عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

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)
TT
TT

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.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Typhoon Dujuan Leaves 4 Dead in Japan, 45,000 Houses Without Power

Residents cycle through a flooded street after Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain to Sakura, Chiba prefecture, Japan, September 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Residents cycle through a flooded street after Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain to Sakura, Chiba prefecture, Japan, September 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
TT
TT

Typhoon Dujuan Leaves 4 Dead in Japan, 45,000 Houses Without Power

Residents cycle through a flooded street after Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain to Sakura, Chiba prefecture, Japan, September 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Residents cycle through a flooded street after Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain to Sakura, Chiba prefecture, Japan, September 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Typhoon Dujuan left at least four people dead and 22 injured in Japan, while thousands of houses near Tokyo were without power after the storm swept through the region, authorities said Tuesday.

The typhoon moved away from Japan's coast and out into the Pacific by morning, allowing authorities to lift or downgrade most heavy rain and landslide warnings.

Dujuan had already led to the early closure in the capital of the one of the world's biggest video game trade fairs.

Japan often sees strong typhoons in the late summer and early autumn, with other storms this season disrupting some events at the Asian Games being held in the country.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said three people died in Chiba prefecture and one in Kanagawa region, both near Tokyo.

Search operations were continuing for six people missing after landslides triggered by torrential rain, the agency said, according to AFP.

More than 45,000 households in Chiba near Tokyo were still without electricity on Tuesday afternoon, while over 460 houses were damaged.

Although Dujuan weakened as it moved northeast, it dumped record rainfall in parts of the Tokyo area.

Oshima, an island about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of central Tokyo, recorded 832 millimeters of rain over 48 hours, more than double its average rainfall for the whole of September, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Rainfall in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward reached a record 282.5 millimeters over 24 hours.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying the risk posed by heavy rains because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.

World

G7 Foreign Ministers Call on Iran to Stop Arming Houthis

FILE PHOTO: Flags are pictured during the first working session of G7 foreign ministers in Muenster, Germany, November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Flags are pictured during the first working session of G7 foreign ministers in Muenster, Germany, November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
TT
TT

G7 Foreign Ministers Call on Iran to Stop Arming Houthis

FILE PHOTO: Flags are pictured during the first working session of G7 foreign ministers in Muenster, Germany, November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Flags are pictured during the first working session of G7 foreign ministers in Muenster, Germany, November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/Pool/File Photo/File Photo

G7 foreign ministers on Monday called on Iran to end its arming and support of Houthis in Yemen, which they said constituted a dangerous pattern of escalation that risked undermining international trade ⁠and creating global instability.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the unacceptable continued strikes carried out by the Houthis in Yemen and against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ministers of Britain, Canada, France, ⁠Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States said in a statement after a meeting on the sidelines of ⁠the UN General Assembly.

“We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all ⁠military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and ⁠to return to the political process in good faith,” they added.
The G7 statement comes ahead of the annual General Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian officials are due to speak.

On Monday, the United Nations condemned the continued cross-border attacks by the Houthis against the Kingdom, including an attempted attack on Riyadh and attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and prevent any further escalation.

During a press briefing, spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric expressed deep concern over the ongoing military escalation in and around Yemen, including Houthi offensives in Taiz, Lahj, and Marib, and their grave consequences for civilians in Yemen and across the region.

Dujarric stressed the need to uphold obligations under international humanitarian law, including the prohibition of direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

World

Argentina Accuses 7 Iranians and a Lebanese Man in 1994 Jewish Center Bombing Case

The aftermath of the bombing that targeted a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires (AFP file photo)
The aftermath of the bombing that targeted a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires (AFP file photo)
TT
TT

Argentina Accuses 7 Iranians and a Lebanese Man in 1994 Jewish Center Bombing Case

The aftermath of the bombing that targeted a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires (AFP file photo)
The aftermath of the bombing that targeted a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires (AFP file photo)

An Argentine judge on Monday formally charged seven Iranians and a Lebanese citizen for their alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

The decision marks another step toward a possible trial in absentia over the attack on July 18 that year, which killed 85 people and injured 300 more.

No one has ever been arrested over the bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA), which is considered one of the worst tragedies in the South American country's history.

"The decision to carry out the attack was made in August 1993 by the highest echelons of the Iranian regime and entrusted to Hezbollah," Judge Daniel Rafecas wrote in a statement.

Seven of the defendants held high-ranking positions in the Iranian state when the attack occurred.

The Lebanese national was a Hezbollah member.

Two other defendants were removed from the case due to lack of evidence.

A trial is now a real possibility, but the charged individuals may appeal the indictment.

"There's still a whole process to go through," Rafecas told AFP, noting other necessary procedural steps before a trial could happen.

Argentine President Javier Milei, a staunch ally of Israel, celebrated the decision on social media.

"Morality as State Policy," he wrote on X.

Argentina and Israel have long pointed the finger at Iran as the perpetrator of the attack, which Tehran has always denied.

In a move backed by Milei's right-wing administration, Argentine courts authorized the possibility of a trial in absentia last year.

The attack on AMIA occurred just two years after a bomb at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires claimed 29 lives.

Monday's ruling suggested that the two incidents could be related. It sought the Argentine Supreme Court's opinion on potentially linking the two cases given Hezbollah's alleged involvement in both.

Argentina is home to Latin America's largest Jewish community.