For the first Paralympic opening ceremony to be held outside the main stadium, around 20,000 people lined the Avenue des Champs Elysées for the parade of participants with physical, visual and intellectual impairments before they made their way into an arena constructed for 35,000 people around the Obelisk on the Place de La Concorde.

Accessibility for athletes in wheelchairs from the 168 delegations was facilitated with strips of asphalt laid along the avenue and placed over the square.

After the French team entered the stadium, Tony Estanguet, head of the organising committee for the Olympics and Paralympics, hailed the Paralympians as revolutionaries.

“Like our ancestors, you have panache,” said Estanguet. “Like them you are fighting for a cause bigger than you. In your case your weapons are your records.

“Tonight you’re inviting us to join you in your Paralympic revolution, to give everybody their full place. When the sport starts we will no longer see disabilities but champions. You have no limits, so let us stop imposing limits on you.”

Andrew Parsons, the boss of the International Paralympic Committeee, (IPC) which oversees the event, injected a geopolitical note into the proceedings.

“At a time of growing conflict and exclusion, let sport bring us together,” he said.

“Let sport serve as a powerful force for good. We have 11 days of sensational sport to enjoy together.”

Parsons, who took over at the IPC in September 2017 after heading the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, added: “The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will show what persons with disabilities can achieve at the highest level when the barriers to succeed are removed.

“The fact these opportunities largely exist only in sport in the year 2024 is shocking. It is proof we can and must do more to advance disability inclusion — whether on the field of play, in the classroom, concert hall or in the boardroom.”

Open

After France’s President Emmanuel Macron formally declared the Paralympic Games open, dancers dressed in white performed a piece to convey force, power and determination before the Paralympic flag was raised.

And to prepare the scene for the arrival of the flame, French musician Sébastien Tellier performed his hit song La Ritournelle.

Paralympians Charles-Antoine Kouakou, Fabien Lamirault, Elodie Lorandi, Alexis Hanquinquant and Nantenin Keita simultaneously lit the flame in the Olympic cauldron which is designed to look like a hot air balloon.

It eventually rose into the night sky as the Eiffel Tower glittered in the hinterland.

Ryadh Sallem, who will be competing in his sixth Paralympic Games, told France TV:  “The ceremony was powerful and moving.”

The 53-year-old added: “People were wondering what could be done better after the Olympics opening ceremony … well here it was. There was spectacle and emotion.”

Throughout the show, directed by Thomas Jolly who also led the Olympic opening ceremony, performers with and without disabilities seamlessly, projected a theme of inclusion and overcoming physical differences.

French singer Lucky Love, rechristened the song My Masculinity as My Ability. Starting in a white suit, the 30-year-old flamboyantly removed the jacket to reveal only one arm.

Musa Motha, whose left leg was removed due to cancer, used crutches to steer an array of dancers through a dynamic and captivating vignette.

Just hours before the opening ceremony, organisers said two million tickets had been sold for the 549 events that start on Thursday morning.

“We’ve taken a step forward since Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021,” said the wheelchair tennis player Diede de Groot.

The 27-year-old Dutchwoman added: “We are much more visible and I think we have to see these Paralympic Games as a challenge to improve that visibility further and to make things more visible for others.”

The Games will conclude on 8 September with a closing ceremony at the Stade de France in Saint Denis.

Olympic organisers and athletes themselves are counting on home-town excitement to propel them to gold, following France’s success at the Olympic Games just a few weeks ago.

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, France came 14th with 54 medals, 11 of which were gold.

This year’s 236 French athletes and 22 guides will compete in each of the 22 sports, including some exclusive to the Paralympics, like goalball and boccia.

Athletes in all sports

The athletes range in age, from 16 years old (Marie Ngoussou, para athletics) to 59 years old (Rosa Murcia, para athletics and Didier Richard, para sport shooting).

Though the French delegation did not reach gender parity, the 81 female athletes are still a record.

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In the past, France has won the most medals in the para athletics and para swimming events, and Marie-Amelie Le Fur, president of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee said the spotlight this year will be on France’s 27 para athletics competitors, along with the 21 para table tennis players and sitting volleyball teams.

France has sitting volleyball teams for the first time since the sport was introduced to the Paralympics in 1980, and the French men’s wheelchair basketball team qualified for first time since the Athens Paralympics in 2004.

French flag bearers

France’s two flag bearers are Alexis Hanquinquant (para triathlon) and Nantenin Keita (para athletics), who carried the Olympic flame at the start of the Games.

Both athletes are expected to help France bring in its medals during the Paralympics, from 28 August to 8 September.

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Hanquinquant, who is disabled in the right leg following an workplace accident, is a six-time world champion who won a gold medal in the triathlon at the Tokyo games in 2021.

Keita, who is visually impaired, and is the daughter of the legendary Malian musician Salif Keita, won medals in Rio in 2016, in London in 2012 and Beijing in 2008.

Also in para athletics, Arnaud Assoumani, who was born without forearms, will compete in his sixth Paralympics in the high jump, in which he has won four medals, including gold in Beijing in 2008.

More French athletes to watch

Wheelchair tennis champion Stephane Houdet will compete in his fifth straight Paralympic games, where he won three gold medals, in 2008, 2016 and 2021 in men’s doubles.

Pauline Déroulède, who lost a leg after being hit by a car in 2018, will be competing in her first Paralympics, after going from being a recreational tennis player to high-level athlete following her accident.

Para judoka Sandrine Martinet, who is visually impaired, will compete in her sixth Paralympic games, with the goal of adding to her four medals by repeating her gold win in Rio in 2016.

Nacer Zorgani, who is also visually impaired, will compete in the judo tournament, four weeks after finishing his previous role as the announcer at the Olympic boxing events.

Para swimmers Ugo Didier, who was born with deformities in his feet and legs, and Alex Portal, who is visually impaired, will compete in the Paralympics for the second time of their careers. Portal’s brother Kylian will be his guide.

Multi-sport athletes

Para rower Benjamin Daviet, who is disabled in the knee, will be competing in his first ever Summer Paralympic Games, after winning ten medals in Winter Paralympics, including five gold medals in the biathlon and cross country skiing events.

Heidi Gaugain, who was born without her left forearm, races on both road and track, in the Olympic and Paralympic categories. She is the first para cyclist to win world titles in both cycling and para cycling, and will be competing in her first ever Paralympic Games.

Around 6,000 competitors and officials paraded around the Champs Elysées and the Place de la Concorde on 28 August during a four-hour sound and light spectacular.

And why not? The River Seine beat at the heart of the launch show for the Olympics on 26 July.

Nigh on a month later, two of the most quintessentially Parisian landmarks provided the backdrop for the start of the Paralympic fest.

That the Paralympics’ begin so soon after such a significant moment in World War II history, adds poignancy to the event – the Games’ origins lie in the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers from that conflict.

Veterans’ sports day

On 29 July 1948 at the National Spinal Injuries Centre in Stoke Mandeville, patients – many of whom were war veterans – participated in a sports day while the opening ceremony for the London Olympics was taking place at Wembley Stadium in north-west London.

Though the spotlight was very much on proceedings in the capital, the idea of competitive sports contests was well received. The concept gradually gained traction under the centre’s charismatic director Ludwig Guttmann.

Before fleeing his native Germany in 1939 with his family to avoid the rising anti-semitism, Guttmann studied under the pioneering neurosurgeon Otfrid Foerster.

While Foerster excelled in brilliant surgical techniques such as cutting problematic nerve roots in the spinal cord for the treatment of spasticity, Guttmann injected a mental component into his care for people with spinal injuries.

He advocated sport as a way to reinstall a sense of self-worth and physical well being.

Held every summer in the verdant grounds of the hospital after that 1948 launch, the Stoke Games were rechristened the International Stoke Mandeville Games (ISMG) in 1952 when a team from the Netherlands competed.

In 1955, France’s first sports association for physically handicapped people, the Amicale Sportive des Mutilés de France, sent representatives to the fourth ISMG.

Milestone

In 1960, the ISMG celebrated two firsts. They were held away from the hospital and in the same city as the Olympic Games.

In what was retrospectively anointed the first Paralympic Games, 400 competitors from 23 countries took part in 57 events in eight sports between 18 and 25 September at the Aqua Acetosa Stadium.

At the closing ceremony, Guttmann, as patron of the Games, said: “The vast majority of competitors and escorts have fully understood the meaning of the Rome Games as a new pattern of reintegration of the paralysed into society, as well as the world of spoart.”

Nearly 64 years later, athletes from 168 nations will compete in 549 events across 22 sports.

The 2024 Games will feature para badminton and para taekwondo, which made their debut in Tokyo three years ago. They will unfold at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena and the Grand Palais respectively – the same venues used for the sports during the Olympics.

There will be para archery, para athletics, para cycling, para swimming, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis and sitting volleyball.

With the inclusion of athletes with intellectual or visual impairments, shorter limbs and amputees, Paris 2024 will be a far cry from Guttmann’s original sports day when all participants had spinal cord injuries and competed in wheelchairs. 

Changing perceptions

“The Paralympic movement is changing not only the way we look at disability but also the way we think about it, with classifications based on functional capabilities,” said Anne Marcellini, associate professor at the University of Lausanne, who co-curated an exhibition on the paralympic movement at the Pantheon in Paris.

“The idea of the exhibition was to showcase the sports leaders who have shaped the movement and made a strong social commitment. The repercussions of this have been felt way beyond the competitive sporting arena.”

But that change has taken years to install.

After taking place in the same city as the Olympics in Rome in 1960 and Tokyo in 1964, the Paralympics were subsequently shunted to separate cities.

Instead of Mexico City in 1968, the Paralympics was held in Tel Aviv. The summer Olympics was held in 1972 in Munich – the Paralympics in Heidelberg.

Montreal was awarded the summer Games in 1976 and Toronto the Paralympics. The apartness only ceased in 1988 when Seoul hosted both. And the habit has continued as the Paralympic Games have grown to become the planet’s third biggest sporting show behind the Olympics and the football World Cup.

Expect surprises

“The Paralympics is the only global event where persons with disability are front and centre of everything,” said Andrew Parsons, boss of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) which was set up in 1989 with the aim of using para sport as a way to advance the lives of the 1.2 billion people with disabilities

“Paralympic athletes will surprise you,” Parsons added. “They will defy what you thought was possible. They will challenge what you thought was possible.

“There will be 12 days of top class sport that will change France forever. It will change how people think about themselves and it will change how people think about people with disability in general.”

A breakdown of ticket sales a week before the start of the Paralympic Games confirmed his assertions.

The data showed nearly 75 percent of the 1.75 million seats sold were to fans from the Ile de France – the 12,000 square kilometre area housing more than 12 million people aorund Paris.

IPC chiefs say they are confident they will reach a cumulative TV audience of more than 4.25 billion viewers – up on the record set at Tokyo 2020 of 4.1 billion.

Local and vocal

Parsons also stressed the impact of local support on the performance of athletes.

“Like with the Olympics, I believe vocal French support can propel French Paralympians to sporting success,” he said.

Recalling his experience at the Rio 2016 Paralympics while he was head of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, he added: “I lost count of the unexpected medals won by the Brazilian team because they found that extra strength, speed, and skill from the energy of the home crowd.

“It’s perhaps the 10th of a second that makes the difference between silver and gold.”

How the public – and in particular during the Paralympics – those with disabilities reach the venue will come under the spotlight.

Organisers estimate 350,000 people with disabilities will converge on Paris during the Paralympic Games.

Paris accessibility

They will find only 29 of Paris’s 320 metro stations are fully or partially accessible to wheelchair users.

Ile de France Mobilités, which oversees public transport in Paris, has acknowledged the deficiencies in its system but says it is committed to providing accessible routes on other forms of transport and promoting smartphone apps such as EZYMOB to help navigate the city.

Nicolas Mérille, an accessibility adviser at APF France Handicap, told France 24 he hopes the Games will be a catalyst for change.

“We’ve got to hope that the Paralympic Games is a wake-up call and raises awareness to show that accessibility is just segregation by another name,” he said.

In tandem with the country’s social goals, French participants have been set competitive targets of claiming 20 gold medals and finishing eighth in the medals table.

“For the first time in its history, France will be present in all of the sports on the Paralympic programme,” said Marie-Amélie Le Fur, head of France’s paralympics committee.

“We’ve seen what the Olympians achieved, and now it’s the turn of the Paralympians.”

Durov, a French citizen born in Russia, was detained on Saturday at Le Bourget airport near Paris as part of a judicial inquiry involving 12 alleged criminal violations.

“An investigating judge has ended Pavel Durov’s police custody and will have him brought to court for a first appearance and a possible indictment,” the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

The allegations against Durov include claims that Telegram is being used for child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, fraud, and aiding organised crime.

Authorities also accuse Durov’s company of refusing to provide information or documents when required by law.

Durov’s arrest has sparked outrage in Russia, where government officials have called it politically motivated and evidence of the West’s double standard on freedom of speech.

This reaction has surprised some, as Russian authorities themselves tried to block Telegram in 2018, eventually lifting the ban in 2020.

Reaction from Iran

In Iran, where Telegram is widely used despite being officially banned, Durov’s arrest prompted comments from the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei offered veiled praise for France, saying it was “strict” against those who “violate your governance” of the internet.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Durov’s arrest wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation.

Macron posted on X that France is “deeply committed” to freedom of expression, but that this freedom is upheld within a legal framework to protect citizens and respect their rights.

In a statement after Durov’s arrest, Telegram said it abides by EU laws and that its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving”.

The platform added: “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform”, and reassured its nearly billion users of its commitment to resolving the situation promptly.

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Russia ready to ‘assist’ Durov

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed hope that Durov would have all necessary legal support and said Moscow is “ready to provide all necessary assistance and support” to the Telegram CEO as a Russian citizen.

However, Peskov noted the complexity of the situation given Durov’s dual citizenship in Russia and France.

Telegram, founded by Durov and his brother, has long been a controversial platform, particularly in Russian politics.

The messaging app became a crucial tool for communication and news sharing during the Russian government’s crackdown following the pro-democracy protests in Moscow in 2011 and 2012.

Western governments have often criticised Telegram for a lack of content moderation, which experts say opens up the messaging app for potential use in money laundering, drug trafficking and the sharing of material linked to the sexual exploitation of minors.

Expected attendees include Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Lady Gaga, Daniel Craig, and Brad Pitt, bringing a much-needed dose of Hollywood glamour to “La Mostra”, the world’s longest-running film festival.

Last year’s event was notably dimmed by Hollywood strikes, which kept many studio films and their stars away.

This year, the festival opens with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the highly anticipated sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic.

The film, featuring returning stars Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder, is not in contention for the top Golden Lion prize.

American actress Sigourney Weaver, famed for her role in Alien, will be honoured with a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement during Wednesday’s opening night.

A total of 84 films are included in the official 2024 selection, with competitions across five categories, including one for immersive cinema.

Films in competition

High-profile contenders for the Golden Lion include Joker: Folie à Deux by Todd Phillips, a sequel to his 2019 Venice-winning film that pairs Joaquin Phoenix with Lady Gaga.

Another standout is Queer from Italian director Luca Guadagnino, starring Daniel Craig and based on the William Burroughs novel set in 1940s Mexico City.

Angelina Jolie stars in Maria, a biopic of Maria Callas directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain, who returns to Venice following his success with Spencer in 2021. Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas lead in the erotic thriller Babygirl from Dutch director Halina Reijn.

The main competition also features The Room Next Door, the first English-language film from Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore.

Jude Law stars as an FBI agent investigating a terror ring in The Order, an Australian drama directed by Justin Kurzel.

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Drama on screen

To avoid off-screen drama, Maria will premiere on the festival’s first full day, Thursday, while Wolfs, starring Brad Pitt, will screen out of competition on Sunday.

The Apple TV+ film, directed by Jon Watts of Spider-Man fame, features Pitt and Clooney as rival professional fixers in an action-packed comedy.

Also screening out of competition is the second chapter of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga. The first part of this Western epic premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Predicting future glory

The Venice International Film Festival has become known for showcasing films that go on to achieve Oscar success, including previous Golden Lion winners like Poor Things, Nomadland, and Joker.

Unlike the rival Cannes Film Festival, Venice’s “Mostra” is open to the public and allows films produced by streaming services to compete. Netflix has had significant success launching titles like Maestro and Roma at Venice.

In addition to Wolfs, Apple TV+ is premiering Disclaimer, a thriller series starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Joining Huppert on the jury are filmmakers James Gray (US), Andrew Haigh (UK), Agnieszka Holland (Poland), Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil), Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritania), Giuseppe Tornatore (Italy), Julia von Heinz (Germany), and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.

Military prosectuor Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Radjabu on Tuesday urged judges to sentence to death all those on trial, barring one defendant.

The trial began on 7 June in Ndolo military prison, where all the defendants are being held.

The charges include “attack, terrorism, illegal possession of weapons and munitions of war, attempted assassination, criminal association, murder (and) financing of terrorism”, according to a court document.

DRC army says it foiled attempted coup involving US citizens

Armed men attacked the home of Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe – who was elected head of the National Assembly three days later – in the early hours of 19 May.

The group then went to the Palais de la Nation that houses President Felix Tshisekedi‘s offices, brandishing flags of Zaire, the country’s name under ex-dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, who was overthrown in 1997.

Shots were heard near the building, several sources said at the time.

An army spokesman later announced on national TV that defence and security forces had stopped “an attempted coup d’etat”.

The alleged plot was led by Christian Malanga, a Congolese man who was a “naturalised American” and who was killed by security forces, army spokesman General Sylvain Ekenge has said.

During questioning, the defendants arrested near the Palais de la Nation put the blame on Malanga.

Others detained elsewhere in the capital Kinshasa, including four women, have denied any involvement.

Severe punishment

Richard Bondo, a defence lawyer for one of the American defendants, told French news agency AFP that the prosecutors’ call for the death penalty was “very severe”.

The three Americans on trial at the Kinshasa military court include Malanga’s son Marcel Malanga.

Tyler Thompson, another of the American defendants, told the trial last month that he had been “forced” into it, echoing the two other US citizens facing the same charge.

“I came to the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) to visit Marcel’s family who I had never seen before,” he added.

Malanga also told the court that he had been forced into participating by his father, saying: “He told us he would kill us if we didn’t listen.”

Malanga said his father had woken him up late on the night of 18 May, ordering him to take a weapon.

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The third American who is being tried – Benjamin Zalman-Polun – also said he was “kidnapped” and “forced” into taking part.

Lawyers for the Americans have complained that their clients were interrogated in French, without an interpreter, despite being English speakers.

The defendants also include a Belgian, a Briton and a Canadian who are all naturalised Congolese.

The defence is due to present its case on Friday.

In March, the Congolese government defied criticism from human rights organisations and lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in place since 2003.

In a separate case earlier this month, a military court in DRC handed death sentences to all 26 defendants accused of belonging to the M23 rebel group after a high-profile trial.

(with AFP)

Leaders unveiled a plan to create up to four regional police training centres and a multinational crisis reaction force, backed by $271 million in initial funding from Australia.

Under the plan, a corps of about 200 officers drawn from different Pacific Island nations could be dispatched to regional hot spots and disaster zones when needed and invited.

“This demonstrates how Pacific leaders are working together to shape the future that we want to see,” said Australian Prime Minister Albanese, hailing the agreement.

The Australian leader made the announcement while flanked by leaders of Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Tonga — a symbolic show of unity in a region riven by competition between China and the United States.

Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, the summit host, said the initiative would plug regional security gaps and tackle emerging threats like organised crime.

“Tonga, like many other countries, are facing a number of transnational security challenges, including seeing an increase in drug trafficking within the Pacific in recent years” he said.

The great game

According to Mihai Sora of the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank, Wednesday’s announcement was a diplomatic victory for Australia and for the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc which had appeared deeply divided on the topic.

China’s Pacific allies — most notably Vanuatu and Solomon Islands — had voiced concern that the policing plan represented a “geo-strategic denial security doctrine”, designed to box out Beijing.

While all members of the forum have endorsed the deal in principle, national leaders will have to decide how much they participate, if at all.

Tonga’s Sovaleni said Pacific nations will “have the discretion to choose how they would contribute to and benefit”.

Partner of choice?

Australia and New Zealand have historically been the region’s go-to security partners, leading peacekeeping missions in Solomon Islands and training in Nauru, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Policing, however, has increasingly become a cornerstone of Beijing’s efforts to build Pacific influence.

China tried and failed to ink a region-wide security pact in 2022, but has since been plying some under-resourced Pacific police forces with martial arts training and fleets of Chinese-made vehicles.

Australia and longtime ally the United States were caught napping in 2022 when China secretly signed a security pact with Solomon Islands — the details of which have not been made public.

China now maintains a small but conspicuous police presence there, sending a revolving cadre of officers to train locals in shooting and riot tactics.

Gleaming new police vehicles roam the capital Honiara emblazoned with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force badge and stark red “China Aid” stickers.

Earlier this year, Beijing also started sending teams of police advisers to Kiribati.

There are fears in Washington that China may one day parlay these agreements into a permanent military foothold in the region.

‘Not yet done’

According to the Lowy Institute’s Sora, Canberra will hope it helps “close the window for China to seek a regional security agreement”.

Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko told AFP on Wednesday that his country was keen to “work together with Australia” to implement the proposal.

But others signalled lingering misgivings.

Top Solomon Islands’ diplomatic official Colin Beck told AFP that Honiara would have domestic discussions about the plan before anything is finalised.

“We have a national process that we have to dive into it,” said Beck, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We are basically reviewing our national security strategy and everything, so it will be part of the conversation,” he said.

“The matter is still going on. The forum is not yet done.”

The move came at the start of Sanchez’s three-day tour of West Africa to bolster relations with Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal where the vast majority of boats begin their journeys towards Spain.

Speaking alongside Ghazouani, Sanchez said Spain will expand its circular migration programme to Mauritanians and renew cooperation between Spanish and Mauritanian security services to combat people smuggling and trafficking networks.

“Despite the rhetoric that is growing in Europe, migration is not a problem,” Sanchez said.

“It is a need that involves certain problems and for this we must push formulas that allow us to manage the phenomenon of migration in a humane, safe and orderly way, to benefit our respective societies.”

Stepping stone

The Canary Islands, which are located close to the African coast, are used as a stepping stone for migrants and refugees trying to reach Europe.

More than 22,000 people have landed on the islands since January, more than double the number of irregular arrivals for the same period last year, according to Spain’s interior ministry.

“Until not long ago Spain was also a country of migrants … they aspired to better lives, much like those who take great risks and take on this dangerous adventure,” Sanchez added.

Among those reaching the Canaries are thousands of Malian refugees fleeing violence and instability in the country as well as young people from other West African countries who are seeking better job opportunities abroad.

There are also increasingly more teenagers and children traveling alone to the Canary Islands, which has overwhelmed the local authorities.

Spanish security forces say they are bracing for even more arrivals in the autumn when sailing conditions in the Atlantic Ocean between West Africa and the archipelago are more favorable.

In February, Sanchez travelled to Mauritania with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the announcement of a €200 million grant to spur job opportunities in Mauritania and crack down on people smuggling rackets.

Ghazouani, who was reelected in June, said Spanish and Mauritanian politicians would meet next year to assess the effectiveness of the deals.

“Africa will continue being a priority for Spain’s foreign policy,” Sanchez added.

(with newswires)

For the last six weeks France has been run by a caretaker administration that cannot make any new policy.

By holding consultations with all the heads of France’s political parties, Macron hoped to break that political deadlock – the result of snap parliamentary elections in July that put the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) out in front, but failed to give any one party or coalition a working majority.

But after two days of talks, a statement issued Monday has caused further political chaos in France and prompted fury on the left.

In the announcement, Macron ruled out an NFP-led government, along with its pick for premier Lucie Castets, saying France needed institutional stability – which a left-wing government would not provide as it couldn’t win a confidence vote in parliament.

“Such a government would immediately have a majority of more than 350 MPs against it, effectively preventing it from acting,” Macron said. “In view of the opinions expressed by the political leaders consulted, the institutional stability of our country means that this option should not be pursued.”

‘Anti-democratic coup’

Macron called on the Socialists, Communists and Greens to “cooperate with other political parties” to try and find a PM who could command cross-party support.

The largest party in the alliance, the hard-left LFI, was not mentioned, in what appeared to be an attempt to split off more moderate members.

After the announcement, LFI’s national coordinator Manuel Bompard described Macron’s stance as an “unacceptable anti-democratic coup” while its president, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, accused Macron of creating an “exceptionally serious situation”.

“The popular and political response must be swift and firm,” Mélenchon said. 

LFI has called for marches and protests to force the president to recognise the results of the election.

Paris politics heats up as left pushes for power and impeachment

Unified bloc

The NFP – a coalition of the LFI, Socialists, Communists and Greens – was formed to block the far-right’s accession to power.

It worked. NFP won 190 of the 577 seats in the lower chamber and Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance 160, with the far-right RN on 140.

While such a diverse alliance has struggled to speak with one voice, on Tuesday it did just that.

Socialist party boss Olivier Faure refused Macron’s invitation to new talks, saying he would “not be an accomplice to a parody of democracy”, accusing the president of seeking to “prolong Macronism” despite losing the legislative election.

“French people will start to get annoyed, to say the least,” Faure warned, vowing to join the call for a “big popular mobilisation” by Communist party leader Fabien Roussel.

Roussel told BFM TV that Macron was going to trigger a “serious crisis in our country”.

Marine Tondelier, secretary general of the Greens, said the left was being robbed of this election.

“Macron talks of stability but three-quarters of the French want change, they need it,” she wrote on a social media post, calling the president’s action “a disgrace” and “dangerous democratic irresponsibility”.

Macron urges mainstream coalition after election, angering leftist alliance

Castets, the relatively unknown senior civil servant and economist proposed by NFP as premier, also hit out at Macron.

“Democracy means nothing to the president,” she said in an interview with France Inter public radio on Tuesday.

“We are faced with a president who wants to be president of the Republic, prime minister and party leader at the same time… He cannot compose the government of his dreams.”

Castets also highlighted the crucial role LFI had played in blocking the far right. In the snap polls, 38 LFI candidates pulled out of three-way races after the first round on 30 June, allowing 35 MPs from Macron’s Ensemble coalition to win seats.

Blocking the left

NFP accuses Macron of denying democracy in the name of preserving his pro-business agenda.

The left-wing alliance’s programme includes scrapping his contested pension reform and putting the retirement age back to 60; raising the minimum wage and public sector pay; linking salaries to inflation; cutting income tax and social security for lower earners; and freezing the prices of essentials such as food and fuel.

While a new wealth tax and other fiscal reforms would offset the extra expense, Macron’s Renaissance party insists it will not put up income tax. On the contrary, it has promised to reign in France’s large public deficit in line with EU norms.

While those two very different visions of France’s future battle it out, the clock is ticking.

France’s budget, a draft version of which was prepared by outgoing PM Gabriel Attal, has to be presented before the National Assembly by 1 October at the latest.

Macron opens the Paralympic Games on Wednesday as the world watches, and then leaves for a two-day visit to Serbia on Thursday.

Torrential rains overwhelmed the Arbaat Dam on Saturday, causing devastating floods that obliterated infrastructure, submerged entire villages, and severed access to surrounding areas.

The United Nations reported that around 50,000 people have been affected by the flooding west of the dam. The impact east of the dam remains unknown as the area is inaccessible.

The Arbaat Dam, with a capacity of 25 million cubic meters, was the main water source for Port Sudan, located 40 kilometres to the north.

Port Sudan is the de facto capital, home to the government, diplomats, and aid agencies supporting hundreds of thousands displaced by civil war.

“The city is threatened with thirst in the coming days,” warned the Sudanese Environmentalists Association in a statement.

• Sudan at ‘cataclysmic breaking point’ amid multiple crises, UN warns

Crumbling infrastructure

Officials said the dam had started crumbling and silt had been building during days of heavy rain that had come much earlier in the season than usual, causing flooding.

The floods have further strained the country’s already deteriorating infrastructure, which was in disrepair even before war broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, leading to what the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Both warring factions have diverted resources to the conflict, leaving infrastructure neglected.

The UN’s humanitarian organisation Ocha last week estimated that 317,000 people have been affected since June by flooding in 16 of Sudan’s 18 states.

The World Health Organization has also reported several cases of cholera linked to the flooding.

(with newswires)

Denmark also said it would bolster diplomatic staff at its embassies in Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana.

Following the closures in Bamako and Ouagadougou, a special representative will be appointed for the African Great Lakes and Sahel region, it said.

Mali and Burkina Faso have turned to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support since military leaders seized power in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to launch anti-jihadist force

Mali’s relations with European countries have deteriorated recently.

Earlier this month, its military junta ordered the Swedish ambassador to the leave the country after a Swedish minister criticised Malian support for Russia.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said his country’s reorganisation of priorities in Africa came as Denmark and the European Union aimed to be Africa’s “preferred partner” as the continent faces whether to “orient itself more towards the East or the West.”

Charting a course for the future

“We have a clear interest in the African countries looking towards us in Europe as they chart the course for their future,” he said.

“We must demonstrate that we offer an attractive alternative to the increasing Chinese and Russian influence on the continent,” he added.

France among 16 nations to hit out at deployment of Russian mercenaries in Mali

The new Danish strategy will focus heavily on increasing trade and on water initiatives.

 In the coming years, Denmark plans to provide one billion kroner (€134 million) in development assistance to new bilateral water initiatives in Africa, and 425 million kroner in 2025 alone.

(with AFP)

“In response to the unprecedented number of journalists killed and other repeated press freedom violations by the Israeli authorities since the start of the war with Hamas, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 59 other organisations are calling on the European Union to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel and to adopt targeted sanctions against those responsible”, the groups said in a joint statement.

The call came ahead of a meeting by EU foreign ministers in Brussels on 29 August.

The period following Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October, 2023 and Israel’s devastating retaliatory assault on the Gaza Strip “has been the deadliest for journalists in decades”, the letter said.

“More than 130 Palestinian journalists and media professionals have been killed by the Israeli armed forces in Gaza since 7 October. At least 30 of them were killed in the course of their work, three Lebanese journalists and an Israeli journalist have also been (killed) during the same period”, it says.

‘Trampling’ on rights

“The targeted or indiscriminate killing of journalists, whether committed deliberately or recklessly, is a war crime”, it said.

EU’s association agreements with non-member countries are treaties that govern bilateral relations, including trade.

The agreement’s Article 2 stipulates “respect for human rights and democratic principles”, said Julie Majerczak, the head of RSF’s Brussels office.

International investigation reveals ‘attack on press freedom’ in Gaza conflict

“The Israeli government is clearly trampling on this article. The EU, which is Israel’s leading trade partner, must draw the necessary conclusions from this and must do everything to ensure that the (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu government stops massacring journalists and respects the right to information and press freedom by opening media access to Gaza,” she said.

Among the signatories were the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Human Rights Watch (HRW).

(With newswires)

While all central Paris buses can accommodate wheelchairs, only 25 percent of rail services –metros, trams, and RER suburban trains – are accessible, said Valérie Pécresse, president of the Paris region and head of its transport network.

She addressed reporters on Monday, just two days before the Paralympics begin.

The Games, which run through 8 September, have highlighted the lack of accessible transportation in and around Paris.

The city’s historic metro lines “remain the weak spot” in terms of accessibility, Pécresse said.

The metro, which first opened in 1900, has become the busiest network in the European Union, carrying over four million passengers daily through more than 300 stations.

Only one line – the most recent, Line 14 – is fully accessible, with 20 of the network’s 29 wheelchair-friendly stations.

Pécresse suggested that retrofitting the older lines could be the major project of the next decade, following the Grand Paris Express project, which is introducing four new metro lines to the greater Paris area next year..

The effort “could become the great project of this decade”, she said.

The estimated cost of such a project would be between 15 and 20 billion euros over 20 years. Pécresse said the region is ready to cover 30 percent of the cost, with the state and city expected to fund the remainder.

In the meantime, Paralympic organisers have arranged a shuttle service for disabled visitors to reach competition venues, and a smartphone app is available to help plan journeys.

(with AFP)

President of the National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE), Mohamed Charfi, highlighted the “positive dynamic of registrations” as he expressed hopes of a high turnout for the vote.

However, the lack of choice has cast a shadow following the rejection of 13 potential candidates.

Only two candidates were approved to challenge Tebboune: Abdelaali Hassani of the moderate Islamist party, the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), and Youcef Aouchiche of the centre-left Socialist Forces Front (FFS).

Local media reports that Hassani kicked off his campaign in the capital, Algiers, under the slogan “Opportunity,” while Aouchiche launched his in the popular Bab El Oued district with the slogan “Vision for Tomorrow”.

‘Neutralising’ opposition?

The thirteen other hopefuls, however, failed to secure the required number of signatures to enter the race, a barrier that many argue is symptomatic of a broader effort to “neutralise the opposition”.

Emmanuel Alcaraz, an Algeria expert at the Mesopolhis research laboratory in Aix-en-Provence, told RFI that the current political system “weaponises justice to get rid of opponents”, leaving Algeria with a “civilian facade” controlled by the military.

Despite the controversy, the candidates who are in the race have focused their campaigns on addressing Algeria’s pressing social and economic challenges, RFI’s correspondent in Algiers reported.

Tebboune – who took power from Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019 with 58 percent of the vote but a turnout of less than 40 percent – has promised significant social measures. 

• Algerian opposition denounces ‘unfair conditions’ in upcoming election
• Algeria arrests dozens over alleged election fraud ahead of September poll

They include a potential 100 percent increase in salaries by 2027 and a continuation of efforts to reduce inflation – which he said had already fallen from 11 to 6 percent.

“The same goes for retirement pensions. I will review everything that favours the consolidation of spending power,” Tebboune added.

FFS candidate Youcef Aouchiche has proposed a significant increase in the national minimum wage, aiming to raise it to 40,000 dinars.

“I also commit, as part of the strengthening of social protection, to creating a universal income of 20,000 dinars for all social categories,” he said.

Abdelaali Hassani, the MSP candidate, has focused on positioning Algeria as an emerging nation, pledging to address social issues such as youth unemployment, illegal migration and school dropout rates.

He emphasised the need to prevent the country’s talent from seeking opportunities abroad.

Tightened security

Amid the election campaign, security issues have also come to the fore. Earlier in August, Algerian authorities arrested 21 people in connection with an alleged plot to smuggle weapons into the country aboard a commercial ferry coming from Marseille.

The defence ministry linked the arrests to the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK), a group Algeria considers a “terrorist organisation”.

According to the ministry, the group aimed to disrupt the upcoming elections by sowing disorder and insecurity. The ministry further accused “foreign intelligence services hostile to Algeria” of complicity in the plot.

MAK, founded in 2001 after protests in the Berber-majority Kabylie region, has long been a thorn in the side of the Algerian government.

In 2022, its leader Ferhat Mehenni, who lives in France, was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment on charges of “creating a terrorist organisation and undermining national integrity”.

Algeria’s presidential election campaign continues until 3 September.

The detention of Durov, 39, was extended beyond Sunday night by the investigating magistrate who is handling the case, according to a source close to the investigation. This initial period of detention for questioning can last up to a maximum of 96 hours.

When this phase of detention ends, the judge can then decide to free him or press charges and remand in further custody.

• Durov: Mysterious and controversial Telegram founder

Russia has accused France of “refusing to cooperate” and fellow tech mogul Elon Musk swept to his defence. Durov holds a French passport in addition to other nationalities.

Durov had arrived in Paris from Baku, Azerbaijan, and was planning to have dinner in the French capital, a source close to the case said.

He was accompanied by a bodyguard and a personal assistant who always accompany him, added the source, asking not to be named.

France’s OFMIN, an office tasked with preventing violence against minors, had issued an arrest warrant for Durov in a preliminary investigation into alleged offences including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and promotion of terrorism, another source said.

Durov is accused of failing to take action to curb the criminal use of his platform.

Telegram said in response that “Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”

“Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards,” it added. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”

Durov, whose “Du Rove’s Channel” on Telegram has over 11 million followers, did not post any messages since 14 August, when he celebrated the social media’s 11th birthday.

• Telegram chief Pavel Durov arrested at French airport

(With newswires)

Paris on Sunday celebrated the 80^th anniversary of its liberation from German troops in World War II with tributes, military marches and the hoisting of a flag at the Eiffel Tower.

On August 25, 1944, the 2^nd French Armoured Division entered the capital under the command of General Philippe Leclerc de Hautecloque, ending 1,500 days of German occupation.

Their triumphant arrival followed a tumultuous week of uprisings, strikes, combat at barricades and street battles between French Resistance fighters and occupying forces.

On Sunday a parade followed one of the itineraries of the French division from the south of the capital to its centre.

The parade featured vintage military vehicles, as surviving veterans of the 2^nd Armoured Division looked on.

President Emmanuel Macron led the commemoration, also attended by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and an audience with prominent cultural figures including American actor Jodie Foster.

“Beyond all divisions and contradictions, to be French is to be together,” Macron said in a speech. “Free, and true to the great things that have been achieved and determined to achieve more together.”

A torch for the Paris Paralympics, which open Wednesday, was lit, ahead of a flyover by the Patrouille de France, a unit of French air force fighter planes.

British athletes light Paralympic Flame in birthplace of Games near London

Earlier Sunday, the French flag was raised under the Eiffel Tower in memory of firefighters who at midday 80 years ago took down the Nazi flag that had been flying there for four years, and replaced it with the tricolour.

Sunday’s events were the culmination of a week of festivities in and around the capital, matching in length the week of fighting in 1944 before the Germans surrendered Paris.

On Saturday, there was a tribute to the 160 men of “La Nueve”, mostly made up of Spanish republican forces, who were the first to enter Paris on the evening of August 24.

Paris honours the forgotten Spanish fighters who liberated the French capital

On Saturday night, Paris city hall was the venue for a brass band performance, a concert and a dance.

(AFP)

The leafy streets and gardens of the picturesque village of La Gacilly in western France are home to an annual outdoor photography festival that focuses on the environment and social issues.

This year Australia is the country of honour, with featured work from 11 Australian photographers, including Anne Zahalka.

In her exhibition “Fragments of Wild Life”, koalas cling to spindly eucalyptus trees as a fire rages below. Emus prowl in a desert lined with wind turbines and birds land on pebbly beaches to scoop up plastic lids that look suspiciously like tiny crabs.

Merging scientific research with art, Zahalka tackles disturbing environmental issues with subtlety and sometimes humour.

Many of the works on display in La Gacilly come from her project “Future Past Present Tense”, which draws attention to drastic changes in the environment and humankind’s role in its deterioration or conservation.

One of the images shows Macquarie Island, halfway between Australia and Antarctica, where spaceship-like pods have landed to shelter researchers.

Zahalka explains that great care has been taken by scientists to leave as little trace as possible. But the irony is that in the foreground, the beach is littered with bits of plastic.

“It continues to be very disturbing,” she tells RFI. “Birds are flying and eating these plastics. It is one of the environmental disasters that is unfolding and it’s really hard to prevent it. I mean, there is action but it’s too slow.”

Frozen in time

Zahalka’s work involves transforming photographs from historical archives, taking inspiration from dioramas.

Popular in museums in the late 19th century, these 3D habitat displays generally featured a panoramic painting as a backdrop, decorated with taxidermied animals, artificial plants and other objects in the foreground in an attempt to recreate an authentic scene.

“I reinvent them to depict a vision of the future that is simultaneously apocalyptic and utopian,” Zahalka says.

She also incorporates pictures of the scientists who created the original dioramas and digitally alters images to show how the environment has changed since their day.

What is tomorrow made of? Artists probe consumerist society and planetary crisis

Dioramas have fallen by the wayside now, she says, as people questioned the use of stuffed animals and the amount of time needed to make them.

“I think they were incredibly beautiful things and my work is a lament for both the lost landscapes, lost creatures and also a lost art,” she explains.

Positive ecology

Festival curator Cyril Drouhet says focusing on Australia was evident when it came to drawing the public’s attention to climate change.

“It’s a place often idealised for its pristine, unspoiled expanses,” he says in his introductory notes.

Australian photographer celebrates indigenous heritage at French festival

“But behind the clichés of exoticism surrounding this country in Oceania lies a reality that we are unaware of and that only artists can truly capture,” he goes on, pointing to Australia’s “unambitious climate policy” and the tragic record of droughts, fires and coral bleaching.

Despite the urgency of the message, Drouhet insists that the festival’s goal is to find beauty amid the world’s crises. “We are in favour of a positive ecology, not a punitive ecology,” he told RFI.

“We are not here to say that everything we do is wrong. We’re trying to make people understand.”

La Gacilly Photo Festival runs until 3 November 2024.

“The services of LCI television are withdrawn from the bundles of all distributors of radio or television broadcasting services authorised in Mali for a period of two months” from 23 August, Mali’s media regulator (HAC) said in a statement on Saturday.

HAC objected to comments made by military specialist Colonel Michel Goya in a programme broadcast on LCI titled “Wagner Decimated in Mali: the Hand of Kyiv”.

At the end of July, the Malian army and its Russian allies suffered a heavy defeat in the north of the country, with Tuareg-led rebels claiming to have killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers.

Mali on 4 August severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine, accusing it of supporting rebel groups, charges Kyiv has firmly rejected.

The communications authority said the programme, broadcast on 27 July, contained “disparaging remarks, gratuitous assertions and false accusations of exactions against the Malian armed forces and their Russian partners”.

Clampdown on foreign media

Ruled by army leaders since a double coup in 2020 and 2021, Mali is battling both a jihadist insurgency and a separatist struggle in the north.

In 2022, the junta broke away from its long-standing alliance with former colonial ruler France, and began forging closer ties with Russia, with troops from the infamous Wagner mercenary corps deployed to the country.

Since then Mali’s junta has clamped down on foreign media.

It permanently suspended RFI and its sister television station France 24 in April 2022, and public TV broadcaster France 2 at the beginning of 2024.

RFI and France 24 contest ‘definitive’ broadcasting ban in Mali

Media have also come under pressure in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, also ruled by military leaders who came to power in coups.

Burkina Faso suspended LCI in June 2023 after a journalist’s comments on the jihadist violence-linked security situation were described as “false information”.

Military regimes have turned the Sahel into a ‘black hole’ of information

(with newswires)

Roubaix’s swimming pool was designed by progressive architect Albert Baert and opened in 1932. It remains an emblematic place in the former textile town.

“There’s a real emotional bond with this place and people are very attached to it,” Karine Lacquemant, curator of La Piscine, told RFI.

As well as a sports centre, which it remained until the 1908s, the complex also served as a public bathhouse.

“It was also a place for hygiene, because [workers’ houses] were often unsanitary,” Lacquemant explained. “There were no bathrooms or showers. So here at the swimming pool, there were public baths.”

Public bathhouse returns to Paris suburb for first time in 20 years

The pool was unusual in that it drew people from all classes of society, “from the sons of workers who lived in courées [narrow courtyards] to the bosses who ran the textile factories”, said Lacquement.

Closed in 1985, the centre underwent work between 1998 and 2001 to convert it into a museum of art and industry.

Today, the old changing cubicles surrounding the pool are used as exhibition spaces in which photographs, drawings and textiles are displayed.

Photographer shows young French boxers ‘full of dreams and determined’

Mickael Isambert, a beekeeper in Saint-Ours-les-Roches in central France, lost 70 percent of his honey and had to feed his colonies sugar to help them survive after a cold, rainy spring.

“It has been a catastrophic year,” said Isambert, 44, who looks after 450 hives.

A beehive typically produces 15 kilos of honey a year, but this time, Isambert said his farm had only produced between five and seven kilos.

When it rains, bees “don’t fly, they don’t go out, so they eat their own honey reserves,” said his co-manager and fellow beekeeper Marie Mior.

Low temperatures and heavy rainfall have prevented bees from gathering enough pollen, and flowers from producing nectar – which the insects collect to make honey.

‘Some died of hunger’

Bad weather has affected honey producers countrywide, with spring production dropping by 80 percent in some regions — figures that summer harvests will struggle to offset, said the French national beekeeping union (Unaf).

Rainfall rose by 45 percent on the yearly average, Unaf said in a letter to its local branches.

“With weather conditions that have been catastrophic in many regions with abundant rain… and low temperatures until late, many beekeepers’ viability is under threat,” said Unaf.

Temperatures stagnated below 18 degrees Celsius, the minimum temperature needed for flowers to produce nectar, said Jean-Luc Hascoet, a beekeeper in Brittany in western France who lost about 15 colonies.

“For some of my colleagues it was worse,” he said.

“In June, the bee population increases and the needs of the colonies grow but as nothing was coming in, some died of hunger,” said Hascoet.

French honey harvest halved in ‘worst year ever’ for beekeepers

‘Black year’

French beekeepers had already been reeling from dealing with several seasons of scorching heat and delayed frosts, according to Unaf president Christian Pons, making this “black year” even worse.

“Ten years ago, I made one and a half to two tons of honey per site, compared to 100 kilos today,” said Pons, a beekeeper in the southern Herault region.

Honeymakers earlier this year protested against “unfair competition” by foreign producers, which led to the government releasing five million euros ($5.6 million) in aid.

French consumers eat on average 45,000 tons of honey per year, about 20,000 tons of which is produced in France, according to the left-wing Peasants Confederation union.

“The alleged perpetrator of the arson attack at the synagogue has been arrested,” Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin said in a social media post on Saturday evening, adding that officers who made the arrest came under fire and had shown “great professionalism”.

French prosecutors said the suspect was arrested in the southern city of Nimes shortly before midnight Saturday.

He was shot and injured by police after he opened fire on officers during the arrest. His life was not in danger.

“He opened fire on the police intervention unit, which returned fire, injuring [the suspect] in the face,” the National Antiterrorism Prosecutor’s Office, tasked with investigating the incident, said in a statement Sunday.

Two other people linked to the suspect were also taken into custody, it added. 

Police earlier said they were hunting for a man who, draped in a Palestinian flag, was believed to have set fires at the Beth Yaacov synagogue in the southern seaside resort of La Grande Motte, triggering an explosion that injured an officer.

French media reported that the suspect was a 33-year-old Algerian national, residing legally in France.

Tragedy narrowly avoided

Saturday’s explosion was caused when two cars outside the synagogue were set alight. One contained a gas canister which then likely exploded inside one of the vehicles, police said.

Two fires were also started at the entrance of the synagogue, damaging two doors, but were quickly put out.

Five people, including the rabbi, were in the synagogue at the time of the blast, which occured between 08:00 and 08:30 on Saturday morning, just half an hour before its Saturday service. None of them were injured.

Visiting the site of the attack, outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said: “We narrowly avoided an absolute tragedy.”

“Once more, French Jews have been targeted and attacked as a result of their beliefs,” Attal said.

“If the synagogue had been filled with worshippers… there probably would have been human victims.”

Images of an individual setting fire to the cars were picked up on CCTV.

In part of the footage, watched and authenticated by AFP, a man is seen with a Palestinian flag draped around his waist. His head, but not face, is covered by a red Palestinian keffiyeh.

The man carried two bottles filled with a yellowish liquid. The footage also seems to show the contours of a handgun.

Rise in antisemitism

“Exploding a gas bottle in a car in front of the Grande Motte synagogue at the expected time of arrival of the faithful: it’s not just attacking a place of worship, it’s an attempt to kill Jews,” said Yonathan Arfi, head of the CRIF – an umbrella organisation of French Jewish groups.

Police protection of synagogues and Jewish schools and shops is being stepped up across France following the attack. 

France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim population.

Local Jewish community leader Perla Danan denounced all the politicians and elected officials who’ve imported the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to France.

“You can’t do that with impunity. It’s put weapons into people’s hands,” she told RFI.  “The incessant hate speech and constant stigmatisation of Jewish people has become impossible for French Jews.”

Paris university refuses to cut ties with Israel amid pro-Palestinian protests

Acts of antisemitism have increased sharply in France since the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel which triggered the war in Gaza.

“We are outraged, revolted and scandalised by this, given that antisemitic acts have increased dramatically, even more so since 7 October,” Attal said.

Darmanin said this month that the government had counted 887 antisemitic acts in France in the first half of 2024, nearly three times as many as in the same period in 2023.

President Emmanuel Macron has called the synagogue attack “an act of terror”, adding on X: “The fight against antisemitism is a daily fight.”

(with newswires)

Azerbaijan showcased its military might in a grand parade in Baku last year to celebrate its victory in recapturing the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave from Armenian-backed forces.

Azerbaijan, buoyed by its oil wealth, is continuing its aggressive rearmament programme, heavily relying on Turkey for military support.

“The Turkish defence industry and Turkish military equipment will be providing further arms to protect Azerbaijan,” predicts Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.”

However, Bagci noted that Azerbaijan is also turning to another ally for advanced weaponry.

“Israel is much better in this respect. Azerbaijan buys the highest technology from Israel, and Israel is providing it.”

Turkish and Israeli arms played a crucial role in Azerbaijan’s recent military successes, overwhelming Armenian-backed forces that relied on outdated Russian equipment.

Armenia’s response

In response to its loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is also ramping up its military capabilities, with France leading the supply of new, sophisticated weaponry.

Paris argues that this support helps Armenia shift its focus away from Russian reliance and towards Western alliances.

Yerevan maintains that its rearmament is purely for self-defence.

“Right now, there is no military parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” says Eric Hacopian, a political consultant in Armenia.

“The goal is to create deterrents to make any aggression against Armenia more costly. In the medium term, we aim for equality, and in the long term, superiority.”

Stalled peace talks

The rearmament comes amid stalled peace talks, with Baku concerned that Yerevan’s military buildup might indicate ambitions to retake Nagorno Karabakh.

“The truth is our territory was under occupation, so we worry that in five, 10 years, Armenia will rearm its military, strengthen military capacities, and will come back,” warned Farid Shafiyev, chairman of the Baku-based Centre of Analysis of International Relations.

Yerevan maintains that its rearmament is purely for self-defence.

“Right now, there is no military parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The goal is to create deterrents in the short run to make any aggression against Armenia far more costly than it has been in the past,” says Eric Hacopian, a political consultant in Armenia.

“Two is to create equality in the middle term and in the long term superiority. You can’t have any other goal when your country is constantly under threat, or attack is the only way to respond to it.”

Hacopian also notes: “The moment Armenia can defend itself, then the game is up because Ilham Aliyev is not going to risk a war that he is not guaranteed to win; Armenia rearming means he is not guaranteed to win a war which he means he won’t launch one.”

However, Hacopian acknowledges that the coming year will be dangerous for the region as Yerevan seeks to close the military gap with Azerbaijan.

“Next year is the year of living dangerously because next year is the last year that they can do a major aggression against Armenia without having to face the consequences because the gap is closing. Once it closes, the game will be up,” he says.

Ongoing tensions

Earlier this month, Armenian and Azerbaijani forces exchanged fire in a border skirmish, underscoring the ongoing tensions between the two nations.

Both Baku and Yerevan insist their military enhancements are for defensive purposes.

However, Bagci warns that the arms race is turning the region into a potential flashpoint.

“Armenia and Azerbaijan are like two children; they play with fire, and the house is burning, and everybody is asking the big powers why the house is burning and who has done it. They have done it together,” he says.

Despite their rearmament, both Armenia and Azerbaijan claim to remain committed to the US-backed peace process.

Analysts, however, warn that the escalating arms race could deepen mutual suspicions and further complicate efforts to achieve lasting peace.

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 12 September. We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

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

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 counseled 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.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent 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. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 29 June, I asked you a question about France’s snap elections for the lower house of Parliament, the National Assembly. President Emmanuel Macron had just dissolved the Assembly after his party was rather severely trounced in the European Parliament elections by the far-right National Rally party.

The first round of voting was on 30 June, and the candidates were, as I noted then, promising the moon to voters … you were to listen to Sarah Elzas’ report on her Spotlight on France podcast, and send in the answer to this question: What did the National Rally party say they would do in July to decide what they can or cannot do, as far as their economic promises to the voters?

The answer is: As Romeric Godin told Sarah on the podcast: “Many of the spending proposals put forward by Bardella and the RN are predicated on an audit of the country’s finances, planned as of July, which would determine what can (and cannot) be done.

“That’s a traditional way to say ‘We can’t implement some promises we made before, because public finances are not in order’,” says Godin, skeptical that the RN will be able to deliver.

For Godin, the economic audit offers a way out: “They can say that if the report on France’s public finances is very bad, they will not do it in the autumn, or at all.”

The fiscal information is all there, no audit is necessary.  France’s Cour des Comptes, the country’s independent and supreme audit institution, publishes a monthly report on the country’s finances. It’s not a secret document. It’s online, and everyone can read it.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What do you remember about your first day at your first job?”, which was suggested by Mokles Uddin Mollahis from Bogura, Bangladesh.

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Rafiq Khondaker, the president of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. 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 Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusene, Denmark. Last but not least, there are RFI English listeners Liton Ahamed Mia, from Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Malik Muhammad Nawaz Khokhar from the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. 

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Sous le ciel de Paris” by Hubert Giraud and Jean Dréjac, sung by the one and only Edith Piaf; the traditional valse-musette “A Happy Day in Paris” performed by AccordionMan; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Hymne à l’Amour” by Marguerite Monnot and Edith Piaf, sung by Céline Dion.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate.

You have until 16 September to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 21 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.

Click here to learn how to 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,  

In a world increasingly dominated by Western beauty standards promoted through pop culture and the global beauty industry, the Decolonising Beauty campaign seeks to challenge narrow perceptions and showcase the multifaceted beauty traditions in Africa.

The campaign uses a multi-platform approach to reach a broad audience of English and French speakers in Africa and around the world.

A series of initiatives from the campaign will be announced until the end of the year involving photographers, artists, poets, media makers and content creators.

Zikora Media & Arts founder Chika Oduah tells us more.

• Read also: French lawmakers vote in favour of bill to ban hair discrimination

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompéani

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale

Abbas received a standing ovation in the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, where he addressed an extraordinary session. Deputies wore scarves adorned with Turkish and Palestinian flags as a show of solidarity.

With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan watching from the balcony, Abbas praised Turkey’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.

“We highly appreciate Turkey’s pioneering role under the leadership of President Erdogan for its courageous and unwavering positions in defense of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to freedom and independence,” declared Abbas.

Increasing isolation

Erdogan is attempting to position himself at the forefront of international opposition to Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, even as Turkey finds itself increasingly sidelined from global efforts to resolve the conflict.

China’s recent hosting of Palestinian faction leaders highlights Erdogan’s diminishing influence.

“Erdogan was hoping to reconcile Palestinian factions, but China stole the spotlight and acted preemptively. China had more political clout over the parties,” Selin Nasi, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics contemporary Turkish studies department, told RFI.

Abbas’s visit to Russia on Tuesday further underscores the growing importance of other nations in efforts to address the Gaza conflict.

Domestic message

Erdogan’s invitation to Abbas also serves as a way to reinforce his pro-Palestinian credentials with his domestic conservative base.

“He’s trying to keep his base intact domestically,” Sezin Oney, a commentator on Turkey’s Politikyol news portal, told RFI.

“Once upon a time, Erdogan resonated with the Arab public in general.

“The Arab Street, as it was called back then, and the Muslim population in general saw him as connected with international grassroots movements. But he doesn’t have that appeal anymore; he’s lost that appeal.”

Turkey a bridge?

Erdogan has long claimed to be a bridge between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

“This is an issue that Erdogan personally invested a lot of time and energy in,” said Selin Nasi.

However, Erdogan’s influence with Hamas has waned, particularly after the assassination of its leader Ismail Haniyeh last month, and his replacement by Yahya Sinwar, who is relatively unknown in Turkey.

“They cannot host [Sinwar], they cannot contact him, nor do they have the kind of relations that they had with Haniyeh. So they have to settle with Mahmoud Abbas at this point,” Oney said.

Abbas, however, appears to show little interest in Turkey’s playing a larger role in resolving the conflict, and Erdogan’s strong support of Hamas and his fiery rhetoric against Israel is increasingly isolating him from countries seeking to end the fighting.

Hello everyone!

Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear what Rodrigo Hunrichse, your fellow RFI English listener, has found to be true in his life. Don’t miss it!

Here’s Rodrigo’s essay:

Seize the moment, cherish loved ones, make a good impression, avoid toxicity, plant seeds, harvest in time, write/ report regularly, study/ inform yourself, make good, love, find someone to love you back, question important things, rest regularly, good deeds should return, bad ones too, don’t judge until having good understanding of facts, don’t take their words for a fact: verify, don’t mind popular opinion, save for the uncertainty, remember good/bad people in your life so you’ll be remembered similarly, find a belief and a belonging so you have peers to support and be supported, no one is perfect especially you that know yourself, take care of yourself so to age with dignity, it’s never too late!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “People Are Strange”, by Jim Morrison and Robby Krieger, performed by The Doors. 

The quiz will be back next Saturday, 24 August. Be sure and tune in! 

In a ceremony attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, China’s BYD car company signed an agreement to build a billion-dollar factory in Turkey.

The factory will produce 150,000 vehicles annually, mainly for the European Union market.

Analysts say the July deal marks a turning point in Turkish-Chinese relations.

“The significance of this deal is Turkey would be considered as a transition country between China and the EU,” Sibel Karabel, director of the Asia Pacific department of Istanbul’s Gedik University told RFI.  

“This deal has the potential to reduce the trade imbalance, the trade deficit, which is a detriment to Turkey,” he adds, “Turkey also wants to reap the benefits of China’s cutting-edge technologies by collaborating with China.”

Sidestepping tariffs

China’s pivot towards Turkey, a NATO member, is also about Beijing’s increasing competition for global influence, especially with the United States.  

Karabel says the planned BYD factory offers a way for China to avoid the EU’s new tariffs on vehicles.

Turkey is already a part of China’s global investment strategy through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Beijing has shown interest in Turkey becoming a trade route from China to Europe through Ankara’s Middle Corridor Intiative.

But until now, such collaborations have until been just empty words, claims Ceren Ergenc a China specialist at the Centre for European Policy Studies.  

Turkey set on rebuilding bridges with China to improve trade

“When you look at the press statements after meetings, you don’t see Chinese investments in Turkey, and the reason for that is because China perceives Turkey as a high political risk country in the region,” Ergenc explains.

One of the main factors widely cited for Beijing’s reluctance to invest in Turkey is Ankara’s strong support of China’s Muslim Uyghur minority.

Ankara has been critical of Beijing’s crackdown on Uyghurs, offering refuge to many Uyghur dissidents. Their Turkish supporters fear Beijing’s billion-dollar investment in Turkey could be part of an extradition deal struck during Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s recent visit to China.

“There are rumors, of course, that the Chinese side is pressing for the ratification of this extradition agreement, that they would want Uyghurs in Turkey, some of them at least, to be returned to China to be tried in China,” warns Cagdas Ungor of Istanbul’s Marmara University, referring to people China considers to be dissidents or “terrorists”.

Common ground over Gaza

Elsewhere, Ankara and Beijing are finding increasing diplomatic common ground, including criticism of Israel’s war on Hamas.

“If you take, for instance, the Gaza issue right now, Turkey and China, and even without trying,” observes Ungor, “they see eye to eye on this issue. Their foreign policies align, overlap, and their policy becomes very much different from most of the other Western countries.”

Carmakers unhappy after EU hits China with tariffs on electric vehicles

For example, Ankara welcomed last month’s decision by Beijing to host Palestinian leaders amid an escalation of threats and bombardment by Israel.

Such a move can provide common ground, Ungor suggests, and this could be the basis for future cooperation.

“There are certain issues at a global level, at the regional level, that China seems to be a much better partner(to Turkey) than the Western countries,” he concludes.

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.