Latest news with #NicolasHenin
Zawya
21-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
French low-cost airline Transavia to launch Madinah flights
The Saudi Air Connectivity Program (ACP), in partnership with the Al Madinah Region Development Authority (MDA), has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Transavia, a French low-cost airline partly owned by Air France, for the launch of its operations into Saudi Arabia. As per the deal, Transavia will start flights from Paris-Orly, Lyon, Marseille, and Toulouse to Madinah beginning this October. This expansion complements the successful launch last year of routes connecting Paris-Orly and Lyon with Jeddah, enhancing air connectivity and reflecting the increasing growth in travel demand between the two countries. The Air Connectivity Program is aimed at enhancing tourism growth in Saudi Arabia by developing existing air routes and creating new destinations, thereby contributing to connecting the kingdom with the world. It also underscores KSA's position as a major destination and supports the tourism goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 by increasing the number of tourists arriving into the country. CEO of the Air Connectivity Program Majid Khan described the development of air connectivity between France and Saudi Arabia as a fundamental pillar of the National Tourism Strategy. He highlighted that this expansion will contribute to capitalizing on the significant opportunities in the Umrah market from France, while supporting the Kingdom's tourism objectives. Transavia France Chief Commercial Officer Nicolas Henin, while lauding the successful operation of the Lyon-Jeddah and Paris-Orly-Jeddah routes, expressed delight at the airline's plan to boost its presence in the kingdom. Henin said Transavia France was excited to start flights to Madinah and strengthen the airline's ongoing partnership with Saudi airports. CEO of Tibah Airports Operation Company Sofiene Abdessalem said the selection of Madinah among Transavia France's new destinations confirms the city's religious and cultural status, while underlining the efforts made to enhance its presence on the international air connectivity map. This expansion supports direct access from Europe and contributes to providing an integrated travel experience for pilgrims and visitors from around the world. Abdessalem emphasized the commitment to supporting initiatives related to the Saudi Aviation Strategy by strengthening the network of international destinations and integrating efforts with partners in the public and private sectors, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030. He praised the role of the Air Connectivity Program in supporting these strategic partnerships and enabling international connectivity, which enhances tourism growth and facilitates access to the Kingdom's destinations.- TradeArabia News Service Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Sky News
21-03-2025
- Sky News
Five jihadists found guilty of holding French journalists hostage
Five jihadists have been found guilty of holding French journalists captive in Syria for the terror group Islamic State. One of the guilty, Mehdi Nemmouche, 39, has been described by the prosecution as "one of the most perverse and cruel jihadists of the past 10 years" with a "total absence of empathy and remorse." "Yes, I was a terrorist, and I will never apologise for it," Nemmouche told the court hours before the verdict was due while denying he held the men captive. "I don't regret a day, an hour, or an act," he added. Nemmouche was sentenced to life in prison, and will serve a minimum of 22 years behind bars. Abdelmalek Tanem was given 22 years and Kais Al Abdullah was sentenced to 20 years. Meanwhile, Oussama Atar and Salim Benghalem, who are both referred to as integral figures in the Islamic State's operations and believed to be dead were sentenced to life in absentia. The trial in Paris heard that journalists Didier Francois, Edouard Elias, Nicolas Henin, and Pierre Torres were terrorised during their 10 months in captivity between June 2013 and April 2014. The four spoke of relentless physical and psychological torture at the hands of ISIS. During their imprisonment, they were forced to watch the executions of other captives and endure beatings while surrounded by the screams of fellow detainees. Nicolas Henin was snatched in the Syrian city of Raqqa with photographer Pierre Torres in 2013. He told Sky News he was just "taken off the streets". During his time in captivity, he met American journalist James Foley and British aid worker David Haines, both of whom were later murdered by the notorious British ISIS militants "the Beatles". "We were a total of 24. Nineteen men held in one cell and five women in another one…and the plan was to start everything with an execution," he says. He remembers the first person executed on the day they arrived was a Russian man, but the murders would continue. At times, their captors also carried out mock executions, dragging their terrified prisoners out for fake beheadings or leaving them in the boiling sun for hours during mock crucifixions. 5:06 "All our captors treated us badly. It is not only about beatings or torture; to keep someone captured in the dark sometimes blindfolded is enough," Mr Henin said. Throughout the trial, Nemmouche has always denied being their jailer, but the four former hostages recognised him. Edouard Elias said he remembers him tormenting them for hours with constant chatter and singing French songs. Nicolas Henin will never forget his face or his manner. "[He's] sadistic, narcissistic, and I would say 'gamer' because for him nothing is serious. Everything is a game. He wants to win everything…he plays with the court," he said. Nemmouche is already serving a life sentence for the fatal attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels in May 2014. He carried out the killings for ISIS a few weeks after the French journalists were released. "This man, who fancies himself intelligent, is devoid of any human sentiment," Prosecutor Benjamin Chambre said, describing him as a "real sociopath". It's more than a decade since the journalists spent months witnessing and enduring the darkest and cruellest acts of humanity. Asked how he managed to survive, Nicolas Henin paid tribute to his fellow hostages David Haines and James Foley who he says supported him mentally while he was detained. Ahead of the verdict, he called for sentences that reflected the gravity of the crimes inflicted on them. 9:25 And what of the men who seemingly take joy in inflicting such pain and suffering - are they evil? That's what they need us to believe, he explains. "It's part of the game of terrorists to terrorise people. They need us to believe that they are not human. "We have to look for the humanity still in them to prevent ourselves being totally petrified by fear facing them," Mr Henin adds, refusing to be cowed. "I prevent myself from feeling any hatred against them as much as any fear," he says.
