Over 82 million early ballots have already cast. All eyes are on seven battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

These states are poised to play a decisive role in determining who will occupy the White House for the next four years.

The campaign had been anything but ordinary. Harris is not only aiming to become the first woman president but also the first black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office.

Meanwhile, Trump is seeking to make history as the first president in over a century to reclaim the presidency after being ousted from office in 2020.

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Polling stations officially opened at 6:00 am (11h00UT) on the US east coast, with tens of millions of voters expected to cast their ballots, on top some 82 million people who have already voted early in the preceding weeks.

The bitter rivals spent their final day of the campaign frantically working to get their supporters out to the ballot boxes and win over any undecided voters in the swing states expected to decide the outcome.

But despite a series of head-spinning twists in an unprecedented campaign – from Harris’s dramatic entrance when President Joe Biden dropped-out in July, to Trump riding out two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction – nothing has broken the deadlock in opinion polls.

A final outcome may not be known for several days if the results are as close as the polls suggest, adding to the tensions across a deeply divided nation.

Fears of upheaval

There are fears of turmoil and potential violence if Trump loses and then contests the result – as he did in 2020 – with barriers having been erected around the White House and businesses boarded up in Washington.

Cyber security authorities are also on high alert for disinformation or hacking the campaigns.

“Russia is the most active threat,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Monday.

Abortion debate puts women voters at the centre of US election race

“These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials,” they added, noting the disruption efforts are expected to intensify through Election Day and in the following weeks.

Meanwhile, the world is anxiously watching as the outcome will have major implications for conflicts in the Middle East, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and for tackling climate change – which Trump calls a hoax.

Harris and Trump are effectively tied in the seven main swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Trading partners nervous

A Trump comeback would be historic – the first non-consecutive second term for a US president since Grover Cleveland in 1893.

Trump’s return would instantly fuel international instability, with US allies in Europe and NATO alarmed by his isolationist “America First” policies.

Trading partners are nervously watching in anticipation of his promise to impose sweeping import tariffs.

A Harris victory meanwhile would give the US its first Black woman and South Asian president – and signal an end to the Trump era which has dominated US politics for nearly a decade.

US elections: Who are the running mates for the key candidates?

Trump has said he would not seek election again in 2028.

However, Republicans still refuses to admit he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden and the trauma over his supporters’ violent attack on the US Capitol to stop certification of the result is ever present.

Trump has hinted that he would refuse to accept another loss, and in the final days of his campaign brought up baseless claims of election fraud while saying he should “never have left” the White House.

(with AFP)

Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday: “The two are… in good health, so any claim regarding their poor condition is denied,” citing a report from the authorities.

The spokesperson was referring to French couple Cecile Koehler and Jacques Paris, who were arrested on charges of espionage and will have their next court hearing on 24 November.

In October 2022, Iran‘s state television aired what it called “espionage confessions” by the two detainees.

The French government condemned the broadcast as “shameful, revolting and unacceptable”, labelling the pair as “state hostages”.

Family members of French nationals imprisoned in Iran appeal to the UN

Last month, dozens of people protested in Paris over what Kohler’s sister, Noemi Kohler, described as the couple’s “alarming” physical and psychological condition.

In an interview, Noemi Kohler said the couple – who are being held in the high-security Evin prison outside the capital – were “only allowed out three times a week that they almost never see the light of day and that they sleep on the floor, without mattresses”.

She also alleged their lawyers had never been allowed to visit them.

France pushes for ‘immediate release’

Jahangir, however maintains the couple “have been in contact with their relatives through the consulate”, adding that they “have all human and legal rights”.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had previously met with families of French nationals detained in Iran, saying his government was pushing for their immediate release.

Another French citizen – identified only by his first name – Olivier, has been in detention since October 2022 and the French authorities have not released details of his case.

They are among several European passport holders in Iranian custody, some of them dual nationals.

French foreign minister receives families of citizens detained in Iran

This comes as Foreign Minister Barrot also praised the “courage” of a young Iranian woman who was arrested after publicly stripping as a protest against harassment by security agents, in a video that has gone viral on social media.

Speaking on France 2 broadcaster on Tuesday, Barrot expressed admiration for the woman, calling her “a symbol of resistance” and “an icon in the fight for women’s rights in Iran and wherever women’s freedoms are under threat.”

(with Newswires)

Barrot will travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories this Wednesday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and “respect for international humanitarian law”.

Speaking on France 2 television, France’s chief diplomat declared: “France has a role to play in conveying messages, and that is why I will be going to Israel and the Palestinian territories tomorrow evening to meet the authorities and humanitarian actors, to convey France’s voice in this region where the war has already gone on far too long”. 

“Violations of international humanitarian law are unacceptable and must stop”, he stressed, as Israel is accused of numerous human rights violations in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

France – Israel tensions

Israel has also banned the activities of UNRWA – the UN agency for Palestinian refugees – which it accuses of complicity with Hamas, provoking an international outcry.

His visit comes at a time where tensions between Israel and Paris have spiked in recent weeks, following statements by President Emmanuel Macron calling for a halt of arms sales to Gaza and accusing Israel of “sowing barbarity”.

However, Barrot insists: “Dialogue has never been broken off”.

This will be his second visit to Israel after first travelling to the country to mark the anniversary of 7 October Hamas attacks last month.

• France pays tribute to 7 October attack victims, families
• Israel slams Macron as a ‘disgrace’ over French arms fair ban

US plays ‘essential role’ for peace

When asked by France 2 whether a win for former President Donald Trump could boost Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Barrot replied: “The United States plays an essential role in ending the Israeli-Arab conflict … we are alongside the US – notably on Lebanon – to propose peace formulas to ensure a lasting peace in the region.”

Paris and Washington pushed for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in September, but those efforts fell through.

Since then, Washington has done little to raise pressure on Israel to end its operation in Lebanon. 

Barrot said Paris would work with whoever won Tuesday’s vote.

He pointed to former US Republican President Ronald Reagan’s suspension of some weapons deliveries to Israel after its 1982 invasion of Lebanon as an example of how Washington could still do more.

“The war has lasted far too long and the use of force must give way to the use of dialogue and diplomacy,” Barrot said.

A modest yellow board at the roadside with the words “Gun Show – This Weekend” and an arrow underneath is the only sign that gives directions to this month’s weapon fair in Quarryville.

Deep in rural Pennsylvania, the Solanco Fairgrounds that host the fair, are reachable via the PA272 from Lancaster, a road often blocked by the horse carts of local Amish, a strictly religious local group that rejects most forms of modernisation, causing traffic jams.

On the parking lot, large pick-ups stand in a row, and fair-goers flock through the narrow doorway that gives access to the venue.

The Quarryville gun show is organised by Eagle Shows, which is responsible for over fifty fairs yearly in some sixteen cities in Pennsylvania alone.

An entry ticket costs only $8 (€7,35), vendors who want to sell arms or weapons-related equipment pay $50 for a table, which makes Quarryville the cheapest venue; other venues charge up to $110 for a table.

On its website, Eagle Shows says it want visitors to “enjoy your Second Amendment rights” at the shows, where “virtue, liberty, and independence will be on full display” and which are the “perfect place to pick up your next firearm.”

The show doesn’t like the curious. “Unauthorised recording or photography” are “prohibited” and “violators will be ejected”.

But inside, the atmosphere is friendly. A massive man with a beard and piercing eyes sells tickets and gives visitors a stamp on the back of their hand as proof of entry. A handwritten menu advertises hamburgers and cokes for a few dollars.

Groups of gun enthusiasts compare weapons, and swap stories. Every table has its specialisation: one promotes “ammo” with bullets in all sizes. Others have handguns, varying from classic Colt ’45s and Ruger 375 to smaller Berettas, lying in neat rows. Average price: $450 (€413).

One man sells antique Japanese rifles, and proudly shows a handgun, an imitation of a Nazi Luger pistol, with symbols of the Japanese Imperial Army.  “Very rare in this shape,” he says.

At another, table “master craftsman David Kline” sells handmade knives. “Inspired by Japanese skill, sharp as a razorblade” he boasts.

The large table with dozens of semi-automatic rifles attracts most of the attention. 

Old Don sells old hunting rifles. He frequents the gun shows. He also sells scopes, small hunting knives and an old manual for Remington rifles.

“I was in a US army base in West Germany in 1984 – best time in my life,” he says.

But he’s sceptical about the future of America, he says. He doesn’t want to say which candidate in the US presidential election – Kamala Harris or Donald Trump – he favours. But he is clearly critical about Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.

“We are a country of immigrants. Why stop the immigrants? If you ask any of the people here to go back to their roots, they’ll discover they come from somewhere else. Except for the native Americans. They are the real Americans. We should give the land back to them.” 

But his remarks strike a dissonant in the staunchly pro-Trump atmosphere that is prevalent at the weapon fair. The walls brand “Trump-Vance 2024” posters, referring to Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, and his running mate “JD” Vance.

There’s not a single mention of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris or her running mate Tim Walz to be found at the Quarryville gun fair.

US elections: Who are the running mates for the key candidates?

One stand shows a poster asking to sign up for the “Second amendment petition” for the “protection of free speech and the right to bear arms.”

According to one pro-Trump campaigner sitting next to the table, a muscular man in his thirties who wears a T-shirt that says, “know your roots,” Space-X and Tesla multi billionaire Elon Musk is behind this initiative.

“For every petition signed, we receive $47 from Elon,” he says happily. “He is a visionary. In two centuries, there will be statues of him on Mars.”

Pressure groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Gun Owners of America have asked Congress to “vote down every bill, every treaty, every resolution, and every amendment that would infringe upon my Second Amendment freedom as guaranteed in our Bill of Rights.”

According to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Pennsylvanians collectively bought a staggering 841,523 guns in 2023, which made the state ranking fourth on a national level, behind Texas, Florida and California.

The good news is that in terms of per-capita gun ownership, Pennsylvania, the country’s fifth most populous state, ranks number 21, with “only” 859 gun purchases per 10,000 people in 2023. At the top of that list are Montana, Wyoming and Alaska with some 1,500 guns per 10,000 inhabitants each.

In fact, nationwide, gun sales decreased in 2023. The FBI report show that some 16.7 million firearms were sold in the US last year, the report said, 4 percent less than in 2022.

US former president Donald Trump survives assassination attempt at rally

Pennsylvania’s gun purchases dropped by 7 percent in 2023, according to the report. 

Yet, an advisory published in July by the US surgeon general declared gun violence a “national health crisis,” and suggested initiatives to prevent firearm deaths. According to the report, the rate of firearm-related deaths “reached a near three-decade high in 2021.”

The Pennsylvania gun crowd doesn’t seem to mind about the anti-gun rhetoric.

“It’s still not easy to buy a gun here,” says Don. Slightly disappointed:  “it entails a lot of paperwork.”

Harris’ star-studded event at the iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway featured performances by Lady Gaga, The Roots, and Ricky Martin – the third stop in the battleground state on election eve.

The Democrat delivered her final pitch to voters beneath the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, made famous in the movie Rocky, where she said “the momentum is on our side.”

The high-stakes gathering drew massive crowds, with lines stretching back to Logan Square, reflecting Pennsylvania’s potential to determine the next occupant of the White House.

“I expect to have a woman president,” says Caroline, who is pushing her way through the crowds at the entrance of the venue. “It’ll be the first time in the United States, and we are way behind the rest of the world.”

Laureen, also in the crowd “isn’t too sure who is going to win.” She feels uncertain about election day. “It happened once. It can happen again,” she says, referring to a possible Trump victory.

Outside the venue, metres away from a row of policemen sitting on all-terrain motorbikes, there’s a noisy group of pro-Palestine demonstrators, banging a drum and singing rap through a microphone.

US elections: Who are the running mates for the key candidates?

“Kamala is not on our side,” reads a slogan on one of the boards the demontrators hold up, “We won’t go for genocide.” The group, some eight people wearing Palestinian flags, demand “end to US aid to Israel,” and ask people not to vote for her. But most onlookers just glance at them, and then walk on.

Bernard is impressed by the the huge turnout at the rally, but he had preferred if (former President Barack Obama’s wife) Michelle Obama had run. “People respect Harris. But they love Michelle,” he says.

But Trump worries him, he says. “I’ve never seen this kind of people power in my life, He’s the most skilled politician. Look what he’s gotten away with. 34, 36 felony convictions, who gets away with that?

Abortion debate puts women voters at the centre of US election race

For his last day of campaigning, Republican Trump started off in North Carolina and finished in Michigan, but he spoke in Pennsylvania’s Reading and Pittsburgh in between.

“With your vote tomorrow, we can fix every single problem our country faces and lead America, and indeed the whole world, to new heights of glory,” he told supporters.

Harris and Trump each got three ballots in the tiny community of Dixville Notchin the northeastern state of New Hampshire, which for decades has kicked off Election Day at the stroke of midnight Monday – hours before the rest of the country.

Polls open on Tuesday morning at 07:00 AM and close at 08:00 PM. Americans will then gather in front of their televisions, in bars or in clubs, to watch the results streaming in from across the country.

Africa is one of the world’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity, but evidence has shown that these natural reserves are degrading significantly – which is bad news for the continent.

Most analysts admit that not enough came out of Cop16 – held in Cali, Columbia last month – and hope to see biodiversity issues taken more seriously.  

Africa is also home to one third of the world’s biodiversity, harbouring eight of the 34 critical biodiversity reserves listed by the NGO Conservation International. 

But its biodiversity remains in grave danger.

Although the UN summit in Colombia aimed to turn words into action – two years after a landmark UN-brokered deal to protect nature from a massive wave of destruction – delegates could only assess on what little progress has been made.

Summit to save nature enters final day with disagreement on funding

For Zitouni Ould Dada, a senior advisor to the FAIRR Initiative and former deputy director of the Climate and Environment Division at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), not enough progress has been made.

“It looks like the biodiversity Cop is very slow and it’s not delivering to the pace and the scale that we want,” he told RFI English.

“It is good that there is a recognition that we do have a problem with biodiversity – that we need to preserve our ecosystems and biodiversity – but we’re not doing enough to make that happen. We still talk more about what’s needed rather than doing it because we know what needs to be done.”

A commitment to achieve the protection of 30 percent of the world’s biodiversity by 2030 has been agreed, so the target is defined and clear.

But according to Ould Dada, all partners involved need to be much faster in achieving the change that is needed rather than wasting time at Cop meetings.

“We’re coming out with less results than we should at this time while the challenges that we are living through are mounting,” he insisted.

Urgent need to act

Africa’s natural heritage is vital to both its economy and communities, yet often faces overexploitation, according to Mamadou Diallo of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Diallo emphasised that Africa had hoped Cop16 would secure stronger protection for 30 percent of its land and seas, but achieving this requires political commitment, especially from northern hemisphere countries that, he argued, prioritise resource extraction over equitable conservation.

Africa, he urged, must unify its voice to demand justice and sustainable resource use from these nations.

“The countries of the North want to exploit Africa’s resources, only after that will they listen to us,” Diallo told RFI. “Africa should remain aware of this – and speak with one voice – to be able to face the countries of the North to get equity and justice in the exploitation of resources.”

UN biodiversity summit in Colombia aims to turn words into action

Progress on Indigenous rights

One positive outcome of Cop16 was a response to the world’s indigenous peoples’ demands on recognition of their role as guardians of nature.

This was obtained on 1 November, with a decision to grant them strengthened status within United Nations negotiations on biodiversity.

This includes recognising people of African descent among indigenous peoples who are key stewards in conservation efforts.

Another achievement was the first ever agreement on nature’s genetic data. 

The Colombian presidency also made a strong proposal for the creation of a dedicated fund for biodiversity.

For Africa, it was a major demand. But the European Union and other Western countries – such as Switzerland or Canada – were reluctant.

In the end – with too many issued to confront – Cop16 dragged on and the delegates left exhausted and disappointed, promising to tackle the needs for the Earth’s biodiversity again at other events.

As the Cop29 on climate change starts on 11 November in Azerbaijan, Ould Dada insisted that these challenges are all linked: “the policies and measures we put in place have to be interconnected as well,” he concluded.

Lille sit in 15th place in the 36-team league with six points from their three games.

On 23 October they won 3-1 at Atletico Madrid. And at the beginning of the month they beat holders Real Madrid 1-0.

The feats were unexpected after they lost their opening game to Sporting 2-0.

“What I’ve told the players to remember is that each Champions League game is different,” said the 58-year-old Frenchman.

“But what is common in all of them is that you need to concentrate and maintain your levels of intensity. It’s absolutely crucial for these sorts of matches.

In the prelude to the game at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille – who have eight senior players out with injury – drew their Ligue 1 match against Lyon 1-1 to stay fourth. Juventus won 2-0 at Udinese on Saturday to move to within four points of Serie A pacesetters Napoli.

“It will be a tough match against Juventus,” Genesio added. “But the games against Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid were difficult too.

“Juventus are very well organised tactically and there are a lot of players who can create something out of nothing.

“But we’re at home, in front of our fans who’ll give us lots of support. And what’s also important is that we remember that we’ve beaten two top teams to get the six points.

“And if you can do it twice you’ve got to believe that it can be done again.”

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Motta, who bossed the middle of the park for PSG between 2012 and 2018, concurred.

“I’m not surprised Lille are where they are,” said the 42-year-old former Italy international.

“Bruno Genesio sends out teams who play well collectively and who can keep the ball. So I’m not impressed … because I knew very well what he’s capable of. We will have to play really well to get a result at Lille.”

Monaco, the other Ligue 1 club in action on Tuesday night, boast seven points from their three games and play at Bologna.

Adi Hütter’s men go into the tie in Italy on the back of two defeats in Ligue 1 which have allowed champions PSG and Marseille to surpass them.

“Of course that’s been disappointing,” said Monaco defender Wilfried Sinigo. “But that’s football, it can happen. But if we manage to beat this Bologna team, it will boost our morale for the next matches.”

In other clashes in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Real Madrid host AC Milan,  the Premier League pacesetters Liverpool entertain the German champions Bayer Leverkusen and Sporting Portugal take on Manchester City.

The bitter rivals embarked on a final frenzied campaign blitz Monday with both hitting must-win Pennsylvania on the last day of a tight and volatile US presidential election campaign.

Pennsylvania is the single biggest swing state prize under the US Electoral College system, which awards influence in line with population.

Republican Trump has promised a “landslide” as he seeks his return to the White House, while Democrat Harris said the “momentum” was on the side of her bid to be America’s first woman president.

Deadlock

But the polls suggest a different story on the eve of Election Day – total deadlock in surveys nationally and in the seven swing states where the result is expected to be decided.

The world is anxiously watching the election, which is set to have profound implications for conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s war in Ukraine, and for tackling climate change.

Both sides say they are encouraged by early turnout numbers, with over 78 million people having voted already, around half of the total number of ballots cast in 2020.

No middle ground

The closeness of the 2024 White House race reflects a deeply divided United States, as it chooses between two candidates whose visions could scarcely be more different.

Media outlets and political parties have poured millions of dollars into advertising campaigns that leave little room for middle ground.

This stark divide is a reflection of the American political system, where the winner-takes-all approach often marginalises third-party candidates and reinforces the dominance of the two major parties.

US elections: Who are the running mates for the key candidates?

As election day approaches, the spotlight has fallen on undecided voters who may ultimately tip the scales in this tight race.

Campaign volunteers have been working tirelessly, engaging directly with potential voters in an effort to sway opinions and drive turnout.

To discuss what is at stake, RFI’s Jan van der Made spoke to analyst J. Wesley Leckrone, Chair Political Science Widener University, Daniel Hopkins, Political Scientist University of Pennsylvania and Daniel Laurison, Associate Professor Sociology at Swarthmore College and former campaigner for Barack Obama.

The parents accuse TikTok of contributing to “the worsening of their children’s physical and mental health”, their lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion told Franceinfo radio. 

She filed a civil lawsuit on their behalf at a court outside Paris on Monday, she announced, describing it as the one of the first in Europe to aim to force the Chinese social media network to take legal responsibility for potentially harmful content served up by its algorithm.

One of the plaintiffs, the mother of a girl who turned to TikTok when she was subjected to bullying, told Franceinfo: “The algorithm picked up on her search style and suggested other content that went from bad to worse, about depression and cutting.

“TikTok amplified her unhappiness, flooding her with content that teenagers her age should never see.”

Legal campaign

Two of the families lost their adolescent children to suicide, while the others say their teenagers attempted to end their lives or suffered eating disorders. 

The seven families form part of a collective, Algos Victima, founded by Boutron-Marmion earlier this year to pursue legal action in France against social media companies for allegedly failing to protect young users. 

The lawyer has already filed a case against TikTok for “incitement to suicide” over the death of a 15-year-old girl who took her life in 2021 after posting on the platform about her struggles as a victim of bullying. 

Her parents, who have also joined the collective suit, say her videos prompted the algorithm to show her content about self-harm that, they believe, contributed to her suicide.

France admits ‘failures’ in prevention of teen bullying, suicides

France has so far done little to study or regulate the potentially harmful effects of social media, Boutron-Marmion told legal news site Actu Juridique in April. 

She is calling for companies to moderate content liable to influence vulnerable users, for example by systematically hiding content about suicide. 

But first and foremost she hopes that suing social media giants will place more scrutiny on their practices. Having the opportunity to debate their lawyers in public will be a victory in itself, she said, “since getting a hearing with a social networking platform is almost impossible these days”.

Rabbit-hole effect

The European Union opened an investigation in February into whether TikTok does enough to protect minors.

The EU said it was concerned that the app’s design could lead users to become addicted to it or be drawn into a spiral of potentially harmful content.

Amnesty International has documented what it calls the rabbit-hole effect of TikTok’s algorithm, with research finding that users who show an interest in videos related to mental health are quickly recommended content about depressive thinking, self-harm and suicide in a bid to hold their attention.

France struggles to decide what place screens should have in schools

TikTok’s guidelines ban showing or promoting suicide, self-harm or disordered eating, while the app says that content related to weight loss, drug and alcohol use, sex, gambling and other potentially risky behaviour is restricted to users over 18. 

In its latest update on the steps it takes to moderate content within the EU, the company says it removed more than 22 million pieces of content and banned over 5 million accounts for breaking its rules between January and June this year.

Most of the offending videos are removed by automated moderation systems, it said, while some 6,000 people are involved in moderating content in the EU’s various languages.  

In October, Beijing announced provisional tariffs on European Union brandy imports, part of an escalating trade row between Beijing and Brussels.

Most Chinese imports of the spirit come from France and the country’s cognac makers have begged Paris to put an end to the spat, describing themselves “hostages”.

Speaking to journalists in Shanghai on Monday, French Foreign Trade Minister Sophie Primas said: “France is in favour of negotiations, obviously. We are not in an escalating trade war, so we need to enter negotiations.”

This followed an hour-and-a-quarter-long meeting Primas had with China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao on Sunday evening ahead of a major trade show.

Primas underlined that she had told Wang France was prepared “to take all possible technical and legal measures”.

“We don’t want it to come to that,” she stressed.

“The window for negotiation… is clearly open,” she said, adding that she expected high-level talks to take place soon.

EU – China tariff spat

In a post on social media, Primas said she had conveyed “one simple thing” to Minister Wang: “Europe refuses trade escalation, continues its exchanges, but will not yield to pressure on essential points.”

France maintains that the measures against brandy are political, designed to put the European Union under pressure after the bloc imposed tariffs of up to 35.3 percent on Chinese electric vehicles over unfair competition claims. 

The EV measures reportedly featured prominently in Primas and Wang’s discussions.

A second phase of consultations over the measures between the EU and China recently began.

“France, as an important member state of the EU, should play an active role in urging the European Commission to show sincerity,” Wang was quoted as saying in a readout from his ministry.

Beijing files WTO complaint over EU’s new taxes on Chinese EVs

As well as the provisional brandy tariffs, Beijing has also launched anti-dumping probes into some European pork and dairy imports.

Brussels is also investigating Chinese subsidies for solar panels and wind turbines.

Primas said she had come to China with a message of “both openness and firmness”. 

“Our manufacturers and farmers have been working with China for a very, very long time… we want these bilateral relations to continue to exist and to continue to grow and strengthen,” she said. 

“On the other hand… we have firm positions in favour of acting in a commercial world of free competition and under fair and reciprocal conditions,” she said. 

(With wires)

The jury needed just one round of voting to award the coveted prize to Algerian writer Daoud for his novel Houris about what has become known as Algeria’s “black decade”.

Daoud reacted on social media by dedicating the prize to his deceased father and his mother, who is still alive, but who no longer remembers anything, thanking them for their support, and posting a photo of his parents.

The writer – the first Algerian to win the Goncourt in France – is known for stirring controversy with his analyses of society in Algeria and elsewhere in the Arab world.

The title Houris is a reference to beautiful, virginal companions for faithful Muslim men in paradise. It tells the story of a young woman who loses her voice when an Islamist cuts her throat as she witnesses her family being massacred during the civil war.

She later shares her experiences with her unborn child through an internal monologue.

 “With Houris, the Goncourt Academy has crowned a book in which lyricism duels with tragedy and which gives a voice to the suffering linked to a dark time in Algeria, especially for women,” said Goncourt president Philippe Claudel.

France’s ever tighter ties with Morocco leave Algeria seeking other allies

However, the subject appears to challenge Algeria’s continuing reluctance to address the civil war from 1992 to 2002 in public.

The conflict between Islamist groups against the Algerian army killed tens of thousands of people, with some estimates as high as 200,000.

Since then, Algeria has implemented a charter for peace and national reconciliation, which prohibits the evocation of the “wounds of the national tragedy”.

The novel is banned in Algeria and its French publisher Gallimard was blocked from this month’s Algiers international book fair.

Banned in Algeria

Publishing Houris was only possible “because I came to France”, Daoud told reporters. “Because this is a country that granted me the freedom to write,” said the 54-year-old who left his Algerian home city of Oran for France “because of circumstances” and was given citizenship.

Daoud became known internationally for his 2013 debut novel The Meursault Investigation, a retelling of Albert Camus’ The Stranger, from an opposite angle. He won the First Novel category of the Goncourt prize with this book.

In 2016 – following numerous cases of sexual assault on women by Arab migrants in Cologne, Germany – he wrote an op-ed piece published in the New York Times called “The Sexual Misery of the Arab World”.

He said that “in some of Allah’s lands, the war on women and on couples has the air of an inquisition”, concluding that “sex in the Muslim world is sick”.

Algerian writer wins world French literature prize

From Algeria to Rwanda

Daoud’s main rival for this year’s edition was Gaël Faye; writer, composer and rapper, 42, whose novel Jacaranda deals with the rebuilding of Rwanda after the 1994 genocide.

Faye was handed the Prix Renaudot, another coveted prize awarded during the French literary competition season, on Monday while losing the Goncourt to Daoud.

Jacaranda is the second novel by Faye, born in Burundi to a Rwandan mother and a French father, who has lived in Kigali for about ten years.

Like his previous one, Petit Pays, (Small country) this novel retales the lives of Rwandans in the shadow of the massacres of 1994.

The prestigious prizes usually spark book sales in the hundreds of thousands for the winning authors.

Released in 2016, Faye’s first novel Petit Pays won, among other prizes, the Goncourt des lycéens, then sold 1.5 million copies, got translated around the world, has been adapted into a comic book, and later a film.

President Emmanuel Macron, congratulated both writers on social media platform X, saying that “thanks to their voices, our French language expresses beauty, tragedy and universality even better”.

 (with newswires)

Mondlane rejects the results of the 9 October elections that the electoral authority says were won by the candidate of the Frelimo party, in power since 1975.

He claims he won and has used social media to call for protests and strikes.

“When I was in South Africa, assassins were at my door to kill me,” Mondlane said in the video on Facebook. “I had to jump out the back door, slip out through a hair salon and run with my bags and my family.”

Mozambique’s ruling party hangs on to power in contested election

He said he had been staying in Johannesburg‘s upmarket Sandton area and had since left the country. He did not say when the alleged assassination attempt was meant to have occurred.

South Africa’s foreign ministry told French news agency AFP it had no knowledge of Mondlane being in the country and that such a matter should have been reported to the police.

After his lawyer and another associate were gunned down on 19 October as they prepared to challenge the results in court, Mondlane said they were assassinated and he could be next.

Mozambique‘s electoral authority announced on 24 October that Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo had won the election with more than 70 percent, compared to Mondlane’s 20 percent.

In two days of protests directly after the announcement, security forces killed at least 11 people and more than 50 others suffered serious gunshot wounds, Human Rights Watch said last week.

Mondlane has called a march in the capital Maputo on Thursday, which he said is to be “the day of Mozambique’s freedom”. It will be the culmination of a seven-day strike he called last week.

Mozambique opposition calls strike amid election fraud claims and assassinations

Police used tear gas Monday to disperse more than a dozen demonstrators on a main road in Maputo, according to AFP reporters in the capital.

Mozambique anti-corruption NGO, the Center for Public Integrity said last month’s elections were the country’s most fraudulent for 25 years.

Election observers, including from the European Union, have also noted serious flaws before, during and after the vote, with the electoral body accused of manipulation to keep Frelimo in power.

 (AFP)

In a report released this Monday, the Revers de la médaille collective reported that 260 “informal” living sites – camps, shanty towns and squats – were cleared between 26 April 2023 and 30 September 2024.

Over the same period, at least 19,526 people were evicted from their homes – an increase of 33 percent compared to between 2021 and 2022.

The report also highlighted the number of minors on the streets has increased significantly, with at least 4,550 children evicted from their dwellings – three times more than during the 2021-2022 period.

In a recent post on social media, the collective documented the eviction of minors from their camp in the tunnel near Paris’s Les Halles shopping district, stating: “Police but no solution. The wandering continues”. 

‘Stain’ on Olympics legacy

Paul Alauzy, coordinator of Médecins du Monde and spokesman for the collective referred to the past year as exceptional in terms of the number of evictions.

Alauzy said the rise in evictions would leave an “indelible stain” on the legacy of the 2024 Olympics. 

Prior to the Paris Olympics, the collective pushed for a round of consultations with all the parties involved in organising the Games.

The aim was to draw up a joint plan for the Olympics that would help combat social exclusion and deliver on Paris 2024’s promise of an unprecedented positive social legacy.

However – despite numerous meetings and a series of concrete proposals with figures – no concerted plan was ever drawn up.

• Charities slam ‘social cleansing’ ahead of 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Migrant transfers from Paris ahead of Olympics anger French mayors and NGOs

With a view to the hosting of the Olympics in the future, the associations are recommending the “systematic consultation of host populations, access to balanced, free and high-quality information, and the organisation of open consultations with civil society much earlier than the Games”.

“The simple fact of organising the Games every year in the same place … rather than inviting the whole world to go [to the host city] for such a short time could address many problems, from social cleansing to gentrification and ecological factors,” the collective added.

He was surrounded by family at his home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air at the time of his death on Sunday, his publicist Arnold Robinson said in a statement that did not specify a cause.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family said, according to the statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

A jazz musician, composer and tastemaker, his studio chops and arranging prowess connected the dots between the 20th century’s constellation of stars.

From Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, jazz to hip-hop, Jones tracked the ever-fluctuating pulse of pop over his seven-decade-plus career – most often manipulating the beat himself.

Boundless love

“Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity,” his family said.

Born in 1933 on the south side of Chicago, Quincy Delight Jones Jr. discovered a knack for the piano at a recreation center and became teenage buddies with Ray Charles.

Jones briefly studied at the Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts before joining bandleader Lionel Hampton on the road, eventually relocating to New York, where he gained attention as an arranger for stars including Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, Count Basie and, of course, Charles.

He played second trumpet on Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, teaming up with Dizzy Gillespie for several years before moving to Paris in 1957, where he studied under the legendary composer Nadia Boulanger.

‘Black Lives Matter’, and songs are showing it’s a fact

Jones later expanded into Hollywood, scoring films and television shows.

Among entertainment’s most decorated figures, Jones won virtually every major achievement award, including 28 Grammys.

In 1967, Jones was the first Black composer to be nominated in the original song category of the Oscars, for the film Banning.

Tributes

Musicians and music lovers paid tribute to Jones overnight on social media. 

“An icon”, wrote South African anti-apartheid hero Sipho Mabuse, “no musician of his generation moved so effortlessly —collaborating with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson to Miles Davis. What a remarkable career and brilliance.” 

Among other tributes was one from British actor Michael Caine, who was born on the same day as Jones, 14 March 1933, and his long-time friend. “My celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world,” Caine wrote. “He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.”

In a post on Instagram, US rapper LL Cool J said Jones was “a father and example at a time when I truly needed a father and example. Mentor. Role model. King.”

Fearless

Jones started a label, founded a hip-hop magazine, and produced the 1990s hit television show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, discovering Will Smith.

He also wrote his own hits, like the addictively cacophonous Soul Bossa Nova, while also arranging at a breathless pace for dozens of stars across the industry.

But he was perhaps best known as the producer of Michael Jackson’s albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad.

“You name it, Quincy’s done it. He’s been able to take this genius of his and translate it into any kind of sound that he chooses,” jazz pianist Herbie Hancock told PBS in 2001.

“He is fearless. If you want Quincy to do something, you tell him that he can’t do it. And of course he will – he’ll do it.”

(with AFP)

Paty, 47, was beheaded on 16 October 2020 outside the secondary school in Conflans, northwest of Paris, where he taught history and geography.

His killer, Abdoullah Anzorov, claimed he murdered Paty to “punish” him for showing caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in a lesson on free speech.

Anzorov, 18, was later shot dead by police during an attempted arrest.

Before the attack, Paty faced a wave of online harassment after a lesson on social codes at the Collège du Bois-d’Aulne.

A 13-year-old student – who did not atttend the class – claimed the lesson discriminated against Muslims.

Her accusations went viral, and the girl, along with five former classmates, was sentenced in a juvenile court in December 2023 to suspended terms ranging from 14 months to two years. 

Slain teacher Samuel Paty’s coworkers grapple with role of ex-pupils in attack

‘Targeted campaign’

Monday’s hearing will involve adults between 22 and 65.

The defendants include Brahim Chnina, 52, father of the girl whose claims sparked the controversy, and Abdelhakim Sefrioui, 65.

Prosecutors say on 7 and 8 October, Chnina posted videos stigmatising Paty and singling him out as a target, along with precise information about his identity and place of work.

They allege that Chnina had nine telephone contacts with Anzorov. He and Sefrioui face 30 years in prison if found guilty.

Complicity charges

Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, is charged with complicity in Paty’s murder for allegedly helping Anzorov buy weapons.

Prosecutors say he and 22-year-old Naïm Boudaoud took Anzorov to a cutlery shop in Rouen to buy a knife matching one found near his body.

Boudaoud is also accused of driving Anzorov to Cergy, outside Paris, to purchase Airsoft pistols and steel balls on the day of the murder.

French school to be renamed after history teacher slain by Islamist in 2020

Yusuf Cinar, 22, is charged with spreading jihadist propaganda, including posting Anzorov’s claim of responsibility and images of Paty’s body. He is also accused of sharing videos honouring Anzorov after his death.

Another defendant, Ismaïl Gamaev, 22, allegedly exchanged jihadist messages with Anzorov, encouraging his plans to attack Paty. Louqmane Ingar, 22, is accused of being a member of the same online group.

The only woman on trial, Priscilla Mangel, 36, is accused of persuading Anzorov that attacking Paty was justified. Prosecutors say her online interactions with Anzorov emboldened him in the days before the killing.

On 14 October, nearly four years after Paty’s death and one year after another extremist killed teacher Dominique Bernard, schools across France observed a minute’s silence for pupils aged 11 to 18.

The election in the ex-Soviet republic that lies between Ukraine and the European Union has been overshadowed by allegations of meddling by Moscow.

The key vote took place just two weeks after a referendum backed joining the EU by a razor-thin margin.

Sandu stood at 54.94 percent of the vote against 45.06 percent for Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is supported by the pro-Russian Socialists and whom Sandu fired as prosecutor general last year, according to near-complete results published by the election commission.

“Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books… Freedom, truth, and justice have prevailed,” Sandu declared.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Sandu on her claim to have won the country’s presidential election, saying it represented a “triumph for democracy”.

“I congratulate Maia Sandu on her re-election to lead Moldova. Democracy has triumphed over interference and manoeuvres from outside. France will continue to stand beside Moldova on the country’s European path,” Macron said in a post on social media. 

‘Honest vote’

Earlier, the 52-year-old former World Bank economist thanked jubilant supporters for “their honest vote”.

Her rival Stoianoglo, urged people “to remain calm, regardless of the figures”.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Sandu on her re-election victory and the country’s “European future“, saying it took “a rare kind of strength to overcome the challenges you’ve faced in this election”.

Like in Georgia – another ex-Soviet country where the ruling party won a contested parliamentary election last weekend – Russia has been accused of seeking to sway voters.

Moscow has denied the allegations.

Moldovan authorities reported “attacks, provocations and attempts at destabilisation” on Sunday.

Police said they were investigating Russia’s alleged use of “organised transportation” to Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey so people living in Russia could vote at Moldovan missions in those countries.

Cyberattacks and fake bomb threats also reportedly targeted out-of-country voting operations.

• Moldova’s vote on EU membership in deadlock as president cites ‘foreign interference’
• France says it will support Moldova amid fears of Russian destabilisation

EU aspirations

Sandu applied for Moldova to join the EU after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Accession negotiations formally opened in June.

In the October 20 referendum, 50.35 percent backed EU membership, with Sandu blaming “foreign interference” for the narrow result in the country of 2.6 million people.

Police said they uncovered a Russian vote-buying scheme that could have affected up to a quarter of the ballots.

Casting his vote on Sunday, Stoianoglo said he had “no relations with the Kremlin”.

While he also favours joining the EU, he boycotted the referendum.

A large diaspora and the capital mostly favour joining the EU, while rural areas and the pro-Russian separatist regions of Transnistria and Gagauzia are against.

Election results have shown Sandu lost in the territory of Moldova itself, with her owing her victory to the diaspora.

“This is what tipped the election,” said Florent Parmentier, a political scientist at Paris-based Sciences Po, noting Sandu’s “dependence on the outside”.

(With AFP)

“I thought he was going to beat me up,” says Ben. Sporting a bright red jacket and holding a gigantic blue hand with the index finger pointing upwards, he was standing next to 15th Street, a central artery in Philadelphia that passes in front of the iconic town hall.

A motorist had driven close to him, he says, and made an obscene gesture. But in the end he just sped away in his pick-up, and nothing happened.

Ben is approached by an elderly man. “Finally somebody normal here,” he says.

“This town is full of liberals.”

A discussion follows about the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Liz Cheney, the daughter of former vice-president Dick Cheney

“Harris is a drunk,” says the older of the two men. “She’s cooperating with that traitor Liz Cheney.

Claims

“She’s a warmonger,” he adds. “Look at all the wars her father got us into. Iraq, Afghanistan. The list is endless.”

Cheney, who worked with George W Bush between 2001 and 2009, belonged to the same Republican party as Donald Trump.

At the other side of the town hall, half a dozen people have gathered. “Do you notice that Republicans are the only ones with the American flag?” one scowls.

“Democrats just have the rainbow flag.”

Their leader, a Chinese-American woman, who gives her name as Stephanie, says that they are here to “wake up America.”

“Why?” she asks the few passers-by who look rather shocked. “Because too many people are still sleeping while Trump is fighting for them.

“They hate him. But that is because they don’t know the truth.”

Reason

The reason, according to Stephanie: they follow the mainstream media who have been bought by globalists and the deep state which she deems the enemies of the people.

Her words echo the standard rhetoric of the Trump campaign.

John, an older white man who is holding a large, American flag, declares: “Trump is going to win the elections. This will bring some changes in the country that will affect the vast majority of the American people.”

Ben is optimistic too. “This is supposed to be Dems country, but I feel it is a little less so now.”

Stephanie says she is convinced that Trump is going to win in a landslide.

“But only if they are not going to rig the elections,’ she says.

“If they rig, we won’t know the result,” she adds. “But I think that this time, it is too big to rig.”

The third seed won 6-2, 6-2 in 74 minutes to lift a seventh crown at a Masters event considered the most prestigious on the men’s circuit after the four Grand Slam tournaments in Melbourne Paris London and New York.

“First of all sorry,” said Zverev drily after receiving the trophy from the French former Olympic swimming champion Florent Manadou.

“To win this title here in Paris means the world to me,” he added.

“I know that 99.9 percent of the people here wanted another result but even still it’s such fun to play here and at the French Open.”

Humbert received raucous cheers from the 16,000 fans in the stadium as he strode onto centre court ahead of his first final at a Masters tournament.

Goal

In theory, he had nothing to fear after dispatching the world number two Carlos Alcaraz in the last-16.

But within 10 minutes, the facts offered a different narrative.

Serving for a 2-1 lead, Humbert’s forehand went wayward. A cross court drive landed in the tramlines to offer Zverev a break point and another ended in the net after a 17-stroke rally to cough up the game to the German.

The 27-year-old, the runner up at the French Open in Paris in June, powered on to lead 3-1 after 17 minutes.

Humbert’s next attempt to cut the deficit failed too. In a revealing vignette of his faltering abilities, after a forehand slumped into the net to give Zverev a break point, he saved it with a sumptuous backhand cross court winner.

Inconsistency

A double fault was followed by an ace

But eventually two errors off the forehand wing in the next two points sealed his fate and Zverev, playing with languid ferocity, rolled on to pocket the opener after 36 minutes.

Humbert returned from a toilet break to encounter the same savagery.

Zverev broke the 26-year-old in the opening game and held his own serve easily to take control of the match.

After Humbert lost his serve for a second time to give Zverev a 3-0 advantage, ELO’s ultimate feel good tune Mr Blue Sky boomed out over the weapons-grade public address system.

Dark clouds hovered for Humbert after another lightning service game from Zverev.

Though Humbert eventually got on the board, Zverev cruised to the title.

“I’d like to congratulate Ugo,” said Zverev who will rise to number two in the world in the ATP rankings after his week at the tournament.

“He really does the work off the court and if he continues that way, it won’t be long before he is lifting trophies like this.”

Humbert conceded that Zverev was too strong. “He served really well and gave me nothing. Sometimes with him you can get something off his second serve or his forehand but there was nothing going.

“I tried my best but he dominated.”

“Get out! Get out!” and “Killers!” shouted several in the crowd in Paiporta as King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were forced to take cover behind bodyguards.

Mud hit the king and queen in the face and on their clothes as they tried to calm the crowd.

King Felipe said after his visit that Spain had to understand the anger and frustration of people affected by the floods.

In a video released on social media, he called on the public to support the victims. “We need to give them hope and the guarantee that the state in its entirety is present.”

On Tuesday, a year’s amount of rain fell in eight hours in the eastern part of the country. Road and rail links were severed in the resulting floods.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was also forced to cut short his visit to the area.

On Saturday, he ordered the deployment of 10,000 extra soldiers and police into the region to help the rescue and clear-up operation.

The move came as Sanchez and the regional leader Carlos Mazon faced increasing fire over the lack of warnings and slow response to the disaster.

“I understand the anger and, of course, I am here to receive it,” said Mazon on social media. “This is my political and moral obligation.”

Response

However, even though power has been restored to many home, thousands remain without drinking water nearly a week after the floods swept through the towns.

Stores and supermarkets lie in ruins in Paiporta where wrecked cars and layers of mud litter once bustling streets.

“I want to express all my government’s solidarity and its acknowledgement of the anguish, suffering, uncertainty and the needs of the residents of Paiporta and the region of Valencia,” Sánchez said.

On Friday morning, Spanish football authorities said games taking place this weekend would publicise a Red Cross fundraising campaign over the public address systems.

“Spain’s professional football joins the condolences and expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and the missing,” La Liga said in a statement.

Real Madrid, which came under fire for poor sportsmanship for boycotting the Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Paris on Monday night, announced it would offer one million euros to the Red Cross.

“Real Madrid has decided to support this campaign to help the many families who are in a critical situation and need all our help and solidarity,” Madrid said in a statement.

Under pressure to reduce France’s mammoth deficit, the new government is looking for ways to save billions of euros on social security – and raising duties on potentially unhealthy food and drink looks set to be part of the plan. 

Members of parliament have proposed amendments to the funding bill that would target alcohol and processed sugar, and specifically high-strength, sweetened beers. 

The farthest-reaching proposal would expand the “social security contribution” levied on certain products and allocated to funding national health insurance. Currently applied only to drinks with an alcohol content of 18 percent or more, the revised tax would be collected on all alcohols, including wine and beer. 

Another amendment would see a new duty introduced on beers stronger than 5.5 percent, while a further proposal seeks to tax flavoured, sweetened beers containing the equivalent of at least 20 grams of sugar per litre. 

What’s in France’s belt-tightening budget and can it win support?

Brewing backlash 

Parliament’s social affairs committee has already approved the proposals, which MPs are now debating before a vote on the budget bill next week. 

Proponents argue they would help prevent excessive alcohol consumption – especially among young people drawn to sweet, strong drinks – as well as financing the health system that treats the fallout.  

Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq has expressed support for a sugar tax, telling La Tribune that manufacturers have “a collective responsibility, and I would like to see them find solutions to change their recipes”.  

She stressed, however, that “it’s not about penalising craftspeople”. 

The brewing industry disagrees, with unions warning that extra taxes could drive up costs and put hundreds of companies out of business. 

Jérôme Gervais, who runs micro-brewery Brewbaix in the northern city of Roubaix, estimated that the extra levies would add 70 cents to the retail price of its bottled lager, taking it to 6 euros for 75cl.  

Speaking to BFMTV, he questioned: “Will consumers be prepared to pay that much to enjoy their beer?” 

Podcast: Is craft beer competing with wine in France?

Industry protests 

A levy on stronger beers would “protect and promote industrial beers” at the expense of craft brews, which tend to contain more alcohol, said Jean-François Drouin, president of the National Union of Independent Breweries (SNBI). 

Industry association Brewers of France argued the combined new taxes would “definitively compromise the economic viability of breweries” throughout the country.  

In an industry already struggling to absorb higher energy prices and raw material costs, one brewery shuts down every week on average, the group said, and added tax “would amplify this phenomenon”. 

If the lower house of parliament approves the proposals, they will next be reviewed by the Senate. Some brewers told the press they were urging their local MPs to vote against them, warning of the impact on local jobs. 

Makers of non-alcoholic energy drinks, chocolate, ice cream and other products that risk being affected by any new levies on processed sugar have also protested, while Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard cautioned against placing extra burdens on French companies competing in global markets. 

The bitter rivals embarked on a final frenzied campaign blitz Monday with both hitting must-win Pennsylvania on the last day of a tight and volatile US presidential election campaign.

Pennsylvania is the single biggest swing state prize under the US Electoral College system, which awards influence in line with population.

Republican Trump has promised a “landslide” as he seeks his return to the White House, while Democrat Harris said the “momentum” was on the side of her bid to be America’s first woman president.

Deadlock

But the polls suggest a different story on the eve of Election Day – total deadlock in surveys nationally and in the seven swing states where the result is expected to be decided.

The world is anxiously watching the election, which is set to have profound implications for conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s war in Ukraine, and for tackling climate change.

Both sides say they are encouraged by early turnout numbers, with over 78 million people having voted already, around half of the total number of ballots cast in 2020.

No middle ground

The closeness of the 2024 White House race reflects a deeply divided United States, as it chooses between two candidates whose visions could scarcely be more different.

Media outlets and political parties have poured millions of dollars into advertising campaigns that leave little room for middle ground.

This stark divide is a reflection of the American political system, where the winner-takes-all approach often marginalises third-party candidates and reinforces the dominance of the two major parties.

US elections: Who are the running mates for the key candidates?

As election day approaches, the spotlight has fallen on undecided voters who may ultimately tip the scales in this tight race.

Campaign volunteers have been working tirelessly, engaging directly with potential voters in an effort to sway opinions and drive turnout.

To discuss what is at stake, RFI’s Jan van der Made spoke to analyst J. Wesley Leckrone, Chair Political Science Widener University, Daniel Hopkins, Political Scientist University of Pennsylvania and Daniel Laurison, Associate Professor Sociology at Swarthmore College and former campaigner for Barack Obama.

Erdogan has avoided commenting on the US election, but Ankara sees the outcome of the 5 November vote as key for Turkish-US relations.

Each of the contenders, Vice-President Kamala Harris and Trump, are expected to take significantly different approaches to Turkey’s long-time leader.

“During the past Trump presidency, the political relationship at the highest level between Erdogan and Trump was a strong one,” says Sinan Ulgen, head of the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, an Istanbul think tank.

Ties with President Joe Biden have been notably less friendly, however, if Harris were to win the relationship with Erdogan is likely to be a much more shallow one, Ulgen believes.

Face-to-face time

Erdogan met Trump nine times during his 2017-21 presidency, including on a state visit to Washington.

In contrast, he met Biden only briefly on the sidelines of international summits, with US-Turkish relations mainly conducted at foreign-minister level.

“Erdogan has been in power for more than 20 years and Biden is the only US president who has refused to meet him in an official capacity, either in the US capital or in the Turkish capital,” says international relations professor Serhat Guvenc of Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.

“For Erdogan, leader-to-leader talks are key to achieving his goals. And probably, he thinks deep down that he can sort out many things through personal contact, connections or personal engagement.”

Such interaction, especially with the most powerful person in the world, is also seen as vital to Erdogan’s status at home.

“It’s very important for his domestic standing and legitimacy,” says Asli Aydintasbas, a political commentator and visiting fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

“He has built a personalised system but also convinced voters, particularly his base, that he is a consequential leader, that Turkey is rising, that he is very important, he is on par with the US president and the Russian president, that everybody is looking up to Erdogan.”

Turkey and Russia closer than ever despite Western sanctions

Lack of chemistry?

Aydintasbas questions how easy it would be for Erdogan to develop a relationship with Harris, even if she were ready to engage more directly than Biden.

“I cannot imagine what type of chemistry Harris and Erdogan would have. They don’t come from similar backgrounds. It’s difficult to imagine the two developing a very close personal relationship, to be honest,” the analyst says.

Erdogan has often spoken warmly of his relationship with Trump – despite the fact he got hit by sanctions during his time in the White House over the detention of an American pastor, prompting the Turkish lira to crash in 2018.

Trump once even vowed to “totally destroy and obliterate” the Turkish economy over Turkey’s threats to attack US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces.

“We have memories of the threats and sanctions,” warns Murat Aslan of the pro-government Seta Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research in Ankara.

Invoking the 2018 crisis, Aslan said: “Rather than words, I think deeds are important.”

Erdogan hopes a U-turn can salvage Turkey’s floundering economy

High-risk candidate

The Middle East is another potential sticking point.

Trump is calling for more support for Israel in its wars against Hamas and Hezbollah, and analysts say differences could again emerge between the US and Turkish leaders.

“Trump’s approach to the Middle East and the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel could actually escalate the tension in the Middle East to the extent that a regional war could be unavoidable,” warns Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, who directs the German Marshall Fund’s office in Ankara.

“So yes, a Trump presidency has many opportunities for Turkey – but at a very high risk.”

Meanwhile, though there has been little direct contact between Biden and Erdogan, Turkish-US relations have shown signs of improvement in recent months.

With the two Nato allies increasingly cooperating and better managing their differences, Aydintasbas suggests, there are merits for Ankara to both candidates.

“A Kamala Harris administration would mean more continuity, but the promise of stability in Turkish-US relations,” she says. “Whereas Trump is so unpredictable that it could be very good one day, very bad one day.”

With the Middle East war continuing to rage, Trump’s unpredictability remains a risk to Ankara – but Erdogan will likely still covet the opportunity to renew his relationship with the US strongman.

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.

It’s time for you to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions for our annual New Year’s Day show. If you’ve already made up your mind about what you’ll aim for in 2025, go ahead and send it to us … if not, be sure you send us your resolution – or resolutions if you are really ambitious! – by 15 December.

Mark your calendars now for 12 December, 6 PM Paris time – that’s when the winners of the ePOP video competition will be announced, live on the ePOP Facebook page. My good pals Max Bale and Gaël Flaugère, who run the Planète Radio department that sponsors ePOP, invited me to come on the show and talk to you for a few minutes, in English. So plan to stay up late or get up early on 12 December, beloved listeners! And we are so pleased that “one of our own” has made it into the running: Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listeners Club, is one of the 10 nominees in the RFI Clubs category! 

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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 Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

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 30 September, Marine Le Pen – the leader of the French far-right party the National Rally – along with her father and 25 colleagues went on trial over alleged misappropriation of European funds.

They’re accused of using European parliamentary funds to pay for assistants, who actually worked for her National Rally party, formerly called the National Front, rather than on European affairs.

If found guilty, Le Pen could face a maximum of ten years behind bars and a 1 million euro fine – and a possible five-year ban on standing for public office. 

You were to re-read our article “French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on trial for misuse of EU funds”, and send in the answer to this question: How many euros has the European Union Parliament estimated that Le Pen and her colleagues in the National Rally party allegedly embezzled?

The answer is, to quote our article: “The EU Parliament estimated in 2018 that 6.8 million euros had been embezzled. Marine Le Pen has always denied any wrongdoing.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Can you remember the first time you received new clothes from your parents?”, which was suggested by Ratna Shanta Shammi from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Deepita Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Deepita is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Deepita, on your double win!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Hasina Zaman Hasi, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club members Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria, as well as Sakawat Hossain from Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Last but assuredly not least, RFI English listener Bidhan Chandra Sanyal from West Bengal, India. 

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Hadouk” by D. Malherbe and L. Ehrlich, played by Kosinus; “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin, performed by the composer; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “We Swing (The Cypher)” by Jean Baylor, Marcus Baylor, Eric Scott Reed, Keith Loftis, and Dezron Douglas, performed by The Baylor Project.

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-listen to Melissa Chemam’s 18 October Spotlight on Africa podcast, “Ghana grapples with crisis caused by world’s throwaway fashion”, or re-read her article of the same name, both of which will help you with the answer.

You have until 25 November to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 7 December 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

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.   

October and November are set to host a series of events celebrating African art across the continent, in Europe and even farther afield.

Spotlight on Africa dives into perspectives from diverse African cultures, focusing on the voices and visions of the diaspora.

RFI journalists Ollia Horton and Melissa Chemam take us to the heart of two major art fairs: Paris’s Also Known As Africa (AKAA) and London’s 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair.

Listeners will hear from Victoria Mann, founder and director of AKAA, and artist Christelle Clairville, whose work brings Caribbean influences to the dialogue around African identity.

French-Belgo-Congolese artist Tiffanie Delune, exhibiting in London, shares her journey through the art world.

Curators Grada Kilomba and Helio Menezes weigh in from the Sao Paulo Biennial in Brazil. Meanwhile, ahead of the Dakar Biennale, French-Algerian artist Dalila Dalleas Bouzar discusses her preparation and the importance of the event to her work.

Episode mixed by Hadrien Touraud and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale.

More than 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing extremely critical levels of hunger, according to the UN. Seventy percent of crop fields and livelihoods have been destroyed during the Israeli military offensive.

The war, which has claimed 42,000 lives in Gaza and left hundreds of thousands wounded, has also spread to the West Bank and Lebanon. Civilians as well as UN peacekeepers have been targeted by Israel’s forces.

“I used the word ‘catastrophe’ for the first time back in October 2023,” Albanese told RFI, “when Israel had killed 8,000, 6,000 people in the first weeks of the conflict and destroyed entire neighbourhoods, bakeries, churches, and targeted UN buildings and universities.

“This is not the way wars are conducted.”

Albanese was speaking as she prepared to launch her latest report on the situation in Gaza and the other Palestinian territories, which she presented to the UN General Assembly earlier this week.

In it, she takes a long view of the current conflict, arguing that Israel’s military actions form part of a systematic attempt to displace Palestinians that goes back decades – and which she calls a genocide.

“Israel occupies that land, according to the International Court of Justice, unlawfully,” Albanese said. 

“So Israel unlawfully occupies a territory, oppressing its people, who of course retaliate. Then they wage a war against them. It doesn’t work that way.”

Hamas attack, one year on – a view from Gaza

‘Emptying the land’

Albanese acknowledges the deadly violence inflicted on Israelis by the attacks of 7 October last year, and she has advocated for the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed against civilians by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.

But she warns that the trauma of 7 October has deepened Israeli animosity towards Palestinians and spurred calls for vengeance, providing the government with an opportunity to escalate its actions in the occupied territories with the goal of making them unliveable.

“As we speak, Israel is running extermination raids neighbourhood per neighbourhood in the areas that were already forcibly evacuated, ethnically cleansed of nearly 1 million people in northern Gaza,” Albanese told RFI.

“Only 400,000 people remained, who have been starved, abused and bombed. What the people in Gaza have gone through is really unspeakable, and now it is emptying the land completely.”

Hamas attack, one year on – a view from Israel

Israel and UN at odds

The war has brought Israel’s already tense relations with the United Nations to a low point, with the Israeli parliament this week approving a controversial bill to ban the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA – considered a lifeline for Gaza – from operating on Israeli territory.

Israel claims many of the agency’s staff belong to Hamas or other terrorist groups, and accused some of them of involvement in the 7 October attacks.

The UN says it investigated the allegations and identified problems with neutrality, but no proof of terror links. It warns that restricting UNRWA will have a devastating effect on aid supply chains into Gaza.

More broadly, UN leaders have called for a ceasefire and denounced starvation, mass displacements, atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Albanese has proved an especially controversial figure, calling for the UN to consider suspending Israel as a member state over its actions. 

Her stance has drawn accusations of bias and antisemitism from Israel’s allies, notably the United States, which cancelled a briefing she was due to give the US Congress this week.

Washington and others argue that Israel has the right to defend itself – though Albanese questions whether its military operations are truly making it safer.

“Is it protection?” she asked. “How is what Israel is doing going to make its citizens protected? This is the question. And the blindness at the political level is mind-blowing.”

Libya resumed oil exports this month after a pause caused by a dispute over control of the country’s central bank, which oversees oil exports.

“This was a serious crisis,” said Jalel Harchaoui from the Royal United Services Institute. “And while it’s partly fixed, there are still issues that need attention.”

The row between Libya’s two rival administrations which led to the temporary halt, was only resolved by intense negotiations, but Harchaoui claims the conflict’s repercussions continue.

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

“A lot of players, including armed groups in Tripoli, are trying to take advantage of whatever has happened over the last several weeks. So I’m not describing a scenario of war, but I’m describing a more volatile environment,” he said.

Turkish-Egyptian relations

However, a recent rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey could offer hope of easing Libyan tensions.

“We agreed to consult between our institutions to achieve security and political stability,” pledged Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at a press conference last month in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Libya once was a point of Turkish-Egyptian rivalry, with Cairo backing the eastern Libyan administration in Benghazi of Khalifa Haftar and Ankara supporting the western Tripoli-based Government of National Unity. Now, Egyptian-Turkish collaboration is key to resolving the latest Libyan crisis.

“Both countries can push the Tripoli-based government at least to accept something or come to the least terms that they can agree,” said Murat Aslan of the SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, a pro-Turkish government think tank. “So it’s a win-win situation for both Egypt and Turkey.”

Economic crises

With both the Turkish and Egyptian economies in crisis, the economic benefits of cooperating in Libya are seen as a powerful force behind the country’s rapprochement and Libyan collaboration.

Fighting between rival militias in Libya kills dozens

“These two countries are very important to one another,” said Aya Burweila, a Libyan security analyst

“They’ve figured out a way to divide spheres and work together. Even in the east now, Turkish companies have cut lucrative deals, infrastructure deals, just as Egypt has.

“So economy and money drive a lot of these political friendships and reapportionment.”

Ankara is looking to Cairo to use its influence over Hafta to support an agreement it made with the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity to explore widely believed energy reserves in Libyan waters.

Libya’s stability at greater risk with turmoil in Niger and Sudan, UN warns

At the same time, Cairo is pressing to remove Ankara-supported Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh of Libya’s Government of National Unity. Despite differences, Harchaoui says Cairo and Ankara are committed to cooperation.

“What has already been decided is that they are going to speak and they are going to speak on a daily basis,” said Harchaoui.

“And then at every crucial moment, they are going to make sure and Turkey, specifically, is going to make sure that Egypt is on board.

“But we need more tangible results from the dialogue that has already been in place,” he added.

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.