Algeria will observe three days of mourning following the crash of a military airplane in Boufarik that claimed the lives of all 257 people on board. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika issued the mourning decree and also called for the victims to be remembered during Friday prayers, while sending condolences to the families…
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey began a tour of four African nations on Monday in Algeria, where he met with Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia to discuss cooperation on counterterrorism, energy, and economic development and trade. It is Erdoğan’s second visit to Algeria since becoming president in 2014 and he…
President Emmanuel Macron of France is headed back to the African continent on Wednesday, this time for another stop in Algeria before he continues on to Qatar for an official state visit. Macron is expected to meet with both longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, who returned…
Algerians head to the polls Thursday for local elections, and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is encouraging the nation’s 23 million eligible voters to turn out in droves. They’ll be choosing candidates for 48 provincial assemblies and more than 1,500 communities. Thousands of polling stations are ready, while some in nomadic regions began…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
A popular American television show has upset many Algerians because of its cliché-driven portrayal of the North African nation, one they see as negative no matter how fictional the drama. The “Madam Secretary” series stars Téa Leoni as Elizabeth McCord, a former CIA analyst who serves as the United States…
More than half of all people living with the HIV virus now have access to treatment, while AIDS-related deaths have nearly been cut in half since 2005, the United Nations said in a new report. “Communities and families are thriving as AIDS is being pushed back,” said Michel Sidibé of…
Mauritania’s borders with Algeria and Mali are now restricted military zones, following a defense ministry announcement that calls on all civilians to avoid the border areas. The government says the decision last week to seal off the border zones is part of an effort to combat illegal migration and criminals…
The European Union’s dicey migration deal with Turkey is causing untold misery among migrants and refugees trapped on Greek islands, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Wednesday. The HRW organization conducted research in May and June on the island of Lesbos that “documented the deteriorating mental health…
With Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in London and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe in Singapore – both reportedly seeking health care in the high-profile spotlight – it’s little wonder that less attention has been focused on Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the president of Algeria. Bouteflika celebrates his 80th birthday on Thursday, amid…
Canadian authorities have identified the six men of African origin who were killed during prayers Sunday night at a mosque in Quebec City, as their Canadian neighbors took to the streets in solidarity with the Muslim community. The men were killed when 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, a student influenced by the…
Algeria says it has completed the removal of border landmines, destroying nearly 9 million mines that date to the colonial era. “The completion of the mine clearance operation crowns over 50 years of constant work on the ground, for the final eradication of mines in our country,” said General Boualem…
Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has called for a reopening of the border between Morocco and Algeria in the context of regional cooperation, but that overture was quickly rebuffed by some in the latter country’s media outlets. Brahimi, a well-regarded elder statesman with close ties to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, suggested…
Algerian teachers and medical workers are threatening strikes as the country’s economic woes linger amid low oil prices, and the government proposes tax hikes and salary freezes to stretch the budget. The three-year economic plan released last month also considers reduced food subsidies, with increases in bread and milk prices. Algerian…
African economies dependent on oil revenues continue to struggle with high supply levels and low prices, as representatives of OPEC nations meeting in Algeria Tuesday said it will be November before any decision to limit output and stabilize markets could have an impact on their ailing budgets. Nigerian Mohammad Barkindo,…