Morocco Sets Roadmap for Media during Coronavirus Crisishttps://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2229851/morocco-sets-roadmap-media-during-coronavirus-crisis
Morocco Sets Roadmap for Media during Coronavirus Crisis
Morocco Sets Roadmap for Media during Coronavirus Crisis
A general view of Cadablanca, Morocco. (AFP)
Morocco’s High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA) has urged audio-visual operators to avoid naming people who have been infected with coronavirus. It said disrespecting their personal space and information and degrading them shall be avoided.
It also recommended that radio and television be keen to continue hosting cultural and entertainment programs, in addition to the exceptional programs assigned for the coronavirus crisis.
The HACA issued a statement indicating that it approved on Friday a report on the aspects and characteristics of the media efforts in line with the national mobilization to face the coronavirus pandemic.
It said Moroccan TV and radio services have changed their programs' schedule and altered their shows’ content to accommodate the requirements of the health emergency.
The report, which was circulated at all audio-visual operators in the country, provided also a number of proposals, aimed at enhancing vigilance efforts at the level of media support for various aspects and repercussions of this crisis.
Among the major proposals presented by the HACA are “to avoid disclosing the identity of persons suspected of being infected with the new COVID-19 and ensure that their dignity is preserved and their private life is protected.”
It also urged audio-visual operators to “avoid linking specific cities and neighborhoods to the increase in the number of people infected with coronavirus.”
Drone-Making Equipment Bound for Houthis Seized in Bab el-Mandebhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5291580-drone-making-equipment-bound-houthis-seized-bab-el-mandeb
Drone-Making Equipment Bound for Houthis Seized in Bab el-Mandeb
The boat was transporting equipment used to manufacture drones and explosive-laden boats (Giants Forces)
Yemen’s Southern Giants Brigades announced they had intercepted a boat carrying equipment allegedly intended for manufacturing Houthi drones and explosive-laden boats as it attempted to reach the Red Sea coast of Hodeidah province, home to ports controlled by the Iran-backed group.
According to the forces, the seized cargo included equipment used in the production and operation of drones and suicide boats, including a hydraulic drilling machine, servers, electronic control chips, GPS devices for target guidance, engines, and other specialized components.
The interception took place Monday evening following an intelligence-led surveillance operation. Three sailors allegedly affiliated with the Houthis were arrested aboard the vessel, which was reportedly transporting equipment intended for manufacturing drones used in the group’s attacks.
Col. Adel al-Mahwali, head of operations for the 17th Giants Brigade, said the operation reflected the forces’ “high level of vigilance.” He added that all seized materials had been secured and that legal procedures were underway.
Al-Mahwali revealed that the operation was part of the Giants Forces’ broader efforts to secure Yemen’s coastline and vital shipping lanes, in line with directives from Presidential Leadership Council member and Southern Armed Forces commander Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami, widely known as Abu Zaraa, who has made combating smuggling a priority.
Al-Mahrami, for his part, praised the operation and called for intensified efforts to combat smuggling, tighten oversight of Houthi supply routes, and prevent the trafficking of weapons and equipment that, he said, threaten Yemen’s security and regional stability.
Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani also welcomed what he described as a significant security success, saying the interception demonstrated a high level of professionalism, readiness, and vigilance in protecting Yemen’s coastline and maritime corridors, according to the official Saba News Agency.
Al-Eryani said the seizure provided fresh evidence that Iran continues to supply the Houthis with advanced weapons and military components in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and the arms embargo imposed on the group. He stressed that the interception underscored Tehran’s continued use of the Houthis to advance its regional agenda and threaten Yemen’s security, regional stability, and international shipping.
Inside ‘Operation Dawn Strike’: The Covert Mission to Separate Iraq from Iran's Influencehttps://english.aawsat.com/features/5291578-inside-%E2%80%98operation-dawn-strike%E2%80%99-covert-mission-separate-iraq-irans-influence
Inside ‘Operation Dawn Strike’: The Covert Mission to Separate Iraq from Iran's Influence
Iraqi security personnel in their vehicle guard the street in Baghdad on June 28, 2026. (AFP)
Government and security sources have revealed that the wave of arrests carried out by Iraqi authorities last Sunday unfolded along two parallel tracks. One targeted suspects accused of embezzling public funds, while the other — a highly classified operation — aimed at what sources described as “separating the twins”: severing the links between figures tied to Tehran within armed factions and oil-smuggling networks and Iraqi state institutions.
According to the sources, Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi discussed the plan in strict secrecy with a small circle of senior military officers two weeks before its launch, deliberately excluding leaders of the ruling Coordination Framework alliance. The decision reportedly triggered tensions during the coalition’s latest meeting in Baghdad and reignited questions over the balance of power within Iraq’s governing bloc.
A former US official described the covert operation as “major surgery whose success is too early to judge,” calling it “a bold move by a young prime minister who emerged from relative obscurity.” He cautioned, however, that “Iran’s response has yet to come.”
While the public phase of the operation focused on targets inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, special forces simultaneously moved against homes and headquarters elsewhere in the capital and southern Iraq belonging to figures with direct ties to Iran.
Sources said pro-Iran factions initially suggested that a military coup was underway. One source revealed that members of the armed factions heard the word “coup” repeated over their communications networks for a short period before the true nature of the operation became clear.
The government has publicly disclosed the outcome of the campaign, officially dubbed Operation Dawn Strike, announcing the arrest of dozens of suspects accused of embezzling public funds.
Iraq’s Integrity Commission has pledged to continue making arrests while investigations into those detained proceed.
The operation was carried out by elite units from the Iraqi army, the Counter Terrorism Service, and the Special Division. According to sources, the release of images showing large sums of cash hidden inside suspects’ homes and farms, along with footage of a tank conducting a conspicuous maneuver inside the Green Zone, was intended to generate momentum for the covert phase of the operation while discouraging any immediate response from pro-Iran armed groups.
A senior figure in a Shiite faction told Asharq Al-Awsat that Operation Dawn Strike could ultimately serve as cover for dismantling Iraq’s armed “resistance” factions, describing such a strategy — if true — as “smart.”
The building of the Ministry of Planning is pictured in the Green Zone, in Baghdad on June 28, 2026. (AFP)
Zero hour
People familiar with the arrest plan said the operation’s execution was conducted under extraordinary secrecy across both tracks.
They told Asharq Al-Awsat that planning had begun two weeks earlier and that Al-Zaidi restricted discussions to four senior security commanders, excluding party leaders within the Coordination Framework — the ruling coalition that nominated him for office in April.
Authorities set 2 a.m. on June 28 as “zero hour.”
According to informed sources, the operation began with the closure of the Green Zone, the sealing of Baghdad’s entry and exit points, and the deployment of forces around Baghdad International Airport. Simultaneously, however, the covert phase was already underway elsewhere in Baghdad and in southern Iraq.
Two security sources said special forces raided locations in eastern Baghdad, where Iran-aligned armed factions maintain headquarters.
Elite units searched homes and offices for high-value suspects, weapons, and documents, but several wanted individuals escaped shortly before security forces arrived, according to two informed sources.
Last-minute leak
Sources said Iraqi security forces deployed armored vehicles, troop carriers, tanks, and hundreds of personnel to give the operation overwhelming force and deter any armed resistance from faction-linked gunmen.
They added that one wanted individual was protected by an elite security detail from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
Officials said authorities maintained strict secrecy over both the planning and execution of the operation. Nevertheless, some suspects reportedly received last-minute warnings from executive and political figures.
“Yes, some managed to flee because personal connections alerted them that they had become targets, even less than an hour before security forces were due to arrive,” one source revealed.
For years, groups aligned with Iran have built extensive influence inside Iraqi state institutions by placing figures regarded as absolutely loyal to Tehran in key positions.
If confirmed, these accounts would suggest that Iranian-linked networks have penetrated Iraq’s law enforcement institutions, posing perhaps the greatest challenge yet to government efforts to curb Iranian influence and dismantle the corruption networks associated with it.
Iraqi politician Hamed Al-Sayyed said the campaign’s success depended on preventing information leaks that allow suspects to escape.
Law enforcement officers involved in Operation Dawn Strike reportedly received their deployment orders only hours before the operation and were sent to targets without being told exactly who or what they were pursuing.
“There were only very brief phone calls,” one security source told Asharq Al-Awsat.
According to two sources, the operation’s public track was designed to arrest an initial group of politicians long suspected of corruption and widely resented by the public. The covert track, meanwhile, focused on figures accused of facilitating the expansion of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) inside Iraq’s security and oil institutions.
One political official described that second track as “the real prize.”
Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026. (Reuters)
‘Big catch’
Authorities have so far arrested dozens of executive officials, but Deputy Oil Ministers Ali Maarij and Adnan Al-Jumaili may prove to be the “big catch” capable of exposing a deeply entrenched network in Baghdad accused of facilitating the smuggling of Iranian oil under Iraqi cover.
According to officials, the smuggling networks use forged documents to move Iranian oil through Iraq. Their methods reportedly include blending Iraqi fuel oil with Iranian petroleum products before exporting the mixture as Iraqi oil, allowing Tehran to circumvent US sanctions while generating revenue for Iran-aligned Iraqi armed factions and affiliated networks.
On May 7, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned Maarij, accusing him of exploiting his official position to facilitate oil shipments benefiting Iran and Iraqi factions loyal to Tehran. Baghdad denied the allegations.
Political circles in Baghdad widely believe the sanctions ended Maarij’s hopes of becoming oil minister. His nomination had been viewed by many as “a valuable gift” symbolizing the growing influence of the IRGC in Baghdad.
A former US diplomat, speaking anonymously, described the operation as “major surgery to separate the twins — the representatives of Iran in Iraq from the country’s official institutions.”
“It is too early to judge whether it will succeed,” he said. “But the boldness of the operation is impressive and suggests a different mood is emerging in Baghdad.”
A political official told Asharq Al-Awsat that authorities are assessing both the limits of their power and the risk of confrontation before deciding whether to resume the operation.
Al-Sayyed argued that retreating now would come at a high price.
“Al-Zaidi has left himself with only one option,” he said. “He must pursue political leaders accused of corruption.”
Another political official suggested, however, that “the second phase may already be underway, even as we speak, but in secret.”
Iraqi security personnel patrol along a street in Baghdad on June 28, 2026. (AFP)
A stormy meeting
On Monday, one day after Operation Dawn Strike, the ruling coalition held its regular meeting with Al-Zaidi in attendance.
Political officials said coalition leaders told the prime minister they supported anti-corruption efforts but argued that they had long agreed to coordinate such operations.
According to sources, the meeting quickly turned contentious, with many coalition leaders believing Al-Zaidi had acted behind their backs.
One senior coalition figure reportedly told him: “It would have been better to involve us in the plan to preserve the stability of the political process.”
Al-Zaidi replied: “What guarantee did I have that the information would not leak if I had informed you?”
The exchanges grew more heated after one coalition member accused the campaign of targeting his bloc’s influence in parliament.
According to sources, he objected to security forces surrounding the home of a senior figure in his political alliance, calling it “an intimidating measure.”
The debate reflected shifting dynamics within Iraq’s ruling coalition.
A senior member of an influential Shiite party said the latest meeting “felt unusual, as though the coalition was losing its monopoly over the political dynamics and decision-making process.”
Two members of the ruling alliance said Al-Zaidi remained composed throughout the meeting.
Even so, the prime minister appears intent on restoring political equilibrium to ensure the campaign can continue.
Sources described the operation as having entered “halftime.”
According to a Kurdish political leader, Al-Zaidi — who is said to enjoy unprecedented backing from US envoy Tom Barrack — hopes to strengthen his political standing ahead of an expected visit to Washington later this month.
The former US diplomat said Al-Zaidi may hope to become “the star of the evening” when he meets President Donald Trump at the White House.
He cautioned, however, that wielding this degree of authority in Iraq’s fragmented political system could prove a double-edged sword if not exercised with caution.
Wimbledon Clings onto Fashion Traditions, with a Twisthttps://english.aawsat.com/fashion/5291576-wimbledon-clings-fashion-traditions-twist
Wimbledon Clings onto Fashion Traditions, with a Twist
Japan's Naomi Osaka, known for her flamboyant outfits, arrived on Monday in a kimono-inspired white dress. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
Amid fast-changing fashion trends, Wimbledon has remained a bastion of "classy" style, with players and attendees donning their finest whites at the London tennis tournament which some say is reminiscent of traditional British high society.
"This is Wimbledon! You've got to dress up," Jari Hedman, 65, said with a smile.
The Finnish tennis coach had bought an Italian-made white linen suit for the occasion, paired with a navy blue jacket and a flourish of color with an orange tie.
He had picked the "classy" attire "in honor of the tournament", Hedman told AFP.
The Wimbledon tennis championships, which runs from June 29 to July 12 this year and is the oldest of the Grand Slam tournaments, will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year.
The royals are regular attendees, especially Princess Kate, who is often praised for her elegant fashion choices.
Ahead of the tournament, the BBC published an article on "etiquette" or unwritten rules for attendees, while other newspapers chimed in with fashion tips.
"With its mix of royalty, A-listers and diehard fans, Wimbledon always has a sense of occasion, so why not make an effort?" advised The Times.
And what should one wear to the stands? "White, white, white. And light colors," said Lucie Ta, a 29-year-old engineer from Prague.
She was wearing a long white dress with black polka dots, a white jacket slung over her arm in case the weather cooled.
Anne Freeman, an American from Houston, donned a pearl-colored floral dress and a sleek Panama hat. "It's a way to be respectful of the tradition," she said.
'Insight' into UK's past
Wimbledon has the strictest dress code in the circuit for players, who are required to wear "suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white" from "the point at which the player enters the court surround".
"White does not include off-white or cream," the dress code dictates.
The rules are rooted in the sport's aristocratic history, with white the color of choice for hiding sweat stains, which were considered improper.
Players have found ways, both subtle and unconventional, to bring their individual style to court within the dress code.
Japan's Naomi Osaka, known for her flamboyant outfits, arrived on Monday in a kimono-inspired white dress with embroidered motifs of cranes and cherry blossoms, by Japanese designer Hana Yagi.
She paired the outfit with a traditional kanzashi hair ornament featuring white flowers before removing both to reveal a white Nike dress.
Osaka revealed she had the idea for the outfit after watching the Quentin Tarantino film "Kill Bill".
"I think about my cultures, my heritage, which is Japanese and Haitian. Then if I dive deeper into like Japanese culture, I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono," she said.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic wore a white Lacoste jacket with a green trimming, which, according to the brand, was inspired by those worn by "great champions" -- including Rene Lacoste -- in the 1920s.
Going to Wimbledon is "fascinating" as it gives "an insight into what the past of British society looked like," according to Daniel-Yaw Miller, a sports and fashion journalist.
The grass-court tournament "always was seen as a social scene" like the Ascot horse races, explained Elizabeth Wilson, who has penned a book on the history of tennis.
"Therefore people wanted to dress up, to look smart," she added.
In the 1950s, women wore formal hats, while in the 60s, they still wore gloves. "It has got very much more relaxed," said Wilson.
While spectators can dress however they like, Wimbledon still has a "very distinct aesthetic" and very "revered traditions," said Miller.
"I think the athletes and the fans really buy into the fact that it is unique."
Miller, a British man living in New York, enjoys comparing Wimbledon and the US Open: "You go from the most English thing imaginable to the most American thing imaginable in every sense of the word."
The US Open feels like "one big party," with entertainment, where it's sometimes even "hard to focus" on the tennis.
When he attended the Grand Slam across the pond, he wore shorts and a T-shirt. For Wimbledon, however, he opted for a polo shirt and smart trousers.
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