What has Achraf Hakimi been accused of hours before Scotland v Morocco? | Wales Online
Scotland v Morocco has been overshadowed by news about PSG player Achraf Hakimi
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Achraf Hakimi accustation and bombshell news hours before Scotland v Morocco
Scotland face Morocco in a pivotal World Cup Group C match, knowing a positive result could move Steve Clarke’s side closer to the knockout stages.
The build-up to the game has been dominated by news involving Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, one of the tournament’s highest-profile players.
Hakimi is set to stand trial in France over a rape allegation dating back to 2023, following a ruling by a French Court of Appeal.
The 27-year-old has consistently denied the allegations against him, and has publicly maintained his innocence throughout the legal process.
No trial date has yet been set, with reports indicating proceedings are expected to take place after Morocco’s World Cup campaign has concluded.
Despite the legal developments, Hakimi remains with the Morocco squad and is expected to continue captaining the team at the tournament.
The defender is regarded as one of Morocco’s key players, with Scotland manager Steve Clarke describing the North Africans as one of the strongest teams in the competition and potentially even better than the side that reached the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.
Scotland head into the match after beating Haiti 1-0 in their opener, while Morocco impressed in a 1-1 draw with Brazil, setting up a potentially decisive contest in the battle to qualify from Group C.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has hinted that Bukayo Saka is unlikely to be in contention to start against Ghana on Tuesday.
Saka came off the bench in the 4-2 World Cup win over Croatia on Wednesday, and immediately provided an assist to fellow substitute Marcus Rashford, who slotted home England’s fourth.
Before the tournament, Tuchel said Saka would require managing through the opening stages because of what is understood to be an Achilles tendinitis issue.
On Monday, Saka insisted he was ready to play and was prepared to “gamble” on his fitness to help the team during the World Cup.
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However, Tuchel says the Arsenal attacker is unlikely to start until the final group game against Panama in New Jersey on 27 June.
He said: “Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready. I think once we go to the last game of this group he will be ready.”
Saka has been carrying the issue for some time, and while there was concern behind the scenes at Arsenal about the niggle they deemed their forward fit enough to start regularly during their triumphant title run-in.
It is understood that Saka’s ongoing Achilles issue has not deteriorated since the climax of the domestic season.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who is often very guarded with regards to his players’ injury concerns, has generally kept information about Saka’s condition in-house but Tuchel’s admission that the 24-year-old has to be managed through at least part of the World Cup has thrust the winger’s fitness into the limelight.
Tuchel’s latest comments appear to show that the German is protecting Saka, knowing the attacker will likely be a crucial asset during the latter stages of the tournament – but could also start the game against Ghana if required.
LONDON (AP) — Two trains collided north of London on Friday, killing a driver and seriously injuring dozens of people on board. A passenger described being thrown forward by the impact then seeing fellow travelers with broken bones and bloody injuries.
Both trains were traveling south to London St. Pancras station when they collided outside the town of Bedford around 5:15 p.m., according to information on rail tracking websites. Emergency services deployed a number of resources to the scene including an air ambulance and hazardous incident team from the East of England Ambulance Service.
“We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has very sadly died,’’ police said in a statement. “A major incident has been declared, and officers are continuing to respond at the scene alongside colleagues from Bedfordshire Police and the local Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Services.’’
The East of England Ambulance Service later said that 11 people had very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured and 56 had minor injuries.
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Eddie Dempsey, the general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, said the fatality was a train driver.
Peter Knapp, a passenger, said he was in the rear train when the collision occurred without any warning.
“There was a moment of being flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke,” Knapp said. “People were crying, screaming. People were so scared and confused.”
“I got up and I saw a lot of people who were unable to speak, had broken legs,” he added. “And then I managed to get out of the train and because I’m quite thin I was able to squeeze out through the gap in the doors.”
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Photos and videos posted on social media showed dozens of people, some with bandages but many who appeared uninjured, standing and sitting among emergency vehicles parked on a road that runs parallel to the train tracks.
The RMT union, which represents many railway workers, said it was monitoring the situation and expressed its concern over reports of “serious injuries” sustained by both train staff and passengers.
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East Midlands Railway said in a statement that the 4:40 p.m. train from Corby to St. Pancras had been involved in the collision with the 3:50 p.m. train from Nottingham to the same station. The company said it had canceled all trains to and from St. Pancras for the rest of Friday and it was unable to confirm the schedule for Saturday.
I’M writing in to express how thankful I am to the people of York for opening their city up to the world.
I’m a university student in Toronto, Canada, and I spent the past six weeks here in York as part of a scholarship that funds students to work at non-profits abroad.
It has been one of the best experiences of my life.
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I know that having so many visitors comes with burdens, such as pressure on the housing market and crowds in the street, and I want to say thank you to York for hosting so many people each year with grace and kindness.
Everyone I interacted with here was incredibly friendly and happy to teach me about life in York – it’s not so different from Canada, but different enough that I still had lots of questions!
I would particularly like to recognise Friargate Quaker Meeting, which became my community while I was here and which exemplifies the idea of welcoming the stranger.
Read more Press letters:
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You have a truly vibrant and beautiful city, which you are doing a wonderful job of stewarding.
It was a privilege to be welcomed into it. If anyone from York finds themselves travelling to Canada, don’t hesitate to look me up, so that I can return the same hospitality – genuinely!
Katrina Eilender,
Dalton Road,
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Toronto,
Ontario, Canada
What do you think?
Feel strongly about an issue? Write us a letter. Please write no more than 250 words and you must provide your full name, address and mobile number. Send your views by email to: letters@thepress.co.uk
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Steve Clarke’s men stand on the brink of history as a win over Morocco at the Gillette Stadium tonight would get us out of Group C and qualifying for the next round.
Scotland’s win over Haiti means Andy Robertson and co stand just a point from guaranteeing knockout football for the first time ever.
A video being shared online shows both sets of fans lapping up the atmosphere together outside Hennessy’s Bar in the US host city, which has seen around 50,000 Scotland fans arrive in the last week.
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Members of the Tartan Army could be seen passionately jumping up and down together in a huge crowd while chanting and waving their fists in the air.
Among them were groups of Moroccan fans who joined the party, waving their flags. The clip of the fans uniting was shared on Instagram and social media users were delighted to see their friendly interaction.
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One commented: “Absolutely love this. So proud to be Scottish when I see this. It melts my heart. Well done, all.”
A second scribed: “Guys you need to visit Morocco in the summer! Welcome, Scottish people.”
A third chimed in: “I love how fun and beautifully respectful it’s been before and after the matches. It’s amazing.
“Scotland putting the world to rights.”
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A fourth agreed: “This is what it’s all about,” while a fifth added: “You will always be welcome in Morocco.”
Before now, our national team have qualified for 12 major tournaments but never yet been able to get through the group.
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The tens of thousands of foot soldiers who have made the long trip across the pond are now desperate to see us finally change that.
With the extended 48-team World Cup allowing the eight best third-placed team to get through, they reckon we have never had a better chance, and the feeling is we will get at least a point this evening.
Davy Bowman, a 51-year-old business analyst, from Irvine, told the Record: “No doubt about it, this group are getting out of this group.
“This is the difference between previous Scotland teams to this one. It’s like a club atmosphere the boys have got now… just like normal guys, but they are all very, very good at football. I think we will get the draw we need.”
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Get Daily Record Premium for just £1 per month in exclusive offer to celebrate the world cup. Click HERE.
The university described her as “one of the most important ever figures in the history of women’s sport”.
Gráinne Ní Aodha and Press Association
19:16, 19 Jun 2026Updated 19:24, 19 Jun 2026
Boxer Katie Taylor has been awarded an honorary law degree by Trinity College Dublin.
The university described the Bray native as “one of the most important ever figures in the history of women’s sport”.
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Taylor, 39, received the honorary degree at a Commencements Ceremony in the Public Theatre of Trinity on Friday, the Irish Mirror reports.
She was among Irish musician Sharon Shannon, writer Colm Tóibín, barrister Helena Kennedy, and human rights activist Helen Prejean to be awarded with honorary degrees.
Trinity College said Taylor could lay claim to be “Ireland’s greatest ever sporting champion” and said her battles in the ring have “helped propel women’s boxing to new heights of popularity and respect”.
She won five consecutive gold medals at the Women’s World Championships, six at the European Championships and five at the European Union Championships, as well as gold at the Summer Olympic Games in 2012.
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Since her professional career in 2016, she became WBA lightweight champion in July 2017, IBF lightweight champion in 2018 and WBO and WBC lightweight champion in 2019, becoming the undisputed world lightweight champion.
In 2019 she won the WBO super-lightweight belt to become a two-weight world champion.
Her first of the famed trilogy fights against American fighter Amanda Serrano was the first women’s bout to headline at Madison Square Garden in New York, and the second was watched by more than 74 million viewers, making it the most watched female sporting event in history.
On September 5, Taylor is to end her professional boxing career with a sold-out fighting spectacle against 28-year-old Frenchwoman Flora Pili in Dublin’s famous Croke Park stadium, which has capacity of more than 80,000.
Taylor said she is excited to fight at the “iconic” Dublin stadium where she also has the chance to finish her career with all boxing titles back in in her grasp.
Trinity College Dublin said: “She has played a formative role in enhancing women’s sport and especially women’s boxing both in Ireland and around the world.
“She is widely recognised as being responsible for the introduction of women’s boxing as an Olympic sport at the London 2012 games before then going on to transform the perception of female professional boxing.
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“In this regard, Katie Taylor stands as a beacon for women’s sport in Ireland and throughout the world, and because of what she has done for women’s boxing specifically and women’s sport generally, she will go down in history as one of the most important women athletes of all time.”
“What is hard to understand is why the minimum age of criminal responsibility needed the protection of a mechanism intended to safeguard minority rights.”
19:22, 19 Jun 2026
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There was always going to be disagreement over whether Northern Ireland should raise the age of criminal responsibility.
Some experts argue it should be increased to 14. Others believe the current age of 10 remains appropriate. Most of the political debate in recent months has centred on where the line should be drawn.
But what happened at Stormont this week was ultimately about something else. The DUP’s decision to use a Petition of Concern to block an amendment to the Justice Bill has reignited an old question about one of the Assembly’s most powerful mechanisms and what it is actually for.
Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland’s proposal would have raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14, with exceptions for the most serious offences. It was a significant change, and not everyone supported it.
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Yet there was also a middle ground available. Former UUP MLA Doug Beattie had proposed increasing the age to 12, bringing Northern Ireland into line with Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, while stopping short of the more ambitious reform advocated by some children’s rights organisations.
There was a respectable argument for supporting that compromise. Equally, there was a respectable argument for rejecting it. That is normally how legislatures work. Parties make their case. MLAs vote. The side with the numbers wins. Instead, the debate became something rather different.
The Petition of Concern occupies a unique place in Northern Ireland politics. It was never designed as a routine parliamentary tactic. It emerged from a political settlement that recognised that simple majority rule would not be enough in a divided society.
At its core was the idea that there should be protections against one section of the community imposing its will on another. This helps explain why the mechanism has generated so much controversy over the years.
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Long before the reforms introduced in New Decade New Approach, the Petition of Concern had acquired a reputation for being used in circumstances far removed from the role envisaged by its architects. Critics argued that it had evolved from a safeguard into a veto.
The reforms that followed were intended to restore confidence that it would be reserved for exceptional circumstances. This week’s vote inevitably raises questions about whether that ambition has been realised.
Nobody seriously argues that raising the age of criminal responsibility engages the kind of communal protections the Petition of Concern was designed to provide. This was a disagreement about criminal justice policy. A significant disagreement, certainly. An important one. But it was still a policy disagreement. Indeed, there appears to have been majority support within the Assembly for some form of change.
That does not mean reform was necessarily right, but it does mean that the normal legislative process was prevented from running its course.
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The DUP will argue that it acted in what it believes to be the public interest. The UUP members who supported the petition will say the same. They are entitled to hold those views.
What is harder to understand is why those views needed the protection of a mechanism intended to safeguard minority rights.
The decision is also awkward for the UUP. Without the support of Jon Burrows, Diana Armstrong, Robbie Butler and Alan Chambers, the petition would not have succeeded. That leaves the party sharing responsibility for an outcome which sits uneasily alongside years of criticism about how the mechanism has been used in the past.
What happened this week is unlikely to be the last argument about the age of criminal responsibility. The issue will return.
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But the Petition of Concern survives because most people accept there are circumstances in which it remains necessary. The challenge has always been ensuring that those circumstances remain exceptional.
Every time it is used to settle what appears to be an ordinary policy dispute, that distinction becomes a little harder to defend and every time that happens, the argument for revisiting the rules grows a little stronger.
Suspected firearms and ammunition, a sum of cash, tobacco, counterfeit goods, criminal property and other items were also located during the searches.
19:26, 19 Jun 2026Updated 19:31, 19 Jun 2026
Police have made three arrests and seized a significant quantity of suspected Class A, B and C drugs, firearms and other items following a search of a property in Co Tyrone. The searches were carried out in the Dungannon area on Friday, June 19 by PSNI officers from Mid Ulster District Support Team assisted by Torrent Neighbourhood Policing Team, Dungannon Local Policing Team, and the Armed Support Unit.
Suspected firearms and ammunition, a sum of cash, tobacco, counterfeit goods, criminal property and other items were also located during the searches. Enquiries are ongoing in relation to these seizures.
A male aged in his teens, a man aged in his 20s and a woman aged in her 40s were arrested on suspicion of offences including possession of Class A, B and D drugs, possession of Class A, B and C drugs with intent to supply, possession of criminal property, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition. They remain in custody at this time, assisting with enquiries.
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A PSNI spokesperson said: “Anyone tempted to become involved in illegal drugs should be under no illusion; we will seek to identify them, arrest them and place them before the courts. I would also like to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone with any information about suspected drug dealing in their area to call the non-emergency number 101. “Alternatively, information can also be given anonymously to the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”
A section of Edinburgh Airport is in a lockdown while the bomb squad inspect a package (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Thousands of passengers have been caught in disruption after a potentially suspicious item forced planes to divert at Edinburgh Airport.
Holidaymakers face disruption at the Scottish airport today after the suspect item sparked an evacuation.
Some flights are said to have been diverted to land at other nearby airports like Glasgow, while planes are also taking off from different locations.
The airport remains cordoned off as of 11pm, with the bomb disposal crews at the scene.
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Scores of people are said to be stranded on planes on the tarmac after having landed, but are unable to disembark due to the ongoing incident.
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Passenger Alan Jenkins said on X: ‘New update from our pilot: We are “all in the dark I’m afraid” as to when we can get off the plane. We’re told all ground staff have been told to return to offices.’
He joked that some of his fellow passengers had ‘a few questions’ regarding getting off in time before the Scotland World Cup game against Morocco is due to kick off tonight.
Police Scotland said: ‘Edinburgh airport has been evacuated as a precaution following a report of a potentially suspicious package, reported around 6.50pm on Friday, 19 June, 2026.
‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) are in attendance and a cordon is in place around the airport with roads closed.
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‘Enquiries are ongoing and members of the public are advised to check ahead and contact their airline for updates.’
Edinburgh Airport said: ‘Due to reports of a potentially suspicious item, the airport has been evacuated while specialist teams investigate.
‘Updates will be issued when available.
‘Passengers should check with their airline for the latest information on their flight.’
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Transport to and from the airport has also been impacted.
Edinburgh trams are also affected, with services currently running between Gyle Centre and St Andrew Square only.
Scottish Citylink buses said all services will be terminating at the Moxi hotel bus stop and picking up from Hilton bus stop until further notice.
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The Americans were deservedly ahead within 11 minutes, when the unfortunate Burgess put through his own net after a fantastic burst of pace from former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun down the left. He burned his way past Jacob Italiano before squaring it into the middle for his onrushing team-mates, but it was Burgess, the Swansea City defender, who sliced past Patrick Beach to open the scoring.
His French club finished eighth in Ligue 1 last season and reached the Europa Conference League semi-finals, losing to Rayo Vallacano. It was the first time Strasbourg had reached the last four of a European competition.
O’Neil played at Bristol City when current Ipswich chief executive Mark Ashton held the same role at Ashton Gate.
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Strasbourg had initially been confident of keeping him following his January arrival, but O’Neil will return to the Premier League for the first time since leaving Wolves in December 2024.
Ipswich are looking for a new head coach after McKenna stepped down last week, despite leading them back to the top flight by finishing second in the Championship last season.
The 40-year-old took charge of the Tractor Boys in 2021 and led them to three promotions in the past four seasons, two of which have taken the club into the Premier League.
McKenna was linked with the Fulham job after Marco Silva’s departure, but quit Town to take a break from the game and spend more time with his family.
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“I feel this is the right time for me to step aside,” he said. “I do so with great pride at the incredible progress we have made and with huge hope and optimism for the future of the club.”
Ipswich open their Premier League campaign at home to Sunderland on 22 August.
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