Latest from El Chorouk
El Chorouk
2 days ago
- Sport
- El Chorouk
Fennecs' Most Notable Achievements This Season
Algeria's national team stars achieved significant accomplishments during the past season, combining remarkable performances with their various clubs and winning several important titles in multiple championships. Meanwhile, observers anticipate lucrative deals by some of the most prominent names, who are likely to follow in the footsteps of Rayan Ait Nouri, who officially joined Manchester City in a significant deal from both a financial and sporting perspective. Most observers have praised the remarkable prominence of a considerable number of Algerian players in various European and Arab championships, based on their contributions to achieving qualitative results, whether individual or collective, as well as the important offers received by some of the 'Fennec' stars to wear the colors of major clubs in well-known championships, most notably Rayan Ait Nouri, who signed a five-year contract with Manchester City for 35 million euros. Ait Nouri joins the prestigious British club, where former Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez previously excelled before moving to the Saudi League two seasons ago. He becomes the sixth Algerian player to play for Manchester City, following Ali Benarbia, Karim Kerkar, Djamel Belmadi, Djamel Abdoun, and finally Riyad Mahrez. The summer transfer window suggests the possibility of concluding several important deals with Algerian players who have captured the spotlight this season, like Yassine Benzia, who may have moved to the Saudi Pro League, and Ismael Benacer, who is likely to return to the Italian League. Meanwhile, the national championship launched its first export, featuring Paradou AC player and season top scorer Adil Boulbina, who officially joined Qatari club Al-Duhail, which signed the former Algerian team's coach Djamel Belmadi. Nevertheless, several Algerian players crowned champions in various championships during the recent season, reflecting their remarkable prominence, which will open broader horizons for other football talents seeking to impose themselves by excelling at a high level. In this regard, striker Youcef Belaili and defender Mohamed Tougai have excelled with Sportive Esperance of Tunis by winning the Tunisian League twice (championship and cup) and reaching the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League. They are participating in their club in the Club World Cup, alongside two other Algerians: Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund) and Rayan Ait Nouri, who recently joined Manchester City. While Riyad Mahrez contributed to the victory of his Saudi club Al-Ahli in the AFC Champions League, Amin Chiakha also won the Danish League and the Cup with his club Copenhagen in his first pro season. Al-Sadd SC won the Qatari Championship, achieving this victory thanks to the significant contributions of three Algerian players: Youcef Atal, Adam Ounas, and Abdessamad Bounacer. Houssem Aouar won two Saudi League titles: the Pro League championship and the King's Cup with his club Al-Ittihad of Jeddah. Yacine Brahimi won the Emir's Cup with his Qatari club Al-Gharafa, while Yassine Benzia won the Azerbaijani Cup with his club Qarabag FK. These significant achievements, according to sports documentation researcher Adel Haddad, have increased the number of Algerian internationals' titles this season to 14, including 11 Arab championships. He explained that the individual prowess of several Fennecs in terms of their scoring instincts, such as Bounedjah in the Saudi League with 19 goals, Belaili in the Tunisian championship (18 goals), and Mahrez in the Saudi League with 17 goals. Not to forget the amazing performance of Algerian players who have each made over 40 appearances for their respective clubs, such as Benzia, Hadjam, Mahrez, Bensebaini, Hadj Moussa, Ait Nouri, and Zerkane. Many observers believe that such numbers and titles will boost the Algerian players' stock in various Arab and European championships, especially since this will open wider horizons for players seeking to establish themselves at a high level, to follow in the footsteps of many of the 'Fennecs' stars, such as Mahrez, Aouar, Ait Nouri, Belaili and others. This makes it an important opportunity to trade the names of many Algerian football stars in the summer transfer market to conclude quality deals that allow them to shine with well-known and prominent clubs and championships.
El Chorouk
2 days ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Paris seeks forgiveness from Polynesian residents for nuclear explosions
A report prepared by a French parliamentary committee, which has been unveiled, concluded that France must apologize to the residents of 'Polynesia' for the nuclear tests conducted by Paris in its atolls. This development increases pressure on the French authorities, who still refuse to respond to Algerian demands regarding the memory file. The report, circulated on Tuesday, June 17, spoke of the 'necessity' for France to apologize to the residents of Polynesia, a group of islands located in the far southeast Pacific Ocean, still under French control, because the French nuclear tests, which spanned three decades from 1966 to 1996, caused serious health and environmental problems for the region's residents. The report's authors stated that 'seeking forgiveness is not merely symbolic, nor is it a request for repentance,' emphasizing that 'this must be a sincere approach, and an essential step in the reconciliation process between French Polynesia and the state,' as written by the committee chairman, MP Didier Le Gac, and the rapporteur, MP Moerana Redon-Arbellot. The report also noted that dealing with this part of French history in a 'calm' manner is a 'sober act,' and Parliament must 'make this gesture on behalf of the nation.' The report also recommended establishing a committee of historians and researchers 'to conduct in-depth work focused on studying all archives related to France's nuclear testing policy in French Polynesia,' which aims to form 'the historical basis for shared memory,' noting that Paris had conducted at least 193 nuclear tests in Polynesia under the auspices of the Pacific Testing Center. Algeria and Polynesia share a history of French crimes. Algeria, in turn, was subjected to no less than 17 nuclear explosions in the south of the country (Reggane and Wadi Namous) between 1960 and 1966. These tests enabled France to acquire nuclear weapons, but in return, they left the lands contaminated with nuclear radiation and chemical waste, causing many incurable diseases that affected residents and animals due to radioactive pollution. The local social security agency in Polynesia estimated the cost of radiation-induced diseases at more than 1 billion euros and intends to pass a bill in this regard. Meanwhile, the issue of compensation for victims of the 30-year nuclear tests remains thorny, according to the French news agency, 'France Presse,' which indicated that local residents (Polynesians) are still awaiting official recognition of the diseases caused by the nuclear explosions. While the French parliamentary report acknowledges the serious health and environmental consequences for Polynesia and proposes a series of recommendations regarding victim care and compensation, and the recognition and remediation of environmental damage, Paris insists on not recognizing its responsibility for the tests it conducted in southern Algeria and even refuses to compensate victims based on what it called the 'Morin Law,' enacted in 2010, which has not been activated until now due to the bureaucratic and scientific obstacles set by this law, preventing Algerian victims from receiving compensation, so that not a single Algerian victim has been compensated to date, 15 full years after the issuance of this law. The issue of French nuclear explosions in southern Algeria is among the files that have contributed to the exacerbation of relations between Algeria and Paris, because French President Emmanuel Macron has not made any progress in this regard, despite its obvious dangers, while he has spoken of symbolic initiatives such as seeking forgiveness from the family of the activist who supported the Algerian revolution, Maurice Audin, and recognizing the French state's responsibility in the heinous assassination of Larbi Ben M'hidi and Ali Boumendjel. The French parliamentary initiative regarding nuclear explosions in the far southeast Pacific Ocean could bring the file of nuclear tests in southern Algeria back to the forefront, because Paris insists on a policy of moving forward. It still refuses to clean the areas where the explosions were carried out of radiation and nuclear waste, and also refuses to compensate Algerian victims of these explosions, despite the existence of a law that stipulates this.
El Chorouk
4 days ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Newspaper Refuses to Publish Article on Algeria by 'Impartial' Historian
Malika Rahal, a French historian and writer of Algerian origin, exposed the lie of freedom of expression in France, revealing a secret she had kept for about three months. However, she was forced to disclose it after realizing that the freedom of the press, so lauded in France, is merely a lie. Malika Rahal revealed that she was commissioned to write an article for the French newspaper 'Libération' at the same time the newspaper intended to prepare a file on Algerian-French relations, which are experiencing one of their worst periods in over six decades. However, this left-leaning newspaper, known for its centrism and criticism of right-wing ideas, withheld publication of the article for reasons that remain unclear. The writer and historian Malika Rahal stated: 'I was commissioned to write an article in mid-March 2025, as part of a file published in 'Libération' on relations between France and Algeria, a file coordinated by researcher Paul Max Morand. After the first version, I was asked to produce a longer version to conclude the series.' She added: 'During discussions with the editorial board, objections were raised, but the explanations provided were deemed satisfactory. Nevertheless, the publication of the article was continuously delayed, without any explanation given to Paul Max Morand, the person in charge of the file, or to me (Malika Rahal). Its publication has now become pointless after more than a month since the last article in the series was published in April 2025.' The writer was forced to publish her article in another platform known for its anti-colonial and anti-colonialist stances, after realizing that the French newspaper was not serious about honoring its commitment to a distinguished historian and writer of Malika Rahal's caliber. This raises more than one question about the remaining credibility of values that France and other Western system countries have long defended, namely freedom of expression and the press. 'Relations in the Time of Retailleau and Gaza' The French newspaper did not clarify the reason for its reluctance to publish the article, which was titled 'Algerian-French Relations in the Time of Retailleau and Gaza.' However, its content indicates that those in charge of 'Libération,' which is considered one of the strongholds of French media not hostile to Algeria and immigrants in general, are no longer as they once were. Instead, it has become like other French newspapers, controlled by considerations that have nothing to do with freedom of expression. Among what was stated in Malika Rahal's article: 'French-Algerian relations have been in crisis since 2024 when France, like the United States, joined in affirming Morocco's (alleged) sovereignty over Western Sahara. One of the elements explaining this recognition is the role played by Morocco in normalizing relations with Israel (the Zionist entity) at the African Union level and at the Arab world level, where Morocco joined the Abraham Accords in 2020. Undoubtedly, other factors in French policy contribute to this recognition, but since that date, the previous model of bilateral relations no longer seems to work, with more violent tensions and unexpected reactions from both sides. On the French side, the intensity of statements and belligerent stances is inconsistent with the recent development of French society, but conversely, their impact on the people of this country can be devastating.' It seems that the newspaper's management could not tolerate some of the 'stings' contained in the article, such as the role played by the French Minister of Interior in undermining the multi-ethnic and multi-religious French society due to his racist statements and stances, as well as the struggle led by Algerians against French occupation, which ended long decades of colonial darkness and became an inspiration for many peoples in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as Malika Rahal wrote. The article also touched upon the nature of French settler colonialism in Algeria, and its transfer of the equivalent of one million Europeans (Pieds-Noirs), which was one-tenth of the Algerian population, and what accompanied it of 'the genocidal ambition to eliminate the indigenous population, which is a constant feature in cases of settler colonialism, as colonizers seek to seize their lands and impose their status in the country,' in addition to the forced displacement and massacres suffered by Algerians at the hands of the French occupation army, which was ultimately defeated with Algeria gaining its independence and ending the illegal situation that gave the European group what it did not deserve at the expense of the legitimate rights of Algerians.
El Chorouk
5 days ago
- Business
- El Chorouk
Algeria Represents the Future For Spanish Companies' Investment
The impact of the economic and trade crisis between Algeria and Spain over the past years has been very significant for companies in the region, Juan Riera, President of the Council of Chambers of Commerce of the Spanish Community of Valenciana, said. He emphasised that Algeria represents the future for many of the Spanish companies' investments, partnerships, local production, and exports to Africa, especially in light of the low production costs of energy and labour. In a statement to Echorouk on the sidelines of an Algerian-Spanish economic forum held Sunday at the Marriott Hotel in Algiers, Juan Riera explained that companies from the region have experienced a decline in their export turnover of approximately 70%. He explained that the impact of the crisis with Algeria has been particularly severe, especially since trade and economic relations between the region and Algeria have been halted by approximately 85 to 90%. Regarding the prospects for investment and partnership with Algeria in the coming period, following the resumption of economic and trade relations between the two countries, Juan Riera explained that the new rules of the game dictate a shift toward local investment here in Algeria, rather than solely focusing on exports. The head of the Chambers of Commerce of the Valenciana Community, which includes the provinces of Valencia, Castellón, and Alicante, confirmed that the Algerian government provides significant support and assistance to investors under a new legal framework, as well as concerning the financing that is available and necessary. Therefore, Juan Riera added, it is necessary to look for a good partner and the right product for export, but especially for local investment and production here in Algeria. In this regard, Juan Riera said, 'I believe that investment and partnerships in Algeria represent the future for many companies in Spain and the Comunidad Valenciana .' The speaker justified his position by stating that Algeria offers extremely attractive opportunities for local production and export to the countries of the South, namely sub-Saharan Africa, which represent markets with enormous potential, especially given the highly stimulating production conditions in Algeria, including the availability of energy (electricity, gas, and fuel) at very competitive prices and an inexpensive labor force. During his speech at the forum, Juan Riera emphasised that Spain is fully prepared to invest and launch partnerships in Algeria if it is provided with legal, economic, and financial protection. He noted that, in such a situation, Spanish companies will be able to launch local production and export projects, particularly to the south, given its strategic location. During the forum, organised by the Algerian-Spanish Club for Trade and Industry, Saliha Nasri, representing the Minister of Environment, gave a detailed presentation to Spanish investors on the prospects for tourism development in Algeria and the opportunities offered by this promising sector in Algeria, given the open workshops. The Spanish operators present also received detailed explanations of investment facilities and procedures, industrial property grants, and other measures presented by a representative from the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency. The forum will continue until Tuesday, June 17, and will include bilateral meetings between Algerian and Spanish business leaders. Field visits to Algerian company headquarters will also be conducted, and partnerships will be explored in a variety of sectors, including logistics, the automotive industry, pharmaceuticals, tourism, agriculture, and other fields.
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.
