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French-Moroccan Karim Bouamrane Eyed for Prime Minister Role

Karim Bouamrane delivering a speech at the opening of “Socrates Street” in the Olympic Village, March 2024 (Getty)
Karim Bouamrane delivering a speech at the opening of “Socrates Street” in the Olympic Village, March 2024 (Getty)
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French-Moroccan Karim Bouamrane Eyed for Prime Minister Role

Karim Bouamrane delivering a speech at the opening of “Socrates Street” in the Olympic Village, March 2024 (Getty)
Karim Bouamrane delivering a speech at the opening of “Socrates Street” in the Olympic Village, March 2024 (Getty)

If French President Emmanuel Macron chooses Karim Bouamrane, born to Moroccan parents, to form the new government, he will follow a precedent of foreign-born politicians reaching high positions in France.
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy had Hungarian heritage, and former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who served under President François Hollande, was of Spanish origin from Catalonia.
Outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s grandfather was born in Tunisia. Among Moroccans, Rachida Dati and Najat Vallaud-Belkacem have also held significant positions, such as Minister of Culture and Minister of Education, respectively.
The potential appointment of a Maghreb-born politician reflects a significant change in French politics, especially given the recent strong showing of the far-right in elections. Macron is expected to announce the new Prime Minister after consulting with parliamentary leaders on Friday and Monday.
The Élysée Palace has not set a deadline for this decision, emphasizing that Macron wants a thorough and respectful consultation to ensure the new Prime Minister can build a stable majority. Macron aims to honor the Constitution and voters’ choices in this selection.
Macron has not yet confirmed whether Karim Bouamrane will be appointed as the new Prime Minister.
Bouamrane is a serious candidate, but others are also being considered. Macron might also choose an unexpected candidate.
Bouamrane’s profile has risen recently due to the parliamentary election results announced on July 7, which failed to produce a clear majority. This has delayed the appointment of a new Prime Minister.
It is noteworthy that Attal resigned on August 16, but his government is still in place.
Bouamrane, once relatively unknown, has gained significant media attention both in France and internationally. Major outlets like Der Spiegel, The New York Times, and El País have covered him.
The French media is keen to see how Macron addresses the delay in forming a new government, especially as the focus shifts from the successful Olympics to urgent political, economic, and social issues.

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World

Gunmen Shoot Dead 12 Near Johannesburg

Relatives of school children, who died when the minibus they were riding in collided with a truck, weep at the scene of the crash in Vanderbijlpark, South of Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
Relatives of school children, who died when the minibus they were riding in collided with a truck, weep at the scene of the crash in Vanderbijlpark, South of Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
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Gunmen Shoot Dead 12 Near Johannesburg

Relatives of school children, who died when the minibus they were riding in collided with a truck, weep at the scene of the crash in Vanderbijlpark, South of Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
Relatives of school children, who died when the minibus they were riding in collided with a truck, weep at the scene of the crash in Vanderbijlpark, South of Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)

Gunmen stormed an informal settlement near Johannesburg and shot dead 12 people overnight, South African police said Wednesday.

It was the latest mass shooting in the crime-weary country, where more than 60 homicides are recorded on average each day.

The attack happened shortly after 11:00 pm Tuesday after more than 10 armed people were driven to the area and stormed the settlement, a police spokeswoman said.

"The suspects allegedly entered the informal settlement through both entrances and moved through the area, opening fire on residents and community members at multiple locations before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle," she said.

"Preliminary investigations reveal that 12 people died as a result of the attack," Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said.

"Eight adult males and three adult females were declared dead at the scene," she said. One person died in hospital.

The attack was in an area called Cleveland about six kilometers (less than four miles) east of the Johannesburg city center.

Nevhuhulwi said the motive for the attack was not yet known and no arrests had yet been made.

South Africa is awash with legal and illegal firearms, and shootings are common, often fueled by gang rivalry and competition between informal businesses.

World

China Urges Against Escalation of Middle East War

A woman holds an Iranian flag on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A woman holds an Iranian flag on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
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China Urges Against Escalation of Middle East War

A woman holds an Iranian flag on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A woman holds an Iranian flag on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

China said Wednesday it was "deeply concerned" over the conflict in the Middle East and urged against escalation after Washington carried out strikes on Iran over the downing of a US helicopter.

"Various relevant parties should maintain calm and exercise restraint, stop intensifying the conflict and escalating the situation, take concrete measures to ease and cool down tensions," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news briefing.

Iran attacked US bases in Jordan and Bahrain on Wednesday, the latest salvo in tit-for-tat strikes with the United States after the downing of a US helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.

The worst bout of fighting between Washington and Tehran since their April 8 ceasefire has cast further doubt on US President Donald Trump's earlier claim that negotiations were in their "final throes" before reaching an enduring settlement to end the Middle East war.

World

Pakistani Airstrikes in Afghanistan Kill at Least 13 People, Taliban Official Says

28 February 2026, Afghanistan, Torkham: A Taliban fighter checks his weapon next to an armored vehicle at a checkpoint near Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (dpa)
28 February 2026, Afghanistan, Torkham: A Taliban fighter checks his weapon next to an armored vehicle at a checkpoint near Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (dpa)
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Pakistani Airstrikes in Afghanistan Kill at Least 13 People, Taliban Official Says

28 February 2026, Afghanistan, Torkham: A Taliban fighter checks his weapon next to an armored vehicle at a checkpoint near Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (dpa)
28 February 2026, Afghanistan, Torkham: A Taliban fighter checks his weapon next to an armored vehicle at a checkpoint near Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (dpa)

Afghanistan said Wednesday that Pakistan launched new airstrikes targeting the country, killing at least 13 people and wounding 14 others, in a further sign of rising tensions between the two neighbors after months of fighting that has killed hundreds.

Though the situation along the border was calm hours after the strikes, Kabul has previously responded to Pakistani strikes by targeting Pakistani posts along the frontier.

Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the latest airstrikes targeted the Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika and killed 11 children, one woman and one elderly man.

There was no immediate acknowledgment of the strikes deep inside Afghanistan from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or military.

The strikes came a day after suspected Pakistani Taliban militants attacked a security post in the Hasan Khel area of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, triggering an intense gunbattle in which six members of the Federal Constabulary were killed and several others wounded, according to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry.

Local authorities said Tuesday that security forces killed eight of the attackers and thwarted an attempt to overrun the checkpoint. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi later attended funeral prayers for the dead personnel in Peshawar, the ministry said.

Naqvi paid tribute to the dead and expressed condolences to their families, saying their sacrifices would not be forgotten. He also said Pakistan remained united in its fight against militancy and that operations against groups threatening peace and security would be intensified.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have engaged in deadly fighting since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

Pakistan in February declared it was in open war with its Afghanistan, following a surge in militant attacks on civilians and security forces inside Pakistan. Afghanistan has said a deadly Pakistani airstrikes in March hit a drug-treatment center in Kabul, killing more than 400 people. The death toll could not be independently confirmed.

Pakistan has disputed the claim and denied targeting civilians, saying it struck an ammunition depot.

The latest development comes months after China hosted peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Urumqi, in northern China, and later Beijing said Afghanistan and Pakistan had agreed not to escalate their conflict and to explore a solution.

Authorities in Pakistan have said that Beijing and some other friendly countries were still encouraging both sides to reach an agreement for durable peace.

Masood Khan, an Islamabad-based security analyst, said Pakistan’s priority is ending attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, which Islamabad says operate from Afghan soil.

Khan said the solution to the tension lies in enforcing a decree by Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada ordering the TTP to stop attacks on Pakistan. “That decree must be implemented sincerely and faithfully,” he said.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in the country in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

The Pakistan-Afghanistan border has remained closed to bilateral trade since October, stranding thousands of people.