In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said British nationals should depart the Middle Eastern country “now while commercial options remain available”.

“Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly,” said Foreign Minister David Lammy.

“While we are working round the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear – leave now.”

Fears of a regional Middle East war grew on Saturday after the assassination of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, blamed on Israel, triggered vows of vengeance from Iran-backed Middle East groups.

Israel, which has declined to comment on Haniyeh’s killing, had on Tuesday struck a Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut.

That strike killed senior commander Fuad Shukr of the Lebanese militant group, blamed for a deadly rocket strike on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights last Saturday.

The killings are the latest of several major incidents that have inflamed regional tensions during the Gaza war, which has drawn in Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.

France ‘committed’ to de-escalation of regional conflict after Golan attack

Grab ‘any ticket available’

The British Foreign Office said it was “strengthening” its support for Britons in Lebanon by deploying “border force, consular officials and military personnel to the region”.

The officials will offer “additional support” to embassy staff while the military personnel will provide embassies with “operational support to help British nationals”, the ministry said.

“With the potential for exit routes out of Lebanon – including roads – being affected, limited, or closed, due to events escalating with little warning, teams will continue to urge British nationals to leave while commercial options remain available.”

The US embassy in Lebanon also urged its citizens Saturday to leave Lebanon on “any ticket available”. 

Despite flight suspensions and cancellations, “commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available”, the embassy statement said.

“We encourage those who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route.”

Axis of resistance

The United States said it would move additional warships and fighter jets to the region as the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” readied its response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh.

The groups from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria have already been drawn into the nearly 10-month war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas.

Iran on Saturday said it expects one of those groups, Hezbollah, to hit deeper inside Israel and to no longer be confined to military targets.

With such talk growing, the Pentagon said it was bolstering its military presence in the Middle East to protect US personnel and defend Israel.

Flights grounded

Meanwhile, flights to Beirut by Air France and low-cost carrier Transavia France will remain suspended until at least Tuesday due to “security” concerns in the region, parent company Air France-KLM said.

The two French airlines first stopped servicing the route on Monday, a day after Israel vowed to retaliate following rocket fire from Lebanon that killed 12 people in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

“Any resumption of operation will be subject to a renewed evaluation on the ground,” a spokesman said Saturday, adding that passengers with reservations could rebook at no extra cost.

Flights to Tel Aviv will continue as normal, he added.

German carrier Lufthansa has suspended flights until 12 August.

(with AFP)

France’s President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said he was “outraged” by the wave of cyberbullying against the Olympic Games opening ceremony’s choreographer Thomas Jolly, adding that “nothing justifies threatening an artist”.

“The French were very proud of this ceremony,” said Macron on the sidelines of a visit to Paris Olympics volunteers. “France showed its audacity with the artistic freedom that it comes with.”

“Its audacity has done many people good,” he added.

‘We did it!’: France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony

Defamation

Although largely praised, the show has also been criticised worldwide by religious authorities and conservative politicians for what they viewed as an offensive reference to The Last Supper.

Prosecutors in the capital on Friday opened an investigation into insults directed against drag queen Nicky Doll, who featured in the controversial scene.

Paris Olympic opening creator rebuffs anti-Christian criticism

Doll and other organisers of the event have argued that in fact it depicted a pagan feast, featuring, among others, the Greek god of wine and pleasure, Dionysus.

Doll filed a complaint on Friday alleging public defamation from, among others, the English actor turned activist Laurence Fox, who has more than half a million followers on X, formerly Twitter.

Insults, death threats

For his part, Jolly filed a complaint on Tuesday, explaining he had been “targeted on social media by threatening and insulting messages criticising his sexual orientation and wrongly assumed Israeli origins”, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

They were notably investigating death threats against him, it added.

A source close to the case said many of the hate messages had been in English.

French DJ and lesbian activist Barbara Butch, who also took part in the ceremony, filed a complaint with prosecutors earlier this week over cyberbullying and death threats.

Olympics organisers on Friday “firmly condemned” the bullying and offered their support to the artists in question.

“Paris 2024 gives its full support to Thomas Jolly as well as the creators and artists of the opening ceremony in light of the attacks against them,” they told French news agency AFP, after Jolly filed an official complaint alleging cyberbullying after the show.

(with AFP)

The 23-year-old claimed the dash in 10.72 seconds. Sha’carri Richardson from the United States was second and her compatriot Melissa Jefferson finished third in 10.92 seconds.

“It means a lot to me,” said Alfred. “It means a lot to my coach. It means a lot to my country. I’m sure they’re celebrating right now.”

Alfred, who trains in the United States, left the eastern Caribbean island during her early teens first to go to Jamaica before moving to the University of Texas.

She said she started the day watching highlights of the legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt to inspire her.

In 2008 in Beijing, he famously attributed his gold medal-winning run in the 100m to capacious helpings of chicken nuggets and catnaps.

After her historic feat, she dedicated the medal to her late father.

“He believed that I could do it. He passed away in 2013 – now he couldn’t get to see me on the biggest stage of my career. He believed that I could be an Olympian.

“Growing up I used to be on the field, struggling with no shoes, running barefoot, running in my school uniform.

“We barely had facilities. I’m really hoping this gold medal helps the youth and helps St Lucian government to also build the new stadium to just keep the sport growing.”

Pedigree

Alfred was the only sprinter at the Olympics besides Richardson to break 10.8 seconds this year.

When they lined up next to each other in the semi-finals, it was billed as part of the psychological warfare.

Alfred won that race by .05 of a second. In the final on a rain-soaked track, she tripled that margin.

The result meant the United States’ 28-year gold medal drought in the event goes on.

Gail Devers was their last winner in 1996. Marion Jones was stripped of her 2000 Olympic gold for doping.

Elsewhere on the track, Norway’s Markus Rooth won the prize as the best all round athlete.

The 21-year-old claimed the decathlon with 8796. Leo Neugebauer from Germany was second with 8748 points and Lindon Victor from Grenada was third.

It was a final fit for the splendour of the surroundings in the nave of the Grand Palais. And a personal performance that will further enhance Kharlan’s legend at home and sing down the ages to the country’s fencers.

Kharlan, the most decorated member of the team with multiple world championships and Olympic medals, gave her side a 5-3 advantage after the first relay against Eunhye Jeon.

By the time Kharlan came out for the fifth relay, South Korea were leading 20-14. At the end of her next intervention, South Korea were ahead 25-23.

Thus inspired, Yuliia Bakastova and Alina Komashchuk managed to prevent another huge deficit.

But even when Kharlan went into the final relay, South Korea led 40-37.

Kharlan reined in Hayoung Jeon to 40-40 but Jeon nosed in front again to lead 42-41.

But that was as good as it got for Jeon and South Korea. Kharlan scored the next four points to take her personal tally in the final up to 22, Ukraine to 45 points and glory.

“When I went in I was thinking everything is possible,” said Kharlan. “And I just fenced. I told myself that I was going to enjoy this moment and went for it.”

It was her sixth medal at her fifth Olympic Games.

In 2008 in Beijing, she won gold in the sabre team event.

Haul

Four years later in London, she won bronze in the individual event and has picked up bronze in Rio where she won silver in the team event.

And she almost didn’t make it to the Olympics. After her victory over the Russian fencer Anna Smirnova at the world championships in July 2023, Kharlan refused to acknowledge Smirnova because of the war between the two countries.

Kharlan was disqualified from the competition and faced a ban from the Olympic Games. The threat was eventually lifted.

“She knows what she can do,” said Bakastova of Kharlan’s performance.

“It helps alot when she says something because she knows a lot and I know that it’s important.”

Disappointment

The triumph brought a geopolitically charged ending to a session that started with disappointment for the partisans.

On Saturday afternoon, Manon Apithy-Brunet, Sara Balzer who won gold and silver respectively in the individual event and Cecilia Berder came through their first match easily against Algeria 45-28 to set up a semi- final against South Korea who had disposed of the United States 45-35.

The South Koreans were just as methodical against the French who did not lead at any point during the 39-minute tie which ended 45-40.

While the victors advanced to a showdown against Ukraine, defeat at least led to the possibility of redemption in the bronze medal match against Japan.

A rousing rendition of the French national anthem La Marseillaise accompanied the arrival of the France team comprising Sarah Noutcha along with Apithy-Brunet and Balzer.

Chance

Apithy-Brunet edged the first relay 5-4 against Misaki Emura and Balzer consolidated to set up France up with a 10-7 advantage.

Seri Ozaki crushed Noutcha to overturn the deficit and give Japan the lead 15-13 after the third relay.

A few minutes later in the fifth relay, Noutcha atoned for her sins to offer France a 25-23 lead.

Balzer kept the French ahead by one following the sixth relay at 30-29. But in the seventh, Noutcha collapsed. 

Risa Takashima scored six unanswered points to make it 35-30 to Japan.

Not even the ballast of raucous screaming nor another lusty rendition of La Marseillaise could push Apithy-Brunet or Balzer to recovery.

“It’s a disappointment,” said Balzer. “The fact that I got gold and Sara got silver doesn’t mean anything,” added Apithy-Brunet.

“We wanted to get another medal for ourselves and for the other girls and we haven’t done that. We were fourth.”

The 24-year-old Belgian completed the 273km trek around Paris and along the Seine to Versailles in six hours, 19 minutes and 34 seconds.

French duo Valentin Madouas and Christophe Laporte took silver and bronze respectively in front of thousands of screaming partisans.

The two medals for France were the country’s first in the men’s Olympic road race in 68 years.

The win capped a spectacular few weeks for Evenepoel who finished third in the Tour de France.

Elsewhere, the American gymnast Simon Biles collected her third gold medal of the games.

Following successes in the women’s team gold and the all-around title, the 27-year-old won the vault.

• Catch all the Olympic action with RFI here

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who claimed gold in the vault at the Tokyo Games in 2021, took silver and Biles’ compatriot Jade Carey got bronze.

In tennis, Australia won the men’s doubles. Matthew Ebden and John Peers beat the American pair Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-7, 7-6, 10-8.

Qinwen Zheng claimed the gold medal for China in the women’s singles. The 21-year-old who ousted top seed Iga Swiatek in the semi-final dispatched Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3.

Zheng is the first player from China to win a medal in tennis at the Olympics.

“Due to the increased risk of a military escalation in the region, visiting French nationals still in Iran are invited to leave as soon as possible,” the French Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in a pre-dawn attack on Wednesday in Tehran has deepened fears of a regional war.

Tehran, as well as the Iran-backed Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah movements, have blamed Israel, which has not commented.

It has however claimed responsibility for the killing just hours earlier of senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Hundreds of people gathered at a mosque in Qatar on Friday to bid farewell to the slain leader.

Haniyeh’s killing comes almost 10 months into an Israeli military offensive that has ravaged the Gaza Strip, sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel.

His death triggered calls for revenge, and raised questions about the continued viability of any mediated talks aimed at ending the war between Hamas and Israel. Hamas called for a “day of furious rage”.

Iran calls for revenge at funeral of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh

France steps up protection of Jewish sites

Meanwhile, France on Friday ordered additional security measures at Jewish sites across the country, saying there was danger of revenge attacks after the killing of Haniyeh in Iran.

In a message sent to regional prefects, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said an “immediate strengthening” of protection was required.

“The risk of acts being committed is real,” he said in the message seen by French news agency AFP, especially since “many Israeli nationals are on our territory because of the Olympic Games”.

France’s Jewish population is the largest in Europe, and the third-largest in the world after Israel and the United States.

France is also home to Europe’s biggest Muslim population.

Darmanin ordered police, gendarmes and the military protection force Sentinelle to be mobilised “without delay” to guarantee the protection of “strategic locations frequented by our Jewish fellow citizens, especially during religious services”.

US on the alert

In a separate development, the United States is set to bolster its military presence in the Middle East, deploying additional warships and fighter jets to protect US personnel and defend Israel amid soaring tensions in the region, the Pentagon said Friday.

“The Department of Defense continues to take steps to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran’s partners and proxies,” deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement.

The aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln will replace one helmed by the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the region, Singh said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the Middle East and areas under US European Command, as well as a new fighter squadron to the Middle East.

(with AFP)

Paris 2024’s organising committee aimed to cut the event’s carbon footprint by half and stage the greenest Games to date.

But that ambition has run into a problem: the huge appetites of meat-loving athletes.

At a trial run at the Olympic Village restaurant in June, Games supremo Tony Estanguet stressed that Paris 2024 was aiming to cut the average carbon emissions per meal in half compared to previous Olympics by offering more vegetarian food.

Promising not to disappoint visitors to a country famed for its gastronomy, the organising committee also took on several Michelin-starred chefs as advisors to work alongside its food contractor, French multinational Sodexo.

But the first few days in the village, located in the suburb of Saint-Denis north of Paris, saw demands for more meat, eggs and bigger helpings as athletes looked to refuel.

“The only issue would be the food shortages,” swimmer Julio Horrego from Honduras told French news agency AFP when asked about life in the village. “It’s a bit surprising.”

Horrego, who says he eats up to 5,000 calories per day, said he turned up for breakfast at 10.30am last Sunday only to find there were no eggs left.

“If you arrive a bit late, then there aren’t enough,” he said at the entrance to the village, which can house 10,500 athletes in its roughly 40 blocks.

More meat

Romanian rower Iulian Chelaru gave a clear answer when asked if there was anything missing: meat.

“We didn’t have enough meat, but now it’s solved,” he added.

Meanwhile, German swimmer Lucas Matzerath said that the size of helpings was also increasing. “At the start there were not very big portions for people, but it’s improved now,” he said.

The food hall includes six different dining areas offering meals from around the globe, with half of the 50 dishes available each day 100 percent vegetarian.

“We enjoy our greens, so it’s not a problem,” Canadian beach volleyball player Sophie Bukovec said as she left the complex.

“Some of the athletes are big meat-eaters. They’re trying to sort it out. There is protein, you just have to know where to find it.”

Sodexo said on Wednesday that it had adjusted its menus.

“Eggs and grilled meat dishes have been in high demand, so volumes have been increased significantly,” a spokesperson for the group said. “For several days now the quantities offered are in line with demand.”

Hot air

The vegetarian-heavy food offering is not the only difference in the Paris village compared with previous editions.

The housing complex, which will be converted into apartments after the Games, was built without air-conditioning and instead has an underfloor cooling system.

But faced with forecasts for a heatwave, the organisers compromised and allowed teams to order portable air-conditioning units at their own expense.

Climate group criticises Paris claim that 2024 Olympics will reduce emissions

Teams including the US, Great Britain, the Netherlands and France have opted to install the temporary coolers for their athletes, but others are having to do without, amid temperatures that climbed above 30°C midweek with high humidity.

“I suffer in the hot weather, but up until now I’ve slept well with just a fan,” said Italian beach volleyball player Marta Menegatti. “AC would be better for recovery, though.”

Cardboard beds

Other athletes have found the innovative Japanese-made beds in the village tricky to adjust to.

Their bases are made from cardboard and the mattresses from recycled plastic including fish nets, leading some to joke in the past that they were “anti-sex” and designed to stop athletes jumping between the sheets.

“My bed is too hard, it’s not the best,” said Spanish handballer Lysa Tchaptchet.

Others were enthusiastic about the efforts made by Paris 2024 organising committee to be more sustainable, including by cutting emisions and making sure all of the equipment – including the beds – can be recycled or reused afterwards.

“I really enjoy it and like what they’ve done in the village,” said Signe Bro, a Danish swimmer.

“It does the job now but it’s great to know for us athletes how it will be used in the future, and that it has been built in a sustainable way.

“You can laugh about the beds, but it’s good to know you don’t have 10,000 beds left over at the end.”

Paris prepares for Olympic romance with 220,000 free condoms

(with AFP)

The 35-year-old Riner is just the second three-time individual Olympic gold medallist in judo history, emulating Japan’s Tadahiro Nomura, who won three successive titles in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Riner, a record 11-time world champion, lit the Olympic cauldron alongside Marie-Jose Perec in Paris and was a flag-bearer for his country at the 2016 Rio Games.

He is one of just three French athletes with four golds at the Summer Olympics, joining Lucien Gaudin and Christian d’Oriola – both fencers.

Biathlete Martin Fourcade holds the outright French record as a five-time Winter Olympics champion, a tally Riner could match when he competes in the mixed team event on Saturday.

Riner won bronze on his Olympic debut in 2008. After winning gold in London and Rio, he fell short in his bid for a third consecutive +100kg title in Tokyo, settling for another bronze.

But he won gold in the mixed team event in Japan.

But the hometown icon, widely considered the greatest judoka of all time, did not disappoint at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in the French capital, finishing off his opponent with an ippon to secure the gold and spark frenzied celebrations.

(with AFP)

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 the 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.

Winning streak

Léon Marchand made it four golds in six days when he claimed – in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron – the 200m individual medley. Marchand is France’s most successful athlete at a single Olympics. He’s bigger now than the cyclist Paul Masson who won three golds in cycling in 1896 and Jean-Claude Killy who also won three in 1968 at the Grenoble winter Olympics.

Presidential bounce

Macron alos took time off from the rigours off his Mediterranean holiday complex to whizz back towards Paris and have a look at the country’s top horse riders. His presence at the arena in the grounds of the Château de Versailles didn’t bring them golden wonders. They came third in the jumping team event. The United States and Britain won silver and gold respectively.

Like father, like son

It was hot out in the arena as the riders had to complete 14 obstacles within 79 seconds. A four-point penalty if a bit falls off an obstacle and a point deduction for every second a rider finishes past 79 seconds. Riders of the storm kind of vibe. Well, the doors have definitely opened for the 25-year-old British rider Harry Charles who won gold with Ben Maher and Scott Brash who won gold at the 2012 Olympics in the jumping team event with Peter Charles, Harry’s dad.

Nice touch

McLain Ward of the United States team was magnanimous in defeat. Scott Brash was the last to go in the jumping team event knowing that it would be silver or even bronze or nothing for Britain if he knocked over a fence or two. The 38-year-old on the good steed Jefferson brushed the last fence but it stayed up and he copped a point penalty to claim the crown. “Scott Brash just had a little bit of magic today,” said Ward.

Teddy ho

Teddy Riner won gold for France in the +100kg judo. The legend is 35 and there was talk of him going on to compete in Los Angeles in 2028 to try and add to make it four individual golds. Macron also made an appearance at the final at the Champs de Mars alongside thousands of screaming French fans.

July saw major military drills in Armenia between Armenian and United States forces.

“Politically, it is exceptionally relevant; they are four or five times larger than last year,” explains Eric Hacopian, a political analyst in Armenia, who notes the range of US divisions mobilised for the drills. “It’s not about peacekeeping.”

The military exercise, dubbed “Eagle Partner“, is part of Yerevan’s wider efforts to escape its Russian neighbour’s sphere of influence, Hacopian believes.

“These are serious exercises, and they were followed up with the news that there is going to be US permanent representation in the Ministry of Defence of Armenia as advisors to join the French who are already there,” he noted.

“Essentially, there is no other play but to join the West.”

France, Russia stand on opposite sides of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Armenia is also seeking to reduce its economic dependence on Russia, pressing Turkey to open its border and providing a new gateway to Western markets for the landlocked country.

Ankara closed the frontier in 1993 after ethnic Armenian forces seized the contested Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, with Azerbaijani forces recapturing the enclave last year, analysts say the opening of the border could now align with Turkey’s goals to expand its regional influence.

“The normalisation of the relationship with Armenia would allow Turkish policy in the Cacasus to acquire a more comprehensive dimension today. That’s the missing element,” said Sinan Ulgen, an analyst with the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, a think tank in Istanbul.

“Turkey obviously has very strong links to Azerbaijan and very good relations with Georgia, but not with Armenia,” he explained. “And that’s a predicament, as we look at Turkey’s overall policy in the Caucasus.”

Leverage

Washington is working hard to broker a permanent peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “A deal is close,” declared US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of July’s NATO summit in Washington.

Last week, Turkish and Armenian envoys held their fifth meeting aimed at normalising relations. However, with critical issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan unresolved, Baku sees Turkey’s reopening of the Armenian border as important leverage.

In principle, both Azerbaijan and Turkey are in favour, claims Farid Shafiyev, an Azeri former diplomat and now chair of the Centre of Analysis of International Relations in Baku.

“However, we believe at this stage, as we have not signed a peace agreement, it might send a wrong signal to Yerevan and Armenia that we don’t need to come to an agreement about the core issues – the mutual recognition of territorial integrity,” he said.

Can Turkey tip the balance of power in the Caucasus conflict?

Meanwhile Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has developed close ties with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, and is ruling out opening the border until Baku’s demands are met.

Turkish arms were key to Azerbaijan’s recent military successes against Armenian-backed forces. “Azerbaijan is where it is, in good part because of Turkey’s military assistance, intelligence assistance and all that,” argues Soli Ozel, who teaches international relations at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.

But Ozel says Baku is dictating Ankara’s Caucasus policy. “It is befuddling to me that Turkey cannot open the borders with Armenia, which Armenia both needs and wants, because of Azerbaijan’s veto,” he said. “Especially if indeed Azerbaijan, for one reason or another, believes that its interests are once more in turning toward Russia.”

With Azerbaijan’s Socar energy company Turkey’s biggest foreign investor, Baku retains powerful economic leverage over Ankara – meaning any hope of reopening the Turkish-Armenian border appears dependent on the wishes of Azerbaijan’s leadership.

In a statement following a closed-doors general assembly on 27 and 28 July, the Coordination Cell for Field Actions (CCAT) said that had they decided to “maintain the peaceful mobilisation … until the issue of reforms of the electoral body is permanently abolished”.

Concrete actions are to be carried out “on the 13th of each month, at various places” across the archipelago, to commemorate 13 May, the date of the “start of the revolt”.

The CCAT also called for a meeting of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), which includes the majority of New Caledonian independence movements. The CCAT is not a member.

According to the statement, this congress should be “open to all” and held before the end of August, while it must “recognize the CCAT as an organisation that is responsible for field actions together with the political parties that make up [the FLNKS]”.

• Deadly unrest in New Caledonia tied to old colonial wounds

Leaders in jail

The CCAT was created at the end of 2023 by the Caledonian Union, one of the main components of the FLNKS, but it was never endorsed by the other major faction within the Front, the more moderate Kanak Liberation Party (Palika).

Some CCAT members even called for the dissolution of the FLNKS, but the general assembly did not adopt a resolution to that end. 

The CCAT also put forward its leader Christian Tein as candidate for the presidency of the FLNKS, while demanding his release.

• New Caledonian activist jailed in France claims to be a ‘political prisoner’

Tein and 12 other CCAT members were arrested in June, suspected of having orchestrated a wave of violence that has rocked the French territory in the South Pacific since May, resulting in 10 deaths and over €2.2 billion in damages.

Seven of the activists are being held in pre-trial detention in prisons located in mainland France, some 17,000km away from New Caledonia. Two of them have since been released and placed under judicial supervision.

Meanwhile, the archipelago is still plagued by sporadic violence, and a curfew has been extended until 12 August, according to a statement by the High Commission of the Republic in Nouméa on Friday.

(with newswires)

Cannabis sativa Linn, commonly known as hemp, is a hardy plant going back to medieval times.

Production in France boomed during the 17th and 18th century when its tough fibres were used to make canvas and ropes for sailing ships. In around 1830, at the industry’s peak, some 173,000 hectares were farmed.

But the rise of synthetic materials in the mid-20th century made the fibre less attractive.

As did the United States. As part of its war on drugs – and efforts to protect its cotton industry from competition – hemp farming in the US got caught up in anti-marijuana legislation and was effectively banned. An infamous propaganda campaign assimilating hemp with drugs referred to “the burning weed with its roots in hell“.  

In fact hemp is low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the substance that gives you a high – and THC levels for industrially farmed hemp cannot exceed 0.3 percent.

By the 1970s, hemp farming had been banned in most countries around the world.

While production in France slumped to just 300 hectares, for use in paper making in the Aube region, it managed to hang onto its savoir-faire.

Listen to a report on hemp farming in Aulnoy on the Spotlight on France podcast:

The return

The French always knew that hemp was feisty. And its ability to resist big changes in temperature and handle drought has spurred its return as a crop well adapted to global warming.

Hemp production has tripled here over the last decade to reach 24,000 hectares, making France the world’s third-largest producer after the US and China, and leader in Europe, where it accounts for more than a third of the EU’s production.

“We now have 1,550 farmers nationwide and it’s a fast-growing sector,” says Franck Barbier, head of the professional body InterChanvre that represents hemp growers.

Barbier had a background in agro-business but moved into hemp a decade ago, convinced it was a good crop for agriculture, the environment and the economy.

For a start it’s one of the world’s fastest-growing plants. “It can grow up to three metres in just five months, and around 10 centimetres a day in the month of June,” Barbier explains as he strides through a 10-hectare field in Aulnoy, 60km east of Paris.

The plant’s dense canopy deprives weeds of light, thereby reducing reliance on pesticides.

“It doesn’t need any products to control disease or pests – no weedkillers, fungicides or insecticides. So it’s good for farmers to no longer have to use such products,” he says.

And thanks to the plant’s powerful root system, it can delve two metres underground to fetch water, allowing it to grow throughout drier summer months without the need for irrigation.

Crucially, hemp is a good carbon sink – one hectare of hemp can sequester up to 15 tonnes of CO2 in its stems, Barbier says. 

Eighty percent of French worried about climate change: report

No waste

Everything in the hemp plant is useful. The protein-rich seeds are hulled to produce foodstuffs and oil for cosmetics, while whole seeds can be used in animal feed.

The tough stalks are processed in hemp mills where the fibrous outer layer is separated from the inner core, known as hurds.

Hemp fibre is used to make paper and textiles. And as a lightweight, durable substitute for plastic, it’s increasingly used in car manufacturing.

But it’s perhaps in the construction industry that “green gold” – as it’s sometimes called in France – is making the biggest strides.

With the construction sector responsible for some 40 percent of energy consumption worldwide and 36 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, hemp’s ability to lock in CO2 makes it a key player in the fight against climate change.

Both fibre and hurds are used in the construction industry, whether in “hempcrete” – a mixture of lime, hemp hurds and water – hemp wool, or fibre-board insulation.

French farmers need ‘billions’ to compensate for catastrophic drought

Greener buildings

When the mayor of Trilport, Jean-Michel Morer, began looking for ways of making more sustainable social housing in his town a decade ago, he turned to the nearby PlaneteChanvre hemp mill.

“The carbon footprint is remarkably low because the hemp is grown locally, just 13 kilometres away, it hasn’t been transformed, just rendered on the walls with water and lime,” he says, pointing to a block of flats insulated with a layer of hempcrete on the outside.

“It’s a first in terms of bio-sourced materials for a three-story building. And it’s energy-saving,” he explains. “Some residents haven’t turned on the heating since they moved in nearly two years ago.

“But the real difference is in the summer – when it’s hot, the buildings stay cool,” he says, reducing the need for energy-guzzling air conditioning.

For the primary school’s new 1,000-metre square canteen and recreation area, Morer called on local firm Wall’Up Préfa, which makes prefabricated walls entirely from hempcrete.

The new gas-fired boiler room also has walls made of hemp. “We obtained certification to show that it can resist fire for more than four hours,” the mayor says proudly.

Morer’s promotion of hemp in public utilities has put Trilport on the map. “Using local businesses, local employees and locally sourced products has allowed us to really build a circular economy.”

And that’s key to more sustainable development.

“Lots of people talk about the environment but we’re taking concrete measures,” says the mayor. “Using hemp makes farming more respectful of the ecosystem, it’s less polluting of our water supply and farmland, it uses less water and allows us to insulate buildings more easily and with fewer risks to health.” 

Tap water undrinkable in a quarter of French towns and cities

Getting more farmers on board

Only 0.3 percent of farmers in France grow hemp today but faced with the mounting demand for hemp in textiles, plastics and insulation, Barbier says the industry plans to “double production over the next five years”.

InterChanvre is working hard to try and get more farmers on board.

The sector has invested nearly €100 million over the past five years to increase the number of hemp mills from just seven at present to make sure farmers’ crops can be processed as locally as possible.

Barbier says hemp is of interest as a rotational crop since its ability to regenerate the soil means it can increase yields of winter wheat “by around 8 percent”.

While the machinery needed for harvesting involves a hefty investment and revenues are lower than for wheat and other cereals, companies like Wall’Up Prépa, convinced of hemp’s bright future, are paying more to farmers to secure supplies. 

Under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), hemp farmers can claim subsidies of around 80 euros per hectare – a measure currently available in France, Romania and Poland.

Meanwhile, InterChanvre is pushing for hemp to fall under the Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) programme, which would allow farmers to benefit from EU subsidies of  “at least €200 per hectare”, Barbier says. 

In the meantime, he points to foreign interest in tapping in to France’s know-how.

“Given hemp’s environmental benefits, Germany, Spain and several Eastern European countries are already seeking France’s expertise in transforming hemp to develop their own industries.”

This story was produced as part of the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 114.

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 Château 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 fine art of equestrian sports at the Paris Olympics 

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.

Hello everyone!

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear a “My Hero” essay by listener Bidhan Chandra Sanyal from West Bengal, India.  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 Bidhan Chandra Sanyal’s essay: 

Hello, I am Bidhan Chandra Sanyal from West Bengal, India. Today I would like to share with you the story of a man whom I greatly admire, Kailash Sharma.

Kailash Sharma was born on January 11, 1954, in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, India.  He is an electrical engineer by profession, but he did not work as an engineer – instead, he engaged in social service work.

Appalled by the plight of child slavery across South Asia, in 1980 Sharma founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan – the Save Childhood Movement – to fight against the evil of child labor and slavery which has been socially accepted and widely practised in the region for generations.

As the saying goes: “The farmer’s child or the king’s potter all have work in this world.”  But a child’s work should be tailored to children, in the home.

Far too often, harsh reality takes them on another path. Disrespect, neglect or severe rule towards children are not right. When a child is forced to take the lead in financial hardship, to meet the family’s food needs, he frequently endures inhuman torture through child labor. They become the victims of malnutrition, illiteracy, and poor education. They cannot enjoy what should be a normal childhood – instead, childhood is a burden.

The goal of Kailash Sharma’s Bachpan Bachao Andolan movement is to create a child-friendly society, where all children are free from exploitation and receive a free and quality education. It aims to identify, liberate, rehabilitate and educate children in servitude through direct intervention, child and community participation, coalition building, consumer action, promoting ethical trade practices and mass mobilisation.

It has so far freed close to 100,000 children from servitude, including bonded labourers, and helped in their re-integration, rehabilitation and education.

Due to Sharma’s hard work, the Child Protection Act came into effect in India in 2012.  India’s Supreme Court ordered that any complaint of torture against child laborers be registered immediately.  Kailash Sharma has received many awards in recognition of his work: the Achina National Peace Prize, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Prize, the Alfonso Comin National Prize and a medal from the Italian Senate.

And then, in 2014, he received the world’s highest award: The Nobel Peace Prize.

There is hope: Light can come from darkness. A total of 365 villages in our 11 states in India are now child labor free.  Kailash Sharma’s work has inspired and created change not just in India, but all across the globe. 

Kailash Sharma is my true hero.

Thank you for listening.

The music chosen by Bidhan is “Brishtir Gaan”, written and performed by Aditi Chakraborty.

Be sure and tune in next week for a special “Music in the Kitchen”, featuring your musical requests. Talk to you then!

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

According to GAREF’s Elias Alaoui Chrifi, PariSat consists of two experiments, one of which will look at the thermal radiation of different materials in space. “The second is a photography experiment that will take pictures of our planet,” he said.

Chrifi explains that PariSat, which is around 40 cm long,10 cm wide and 20 m high and weighs around 8 kg, will remain attached to the upper stage of Ariane 6 and will make two orbits of the earth before re-entering the atmosphere at the end of Ariane 6’s mission.

He added that the project began at the end of 2021, following a call for opportunities from the European Space Agency, “which secured us a spot on Ariane 6”;

“Being part of the first launch of Ariane 6, Europe’s new flagship rocket, is a tremendous honor. It connects with GAREF’s long history, dating back to the launch of an experiment called Thésée on Ariane 1 flight L04 in 1981,” he added.

He also noted that the launch of PariSat coincided with the 60th anniversary of GAREF, which was founded in 1964 in Paris.

GAREF Aerospatial

GAREF is an amateur space club based in Paris for young people between the ages of eight and 25.

The club has a history of getting young people in space and electronics projects.

Members participate in a range of activities, from building experimental rockets and stratospheric balloons to developing satellites. The club is supported by the City of Paris and the CNES (French National Space Agency)​.​​ 

The PariSat experiment was launched aboard the Ariane 6 rocket and included a GoPro camera adapted for space, capturing images of Earth

The project not only provided practical engineering experience but also contributed to scientific understanding​ of the earths athmosphere.

“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)

July saw major military drills in Armenia between Armenian and United States forces.

“Politically, it is exceptionally relevant; they are four or five times larger than last year,” explains Eric Hacopian, a political analyst in Armenia, who notes the range of US divisions mobilised for the drills. “It’s not about peacekeeping.”

The military exercise, dubbed “Eagle Partner“, is part of Yerevan’s wider efforts to escape its Russian neighbour’s sphere of influence, Hacopian believes.

“These are serious exercises, and they were followed up with the news that there is going to be US permanent representation in the Ministry of Defence of Armenia as advisors to join the French who are already there,” he noted.

“Essentially, there is no other play but to join the West.”

France, Russia stand on opposite sides of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Armenia is also seeking to reduce its economic dependence on Russia, pressing Turkey to open its border and providing a new gateway to Western markets for the landlocked country.

Ankara closed the frontier in 1993 after ethnic Armenian forces seized the contested Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, with Azerbaijani forces recapturing the enclave last year, analysts say the opening of the border could now align with Turkey’s goals to expand its regional influence.

“The normalisation of the relationship with Armenia would allow Turkish policy in the Cacasus to acquire a more comprehensive dimension today. That’s the missing element,” said Sinan Ulgen, an analyst with the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, a think tank in Istanbul.

“Turkey obviously has very strong links to Azerbaijan and very good relations with Georgia, but not with Armenia,” he explained. “And that’s a predicament, as we look at Turkey’s overall policy in the Caucasus.”

Leverage

Washington is working hard to broker a permanent peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “A deal is close,” declared US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of July’s NATO summit in Washington.

Last week, Turkish and Armenian envoys held their fifth meeting aimed at normalising relations. However, with critical issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan unresolved, Baku sees Turkey’s reopening of the Armenian border as important leverage.

In principle, both Azerbaijan and Turkey are in favour, claims Farid Shafiyev, an Azeri former diplomat and now chair of the Centre of Analysis of International Relations in Baku.

“However, we believe at this stage, as we have not signed a peace agreement, it might send a wrong signal to Yerevan and Armenia that we don’t need to come to an agreement about the core issues – the mutual recognition of territorial integrity,” he said.

Can Turkey tip the balance of power in the Caucasus conflict?

Meanwhile Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has developed close ties with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, and is ruling out opening the border until Baku’s demands are met.

Turkish arms were key to Azerbaijan’s recent military successes against Armenian-backed forces. “Azerbaijan is where it is, in good part because of Turkey’s military assistance, intelligence assistance and all that,” argues Soli Ozel, who teaches international relations at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.

But Ozel says Baku is dictating Ankara’s Caucasus policy. “It is befuddling to me that Turkey cannot open the borders with Armenia, which Armenia both needs and wants, because of Azerbaijan’s veto,” he said. “Especially if indeed Azerbaijan, for one reason or another, believes that its interests are once more in turning toward Russia.”

With Azerbaijan’s Socar energy company Turkey’s biggest foreign investor, Baku retains powerful economic leverage over Ankara – meaning any hope of reopening the Turkish-Armenian border appears dependent on the wishes of Azerbaijan’s leadership.

Hello everyone!

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear a “My Hero” essay by listener Bidhan Chandra Sanyal from West Bengal, India.  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 Bidhan Chandra Sanyal’s essay: 

Hello, I am Bidhan Chandra Sanyal from West Bengal, India. Today I would like to share with you the story of a man whom I greatly admire, Kailash Sharma.

Kailash Sharma was born on January 11, 1954, in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, India.  He is an electrical engineer by profession, but he did not work as an engineer – instead, he engaged in social service work.

Appalled by the plight of child slavery across South Asia, in 1980 Sharma founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan – the Save Childhood Movement – to fight against the evil of child labor and slavery which has been socially accepted and widely practised in the region for generations.

As the saying goes: “The farmer’s child or the king’s potter all have work in this world.”  But a child’s work should be tailored to children, in the home.

Far too often, harsh reality takes them on another path. Disrespect, neglect or severe rule towards children are not right. When a child is forced to take the lead in financial hardship, to meet the family’s food needs, he frequently endures inhuman torture through child labor. They become the victims of malnutrition, illiteracy, and poor education. They cannot enjoy what should be a normal childhood – instead, childhood is a burden.

The goal of Kailash Sharma’s Bachpan Bachao Andolan movement is to create a child-friendly society, where all children are free from exploitation and receive a free and quality education. It aims to identify, liberate, rehabilitate and educate children in servitude through direct intervention, child and community participation, coalition building, consumer action, promoting ethical trade practices and mass mobilisation.

It has so far freed close to 100,000 children from servitude, including bonded labourers, and helped in their re-integration, rehabilitation and education.

Due to Sharma’s hard work, the Child Protection Act came into effect in India in 2012.  India’s Supreme Court ordered that any complaint of torture against child laborers be registered immediately.  Kailash Sharma has received many awards in recognition of his work: the Achina National Peace Prize, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Prize, the Alfonso Comin National Prize and a medal from the Italian Senate.

And then, in 2014, he received the world’s highest award: The Nobel Peace Prize.

There is hope: Light can come from darkness. A total of 365 villages in our 11 states in India are now child labor free.  Kailash Sharma’s work has inspired and created change not just in India, but all across the globe. 

Kailash Sharma is my true hero.

Thank you for listening.

The music chosen by Bidhan is “Brishtir Gaan”, written and performed by Aditi Chakraborty.

Be sure and tune in next week for a special “Music in the Kitchen”, featuring your musical requests. Talk to you then!

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!

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 yourvery own personalexperience. 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, mesmerized by the passing landscapes. Rivers snaked through the green fields, and orchards of mangoes, lychees, and jackfruits painted the scenery with vibrant colors. 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 realize that true happiness and fulfillment could be found in the simplest of experiences and the purest of surroundings. This realization 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 splendor. 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!

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.