government has put in place to protect the kingdom from being a site to dump foreign rubbish. This comes after media outlets published details of an investigation carried out by the Spanish authorities into the smuggling of tonnes of plastic waste into Morocco and other countries in Africa. In response, Member of Parliament Ahmed Al-Abbadi, a member of the Progress and Socialism Bloc, asked Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, about Rabat's moves to stop such practices, adding that some of the practices go beyond minor environmental violations and evolve into organised crimes. Al-Abbadi added that Morocco had made significant strides in environmental protection, the […]]]> 644594 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230608-italy-seeks-last-minute-changes-to-elusive-eu-migration-deal/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 16:56:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=643497 Italy sought last-minute changes on Thursday to a tentative EU agreement on sharing out responsibility for looking after migrants and refugees, pushing for a cut in the number of people each country would take on Reuters reports. Home affairs ministers from across the 27-member bloc are meeting to try seal a deal to end years of damaging feuds dating back to 2015, when more than a million people – mostly fleeing the war in Syria – reached the EU across the Mediterranean. Representatives from Germany, Spain and France had raised hopes of a final agreement later on Thursday. But Matteo Piantedosi, the Interior Minister from Italy's right-wing government, said there was still work to do. "We cannot adopt a reform that is destined to fail," he told his […]]]> 643497 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230608-im-going-to-miami-messi-chooses-us-over-saudi/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 13:38:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=643454 Argentinian football star Lionel Messi yesterday announced that he intends to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami as a free agent after parting ways with French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and snubbing a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported. Messi, who played his final game for PSG over the weekend, was also linked with a return to Barcelona, but the Spanish club have had their hands tied due to LaLiga's financial fair play rules. "I made the decision that I'm going to go to Miami," Messi said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo and Sport newspapers."I still haven't closed it 100%. I'm still missing a few things, but we decided to go ahead. If Barcelona didn't work out, […]]]> 643454 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230606-breakthrough-on-stalled-eu-migration-deal-coming-this-week-official/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 15:47:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642887 European Union countries are expected, this week, to agree on how to share out the responsibility of hosting refugees and migrants, a top EU official said on Tuesday of what would mark a breakthrough after years of bitter feuds within the bloc, Reuters reports. The EU's Migration chief spoke ahead of talks between home affairs ministers of the bloc's 27 member states on Thursday. On the table is an overhaul of EU asylum rules which broke down in 2015 as more than a million people – mostly fleeing the war in Syria – reached the bloc across the Mediterranean. "It's about having a European migration policy," EU Migration Commissioner, Ylva Johansson told reporters. "When we work together, we are so strong […]]]> 642887 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230605-morocco-and-spain-continue-to-face-tense-relations/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:50:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642626 Tense relations continue between Morocco and Spain despite relatively warm links in recent months, not least due to Madrid's recognition of the autonomy initiative proposed by Morocco to end the dispute over the Western Sahara, and King Mohammed VI's reception of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. However, Sanchez has dissolved parliament and called a general election following the defeat of his Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in local and municipal elections. Moreover, Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Agriculture and the Environment, Luis Planas, has decided not to renew the EU-Morocco fishing agreement six weeks before the end of the current agreement. "Although the door is open to technical negotiations, the two parties agreed to wait to hear the ruling of the […]]]> 642626 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230605-benzema-to-sign-2-year-deal-with-saudi-champions-al-ittihad/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:11:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642590 France international and Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema, has reportedly reached an agreement with Saudi Arabian football club Al-Ittihad on a two-year contract, according to local media. The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner will leave the Spanish club after 14 years, as a free agent having won 25 trophies, including five Champions Leagues, and will join the Jeddah-based team on a deal said to be worth over $214 million per year. Yesterday in a statement, Benzema's former club announced: "Real Madrid CF and our captain Karim Benzema have agreed to end his brilliant and unforgettable period as a player for our club." "Karim Benzema's career at Real Madrid has been an example of behaviour and professionalism, and has represented the values […]]]> 642590 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230602-morocco-slams-eu-official-for-describing-cities-of-ceuta-melilla-as-european/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 11:42:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642014 Morocco yesterday criticised Margaritis Schinas, vice president of the European Commission, for describing the disputed cities of Ceuta and Melilla as "European", Anadolu news agency reported. On Wednesday, Spanish media said, the Spanish government submitted an official complaint to Rabat for describing the two cities as "Moroccan". Responding to journalists' question on the issue, Moroccan government spokesman Mustapha Baitas said: "It was necessary to stand up to the slip that occurred, and we are proud of the very great partnership that brings us together with the Spanish neighbour." "Our partnership with Spain is based on trust and joint involvement in addressing various challenges, whether economic or social," he added. The cities of Melilla and Ceuta in northern Morocco, in addition […]]]> 642014 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230531-real-madrid-captain-benzema-gets-215m-offer-to-join-saudi-club/ Wed, 31 May 2023 09:56:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641179 Real Madrid captain, French-Algerian star Karim Benzema has received a $214.5 million offer to join Saudi's Al-Ittihad Club. The Spanish radio station, Cadena COPE, revealed that Benzema had agreed to join the Saudi club, which won the league title this year, starting next season.  Benzema is contracted with Real Madrid until 2024 but there are reports that the club would allow him to leave should he choose to accept the offer. It's been previously reported that Benzema was offered a deal worth in excess of €400 million ($439 million) over two seasons, however there has been no official confirmation regarding any of the reports from Benzema or the Saudi club. Benzema joined Real Madrid in 2009 from Olympique Lyon and […]]]> 641179 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230528-10-european-countries-call-on-israel-to-halt-demolition-of-palestinian-homes/ Sun, 28 May 2023 11:55:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=640212 Ten European countries have called on Israel to halt its policy of home demolitions and confiscation of Palestinian properties in the occupied West Bank, reports Anadolu Agency. The call came in a joint statement issued by the consulates general of Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland and the Office of the European Union Representative to the West Bank and Gaza. The statement called on "Israel, as the occupying power, to halt all confiscations and demolitions and to give unimpeded access to humanitarian organizations in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem." It also urged Tel Aviv to "return or compensate for all humanitarian items funded by the consortium of donors," in reference to Israel's demolition […]]]> 640212 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230527-eu-diplomatic-missions-call-on-israel-to-halt-west-bank-violations/ Sat, 27 May 2023 12:34:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=640141 European Diplomatic missions in Jerusalem on Friday called on the Israeli occupation to halt all confiscations and demolitions in the occupied West Bank. In a press statement, the consortium of missions urged: "Israel, as the occupying power, to halt all confiscations and demolitions and to give unimpeded access to humanitarian organisations in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem." Members of the consortium include the Consulates General of Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK, and the Representative Offices of Denmark, Finland, Germany and Ireland, as well as the Office of the European Union (EU) Representative to the West Bank and Gaza. The diplomatic missions called on Israel to: "Return or compensate for all humanitarian items funded by the […]]]> 640141 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230526-morocco-algeria-vying-for-portugals-support-on-western-sahara-issue/ Fri, 26 May 2023 10:24:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639933 Algeria is working to enhance cooperation with both Italy and Portugal in an effort to weaken Spain's influence in North Africa, experts have said. Citing Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's official visit to Portugal, they said this comes after his visit to France was postponed Algeria's Echorouk newspaper wrote at the beginning of the visit that it aims to besiege Morocco and Spain. Tebboune's visit came a week after Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch made a visit to Lisbon. Portugal seeks to benefit from Morocco and Algeria in the fields of political and economic cooperation. It has not involved itself in supporting either side in the Western Sahara dispute, insisting that its position is to support the UN process without favouring […]]]> 639933 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230523-morocco-minister-calls-for-strengthening-trade-relations-with-spain/ Tue, 23 May 2023 12:11:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=638651 The Moroccan Minister Delegate in charge of Investment and Evaluation of Public Policies, Mohcine Jazouli, called for strengthening trade relations with Spain and working to raise the volume of investments between the two countries. Al-Jazouli said that over the past two decades, the two countries succeeded in doubling their trade five times, and there are opportunities to continue developing investments in the two countries. Spain has become Morocco's largest trading partner, while Morocco is Spain's second most important partner outside the European Union and number one in Africa, the Moroccan minister pointed out. In its statement, the ministry reported that the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to more than €18 billion ($19.8 billion) in 2022, and the number […]]]> 638651 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230522-spain-rejects-israel-latest-rhetoric-on-holy-sites/ Mon, 22 May 2023 16:34:12 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=638524 Spain issued a fresh condemnation of Israel on Monday, rejecting the rhetoric used by Israel's far-right Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem, Anadolu News Agency reports. In a statement, Madrid called on Israel to "scrupulously respect the status quo of holy sites" and for all parties to "do everything possible" to avoid fresh tensions and preserve stability. On Sunday, Ben-Gvir forced his way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. Once inside, he claimed Israel's ownership of the holy site. Several countries, including the US, Turkiye, France, Jordan, Qatar and Egypt, also condemned the provocation and the Minister's inflammatory rhetoric. READ: Palestine appeals for the UN to help release cancer patient from Israel jail Israel's opposition leader, Yair […]]]> 638524 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230517-brazil-mayor-ends-citys-ties-to-apartheid-israel/ Wed, 17 May 2023 11:30:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=637462 The mayor of the Brazilian port city of Belem, Edmilson Rodrigues, has declared his city an Apartheid Free Zone, denouncing Israel's "expulsion of a people from their ancestral territory, a true apartheid", the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement announced yesterday. Belem, the capital of the state of Para in the Amazonas, has a history of bringing indigenous and other people together in the struggle for justice and building solidarity. Belem's decision follows those by the mayor of Barcelona, Spain, to suspend institutional ties with apartheid Israel and end twinning with Tel Aviv, by the Liège  city council in Belgium to cut ties with apartheid Israel and by the Oslo city council in Norway to exclude from public procurements companies that directly or indirectly contribute to Israel's illegal settlement enterprise. The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) applauded the […]]]> 637462 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230502-who-said-bds-has-already-failed-european-cities-boycott-apartheid-israel/ Tue, 02 May 2023 19:03:53 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=633256 A succession of events starting in Barcelona, Spain, in February, and followed in Liège, Belgium, and Oslo, Norway, in April sent a strong message to Israel: The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) is alive and well. In Barcelona, the city's Mayor cancelled a twinning agreement with the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. The decision was not an impulsive one, although Ada Colau is well-known for her principled positions on many issues. It was, however, an outcome of a fully democratic process, initiated by a proposal submitted by left-wing parties at the city council. A few weeks after the decision was made, specifically on 8 February, a pro-Israeli legal organisation known as The Lawfare Project, announced its intentions to […]]]> 633256 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230428-brazils-president-the-un-was-so-strong-enough-to-create-israel-but-now-cant-create-a-palestinian-state/ Fri, 28 Apr 2023 10:43:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=631970 Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva this week slammed the UN's inability to create a Palestinian State in the same manner that it established the state of Israel in 1948. "The UN was so strong that, in 1948, it managed to create the State of Israel. In 2023, it fails to create a Palestinian state," Lula said. Speaking during an official visit to Spain, Lula continued: "We live in the world where the UN Security Council, the permanent members, they are the ones who sell the most weapons in the world, they are the biggest participants in wars in the world." "When the United States invaded Iraq, there was no discussion in the Security Council. When France and England […]]]> 631970 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230425-spain-rejects-appear-of-2-algerians-jailed-for-human-trafficking/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:56:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=630999 The Spanish judiciary refused to release two Algerians who were previously found guilty of being part of a network that was active in smuggling irregular migrants into Spain, Algerian newspaper Echorouk reported. An appeal submitted by the two Algerians was rejected and their imprisonment was upheld. On 12 March, the investigating judge of the Aragon Court in northeastern Spain ordered the temporary detention of seven people after lengthy hearings about an incident related to a network of Moroccan and Algerian irregular migrant smugglers. The accused were arrested in early March 2022 by the Spanish Civil Guard in the Aragon region in northeastern Spain. "Security investigations have revealed that the Moroccan-Algerian smuggling network charges 5,500 euros [$6,060] per person to transport […]]]> 630999 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230420-america-pro-israel-group-sues-mayor-of-barcelona-over-boycott-stance/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 12:30:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=630391 Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, is being sued by an American pro-Israel group over her decision in February to boycott the occupation state over its practice of apartheid. In a move welcomed by Palestinians, Barcelona issued a decree for the "temporary suspension" of relations with Israel as well as all of its institutions, including its twinning with the city of Tel Aviv, in protest against Israel's apartheid practices. During the announcement of the policy change, Colau said that the decision was necessary to advance peace, and recalled that the municipality had suspended relations with the Russian city of St. Petersburg following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Mayor also added that the decision is not directed against Jewish citizens, but […]]]> 630391 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230419-diplomatic-missions-in-sudan-urge-combatants-to-avoid-escalations-cease-fire/ Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:42:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=630294 Diplomatic missions in Sudan, on Wednesday, called on rival forces to cease fire and observe obligations under international law to protect civilians, diplomats and humanitarian actors following a days-long bloody power struggle across the country, Reuters reports. The missions included the embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Delegation of the European Union. In a joint statement, they urged the Army and the most powerful paramilitary group to avoid further escalation and initiate talks to resolve outstanding issues. READ: Sudan Army chief, the warlord and a feud that risks civil war]]> 630294 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230328-spain-hotel-worker-arrested-for-alleged-hate-crime-against-morocco-players/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 16:10:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625086 A 27-year-old worker at a Madrid hotel hosting the Morocco team was arrested for an alleged hate crime after posting derogatory comments on Islam and racist slurs against the players on social media, Spanish police and the hotel said on Tuesday, Reuters reports. Local police told Reuters the employee, a waiter at the Spanish capital's five-star Eurostars Hotel Tower, asked players to take photographs with him. He then uploaded the images to Instagram with xenophobic insults and tagged the Moroccan team's account, with the post quickly receiving over 70,000 views. The man is due to appear before a judge shortly, police said. "We wish to offer our most sincere apologies in relation to the unfortunate, reprehensible and unacceptable comments of […]]]> 625086 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230328-can-an-arab-team-win-the-world-cup/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 15:21:18 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625070 We all witnessed the great performance and deserved victory of the Moroccan team against the Brazilian team, which has won five World Cup trophies. The Moroccan win comes on the back of its excellent performance at the Qatar World Cup 2022 where it came fourth, making it the best performance of an Arab and African team in the history of the World Cup. The Moroccan national team has players of the highest caliber; many are active in the major European leagues, but no one expected them to have such a strong performance during the games and overcome some of the strongest football teams including Spain and Portugal. The first Arab victory over the Brazilian team Morocco's recent victory over Brazil […]]]> 625070 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230322-algeria-plans-to-return-its-ambassador-to-france/ Wed, 22 Mar 2023 20:56:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624291 After a chill that has overshadowed relations between the two countries since the fall of 2021, Paris and Algeria began to improve these relations on the occasion of the visit of French President, Emmanuel Macron, to Algeria last August. Then, he signed. Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, announced in a television interview that the Algerian Ambassador to France, who was recalled in early February after a dispute between the two countries over a French-Algerian activist, will return soon to Paris. Algeria summoned its Ambassador in protest against what it considered a secret evacuation operation carried out with the help of French diplomats and security, after the French-Algerian activist, Amira Bouraoui, managed to head to France from Tunisia, who was planning to […]]]> 624291 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230315-morocco-joins-spain-and-portugal-in-joint-bid-to-host-2030-fifa-world-cup/ Wed, 15 Mar 2023 10:54:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=622497 Morocco's King Mohammed VI announced on Tuesday that his country is to join Spain and Portugal in a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, Anadolu has reported. The statement by the king was read out at a meeting of the Confederation of African Football. "This joint bid, which is unprecedented in football history, will bring together Africa and Europe, the northern and southern Mediterranean, and the African, Arab and Euro-Mediterranean worlds," said the Moroccan monarch. "It will also bring out the best in all of us; in effect, a combination of genius, creativity, experience and means." This is the sixth time that Morocco has sought to host the international football tournament. The Moroccan national team surprised everyone […]]]> 622497 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230314-us-policy-of-war-on-terror-exports-islamophobia-globally/ Tue, 14 Mar 2023 14:40:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=621933 An academic and an author researching Islamophobia in the US, Khaled Ali Beydoun, spoke to Anadolu on Tuesday, pointing to the role of the US in the increasing globalisation of anti-Islam protests in Asia and Europe. "The US has exported Islamophobia to Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and beyond, in a destructive way," Beydoun said. The Professor at the Wayne State University School of Law also said the US administration laid out a new framework for the Muslim identity with the rhetoric of "war on terror" after the September 11 attacks, as 15 March International Day for the Elimination of Islamophobia draws close. "The more Muslims appeared more like Muslims, the more they were suspected of being involved in terrorism," […]]]> 621933 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230309-russia-raises-doubts-about-grain-deal-renewal-as-deadline-looms/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 16:32:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=620726 Russia said, on Thursday, that a landmark deal to ensure the safe export of grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports was only being "half-implemented", raising doubts about whether it would allow an extension of the deal that is due to expire next week, Reuters reports. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Turkiye last July, aimed to prevent a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain blockaded by Russia's invasion to be safely exported from three Ukrainian ports. The deal was extended for 120 days in November and will renew on 18 March, if no party objects. However, Moscow has already signalled it will only agree to an extension if restrictions affecting its own exports are lifted. READ: Turkish […]]]> 620726