
Morocco's rule over Western Sahara is widely accepted
The majority of the population in the Sahara welcomes Morocco's sovereignty and development of its economy. I've seen it with my own eyes. Morocco's critics mentioned in your article are out of touch.Andrew M RosemarineSalford, Greater Manchester
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Reuters
14 hours ago
- Reuters
Trump reaffirms support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara
RABAT, Aug 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has reaffirmed support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, saying a Moroccan autonomy plan for the territory was the sole solution to the disputed region, state news agency MAP said on Saturday. The long-frozen conflict pits Morocco, which considers the territory as its own, against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state there. Trump at the end of his first term in office recognised the Moroccan claims to Western Sahara, which has phosphate reserves and rich fishing grounds, as part of a deal under which Morocco agreed to normalise its relations with Israel. His secretary of state, Marco Rubio, made clear in April that support for Morocco on the issue remained U.S. policy, but these were Trump's first quoted remarks on the dispute during his second term. "I also reiterate that the United States recognises Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports Morocco's serious, credible and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute," MAP quoted Trump as saying in a message to Morocco's King Mohammed VI. "Together we are advancing shared priorities for peace and security in the region, including by building on the Abraham Accords, combating terrorism and expanding commercial cooperation," Trump said. As part of the Abraham Accords signed during Trump's first term, four Muslim-majority countries agreed to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel after U.S. mediation. In June this year, Britain became the third permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to back an autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty for the territory after the U.S. and France. Algeria, which has recognised the self-declared Sahrawi Republic, has refused to take part in roundtables convened by the U.N. envoy to Western Sahara and insists on holding a referendum with independence as an option.


The Guardian
15 hours ago
- The Guardian
David Lammy and JD Vance bonded over ‘dysfunctional' childhoods – and a Diet Coke
David Lammy has spoken of his friendship with the US vice-president, JD Vance, as the pair can relate over their 'dysfunctional' working-class childhoods. In a series of interviews with the Guardian, conducted over several weeks, the foreign secretary opened up about a 'wonderful hour and a half' spent with Vance over drinks at the US embassy in Italy in May alongside the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner. Lammy said he had been to mass at Vance's home and counted him as a 'friend', saying the vice-president 'relates' to him over their shared background. 'I remember being at the inauguration of the new pope in Rome with Angela Rayner and JD Vance,' he said: 'I don't think JD and Angela will mind me saying that they were having a couple of drinks … I really wanted a glass [of rosé] but instead I had a Diet Coke.' The foreign secretary said they were all 'not just working-class politicians, but people with dysfunctional childhoods'. 'I had this great sense that JD completely relates to me and he completely relates to Angela. So it was a wonderful hour and a half,' he said. In his interview, Lammy spoke of feeling guilty over the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, highly awkward first meeting with Donald Trump and Vance in the Oval Office, where the men berated him over the war. 'If I'm being honest, I felt, arrghhh!' Lammy said. 'Why hadn't I done more to support our Ukrainian colleagues in preparation for their meeting?… I was being a bit hard on myself. But I still felt guilty.' The foreign secretary also touched on his discomfort over Keir Starmer's 'island of strangers' speech about immigration, which drew criticism that the prime minister was echoing the rightwing politician Enoch Powell. 'I think the use of language was poor,' he says. 'Poor choice. And if someone had shown me the speech, I would've said, 'Take that out'.' On the subject of Gaza, Lammy spoke of his 'days of deep frustration, deep sadness' over the war with Israel. He said things were 'desperate for people on the ground, desperate for the hostages in Gaza', that the world was 'desperate for a ceasefire, for the suffering to come to an end'. He also said he '100 per cent' wanted to go to Gaza 'as soon as I can get in'. Speaking before the government decided to move on to a path to recognise Palestine as an independent state, the foreign secretary described it as a 'card you can only play once'. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion In the interview, the Lammy looked back over his career and his difficult childhood, including the effect of his father – an alcoholic who was violent towards his mother, and who left for the US. 'My father didn't come back. Psychologically that is devastating. There must have been a bit of me that blamed myself. I question whether he did, in fact, love me.' His father later died of throat cancer without his son seeing him again. Lammy said he could not emotionally handle the idea of it at the time, but added: 'I'm quite a forgiving person, my nature is wanting to build bridges, to reach out. It's why I think I'm not bad at this role.' He described his sense of purpose as foreign secretary, saying: 'This is the first time in my life where I do not have impostor syndrome. I genuinely have a sense of being in the right place at the right time for this job.'


BBC News
20 hours ago
- BBC News
NLC reject policy wey wan stop workers from going on strike in Nigeria
Di labour union for Nigeria wey be di Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) don criticise di National Industrial Relations Policy (NIRP) wey Nigeria govment recently adopt. Nigeria govment on Thursday afta di Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting bin tok say dem don adopt a new policy wey go control di way unions dey go on strike. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, na im announce di decision afta di FEC meeting on Thursday. Oga Mohammed Idris explain say di NIRP go guide trade unions, employers, and govment agencies. E go also promote beta tok-tok wey dey in line wit labour practices for Nigeria wey go also meet international standards. "Di policy na major step forward to address di long-standing gaps for how we dey manage labour relations for Nigeria," But NLC say di main aim of dis newly adopted policy na to stop di workers from going on strike, especially strikes by trade unions, as pipo dey always criticise govment for dis strikes. For statement wey di NLC President, Joe Ajaero sign, di labour union say e shock dem say out of di hundreds of workplace issues wey dey inside di National Industrial Relations Policy, di federal govment only pick out di industrial strikes sake of say na dat one dey give dem headache. "Di unfortunate press statement don expose di mindset of di pipo wey we elect to protect di interests of di ordinary citizen, including workers. NLC also para on how govment use strong-arm tactics to overturn popular decisions through a process of tripartism (three parties wia goment, employers through dia representative and workers agree on sometin) through di process of social dialogue. " NLC tok say wen dem bin dey develop di National Industrial Relations Policy for Nigeria, govment bin wan put some clauses for di policy wey go make strike actions criminal. Di statement add say di trade unions, di employers and even di representatives of govment bin reject am sake of say e no follow di 1999 Constitution and di Trade Unions Act wey give trade unions di power to withdraw dia services in line wit di law. "Di right of a worker and trade unions to withdraw dia services dey fundamental and dem no go fit remove am. Why govment remember dis policy According to NLC, di policy dey since and e cover plenti labour issues for Nigeria but govment remember to pick and adopt only di part wey relate to strike. Nigeria govment adopt am for di FEC meeting on Thursday afta di National Union of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives bin start a seven-day warning strike on Wednesday. Nigeria govment bin announce say di nurses and midwives don suspend dia strike on Friday, but di nurses deny suspension of strike, afta FG tok am. Di nurses begin strike afta dem give 15-days ultimatum to Nigeria govment.