Ethiopia’s reliance on fuel imports has been a drain on its economy. In 2023, the country spent over €5.5 billion on petrol and diesel imports, with more than half used for vehicles.

By banning fossil-fuelled cars – a move announced in February – the government hopes to cut this unsustainable expense.

Even diplomatic missions and NGOs aren’t exempt. 

Despite Ethiopia’s limited infrastructure and access to electricity, the new rules are set to have a profound impact on the country’s economy and its carbon footprint.

Trailblazing

Prime Minister Ahmed, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, has long supported environmental causes.

Ethiopia has undertaken massive reforestation projects, aiming to plant five billion trees by the end of 2024.

The country also has plenty of green energy, especially hydropower, thanks to large projects like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The switch to electric vehicles fits with Ethiopia’s wider environmental strategy, positioning it as a leader in Africa’s fight against climate change.

It will help reduce carbon emissions from transport, which has been a big source of air pollution in cities like the capital, Addis Ababa.

But there’s another important reason for the change: saving money.

“Ethiopia has been struggling for over a decade to increase its foreign currency generation,” Ethiopian business and economics expert Samson Berhane told RFI.

By cutting imports – especially those seen as “unnecessary” – the government will have extra foreign cash.

This move could have an economic boost for Ethiopia, which spends a lot of its foreign currency on importing fuel.

Berhane also points out that car ownership in Ethiopia is quite low.

“For a population of 130 million, there are not even 1.5 million vehicles in the country,” he says. “Only 70 percent are private vehicles, while 90 percent of those private cars are in Addis Ababa.”

Melting African glaciers an early casualty of global warming, say experts

Infrastructure hurdles

A lack of charging stations makes long-distance travel nearly impossible for EV drivers, while frequent power cuts coumpound the problem.

One of the most glaring issues is the lack of infrastructure to support EV adoption. As of this year, there is only one public charging station in the entire country, located in the capital.

There are only two specialised garages capable of servicing electric vehicles, and spare parts are difficult to come by.

These infrastructure problems are a major obstacle to the government’s plan to import 400,000 electric vehicles by 2030.

“People don’t have the confidence to buy electric cars”, Berhane says.

Another challenge is the high cost of electric vehicles. Even with lower import taxes, electric cars in Ethiopia are too expensive for most people.

A second-hand electric vehicle can cost over €32,000, while new models range from €35,000 to €100,000.

“When [Ethiopians] buy a car, they ask themselves whether they will be able to resell it,” Berhane says. “Once you buy an electric car, its value will decrease.”

As a result, electric vehicles remain out of reach for most Ethiopians, limiting the impact of the government’s policy to wealthier people.

Ethiopia starts generating electricity at controversial Nile dam

Looking Ahead

Ethiopia’s electric vehicle ban is a bold and risky move that reflects both the country’s urgent economic needs and its environmental goals.

While the switch to electric vehicles offers clear benefits in reducing fuel imports and cutting emissions, the government needs to tackle big infrastructure and affordability challenges to make it work.

“The majority of the Ethiopian population haven’t reached to a point where they can say that they want to use fuel-powered cars instead of electric cars, because 95 percent of the population still cannot afford to buy a car,” Berhane says.

“More than 75 percent of the population lives in rural areas. So [they are not] concerned whether the country bans fuel-powered cars or not.

If these hurdles can be overcome, Ethiopia could become a leader in electric transport, setting an example for other developing countries looking to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and embrace cleaner energy solutions.

For now, though, the road ahead is full of challenges. Ethiopia’s electric vehicle revolution is just beginning, and it’s not yet clear if the country’s ambitious goals will be achieved.

The prize winners will be announced between October 7 and 14.

For the Peace Prize, the most prestigious of the six Nobels, experts say it is harder than ever to predict the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s pick, to be revealed on October 11.

Swedish philanthropist Alfred Nobel created the prizes in his 1895 will, stipulating that they go to those who have “conferred the greatest benefit on humankind”.

But given the bleak state of world affairs, perhaps no one should get the Peace Prize this year, suggested Dan Smith, the head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“Maybe this is the time to say, ‘Yes, many people are working very hard, but it’s not getting there and we need more people and world leaders to wake up and realise that we are in an extremely dangerous situation,'” he said.

“We have now over 50 armed conflicts around the world. The lethality of those armed conflicts has increased dramatically in the past two decades,” he said.

‘A worthy candidate’

Not awarding a Peace Prize would be viewed as an acknowledgement of failure by the award committee, and is therefore deemed unlikely.

“I’m confident there will be a worthy candidate for the Peace Prize this year as well,” the secretary of the committee, Olav Njolstad, told AFP.

Last year, the award went to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran.

A total of 286 nominations are known to have been submitted for the Peace Prize this year, though the committee keeps the names sealed for 50 years.

Those entitled to nominate are however allowed to reveal their picks.

Among those known to be on the list are some actors involved in the Middle East, such as the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA; Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq; its Israeli counterpart B’Tselem and the International Court of Justice.

Given the existential risks to humanity posed by weapons systems that can operate autonomously without human control, several Nobel-watchers have cited the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots as a possible laureate.

The Nobel Prize in Literature, to be announced on October 10, likewise generates frenzied speculation every year.

Several pundits believe Chinese author Can Xue will be the Swedish Academy’s choice this year — and she has the lowest odds on several betting sites.

An avant-garde fiction writer often likened to Kafka, her experimental style flips between utopia and dystopia and transforms the mundane into the surreal.

“I think it will be a woman from a language zone outside Europe,” Bjorn Wiman, culture editor at Sweden’s newspaper of record Dagens Nyheter, told AFP.

The last Chinese author to win was Mo Yan in 2012.

Nobel winner Yunus brings ‘social business’ mantra to Olympics

Surprise name for literature?

With no public shortlist, it is always difficult to predict which way the 18-member Swedish Academy is leaning.

Names making the rounds in Stockholm’s literary circles include Australian novelist Gerald Murnane, Britain’s Salman Rushdie, Antiguan-American writer Jamaica Kincaid, Canadian poet Anne Carson, Hungary’s Laszlo Krasznahorkai, Mircea Cartarescu of Romania, Kenya’s Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Japan’s Haruki Murakami.

Last year, Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse took home the honour.

The Academy often shines a spotlight on relatively unknown writers.

“I think they’ve gone to great pains to find some writer that will catch the culture commentariat with their pants down,” Wiman said.

The Nobel season kicks off on Monday with the Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Analytics group Clarivate, which monitors potential science laureates, speculated that award could go to research on the genetics of lipid metabolism, which has led to new drugs to treat cardiovascular diseases.

Another candidate could be studies of the basal ganglia, which are parts of the brain associated with motor control and emotions.

Or the prize could go to the discovery of genomic imprinting, which has increased our understanding of epigenetics and mammalian development.

Last year, the Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to researchers Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their work on messenger RNA technology that paved the way for groundbreaking Covid-19 vaccines.

The Prize in Physics follows on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s Prize in Chemistry. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences then wraps up the 2024 Nobel season on Monday, October 14.

This year’s laureates will take home the prized sum of 11 million kronor ($1 million) per discipline, to be shared if there is more than one winner.

Thursday’s squad announcement was the first Deschamps’ first since Griezmann, the team’s vice captain, retired from international football earlier in the week.

In his absence, English-born Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Olise was called up. He won his first two caps against Italy and Belgium last month.

Also returning to the squad is Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, who won the last of his 10 caps in June last year.

Mbappé, who has been struggling with a thigh injury, and who appeared as a substitute in the surprise 1-0 defeat at Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday, has been left out of the team’s Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium later this month.

“He has a problem that is not serious. I’m not here to take risks, which is why Kylian isn’t on the list,” Deschamps told a press conference.

Les Bleus are second in Group A2 with three points from two games, three points behind Italy. They face Israel in Budapest on 10 October, and Belgium in Brussels four days later.

(with AFP, Reuters)

Since 2022, Quebec has brought in over a thousand foreign-trained nurses to tackle its healthcare labour shortage. Like many Western nations, including France, poor working conditions have driven nurses away from the sector, prompting Quebec to look abroad for solutions.

Under pressure from various countries concerned about losing their own nursing capacity, Quebec will cease recruitment from nearly all African nations.

Most of the nurses had been sourced from francophone countries like Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Morocco. Quebec will continue its recruitment programmes in Tunisia and from the Gulf region, Radio Canada reported.

Morocco welcomed the decision, with its ambassador to Canada Souriya Otmani calling it “just and fair”.

The country had described the recruitment scheme as a “dead loss” and has raised concerns about the cost of training nurses who subsequently leave for jobs elsewhere, impacting its own healthcare system.

Serious shortages

The World Health Organization has warned that 55 countries, 37 of which are in Africa, face serious healthcare worker shortages, urging Western nations to support these systems.

For context, Cameroon has 1.9 nurses per 10,000 residents, while Quebec boasts nearly 100, according to the WHO.

However, those recruited in Quebec often face challenges adapting to the healthcare system. Many struggle to pass exams and find themselves in lower-paying jobs in care homes.

Cultural barriers and instances of racism exacerbate these difficulties.

Since 2017, over 1,900 healthcare workers, including nurses and midwives from 24 African, Latin American, and European countries, have been recruited to work in Canada.

“From October, the police chief of Mayotte… will arrange group flights to escort illegal immigrants back to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” France’s new Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who says his priority is “restoring order”, told the French parliament.

A member of Retailleau’s team said that four such flights had already been arranged since February and that “at least three” were planned for October to help empty detention centres in French territory.

Cooperation with the authorities in DR Congo over the issue was “excellent”, the member of the team added.

Every year thousands of people from the neighbouring Comoros archipelago or mainland Africa try to reach Mayotte, often aboard small kwassa kwassa boats, and migrants are now estimated to make up nearly half of Mayotte’s population of around 320,000.

The influx has caused major tensions, including protests, with many locals complaining about crime and poverty.

• How overseas Mayotte became ‘a department apart’ within France

Security deals with Burundi, Rwanda

Retailleau also announced bilateral security agreements with countries in Africa’s Great Lakes region, including Burundi and Rwanda, to “stop the flow” of migrants.

Retailleau, a hardline conservative, has said he does not think immigration presents “an opportunity” for France and vowed to use “all levers at our disposal” to bring it under control.

“My only obsession is to be useful to France,” he told French daily Le Figaro in an interview published Wednesday. “That is, for me, the only thing that matters.”

(with AFP)

The company that runs the Maison Gainsbourg, a museum that includes the building where the pop icon Serge Gainsbourg lived for 22 years, has been put into receivership because it no longer has money to pay its suppliers.

The Paris commercial court approved the move on 18 September to address a €1.6 million shortfall, according to the Informé investigative website. This forces a reorganisation but avoids liquidation.

The developer Dominique Dutreix, who owns half the project with Gainsbourg’s daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, has been ordered by the court to reimburse €1.5 million of unauthorised withdrawals.

• Fans recount emotional visit to Serge Gainsbourg’s hidden Paris home

In court in March, Dutreix said the withdrawals were covered by the agreement signed with Gainsbourg, which he said was not clear about what was allowed. The court disagreed.

Since 9 August the museum has been unable to pay suppliers, including security and cleaning staff, electricity bills and accountants.

This, despite its success at attracting visitors since it opened on 20 September 2023.

Financial difficulties aside, the museum will not be closing, according to a lawyer representing Charlotte Gainsbourg

“The company is solvent, but it has accumulated debt linked to startup costs, and it cannot pay it back in the short term,” Jean Aittouares told the AFP news agency.

At a hearing in November, the commercial court will decide if it needs to continue monitoring the company for another six months.

(with AFP)

Wangchuk went on a hunger strike in a police station to demand a visit to the tomb of Indian freedom leader Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary on Wednesday.

His detention sparked protests in Leh, a city in Kashmir‘s Ladakh region, from where Wangchuk and 150 supporters began their 950-kilometre trek on 1 September.

Protesters also blocked traffic on a motorway, stranding many, including tourists to Leh, a popular destination for adventure sports, NDTV reported.

In Delhi, friends of the activist filed appeals in the city high court seeking Wangchuk’s release, with the petitions likely to be heard on Thursday.

Wish List

In March, Wangchuk, an engineer who designed a campus for students using solar energy for cooking, lighting and heating, staged a 21-day hunger strike in Ladakh to press for his demands.

His foremost concern is securing constitutional safeguards for Ladakh’s tribal communities, which comprise 90 percent of the region’s 2.7 million people.

Many have been displaced by border frictions between India and Pakistan, including the 1999 mini-war in Ladakh’s Kargil peaks.

Kashmir holds first regional election since India scrapped its special status

Wangchuk also calls for a halt to the industrialisation of Ladakh, alleging that it will open the region to corporations eyeing its gold, dolomite, limestone, coal, marble, sulphur, and cement-grade granite deposits.

However, Delhi insists that this industrialisation will bring prosperity to Ladakh, where the unemployment rate among women is three times higher than that of men.

Autonomy for Ladakh is also on Wangchuk’s list of demands, particularly after the territory was downgraded to federal status in 2019 when Delhi split Kashmir in two.

Political reaction

In Delhi, main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Wangchuk’s detention, noting that he inspired the 2009 Bollywood hit 3 Idiots.

“Modi ji, like with the farmers, this ‘Chakravyuh’ (labyrinth) too will be broken, and so will your arrogance,” Gandhi said, referring to the 2021 repeal of three farm reform laws following farmers’ protests.

The Delhi government, led by the rookie Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), backed Wangchuk as many in Modi’s BJP accused him of trying to influence upcoming assembly elections in Haryana with his march.

“The people of Ladakh consider Sonam Wangchuk as their God. He is a man who has dedicated his life to the region,” said AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj.

Delhi’s AAP Chief Minister Atishi Marlena said police prevented her from meeting Wangchuk, who is credited with designing artificial glaciers to store water in parched Ladakh.

Principal opposition Congress Party president Mallikarjun Kharge also targeted Modi’s BJP party government.

“The Modi government wants to exploit the ecologically-sensitive Himalayan glaciers of Ladakh to benefit its crony friends,” he said.

The EU has been facing mounting pressure to postpone the legislation – hailed as a landmark in the fight against climate change – which would ban the import of goods if they were produced using land that was deforested after December 2020.

The EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was set to take effect at the end of the year, but under pressure from companies and exporting countries, the EU’s executive body said it would propose a year-long delay.

Environmentalists slammed the decision, as they consider the law as a major breakthrough in the fight to protect nature and the climate

Environmental group Mighty Earth described the proposed delay as an “act of nature vandalism”, and group’s senior policy director, Julian Oram, said the delay “is like throwing a fire extinguisher out of the window of a burning building”.

Greenpeace called the delay “inexcusable”. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen “might as well have wielded the chainsaw herself”, it added.

Pressure from industry

Citing “feedback received from international partners about their state of preparations”, the Commission said it was proposing a delay to “give concerned parties additional time to prepare”.

Germany became the latest country to call for a delay, in September, saying the conditions were not yet in place for the law to be efficiently applied.

Brazil, the United States and other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America have complained the rules would increase production and export costs, especially for small companies.

Critics have also said the law is a major obstacle to concluding the Mercosur trade agreement between the EU and a South American bloc of countries, which France has repeatedly rejected.

Deforestation impacts climate

EU imports are responsible for 16 percent of global deforestation, according to WWF data, and the EU is the second largest market, after China, for the targeted products, which range from coffee, cocoa and palm oil, to rubber, timbre, printing paper and cattle.

Forests absorb carbon and are a vital element in fighting climate change. They are also critical for the survival of endangered plants and animals, such as orangutans and lowland gorillas.

EU leaders have watered down numerous environmental measures this year, particularly after farmers’ protests over issues including the bloc’s green policies and cheap imports.

Implementing the delay

Some EU member states had called for the law to be scaled back or suspended, saying it would harm the bloc’s own farmers, who grow some products on deforested land.

Industry groups warned that the legislation, which was passed in 2023, would disrupt the European Union’s supply chains and push up prices.

The delay, which need to be approved by the European Parliament and member states, would see the rules enter into force for large companies on 30 December 2025, and smaller companies would have until 30 June 2026 to comply.

Under the law, firms importing the merchandise in question to the 27-nation EU will be responsible for tracking their supply chains to prove goods did not originate from deforested zones, relying on geolocation and satellite data.

Exporting countries considered high-risk would have at least nine percent of products sent to the EU subjected to checks, with the proportion falling for lower-risk ones.

(with AFP, Reuters)

For the third time since the 73-year-old campaigner’s arrest in late July in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, prosecutors had asked that his detention be extended, as the legal review of Japan’s extradition request drags on.

“The court in Greenland has today decided that Paul Watson shall continue to be detained until 23 October, 2024 in order to ensure his presence in connection with the decision on extradition,” police said in statement.

“Unfortunately, no, it’s not a surprise. The court has not changed its stance” Watson’s lawyer, Julie Stage, told French news agency AFP, adding they had appealed the decision.

Stage also said that they had also been granted the possibility of presenting their appeals of the previous detention ruling to Denmark’s Supreme Court.

“This is all based on a false accusation by a criminal enterprise, the Japanese whaling industry,” Watson himself said as he arrived at the courthouse in Nuuk.

Watson, the founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was arrested on 21 July when his ship, the John Paul DeJoria, docked to refuel in Nuuk on its way to “intercept” a new Japanese whaling factory vessel in the North Pacific, according to the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF).

He was detained on a 2012 Japanese arrest warrant, which accuses him of causing damage to a whaling ship in 2010 and injuring a Japanese crew member with a stink bomb intended to disrupt the whalers’ activities.

Anti-whaling activist Watson says Greenland arrest ‘political’

In mid-September, Watson’s lawyers contacted the UN special rapporteur on environmental defenders, claiming that he risked “being subjected to inhumane treatment… in Japanese prisons”.

The lawyers have argued that Japan‘s extradition request is based on “false” claims, and insist they have video footage proving the crew member was not on deck when the stink bomb was thrown.

But the Nuuk court has refused to view the footage, arguing that the hearings are solely about his detention and not the question of guilt.

The lawyers have also argued that the crime is not punishable by a prison sentence under Greenlandic law, and Watson should therefore not be extradited.

‘Slow process’

Watson and his lawyers are awaiting a decision from Denmark‘s justice ministry on whether it will approve Japan’s extradition request as Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

The ministry said that the legal review was “underway”, but provided no date for when a decision could be expected.

“The process is slow. The Greenlandic police is doing its investigation, which it then has to submit to the prosecutor general, who then makes a recommendation to the minister,” Stage said.

“We want the Danish minister to make a decision. At the moment they’re just letting him rot in prison, it’s really a problem,” the head of Sea Shepherd France, Lamya Essemlali, said.

Essemlali added that Watson’s prison conditions have worsened.

“They have cut almost all his contact with the outside world. He’s only allowed to speak to his wife for 10 minutes a week,” she said.

Outcry in France as Greenland keeps anti-whaling crusader Paul Watson in jail

In France, a petition has gathered signatures from more than 190,000 people, including animal rights activist and former actress Brigitte Bardot.

Last month, President Emmanuel Macron’s office has called for Watson’s release and the outgoing Secretary of State for the Sea, Hervé Berville, has been pulling out the diplomatic stops with his Danish counterpart.

(with AFP)

► Taming public debt

Number one on Barnier’s to-do list is reducing France’s €3.2 trillion public debt, which he called a “sword of Damocles” hanging heavy over France. 

The prime minister set his government the target of cutting the deficit from more than 6 percent of GDP now to 5 percent in 2025 and 3 percent in 2029. He plans to make two-thirds of those savings by slashing public spending, though he didn’t specify where.

Big companies and wealthy individuals will also be asked to contribute extra taxes, Barnier said – yet his finance minister later stressed that any hikes would come later, be temporary, and not apply to the vast majority of French tax payers.

Barnier also indicated he would be seeking savings through efficiency, pledging to merge government agencies and crack down on benefit fraud. 

France targets the rich with temporary tax hikes to bring down debt

► Higher minimum wage, pension reform revisited

For all his talk of spending cuts, Barnier was keen to stress that it wouldn’t be all austerity.

France’s minimum wage will go up 2 percent from November, he promised, two months ahead of schedule. 

Saying he wanted everyone feeling the cost-of-living pinch to see their circumstances improve by next year, the prime minister hinted at measures to help first-time home buyers and adjust the support available to low earners.

Barnier also promised to re-open talks with unions on some of the previous government’s thorny labour reforms – notably the contested increase in France’s retirement age.

The new premier said he would consider “reasonable and fair” adjustments to that policy, though he has previously stressed that the pension system’s strained finances leave little room for manoeuvre.

French trade unions stage nationwide strikes as PM Michel Barnier delivers first address

► Better public services

Barnier singled out health and education as the public services most urgently in need of attention. 

Many of the improvements he floated related to staffing: better conditions to attract more teachers, more residency positions for doctors, and calling on retirees to fill gaps in the workforce.

Tackling France’s “medical deserts” will also be a priority, Barnier said, suggesting that nurses and pharmacists could be granted new powers to treat patients while foreign doctors are encouraged to take up practice in underserved areas.

► Law and order

“We will be extending the system trialled during the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Barnier, promising to make sure police remain a visible presence on the streets.

He also wants to increase the number of convictions that result in time behind bars, proposing to make “short, immediately served prison sentences” standard for certain offences. The conditions for suspending or reducing sentences should also be tightened, Barnier said.

With France’s prisons already over capacity, he promised to add extra places – including, possibly, in new facilities reserved for short-term inmates.

French prison population hits new record as overcrowding concerns grow

► Mastering migration and border control

True to form, right-wing Barnier talked tough on immigration, which he said France no longer had under proper control.

Seeking to ensure that people denied permission to stay in France get deported, his government will seek to extend the maximum time authorities can detain irregular migrants, currently capped at 90 days.  

He is also mulling deals with other countries that could see France refuse to grant visas to their nationals unless they facilitate repatriations. 

Barnier equally promised to speed up decisions on asylum requests and ensure that France “reinstates checks at its own borders” for as long as necessary. 

EU countries tighten border checks amid security and migration fears

► Nuclear push

Fighting climate change will be as much of a priority as bringing down debt, Barnier vowed. 

His proposed policies centre around the transition away from fossil fuels – and notably towards nuclear power.

France will pursue the construction of new reactors, the prime minister said, while also nodding to the need to develop renewable energy sources such as solar power.

► New Caledonia unrest

Acknowledging the crisis rumbling in one of France’s overseas territories, Barnier called for a “new era” to begin in New Caledonia – where tensions between pro-France loyalists and those seeking independence are at their highest point in decades.

Local elections that had been due to take place on the Pacific islands in December will be pushed back to the end of 2025, he said, and a contested reform of voting rights is on hold.

More broadly, France’s overseas territories are “an essential part of our country”, Barnier said, promising to convene a committee to discuss their problems early next year.

Deadly unrest in New Caledonia tied to old colonial wounds

► Tending to France’s influence abroad

France’s influence in the world can’t be taken for granted, Barnier stressed as he pledged to pursue the country’s interests on the international stage “without arrogance”. 

Unsurprisingly for a former Eurocrat, he emphasised France’s place within the European Union and reiterated foreign policy positions in line with the EU’s – including support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, and a two-state solution in the Middle East.

► ‘Red lines’ on social freedoms

Barnier also set out a few things he wouldn’t do: roll back rights to abortion, equal marriage or IVF; tolerate racism, antisemitism or violence against women; or allow anything to undermine France’s secular ideals. 

► Culture of compromise

“Compromise is not a dirty word,” declared Barnier, who vowed to make dialogue his government’s watchword. In that spirit, he pledged to listen to MPs of all stripes, including those who fiercely opposed his appointment.

First up, he said, the government is open to “an ideology-free debate” on proportional representation – something long demanded by the far-right National Rally.

Barnier also hopes to invite the public to have its say via a “national day of citizen consultation”, to be held once every year or two years.

Where did France’s culture of political compromise go, and is it coming back?

Antoine Armand’s announcement on RTL radio comes a day after French Prime Minister Michel Barnier pledged to tackle “colossal” debt through a combination of spending cuts and new taxes.

The government is seeking to improve the country’s financial situation by an estimated 40 billion euros next year, with the aim of reducing the public sector deficit from more than 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to 5 percent.

“Once we have managed to cut spending significantly, an exceptional and temporary effort will be required from those with extremely high incomes,” Armand said Wednesday.

He assured that low- and middle-income earners would be spared from the additional fiscal burden.

“Income tax brackets for those who go to work every day will not change,” he said.

French PM vows more taxes and spending cuts to reduce ‘colossal’ debt

‘Sword of Damocles’

This approach has raised questions about how the government will balance the need for increased revenue with the potential impact on the economy.

Analysts suggest that while targeting high-income earners might generate the necessary funds, it could also provoke resistance from those affected.

During his first major policy speech to parliament on Tuesday, Barnier described France‘s current financial landscape as a “true sword of Damocles” that hangs over every French citizen.

He said the government aims to meet the European Union‘s deficit limit of 3 percent of GDP by 2029, two years later than previously planned.

“We need to act now to secure a sustainable financial future for our country,” Barnier said. “Our debts exceed 3.2 trillion euros, and this is a situation we cannot ignore.”

The proposed tax increases will apply to “large and very large companies”.

Despite the government’s efforts to shield lower-income groups, public sentiment remains cautious. Some economists argue that the reliance on tax increases, particularly for high earners, may deter investment and slow economic growth.

The government is expected to submit its 2025 budget plan to parliament next week, outlining specific measures and the expected impact on various income groups.

The French president also insited that Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity be reinstated in strict compliance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

This comes as Iran said that its missile attack on Israel was over – barring further provocation – while Israel and the US have promised to retaliate against Tehran’s escalation as fears of a wider war intensify.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has also called for an immediate regional ceasefire, writing on social media: “The dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks … spiralling out of control”.

For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with the leaders of Germany and France, and they agreed on a need for restraint from all sides. 

The United Nations Security Council meeting regarding the situation in the Middle East has been scheduled for later today.

French navy deploys near Lebanon as Israel launches ground raids on Hezbollah

‘Severe consequences’

Meanwhile, Washington has said it would work with long-time ally Israel to make sure Iran faced “severe consequences” for Tuesday’s attack, which Israel said involved more than 180 ballistic missiles.

“Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X early on Wednesday.

Iran described the missile launch as defensive and solely aimed at Israeli military facilities, with Iran’s state news agency saying three Israeli military bases had been targeted.

Tehran said its assault was a response to Israel’s killing of militant leaders – including Lebanese Shi’ia leader Hassan Nasrallah – and aggression in Lebanon against Hezbollah and in Gaza.

Israel continues strikes on Lebanon as Iran vows to avenge Nasrallah death

Iran ‘will pay’ for missile attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit back. 

Speaking at the outset of an emergency political security cabinet meeting late on Tuesday, Netanyahu said: “Iran made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it.”

Israel renewed its bombardment early on Wednesday of Beirut’s southern suburbs – a Hezbollah stronghold – with at least a dozen airstrikes against what it said were targets belonging the group.

Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a statement carried by state media that any Israeli response would be met with “vast destruction” of Israeli infrastructure.

It also said it would target regional assets of any Israeli ally that got involved.

Fears that Iran and the US could be drawn into a regional war have risen with Israel’s growing assault on Lebanon in the past two weeks, including the start of a ground operation there on Monday, and its year-old conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Nearly 1,900 people have been killed and more than 9,000 wounded in Lebanon in almost a year of cross-border fighting – most in the past two weeks – according to Lebanese government statistics.

On Wednesday, foreign minister Israel Katz that he was barring the United Nations secretary-general from entering Israel, accusing him of being biased against the country after Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at the country.

Many were intercepted mid-air but some penetrated missile defences, but no casualties were reported.

In a brief statement in the wake of Tuesday’s attack, Guterres issued a brief statement referencing only the “latest attacks in the Middle East” and condemning the conflict “with escalation after escalation“.

‘Persona non grata’

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel had sent troops into southern Lebanon, marking an escalation in hostilities between the Jewish state and Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah.

Katz said Guterres’ failure to call out Iran made him persona non grata in Israel.

“Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel – as nearly all the countries of the world have done – does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil,” Katz said.

“Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without Antonio Guterres”.

• Macron condemns Iran’s attacks, mobilises French military in Middle East
• Israel continues strikes on Lebanon as Iran vows to avenge Nasrallah death

Strikes in Gaza, incursion in Lebanon

The move deepens an already wide rift between Israel and the United Nations and comes as Israeli strikes killed at least 51 people in southern Gaza overnight, including women and children, as the military launched ground operations in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Separately, Hezbollah has said its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in the Lebanese border town of Odaisseh, forcing them to retreat. 

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military or independent confirmation of the fighting, which marks the first ground combat since Israeli troops crossed the border this week.

The Israeli military warned residents to evacuate a further 24 villages in southern Lebanon after making a similar announcement the day before.

Hundreds of thousands have already fled their homes as the conflict has intensified.

Julian Assange – whose website had published thousands of leaked diplomatic cables – won freedom in June after more than five years behind bars in a British prison when he pleaded guilty to a charge under the US espionage act.

Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday – in his first public comments since his release – Assange said he had “pleaded guilty to journalism”.

The resolution passed by PACE’s lawmakers, parliamentarians from the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, said Assange had suffered “more than a decade of politically motivated prosecution for his journalistic work.”

It warned that the “disproportionately harsh treatment” of Assange “creates a dangerous, chilling effect and a climate of self-censorship affecting all journalists”.

Wednesday’s resolution was passed to loud applause in the chamber with 88 for, 13 against and 20 abstentions.

Assange, accompanied by his wife Stella and WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson, saluted the chamber and raised a fist in triumph from the public gallery.

WikiLeaks founder Assange tells EU rights body he ‘chose freedom over justice’

‘Political prisoner’

Assange initially took refuge in the Ecuador embassy in London but when he was forced to leave in April 2019 he was held in the high-security Belmarsh prison in London. 

He was allowed to go free after a hearing on the US Pacific island of Saipan in June and sentenced to time served.

Until his trip to the Council of Europe headquarters, he spent time with his family in Strasbourg.

The PACE’s rapporteur on political prisoners, Icelandic lawmaker Sunna Aevarsdottir, said: “If you look at the definition of a political prisoner, Julian Assange and his case fulfil that definition.”

WikiLeaks founder Assange en-route to final US court hearing ahead of release

‘Transnational repression’

The PACE resolution said it was “alarmed” by reports that the CIA was covertly surveying Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and “allegedly developing plans to poison or even assassinate him on United Kingdom soil”. 

“[PACE] reiterates its condemnation of all forms and practices of transnational repression”.

The rights body also slammed the British authorities for failing “to effectively protect Mr Assange’s freedom of expression and right to liberty”. 

The UK should now “conduct an independent review” of his treatment “with a view to establishing whether he has been exposed to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”, it added.

PACE does not have the power to set laws but can demand action from member states of the Council of Europe, which is separate from the European Union.

The remains of the six Kali’na have been stored in large, grey cardboard boxes at the Museum of Mankind for 132 years. 

Each of them has a name card: Pékapé, Counai, Emo-Marita, Mibipi, Makéré and Miacopo. Some have photographs.

And soon, their descendants hope, they will have a dignified resting place back home.

But first they had to prepare their ancestors for the voyage through a shamanic ceremony, said Corinne Toka Devilliers, one of the 15-member delegation, whose great-grandmother Moliko was also exhibited in Paris but survived the experience.

“We couldn’t mourn without this crucial step with our shaman,” she told RFI’s Aram Mbengue.

“We had to soothe their souls, to be able to tell them: ‘We’ve come to find you, but first we wanted to talk to you, to comfort you so that you can return home calm and content’.”

Dancing with the spirits

The ceremony was held at the Museum of Mankind in the west of Paris, next to the Jardin d’Acclimatation park where Kali’na and Arawak people were exhibited in the late 19th century. 

“We had to show [our ancestors] that we were happy,“ Toka Devilliers said. “We performed a baraka [blessing], danced with the spirits and offered them our traditional cachiri drink.”

The shaman blessed the ground, since the ancestors were exhibited just nearby, Toka Devilliers said, pointing to where the glass-roofed exhibition hall used to be. 

He also blessed a photo featuring many of the group of 33 people who were shipped over to Paris from the port of Paramaribo – the capital of modern-day Suriname, then known as Dutch Guiana.

“Now everything is fine. We all feel calm,” Toka Devilliers said after the ceremony.

Listen to a report on the ceremony on the Spotlight on France podcast:

Exhibited like animals

In the 19th century, the Jardin d’Acclimatation made money exhibiting “exotic” peoples from far-off lands as part of what they called “ethnological shows” – now known more fittingly as human zoos. 

Native Americans from French and Dutch Guiana were among those locked up and exhibited half-naked for months.

They suffered from ill health, and were mistreated.

Paris’s forgotten human zoo

While the majority of the group went back home after about five months, eight of them died in Paris.

One is believed to have been buried in a cemetery north of the capital, while another’s body was dissected in the name of scientific research.

The other six were buried in Paris and their remains – essentially bones – later joined the archives of the Museum of Mankind, where they’ve been kept ever since.

As the identities of those six Kali’na have been established, the museum says it’s not opposed to handing them over to their descendants.

But significant legal obstacles remain.

French paradox

In December last year, a framework law was passed allowing for the restitution of human remains from the colonial era kept in public French museums. But it provides only for transfers to museums abroad, not within France – including those in overseas territories like French Guiana.

In 2014, the skull of a Kanak chief who led a revolt in 1878 against French colonial forces was returned to New Caledonia – another part of overseas France – but it had been held in a private, not public collection.

Additional legislation is now needed to allow for the transfer of human remains within French territory.

Jean Victor Castor, an MP representing French Guiana, has long supported the work of the Moliko Alet+po association Toko Devilliers founded to campaign for the return of her people’s remains.

“On 26 December 2023, we took a step forward, with a framework law concerning country-to-country restitution. Now we’re talking about restitution within France,” he told RFI. 

“If we can do it from country to country, there’s no reason why France can’t do it within its own borders. It’s a bit of a paradox. But I think it’s a battle we’re going to win.”

Race against time

The legislation gave the government a year to produce a report on how the process of restitution could be organised within French territories.

With the 26 December deadline fast approaching, Castor and other members of the delegation had been to the Ministry of Culture to put on the pressure.

“It acknowledged that the document had been written, but that it had not been signed at the time of [former prime minister] Gabriel Attal,” he told RFI’s sister station France 24. “It’s up to the new prime minister to sign it, before the December deadline. We’re still waiting.”

Given France’s turbulent political situation, with new Prime Minister Michel Barnier knee-deep in budgetary matters, the Kali’na file may not be top of the list of priorities.

Work of remembrance

Despite the frustration, Toka Devilliers is planning the return of the six Kali’na to their native lands.

The Moliko Alet+po association has inaugurated a memorial in western French Guiana in tribute to the 45 Kali’na and two Arawak people who were taken to Paris to be exhibited in two separate voyages in 1882 and 1892. 

As well as two statues, the memorial also has a vault to welcome the remains of the six Kali’na when they are finally allowed home.

Beyond the issue of restitutions, historian Pascal Blanchard, maker of a documentary on human zoos, says France “needs to step up the work of remembrance”.

“It’s fundamental, because this story doesn’t just concern the Kali’na and the Guianese,” he told RFI. “It concerns all French people, and beyond. There’s a lot of work to be done in terms of memory and transmission.”

Toka Devilliers is calling for France to officially recognise that it harmed innocent people.

“We want the government one day to officially say: ‘Yes, we harmed the indigenous Kali’na and Arawak people of Guiana and Suriname. We treated them like savages.’

“We’re waiting for an apology, but we come in peace. We’re not here to fight anymore. What we really want is for the story of the exhibited Kalin’as and Arawaks to regain its rightful place in the history of France.”

Arnault’s latest acquisition, announced on Tuesday, brings Paris Match under the umbrella of his vast media empire, after the publication spent time under the stewardship of right-wing media tycoon Vincent Bolloré.

France‘s richest man and CEO of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, Arnault gained control of the iconic magazine as part of a broader deal that includes other publications like Le Journal du Dimanche.

These outlets were previously overseen by Bolloré, whose controversial influence stirred tension within France’s media landscape.

Right-ward shift

Bolloré’s ownership saw Paris Match increasingly shift toward more conservative content, a move that sparked criticism from both readers and journalists.

The Paris Match editorial team will now come under the larger framework of the Arnault-owned media group, which includes prestigious outlets like Les Echos and Le Parisien.

LVMH said in a joint statement with the previous owners that the deal “marks the beginning of a new chapter” in the history of Paris Match, which was founded in 1949.

France’s world photojournalism festival brings life on the margins into frame

Often described as a discreet yet powerful media player, Arnault is viewed by some as a stabilising figure compared to Bolloré.

However Arnault also regularly meets centrist President Emmanuel Macron and has been criticised for his attitude towards freedom of the press.

According to the specialist publication La Lettre, the billionaire has banned LVMH executives from speaking to to seven blacklisted media outlets.

The transaction also signals the ongoing consolidation of media ownership in France. Critics argue this concentration gives undue power to the country’s elite.

The first Paris Match under LVMH will be published on 10 October.

(with newswires)

The move signals a widening rift between Gachagua and President William Ruto, with their once-close alliance now apparently in tatters.

A total of 291 members of parliament signed the motion – far exceeding the one-third threshold required to bring it to a vote. The impeachment drive was initiated by Mwengi Mutuse, an MP from Ruto’s own coalition.

“Gachagua has inexplicably amassed a humongous property portfolio… primarily from suspected proceeds of corruption and money laundering”, Mutuse said in the motion.

He accused Gachagua of accumulating wealth estimated at 5.2 billion shillings (€35.96 million) within two years, despite an annual salary of just €83,520.

The deputy president faces 11 grounds for impeachment, including allegations he contradicted Ruto in public and likened the government to a company, suggesting those who voted for the coalition had first claim on public sector jobs and development projects.

“The curse of Africa has always been tribalism and corruption”, said Labour Minister Alfred Mutua on X. “This motion … is not about politics but about saving Kenya‘s soul.”

UN grants one-year extension for Kenya-led security mission to Haiti

Denials

Gachagua, a 59-year-old businessman from the vote-rich Mount Kenya region, has denied the accusations as politically motivated.

He claims to have been sidelined by Ruto in recent months and rejects allegations that he was behind violent anti-government protests earlier this year.

Those demonstrations, sparked by planned tax hikes, led to more than 50 deaths and saw Ruto nominate members of the main opposition to his government – a move that further marginalised Gachagua’s influence.

However, some analysts view the impeachment drive as a distraction tactic.

“The best way to divert attention from these crises is to create a crisis in the name of having to fix the deputy president”, Macharia Munene, a professor at the United States International University in Nairobi, told Reuters.

If the motion passes with a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, it will proceed to the Senate. There, Gachagua or his representative can respond to the allegations before a potential vote.

Should the impeachment succeed, Gachagua would become the first deputy president ousted under Kenya’s 2010 constitution. The last similar case occurred in 1989 when then vice-president Josephat Karanja resigned when faced with a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

(with newswires)

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) agency said that by early September, some 702,973 people were displaced in Haiti.

“These latest figures show a 22 percent increase in the number of internally displaced people since June, highlighting the worsening humanitarian situation,” the IOM said.

The agency called for greater international attention on the crisis.

“The sharp rise in displacement underscores the urgent need for a sustained humanitarian response,” said Gregoire Goodstein, the IOM’s chief in Haiti.

“We call on the international community to step up its support for Haiti’s displaced populations and the host communities that continue to show remarkable resilience in the face of these challenges.”

The report said around 75 percent of those displaced were now sheltering in the country’s provinces.

The remainder are in Port-au-Prince “where the situation remains precarious and unpredictable”, said the IOM, with people often living in overcrowded sites, with little to no access to basic services.

The agency said 83 percent of displaced people were being hosted by families.

“The strain on resources is immense, with the majority of host households reporting significant difficulties, including food shortages, overwhelmed healthcare facilities, and a lack of essential supplies on local markets,” it said.

“It is crucial that efforts to restore stability and security across the country continue, alongside humanitarian aid to alleviate the immediate suffering of those affected.”

On Friday, the UN human rights office said more than 3,600 people had been killed this year in “senseless” gang violence in Haiti.

In October 2023, the UN Security Council approved sending a multinational stabilisation force, led by Kenya, to assist the Haitian police.

UN grants one-year extension for Kenya-led security mission to Haiti

The Security Council on Monday extended its authorisation of the multinational policing mission in crime-ravaged Haiti, but without any call to transform it into a UN peacekeeping mission, as floated by Port-au-Prince.

(with AFP)

The building is a former nursery from the 1970s loaned by the town hall where the couple is experimenting with low-tech living.

The idea is to design a lifestyle that produces no waste.

Low-tech includes innovative technologies and know-how that people can manufacture themselves to produce their own energy, food or recycle their own waste.

“Low-tech allows you to lead an urban lifestyle while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by five, it’s affordable and doesn’t use much water. In short, it’s sustainable,” Chatelperron told RFI.

The French engineer started to take an interest in low-tech innovation in 2019 when he was in Bangladesh. He then set up an organisation called the Low-tech Lab.

No waste, saving energy and water 

The laboratory-apartment in Boulogne has, among other things, dry toilets, a cooking system connected to a solar panel and even an edible cricket farm.

The idea of this ‘Biosphere Experience‘ is to design a lifestyle that produces no waste, emits no more than two tonnes of CO2 per year and cuts water consumption by 10.

Early bird gets the worm? French start-up hopes to put insects on the menu

“On average in France, we consume 150 litres of water per person per day in a conventional home, and here we’re down to 33 litres for two people per day,” says Pultz.

Biogas is produced from organic waste, and wastewater from the shower is transformed by bacteria to form a water basin. 

“It’s a 300-litre pool of water that grows plants, recycles shower water, and also regulates the apartment’s temperature when it’s too hot outside,” explains Chatelperron.

Low-tech in urban environment

Today, more than half the world’s population lives in cities, and for Chatelperron it’s a challenge to adapt low-tech to the urban environment.

“For us, the city is a rather extreme and hostile environment. 

“Living in little boxes like this is actually much more difficult than living in a 60-square-metre tent in the desert,” says Chatelperron.

France introduces compulsory home compost but infrastructure lacking says NGO

The experiment is due to last four months.

Following that, scientists will analyse the ergonomics and “desirability” of the project.

“We realised that people don’t want to change if it’s overly restrictive.

“So we had to show a desirable future that is possible with low-tech and that fits in with the planet’s limitations,” concludes Chatelperron.

This report is part of the C’est pas du vent podcast produced by RFI’s Anne-Cécile Bras.

According to Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, the speed limit along the entire 35-kilometre Boulevard Peripherique – known as the “Periph” – will drop to 50 km/h from  its current 70 km/h limit now.

The signs for the new speed limit are expected to be fully installed by 10 October.

The move has triggered criticism from drivers and other opponents, with the conservative political parties denouncing the measure as “socially unfair.”

The ring road is one of France’s busiest thoroughfares, used by around 1.2 million drivers every day, most of them from the Ile-de-France region  that includes Paris.

But Paris authorities say they want to improve the quality of life and reduce noise pollution for the 550,000 people living nearby.

“When you reduce speed, you reduce noise for all the people who live near this ring road,” said David Belliard, the mayor’s ecologist deputy in charge of transport.

“We’re going to give them a better quality of life,” he said, adding that locals would also sleep better.

“The right to sleep is extremely important.”

Reducing pollution, road accidents

BruitParif, an organisation that measures urban noise pollution, expects the measure to result in a 2 to 3-decibel drop in noise levels.

City officials also argue that the move will lead to fewer road accidents. Some experts also argue that the measure will help reduce emissions and improve air quality.

Paris and its suburbs exposed to excessive air-noise pollution, research shows

With average daytime speeds estimated at 37 km/h, the new limit is only likely to have a major impact at off-peak hours.

Valérie Pécresse, the head of the Ile-de-France region, said on Tuesday the lower speed would disproportionately affect people working night and early-morning shifts.

She condemned the measure as “socially unfair,” and a number of industries including hotels and restaurants have struck a similar note.

(with AFP)

“Our aim is to reduce the deficit to five percent [of GDP] in 2025, on the right path to reach the three-percent ceiling in 2029,” meeting the European Union target two years later than previously planned, Barnier said as he laid out his government’s policy programme.

He called France’s “colossal” debt of over 3.2 trillion euros – more than 110 percent of GDP – “the true sword of Damocles […] hanging over the head of France and of every French person”.

He said that two-thirds of deficit reduction would come from slashing spending from its present 57 percent of GDP – far above the 49-percent European average.

However, while France has “among the highest taxes in the world,” there would be “a time-limited effort that must be shared, with an insistence on tax justice” or equitably sharing the burden, Barnier added.

Highly-profitable big companies and wealthy individuals would both be called on to pay more, he said.

France to consider corporate tax increase to lower budget deficit

‘Red lines’

He called out “a second sword of Damocles that is just as terrible: the environmental debt we are leaving as a legacy to our children”.

France would bet on both its traditional strength in nuclear power and renewables to reduce carbon emissions, he said.

Barnier opened the door to tweaking last year’s hugely unpopular pension reform that raised the retirement age.

French trade unions stage nationwide strikes as PM Michel Barnier delivers first address

And in a list of red lines, he vowed “zero tolerance for racism and anti-Semitism” and protection for “freedoms achieved over the years” including on abortion, gay marriage and in-vitro fertilisation.

Barnier’s pledges directed at far-right voters included greater “security in daily life”, where “the public will be reassured by the presence of law enforcement”.

He added that “France will continue to re-establish checks on its own borders for as long as necessary, as is allowed under European rules and as Germany has just done”.

In talks with major countries of origin for irregular migration, France would threaten reductions in the number of visas issued for legal travel, Barnier warned.

His comments on immigration follow the rape and murder of a 19-year-old Paris student where a Moroccan man due to be deported was named as the suspected attacker.

MPs observed a minute of silence for the victim, named as Philippine, as the parliamentary session opened.

(with AFP)

At the UN, Erdogan again compared Israel to Hitler, calling for an “international alliance of humanity” to stop Israel as it did Hitler 70 years ago. However, such fiery rhetoric is finding a shrinking audience.

“It’s more conveying a message to their own base”, said Sezin Oney of the Turkish news portal Politikyol. “There isn’t an audience that really sees Turkey or Erdogan as the vanguard of Palestine rights anymore. On the contrary, that ship sailed long ago.”

Erdogan attempted to boost his image as a powerful regional player by meeting with the Lebanese and Iraqi Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. But Ankara is increasingly finding itself sidelined as a regional diplomatic player.

“Ankara‘s pro-Hamas approach has only marginalised Turkey in the international arena,” said international relations expert Selin Nasi of the London School of Economics. “So we see Egypt and Qatar receiving credits for their roles as mediators. And Turkey is locked out of international diplomatic efforts.”

Since Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent Gaza campaign, Ankara has tried to position itself among international mediating efforts to end the fighting, given its close contacts with Hamas.

Turkish youth finds common cause in protests against trade with Israel

Mediation efforts

“Turkey was asked by the United States to speak with Hamas people”, said international relations expert Soli Ozel at Vienna’s Institute for Human Studies.

However, Ozel says the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran denied Erdogan his diplomatic trump card.

“One big blow to Turkey has been the murder of Haniyeh, with which Turkey did have very close relations. For all I know, he may even have had a Turkish passport”, said Ozel.

“And I really don’t think Turkey has any relations or contacts with Yahya Sinwar, who is officially and effectively the leader of Hamas”.

With Israel already alienated by Erdogan’s fiery rhetoric along with Turkey imposing an Israeli trade embargo, Gallia Lindenstrauss of Tel Aviv‘s National Security Studies says Turkey has nothing to offer.

Turkey flexes naval muscles as neighbours fear escalating arms race

“There are two main mediators in this conflict: Egypt and Qatar. They’re the two actors that have leverage over Hamas. Turkey, despite its very open support of Hamas, has very little leverage on Hamas’s decisions,” said Lindenstrauss.

“So Turkey is not effective – it doesn’t have the money to push Hamas in a certain direction, it doesn’t have the political leverage over Hamas to push it in the right direction. In practice …Turkey is not very efficient.

“So I don’t think it’s a mistake that Turkey is not part of this [mediation] process.”

Ankara has been quick to point out that existing mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel have achieved little, with the conflict now spreading to Lebanon.

However, some experts claim Ankara’s diplomatic sidelining has a broader message of Arab countries pushing back against Turkey’s involvement in the region.

“None of the Arab countries would like to get Turkey involved in this process,” said international relations expert Huseyin Bagci, of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

“Turkey could be considered by their views as the enemy of Israel, but it is artificial. The Middle East Arab-Israeli conflict since 1948 has been an Arab-Israeli conflict, not a Turkish-Israeli conflict.”

Turkey and Egypt bury the hatchet with a dozen new bilateral deals

Regional ambitions

For more than a decade, Erdogan has sought to project Turkey’s influence across the Middle East, often referring to the years of Ottoman rule as the halcyon days of peace and tranquillity.

But the latest Middle East war has ended such dreams, analyst Ozel said.

“The Turkish government thought that they could dominate the Middle East. They played the game of hegemony seeking, and they lost it,” Ozel explained.

“When they lost it, Turkey found itself way behind [the position] it had prior to 2011 when their grandiose scheme of creating a region which would be dominated by Turkey began.”

As the Israel-Hamas war threatens to escalate across the region, Erdogan’s rhetoric against Israel will likely continue. But analysts warn that outside of the leader’s conservative base at home, few others in the region will be receptive.

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!

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 29 August, I asked you a question about the 2024 Paris Paralympics Games, which had just opened with a parade on the Champs-Élysées and a grand show on Place de la Concorde, designed by the Games artistic director Thomas Jolly. You were to re-read our article “Paralympic torch arrives in France ahead of opening ceremony” and send in the answer to this question: How many athletes will compete in how many events?

The answer is, to quote our article: “During the Games, around 4,400 athletes will compete in 549 events, which will take place in 18 competition sites, including 16 identical to their Olympic counterparts.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “With whom do you feel the happiest, and why?”, suggested by Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India.

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

The winners are: Razia Khalid, who’s a member of the RFI Seven Stars Radio Listeners Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan. Razia is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Razia!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are M. N. Sentu, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club member Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan.  

Last but certainly not least, two RFI English listeners from Bangladesh: Shahanoaz Parvin Ripa, the president of the Sonali Badhon Female Listeners Club in Bogura, and Shihab Uddin Khan from Naogaon.

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Traditional music from the Middle Ages; the Allegro from the Piano Sonata K. 545 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by Gabriel Tacchino; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, sung by Cécile McLorin Salvant.

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, listen to Alison Hird’s report on political compromise in France on the Spotlight on France podcast no. 115, or consult her article “Where did France’s culture of political compromise go, and is it coming back?”, both of which will help you with the answer. 

You have until 21 October to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 26 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,  

Native Americans from French Guiana and Suriname were recently in Paris to demand the restitution of the remains of six of their ancestors who died after being exhibited in so-called human zoos. Corinnne Toka Devilliers, whose great-grandmother Moliko was exhibited at the capital’s Jardin d’Acclimatation in 1892 but survived, describes holding a shamanic ceremony at the Museum of Mankind to prepare her fellow Kali’na for the voyage home. But there are still legal obstacles to overcome before the remains can leave the Parisian archives where they’ve spent the past 132 years. (Listen @3’30”)

Until recently, French villages with fewer than 2,000 residents did not need to name their streets – but legislation that came into effect this summer now requires them to identify roads to make it easier for emergency services and delivery people to find them. While not all villages have jumped at the opportunity, we joined residents in a hamlet in the south of France as they gathered to decide their new street names. And geographer Frederic Giraut talks about how the law is impacting the culture and heritage of small, rural localities. (Listen @21’53”)

The closely watched trial of a man accused of drugging his wife and inviting others to rape her while she lay unconscious at their home in southern France has become a rallying cry for those who say society needs to change the way it thinks about sexual assault. Fifty years ago, another rape case caused similar outcry – and led to changes in how France prosecutes and defines rape. (Listen @13’25”)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompéani. 

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).

In Istanbul’s conservative Uskudar district overlooking the Bosphorus waterway, activists from the group 1,000 Youth for Palestine recently gathered to protest the killing by Israeli security forces of the Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.

But along with chants condemning Israel, the demonstrators also attacked Erdogan and his government for Turkey’s continuing trade with Israel.

“I am here to force the Turkish government to stop the oil trade with Israel and to stop genocide,” declared Gulsum, a university academic who only wanted to be identified by her first name for security reasons.

“This is not just a public demand. It’s also a legal obligation for Turkey to stop genocide.”

Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the student-based group has directed its protests at the export of Azerbaijani oil to Israel by way of a Turkish port.

It also targets Turkish companies – many of which have close ties to Erdogan – that it accuses of circumventing the trade embargo by using third parties.

Turkey talks tough on Israel but resists calls to cut off oil

Unifying cause

The group uses social networks to broadcast its message, getting around government-controlled media.

The activists say they have received broad support that crosses Turkey’s traditional divides of religious and secular.

“When it comes to Palestine, it is a story that we all unite about,” said Gizem, a university student and 1,000 Youth for Palestine member.

“There are those who define themselves as socialists and those who define themselves as Islamists. There are also apolitical youth who say ‘I don’t like politics’, but still join us.”

While Erdogan presents himself as a stalwart defender of the Palestinian cause, police are cracking down on the protests.

One of the group’s Palestinian members was arrested after activists disrupted a panel discussion on Israel hosted by the state broadcaster. She now faces deportation in a case that has provoked further protests.

Images of police arresting headscarf-wearing members of the group further embarrassed Erdogan and his religious base.

Protests escalate in Turkey over Azerbaijani oil shipments to Israel amid embargo

‘Divide and rule’

Sezin Oney, a commentator for Turkey’s Politikyol news portal, says the group’s diversity poses a problem for Erdogan, given he has often sought to exploit the deep divisions between religious and secular voters when facing attack.

She argues that 1,000 Youth for Palestine’s ability to bridge those gaps is indicative of a wider change in Turkish society.

“It’s actually portraying the current youth of Turkey – you don’t have monolithic circles in the grassroots,” explains Oney.

“You have a mixture: hybrid groups of conservatives, conservative-looking, but very progressive,” she says. “Such hybrid groups are coming together because of a cause, but ideologically or background-wise or social class-wise, they may be very diverse.

“And that’s something threatening for the government. Because the government is embarking on divide and rule.”

Persistent political headache

Erdogan lost heavily in local elections earlier this year, a defeat widely blamed both on economic problems and anger over Turkey’s ties to Israel.

The 1,000 Youth for Palestine activists say they hope to continue to build on those results. 

“The reason for our success is that we put our finger on the right spot. We expose the hypocrisy of both the capitalists, the corporations and the government,” claims Murat, a university student who belongs to the group.

“People also saw this hypocrisy and thought that someone should speak out, and they supported us a lot because of that,” he added. “We will unite as the people of Turkey and continue to stand in the right place in history to stop the massacre in Palestine.”

The diversity of 1,000 Youth for Palestine is seen as its main strength, which is why it will likely continue to pose a political headache for Erdogan. Yet it may also offer hope that the deep divides in Turkish society can be bridged.

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!

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 24 August, I told you a story about a sign I saw on a French highway this summer. On most highways across France, there are illuminated signboards that tell you if there’s an accident ahead, encourage you to take a break from driving, or remind you of the speed limit. The messages change according to what information is deemed necessary for drivers.

During the Olympic games, the signs said: “Remember: 130 kilometres per hour … speed is for Léon”. You were to write in and tell me who Léon is, and why the French said speed was OK for him.

The answer is: Léon is that French human fish, Léon Marchand. He won four Gold Medals in swimming this year … the 200-meter medley, 200-metre breaststroke, the 200-metre butterfly, and the 400-metre medley. He became the sixth Olympic swimmer to win four gold medals at a single Games.

Léon Marchand is the world record holder in the long course 400-metres individual medley; the Olympic record holder in the 200-metres butterfly, the 200-metres breaststroke, and the 200-metres individual medley; and the French record holder in the long course 200-metre individual medley, 200-metre butterfly and 200-metre breaststroke.

The young man is fast – watching him swim was incredible. See why the French government would tell us to be careful with our speed, but Léon could go as fast as he wished?

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusene, Denmark: “The Paris 24 Olympic Games are over, but if you had a chance to win a Gold Medal, in which sport would it have been?”

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Alan Holder from the Isle of Wight, England. Alan is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Alan!

Saleem Akhtar is a winner this week. Saleem is the president of the RFI Seven Stars Radio Listeners Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan.

Pakistan! Congratulations on your amazing javelineer, Arshad Nadeem. Nadeem made history for Pakistan by becoming the first Pakistani to win an individual Olympic gold medal. Not only that, but he set an Olympic record with his throw of 92.97 meters… the sixth-longest throw in history. Mubarak, Arshad! Mubarak, Pakistan!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Rodrigo Hunrichse from Ciudad de Concepción, Chile; Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim in Germany, and Father Steven Wara, who lives in the Cistercian Abbey in Bamenda, in Cameroon’s North West Region.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Imagine” by John Lennon; the waltz op. 64 No. 1 in D flat, the “Minute Waltz” by Frédéric Chopin, performed by Arthur Rubinstein; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Pocket Piano” by DJ Mehdi.

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 “France’s foreign ministry unveils two-year gender equality strategy”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 14 October to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 19 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,  

While floods are devastating West Africa, about 68 million people in southern Africa are suffering the effects of an El Nino-induced drought which has wiped out crops across the region. 

Nearly 68 million suffering from drought in southern Africa

Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, and Zambia are facing severe drought conditions, leading to widespread devastation. The impact is stalling economic growth and raising serious concerns about food security in the region. 

Zimbabwe to cull elephants to tackle drought, food shortages

In Zambia, the drought that has gripped southern Africa since early this year has led to rolling power cuts in a country that relies heavily on hydropower.

Some inhabitants, however, have already turned to solar power as an alternative.

To discuss how it can help, we speak this week with John Keane, CEO of the UK-based charity SolarAid, from the Zambian capital Lusaka. 

He explains how sales of solar products have increased by more than 540 percent since the beginning of 2024, and what the social enterprises are doing to spread awareness among Zambians and avoid the use of charcoal or candles.     

Episode mixed by Nicolas Doreau  

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale

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.