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France 24
14-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
'Children are also killed by hunger': Papers react to risk of famine in Gaza
Emmanuel Macron 's Tuesday night TV address has left most of the French press a little confused. Le Figaro says that the president tried to defend his record. L'Opinion is also describing it as Macron on the defensive. The president had been relatively discreet in the French media recently. The paper says the interview was a very inconclusive end to Macron's media diet. La Provence is also unsure of what the president's message was. The paper says his interview was "without horizon nor solution". Aujourd'hui en France says that Macron seemed "powerless" after three hours spent defending his eight years in office, without providing much insight on the rest of his mandate. A UN-backed report published by experts on food security in Gaza has been widely covered in the press and features on front pages this Wednesday. Le Temps in Switzerland features a cartoon by Chapatte on its front page and reads: "In Gaza, children are also killed by hunger". The front page of L'Humanité is quite distressing and it accuses Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war. The BBC warns that the entire Gaza population is at critical risk of famine. The article says that aid groups have said the blockade could be a war crime and that it amounts to a policy of starvation. The New York Times, meanwhile, reveals that Israeli officers have privately admitted that Gaza is on the brink of starvation. Donald Trump is in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his Middle East Tour. The Saudi paper Arab News is celebrating the "landmark visit" and highlighting Trump's promise to lift sanctions on Syria. The American press is unsurprisingly slightly more critical of his visit. The New York Times says that although Trump said he had secured $600 billion in Saudi deals, the details provided by the White House were vague and totalled less than half that number. Politico is looking at the star-studded cast in attendance during Trump's visit. It says that three dozen American business leaders were invited by the Saudis. Trump had said that the primary goal of his visit was to extend American business in the region. But the Guardian tells us that while the true value of Saudi investments in the US economy remain hazy, the Saudis' deals with the Trump family business are more obvious. A cartoon in The Telegraph illustrates Trump collecting deals for himself. The Times also has a cartoon that makes light of the apparent double purpose of Trump's trip. The Washington Post is similarly insinuating in its cartoon of the day that the US president is available for purchase. Finally, an unusual suspect is on the loose after breaking the speed limit for the second time in Switzerland. The Guardian is reporting on this piece of fowl play: a duck has been snapped flying at 52 km/h in a 30 km/h zone in Switzerland.
El Chorouk
13-05-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Will Dominique de Villepin be the 'salvation of Paris' from its crisis with Algeria?
The escalating crisis in Algerian-French relations has created a pessimistic outlook for the future of these relations, which, according to observers, may not regain their hoped-for calm for at least two years, the remaining term of French President Emmanuel Macron's second presidential term at the Élysée Palace. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had hinted in his interview with the French newspaper 'L'Opinion' at the impossibility of restoring calm to relations between Algeria and Paris under the current French president's rule. From here, those following these relations are trying to anticipate the post-Macron era, in light of the political discussions in France about the identity of those who will run in the presidential race to succeed Macron, who, according to the French constitution, cannot run for a third term. In this context, the latest poll in France conducted by the reputable 'Ifop' institute revealed that the potential candidate for the French presidential elections, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, is leading everyone with 51 percent of positive opinions, ahead of his counterpart, former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, who received 50 percent. What is interesting is that the Minister of Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who has made targeting Algeria a political project, was not mentioned at all in the poll, while former Prime Minister Michel Barnier came in third place with 46 percent of positive opinions, and in fourth place, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal came in fourth place with 45 percent of positive opinions. The credibility of this poll lies in the fact that it was conducted at the request of a media platform known for its far-right leanings, 'Sud Radio,' published on Monday, May 12, and its results were in favor of a personality who does not share the political orientations of the far-right. In fact, this personality, considered to be from the Gaullist current, is the closest personality from this current to the left, which currently controls the majority of members of the French National Assembly (the lower house of parliament). In President Tebboune's aforementioned interview with 'L'Opinion,' he had praised some moderate French political figures who have not received their due attention in the French media, which is controlled by financiers known for their far-right leanings, such as Vincent Bolloré. He mentioned Dominique de Villepin among them, considering him the personality who truly represents the legacy of Gaullist thought, which has a special vision regarding French-Arab relations, not represented by many current political figures in this current, referring here to the Minister of Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who promotes that orientation but whose actions on the ground are moving in the opposite direction.
Russia Today
02-04-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Russia ready to support Africa's digital independence
Russia is ready to support African countries in developing technologies that promote self-sufficiency and sovereignty, Aleksey Andreev, Russia's trade representative in Morocco, has stated. In an interview with the newspaper L'Opinion on Tuesday, Andreev said, 'Russia is ready to become a strategic partner of Morocco in the implementation of the national digital strategy Morocco Digital 2030.' He also stressed that while Africa is rich in resources, data has become the most valuable asset in today's world – adding that Russia is not interested in exploiting these resources, but in equipping African nations with tools to manage and protect them. Russia offers 'not only software products, but an ecosystem of digital solutions that guarantee technological sovereignty and growth,' he said. The proposed solutions include digital transformation projects, development of smart cities and systems for public administration, financial services, and business operations. He pointed to several priority domains for cooperation, including AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, automated control systems, telecommunications, and smart transportation. READ MORE: Why Russia keeps winning friends in Africa Asked whether Russia is prepared to support Morocco through skills training and digital literacy programs, Andreev highlighted the adaptability of the Russian approach. Unlike many Western companies, Russian developers prioritize localization and flexibility over rigid licensing models, he said. 'Russian companies offer data hosting on local servers, adapting products to the requirements of domestic brands and working closely with local companies – an essential factor for countries seeking to strengthen their technological sovereignty,' the trade representative explained. The initiative is in line with a broader strategy to strengthen economic ties with Africa. In November, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that trade between Russia and African countries reached a record high of $24.5 billion in 2023, despite obstacles created by the West. According to estimates from the Agroexport Center, Russia's agricultural exports to Morocco reached nearly $280 million in 2024, marking a threefold increase compared to the previous year. READ MORE: Russian food exports to Africa increase 19% The interview took place ahead of the GITEX Africa 2025, the largest tech and startup show in Africa, scheduled for April 14-16 in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Morocco World
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Paris Set to Send Expulsion List to Algeria Amid Ongoing Diplomatic Tensions Over Migration
Rabat – Paris is preparing to send Algerian authorities a list of individuals to be expelled from France, with the hope that Algeria will accept the list and use it as a step towards warming bilateral relations, which have been strained by migration issues. Three government sources told AFP on Thursday that the list, which includes 'several dozen' names, is expected to be officially sent to Algeria soon. One source said it could happen 'this week,' while another suggested it would be done 'today or tomorrow,' and a third described the move as 'imminent.' 'This is the first list,' Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on RTL radio on Wednesday, noting that it included a few dozen individuals. The issue of Algeria refusing to accept nationals in an irregular immigration status, including the perpetrator of a deadly attack in Mulhouse, France, on February 22, has deepened tensions, which were already strained following France's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in July last year. The expulsion list currently appears far smaller than what Retailleau initially envisioned, which included several hundred names. However, additional lists may follow. Retailleau met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday in a 'one-on-one' meeting, according to an official close to the president. 'We make a lot of their differences,' the official said, noting that they were in agreement on the principle of expelling Algerians under a deportation order. However, President Macron is keen to avoid further escalating tensions with Algeria over migration, fearing a negative impact on other sensitive issues, such as intelligence sharing in the fight against terrorism. Diplomatic warming is necessary, especially in the context of counterterrorism cooperation in the Sahel region, where both countries are working together to combat jihadism. France has a vested interest in the stability of Algeria, the largest country in Africa, which is surrounded by neighboring states facing security challenges. Additionally, France is concerned about the potential return of Algerian or Franco-Algerian jihadists from Syria, a potential threat to national security. French diplomats recently noted that the two countries were in a state of 'near-breakdown' in relations. In response, President Macron has sought to de-escalate tensions, urging an end to 'talking through the press.' 'It's ridiculous; it never works that way,' he said in late February. This was in response to comments by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who had criticized the 'toxic atmosphere' between the two countries in an interview with L'Opinion. Tebboune emphasized the need to resume dialogue, but he conditioned this on Macron's willingness to express the desire to do so. Algerian media welcomed Macron's 'calming words' while lamenting Retailleau's further escalation of the situation. When asked about a potential direct dialogue between the two presidents, the Élysée did not respond. This week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot reiterated France's desire to improve relations with Algeria, stating: 'Of course, France aspires to have good relations with Algeria, a neighboring country with which our ties are strong.' However, he added that 'calm cannot be unilaterally decreed.'
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Macron's chief of staff to join French bank Societe Generale, L'Opinion reports
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron's chief of staff Alexis Kohler is set to join Societe Generale as head of retail banking, newsletter L'Opinion reported. Societe Generale declined to comment. Kohler and the Elysee presidential palace did not immediately reply to a request for comment. L'Opinion quoted an Elysee spokesperson as saying that Kohler "has not signed anywhere, and, for the moment, is not going anywhere." Kohler has been Macron's chief of staff since the start of his first term in 2017. Like Macron, he attended the elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA). He was also head of Macron's cabinet when Macron was finance minister under President Francois Hollande Sign in to access your portfolio
