Dikeledi hit the northern coast of Madagascar as a cyclone on Saturday evening before weakening into a severe tropical storm.

“In terms of impact, Antsiranana province in Madagascar has sustained the most intense conditions in recent hours,” Météo-France said, referring to the island’s northern tip.

Three people died in the torrential rains that battered northern Madagascar, the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) said on Sunday. More than 900 people were also affected.

At its closest, Dikeledi passed around 100 kilometres south of Mayotte early on Sunday morning.

“It is now moving away from the island,” national weather service Météo-France said.

On Saturday night, Mayotte was placed on red alert in anticipation of the storm’s passage. It is to remain as such until Monday, local police said.

Dikeledi came less than a month after the most devastating cyclone to hit France’s poorest department in 90 years caused colossal damage in mid-December, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 5,600.

Heavy rain in Madagascar

Rain and wind intensified in Mayotte on Sunday morning, hitting up to 80-90 kilometres per hour particularly in the southern part of the island.

Mayotte‘s population stands officially at 320,000, but there are an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 more undocumented residents living in shanty towns.

Locals earlier said that they were concerned about the new storm’s potential impact, given the devastation wrought by the Cyclone Chido in December.

“We’re very worried, given what happened the first time,” said Ali Ahmed, a resident of Mamoudzou, which is located on Grande-Terre, the main island of Mayotte.

The floods were reported in the south of the archipelago, devastating the village of Mbouini – one of the few localities to have been spared from Chido.

French PM Bayrou promises ‘concrete’ aid and two-year reconstruction of Mayotte

Torrential rain was reported in Pamandzi, in the south of the island of Petite-Terre.

Some locals were seen braving the red alert to shore up their roofs weakened by the rain.

Confined to their homes from Saturday night, inhabitants of Mayotte have been banned from moving around until further notice.

4,000 officials mobilised

The archipelago was placed on red alert from 1900 GMT on Saturday. During the alert, all travel is banned except for rescue services and other authorised personnel.

But in Mamoudzou, locals were seen out on the streets, with some taking advantage of the rain to wash their vehicles.

More than 4,000 people have been mobilised in Mayotte, including members of the police and the military, France’s interior ministry said.

Cyclone-hit Mayotte struggles to recover amid food and water shortages

Eighty accommodation centres have been set up to host some 14,500 people, the overseas territories ministry told French news agency AFP, saying that the situation was “calm”.

The storm was expected to be reclassified as a cyclone again on Monday.

Over the next few hours, Dikeledi “will continue to intensify, possibly reaching the stage of an intense tropical cyclone as it turns southwards and then south-eastwards early next week”, according to Météo-France.

In the Comoros, heavy rain was expected during the day, while in Mozambique in southeastern Africa, Dikeledi could approach the coast of Nampula province on Monday.

“We stressed the importance of lifting unilateral and international sanctions imposed on Syria, as their continuation hinders the aspirations of the Syrian people to achieve development and reconstruction,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan said after Sunday’s talks concluded in Riyadh.

The talks included a meeting of Arab officials as well as a broader gathering also including Turkey, France, the European Union and the United Nations.

Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the main rebel group in the alliance that overthrew Assad, had been pushing for sanctions relief. His administration was represented at the Riyadh talks by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

Western powers, including the United States and the European Union, imposed sanctions on Assad’s government over his brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011, which triggered civil war.

More than 13 years of conflict have killed over half a million Syrians, left infrastructure destroyed and the people impoverished, while millions have fled their homes, including to Europe.

Waiting to see progress

The United States Treasury Department said last Monday it would ease enforcement on restrictions affecting essential services including energy and sanitation.

But US officials say they will wait to see progress before any wider easing of sanctions.

US Under Secretary of State John Bass was also set to attend the Riyadh meeting, coming from talks in Turkey that addressed “the importance of regional stability, preventing Syria from being used as a base for terrorism, and ensuring the enduring defeat” of the Islamic State group, the State Department said.

Inclusive government

The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Friday that the 27-nation bloc could begin lifting sanctions if Syria’s new rulers took steps to form an inclusive government that protected minorities.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Sunday told reporters in Riyadh that her government wanted a “smart approach” to sanctions that would enable aid to reach Syrians.

“Sanctions against Assad’s henchmen who committed serious crimes during the civil war must remain in place… Syrians now need a quick dividend from the transition of power,” she said, adding that Germany would provide another €50 million “for food, emergency shelter and medical care.”

According to the United Nations, seven out of 10 Syrians need help.

French and German Foreign Ministers call for ‘an inclusive Syria’

The meetings on Sunday represent a continuation of talks on post-Assad Syria held last month in Jordan, Saudi officials said.

After those talks in Aqaba, diplomats called in a joint statement for a Syrian-led transition to “produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process”.

The statement also stressed “respect for human rights” and the importance of combating “terrorism and extremism”, demanding all parties cease hostilities in Syria.

Saudi taking the lead

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Assad’s government in 2012 and had long openly championed his ouster. But in 2023 it hosted an Arab League meeting at which Assad was welcomed back into the regional fold.

This month the Gulf kingdom sent food, shelter and medical supplies to Syria over land and by plane.

Riyadh is now negotiating how to support the war-struck country’s transition beyond that.

Syrians hold rallies in Paris and across Europe to celebrate fall of Assad

“This summit sends the message that Saudi Arabia wants to take the lead on coordinating the regional effort to support Syria’s recovery,” said Anna Jacobs, non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

“But the big question is how much time and how many resources will Saudi Arabia devote to this effort? And what is possible with many of the sanctions remaining in place?” she wonders.

(with AFP)

Jordan’s official Petra news agency called it the country’s biggest-ever infrastructure project, which Prime Minister Jafar Hassan has told Parliament is valued at more than $5 billion (€4.7 billion).

French infrastructure specialists Meridiam lead the project in partnership with SUEZ, Orascom Construction and VINCI Construction Grands Projets.

On its website, Meridiam said the project would supply more than 300 million cubic metres of drinking water to Amman and Aqaba, serving in excess of three million people.

“This project will increase the total annual available domestic water supply by almost 60 percent” for households, and will also include about 445 kilometres of pipelines to transport the desalinated water from the Red Sea, Meridiam said.

 

Transformative potential

Jordan’s Water and Irrigation Minister Raed Abu al-Saud emphasised the project’s “transformative potential”, noting it would “mark a significant shift in Jordan’s water security landscape”, according to Petra.

The project will take about four years to complete, the prime minister said last month.

It follows Jordan’s pullout from a plan that would have linked the Dead Sea and Red Sea by pipes in Jordan.

Desalination: no silver bullet

Quality of world’s freshwater worsens as data gaps mask extent of crisis

In 2013, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians signed a memorandum of understanding on that project, which included plans to build a desalination plant at the Red Sea.

But against the backdrop of popular anger in Jordan due to stagnation in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, then-water minister Mohammad al-Najjar in June 2021 said the Red Sea-Dead Sea project was “now a thing of the past”.

(with AFP)

On Saturday afternoon, a stationary tram at the underground stop at Strasbourg’s main railway station was violently hit by another tram, which began to move backwards for unknown reasons.

The moving tram, which had stopped due to a traffic jam, reversed and rolled down a slope leading to the station.

Both trams carried dozens of passengers.

As a result of the collision, 68 people were injured, according to the prefecture, which released an updated toll Sunday.

Around a hundred people escaped unharmed.

The collision occurred near Strasbourg’s main train station, one of the busiest in France outside of Paris.

Video footage posted online showed chaotic scenes with the two trams significantly damaged, an alarm going off and people screaming.

“The tram set off again at full speed towards the station,” said Romaric Koumba, one of the passengers.

“As we were setting off again towards the station, we realised that there was already another tram that had returned to the station. This tram was at a standstill, thank God,” Koumba said.

“When the tram collided with the other one, the doors flew off,” he added.

Could have been worse

Another witness, Johan Kirschenbaum, said the moving train apparently had a problem with the brakes.

“We heard a big impact, a big bang,” he said.

On Saturday, René Cellier, director of the Bas-Rhin fire and rescue service, said that around 50 people suffered non-fatal injuries such as scalp wounds, clavicle fractures, and knee sprains. “Mostly trauma,” Cellier said.

Cellier said that the situation “could have been much more serious”.

French region offers free public transport to 1 million young people

The public prosecutor’s office said an investigation into “unintentional injuries” had been opened, with the aim of determining the cause of the accident and identifying any criminal liability.

Prosecutors said the collision was not deliberate.

“An initial investigation has ruled out the hypothesis of an intentional act,” said Alexandre Chevrier, the acting public prosecutor.

The two drivers were not injured but were “very shocked,” said the director of the Strasbourg transport company (CTS), Emmanuel Auneau.

Traffic suspended

Tram traffic at the railway station has been suspended for several days, the company said.

Julien Joly, a transport and mobility expert at the consulting firm Wavestone, said collisions between trams were rare.

“The accident occurred in the worst place on the network, in a tunnel and in a very dense area,” he added.

But Joly also said commuters could be reassured that trams remain “a safe mode of transport.”

Luxembourg offers free public transport, a world first

Strasbourg was the first major French city to re-introduce trams in 1994, after the service was closed in 1960.

The city saw a similar accident in 1998 when one tram collided with another in the same tunnel, wounding 17 people.

Located in the historic region of Alsace that shares borders with Germany and Switzerland, the city is the official seat of the European Parliament.

(with AFP)

While initiatives such as “Dry January” – which sees people start the new year by abstaining from alcohol for a month – are not popular in France, sales of alcohol-free wine are on the rise. People who do continue to drink are drinking less, and seeking out wines with less alcohol content.

“We do consider the alcohol content when we buy a new wine. Red wines now go up to 15 degrees, and that’s intense, so we pay attention,” said Pierre, who was visiting a popular independent wine makers’ fair in the south of Paris.

He considers the alcohol content particularly carefully when he buys wine from a shop, where he can’t taste it.

Doctors lament lack of state support for ‘Dry January’ in France

More from the wine fair, in the Spotlight on France podcast, listen here: 

While wine remains the drink of choice for more than half the French population, alcohol consumption in general has dropped over the past three decades, with numerous studies showing that people are drinking less, driven by health and wellness concerns.

This leaves winemakers with a conundrum. Because just as people want to drink less, their wines are getting more alcoholic.

Festive spirits bubble while year-round drinking drops in France

“Maybe 20 years ago, we were more around 13 degrees, but today it’s difficult for us to be under 13 degrees, and we are more around 14 or 15 – and trying not to go too much over that,” says Martin Lepoutre, who makes wine with his girlfriend on her family’s vineyard, Domaine Rabasse Charavin, in the Rhone valley.

Climate change and changing techniques

Summers in southern France are getting warmer and grapes are ripening faster, yielding more sugar, which is what turns into alcohol during the fermentation process.

While consumers look at the alcohol content, Lepoutre says it is just one of many factors that makes for a good wine. “Alcohol is one part of the wine. We have to find the right balance between the alcohol and the acidity,” he explains.

Extreme weather driven by climate change has devastated many wine crops, and global warming is also driving the heightened summer temperatures.

As temperatures climb, is the future of French wine in England?

“Over the last few decades we’ve noticed a slight increase in the level of alcohol due to climate change. But wine growers have also started letting grapes mature longer, to develop their fruitiness and rich colours,” explains Ludovic Cellier, who makes Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the crown jewel of the Rhone valley.

Over the years he has changed the way he works, and his wines have increased in alcohol, which his wife, Nathalie Cellier, who manages the commercial side of the business, says runs counter to what customers are asking for.

“They are more and more looking for lower degrees,” she says, although she is sceptical about the positive health impacts of reducing one or two degrees of alcohol.

Rules and regulations

One way to keep alcohol levels down is to play around with grape varieties, although that can be tricky as French wines have strict rules about which varieties can be used.

Winemakers have been moving harvests to earlier in the season, before the grapes fully develop their sugars, but that means some of the flavour elements gained from fully ripe grapes are lost.

Global warming: French vineyards look to new grape varieties

Caroline Bourcier, who makes Blaye-Côte de Bordeaux wine, has been experimenting with removing alcohol. She recently made a white wine with 9 percent alcohol – the minimum level allowed for the product to be called wine in France.

“We had requests from customers who wanted a lighter wine that was easier to drink. It’s surprising the things customers ask for. But it’s up to us to adapt. After all, the idea is for them to buy it,” she said.

Alcohol-free wine

Sales of alcohol-free wine are on the rise – up 10 percent in 2024 compared to the year before, according to the Vitisphere trade publication – but Bourcier and Lepoutre are not ready to go into the business of making it.

Removing alcohol from wine involves filters and equipment for evaporation, which is bulky and expensive. And Bourcier says she is against making alcohol-free wine, even if there is a growing demand.

“We are wine producers, and we make alcohol. We do make grape juice for kids, but making wine with no alcohol at all is not how we want to work,” she said.

Lepoutre says he and his girlfriend are working on updating the taste of their wine, even with its higher alcohol content. “Back in the day, wines from the southern Rhone region were known for being powerful, with texture and tannins,” he explains.

“Today we still have the alcohol, but we are trying to not extract as much tannin, to get a wine that is fruitier and fresher. Because customers are asking for lighter wines – lighter in the aromas. And we are trying to do it, to make something easy to drink.”

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More on this story in the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 120, listen here.

Mondlane insists he was robbed of victory in last October’s elections, which saw the Frelimo party officially awarded a crushing win to extend half a century of rule.

In a Facebook post late Saturday, Mondlane urged a “national strike” as the new parliament prepares to sit from Monday, with Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo due to be invested as president on Wednesday.

Chapo, a 48-year-old former governor with no state experience, will succeed outgoing President Filipe Nyusi.

“These three days are important to decide what future the people want,” Mondlane said in his post.

“We must declare a national strike… paralyse activities during these three days,” he said.

Thousands welcome Mozambique opposition leader as he returns from exile

Will of the people

Urging supporters to “demonstrate our refusal” of the official election result, he called for a “peaceful mobilisation,” adding that “if the Assembly takes the oath, it is a betrayal of the will of the people”.

Mozambique‘s highest court confirmed the parliamentary seat allocation from the election just before Christmas, with Frelimo obtaining 171 and Podemos, a small party that has become the main opposition grouping, winning 43.

Renamo, a historic opposition party resulting from the civil war, earned 28 seats while the opposition MDM group took eight.

“Let us demonstrate against the inauguration of those who betrayed the will of the people on Monday and against those who stole the will of the people on Wednesday,” Mondlane said.

(with AFP)

The Moulinsart and Casterman publishing houses are reissuing the original 1936 version of The Blue Lotus – in a newly colourised version.

This new edition contains “a palette of unprecedented colours, with shades that particularly enhance the night scenes, thus revealing the intensity of the action and the beauty of the vignettes”.

Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Tintin in the Congo and Tintin in America received the same treatment between 2017 and 2020.

“The purists didn’t particularly expect them, but with their large format, they have the charm of today’s larger comic book images,” said Benoît Peeters, an expert on Hergé’s work.

Hergé and Chinese art

The preface reminds readers that Hergé held a deep appreciation for Chinese art, which he studied in order to create his backgrounds.

“I drew my taste for order, my desire to combine meticulousness with simplicity, harmony with movement from it,” Hergé said in 1975, quoted in this 2025 edition of The Blue Lotus.

In his home country of Belgium, the Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve, 30km outside Brussels, explores this influence in an exhibition entitled “In China with Tintin“, which opened on Friday.

One key figure in Hergé’s fascination with Chinese art was Tchang Tchong-Jen, a young Chinese student he met at the Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

According to the Musée Hergé: “For both artists, this cultural encounter between East and West was a tremendous opening to the world, but also, and above all, the start of a beautiful friendship. Their complicity is such that it extended onto paper, giving birth to a new Tintin adventure, one that was more sensitive and human than the previous stories, as it symbolised the brotherhood forged between Tintin and [Tchang].”

A biography, Tchang Tchong-Jen: Travelling Artist, written by his daughter Tchang Yifei and Tintin expert Dominique Maricq, was also released by Casterman and Moulinsart on Wednesday.

Copyright in the US vs EU

The original black and white edition of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets is no longer protected by copyright in the United States, as of 1 January. Under US law, works older than 95 years can be freely exploited, regardless of the author’s date of death.

But for the Belgian artist’s heirs, this is a “non-event,” as they told French broadcaster BFMTV in December.

“The economic stake is low. Tintin is barely present in the US, as seen with the relatively modest success of Spielberg’s film,” confirms Peeters, referring to The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, released in 2011.

In Europe and Canada, Tintin remains fully protected until 1 January, 2054. European Union copyright terms extend 70 years past creators’ deaths, and Hergé died in 1983.

The heirs – Hergé’s widow, Fanny Vlamynck, 90, and her second husband, Nick Rodwell, 72 – maintain a strict stance in line with the creator’s last wishes: a strict ban on anyone drawing Tintin and his companions.

Peeters explained: “There is often talk of abuse on their part. However, it must be reiterated that in the era of piracy and the theft of books by AI, it is normal to protect an author’s work, even long after their death. And that’s what they are doing.”

(with AFP)

The striking structure in Parc de la Villette, designed by architect Jean Nouvel and paired with the Cité de la Musique, faced skepticism at the time of its inauguration on 14 January, 2015.

Critics predicted that the city’s classical music crowd, accustomed to the more traditional Salle Pleyel in the 8th arrondissement, would stay away, and concerns over the project’s €400 million cost were voiced.

The Philharmonie de Paris is now home to the Pierre Boulez Hall, with seating ranging from 2,400 to 3,600.

“It is one of the most visited concert halls in the world by artists,” says Olivier Mantei, the venue’s director.  

“Partly because we host many ensembles and soloists, but also because conductors and orchestras are eager to perform here,” he explains.

“The acoustics allow for a rare combination of intimacy and something grandiose.”

Since 2019, the Orchestre de Paris has been a key resident, joining four other ensembles, including Les Arts Florissants and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Around 500 musicians pass through the venue daily.

‘Cultural hub’

With a highly diverse line-up – from classical music and jazz to rap, world music, dance and sound exhibitions – the Philharmonie has also attracted an audience in eastern Paris and surrounding areas like Seine-Saint-Denis.

“The Philharmonie has become a cultural hub,” Mantei says.

In 2014, the combined Salle Pleyel and Cité de la Musique drew 700,000 visitors. A year after the Philharmonie opened, that number jumped to 1.2 million.

Today, the venue attracts nearly 1.5 million visitors annually, with around 450 performances each year.

To mark its 10th anniversary, the Philharmonie is offering a range of events, including classical music concerts with renowned conductors Gustavo Dudamel and Simon Rattle, an “electro night”, a performance by rapper Prince Waly, and family friendly activities.

“I remember the day the earthquake happened very, very well. That year, I was 19 years old, I was in my final year of high school. I lived in a two-storey house. I was working on a maths assignment with my cousin, it was about 4:45pm, when suddenly the earth started shaking. I had no idea what was happening and I started running.”

Claudine St Fleur will never forget the day the earthquake struck Haiti. It claimed the life of her aunt, who was her only caregiver. “She was everything to me,” Claudine told RFI, speaking from Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, via a poor connection.

She and her cousin lived in a tent for weeks, and only found refuge thanks to an uncle months later. An American friend of her aunt, who used to live in the same house as them, later helped her to pursue her studies.

But despite her resilience after the devastation, Claudine is unemployed now – thanks to a new set of challenges Haiti is facing. “I lost my job because of the gangs and violence,” she says.

Reconstruction controversy

The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7, took place on 12 January, 2010, killing at least 200,000 people and displacing 1.5 to 2 million more.

Within 30 seconds Port-au-Prince was turned upside down, families torn apart and tens of thousands of people put at risk of starvation.

Fifteen year later, the scars remain visible in the city.

Various countries and international groups raised almost $10 billion (€9.7 billion) for Haiti, pledging to rebuild the island and support its people.

But Antonal Mortimé, who was at the time executive secretary of the Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organisations (POHDH), told Haitian media that the funds were not in fact invested in the reconstruction plan after the earthquake.

“Everything would have been different if the allocated funds had actually been invested,” he said.

Like him, many Haitians blame the international community and the United Nations for their slow response. They claim there was a focus on Western staff in the immediate searches.

They also blame the UN for the cholera crisis which broke out a few months after the earthquake and claimed yet more victims. It was reported that the outbreak was due to UN troops from Nepal improperly setting up waste disposal in their camp at Meille, a small village north of Port-au-Prince.

The UN admitted some responsibility in 2016, with deputy spokesman for the secretary-general, Farhan Haq, saying: “Over the past year, the UN has become convinced that it needs to do much more regarding its own involvement in the initial outbreak and the suffering of those affected by cholera.”

A history of violence: Haiti’s revolution, collapse and descent into anarchy

 

‘Futures slipping away’

 

A generation of children is bearing the scars of Haiti’s earthquake, according to the charity Save the Children, their futures shaped by repeated displacements, ongoing crises and persistent disruption to their education over the past 15 years. 

“While Haiti has made some strides in recovery, ongoing violence from armed groups has crippled progress, leaving children’s futures hanging in the balance,” the charity said in a statement issued on Wednesday, 8 January.

Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, Save the Children’s country director for Haiti, said: “Life has been a series of crises for many children in Haiti. From hurricanes to earthquakes to the rampant violence we’re seeing today, many families we’ve spoken to have been displaced eight, nine, 10 times in the past 15 years.”

Referring to the situation in the country today, she added: “Armed groups have turned Port-au-Prince into an open-air prison for children. Nowhere in the city is safe. They can’t safely go to school, play outside or leave their neighbourhoods. These children’s futures are slipping away.”  

One of those children, 17-year-old Cassandra, told Save the Children that her education is on hold. “I have lost two school years – one because of the earthquake, and another because of the violence. It is painful. I don’t know when I will return to school.”

Political instability

The Haitian capital has witnessed a spike in gang-related violence over the past two years, despite the deployment of a multinational security mission, led by Kenya, since 2024.

These armed gangs are accused of widespread murder, kidnapping and sexual violence. The United Nations says gangs control around 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, and regularly attack civilians.

President Jovenel Moise’s 2021 assassination exacerbated the instability, and the consequences of several natural disasters, including the 2010 earthquake, have worsened the crisis.

Almost half the population now lives in hunger and extreme poverty, according to the International Rescue Committee, who put Haiti on its list of “10 crises the world can’t ignore in 2025”.

But Haiti has suffered from political violence for decades, due to political instability and years of dictatorship followed by poor governance, US interventions and the consequences of the enormous debt inflicted by its former colonial ruler, France, since Haiti’s independence in 1804.

Haitians had paid more than 112 million francs to France (around €547 million) by 2022, according to research by the New York Times and academic centres.

“Algeria is in no way engaged in a logic of escalation… or humiliation,” the Algerian foreign ministry said in a statement, accusing the extreme right in France of “waging a campaign of disinformation” against Algeria.

“Doualemn”, a 59-year-old influencer, was detained by French authorities in the southern city of Montpellier after posting a controversial video on TikTok.

He was sent by plane to Algeria on Thursday, according to his lawyer, but was sent back to France the same evening as Algeria refused to let the influencer enter.

France’s interior minister Bruno Retailleau on Friday accused Algeria of trying to humiliate the former colonial power.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot threatened restrictions to visas or development aid, telling LCI television that France would have “no option but to retaliate” if “the Algerians continue to escalate” the row.

The Algerian ministry said their decision was “motivated by the desire to allow him to respond to the accusations brought against him, to assert his rights and to defend himself within the framework of a fair and equitable judicial process on French territory”.

Algerian social media influencers arrested in France for calling for violence

Tensions running high

Last week, police arrested three other Algerians suspected of inciting violence in TikTok videos, with at least two of them facing terror-related charges.

The arrests come amid growing political tensions between Paris and its former North African colony.

In particular after President Emmanuel Macron renewed French support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara during a landmark visit to the kingdom last year.

Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is mostly under the de facto control of Morocco. But it is claimed by the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, who are demanding a self-determination referendum and are supported by Algiers.

Meanwhile, French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, a major figure in modern francophone literature, has been imprisoned by the Algerian authorities since mid-November on national security charges.

The detention of the 80-year-old writer has sparked outcry in France, with Barrot describing the charges as baseless. 

Franco-Algerian writer Sansal held in Algeria on state security charges

(with AFP)

The central African country in late November abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial ruler, and French troops began leaving the country in late December.

“Today… marks the handover of the Abéché base,” Defence Minister Issaka Malloua Djamouss said during an official ceremony on Saturday.

He called it a key step “leading to the final and total withdrawal of this army in our country”.

Around 100 troops left the Abéché base on Saturday, after equipment convoys departed Friday evening.

The French army had around 1,000 personnel in Chad.

Djamouss added that the 31 January deadline for France to remove forces for good was “imperative”, “irreversible” and “non-negotiable”.

French soldiers and fighter aircraft have been stationed in Chad almost continuously since the country’s independence in 1960, helping to train the Chadian military.

The planes also provided air support that proved crucial on several occasions in stopping rebels moving to seize power.

Mid-December, the jets were the first to go, followed by a contingent of 120 soldiers and the handover of the Faya base in northern Chad.

Chad orders French troops to leave within six weeks as relations sour

“Partnerships evolve but the friendship remains between our two nations, as does the solidarity between two sovereign nations that will continue to move forward side by side as they always have,” French embassy representative Fabien Talon said at the event.

The central African country, one of the poorest in the world, was the last Sahel nation to host French troops.

Paris at one point had deployed more than 5,000 soldiers as part of its anti-jihadist Barkhane operation.

Last foothold for France 

Chad had been a key link in France’s military presence in Africa and its last foothold in the wider Sahel region after the forced withdrawal of French troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in the wake of military coups.

The military authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have pivoted towards Russia in recent years.

Chad’s leader General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has also sought closer ties with Moscow in recent months, but talks to strengthen economic cooperation have yet to bear concrete results.

Diplomatic dip for France as African nations seek out stronger partners

Deby described the agreement as “completely obsolete” and no longer aligned with the “political and geostrategic realities of our time”.

His election in May brought an end to a three-year political transition triggered by his father’s death in clashes with rebels in 2021.

Longtime ruler Idriss Deby Itno had received support from the French army to quell rebel offensives in 2008 and 2019.

(with AFP)

France has suffered more deadly terror attacks since 2012 than any other EU country.

In 2018, three years after the deadly November 2015 attacks that claimed 130 lives, Macron vowed to honour victims by creating a museum to put their stories “at the heart of our memories“.

The €95 million memorial, set to open in Suresnes, west of Paris, was designed as a tribute to all victims of terrorism, in France and abroad.

The museum’s opening had been planned for 2027, with €10 million already spent on its development. But in December, it was abruptly axed “for financial reasons” amidst budget cuts under Michel Barnier’s government.

Barnier was ousted shortly after in a vote of no confidence.

Victims’ associations denounced the decision as “brutal” and “incomprehensible”.

On Tuesday, as France commemorated the attacks on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo that claimed 12 lives, the French president took back control of his project.

He reassured the MMT memorial committee of his “investment” and support to see the memorial through “as it was initially conceived”, the committee’s president Henry Russo wrote on social media.

“It’s good news for all the victims of terrorism… to see the state keep its word,” Russo added.

Place of remembrance

The memorial aims to pay homage to all victims of terrorism and is being designed in partnership with others museums including the 11 September memorial in New York and the one dedicated to victims of the Utoya massacre in Norway.

It will include thousands of exhibits –  family souvenirs such as yarmulkes worn by children killed in the 2012 attack on a Jewish school; tables and chairs from “La Belle Equipe” bar pitted with bullet holes received during the 13 November Paris attacks; clothes worn by victims of the 2016 Nice attacks.

The memorial will also retrace the history of terrorism since the 1970s and the emergence of a new type of international terrorism, with a retrospective going back to the 19^th century, states the MMT website.

“The museum memorial will be both a place of remembrance, recognition and justice for all victims of terrorism,” François Molins, public prosecutor during the 2015 terror attacks, told FranceInfo on Tuesday.

“It will also be a place of culture, reflexion and exchange around the values of being good citizens,” he added.

Remembering France’s Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, one heirloom at a time

Controversial location

The memorial’s location, however, is proving controversial.

Mont-Valerien houses a memorial marking the place where the German army executed members of the French Resistance and prisoners during WWII.

Last year, groups memorialising the Shoah and the Resistance voiced opposition to the location, fearing that remembrance of terrorism risked erasing that of World War II.

According to FranceInfo, Culture Minister Rachida Dati is lukewarm about the project. 

Her entourage said there was “consensus in calling for the project to be reoriented”.

But for Guillaume Denoix de Saint Marc, head of the French association for victims of terrorism,  the decision to go ahead with the project at Mont-Valerien marks the “restart of considerable hope”.

Humbert ended 2024 by reaching the final at the Paris Masters, one of the most prestigious events on the circuit after the four Grand Slam championships at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

Last week, of his intent for 2025, Mpetshi Perricard literally served notice. He unleashed a barrage of aces from his 2.03m frame on his way to the semis at the Brisbane International.

Fils advanced to the quarter-finals at the Hong Kong Open where he was beaten by compatriot Alexandre Müller who went on to claim the title.

As a result of his success, Müller rose 11 places in the ATP lists to 56 in the world and the 27-year-old will start in Melbourne against Nuno Borges from Portugal.

Humbert, France’s top tennis player at number 14, will begin his seventh visit to the Australian Open against the 23-year-old Italian Matteo Gigante who came through the three qualifying rounds to attain the main draw.

Fils will play Otto Virtanen from Finland and Mpetshi Perricard will start in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament as a seed for the first time against his experienced compatriot Gael Monfils.

Last year, Humbert reached the third round in Melbourne. Fils went down to the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the second round and Mpetshi Perricard failed to make it out of the qualifying tournament.

“Humbert is for the second time in his life inside the top 16 in the world rankings and that means you can’t play a better ranked player before the second week,” explained Julien Reboullet, tennis correspondent for the French sports newspaper L’Equipe.

“The first time it happened to him was at Wimbledon last July and he got to the fourth round where he played against Carlos Alcaraz.

“Although he lost in four sets, it was quite a fight. So I think the fact that he has this ranking right now is a very good point.”

That Humbert beat Alcaraz on his way to the final at the Paris Masters should instil him with confidence. And so should the fast conditions on the cushion acrylic hard courts in Melbourne.

Speed

“The courts in Melbourne suit his game,” Reboullet added. “During December, Humbert worked very hard on his physical condition. He plays on the front foot and doesn’t wait for his opponent’s faults. If he manages to find his form and to handle the heat in Australia, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the second week in Melbourne.”

The journey of Fils and Mpetshi Perricard will be as intriguing. Fils won his first title on the tour at the ATP 250 event in Lyon in May 2023 when he was still in his teens. 

Under the guidance of the French former top 10 player Sébastien Grosjean, Fils finished 2023 in the top 40 and flaunting the accolade of the circuit’s breakthrough player of the year.

In July 2024, barely 20, Fils scooped the biggest prize of his career when he upset defending champion Alexander Zverev to claim the ATP 500 crown on the clay at the Hamburg Open in July. Another ATP 500 trophy followed in Tokyo in September.

Fils, who lost to Zverev at the Paris Masters in the last-16, ended the 2024 season at number 20 in the ATP rankings.

“After last year, Fils clearly has to be targeting the top 10,” said Reboullet. “And I think he is giving himself all the chances because he is already working with Grosjean and he has added another coach to his team.

“I think looking for another piece of expertise is really the sign that he is in the process and the mood to get better and better.”

Fraternity

That thirst for improvement will likely keep Mpetshi Perricard as aspirational. He and Fils have been firm friends since meeting 10 years ago at the training centre in Poitiers, western France. They’ve holidayed together and teamed up to win the doubles at the French Open junior event in 2021, a few days before Fils’ 17th birthday.

“I want to thank Gio for the birthday present,” said Fils after a straight sets victory over Martin Katz and German Samofalov. “Playing and winning with your mate … there’s really nothing better than that.”

Three and a half years on from such giddiness, Mpetshi Perricard, the elder of the duo at 21, will be able to lean on his chum’s experience on the senior circuit to negotiate what will be a complicated campaign after rocketing up the rankings in 2024 from 200 to 30 in the world courtesy of victories in Lyon in May and the ATP 500 event in Basel in October.

On his way to the last four in Brisbane, Mpetshi Perricard served 87 aces in his four matches before succumbing to the equally big-serving American Reilly Opelka.

“It will not be so easy to be a surprise,” said Reboullet. “Because now the public and the other players are expecting something from him. But his serve will be a huge weapon and it will mean every opponent will have to stay very focused during the whole game.

“They will have to be very confident because they know that if they lose their own serve, they will have a very good chance of losing the set.”

Sensibly, the France Davis Cup captain, Paul-Henri Mathieu, has drafted the trio to represent their country in the first round of the 2025 Davis Cup against Brazil in February in Orléans, central France.

“Ugo did so well to reach the final at the Paris Masters,” said Mathieu, himself a former top 20 player. “Arthur won in Tokyo and Gio won in Basel. All three of them play well on a fast indoor surface.”

But how they operate on a fast outdoor court in searing heat will be the question as they and the 125 other players in the first round draw jostle for one of the sport’s most coveted accolades.

Contenders

World number three Carlos Alcaraz enters the Australian Open hoping to add the crown to his titles from the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

Should the 21-year-old Spaniard triumph, he will become only the sixth man since tennis was opened up to professionals in 1968 to win the prize at all four sites.

After the retirement of Rafael Nadal last September, Novak Djokovic bestrides the circuit as the only active player to have achieved the exploit.

The 38-year-old, who was beaten in the semis in 2024 by the eventual champion Jannik Sinner, will go into the 2025 tournament seeking a record-extending 11th Australian Open trophy and an unprecedented 25th singles crown at a Grand Slam tournament with a new coach in the shape of former world number one Andy Murray.

“I think it was a move of a genius,” said Reboullet who has been reporting on tennis for 25 years. “The message for the other ones is: ‘Hey, I’m not dumb. And now I have a big guy with me, and you will have to beat Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray this year if you want to go further.’

“Djokovic is telling everyone that he’s not done yet and he still wants to win something big.”

Sinner, who won at the US Open in September 2024 and the season-ending championships in November, appears more than capable of stopping Djokovic’s dream for a second successive year.

And while the Serb goes into battle for legend, France’s top three will fight for credibility.

Lebranchu was a member of the French rowing eight who finished fourth in the 1948 London Games.

He was also national eight champion of France twice, the first time in 1946 when both his brothers were in the same crew.

“It is a huge honour,” he said of carrying the torch. “I bring peace.”

He lit the cauldron during the torch relay as it passed through the famed monastery of Mont-Saint-Michel, in May, 2024.

‘See you later’

Lebranchu was arrested in 1943 as he tried to escape to North Africa and join General Charles de Gaulle’s Free French Army after refusing to go to Germany as a forced labourer.

“I did not want to go to Germany, I wanted to fight them,” he told Ouest France newspaper in September 2023.

He glimpsed his father as he was being herded towards a cattle wagon to be transported to Buchenwald Camp in Germany and despite efforts to prevent them addressing each other they were able to mouth: “See you later.”

His journey lasted three days, he told Ouest France. Half the people in his wagon died and the rest slaked their thirst by “licking the bolts on the doors”.

Along with several others, Lebranchu escaped from a ‘Death March’ in April 1945 and was picked up safely by the US Army.

His father honoured the promise of ‘see you later’ by greeting him at a Paris metro station when he returned to France shortly afterwards.

RFI’s coverage of the Paris Olympics 2024

“I fought for France to be liberated and I fought for France in sport afterwards,” he told BFM TV last year.

With his passing, Israel’s Shaul Ladany is believed to be the only remaining Olympic athlete alive to have survived a Second World War concentration camp.

Ladany, 88, was in Bergen-Belsen camp and also survived the terror attack on the Israeli team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

(with AFP)

Forests act as the planet’s lungs and are unique havens for biodiversity. But Africa lost nearly 4 million hectares of forest in the last decade, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned.

Agriculture remains the biggest threat to forest conservation, as communities clear land to feed growing populations. Other pressures come from urban development, mining and logging.

Preserving forests while meeting the needs of local populations is a challenge. 

Family farming provides two-thirds of the continent’s jobs. But, faced with soil degradation and a growing population to feed, agricultural land is gradually eroding forests hectare by hectare. 

Protected areas 

Protected areas are one solution. Africa already has more than 9,300 protected zones, covering nearly 15 percent of the continent’s surface.

The global goal is to expand this to 30 percent. Yet many of these areas lack funding, skilled staff, and effective governance.

Alternative management models are proving successful, such as community-based initiatives that involve local populations.

Public-private partnerships between governments and conservation groups are emerging as an effective solution.

Scientists found 127 such partnerships across 16 countries rich in biodiversity, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

Zambia leads solar shift amid southern Africa’s hydroelectric drought

Research shows these partnerships cut deforestation by 55 percent in protected areas.

Rwanda’s Akagera National Park demonstrates this success. The park had lost much of its wildlife in the late 1990s but has since recovered.

“The park is now managed by a South African NGO, African Parks Networks,” said Sébastien Desbureaux, environmental economics researcher at INRAE in France.

“This has succeeded in strengthening management and implementing significant ecotourism since the mid-2000s. So much so that today, the park is financially self-sufficient thanks to tourism revenue, and its wildlife population has really recovered, reaching record numbers.”

Scientists say developing alternative income sources to agriculture could help reduce pressure on natural environments while supporting local communities.

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This story was adapted from the original article reported in French by RFI’s climate journalist Jeanne Richard.

The Paris region already produces its own beer, wine and cheese. Thanks to the ambition of residents in the southern suburb of Malakoff, it can now add olive oil to that list – a modest 50 litres, but it marks a beginning.

“Born to be Olive” isn’t available in the shops but has been shared out between the olive growers and those who supported the fundraising operation, says Vincent Chevrier, the brains behind the project.

He invites me to dip a piece of bread into the yellow liquid with a hint of green. It’s light and fruity.

“I think it’s quite complex,” says Chevrier. “It’s not filtered so it’s a pure, natural, organic product with a hint of acidity which is very pleasant. And what’s incredible is that it’s the result of all the olives we received – over 40 different varieties.” 

Chevrier struck on the “slightly absurd” idea of making local olive oil about a year ago while walking through his home-town of Malakoff and noticing that many houses had olive trees like his own.

“We don’t have a mill so we can’t process them here in Paris,” he explains. “It’s a bit daft to lose your fruit, and since we can’t do anything individually with a handful of olives, a few kilos at most, I thought we should try and get everyone together.”

He began knocking on people’s doors whenever he saw a tree in the front garden. “To date, we’ve counted more than 120 trees in two square kilometres.”

A Facebook page helped to spread the word and the Malakolives collective was formed. A few months ago they launched a crowdfunding project to buy equipment to both harvest and press the fruit.

The €1,900 raised was enough to buy an electric rake, nets, a grinder and an olive press.

More on this story in the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 121, listen here.

The harvest began in late October.

“I’ve never done it before,” says Géraldine Deschamps, combing the branches of her tree with the electric rake. It’s hardly a bumper crop but she says there’s a certain “magic” knowing her olives will be transformed into oil.

Further down the road, Catherine and Michel’s garden is carpeted with olives. The retired couple planted their tree when they moved to Malakoff 20 years ago. This year it’s produced around 10 kilograms.

“I don’t even like olives,” Catherine admits. “My husband puts them in brine each year and I don’t eat them. But I do like cooking with olive oil, usually from Greece. Now I’ll be able to use homemade oil.”

Parisian olive trees

Chevrier identified olive trees not just in Malakoff, but in neighbouring towns like Vanves and Chatillon – places where there are still houses (and therefore gardens), and stable communities to keep them going.

While olive growing is typically Mediterranean, the trees adapt well to northern France’s often damp and grey climate.

“You can plant olive trees in very arid climates with little soil, that’s why they were adapted to the Mediterranean climate,” Chevrier explains. “But in the rich soil in the north of France it could be even better. You can have very successful olive production around Paris and the more water they have the more fruit they’ll produce!”

Pressing the oil

The collective gathered 550 kilograms from 80 trees. On a Saturday in mid-December, locals brought olives of all shapes, sizes and hues to Malakoff’s urban farm for pressing.

On the forecourt, the fruit is ground into a sludgy paste, then heated to help release the oil.

Inside the wooden chalet, the paste is spread out on wicker type mats known as scourtin then pressed until the oil and olive liquid seep out.

“It’s very slow,” laughs Chevrier, watching drops of glistening oil drip down into a jerry can. 

Getting to this point involved a lot of trial and error and “testing in the basement” to iron out difficulties, but he says he can now help train others in making olive oil the artisanal way.

Guillaume Vens is all ears for insider tips. He brought along 80 kilograms of olives from 15 neighbours in La Garenne Colombes, 10 kilometres away. 

Tired of putting his olives in brine, Vens discovered the Malakolives project – which “opened the door” to oil-making.

He hopes to improve on the “nails and bamboo” fork he made for harvesting. “They have better equipment here,” he jokes.

Community spirit

Learning to make olive oil is a learning curve, but people are also drawn to working together as a community and developing the circular economy.

“If we want to be food self-sufficient, we have to produce locally,” says David Fayon, plumping down bag of olives from his two trees. “This project has a lifecycle, from the concept to the realisation and you harvest the fruit in every sense. On a human level there’s something really attractive about it.”

Harvesting ‘Red Gold’ on the rooftops of Paris

For Joanna Delaney, an instructor at the Malakoff urban farm, the project creates links between people locally in a way ordinary commerce doesn’t. “This is a different type of consumption because you’re consuming something you made together with your neighbours. That’s what I love about it,” she says.

Chevrier named the oil “Born to be Olive” – a play on words on the Patrick Hernandez disco hit “Born to be Alive” – and he hopes for increased production next year through better pruning.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to reach industrial production levels in Malakoff,” he admits. “But at least everyone will be able to have a few litres of olive oil in the future.

“The idea is above all to have a good time and meet up with your neighbours.”

---

Find more on this story in the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 121 listen here.

Syrian refugee Hasan Sallouraoglu and his family have carved out a new life in Istanbul with a thriving pastry shop in Istanbul‘s Sultanbeyli district, home to around 60,000 Syrians.

With Assad gone, the question of whether to return to Syria now looms. “It’s been 10 years, and my shop has been open for the last eight years. We can start a shop there in Syria, too,” explained Sallouraoglu.

However, Sallouraoglu, with an ironic smile, acknowledges returning to Syria is a hard sell for his family. “There is not much excitement in my family. We see the news and we see that our country is completely destroyed on the ground. Ninety percent of it has been destroyed, so we need time to think,” said Sallouraoglu.

Across the road from Sallouraoglu’s pastry shop, the owner of a clothes shop, Emel Denyal, is considering returning to her home in Aleppo but says such a move could mean breaking up her family.

Nostalgia

“We are all thinking about returning. But the children aren’t interested. They love being here. They want to stay here,” said Denyal.

 ‘We still feel nostalgic for our land. We are still missing Syria because we were raised in Syria,” added Denyal, “The Syrian generation growing up in Turkey doesn’t think about going back. The elderly and my husband are considering returning, but my children aren’t. Can we find a solution?”

Since Assad fled Syria, Turkish authorities claim about 35,000 Syrians out of the nearly four million living in Turkey have gone home.

The Refugee Association in Sutlanebeyli provides assistance to some of Istanbul’s 600,000 Syrian refugees. Social welfare director Kadri Gungorur says the initial euphoria over Assad’s ousting is making way to a more pragmatic outlook.

“The desire to return was very strong in the first stage but has turned into this: ‘Yes, we will return, but there is no infrastructure, no education system, and no hospitals,’ said Gungorur.

Gungorur says with only 12 families from Sultanbeyli returning to their homes, he worries about the consequences if Syrians don’t return in large numbers. “If the Syrians do not return, the general public may react to the Syrians because now they will say that ‘Syria is safe. Why don’t you return?'”

Over the past year, Turkish cities, including Istanbul, have witnessed outbreaks of violence against Syrians amid growing public hostility towards refugees.

 Turkish authorities have removed Arabic from shop signs in a move aimed at quelling growing resentment made worse by an ailing economy.

Concerns for women

Turkish presidential adviser Mesut Casin of Istanbul’s Yeditepe University claims the government is aware of the Turkish public’s concern.   

“We all saw the civil war in Syria. Four million immigrant people in Turkey and that has brought a lot of problems in Turkey …even criminal actions. There’s also the problem of border security. Turkish public opinion is opposed to the Syrian people today,” said Casin.

Erdogan is promising to facilitate the quick return of Syrian refugees. However, such aspirations could well be dependent on the behaviour of Syria’s new rulers,

“The Syrians you have in Turkey are mostly women and children. So it has to be a government and administration friendly to women and children, specifically women,” says analyst Sezin Oney of the independent Turkish news portal Medyascope. 

“But we don’t know with these, Islamist, jihadist groups. Will they be really friendly towards these othe groups? So I don’t see the return of the Syrians who are in Turkey, really,” added Oney.

Erdogan is pledging that the return of the Syrians will be voluntary. However, analysts suggest more decisive action may be necessary, as the Turkish leader knows if the refugees do not return home quickly, it could have political consequences.

Maintaining a 35-year tradition which sees China’s top diplomat visit Africa on the first overseas trip of the year, Wang Yi – who is also a member of the all-powerful Standing Committee of China’s Communist Party – will this week visit Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad and Nigeria. 

“This is a pillar of the relationship between China and Africa,” said Eric Olander, CEO of the China-Global South Project, an NGO which monitors China’s relations with the African continent. “It is surprising that other countries like the United States, France, the UK, and others have not emulated this tradition, because it’s so easy and it is so effective.”  

Currently, China is at loggerheads with the European Union. After Brussels imposed high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Beijing took measures to restrict the activities of foreign car makers in China, hitting EU car giants such as Volkswagen, which have massive joint-venture operations in the country.

• Beijing accuses EU of slapping unfair restrictions on Chinese firms

US tariffs

Beijing is also anxiously awaiting the upcoming second US presidency of Donald Trump.

The US has imposed 100 percent tariffs on some Chinese products, while Trump fulminates against US companies that have outsourced their operations to the country, criticising the massive China-US trade deficit and claiming repeatedly that China is “ripping off” the US. 

African relations may help ease China’s worries. “China’s relationship with Nigeria is pivotal,” says Olander. The latter competes with South Africa for the position of Africa’s biggest economy.

“Nigeria is a 200 million plus super-market, like Brazil and Indonesia,” Olander added. “They are going to be increasingly important for China as they get shut out of the US and Europe, as well as Japan and the G7 markets.”

Nuclear energy

Namibia too is interesting for China, as a source of uranium, which is essential to feeding China’s growing nuclear energy industry.

“China has made climate commitments, and it is going to be very difficult for them to meet those without nuclear energy,” explained Olander. 

Beijing’s Africa trips, however, are primarily based on continental geography, rather than targeting specific countries.

“If they went to the east last time, they will focus more on the west this time. There is always the idea to have a mix of large and small countries. They also make sure that they visit as many countries as possible over the course of the years. Chad hasn’t come up before, so they went there,” Olander told RFI. 

Political support

While the focus is off the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative – a Chinese infrastructure project that aims to connect Asia, Africa and Europe through land and sea routes – due to China’s internal economic problems, over the past 10 years Beijing has looked more to Africa for political support, according to Olander. 

“Africa, more than any other region in the world, votes as a bloc in the United Nations,” he said. “African countries have been very enthusiastic supporters of China’s new alternative international governance architecture, the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Defence Initiative and the Global Development Initiative.”

In addition, most African countries support China in major international forums such as the United Nations Human Rights Council. They have signed up alongside China on sensitive issues including the autonomous region of Xinjiang and disputes over the South China Sea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Tibet.

Mutual interest

“It is consistency, building up a long-term relationship, which is what the Chinese have always insisted on,” said Michael Dillon, a history professor affiliated with the Lau China Institute at King’s College London.

“The Africans don’t like people who come in and make promises and then go out again. They want people who are prepared to take the rough with the smooth and to accept that a long-term relationship is the only way of developing mutual interest.”

This is in contrast to the old model under colonial powers such as the UK and France. Wang’s visit includes former French colonies the Republic of Congo and Chad, with the Chinese targeting countries where they perceive the West is pulling out.

“France is having particular difficulty maintaining a presence” in Africa, said Dillon. “It is moving its military out of Chad. And [China is] looking to be targeting the Francophone African areas, and they will want to be able to push out European sales.”

• Chad orders French troops to leave within six weeks as relations sour

But China will not send its troops to Africa, unless it is under the auspices of the UN. During his visit, Wang Yi announced military aid to Nigeria, but this will not involve sending troops.

“You will never see Chinese troops replace French or American troops in the Sahel,” said Olander. “But first and foremost, we can expect a pretty robust diplomatic presence and engagement, the continuation of Chinese financial engagement with many of the West African countries.”

Beijing deftly handled the political transition in Guinea and Niger, while Western powers had issues with the new governments.

According to Olander: “The Chinese went in there and they said, we’re not interested in telling you what to do. We just want to make sure that our investments stay stable, and also that Chinese nationals in the country are not targeted for attack.

“And for the most part, the different junta leaders across the Sahel said, if you stay out of our business, we’ll stay out of yours. And that’s what’s happened. And it allowed the Chinese a certain level of continuity in the Sahel that the Europeans and the Americans have not had.”

Disruption versus stability 

Meanwhile, Russian influence has been growing in several African countries from which Western – predominantly French – forces are departing, with Russian state-funded private military company the Wagner Group taking a prominent position in their place.

But Western fears about a possible association between Russia and China in Africa are misplaced, according to Olander. 

“In many respects Russia is a disruptive power in Africa and elsewhere,” he said. “That does not benefit the Chinese in places like Africa. China prefers stability. China wants to do business and trade.”

“China does support Russia when it comes to challenging the Western-led international system,” Olander said, adding that Chinese interests are not served by the disruption caused by the Wagner Group or by Russian disinformation campaigns.

“Russia’s presence in Africa is quite minimal. Their main exports are oil and minerals. You’re not going to sell oil and minerals to Africa. Russia wants to sell nuclear power stations, weapons, but for the most part, Russian economic engagement is a mere fraction of [that of] the Chinese.”

• Former Wagner media operative lifts the lid on Russian disinformation in CAR

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.

WORLD RADIO DAY is coming up – it’s on 13 February. As we do every year, we’ll have a feast in The Sound Kitchen, filled with your voices.

Send your SHORT recorded WRD greetings to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr by 1 February. This year’s theme is “Radio and Climate Change”, but you don’t have to talk about the theme – if you just want to say “hello!”, that’s fine, too.

Be sure you include your name and where you live in your message.

Most importantly, get under a blanket to record. This will make your recording broadcast quality.

Bombard me with your greetings!!!!

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!

This week’s quiz: On the 23rd of November, I asked you a question about the legislative elections in Senegal, which were won by a comfortable margin by Pastef, the ruling party.

The win came just a few months after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye secured the presidency, pledging economic transformation, social justice, and a fight against corruption, so now the way is cleared for Faye and Pastef to carry out ambitious reforms. May they succeed!

You were to re-read our article “Senegal’s ruling Pastef party on track to get large majority in elections”, and send in the answer to these questions: How many registered voters are there in Senegal, how many members are there in the Parliament, and for how long do those MPs serve?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Senegal’s roughly 7.3 million registered voters were called to elect 165 MPs for five-year terms.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is the best thing to wake up to?”

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan, who is also this week’s bonus question winner.

Congratulations on your double win, Kashif!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in West Bengal, India, and Nahid Hossen, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. There’s RFI Listeners Club member Sunil Dhungana from Braga, Portugal, and last but not least, RFI English listener Renu Sharma from Rajasthan, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Slavonic Dance op. 46 No. 6 by Antonin Dvorak, performed by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by George Szell; “Jarabi”, written and performed by Toumani Diabaté and Sidiki Diabaté; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “La Musette” by Léojac and René Flouron, performed by Berthe Sylva with the Orchestre des Concerts Parisiens conducted by André Cadou.

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 Melissa Chemam’s article “France’s ex-president Sarkozy on trial over alleged Gaddafi pact”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 3 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 8 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.   

Abou Sangaré won rave reviews as the lead actor in last year’s film L’Histoire de Souleymane (Souleymane’s Story) in which he played a food delivery cyclist in Paris who is preparing for an immigration interview.

He won the prize for best male performance in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, for a role that mirrored many of his own experiences as an undocumented migrant living in France.

After making three unsuccessful requests for work visas and being subject to a deportation order, he succeeded on Monday, 6 January in obtaining a one-year permit for the first time, according to his lawyer Claire Perinaud, having been offered a job as a mechanic.

“He will ask for renewals and will be able to move to longer-term visas at a later date,” she said.

‘I can’t wait to start working in the garage’

Sangaré told the newspaper Libération that he intended to take up the mechanic’s job, rather than pursue a career in film.

“There might be offers but I’m a mechanic, that’s my trade,” he said. “I can’t wait to start working in the garage.”

Despite having no acting experience, Sangaré was picked by director Boris Lojkine after he attended a casting call in his hometown of Amiens in northeast France, in between off-the-books jobs fixing cars and helping out at a local education charity.

The double life of Abou Sangaré, undocumented migrant and Cannes award winner

He left Guinea as a teenager, seeking to make enough money to pay for medical care for his mother, who has epilepsy.

His journey took him across the Sahara to Algeria and Libya, then across the Mediterranean in an inflatable boat to Italy and finally France.

“When we chose Sangaré to play the main role in the film, it was a big responsibility,” Lojkine said in October, when his film was released in France. “It’s only when he has his papers that I will [feel like I have] finished my film.”

(with AFP)

JANUARY 

50 years since France’s abortion law passed 

In a watershed moment for women’s rights in France, parliament passed the Veil Law on 17 January 1975, decriminalising abortion. Coming eight years after the Neuwirth Law legalised contraception, the legislation followed campaigns where 343 women publicly declared having had abortions and 331 doctors admitted performing them. The law, championed by Health Minister Simone Veil, was made permanent in 1979. 

80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz  

On 27 January 1945, Soviet soldiers reached Auschwitz concentration camp, home to just a few thousand surviving prisoners, including future writer Primo Levi. The soldiers stumbled upon the camp by chance, and its immense scale shocked them. In the following days, filmmakers and investigators documented the survivors’ harrowing experiences. For years, the Jewish identity of most victims remained underacknowledged, often overshadowed by broader references to “victims of fascism”. 

FEBRUARY 

80 years since the Yalta Conference  

The future of post-war Europe was decided at the Yalta Conference in Crimea, opening on 4 February 1945. With Nazi Germany’s impending defeat, the meeting between Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt agreed to divide Germany into zones of occupation and shift Poland‘s borders eastward. General Charles de Gaulle of France, however, was excluded from the talks, underscoring France’s precarious position as it recovered from years of occupation and collaboration. His absence from the famous photographs long remained a sore point in France. 

35 years since Mandela’s release  

Nelson Mandela walked free after 26 years in prison on 11 February 1990, raising his fist in victory alongside his wife Winnie. His party, the African National Congress, was unbanned days later. The apartheid system, in place since 1948, was abolished the following year. Mandela and President Frederik de Klerk shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize before Mandela became South Africa‘s first black president in 1994. 

MARCH 

80 years since Anne Frank’s death  

Around 1 March 1945, Anne Frank died aged 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Born in Frankfurt, she had lived in Amsterdam since 1933 when her family fled Nazi persecution. From 1942 to 1944, while hiding in a secret apartment, she wrote her famous diary. Her father Otto, the family’s sole survivor, published it in 1947. 

60 years since first spacewalk  

Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov made history on 18 March 1965 as the first human to conduct a spacewalk. Floating 200 kilometres above Earth for precisely 12 minutes and nine seconds, he had prepared with 1,000 kilometres of cycling, 150 practice sessions and 117 parachute jumps. He risked gas embolism during re-entry, and his spacecraft landed 400 kilometres off target. 

APRIL 

50 years since Lebanon’s civil war began  

On 13 April 1975, attacks between Palestinian fighters and Christian militias launched Lebanon into 15 years of civil war. The violence began when Palestinian fedayeen attacked a Maronite church, followed by Christians targeting a bus carrying Palestinian fighters and civilians. The country, once nicknamed the “Switzerland of the Middle East” for its prosperity and stability, emerged from the conflict devastated and under the influence of Syria and Israel.

50 years since the Khmer Rouge takeover  

After five years of civil war, the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975, overthrowing General Lon Nol‘s US-backed government. They immediately forced the population to leave the capital as part of their rural revolution. In under four years, their genocidal regime killed one in four Cambodians. 

MAY 

80 years since VE Day and the Setif massacre  

Nazi Germany formally surrendered to the Allied forces on 8 May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe. The same day, French colonial forces violently suppressed protests in Sétif, Guelma and Kherrata, killing thousands of Algerians. These massacres are now seen as precursors to the Algerian war of independence, which began nine years later. 

70 years since the Warsaw Pact  

On 14 May 1955, the Soviet Union and its eastern European allies signed the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance formed in response to NATO. The pact symbolised the division of Europe during the Cold War. 

JUNE 

80 years since Germany was divided  

On 5 June 1945, the four victorious Allied powers formalised the division of Germany into four occupation zones controlled by the US, the UK, the Soviet Union and France. Berlin sat within the Soviet sector. This laid the groundwork for the Cold War and Germany’s later split into East and West. 

700 years since Ibn Battuta’s pilgrimage 

On 14 June 1325, Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta, hailed “the greatest medieval Muslim traveller”, embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca. His voyage spanned 24 years and over 120,000 kilometres, taking him across Africa, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. Ibn Battuta’s detailed accounts remain invaluable records of medieval life and cultures.  

50 years since Mozambique’s independence 

Mozambique declared independence from Portugal on 25 June 1975 after a decade-long war of liberation. The end of Portuguese colonial rule across Africa was hastened by Portugal’s Carnation Revolution in 1974. 

JULY 

30 years since Srebrenica massacre 

Bosnian Serb forces overran the town of Srebrenica, a UN-designated safe zone, on 11 July 1995. Over the following days, they carried out the systematic massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys, making it Europe’s worst atrocity since World War II. About 30,000 people fled to Potocari seeking protection at the Dutch UN base, but found little safety. The victims’ bodies were buried in mass graves across the region, and the International Criminal Court later ruled the killings a genocide. It became a symbol of the world’s failure to prevent mass atrocities in the Bosnian War. 

80 years since first nuclear test  

The first nuclear weapons test took place on 16 July 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico, as part of the Manhattan Project. Los Alamos scientists developed the plutonium fission device nicknamed “Gadget”. Project leader J Robert Oppenheimer chose the codename Trinity from a John Donne poem. The blast, equal to 20 kilotons of TNT, was heard 160 kilometres away. 

AUGUST 

80 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs 

At 8:15am on 6 August 1945, a US B-29 bomber dropped “Little Boy“, the first atomic bomb used in warfare, on Hiroshima. Exploding 500-600 metres above ground, it generated power equivalent to 15,000 tonnes of TNT. Nearly one-third of the city’s 245,000 residents died instantly, while thousands more perished in the following months from radiation exposure. Three days later, on 9 August, a second atomic bomb named “Fat Man” devastated Nagasaki, instantly killing an estimated 40,000 people. 

SEPTEMBER 

80 years since the end of World War II 

Japan formally surrendered aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, bringing World War II to an official close.  

80 years since Vietnam’s independence 

Also on 2 September 1945, Vietnam declared independence from French colonial rule. This followed a brief period of Japanese occupation during World War II. The declaration by Ho Chi Minh marked the start of Vietnam’s struggle to achieve full sovereignty, which would take decades to realise. 

OCTOBER 

90 years since the Italian invasion of Ethiopia  

Benito Mussolini‘s forces invaded Ethiopia from Italian Somalia and Eritrea on 3 October 1935. It took seven months to conquer Emperor Haile Selassie‘s empire. This colonial war, seen as anachronistic by other European powers, exposed the failure of the League of Nations, the world’s first international peacekeeping body, to prevent conflict. It also saw the widespread use of poison gas against civilians. 

80 years since the UN’s founding  

The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 after China, the US, France, Britain, the Soviet Union and 45 other member states ratified its charter. The global body was created to promote peace and prevent conflicts after the devastation of World War II. 

NOVEMBER 

100 years since France’s first radio news  

On 3 November 1925, French journalism entered the modern era when Maurice Privat delivered the country’s first regular radio news bulletin from the Eiffel Tower. This historic broadcast came just three years after Radio Tour Eiffel began transmitting as France’s pioneering radio station. The station, which operated until the Nazi occupation in June 1940, revolutionised how French citizens received their news. In a significant shift toward media independence, the government had already begun separating state control of radio frequencies from programme content in 1924, allowing independent associations to shape what went on air. This early commitment to editorial freedom helped establish France’s enduring tradition of public broadcasting.

10 years since the Paris attacks  

On 13 November 2015, coordinated terrorist attacks by Islamic State struck Paris and its suburb of Saint-Denis, killing 130 people and hospitalising 413. The attackers targeted the Bataclan concert hall, several busy cafes and restaurants, and the national stadium during a France-Germany football match. The Bataclan suffered the heaviest toll, with 90 people killed during a two-hour hostage situation. The attacks remain the deadliest in modern French history. They marked the tragic peak of a year that began with January attacks on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a kosher supermarket, which killed 17 people. 

80 years since the Nuremberg trials  

The Nuremberg trials of 24 top Nazi leaders opened on 20 November 1945, establishing the first international criminal court. Eleven defendants were hanged on 16 October 1946, while Hermann Göring committed suicide the night before. Three were acquitted, one died before trial and another was deemed medically unfit. 

50 years since Franco’s death  

Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died in Madrid on 20 November 1975, aged 82, ending his 36-year grip on power. His death followed a month-long illness that gained international attention. His son-in-law helped extend Franco’s survival through artificial means to delay the inevitable succession crisis. Known as El Caudillo (the Leader), Franco made his final public appearance on 12 October. His death marked the end of Western Europe’s longest-running dictatorship and paved the way for Spain‘s return to democracy. 

DECEMBER 

10 years since the Paris climate agreement  

On 12 December 2015, 196 nations adopted the Paris Agreement to combat climate change. While legally binding, the agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to “well below” 2C remains increasingly challenging. The US withdrew in 2020 but rejoined the following year. The UN has warned the world is on track for far higher temperature increases by the end of the century. 

40 years of Les Restos du Coeur  

French comedian Coluche founded Les Restos du Coeur (Restaurants of the Heart) on 21 December 1985, creating what is today one of France’s most vital food charities. It was launched during a period of harsh economic austerity, when many French families struggled to afford food. Inspired by singer Daniel Balavoine, who sponsored the first campaign, the charity began by offering free meals to those in need. Four decades later, it has grown into a national institution. In 2022-23, amid rising living costs and inflation, the organisation set a new record by distributing 170 million meals to France’s most vulnerable citizens.  

80 years since establishment of the CFA franc  

On 26 December 1945, France officially established the CFA franc as the currency for its African colonies, though it had been in use since 1939. Originally the “French Colonies in Africa” franc, the currency survived decolonisation and is still used today in 14 African nations. France’s ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements brought the currency into the International Monetary Fund’s parity system, pegging it first to the French franc and later to the euro. The arrangement has sparked ongoing debate, with critics seeing it as a tool of French economic control in Africa, while supporters argue it provides monetary stability. The currency stands as one of the most enduring legacies of French colonialism in Africa. 

80 years since founding of the IMF and World Bank  

Two institutions that would shape the post-war economic world opened their doors in Washington on 27 December 1945: the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Created at the Bretton Woods Conference in July 1944, the IMF emerged as the guardian of global financial stability, helping countries manage currency crises and economic challenges. On the same day, its sister institution, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), began its mission to rebuild war-torn economies. The IBRD later evolved into today’s World Bank Group, becoming the world’s largest development bank.

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.

WORLD RADIO DAY is coming up – it’s on 13 February. As we do every year, we’ll have a feast in The Sound Kitchen, filled with your voices.

Send your SHORT recorded WRD greetings to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr by 1 February. This year’s theme is “Radio and Climate Change”, but you don’t have to talk about the theme – if you just want to say “hello!”, that’s fine, too.

Be sure you include your name and where you live in your message.

Most importantly, get under a blanket to record. This will make your recording broadcast quality.

Bombard me with your greetings!!!!

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!

This week’s quiz: On the 23rd of November, I asked you a question about the legislative elections in Senegal, which were won by a comfortable margin by Pastef, the ruling party.

The win came just a few months after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye secured the presidency, pledging economic transformation, social justice, and a fight against corruption, so now the way is cleared for Faye and Pastef to carry out ambitious reforms. May they succeed!

You were to re-read our article “Senegal’s ruling Pastef party on track to get large majority in elections”, and send in the answer to these questions: How many registered voters are there in Senegal, how many members are there in the Parliament, and for how long do those MPs serve?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Senegal’s roughly 7.3 million registered voters were called to elect 165 MPs for five-year terms.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is the best thing to wake up to?”

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan, who is also this week’s bonus question winner.

Congratulations on your double win, Kashif!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in West Bengal, India, and Nahid Hossen, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. There’s RFI Listeners Club member Sunil Dhungana from Braga, Portugal, and last but not least, RFI English listener Renu Sharma from Rajasthan, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Slavonic Dance op. 46 No. 6 by Antonin Dvorak, performed by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by George Szell; “Jarabi”, written and performed by Toumani Diabaté and Sidiki Diabaté; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “La Musette” by Léojac and René Flouron, performed by Berthe Sylva with the Orchestre des Concerts Parisiens conducted by André Cadou.

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 Melissa Chemam’s article “France’s ex-president Sarkozy on trial over alleged Gaddafi pact”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 3 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 8 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.   

This week, we focus on the fight against the exploitation of ‘blood minerals’ or ‘conflict minerals’ in Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Conflic minerals is the term used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to describe minerals sourced from conflict-affected and high-risk areas, such as tantalum, tin, tungsten (referred to as the ‘3Ts’), gold, cobalt, coltan, and lithium.

These minerals are essential for high-tech applications, including smartphones, electric batteries, and other advanced technology such as appliances, cars, and even wind turbines. They are predominantly found in the African Great Lakes region, especially in eastern DRC.

In an effort to combat the illegal and exploitative trade of these minerals, the NGO Global Witness established a transition team several years ago.

The May 2022 a report from Global Witness revealed that these minerals are used in products by international brands such as Apple, Intel, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, and Tesla.

Now, with a trial underway in France and Belgium accusing Apple, many observers are hopeful that it could bring about meaningful change.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of the tech giant Apple, alleging the company has illicitly used conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The American company claims it no longer sources conflict minerals from Central Africa, but is it doing enough?

DRC case against Apple brings new hope in conflict minerals crisis

The complaints filed against Apple have been described by lawyers involved as a matter of significant public interest.

European countries, consumers, and non-governmental organisations are increasingly scrutinising the international supply chains of minerals, with calls for highly profitable companies to be held accountable.

This complaint could mark the beginning of a broader wave of legal actions targeting technology companies linked to the sourcing of conflict minerals.

To examine the implications of this trial, this week’s guest is Gregory Mthembu-Salter, a researcher specialising in Africa’s political economy and a former consultant to the UN Group of Experts on the DRC on due diligence regarding conflict minerals. He is based in South Africa.

---

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale.

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.

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Be Our Guest” by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman; “Auld Lang Syne”, performed by the Glenn Miller Orch, and “New Year Resolution” by M. Cross, R. Catron, and W. Parker, performed by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.

The quiz will be back next Saturday, 11 January, with the answer to the question about the legislative elections in Senegal. Be sure and tune in! 

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.   

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.