Category Archives: Macau

KUALA LUMPUR: Macau scam syndicates planning to hoodwink more of the unsuspecting with their telephone calls will find that things will not be so easy anymore.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is going to the root of the scam to identify and block connections here with the introduction of technical barriers.

The initiative under the Industry Taskforce for Telecommunication Fraud is being carried out with telecommunication service providers (TSPs) and the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID).

MCMC chief regulatory officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin said 1.6 billion of such scam calls, including those made via Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), had already been blocked.

He said the technical barriers, known as the Seven Blocking Rules, identify and automatically block calls from scammers.

Among the key initiatives are the setting up of restriction rules for TSPs to stem or reduce the number of suspicious calls from reaching users.

Suspicious calls, normally from abroad, will be blocked if they meet the criteria of the seven blocking rules, he said in an interview with Star Media Groups Bahasa Malaysia news portal Majoriti.

Zulkarnain declined to shed light on the barriers, saying the MCMC wants to keep how it operates under wraps.

It is learnt that one of the methods is to block calls from Macau scam perpetrators from foreign-based telephone numbers.

The CCID revealed that a total of 1,585 Macau Scam cases were reported last year with losses totalling RM560mil.

The CCID has received 67,552 cases of fraud involving losses amounting to RM2.23bil from 2017 to June 20, 2021, which included cases of e-commerce and investment scams.

Zulkarnain said the scammers used VoIP application which allowed them to mask their overseas phone numbers to make it seem like the calls came from local numbers.

At times they disguised themselves as police or Bank Negara officials, but the calls actually came from abroad.

There are still many who received calls from Macau scammers, meaning there are still many calls that managed to pass through the technical barriers, he said, adding that the barriers are being fortified.

Zulkarnain admitted that it is difficult for service providers to completely prevent these calls from reaching the unsuspecting public.

As such, he advised people to be alert and ignore any suspicious calls or SMS asking them for personal details.

If the content is offensive, threatening or inappropriate, he said a police report should be lodged, or a check could be made with the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-2610 1559 and 03-2610 1599 (8am to 8pm daily).

He said the public should be educated on how to report and block such calls/SMS with the service or application providers.

This will help minimise further attempts of unwanted calls from such numbers coming through, he added.

The modus operandi of Macau scammers is to make threatening phone calls posing as police officers, tax agents, central bank workers and others, claiming that the person they called is implicated in a criminal offence and being investigated.

Their motive is to scare people into believing that they are in trouble unless they transfer sums of cash into certain bank accounts.

In some cases, the scammer tells the victim to contact another scammer posing as an officer from the same agency to make the scam seem realistic.

The term Macau scam was coined because it is believed that it originated from Macau and that the fraudulent behaviour is common there.

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Jamming the Macau scammers - The Star Online

Three further cases of asymptomatic infection with Covid-19 have been found in residents arriving in Macau from Hong Kong, health authorities have reported.

According to a statement from the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center, last Saturday, a 52-year-old and a 10-year-old tested positive after being transferred from the quarantine hotel where they were undergoing medical observation to the Public Health Clinical Center in Coloane.

They had initially been transferred to the Clinical Center after having been considered close contacts of a 41-year-old woman who had already tested positive last Wednesday (February 16).

Information from the center notes that the three people entered Macau from Hong Kong together on the evening of February 13 and had all been staying in the same room at the Regency Art Hotel in Taipa.

In addition, a local resident who arrived in Macau February 14 from Hong Kong tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.

The 59-year-old male resident was inoculated with three doses of the mRNA vaccine in April, May and December 2021.

He arrived in Macau by bus via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Upon arrival, he returned a negative Covid-19 test immediately and was subsequently transferred to the Pousada Marina Infante Hotel for medical observation.

On Saturday, he tested positive for Covid-19 and was transferred to Public Health Clinical Center in Coloane for medical isolation. The man is showing no symptoms of the virus.

The three new cases have been classified as imported cases of asymptomatic infection and not confirmed cases of infection by Covid-19, being the reason that the cases were not added to the local statistics of confirmed cases. RM/JW

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Covid-19 Health authorities report another three imported asymptomatic cases - Macau Daily Times

JERSEY CITY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Organon (NYSE: OGN) today announced that it has acquired the rights from Bayer AG to Marvelon and Mercilon, combined oral hormonal daily contraceptive pills, in the Peoples Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and has entered into an agreement to acquire the rights to these products in Vietnam. Marvelon and Mercilon are already owned, manufactured, and marketed by Organon as prescription oral contraceptives in 20 other markets. This acquisition gives Organon full global ownership of these brands (except in South Korea) by reacquiring the rights to them in these markets. The agreement to acquire the rights in Vietnam is expected to close in the first half of 2022 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

This is an important opportunity for Organon as we look to grow our contraception portfolio and further bolster our offerings to women in all parts of the world through strategic business development, said Susanne Fiedler, Chief Commercial Officer at Organon. With Marvelon and Mercilon in the Peoples Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and potentially Vietnam, we will have an opportunity to reach more women who are looking for contraceptive options in these markets and help to empower them with choice in an area of health that is important to them.

Marvelon is currently available over the counter in the Peoples Republic of China and both Marvelon and Mercilon are available over the counter in Hong Kong and Macau. Marvelon and Mercilon are currently available by prescription in Vietnam. Both contraceptives were acquired by Bayer AG in these markets from Merck & Co., Inc. in 2014 as part of the sale of Merck & Co.s consumer care business. Marvelon and Mercilon are not available in the United States.

About Organon

Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck, (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, to focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Organon has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the womens health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organons products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in womens health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,500 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey.

For more information, visit http://www.organon.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statement of Organon

Except for historical information herein, this news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements about managements expectations about Organons acquisition of Marvelon and Mercilon, (including the expected timing and benefits thereof), Organons ability to grow its contraception portfolio, and its ability to bolster its offerings and reach more women. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as hope, or hopes, expects, potential, intends, anticipates, plans, believes, seeks, estimates, will or words of similar meaning. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Organons management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, an inability to execute on our business development strategy, an inability to obtain regulatory approval for such acquisition in Vietnam, a failure to realize the benefits of our acquisition of Marvelon and Mercilon or any other planned acquisitions; general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and emergence of variant strains; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances; new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; Organons ability to accurately predict its future financial results and performance; Organons ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; difficulties developing and sustaining relationships with commercial counterparties; dependence on the effectiveness of Organons patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

Organon undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Organons filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its registration statement on Form 10 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, available at the SECs Internet site (www.sec.gov).

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Organon Acquires Contraceptive Products, Marvelon and Mercilon, in the People's Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and Agrees to...

The foreign ministers of the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will travel to Ukraine this week, officials said on Monday.

The visit is to express solidarity and support for Ukraine in its struggle for independence and territorial integrity, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Twitter.

His Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis said: If there is one place where EU politicians should be now its with our Ukrainian friends.

They are expected to begin their visit on Wednesday or Thursday and stay until Friday, officials said.

The Baltic states, which were once ruled from Moscow along with Ukraine as part of the Soviet Union, have all sent weapons to Kyiv in recent weeks.

They have advocated a strong response from NATO against Russias massive military build-up around Ukraine and have called for other NATO countries to send reinforcements to the Baltics.

Along with its request that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO, Russia has set out a list of security demands including that additional NATO forces in the alliances eastern members be withdrawn.

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Baltic foreign ministers to visit Ukraine this week - Macau Business

Exiled Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said Sunday that the presence of Russian troops for extended military drills endangered her countrys sovereignty.

The presence of Russian troops on our territory violates our constitution, international law, endangers the security of each Belarusian and the entire region, her office said in a statement.

Her comments came after Belarus said its massive military drills with Russia that had been due to conclude Sunday would continue, citing military activity around its borders and in Ukraine.

The exercises have heightened fears in the West that Russia was preparing an attack on its ex-Soviet neighbour after massing tens of thousands of troops around Ukraines borders.

We demand the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from our territory, Tikhanovskaya said in the statement, adding that her team would seek to have the deployment raised within the UN security council.

Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko has become an increasingly close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

This bond grew stronger after Moscow threw its political weight behind Minsk during large anti-government protests in 2020.

Tikhanovskaya said in her statement Sunday that Lukashenko was now paying the price for that support with Belarusian sovereignty and now we are seeing the consequences.

The opposition believe Tikhanovskaya was the true winner of elections in 2020 that sparked the protests and a crackdown that forced the political newcomer into exile in neighbouring EU-member state Lithuania.

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Russian troops threaten Belarus sovereignty: opposition - Macau Business

Like other visitors to Benins display of looted royal treasures returned by France, Abou Malehoussou was immensely proud on what he called an historic day for his country.

The 32-year-old brought along his two-year-old daughter to see the 26 artefacts on display from Sunday in a space inside the presidential palace in Cotonou.

For Malehoussou, it was important to learn with the family this story that we do not know, which has not been taught to us.

The 26 treasures, which were returned in November after two years of negotiation, were pillaged in 1892 by French troops in the then kingdom of Dahomey, in the south of present-day Benin.

Benin President Patrice Talon on Saturday officially opened the more than 2,000-square-metre space to host the exhibition, entitled Art of Benin yesterday and today until May 22.

Three rooms with huge walls painted black, like a jewel case, give the exhibition a solemn character, fitting for royal treasures.

As soon as they enter, visitors face the ceremonial throne of King Ghezo (1797-1818), a majestic wooden sculpture almost two metres high, surmounted by a curved tablet.

Dozens of students and couples who came with their children respectfully stand in an arc facing the throne, before one of the exhibition guides urges them to approach.

Dont be afraid, its your heritage, he said.

Some peer into the glass case to admire the incredible motifs carved into the wood, others take pictures or beckon friends to see the throne from another angle.

Soon, the guides are fielding questions.

What does this symbol represent, Were the French already there?, everyone wants to know more about these works that are part of their history.

We didnt have books, but we had these objects, these are the objects that told our story before they were taken from us, Cosme Houegbe Lo Behanzin, great grandson of King Behazin, told AFP.

Its the first time Ive seen it, and I cant believe it, said the member of the royal court, who has tied a traditional yellow Kanvo fabric around his waist, embroidered in blue with the representation of his ancestors motif, the shark.

Beninese are also invited to discover the second part of the exhibition, where 34 contemporary Beninese artists present around a hundred works.

From the monumental tapestries by Yves Appollinaire Pede honouring voodoo, to an installation made from hair by Dimitri Fagbohoun and the Afro-futuristic robots of Emo de Medeiros, this second part shows the artistic vitality of the Beninese contemporary scene.

For five minutes, Tireria Kalilou, a 32-year-old medical student, has not taken his eyes off a photograph of the Beninese Laeila Adjovi.

A woman looks up at the sky. The multicoloured wings of a messenger bird, which is flying with its head turned backwards, unfold behind her.

It may seem simple, but to better understand the future, you have to know your past, said Kalilou, a Malian who arrived with his family at the age of five in Cotonou, and who feels Beninese.

At the exit, visitors stop for a long time, thoughtful, in front of a quote inscribed on a wall.

Returning to the country that produced a work of art is to allow a people to recover part of their memory and their identity.

The return of Benins artefacts comes as Britain, Germany and other European former colonial powers are also under pressure to hand back some of their treasures looted from Africa.

Nigerias government on Saturday also handed over two bronze treasures to a traditional royal palace in Benin City after they were returned from Britain as part of a series of restorations of artefacts there.

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Benin citizens proudly embrace return of pillaged treasures - Macau Business

The Russian TV reporter stands in a flak jacket and helmet near some army barracks on a crisp and sunny afternoon.

Are you ready, an off-camera voice asks him.

The journalist nods and a burst of gunfire erupts as he starts running and shouting a breathless report into his microphone about a group of saboteurs attacking a Russian-backed position in east Ukraine.

This is what Russian propaganda at work looks like, a Telegram account that follows Ukraine closely remarked next to a clip showing the makings of the evidently staged report.

The eight-year conflict in Ukraines Russian-backed east has been accompanied by a ferocious disinformation battle between Moscow and Kyiv that tries to implicate the other side in grave crimes.

But the scale and breadth of this battle has reached epic proportions as Russian forces move en masse around Ukraines borders and the West warns of an imminent invasion threat.

Its importance is being heightened by fears that the Kremlin may use a staged attack as a pretext to order its feared assault.

I think most of this fake news is aimed mostly at the international Russian audience, said former Ukrainian education minister and Mohyla School of Journalism director Sergiy Kvit.

It looks like they are preparing an invasion, he told AFP.

The explosion of open-source intelligence in the past decade has helped to debunk many reports that might otherwise have been taken at face value.

It exposed that a seemingly urgent call last Friday by Ukraines separatist leaders for locals to evacuate to Russia had actually been recorded two days in advance.

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, will soon issue an order for his forces to go on the attack, Donetsk rebel chief Denis Pushilin says in his video message.

Therefore today, on February 18, we are organising a large-scale evacuation of the civilian population into Russia, he says.

Telegram metadata showed that both Pushilins message and one recorded by another separatist leader were uploaded on February 16 one of the days Washington had originally suggested a Russian invasion might be launched.

Everything that happens today is clearly and undoubtedly staged, investigative journalist Mark Krutov tweeted as worries spread that the rebels were moving people out so that Russian tanks could move in.

Analysts from the likes of Bellingcat an award-winning online investigations group that was designated a foreign agent by the Kremlin last year have been particularly busy in the past few weeks.

Bellingcat and other disinformation warriors found visual evidence showing that a car bomb allegedly targeting a separatist police chief had actually been planted on a completely different vehicle.

They showed photographs of the police chiefs registered license plate on a shiny new model SUV.

That same plate then appears attached to the mangled remains of an older green army vehicle blown up in an empty parking last Friday.

No one was hurt but Russian state television soon aired what it claimed to be the confession of a Ukrainian spy involved in the purported bomb plot.

Other stories alleged the separatists had killed two Ukrainians who tried to blow up a chlorine storage tank, a story that echoed claims from Moscow that Kyiv was plotting a chemical weapons attack.

Ukrainian accounts do not emerge completely blameless in this information war.

Kyivs independent Stopfake organisation pointed to some accounts posting about a supposed large anti-war protest in Moscow using images of a gathering that in fact took place in 2014.

Child and family psychologist Kateryna Goltsbergsaid this endless media bombardment has seen Ukrainians anxiety levels spike.

In the last two months, the levels of panic have been particularly high. This is probably linked to even bigger information attacks, Goltsberg said.

People really are very worried, she said. They are worried for themselves, their children, their loved ones.

Ukrainian newspaper editor Kateryna Kiselyova offered a case in point. She said her family had emergency backpacks ready and a clear plan in place in case of war.

I talked to the children about what they would need to do, she said while attending a memorial for more than 100 people killed in Kyiv during Ukraines 2014 pro-EU revolt.

Now I want to make sure their schools basement is prepared for an emergency.

Others worried that this sense of impending peril might hang over Ukraine for some time.

An existential threat this will be the hallmark of our lives for the coming months, if not years, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper wrote.

by Dmitry ZAKS

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Information war rages ahead of feared Russian invasion - Macau Business

Queen Elizabeth II tested positive on Sunday for Covid-19 but aides said her symptoms were mild, as politicians wished Britains longest-serving monarch a rapid recovery in her 70th year on the throne.

In what is meant to be a banner year of Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the news comes at a stressful time for the 95-year-old queen with scandals stalking her two eldest sons, Charles and Andrew.

It is also ill-timed for the UK government, in a week when embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to declare a victory of sorts over the pandemic by announcing the scrapping of remaining legal restrictions in England.

The queens heir Prince Charles, 73, tested positive for a second time for the coronavirus on February 10, two days after meeting his mother at Windsor Castle, west of London.

The queen who is believed to be triple-vaccinated resumed in-person audiences at the castle last week, but complained to one attendee of suffering from stiffness and was photographed holding a walking stick.

Announcing her first positive test, a Buckingham Palace statement said: Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week.

She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.

It issued a later statement in which the monarch sent herwarmest congratulations to the British womens and mens curling teams, after they won gold and silver medals respectively at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health, Johnson tweeted, as members of his cabinet sent their own best wishes.

My thoughts, and the thoughts of millions of Canadians, are with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on Twitter, sending wishes for a fast and full recovery.

Among well-wishers gathered outside Buckingham Palace in London, cancer scientist Pasquale Morese said it was sad news.

Shes a symbol of the nation, he said. Shes boosted and everything, so she should be alright, hopefully.

With the infection coming two months before the queen turns 96, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said: There will be concerns because of her age, no doubt about that.

But the queen by nature is stoic. I think shes someone who looks at things in a very, very positive way, he told AFP, anticipating reasonably regular updates from the palace.

Queen Elizabeth has generally enjoyed robust health over her long life, but an unexplained issue saw her spend a night in hospital last October.

Nationwide celebrations to mark her Platinum Jubilee are due to be held in June, after she marked 70 years on the throne on February 6.

The Covid scare comes with the royal family mired in difficulties, including tensions with Charless second son Prince Harry, who now lives in California with his wife Meghan.

Prince Andrew settled a sexual assault civil lawsuit in the United States last week, reportedly for 12 million ($16.3 million, 14.3 million euros) which reports say the queen will partly fund.

Meanwhile police in London are investigating claims that a Saudi tycoon was offered UK honours in return for donations to Charless charitable foundation.

The queen, whose husband Prince Philip died aged 99 last April, has spent much of the coronavirus pandemic at Windsor Castle, with a reduced number of household staff dubbed HMS Bubble.

Respecting the governments rules on Covid distancing at the time, she sat alone at Philips funeral, while Johnson and his staff are under police investigation for apparent breaches of the rules during lockdown parties in Downing Street.

With the Omicron wave apparently under control, the government is expected to press ahead with an announcement Monday lifting pandemic legislation in England.

The optics have become a little bit tricky given the queens illness, Conservative MP Caroline Nokes told Times Radio.

But speaking on Sky News, royal commentator Alastair Bruce said the queen would not want anyone to change any decisions on the basis of her state of health.

by Jitendra JOSHI

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Queen catches 'mild' Covid soon after 70th anniversary - Macau Business

Two Dutch citizens have returned 17 Mexican archaeological artifacts after three decades in their possession, the foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The return of the artifacts comes as Mexico works to recover thousands of archeological pieces that had been illegally removed from the country 6,000 have come back so far, according to official figures.

Hubert De Boer and Liesebeth Mellis, who had been in possession of the items for 30 years, handed over the clay pieces during a ceremony at the Mexican embassy in the Netherlands.

Its not clear how the two came into possession of the objects, which include a few small human figurines and which were made between the years 400 and 1521.

They were previously certified as authentic by Mexicos National Institute of Anthropology and History and came from multiple regions throughout the country, including along the Gulf coast, the central plains and the southeast.

The pieces were made using the modeling, smoothing, incision and pastillage application technique, the foreign ministry said, referring to craft styles.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has called out France for continuing to allow the unregulated sale of cultural heritage items from other countries after a recent sale of archaeological pieces from pre-Columbian Mexico.

Lopez Obrador also denounced Austrias possession of a crown of feathers believed to have belonged to 16th-century Aztec emperor Moctezuma which several Mexican governments have sought to have returned.

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17 pre-Columbian artifacts returned to Mexico - Macau Business

In the 60 years since Algeria won independence from France, it has gone through multiple crises with its former occupier, often fuelled by domestic politics.

Yet the two sides had surprisingly good relations for the first four decades, and it was only in the 1990s that things started to fall apart, experts say.

Generally, despite appearances and criticism, there has been a stable, very balanced relationship, said Luis Martinez, a Maghreb researcher at Sciences Po university in Paris.

That is despite the devastation caused by the eight-year war of independence that finally led to the signing of the Evian accords on March 18, 1962, ending the conflict.

French historians say half a million civilians and combatants died 400,000 of them Algerian while the Algerian authorities insist 1.5 million were killed.

Under French General Charles de Gaulle, whose administration signed the accords, and his successor Georges Pompidou, Paris had good relations with Algiers.

The same was true of the administration of Francois Mitterrand, even though he had been interior minister when Algerias armed independence struggle began in 1954 and remained opposed to the countrys independence.

Mitterrand was surrounded by Socialist Party people, who were all pro-FLN, said historian Pierre Vermeren, referring to the National Liberation Front, which led the revolt and has dominated Algerian politics ever since.

(Mitterrand) was able to take a back seat and let others deal with Algeria, said Vermeren, a professor at the Sorbonne University.

France was allowed to continue its nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara until 1967, and de Gaulle managed to negotiate a secret deal with the new Algerian state to allow for chemical weapons tests until 1978.

But in 1992, Paris raised hackles by criticising Algiers for suspending elections, in which Islamist parties had won the first round.

Algeria withdrew its ambassador in response.

The polls cancellation sparked another decade of devastating conflict in the North African country, until Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who rose to the presidency in 1999, offered an amnesty that paved the way for peace.

Despite being close to France, Bouteflika made use of anti-French discourse, primarily for domestic consumption, Vermeren said.

To win back control of the ideological and political sphere after the civil war, (the Algerian leadership) forgot that France had helped them fight the Islamists, he said.

They went back to their traditional enemy.

Under Bouteflika, Algerian leaders used ever-stronger language, accusing France of genocide during its more than 130-year occupation of Algeria.

Then, in 2019, a vast protest movement toppled the autocratic leader after two decades in power but the new regime has kept up the anti-French discourse.

Observers say however that cooperation behind closed doors has been surprisingly close.

In 2013, Algeria allowed French forces to use its airspace to reach Mali, where they were battling jihadists.

French-Algerian relations are good when theyre in secret. Theyre more hostile when theyre in public, said Naoufel Brahimi El Mili, who has written a book on 60 years of secret stories between the two countries.

When Emmanuel Macron became president, he had good relations with Algeria.

Visiting Algiers during his campaign in February 2017, he described colonisation as a crime against humanity.

After his election, he made gestures aimed at healing past wounds on both sides of the Mediterranean.

But he refused to apologise for colonialism, a highly sensitive topic in France, which for decades saw Algeria as an integral part of French territory and where far-right discourse has been escalating.

Comments reported last October dampened hopes around reconciliation.

Macron accused Algerias political-military system of rewriting history and fomenting hatred towards France.

In remarks to descendants of independence fighters, reported by Le Monde, he also questioned whether Algeria had existed as a nation before the French invasion in the 1800s.

Once again, Algeria withdrew its ambassador.

Now, weeks ahead of the French presidential election in April, relations appear to be looking up again.

Millions of French citizens of Algerian origin and descendants of Europeans who left after independence are among those casting votes.

Algeria will vote for Macron, said author El Mili. Algerians are convinced that a Macron II will be bolder.

Xavier Driencourt, a former French ambassador to Algeria, shared that view.

They dont want (candidate) Valerie Pecresse who has a fairly right-wing tone, and definitely not (Eric) Zemmour or Marine Le Pen, he said, referring to conservative Pecresse and two far-right presidential hopefuls.

But much remains to be done. In recent years Algeria has diversified its international ties, with China becoming its main trade partner.

Martinez from Sciences Po said Macrons comments had done a lot of damage.

Theyll go back to the drawing board, and try to see what they can agree on, he said.

Former envoy Driencourt said it takes two sides to have a relationship.

Would Algeria be interested after the election?

Im not very optimistic, he said.

by Valerie Leroux

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Algeria's 60 years of complex relations with former occupier France - Macau Business