The liberal ideals of 1989 “are not something we can take for granted”, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday, just days after the his governing coalition collapsed.

“A look at our history and at the world around us shows this,” added Scholz, whose three-party alliance imploded the day Donald Trump was re-elected US president, plunging Germany into political turmoil and towards new elections.

November 9, 1989, is celebrated as the day East Germany opened the borders to the West after months of peaceful mass protests, paving the way for German reunification and the collapse of Soviet Communism.

That “joyful day” underlines the sombre fact “that freedom and democracy have never been a given”, Berlin mayor Kai Wegner told a commemoration service at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Saturday.

One Berliner who remembers the momentous events, retiree Jutta Krueger, 75, said it was “a shame” Germany’s political crisis had erupted just before the anniversary weekend.

“But we should still really celebrate the fall of the Wall,” she said, hailing it as the moment East Germans could travel and “freedom had arrived throughout Germany”.

Saturday’s event at the Berlin Wall Memorial, which was attended by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, honoured the at least 140 people killed trying to flee the Russian-backed German Democratic Republic (GDR) during the Cold War.

When the wall came tumbling down in Berlin

Enduring relevance

In the evening, a “freedom party” with a music and light show was to be held at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, on the former path of the concrete barrier that had cut the city in two since 1961.

On Sunday, Russian protest punk band Pussy Riot was to perform outside the former headquarters of the Stasi, former East Germany’s feared secret police.

Pro-democracy activists from around the world have been invited for the commemorations – including Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad.

Talks, performances and an open-air art exhibition will mark what culture minister Claudia Roth called “one of the most joyous moments in world history”.

Replica placards from the 1989 protests are on display along four kilometres of the Wall’s route.

Among the art installations will be thousands of images created by citizens on the theme of “freedom”, to drive home the enduring relevance of the historical event.

Berlin’s top cultural official, Joe Chialo, said the theme was crucial “at a time when we are confronted by rising populism, disinformation and social division”.

Axel Klausmeier, head of the Berlin Wall foundation, said the values of the 1989 protests were “the power-bank for the defence of our democracy, which today is being gnawed at from the left and the right”.

‘Populism and division’

The fall of the Berlin Wall – symbol of the Cold War and the division between an Eastern and a Western Bloc – contributed to the collapse of Communism in eastern Europe and the reunification of Germany a year later.

The 155-kilometre “wall of shame” was erected around West Berlin in 1961 to end an exodus of citizens from the Western Bloc enclave in Communist East Germany.

Most East Germans are grateful the GDR regime ended but many still have unhappy memories of the perceived arrogance of West Germans, and resentment lingers about a remaining gap in incomes and pensions.

These sentiments have been cited to explain strong support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in eastern Germany, and for the Russia-friendly, anti-capitalist BSW.

Strong gains for both at three state elections in the east in September highlighted enduring political divisions between eastern and western Germany, more than three decades after reunification.

Germany’s far-right AfD wins first state election: exit polls

This weekend also marks a darker chapter in German history.

During the Nazis’ Kristallnacht or Night of Broken Glass pogrom of November 9-10, 1938, at least 90 Jews were killed, tens of thousands were sent to concentration camps, countless properties were destroyed and 1,400 synagogues torched in Germany and Austria.

“It is very important for our society to remember the victims… and learn the correct lessons from those events for our conduct today,” government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said on Friday.

Her comments came just days after several members of the AfD, which is anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim, were arrested as suspected members of a racist paramilitary group that practiced urban warfare drills.

“There are a number of sectors in a worrying situation,” Ferracci told France Inter radio on Saturday, citing the chemical, automotive and metallurgy industries.

These difficulties are due in particular to “very strong international competition … which is not always very fair because it is highly subsidised in China and the United States”.

Ferracci’s comments came just days after Michelin and Auchan – two of France’s largest employers – announced layoffs, sparking worries that unemployment could once again go up after years of improvement.

The closures of industrial sites will affect thousands of jobs, the minister acknowledged, underlining that the government was “fighting” to try to find private buyers and, if necessary, “provide the best possible support for employees and the revitalisation of sites”.

On Tuesday, French tyre company Michelin, founded 135 years ago, announced the closure of its Cholet and Vannes sites in western France by early 2026, with the loss of 1,254 jobs. It cited high costs and cheap Asian competition.

“We assessed our options but couldn’t find any alternatives to (closing) these two sites” Michelin Chairman Florent Menegaux told Le Monde daily, adding: “The only constant at Michelin is that it’s always on the move.”

French tyre group Michelin to halt business in Russia

Strike action

Michelin’s move outraged French labour unions. The hardline CGT called on all Michelin workers to go on strike, while the more moderate CFDT urged management and the government to revisit the closures and seek alternatives.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Prime Minister Michel Barnier said he regretted Michelin’s decision and that affected workers must be helped with all available means.

“The automotive sector is in a difficult spot and not only in our country,”, Barnier said, adding that Europe must protect its auto industry against “unfair” foreign competition with stronger action and less “naiveté”.

Ferracci called for a European “emergency plan” to save the sector, saying he would work towards formulating policy proposals – such as a continent-wide ecological bonus or a joint loan to finance investments – at the EU level in the coming weeks.

Michelin’s announcement comes just weeks after unions at Europe’s largest car manufacturer Volkswagen warned of planned plant closures.

(with newswires)

Erdogan, who congratulated Trump as a “friend” on social media, sees this as a chance to reshape US-Turkey relations.

During Biden’s presidency, engagement was largely limited to foreign ministers – marking a stark contrast to the “strong leader-to-leader relationship” Erdogan and Trump had enjoyed, says analyst Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara.

Trump and President Erdogan met face to face about nine times, compared to only two “brief encounters” with Biden, he adds.

Chemistry

Erdogan often speaks warmly of his dealings with Washington during Trump’s first term in office.

“The chemistry is the same. Two charismatic leaders, two leaders who are unpredictable,” notes Turkish presidential adviser Mesut Casin, a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Yeditepe University.

He believes their personal rapport could set the stage for greater bilateral and regional cooperation, including efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Erdogan has long sought to play a role in ending the Russia-Ukraine war, given his close ties with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and, more controversially, with Vladimir Putin – a relationship that drew criticism and suspicion from some of Turkey’s NATO partners.

“Trump will push for negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war. And I think that’s something that Turkey has always preferred,” predicts Asli Aydintasbas a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Turkey eyes US presidential race that stands to shake up mutual ties

YPG policy

Erdogan will also look to Trump for changes in US policy toward the YPG, a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara views as linked to the PKK, a group fighting the Turkish state.

The YPG’s alliance with Washington against the Islamic State has strained US-Turkey relations, with Biden resisting Erdogan’s calls to end support for the group.

Former Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen predicts Erdogan will hope Trump might be open to a deal.

“Erdogan thinks that, like himself, Trump too is a pragmatic leader. So leaving aside principles or other such in brackets, the two sides can reach an agreement by giving and taking something between the two,” says Selcen.

Unpredictability

While Trump has often spoken positively about Erdogan, he nonetheless remains unpredictable.

“Can you rely on him?” asks Murat Aslan of SETA, a Turkish pro-government thinktank.

Tensions between Turkey and Israel could also complicate relations.

Erdogan has expressed hope that Trump will succeed where Biden failed in ending Israel’s war on Hamas and Hezbollah, but with Trump’s strong support for Israel and Erdogan’s backing of Hamas, a clash could be looming.

“What happens if there is an escalation in the Middle East with the polarisation of Israel and Turkey, as it currently is, and the attitude of Trump, it’s very clear that the Trump administration will threaten Turkey,” says Aslan.

With conflicts raging across the region, Erdogan views a new Trump presidency as an opportunity for Turkey and the region.

But given the leaders’ unpredictability, that opportunity doesn’t come without risks.

And it was unreservedly punchy.

“Vibrons plus grand” came the exhortation in French from the publicity team for next year’s event at Paris La Défense Arena.

English translations offer a scope of possibilities from: “Thrill up” and “Let’s ramp it up” to a common or garden: “Let’s get more excited”.

But whatever the preference, Bercy, in south-eastern Paris has been dismissed after 38 years in favour of a swanky stadium some 15km to the north-west as the crow flies.

The new site lies outside Paris in the district of Nanterre.

However, non, to a Nanterre Masters, insisted tournament director Cédric Pioline.

“Our ambition is to maintain the identity of our tournament with a focus on innovation and modernity,” added the former tennis player.

“I’m convinced that the infrastructure of the ultra-modern Paris La Défense Arena will help us achieve this goal.”

From 25 October until 2 November 2025, 64 of the world’s top male tennis players will vie for supremacy before capacity crowds of 16,500 inside Europe’s largest indoor arena. 

The alpha hombres will be regaled with a practice court and three other courts to go with the swish centre court. Bigger, better and more modern facilities have been promised to them too.

The Accor Arena in Bercy wasn’t that creaky. The 2024 edition of the tournament pulled in a record 176,451 spectators between 26 October and 3 November. Those numbers were helped in no small part by the performances of the French contingent.

Players

Veteran Adrian Mannarino repaid the faith of the organisers who gave him a wildcard invitation into the first round of the main draw.

The 36-year-old reached the last-16 along with Humbert and the three Arthurs: Fils, Cazaux and Rinderknech.

From the quintet, only Humbert emerged to fly the flag.

France’s top player was outclassed in the final. But the week underscored his potential. He was impressively resilient in his three-set win over the second seed Carlos Alcaraz in the last-16.

And then lower ranked adversaries in the shape of Jordan Thompson and Karen Khachanov were dispatched in the quarters and semis respectively.

But Zverev was an altogether different proposition in the showdown.

All week, Humbert had been giving his opponents the runaround with his left-handed spins and slices. Zverev absorbed such slings and arrows and countered with a languid ferocity.

“I grew up playing my brother who’s left-handed, so it’s not at all unusual for me to play against lefties,” said the 27-year-old German drily after his 6-2, 6-2 demolition. “I’ve seen all the angles from since I was a young kid.”

Calm

Zverev exuded otherworldly composure in the face of partisan hostility. His own winners were feted silently and the few from Humbert were accepted calmly. No fist-pumping. No roaring. Zverev, to the crowd, was boring.

“From the first moments of the match, I felt as if I was striking the ball well,” Zverev added. “When I have this feeling, I feel good on the court and am perhaps a little more aggressive than usual.

“It’s important to feel this way when playing Ugo. He is one of the best players when he is on the attack.”

Zverev’s surge to the final in Bercy took him to number two in the world behind Jannik Sinner and he will be among the favourites for the season-ending ATP Masters which starts in Turin on 10 November.

Humbert won’t be featuring at that eight-man tournament at the Inalpi Arena.

Aim

Instead, 502,000 euros wealthier after his run to the final in Bercy and up four places to 14 in the ATP rankings, the 26-year-old says he will target similar heights and paydays next season.

“I’m not shocked that I beat Carlos and then reached the final,” said Humbert. “I’ve always felt myself capable of such things. I work seriously. I can construct my points and I have a solid game. I’m happy it was all on display at the Paris Masters but I’m really not surprised to see myself at this level.”

Humbert could have some competition though for the cachet of French number one from some of his younger compatriots.

Fils, 21, beat him for the first time in their four encounters in the final at the Tokyo Open at the beginning of October.

And Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard is looming. Just before the Paris Masters, he won the ATP500 tournament in Basel.

Target

After rising 130 places in the ATP rankings since April to sit at number 30, the Lyon-born 21-year-old concedes he will have to improve on the all-court game behind his massive serve to enter the upper echelons of the sport.

“I’m not a complete player and I’m not yet the finished article,” he admitted after his loss in the second round at the Paris Masters to Khachanov.

“I feel it. My coach feels it. I’ve been on the main tour for about four months, I’m 30th in the world and I’m still improving.

“You can look ahead and say it could be incredible. But then again you have to keep your feet on the ground.”

Had Humbert won, organisers and the public – not to mention the man himself – would have been in seventh heaven.

In nearly four decades at Bercy, only three Frenchmen have lifted the singles crown: Guy Forget in 1991, Sébastien Grosjean in 2001 and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2008.

“When you’ve seen 15,000 people encourage the French players you can’t think of a better stadium,” Forget told broadcaster Eurosport at the end of the tournament.

Farewell

“But we’re not leaving because we don’t like the stadium, we’re leaving because there’s things like a number one court that isn’t really up to modern standards.”

And neither is the way the fans are treated. Should the daytime session at Bercy overrun, spectators for the night session are asked to queue outside – sometimes in driving rain – before going into the venue.

Hardly fitting for a tournament promoting itself as a world-class event and not at all equitable as the hospitality box brigades freewheel to their feasts.

No such future horrors for hoi polloi. A large, covered reception hall with catering facilities and giant screens permit what Paris La Défense Arena managers call optimised spectator flow.

“I remember some wonderful moments on the court,” Forget reminisced. “The ambiance made us want to perform and so that’s why I’m also a bit sad that it’s leaving Bercy.”

But the welcome in Nanterre will be big, warm and luscious. “We are delighted to accompany the French Tennis Federation on the road to a new era for this prestigious tournament,” gushed arena boss Frédéric Longuépée. 

“Paris La Defense Arena is keen to bring tennis fans up close with the players in its state-of-the-art, highly adaptable setting.” 

During last summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, the venue staged the swimming events.

In one remarkable week, Frenchman Léon Marchand won four gold medals.

Next autumn, Paris La Défense Arena and Paris Masters tournament chiefs will hope Humbert and a couple of his compatriots can make a similar splash.

Mozambique has been rocked by violence for the last three weeks since the ruling Frelimo party was announced winner of the 9 October elections with more than 70 percent of votes.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who won 20 percent of the vote, claims the election was rigged, allowing Frelimo to extend its almost half-century in power.

On Friday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said at least 30 people have been killed in Mozambique during the crackdowns by security forces, including two opposition figures shot dead on 19 October.

Mozambique’s Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) tallied at least 34. 

“What began as a call for electoral justice has transformed into a brutal display of state repression, with the number of confirmed deaths now at 34,” it said in a post on X.

HRW’s death toll did not include violence recorded on Thursday, 7 November – the worst since the protests began – when police and soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of demonstrators in the capital Maputo.

Some protestors had set fires and barricaded roads.

The streets of the capital were littered with burnt vehicles on Friday and stone barricades were still in place in some areas, but markets and stores had reopened.

At a press conference on Thursday, military spokesperson General Omar Saranga said the army would support police in quelling the unrest.

The presidential palace is under heavy guard and security forces are patrolling the streets.

“In moments like this, with demonstrations taking place in some regions, our role also extends to supporting security forces in maintaining public order and peace,” Saranga said.

Protests to continue

President Nyusi is expected to step down at the end of his two-term limit in January and hand over to Frelimo’s victorious candidate, Daniel Chapo, continuing the leftist party’s dominance of Mozambican politics since independence from Portugal in 1975.

The Constitutional Council, which has to confirm the election results around two weeks before then, has asked for clarification about a possible discrepency in voter numbers.

The European Union’s election observation mission in Mozambique noted “irregularities” and “unjustified alteration” in the poll. 

Mozambique opposition calls strike amid election fraud claims and assassinations

Opposition leader Mondlane is in hiding. His Podemos party, which has demanded a recount, said Friday that it would keep up the pressure through demonstrations in pursuit of “electoral truth”.

“We will continue on the streets until we have an answer. We are putting fair pressure and we do not want violence,” Podemos president Albino Forquilha told reporters.

South Africa, which had shut the border post with Mozambique on Tuesday, reopened it on Friday to allow the movement of people, the country’s Border Management Authority said.

(with newswires)

The country is home to some of the world’s top long-distance runners, but the athletics community has struggled with deadly domestic violence and entrenched doping.

Internationally, sports bodies have come to recognise the huge impact of mental health following gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Naomi Osaka‘s public discussion of their own struggles.

While venerated globally, Kenyan athletes face intense pressure to succeed and financially provide for their immediate and extended families, further adding to their mental strain.

Since 2017, more than 80 Kenyan athletes have been sanctioned for doping, according to the World Athletics Integrity Unit, leaving them grappling with the financial, physical, and mental fallout of years-long bans.

On October 6, Kipyegon Bett, who was the 800 metres world bronze medallist in 2017, died in hospital in his home town of Kericho in western Kenya from kidney and liver failure brought on by alcohol.

He was just 26.

Bett, one of Kenya’s most promising middle distance runners, had been slapped with a four-year ban in 2018 after testing postive for a performance-enhancing drug.

“He went into a depression and started drinking heavily,” his grieving sister Purity Kirui told AFP after his death.

Kirui said Bett had ignored the family’s calls to resume training after his ban ended in 2022, and failed to make a significant return to competitive sport.

On the same day Bett’s death was announced, the body of steeplechaser Clement Kemboi was found some 250 kilometres (155 miles) away in Iten, the famous high-altitude training hub in western Kenya.

“We cannot ignore that there’s a problem,” Athletics Kenya (AK) executive member Barnaba Korir told AFP.

“The recent deaths show the athletes are facing major challenges including financial and mental health issues.”

Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich sets women’s world record at Chicago Marathon

Paris to honour murdered Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei

‘Alarming’ issue

In the aftermath of the deaths, 2016 Olympic javelin silver medallist Julius Yego urged action to better protect Kenyan athletes.

“The issue of mental health among the athletes who have served suspensions for doping is alarming,” Yego told AFP.

“These athletes feel isolated and have had to battle their problems literally alone without any support from Athletics Kenya or their former managers and coaches.”

Many denied they had ever used drugs, he said, adding that he was in touch with a struggling former long distance runner currently serving a four-year ban.

The death of Bett and Kemboi came as the close-knit Kenyan athletics community was already reeling following the loss of three other athletes.

Also in October, celebrated 53-year-old marathon runner Samson Kandie was killed in a brutal assault and in September another marathoner, Willy Kipruto Chelewa, was found dead.

The circumstances of their deaths remain under investigation. Four people  including Kandie’s wife — appeared in court this week.

But in a country where a third of the 52 million population lives in poverty, athletes’ earnings also made them targets of attack, retired 1,500m Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop told AFP.

“Tragically it is becoming rampant. It calls for the athletes to be more vigilant,” he said, citing Kandie’s case, who was killed after men assaulted him outside his house in Eldoret.

Kiprop, who now works as a police officer, said being a member of the forces was often the only way athletes could ensure their safety.

“Otherwise, good personal discipline is essential.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who referred to Trump as “my friend” following the election, expressed confidence in advancing US-India relations.

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar highlighted the economic opportunities, pointing to ongoing supply chain shifts.

“There was already re-ordering of the supply chain which was taking place (and) it is very likely that in view of the election results in the US, that would accelerate,” he told business CEOs during an ongoing visit to Australia.

New opportunities

Jaishankar said India sees Trump’s second term as a chance to catch up on missed opportunities in manufacturing – a sector the country struggled to grow in past decades.

He also predicted Trump’s second term will encourage a “global workplace”, adding that Trump may distinguish between immigration and mobility, potentially benefiting Indian professionals.

“The demographic unevenness of the world is beginning to bite us so that there would be economies where the demand would be high. In those countries, the talents may not be plentiful,” Jaishankar added.

However, he didn’t address fears around potential visa restrictions or immigration crackdowns, which many in India are watching closely.

Currently, an estimated 725,000 undocumented Indians live in the US, along with 279,000 Indian nationals on H1B visas.

Digital arrest scam sweeps India as cybercriminals pose as police

Tariff test

While India is optimistic about collaboration, trade tensions – particularly around tariffs – may test relations.

Trump has called India “tariff king” and in October the Republican Party candidate said if elected he would introduce a tit-for-tat tax policy on countries that charged high fees on American products.

The United States is India’s largest business partner with bilateral trade crossing 177.5 billion euros in 2022.

“Trump may pressure India to cut tariffs and could impose higher tariffs on Indian goods, especially in automobiles, textiles, pharmaceuticals and wines, which could make Indian exports less competitive in the US,” Ajay Srivastava, of the Global Trade Research Initiative, told the Times of India daily.

Despite these concerns, former diplomat Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty believes US-India ties have matured past major disruptions, saying: “India-US relations will be a mixed bag under Trump, but our ties have reached a stage where a rollback may not be possible.”

India considers rules on ‘passive’ euthanasia as doctors prescribe caution

Geopolitical challenges

As the US-India relationship grows, complex geopolitical issues may come to the fore.

Jaishankar anticipates “more geopolitical hedging” as the two nations address challenges like Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s rising influence in Asia.

Both India and the US have vested interests in regional stability, although differences in their approaches could emerge.

Modi and Trump have reportedly agreed to strengthen cooperation in key areas, including technology, defence, energy, and space according to a statement from New Delhi.

The leaders “reaffirmed their commitment to working together to further strengthen bilateral ties”, the statement said.

Tensions with Canada

Trump’s victory also arrives amid ongoing tensions between the US, India and Canada.

Just last week, US prosecutors charged an Indian national with plotting to kill a Sikh militant in New York, but Indian officials believe the new Trump administration is unlikely to prioritise the case.

Diplomatic strains continue between India and Canada over similar allegations, leading to diplomatic expulsions in both capitals.

Speaking in the soutjern city – which has become the battleground for a deadly drug trafficking war between rival gangs – Justice Minister Didier Migaud announced plans to establish a “national coordination unit” under the Paris public prosecutor’s office within the coming weeks.

This unit will assess drug trafficking threats, develop operational strategies, and oversee their implementation, with a task force comprising magistrates and officials from the interior, finance and criminal analysis sectors.

A task force will include magistrates and representatives from the relevant ministries – particularly the interior and finance – along with criminal analysts.

The unit is intended as a precursor to a national public prosecutor’s office specifically focused on organised crime, though this will require parliamentary approval.

Increased resources

Migaud stated that the Paris public prosecutor’s team working on organised crime cases will see a 40 percent increase in personnel.

Additionally, inter-regional courts (JIRS) throughout France, especially in Marseille, will maintain current staffing levels.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau also committed to strengthening the Anti-Drugs Office (Ofast), expanding its 15 branches and nine regional units. In Marseille, the ministry will assign 25 more investigators and 95 additional police officers to patrol the streets.

The Ministry of Justice will also appoint a liaison magistrate in Bogotá, given Colombia’s status as a major source of drug trafficking.

• Ministers to spearhead ‘relentless war’ on France’s spiralling drug trade

Specialised courts

Migaud proposed allowing special assize courts composed solely of professional magistrates to handle organised crime trials, particularly drug-related cases, similar to how terrorism cases are conducted in France.

This approach aims to reduce the risk of jury manipulation by using professional judges rather than civilian juries.

Retailleau indicated that investigative methods typically used in anti-terrorism operations could be applied to organised crime.

• Police in Marseille bust network trafficking in 3D-printed weapons

Public awareness

The justice minister stressed the need to raise public awareness about the connection between drug use, trafficking violence, and related crime.

He announced an upcoming public awareness campaign and called for stronger measures for seizing and confiscating assets from criminal enterprises.

Migaud also proposed creating a “criminal association” offence, potentially including murder, with severe prison sentences for offenders.

Drug-related deaths in Marseille reached a record high in 2023, resulting in 49 murders.

However, recent figures have indicated a decline, showing that the number of drug-related deaths dropped by two-thirds from January to September 2024 compared to the same period last year.

The timing is calculated using European statistics on the gender pay gap, showing that in France, women earn an average of 14 percent less than men.

Last year, when the gap was over 15 percent, Les Glorieuses marked the date at 11:25am on 6 November.

Rebecca Amsellem, founder of Les Glorieuses, said that while this year’s gap reflects “an improvement on the margin”, the pay gap could be reduced significantly “by taking inspiration from countries that are champions in this area”.

Amsellem pointed to examples in Sweden, Iceland, and Spain, where policies have proven effective in tackling wage inequality.

• France’s foreign ministry unveils two-year gender equality strategy
• France works towards gender equality in top jobs while UK women are still struggling

Fixing pay inequality

The report suggests solutions, including equal parental leave for both parents as seen in Sweden, and wage increases in female-dominated sectors such as health, education and care, following New Zealand’s example.

In Iceland, companies are required to prove they uphold equal pay practices and present action plans to close pay gaps.

Flexible work arrangements, encouraged in Spain, and pilot regions, like California, to trial these policies are also recommended by Les Glorieuses.

For the newsletter, pay transparency remains “a sine qua non for an effective policy in favour of equal pay”.

The survey describes conditions marked by violence, lack of legal aid and barriers to education programmes that could help prisoners post-release.

Overcrowding has led to “a failure of all the public services that prisoners should be able to access”, said Claire Hédon, the French Defender of Rights, whose team compiled the survey.

“Overcrowding is causing an attack on the dignity of prisoners.”

The report includes a list of constitutional rights for inmates, written in accessible language and to be made available in prison libraries.

Current prison figures show a record 80,000 people held in French jails, with cells plagued by rodents and bedbugs. “There have never been so many people in prison,” the report states.

Hédon, appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in July 2020, criticised authorities for allowing prison conditions to deteriorate – echoing a 2013 report that warned of worsening standards.

Staffing shortages have worsened conditions, impacting prisoners’ access to health care, the survey said.

French prison population hits new record as overcrowding concerns grow

“We call on public authorities to take urgent and large-scale action,” the report adds. Hédon recommends increased use of alternative sentences, like community service, to ease the pressure on prisons.

The report also urges internal monitoring to ensure that prison staff treat inmates appropriately.

Last month, Dominique Simonnot, the general inspector of places of deprivation of liberty, denounced the situation in French prisons.

She said French prisoners had little chance of complaining about their plight.

In 2020, the European Court of Human Rights condemned the chronic overcrowding in French prisons. The criticism laid the groundwork for inmates to be able to sue authorities for providing poor facilities.

(with newswires)

Ex-European Central Bank head Mario Draghi was tasked last year with preparing the report that would steer the direction of the next five years of the EU’s executive arm.

The big takeaway? Europe must invest up to 800 billion euros ($863 billion) more a year to avoid falling further behind the United States.

But with Germany mired in political turmoil, divergent national interests and bitter disagreements over how to face the challenges head on, there is no guarantee that the EU will be able to step up to the mark.

If the European Union does not take heed of his report’s recommendations published in September, Draghi warned the 27-country bloc would face a “slow agony” of decline.

His report has taken on greater urgency, experts say, with Trump’s resounding comeback in Tuesday’s US election.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly professed his love for tariffs and threatened to punish Europe for taking advantage of the United States with higher duties.

“The Draghi report itself, in a way, becomes even more interesting and urgent in relation to this outcome,” said Ian Lesser, vice president at the German Marshall Fund of the United States think tank.

There is a lot in Draghi’s 400-page tome for the leaders to digest before lunch.

Besides his call for more investment to improve economic output, Draghi controversially called for common borrowing – an idea torpedoed by Germany – as well as reforming the EU’s approach to competition policy to encourage big spending.

Leaders’ talks will “focus on funding, funding and funding”, an EU diplomat said, but the ways to raise the money are “all open questions” in the months ahead.

Macron urges European leaders to ‘write our own history’ at joint summit

‘Decisive action’ needed

In a draft declaration seen by AFP, the leaders stress “the pressing need for decisive action” in which they back Draghi’s proposals to deepen the single market, build the capital markets union that would better mobilise private capital as well as a trade policy that defends Europe’s interests.

They also agree on “mobilising both public and private financing”, adding they would explore “all instruments … to match our goals”, a controversial inclusion that will likely spark long discussions.

Germany and other frugal northern European countries strongly reject taking on joint debt to finance investments despite the success of the pan-EU 800-billion-euro Covid recovery plan and Draghi’s proposal, backed by France.

The Draghi report “can be a solid foundation for further work of the union”, a senior EU official said.

There could be more public financing via the EU’s own budget or turning to the bloc’s own lender, the European Investment Bank.

EU leaders chart independent future as Trump takes White House

The discussions come at a difficult time as many countries in the EU scramble to bring under control their debt and deficit which ballooned during the coronavirus pandemic.

But Friday’s talks only kickstart the conversation and concrete proposals are expected to come months later, with implementing reforms set to take even longer.

EU states all agree on the poison hurting Europe but the antidote, despite being clearly laid out by Draghi and others, has always been harder for countries to accept.

The strong message from Draghi is to deepen the bloc’s cooperation overall by forming a capital markets union and creating single markets for telecoms, defence and energy. But whether leaders will act is another question.

“I fear that the states will produce fine words but there will not be much behind them,” said Sylvie Matelly, director of the Institut Jacques Delors think tank.

The leaders “can all agree that we need to invest massively, but how do we do it with Germans who are not determined to undertake a paradigm shift on debt?”

The bells of Notre-Dame in Paris rang out together on Friday for the first time since a 2019 fire that devastated the historic cathedral, AFP reporters said.

The sound of the eight bells in Notre-Dame’s northern belfry came a month before the cathedral is to reopen following five years of painstaking restoration work in the wake of the blaze.

“This is a beautiful, important and symbolic step,” said Philippe Jost, who runs the public body tasked with restoring the cathedral under challenging circumstances.

Horror blaze

On the evening of 19 April, 2019, Parisians and the world watched in horror as flames ravaged the world heritage landmark and then toppled its spire.

President Emmanuel Macron quickly set the ambitious goal to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years and make it “even more beautiful” than before.

Some 250 companies and hundreds of experts were mobilised for a restoration costing hundreds of millions of euros.

Shortly before 10:30am on Friday, the bells sounded one by one until all eight chimed in harmony for about five minutes.

“It’s not perfect yet, but we will make it perfect,” said Alexandre Gougeon, who is in charge of the re-installation of the bells.

“This first test was a success,” he told AFP.

Each bell had already been soundchecked individually on Thursday.

France mulls charging tourists to enter Notre-Dame cathedral

High emotions

“We all felt an intense emotion,” said the cathedral’s vice rector, Guillaume Normand, after hearing the bells chiming.

“It’s November 8 and Notre-Dame is telling us: ‘I’m here, waiting for you’,” he said, calling the sounds “a signal of joy”.

The 2019 fire destroyed part of the northern belfry, requiring it to be restored and the bells to be removed, cleaned of dust and lead, and then returned to their space.

The heaviest bell, called “Gabriel”, weighs over four tonnes, and the lightest, “Jean-Marie”, 800 kilogrammes.

A weekend of ceremonies is to mark Notre-Dame’s reopening on 7 and 8 December.

No detailed programme for the event has been published, but Jost told the RTL broadcaster Friday that there would be “great artists of international standing, which is what the cathedral deserves”.

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that former Beatles member Paul McCartney – who is scheduled to perform concerts in Paris on 4 and 5 December – could be part of the Notre-Dame reopening lineup.

Notre-Dame is expected to welcome 14 to 15 million visitors annually after reopening, compared to 12 million in 2017 before the fire.

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! 

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 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 12 October, I asked you a question about the troubled relationship between France and Algeria.

Algeria’s recently re-elected president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, accused France, its former colonial ruler, of “genocide”.

Tebboune has postponed trips to Paris to meet with Emmanuel Macron several times; the latest was scheduled for late September or early October, and that trip was also postponed.

You were to re-read our article “Algeria’s Tebboune refuses France visit in snub to former colonial ruler”, and send in the answer to this question: What happened last July that sent the Algeria/France relationship into a nosedive – even provoking Algeria to recall its ambassador to France?

The answer is, to quote our article: “… relations nose-dived in July after Macron sent a letter to King Mohammed VI of Morocco voicing support for the Kingdom’s autonomy plan in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “How do you remember things?”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Bushra Nawaz, who’s a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Bushra is also the winner of this week’s bonus question.

Congratulations, Bushra, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist – Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India, and Father Steven Wara, who lives in the Cistercian Abbey in Bamenda, Cameroon.

Last but assuredly not least, RFI English listeners Amara, a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan, and Jahangir Alam, the president of the World DX International Radio Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Soul Bossa Nova” by Quincy Jones, performed by the Quincy Jones Ensemble; “Aghan” by Mohammad Rouane, performed by the Rouane Ensemble; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Asa Branca” by Luiz Gonzaga and Humberto Teixeira, performed by Rosinha De Valença.

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 “Tributes roll in for beloved musician and producer Quincy Jones, who died at 91”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 9 December to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 14 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.   

Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri and French researcher Mélissa Cornet travelled across Afghanistan, documenting the hardships endured by women and girls.

Supported by the Carmignac Foundation’s photojournalism awards, Hayeri and Cornet visited seven provinces in the north, east, and south of the country.

Between January and June 2024, the pair met over 100 Afghan women. They captured the stories of those banned from school, locked in their homes, as well as women journalists, members of the LGBTQI+ community and activists fighting for their rights.

“I’ve lived in Afghanistan for 10 years,” Hayeri told RFI.

“Melissa has been living there for seven years. And through our personal contacts and network, we met with many women.”

The exhibition’s design contrasts interior and exterior environments, emphasising the isolation many Afghan women face today. 

Since September 2021, girls in Afghanistan have been restricted to schooling only up to sixth grade. There’s also a ban on attending both high schools and universities.

Despite these prohibitions, underground schools – often held in private homes, mosques, or other alternative spaces – are still operating, offering girls a chance to continue their education, but at great personal risk.

“They cannot go to high school or university. They cannot work in most fields and can’t even go to gyms or parks anymore,” Cornet explained. “They cannot show their faces, choose how they dress, or even have their voices heard in public.”

Leaving Afghanistan

“We systematically asked women and girls: ‘Do you have hope that your situation can improve?’ And systematically, the answer was no,” said Cornet, noting that since October, women can no longer freely communicate with each other in public.

Most of the women they spoke with expressed a desire to leave Afghanistan, Cornet said.

“Almost all of the women we talked to are trying to find ways to leave Afghanistan.”

Gender apartheid

A section of “No Woman’s Land” is dedicated to “gender apartheid” – a term used by human rights activists to describe the Taliban’s treatment of women, a practice that dates back to their first regime 25 years ago.

Late in 2023, a campaign called End Gender Apartheid urged the United Nations to codify gender apartheid as a crime against humanity.

“Gender apartheid is not merely a theoretical possibility or legal construct but a real threat and lived reality for millions of women and girls around the world – a reality that is currently not explicitly codified in international law,” UN experts wrote in support of the campaign.

► “No Woman’s Land” runs until 18 November 2024 at the Réfectoire des Cordeliers in Paris. And until 18 December Port de Solférino, in front of the Musée d’Orsay.

The annual report by the Ministerial Statistical Service for Internal Security (SSMSI) indicates a 10 percent increase in recorded cases from 2022 to 2023. The rise is partly attributed to more open reporting by the press and improved reception conditions for victims.

Women account for 85 percent of victims, while men are the alleged perpetrators in 86 percent of cases, with most of them being French nationals.

“This doubling since 2016 shows that more and more women are taking the step of filing a complaint, which is excellent news,” said Anne-Cécile Mailfert, president of the Women’s Foundation.

“Now the budgets have to keep up … we need extra resources to support, investigate, hear, judge and above all support the victims who, from the moment they file a complaint, put themselves in danger.”

Mailfert highlighted the risk of reprisals from partners or ex-partners.

Physical attacks and homicides

The Interior Ministry reports that two-thirds of domestic violence cases involve physical assault.

Verbal or psychological violence, including harassment, threats, privacy invasion and defamation, accounts for 32 percent of cases.

Four percent of cases involve sexual violence, and some incidents of psychological violence have led to suicides or suicide attempts, according to the report.

In total, there were 115 domestic homicides and 437 attempted murders in 2023. The northern departments of Pas-de-Calais, Nord, Somme and Seine-Saint-Denis, as well as the overseas territory of Réunion Island, recorded the highest rates of domestic violence per 1,000 inhabitants aged 15 to 64.

• Victims of domestic abuse in France to receive emergency aid
• France ramps up ‘lax’ efforts to protect women from violence

Incomplete data

The report notes that the official figures do not fully represent the scale of domestic violence, as many incidents go unreported. An SSMSI survey showed that only 14 percent of victims filed complaints with security forces in 2022.

“The police forces are improving their practices, but this is no time for crowing; we need to redouble our efforts,” said Mine Gunbay, director general of the National Federation of Women’s Solidarity.

“There’s still a lot to be done,” agrees Ernestine Ronai, head of the Observatory of Violence Against Women in Seine-Saint-Denis.

“We need to enable women to have confidence in the security forces and the justice system, and we need all the professionals who work with women victims to be trained.”

Secretary of State for Gender Equality Salima Saa pledged in a press release on Wednesday to announce “concrete and effective measures” on 25 November – the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

These measures will aim to improve victim outreach, particularly in rural areas, and to strengthen support and care through training for frontline workers and additional resources for victim support.

The incident took place on Thursday as Barrot prepared to visit the Church of the Pater Noster on the Mount of Olives – one of four sites under French administration in Jerusalem.

The compound, owned by France, is a sensitive location and part of the country’s historic ties to the city.

Armed Israeli police forced their way into the church compound, detaining two consulate gendarmes and leading Barrot to cancel his planned visit.

The clash has further strained relations, coming just weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for an arms embargo on Israel sparked backlash from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The French Foreign Ministry said it would summon the Israeli ambassador in protest in the coming days. 

‘Unacceptable actions’

In a strongly worded statement, France condemned the Israeli forces’ entry into the Church of the Pater Noster courtyard, noting Barrot’s frustration with the disruption, which forced him to abandon his visit.

The ministry added that the two consulate staff members, despite their diplomatic status, were only released after Barrot intervened.

“This attack on the integrity of a domain placed under the responsibility of France is likely to weaken the bonds I have, in fact, come to cultivate with Israel at a time when we all need to make progress in the region on the road to peace,” Barrot told reporters in Jerusalem.

Barrot was in Jerusalem to meet Israeli officials, where he urged a ceasefire to end Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and called for a diplomatic solution in Lebanon – a former French protectorate and current conflict zone as Israel wages a broader campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

“These actions are unacceptable,” the ministry statement said, adding that “France condemns [these actions] all the more vigorously as they come at a time when it is doing everything it can to work towards de-escalating the violence in the region”.

• France’s top diplomat returns to Israel amid calls for ceasefire, humanitarian law in Gaza

Israel downplays ‘misunderstanding’

Israeli police portrayed the incident as a misunderstanding, stating that two church workers initially refused entry to Israeli security guards accompanying Barrot.

Israeli police said they held the men for about 20 minutes, releasing them once it was confirmed they were French consulate staffers.

The police added that all foreign ministers on official visits to Israel are assigned Israeli security guards, and that arrangements for Barrot’s visit had been made in advance with the French Embassy in Israel.

The police statement warned against “misleading narratives” about the altercation.

• Israel slams Macron as a ‘disgrace’ over French arms fair ban

Historic religious site

The compound that Barrot had planned to visit – on the Mount of Olives overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem – holds a church originally built by Crusaders that believed the site to be where Jesus taught the Pater Noster, or Lord’s Prayer. 

It was later acquired by Princess Héloïse de la Tour d’Auvergne, who had the prayer written in calligraphy in numerous languages on the walls of the cloisters and courtyard, also home to the the ruins of the Byzantine Eleona Church.

The site was entrusted to French Carmelite nuns in 1874. 

“This domain is not only one that has belonged to France for over 150 years,” Barrot said. “It’s one where France has ensured security and maintenance with enormous care.”

• ‘Shame on them’: Netanyahu slams French call to cut off Israel’s arms supply

Previous ‘stand-offs’

Thursday’s incident was reminiscent of several others skirmishes over the years between irritated French officials and assertive Israeli bodyguards. 

In 2020, President Macron lost his temper at Israeli security officers who had insisted on accompanying him inside another French church in Jerusalem.

In 1996, then-French President Jacques Chirac accused Israeli security forces of pushing and shoving his entourage in a spat that even drew an apology from a young Prime Minister Netanyahu during his first year in office. 

Such stand-offs take on symbolic significance in Jerusalem, among the most fiercely contested swathes of real estate on earth. 

Israel has viewed Jerusalem as its “unified, eternal” capital since capturing east Jerusalem – which includes the Old City – in the 1967 Six Day War, along with the West Bank and Gaza.

Palestinians want those territories for their future state, with east Jerusalem serving as their eventual capital.

Israel annexed the eastern part of the city in a move that has not been recognised internationally.

The leaders of the European Union were joined by others from the United Kingdom to Turkey, as well as NATO chief Mark Rutte and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, for a one-day meeting of the European Political Community.

“This is a decisive moment in history for us Europeans,” Macron told the gathering in opening remarks.

“Do we want to read the history written by others – the wars launched by Vladimir Putin, the US election, China’s technological or trade choices?” Macron asked. “Or do we want to write our own history? I think we have the strength to write it.”

While Macron’s tone was combative, he has been weakened by political troubles at home – as has the leader of the bloc’s other heavyweight, Olaf Scholz of Germany, whose ruling coalition collapsed overnight, spelling uncertainty at a critical time for Europe.

The German chancellor missed the day’s talks due to the unfolding crisis, and was due to catch up with the other leaders over dinner Thursday night.

Uncertainty looms over Germany as Scholz navigates political crisis

Appeal for unity on Ukraine

On the agenda for the talks are Europe’s security challenges, chief among them Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as conflict in the Middle East, migration, global trade and economic security – issues all thrown into sharp relief by the prospect of a second Trump presidency.

“The future of Europe is in our hands,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said as she headed into the talks dominated by Trump’s return to the White House. “We’ve shown that Europe can take responsibility by standing together.”

Most urgent among the challenges posed by Trump’s return are the fear he could rethink the United States’ role at the heart of NATO and pull the plug on support for Ukraine, while unleashing a trade war with tariffs on European exports.

EU leaders chart independent future as Trump takes White House

Macron urged the continent to assert its strategic independence from the United States. “We must not delegate forever our security to America,” he said.

But Ukraine’s President Zelensky made clear Kyiv was still counting on US engagement as well as a strong Europe to repel Russia’s invasion.

“We do hope that America will become stronger. This is the kind of America that Europe needs. And a strong Europe is what America needs. This is the connection between allies that must be valued and cannot be lost,” Zelensky told the meeting.

That message was reinforced by NATO’s Rutte, who argued that North Korea’s involvement in the conflict – and the transfer of Russian weapons technology to Pyongyang – directly threatened the US.

“I look forward to sit down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively,” said the alliance’s new leader.

EU talks to continue

The Budapest talks are hosted by Hungary’s Viktor Orban, one of Trump’s rare close allies in the EU, who adopted a more restrained tone as he joined calls for European unity.

They will be followed by a meeting between the leaders of the 27 EU member states on Friday, focused on addressing the risk of Europe’s economy falling behind the US and China.

Thursday’s dinner is supposed to be devoted to the issue of transatlantic relations.

Leaders will also discuss Georgia, where the ruling party, seen as increasingly pro-Russian, claimed victory in a disputed election last week. The EU has frozen Georgia’s membership bid over concerns about democratic backsliding.

Georgia’s pro-EU opposition calls for mass protests over ‘stolen’ election

(with AFP and Reuters)

The collapse of Scholz’s coalition government – which included his Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP) – follows months of infighting over budget policy and Germany’s economic direction.

Scholz now intends to lead a minority government with the Greens, relying on temporary parliamentary alliances to pass key legislation.

To shore up support, Scholz said he would seek the backing of opposition leader Friedrich Merz of the conservative CDU, which has been gaining in the polls. 

“We need a government that is able to act, that has the strength to make the necessary decisions for our country,” Scholz said on Wednesday, accusing the FDP’s Christian Lindner of putting party interests first.

Scholz dismissed Lindner for obstructing budget agreements, calling his actions “selfish” at a time of major global developments.

Uncertainty in Europe

The coalition’s collapse adds a new layer of uncertainty for Europe, especially following Republican Donald Trump’s US election victory on Tuesday.

European leaders now face renewed pressure to present a united response to global issues, with Germany’s instability further complicating matters.

“The coalition’s early end leaves Germany somewhat rudderless in what could be an exceptionally turbulent time,” wrote Berenberg bank analyst Holger Schmieding, though he suggested that early elections in 2025 could offer fresh leadership and stability.

Divisions remain within Europe on issues like potential new US tariffs, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and NATO’s future. With France also in political flux following recent elections, both of the EU’s largest economies face internal challenges that could slow efforts to deepen the bloc’s integration.

Scholz will attend an EU summit in Budapest on Thursday to address multiple global crises, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The summit, hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a known Trump ally and one of the EU’s main sceptics on support for Kyiv, could be tense.

EU leaders chart independent future as Trump takes White House

Tensions and policy disputes

The crisis comes at a pivotal time for Germany, which faces economic stagnation, outdated infrastructure, and military unpreparedness. Political upheaval could drive further frustration with mainstream parties, fuelling support for populist movements like the anti-immigrant AfD.

Months of coalition disagreement over Germany’s economic rescue strategies laid the groundwork for this crisis. Scholz has advocated for capping energy costs to keep Germany attractive to businesses, particularly to support the ailing auto industry. He also proposed expanding aid to Ukraine.

The FDP pushed back, calling for spending cuts, tax reductions and a slower transition to a carbon-neutral economy. After his dismissal, Lindner claimed Scholz had pressured him to breach the “debt brake” – a constitutional cap on federal borrowing set at 0.35 percent of GDP.

Sources close to Scholz revealed that he had proposed raising Germany’s Ukraine aid from 3 billion euros to 15 billion euros by suspending this limit.

“Olaf Scholz refuses to recognise that our country needs a new economic model,” Lindner said. “Olaf Scholz has shown he doesn’t have the strength to give his country a new boost.”

The three other FDP ministers – of transport, justice and education – resigned in solidarity.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens expressed regret over the collapse, saying the coalition failed to resolve next year’s budget funding gap. “Tonight feels wrong and doesn’t feel right. It’s almost tragic on a day like today, when Germany needs to show unity and capacity for action in Europe.”

The political crisis now raises the possibility of a left-right “grand coalition” between the SPD and CDU.

Protesters clashed with security forces, who had deployed heavily along the main highway into Maputo, witnesses reported.

People streamed into the city on foot, while groups elsewhere burned tyres and blocked roads.

The police response with tear gas heightened concerns about escalating violence, as more than a dozen people have already died in the ongoing protests against the election outcome, RFI’s correspondent in Maputo reported.

“The police are using tear gas against the people, shooting anyway,” shouted one protester. Another cried: “In Cabo Delgado, there is a real war, and they’re throwing gas. If you want war, come with your hands. Let’s fight because this is war.”

Potential ‘bloodbath’

Activist Quitéria Guirengane, a member of the Geracao 18 de Marco movement, urged the government to apologise to the people of Mozambique, calling for “reconciliation and the restoration of the truth” to prevent what she warned could become a “bloodbath”.

Guirengane argued that people were not taking to the streets merely due to opposition leader Venancio Mondlane’s call for protests, but rather because they had “awakened from the deep sleep of authoritarianism”.

The Mozambique Bar Association also cautioned that conditions for a “bloodbath” were present, as security forces maintained a strong presence across the capital.

‘Crucial moment’

Mondlane, 50, who had encouraged the protests, told the French news agency AFP that Mozambique was at a “crucial moment”.

“I feel that there is a revolutionary atmosphere that shows that we are on the verge of a unique historical and political transition in the country,” said Mondlane, who is currently outside Mozambique and cited safety concerns as the reason for not attending the protests.

A former radio presenter, Mondlane was runner-up in the election, officially receiving 20 percent of the vote. The ruling Frelimo’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, was declared the winner with 71 percent.

However, Mondlane disputes the results, insisting that he won.

“Our first objective is certainly the restoration of electoral truth,” he said on Wednesday. “We want the popular will expressed at the polls on 9 October to be restored.”

He described his efforts as a “national” and “historical” struggle, adding: “People have realised that it wasn’t possible to bring profound change in Mozambique without taking risks. Now they have to free themselves.”

Post-electoral violence

Human rights groups report that at least 18 people have died in police crackdowns on protests since the 9 October election, which secured Frelimo’s five-decade rule over Mozambique.

The Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, a local NGO, claimed the death toll could be as high as 24.

On Tuesday, Mozambique’s Constitutional Council ordered the electoral commission to clarify voting discrepancies in the presidential, legislative, and provincial elections within 72 hours, according to a letter seen by news agencies.

The electoral commission’s spokesperson has not responded to requests for comment.

Regional impact

South Africa temporarily closed its main border crossing with Mozambique on Wednesday, citing safety concerns as the protests escalated.

The Lebombo port of entry, located in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, has seen incidents of vehicles being torched on the Mozambican side, according to government sources.

“Due to these security incidents and in the interest of public safety, the port has been temporarily closed until further notice,” said Michael Masiapato, commissioner of the Border Management Authority. He added that the border would reopen once it was deemed safe.

South Africa’s foreign ministry has advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Mozambique, while logistics company Grindrod announced the suspension of its port and terminal operations in Mozambique as of Thursday.

(with newswires)

After Trump’s declared victory on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged Trump’s campaign promises to end the Ukraine war but stressed that only real shifts in US policy would change Russia’s stance.

Until then, he said, Russia still sees the US as adversarial.

Peskov’s remarks reflect the strained relations between Moscow and Washington, heightened since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine – the most severe confrontation between the two nations since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Trump’s return to the White House raises questions about the future of democratic institutions and foreign policy, especially with Russia. Peskov suggested that any shift in US-Russia relations would depend on actions after Trump’s inauguration in January, not just campaign rhetoric.

Officially, Russian leaders have taken a neutral stance on US politics, asserting that Moscow does not distinguish between Democratic and Republican presidents.

Ukraine ‘negotiations’

Despite this official neutrality, Russian state media have leaned in favour of Trump, hinting at a preference that aligns with the Kremlin’s broader foreign policy ambitions.

Trump pledged during his campaign to quickly end the Ukraine conflict, though he has not detailed how he would achieve this.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed a willingness to negotiate, provided that any talks acknowledge Russia’s territorial gains – a condition firmly rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

With Russian forces still holding significant parts of Ukraine, US support for Kyiv under Trump’s leadership is expected to come under scrutiny.

• Moldova’s vote on EU membership in deadlock as president cites ‘foreign interference’
• Georgia opens probe into disputed elections as opposition cries foul

Russian ‘meddling’

As speculation grows over potential changes to Washington’s backing of Ukraine, the US intelligence community remains vigilant against Russian interference in electoral processes both at home and abroad.

Recent elections in Georgia and Moldova – two post-Soviet countries holding EU candidate status – were marked by accusations of Russian interference, which Moscow denies.

A recent assessment from US intelligence highlighted continued Russian efforts, including social media and state-run media campaigns, to weaken public confidence in democratic elections.

On election day, US cybersecurity agencies were on high alert for potential disinformation and hacking attempts, with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warning that “Russia [remains] the most active threat.”

Russia-linked disinformation reportedly circulated false claims that officials in battleground states intended to sway the outcome of the the election.

The ODNI’s latest report is part of a series of warnings about foreign actors – notably Russia and Iran – allegedly using disinformation or hacking to influence the election.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday renewed their commitment to building a “more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe” – an ambition they view as critical in light of Trump’s return to the White House.

The two leaders spoke by phone to discuss the implications of the US vote, affirming their shared goal to defend European interests and values while still cooperating with the United States.

Europe must focus on its own capabilities rather than fixate on US actions, the French government insisted.

“We must not ask ourselves what the United States will do, but what Europe is capable of doing”, said government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon on French radio RTL.

Germany’s foreign minister struck a similar tone.

“We must now think big and make big investments in our European security,” said Annalena Baerbock after congratulating Trump on his win.

“This also means that we must free ourselves from the shackles we have put on ourselves, especially when it comes to investing in our security in Germany and the European Union.”

However, she added, this push for self-sufficiency should not replace Europe’s transatlantic partnership.

• Live: Trump claims victory over Harris in US presidential election

Transatlantic shift

European leaders are rallying around the need for increased autonomy across several key areas, including defence, industrial recovery and climate initiatives.

Trump’s re-election could signal major shifts in transatlantic relations – especially concerning trade, security and aid to Ukraine.

Under Joe Biden, the US provided tens of billions of dollars in military and financial support to Kyiv – a contentious issue among US Republicans.

Many American conservatives oppose further aid to Ukraine. Trump’s public criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has raised fears he might cut US support and weapons supplies.

• Zelensky to visit White House as Trump criticises Kyiv’s war strategy

Isolationist policies

Trump may also attempt to negotiate a ceasefire directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, potentially sidelining Ukrainian and European objectives.

While it is likely that Trump would still supply arms to Kyiv, such support could be contingent on European nations increasing their contributions to Ukraine’s defence.

Trump’s approach could also tilt towards an isolationist foreign policy, a viewpoint that has gained traction within the Republican Party.

In the past, Trump has suggested that the US would not defend NATO allies who do not meet specified defence spending obligations – a significant shift away from the US’s traditional role as a guarantor for security in Europe – emphasising that the continent must prepare for a future without the same level of US engagement.

• European leaders seek a common future at Budapest summit but all eyes are on Washington

Trade relations

Brussels is also preparing for potential friction over trade, as a new Trump administration may introduce protectionist policies impacting the European Union.

Trump has previously flagged his intentions to impose tariffs on imports from multiple countries, including a substantial increase on Chinese goods. Such a shift threatens to disrupt the intricate trade ties that underpin the EU’s economy.

The United States stands as the EU’s largest trading partner, with trade exchanges soaring to over €870 billion in 2022.

However, Trump’s repeated criticism of the EU’s trade practices signals a shift that could lead to retaliatory measures, complicating relations between Brussels and Washington. 

As another four years of Trump’s unpredictability looms over the continent, Brussels is bracing itself for a transition in global relations that may reshape traditional alliances and partnerships, putting the future of EU-US relations in a precarious position. 

Erdogan, who congratulated Trump as a “friend” on social media, sees this as a chance to reshape US-Turkey relations.

During Biden’s presidency, engagement was largely limited to foreign ministers – marking a stark contrast to the “strong leader-to-leader relationship” Erdogan and Trump had enjoyed, says analyst Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara.

Trump and President Erdogan met face to face about nine times, compared to only two “brief encounters” with Biden, he adds.

Chemistry

Erdogan often speaks warmly of his dealings with Washington during Trump’s first term in office.

“The chemistry is the same. Two charismatic leaders, two leaders who are unpredictable,” notes Turkish presidential adviser Mesut Casin, a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Yeditepe University.

He believes their personal rapport could set the stage for greater bilateral and regional cooperation, including efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Erdogan has long sought to play a role in ending the Russia-Ukraine war, given his close ties with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and, more controversially, with Vladimir Putin – a relationship that drew criticism and suspicion from some of Turkey’s NATO partners.

“Trump will push for negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war. And I think that’s something that Turkey has always preferred,” predicts Asli Aydintasbas a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Turkey eyes US presidential race that stands to shake up mutual ties

YPG policy

Erdogan will also look to Trump for changes in US policy toward the YPG, a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara views as linked to the PKK, a group fighting the Turkish state.

The YPG’s alliance with Washington against the Islamic State has strained US-Turkey relations, with Biden resisting Erdogan’s calls to end support for the group.

Former Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen predicts Erdogan will hope Trump might be open to a deal.

“Erdogan thinks that, like himself, Trump too is a pragmatic leader. So leaving aside principles or other such in brackets, the two sides can reach an agreement by giving and taking something between the two,” says Selcen.

Unpredictability

While Trump has often spoken positively about Erdogan, he nonetheless remains unpredictable.

“Can you rely on him?” asks Murat Aslan of SETA, a Turkish pro-government thinktank.

Tensions between Turkey and Israel could also complicate relations.

Erdogan has expressed hope that Trump will succeed where Biden failed in ending Israel’s war on Hamas and Hezbollah, but with Trump’s strong support for Israel and Erdogan’s backing of Hamas, a clash could be looming.

“What happens if there is an escalation in the Middle East with the polarisation of Israel and Turkey, as it currently is, and the attitude of Trump, it’s very clear that the Trump administration will threaten Turkey,” says Aslan.

With conflicts raging across the region, Erdogan views a new Trump presidency as an opportunity for Turkey and the region.

But given the leaders’ unpredictability, that opportunity doesn’t come without risks.

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! 

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 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 12 October, I asked you a question about the troubled relationship between France and Algeria.

Algeria’s recently re-elected president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, accused France, its former colonial ruler, of “genocide”.

Tebboune has postponed trips to Paris to meet with Emmanuel Macron several times; the latest was scheduled for late September or early October, and that trip was also postponed.

You were to re-read our article “Algeria’s Tebboune refuses France visit in snub to former colonial ruler”, and send in the answer to this question: What happened last July that sent the Algeria/France relationship into a nosedive – even provoking Algeria to recall its ambassador to France?

The answer is, to quote our article: “… relations nose-dived in July after Macron sent a letter to King Mohammed VI of Morocco voicing support for the Kingdom’s autonomy plan in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “How do you remember things?”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Bushra Nawaz, who’s a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Bushra is also the winner of this week’s bonus question.

Congratulations, Bushra, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist – Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India, and Father Steven Wara, who lives in the Cistercian Abbey in Bamenda, Cameroon.

Last but assuredly not least, RFI English listeners Amara, a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan, and Jahangir Alam, the president of the World DX International Radio Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Soul Bossa Nova” by Quincy Jones, performed by the Quincy Jones Ensemble; “Aghan” by Mohammad Rouane, performed by the Rouane Ensemble; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Asa Branca” by Luiz Gonzaga and Humberto Teixeira, performed by Rosinha De Valença.

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 “Tributes roll in for beloved musician and producer Quincy Jones, who died at 91”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 9 December to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 14 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.   

France produces 2.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year, most of which does not get recycled. In the ongoing battle to reduce waste, a 2021 law is intended to phase out single-use packaging by 2040. We go to a packaging expo to see how this might happen and meet people being pushed to the front lines of waste reduction. (Listen @3’45”)

Bouchot mussel farmers in northern France are sounding the alarm about spider crabs devastating their crops. Warming waters have led to a four-fold increase in crab numbers, a prized marine resource, but which threatens the future of the industry. A mussel farmer talks about the impact, and a marine scientist presents possible solutions. (Listen @19’47”)

A hundred years ago this month, women and girls working in sardine canning factories in Brittany launched a six-week strike that has gone down in history as one of the earliest examples of women successfully organising to defend their labour rights. The granddaughter of one of the strikers describes its legacy. (Listen @12’20”) 

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).

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! 

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 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.   

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.