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Morocco has named its 1,055-km. Tiznit-Dakhla expressway the “Donald J. Trump Highway” in recognition of the US president’s support for Rabat’s sovereignty claim over Western Sahara, the Moroccan state news agency MAP reported on Saturday.

King Mohammed VI informed US President Donald Trump of the decision in a letter dated July 2, saying relations between Morocco and the United States had become particularly strong and productive during Trump’s two presidential terms.

“Your historic recognition, in 2020, of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara will forever be etched in the memory of Moroccans,” the king wrote.

Mohammed VI said the route was one of Morocco’s most important road projects and described it as the longest road infrastructure in Africa. The expressway connects northern and southern Morocco and forms part of an Atlantic transport corridor linking Europe with West Africa.

The roughly $1 billion route begins in Tiznit and passes through Guelmim, Tan-Tan and Laayoune before reaching Dakhla. Much of the southern section runs through Western Sahara, which Morocco considers part of its southern provinces.

Moroccan authorities say the road will shorten travel times, reduce disruptions caused by flooding and shifting sand, and improve the movement of people and goods between the country’s economic centers and its southern regions.

Trump publicly thanked the Moroccan monarch in a July 26 post on Truth Social.

“Such a Great Honor! I look forward to traveling the entire length of this Great Highway someday, hopefully soon!” Trump wrote.

The naming reflects the diplomatic relationship that developed during Trump’s first administration. In December 2020, Washington recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara alongside a US-brokered agreement under which Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel.

Morocco subsequently became a member of the Abraham Accords framework, expanding diplomatic, economic and security ties with Israel.

Western Sahara has been disputed since Spain withdrew from the territory in 1975. Morocco controls most of the region, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks the establishment of an independent Sahrawi state.

Israel formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in 2023 and reaffirmed that position the following year.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in October 2025 that supported negotiations based on Morocco’s autonomy proposal, under which Western Sahara would receive limited self-government while remaining under Moroccan sovereignty.

In his letter to Trump, Mohammed VI presented the expressway as both an infrastructure project and a symbol of the two countries’ strategic partnership, saying it would strengthen Morocco’s position as a commercial link between Europe and Africa.

(THE JERUSALEM POST)

A 65-year-old man has died after being trapped beneath a collapsed earth embankment in the Solankanda area of Nawalapitiya as severe weather continues to affect parts of Sri Lanka.

Director of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), Pradeep Kodippili, confirmed the fatality during a special media briefing held today (03) on the ongoing impact of the adverse weather conditions.

Heavy rainfall has also triggered minor flooding in the Nawalapitiya area of the Kandy District, prompting authorities to evacuate residents from vulnerable locations.

According to the DMC, 138 people from 38 families have been relocated to safer places due to the flood risk.

Authorities said they are closely monitoring the evolving situation and have urged residents in affected areas to remain alert as adverse weather conditions persist.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has filed eight indictments before the Colombo High Court against former Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda and Yoshitha Rajapaksa.

The indictments center on Rajapaksa’s participation in a Royal Navy training course in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2007.

According to the anti-corruption agency, Karannagoda facilitated Rajapaksa's enrolment in the overseas programme outside standard procedures, causing a substantial financial loss to the State.

Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, stands accused of obtaining an undue benefit and personal advantage through the high-profile arrangement.

Sri Lanka's headline inflation surged past the official comfort zone to reach 7.3 percent in July 2026, driven primarily by a sharp escalation in food costs.

The latest figures released by official statistical authorities highlight a clear acceleration from the 6.8 percent recorded in June, deepening concerns over household stability across the island.

Data from the Colombo Consumer Price Index showed food inflation nearly doubling within a single month, climbing from 3.6 percent in June to 6.3 percent in July as essential supply chains experienced severe cost pressures.

Central Bank officials explained that external factors played a major role in the spike, with escalating Middle Eastern geopolitical conflict forcing domestic fuel prices up by almost 47 percent.

The central monetary authority noted that statistical base effects from low price levels in the previous year mathematically amplified the headline figure alongside stubborn urban utility fees and housing rents.

While non-food inflation experienced a mild decrease from 8.4 percent to 7.8 percent, core inflation rose to 4.4 percent, demonstrating that underlying price pressures have broadened across non-volatile sectors.

Economists observed that standard public sector wage increases of 5 percent failed to keep pace with overall inflation, resulting in a severe drop in real purchasing power for salaried workers despite modest informal sector income growth.

Central Bank policy experts maintained that earlier monetary adjustments, including a key interest rate hike of 100 basis points, will eventually curb demand and bring consumer prices back down towards the medium-term target of 5 percent.

The sudden inflationary surge poses a severe threat to Sri Lanka's fragile economic recovery by squeezing real incomes and risking a persistent wage price spiral. Financial markets and consumer groups now await the next central bank policy review to determine whether further tightening will be implemented ahead of the upcoming harvest season.

A delegation of ministers called on the Most Venerable Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatu Chapter yesterday (03) to brief him regarding the proposed Bill to extend the retirement age of judicial officers.

The delegation attending the meeting included Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara and Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr Nalinda Jayatissa.

Expressing his views on the matter, the Malwathu Mahanayake Thera emphasised that if the retirement age of judges is to be extended, the same benefit should be granted to all public servants.

The Chief Prelate pointed out that it is inappropriate to introduce such amendments targeting only one individual or a specific group.

"It would be advisable if there is an age extension for every government official, just as it is for every judge. It is not good to do this by targeting a single individual," the Mahanayake Thera said.

Clarifying the matters before the Chief Prelate, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said that in many countries across the world, the retirement age for judges is set at 70 years or higher.

The Justice Minister said this measure is being taken to safeguard the independence of the judiciary and as a solution to the prevailing shortage of judges.

He pointed out that when applications were called to recruit 50 judges, only 33 candidates applied, making the extension of the retirement age an imperative necessity.

The Ministers also said that the approval of the Attorney General has been received for the Bill, and it is scheduled to be published via Extraordinary Gazette in the near future.

They also assured the Most Ven. Mahanayake Thera that this step is by no means being taken with the intention of targeting any single individual.

Sri Lanka’s drug regulatory framework faces serious allegations of total collapse as healthcare workers warn that delayed approvals and chronic medicine shortages are endangering patient lives.

Chairman of the Medical and Civil Rights Doctors' Union Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa raised grave concerns over the prolonged two year delay in registering the Qdenga dengue vaccine, urging a formal investigation into possible negligence at the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

Severe shortages continue to cripple the healthcare sector, with over forty essential pharmaceuticals including crucial oncology drugs Oxaliplatin and Filgrastim remaining unavailable for extended periods.

The union pointed out that while life saving treatments remain stuck in bureaucratic delays, advanced diabetes and weight loss medications like Mounjaro are circulating freely on the black market without cold chain guarantees.

Flawed price regulation policies have reportedly driven reputable global pharmaceutical brands away from the local market, allowing inferior quality alternatives to fill the void.

These rigid pricing structures have also affected private medical laboratories, forcing facilities to rely on lower grade reagents that risk producing faulty diagnostic reports.

The union urged health authorities to implement an online tracking mechanism for drug approvals, introduce WHO standard testing for imports, and establish a flexible pricing formula reflecting global economic realities.

Neither the Ministry of Health nor the National Medicines Regulatory Authority has issued a formal response to the claims.