Macron, who made a five-year restoration pledge shortly after the 2019 blaze, will also attend the first public mass in the newly restored cathedral the following day. 

In preparation for the reopening, the head of state will make a final visit to the construction site on 29 November, his seventh tour since the fire, to personally thank the artisans who have worked on the extensive project. 

His remarks will highlight what the Élysée Palace has described as a “French success story”, placing the Notre-Dame restoration alongside other national achievements like the Paris Olympics. 

France mulls charging tourists to enter Notre-Dame cathedral

Speech delivered outside 

Initially, the president’s address was planned for inside the cathedral. However, the decision to have him speak outside respects France’s strict secular laws separating church and state, said an Élysée spokesperson.  

Macron would take the opportunity to underscore “France’s resilience” in restoring a symbol of French heritage, the spokesperson added. 

“Macron is keen to focus on this success and to thank all those involved in what has been a monumental effort,” a close aide told daily paper Le Parisien, explaining that his speech would praise the “nation of builders”. 

On 8 December, Macron will join worshippers at the first mass in Notre-Dame since the fire. Led by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, the mass will consecrate the cathedral’s altar and interior. 

Macron will attend the service but, as is customary in his capacity as president, he will not take communion. “The president never receives communion when he attends a mass in an official role,” his team said. 

Five-year promise 

To honour Macron’s pledge to restore the cathedral within five years, the government implemented special policies to facilitate the process.

New laws encouraged private donations for national heritage projects, resulting in major contributions from donors, including the Pinault family. 

However, the campaign was not without controversy, with some critics arguing that wealthy donors held excessive influence. 

The restoration project also faced health concerns, with worries about lead contamination in nearby areas. These were addressed with new safety protocols, but debates continued over whether the cathedral’s spire should be rebuilt in its original style or with a modern design. 

Five years after devastating fire, race to rebuild Notre-Dame gains pace

In the end, authorities chose to recreate the spire exactly as it was, based on detailed historical records. 

The Élysée confirmed that Pope Francis would not attend the ceremony, as he is scheduled to visit Corsica the following week. However, guests from various countries are expected.  

“This event will be broadcast worldwide,” an Élysée official said. 

In its first week open, Notre-Dame will welcome the public until 10pm, allowing visitors to witness the newly restored interior. Access will be ticketed but free, with reservations available from one to three days in advance. 

Though some finishing touches remain, the primary reconstruction work is complete. Around €140 million of the restoration fund remains, and the government has yet to decide whether additional budget cuts might impact the final stages. 

Arnaud Rousseau, president of agricultural union FNSEA, announced the mobilisation on France Inter radio Wednesday – emphasising the aim is to pressure the government without causing major disruptions for the public.  

“We are going to hit the road from Monday … We’re not here to annoy the French,” Rousseau said, adding that unlike previous protests, the new action would avoid blocking motorways.  

FNSEA’s plan will focus on rallies “in every department” for several days to coincide with a G20 meeting in Brazil where the controversial trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur nations – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – could be finalised. 

Farmers’ protests in France: a long and sometimes deadly history

Cheaper imports

The deal, under discussion for more than two decades, wouldremove tariffs and allow annual imports of up to 100,000 tonnes of South American beef into EU markets. 

Farmers argue that the influx of cheaper South American meat could devastate France’s agriculture, already weakened by a disastrous year. 

“We want to make France’s voice heard at this critical moment,” Rousseau said, warning the trade deal could have “dramatic consequences” for French agriculture, especially on the issue of production standards.  

“What are we talking about? Hormone-treated beef, growth-accelerated chicken,” he said. 

Meanwhile Prime Minister Michel Barnier will travel to Brussels on Wednesday to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and restate France’s opposition to the trade deal in its current form. 

Experts weed out flaws in France’s revamped plan to cut pesticides

Historic protests

The union’s announcement comes less than a year after historic farmer protests rocked France.  

Other farming groups are also planning action, with the Coordination Rurale, France’s second-largest agricultural union, promising an “agricultural revolt” from 19 November, including blocking food freight. 

French farmers face multiple challenges beyond the trade deal. “The urgent issue is farm cash flow,” Rousseau, pointing to a difficult year for the sector.  

France has seen “the lowest wheat harvest in 40 years, grape harvests down by about 25 percent […] and health issues like bluetongue disease.” 

Rousseau also expressed frustration over domestic agricultural policy. He noted that before parliament was dissolved in June, “we were promised an agricultural guidance law”.  

He added that regarding announcements made in early 2024, “concrete implementation is lacking in many areas”. 

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Paris following Donald Trump’s re-election as US President, Macron said he was “delighted” that more nations were aligning with his push for collective investment in defence.

“It’s the agenda of European strategic autonomy that will allow us to have more money, to build capacity and autonomy for the Europeans, and an ability to cooperate with our non-European allies as part of the alliance,” Macron said.

Trump has questioned Washington’s commitment to NATO and has discussed reducing support to Ukraine or making a deal with Russia to end its invasion, which has dragged on for years.

His return to the White House pushes Europeans – long reliant on US military protection, both conventional and nuclear – to reconsider their own defence strategies.

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

‘Homegrown military capacity’

“Nothing should be decided about Ukraine without the Ukrainians, nor about Europe without the Europeans,” Macron said, calling the build-up of local military strength “a long-term effort”.

He and Rutte condemned the presence of North Korean troops alongside Russian soldiers, describing it as “a serious escalation” in the Ukraine conflict, one that also heightens risks in the Pacific, now a key theatre for the US.

“Russia, working together with North Korea, Iran and China, is not only threatening Europe, it threatens peace and security, yes here in Europe, but also in the Indo-Pacific and North America,” Rutte said.

“We must stand together – Europe, North America and our global partners. We have to keep our trans-atlantic alliance strong,” he added.

Rutte pointed to backing Russia has received from Iran, North Korea and China.

“We must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight. We need to raise the cost for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his enabling and authoritarian friends by providing Ukraine with the support it needs to change the trajectory of the conflict,” he told reporters.

(with AFP)

The updated risk assessment from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was announced at the Cop29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, which is being skipped by the leaders of many top polluting nations.

Oceans have absorbed around 90 percent of the excess heat in the atmosphere due to the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

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

Rising ocean temperatures have spurred mass bleaching events at coral reefs across the world, threatening crucial ecosystems for marine life as well as the livelihoods of people who rely on them.

The updated assessment of the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species looked at reef-building corals, which live in warm, shallow waters in tropical areas.

Most reef-building coral is found across the Indo-Pacific region, such as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef which suffered one its worst-ever bleaching events this year

Pristine coral reef discovered near Tahiti, unaffected by climate change

Significant increase

Its analysis found that 892 reef-building coral species are now considered threatened, representing 44 percent of the total.

This marked a significant increase from the last assessment in 2008, when a third of all species was listed as threatened.

Half of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef corals are dead, killed by climate change

The organisation is still assessing the extinction risk for cold-water coral, which lives in deeper, darker ocean waters, making it difficult to study.

Fossil fuel emissions

The IUCN called on negotiators at the Cop29 conference to act quickly to reduce planet-heating fossil fuel emissions.

 “Healthy ecosystems like coral reefs are essential for human livelihoods — providing food, stabilising coastlines, and storing carbon,” IUCN chief Grethel Aguilar said in a statement.

Great Barrier Reef bleaching crisis ‘like a bushfire underwater’

“Climate change remains the leading threat to reef-building corals and is devastating the natural systems we depend on.”

As well as global warming, pollution, disease, unsustainable fishing and agricultural runoff also threaten the world’s coral.

Atlantic coral

The IUCN’s updated assessment included results from a study about reef-building coral in the Atlantic Ocean, which was published in the PLOS One journal on Wednesday.

That study found that almost one in three – or 23 out of 85 – species of Atlantic coral is critically endangered, more than previously thought.

UN team says Great Barrier Reef should be on heritage ‘danger’ list

Staghorn coral and elkhorn coral were given as examples of two critically endangered species in the Caribbean that have been hit hard by warming waters, pollution — and hurricanes.

“Without relevant decisions from those with the power to change this trajectory, we will see the further loss of reefs, and progressive disappearance of coral species at larger and larger scales,” warned IUCN coral specialist David Obura.

(with AFP)

This marks the fourth extension of his detention since Watson was arrested in July in Nuuk, capital of the Danish autonomous territory.

“The court in Greenland has today decided that Paul Watson shall continue to be detained until November 13, 2024 in order to ensure his presence in connection with the decision on extradition,” Greenland police said in a statement.

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has requested political asylum from France

Police added that Watson had immediately appealed the decision.

Watson was arrested on July 21 when his ship docked to refuel in Nuuk on its way to “intercept” a Japanese whaling vessel in the North Pacific, according to his foundation.

He was detained on a 2012 Japanese arrest warrant that accuses him of causing damage to a whaling ship in the Antarctic in 2010 and injuring a whaler.

Watson, who featured in the reality TV series “Whale Wars”, founded Sea Shepherd and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF) and is known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea.

‘Inhumane treatment’

In a rare public comment on the case, Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya recently insisted the extradition request was “an issue of law enforcement at sea rather than a whaling issue”.

But Watson told reporters as he left court on Wednesday that the Japanese were running a “criminal enterprise”.

“They’re just using the Danish judicial system to get their way. And they want to go back to killing whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary again,” he said.

Tokyo accuses Watson of injuring a Japanese crew member with a stink bomb intended to disrupt the whalers’ activities, during a clash with the Shonan Maru 2 vessel on February 11, 2010.

Will Japan ever stop hunting whales?

Watson’s lawyers insist he is innocent and say they have video footage proving the crew member was not on deck when the stink bomb was thrown. The Nuuk court has refused to view the video.

One of Watson’s lawyers, Finn Meinel, told French news agency AFP the legal proceedings were “very disappointing”.

“We are still not allowed to present the evidence showing that the case brought against Paul has no basis,” he said.

The custody hearings are solely about Watson’s detention, with the extradition request being reviewed by Denmark’s justice ministry.

Meinel said he expected the ministry to decide on the extradition before the next detention hearing.

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

 ‘Brave man’ 

Watson had been living in France at the time of his arrest and has written to French President Emmanuel Macron to ask for political asylum.

World-respected British conservationist Jane Goodall told AFP last week she hoped France would accept his plea, calling him a “brave man”.

As Watson’s hearing began on Wednesday, several dozen supporters demonstrated outside city hall in Paris, chanting “Free Paul Watson” and holding signs reading “A hero doesn’t belong in prison” and “Saving whales is not a crime”.

French officials have previously urged Copenhagen not to extradite him, but have said that a person must be in France to file an asylum claim.

Japan, Norway and Iceland are the only three countries that still allow commercial whaling.

Zitouni Ould Dada, a veteran of at least 15 Cop meetings, is attending Cop again.  Previsiously he was there as a director with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), this time he is with the FAIRR Initiative, a collaborative investor network focused on raising awareness of environmental, social, and governance risks as well as opportunities in the global food sector.

“If we keep going to every Cop and just make pledges and commitments, we’re not going to change the world like that,” he told RFI.

“We’re not going to reduce emissions [by half] to the rate that is required… by 2030, which is just next door, and then reach net zero by 2050. So, there are many commitments and pledges made by countries, but overall the progress we are making is small.”

He is calling on world leaders to renew their commitment to the net-zero carbon target and the Sustainable Development Goals that aim to reduce growing inequality and prevent recurring climate disasters.

“We need [to be more ambitious],” the Mauritania-born negotiator said.

Plastic pollution and fossil fuel disasters

Elsewhere, a recent report by Greenpeace has revealed the scale of environmental and public health damage caused by the global secondhand clothing trade in Ghana.

Titled Fast Fashion, Slow Poison: The Toxic Textile Crisis in Ghana, the report exposes the devastating impact of discarded clothing from the Global North, much of it fast fashion, on the environment, communities, and ecosystems in Ghana. 

Every week, approximately 15 million items of clothing arrive in Ghana, but nearly half of these clothes are unsellable. 

Many used clothes end up in informal dumpsites or are burned in public washhouses. This has led to severe contamination of air, soil, and water resources, putting the health of local communities at risk.

“Greenpeace has [previously] done…work in Kenya to look at how dumps have been impacted and overburdened by secondhand clothing from the Global North. It was time for us to look at Ghana because fast fashion is at the root of an environmental and public health disaster,” Sam Quashie-Idun, from Greenpeace Africa, told RFI. 

Ghana grapples with crisis caused by world’s throwaway fashion

Many African countries rely on these imports for jobs and Ghana has the largest secondhand market in the world.

The really serious issue, however, is that the quality of clothing from fast fashion – mainly originating in Europe – is very poor, with many items made from plastics.

“That’s why we decided to do a report on this – to assess the quality, the types of clothes that are entering the country and why they are being dumped and disregarded across Ghana,” he said.

Other issues regularly raised by Greenpeace Africa include calls for investments in renewable energy solutions that empower local communities and promote universal energy access, an end to all new fossil fuel projects, and climate finance support for vulnerable communities impacted by climate change, with polluters contributing to generate funds for climate action.

The NGO also recommends diverting from offsetting and false carbon markets and biodiversity credit solutions, in a call addressed to the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) at Cop29.

The shadow of wars

For Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, the DRC’s negotiator at Cop29, one overlooked aspect of the crisis is the number of armed conflicts affecting certain regions of Africa. These conflicts frequently undermine confidence in the multilateral system, with UN resolutions going unrespected, something that impacts both biodiversity and communities.

“If international law does not prevail in these areas, there is no reason for it to be authoritative in matters of climate action, Mpanu Mpanu told RFI. 

The Congolese negotiator is also concerned about the re-election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.

“He is one of the climate skeptics,” he added, “that he was in favour of the United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and even from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the text on which global climate governance is based,” he said.

He thinks his return to power is worrying, especially since the previous commitments of the United States risk not being respected.

“This then risks undermining all confidence and creating a disengagement from everyone at Cop29,” he concluded. 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has announced the possibility of a new round of European Union sanctions against Israeli settlers accused of exacerbating violence in Palestinian territories.

This comes as far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was expected in the French capital this week, raising concerns over aggravating Franco-Israeli tensions.

Speaking exclusively to RFI and France 24, Barrot stated he had not received confirmation of Smotrich’s attendance at the “Israel is Forever” gala – an event hosted by far-right figures – intended to support Israel.

A spokesman for the Israeli minister has since announced he will not be travelling to France.

Smotrich has made headlines of late with promises to annex Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank by 2025, amid fears this will escalate the ongoing conflict.

Barrot told RFI: “We denounce the policy being promoted by this minister [Smotrich] in the Israeli government, which consists of continuing an activity that is illegal under international law – the settlement and aggressive colonisation of the West Bank”.

“This is also the reason why we have activated other sanctions. On several occasions, at national level, firstly by targeting 28 extremist and violent settlers, some of whom were encouraged by this minister in the Netanyahu government,” he added.

The gala is set to take place just prior to a football match between France and Israel, with authorities classifying the event as “high-risk” following last Thursday’s violence in Amsterdam on the sidelines of a match involving Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv.

France ‘driving force’ behind sanctions

On Monday Barrot was in attendance at a Paris Peace Forum, where he highlighted France’s previous imposition of sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and emphasised the EU’s active role in considering further sanctions, which may soon be implemented.

He reiterated France’s stance on the issue to RFI saying: “At European level … we were the driving force behind the creation of a system of sanctions targeting entities or individuals guilty of or complicit in colonisation.

“This system has been activated twice. We have launched two sets of sanctions against these people …  and we are currently working on a third set of European sanctions.”

Barrot also reaffirmed France’s commitment to a two-state solution during his recent visit to the West Bank.

French concerns are shared internationally, with the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK also implementing sanctions against extremist settlers.

• Israel slams Macron as a ‘disgrace’ over French arms fair ban
• Arrest of French embassy staff at Jerusalem holy site further strains ties

No repeat of ‘Jerusalem incident’

Meanwhile, Barrot underlined to RFI that a repeat of an incident in Jerusalem that saw armed Israeli security forces entering a property administered by France must never happen again.

Ahead of summoning Israel’s envoy to Paris over the matter, Barrot told RFI “it is an opportunity for France to reiterate that it will not tolerate Israeli armed forces entering these areas, for which it [France] is responsible, for which it ensures protection”.

On 7 November, two French security officials with diplomatic status were briefly detained after the French foreign minister was due to visit the compound of The Church of the Pater Noster on the Mount of Olives.

The site, one of four administered by France in Jerusalem, is under Paris’ responsibility and it not the first time that problems have arisen over France’s historic holdings in the Holy City.

Diplomatic relations between France and Israel have worsened since President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to the supply to Israel of offensive weapons used in Gaza and attempted to ban Israeli weapons’ firms from exhibiting at a trade fair in Paris earlier this month.

Israel names new ambassador to US 

This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Yechiel Leiter as the new ambassador to the United States.

US-born Leiter – who previously served as the chief of staff in the finance ministry and has a deep understanding of American culture and politics – has been described by Netanyahu as a highly capable diplomat.

His appointment has been particularly welcomed by the Yesha Council – which represents Jewish settlements in the West Bank – underling the widening gap between Israel’s internal policy and international law which has ruled the settlement of occupied territories is illegal. 

Following Donald Trump’s recent re-election victory, his staunch support for Israel has been celebrated by many in the region, with Leiter’s appointment seen as a move to strengthen Israeli government policies in the United States.

Last year, Leiter’s son was killed in the Gaza war against Palestinian militant group Hamas while serving with the Israeli Defence Forces. 

A critic of Russia, Kallas, 47, has been tapped as the European Union’s new top diplomat, while Séjourné, 39, is to take charge of the 27-nation bloc’s industrial strategy.

Entrusted with two highly sensitive portfolios as the EU seeks to navigate the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the bloc’s declining competitiveness vis-a-vis the United States and China, both will have to prove their worth.

The commission is one of the world’s most formidable regulators, enforcing European law on key issues such as trade, competition and technology. Each EU state has nominated one member to serve on the body.

Vice-presidents have specific purviews but are also tasked with coordinating the work of other commissioners in charge of related matters.

Von der Leyen, who counts as Germany’s representative, allocated portfolios based on personal experience as well as political and national clout.

EU chief von der Leyen unveils new team with women in key posts

Tough questioning

The hearings offer parliament a rare chance to flex its muscles against the bloc’s powerful executive – and at least one candidate has been canned by parliamentarians during the five-yearly exercise since 2004.

Yet, all but one of the 20 questioned so far this year have been given the green light.

The outlier is Hungary’s Oliver Varhelyi, an ally of nationalist prime minister and Brussels rebel Viktor Orban, whose fate is still in the balance, a decision having been postponed to Wednesday.

Political power plays might also see others face tough questioning.

“Two commissioners will be targeted: Fitto and Ribera,” said Dutch lawmaker Dirk Gotink of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament – referring to Italy’s Raffaele Fitto and Spain’s Teresa Ribera.

Macron nominates Sejourne as EU Commissioner after Breton’s surprise exit

Lawmakers on the centre and left are unhappy that Fitto, of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right Brothers of Italy party, was handed a powerful vice-presidency with the cohesion and reforms brief.

They see the move, which von der Leyen has said reflected Rome’s importance within the bloc, as a betrayal of a deal that got her re-elected in July.

Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which espouses a brand of politics disliked by progressive EU parliamentarians, did not support the German politician’s bid for a second term.

Opponents argue it should thus be excluded from the inner sanctum of the new leadership.

Some members of the Socialists and Democrats – the second-largest group in parliament – have threatened to vote against confirming the entire college of commissioners on 27 November if Fitto, 55, is not stripped of the vice-presidency.

The ECR tried to mend bridges by pulling its punches as the first 20 commissioners were grilled last week, voting in favour of most of them.

But “the final outcome remains open and uncertain,” said Sandro Gozi, of the centrist Renew group.

Five-year term

Fitto’s troubles might in turn affect Ribera, who along with Finland’s Henna Virkkunen will be the last to undergo the three-hour questioning, and might be in for a rough hearing if lawmakers have already taken their gloves off.

A socialist, Ribera was given what is arguably the commission’s most influential role, as competition chief with responsibility over a vast environmental portfolio.

A close ally of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the 55-year-old is likely to have to address her anti-nuclear views and reassure sceptical right-wingers of her commitment to pair climate goals with growth.

She may also be grilled about her government’s response to the devastating floods that hit the Valencia region.

Sophia Russack, a researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies think tank, said things might get “spicier” on Tuesday but she still expected the remaining six candidates to “pass through”.

The team is to start a five-year term in early December.

(with AFP)

The joint action against the social media company run by US billionaire Elon Musk is being led by Le Figaro, Les Echos, Le Parisien, Le Monde, Telerama, Courrier International, Huffington Post, Malesherbes Publications and Le Nouvel Obs, they said in a statement.

They accuse the site formerly known as Twitter of violating so-called neighbouring rights, which, under a 2019 European directive adopted into French law,  are due when social media platforms republish news content.

The newspapers, as well as French news agency AFP, had already asked for an emergency injunction against X, which they accuse of not negotiating.

On 24 May, a Paris tribunal agreed with the media companies, and gave X two months to provide commercial data that would allow them to assess the income it earns from their content.

The social media site “has not yet complied” with this decision, “demonstrating its continued intent to avoid its legal obligations”, the newspapers said, justifying their latest suit.

Asked by AFP, X’s lawyer did not comment.

Active support of Donald Trump, elected president of the United States for the second time, Musk is frequently accused of promoting disinformation on X, where he poses as an adversary of the media.

EU concerned by high disinformation rate on Musk’s X platform

Bitter battles

Before Tuesday’s action against ‘X’, around 50 other French press publishers, mainly regional, announced on 8 November that they had filed legal action against the American giant Microsoft, for similar reasons.

In all, groups such as Ouest-France or Ebra, in a series of summons filed with the Paris judicial court for “counterfeiting” are claiming several million euros in compensation.

This long-term issue of neighboring rights has poisoned relations between the French press and the internet giants for five years.

However, it experienced a lull in 2021: after a bitter battle, agreements were signed from October 2021 with Meta, owner of Facebook, and from March 2022 with Google.

But last March, the Competition Authority imposed a fine of €250 million on Google, accusing it of not having respected some of the commitments made in 2022.

France slaps Google with €250m fine over EU media rules and AI use

“Unlike Google and Meta, X/Twitter has (…) never agreed to open negotiations with French press publishers in order to respect the legal framework on copyright and related rights, and this despite several months of procedures followed by amicable follow-ups,” underlined the newspapers which are pursuing X.

While the issue of neighboring rights has not been definitively resolved, media groups are facing a new challenge in remuneration for their content, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) programs.

In September, OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, refused group negotiations with two French press organizations to use the content of the 800 titles they represent for a fee.

(with AFP)

The UEFA Nations League match between France and Israel at the Stade de France scheduled for Thursday will take place amid fears of potential disturbances following violence against Jewish supporters last week in Amsterdam during the match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

“Israeli footballers and supporters are welcome in Paris,” just as Israeli athletes and supporters were welcomed during the Paris Olympics last summer, stated Europe minister Benjamin Haddad in an interview with the French news channel CNews, which was also broadcast on Europe 1 radio.

He further expressed satisfaction that France had “not yielded to intimidation” or “blackmail” by keeping the France-Israel match at the Stade de France, emphasizing the importance of the presence of President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Michel Barnier as a gesture of “friendship.”

The Paris police chief will deploy 4,000 police officers and gendarmes to secure the event. And France’s elite police unit (Raid) will provide security for the Israeli team.

Paris to deploy 4,000 police for ‘high-risk’ France-Israel football match

Israeli authorities urged citizens on Sunday to “avoid attending sports matches and cultural events involving Israelis,” with a focus on the upcoming match of the Israeli national team in Paris.

Regarding the “explosion of violence and antisemitic hate across Europe,” Haddad said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was being “used as a pretext” and “instrumentalised to attack Jews in Europe.”

“When Jews are attacked in France, they are attacking France, they are attacking the Republic,” he added, calling for sanctions in response to any incidents.

As for measures to combat antisemitism, “I believe we need to think about this at the European level.”

This comes as French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has announced on Monday the possibility of a new round of European Union sanctions against Israeli settlers accused of exacerbating violence in Palestinian territories.

France eyes new EU sanctions on Israeli settlers as diplomatic tensions mount

(with AFP)

France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced the team’s deployment under the European civil protection mechanism, after a request made by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The exceptional Mediterranean storm that lashed Spain two weeks ago particularly devastated the wealthy eastern Valencia region, which has suffered most of the deaths and destruction.

The torrents of muddy water wrecked roads and railways, tossed cars, gutted shops and submerged fields, with the final bill expected to soar to tens of billions of euros.

Sanchez on Monday unveiled a second aid package worth 3.76 billion euros ($4 billion) to reinforce aid worth 10.6 billion euros announced last week.

Compensation will be streamlined and extended to cover more residents and property, while farmers will also receive fresh aid totalling €200 million, the left-wing premier told a news conference.

As long as it takes

Sanchez has compared the measures to the state’s intervention to prop up the economy during the Covid-19 crisis.

The government “will be there with all the necessary resources and for as long as it takes”, he said.

Last week’s aid included support for small and midsize businesses, self-employed workers and households that have suffered deaths, incapacity and damage to homes and belongings.

Tax relief, a three-month postponement to repaying mortgages and loans and central government spending on the immense clean-up work facing local councils were also announced.

Thousands of soldiers, police officers, civil guards and emergency services are repairing wrecked infrastructure, distributing relief and searching for dozens of missing people.

Widespread anger at the authorities for their perceived mismanagement before and after the floods triggered mass protests on Saturday, the largest in Valencia city which drew 130,000 people.

Angry survivors sling mud at Spanish royals during visit to flood-hit region

Demonstrators have demanded the resignation of Sanchez and the Valencia region’s leader Carlos Mazon as details emerge about the confusion enveloping the regional and central governments during the crisis.

Political debate needed

But the government said it was focused on reconstruction.

“Later will come the political debate about what things we must improve in the face of this climate emergency”, Sanchez said.

Mazon on Monday conceded that “errors may have been committed” and that “everyone” would be obliged to review them.

Although Mediterranean storms are common for the time of year, scientists say climate change driven by human activity is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of extreme weather events.

Spain’s national weather service AEMET has forecast another storm bringing heavy rains over the Valencia region this week.

(with AFP)

Senegal, with a population of about 18 million, has nearly 7.4 million registered voters. 

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dissolved Senegal’s parliament in September and announced legislative elections for 17 November, saying the opposition-controlled parliament hindered his ability to execute his government’s plans at that time.

Senegal’s president dissolves parliament, calls snap November election

Voters will have to select MPs for 165 parliamentary seats.

Forty lists of candidates are competing,  but four major coalitions dominate, including the list from the current majority, and the one from the opposition, named Takku Wallu, supported by former president Macky Sall and his allies. 

On election day, citizens vote directly for their chosen list and, upon counting the votes, the list that secures the most votes will garner all the seats in a district. 

The ruling Pastef party is led by President Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.

Confidence

Traditionally, Senegalese voters have always given elected presidents a comfortable majority in parliament, allowing them to carry out the programme for which they were elected.

Facing high unemployment, economic hardship, and recent flooding in parts of the country, the people of Senegal have voiced urgent calls for assistance.

“The difficult economic situation is necessarily a legacy of the previous administration,” the Pastef party said in a statement.

Six months after their victory, Diomaye Faye and Sonko have promised a lot, but some say little has come to fruition.

The government attributes the problem to the lack of a parliamentary majority and systematic obstruction of government actions by the Benno Bokk Yakaar parliamentary group, which held the majority in the National Assembly until its dissolution.

Babacar Ndiaye, a political analyst and research director at the Wathi think tank, told RFI he thinks President Faye and his Pastef party have a strong chance of obtaining a majority.

He suggested it’s very likely that they have continued their campaign in the same vein as the presidential campaign.

He also noted that Prime Minister Sonko was very present on the ground, all over the country to meet and talk to voters, oputlining his position on public policies, education, and unemployment. 

But tensions have also emerged during the campaign, including  targeting of Pastef supporters, as well as calls for revenge, as RFI’s correspondent noted.

President to opposition leader

Former Senegal President Macky Sall said he would contest a seat in the polls.

Sall’s political party, the Alliance for the Republic (APR), has formed a coalition with other opposition groups, including the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), led by former President Abdoulaye Wade.

This coalition, called Takku Wallu Senegal (“Let’s Unite to Save Senegal” in the local Wolof language), was established in September, the coalition aims to gain a majority in the 165-member assembly.

Sall, 62, served as Senegal’s fourth president from 2012 until 2024.

He stated his intent to hold the government accountable, asserting that the economic progress achieved during his administration has been “undermined” under President Faye’s leadership. In contrast, Faye’s administration argues that it inherited a “poorly managed” government.

‘Out of touch’

Sall mostly ran his campaign remotely from Morocco, however, where he now resides.

He addressed Senegalese citizens with a letter outlining his campaign program.

In the lengthy message, published in national media, Sall claimed to have left the country in good shape, with a “positive growth rate,” and emphasized his strong presence on the international stage.

Ayib Daffé, a Pastef candidate for these legislative elections, told RFI that if he wants to speak to the Senegalese, he should come back to Senegal and campaign.

Amadou Ba, who is now head of the Pastef list in the city of Thiès, even accused the former president of being “out of touch.”

The target represents a massive 13-fold scaling up of finance for developing nations.  

Funding levels are expected to reach “between $105 and $115 billion (€98 – €108 billion) for 2025”, Seyni Nafo, spokesperson for the African negotiators’ group and chair of the Green Climate Fund told RFI from the event in Baku. 

The African delegation has called for a structured increase in climate finance, beginning with a minimum base of $110 billion (€103 billion) by 2025 and reaching the $1.3 trillion (€1.22 trillion) target annually by 2030.  

Priorities include transitioning to renewable energy and building resilience to climate impacts, as floods, droughts and cyclones increase in frequency. 

“We don’t want this goal to be just a round number that sounds good politically, but one that truly meets the needs of developing countries,” said Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, the negotiator from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Record greenhouse gas levels lock in decades of global warming

Increasingly vulnerable 

The summit’s focus on establishing a new climate finance goal comes as global temperatures continue to break records.  

Recent years have seen devastating cyclones in southern Africa, severe droughts in the Horn of Africa and flooding across multiple regions – disasters that have underscored the urgent need for both adaptation funding and compensation for loss and damage. 

For African countries, securing climate funds is not just about survival but about a fair transition that acknowledges the disproportionate burden they bear from a crisis they did not primarily cause. 

The summit comes at a crucial moment for nations grappling with mounting climate impacts while already facing significant debt burdens. Many African countries want funding to come in the form of grants rather than loans to avoid deepening their existing financial stresses. 

Accessing climate funds has already proven challenging, so making the money more readily available is considered as crucial as increasing the overall amount. 

“We hope these funds, if mobilised, will have better disbursement methods because often the money is there, but we can’t access it,” said Mpanu Mpanu. 

Climate summit faces trillion-dollar showdown as Cop29 opens in Baku

Geopolitical tensions 

The talks are taking place amid concerns about potential shifts in US climate policy following the election of Donald Trump, whose first term saw the US withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Washington rejoined the accord under President Joe Biden. 

Nafo conceded the likelihood of another withdrawal if Trump follows through on his campaign promises. Perhaps even worse, the US may withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change altogether, he added. 

African negotiators are therefore developing strategies that look beyond traditional climate frameworks. 

With little progress at Cop16 biodiversity summit, Africa demands more action

“What we’ll need to do – and we are discussing this a lot within our group – is also to look at the bilateral side,” Nafo said, noting significant changes in Africa’s global position since previous negotiations. 

“Africa now has a seat at the G20, which wasn’t the case in 2016. African heads of state are much more active on climate issues.” 

Despite global political uncertainties, African nations say they’re pursuing multiple diplomatic channels.

“Our strategy is to also work on a bilateral US-Africa agenda, and we believe that Africa has some strong cards to play,” Nafo said. 

The Appeals Court ruling, which shocked environmental groups including Milieudefensie who steered the case, reverses a landmark decision three years ago.

Back then, a lower Dutch court ruled that Shell must reduce its carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030, as it was contributing to the “dire” effects of climate change.

Both Shell and environment groups appealed, with Shell appealing the ruling itself and climate activists saying the oil giant was not implementing the ruling.

But on Tuesday, appeals court judge Carla Joustra said: “The court’s final judgement is that Milieudefensie‘s claims cannot be granted. The Appeals Court is therefore quashing the original judgement.”

The ruling at the Hague Appeals Court comes as governments of some 200 countries gather at the Cop29 talks in Azerbaijan to discuss climate action, including a transition to clean energy.

Paris Agreement

The 2021 ruling was seen as a historic victory for climate change campaigners including Milieudefensie – the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth – and six other groups who brought the case.

It was also the first time a company had been made to align its policy with the 2015 Paris climate change accords.

Appeals judges however disagreed with climate groups, saying “Shell is already doing what is expected” of them.

“Shell must make an appropriate contribution to the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement,” Joustra said.

“However, the existing climate legislation does not provide for a specific reduction percentage for individual companies,” the judge said.

Shell appeals court ruling ordering it to slash emissions by 2030

She added that even though Shell “as a major oil and gas company” had an obligation to curb climate change “largely caused by companies in industrialised countries…it did not mean that the court can apply the general standard of 45 percent to Shell.”

Milieudefensie reacted with disappointment. “This (judgement) hurts,” Milieudefensie director Donald Pols said. “We will continue to tackle major polluters, such as Shell,” Pols said.

Shell, which has called litigation “ineffective” to address climate change, welcomed the ruling.

“We do not believe that a court decision against a company is the right solution for the energy transition,” the group said on its website.

 “We are pleased with the court’s decision, which we believe is the right one for the global energy transition, the Netherlands and our company,” said Shell chief executive Wael Sawan saids in a separate statement.

Pivotal point for climate

Tuesday’s ruling follows four days of hearings in April, during which Shell and environmental groups put forth their arguments before the judges.

“This judgement could be a pivotal point for the climate,” Milieudefensie said on its website ahead of the case.

“For years we’ve put pressure on Shell and other large-scale polluters who are doing too little for the climate.”

Climate summit in Azerbaijan criticised over fossil fuel influence

“If they don’t take action, we won’t be able to stop climate change,” Milieudefensie said.

Shell has said it was investing some “10 to 15 billion dollars between 2023-25 in low-carbon energy solutions,” representing 23 percent of its total capital expenditure.

The 2015 Paris accords committed all nations to cut carbon emissions to limit warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels and encouraged them to aim for 1.5 degrees.

(with AFP)

Arab and Muslim leaders gathered in Riyadh on Monday, more than a year into the Israel-Hamas war and regional escalation, in what is seen as a chance to send a message to US president-elect Donald Trump.

Opening the summit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the international community must “immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon”, condemning Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide”.

Saudi Arabia “affirms its support for the brothers in Palestine and Lebanon to overcome the disastrous humanitarian consequences of the ongoing Israeli aggression,” he said.

A draft resolution for the summit stresses “firm support” for “national rights” for the Palestinian people, “foremost among which is their right to freedom and to an independent, sovereign state“.

Just hours earlier, newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was not “realistic” to establish a Palestinian state, dismissing it as a “Hamas state”.

“I don’t think this position is realistic today and we must be realistic,” Saar said in Jerusalem.

Foreign ‘interference’

Prince Mohammed also called on Israel not to attack Iran, highlighting improving ties between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned that the country was suffering an “existential” crisis and hit out at countries meddling in its internal affairs – a thinly veiled swipe at Iran.

Countries should stop “interfering in its internal affairs by supporting this or that group, but rather support Lebanon as a state and entity,” Mikati said.

The Saudi foreign ministry announced plans for the summit in late October during a meeting, also in Riyadh, of a new “international alliance” to press for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Despite criticism of the impact Israel’s military campaign has had on Gaza civilians, outgoing US President Joe Biden ensured that Washington remained Israel’s most important military backer during more than a year of fighting.

• EU, Gulf leaders hold first ever summit to tackle Middle East crisis
• Arab, Muslim blocs meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Gaza conflict

The return of Donald Trump

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s election last week for a second term in the White House was also a topic of interest, as it provided an opportunity for regional leaders to signal to the incoming administration what they want in terms of US engagement. 

In his first term, Trump’s actions showed him as an even firmer supporter of Israel.

He defied international consensus by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving Washington’s embassy there.

He also endorsed Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

Under the Abraham Accords, Trump oversaw the establishment of Israeli diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Morocco.

Though Saudi Arabia did not join those agreements, Trump cultivated warm ties with the Gulf kingdom while in office and has deepened his business connections to the region during the Biden years.

The 57-member OIC and 22-member Arab League include countries which recognise Israel and those firmly opposed to its regional integration.

A similar summit last year in Riyadh saw disagreement on measures like severing economic and diplomatic ties with Israel and disrupting its oil supplies.

(With AFP)

Before the traditional ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe, the two leaders placed wreaths by statues of Churchill and of Georges Clemenceau, the French prime minister at the time of the Armistice

“I am honoured to be in Paris to stand united with President Macron in tribute to the fallen of the First World War who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today,” Starmer said.

Starmer is the first British leader to attend France’s Armistice Day ceremony since Churchill joined Charles de Gaulle in 1944, Starmer’s office said.

The Paris ceremony, which is both “traditional and particular”, according to Macron’s office, echoes Franco-British commemorations 80 years ago, when Allied troops liberated most of France’s territory from Nazi occupation.

The meeting is intended as a symbol to show the two countries’ friendship, 120 years after the Entente Cordiale, the historic agreement between France and the United Kingdom.

Starmer announced that the British government has committed over €12 million to commemorate next year’s 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe and the defeat of Japan that ended World War II in 1945.

During Starmer’s visit to Paris, he and Macron were expected to discuss foreign policy, notably Ukraine, following the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

The British Prime Minister is also expected to meet France’s new Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

The meeting marks a significant step in Starmer’s plans to reset relations with the European Union following the UK’s exit in 2020.

(with AFP)

Cop29 is taking place as 2024 is expected to be declared the hottest year ever recorded.  

The two-week event faces major challenges: Azerbaijan has announced plans to expand gas production, local activists have been jailed in a pre-summit crackdown, and nations remain sharply divided over who should pay the trillions needed to tackle climate impacts. 

What’s undisputed, however, is that emissions are not being cut fast enough. United Nations estimates show the planet is on track for a catastrophic temperature rise of between 2.6C and 3.1C by 2100 – far above the safer 1.5C limit set in Paris in 2015. 

The need for action is amplified by a looming February 2025 deadline for countries to update their Nationally Determined Contributions, or emissions reduction targets, under the Paris Agreement.  

Without stronger commitments, the world faces rising sea levels, devastating heatwaves and worsening food insecurity. 

Finance goal 

Sitting at the top of the agenda is climate finance. The world must agree a new funding goal to replace the previous $100 billion annual target, which wealthy nations only met in 2022 – two years late.  

That delay eroded trust between richer and poorer nations, and the latter now say they need far more support to transition to a low-carbon future as they grapple with the escalating impacts of climate change. 

This post-2025 funding goal – to be agreed by nearly 200 nations – is expected to be one of the key outcomes of Cop29.  

Some countries are calling for $1 trillion annually, with the funds split between emissions cuts, adaptation and disaster relief. A UN-commissioned report found that developing nations will require $2.4 trillion per year by 2030. 

Record greenhouse gas levels lock in decades of global warming

Ongoing divisions

But fractures remain. Wealthy countries like the United States argue that the donor pool should be expanded to include contributions from major economies like China – now the world’s largest polluter – as well as oil-rich Gulf states. 

The existing donor group, which also excludes big economies such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, was based on the development status of nations at the time the UN’s climate convention was ratified back in 1992. 

Developing countries insist those with the longest histories of industrialisation bear the primary responsibility for climate finance. 

Another contentious issue is the form the financial support should take. Developing countries want grants rather than loans so as to avoid being saddled with further debt down the road. 

With the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations now spending twice as much annually on debt repayments as they receive in climate aid, financial solutions are seen as a critical part of successful climate action. 

Meanwhile fossil-fuel producers such as Azerbaijan are pushing for more control over finance targets – a stance that critics say risks undermining more robust solutions. 

Ice loss and plant growth mark new era for warming Antarctica

Greenwashing fears 

This year’s Cop marks the third consecutive summit held in an authoritarian state, following Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. 

Azerbaijan is an unusual host for a climate summit focused on reducing emissions, given that fossil fuels make up about half its economy. 

President Ilham Aliyev recently announced plans to boost gas production to meet European energy needs, calling his country’s reserves “a gift from God”. 

This has raised questions over conflicts of interest – especially given Aliyev’s selection of Mukhtar Babayev, a key oil figure, as Cop29’s lead negotiator. 

“Azerbaijan must guide the UN negotiations towards agreement on crucial climate finance. But the country’s weak environmental credentials, repressive politics and attachment to fossil fuel revenues invite doubts about its ability to provide effective climate leadership,” the London-based policy institute Chatham House warned in a report. 

“There is a risk that Azerbaijan could rally fellow fossil fuel producers around limited and unambitious outcomes at the summit.” 

Unlike Cop28 in Dubai last year, which hosted a record 100,000 attendees, Baku is expected to host between 40,000 and 50,000 government representatives, UN officials, scientists and activists.  

But human rights groups warn Azerbaijan’s crackdown on civil society could limit local participation. Amnesty International reported that more than 300 people have been imprisoned on politically motivated charges.  

Activists and journalists, including climate advocate Anar Mammadli, remain in detention, sparking warnings that Azerbaijan’s presidency may serve more to “greenwash” its image than advance global climate action.

US President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Trump highlighted the US’s “sizeable military presence in Europe” and expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss “the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.”

Trump has criticised the level of U.S. support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia since the 2022 full-scale invasion and has promised to end the conflict without explaining how.

Britain and France have said it is essential to keep supporting Ukraine against Russia to protect the European continent as a whole.

In Paris Starmer and Macron will discuss “Russia’s ongoing barbaric invasion of Ukraine and the appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Downing Street said.

Europe has been the biggest provider of aid to Ukraine, providing €118 billion since the start of the conflict, while the US has provided € 85 billion, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Starmer will be the first British leader to attend French Armistice Day services Winston Churchill was hosted by Charles de Gaulle in 1944 during the second world war.

(with AFP, Reuters)

The 27th annual Paris Photo showcased 45 publishers presenting a rich variety of photographic works. The collection included limited-edition prints, rare volumes, and artist’s books, showcasing the growing importance of this niche segment in the photography world.

Among the featured publishers was Delpire & Co, which, since 1958, has published one of the best-selling photo books in the world, The Americans by Robert Frank (1924-2019).

Paris Photo celebrated the centenary of his birth this year and the legacy of the US photographer.

“The publication of this book caused a shock because of the freedom, the way he took photos on the streets of New York. This had never been done before,” Emmanuelle Kouchner, the director of Delpire & Co, told RFI.

To choose a photo book, “people tend to gravitate toward what they know or have heard of,” said Kouchner.

“Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lee Miller – these are the reliable names.”

Japanese publishers

Japanese photo book publishers also made a strong showing at the fair, underscoring the ongoing significance of the photo book in Japan’s rich photographic history.

CASE Publishing, for instance, is known for creating high-end “object books” such as Mineko Orisaku, a work that features a unique printing technique and the use of metallic Japanese ink. The book is priced at 220 euros, reflecting the craftsmanship involved.

The tradition of photography books in Japan has roots in the post-World War II era, where they became an essential tool for documenting history and personal narratives.

“Japanese photographers often aim to publish a book first, whereas French photographers tend to focus more on exhibitions,”  a Franco-Japanese photographer present at the event, said.

Photo book of the year

In recognition of the crucial role photo books play in the evolution of photography, the Paris Photo-Aperture Book Prize has been awarded since 2012.

This year, the prize went to Taysir Batniji for his book “Disruptions” published by Loose Joints Publishing. The work compiles pixelated screenshots of WhatsApp video calls between Batniji and his family in Gaza, taken between 2015 and 2017.

The first book prize was awarded to Taiwanese photographer Tsai Ting Bang for “Born From the Same Root”, a self-published work, awarded with a $10,000 cash prize.

A niche sector

Despite the vibrancy of events like Paris Photo, the photo book market remains a niche sector, facing numerous challenges.

In the last two decades, the number of photography-focused publishing houses has quintupled, but selling these books has become increasingly difficult.

“It’s tough because booksellers don’t have much room, and most are quite hesitant to take risks. It’s a shame,” explained Emmanuelle Kouchner.

“That’s why fairs like Paris Photo are so important – they give us a platform to introduce our books to a wider audience.”

In France alone, around 200 new photo books are published each year, but the market is characterised by high production costs, limited distribution, and relatively low sales.

The recent surge in paper prices and the global health crisis have only exacerbated these challenges, making photo book publishing more expensive than ever before.

But despite these obstacles, the appeal of photo books continues to thrive among collectors and photography enthusiasts.

The nine-member council’s decision – dated for publication on Monday 11 November – seeks to push out Garry Conille after just five months in office and replace him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.

The bulletin says the council agreed by consensus on 8 November to remove Conille – a former UN official and academic who was named in May to lead the country as it confronts soaring gang violence and long-standing political instability.

58-year-old Conille reportedly sent a letter to the transitional council asking for the decision not to be officially published.

Power struggle

The two sides have reportedly been locked in a power struggle for weeks, with the council wanting to change the ministers of justice, finance, defence and health against the prime minister’s wishes.

And Conille sent the council a letter this week seeking the resignation of three of its members accused of corruption.

It is not immediately clear if the council – whose members represent various political and civil society groups – even has the power to dismiss Conille.

As the newly created council is not mentioned in the constitution and it was not approved by parliament because Haiti does not have a sitting legislature.

The country has not held elections since 2016, widening a political vacuum that has worsened existing security and health crises.

The country has long been over-run by gang violence, but conditions sharply worsened at the end of February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in the capital Port-au-Prince, saying they wanted to overthrow then-prime minister Ariel Henry.

Unelected and unpopular, Henry stepped down amid the violence, handing power to the transitional council, which has US and regional backing.

• Murder rate in Haiti spikes with over 1,200 killed in three months
• Kenya promises full Haiti deployment by January amid calls for UN mission

Killings, kidnappings and sexual violence

Despite the arrival of a Kenyan-led police support mission, gang violence has continued to soar in Haiti.

The United Nations reported late last month that over 1,200 people were killed from July through September, with persistent kidnappings and sexual violence against women and girls.

Gangs in recent years have taken over about 80 percent of the capital as any semblance of governance evaporated.

The United Nations report also said these powerful gangs are digging trenches, using drones and stockpiling weapons as they change tactics to confront the Kenyan-led police force.

Gang leaders have strengthened defences around the zones they control and placed gas cylinders and Molotov cocktail ready to use against police operations.

According to the International Organization for Migration than 700,000 people – half of them children – have fled their homes because of the gang violence.

Even before final results were officially released, Jugnauth said his Lepep alliance, led by his Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), was “heading towards a big defeat”.

Opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam is set to take over as prime minister for the third time at the head of his four-party Alliance of Change coalition.

“I have tried to do what I can for the country and the population. The population has decided to choose another team. I wish good luck to the country,” Jugnauth who has been prime minister since 2017, when his father stepped down from the post, told reporters.

The lively, sometimes heated campaign for the 62 seats in parliament by candidates from 68 parties and five political alliances focused on cost-of-living issues, but it became overshadowed by a wire-tapping scandal.

Jugnauth, who negotiated an agreement for Britain to cede the Chagos Islands, blocked social media platforms in the lead-up to the election after the wire-tapping scandal, which may have influenced voters.  

Turnout was about 80 percent, according to provisional estimates by the election commission which was due to announce final results later Monday.

(with Reuters, AFP)

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.