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France freezes bank accounts of Russian foreign broadcaster RT France

The bank accounts of RT France, the French branch of Russia's state broadcaster RT that are suspended in the European Union, have been frozen, authorities said Friday.
The French Ministry of Economy and Finance said the broadcaster's assets had been frozen because of the application of recent EU sanctions and not at the initiative of the French state, according to the BFMTV news channel.
The news outlet quoted an unnamed source from the ministry who said the measure was borne out of the EU's "latest sanctions package" in December.
The EU’s ninth sanctions package in Dec. also provides an "asset freeze" on Russian media entities in Europe.
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Russian media outlet ANO TV Novosti "is the parent company of RT France, which by implication explains the freezing of RT France's assets," according to the source.
Xeniya Fedorova, editor-in-chief of RT France, criticized the measure on RT France's Telegram channel.
"Although RT France is not on the sanctions list and has the right to operate in France, such a decision practically paralyzes our activities," said Fedorova.
RT's international editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonjan, also denounced the sanctions. "Our RT France has had all its accounts in France terminated. Here is liberté, égalité and fraternité," she said.
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Russian foreign media Sputnik and RT have been repeatedly accused of being instruments of "Kremlin disinformation."
Following a EU decision after Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, RT was not allowed to be broadcast on television or the internet in the EU as of March 2, 2022.
The European Court of Justice, which heard an appeal by RT France, upheld the decision in July.
The original sanctions package only banned the broadcast of RT content in the EU, not its production itself.
To date, RT France has continued to produce and distribute content that can be accessed despite the ban via a virtual private network (VPN), a service that allows users to surf the internet while bypassing the block.
In an interview with the France 24 news channel in December, the secretary general of the European Federation of Journalists, Ricardo Gutierrez, criticized the EU for censoring Russian media.
Banning Russian media in the EU, including RT and Sputnik, has set "a dangerous precedent that poses a threat to press freedom," said Gutierrez.
Source: aa
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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