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Euronews
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Funniest internet reactions to first American pope Leo XIV
The papal conclave is over and a new pope has officially been announced: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. The 69-year-old is the first-ever American pope, having been born in Chicago, Illinois. And as you can imagine, the internet wasted no time in commenting on the moment, with reactions that verged from humorous to plain dumb – especially when it came to the MAGA crowd, who weren't best pleased that the new pope didn't speak in English for his first speech. For the sake of sanity, we won't focus on the terminally stupid takes and opt for the sanity-restoring tomfoolery, with a great deal of social media users taking the late Pope Francis at his word when he said 'There is faith in humour' and letting their Chicago pride shine. The Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson, posted: 'Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon.' Others referenced Chicago's famous deep dish pizza, joking about whether Rome would be able to accept that particular kind of culinary heresy, while some referenced the celebrated Chicago-based TV show The Bear. Here are some of our favourite reactions to the new pope: "Smart play for the Vatican to go with an American Pope to avoid tariffs" Some homework will be required... No truer word has been spoken. For those not familiar, Malört is an American brand of bäsk liqueur, a type of brännvin flavored with anise that was introduced in Chicago in the 1930s. Spoiler: it's disgusting. Impressive run, it has to be said. The odds look good. It's mustard and pickles all the way now. Which is no bad thing. Pope Chuck does have a certain ring to it... Is it too late to make a change? Looks... sturdy. The horror... The horror... This take will not fly. And deep dish pizza is not pizza. To quote Jon Stewart, in one of his finest rants: 'It's a casserole.' Pope Mush the Dainty. It did go by awfully quickly, didn't it? Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud is the target of two international arrest warrants issued by Algerian authorities in connection with the controversy surrounding his novel 'Houris', which won the Goncourt Prize in 2024. Daoud became the first author of Algerian descent to win the Goncourt Prize – the most prestigious award in French literature. France has been informed of the two arrest warrants, a spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry said. 'We are following and will continue to follow developments in this situation closely,' said Christophe Lemoine, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, stressing that France was committed to freedom of expression. The author, who is a French citizen and resides in France, is accused of having used the story of a survivor of a massacre during the Algerian civil war without her consent – an accusation he denies. Last November, an Algerian court accepted an initial complaint against the writer and his psychiatrist wife for using the story of a patient in the writing of his novel 'Houris'. Two appeals were lodged against Daoud and his wife, who treated Saâda Arbane. One complaint came from Arbane, a survivor of a massacre during the civil war in Algeria (1992-2002), who accused the couple of using her story without her consent. The other is from the National Organisation of Victims of Terrorism. On learning that these arrest warrants had been issued against him, the writer's lawyer, Jacqueline Laffont-Haïk, said that Daoud would contest them with Interpol. 'The motives behind these Algerian warrants can only be political and part of a series of procedures aimed at silencing a writer whose latest novel evokes the massacres of the black decade in Algeria,' said Laffont-Haïk. 'Houris' is a dark novel set partly in Oran about Aube, a young woman who has been mute since an Islamist slit her throat on 31 December 1999. The book is banned in Algeria, as the country prohibits any work evoking this period of civil war. Indeed, 'Houris' contravenes an article of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, which prohibits the evocation of the "wounds of the national tragedy" - the expression used to describe the civil war that pitted Islamist groups against the Algerian army from 1992 to 2002, killing 200,000 people and leaving thousands more missing. Kamel Daoud previously claimed that the story was 'public' in Algeria and that his novel 'does not recount (the) life' of Saâda Arbane. 'This unfortunate young woman claims that this is her story. While I can understand her tragedy, my answer is clear: it's completely false,' wrote Daoud in an article for the French publication Le Point last December. 'Apart from the apparent wound, there is nothing in common between this woman's unbearable tragedy and the character Aube. The wound is not unique. Unfortunately, it is shared by many other victims,' continued Daoud, who accused the plaintiff of being 'manipulated to achieve an objective: to kill a writer and defame (his) family.' Daoud's publisher, Gallimard, has denounced the 'violent defamatory campaigns orchestrated (against the writer) by certain media close to a regime whose nature is well known.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Algeria issues two arrest warrants for Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud
Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud is the target of two international arrest warrants issued by Algerian authorities in connection with the controversy surrounding his novel 'Houris', which won the Goncourt Prize in 2024. Daoud became the first author of Algerian descent to win the Goncourt Prize – the most prestigious award in French literature. France has been informed of the two arrest warrants, a spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry said. 'We are following and will continue to follow developments in this situation closely,' said Christophe Lemoine, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, stressing that France was committed to freedom of expression. The author, who is a French citizen and resides in France, is accused of having used the story of a survivor of a massacre during the Algerian civil war without her consent – an accusation he denies. Last November, an Algerian court accepted an initial complaint against the writer and his psychiatrist wife for using the story of a patient in the writing of his novel 'Houris'. Two appeals were lodged against Daoud and his wife, who treated Saâda Arbane. One complaint came from Arbane, a survivor of a massacre during the civil war in Algeria (1992-2002), who accused the couple of using her story without her consent. The other is from the National Organisation of Victims of Terrorism. On learning that these arrest warrants had been issued against him, the writer's lawyer, Jacqueline Laffont-Haïk, said that Daoud would contest them with Interpol. 'The motives behind these Algerian warrants can only be political and part of a series of procedures aimed at silencing a writer whose latest novel evokes the massacres of the black decade in Algeria,' said Laffont-Haïk. 'Houris' is a dark novel set partly in Oran about Aube, a young woman who has been mute since an Islamist slit her throat on 31 December 1999. The book is banned in Algeria, as the country prohibits any work evoking this period of civil war. Indeed, 'Houris' contravenes an article of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, which prohibits the evocation of the "wounds of the national tragedy" - the expression used to describe the civil war that pitted Islamist groups against the Algerian army from 1992 to 2002, killing 200,000 people and leaving thousands more missing. Kamel Daoud previously claimed that the story was 'public' in Algeria and that his novel 'does not recount (the) life' of Saâda Arbane. 'This unfortunate young woman claims that this is her story. While I can understand her tragedy, my answer is clear: it's completely false,' wrote Daoud in an article for the French publication Le Point last December. 'Apart from the apparent wound, there is nothing in common between this woman's unbearable tragedy and the character Aube. The wound is not unique. Unfortunately, it is shared by many other victims,' continued Daoud, who accused the plaintiff of being 'manipulated to achieve an objective: to kill a writer and defame (his) family.' Daoud's publisher, Gallimard, has denounced the 'violent defamatory campaigns orchestrated (against the writer) by certain media close to a regime whose nature is well known.'
Euronews
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Algeria issues two arrest warrants for Gouncourt winner Kamel Daoud
Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud is the target of two international arrest warrants issued by Algerian authorities in connection with the controversy surrounding his novel 'Houris', which won the Goncourt Prize in 2024. Daoud became the first author of Algerian descent to win the Goncourt Prize – the most prestigious award in French literature. France has been informed of the two arrest warrants, a spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry said. 'We are following and will continue to follow developments in this situation closely,' said Christophe Lemoine, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, stressing that France was committed to freedom of expression. The author, who is a French citizen and resides in France, is accused of having used the story of a survivor of a massacre during the Algerian civil war without her consent – an accusation he denies. Last November, an Algerian court accepted an initial complaint against the writer and his psychiatrist wife for using the story of a patient in the writing of his novel 'Houris'. Two appeals were lodged against Daoud and his wife, who treated Saâda Arbane. One complaint came from Arbane, a survivor of a massacre during the civil war in Algeria (1992-2002), who accused the couple of using her story without her consent. The other is from the National Organisation of Victims of Terrorism. On learning that these arrest warrants had been issued against him, the writer's lawyer, Jacqueline Laffont-Haïk, said that Daoud would contest them with Interpol. 'The motives behind these Algerian warrants can only be political and part of a series of procedures aimed at silencing a writer whose latest novel evokes the massacres of the black decade in Algeria,' said Laffont-Haïk. 'Houris' is a dark novel set partly in Oran about Aube, a young woman who has been mute since an Islamist slit her throat on 31 December 1999. The book is banned in Algeria, as the country prohibits any work evoking this period of civil war. Indeed, 'Houris' contravenes an article of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, which prohibits the evocation of the "wounds of the national tragedy" - the expression used to describe the civil war that pitted Islamist groups against the Algerian army from 1992 to 2002, killing 200,000 people and leaving thousands more missing. Kamel Daoud previously claimed that the story was 'public' in Algeria and that his novel 'does not recount (the) life' of Saâda Arbane. 'This unfortunate young woman claims that this is her story. While I can understand her tragedy, my answer is clear: it's completely false,' wrote Daoud in an article for the French publication Le Point last December. 'Apart from the apparent wound, there is nothing in common between this woman's unbearable tragedy and the character Aube. The wound is not unique. Unfortunately, it is shared by many other victims,' continued Daoud, who accused the plaintiff of being 'manipulated to achieve an objective: to kill a writer and defame (his) family.' Daoud's publisher, Gallimard, has denounced the 'violent defamatory campaigns orchestrated (against the writer) by certain media close to a regime whose nature is well known.' Sotheby's has postponed an auction of jewels associated with Buddha's remains after the Indian government demanded the sale be halted. The Piprahwa gems, which the auction house said dated back to around 200 B.C., were scheduled to go under the hammer on Wednesday. Sotheby's had said in February that their discovery ranked "among the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of all time". India's Ministry of Culture said in a Facebook post that it had issued a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong to demand the immediate halt of the sale, accusing the auction of violating 'Indian laws, international norms and UN conventions.' In its letter to Sotheby's Hong Kong dated Monday, posted on Facebook, it said the auction involves sacred Buddhist relics that constitute the inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community. It demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government and a public apology from the auction house and Chris Peppé - the great-grandson of British estate manager William Claxton Peppé, who excavated the relics. The gems for auction were found buried together in reliquaries with the corporeal relics of the historical Buddha and discovered in northern India in 1898, the auction house said. The nearly 1,800 gems, including rubies, sapphires and patterned gold sheets, were excavated at the Piprahwa village near the Buddha's birthplace and have been attributed to a clan linked to the religious figure. The Indian government warned in the letter that failure to comply would result in legal actions and public advocacy campaigns highlighting the auction house's role 'in perpetuating colonial injustice and becoming a party to unethical sale of religious relics.' Sotheby's announced the postponement in a statement, acknowledging the matters raised by the Indian government and saying it was done with the agreement of the consignors. 'This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate,' it said. Some of Sotheby's webpages about the auction were no longer available. The Indian Ministry of Culture said on Facebook on Wednesday it was 'pleased to inform' that the auction was postponed after its intervention.
France 24
07-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Algeria issues arrest warrants for writer Daoud amid escalating tensions with France
Kamel Daoud, winner of the 2024 Goncourt Prize for his novel "Houris", which is banned in Algeria, is now the subject of two international arrest warrants issued by Algerian authorities, French diplomats confirmed on Tuesday. The Algerian judiciary informed France of the move, foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said. "We are monitoring and will continue to monitor developments in this situation closely," he said, stressing that Daoud was "a renowned and respected author" and that France was committed to freedom of expression. In 2024, Daoud won France 's top literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, for his novel "Houris", centred on Algeria 's civil war between the government and Islamists in the 1990s. The novel, banned in Algeria, tells the story of a young woman who loses her voice when an Islamist cuts her throat as she witnesses her family being massacred during the war. In November, the woman, Saada Arbane, told Algerian television, using a speech aid, that the main character in the book is based on her experiences. Daoud, 54, has denied his novel is based on Arbane's life. Arbane says she told her story during a course of treatment with a psychotherapist who became Daoud's wife in 2016. She has accused Daoud of then using the details narrated during their therapy sessions in his book. The warrants were issued after Arbane filed a complaint against the writer with a court in Algeria. Arbane is also suing Daoud in France for invasion of privacy. A preliminary hearing is set to take place in Paris on Wednesday. The writer's publisher Gallimard has defended Daoud and his wife, saying they were the victims of orchestrated attacks following the banning of the book in Algeria. Tensions have soared between France and Algeria, its former colony, especially after Paris last year recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.
Korea Herald
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Writing each story as if it were his last
Goncourt-winning author Jean-Baptiste Andrea speaks about writing, recognition and resistance For writer Jean-Baptiste Andrea, winning literary awards -- including the prestigious Goncourt Prize in 2023 -- felt like finally becoming "visible." "I've wanted to be a writer since I was 9 years old. But we live in a world that doesn't exactly encourage anyone to become a novelist. I was lucky to succeed, but before that, I was invisible. Because until we gain recognition, we are, in a sense, transparent," said Andrea at a press conference held at the French Embassy in Seoul on Monday. The winner of the 2023 Prix Goncourt was in Seoul ahead of Tuesday's Goncourt Choice of Korea. The initiative, jointly organized by the French Embassy and the Academie Goncourt, invites students studying French at high schools, universities and language institutes to read and debate the final four Goncourt Prize shortlisted novels over five months before selecting a winner by majority vote. Andrea, who turned to writing novels after a long career as a screenwriter, likened his literary success to a transformation from obscurity to acknowledgment. "Imagine a homeless man sitting on a park bench -- he is almost invisible. But then he wins the lottery and becomes a billionaire. Suddenly, his presence carries weight. That's how it felt after winning the Goncourt Prize. I had always been here, but only after recognition did people start to notice," he said. "I think society should support artists, even when they are still homeless and sitting on a bench." Since his debut as a novelist, Andrea has quickly risen to prominence, solidifying his status as one of France's most compelling literary voices, winning 19 major literary awards in the country, including the Best French Debut Novel and the Students Femina for his debut novel 'My Queen' (2017) and the Grand Prix RTL-Lire for his third novel 'Devils and Saints' (2021). With his fourth novel, 'Watching Over Her' (2023), a sweeping saga set against the backdrop of Italy's fascist era, Andrea won the Goncourt Prize. Spanning several decades of 20th-century Italy, "Watching Over Her" follows Michelangelo "Mimo" Vitaliani, a poor sculptor, and his tumultuous relationship with Viola Orsini, the daughter of an aristocratic family. The novel explores Italy's political history and class structures from World War I to the 1980s, depicting the rise of fascism as a gradual phenomenon of everyday life, also tackling themes of feminism, art and patronage. "The reason it was important for me to talk about fascism was because my book is about resistance against dictatorship, fear and terror. The protagonist (Mimo) is in constant struggle with society, family and himself," Andrea said. "Like any good work of fiction, my novel speaks to our present era. We are seeing authoritarian regimes and fascist ideologies resurface today. I wanted to emphasize that these things don't happen by accident. I wanted to say that there is no such thing as 'no choice.'" Andrea said that all the characters in his work could be seen as his alter ego -- each struggling for recognition in a society that doubts itself, while also grappling with their own self-doubt. But he described his overarching theme as: "I am convinced that, in the end, human civilization and the human spirit will prevail." The 53-year-old writer also described storytelling as a universal bridge between cultures. "French and Korean cultures are vastly different, but the fact that my work can be translated and read here means we are not so different after all," said Andrea. "My characters, like all of us, have dreams, ambitions, problems and laughs. I hope that readers see a reflection of themselves in my stories." While a film adaptation of 'Watching Over Her' is underway, Andrea said he doesn't have plans for his next novel. "I don't want to repeat stories I've already told. And I don't have the desire to write next story every time I write. I think it's because I always write each story as if it were my last." While in Korea, Andrea was scheduled to meet with readers at Seoul National University on Monday, Yonsei University on Tuesday and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies on Wednesday.
