politics upfront Bound

The official death toll from a mass border crossing into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta has risen to at least 72, but a rights group says it knows of 130 deaths and so many others missing. Morocco and Spain are facing growing pressure to explain how tens of thousands of people managed to force their way into European territory in a matter of days.

Morocco is facing scrutiny on two fronts this summer: a corroborated investigation alleging systematic use of Pegasus spyware against journalists and foreign officials, and a fresh migrant surge into Ceuta that echoes the 2021 border crisis. Both developments draw scrutiny of Morocco from European governments and beyond, each for different reasons — one a question of covert surveillance, the other of border management under pressure.

Washington’s power-sharing plan for Libya would install Saddam Haftar as president while Abdulhamid Dbeibah remains prime minister. But Libya’s High Council of State, Misrata’s leadership, and Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani have all rejected it, while the UN’s separate 4+4 committee is quietly producing the actual roadmap Washington’s plan still lacks.