The 22-year-old Frenchman claimed the race in one minute, 54.06 seconds as 15,000 mostly partisans roared on his success.

Duncan Scott from Britain won the silver and Shun Wang from China took the bronze medal.

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, who had earlier watched the equestrian team’s ultimately failed bid for gold in the jumping event at Versailles, was among the crowd at the Paris La Défense Arena.

“You never forget a moment like that,” Marchand told France Télévisions after the race. “It was incredible, it was magical.

“Winning four medals in five days, I don’t know what to say. After teh semi-finals on Thursday night I was really tired but it was a great race. I’m so happy.”

On Sunday, Marchand won the 400m individual medley. And within two hours on Wednesday night he had added the 200m butterfly and 200m backstroke to the haul.

He is the first Frenchman to win four medals at a single summer or winter Olympic Games.

In other events in the swimming pool, Cameron McEvoy and Kaylee McKeown won more golds for Australia.

McEvoy took the 50 freestyle and 23-year-old McKeown followed with a victory in the 200m backstroke to become the first female swimmer to retain her crown in the event.

Alexandra Dublanche, president of Choose Paris Region, said on Friday,  “the sporting performances and tourist numbers are extremely encouraging, bearing witness to the success of the event”.

Choose Paris Region has also noted an eight percent increase in air arrivals between 23 July and 12 August compared to a year earlier, to 450,600 passengers.

Some 132,000 American tourists are already present – or expected to arrive – which represents almost 30 percent of international arrivals, followed by Canadians, Japanese, Germans and Spaniards.

“Initially forecast at between 10 and 12 percent, international visitors already account for 18 percent of people attending the Games – 82 percent of whom are French,” the press release reads.

Americans top the bill

For the opening ceremony, the trend was reversed: of the 358,500 people counted on site between 6pm and midnight, 62 percent were international visitors – nearly a quarter of whom were Americans – and 38 percent were French visitors, two-thirds of whom were from the Greater Paris region.

According to Choose Paris Region, “the Games effect is accelerating [hotel] bookings in Paris Ile-de-France.

“The destination is now seeing peaks in visitor numbers approaching, or even exceeding, 80 percent during the period of the Olympic Games from 26 July to 11 August.”

Visitors will spend on average of 389 euros per night on a hotel room in Paris between June and August 2024 – up by almost 25 percent on 2023 – and the average price of furnished accommodation and holiday lets in Paris will be 234 euros per night in July 2024 – up by 40 percent on July 2023.

• Paris hoteliers under fire for massive mark-ups at Olympics opening gala
• Paris taxis demand compensation for loss of income over Olympic disruption

Keep the cauldron flying?

The figures are good news for the  region, despite complaints from Paris taxi drivers who are seeking state compensation for losses incurred by Olympic security restrictions and blocked roads across the city.

Speaking on Thursday, caretaker Prime Minister Gabriel Attal maintained that keeping the Olympic cauldron in the heart of the Tuileries Gardens after the Olympics – that’s attached to a balloon that flies into the Parisian sky every night – “would be a great idea”.

He added: “I am prime minister in charge of day-to-day affairs, so this type of decision will very probably be taken by my successor in conjunction with the city of Paris”, Attal added, predicting that Paris 2024 would have “very strong spin-offs in terms of tourism and…the economy in the years to come.”

“I can imagine today both your sadness and your pride,” Hidalgo said during the ceremony in Paris’ City Hall on Thursday. “The sadness of knowing that your country is still being attacked and is at war, that many of your friends, your relatives are on the front lines and fighting.”

Ukrainian rower Anastasiia Kozhenkova and diver Oleksii Sereda received the medal on behalf of all Ukrainian athletes, and both already have finished their Olympic competitions.

They led a group of other Ukrainian athletes who attended the reception.

• Paris welcomes world leaders and royalty, but no Russia, to the Games

The athletes who won two of the country’s Olympic medals so far – bronze in women’s individual sabre fencing and silver in men’s 50-metre rifle – were not at the event.

The reception started with a minute of silence to honour those killed in Russia’s war.

Ukrainian Olympians stood still, mostly looking down. A screen hung above the stage showing photos of coaches and athletes who were killed over the past two years.

It was dubbed “heaven’s team.”

‘Welcomed as heroes’

Ukraine’s acting sports minister Matvii Bidnyi thanked Hidalgo for the support France has provided to Ukrainian athletes.

Recently, the first-ever Ukrainian house opened, made possible thanks to French support.

Another Ukrainian rower, Kateryna Dudchenko said she had hoped to perform better at her first Games.

• Russian invasion has forced 6.5 million Ukrainians to flee country, UN says

The women’s team was placed fifth in quadruple sculls on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, something went wrong, and we didn’t have enough strength at the finish because our competitors turned out to be stronger and they overtook us,” she said.

“But I think that right now, for the country, the fact that we are here, that the team is participating, that we are representing our country, is already a victory.”

Hidalgo – during her last visit to Ukraine – said the athletes would be welcomed as heroes in Paris.

“And it’s very, very nice and very emotional for me to see that in France and the Parisian people during the opening ceremony celebrating the Ukrainian athletes as heroes,” the mayor said.

“When we’re kids we do whatever we can to ride,” he reminisced just after collecting a gold medal in the jumping team event at the Paris Olympics.

“We come all kinds of backgrounds as riders and I did those kind of things when we were in the Pony Club … I’ve always been pretty hard on myself.”

Fast forward neary three decades and the 41-year-old’s reaction to his latest ride will be somewhat less histrionic, more poised.

“I’ll be spending the evening with my family as I haven’t seen much of them recently,” he added.

The reunion will cap a perfect day out at the arena set among the sprawling woodlands of the Chateau de Versailles.

True, a horse would be a useful asset to reach the secluded spot to watch the shiny steeds and their ever so accomplished riders.

As sun beat down on the fans in the three stands around the 18 fences,  Israel’s Robin Muhr on Galaxy HM started the final.

With 79 seconds to go over the 165cm obstacles, the 29-year-old, who used to compete for France, finished in 79.89 seconds with 13 penalty points. One for his tardiness and the other 12 for knocking down three fences.

The partisans roared when Simon Delestre on I Amelusina R 51 completed the course without mangling up a fence but he was hit with three penalty points for his time of 81.59 seconds.

Maher, the first out for Britain was docked a point for a slow finish.

Harry Charles was flawless for Britiain’s second run and Brash was also hit with a point penalty for emulating Maher.

Not a catastrophe. It was good enough to notch up Britain’s ninth gold medal of the 2024 Games.

The United States, who won the title at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, claimed the silver with four penalty points and France took the bronze after clocking up seven penalties.

Twelve years ago at the London Olympics, Maher and Brash won the jumping team event with Charles’ father, Peter.

“Harry’s better looking,” quipped Brash. “Ben and I are starting to feel like veterans, which isn’t a nice feeling.

“Even though Harry’s only 25, he’s got a lot of experience – he rode in Tokyo and delivered today.

“It’s great to have good young riders like him coming up in our country and the future looks bright.”

French president Emmanuel Macron – who was back in the capital from his Mediterranean holiday residence – joined the thousands of partisans in the sunshine hoping to witness a French victory. 

But that was never going to happen due to the presence of two British taliswomen.

“We were there in London when they won gold,” said Gemma Dickens who had travelled over for the final from England with her mother, Lesley.

“We didn’t make it to Rio or Tokyo and they didn’t win,” said Gemma, an accountant who lives in Ashby-de-la-Zouch in central England.

“They were brilliant.”

Herself a keen rider who competed internationally for Britain until her early 20s, she added: “Ben was competing on the circuit the same time as me. Even at the age of 12 he was cool as a cucumber.”

The perfect way to be on a sweltering day at the chateau.

Security forces fired gunshots and used tear gas to quell mass protests across Nigeria on Thursday, as thousands of mainly young people rallied against the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis for years.

Authorities confirmed four people were killed by a bomb and hundreds arrested.

Kaduna state police spokesperson Mansur Hassan said on Thursday that the police had fired tear gas at protesters but had not used live ammunition.

Two people were killed in northern Niger state where protesters clashed with security forces after blocking a major road the local Daily Trust newspaper reported.

Amnesty International’s Nigeria director Isa Sanusi said that it independently verified the 13 deaths that were reported by witnesses, families of the victims and lawyers.

In a statement released on Friday, police chief Kayode Egbetokun said his officers had not violated the “fundamental rights” of any of the protesters.

Increasing hardship

Protesters began demonstrating on Thursday in Abuja, the commercial capital Lagos and several other cities over economic reforms that have led to rampant inflation and inflicted increasing hardship on ordinary Nigerians.

“Citizens have come out because there is extreme hunger and abject poverty in the country,” civil rights activist Taiwo Otitolaye told RFI. “Households don’t have enough to live on. Families are taking their children out of school, so the first day of this movement is a good thing.”

The “day of rage” saw youths demonstrating in the city of Maiduguri, the hotbed of a militant insurgency in the northeast of the country, in the face of a heavy security presence.

In Kano, the country’s second-largest city, protesters set fire to tyres outside the state governor’s office and police responded with tears gas.

Live broadcasts from the protests showed some protestors looting warehouses and damaging public property.

Three governors declared curfews in their states, saying that thugs had hijacked the protests.

‘This hunger is too much’: Nigerians protest economic hardship

Tinuba reforms

Inspired by protests in Kenya in June that led to the government there scrapping some planned tax increases, Nigerians are mobilising online in a protest movement tagged #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria.

After taking office more than a year ago, President  Bola Tinubu removed some fuel subsidies, devalued the naira currency and later hiked electricity tariffs. As a result, inflation has soared past 34 percent.

The president insists the changes are needed to keep the country afloat.

On the eve of the protests, government officials had urged young activists to reject Kenya-style rallies and allow time for Tinubu’s reforms to take hold and improve the economy.

But citizens complain that politicians are not making enough sacrifices themselves, and demand the reinstatement of subsidies for petrol and electricity, free primary and secondary education.

They also want measures to combat widespread insecurity, which has damaged the farming sector, while armed gangs kidnap residents and school children for ransom in the north.

Boko Haram are suspected to be behind a bombing which killed at least 16 people on Wednesday.

Attacks kill at least 160 people in central Nigeria

Labour unions have led previous protests. But Thursday’s march was mostly by unemployed youth.

Tinubu signed a new minimum wage into law on Monday to help workers cope with hardship, but many of the country’s 200 million people are either self-employed or do not have jobs.

Protest leaders, a loose coalition of civil society groups, vowed to press on with rallies.

“It’s not over,” said activist Damilare Adenola, 29, leader the Take It Back group in Abuja.

(with newswires)

Now in ruins, the former military base in the Pyrenees was converted into an internment camp for “undesirable foreigners” in the early 1940s under the Vichy regime, which collaborated with France’s German occupiers.

It was also used as a transit camp for Jews on their way to Nazi death camps in Poland, and, after the war, as a “rehabilitation” camp for the harkis – Algerian supporters of France who were forced to flee Algeria during and after its war of independence.

Of some 17,500 people held at Rivesaltes, nearly 1,400 Roma were interned there between 1941-42.

For European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on 2 August, a ceremony, songs and talks at the site will commemorate the fate of hundreds of thousands of Roma people who were rounded up and massacred by the Nazis.

Campaign of destruction

The Roma people, made up of several different communities including Romani, Sinti and Manouche, came to Europe centuries ago from the Indian subcontinent.

Their nomadic traditions incited suspicion in places where they would temporarily settle. Nicknamed “travellers”, “gypsies” or “gitanes”, they faced a long history of persecution throughout Europe.

Roma migrants in France: life on the move

During WWII, Nazi authorities subjected Roma to a deliberate campaign of arbitrary internment, sterilisation, forced labour, deportation and mass murder.

Tens of thousands of Roma were seized in Germany, German-occupied territories and other regions that collaborated with Berlin, including Vichy France. 

In France, at least 7,000 Roma were interned, many of whom were were deported to territories controlled by Nazi Germany.

Rivesaltes was one of the transit camps from which Roma were sent to their final destiny.

They died in the killing factories at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Chelmno, Belzec, Sobibor and Treblinka, and in concentration camps within Germany proper.

Struggle for remembrance

In total, between 220,000 and 500,000 Roma people were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators.

For many years, the genocide was overlooked. In 2012, a monument to the victims was unveiled in the centre of Berlin. And in 2015, the European Parliament established 2 August as an official day of remembrance.

The date refers to the night of 2-3 August 1944, when Nazi guards raided the barracks where Roma and Sinti people were held at Auschwitz-Birkenau following a revolt within the camp.

Some 3,000 men, women and children were murdered in the gas chambers. Their bodies were burned in pits.

Opening the archives 

Rivesaltes is currently hosting an exhibition dedicated to the persecution of Roma people, “The Families’ Camp“, which runs until February 2025.

Two of the three curators have Roma heritage: Jérôme “Gigi” Bonin from the French Nomads Memorial and William Acker from the National Association of Travellers.

“We absolutely wanted to collaborate with today’s travellers and with the descendants of the Romani, Sinti, and Manouche communities who are accompanying us,” explains the director of the Rivesaltes memorial, Céline Sala-Pons.

Behind her stands one of the photos displayed in the exhibition: a so-called anthropologist measuring the head of a Roma woman, as part of the pseudo-science adopted by the Nazis that aimed at proving the supposed superiority of the Aryan race.

The exhibition also includes work by contemporary Roma artists alongside the paintings of Louis Burkler, who was interned at the camp as a child along with his family.

Through archives and personal testimonies, it aims to shed light on decades of marginalisation of Roma people perpetuated by authorities in both France and Germany.

Unprecedented Marseille expo turns spotlight on Roma culture

Fine

Léon Marchand won his semi-final to advance to the final on Day 7 of the 200m individual medley. The Frenchman declared himself a tad fatigued. Hardly surprising after his exploits on Day 5 when he became the first man to win gold in the 200m butterfly and the 200m breaststroke on the same evening.

While he recovers for his next tilt, he can share the glory with Summer McIntosh, who as her first name suggests, was born of a summer – 18 August. On Day 2, McIntosh won the silver in the 400m freestyle to give Canada its first medal at the 2024 Games. She went one better in the 400m individual medley and then claimed her second gold in the 200m butterfly in an Olympic record of two minutes, 03.03 seconds.

Genetic pool

Both of Léon Marchand’s parents swam for France at the Olympics. Summer McIntosh’s mother, Jill Horstead, swam for Canada at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. But the 17-year-old has entered another realm as the first Canadian to win two gold medals at a summer Olympics since sprinter Donovan Bailey in 1986 and the first Canadian swimmer to win three individual medals at a single Olympics.

‘What did you do during the summer, Summer?’ isn’t a question likely to be doing the rounds at her 18th birthday party.

Baby boom

Brian Pintado from Ecuador won the men’s 20km walk but further back down the field there were a couple of big victories for Aurélien Quinion. The Frenchman came ninth but was perhaps running on fumes after only getting a catnap at the hospital where his partner gave birth to their daughter.

“I went to the hospital at 10pm on Wednesday night and got a taxi to come for the start of the race,” he explained. Quinion finished the walk  in one hour, 19 minutes and 56 seconds – a minute off Pintado’s mark.

“Did the birth give me a boost? Well, it doesn’t look like it does it?” deadpanned Quinion. “But the birth and then racing in the Olympics will stay with me for ever. Honestly it was brilliant.” Quinion beat his personal record by a second.

Hobbling Matildas

So off to another dance goes Tony Gustavsson after Australia were eliminated from the women’s football competition. The Matildas – as they are nicknamed – finished third in Group B after defeats to the United States and Germany. They managed to beat Zambia 6-5. During his four years with the side, Australia finished fourth at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. They also finished fourth at the 2023 women’s World Cup. 

“It has been a great honour and privilege to have been able to be the head coach of the Matildas over the past four years,” Gustavsson said. “This journey with the team has had many incredible moments and memories that I will forever treasure. Australian football will be forever in my heart, and I will be watching on and cheering on your success in the future.” Ah, nice.

Looking at beyond happy

Tennis world number one Iga Swiatek was the hot favourite to take the gold medal in the women’s singles for Poland. But the 23-year-old came a cropper in the semi-finals against Qinwen Zheng from China. It finished 6-2, 7-5.

Zheng is assured of delivering her country’s first medal in the tennis. “I feel more than just happy – happy isn’t enough to describe how I feel,” said the 21-year-old who came through last-16 and quarter-final ties that both lasted nearly three hours. “If you ask me to play another three hours for my country, I would.” That seems the right thing to say. 

Stunning images of athletic prowess and the beauty of some of Paris’s Olympic venues have made it on to front pages around the world.

But others, like sailing competitors wearing ice vests to keep cool, or volunteers spraying down cheering fans at the shadeless beach volleyball stadium near the Eiffel tower, stand out for more worrying reasons.

Most of France is under heat warnings, with temperatures in Paris hitting 36C, the national weather agency said.

The heat was even worse in the south, including the region around the Mediterranean cities of Marseille and Nice that are hosting Olympic competitions like football and sailing. Temperatures in some parts of southern France have reached 41C.

Paris Olympics athletes and fans melt in ‘brutal’ heat

On Tuesday and Wednesday, spectators ducked under trees for shade, while players on the sunbaked sand took extra breaks to drape bags of ice over their heads and shoulders.

Just a few days earlier, the images painted an altogether different picture, when the 2024 Olympics launched with a rain-soaked opening ceremony that drenched athletes and spectators alike.

A full day of heavy rain on Saturday led to the open-air triathlon competition in the Seine river being postponed after the water quality declined.

Severe storms on Tuesday evening also caused major disruption to France’s high-speed rail network, leaving thousands of travellers stranded.

Paris on major storm alert as Olympics continue

Climate change to blame

The weather chaos comes as no suprise to climate scientists.

A study published this week found that the extreme heat experienced in July in France and in other countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco “would not have occurred without human induced climate change”.

Scientists with the World Weather Attribution group conducting the research said the climate crisis, fuelled by the burning of fossil fuels, had made temperatures 2.5C to 3.3C warmer.

July’s heatwave was caused by a high-pressure ridge, often known as a “heat dome”. It came after 13 months of extreme heat around the world and each of the last 13 months has been the hottest ever recorded.

EU climate monitor reports highest ever average global temperatures

Green ambitions scaled down

Paris 2024’s organising committee have aimed to cut the Games’ carbon footprint by half and stage the most sustainable Olympics ever.

As well as adapting as much of the existing infrastructure as possible rather than building new venues, it has turned to an underfloor cooling system and insulation instead of air conditioning at the Olympic village where athletes are staying.

That was the plan, at least. But faced with the anticipated heat, the organisers scaled down their AC-free ambitions and installed 2,500 temporary cooling units.

AC-free ambition for Paris Olympic village melts away

Their attempts to reduce carbon emissions were struck a further blow on Wednesday when complaints by athletes over the carbon-neutral, largely vegetarian menus led to meat being reinstated.

A recent study showed that halving meat consumption would allow France to meet its climate objectives. It aims to reducing farming-related emissions by 46 percent by 2050.

He claimed his semi-final in one minute, 56.31 seconds. Daiya Seto, Finlay Knox and Shaine Casas will join him from his race in Friday’s final at the Paris La Defense Arena with four from the first semi-final.

“I was on empty,” Marchand admitted. “I had to swim one minute 56 to qualify so it’s no breeze. I’m going to need to recover really well because I’m feeling a biut low.” I

On Wednesday, Marchand became the first man to win two gold medals in the same evening in the swimming pool at the Olympic Games.

First, he divested the Hungarian Kristof Milak of his 200m butterfly crown and two hours later dismissed the rest of the pool to take the 200m breaststroke.

The double took his tally up to three following victory on Sunday night in the 400m individual medley.

His appearance on Thursday night increased the din inside the arena to weapons-grade levels. And he saluted the 14,000 spectators as his name was chanted.

A huge roar greeted his victory a few minutes later.

Recovery

“l’ll need to sleep well, eat well and drink lots of liquids;” Marchand added. “And I should be in with a chance on Friday.”

Before his arrival, Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh burnished her legend with her second gold medal of the meeting.

McIntosh, who will be 18 on 18 August, won the women’s 200m butterfly in  two minutes, 03.03 seconds. She came in ahead of the American Regan Smith and Yufei Zhang from China.

In her previous outings at her second Olympic Games, she has won the 4x100m individual medley and came second in the 400m freestyle.

“It’s pretty surreal,” said McIntosh. “I haven’t reflected on it too much right now. Overall, it’s been a pretty amazing Games for me.”

In the other races, Kate Douglass from the United States claimed gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke and Australia won the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

The Hungarian Hubert Kos produced a slick surge in the last 20 metres to pip Apostolos Christou to the gold in the men’s 200m backstroke.

Christou’s silver was the first medal for Greece in the swimming pool since the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens.

“We Germans must not forget,” the German head of state said in Warsaw, the Polish capital, where people rose up against the occupying German forces during World War II. He met with elderly veterans of the battle.

Steinmeier’s remarks continue a tradition of German leaders visiting Warsaw to honour the victims of Adolf Hitler’s regime. This tradition was notably marked in 1970 when Chancellor Willy Brandt famously knelt at the site former Warsaw Ghetto, symbolising remorse for the extermination of millions of European Jews.

Steinmeier himself also begged for forgiveness in 2023 on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a revolt by doomed Jews a year before the larger city-wide uprising.

The country’s main observances of the Warsaw Uprising took place on Thursday, the anniversary of the start of the revolt.

Warsaw uprising

On 1 August 1944, the Polish underground army launched an uprising against German forces after nearly five years of  brutal occupation.

The thousands of poorly armed insurgents held on for 63 days in the cut-off city, inflicting heavy losses on the well-armed and trained German troops before being forced to surrender.

The Wehrmacht and SS brutally suppressed the insurgents, massacring 200,000 Poles and bombing the city into a wasteland of rubble.

Moscow watches

Meanwhile, Soviet troops, which were in the vicinity, did not come to the help of the insurgents.

By giving the Germans time to quell the Warsaw Uprising, Soviet authorities also allowed them to eliminate the main body of the military organisation that supported the Polish government-in-exile in London, according to historians.

As a result, there was hardly any resistance when the Soviet army occupied all of Poland, which gave Moscow a free hand in creating the communist-led Provisional Government of Poland on 1 January 1945.

After the war, Poland entered the Moscow-dominated Warsaw Pact, and Poland could only choose to join NATO and the EU after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

(with newswires)

According to a letter sent by taxi unions to the France’s transport m”inistry on Thursday, the Olympic Games have proved “a great disappointment” for the industry: “demand is still at a low ebb and the very exercise of the business is deeply hampered by these Games for the entire profession”.

For the unions, Olympic spectators who have come for the Games are not mitigating the “impact of traffic restrictions, the closure of venues and the dissuasion of regular customers”.

Taxi drivers are now calling on the state to create a financial compensation fund “covering the entire period of privatisation of event sites and public spaces – from March to the end of October 2024”.

• No-fly zones and AI security measures deployed for Olympic opening ceremony

Olympic traffic restrictions

They believe that the slowdown in activity began in the spring of 2024, with the traffic restrictions associated with the initial construction of Olympic venues and the privatisation of a large number of event venues in the Ile-de-France region, such as the Stade de France and La Défense Arena, as well as elsewhere in the country – particularly in the Marseille region.

Business in June 2024 was much weaker than in 2023 because of the Games, they point out. 

For taxi driver Anissa Dinic, the average amount of clients she has driven during the Olympic Games number “between 5 and 6 journeys a day”, which she says is “very low”.

‘Critical situation’

Since the beginning of July, “government communications to encourage city dwellers to take holidays or telework, to dissuade visitors, and the organisation of professional events, have led to an additional drop in activity”. 

And since 18 July, the introduction of security perimeters and the closure of many taxi ranks in the Olympic zones have “drastically restricted taxi activity”.

The unions warn that taxis are now “in a critical situation, with charges rising and incomes falling by as much as 40 or even 50 percent in some situations”. 

• Normally bustling Place de la Concorde closed to traffic ahead of Paris Olympics

In Ile-de-France, almost 90 percent of drivers affiliated to the G7 taxi network had indicated that they intended to work during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In particular, they hoped to take advantage of the Olympic lanes on the main roads – to which tourist vehicles and hackney cabs do not have access – to save time on the ring road around the capital or from the airports.

Business – particularly from major business accounts – usually falls by 40 percent in the summer, but it was stable in London during the 2012 Olympics, when Londoners were replaced by visitors.

Water-borne wonder

Forget wunderkinds because France has its very own boy water in the aqua-dynamic shape of Léon Marchand who became the first man to win two gold medals in the same evening in the swimming pool. The 22-year-old added the 200m butterfly and then the 200m breaststroke to the 400m individual medley he collected on Day 2. He plans to compete in the 200m medley as well. Shall we say four?

Teen on the scene

Pity the poor lad Zhanle Pan. He’ll be 20 in a couple of days and he chose the same evening as  Léon Marchand was in the house to set a world record on his way to gold in the 100m freestyle. Pan’s very much the man back home in China.

Open water feats

Léon Marchand’s two gold medals capped a fine day of medalling for French athletes. Cassandre Beaugrand produced a magnificent run to claim the women’s triathlon which got underway with a dive into the murky but officially clean waters of the river Seine at the Pont Alexandre III. Around they swam for 1500m before a 40km cycle ride and a 10km run. She completed the three legs in one hour, 54 minutes and 55 seconds. 

Teen titans

Zhanle Pan’s not the only power teen in the Chinese delegation. Yuxi Chen, 18, and Hongchan Quan,17, mashed up the field to win the women’s synchronised 10m platform event at the Aquatics Centre in Saint Denis. They held first from beginning to the end and finished 45 points ahead of the silver medallists Jin Mi Jo and Mi Rae Kim from North Korea.

Old timer

At the other end of the spectrum stands Senor Rafael Nadal. The 38-year-old Spaniard lost his second round singles match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic on Day 3 and paired up with Carlos Alcaraz lost in the quarter-finals of the doubles to the American fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. Nadal, the winner of 22 Grand Slam tournaments – which are the most prestigious on the circuit –  hinted that he might not be on his way to the final Grand Slam event of the season at the US Open in New York. “It doesn’t look like it,” said Nadal who has been plagued by injuries over the past two years. “I need some time. But for me it looks difficult.” Take your time, laddie. You’ve earned it.

Two of the attacks were directed at Olympic sites at Bercy and La Villette in the French capital last Thursday, Attal told reporters on Wednesday.

“All these 68 cyberattacks, including the two cyberattacks that targeted Olympic sites, were detected in time and foiled,” Attal said, though he gave no details on the nature of the other attacks.

Attal has resigned as PM but has stayed on as head of the caretaker government, on President Emmanuel Macron’s request, while Paris hosts the Games. 

This year, the French National Agency for Information Systems Security (ANSSI) said it had been training all the various entities involved in protecting against cyberattacks in anticipation of an increase in such attempts during the Paris Olympics.

The Games opened last Friday amid tight security.

No-fly zones and AI security measures deployed for Olympic opening ceremony

Just ahead of the Games, French authorities launched a major operation to clean up computers infected by a cyber-espionage programme that has struck millions of users worldwide.

Organisers of the previous Olympics, held in Tokyo, reported 450 million cyber attacks, most of which were attempts at paralysing IT networks by saturating them with connexions. 

The head of technology for Paris 2024 said he anticipated “eight to ten times more” cyber attacks than Japan had experienced.

French cyberdefence chief warns Paris Olympics a ‘target’

(with newswires)

Seven other defendants were handed terms of up to life imprisonment at the end of the trial that played out over nearly two years, in a judgement welcomed by rights activists.

Security forces had been massively deployed for the hearing, in a case keenly awaited by victims’ families for nearly 15 years.

Just before sentencing, the court had announced the charges would be classified as crimes against humanity.

The court also ordered for compensation to be paid to the victims, running from 200 million to 1.5 billion Guinean francs ($23,000 to $174,000).

An end to impunity

On September 28, 2009 and in the following days, members of Dadis Camara‘s presidential guard, soldiers, police and militia brutally suppressed an opposition rally at a stadium in the suburbs of Conakry.

In one of the darkest chapters in the West African nation’s history, at least 156 people were killed, hundreds more wounded and 109 women raped, according to a UN-mandated commission of inquiry.

“This trial is of the utmost importance to me,” Kadiatou Sow, who was raped during the massacre and its aftermath, told AFP before the sentencing.

“I want these soldiers to pay a heavy price with sentences befitting their crimes,” added Sow, who also lost her husband in the violence.

Alfa Amadou DS Bah, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs in the case, underlined the importance of the judgement.

“It’s the first time a former head of state has been convicted for such serious crimes, and senior military officers too,” he said.

“I think that this decision must sound the toll against impunity in this country. It’s a great relief for the victims,” he added.

Human Rights Watch also welcomed the judgement.

“The Guinean court’s landmark verdict offers long-awaited justice for victims,” said Tamara Aburamadan, an international justice legal counsel for HRW.

“It puts high-level perpetrators in Guinea and elsewhere on notice that justice can prevail.”

Human rights activists want answers to Conakry stadium massacre

Crimes against humanity

Ten of the 12 accused were present to hear the court’s judgement.

Former junta chief Dadis Camara, dressed in a traditional green and yellow boubou, remained motionless as the verdict was read by the court in the capital Conakry.

Along with 11 other government and military officials, Dadis Camara had been accused of murder, sexual violence, torture, abduction and kidnapping.

He always denied any responsibility, blaming his subordinates.

The trial — which began on September 28, 2022, the anniversary of the killings — gripped the West African nation, with the courtroom drama carried on television and radio.

Judges heard from 11 defendants — who blamed each other for the massacre during the trial — as well as a dozen witnesses. Around 100 victims provided chilling testimonies.

The chief prosecutor had called for Dadis Camara and other defendants to be sentenced to life in prison.

Guinea ex-strongman faces history in massacre trial

Moment of truth

Defence lawyers had argued that reclassifying the charges as crimes against humanity on the day of the ruling would rob them of an opportunity to defend themselves and infringe their right to a fair trial.

Both the accused and the plaintiffs have 15 days to appeal the verdict. The prosecutor’s office will have two months.

The trial has taken place against a background of repression of both the opposition to Guinea’s military rulers and the media.

The day before the verdict, protests against the “forced disappearance” of pro-democracy activists Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah paralysed parts of Conakry, with several injured in clashes between demonstrators and the police.

International organisations and human rights activists have highlighted the unprecedented nature of the trial in Guinea.

It is the first of its kind to challenge the impunity of the country’s security forces, which are seldom held to account, according to the UN probe.

The Islamic republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers for Haniyeh ahead of his burial in Qatar, having earlier threatened a “harsh punishment” for his killing.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced Haniyeh’s death the day before. They said he and a bodyguard were killed in a strike on their accommodation in the Iranian capital  on Wednesday.

It came just hours after Israel targeted and killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Sukr in a retaliatory strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut, raising fears of a wider regional conflict as the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza continues unabated.

Israel has declined to comment on the Tehran strike.

Iran’s state TV showed the coffins of Haniyeh and his bodyguard covered in Palestinian flags during the ceremony attended by senior Iranian officials including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief, General Hossein Salami.

Haniyeh had been visiting Tehran for Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony on Tuesday.

Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s foreign relations chief, vowed during the funeral ceremony that Haniyeh’s message will live on and “we will pursue Israel until it is uprooted from the land of Palestine”.

On 1 August, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) did report that they killed Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ longtime shadowy military leader and one of the alleged masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. The Israeli military said it killed Deif in a massive strike in southern Gaza on July 13, citing “an intelligence assessment.” There was no immediate comment from Hamas officials on Israel’s claim.

• Hezbollah, Iran condemn Israeli killing of Hamas leader in Tehran strike

Destroyed US hopes

Israel’s suspected killing of Hamas’ political leader in the heart of Tehran comes after a week in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised U.S. lawmakers he would continue his war against Hamas until “total victory,” showing an Israeli leader ever more openly at odds with Biden administration efforts to calm the region through diplomacy.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking on an Asia trip told reporters there that Washington had not been aware of the attack on Haniyeh.

The US remains focused on a cease-fire in the 9-month-old Israeli war in Gaza “as the best way to bring the temperature down everywhere,” Blinken said after Haniyeh’s killing.

The targeting, and timing, of the overnight strike may have all but destroyed U.S. hopes for now.

“I just don’t see how a cease-fire is feasible right now with the assassination of the person you would have been negotiating with,” said Vali Nasr, a former U.S. diplomat now at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

300 days since 7 October

If the expected cycles of retaliation and counter-retaliation ahead start unspooling as feared, Haniyeh’s killing could mark the end of Biden administration’s hopes of restraining escalatory actions as Israel targets what Netanyahu calls Iran’s “axis of terror,” in the wake of Hamas’ October 7 attacks in Israel.

And with the US political campaign entering its final months, it will be more difficult for the Biden administration to break away, if it wants to, from an ally it is bound to through historical, security, economic and political ties.

Meanwhile France, while not directly commenting on the latest escalation in the middle east, comemmorated the fact that the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October are now in their 300th day of captivity.

“Our thoughts are with the hostages held for 300 days by Hamas. France continues to work for their release,” according to a post on social media by French President Emmanuel Macron.

(With newswires)

During the final stages of the butterfly race at the Paris La Défense Arena, Marchand trailed the defending champion Kristof Milak. 

But the 22-year-old Frenchman surged past the Hungarian to finish in one minute 51.21 seconds. Milak claimed the silver and Ilya Kharun from Canada took the bronze medal.

And less than two hours later, Marchand was again on the starting blocks.

He won the breaststroke in an Olympic record time of two minutes, 05.85 seconds.

Zac Stubblety-Cook was second and Caspar Corbeau from the Netherlands got the bronze.

“I think it will take a while for me to realise what I’ve done,” said Marchand. “I’m just trying to keep going. I really enjoyed every moment of those two finals. It was really amazing for me to swim those.”

On Thursday, Marchand will continue his quest become the first French athlete to win four individual titles at the same Olympic Games. He will start the heats in the 200m individual medley.

Symmetry

Marchand’s feats provided wonderful symmetry for the hosts on the fifth day of competition.

Cassandre Beaugrand launched proceedings with a victory in the women’s triathlon.

The 27-year-old completed the course of a 1500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run in one hour, 54 minutes and 55 seconds.

Julie Derron from Switzerland won the silver medal and Beth Potter from Britain took the bronze.

After the men’s triathlon was cancelled on Tuesday due to unclean conditions in the river Seine, the women’s race was only confirmed during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“It would have been shameful for our sport if the swimming couldn’t have taken place,” she said after her victory. “It would have been a disgrace.”

Alex Yee from Britain won the men’s triathlon title on Wednesday following a late surge during the 10km run to overhaul pacesetter Hayden Wilde.

The 27-year-old completed the course of a 1500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run in one hour, 54 minutes and 55 seconds.

Julie Derron from Switzerland won the silver medal and Beth Potter from Britain took the bronze.

Organisers had to cancel training this week in the river and postponed the men’s race on Tuesday after the Seine was found to be too dirty for athletes following heavy rainstorms last week.

World Triathlon and the Paris organisers announced at 4am local time on Wednesday that the women’s race would go ahead, followed by the rescheduled men’s event.

Surge

Beaugrand, who trains in Britain, finished the 1500m swim in 22 minutes and 32 seconds – the sixth fastest. Her bike ride left her in eighth.

But she seared through the field in the 10km run to collect France’s first individual gold in the event which became an Olympic discipline in 2000 in Sydney.

The men’s race was due to start at around 11am in Paris.

French president Emmanuel Macron said before the Games that he hoped the country’s athletes would finish within the top five in the medals table.

Early on the fifth day of competition, the French delegation lay in second position with six golds among its haul of 19 medals.

On Wednesday night, Léon Marchand, winner of the 400m individual medley on Sunday, will attempt to add golds in the 200m butterfly and the 200m breaststroke to his collection.

The 22-year-old swam four times across the heats and semi-finals on Tuesday in his quest for glory.

“It’s a lot for my system,” he said after his heats on Tuesday. “I’m going to have to sleep well, eat a lot and I’ll be ready.”

The court’s verdict was in respect of an appeal of another one from the High Court late last year, which largely left the finance bill intact, only striking out the housing levy.

“A further declaration is hereby issued that the failure to comply with this constitutional dictate renders the entire Finance Act, 2023 unconstitutional,” a three-judge bench of the Court of Appeal said in a ruling.

The finance bills are presented to parliament at the start of every financial year and are the main vehicle for the government to set out its revenue-raising measures including tax hikes and the introduction of new levies.

The 2023 version was challenged in court following a round of political opposition-led street protests that turned violent, after Ruto’s government used it to double the value added tax on fuel, introduce a housing tax, and raise the top personal income tax rate, among other measures.

Kenya‘s government pushed through a new law to allow it to continue collecting the housing tax after that ruling and that law is also being challenged in court.

Ongoing protests

The government, which has been relying on the 2023 finance law to continue collecting taxes after Ruto withdrew this year’s bill, did not immediately comment on the ruling.

• Kenya’s Ruto withdraws finance bill after anti-tax protest deaths

Despite President William Ruto’s decision to dismiss nearly his entire cabinet following nationwide protests by young people, the anti-government demonstrations have evolved into demands for his resignation.

• After cabinet sackings, Kenya’s youth protesters call for President Ruto to go

The government now can appeal the Court of Appeal ruling at the Supreme Court, which is the highest court.

Nor the Chief Minister Musalia Mudavadi or the top official at the finance ministry, Chris Kiptoo, did respond to requests for comment.

Ruto has nominated a new finance minister after he fired all ministers but one in response to the youth-led violent protests that started last month.

He says the higher taxes are necessary to enable the government to fund development programmes while paying off a heavy public debt load that currently exceeds the recommended level by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

The government has submitted a new economic plan to the IMF and it expects the board of the fund to consider it at the end of August.

 (with newswires)

 “We hope this agreement will help create the conditions for de-escalation of tensions between the DRC and Rwanda and enable the safe return of those internally displaced to their homes,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Wednesday.

This follows a meeting between the foreign ministers of DRC and Rwanda who agreed to a ceasefire in eastern Congo, the Angolan presidency said Tuesday following peace talks in Luanda.

“The second ministerial meeting between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, held today in Luanda under the mediation of the Republic of Angola, agreed on the establishment of a ceasefire that will come into effect from midnight on 4 August 2024,” the Angolan presidency said.

Angola has been mediating in the conflict in the eastern DRC region of North Kivu, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have been fighting Democratic Republic of Congo forces since late 2021.

Fragile ceasefire

The ceasefire will be monitored by a reinforced “Ad Hoc Verification Mechanism”,  a statement issued after the meeting said, referring to a monitoring system previously created under the auspices of a regional grouping.

It comes as a humanitarian truce between the M23 rebels and government forces was due to expire at 11:59 pm on 3 August.

It was not immediately clear if the ceasefire would extend the truce or have a larger scope.

France and Belgium said they welcomed the ceasefire between Kinshasa and Kigali, soon after the announcement.

A region at war

On 5 July, the United States had announced the first two weeks of a “humanitarian truce”, but the deal was not respected in some areas.

Two children and two teenagers were killed in a bombardment on 15 July, four days before the truce was set to expire.

M23 rebels, DRC begin two-week ‘humanitarian truce’

At the end of June, the M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, seized several towns in  the Lubero territory, in the north of North Kivu, following the collapse of the Congolese army and its auxiliary militias.

The M23 and the Rwandan army also launched an offensive in North Kivu province in the mineral-rich eastern DRC at the end of 2021 and since then have seized large swathes of territory.

A report commissioned by the UN Security Council said that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers had been fighting alongside the M23 rebels and that Kigali had “de facto control” of the group’s operations.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seize key town in east DRC

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has not explicitly denied the presence of Rwandan forces in DRC, and even expressed his willingness to take a “defensive” position to protect Kigali’s interests.

The eastern part of DRC, rich in minerals, has been racked for 30 years by fighting between both local and foreign-based armed groups, going back to regional wars of the 1990s.

Dozens have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in North Kivu since January.

 (with AFP) 

The initiative, know as known as the Special Measure on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies in Africa (MAV+), is designed to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare sector by improving access to high-quality health products, particularly vaccines.

Ghana’s development goals

Myriam Ferran, the Deputy Director-General of the European Commission, emphasised the EU’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s development goals. She noted that the initiative is not only expected to bolster the country’s healthcare system but also to stimulate economic growth.

“Through this initiative, the EU will assist Ghana in developing a robust ecosystem capable of producing a skilled workforce, strengthening research and development capabilities, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework, facilitating technology transfer, and fostering both bilateral and multilateral partnerships for vaccine and pharmaceutical production,” Ferran explained.

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, presidential advisor on health for Ghana, highlighted the government’s collaboration with the EU to realize President Nana Akufo-Addo’s vision of making Ghana a regional hub for vaccine manufacturing.

He said, “Since 2022, the EU has been actively supporting vaccine production in Ghana at both public and private levels. This crucial initiative aims to ensure that vaccines manufactured in Ghana meet the quality standards necessary for access to regional and global markets.”

Additionally, in partnership with the German Development Cooperation, the EU has initiated a €3.1 million project to enhance the capacity of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

This funding is intended to improve the FDA’s regulatory and oversight capabilities, ensuring that all pharmaceutical products produced in Ghana meet stringent safety and efficacy standards.

The grant will help the FDA enhance its quality control measures, ensuring that vaccines and other pharmaceuticals adhere to international standards.

National Vaccine Institute

In 2023, the Ghanaian government established the National Vaccine Institute, supported by a 25 million euro fund. This institute aims to streamline vaccine production and enhance the capacity of local pharmaceutical companies to produce, package, and distribute mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, Malaria, and Tuberculosis.

The initiative was spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent vaccine shortages experienced in 2020.

The EU has also provided a five million euro grant through the European Investment Bank to DEK Vaccines Limited. This funding supports the establishment of a fill-and-finish vaccine manufacturing facility in Ghana.

 Vaccine Importation

Currently, 99 percent of vaccines used in Africa are imported, with many countries relying heavily on donations. Ghana is no exception to this trend.

Professor William Ampofo, Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute, expressed optimism that the global initiative would create a conducive environment for local vaccine production.

“Ghana has been spending significantly on vaccines. Local production will not only reduce costs but also create jobs and accelerate the country’s economic development. There is a pressing need to strengthen public-private partnerships to support the pharmaceutical industry,” he added.

Under controversial legislation currently passing through parliament, local authorities would be responsible for rounding up stray dogs, which would be killed after 30 days if an owner can not be found for them.

Opponents claim as many as eight million street dogs could be at risk.

“They are planning to round them up into shelters, which we call death camps,” said Zulal Kalkandelen, one of the animals rights activists taking part in a recent protest against the plan in Istanbul.

“For some time, there has been a campaign to fuel stray animal hatred,” she declared.

“Our people, who have been living with street dogs for many years, in fact for centuries, are now being brought to the point where all these animals will be erased.”

Street dogs have been a part of Istanbul life for centuries. The proposed legislation evokes memories of a dark chapter in the city’s past when, in 1910, street dogs were rounded up and left on a nearby island to starve.

It has provoked emotive arguments in parliament, with MPs jostling one another and exchanging insults – opening another deep divide in an already fractured political landscape.

But President Erdogan insists something must be done to control stray animals that, he argues, have become a menace to society, causing traffic accidents and spreading disease.

Humane alternatives

Addressing parliament, Erdogan claimed he was answering the call of the “silent majority”.

“The truth is that a very large part of society wants this issue to be resolved as soon as possible and our streets to become safe for everyone, especially our children,” he declared.

“It is unthinkable for us to remain indifferent to this demand, this call, even this cry. Our proposals are no different from those of other countries in Europe.”

Mixed reactions as France prepares to simplify wolf culling rules

Lawyer Elcin Cemre Sencan, who has helped organise protests against the proposed legislation, argues there are more humane ways to address people’s concerns.

“There is a group of people who are disturbed by these stray animals or who are afraid even to touch them,” she acknowledges. “But even if there are these concerns, the solution is not to put the dogs to sleep.

“Scientific studies have shown that sterilising animals, especially dogs, reduces not only their numbers but also attacks on people.”

Veterinary organisations have also pointed out that the cost of euthanising a dog is many times higher than sterilisation and vaccination.

Diversion tactic?

Some critics suggest politics could be behind the move.

With Erdogan’s conservative AK Party suffering heavy defeats in local elections this spring and Turkey grappling with near 100 percent inflation, opponents claim the Turkish president could be calculating that objections to his street dog legislation comes mainly from the secular opposition and hoping the issue will consolidate his religious base.

“We know our problems in this country; the world knows our problems. There is an economic crisis, and we have human rights problems everywhere. But they want to change the main topics to these animals,” said Eyup Cicerali, a professor at Istanbul’s Nisantasi University, at a recent protest against the legislation.  

“They want to kill them all,” he claimed. “We are here to protect our values, values of respect and dignity for human and animal rights. Life is an issue for all groups.”

According to one recent opinion poll, less than 3 percent of the Turkish public support the culling of street dogs.

Some of Erdogan’s MPs have even started speaking out against the law in the media, albeit anonymously. “This law makes us dog killers,” one unnamed deputy was quoted as saying.

Despite such misgivings, the legislation is expected to pass parliament later this month.

But with the protests drawing together secular and religious animal lovers, and opposition-controlled local authorities declaring they won’t impose the law, the stray dog legislation could prove a risky move for Erdogan.

Where will Gaza stray dogs find shelter?

In total, more than 200 delegations and 10,000 athletes are participating in 36 sports at the Paris Games. 

RFI’s sport editor Paul Myers discusses how African athletes from all over the continent are likely to perform.

Who are the African athletes to watch out for at Paris Olympics?

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome. 

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale. 

Hello everyone!

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear an essay by listener Ashik Eqbal Tokon from Rajshahi, Bangladesh. I hope you’ll be inspired to write an essay for us, too!

If your essay goes on the air, you’ll find a package in the mail from The Sound Kitchen. Write in about your “ordinary” heroes – the people in your community who are doing extraordinarily good work, quietly working to make the world a better place, in whatever way they can. As listener Pramod Maheshwari said: “Just as small drops of water can fill a pitcher, small drops of kindness can change the world.”

I am still looking for your “This I Believe” essays, too. Tell us about the principles that guide your life … what you have found to be true from your very own personal experience. Or write about a book that changed your perspective on life, a person who you admire, festivals in your community, your most memorable moment, and/or your proudest achievement. If your essay is chosen to go on the air – read by you – you’ll win a special prize!

Send your essays to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Or by postal mail, to:

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Here’s Ashik Eqbal Tokon’s essay:

The Transformative Journey, Inspired by Pather Panchali 

As a child growing up in the bustling megacity of the 1980s, I was accustomed to the constant hum of trains, the clanging of trams, the honking of buses, and the rhythmic peddling of rickshaws. My world was a mosaic of concrete, electricity, radio broadcasts, and black-and-white television screens. It was a life saturated with modern conveniences and rapid movement, where nature seemed distant, relegated to small parks and occasional glimpses of the sky between towering buildings. However, this perception shifted dramatically when I encountered a short story extracted from the novel Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. The tale of Apu and Durga’s discovery of the train in their remote Bengali village captured my imagination with its vivid descriptions and emotional depth. The scene where they run through lush fields, their eyes widening in awe at the sight of the train, resonated deeply within me. This moment became etched in my mind, igniting a spark of curiosity and longing for a world beyond the urban sprawl.

My First Journey to the Village

Shortly after reading the story, I had the opportunity to visit my ancestral village, a place starkly different from my city life. The journey began with a train ride that mirrored Apu’s wonder and excitement. As the train chugged through the countryside, I gazed out of the window, mesmerised by the passing landscapes. Rivers snaked through the green fields, and orchards of mangoes, lychees, and jackfruits painted the scenery with vibrant colours. It was as if I had stepped into Apu’s world, experiencing the same unmeasurable happiness he felt. The bus journey that followed took me deeper into the heart of nature. The scent of fresh earth and blooming flowers filled the air. The sight of villagers working in the fields, children playing under the shade of trees, and the serene flow of rivers created a permanent visual in my mind. This experience was a revelation, a tactile encounter with the natural world that Apu had introduced me to.

Discovering Pather Panchali in My Teenage Years

As a teenager, I read the full novel Pather Panchali and felt an even stronger connection to Apu’s journey. The book opened my eyes to the beauty of nature, the simplicity of rural life, and the profound emotions tied to family and survival. It made me realise that true happiness and fulfilment could be found in the simplest of experiences and the purest of surroundings. This realisation shaped my life’s journey and passions. I developed a deep love for travel, seeking out places where I could immerse myself in nature’s embrace. The novel’s influence led me to explore diverse landscapes, from the golden deserts of Rajasthan, India, to the lush hills of Bhutan. I found joy in the contrasting environments—the tranquil charm of Thailand’s beaches, the cultural richness of Bali, the waves of the Bay of Bengal, and the expansive horizons of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Thailand, and Java Sea.

Embracing My Home Country, Bangladesh

One of the most profound impacts of Pather Panchali was how it deepened my appreciation for my own beautiful country, Bangladesh. After my teenage years, I have had the privilege to explore all 64 districts of Bangladesh, each with its unique natural beauty and cultural heritage. From the verdant hills of Sylhet to the serene beaches of Cox’s Bazar, the majestic Sundarbans mangrove forest to the vibrant cultural tapestry of Dhaka, every corner of Bangladesh offered a new discovery and a deeper connection to my roots. The green landscapes, the winding rivers, and the warmth of the people in Bangladesh constantly reminded me of Apu’s world. This profound connection to my homeland enriched my life and reinforced my love for travel and exploration. Bangladesh, with its rich history and diverse natural beauty, continues to be a source of inspiration and joy.

Embracing Nature and the Love of Travel

Pather Panchali taught me to appreciate the feather-light touch of nature, to find beauty and peace in its presence, even in the most unexpected places. Whether it was the arid sands of Rajasthan, where the desert winds whispered ancient tales, or the verdant hills of Jalpaiguri, where the air was thick with the scent of tea leaves, nature became my sanctuary. The novel instilled in me a sense of wonder and a desire to explore, to experience the world through the lens of its natural splendour. In Thailand and Bali, I found a different kind of charm, where the azure waters and golden sunsets painted the skies with hues of tranquility and adventure. Swimming in the waves of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, I felt a connection to the vastness of the world, a reminder of Apu’s endless curiosity and love for discovery. The icy expanse of Mongolia, though harsh, revealed the serene and stark beauty of a world wrapped in snow and silence, expanding my understanding of nature’s extremes.

Final Word

The transformative power of Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay lies in its ability to transport readers into a world where nature and simplicity hold profound meaning. For me, the novel was not just a story but a catalyst for a lifelong passion for travel and an enduring love for the natural world. It taught me to seek out the beauty in every corner of the earth, to cherish the moments of awe and wonder, and to find joy in the journey itself. This timeless tale of Apu’s adventures has forever changed my perspective, making every travel experience a homage to the spirit of discovery and the beauty of nature, from the warm beaches of Bali to the freezing steppes of Mongolia, and the verdant beauty of Bangladesh, my beloved homeland.

The music chosen by Ashik is “Janmo Amar Dhonno Holo Mago” by Azad Rahman, sung by Sabina Yeasmin.

Be sure and tune in next week for an essay written by Bidhan Chandar Sanyal. Talk to you then!

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr – tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. You are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution – told by the people it affects.

You do not need expensive video equipment to enter the competition. Your phone is fine. And you do not need to be a member of the RFI Clubs to enter – everyone is welcome. And by the way – the prizes are incredibly generous!

Go to the ePOP page to read about past competitions, watch past videos, and read the regulations for your entry.  You can also write to us at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr, and we’ll forward your mail to Planète Radio.

The competition closes on 12 September, but you know how “time flies”, so get to work now! We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI”  has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bi-lingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Paris Perspective, Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, too.

As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. NB: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 22 June, I asked you a question about the world’s largest arms show – the Eurosatory weapons show – which was just ending up here in France. RFI English journalist Jan van der Made went out to take a look, and wrote an article about it for you: “Israel and Russia barred as world’s largest arms show opens in Paris”.

You were to re-read Jan’s article and send in the answer to this question: why is the arms fair called “Eurosatory”?

The answer is, to quote Jan’s article: “Eurosatory is named after Satory, a town near Versailles that is home to Paris’s 24th infantry regiment and the GIGN (an elite French crisis intervention group) headquarters.

The first Eurosatory show was held there in 1967, but due to its expansion over the years, the show moved to the Villepinte exhibition halls north of the French capital.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is your favorite food, and why?”, which was suggested by Momotaz Begum Nazu from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: Riaz Ahmad Khan, the president of the RFI Listeners Club in Sheikhupura, Pakistan. Riaz is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations Riaz, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria, and RFI Listeners Club member Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist – Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India.

Last but not least, there are RFI English listeners Nilu Dhakal from Mechi, Nepal, and Laily Akhter Nessa from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The theme from The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini; “No Apparent Reason” by Alex Norris, performed by Ralph Irizarry and Timbalaye; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Canon” by Siouxsie Sioux, Budgie, and Steven Severin, performed by Siouxsie and The Banshees.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Rwanda heads to the polls to likely re-elect Kagame for fourth term”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 9 September to enter this week’s quiz. The winners will be announced on the 14 September podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

or

By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country’s international access code, or “ + ”, then  33 6 31 12 96 82. Don’t forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

To find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize, click here.

To find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club, click here. 

Erdogan’s call for talks comes after widespread riots against Syrian refugees in Turkish cities. He aims to facilitate the return of Syrians who have fled to Turkey since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.

Soli Ozel, an international relations expert at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University, says the situation is volatile.

“The country is like a tinderbox regarding refugees, especially as economic conditions deteriorate. Syrians have become easy scapegoats, and there’s widespread frustration with their presence, justified or not. This has become a significant political issue,” Ozel said.

He also stresses that key to any solution is a credible plan for the orderly departure of Syrian refugees to reassure the Turkish public.

Erdogan’s party suffered losses in local elections in March, largely due to growing hostility towards over three million Syrian refugees in Turkey and rampant inflation approaching triple digits. These factors have intensified pressure on Erdogan to address the refugee situation.

• Turkey vows to keep borders shut despite new exodus of Syrians

Russia’s position

Russia, under Putin, supports Erdogan’s diplomatic outreach, seeing it as a potential end to Turkish backing of Syrian rebels and a conclusion to the civil war.

This aligns with Moscow’s priorities, since resolving the Syrian conflict would allow Russia to redirect military resources to Ukraine.

However, Turkey’s extensive military presence in Syria complicates potential talks. Turkish forces are engaged in operations against Kurdish groups, which Ankara claims are linked to domestic separatists. The Turkish military also protects Syrian rebel forces along the border.

Aydin Selcen, a former Turkish diplomat and now a foreign policy analyst with Medyascope, suggests that Ankara’s willingness to negotiate could provide Syria with an opportunity to secure Turkish withdrawal.

“Assad relies heavily on external support and even internal factions” he said.

“Unable to forcibly remove Turkish troops, Assad’s only option is to request their withdrawal as a precondition for talks.”

Despite this, Erdogan insists on maintaining Turkey’s military presence until Syria can effectively secure its borders.

Sinan Ulgen of the Istanbul-based Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies said: “Turkey’s primary concern is preventing the border region from becoming a security threat post-withdrawal. Turkey needs assurances from Syria before considering troop removal.”

• Turkey’s Syrian refugees face local hostility as economic problems mount

Humanitarian crisis?

The news of Erdogan’s pursuit of dialogue with Damascus sparked unrest in rebel-held northeast Syria, with protesters targeting Turkish bases out of fear of potential abandonment by Ankara.

Erdogan maintains that any agreement with Damascus would safeguard returning Syrian refugees and rebels. However, Fabrice Balanche, a regional expert from Lyon University, warns of an impending humanitarian crisis.

“If the regime regains control of rebel areas, most residents will attempt to flee to Turkey. Turkey cannot accommodate four million additional refugees,” Balanche cautions.

“These people are acutely aware that remaining under regime control, even with promised amnesties, puts them at risk of targeting by security forces, conscription, or worse. There’s no real protection.”

Despite ongoing tensions in Turkey over the Syrian refugee presence, Erdogan is seeking Putin’s assistance to soften Assad’s stance on negotiations.

The Turkish leader has proposed hosting a trilateral summit this summer, though there’s been no positive response so far.

The current situation highlights the complex interplay of regional politics, humanitarian concerns and diplomatic manoeuvering in addressing the Syrian conflict and its far-reaching consequences.

• Syria’s Assyrians flee to Turkey

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr – tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. You are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution – told by the people it affects.

You do not need expensive video equipment to enter the competition. Your phone is fine. And you do not need to be a member of the RFI Clubs to enter – everyone is welcome. And by the way – the prizes are incredibly generous!

Go to the ePOP page to read about past competitions, watch past videos, and read the regulations for your entry.  You can also write to us at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr, and we’ll forward your mail to Planète Radio.

The competition closes on 12 September, but you know how “time flies”, so get to work now! We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI”  has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bi-lingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Paris Perspective, Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, too.

As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. NB: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

We have a new RFI Listeners Club member to welcome: Tahmidul Alam Orin from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Welcome,Tahmidul! So glad you have joined us!

You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write to me at english.service@rfi.fr and tell me you want to join, and I’ll send you a membership number. It’s that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you’ll receive a premium prize.

This week’s quiz: On 15 June, I asked you a question about the European Parliament elections, where the far-right National Rally party trounced President Macron’s centrist bloc. Macron then preceded to dissolve and call snap elections for France’s lower house of Parliament, which was a surprise to us all – even his Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, it seems.

You were to refer to Jessica Phelan’s article “Why did Macron call snap elections and what does it mean for France?”, and send in the answer to this question: What percentage of the votes did Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party win, and what percentage of the votes did Macron’s centrist bloc win in the European Parliament elections?

The answer is, to quote Jessica’s article: “With 31.4 percent of the vote to the Macronists’ 14.6 percent, National Rally leader Jordan Bardella called the results a “stinging rejection” of the president.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Father Steven Wara from Bamenda, Cameroon: “What do you do to help others have a secure and happy life?”   

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Jayanta is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Jayanta!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are two RFI Listeners Club members from Dhaka, Bangladesh: Monzurul Alam Ripon and Atikul Islam, who is also the president of the Narshunda Radio Listeners Family Club, and hailing from Hedehusene, Denmark, Hans Verner Lollike.

Last but not least, there’s RFI English listener Nizhom Yeasmin Kona from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The James Bond Theme written by David Arnold; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “I Love to Laugh” from the film Mary Poppins, music and lyrics written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman with George Stiles, and sung by Ed Wynn, Julie Andrews, and Dick Van Dyke, and John Coltrane’s “Naima”, performed by Eric Dolphy.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “What are the next steps now that France finds itself with a hung parliament?”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 26 August to enter this week’s quiz. The winners will be announced on the 31 August podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

or

By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country’s international access code, or “ + ”, then  33 6 31 12 96 82. Don’t forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

To find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize, click here.

To find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club, click here. 

Madhya Pradesh is often referred to as the Heart of India. Located right in the middle of the country, the Indian region shows everything India has to offer through its abundant diversity. The IFTM trade show, which took place in Paris at the end of September, presented the perfect opportunity for travel enthusiasts to discover the region.

Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board, sat down to explain his approach to sustainable tourism.

“Post-covid the whole world has known a shift in their approach when it comes to tourism. And all those discerning travelers want to have different kinds of experiences: something offbeat, something new, something which has not been explored before.”

Through its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Shukla wants to showcase the deep history Madhya Pradesh has to offer.

“UNESCO is very actively supporting us and three of our sites are already World Heritage Sites. Sanchi is a very famous buddhist spiritual destination, Bhimbetka is a place where prehistoric rock shelters are still preserved, and Khajuraho is home to thousand year old temples with magnificent architecture.”

All in all, Shukla believes that there’s only one way forward for the industry: “Travelers must take sustainable tourism as a paradigm in order to take tourism to the next level.”

In partnership with Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board.

Also known as the Land of the Beautiful Islands, Malaysia’s landscape and cultural diversity is almost unmatched on the planet. Those qualities were all put on display at the Malaysian stand during the IFTM trade show.

Libra Hanif, director of Tourism Malaysia, explained the appeal of the country as well as the importance of promoting sustainable tourism today: “Sustainable travel is a major trend now, with the changes that are happening post-covid. People want to get close to nature, to get close to people. So Malaysia being a multicultural and diverse [country] with a lot of natural environments, we felt that it’s a good thing for us to promote Malaysia.”

Malaysia has also gained fame in recent years, through its numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which include Kinabalu Park and the Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley.

Green mobility has also become an integral part of tourism in Malaysia, with an increasing number of people using bikes to discover the country: “If you are a little more adventurous, we have the mountain back trails where you can cut across gazetted trails to see the natural attractions and the wildlife that we have in Malaysia,” says Hanif. “If you are not that adventurous, you’ll be looking for relaxing cycling. We also have countryside spots, where you can see all the scenery in a relaxing session.”

With more than 25,000 visitors at this IFTM trade show this year, Malaysia’s tourism board got to showcase the best the country and its people have to offer.

In partnership with Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. For more information about Malaysia, click here.