French writer jailed in Algeria won’t appeal: supporters
French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal will not appeal his five-year prison sentence to Algeria’s Supreme Court, sources close to the author said Saturday, as Paris stepped up its calls for him to be pardoned.The 80-year-old dual national was sentenced to five years in March on charges related to undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity over comments made to a French media outlet.”According to our information, he will not appeal to the Supreme Court,” the president of the author’s support committee, Noelle Lenoir, told broadcaster France Inter.”Moreover, given the state of the justice system in Algeria… he has no chance of having his offence reclassified on appeal,” the former European affairs minister added.”This means that the sentence is final.”Sources close to Sansal told AFP the writer had “given up his right to appeal”.His French lawyer, Pierre Cornut-Gentille, declined to comment when contacted by AFP.French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said earlier this week he hoped Algeria would pardon the author, whose family has highlighted his treatment for prostate cancer.But Sansal was not on a list of thousands of people pardoned by Algeria’s president on Friday, the eve of the country’s independence day.- ‘Intolerable’ -Bayrou returned the subject on Saturday.”Boualem Sansal has not been convicted for what he might have done but for opinions expressed,” he told members of his party at a Paris meeting, the Parisien newspaper reported.”And that one of our compatriots, 80 years old and ill, is thus imprisoned is intolerable,” he added.Lenoir said she remained hopeful.”We believe he will be released. It is impossible for Algeria to take responsibility for his death in prison,” she said.A prize-winning figure in north African modern francophone literature, Sansal is known for his criticism of Algerian authorities as well as of Islamists.The case against him arose after he told the far-right outlet Frontieres that France had unjustly transferred Moroccan territory to Algeria during the colonial period from 1830 to 1962.Algeria views that claim as a challenge to its sovereignty and one that aligns with longstanding Moroccan territorial assertions.Sansal was detained in November 2024 upon arrival at Algiers airport. On March 27, a court in the town of Dar El Beida sentenced him to a five-year prison term and fined him 500,000 Algerian dinars ($3,730).Appearing in court without legal counsel on June 24, Sansal said the case against him “makes no sense”, as “the Algerian constitution guarantees freedom of expression and conscience”.The writer’s conviction has further strained France-Algeria relations, already complicated by issues such as migration and France’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a disputed territory claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, an armed separatist movement.
Israel weighs response after Hamas says ready for Gaza truce talks
Israel was considering its response on Saturday after Hamas said it was ready to start talks “immediately” on a US-sponsored proposal for a Gaza ceasefire.The security cabinet was expected to meet after the end of the Jewish sabbath at sundown to discuss Israel’s next steps, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to head to Washington for talks on Monday with US President Donald Trump.Israeli media reported the cabinet would discuss sending a delegation to Doha for talks as early as Sunday.Trump has been making a renewed push to end nearly 21 months of war in Gaza, where the civil defence agency said 35 people were killed in Israeli military operations on Saturday.”No decision has been made yet” regarding Hamas’s positive response to the latest ceasefire proposal, an Israeli government official told AFP.Hamas made its announcement late Friday after holding consultations with other Palestinian factions.”The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place” the US-backed truce proposal, the militant group said in a statement.Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP that the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel’s withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system.Trump, when asked about Hamas’s response aboard Air Force One, said: “That’s good. They haven’t briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.”The war in Gaza began with Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive in the territory that aimed to destroy the group and bring home all the hostages seized by Palestinian militants.Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States secured temporary halts in fighting and the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.- ‘Comprehensive deal’ -The Egyptian foreign ministry said Saturday that top diplomat Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with Washington’s main representative in the truce talks, Steve Witkoff, to discuss recent developments “and preparations for holding indirect meetings between the two parties concerned to reach an agreement”.Meanwhile, at a weekly protest demanding the return of the hostages, Macabit Mayer, the aunt of captives Gali and Ziv Berman, called for a deal “that saves everyone”, without exception.But recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel’s rejection of Hamas’s demand for a lasting ceasefire.Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.Karima al-Ras, from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, said people were “happy that Hamas responded positively, and we hope that a truce will be announced” to allow in more aid. “People are dying for flour, and young people are dying as they try to provide flour for their children,” she said.A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries.The group said two of its US staff members were wounded “in a targeted terrorist attack” at one of its aid centres in southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis on Saturday. The Israeli military said it had evacuated the injured, while Netanyahu wished them a “speedy recovery” in a statement.UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Its operations have been marred by near-daily reports of Israeli fire on people waiting to collect rations. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points.- Civil defence says 35 killed -Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Israeli military operations killed 35 people across Gaza on Saturday.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates.The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,338 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.burs/dcp/smw
Trump to push Netanyahu for Gaza truce in crunch talks
US President Donald Trump hosts Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday to press the Israeli prime minister to end the war with Hamas in Gaza.Trump has vowed to be tough on Netanyahu as he hopes to use the momentum from the truce between Iran and Israel to secure a ceasefire in the devastated Palestinian territory, too.Trump says Israel is committed to a 60-day halt in fighting and Hamas says it has responded positively to a US-backed proposal — but sealing a final deal to end the 21-month-old war will be easier said than done.Netanyahu, who is making his third visit to the White House since Trump returned to power in January, has vowed to crush Hamas before ending the conflict.Yet Trump, determined to win the Nobel peace prize and riding a wave of recent foreign and domestic policy victories, is making a renewed push for a result.”There could be a Gaza deal next week,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday. He said he was “very optimistic” about a deal but added that “it changes from day to day. It’s been changing for years.”In response to reports that Hamas had responded positively to proposed truce talks, Trump said “that’s good,” although he said he had not yet been fully briefed on this development.Trump and Netanyahu were in lockstep during the recent Iran-Israel war, which culminated in the US president ordering stealth bombers to strike three crucial Iranian nuclear sites.Washington says the sites were “obliterated” and Iran’s nuclear program put back years, although Iran has denied any significant setback. The West accuses Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb, which Tehran denies.But on Gaza, Trump is showing signs of increasing unease with the death and destruction still happening as Israel wages the conflict triggered by a huge Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.”We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza,” Trump said on Friday.- ‘Grand bargaining’ -Trump seems to have parked, for now, his extraordinary proposal for a US takeover of Gaza that he floated during Netanyahu’s first visit in February.”I want the people of Gaza to be safe, more importantly,” Trump said when asked about the plan earlier this week. “They’ve been through hell.”Trump has also pushed for the release of hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in Gaza. He met one released hostage, Edan Alexander, at the White House on Thursday.But while the author of the book “Art of the Deal” prides himself on his negotiating skills, Trump in many ways has an equal in Netanyahu, a political survivor of his own ilk.”I think we’re going to see a strategic meeting in the style of ‘grand bargaining’, as Trump likes them,” Michael Horowitz, an independent geopolitical analyst, told AFP. “Even Mr Netanyahu is aware that we are reaching the end of what can be done in Gaza, and that it is time to plan an exit. Netanyahu surely wants it to be gradual.”Trump however will be pushing for something quicker and more comprehensive.He boasted on the 2024 campaign trail that he would end both the war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion shortly after taking office, but peace in both cases has eluded him so far.Two previous Gaza ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States secured temporary halts in fighting and the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, only to break down.The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,338 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
Trump to push Netanyahu for Gaza truce in crunch talks
US President Donald Trump hosts Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday to press the Israeli prime minister to end the war with Hamas in Gaza.Trump has vowed to be tough on Netanyahu as he hopes to use the momentum from the truce between Iran and Israel to secure a ceasefire in the devastated Palestinian territory, too.Trump says Israel is committed to a 60-day halt in fighting and Hamas says it has responded positively to a US-backed proposal — but sealing a final deal to end the 21-month-old war will be easier said than done.Netanyahu, who is making his third visit to the White House since Trump returned to power in January, has vowed to crush Hamas before ending the conflict.Yet Trump, determined to win the Nobel peace prize and riding a wave of recent foreign and domestic policy victories, is making a renewed push for a result.”There could be a Gaza deal next week,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday. He said he was “very optimistic” about a deal but added that “it changes from day to day. It’s been changing for years.”In response to reports that Hamas had responded positively to proposed truce talks, Trump said “that’s good,” although he said he had not yet been fully briefed on this development.Trump and Netanyahu were in lockstep during the recent Iran-Israel war, which culminated in the US president ordering stealth bombers to strike three crucial Iranian nuclear sites.Washington says the sites were “obliterated” and Iran’s nuclear program put back years, although Iran has denied any significant setback. The West accuses Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb, which Tehran denies.But on Gaza, Trump is showing signs of increasing unease with the death and destruction still happening as Israel wages the conflict triggered by a huge Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.”We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza,” Trump said on Friday.- ‘Grand bargaining’ -Trump seems to have parked, for now, his extraordinary proposal for a US takeover of Gaza that he floated during Netanyahu’s first visit in February.”I want the people of Gaza to be safe, more importantly,” Trump said when asked about the plan earlier this week. “They’ve been through hell.”Trump has also pushed for the release of hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in Gaza. He met one released hostage, Edan Alexander, at the White House on Thursday.But while the author of the book “Art of the Deal” prides himself on his negotiating skills, Trump in many ways has an equal in Netanyahu, a political survivor of his own ilk.”I think we’re going to see a strategic meeting in the style of ‘grand bargaining’, as Trump likes them,” Michael Horowitz, an independent geopolitical analyst, told AFP. “Even Mr Netanyahu is aware that we are reaching the end of what can be done in Gaza, and that it is time to plan an exit. Netanyahu surely wants it to be gradual.”Trump however will be pushing for something quicker and more comprehensive.He boasted on the 2024 campaign trail that he would end both the war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion shortly after taking office, but peace in both cases has eluded him so far.Two previous Gaza ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States secured temporary halts in fighting and the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, only to break down.The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,338 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
US rescuers search for missing girls in deadly Texas flash floods
Rescuers searched Saturday for 27 girls missing from a riverside summer camp in the US state of Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating flooding that killed at least 27 people — with more rain on the way.”So far, we’ve evacuated over 850 uninjured people, eight injured people and have recovered 27 deceased fatalities at this time,” said Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, adding that nine children were among the dead.Addressing a press conference, Kerrville city official Dalton Rice said hundreds of people were taking part in rescue operations, which included ones conducted aerially by helicopter.”One thing I want to tell you and assure y’all is that we will not stop till every single person is found,” said Leitha. The flooding began Friday as months’ worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, causing the Guadalupe River to rise by 26 feet (eight meters) in 45 minutes.The National Weather Service warned of more extremely heavy rain and “locally catastrophic” flash flooding to come in the region, located northwest of San Antonio.In Kerrville on Saturday, the usually calm Guadalupe River was flowing fast, its murky waters filled with debris.”It rained in a day what it usually rains in a year,” said local resident Gerardo Martinez, 61. “The water reached the top of the trees. About 10 meters or so,” he added. “Cars, whole houses were going down the river.”Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual.But scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense.- ‘Still missing’ -On Saturday, city official Rice said 27 children from the Camp Mystic Christian summer camp in the flooded Kerr County were still missing. Around 750 girls were enrolled at the camp.US media reported that two of the missing girls were dead, citing their families. The camp, located along the banks of the Guadalupe, was a picture of disarray, with blankets, mattresses, teddy bears and other belongings scattered across buildings.The windows of camp cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water.Michael, who only gave AFP his first name, was searching the camp for his eight-year-old daughter.”I was in Austin and drove down yesterday morning, once we heard about it, we were in Kerrville all day at the emergency stations,” he said.He pointed to the cabin where his daughter was meant to be, and said he had found some of her belongings within.The Heart O’ The Hills summer camp, located about a mile away from Camp Mystic, confirmed on Saturday that its director Jane Ragsdale was among the dead.- ‘Boots on the ground’ -Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a disaster declaration to boost resources for counties in the region, and President Donald Trump has promised federal support.Rice said rescuers were facing “very difficult” conditions.”We did start boots on the ground operations about 8:00 am (1300 GMT) this morning,” he said, warning residents not to launch their own searches.Rice added that it was not known how many people may have been visiting the popular camping area, and declined to give an overall figure for how many people were missing.State and local officials warned against residents traveling to the area, which includes campgrounds dotted along the river, with dozens of roads impassable.Videos on social media showed houses and trees swept away by the flash flood caused by heavy overnight rain of up to 12 inches — one-third of Kerr County’s average annual rainfall.Governor Abbott shared a video on X of a victim being plucked from a tree by a rescuer dangling from a helicopter, as floodwaters raged below.Soila Reyna, 55, a Kerrville resident who works at a local church helping people who lost their belongings, witnessed the devastation unfold.”It has been years since we had a flood, but nothing like this,” Reyna said. “Nothing like as catastrophic as this, where it involved children, people and just the loss of people’s houses and you know, it’s just crazy,” she added.Martinez said Friday’s flooding was some of the worst he had ever seen.”There is a saying here that there’s a flood every hundred years,” he said. “We had it. We’ve never seen anything like that and hopefully we won’t ever see it again.”With rescuers fanning out across the region, Joe Herring, the Kerrville mayor, urged the community to come together.”People need to know today will be a hard day. It will be a hard day,” he said, his voice breaking.burs-aha/mlm
Une trentaine d’enfants portés disparus après les inondations meurtrières au Texas
Les secours recherchent samedi une trentaine d’enfants portés disparus au Texas, dans le sud des Etats-Unis, au lendemain de violentes inondations qui ont fait au moins 27 morts selon un dernier bilan encore provisoire.Ces inondations ont été provoquées la veille, jour de la fête nationale américaine, par des pluies diluviennes dans le centre du Texas, qui ont repris dans la nuit mais avec une moindre intensité.”Nous avons retrouvé jusqu’à présent 27 personnes décédées”, a déclaré le shérif du comté de Kerr, Larry Lethia, lors d’une conférence de presse, précisant qu’il s’agissait de 18 adultes et de neuf mineurs.Environ 860 personnes ont été évacuées, dont huit souffrant de blessures, a-t-il ajouté.Parmi les quelque 750 enfants qui participaient à un camp d’été chrétien pour filles sur les rives du fleuve Guadalupe, 27 manquent à l’appel, a précisé le responsable administratif de la ville de Kerrville, Dalton Rice.Sur le site du camp, l’eau s’était largement retirée samedi, laissant un paysage de dévastation de dizaines de voitures échouées, certaines coincées dans des arbres, et de végétation arrachée, ont constaté des journalistes de l’AFP.Le désordre règne à l’intérieur des chalets qui abritaient les fillettes, le sol est recouvert de boue et les fenêtres brisées témoignent de la violence des flots.Michael, 40 ans, explique être venu en voiture d’Austin, la capitale de l’Etat à environ 150 km à l’est, vendredi matin, dès qu’il a appris la nouvelle par courrier électronique, pour chercher sa fille de 8 ans, dont il a retrouvé quelques affaires.”Nous étions à Kerrville toute la journée d’hier dans les cellules de crise et ce matin quand nous avons entendu dire qu’il pourrait y avoir des gens ici, mon frère et moi sommes venus en camion aussi vite que possible pour voir si nous pouvions trouver quoi que ce soit”, explique-t-il.Plusieurs équipes de secours quadrillent le secteur à la recherche des disparus.- “Nous ne nous arrêterons pas” -“Nous ne nous arrêterons pas tant que tout le monde n’aura pas été retrouvé”, a insisté le shérif, affirmant disposer de “tous les moyens nécessaires”.La ministre de la Sécurité intérieure Kristi Noem “sera bientôt sur place”, a de son côté assuré le président américain Donald Trump sur son réseau Truth Social, déplorant une “horrible tragédie”.Environ 500 secouristes et 14 hélicoptères ont été déployés, tandis que la Garde nationale du Texas et les garde-côtes ont envoyé des renforts.Selon les autorités, le niveau du fleuve Guadalupe est monté vendredi d’environ huit mètres en 45 minutes, au cours desquelles il est tombé “près de 300 millimètres/heure” de pluie, soit un tiers des précipitations annuelles moyennes.Les crues soudaines, provoquées par des pluies torrentielles que le sol asséché ne peut pas absorber, ne sont pas rares. Mais selon la communauté scientifique, le changement climatique provoqué par l’activité humaine a rendu plus fréquents et plus intenses les événements météorologiques comme les crues, les sécheresses et les canicules.”Le Texas fera tout pour garantir que chaque personne portée disparue soit retrouvée”, a promis vendredi soir sur son compte X le gouverneur du Texas, Greg Abbott, annonçant avoir “signé une déclaration de catastrophe” pour débloquer tous les moyens nécessaires.Des pluies et des alertes aux inondations persistent dans la région, ont annoncé les services météorologiques dans un bulletin en début d’après-midi, faisant état de crues de plusieurs cours d’eau.Mi-juin, 13 personnes avaient péri en raison d’inondations à San Antonio, non loin de la zone touchée vendredi, à la suite de pluies diluviennes.
Une trentaine d’enfants portés disparus après les inondations meurtrières au Texas
Les secours recherchent samedi une trentaine d’enfants portés disparus au Texas, dans le sud des Etats-Unis, au lendemain de violentes inondations qui ont fait au moins 27 morts selon un dernier bilan encore provisoire.Ces inondations ont été provoquées la veille, jour de la fête nationale américaine, par des pluies diluviennes dans le centre du Texas, qui ont repris dans la nuit mais avec une moindre intensité.”Nous avons retrouvé jusqu’à présent 27 personnes décédées”, a déclaré le shérif du comté de Kerr, Larry Lethia, lors d’une conférence de presse, précisant qu’il s’agissait de 18 adultes et de neuf mineurs.Environ 860 personnes ont été évacuées, dont huit souffrant de blessures, a-t-il ajouté.Parmi les quelque 750 enfants qui participaient à un camp d’été chrétien pour filles sur les rives du fleuve Guadalupe, 27 manquent à l’appel, a précisé le responsable administratif de la ville de Kerrville, Dalton Rice.Sur le site du camp, l’eau s’était largement retirée samedi, laissant un paysage de dévastation de dizaines de voitures échouées, certaines coincées dans des arbres, et de végétation arrachée, ont constaté des journalistes de l’AFP.Le désordre règne à l’intérieur des chalets qui abritaient les fillettes, le sol est recouvert de boue et les fenêtres brisées témoignent de la violence des flots.Michael, 40 ans, explique être venu en voiture d’Austin, la capitale de l’Etat à environ 150 km à l’est, vendredi matin, dès qu’il a appris la nouvelle par courrier électronique, pour chercher sa fille de 8 ans, dont il a retrouvé quelques affaires.”Nous étions à Kerrville toute la journée d’hier dans les cellules de crise et ce matin quand nous avons entendu dire qu’il pourrait y avoir des gens ici, mon frère et moi sommes venus en camion aussi vite que possible pour voir si nous pouvions trouver quoi que ce soit”, explique-t-il.Plusieurs équipes de secours quadrillent le secteur à la recherche des disparus.- “Nous ne nous arrêterons pas” -“Nous ne nous arrêterons pas tant que tout le monde n’aura pas été retrouvé”, a insisté le shérif, affirmant disposer de “tous les moyens nécessaires”.La ministre de la Sécurité intérieure Kristi Noem “sera bientôt sur place”, a de son côté assuré le président américain Donald Trump sur son réseau Truth Social, déplorant une “horrible tragédie”.Environ 500 secouristes et 14 hélicoptères ont été déployés, tandis que la Garde nationale du Texas et les garde-côtes ont envoyé des renforts.Selon les autorités, le niveau du fleuve Guadalupe est monté vendredi d’environ huit mètres en 45 minutes, au cours desquelles il est tombé “près de 300 millimètres/heure” de pluie, soit un tiers des précipitations annuelles moyennes.Les crues soudaines, provoquées par des pluies torrentielles que le sol asséché ne peut pas absorber, ne sont pas rares. Mais selon la communauté scientifique, le changement climatique provoqué par l’activité humaine a rendu plus fréquents et plus intenses les événements météorologiques comme les crues, les sécheresses et les canicules.”Le Texas fera tout pour garantir que chaque personne portée disparue soit retrouvée”, a promis vendredi soir sur son compte X le gouverneur du Texas, Greg Abbott, annonçant avoir “signé une déclaration de catastrophe” pour débloquer tous les moyens nécessaires.Des pluies et des alertes aux inondations persistent dans la région, ont annoncé les services météorologiques dans un bulletin en début d’après-midi, faisant état de crues de plusieurs cours d’eau.Mi-juin, 13 personnes avaient péri en raison d’inondations à San Antonio, non loin de la zone touchée vendredi, à la suite de pluies diluviennes.