Japan

France moves to streamline return of looted African art under new restitution bill

In a landmark move, the French government has unveiled a new bill aimed at simplifying the return of cultural artifacts taken during the colonial period. Introduced by Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the legislation would allow items looted between 1815 and 1972 to be returned by government decree, bypassing the need for time-consuming parliamentary votes. The […]

Morocco’s King oversees emergency water supply plan amid drought

King Mohammed VI chaired a meeting on the measures to ensure water supply amid a severe drought that left many key dams empty. Speaking at the meeting, water minister Nizar Baraka said dam filling rate dropped to a critical 23.2% so far in January, compared to 31.5% in the same period last year, due to […]

Tunisia’s growing dependence on Algeria sparks sovereignty backlash

Tunisian opposition figures and civil society activists are sounding the alarm over what they describe as Algeria’s creeping interference in Tunisia’s domestic affairs. Former President Moncef Marzouki has repeatedly warned that Algiers “never stopped intervening” and called recent pro-Saïed rallies involving Algerian demonstrators a “flagrant act of interference.” Lawyers and political commentators echo these concerns, […]