Latest news with #Franco-Algerian
El Chorouk
3 hours ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Interior Minister Tries to Bargain With Algerian Authorities
After an undeclared truce by French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, he once again dug into the ashes of the escalating political and diplomatic crisis between the two countries. The occasion was the release of social media influencer and activist Boualem Nouamane, following the end of his three-month administrative detention. Following this release, the French Interior Minister found himself facing a defeat in his confrontation with the state he considers his archenemy. Bruno Retailleau has been unable to deport Boualem Nouamane to his native Algeria by any means possible, despite more than six months of administrative and judicial attempts against him. Therefore, the minister in François Bayrou's government issued press statements confirming that he had not given up despite his failed efforts to deport Boualem Nouamane. However, the provocative tone he usually employs in the media when discussing Algeria disappeared this time, in what appeared to be an attempt to project a deceptive sense of calm that no longer fooled the Algerian authorities. Commenting on Boualem Nouamane's release from administrative detention, Bruno Retailleau told the French private television channel BFM TV: 'We will present him (Boualem Nouamane) to the Algerian authorities, as they are responsible,' he claimed, to obtain consular authorisation to deport him to Algeria. The man appeared desperate to get a response from the Algerian authorities in this regard, stating, 'There is an agreement signed between Algeria and France, and based on this agreement, we will see if someone's identity is known. The country of his origin must receive him.' On January 9, the French Interior Minister deported Boualem Nouamane to Algeria without obtaining a deportation permit issued by the Algerian consulate in France. This prompted Algerian authorities to return him on the same day's flight. This drastic decision drove Retailleau to the brink of madness, accusing the Algerian authorities of 'insulting' France, as he claimed. Although Bruno Retailleau initially refused to comment on the decision to release influencer Boualem Nouamane, his provocative and hostile stances toward the Algerian authorities prevented him from exerting self-control. For several weeks, he has refrained from mentioning Algeria, despite having spoken about it frequently morning and night. This has drawn sharp criticism from many French politicians, who have accused him of 'Algeria obsession.' Two days ago, Bruno Retailleau was asked about the Boualem Nouamane case on CNews, a channel known for its far-right stance. He responded by saying he preferred to 'stay silent.' However, he quickly corrected himself, confirming that he 'will regain his freedom to discuss this issue (the case of the influencer Boualem)' after the trial of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in Algeria for his involvement in harming Algeria's territorial integrity. The trial of Boualem Sansal is expected to begin in an appeal session less than a week from now (June 24) before the Algiers Judicial Council. This means that the French Interior Minister is counting on an Algerian judicial decision that satisfies the French authorities; otherwise, he will reconsider the case of 'influencer Boualem,' in what appears to be a cheap bargain by the French minister. It is clear from Retailleau's statement that he is linking the case of Boualem Nouamane, who spent more than half a century of his life on French soil, 15 of which were legal, to another legally unrelated case: the case of Boualem Sansal, who was implicated in criminal offences that could have been punished more severely, namely, harming Algeria's territorial integrity.
El Chorouk
5 days ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Authorities Raise Sansal Case Again To Brussels
After a remarkable silence that lasted for a few weeks, what is known as the committee supporting the Franco-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, decided to act again, by pressuring the institutions of the European Union, in order to resolve this issue, which has seen a striking decline in discussion within political and media circles in France. In a statement by Arnaud Benedetti, a member of the committee supporting the writer imprisoned in Algeria on charges of involvement in targeting the territorial integrity of the country, he said that the committee had filed a complaint with the European Union's 'Ombudsman' due to what he described as the 'inaction' of EU institutions in defending Boualem Sansal's case. After Arnaud Benedetti pointed out that the French National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) adopted a draft resolution on May 6 calling for the release of Boualem Sansal, with no significant results, he stated in an interview with the French parliamentary channel that the committee had not received 'any response' from the High Representative of the European Union since that date, which prompted the committee to 'contact the Ombudsman' to move the file. The Franco-Algerian writer, who is serving a five-year prison sentence, entered his seventh month in Koléa prison near the capital, while the Algiers Judicial Council is expected to begin reviewing his case again in an appeal session on the 24th of this month, following the public prosecutor's decision at the Dar El Beida court in the capital to appeal the five-year prison sentence. Based on the statement issued by a member of the committee supporting the Franco-Algerian writer, the committee aims to incite European Union institutions against Algeria, based on the partnership agreement signed between the two parties in 2002, which came into force in 2005, and which includes clauses on human rights. The committee, composed of French nationals, sought the help of European Union institutions after all attempts at blackmail led by French politicians and media figures, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, and many ministers in François Bayrou's government, such as Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, and Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, and many political figures belonging to the traditional right and the far-right, failed. However, those repeated French campaigns and provocations only complicated the case of the writer accused of espionage and working for foreign entities, which prompted the Paris authorities to review their tone and lean towards de-escalation, by using phrases dominated by entreaty and appeals, realizing that those methods would only complicate the file further. Despite the change in the tone of the French authorities and their political and media arms towards Algeria, this does not mean that Paris has learned its lesson, as many observers believe that the former colonizer has not yet gotten rid of old practices, which are often characterized by political hypocrisy in secret, and de-escalation in public. It can be noted here the role that Paris may have played in classifying Algeria on the European Union's 'blacklist' of high-risk countries regarding money laundering and terrorist financing, which was recently issued by what is known as the 'Financial Action Task Force,' headquartered in the French capital and affiliated with the European Commission. Decisions issued by the European Union, particularly those concerning the Maghreb countries and Algeria, are usually entrusted to France due to its history in the region, which gives Paris a hand, one way or another, in this classification, and the Algerian authorities are well aware of this.
France 24
10-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
(How) Do the LA protests compare to the 1992 riots?
In the press today: We start with the protests in LA over increasing ICE arrests. The Australian press are headlining on this. The conserative Melbourne daily Herald Sun headlines "hell reigns in city of angels" and notes that rubber bullets and tear gas were used. The Guardian Australia headlines on a viral video of Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi for Channel 9 being shot with a rubber bullet during a live cross showing a guard appearing to deliberately aim in her direction. Channel 9 says the video serves as stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting. Another Melbourne-based paper The Age reports that LA simmers as Donald Trump threatens to send troops everywhere. The paper's international editor Peter Hartcher writes that the confrontations we're seeing in LA are not quote episodic or random. They are likely the opening scenes of a new phase in US history. He adds that the problem is not the principle of deporting illegal immigrants but the manner in which Trump is doing it – with an enthusiasm verging on bloodlust. The San Francisco Chronicle publishes exclusive photos showing the deployment of troops as being "wildly underprepared." The photos show dozens of National Guard troops sleeping on the floor after Trump's rush to deploy them to LA, without the approval of California governor Gavin Newsom. This excellent cartoon from British illustrator Ben Jennings – Straight INTO Compton he says. The previous deployments of the National Guard also garnered a lot of attention in the press. The Associated Press notes that the deployment of National Guard troops are typically reserved for civil rights protests. It reminds us that the last time the National Guard were deployed to LA was in 2020 during the height of protests against the death of George Floyd. Some has compared the protests to the 1992 LA riots, after the acquittal of white police officers for the beating death of black man Rodney King. Time magazine explains the two are not the same notably because Trump invoked a section of the US code that allows the President to call in the National Guard when regular forces are not enough. But he did so without the approval of the governor, which is mandated in the code. Fruthermore, the damage in 1992 was extensive when the troops were called in In LA right now, it's much less. In France, Politico focusing the plight of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal. The acclaimed novelist, vocal critic of the Algerian regime and dual citizen was arrested in Algiers last November accused of undermining national unity. He's been sentenced to five years in prison. His case has garnered a lot of attention in France, which accused Algeria of using him as a political pawn. Relations between France and Algeria deteriorated last year after France's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty of Western Sahara. Supporters of the writer have now turned to Europe for help. Sansal has been in and out of hospital since his arrest – he's suffering from cancer and his supporters are concerned about his medical care. So far efforts to lobby the Algerian government to release Sansal have been ignored…his support group also filed a complaint with the EU ombudsman in the hopes of putting pressure. Staying in France, authorities are planning to use the hit Netflix series Adolescence to teach students about toxic masculinity. The series has been viewed 140 million times and garnered critical acclaim. Now the Guardian reports France will follow in the footsteps of the UK, Netherlands and the Flanders region in Belgium. The French education ministry will offer schools five classes based on excerpts from the mini series which sparked a global debate about misogynistic content online and its impact on teens. Finally, a zoo in Belgium was forced to close a zone this weekend after a fight broke out between two seals! Le Parisien reports that the fight erupted after the male seal, who wanted to mate with a female, was rebuffed. Given how big these seals can be – up to 270kg - it's a good thing the zone was closed so the sparring seals could cool off a bit…as they say, make love not war!
Ya Biladi
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
France considers freezing assets of Algerian officials
Tensions between France and Algeria could be heading toward a new escalation. According to L'Express, Paris is considering freezing the assets of «about twenty dignitaries» of the Algerian regime. This measure could be implemented in the event of further deterioration in relations between the two countries—a threat reportedly raised by the French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau. «According to our information, this option is being seriously considered, both at Bercy (Ministry of Finance) and Beauvau (Ministry of the Interior). A list of 'about twenty dignitaries' has been drawn up», a government source told L'Express. These individuals hold key positions in the Algerian administration, security apparatus, and political system, while also owning properties or financial assets in France. «It is estimated that 801 members of the Algerian nomenklatura have financial interests in France and visit regularly. This figure does not include military personnel», the magazine added. The potential sanctions are reportedly being considered as «a response to Algiers' refusal to take back several of its nationals under an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF). The idea within the government is to use this list of twenty dignitaries as a last resort in diplomatic negotiations between the two countries», according to L'Express. A first measure was already taken on May 16, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suspended a 2007 agreement allowing holders of diplomatic passports to travel freely between the two countries without a visa. The current crisis between Paris and Algiers was sparked by President Emmanuel Macron's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara on July 30. The arrest of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algiers on November 16 further strained relations.
Ammon
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Ammon
Karim Benzema unveils new girlfriend
Ammon News - Friday evening saw Karim Benzema stir up a media storm. Attending the Cannes Film Festival shortly after clinching the Saudi Arabian league title, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner made a striking appearance on the red carpet — accompanied by a new companion. The football star was seen holding hands with 32-year-old Franco-Algerian actress Lyna Khoudri, seemingly confirming their relationship officially. Rumors about their romance have been circulating on social media for some time now. To recap, Benzema also secured the Saudi Pro League title with Al-Ittihad this season. He featured in 31 matches, netting 23 goals and providing 9 assists. The 37-year-old striker's contract with the club runs until summer 2026. Footboom1
