The Beijing Action Plan is China’s blueprint for the next three years, committing a staggering €46 billion in aid, investments and credit lines.

Building on the Dakar Action Plan – signed in the Senegalese capital in 2021 to strengthen cooperation in trade, infrastructure and development – the new deal promises African countries €27 billion in credit, €10 billion in assistance and €9 billion in direct investment from Chinese companies.

Its unveiling, made during the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) held last week in Beijing, marks a key moment in the strengthening relationship between the two regions.

But while the numbers sound promising, questions linger about the true impact on Africa.

“Monitoring these commitments is difficult, and it is not certain whether or when these targets will be met,” says Ibrahima Xalil Niang, an economist at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar.

He warns that a lack of clear oversight and evaluation is one of Focac’s biggest weaknesses.

Politics and security

Beyond financial aid, China’s strategy this time extends into new territory: political and security cooperation.

The plan also includes promises of training African military forces, participating in peacekeeping efforts and combatting terrorism.

Beijing has also expressed a desire to foster “exchanges between political parties”, generating concern that China may be encouraging African governments to adopt elements of its own authoritarian model.

At the same time, China’s so-called Global Security Initiative promotes an alternative to the US-backed “rules-based order” by emphasising territorial sovereignty and noninterference.

This initiative, which advocates for less external influence in African countries, resonates particularly in regions frustrated by Western interference.

The Beijing Declaration issued at the end of the forum went even further – tapping into anti-colonial sentiments across the continent.

It referenced a February 2024 African Union statement on reparations, demanding that the US and other Western nations end sanctions on countries like Zimbabwe, Eritrea and Sudan.

These nations, the declaration said, “have the right to decide the future of their own country”.

‘Historical injustices’

In a keynote address, China’s President Xi Jinping spoke of what he described as the shared struggle of China and Africa against colonialism.

“Modernisation is an inalienable right of all countries,” Xi said, adding that the Western approach to development had caused “immense suffering” to nations in the Global South.

“Since the end of World War II, developing nations, represented by China and African countries, have achieved independence … and have been endeavouring to redress historical injustices…”

Although China was not colonised like many African nations, it faced significant foreign influence in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Following the Opium Wars with Britain, China endured a “century of humiliation” marked by unequal treaties that granted foreign powers like Britain, France, Japan and Russia substantial control over its land and trade.

Shift in strategy

The Focac process is part of a longer trend that began during the Cold War with the non-aligned movement of the 1950s, when Beijing emerged as a leader of a bloc independent from both the US and the USSR.

Today China is seeking to position itself as the leader of the Global South, a catchphrase for the developing world – a group of nations often at odds with the US and its allies.

Its message of rewriting the international, US-dominated, order resonates with African nations that often feel abandoned by their traditional Western partners.

By presenting itself as an alternative, China has gained considerable influence on the continent says the economist Niang – pointing out that this partnership is all about strategy.

“States don’t have friends, they only have interests,” he said, adding that China’s engagement is as much about securing its own strategic goals as it is about helping Africa.

African expectations

For African nations, China offers much-needed access to finance, infrastructure and technology.

“African countries stand to gain from China in terms of easier access to finance and technology, and in terms of narrowing the infrastructure gap,” says Niang.

“That’s why China is becoming indispensable. China has the money and the technology, and Africans need that money and technology. This is why any other discourse that does not meet the expectations of Africans will not be heard.”

But, as living costs and inequality continue to rise across the continent, African governments will need to tread carefully.

“Today, the traumas of colonisation and post-colonial exploitation have developed anti-French sentiment in West Africa,” he adds.

“African streets are abuzz with demonstrations hostile to government decisions.”

Anti-Western sentiment is growing, particularly toward countries like France, and this dynamic could affect how Africa engages with global powers, including China.

How the Beijing Action Plan plays out will shape the future of Africa-China relations – and reveal whether this evolving partnership will truly benefit both sides.

Youth unemployment rates, inflation, lack of infrastructure and a growing public deficit are all major issues that await newly re-elected President Tebboune.

Since the beginning of his campaign, Tebboune has made many promises, among them, the creation of 450,000 jobs by 2026 and an increase in unemployment benefits from 15,000 (€102) to 20,000 Algerian dinars per month.

He also said he would increase civil servants’ salaries and create four million social housing units.

For some time, Algeria‘s economy has been relying on oil and gas revenues, which are doing well, but many Algerians expect other strategic sectors to take off again, especially industry, which represents just a tiny part of the country’s economy.

Tebboune promised to double the gross domestic product within three years, declaring that he would make Algeria “the second economy in Africa”, behind South Africa.

Algeria’s recent integration in the BRICS development bank is also seen as an opportunity to mobilise more resources for investment projects.

Socio-economic challenges

Mohamed Loucif, a professor of economics and public finance in Algeria says the country is experiencing too much dependence on oil to diversify the economy.

“The lack of diversification of the economy results in a declining industrial sector. That is the Algerian paradox. What could be considered a comparative advantage is counter-intuitively something that can obstruct the development of an economy.”

For instance, “cereal imports exceed 60 percent for example,” he told RFI, while Algeria could produce much more food.

Algeria’s president re-elected with nearly 95 percent of vote

What could boost the industrial sector would be direct foreign investment, but this has been in sharp decline for several years.

Despite this, businessman Slim Othmani says that there is definitely an interest in Algeria as an investment destination.

“However, I think that international investors expect more stability from the legal framework,” he says.

While Algerians hoped the Hirak protest movement of 2019 and the departure of former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika would offer them more freedom, the first mandate of President Tebboune saw a clampdown on civil liberties and seen the army take on a more important role.

In an interview with French daily Le Monde in 2023, researcher Mouloud Boumghar underlined that recent constitutional changes made any criticism of the army almost impossible.

“What is criminalised here is the very demand of the Hirak, namely the radical change of the political system,” he said.

Any critic is met with “accusation of terrorism”, which has “a dissuasive effect”.

This issue has been decried by rights group Amnesty International in a recent report.

• Listen to our ‘SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA’ podcast on Algeria and rights concerns

Army support

Another issue of concern is the increasing presence of the army in the political sphere.

A few days before Tebboune’s declaration of candidacy, in August, a decree was published to legalise the transfer of the senior civil administration under the direct authority of the army.

The Algerian army magazine, El Djeich, published an editorial late in 2023 praising Tebboune.

“All the achievements obtained so far have confirmed the correctness of the option chosen by the President of the Republic as a reformist path for the construction of a new Algeria,” it read.

For many observers, this statement was a signal that the army command supported Tebboune’s second term.

For Ali Bensaad, analyst and university professor at the French Institute of Geopolitics in Paris VIII, the weight of the army in this election was decisive.

“The army tends to replace civil society on many levels,” he told RFI’s Christophe Boisbouvier. And it wants, beyond governing, to also administer the country directly,” according to Bensaad.

But for Hasni Habidi, Algerian analyst and director of the CERNAM research centre, based in Geneva, the past few years have shown that the Algerian society is changing, and this is visible in the dynamic growth in small businesses and social enterprises.

It would therefore be difficult to deny people’s aspiration for a freer political life for too long.

France could see its budget deficit spiral unexpectedly higher this year and next if extra savings are not found, the Finance Ministry said in a letter to lawmakers earlier this month.

The deteriorating state of public finances has put Paris into EU disciplinary proceedings and left incoming Prime Minister Michel Barnier facing tough questions as he looks to form a new government and prepare a budget by 1 October with the threat of a parliamentary vote of no-confidence hanging over him.

“France has asked for such an extension,” the Finance Ministry was quoted as saying in the weekly La Tribune Dimanche economics newspaper, without specifying how long it had asked for.

This was to “ensure the coherence of the plan and the 2025 draft budget,” the ministry said.

‘Tough choices’

A commission spokesperson said that a 20 September deadline was foreseen in the rules, but member states can agree with the Commission to extend that deadline by a reasonable period of time.

“We cannot confirm at this stage whether we have received the request,” the EU spokesperson said.

The financial shortfall means Barnier’s new government could face tough choices between cutting spending and hiking taxes or losing credibility with France’s EU partners and financial markets.

Macron named 73-year-old Barnier – a conservative and the former Brexit negotiator for the European Union – as Prime Minister on Thursday, capping a two-month search following his decision to call a legislative election that eventually delivered a hung parliament.

On Saturday, Barnier said that he could not perform miracles and he wanted to put order back into France’s finances.

• Macron names ex-Brexit negotiator Barnier as French PM
• France’s new PM welcomed by Brussels but faces uphill struggle at home

Far-right ‘kingmaker’

The leftist New Popular Front alliance (NPF), the largest bloc in parliament, and the far-right National Rally (RN) together have a majority and could oust the prime minister through a no-confidence vote should they decide to collaborate.

The RN gave its tacit approval for Barnier, citing a number of conditions for it to not back a no-confidence vote, making it the de facto kingmaker for the new government.

Speaking on Sunday, Marine Le Pen said her party wanted to see Barnier implement measures that would respect the 11 million people who had voted for it.

“If in the coming weeks the French are forgotten or badly treated we won’t hesitate to vote against the government,” she said at a public meeting in northern France.

The French are largely satisfied with the appointment of the centre-right Michel Barnier as Prime Minister, but believe he will not last long in his new post, a poll said on Sunday.

According to the Ifop poll for the Journal du Dimanche, 52 percent of people polled said they were satisfied with the appointment of Barnier as head of government.

By comparison, 53 percent of respondents approved the nomination of Barnier’s predecessor, Gabriel Attal, when he was appointed prime minister in early January, becoming France’s youngest-ever prime minister at 34.

But 74 percent of respondents polled believe he would not last long in the post, according to the survey.

(with newswires)

The first Games held in France in their 64-year history ended on Sunday night with a spectacular closing ceremony in front of 70,000 spectators at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

On 28 August, more than 4,000 Paralympians paraded along the Champs Elysées before the opening extravaganza on the Place de la Concorde.

“It was an incredible setting,” said Andrew Parsons, boss of the International Paralympic Committee, which oversees the event.

“It was a gigantic hug that the city of Paris, that the country of France was giving to the Paralympic movement, and the athletes felt embraced and supported. It set the right tone.

“In terms of the athlete experience, it has been amazing. The services to them at the Paralympic village, at the venues and the crowds have been amazing.

“Quite simply, Paris 2024 is the new benchmark for Paralympic Games in every aspect, in every single point of the organisation.”

Paris seeks to make athletes’ village an accessible ‘paradise’ for Paralympians

Medal mission complete

French sports chiefs were also satisfied. Before the event, Marie-Amélie Le Fur, the head of the French Paralympic sports committee, said its 237 Paralympians had been set a goal of 20 gold medals across the 22 sports and an eighth place finish.

France achieved the latter, but fell just shy of its gold medal target with 19. The delegation also picked up 28 silvers and 28 bronzes.

Ukraine were seventh with 22 golds in their haul of 81 medals. Paying tribute to the Ukrainian effort amid its war with Russia, French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said France would share some of its glory.

“We’re not too happy about them finishing just above us,” Oudéra-Castéra joked. 

“We were able to provide some material needs to support that delegation and I would like to say to my counterpart in Ukraine, how proud France is to have supported Ukraine.”

Italy, Netherlands and second-placed Britain finished further up the medal chain than the French, who nonetheless surpassed their medal tally from Tokyo of 55 where they finished 14th.

“What remains for us to do is to make sure that this success lasts,” said Le Fur, who highlighted the haul of five medals – none gold – in track and field as an area for improvement.

The French para-cycling federation will be, by contrast, bullish. It was set a goal of between 20 and 30 medals, and the cyclists brought in 28.

Meanwhile France’s swimmers collected 14 medals in total, two of them gold.

‘Not just a happy ending’

Michael Jeremiasz, the French former wheelchair tennis star who won gold in Beijing along with two bronzes and a silver in Athens, Beijing and London between 2004 and 2012, struck a note of caution amid the euphoria.

“We have to make sure that it’s not just a happy ending,” said the 42-year-old. “That would be more serious than if we hadn’t organised the Games at all.

“I hope the Paralympics will help us to look at each other more kindly and that the state and the government will feel obliged to do the job to speed up this transformation.”

Amid grandstanding about ticket sales of 2.5 million and a record 165 international broadcasters covering the event, poor accessibility for people with disabilities across the Paris metro network has tempered outright self-congratulation.

Paris metro accessibility a ‘weak spot’ ahead of Paralympics

“Although we’re now at London’s level of accessibility with 56 percent, we can’t be satisfied with that,” said Valérie Pécresse, governor of the greater Paris region.

“And that’s why I’ve taken advantage of these Paralympic Games to launch the idea of a metro for all.”

Pécresse said the capital would open four new metro lines in the coming years. “We’ll also be opening a whole series of tramway lines. What we don’t have, however, is the regeneration of the old lines. That’s metro lines 1 to 13.”

Structural engineers say revamping the city centre stations will cost hundreds of millions of euros and potentially endanger the same historic buildings used as glittering backdrops for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

‘A great adventure’

Pécresse says she wants local authorities and the government to look into a plan which she claims will be a win-win.

The progress of her campaign will be one of the salient features of the post-Paralympics landscape.

The next step of Tony Estanguet, chief of the Olympic and Paralympic organising committee, will be as intriguing.

The former Olympic canoeing champion has, as the face of the Games, consistently struck the right tone between cheerleading, concern and cajoling.

“We wanted to move the lines with the Paralympic Games,” he said. “It has been obvious that they have affected people ever since the opening ceremony.

“We wanted to send out a strong message about inclusion and we’ve done that. It’s been a great adventure and we’ve shown what the country is capable of.”

StreetNav app plots path to accessible city travel beyond Paris Paralympics

In a press release issued on Sunday, the Association of Descendants of Gustave Eiffel (Adge) reaffirmed its “unfavourable position” to the “definitive perpetuation of the rings … beyond the Olympic year 2024, with no clear date announced for their removal”.

On Friday, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo reiterated her wish to see the rings attached to the famous tower, which belongs to the city, remain on the iconic monument until the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, “and even beyond”.

This position, already expressed shortly after the opening of the Games and reaffirmed a week ago, triggered an outcry from heritage defenders and opponents of the Socialist mayor.

“We are very happy that the rings have been associated with the Eiffel Tower for the duration of the Olympic Games,” the descendants of the famous engineer explained on Sunday, while reaffirming their opposition to the project.

“As the heirs of Gustave Eiffel, the members of Adge … may be led to oppose any alteration that would undermine respect for the work of their ancestor,” they said, explaining that they had consulted a law firm.

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Olympic ‘imbalance’

In their view, hanging the Olympic rings “substantially alters both the visual and symbolic aspects of the Eiffel Tower”. 

“Coloured, large and placed in the main access axis to the Tower, creating a strong imbalance, the rings substantially alter the very pure forms of the monument”, they added.

The presence of the rings on the Tower beyond the duration of the Games also contradicts “the neutrality and meaning acquired over the years by the Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of the city of Paris and indeed of the whole of France throughout the world,” they argue, adding that there is “no prior thematic or historical link between the Tower and the Games”.

Saying that they were at the mayor’s disposal for discussions, they in turn have proposed that the City of Paris “after having passed on the Olympic flame to the City of Los Angeles … could symbolically pass on the Olympic rings to Los Angeles by the end of 2024, which marks the end of the Olympic year”.

At the weekend, Hidalgo told reporters: “She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was in all likelihood her beauty, strength and freedom which were intolerable for the person who committed this murder”.

“Paris will not forget her. We’ll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remains among us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Hidalgo added.

Taking to social media platform X, the Paris city hall posted, “Paris joins forces with Parisian elected officials to express its support for the family of the athlete, victim of femicide a few weeks after her participation in the Olympic Games”.

‘Violent murder’

33-year-old Cheptegei, made her Olympic debut in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games, where she finished 44th.

Police and doctors say she was left with 80 percent burns after being attacked in front of her two children the previous Sunday by her Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach.

Her death – which the United Nations has described as a “violent murder” – triggered widespread condemnation.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “Our sport has lost a talented athlete in the most tragic and unthinkable circumstances.

“Rebecca was an incredibly versatile runner who still had lots left to give on the roads, mountains and cross country trails”.

• Women in Kenya demand justice for femicide amid spate of killings
• Thousands march in France to denounce violence against women

Protecting athletes from abuse

Coe said he was in discussions with members of World Athletics’ governing Council “to assess how our safeguarding policies might be enhanced to include abuse outside of the sport, and bringing together stakeholders from all areas of athletics to combine forces to protect our female athletes to the best of our abilities from abuse of all kinds”.

Janet Museveni, Uganda’s First Lady and Education Minister, posted on X: “The news of our daughter Rebecca Cheptegei’s tragic death due to domestic violence is deeply disturbing.” 

Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said it was a “stark reminder” that more must be done to combat gender-based violence.

The Paris Olympics organisers voiced their “profound indignation and sadness” at the runner’s death. 

Cheptegei’s funeral will be held on 14 September in Kongasis sub county in the Bukwo district of eastern Uganda, a member of the funeral organising committee told French news agency AFP on Sunday.

Bukwo is the location of Cheptegei’s family home and lies on the border with Kenya about 380 kilometres northeast of the Ugandan capital Kampala.

Beekeepers say 2024 has proved a disastrous year for honey production. The spring honey harvest fell by as much as 80 percent in some parts of France, with many bees dying from starvation.

The primary culprit is poor weather: cold temperatures and relentless rain have left colonies unable to forage, forcing some beekeepers to supplement their diets with sugar and adding significant costs in an already struggling industry.

When it rains, bees stay inside their hives instead of flying out to collect nectar. During these periods, they consume their reserves of honey, depleting the very resource they are supposed to produce.

Compounding the problem are cooler-than-usual temperatures, which prevent flowers from producing the nectar essential for bees’ survival and honey making.

This year, the impact has been widespread across France, with unseasonable weather affecting almost every region.

National weather service Météo France reported that spring rainfall was 45 percent above the annual average, with nearly 20 percent less sun than in previous years.

In the run-up to this summer, temperatures remained well below the 18°C needed for flowers to produce nectar.

As the bee population increased in June, colonies required more resources – but with no nectar coming in, many bees starved to death.

‘Bees starving’ in disastrous year for French honey

Market challenges

France’s honey production is down between 20 and 80 percent depending on the region, and in some cases, the loss has been severe enough to threaten beekeeping businesses’ survival.

It’s the latest blow for the apiculture industry after several years of crisis. Some beekeepers have seen their annual honey production drop from 2 tonnes to a mere 100 kilos over the past decade.

French beekeepers protested earlier this year against what they called “unfair competition” from cheaper foreign honey imports.

In response, the government released €5 million in aid to support the struggling sector. However, beekeepers continue to face difficulties in marketing their products and managing large stockpiles.

France’s demand for honey is substantial, with the country consuming an estimated 45,000 tonnes annually. Yet domestic production meets less than half of this demand, averaging only 20,000 tonnes a year.

Imported honey lands French beekeepers in sticky situation

Colony collapse

The decline in honey production is more than just an economic issue – it reflects a broader environmental crisis.

Bees are among the most crucial pollinators in the world, responsible for pollinating 90 percent of flowering plants.

That makes them critical not just for biodiversity but food security. Globally, 75 percent of food crop production depends at least partially on pollinators – including about 20,000 bee species, 850 of which are found in France alone.

In recent years, the weakening and mortality of bee colonies has become a global concern. 

While bee mortality is a normal occurrence in apiaries – with 5 to 10 percent of colonies typically dying each winter – the problem has intensified since the mid-1980s, when unusual colony losses began to be observed worldwide.

EU efforts on biodiversity

The European Commission adopted a 10-year biodiversity strategy in 2020, aiming to restore the continent’s natural environment by 2030.

The plan includes specific measures to halt and reverse the decline of pollinators.

The EU proposes expanding protected areas, enhancing the protection of regions with high biodiversity and climate value, and restoring landscapes that capture carbon and mitigate natural disasters.

In June, the Council of the European Union approved additional legislation to bolster these biodiversity efforts.

However, experts warn that these measures alone may not be enough. Without urgent action to address climate change, pesticide use and habitat loss, bees could continue to decline – or even face extinction.

The complaint covers the period 1948-1961 and concerns the entire policy of placing mixed-race children in religious institutions managed by the Church, but which in fact resulted from a racial policy instaurated by the Belgian colonial administration in the Congo.

The five women – now in their 70s – accuse Belgium of crimes against humanity in their native Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

They want justice, compensation, and the recognition of these crimes.

The Belgian authorities recognise that between 14,000 and 20,000 children are involved in this case, but, despite their considerable number, their fate has long been ignored, according to RFI’s correspondent in Brussels.

In 2021, the judges rejected the motivation brought by the five plaintiffs, saying: “No one can be punished for a crime that did not exist at the time of the alleged facts”.

The women appealed the decision and a new trial opened on Monday.

Colonial policy

At the time, Belgium had claimed that the placements of these mixed-race children were meant to give them a so-called “European” education, in order to create a caste of Congolese people who were favorable to the colonial regime.

But in reality, a concerted policy to tear these children, called “mulattoes,” from their mothers (even if their father had not recognised them) was put into place, and to make them somehow invisible, because their very existence challenged the racial supremacy of the colonial order.

These children were marginalised from both African and colonial society.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers will argue on appeal that this was in fact a crime against humanity even then – and that the same principles that the Nuremberg Tribunal used for crimes against humanity against the Nazi regime should be applied to post-war colonial policy.

“They were abducted, mistreated, ignored, expelled from the world. They are living proof of an unacknowledged state crime,” the lawyers said in 2021.

‘Deep regrets’

In 2019, Belgium apologised for kidnapping these thousands of mixed-race children in the DRC between 1959 and 1962, in a move to address the legacy of its often brutal 80 years of colonisation.

“In the name of the federal government, I present my apologies to the metis of the Belgian colonial era and their families for the injustices and the sufferings they have endured,” Prime Minister Charles Michel told Parliament as dozens of former abductees looked on.

The apology was the first time Belgium officially acknowledged responsibility for the policy of segregation under which ‘metis’ children were abducted from Congo and put in schools and orphanages in Belgium run by the Catholic Church.

In 2022, Belgium’s King Philippe also expressed his “deepest regrets” for the pain inflicted during his country’s colonisation of the DRC, but he stopped short of formally apologising for exploitation, racism and acts of violence.

Belgium’s King Philippe ‘regrets’ colonial-era abuses in DRC

“Even though many Belgians were sincerely committed to loving the Congo and its people deeply, the colonial regime was based on exploitation and domination,” he said, during a first visit to Congo since taking the throne in 2013.

Many want the King to go a step further.

“We were expecting reparations,” said opposition MP Geneviève Inagosi.

“I think Congo’s money also built Belgium. Logically, we are expecting Belgium to use its power to rebuild the DRC. Just expressing regrets and saying that we are turning the page is too easy.”

The Malian Ministry of Health has called on international partners to help provide around €4.5 million (3 billion CFA francs) to “deal with material damage” and “health risks”, particularly in relation to the stagnation of water, prone to diseases and epidemics.

In its latest report, issued on 4 September, the authorities said that since the start of the rainy season (in June) there had been 228 cases of flooding in 18 regions, 18,140 households affected and 42 people killed.

The regions of Segou, Gao and Bamako are among the most affected.

The transitional authorities declared a national catastrophe on 23 August and put in place a plan to reinforce food security and assist affected households.

The Malian council of ministers adopted measures such as continued awareness-raising on the risks of flooding, a formal ban on the allocation of plots for residential use in flood-prone areas as well as cleaning of gutters and road junctions to improve water flow.

Mohamed Askia Touré is the acting United Nations humanitarian affairs coordinator in Mali. He said that UN organisations and all NGOs present in the country were mobilised.

Shelter in schools

“There are multiple needs in terms of shelter, food or health, in particular to prevent epidemics,” Touré told RFI.

Many homes have collapsed completely or are partially destroyed, while many fields are underwater, depriving families of their livelihoods.

“Most of the people displaced by the floods are now in school centres,” Touré explained.

“We are ensuring that the needs they face will be covered, to first allow them to return to their place of origin and to allow these schools to reopen in the coming weeks,” he continued.

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The United States responded to Mali’s declaration of a national emergency by announcing that $125,000 (€110,000) would be allocated to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the International Federation of Red Cross Societies.

In addition, USAID funded the distribution of buckets, food, water purification tablets, kitchen utensils, mats, oil, rice, and soap.

USAID also provided five vehicles to assist with evacuations.

The massive displacement of communities has disrupted children’s education at the start of the school year, international charity Save the Children warned on Friday.

“Hundreds of thousands of children now displaced from their homes are facing disease, hunger from crop destruction, and disruption to their education, as schools have become crowded with fleeing families or damaged in the floods,” the NGO said.

“These countries are already ravaged by conflict and insecurity, making it even harder to respond, said Vishna Shah-Little, regional advocacy, media and communications director for the agency in Western and Central Africa.

Mosque washed away

The rainy season in the Sahel countries runs from June until September and brings similar problems every year.

But scientists warn that climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions is making extreme weather events such as floods more frequent, intense and longer-lasting.

Severe flooding has also affected neighbouring Niger, where heavy rains since June have killed 273, injured 278 and left more than 700,000 left homeless, according to Niger’s Interior Ministry.

Some 649,184 people have been displaced in the country.

Why winning the climate fight in Africa is a win for the world

Besides flash floods and landslides, the downpours also caused the destruction of one of the Muslim country’s oldest mosques.

The iconic mud building in Zinder, built in the mid-19th century, “was completely wiped off the map last week after a massive downpour”, resident Ali Mamane confirmed to French news agency AFP.

Made from a mixture of earth and straw called banco, the mosque was Niger’s second-most visited after the Unesco-listed Agadez mosque, according to Niger’s ministry of tourism.

In Tiniskt, a village perched in the mountains about 70 kilometres southwest of Marrakesh, 45 people lost their lives.

Of the roughly 500 remaining villagers, many are still in temporary shelters, struggling to cope with the trauma.

Khadija Id Yassine, a mother of three who lost her home in the quake, told news agency AFP she’s tried to forget, but it “remains anchored” in her mind.

“Life has been hard in the tent, between the freezing cold of winter and the stifling heat of summer.”

While most debris has been cleared, the scars of destruction remain. Only the mosque and three concrete houses are still standing.

For the past year, Kebira Ait Bellaid has been also living in a tent in an Atlas mountain village, haunted by the memory of losing her daughter and three grandchildren.

“I can still hear my nine-year-old grandson’s screams under the rubble,” the 52-year-old told reporters.

“This earthquake has changed me forever.”

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‘Turn this painful page’

Morocco’s government provided most families in Tiniskt with an initial payout of 20,000 Moroccan dirhams – around €1,800 – but the promised homes have yet to be rebuilt.

Al Haouz province, which includes Tiniskt, was the hardest hit. Of the 24,000 houses scheduled for reconstruction, only 1,000 have been completed.

Amine Bouih of Al-Omrane, the public construction agency, said accessing damaged areas in the mountainous terrain has slowed progress.

Brahim Ait Ouarah, an ambulance driver from the nearby village of Ouirgane, paid out of pocket to rebuild his home after six months in a tent.

“Those months were very difficult,” said Ouarah, who lost his wife and son in the quake.

“I was eager to turn this painful page, even when nothing can compensate for the lost lives”.

‘Big mistake’

Frustration is also mounting over how new homes are being built. Concrete is being used widely instead of traditional materials like clay and stone.

Architect Khalil Morad El Gilali called this “a big mistake.”

“It is expensive, not suitable for this environment and not reliable,” he says.

Gilali has been involved in the reconstruction of 70 houses using the traditional clay and stone of the villages, turning down projects that use concrete.

He argues that the authorities, in their rush to rebuild, have shown “a lack of vision”.

But Al Omrane’s Bouih said traditional architecture takes more time – a luxury in short supply when people desperately need shelter.

(with AFP)

Since April 2023, the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The conflict pits the national army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

A UN fact-finding mission said Friday its probe had uncovered “harrowing” violations by both sides and called for “an independent and impartial force with a mandate to safeguard civilians” to be urgently deployed.

But the Sudanese foreign ministry, which is loyal to the army under al-Burhan, said in a statement late Saturday that “the Sudanese government rejects in their entirety the recommendations of the UN mission”.

It called the UN Human Rights Council, which created the fact-finding mission last year, “a political and illegal body”, and the panel’s recommendations “a flagrant violation of their mandate”.

UN mission calls for peacekeeping force in Sudan, suspects war crimes

Little use?

The statement accused the Rapid Support Forces of “systematically targeting civilians and civilian institutions”.

“The protection of civilians remains an absolute priority for the Sudanese government,” it said.

It also rejected the experts’ call for an arms embargo.

Horn of Africa expert Roland Marchal told RFI he was sceptical a peacekeeping force would be of much help when the two sides of the conflict are not even in talks.

Any new force would spend “much more time defending itself from threats it will face” than effectively protecting civilians, he argued.

‘Nightmare’

The UN experts said eight million civilians have been displaced and another two million people have fled to neighbouring countries, while more than half the population faces food shortages.

On a visit to Sudan on Sunday, World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “The scale of the emergency is shocking, as is the insufficient action being taken to curtail the conflict and respond to the suffering it is causing.”

In Port Sudan, where government and UN offices have relocated due to the intense fighting in the capital Khartoum, Tedros called on the “world to wake up and help Sudan out of the nightmare it is living through”.

Famine and floods add to distress of Sudanese displaced by war

(with AFP)

The main prize for news reporting, the prestigious Visa d’Or News award, went to Mahmud Hams of French news agency AFP.

In a statement issued after the prizes were announced at a ceremony in the French city of Perpignan on Saturday night, Hams said: “I spent my childhood in Gaza, and in 23 years of photojournalism, I have witnessed every war, every conflict there. 

“But this war is unlike any other, without precedent from the very first day.”

Hams, who finally left Gaza with his family in February, described “incredibly difficult conditions” faced by reporters, with “no red lines and no protections for anyone”.

“I hope the photos we take show the world that this war, and the suffering, must end,” he said.

‘Hostile reactions’

The Rémi Ochlik Visa d’Or award, named for the French war photographer killed on assignment in Syria in 2012, went to Loay Ayyoub for his work in Gaza for The Washington Post.

The 29-year-old Palestinian accepted the honours from Egypt, where he now lives as a refugee.

Reserved for young photographers, the €8,000 prize is sponsored by the city of Perpignan. But this year, the town’s mayor Louis Aliot – a member of the far-right National Rally party – refused to participate in the awards ceremony, stating that he was “uncomfortable with the coverage of this war” and would have preferred the prize to go to “a journalist entirely independent of Hamas”. 

The festival’s curator, Jean-François Leroy, told RFI that such antagonism was unprecedented in the 36 years of Visa pour l’Image. 

“Never have we had such hostile reactions except over the Israel-Hamas war,” he said.

Gaza war vanishing from French news channels amid fears of media bias

Off-limits to international press

As well as an exhibition of Ayyoub’s work titled The Tragedy of Gaza, this year’s festival also features West Bank, a series on the other Palestinian territory by Russian photojournalist Sergey Ponomarev.

But foreign journalists remain rare in the Gaza Strip, Leroy points out. “It’s worth noting, because it’s pretty unusual, that the territory is completely sealed off, completely closed to the international press, so we’re only working with Gazan photographers – of whom there are very few.”

The jury also picked a third Palestinian photojournalist, Samar Abou Elouf, for its Visa d’Or Daily Press award. She was honoured for her coverage of Gaza published in The New York Times.

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

Speaking at a video conference before the ceremony, Ayyoub said it was “absolutely essential” for international journalists to go to Gaza – “firstly to document the war, but also because I think it would protect us a bit more from the [Israeli] army”. 

At least 116 journalists and media workers have died in Gaza since Israel declared war on Hamas in response to its attacks on 7 October, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Ayyoub dedicated his prize to “all the journalists killed in Gaza while doing their job”. 

Among the other photographers honoured at the festival were Katie Orlinsky, who won best feature for her series on disappearing caribou herds in Alaska and northern Canada, and Hugh Kinsella Cunningham, who took the humanitarian prize for his reporting on civilians displaced by fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The lifetime achievement award went to American photojournalist Paula Bronstein. 

► Visa pour l’Image runs in Perpignan until 15 September 2024.

Tony Estanguet, head of the Games’ organising committee, paid tribute to the athletes from nearly 200 countries who had competed in 22 sports over 11 days.

“This summer France had a rendez-vous with history,” said Estanguet, a former Olympic canoeing champion.

“And it was there,” he added.

“We rediscovered our heritage, our creativity, our ability to achieve great things. We rediscovered our joie de vivre, our impertinence.

“These Games have been a meeting of our country with itself. The France that smiles, that loves itself, that we are proud of, the France of all records: medal records, spectator records, audience records, atmosphere records.”

Inclusion revolution

Andrew Parsons, head of the International Paralympic Comittee (IPC), which oversees the Paralympic Games added: “For a country famous for its fashion and gastronomy, France is now famous for its supporters.

“People of France, your passion and support have been incredible and magnificent. With spirit and pride, you have made the last 12 days joyous and unforgettable.

“You celebrated the start of the inclusion revolution with a Paralympic party in Paris.”

Following a breakdancing routine involving eight dancers – four of them with disabilities – the Paralympic flag was lowered and handed over by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo to Karen Bass, her counterpart in Los Angeles.

That prompted a video section from a sun-kissed Venice Beach – a stark meteorological contrast to the conditions to the north of Paris.

In a change of pace back at the Jardin des Tuileries, Malian musicians Amadou and Mariam performed a song to calm the mood before the action turned again to the Stade de France.

At the main athletics stadium, the closing ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, deployed Frédéric Villeroux, skipper of France’s gold-medal winning blind football team, and Ugo Didier, who won the French delegation’s first gold medal, to carry the Paralympic flame into the stadium.

They handed it to Charles Noakes, gold medallist in para badminton and Gloria Agblemagnon, a  silver medallist in para athletics.

French organisers revel in success of ‘benchmark’ Paris Paralympics

Mathieu Bosredon, the most successful Frenchman at the Paralympic Games with three titles in para cycling and Aurélie Aubert, France’s first Paralympic champion in Boccia, shared the honour of extinguishing the flame.

That formality cleared the path for the electro session led by the godfather of the genre Jean-Michel Jarre led the way.

The 76-year-old was followed by the cream of French electro artists such as Breakbot, Natalie Duchene, Etienne de Crecy, Alain Braxe, Cassius and Kavinsky.

Dance

For the last tracks, the French delegation gathered on stage around the sound decks of DJ Martin Solveig and danced. And danced. And danced.

“It was the end of a summer of Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Jarre told France 2. “It’s simply where you had to be. It was the last postcard.”

Jolly, who directed the Paralympics opening ceremony as well as the shows to start and conclude the Olympic Games, said: “We found unity. The stadium danced. We created a big us and that’s what the artistic team wanted to do.

“I’m very happy,” added the 42-year-old. “It has been two years of work. It has been the biggest project of my life. The organising committee placed a lot of trust in me and gave me carte blanche.

“The athletes were at the heart of things and we saw them. I just hope everyone got a chance to get a little something out of all the pieces in the ceremonies.”

Of the inclement weather, Jolly added wryly: “The rain clearly wanted to be part of the action. 

“It was there at the Olympics opening ceremony and it was here at the Paralympics closing ceremony. Well, at least it’s consistent.”

Revenge

Argentina got the football World Cup in 2022 in Qatar. France beat Argentina to claim gold in the blind football. It finished 1-1 and France won the penalty shoot-out to claim their first gold medal in the event which has been at the Paralympics since 2004.

The success was one of two golds for the hosts on the day and it took them to 19 – one off the target of 20. But they were in eighth place – the desired position for the 2024 Games. So all to play for on the final day of competition.

Inclusion, inclusion, inclusion

A nod to the former British prime minister Tony Blair who, when seeking a second term, said his administration would promote “Education, education, education”.

The Paralympic Games have been instructive for all manner of reasons. For the past fortnight we have witnessed stories of people with impairments triumphing over physical or mental adversities, and also what politicians fail to do to upgrade the infrastructure to assist their independence.

StreetNav app plots path to accessible city travel beyond Paris Paralympics

Nourishing then to see invective-filled demonstrations on the streets of Paris and elsewhere in France on the penultimate day of the Paralympic Games over the political deadlock in the French parliament. The Olympics and Paralympics, a flickering vignette of happiness in the general drama of pain.

And so I win the singles

Tokito Oda exacted revenge on Alfie Hewett in the men’s wheelchair tennis singles. The 18-year-old saved a match point on his way to a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 victory at the Roland Garros stadium.

On Day 9, Hewett and Gordon Reid beat Oda and Takuya Miki 6-2, 6-1 to take the men’s doubles. Hewett, 26, will have to console himself with a second silver following his defeat in the final in Rio in 2016.

Paralympic wheelchair tennis archives inspired me to singles gold, says Kamij

Flagging 

If only flag-bearing duties brought good fortune. Nantenin Keita carried the French standard during the opening ceremony but she finished sixth in the final of the T13 400m.

The 39-year-old received a huge ovation when she arrived for her race but she was well off the pace. Rayane Soares da Silva won the course in a world record 53.55 seconds.

“I’m disappointed,” said Keita. “I had the feeling that I didn’t turn up.” Keita, who was also in the 100m, was eliminated during the heats.

Upbeat

The French para-cycling federation will be cock-a-hoop. The target was between 20 and 30 medals. And the cyclists brought in 28. 

Across a courtyard, through a glass door, up a couple of floors, out to the right and round a bit to the left: a navigation app would come in handy inside the town hall of Paris’s 20th arrondissement in order to find Charlie Galle.

He’s one of the brains behind StreetNav, an app designed to help people with disabilities move more easily around the city.

The need for such a service has been brought into sharper focus by the Paris Paralympics, which started with a spectacular opening ceremony in central Paris on 28 August. 

In the wake of such pomp and circumstance, organisers of the Games have been at pains to ensure that accessibility remains in the spotlight well after the Paralympic bandwagon has left town.

Tailored itineraries

StreetNav, which was launched in May following work between Galle’s outfit N-Vibe and its collaborators AudioSpot and Streetco, offers its 20,000 users the chance to select from eight profiles ranging from regular pedestrian to physically impaired to wheelchair user, or someone with a baby carriage or heavy suitcase.

Users can then use the app to search for an itinerary to their destination of choice, tailored to suit their mobility.

It signals obstacles in real-time to a visually impaired user or indicates an accessible route without changes in levels for a person in a wheelchair.

Paris seeks to make athletes’ village an accessible ‘paradise’ for Paralympians

“N-Vibe is very much focused on tech development for the blind and visually impaired and writing routes from point A to point B very accurately,” explained 35-year-old Galle.

“Streetco are very much into obstacle detection for people with motor disability and we thought that was a great match because with these two products, we could provide an app that would allow people to get a route that was precise thanks to us and avoid obstacles thanks to Streetco.”

AudioSpot worked a lot with people with hearing disabilities, he says.

The partners’ collaboration, says Galle, highlights the growing need to revitalise cities and towns for all members of society.

“It feels like there’s been a shift in the last couple of years where there’s actually a big focus on products for people with disability and to get them subsidised by the government and by the city authorities.

“I feel like this is a great opportunity right now to actually be in that field.”

Users can also be a part of the action too. By downloading the Streetco application, they can signal permanent or temporary obstacles on roads and paths and add them to the database.

Paris transport falls short

In the prelude to the Paralympic Games, city and regional transport bosses lamented the state of the Paris metro system, with an estimated 350,000 people with disabilities expected to pass through the city during the 12 days of the the Paralympic Games.

On their travels, they will find only 29 of Paris’s 320 metro stations are fully or partially accessible to wheelchair users.

Paris metro accessibility a ‘weak spot’ ahead of Paralympics

Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), which oversees public transport in the greater Paris region, has acknowledged the deficiencies in its system, but says it is committed to providing accessible routes on other forms of transport – as well as promoting smartphone apps such as Ezymob to help navigate the city.

“Once we started working together it took a while to realise how we could actually make this work and also make sure that no one was stepping on anyone’s toes,” Galle added. “It’s difficult sometimes to collaborate with other people.”

But egos were sublimated in pursuit of inclusion and more accessible facilities.

Post-Paralympic legacy?

Away from the world of tech, IDFM says all stations on new metro lines will be accessible to wheelchairs and new trains will be easier to board.

Paris city chiefs say they will continue their drive to create “enhanced accessibility areas” to ensure shops and businesses are more welcoming to people with disabilities.

“This is definitely something that the city of Paris wants to carry on after the Olympics,” Galle added.

And for StreetNav, there are plans for global expansion. 

“We’re already in talks with other cities in the Netherlands, so obviously we feel like there’s definitely a great potential for other places,” Galle told RFI.

“Accessibility is definitely something that is getting a lot of traction and it’s a good time to be in that field right now. That’s great for us as app developers, but also for people with disabilities.”

She and Manami Tanaka beat the Dutch pair Diede de Groot and Aniek Van Kroot in three sets on Court Philippe Chatrier at the Roland Garros stadium to end the Dutch hegemony over the women’s doubles tournament.

From the inception of the women’s wheelchair tennis event at the Paralympics in Barcelona in 1992, Dutch players have won the doubles title as well as the singles crown.

“When I was looking at the records, I saw all the gold medallists in women’s singles and doubles came from the Netherlands,” said Kamiji.

“It happened a bit in the first tournaments,” she added. “But I saw in London in 2012, Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021, the Dutch player who won the doubles also won the singles.

“I said to myself I have to be like that and I can be like that. Looking at it gave me good energy.”

After a two hour and seven minute struggle with De Groot – winner of both crowns in Tokyo – Kamiji emulated the recent fashion with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier.

After the triumph, Kamiji burst into tears. “During the French Open, it was really tough for me as I could not find my levels and it was really disappointing,” she explained.

“So to play in the Paralympics on the same clay courts and to win the gold in the doubles and in the singles is unbelievable. I am very happy.”

Horror show

The opening set was a nightmare for Kamiji. She took the service of her opponent twice to lead 3-0 with her own service to follow for a 4-0 lead.

But De Groot snaffled that to trail 1-3 and then lost her service game again.

But from 4-1, Kamiji collapsed. De Groot went on a five-game roll to claim the opener 6-4 after 42 minutes.

It was more consistent for the first half of the second set. But then de Groot went wonky. From 3-3, Kamiji pulled away to lead 5-3.

Serving to stay in the set, de Groot threw in three double faults. Kamiji gleefully accepted the favours to level the match after 85 minutes.

Recovery

De Groot, who beat Kamiji to lift the singles title in Tokyo in 2021, drew first blood in the decider.

She seized Kamiji’s opening service game with some fiery returns.

The 30-year-old from Japan retaliated with equally brutal bludgeons on her way to a 3-1 lead.

Hers was the final to lose. And she promptly faltered.

De Groot clawed her way back to 3-3 but the 27-year-old crumbled again to give Kamiji the chance to serve for victory at 5-3.

She fluffed her opportunity but de Groot, trailing 4-5, was equally generous.

In a repeat of her frailty at the end of the second set, she served a double fault on match point to hand the title to Kamiji and end the Dutch stranglehold on the women’s singles tournament.

Generosity

“There were a few key moments where I didn’t play my best tennis most obviously in the third set,” De Groot conceded.

“Yui played so well, she put all the balls back in the court and I really couldn’t get through it. So all the credits go to her.”

De Groot magnanimously went round the net to congratulate Kajimi who remained at the back of the court in tears.

“We’ve shared so many big battles,” said De Groot. “I know exactly what it feels like to win a gold medal at the Paralympics and also all the other titles.

“You put all your heart and your soul into a match like that and if you end up winning, then I know how that feels.

“So I just wanted to go over to her and tell her how well she did and obviously tell her that she can be proud of herself.”

Top seeds Alfie Hewitt and Gordon Reid from Britain won the men’s wheelchair doubles gold.

The pair, who lost in the final in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021, beat the second seeds Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda from Japan 6-2, 6-1 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

To the chagrin of the partisans lined around Court Suzanne Lenglen, the Spanish pair Daniel Caverzaschi and Martin de la Puente came from a set down to see off the French duo Frédéric Cattaneo and Stéphane Houdet 4-6, 6-4, 10-5.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators joined some 150 rallies called for Saturday afternoon in Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, Nantes and elsewhere.

In total some 110,000 protesters turned out, according to Interior Ministry figures.

In central Paris, where police said around 26,000 people joined the march, RFI’s sister station France 24 described the atmosphere as “charged up”.

Speaking to protesters at the scene, its correspondent Yinka Oyetade reported: “They’ve said things like they feel their vote has been stolen.”

One demonstrator, 21-year-old Manon Bonijol, told news agency AFP: “Using your vote will be useless as long as Macron is in power.”

Macron rejected the left’s candidates for premier, arguing that they would not survive a no-confidence vote in France’s deeply divided parliament. 

He is relying instead on the right and centre not to torpedo Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator and a member of the conservative Republicans (LR) party. 

Who is France’s new prime minister Michel Barnier?

Left mobilised

“A dictatorship is being put in place,” claimed Paris protester Alexandra Germain, 44. “They haven’t been listening to us in the streets for some time, and now they don’t listen to us at the ballot boxes either.

“Protesting is the only way I have to say I don’t agree, even if I’m well aware it doesn’t do anything.”

Originally called by youth organisations, the protests were backed by most of the left-wing parties that make up the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance that came out on top in the snap parliamentary elections held earlier this summer.

Leaders from the hard-left France Unbowed, the biggest party in the bloc, joined the rally in Paris, while fellow members the Communists and the Ecologists also urged their supporters to turn out.

The centre-left Socialist Party remained the notable exception, declining to endorse the street protests while vowing to oppose Barnier in parliament.

The new prime minister, meanwhile, carried out his first official engagement on Saturday, meeting with health care workers at a Paris hospital. 

He expressed a commitment to listening to public concerns, particularly about France’s public services.

Difficult days ahead

Macron named Barnier prime minister on Thursday, after 50 days of uncertainty and caretaker governance. 

The president called the elections in the hope of securing a clear mandate, but instead they produced a hung parliament, leaving him without a legislative majority.

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

Though Barnier brings decades of political experience, his appointment offers no guarantee of resolving the crisis.

France’s new PM welcomed by Brussels but faces uphill struggle at home

His first task is to form a government capable of passing legislation in the French parliament, which is split three ways between the left, Macron’s centrists and the right, including the increasingly powerful far-right National Rally (RN).

The RN cited a number of conditions for it to not back a no-confidence vote against Barnier, making it the de facto kingmaker for the new government.

“He is a prime minister under surveillance,” RN party leader Jordan Bardella told broadcaster BFMTV on Saturday. “Nothing can be done without us.”

In his first interview as prime minister on Friday, Barnier said his government would be composed of members from his own conservative grouping as well as from Macron’s centrist camp.

But he stressed that he was willing to work with other sections of the political spectrum too, telling broadcaster TF1: “There is no red line.”

Barnier also signalled he would defend some of Macron’s key policies, notably his unpopular pension reform, while toughening the government’s stance on immigration.

(with newswires)

From 1 September, the French health service scrapped the need to show a prescription to get screened for chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea or hepatitis B.

Medical labs now offer these tests on a walk-in basis – something that was previously offered only at certain sexual health clinics, or for HIV.

“The aim is to reduce the number of missed opportunities, when some people don’t get screened either because it can take time to see a doctor or because it’s difficult to talk about sexual health with a medical professional,” Maud Giacopelli, a public health specialist who oversees STI screening policy at France’s General Directorate for Health, told RFI.

While most adults will still have to cover 60 percent of the cost, with France’s national health insurance making up the rest, those aged 25 or less won’t pay anything at all. 

The reform, first announced in 2022, is part of broader efforts to prevent disease and improve sexual health – especially among young people, who experts say are most at risk of infection.

‘Troubling surge’ in STIs

Cases of chlamydia rose by 16 percent between 2020 and 2022, according to the latest available figures from France’s public health agency, with 102 infections per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile gonorrhoea and syphilis cases increased at an even more alarming rate – by 91 percent and 110 percent. They remain rarer, however, with 44 and 21 infections per 100,000 people respectively.

Young adults were most likely to contract the two most common infections, with women aged 15 to 25 accounting for 33 percent of chlamydia infections and men of the same age making up 22 percent of those diagnosed with gonorrhoea.

The data reflects a continent-wide trend. In March, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control flagged “a troubling surge” in gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia, all of which it said had increased significantly in the space of 12 months.

According to its figures, gonorrhoea infections rose by 48 percent across the European Union in 2022 compared to the year before, while cases of syphilis were up by 34 percent and chlamydia by 16 percent.

Decline in safe sex

While testing is a crucial part of halting the spread, experts stress the need for better prevention too. 

Last week the World Health Organisation warned that teenagers in Europe are using condoms significantly less than 10 years ago, putting them at risk of both STIs and unplanned pregnancies.

Among 15 year olds surveyed in France for an international WHO study, 27 percent of girls and 23 percent of boys said they or their partner hadn’t worn a condom when they last had sex.

That’s despite government efforts to encourage condom use, including by making the sheaths available at pharmacies for free to anyone under 26.

Paris prepares for Olympic romance with 220,000 free condoms

Gaps in sex ed

Epidemiologist François Dabis, who heads the committee in charge of France’s national strategy on sexual health, puts the phenomenon in part down to changing attitudes to HIV and Aids.

With drugs available to manage Aids and even prevent HIV infection in the first place, the virus “no longer scares people the way it did for many years”, he told RFI – nor are condoms seen as the only protection against it.

But they remain one of the simplest and most effective ways to avoid contracting HIV or other STIs, and Dabis believes the decline in use can also be blamed on a lack of sex education.

Stamping out misinformation in France’s fight against HIV-Aids

On paper, French law has bound schools to provide sex ed since 2001 – but “this law is very rarely applied, or in any case not applied enough”, he said.

Education is the first step towards making better decisions about sex, Dabis insists, and not just when it comes to avoiding infections.

“We should stop thinking of sex education as a simple fight against threats. We need to teach young people about sexuality positively, including all its different elements.”

Each year, cargo ships emit over 900 million tonnes of CO2, making up 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

By relying on wind power, Anemos prevented the release of between 150 and 200 tonnes of CO2 during its journey, said Towt, the French company behind the project.

Named after the Greek word for wind, Anemos left the northern French port of Le Havre on 16 August and arrived in New York on 3 September.

The 80-metre-long vessel – the world’s largest sailing cargo ship – was propelled across the Atlantic by 3,000 square metres of sails, handled by a seven-member crew.

It carried 1,200 tonnes of French products, including cognac, wine, champagne, jams and swimwear, destined for the US market.

With an average speed of 10 knots (18.5 km/h), Anemos was slower than conventional cargo ships, which usually travel between 14 and 25 knots (25 to 46 km/h). However, its environmental benefits are clear, cutting emissions dramatically.

Towt said Anemos is the first in a planned fleet of eight sailing cargo ships, to be completed by 2028, in response to growing demand for “clean” transport.

Despite these efforts, the challenge remains of meeting the needs of the international shipping industry, which moves around 11 billion tonnes of goods each year.

The downside of sailing cargo ships is that they are structurally much smaller than fuel-oil container ships, which can transport up to 60,000 tonnes in a single trip.

France unveils plan to slash shipping industry’s carbon footprint

Saving marine life

Besides reducing carbon, activists say replacing engines with sails is also good for marine life.

Hortense Chauvin, journalist for environmental website Reporterre told RFI that “using a sailing boat reduces the number of accidents involving sea life”.

Hundreds of whales, dolphins and sharks are killed each year by collisions with the blades of cargo ship engines.

The North Atlantic right whale is particularly endangered by shipping activities, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) said.

Another advantage of sailing ships is the absence of noise pollution, which disrupts marine animals. Some companies are also developing kites or wings to complement motors on cargo ships, aiming to cut fuel consumption by 20 percent.

After New York, Anemos sailed to Santa Marta in Colombia and is now returning to France with a fresh cargo of coffee for French company Belco.

Window to save Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is closing fast, report warns

The promises came during a gathering in Cyprus of the so-called Med9 countries – France, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain – to address growing water scarcity as a result of climate change.

Officials also pledged to share technical and practical data and launch joint research programs to make water use as efficient as possible.

“Climate change is a real threat to food production worldwide, and this risk is even more severe in the Mediterranean area,” Spain’s Agriculture Minster Luis Planas told the meeting.

“We must both fight climate change and, at the same time, adapt the working conditions of our farmers to this new climate situation,” he added.

‘Smart’ irrigation, drought-resistant crops

Cyprus’ Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou also warned that last year, Europe faced one of its worst droughts in history and cited local examples of “smart” irrigation systems and technologies that help protect crops, generate power and save water use by 30 percent.

Portuguese Agriculture Minister Jose Manuel Fernandes urged for more EU funding to help finance new water-saving technologies and create new incentives to attract younger people to revitalise an ageing farming population.

France to roll out plan to recover wastewater amid crippling drought

France’s Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau highlighted latest techniques that help create new crops able to thrive in harsher climate conditions, while Fernandes said so-called genomic research is “totally different” to genetically modified crops that have stirred controversy within the bloc in the past.

The Med9 officials also urged the European Union to come up with a common approach to water conservation while taking into account regional requirements.

“As the climate crisis will have a major impact on global food security, climate change adaptation must be placed at the heart of our common policies,” Slovenia’s Agriculture Minster Mateja Čalušić said.

Summer of 2024 the hottest ever recorded, says EU climate monitor

(with AP) 

A seasoned member of France’s conservative Republicans (LR) party, Barnier is seen as a steady hand for President Emmanuel Macron, who appointed him after two months of political deadlock.

The 73-year-old’s career spans more than five decades – as an MP and minister with diverse portfolios including finance, agriculture and foreign affairs.  

Barnier is unlikely to seek to unravel the president’s pro-business reforms – including lower corporate tax, a loosening of the labour code to make hiring and firing easier, scrapping the wealth tax, and the contested pension reform that upped the legal age of retirement to 64.

But he’s spent more time in Brussels than in France, having twice served as an EU commissioner – first handling regional policy, then the internal market and financial services which involved negotiating the December 2020 signalling Britain’s departure from the EU.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on social media that Barnier “has the interests of Europe and France at heart, as his long experience demonstrates”.

Italian premier Georgia Meloni also praised Barnier, calling his political experience “an added value” for European cooperation.

The sentiment in Brussels was one of relief.

Barnier knows the inner workings of the commission like the back of his hand, and can be counted on to press home the importance of getting France’s public deficit down from more than 5 percent of GDP to the EU norm of 3 percent.

Revolving door at French education ministry leaves school reforms in doubt

Rocky waters at home

Barnier’s appointment follows snap parliamentary elections that left France with a hung parliament and a divided political landscape. The left-wing NFP alliance won the most seats, but no party secured a working majority.

France’s parliament is now deeply divided, with the NFP – comprising hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), Socialists, Greens and Communists – insisting Macron should accept its pick for premier Lucie Castets.

He has roundly refused and gone for a man from the right.

In his handover, outgoing premier Gabriel Attal acknowledged the “ailing state” of French politics and urged leaders to move past divisions.

Barnier promised “rupture and change,” vowing to address the “suffering and sense of abandonment” many people feel.

Charged with forming a “unity government”, he pledged to respect all political forces in the assembly.

While Barnier is backed by his own LR party and Macron’s Ensemble group, the left-wing NFP alliance, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon of LFI, is out for a fight.

The main part of the NFP alliance, LFI has slammed Barnier’s nomination and called on supporters to join anti-Macron protests planned for Saturday.

LFI also promised to censure Barnier’s government in parliament, as did the Socialist Party, although the left alone does not have enough seats to topple him.

Much will therefore depend on the far-right National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen, which as the single party in the lower house, with 143 seats, finds itself in a strong position.

Paris politics heats up as left pushes for power and impeachment

‘Approved by Marine Le Pen’

The RN gave tentative support to Barnier’s nomination saying it would not immediately try to vote him down.

“Barnier seems at least to meet one of the criteria we’d demanded, which was to have someone who would respect different political forces and be able to speak with the National Rally,” Le Pen told reporters.  

But the party made it clear it could withdraw support at any point if its concerns on immigration, security and budget issues were not met.

Barnier’s tough stance on immigration during his bid for the 2022 presidential election – calling for a moratorium on arrivals from outside the EU – has drawn criticism from the left, who fear his policies could align with RN interests.

The fact RN had vetoed other possible prime ministers Macron had considered, but not Barnier, has caused concern.

Left-wing daily Liberation led with a photo of Barnier headlined “Michel Barnier in Matignon: Approved by Marine Le Pen”.

Appointing Barnier after the RN signalled it would not block him is making the government “dependent on RN goodwill”, said Sacha Houlie, an MP formerly with Macron’s camp.

“It’s now the far right that makes the kings or queens,” Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure said on FranceInter radio.

The Egyptian president received a full diplomatic reception, with military bands and horses parading the Egyptian flag through the streets of the Turkish capital on Wednesday.

Erdogan did not hold back in welcoming a man he once dubbed a “brutal dictator”, and signalled a new era of partnership between the two countries.

“With our joint declaration, we confirmed our will to advance our cooperation in all fields, including industry, trade, defence, health, environment and energy,” the Turkish president declared.

String of bilateral agreements

The two leaders signed no fewer than 17 agreements to deepen bilateral trade, diplomatic and military cooperation.

The goal is to expand their annual commercial exchanges to over €13 billion in five years, from a little over €9 billion now.

They also discussed their concerns linked to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the shared desire to see a ceasefire there – part of a wider trend of converging regional interests.

Sisi’s visit follows Erdogan’s trip to Cairo in February, which resulted from years of efforts to mend damaged relations.

Ankara and Cairo cut ties in 2013 after Sisi, then defence minister, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi – Turkey’s ally and part of the Muslim Brotherhood movement.

• Turkey and Egypt turn page on decade of friction with show of friendship

Question of Somaliland

Despite the decade of estrangement, trade between the two countries never ceased: Turkey is Egypt’s fifth-largest trading partner, while Egypt is Turkey’s largest in Africa.

With the Egyptian and Turkish economies in difficulty, the need to increase bilateral trade is seen as a powerful impetus towards rapprochement and a driving force for cooperation.

It could also ease tension in oil-rich Libya, which has been in a state of civil war for over a decade and where Cairo and Ankara back rival governments.

Libyan security analyst Aya Burweila says that Libya has become an important arena for both countries.

“Because the lines in the sand are so set – and each country has its sphere of influence – this has helped both countries realise that it’s much more lucrative if they cooperate rather than fight each other,” she told RFI.

Sisi and Erdogan also discussed tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over the breakaway state of Somaliland, following reports that Egypt has started deploying weapons to Mogadishu.

The deployment is part of Egypt‘s bitter dispute with Ethiopia over its Grand Renaissance Dam, which Cairo claims seriously threatens vital water supplies from the Nile River.

• Newly reconciled, Turkey and Egypt could be a force for stability in Africa

Rivalry paused, not ended?

However, analysts suggest Egypt could also be seeking to challenge Turkey’s influence in Somalia – in which it has heavily invested – as well as complicating Ankara’s efforts to mediate between the Somali and Ethiopian governments.

Elem Eyrice-Tepeciklioglu, a professor of African studies at the Social Sciences University of Ankara, acknowledges the danger – but predicts Erdogan and Sisi will initially seek common ground.

“Both Egypt and Turkey can cooperate in Somalia, especially in terms of security,” she observes.

“They can implement joint anti-terrorism initiatives. They can combine their efforts in development projects. They can involve themselves in political stabilisation initiatives, and so on.

“But they can also compete with each other for a more significant role and influence in Somalia.”

For now, though, most experts seem to agree that with the spectre of a wider regional conflict and increasing economic pressures, Erdogan and Sisi are fully aware that cooperation, rather than rivalry, is in both their interests. 

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!

Only a few days are left to submit your video to the ePOP competition. 

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 bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

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

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

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

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

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

Remember, podcasts are radio, 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 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 13 July I asked you yet another question about France’s snap legislative elections.

As you know, the left coalition New Popular Front won the most seats, followed by Macron’s centre-right alliance, with the far-right National Rally in third place. None of the parties have an absolute majority.

There’s been something of a “cease-fire” during the Olympic Games, so not much has been done. However, the French constitution sets strict deadlines for when key positions must be filled; one of these is the appointment of chairs for each of the eight standing parliamentary committees. That was your question – what are those eight standing committees, and by which date must the chairs of each committee be decided?

The answer is: Finance, foreign affairs, defence, economy, social affairs, culture, sustainable development, and law. The date for deciding the chairs was 20 July. So that has happened: six of the eight committees are headed by the centre-right coalition, and the other two were taken by the left coalition.

The centre-right and the left coalition joined forces and no position was allocated to the far-right National Rally.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What was your biggest life-changing decision, and how did it change your life?”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Malik Allah Bachaya Khokhar from the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Malik is also the winner of this week’s bonus question – congratulations, Malik!

There are two winners from India this week: Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in Hariharpara, and Mousumi Khatun, a member of the RFI International DX Radio Listeners Club in Murshidabad. Moving over to Bangladesh, there’s Shrabonty Shermin, a member of the RFI Surfers’ Society Bangladesh in Rajshahi, and RFI English listener Rowshan Ara Labone from Dhaka.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Pendulum” by Eberhard Weber, performed by the composer and Paul McCandless; “Contrapunctus 1” from J.S. Bach’s The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080, performed by the Emerson Quartet; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Street Life” by Joe Sample and Will Jennings, performed by The Crusaders.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Golden glory for French para-triathletes despite delays over Seine water quality”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 30 September to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 5 October 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,  

This week, we focus on the presidential election in Algeria, scheduled for 7 September, with a potential second round two weeks later, if none of the candidate reaches 51 percent in the first round.

The campaign ended on Tuesday, 3 September. Most experts expect incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune to win again, while only two challengers have been allowed to run: 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). 

• Few surprises in store as Algeria’s presidential election nears

The opposition has, however, complained of intimidation with dozens of people arrested last month over alleged election fraud.

Opposition leader Fethi Ghares was even detained  during the last week of the campaign, accused of “insulting the president” and spreading disinformation online.

Meanwhile, Algerian officials are tightening restrictions on civil liberties, Amnesty International reports. The human rights group says that the authorities’ actions aim to limit citizens’ rights to free speech, peaceful protest, and form associations.

To understand how opponents, political parties and civil society navigate the civic space, RFI spoke to Nadège Lahmar, the consultant on Algeria for Amnesty. 

Episode mixed by Nicolas Doreau. 

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale. 

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan described August’s second round of indirect talks in Ankara between his Ethiopian and Somali counterparts as constructive and positive.

“We were able to focus on the details and technicalities of concrete steps that are important convergences on some major principles and specific modalities”, Fidan said.

“This constitutes notable progress.”

While there was no breakthrough, all sides agreed to meet again in September.

Controversial deal 

Ethiopian-Somali tensions have escalated since January, when Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway state from Somalia.

Under the agreement, Ethiopia would secure sea access in exchange for recognising Somaliland, a deal condemned by Somalia as an infringement on its territorial integrity.

“Ethiopia needs access to a coastline”, said Dubai-based geopolitical consultant Norman Ricklefs.

“It’s the second-largest country in Africa. It’s a booming economy. And, somehow, that deal needs to be made, but it’s not going to be easy because of the previous deal earlier this year with Somaliland.”

Ricklefs predicts that finding a solution will require considerable diplomatic finesse.

“It’s not going to be easy to convince the Somalis to grant that [Ethiopian demands], feeling that they’re under pressure right now because of the deal that was previously done with Somaliland,” he said.

“But I think Turkey is probably best placed, as they have a very close relationship with both Ethiopia and Somalia.”

Somalia recently threatened to block access to Ethiopian Airlines in the latest bout of diplomatic tensions. Meanwhile, Egypt could reportedly deploy soldiers to Somalia, a move that threatens to further escalate and broaden tensions, given existing Ethiopian-Egyptian conflicts.

Ethiopia and Somalia move closer to resolving Somaliland dispute

Deepening influence

The situation between Somalia and Ethiopia is expected to be discussed during Wednesday’s summit in Turkey, where Egyptian President Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to meet.

Africa expert Elem Eyrice-Tepecikoglu from the African studies department of Ankara’s Social Sciences University said Turkey’s historical and deepening economic and military ties with both Somalia and Ethiopia give it an advantageous position in its mediating efforts.

“Somalia has a very important place in Turkey’s Africa policy. Turkey has established its largest embassy in Somalia’s capital, and it also established its largest military training facility, again in Somalia,” said Tepecikoglu.

“But Turkey also has old and established relations with Ethiopia as well. There are several investments of Turkish companies in the country, and Turkey also signed a military cooperation agreement with Ethiopia. Reportedly, Turkish drones were used against the Tigray rebel forces.”

Growing military buildup in Azerbaijan and Armenia a concern for peace talks

Economic, military stakes

Earlier this year, the Somali parliament ratified a naval agreement with Turkey to protect its territorial waters and a deal to search for hydrocarbons. Turkey is second only to China in investment in Ethiopia, including selling its military-proven drones.

Analysts suggest that there is more than diplomatic prestige at stake for Ankara in resolving Ethiopian-Somali tensions, given the region’s potential and geostrategic importance as a critical world trading route.

“There’s a reason why the Horn of Africa has American military bases and Chinese military bases. The Japanese even have a base in that area. All of them think the Horn of Africa is a pretty significant region for global shipping,” Ricklefs said.

“It’s a region that has not been developed. It has hydrocarbon resources and other resources like agricultural resources that have not been developed and would need networks and infrastructure that a country like Turkey could provide if there was security and stability.”

Ethiopian and Somali talks are set to resume in September. Success would underline Turkey’s growing influence in a region of increasing international competition, while failure could threaten two decades of Turkish investment in the region.

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 6 July, I asked you a question about France’s snap legislative elections, called by President Emmanuel Macron after his centrist party was severely trounced by the far-right National Rally Party in the European legislative elections.

The first round of voting was on 30 June; voter turnout was quite high. You were to consult RFI English journalist Jessica Phelan’s article “The three-way factor that makes France’s election results so unusual” and send in the answer to these two questions: What was voter turnout on Sunday 30 June, and in which year was it last that high? 

The answer is: As Jessica wrote in her article: “The last three parliamentary elections have seen turnout of roughly 48 percent (2022), 49 percent (2017) and 57 percent (2012) in the first round, which effectively meant parties had to win a higher share of ballots cast to get across the threshold.

On the 30th of June turnout reached almost 67 percent – its highest since 1997.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Given unlimited resources, what scientific or medical problem would you investigate, and why?”

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Lata Akhter Jahan from Bogura, Bangladesh. Lata is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Lata, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ras Franz Manko Ngogo, the president of the Kemogemba RFI Club in Tarima, Tanzania, and Nirupa Bain, a member of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu Shortwave Club in Chhattisgarh, India.

Last but not least, two RFI Listeners Club members: Sakawat Hossain from Sylhet, Bangladesh, and Solomon Fessahazion from Asmara, Eritrea.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Polovtsian Dances” from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, arranged for marimba ensemble by Fumito Nunoya and performed by the Nunoya Marimba Ensemble; “I’ve Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin, performed by Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and  “Un jour tu verras” by Georges van Parys and Marcel Mouloudji, sung by Mouloudji.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Paralympic torch arrives in France ahead of opening ceremony”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 23 September to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 28 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,  

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.

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.