More than 1,800 migrants expelled from Algeria into Niger, rights group says

More than 1,800 migrants expelled from Algeria into Niger, rights group says
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria sits in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018. (AP Photo/File)
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Updated 25 April 2025
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More than 1,800 migrants expelled from Algeria into Niger, rights group says

More than 1,800 migrants expelled from Algeria into Niger, rights group says
  • The UK government is struggling to stop undocumented migrants embarking on dangerous boat journeys across the Channel from France
  • Ukrainian and Afghan migrants face uncertainty under new policies

ALGIERS: Algerian authorities rounded up more than 1,800 migrants and left them at the Nigerien border in a record expulsion earlier this month, a Niger-based migrant rights group said Thursday.
Alarmphone Sahara, which monitors migration across the region, said the migrants were bused to a remote desert area known as “Point Zero” after being apprehended in Algerian cities.
Abdou Aziz Chehou, the group’s national coordinator, told The Associated Press on Thursday that 1,845 migrants without legal status in Algeria had been counted, arriving in Niger’s border town of Assamaka after the April 19 mass expulsion.
That pushed the total number of expelled migrants arriving in Assamaka this month beyond 4,000, he said.
The figure does not include those who may attempt to return north into Algeria, Chehou added.
The mass deportations come amid rising tensions between Algeria and its southern neighbors, all now led by military juntas that ousted elected governments previously aligned with Algiers. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew their ambassadors from Algeria earlier this month over border security disputes.
For migrants fleeing poverty, conflict or climate change, Algeria serves as a transit point en route to Europe. Many cross vast stretches of the Sahara en route before attempting dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean. But reinforced maritime patrols have stranded increasing numbers in transit countries with checkered human rights records and limited humanitarian aid.
In 2024, Alarmphone Sahara recorded more than 30,000 migrants expelled from Algeria. Similar pushbacks have also been reported in neighboring Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.
Neither Algerian nor Nigerien officials have commented on the latest expulsions, which are rarely reported in Algerian press. In the past, Nigerien authorities have said such actions appear to violate a 2014 agreement that allows only Nigerien nationals to be deported across the border.


Brazilian leader Lula hospitalized with inner ear ailment, then released

Brazilian leader Lula hospitalized with inner ear ailment, then released
Updated 27 May 2025
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Brazilian leader Lula hospitalized with inner ear ailment, then released

Brazilian leader Lula hospitalized with inner ear ailment, then released
  • The health scare adds to Lula’s recent medical worries, which are also part of his allies’ concerns ahead of his likely bid for reelection next year

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was diagnosed with labyrinthitis Monday after suffering from vertigo, hospital officials said. The 79-year-old leftist leader has already returned to the country’s presidential residence, where he is resting.
The Sirio-Libanes Hospital said in a statement that Lula underwent imaging and blood tests, and its results came within normal limits. Labyrinthitis is an inflammation of the labyrinth in the inner ear, which is responsible for hearing and balance.
The health scare adds to Lula’s recent medical worries, which are also part of his allies’ concerns ahead of his likely bid for reelection next year.
The most serious is a fall he had in the bathroom of the presidential residence in Brasília on Oct. 19. Almost two months later, he was transferred to São Paulo for surgery after suffering headaches caused by new a bleeding in his head. He was discharged Dec. 15.

 


Canadians welcome King Charles after Trump takeover threats

Canadians welcome King Charles after Trump takeover threats
Updated 27 May 2025
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Canadians welcome King Charles after Trump takeover threats

Canadians welcome King Charles after Trump takeover threats
  • The so-called throne speech outlining the government’s priorities is typically given by the British monarch’s representative in Canada, the governor general

OTTAWA: King Charles III was given an enthusiastic welcome on Monday by Canadians who turned out in droves to see their monarch on his historic visit to open parliament, as part of the pushback against US President Donald Trump’s annexation threats.
The 76-year-old king, who is Canada’s head of state as part of the Commonwealth, was greeted at the airport by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has invited him to give an address opening Canada’s new legislature on Tuesday.
“This historic honor matches the weight of our times,” Carney said.
On their first stop in the Canadian capital, the royals visited a farmer’s market, where they were cheered by thousands of Canadians. The king also dropped the puck for a street hockey game.
The so-called throne speech outlining the government’s priorities is typically given by the British monarch’s representative in Canada, the governor general.
Queen Elizabeth II, the king’s late mother, delivered a throne speech in Canada just twice during her long reign, in 1957 and 1977.
Charles, making his first visit to Canada since his coronation, has never commented on Trump’s repeated talk of making Canada the 51st US state.
But he will be closely watched for any comments on Canada’s sovereignty, and on trade.
Trump has slapped tariffs on Canadian goods including sector-specific levies on autos, steel and aluminum, rattling the Canadian economy, although he has suspended some of them pending negotiations.
Queen Camilla is accompanying Charles on the 24-hour visit to Ottawa.
Carney has said his newly-elected government has been given a mandate “to define a new economic and security relationship with the United States,” a neighbor he believes Canada “can no longer trust.”
He has promised to curb reliance on trade with the United States by boosting internal commerce while forging deeper economic ties with allies overseas.
The government’s path to build up Canada and create new relationships will be outlined in Charles’s speech, Carney said Monday.
A government statement described the visit as “a momentous and historic occasion that underscores Canada’s identity and sovereignty as a constitutional monarchy.”
Trump repeatedly returned to his annexation musings during Carney’s Oval Office visit earlier this month, insisting it would be a “wonderful marriage.”
Carney stood his ground, saying Canada was “never for sale.”
Trump’s envoy to Canada, Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, dismissed the notion that inviting Charles to open parliament was an effective way to make a statement on annexation. According to him, the annexation issue is “over.”
But, among the throngs that showed up to welcome the royals, Robert Brown, 64, said: “I think it’s a very subtle form of diplomacy. A good one.”
After Charles and Camilla landed in Ottawa in the afternoon, they were received by Governor General Mary Simon and other dignitaries before meeting community organizations.
They also planted a tree at the governor general’s estate, and Charles held audiences with Carney and Indigenous leaders.
At the Senate on Tuesday, the monarch will receive full military honors before delivering the throne speech.
Noah Marshall told AFP he couldn’t miss this “once in a lifetime opportunity to come see the royals.” The 24-year-old also noted that because Trump seems to respect the King, “that’s a good kind of signal to him.”
Gaelle Hortop, 46, said she is “optimistic that it’ll be positive for Canadian morale” too.


Boko Haram’s resurgence: Why Nigeria’s military is struggling to hold the line

Boko Haram’s resurgence: Why Nigeria’s military is struggling to hold the line
Updated 27 May 2025
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Boko Haram’s resurgence: Why Nigeria’s military is struggling to hold the line

Boko Haram’s resurgence: Why Nigeria’s military is struggling to hold the line

ABUJA, Nigeria: A resurgence of Boko Haram attacks is shaking Nigeria’s northeast, as Islamic extremists have repeatedly overrun military outposts, mined roads with bombs and raided civilian communities since the start of the year, raising fears of a possible return to peak Boko Haram-era insecurity despite the military’s claims of successes.
Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown jihadis, took up arms in 2009 to fight Western education and impose their radical version of Islamic law. The conflict has spilled into Nigeria’s northern neighbors and resulted in the death of around 35,000 civilians and the displacement of more than 2 million others, according to the United Nations.
In the latest attack last week in the village of Gajibo in Borno state, the epicenter of the crisis, extremists killed nine members of a local militia that supports the Nigerian military, after soldiers deserted the base when becoming aware of the insurgents’ advance, according to the group’s claim and local aid workers. That is in addition to roadside bombs and deadly attacks on villages in recent months.
Nyelni Kwari’s area of Borno, Hawul, includes some of the affected villages, and returning home has become unsafe. “Unfortunately, the situation hasn’t improved for me to feel secure,” said Kwari, a graduate student in Borno’s capital, Maiduguri.

Two factions

Boko Haram has split into two factions over the years.
One is backed by the Daesh group and is known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP. It has become notorious for targeting military positions and has overrun the military on at least 15 occasions this year, killing soldiers and stealing weapons, according to an Associated Press count, experts and security reports.
In May, ISWAP struck outposts in Gajibo, Buni Gari, Marte, Izge and Rann and launched an assault on the Nigeria-Cameroon joint base in Wulgo and Soueram in Cameroon. Other attacks this year have hit Malam Fatori, Goniri, Sabon Gari, Wajiroko and Monguno, among others. The group often attacks at night.
The other faction, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, or JAS, has increasingly resorted to attacking civilians and perceived collaborators, and thrives on robberies and abductions for ransom.

Expansion and decentralization

Malik Samuel, senior researcher at nonprofit Good Governance Africa, said ISWAP’s success is a result of its territorial expansion following gains against rival JAS as well as a decentralized structure that has enhanced its ability to conduct “coordinated, near-simultaneous attacks across different regions.”
“The unpredictability of attacks under this framework illustrates ISWAP’s growing strategic sophistication,” Samuel said.
External support from IS in Iraq and Syria is also a critical resource, said Samuel, who has interviewed ex-fighters. Such support is evident in ISWAP’s evolving tactics, including nighttime raids, rapid assaults with light but effective weaponry and the use of modified commercial drones to drop explosives, Samuel said.

Outgunned and outnumbered military

Ali Abani, a local nonprofit worker familiar with military operations in Borno’s strategic town of Dikwa, said army bases are understaffed and located in remote areas, making them vulnerable to attacks.
“When these gunmen come, they just overpower the soldiers,” Abani said.
Reinforcements, in the form of air support or nearby ground troops, are often too slow to arrive, allowing militants time to strip the outposts of weapons needed to bolster their arsenal, he added, recalling a May 12 attack during which soldiers fled as they were outnumbered, leaving the extremists to cart away weaponry.
There also have been reports of former militants who continued to work as informants and logistics handlers after claiming to have repented.

Nigeria losing ground ‘almost on a daily basis’

At its peak in 2013 and 2014, Boko Haram gained global notoriety after kidnapping 276 Chibok schoolgirls and controlling an area the size of Belgium.
While it has lost much of that territory because of military campaigns, the new surge in Boko Haram attacks has raised fears about a possible return to the gloomy past.
Borno Gov. Babagana Zulum warned recently of lost gains after raising concerns that military formations in the state are being dislodged “almost on a daily basis without confrontation.”
Federal lawmakers highlight the extremists’ growing sophistication and advanced weaponry, calling on the government to bolster military capabilities.
The Nigerian military didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Last Friday, senior commanders visited one troubled area, Gamboru on the border with Cameroon, promising the deployment of more troops to combat Boko Haram.


EU ‘fully committed’ to reaching US trade deal: commissioner

EU ‘fully committed’ to reaching US trade deal: commissioner
Updated 27 May 2025
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EU ‘fully committed’ to reaching US trade deal: commissioner

EU ‘fully committed’ to reaching US trade deal: commissioner
  • Trump has called for eliminating the EU’s surplus in goods trade with the United States

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union remains “fully committed” to reaching a trade agreement with the United States, the bloc’s trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said Monday following calls with top US officials.
The contacts come after US President Donald Trump threatened Friday, but then postponed, to hit EU goods with a huge tariff, voicing frustration that talks with the EU were “going nowhere.”
Sefcovic said in a post on X that he had “good calls” with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
“We continue to stay in constant contact,” he added.
Trump has called for eliminating the EU’s surplus in goods trade with the United States.
On Friday, he threatened to impose 50-percent tariffs on the bloc from June 1, sending markets into a tailspin.
The US president had already hit the bloc with multiple waves of tariffs, including 25-percent duties on cars, steel and aluminum.
The European Commission has been leading talks on behalf of the 27-country bloc in search of a mutually beneficial deal with Washington — though with little to show so far.
But Trump agreed Sunday to delay the heftier levies on the EU until July 9 after a phone call with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
While the dollar remained under pressure Monday, European markets rallied over news of the delayed tariffs.
“The stock market seems to dance to Trump’s tune: first a threat, then a pullback, quickly followed by a rebound as speculative investors anticipate a concession from the US president,” said Jochen Stanzl, chief market analyst at CMC Markets trading platform.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde on Monday criticized Trump’s “terrible language” about the European Union, in response to his comments that the bloc was formed to “screw” the United States.
“It’s against history. And it’s certainly not the purpose of this region,” she said, urging negotiations on a deal.
The EU remains subject to a 10-percent tariff that Trump imposed last month on imports from nearly every country around the world.
Brussels is consulting with member states on plans to impose tariffs on US goods worth nearly 100 billion euros ($113 billion) if negotiations fail to produce a deal.
The US trade deficit in goods with the European Union was $236 billion in 2024.
But when taking account of services, where US firms are dominant, the European Commission calculates that the overall US trade deficit stood at $57 billion.
Sefcovic has said that the European Union could cover that figure by buying US liquefied natuaral gas and some farm products.


Putin threatens to ‘throttle’ Western firms remaining in Russia

Putin threatens to ‘throttle’ Western firms remaining in Russia
Updated 27 May 2025
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Putin threatens to ‘throttle’ Western firms remaining in Russia

Putin threatens to ‘throttle’ Western firms remaining in Russia
  • There has been growing media speculation that some companies might consider a comeback amid US President Donald Trump’s efforts to reset relations with Russia

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday threatened to “throttle” Western firms remaining in Russia and acting against its interests, as part of Moscow’s effort to beef up domestic software development.
“We need to throttle them. I completely agree, and I say this without hesitation,” he said in response to a businessman’s call to curb the activities of US tech companies Zoom and Microsoft, which currently provide only limited services in Russia.
Many Western firms left Russia or significantly wound down their activities in the country after Moscow launched its military offensive on Ukraine, prompting a barrage of economic sanctions from Ukraine’s allies.
“We haven’t kicked anyone out...we have provided the most favorable conditions for them to work in our market, and they are trying to throttle us,” the Russian president said at a meeting with entrepreneurs, without providing details on how the Western companies were damaging Russia.
“We must respond in kind, mirror their actions,” added the Russian president, who has significantly tightened exit conditions for companies seeking to leave Russia, forcing many to sell their assets at steep discounts.
There has been growing media speculation that some companies might consider a comeback amid US President Donald Trump’s efforts to reset relations with Russia and achieve a fast peace in Ukraine.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and Putin’s special envoy on economic cooperation, said in April that his fund received a lot of requests from US firms wishing to come back. So far, no major Western company has publicly announced plans to return to Russia.
Some businesses secured buyback options after selling their assets to the local management, leaving the door open for a potential return to the country.
The companies that have left Russia completely, like US fast food chain McDonald’s, won’t receive a warm welcome if they decide to come back, Putin said.
“They (McDonald’s) have put everyone in a difficult position, left, and now, if they want to come back, are we supposed to roll out the red carpet for them? No, of course not,” he said.