Rebuilding Mayotte in two years “is a goal that must be made”, Bayrou said after touring the temporary field hospital in Mamoudzou.

“There are a bunch of people who say this won’t be possible. They may be right, but I know the type: they’re the ones saying we should give up. The ones saying that Notre Dame wasn’t possible,” he said, making reference to the Paris cathedral that reopened at the start of December, five years after it was destroyed by a fire.

Bayrou’s visit to Mayotte comes two weeks after cyclone Chido tore through the island, destroying everything in its path, leaving at least 39 people dead and over 5,600 wounded.

‘Concrete’ action

The people of Mayotte, France’s poorest department, “often have the sentiment that what we bring them are assurance, pretty words of solidarity,” Bayrou said later, after visiting a desalination plant.

Yet what they want is “concrete” action, he said, promising that “after a day of dialogue” he will announce a reconstruction plan, named ‘Mayotte standing’.

A first phase will focus on reconstruction, and it will be followed by “a long-term plan, because it’s not just about rebuilding Mayotte as it was. It’s about designing a different future for Mayotte”.

Scepticism on the ground

Bayrou is visiting Mayotte with several members of his new government, including two former prime ministers, Education Minister Elisabeth Borne and Overseas Affairs minister Manuel Valls.

Locals have been frustrated by the slow delivery of aid and return of water and electricity, and many are sceptical of the government’s response.

In an open letter published Saturday, local citizens’ groups decried the “flagrant insufficiency” of support after the cyclone, and demanded a “rapid and structured” reconstruction plan and a dedicated fund to compensate the victims.

Soon after being appointed prime minister, Bayrou came under fire for attending a city council meeting in Pau, where he is mayor, instead of a crisis meeting about Mayotte.

Not thousands dead

In the aftermath of the cyclone, there were concerns that the death toll would be in the hundreds or thousands, given the high number of undocumented immigrants living in shantytowns on the island, but Bayrou said Monday that those fears have not come to pass.

The death toll remains officially at 39, and Bayrou said that he expects the numbers to go to “a few dozen or hundreds”, but that the “rumours of thousands of dead are unfounded”.

(with newswires)

An appeal “would force Gisele to undergo a new ordeal, new confrontations, which Dominique Pelicot refuses,” to do, his lawyer Beatrice Zavarro told the AFP news agency and Franceinfo. adding that “it is time to finish judicially”.

Monday is the last day for the defendants to file appeals, and 17 of Pelicot’s 50 co-defendants have done so, according Zavarro.

Gisele Pelicot, who was lauded for her courage and dignity throughout the three-month trial, has indicated she is not afraid of a new trial.

“She has no fear of it, that is what she told us,” one of her lawyers, Stephane Babonneau told France Inter radio following the guilty verdicts.

“If it were to happen, she has already indicated to us that she would face it.”

(with AFP)

Mahama has been Ghana’s main opposition figure for several years, having previously served as president from July 2012 to January 2017. He failed in his bid to be re-elected in 2016’s elections, and then again in 2020.

But while his party and supporters are rejoicing his win in December, the challenges he is facing are considerable – with rising poverty and a new study finding six out of 10 Ghanaians wish to emigrate, chiefly in search of better job opportunities. 

Ghana’s former president Mahama wins election after ruling party concedes defeat

Economic and energy challenges

Ghana is in the midst of an economic crisis. The country remains the world’s number two cocoa producer, but there is turmoil in the industry as well as in gold.

“The economic situation is dire, and I’m going to put my soul, physique and everything into it and focus on making lives better for Ghanaians,” said Mahama, after his National Democratic Congress party’s comfortable win in the election held on 7 December.

He said the “multiplicity of taxes” agreed to as part of the country’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme had made Ghana “unpleasant for business”.

He also believes the IMF did not put enough pressure on the previous government to cut wasteful spending, and has promised a review aimed at reducing spending, including by the president’s office.

“If the president is asking us to tighten our belts, he must also tighten his,” he said.

Mahama also promised to find sustainable solutions to Ghana’s energy problems, to avoid the regular power outages the country suffers.

“We’re going to face quite a critical situation in the energy sector,” Mahama said.

“The electricity company of Ghana is the ‘sick man’ of the whole value chain and we need to quickly fix it.”

‘A change of government is not enough’

Ghanaians facing these economic challenges are increasingly looking to emigration as a solution.

The number of people wishing to leave the country has gone up more than 20 percentage points in seven years, according to a new study by Afrobarometer Ghana.

This trend is explained by the country’s growing economic difficulties, said David Kofi Asante-Darko, an analyst at Afrobarometer Ghana and the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS). 

“Ghana is in default on its debt for the first time,” he told RFI.

“We have had to face a severe debt restructuring programme. This has had negative consequences, not just on the economy but more generally on people’s opportunities.”

This is a significant trend, and according to Asante-Darko the arrival of a new president is unlikely to change things.

Highly educated and young people and the unemployed are the most likely to consider emigration, with North America the most popular destination, followed by Europe.

“These problems are endemic here: corruption, nepotism and, more generally, poor governance. A change of government is therefore not enough. What is needed is a complete revision of our country’s democratic structure, regardless of the political party in power,” Asante-Darko said.

Voter turnout in the 2024 elections was 60 percent, nearly 20 percentage points lower than in the 2020 elections.

Fighting corruption

During his campaign, Mahama  said unchecked procurement processes are a major source of corruption in the country. He vowed to make fighting this and reclaiming misappropriated state funds a key pillar of his mandate, and last week appointed an anti-corruption task force.

The five-member group will strive to recover all public funds embezzled in recent years and the proceeds of corruption in the West African country.

These officials will “hold persons responsible for such corruption accountable”, said Felix Kwakye Ofosu, spokesperson for Mahama’s transition team.

The working group is made up of lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, former Auditor General Daniel Domelevo, retired police chief Nathaniel Kofi Boakye, legal expert Martin Kpebu and investigative journalist Raymond Archer, Mahama’s team said.

Nearly 60 percent of African youth want to emigrate because of corruption

Emmanuel Wilson Junior, a lawyer with the organisation Crusaders Against Corruption, hailed the initiative and urged the incoming administration to act swiftly.

“This is a step in the right direction. Ghanaians are tired of corruption being swept under the carpet. We expect this team to be proactive and ensure real accountability,” Wilson told the AFP news agency.

The announcement comes amid mounting public frustration over corruption scandals under outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo, including the $190 million Power Distribution Services deal, which critics described as financially questionable.

Several civil society groups and opposition supporters protested outside the finance ministry, accusing the government of “gross financial mismanagement”.

Corruption allegations also plagued Mahama’s previous tenure as president, although no charges were formally filed against him.

(with newswires)

Disposable vapes, often marketed as a safer alternative to traditional tobacco products, have grown in popularity, especially among younger users.

With colorful packaging, sweet flavors, and the absence of the unpleasant smell of tobacco, these devices have proven to be especially appealing to young people.

Young people

However, experts warn that while vapes may seem less harmful, they still contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. They argue that chronic nicotine use is particularly damaging to the adolescent brain and may increase the likelihood of experimenting with other substances.

Nora Melard, spokesperson for the Alliance for a Smoke Free Society in Belgium, expressed concern over the growing trend.

“Young people start using vapes without always knowing their nicotine content, and nicotine is addictive,” she said. “We have young people saying they  wake up at night to take a puff. It’s very worrying.”

Belgium has acted swiftly to address the risks posed by disposable e-cigarettes, which have been available for over five years.

In 2021, the Belgian government submitted a proposal to the European Commission to ban single-use vapes. In March 2024, the EU gave its approval, allowing Belgium to implement the ban.  

A similar ban has also been approved in France, which will make it illegal to produce, sell, or distribute single-use vapes, with fines of up to 100,000 euros.

France moves closer to banning disposable e-cigarettes with Senate vote

A 2023 EU study found that while rechargeable vapes are more commonly used, single-use vapes remain particularly popular among people aged 15 to 24. Their affordability and ease of use, combined with widespread social media marketing, make them even more enticing to young buyers.  

At only five or six euros, a disposable vape costs about half as much as a pack of cigarettes, and some models can deliver up to 9,000 puffs – equivalent to over 300 cigarettes.

‘Ecological disaster’

Environmental concerns also weigh into the debate. Belgium has highlighted the “ecological disaster” caused by disposable vapes.  

With their plastic bodies and lithium batteries, these products are typically discarded within just a few days of purchase, contributing to significant waste. In contrast, rechargeable vapes can last for months.

EU moves to ban smoking and vaping in outdoor spaces

The upcoming ban on single-use vapes is a significant part of Belgium’s broader public health strategy and aligns with the European Union’s goal of creating a tobacco-free generation by 2040.

The EU aims to reduce its smoking population from the current 25 percent to under 5 percent across its 27 member states.

(with AFP)

According to a statement from the Grand Chancellery of the Legion of Honour on Monday, the delay is due to the absence of a functioning council of ministers who are required to review the proposed recipients. 

National honours for French soldier killed in Mali

For 2025, the list of honourees will be published later in January after being presented to the council of ministers and approved by the Grand Master – French President, Emmanuel Macron. 

New council of ministers

Prime Minister François Bayrou’s new cabinet – which was only set up on 23 December following the collapse of Michel Barnier’s government – will convene for its inaugural council of ministers meeting on Friday.

The meeting’s agenda is expected to be extensive, focusing significantly on addressing the situation in Mayotte following the devastation of cyclone Chido. 

Macron mulls stripping Putin of Legion d’Honneur

The Grand Chancellery says the award process entails several stages, when proposals from ministers are reviewed by the Council of the Order of the Legion of Honour, then overseen by the Grand Chancellor and then presented to the council of ministers.

Subsequently, the entire list is submitted to the French President, who has the final say in who will receive the accolade.

Typically, another round of awards is granted each year on 14 July, the French national holiday.

(with AFP)

Monday’s announcement from IGAD’s special envoy Lawrence Korbandy comes a year after the government in Sudan froze relations with the regional bloc and suspended its membership of the body.

Since April last year, Sudan has been mired in a brutal conflict, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces under Mohamed Hamdan Daglo fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

IGAD – in parallel with the United States and Saudi Arabia – has repeatedly attempted to mediate between the two warring generals, but to no avail.

In January, the bloc invited Daglo to a summit in Uganda, prompting a furious response from the Sudanese foreign ministry in the army-aligned government.

It accused IGAD of “violating Sudan’s sovereignty” and setting a “dangerous precedent“, saying it would suspend its membership of the bloc.

Sudan war sparks ‘biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded’ – IRC

New year visit

Speaking to journalists on Monday, special envoy Korbandy confirmed that a visit to Port Sudan was planned in the new year.

“I’m visiting them to talk to them about issues related to peace in that country,” he said from Nairobi, declining to give details over who he might meet.

Korbandy said the visit had been scheduled for December before being postponed to January.

He referred to Sudan’s suspension from IGAD as a “minor problem” – noting that Sudan was a founding member of the regional body – and said the proposed visit was “absolutely” a positive step.

Sudan rejects UN’s call for ‘impartial’ force to protect civilians

“I’m looking for constructive dialogue regarding the peace in Sudan, and most importantly is the return of Sudan’s activities in IGAD,” he added.

“My mandate is to bring peace to the Sudanese people, and there is no other way, only to talk to all the parties in this conflict.”

Since January, the situation in Sudan has continued to deteriorate, with tens of thousands killed and over 13 million forced from their homes.

Both sides have faced accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

(With AFP)

Flags are flying half-mast in the United States, which will hold a national day of mourning for Carter on 9 January, announced President Joe Biden.

Carter was “an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” who “saved, lifted and changed the lives of people all across the globe,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. 

President-elect Donald Trump, who Carter had called an “illegitimate president”, said Americans owe Carter “a debt of gratitude”.

“While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realised that he truly loved and respected our country,” Trump wrote on social media.

Peace activism

In one of the first reactions from abroad, French President Emmanuel Macron said Carter had “been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace”.

Uniquely among modern US presidents, much of Carter’s legacy came after he left the White House.

His one-term presidency, from January 1977 to January 1981, was marked by the 1978 Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt, bringing some stability to the Middle East, but it was hampered by the Iran hostage crisis that dominated his final year in office.

During his term in office, the country faced an economic recession, and Carter was persistently unpopular, and lost reelection in a landslide to Republican Ronald Reagan

Post White House legacy

After leaving office, Carter gained global acclaim as an advocate for human rights and a leader in the fight against hunger and poverty, winning the respect that eluded him in the White House.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 in recognition of his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”.

The Carter Center, which he established in his home state of Georgia, has championed democracy and global health, observing elections in dozens of countries and virtually eradicating guinea worm, a painful infectious parasite.

Carter had several health issues in recent years, including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain, and instead of undergoing additional medical intervention, he decided to receive hospice care in February 2023.

His outlived his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died on 19 November 2023, at the age of 96, and is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

(with newswires)

The bright red truck of CinemaTdour, or “moving cinema”, has transformed parking lots and factory grounds in underserved towns and neighbourhoods across the North African country into pop-up theatres.

In the central town of Djemmal, dozens of workers unloaded the expandable truck, easily setting up a fully equipped outdoor movie theatre with 100 seats.

“The screen is huge, and the sound effects are amazing,” said Elhani, who had so far only watched films on his phone or computer.

He had “never had the chance to go to a movie theatre”, he told AFP.

“It’s a fantastic experience, especially because I’m watching with friends.”

Gaza’s powerful war narratives make their way to the Oscars

Cinema scarcity

Movie theatres are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs.

Recognising this gap, CinemaTdour was launched in May by private cultural network Agora and nonprofit Focus Gabes, with funding from private donors.

“We wanted a way to reach as many viewers as possible, in a short time and on a limited budget, while offering them an authentic cinematic experience,” project director Ghofrane Heraghi told AFP.

Mobile cinemas have long existed in other countries, but Heraghi said CinemaTdour was “unique” for turning a truck into a full-fledged theatre.

Without government funding, CinemaTdour relies heavily on partnerships with private companies to cover costs like film rights, maintenance and staffing.

The truck itself was purchased on credit for about one million Tunisian dinars ($315,000), Heraghi said, with annual operating expenses of around 500,000 dinars.

For 10 days in Djemmal, residents could watch films for free thanks to a partnership with German car parts manufacturer Draxlmaier, which has a factory in the town.

Jihene Ben Amor, Draxlmaier’s communications manager in Tunisia, said the company wanted to “contribute to the development” of remote and underserved regions where it operates.

For many workers, earning up to 1,000 dinars a month, the cost of tickets and the journey to a main city with a movie theatre can be prohibitive.

“Having this cinema right outside their workplace also gives workers a sense of pride and belonging,” said Ben Amor.

African cinema takes to global stage with diverse storytelling

‘Social impact’

After Djemmal, CinemaTdour set up in Hay Hlel, an impoverished neighbourhood of the capital Tunis.

Many children gathered around the pop-up theatre, eager for their turn.

Yomna Warhani, 11, was beaming with excitement, anticipating her first ever movie screening.

“I can’t wait to see what it’s like inside and what films they’ll show,” she said.

Nejiba El Hadji, a 47-year-old mother of four, said: “It’s not just the kids who are thrilled, believe me.”

To her, the mobile cinema was a rare source of joy in an otherwise bleak environment.

“We have nothing here, no cultural centres and no entertainment, just the streets,” said Hadji.

“People say our kids are lost, but no one does anything about it.”

CinemaTdour’s two-week stay in Hay Hlel was funded by the World Health Organization, with screenings themed on mental health, smoking and drug abuse, and violence against women.

The shows were tailored for younger audiences as well as for viewers with hearing or visual impairments.

Heraghi, the project head, said that “what drives us is the social impact of culture.”

“We want to break stereotypes, shift mindsets, and promote values like social cohesion and community spirit.”

In just a few months, CinemaTdour has reached more than 15,000 people, including 7,500 in the southern oasis town of Nefta where a month of free screenings was sponsored by a date exporter.

The project now hopes to secure funding for additional trucks to expand its activities across the country.

But Heraghli has even bigger aspirations, she said, “taking it to Algeria, Libya, and maybe even across Africa“.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) review, which UN agencies use, said last week that the war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces had created famine conditions for 638,000 people, with a further 8.1 million on the brink of mass starvation.

The army-aligned government “categorically rejects the IPC’s description of the situation in Sudan as a famine”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement called the report “essentially speculative” and accused the IPC of procedural and transparency failings.

They said the team did not have access to updated field data and had not consulted with the government’s technical team on the final version before publication.

The IPC did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

• Sudan withdraws from hunger-monitoring system ahead of report on famine

The Sudanese government, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been based in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan since the capital Khartoum became a warzone in April 2023.

It has repeatedly been accused of stonewalling international efforts to assess the food security situation in the war-torn country.

The authorities have also been accused of creating bureaucratic hurdles to humanitarian work and blocking visas for foreign teams.

The International Rescue Committee said the army was “leveraging its status as the internationally recognised government (and blocking) the UN and other agencies from reaching RSF-controlled areas”.

Both the army and the RSF have been accused of using starvation as a weapon of war.

The war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted over 12 million people, including millions who face dire food insecurity in army-controlled areas.

Across the country, more than 24.6 million people, around half the population, face high levels of acute food insecurity. 

(With newswires)

The deaths take this year’s casualty toll from failed clandestine crossings to a confirmed 76.

The boat that was to take the migrants Sunday ran into trouble near Bleriot-Plage, a public beach in Sangatte close to the French Channel port of Calais, at around 6:00 am local time, an emergency services source said.

Several people fell into the water trying to board the overcrowded vessel, French maritime services told AFP.

Around 50 people were given emergency help on the beach by government services or NGOs, with many in a state of hypothermia.

Some were taken to Sangatte’s nautical base for treatment.

The French navy deployed a helicopter to help rescue the migrants.

“It never stops,” said the mayor of Sangatte, Guy Allemand. “It’s crossing after crossing, without any letup.”

Seven people required intensive care, he said.

The vessel continued its journey towards the English shore, maritime services said.

Favourable winds since last weekend have encouraged migrants to attempt the crossing, with around 1,500 migrants making it in small boats to English waters between Wednesday and Saturday, according to British authorities.

The total number of migrants arriving in England in small boats since the start of the year is estimated at 36,000.

French authorities said that “several” such boats departed from the French coast early Sunday.

• UK accused of not doing enough to stop Channel migrant crossings

(With newswires)

For women worldwide, the internet era is a “blessing and a curse”.

That’s according to Dutch sexual health organisation Rutgers, which says that technology and online platforms are increasingly used as weapons to “tyrannise” women and other vulnerable groups “as part of an invasive 24/7 culture infiltrating workplaces, schools and homes”.

Its research – based on interviews with people in Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda – found widespread links between online violence and the offline world.

Online abuse acts as a springboard for offline violence including sexual harassment, stalking and intimate partner violence, the report says.

In one case described in South Africa, a girl was bullied on and off social media before being beaten. Classmates filmed her and shared the video online, where it was widely viewed, and shortly afterwards the victim killed herself. 

Meanwhile in Morocco, a civil society worker recounted that former partners sometimes use intimate pictures or videos for revenge, to get women to give up custody or alimony or to pressure them to hand over assets.

Activists under threat

Activists and women in the public eye are also targeted, in some cases withdrawing from professional life altogether to escape the abuse.

Moroccan activist Ghizlane Mamouni, founder of Kif Mama Kif Baba, an association that campaigns against gender-based violence and discrimination, has experienced the problem firsthand.

“Recently, I myself and other colleagues – fellow women activists or women perceived as activists – have been victims and targeted by online death threats and various attacks on social networks,” she told RFI.

Mamouni is among the campaigners pushing for a reform of Morocco’s laws, which she argues fail to protect women and girls.

The country is currently experiencing an “historic moment”, she said, with reforms promised of both the penal and family codes. Governing marriage, divorce and family life as well as crimes affecting women, they have historically privileged the rights of men.

“We know that these two texts contain enormous legal violence against women and a glaring lack of protection against gender-based violence, particularly that which is facilitated by technology,” Mamouni said.

• Women’s right to travel is being tightly controlled in North Africa, Middle East

Victims prosecuted

Uganda is one of the few African countries that actually has a law against such violence.

But victims who report it sometimes find themselves facing investigation and even prosecution if they fall foul of other laws criminalising pornography, premarital sex or sexual orientation, the report found.

“Laws that are seemingly there to protect victims actually do the opposite,” said Abishiag Wabwire of Fida Uganda, an association of women lawyers that provides legal aid.

While LGBTQ+ people face a higher threat of online and offline abuse, for instance, Uganda’s harsh laws against homosexuality mean survivors who come forward risk criminal charges themselves.

The report also pointed to cases where victims of “revenge porn” have been charged alongside the perpetrator under the Anti-Pornography Act.

“Patriarchal standards and the cyber law that should protect victims are instead being evoked to oppress them and upholding patriarchal standards,” Wabwire told Rutgers.

• LGBTQ+ gains thwarted by enduring discrimination and violence

Overlooked danger

While victims are predominantly women and girls, boys and men can also be affected, the report says – including male friends or relatives of women targeted.

Rutgers also stresses that abuse doesn’t just take place via computers and smartphones, but can involve GPS tracking devices, drones or recording devices.

Despite posing a growing threat, gender-based violence facilitated by technology remains largely overlooked and underestimated by police and policymakers, Rutgers warns.

“Successive generations of women, girls, and vulnerable groups suffer new, brutal forms of violence – many of which go under the radar – with little protection from the police or justice systems,” it said.

“Such violence has a chilling effect on women and girls’ participation in civic and political spaces on and offline, threatening progress towards gender equality and democratic participation.”

This story was first published on 6 July 2024 and appears as part of our review of the year.

The French Observatory for Drugs and Addictive Tendencies (OFDT), which tracks substance use and addiction trends nationwide, revealed that 600 million litres of pure alcohol were sold in 2023 – a 3.8 percent drop compared with the previous year.

On average, each person over the age of 15 consumed 10.35 litres of pure alcohol during the year, down from 10.76 litres in 2022.

Despite the decline in alcohol consumption, the number of alcohol-related hospitalisations has increased.

In 2023, 307,676 people spent a total of 595,326 days in hospital, compared to nearly 301,000 people and 573,000 days in 2021, the report said.

Wine most popular

The survey says though there were fewer sales of wine, it still accounts for 52 percent of alcoholic beverages sold in France.

The wine industry also has a significant economic footprint, with a turnover of 24.8 billion euros and more than 50,000 employees.

By contrast, the brewing industry employs 5,400 people with a turnover of 1.6 billion euros, while the champagne and spirits sectors provide 18,000 jobs and contribute a combined turnover of 20 billion euros.

That combined muscle has come under fire from public health campaigners who say the alcohol industry is a powerful lobby that exerts too much influence over the government.

They want ministers to be more vocal about abstinence campaigns such as Dry January, where people challenge themselves to forgo alcohol for a month after the traditional excesses of Christmas and New Year’s parties.

“There is a gap between public awareness that alcohol is a drug and the political class,” Bernard Basset, president of the NGO Addictions France, told told FranceInfo.

“The alcohol lobby encourages us to consume alcohol by presenting it as a refined pleasure. But most people drink fairly ordinary wines. Not everyone can drink top wines like Château Petrus every day.”

Changing drinking habits

The report also highlights a shift in drinking patterns. The traditional “Mediterranean” style of moderate daily wine consumption with meals is being replaced by a “Nordic” pattern, where young people binge drink at parties but avoid alcohol on other days.

One positive finding in the report is a reduction in alcohol-related road deaths.

Of the 3,167 road fatalities recorded in 2023, 702 were linked to drink-driving.

This marks a decrease from 2022, when 759 of the 3,267 road deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption.

The inauguration of former footballer Mikhail Kavelashvili ratchets up a months-long political crisis that has seen huge pro-European Union demonstrations.

Outgoing head of state Salome Zurabishvili and protesters have declared Kavelashvili “illegitimate”, demanding a re-run of the October general elections that they say the governing Georgian Dream party rigged.

“Our history clearly shows that, after countless struggles to defend our homeland and traditions, peace has always been one of the main goals and values for the Georgian people,” Kavelashvili said after taking the presidential oath in parliament.

Georgian Dream has presented itself as the sole guarantor of stability in the country, accusing the West of trying to drag Tbilisi into the Ukraine conflict.

Kavelashvili, known for his far-right views and derogatory comments against LGBTQ people, went on to praise “our traditions, values, national identity, the sanctity of the family, and faith”.

Moments earlier and a few minutes’ walk away at the presidential palace, Zurabishvili said that while she would vacate the premises, her fight against Georgian Dream would continue.

“I remain the only legitimate president,” she told a crowd.

“I will leave the presidential palace and stand with you, carrying with me the legitimacy, the flag and your trust.”

In a symbolic gesture, Zurabishvili wore the same wite-and-black attire, the colours of Georgian flag, she was dressed in during her inauguration six years ago.

‘Too late for backing down’

Georgia has been in political turmoil since October’s disputed parliamentary elections and the government’s decision to shelve EU membership talks.

Thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets daily for a month, accusing the increasingly repressive government of derailing Tbilisi’s EU ambitions.

Many protesters said they intended to keep taking to the streets.

“We will keep fighting. We will keep protesting,” said David, a 22-year-old programmer who stood outside the presidential palace earlier Sunday.

• Thousands in Georgia human chain as pro-EU protests enter 2nd month

“It’s too late for backing down.”

For the first time in Georgia’s history, the presidential swearing-in ceremony was held behind closed doors in the parliament’s plenary chamber.

Opposition parties have refused to enter parliament after the October elections, and Zurabishvili has declared the newly elected legislature, the government and president-elect “illegitimate”.

Weighing in on the crisis, US Republican congressman Joe Wilson has said that Zurabishvili is invited to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration next month “as the only legitimate leader in Georgia”.

He announced a bill “which will prohibit US recognition of the illegal dictatorial regime in Georgia and recognise Zurabishvili as the only legitimate leader in Georgia”.

But Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgian Dream has ruled out calling fresh elections.

In the first 10 days of protests after the contested vote, riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators, some of whom threw fireworks and stones.

More than 400 people have been arrested during the protests, many saying they have been beaten.

The reported police brutality has drawn international condemnation, with Washington and several European countries imposing visa bans on Georgian Dream officials.

(With newswires)

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. 

This story was first published on 13 November 2024 and appears as part of our review of the year.

Reforms were proposed on Tuesday to Morocco’s family law, as announced by the country’s justice and Islamic affairs ministers.

Women’s rights campaigners have long been pushing for a revision of regulations governing the rights of women and children within the family in Morocco, where Islam is the state religion.

The reforms will address issues including limits on underage marriage and women’s inheritance rights, which activists have said are not guaranteed under the current code, introduced in 2004.

It comes after two years of consultations with civil society, as well as judicial and religious parties, and will require parliamentary and royal approval.

Reform of divorce and child custody

The draft code proposes more than 100 amendments, including one which allows women to stipulate opposition to polygamy in a marriage contract, justice minister Abdellatif Ouahbi told reporters.

In the absence of such opposition, a husband can still take a second wife under certain circumstances in Morocco, such as the first wife’s infertility. The goal is to put more restrictions on polygamy.

Global outrage grows over Franco-Algerian writer’s detention in Algeria

The reform also aims to simplify and shorten divorce procedures, and considers child custody a shared right between spouses.

If passed, it would give either spouse the right to retain the marital home in the event of the other’s death.

Parental guardianship, previously granted automatically to fathers, would be shared by both parents if they separate. Divorced women will be allowed to retain child custody upon remarriage.

The code will also restrict exceptions for underage marriage to 17 years, maintaining the legal marriage age of 18.

Unequal inheritance

The revised code does not, however, abolish the Islamic-based inheritance rule which grants a man twice the share of a woman, but it will allow individuals to gift any of their assets to their female heirs, according to the justice minister.

Inheritances between spouses from different religions can only occur through wills or gifts.

Moroccan women’s rights defenders have pushed for equal inheritance laws for years.

Moroccan cleric defies taboo on women’s inheritance

The amended code has to be submitted to parliament for approval, and the minister set no timeline.

King Mohammed VI, the country’s supreme authority, said on Monday that it should be underpinned by “the principles of justice, equality, solidarity and harmony” with Islamic precepts and universal values, to protect the Moroccan family.

The reform was first ordered by the monarch in 2022, and a committee tasked with drafting the amendments was formed in September last year. It submitted its recommendations in March.

Known as “Mudawana”, Morocco’s current family law was adopted in 2004 and was seen as progressive at the time, although women’s rights defenders have deemed it inadequate.

 (with newswires)

Yet the harvesters say they have little choice but to struggle on, as there are few opportunities in a country hit hard by unemployment, inflation and high living costs.

“There is a huge difference between the situation in the past and what we are living now,” said Mabrouka Athimni, who heads a local collective of women herb harvesters named “Al Baraka”, or “Blessing”.

“We’re earning half, sometimes just a third, of what we used to.”

Tunisia produces around 10,000 tonnes of aromatic and medicinal herbs each year, according to official figures.

Rosemary accounts for more than 40 percent of essential oil exports, mainly destined for French and American markets.

For the past 20 years, Athimni’s collective has supported numerous families in Tbainia, a village near the city of Ain Draham in a region with much higher poverty rates than the national average.

Women, who make up around 70 percent of the agricultural workforce, are the main breadwinners for their households in Tbainia.

African nations demand huge climate aid boost amid global distrust

‘Yield less’

Tunisia is in its sixth year of drought and has seen its water reserves dwindle, as temperatures have soared past 50 degrees Celsius in some areas during the summer.

The Tbainia women said they usually harvested plants like eucalyptus, rosemary and mastic year-round, but shrinking water resources and rare rainfall have siphoned oil output.

“The mountain springs are drying up, and without snow or rain to replenish them, the herbs yield less oil,” said Athimni.

Mongia Soudani, a 58-year-old harvester and mother of three, said her work was her household’s only income. She joined the collective five years ago.

“We used to gather three or four large sacks of herbs per harvest,” she said. “Now, we’re lucky to fill just one.”

Forests in Tunisia cover 1.25 million hectares, about 10 percent of them in the northwestern region.

Wildfires fuelled by drought and rising temperatures have ravaged these woodlands, further diminishing the natural resources that women like Soudani depend on.

Why extinguishing Africa’s dirty cooking fuel crisis is a global priority

In the summer of last year, wildfires destroyed around 1,120 hectares near Tbainia.

“Parts of the mountain were consumed by flames, and other women lost everything,” Soudani recalled.

To adapt to some climate-driven challenges, the women received training from international organisations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation, to preserve forest resources.

Still, Athimni struggles to secure a viable income.

“I can’t fulfil my clients’ orders anymore because the harvest has been insufficient,” she said.

The collective has lost a number of its customers as a result, she said.

‘No longer sustainable’

A recent study by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) highlighted how climate-induced damage to forests had severely impacted local communities.

“Women in particular suffer the consequences as their activities become more difficult and arduous,” the study said.

Tunisia has ratified key international environmental agreements, including the 2015 Paris Climate Accord.

But environmental justice researcher Ines Labiadh, who oversaw the FTDES study, said implementation “remains incomplete”.

In the face of these woes, the Tbainia harvesters, like many women working in the sector, will be forced to seek alternative livelihoods, said Labiadh.

“They have no choice but to diversify their activities,” she said. “Relying solely on natural resources is no longer sustainable.”

Back in the field, Bachra Ben Salah strives to collect whatever herbs she can lay her hands on.

“There’s nothing we can do but wait for God’s mercy,” she said.

“We have received a formal letter requesting the transfer of Serge Atlaoui on 19 December 2024. The letter was sent on behalf of the French minister of justice,” senior Indonesian law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told Frenc press agency Agence France-Presse.

He added that the request would be discussed in “early January” after the holidays.

Serge Atlaoui, a 61-year-old welder, was arrested in 2005 in a drugs factory outside Jakarta where authorities accused him of being a “chemist”.

In recent weeks, the Indonesian government has agreed to transfer a series of high-profile foreign detainees on death row, including Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina domestic helper, and the last five members of the so-called “Bali Nine” drug ring, raising hopes for others who remain in jail.

Reports began to emerge last month that France had requested the repatriation of Atlaoui, who was due to be executed alongside eight other drug offenders in 2015 but won a temporary reprieve after Paris stepped up pressure. Indonesian authorities agreed to let an outstanding appeal run its course.

• France ‘mobilised’ to save national from Indonesian firing squad

The father of four has maintained his innocence, claiming that he was installing machinery in what he thought was an acrylics plant.

He was initially sentenced to life in prison, but the supreme court in 2007 increased the sentence to death on appeal.

Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers, and has executed foreigners in the past.

Despite ongoing negotiations for prisoner transfers, the Indonesian government recently signalled that it will resume executions, on hold since 2016, of drug convicts on death row.

The French embassy in Jakarta declined AFP’s request for comment.

(With newswires)

Sexual crimes accounted for 62 percent of the 2,900 criminal convictions handed down by French courts in 2023, the report released this week found.

Aggravating circumstances were considered in more than 70 percent of these cases, and 10 percent involved perpetrators who were the victim’s spouse or partner.

In total, nearly 550,000 people were convicted in 2023, while some 900,000 offences were recorded in criminal records.

However, serious crimes such as murder, rape, armed robbery and violent crimes, account for only 0.3 percent of these infractions.

Misdemeanors dominated criminal records, representing 95 percent of all cases. These include theft, fraud, violence, discrimination, sexual assault and involuntary homicide.

Traffic-related offences contributed significantly, with “fifth-class” infractions—like driving under the influence or without a licence—making up 4.5 percent of criminal record entries.

Among misdemeanors, road traffic violations represented 36 percent of cases.

• EU imposes global sanctions over rights abuses against women
• Interpol says over 2,500 arrests made in human trafficking crackdown

• French serial killer’s widow on trial over decades-old murders

Imprisonment

The report highlighted imprisonment as the most commonly used penalty in France’s judicial system. Nearly 46 percent of all punishments handed out last year were prison sentences, and in criminal cases, more than 90 percent of convictions led to incarceration.

The average length of prison sentences in 2023 was 9.7 months.

Fines made up 36 percent of penalties issued, primarily for misdemeanors and infractions. Convictions of minors stood at 29,700 cases, with rape cited as the leading offence among minors convicted of crimes.

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear what Helmut Matt, your fellow RFI English listener, has found to be true in his life. Don’t miss it!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Butterfly Lovers” by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, performed by the National Cinema Symphony Orchestra.

Next week, be sure and tune in for a special program featuring your New Year Resolutions and Wishes for 2025.

The devastating cyclone that struck Mayotte on 14 December has created an unprecedented reversal of migration flows between the two territories, with ferries bringing survivors to the Comoran island of Anjouan.

Comorans are now offering shelter and aid to people from a territory that normally attracts migrants seeking a better life.

Many of those who died in Mayotte were undocumented Comorans, although the exact number remains unclear due to their unofficial status. At least 39 people have been confirmed dead and 4,000 injured in what officials describe as the most devastating cyclone to hit the French territory in 90 years.

Stories of survival

A third ferry arrived on Thursday at Mutsamudu port carrying 132 passengers, following two crossings on Wednesday.

After their three-hour voyage across the Indian Ocean, those on board are met by bands of volunteers gathered by the quayside handing out food kits they have prepared.

“I have tin houses that are all gone … everything has gone,” said Abdallah Rahafati, who clutched a bag holding what was left of his possessions. “Fortunately, I’m safe. I’m here. I’m alive. There’s been a lot of damage and a lot of deaths, so I thought I’d better leave to save my life. My daughter decided to go to Réunion. I decided to come to Grand Comoros to join my family.”

The human cost of the disaster becomes clearer with each new arrival.

Naima, accompanied by her two children and what little they could carry, said: “Over there, I wasn’t safe. I had no shelter. I didn’t have a roof over my head to live in with my kids. There were real problems with food and everything else. I don’t have a house, I don’t have anything, I lost everything apart from my documents.”

Ravaged forest threatens Mayotte’s biodiversity, economy and food security

Community response

At the port, volunteers work tirelessly despite heavy rain, preparing 600 aid kits each day. Their determination reflects the feeling of connection between the two territories.

“When we talk about Mayotte, we’re talking about the Comoros,” said Thouraya Ahmed Halid, vice-president of the Association des femmes actives de Mutsamudu, a women’s charity group.

“Mayotte is part of the Comoros. So whatever happens to them there, we all feel solidarity. We have to be there to help them, to support them morally and financially.”

The relief effort has drawn support from across Comoran society.

Nourou Houssam, president of the Solidarité Femme Action charitable organisation, said: “We’ve had a lot of people get involved. Shopkeepers, individuals, organisationst oo, who have contacted us to bring their donations. We collected everything we had in a shop and sent it to Mayotte.”

Once the packages arrive, charities in Mayotte ensure the distribution of donations to those in need.

France and Comoros clash over migrants lost in Mayotte cyclone disaster

Political tensions

While volunteers focus on humanitarian aid, the disaster has reignited political debates over migration.

France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has promised to crack down on illegal immigration as part of France’s post-cyclone reconstruction efforts. He says he wants to deploy drones to stop boats carrying migrants from Comoros to Mayotte.

“We know very well that there is a Comoran policy of letting people go,” Retailleau told French broadcaster BFMTV. “There is a form – the word is undoubtedly too strong – of hybrid warfare, if I dare say so, by pushing populations towards Mayotte to create a kind of illegal occupation. We have to change the rules.”

His comments prompted a war of words with Comoran authorities.

“You can’t be one of the top ministers in a republic like France and make such comments in a period of mourning,” Hamada Madi Boléro, diplomatic adviser to president of the Comoros Azali Assoumani, told RFI.

“You don’t… think of the dead as being of a particular nationality or colour. It’s just not done.”

Reconstruction plans

French Prime Minister François Bayrou will visit Mayotte on Sunday and Monday, with Education Secretary Elisabeth Borne and Overseas Territories Minister Manuel Valls, to assess the damage and oversee reconstruction plans.

While Mayotte’s official population is 320,000, authorities estimate there may be an additional 100,000 to 200,000 unregistered residents, making it difficult to assess the full impact of the disaster.

And while some leave Mayotte to seek shelter, there are those who want to return.

“I live in Mayotte so I want to go home,” said one woman, who was in Anjouan for work when the cyclone struck Mayotte. “I’ve got my family. I’ve got my house. I’ve got my job. I’ve been there for 10 years. There’s no point in me not going home.”

This story was adapted from the original version in French by Abdallah Mzembaba.

Bayrou faced intense criticism for attending a town hall meeting in his home city of Pau while Mayotte dealt with the immediate aftermath of the cyclone.

His office announced late Thursday that he would make a two-day visit alongside Education Minister Elisabeth Borne and Overseas Territories Minister Manuel Valls, who were drafted into his new cabinet this week.

At least 39 people have been confirmed dead and 4,000 injured following the most devastating cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years. 

The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams sift their way through the wreckage. 

Assessing the exact toll has been complicated due the number of illegal immigrants in Mayotte, especially from the Comoros islands to the north.

While Mayotte’s official population is 320,000, authorities estimate there may be an additional 100,000 to 200,000 unregistered residents.

After hitting Mayotte, Cyclone Chido made landfall in Mozambique, claiming at least 34 lives and destroying 23,600 homes, authorities said.

Ravaged forest threatens Mayotte’s biodiversity, economy and food security

Macron visit

President Emmanuel Macron visited Mayotte just before Christmas to survey the damage.

His arrival at Marcel Henry Airport came hours after Paris declared exceptional natural disaster measures to aid the cyclone-hit territory.

Within minutes of Macron stepping off the plane, he was given a first-hand account of the disaster.

“Mayotte is demolished,” said airport security agent Assane Haloi. “There’s no roof, there’s nothing. No water, no food, no electricity. We can’t even shelter. We are all wet with our children covering ourselves with whatever we have so that we can sleep.”

As Borne and Valls prepare to travel for their first big assignment since returning to the cabinet, colleague Gérald Darmanin outlined proposals to mark his tenure at the Justice Ministry.

During an interview with French broadcaster TF1, Darmanin, a former interior minister, outlined plans to extend police custody from 48 to 72 hours in cases of murder or serious sexual assault.

He said the additional time would enhance victim protection and improve evidence collection.

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear what Helmut Matt, your fellow RFI English listener, has found to be true in his life. Don’t miss it!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Butterfly Lovers” by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, performed by the National Cinema Symphony Orchestra.

Next week, be sure and tune in for a special program featuring your New Year Resolutions and Wishes for 2025.

The Syrian National Army, supported by Turkish air power, is pushing against the US-supported People’s Defense Units (YPG), which Ankara claims is linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK, which has been fighting Turkey for decades. 

The YPG controls a large swathe of Syria bordering Turkey, which Ankara says poses a security threat.

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan says Turkey is determined to prevent the YPG and its affiliate the PKK from exploiting a power vacuum following the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

As Erdogan celebrates Turkish role in ousting Assad, uncertainty lies ahead

“We are in communication with the groups to make sure that terrorist organisations, especially Daesh [Islamic State] and the PKK, are not taking advantage of the situation,” he said. “Turkey is committed to continuing the fight against terrorism. All minorities – non-Muslims, Christians, non-Arabs, Kurds – should be treated equally.”

Opportunity for Ankara

Ever since the YPG took over control of the Syrian territory at the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Ankara has been seeking to remove it. 

With the ousting of the Assad regime and the withdrawal of its Iranian and Russian backers, which had in the past blocked Turkish military interventions, analysts say Ankara now sees an opportunity to finally remove the YPG threat.

“The current situation creates an opportunity for its [Turkey’s] fight against PKK and YPG because there is now no Russia, there is no Iran,” explains Bilgehan Alagoz, a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Marmara University.

“Turkey was facing the Russian forces, the Iranian forces, and Assad’s regime forces while it was combatting the PKK and YPG,” she added. “We can name it as an opportunity for its fight against PKK and YPG.”

Success of rebel groups in Syria advances Turkish agenda

However, the YPG is still being supported by a small US military force, as part of the war against the Islamic State (IS). The YPG is also detaining thousands of IS militants.

‘The Euphrates is a line’

With the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army now approaching the Euphrates River, analysts say further eastward advances could put Ankara on a collision course with both Washington, and Syria’s new rulers – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. 

“The Euphrates now is like a line perhaps for the US military,” explains Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region and is now a foreign policy analyst for Turkey’s independent Medyascope news outlet.

“If that [military advance] goes on as such, it could bring Turkey indirectly head to head with the US, with even perhaps HTS, and it could put Ankara in a delicate diplomatic position again,” warned Selcen.

Tensions with Israel

The Israeli military’s advance into Syria is adding to Ankara’s concerns over the threat posed by the PYG and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar last month described the Kurds as a “natural ally” of Israel, a comment that came amid growing Israeli-Turkish tensions.

Turkey seeks Gaza ceasefire role despite US criticism over Hamas ties

“Israel is now carving out a corridor [in Syria] between the PKK/PYD-controlled territories, and its own territories,” explained Hasan Unal, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s Baskent University.

“That suggests that this is what they [Israel] are trying to do – [to create] a Kurdish puppet state east of the Euphrates. And this is something that is likely to create lots of problems with Turkey,” he added.

With Israel’s presence in Syria, Ankara is likely to step up pressure on the YPG, and on the incoming Trump administration to end US military presence in Syria.

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.

The RFI English team is pleased to announce that Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan, won the RFI / Planète Radio ePOP video contest, in the RFI Clubs category. Bravo Saleem! Mubarak ho!

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!

We have a new RFI Listeners Club member to welcome: Himangshu Mukharjee from West Bengal, India. Welcome, Himangshu! So glad you have joined us!

This week’s quiz: Paris Photo – the largest international art fair dedicated to photography – is held every November at the magnificent Grand Palais. RFI English journalist Isabelle Martinetti wrote an article about it: “Paris Photo fair focuses on photo books and their publishers”.

You were to re-read Isabelle’s article and send in the answers to these questions: What is the name and nationality of the photographer who won the First Book prize at this year’s Paris Photo fair?

The answer is, to quote Isabelle: “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.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question:  “What do you like to eat in the winter? Why?” The question was suggested by Liton Hissen Mia from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

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

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

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria, and Zaheer Ayiaz, a member of the Naz Radio France and Internet Fan Club in Faisal Abad, Pakistan. There’s also RFI Listeners Club member Shaira Hosen Mo from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, and last but not least, RFI English listener Sadman Shihabur Rahaman, from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, performed by Johnny Bregar; “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, performed by the Dexter Gordon Quartet; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle”, attributed to Nicolas Saboly and Emile Blémont, performed by Les Petits Chanteurs de Mont-Royal.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, listen to Melissa’s 15 December International Report podcast – “Gaza’s powerful war narratives make their way to the Oscars”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 27 January to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 1 February 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.   

Tibetans and Tibetan scholars are alarmed at how Paris’ Guimet museum of Asian art has categorised its art and artefacts from Tibet. Tenam and other Tibetans in exile, who have been demonstrating regularly outside the museum, talk about the importance of using the name Tibet, and scholar Katia Buffetrille questions the role of China in putting pressure on a French public institution. (Listen @2’48”) 

Like many residents in the town of Malakoff, just south of Paris, Vincent Chévrier had an olive tree in his garden but wasn’t doing much with it. So he federated a group of fellow local olive tree owners and together they’ve made Born to be Olive – the first olive oil “made in Ile de France”. Their collective project isn’t just about making a locally grown, organic product, it’s brought people together in a unique way. (Listen @17’37”)

On 22 December 1974, the people of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean voted overwhelmingly for independence from France. But the island of Mayotte did not, and became France’s 101st department. It’s created an immigration conundrum, straining the island’s already sparse resources  which were laid bare by Tropical Cyclone Chido last week. Listen @13’40”)

Episode mixed by Hadrien Touraud. 

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 project, overseen by Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, includes 22 short films spanning documentary, animation, and drama.

The films aim to share the voices of people living through the conflict in Gaza, offering a glimpse into their fears, dreams and hopes.

“The idea for From Ground Zero came immediately, in the second month of this ongoing war, to try to pick up films and stories from Gaza,” Masharawi told RFI.

He explained that the goal was to give filmmakers in Gaza the chance to make their own films.

As a recent report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) underlines the toll of the war on Palestinian journalists, RFI spoke with him and his team in Paris.

RSF says Israel responsible for one-third of journalist deaths in 2024

The shorts, ranging from three to six minutes, are “a mix between fiction, documentaries, video art and even experimental films,” he said.

“We are filmmakers, we are dealing with cinema. Even if it’s a catastrophe, it’s very tough with all the massacres. But we were also trying to make cinema, to add life, to be optimistic and to add hope.”

The 112-minute collection is presented as a feature film in two parts. Contributors include Reema Mahmoud, Muhammad Al Sharif, Tamer Nijim and Alaa Islam Ayou.

From film festivals to the Oscars

After premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September, From Ground Zero toured film festivals across Europe, North Africa and South West Asia in November and December.

Screenings have taken place at the French Arab Film Festival near Paris, the Bristol Palestine Film Festival and in London. Additional showings are scheduled for Morocco and Egypt.

Earlier this year, Masharawi held an outdoor screening of the film during the Cannes Film Festival to protest its exclusion from the event.

Now, the collection has been selected to represent Palestine at the Oscars in March 2025, with hopes of a wider release in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

UN rapporteur says Israel’s war in Gaza is ’emptying the land completely’

Emerging voices

The project was made possible by the Masharawi Fund for Gaza Filmmakers, launched in November 2023 to support creative talent from the territory.

Masharawi, who is from Gaza, is one of the first Palestinian filmmakers to have directed cinema projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.

His first film, Travel Document, was released in 1986, followed by The Shelter in 1989 and Long Days in Gaza in 1991.

The executive producer of the film, Laura Nikolov, who is French and based in France, is travelling with Masharawi to promote the film around the world.

“It’s a very unique project,” she told RFI. “We have now translated it into 10 different languages. We made this to allow the voices of the Gazan people [to be heard] and it’s working. I think we’ve reached more than 60, perhaps 80 screenings and festivals.”

With its selection for the Oscars, Nikolov is hopeful that the film will reach even wider audiences.

“This means it will be shown in cinemas in the United States,” she said, adding that they hope to expand its reach across Europe and the Middle East.

This dramatic end to the Assad family’s half-century rule over Syria marks a significant shift in the region’s balance of power, with analysts predicting that Turkey’s influence in Syria could now grow at the expense of its regional rivals.

“Turkey emerged… by proving its relevance, importance and its strength… out of these latest developments in Syria… as the clean, clear winner,” says Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region and is now a foreign policy analyst for Turkey’s independent Medyascope news outlet.

“And Iran is definitely the loser. And Russia also is pushed aside.”

Success of rebel groups in Syria advances Turkish agenda

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army played a role in the overthrow of Assad. However, it was the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahir Al Sham – or HTS – that led the offensive. And that, analysts say, will be a cause for apprehension in Ankara.

“Despite all the jubilation of the Turkish press and the government and the circles that support the government about the collapse of the Assad regime in general, I would think there is some uneasiness,” says Hasan Unal, professor of international relations at Ankara’s Baskent University.   

“I can see it through lots of problematic issues that would be coming out of what’s going to happen,” he added, “because of the ideological Islamist leanings of the incumbent government and… the Islamic jihadist terrorist groups associated with it.”

Support and protection

However, Turkey may not be entirely without influence over Syria’s new Islamist leaders. For years, it provided support and protection to the Idlib region of Syria, where HTS was based. 

Analyst Aydin Selcen suggests Ankara could retain significant influence if recent statements by HTS leadership calling for an inclusive Syrian government are honoured.  

“If pragmatism prevails, that’s perhaps where Turkey and Ankara may come in. And also Ankara definitely will be viewed as a positive outside contributor by these new Syrian rulers, because of the fact that we here in Turkey are hosting over 5 million Syrians and also that Turkey helped protect Idlib.”

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan, addressing an international conference in Doha last Sunday, 8 December, said that Turkey is committed to helping secure a politically inclusive new Syria. 

Turkey’s Syrian refugees 

A stable Syria is also key to Ankara’s goal of sending home millions of Syrian refugees now living in Turkey. Public resentment over their presence has grown, as the country has grappled with an economic crisis over the past few years.

However, such a return may not be simple, predicts Sezin Oney, a commentator on Turkey’s independent Politikyol news site.

“The refugees, the Syrians you have in Turkey, are mostly women and children. So it has to be a [new Syrian] government, an administration, friendly to women and children, especially women.”

“But we don’t know if these Islamic jihadist groups will be really friendly towards these groups,” he added.

“There might be a Taliban 2.0 arising just across the border; we don’t know what kind of administration HTS and surrounding groups will be. It’s a big security risk; I don’t see Syria settling down to become a safe clash-free place.” 

‘Imperative’ to work against IS in Syria, Blinken tells Turkey

For now, Erdogan is celebrating the overthrow of Assad as a Turkish triumph, with European leaders and Washington queuing up to speak to him as Turkey positions itself as a key player in shaping Syria’s future.

But the sudden demise of the Assad regime underscores how quickly fortunes can change in the region, and the future of Syria – and Turkey’s role in it – are today more uncertain than ever. 

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.