For the first time, Macron calls 1944 killings of West African troops by French army a massacre

For the first time, Macron calls 1944 killings of West African troops by French army a massacre
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Sidy Diop, guardian of the Thairoye military cemetery, walks past the graves of Senegalese infantrymen massacred on Dec. 1, 1944 following a dispute over their earnings with the French army. (SEYLLOU/AFP)
For the first time, Macron calls 1944 killings of West African troops by French army a massacre
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A gardener walks with his tools past graves at the Thairoye military cemetery in Dakar, on November 26, 2024, where the Senegalese soldiers massacred on Dec. 1, 1944 following a dispute over their earnings with the French army. (SEYLLOU/AFP)
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Updated 29 November 2024
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For the first time, Macron calls 1944 killings of West African troops by French army a massacre

For the first time, Macron calls 1944 killings of West African troops by French army a massacre
  • Up to 400 West African soldiers who fought for the French Army in the Battle of France in 1940 were massacred on Dec. 1, 1944 by French soldiers over a dispute on unpaid wages
  • Macron recognized the criminal act in a letter to Senegal's President Faye, at a time when France’s influence is declining in the region, with Paris losing its sway in the former French colonies in West Africa

DAKAR, Senegal: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday for the first time recognized the killing of West African soldiers by the French Army in 1944 as a massacre in a letter addressed to the Senegalese authorities.
Macron’s move, on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the World War II killings in Thiaroye — a fishing village on the outskirts of the Senegalese capital of Dakar — comes as France’s influence is declining in the region, with Paris losing its sway in the former French colonies in West Africa.
Between 35 and 400 West African soldiers who fought for the French Army in the Battle of France in 1940 were killed on Dec. 1, 1944 by French soldiers after what the French described as a mutiny over unpaid wages.
The West Africans were members of the unit called Tirailleurs Senegalais, a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. According to historians, there were disputes over unpaid wages in the days before the massacre but on that Dec. 1, French troops rounded up the West African soldiers, mostly unarmed, and shot and killed them.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said he received the letter, which was seen by The Associated Pres.
Speaking to reporters late on Thursday, Faye said Macron’s step should “open the door” so that the “whole truth about this painful event of Thiaroye” can finally come out.
“We have long sought closure on this story and we believe that, this time, France’s commitment will be full, frank and collaborative,” he added.
“France must recognize that on that day, the confrontation between soldiers and riflemen who demanded their full legitimate wages be paid, triggered a chain of events that resulted in a massacre,” read Macron’s letter.
“It is also important to establish, as far as possible, the causes and facts that led to this tragedy,” Macron added. “I have asked my services to inform me of the progress of the work of the Committee for the Restoration of the Facts, which your government has decided to set up, under the direction of Professor Mamadou Diouf, whose eminence and qualities are recognized by all.”
The letter comes weeks after the Senegalese legislative elections, in which the ruling party PASTEF secured a definite majority. The win granted newly elected President Faye a clear mandate to carry out ambitious reforms promised during the campaign, which include more economic independence from foreign companies, including French ones, which are heavily invested in the country.
France still has around 350 troops in its former colony, mainly in a supportive role. Asked about the presence of French forces, Faye alluded that it would not be something the Senegalese would want.
“Historically, France enslaved, colonized and stayed here,” he said. “Obviously, I think that when you reverse the roles a little, you will have a hard time conceiving that another army, China, Russia, Senegal, or any other country could have a military base in France.”
 


India police detain second suspect in Saif Ali Khan stabbing incident

India police detain second suspect in Saif Ali Khan stabbing incident
Updated 18 January 2025
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India police detain second suspect in Saif Ali Khan stabbing incident

India police detain second suspect in Saif Ali Khan stabbing incident
  • The Bollywood star was stabbed six times by an intruder during a burglary attempt
  • Doctors say he out of danger after undergoing surgery in the wake of the incident

MUMBAI: Police in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Saturday detained a second person suspected of involvement in a knife attack in which Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was wounded.
Khan, 54, was stabbed six times by an intruder during a burglary attempt at his home in Mumbai early on Thursday. He had surgery after sustaining stab wounds to his spine, neck and hands, and is out of danger, doctors said.
“We got information from Mumbai Police that a suspect is traveling by Jnaneswari Express train,” Sanjeev Sinha, a represenatative of the Railway Protection Force, told ANI news agency, in which Reuters holds a minority stake.
“...Mumbai Police officials were contacted through video call and the suspect’s identity was confirmed. He has been detained,” Sinha said.
Police in India’s financial capital of Mumbai had on Friday detained another key suspect in the knife attack.
The attack on Khan, one of Bollywood’s most bankable and well-known actors, shocked the film industry and Mumbai residents, with many calling for better policing and security.


Melania Trump hosts Queen Rania of Jordan in Florida

Melania Trump hosted Queen Rania in Palm Beach during her visit to the US. (Office of Queen Rania)
Melania Trump hosted Queen Rania in Palm Beach during her visit to the US. (Office of Queen Rania)
Updated 18 January 2025
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Melania Trump hosts Queen Rania of Jordan in Florida

Melania Trump hosted Queen Rania in Palm Beach during her visit to the US. (Office of Queen Rania)
  • Monarch speaks of pleasure at reconnecting with returning first lady

LONDON: Jordan’s Queen Rania met incoming US First Lady Melania Trump in Florida on Thursday.

Trump hosted the queen in Palm Beach during her visit to the US.

The queen said on Instagram that “it was a pleasure reconnecting” with Melania, who will return for a second term as first lady when her husband Donald is sworn in as president on Monday.

The two women “discussed various issues of mutual interest, including children’s welfare, as well as improving their education,” the queen’s office said.

The meeting, which was followed by a lunch, is the third to take place between the two in the US.

In 2018, Trump welcomed Queen Rania and her husband King Abdullah II to the White House ahead of meetings with the president.

The royals also visited the White House in 2017 and toured an all-girls school in Washington.


Ski lift accident leaves 30 injured at Spanish resort in the Pyrenees

Ski lift accident leaves 30 injured at Spanish resort in the Pyrenees
Updated 18 January 2025
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Ski lift accident leaves 30 injured at Spanish resort in the Pyrenees

Ski lift accident leaves 30 injured at Spanish resort in the Pyrenees
  • Regional emergency services said that 10 people needed to be treated in hospitals
  • State TV channel TVE reported that around 80 people were trapped on the chairlifts

BARCELONA: At least 30 people have been injured in a ski lift accident at the Spanish resort of Astún, in the Pyrenees mountain range, emergency services for Spain’s northern Aragon region said Saturday.
Regional emergency services said that 10 people needed to be treated in hospitals, including two who were seriously injured.
State TV channel TVE reported that around 80 people were trapped on the chairlifts in the immediate aftermath.
“It’s like a cable has come off, the chairs have bounced and people have been thrown off,” one witness told TVE.

Fernando Beltrán, a representative of Spain’s government in Aragon, later posted on X that “all the skiers affected by the accident” have been evacuated and those who were injured were receiving medical treatment.
The cause of the incident is unknown.
Several helicopters were deployed to the area to rescue those trapped and transfer the injured to nearby hospitals.
Social media images and video appeared to show a number of people lying on the snow beneath the ski lift.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “shocked” by the news of the accident, expressing his closeness to the injured and their families.
The ski resort said on X that it was “working with emergency services” and that its management expressed “consternation and support for those affected” by the incident.


AlUla is top destination as Saudi tourism gains appeal in India

AlUla is top destination as Saudi tourism gains appeal in India
Updated 18 January 2025
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AlUla is top destination as Saudi tourism gains appeal in India

AlUla is top destination as Saudi tourism gains appeal in India
  • India’s outbound tourism is expected to reach 45 million travelers by 2030
  • Destinations in Saudi Arabia especially popular among Gen Z tourists

New Delhi: India is seeing an increase in travelers heading to Saudi Arabia, according to a top Indian tourism body, which also said there is growing interest in the Kingdom’s heritage, especially among Gen Z Indians.

Tourism is booming in Saudi Arabia under the Vision 2030 transformation plan. In the past few years there has been significant investment in the development of destinations including its eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, eco-friendly and luxury resorts on the Red Sea coastline, and entertainment and sports complexes.

The promotion for these developments has also included Bollywood stars, and more and more Indians are looking to visit Riyadh, Jeddah and AlUla, rather than Dubai — traditionally the most popular destination in the GCC for Indian travelers.

“Earlier it was only Dubai ... but now that trend is changing,” Himanshu Kesari Patil, president of the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India, an organization representing over 800 travel companies and agents, told Arab News. “There are lots of inquiries for Saudi Arabia, a lot of people are going. The top-selling destination for Saudi Arabia is AlUla,”

AlUla, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, is often described as an “open-air museum.” One of its most famous areas is Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site that features tombs and monuments from the Nabatean civilization dating back to the 1st century BCE.

Another is Elephant Rock, a natural rock formation in the AlUla desert, which has become one of the region’s most photographed natural landmarks.

Many notable Bollywood celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Priyanka Chopra, have visited AlUla, while others, such as up-and-comers Janhvi Kapoor and Ali Fazal, have partnered with the local authorities to promote it, increasing the site’s appeal among Gen Z travelers, which data portal Statista refers to as the “most travel-hungry” generation.

“Gen Z, they are more tech-savvy, they are always on social media and they want to explore unexplored places. (They) are not going to the routine places where everyone else is going, they want to do something different,” Patil said.

India’s outbound tourism market is growing, and the Pacific Asia Travel Association estimates that the number of Indians traveling abroad annually will reach 45 million in the next five years.

By then, the Kingdom expects to welcome 7.5 million Indian travelers a year, according to the Saudi Tourism Authority.

“Saudi Arabia is investing a lot of money in the Indian market and I’m sure, soon, Saudi Arabia will get more numbers out of India,” Patil said.

“They are friendly, have great multicultural cuisine … for the tourists it’s amazing,” he continued. “I think, soon, with the new developments and new cities they are building, the new luxury hotels they are building, there is a bright future for Saudi Arabia on the tourism side.”
 


ASEAN and China must start tackling thorny issues of South China Sea code, Philippines says 

ASEAN and China must start tackling thorny issues of South China Sea code, Philippines says 
Updated 18 January 2025
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ASEAN and China must start tackling thorny issues of South China Sea code, Philippines says 

ASEAN and China must start tackling thorny issues of South China Sea code, Philippines says 
  • The South China Sea remains a source of tension between China and its ASEAN neighbors
  • ASEAN and China pledged in 2002 to create a code of conduct, but took 15 years to start discussions and progress has been slow

LANGKAWI, Malaysia: The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny “milestone issues,” including its scope and if it can be legally binding, the Philippines’ top diplomat said on Saturday.
The South China Sea remains a source of tension between China and neighbors the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, with ties between Beijing and US ally Manila at their worst in years amid frequent confrontations that have sparked concerns they could spiral into conflict.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China pledged in 2002 to create a code of conduct, but took 15 years to start discussions and progress has been slow.
In an interview ahead of Sunday’s meeting with his ASEAN counterparts on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo said discussions on a code were well underway, but it was time to start thrashing out the meatier, trickier aspects.
“It’s time that we try to look at issues which are, in our view, essential, which have not really been discussed in a thorough way or even much less negotiated. These are the so-called milestone issues,” Manalo told Reuters.
Those would include the code’s scope, whether it is legally binding and its impact on third-party countries, he said, adding the aim was to make it effective and substantive.
“We have to begin addressing these important issues,” Manalo added. “This might be the best way to at least move the negotiation forward.”
Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, which it asserts through a fleet of coast guard and fishing militia that some neighbors accuse of aggression and of disrupting fishing and energy activities in their exclusive economic zones.
China insists it operates lawfully in its territory and does not recognize a 2016 arbitration ruling that said its claim has no basis under international law.
‘US interests are still there’
Manalo also said that as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, there was no sign the United States would reassess its engagement in Southeast Asia.
“We haven’t heard any or seen any indication of scaling down or any kind of particular change,” he said.
“We have to wait until the administration actually takes over. But from what we’ve seen so far, US interests are still there.”
Manalo said the civil war in military-ruled Myanmar remains a big challenge for ASEAN, which has barred the generals from meetings for failing to implement the bloc’s peace plan.
The junta plans to hold an election this year in which its opponents either cannot run, or refuse to contest.
Manalo said it was premature to discuss if ASEAN would make preconditions for recognizing the election, which he said must involve as much of the population as possible.
“If elections are held without being seen as inclusive, not transparent, I believe it would be very difficult for those elections to create more legitimacy,” he said.