Latest news with #NorthAfrican
The Sun
8 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Inaki Williams proud to represent migrants as Athletic Bilbao's first black captain
ATHLETIC BILBAO'S first ever black captain Inaki Williams expressed pride at representing immigrants in Spain and called out the far right on Tuesday, after rare anti-migrant unrest shocked the country. Williams, 31, and his younger brother Nico are stars of the club which traditionally only fields players born or brought up in the Basque Country that straddles northern Spain and southwestern France. Bilbao-born Williams has spoken of how his Ghanaian parents crossed the Sahara on foot en route to Spain, with his mother clambering over the perilous border fence separating the Spanish exclave of Melilla from Morocco while pregnant with him. Asked about becoming the club's first black captain after the retirement of Oscar de Marcos and amid rising support for the far right, the Ghana striker told a press conference 'it means a lot'. 'Destiny is destiny. If it were not for my parents, I would not be here, nor Nico,' he said. 'We are lucky to be able to represent many people who come from outside to earn their daily bread, and be a reference... it's important for us.' An immigration debate gripped Spain earlier this month after three nights of violence between far-right groups and residents, many of North African origin, in the southeastern town of Torre Pacheco. The far-right Vox party, which has climbed in recent polls, seized on the unrest that erupted after a 68-year-old pensioner in Torre Pacheco told media he was attacked by three men of North African origin. Vox has also proposed the deportation of all irregular migrants, with tens of thousands arriving on Spanish shores every year on boats from Africa. 'It seems that the far right is in fashion. We who have a voice will try to keep working, to continue silencing mouths and keep tearing down barriers,' Williams said. The Williams brothers are set to play a pivotal role in Bilbao's upcoming domestic and Champions League campaigns after Spain forward Nico, 23, turned down reported interest from Barcelona and signed a new long-term contract. - AFP
Iraq Business
10 minutes ago
- Business
- Iraq Business
Atlantic Council announces New Head of Iraq Initiative
From the Atlantic Council: The Atlantic Council announced that Victoria J. Taylor, former deputy assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran, will be the new director of the Iraq Initiative within its Middle East Programs. Taylor brings a distinguished background as a national security leader with over two decades of experience in the Middle East and Europe. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Taylor also served at US Department of State as the director for North African Affairs, as the deputy director for Western Europe, in the Office of Iranian Affairs, and on the Turkey Desk. She also served at the National Security Council as the director for Balkans, Caucasus, and Black Sea Affairs, and abroad as the deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Croatia, as well as in postings in Tunis, Tbilisi, Islamabad, and Lahore. "At a moment of significant regional change, Iraq's security and economic development remain critical for regional stability and for advancing broader US interests in the Middle East," Taylor said. "I'm excited to join the Atlantic Council team and build on the Iraq Initiative's work to strengthen the US-Iraq partnership and help build a sovereign, secure, and prosperous Iraq." As director of the Iraq Initiative, Taylor will lead the Council's work on Iraq, providing policy recommendations and analysis to US and regional policymakers and business leaders that advance Iraq's regional integration, stability, and democratic and economic development, as well as broaden Washington's understanding of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and Iraq's minority communities. "The Atlantic Council is well-positioned to shape the conversation around the future of a critical MENA country like Iraq and the future of bilateral relations between Washington and Baghdad," said William Wechsler, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Middle East Programs. "Under Taylor's leadership, we will be able to become one of the main conveners of policy discussions and producers of thought-leadership on Iraq in a time of important regional upheaval." Taylor hails from Springfield, Missouri. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations and diplomatic history from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She speaks French, Mandarin, Russian, and Urdu.
News.com.au
34 minutes ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
New Athletic captain Williams 'lucky' to represent migrants in Spain
Athletic Bilbao's first ever black captain Inaki Williams expressed pride at representing immigrants in Spain and called out the far right on Tuesday, after rare anti-migrant unrest shocked the country. Williams, 31, and his younger brother Nico are stars of the club which traditionally only fields players born or brought up in the Basque Country that straddles northern Spain and southwestern France. Bilbao-born Williams has spoken of how his Ghanaian parents crossed the Sahara on foot en route to Spain, with his mother clambering over the perilous border fence separating the Spanish exclave of Melilla from Morocco while pregnant with him. Asked about becoming the club's first black captain after the retirement of Oscar de Marcos and amid rising support for the far right, the Ghana striker told a press conference "it means a lot". "Destiny is destiny. If it were not for my parents, I would not be here, nor Nico," he said. "We are lucky to be able to represent many people who come from outside to earn their daily bread, and be a reference... it's important for us." An immigration debate gripped Spain earlier this month after three nights of violence between far-right groups and residents, many of North African origin, in the southeastern town of Torre Pacheco. The far-right Vox party, which has climbed in recent polls, seized on the unrest that erupted after a 68-year-old pensioner in Torre Pacheco told media he was attacked by three men of North African origin. Vox has also proposed the deportation of all irregular migrants, with tens of thousands arriving on Spanish shores every year on boats from Africa. "It seems that the far right is in fashion. We who have a voice will try to keep working, to continue silencing mouths and keep tearing down barriers," Williams said. The Williams brothers are set to play a pivotal role in Bilbao's upcoming domestic and Champions League campaigns after Spain forward Nico, 23, turned down reported interest from Barcelona and signed a new long-term contract.
France 24
4 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
New Athletic captain Williams 'lucky' to represent migrants in Spain
Williams, 31, and his younger brother Nico are stars of the club which traditionally only fields players born or brought up in the Basque Country that straddles northern Spain and southwestern France. Bilbao-born Williams has spoken of how his Ghanaian parents crossed the Sahara on foot en route to Spain, with his mother clambering over the perilous border fence separating the Spanish exclave of Melilla from Morocco while pregnant with him. Asked about becoming the club's first black captain after the retirement of Oscar de Marcos and amid rising support for the far right, the Ghana striker told a press conference "it means a lot". "Destiny is destiny. If it were not for my parents, I would not be here, nor Nico," he said. "We are lucky to be able to represent many people who come from outside to earn their daily bread, and be a reference... it's important for us." An immigration debate gripped Spain earlier this month after three nights of violence between far-right groups and residents, many of North African origin, in the southeastern town of Torre Pacheco. The far-right Vox party, which has climbed in recent polls, seized on the unrest that erupted after a 68-year-old pensioner in Torre Pacheco told media he was attacked by three men of North African origin. Vox has also proposed the deportation of all irregular migrants, with tens of thousands arriving on Spanish shores every year on boats from Africa. "It seems that the far right is in fashion. We who have a voice will try to keep working, to continue silencing mouths and keep tearing down barriers," Williams said. The Williams brothers are set to play a pivotal role in Bilbao's upcoming domestic and Champions League campaigns after Spain forward Nico, 23, turned down reported interest from Barcelona and signed a new long-term contract.
CairoScene
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
TIF & ElGrandeToto Unite on a Timeless Trap Confessional 'Kafini'
While Kafini might have already set the bar for collabs this year, it isn't about theatrics or trying to impress. Instead, it reflects each artist's truth and back stories without falling into cliché. Jul 29, 2025 TIF and ElGrandeToto, two of the region's rap giants, link up on a joint single titled 'Kafini', a reflective diary-entry-like tune delving into their rocky ascent to the pinnacle of Arab hip-hop. Built on a minimalist and cloudy trap beat, imbued with woozy synths floating over crisp 808s, the track doubles as a reflection on the scars and the contradictions of the life the two rappers have lived and the one they are still building. There is no hook in the traditional sense of the production; rather, the refrain -"Gros c'est pas si mauvais / La vie d'artiste en fait' (The life of artists might not be so bad after all.) -hits with weight, delivered with equal parts irony and truth, as TIF and Toto navigate the thin line between their come-up stories and the temptation toxicity of fame. Algeria-born TIF sets the tone with poetic introspection, rapping about hunger being his only compass when money was nowhere in sight. His delivery, though calm, is sharp and assertive, wrapping years of sacrifice and grind and silence into deliberate bars, like 'J'suis toujours le meme mais en plus fort' ('still the same, only stronger now.'). ElGrandeToto follows with a more detached tone, spitting verses in a blend of Darija and French that flex his survival in the scene like a badge of honour and flicks off fake friendships and industry expectations. At one point, he nonchalantly throws in a verse, 'Machi nta li tgoulina ch'han dirou,' (You're not the one who'll tell us what to do), with a quiet rage in his voice that feels like someone who's already paid the price for his success. Both TIF and Toto have been steadily dropping collaborative tracks with artists across the North African hip-hop scene, so it was only a matter of time before they linked up in the studio. And while Kafini might have already set the bar for collabs this year, their joint effort isn't about theatrics or trying to impress. Instead, it reflects each artist's truth and back stories without falling into the black hole of cliché.
