The Socialists, who voted down previous budget proposals in December in conjunction with far-right lawmakers and thereby precipitated the fall of Michel Barnier‘s government, have made concessions on the 2023 pension reform a condition for support.

During a speech to Parliament on Tuesday, Francois Bayrou opened the door to renegotiating the disputed pension reform.

Bayrou resolved to revisit it announcing a “conclave” of three months of renegotiation “without any taboos” regarding the retirement age of 64.

Macron’s controversial pension reform takes its place in French law

However, the Socialists are asking him to go further to avoid censorship.

“It’s an achievement,” said Olivier Faure, the leader of the Socialist Party, who had negotiated with the Prime Minister, speaking on TF1’s evening news bulletin on Tuesday.

But “it’s not enough,” he added, rejecting the idea that, in the absence of an agreement between social partners, the “controversial” 2023 law would be reinstated.

“We will back a no-confidence vote, unless we get a clear response to our demands,” he said.

“What I am asking the Prime Minister is that, whether or not there is an agreement, Parliament will be seized with the question of pensions based on the proposals made by all parties…We will censure, unless we get a clear answer on this issue.”

Another no-confidence vote?

Bayrou’s general policy statement was to be scrutinised by most French party leaders, waiting to see how far he was willing to make concessions on this key reform of the second term of President Macron.

“The imperative that the country gives us,” the Prime Minister said to the National Assembly, which had overturned his predecessor Michel Barnier after just three months, “is to regain stability.”

French PM to modify pension reforms to win leftist support for 2025 budget

Faced with the almost impossible task of surviving and getting a budget for the current year passed, he was cautiously optimistic.

“When everything seems to be going wrong, we are forced to show courage,” he said, receiving applause from the presidential camp, more reserved applause from the right, and jeers from part of the left.

La France Insoumise (LFI) immediately filed a motion of censure, which will be debated on Thursday, but the National Rally (RN) is unlikely to vote in favor, diminishing its chances of succeeding.

(With newswires) 

Independence Square was under lockdown for the inauguration, with security forces blocking roads and patrolling the area to prevent violence.

As he took the oath of office, Chapo pledged to “defend, promote and consolidate national unity, human rights, democracy and the well-being of the Mozambican people”.

But his presidency starts under a cloud of tension and mistrust.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who claims the 9 October election was rigged in Chapo’s favour, has vowed to paralyse the government with daily demonstrations.

“We’ll protest every single day. If it means paralysing the country for the entire term, we will paralyse it for the entire term,” Mondlane said in a post on Facebook.

The unrest has already claimed more than 300 lives according to civil society group Plataforma Decide, with security forces accused of using excessive force against protesters.

Mozambique opposition leader calls for national strike, demos

Unknown ‘puppet’

In Maputo, Mondlane supporters are vocal in their rejection of the new president.

“Who is Chapo? I don’t know Chapo. He’s not my president,” said Paulo, a tuk-tuk driver waving a vuvuzela in Maputo’s Maxaquene district.

His words reflect widespread uncertainty about a leader who, until recently, was virtually unknown to most Mozambicans.

The 47-year-old entered the ruling Frelimo party without holding elected office, working his way up through administrative roles including heading the gas-rich Palma district in 2015 before becoming governor of Inhambane province.

His selection as Frelimo’s presidential candidate came after two days of internal party negotiations.

“As no faction managed to impose itself, they elected a puppet”, a former party member told RFI.

Post-election chaos in Mozambique sparks mass exodus to Malawi

Humble campaign image

Chapo is the first Mozambican president who did not participate in the 1975-1992 civil war. He has sought to portray himself as a man of the people, often referencing his modest upbringing.

“I was born in poverty. I’ve woken up not knowing what I would eat. I’ve sold mangoes in the street to buy paper and pencils,” he said during his campaign.

He also pledged to unite the country, stating on the night of his victory: “We will only be a nation if we know how to listen to each other.”

However, critics argue his affiliation with Frelimo, which has ruled Mozambique since independence in 1975, undermines his credibility as a candidate for change.

“It will be hard for him to win the hearts of Mozambicans as long as he is part of Frelimo,” said political scientist José Lourenço.

Mozambique’s highest court confirms Frelimo election victory

Poll observers critical

The election has drawn criticism from international observers, with the EU mission condemning what it called the “unjustified alteration of election results”.

Mondlane, who returned from exile last week, remains defiant. “This regime does not want peace,” he declared, blaming authorities for escalating violence.

The absence of many foreign leaders at the inauguration, with the exception of South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, has added to the perception of a tainted presidency.

Several Mozambican civil society organisations have petitioned the African Union not to recognise Chapo’s victory.

Meanwhile, Mondlane has expressed openness to dialogue, saying: “I’m here in the flesh to say that if you want to negotiate… I’m here.”

(With newswires)

On Saturday, 11 January on Paris’s Place de la République, dozens of people were protesting against the decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), announced last year by Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou.

The group is made up of members of the diaspora from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, and exiled political opponents.

Boubacar Mintou Koné – a member of the Malian political opposition in exile, from the Front malien patriotique pour le salut (“Malian Patriotic Front for Salvation”) – told RFI: “This withdrawal from Ecowas, currently under way, has been carried out without the necessary consultation of all the nation’s active forces and without a referendum to ask the entire Malian people whether or not we should remain in Ecowas.”

He supports the call for a return to constitutional order and the transfer of power from the military junta – which seized power in 2021, in what was the country’s third coup d’état in 10 years – to democratically elected institutions.  

‘Freedom of expression is being trampled’

Protesters from Niger and the north of Mali also denounced the juntas’ incompetence in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, as well as their ties with Russia.

“Russia is only there to exploit resources, by taking advantage of insecurity,” one protester from northern Mali said. “We also condemn and regret the inaction of the international community, which does nothing to try to alleviate the suffering of the people.”

Blinken tours West Africa offering US support to offset Russian influence in Sahel

Idrissa, a Nigerien living in Normandy, north-west France, travelled to the capital for the occasion. “Freedom of expression is being trampled on in the Sahel,” he told RFI. “Anyone who tries to speak out risks ending up in prison, whereas here in France we have the opportunity to voice our discontent.”

However, exiled Malian opposition figure Ismaël Sakho, who is president of the African Social Democratic Party, believes that even protesting in France is risky for members of the diaspora, as it could see their relatives back home threatened. But he says it remains a necessary evil.

“There needs to be leaders who dare, and we dare,” he told RFI. “We are not afraid because we want to remain part of a community that benefits us more.”

The protesters plan to assemble in Paris again soon, saying this first demonstration was a trial run.

Ecowas’ future in jeopardy after Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso leave group

Security threat

The withdrawal of the three countries from Ecowas poses major issues in terms of population circulation, trade and security.

Bakary Sambe is the regional director of the Dakar-based Timbuktu Institute, a think tank specialising in security and conflict resolution, who works on integration issues in West Africa.  

“In itself, the creation of the Sahel States Alliance through the Liptako Gourma Charter presaged a weakening of Ecowas and the tacit disappearance of the G5 Sahel, which was a key player in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa in general,” he wrote on the institute’s site.

For Sambe, the withdrawal risks the fragmentation of regional counter-terrorism efforts, and could have a negative impact on the African Union‘s efforts in terms of security and cooperation.

“Groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda are committed to the establishment of these states, denouncing democratic governance,” according to Oluwole Ojewale, research fellow at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, and regional coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa).

He told The Conversation: “Their influence and operational model are on the rise. They are radicalising the population, heightening sectarian strife and aggravating the difficulties of already volatile regions. Operating in parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad, these groups aspire to form a jihadist caliphate in the Sahel region.”

The spike in consumption has pushed France to seventh place among European nations for cocaine use, according to the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends (OFDT). 

“The evolution of working conditions” has led to people using it on the job, said the OFDT’s deputy director Ivana Obradovic, citing restaurant workers trying to cope with intensive schedules and fishermen dealing with tough working conditions. 

While the price of a gram of cocaine has remained relatively stable – rising from 60 euros to 66 euros per gram between 2011 and 2023 – the drug’s purity has increased dramatically.  

The drug now tests at 73 percent purity compared to 46 percent in 2011. 

French authorities seized 23.5 tonnes of cocaine in 2023, up from 4.1 tonnes in 2010, reflecting record global production levels.  

Colombia, Bolivia and Peru produced 2,700 tonnes in 2022, more than double the 1,134 tonnes recorded in 2010. 

More than 2 tonnes of cocaine washes up on shores of northern France

Experimentation surge 

The report found cannabis remains France‘s most consumed illegal drug, with five million users in 2023. Of these, 1.4 million were regular users and 900,000 consumed it daily. 

MDMA and ecstasy use has surged from 400,000 to 750,000 users between 2019 and 2023, while heroin experimentation rose by 350,000 to reach 850,000 users. 

“Young adults have shown the highest increases in experimentation and yearly usage,” said Obradovic. 

The illegal drug trade in France generates between 3.5 and six billion euros annually. A recent OFDT study calculated the social cost – including lost lives, reduced quality of life and public finance impact – at 7.7 billion euros. 

“Heroin use no longer only affects the most vulnerable – there are more socially integrated people who consume it nasally,” Obradovic said. 

The report noted changing attitudes have contributed to cocaine’s spread, with the drug now being seen as more familiar and less dangerous than two decades ago. 

The company – which manages accommodation and food for fly-in fly-out (Fifo) mining workers in desert locations – posted a €10 million loss last year as it struggled to meet the expectations of its well-paid clientele.

Its woes deepened when a major contract with Fortescue Metals Group to manage camps at its Chichester iron ore hub in the Pilbara region of Western Australia was awarded to Canadian competitor Civeo.

“The food they serve is pretty much always disgusting, sometimes it’s completely inedible and are meals I wouldn’t even give to my pets,” an unamed employee from Fortescue’s Christmas Creek camp told newspaper The West Australian.

Sodexo’s flagship €1.5 billion contract with Rio Tinto, which serves more than 20,000 miners, is set to expire in 2026.

While the company is in late-stage talks to renew the deal, industry rumours suggest Rio management is under pressure to explore other catering options as competitors improve their offerings.

Rival Mineral Resources, known for its “seafood Fridays”, has been rolling out an a la carte service at its camps to attract workers in a tight labour market.

Paris’s eco-friendly Olympic Village gets mixed reviews from athletes

Service upgrade

Sodexo’s setbacks have contributed to total losses of more than €100 million over nine years, despite its revenue more than doubling to over €610 million in the past decade.

In response to its bad press, Sodexo has launched an aggressive upgrade of its services, pumping €130 million of fresh equity into its Australian operations since 2017.

New offerings include American barbecue dishes like beef ribs and brisket at Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri camp, while Asian chefs prepare Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. The company is also planning to add yoga classes and hair salons to its facilities.

Rising costs have hit Sodexo hard. Labour expenses doubled over the past decade, climbing from €170 million to €312 million. Food costs, meanwhile, have soared to €141 million.

“Like any other player in the food and facilities management industry, we are not immune to the rising costs of labour and raw materials,” said Sodexo Australia chief financial officer Abhi Shan.

While Sodexo struggles, Civeo has reported significant profits over the past two years and secured the Fortescue contract Sodexo lost in 2024.

Despite its losses, Sodexo is doubling down on its resources sector strategy.

The company has renewed key contracts, launched 20 new sites across Australia, and recruited chefs from India to address labour shortages.

The office of new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he met the French ambassador to Beirut on Tuesday to discuss preparations for Macron’s visit.

The French presidency confirmed the date.

The trip follows Lebanon’s breakthrough election of Aoun as president on Thursday, ending a two-year vacancy amid pressure from international powers including France, the country’s former colonial ruler.

On Monday, Aoun appointed Nawaf Salam, an international judge and diplomat, as prime minister. Salam now faces the challenge of forming a government to address Lebanon’s severe economic crisis, which has stretched over five years.

US and France lead backing for Lebanon-Israel ceasefire deal

‘Unwavering commitment’

“The unwavering commitment of France to support Lebanon, its sovereignty and unity” would be highlighted during the visit, said Macron’s office.

His trip follows a ceasefire in November between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which was announced by Macron and US President Joe Biden.

Under that deal, there is a 60-day period during which the Lebanese army is  expected to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.

At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometres from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the country’s south.

From protector to onlooker: how France lost its influence in Lebanon

Ceasefire committee

A committee composed of Israeli, Lebanese, French and US delegates, alongside a representative from the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of the deal.

“The trip will also be the occasion to work on the implementation of the ceasefire… and to reiterate France’s commitment towards this within UNIFIL,” his office said.

Macron said on Monday that Salam’s appointment represented “hope for change” in Lebanon.

Macron’s office said he hoped Salam’s government could be both “strong” and “represent all the diversity of the Lebanese people”.

A Paris conference on funding for Lebanon in October raised around $800 million for humanitarian aid in the Mediterranean country.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides visited Lebanon on Friday.

(with AFP)

During a 90-minute address to the National Assembly, Bayrou said: “I have decided to put the pensions issue back on the table, with the social partners, for a short time and under transparent conditions.”

 The 73-year-old, who replaced Michel Barnier last December, said the review would be done without any restrictions.

François Bayrou named French prime minister as Macron seeks stability

President Emmanuel Macron pledged to revamp France’s complicated system of pensions as part of his second term in office. The proposals led to widespread protests over the key plank of the reforms – raising the retirement age to 63 by the end of 2026 and 64 by 2030.

Ushering in the rethink, Bayou said the timeline gave the review panel a window of opportunity.

“But I would like to set a shorter-term deadline, in the autumn, when the next social security funding bill will be discussed,” he added.

Bayrou, in his first major policy speech to French MPs, told them that he was going to ask the Cour des Comptes (independent auditors of public finances) to draw up detailed figures for the review.

“I am convinced that we can seek a new path of reform without totems or taboos, not even the retirement age is exempt, provided that it meets the requirements set – not to worsen the financial equilibrium of the system, which would be an unforgivable mistake,” he said.

France’s Prime Minister Bayrou names new cabinet

Reforming pensions

The review panel is likely to consist of unions and employers’ organisations as well as government officials. Bayrou added: “If, in the course of this conclave, this delegation comes up with an agreement that is balanced and fairer, we will adopt it. The matter will be referred to parliament in the next Social Security Financing Bill or before, if necessary by means of a law.”

He warned that if no new agreements were struck, the current plan adopted in April 2023 would apply.

France’s new economy, budget ministers get to work on budget for 2025

Shortly after Macron signed the pension reform into law, his approval ratings plummeted mainly due to his party’s decision to ram the pensions law through parliament without a vote via Article 49.3.

The Socialist party leader, Olivier Faure, said that Macron’s move showed disdain towards the anti-pension protest movement while hard-left MP François Ruffin denounced the action as a democratic hold-up.

Advocates of the changes say they are necessary to avoid annual pension deficits forecast to hit 13.5 billion euros by 2030, according to government figures.

Bayrou’s move to look again at pensions is regarded as a conciliatory gesture to critics of Macron’s brainchild. But the prime minister faces a challenge to find a common voice over the budget plan for 2025.

The failure to gain a consensus led to Barnier’s downfall in a no-confidence vote last year after only three months in office.

French PM Bayrou defends choices to lead country out of ‘difficult situation’

Sword of Damocles

Bayrou, like Barnier, lacks a majority in the National Assembly and could be dispatched just as theatrically if he fails to win backing from enough opposition MPs.

“This debt is a sword of Damocles over our country and our social model,” Bayrou said. “We have many reasons to worry, but one emerges with resounding force: our excessive debt.”

France is under pressure from the European Commission for overspending and from high refinancing costs demanded by financial markets.

Bayrou said that the 2025 public-sector deficit target was now projected at 5.4 percent of gross domestic product, against five percent targeted by Barnier’s administration.

“The task that the country has set us is to return to stability,” Bayrou added.

Most observers expect the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party to lodge a no-confidence motion after Bayrou’s speech but this cannot take place without the support of the Socialist party.

“They give the impression of being very active,” said Green party leader Marine Tondelier about the government’s efforts at compromise. “But the outcome is meagre,” she told the French news agency AFP.

(With newswires)

The siege, which began in August at the mine in the town of Stilfontein, about 150km from Johannesburg, cut off food and water supplies for months in an attempt to force the miners to the surface so that they could be arrested.

On Monday, authorities used a metal cage to begin recovering men and bodies from the shaft, in an operation expected to run for days.

“We don’t know exactly how many people are remaining there,” South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu told broadcaster eNCA. “We are focusing on getting them, assisting them out.”

It was difficult to say when all the miners would be brought up, he said, adding: “When each one of the miners who are underground went there, no one was counting.”

In a statement, police said 51 bodies had been retrieved by Tuesday night, following nine the previous day.

Bodies recovered in operation to rescue hundreds trapped in South African mine

Survivors arrested

The 106 survivors pulled from the mine on Tuesday were arrested for illegal mining, swelling the figure of 26 a day earlier, they added.

For decades, South Africa‘s precious metals industry has battled illegal mining, which costs the government and industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year in lost sales, taxes and royalties, a mining industry body estimates.

Typically, it is centred on mines abandoned by companies as they are no longer commercially viable on a large scale. Unlicensed miners, known locally for taking a chance, go in to extract whatever may be left.

The South African government has said the siege of the Stilfontein mine was necessary to fight illegal mining, which Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe called “a war on the economy”.

But residents and rights groups have criticised the crackdown, part of an operation called “Close the Hole”.

“The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution responsible for the manufacture and quality control of the medals, to assess any complaints about the medals and to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage,” the IOC said on Monday.

“Defective medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically.

“The replacement process should begin in the coming weeks.”

A spokesperson for the Monnaie de Paris refuted the term “defective” and said that the medals signalled by athletes as being “damaged” since the month of August have already been replaced.

“We have replaced all the damaged medals since August and we will continue to do so in the same professional manner as before,” said the spokesperson, adding that replacements were “underway” and were being made “as requests come in”.

More than 100 defective medals

According to French online media outlet La Lettre, “more than 100 defective medals have been returned by disgruntled athletes”, who have seen their awards deteriorate.

Some Olympians from the Paris Games took to social media to share photos of their medals.

One such athlete was American skateboarder Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in the street skateboarding competition on 29 July.

Ten days later he posted a picture of his medal, where he complained about its quality.

“These Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you would think,” he said.

“It’s looking rough. Even the front. It’s starting to chip off a little.”

Quality of the vernish

According to La Lettre, the medals “had to bear the brunt of the new products used”, as new regulations banned a component of the varnish previously employed and “had to be replaced at short notice”.

The 5,084 gold, silver and bronze medals for Paris 2024 were designed by luxury jewellery and watch firm Chaumet and produced by the Monnaie de Paris.

How French jewellery house Chaumet designed the Olympic medals

Each medal contains a small piece of the Eiffel Tower, taken from the stocks of the Parisian monument’s operating company.

(with AFP)

Marjane Satrapi arrived in France in 1994 and gained French nationality in 2006.

In July, she was awarded the Legion of Honour, France’s highest order of merit, but the graphic novel author and filmmaker decided to “reject” the honor, in a letter addressed to France’s Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, which was published on Instagram on Monday.

France’s visa policies

“I can’t ignore what I see as a hypocritical attitude towards Iran,” Satrapi wrote, clarifying that her decision was not meant to disrespect the award itself.

Satrapi particularly pointed to France’s visa policies, which she believes favour the children of Iran‘s elite over dissidents.

 “I can’t continue seeing the children of Iranian oligarchs come to spend their holidays in France, even become naturalised, while at the same time young dissidents have difficulty in obtaining a tourist visa to come to see what the country of the Enlightenment and human rights looks like,” she wrote.

“When you have people who are fighting for democracy, you need to support them,” she told French news agency AFP on Monday.

She joins an illustrious list of artists and intellectuals to have refused the Legion of Honour – including philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux, and economist Thomas Piketty. 

(with AFP)

Monfils, playing in the tournament for the 18th time, won 7-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 6-3 in just under four hours to move into the second round against the unseeded German Daniel Altmaier.

“‘It’s never easy to play Frenchmen, even more so when you like each other,” said Monfils. “I am happy with the win. It shows I still have the ability to remain competitive.”

Monfils, who reached a career high of six in the world in November 2016, came into the season’s first Grand Slam tournament on the back of a trophy from the ASB Classic and the kudos of becoming the oldest man to win a top level ATP competition since tennis was opened to professional players in 1968.

Mpetshi Perricard, featuring in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time as a seed, squandered a set point during the opening set tiebreaker.

Still reeling from the setback, the 30th seed lost his service game early in the second set and, having secured the advantage, Monfils held his own service games to claim it 6-3 and gain a two-set advantage.

During 2024, Mpetshi Perricard surged 170 places up the rankings following impressive runs to an ATP 250 title in Lyon and the ATP 500 crown in Basel.

He showed admirable grit to save two match points in the third set tiebreak and fight back to take the match into a fifth set.

Victory

Monfils, though, broke early in the decider and ploughed on diligently to triumph.

“The match could have ended much earlier,” said Mpetshi Perricard. “But I did everything I could to turn it around. I’m 21 and I know I’m bound to improve. I’m not going to go into a depression because I lost to a good player. I just have to be patient.”

Adrian Mannarino was another French loser in the opening round. The 36-year-old lost. to the 19th seed Karen Khachanov in straight sets.

However, Monfils was joined in the second round by his compatriot Corentin Moutet who upset the local hero Alexei Popyrin in the John Cain Arena,

The 25-year-old lost the first set to the 24th seed but recovered to take the tie 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and progress to the second round for the fourth time in his six visits to Melbourne Park

In the women’s draw,  Varvara Gracheva from France advanced to the second round following a 6-3, 6-4 win over  Caty McNally from the United States.

Gracheva, 24, is the only French woman left in the tournament following defeats on Sunday and Monday for the top two female players Diane Parry and  Caroline Garcia as well as Chloé Paquet and Léolia Jeanjean.

“Both men and Caty were stressed,”’ Gracheva said. “Particularly at the end of the second set but I think overall I was just a little bit more solid. I’m really happy to win.

On Thursday, she will face Eva Lys from GErmany for a place in the last 32.

Charlie Dalin, who came second in the last edition of the Vendée Globe race in 2021, sailed into the port of Sables-d’Olonne at sunrise to a chorus of ships’ klaxons.

His time of 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds beat the record set by Armel Le Cleac’h in 2017 by more than nine days.

Dalin, 40, led for the majority of the race on his yacht Macif and his closest challenger, Yoann Richomme, was more than half a day behind.

His wife Perrine and seven-year-old son Oscar joined him on board his boat “Macif” after he crossed the line and an exhausted Dalin raised his arms to the sky in triumph.

“I have never experienced such emotions. With the light that is starting to break through, it’s unbelievable,” Dalin said, according to organisers.

“I have been dreaming about this Vendée Globe since the day after the 2021 Vendee Globe.

Dalin’s victory was all the sweeter after what transpired four years ago.

In 2021, he crossed the line first, but was demoted to second when runner-up Yannick Bestaven was adjudged the winner after being awarded a time bonus for going to the aid of a stricken rival.

Bestaven, whose defence of his title ended at the end of December due to a series of problems with his boat, edged Dalin out by three hours once the bonus was taken into account.

Chasing boats close in on Vendée Globe yacht race leader Frenchman Charlie Dalin

‘He deserves it’

In this year’s race, Dalin had a more powerful and versatile boat than four years ago and enjoyed relatively clement weather.

He seized control of the race at the end of November as he rounded the Cape of Good Hope.

He and Sebastien Simon were the only competitors to opt to head into the middle of the Indian Ocean despite a violent storm and avoid having to take a detour.

Simon’s courage cost him a broken starboard foil which allowed Dalin to take a sizeable lead over his rivals.

However, Richomme got the bit between his teeth and erased a gap of 500 nautical miles in a matter of days round the south of Australia and took a nine-minute lead when they rounded Cape Horn.

Dalin’s triumph became all but certain when Richomme suffered a torn foresail on his boat “Paprec Arkea” as they crossed the North Atlantic.

“I think he deserves it,” said Richomme a few days ago.

(with AFP)

France, Britain and Germany are holding talks with Iran in Geneva this Monday over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, just a week before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office. 

They are the second round of talks over Iran’s nuclear programme in less than two months, following a discreet meeting held in Switzerland in November between Tehran and the three European powers, known as the E3.  

Germany’s foreign ministry has underlined: “These are not negotiations”, while Iran has similarly emphasised that the talks are merely “consultations”.

According to Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, the discussions – scheduled over Monday and Tuesday – will cover a “wide range of topics … The primary objective of these talks is to remove the sanctions [on Iran]”.

He added that Iran was also “listening to the … topics that the opposite parties want to raise”.

France, European powers push to censure Iran at UN nuclear meeting

Trump’s return

On Thursday, France’s foreign ministry said the meeting was a sign that the E3 countries “are continuing to work towards a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme, the progress of which is extremely problematic”.

This week’s talks in Geneva come as Iran’s nuclear programme has received renewed focus in light of Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House on 20 January.

During his first term, Trump had pursued a policy of “maximum pressure“, withdrawing the US from a landmark nuclear deal which imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. 

Tehran adhered to the deal until Washington’s withdrawal, but then began rolling back its commitments. 

Efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear pact have since faltered and European officials have repeatedly expressed frustrations over Tehran’s non-compliance.

‘Breaking point’

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said the acceleration of Iran’s nuclear programme is “bringing us very close to breaking point“.

Iran later blasted the comments as “baseless” and “deceitful”.

In December, Britain, Germany and France accused Tehran of increasing its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to “unprecedented levels” without “any credible civilian justification”.

“We reiterate our determination to use all diplomatic tools to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon – including using snapback if necessary,” Tehran added.

The snapback mechanism – part of the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA – allows signatories to re-impose United Nations sanctions on Iran in case of the “significant non-performance” of commitments. 

The option to trigger the mechanism expires in October this year, adding urgency to the ongoing diplomatic efforts.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear watchdog says Iran has increased the manufacture of enriched uranium such that it is the only non-nuclear armed state to possess uranium enriched to 60 percent. 

That level is well on the way to the 90 percent required for an atomic bomb.

UN nuclear agency ‘regrets’ lack of Iranian cooperation

End to isolation

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons. 

It has also repeatedly expressed a willingness to revive the deal.

President Masoud Pezeshkian – who took office in July – has favoured reviving that agreement and called for an end to his country’s isolation. 

In a recent interview with China’s CCTV, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also expressed willingness “to engage in constructive negotiations”. 

“The formula that we believe in is the same as the previous JCPOA formula, namely, building trust on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions,” he said. 

Jean-Marie Le Pen was convicted several times for his openly racist and anti-Semitic statements, and had boasted of torturing prisoners during the war against Algeria. 

When, in 2011, Marine Le Pen took over as head of the National Front (FN) party he founded four decades earlier, she quickly took steps towards making it electable – rebranding it the National Rally (RN) and cleaning up its image in a policy known as “de-demonisation”.

Her father threatened to derail the strategy, reiterating remarks – first made in 1987 – that the Nazi gas chambers were “a detail in the history of World War II“. She threw him out the party in 2015.

“I will never forgive myself for this decision, because I know it caused him immense pain,” she told the Journal du dimanche (JDD) newspaper in an interview published on its website Sunday.

“This decision was one of the most difficult of my life. And until the end of my life, I will always ask myself the question: ‘could I have done this differently?'”, she said.

Le Pen challenged the decision in the courts, but failed. The father-daughter relationship reportedly remained strained, though Marine Le Pen has been discreet over family affairs.

France’s far right tries to move away from past anti-Semitism

Devil of the Republic

Jean-Marie Le Pen also said, in 2014, that Patrick Bruel – a Jewish singer who’d criticised him – would be part of “a batch we will get next time”.

Addressing such remarks, Marine Le Pen said: “It’s somewhat unfair to judge him solely on the basis of these controversies.”

After his long political career, “it is inevitable to have subjects that arouse controversy,” she argued, while saying it was “unfortunate” that Jean-Marie Le Pen “got bogged down in these provocations”.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, who died last Tuesday, was buried on Saturday in a quiet family ceremony in his home region of Brittany in western France.

Gatherings in Paris and other cities to celebrate his death were denounced by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau as “deeply disgraceful”.

The so-called “Devil of the Republic” ran for the French presidency five times, reaching the second round in 2002 before being trounced by his conservative rival Jacques Chirac after huge protests against the far right. 

Marine Le Pen, who has stood for president three times, is likely preparing another run in 2027.

(with newswires)

Olivier Grondeau,34, had previously only been identified by his first name and French authorities had not released details of his case.

In an audio message aired on France Inter public radio on Monday, Grondeau fully identified himself, proclaimed his innocence and said he was the victim of “political blackmail” between France and Iran.

He warned that he and two other French detainees held in Iran were “exhausted”.

The other two French nationals – teachers Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris – were detained in May 2022 on charges of  seeking to stir up labour protests. Their families strongly deny the accusations.

Grondeau is being held in Evin prison in Tehran, sharing a cell with 18 other prisoners. He said that Kohler and Paris were being held in even harsher conditions than his own.

“You, who have the power to influence this matter, hear this truth,” he said in the audio message, apparently addressing the French authorities.

“Cecile’s strength, Jacques’ strength, Olivier’s strength – it is all running out,” he said. “Your responsibility is called upon to ensure the survival of three human beings,” he said.

Time to turn to the media

Grondeau was arrested in Shiraz, in southern Iran, in October 2022 and sentenced to five years behind bars for “conspiracy against the Islamic republic”, his mother Thérèse told France Inter.

His family rejects the charges, saying Grondeau was travelling to Iran simply on a tourist visa as part of a world tour.

“We’ve left time for diplomacy, nothing happened. Now it’s time to turn to the media” to try and secure his release, she said.

The French foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador on 10 January to protest Tehran holding the three French nationals, describing them as “state hostages”.

“Their situation is intolerable, with undignified conditions of detention, that, for some, constitute torture under international law”, the foreign ministry said.

Shortly after Grondeau’s message was broadcast, German-Iranian Nahid Taghavi returned to Germany after spending four years in an Iranian jail for rights activism, her family said.

Earlier this month, an Italian journalist, Cecilia Sala, arrested and jailed in Iran since December, was freed and returned to Rome.

(with newswires)

Wild boars are generally viewed as pests in France – farmers say they damage crops, health officials argue they spread disease. And they can also cause fatal car accidents by crossing the road at inopportune moments. 

They’re hunted for their meat, which most often finds its way into sausages or a kind of spread known as “rillettes”.

But one wild boar has captured the hearts of animal lovers both in France and abroad after local authorities in the Aube region of eastern France threatened to put her down.

Horse-breeder Elodie Cappé first spied the animal as a lone piglet rummaging around the bins among rotting vegetables in April 2023. The sow, named “Rillette” grew up alongside Cappé on her farm near Chaource.

“She’s an integral part of the family,” Cappé told Le Figaro. 

French authorities, however, have taken a dim view of the situation.

They argue that keeping non-domesticated animals is unlawful and that the risk of spreading disease is a threat to public safety.

Rillette will be put down unless a “suitable place” can be found for her.

France considers extending the boar hunting season

Bardot to the rescue

What could have remained a local affair turned global after actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot threw her weight behind a petition to save the sow.

Launched in early December, the petition has garnered more than 187,000 signatures.

“Help! I demand that Rillette be spared. What monsters are asking for her euthanasia?…This little animal has the right to live, it’s even a duty, she’s innocent,” Bardot raged in a hand-written note published online.

“Euthanasia is a crime! We are governed by murderers!”

There’ve been protests, even a song in Rillette’s honour. 

On Sunday some 500 people gathered in Chaource for a silent march to prevent public health officials getting their way.

Cappé says she’s received “letters of support” from fond followers not just in France but from many different countries.

French pensioner ready to die to stop pet wild boar being seized

Passing the buck

When Cappé found the piglet, she says she tried to hand her over to animal sanctuaries and parks but they refused to take her. “They passed the buck,” she told France 3 public television.

The horse breeder built an enclosure on her farm to comply with regulations, but that didn’t satisfy the authorities.

“The legislation is justified by the health risks entailed in keeping such animals…  there is a high risk of diseases spreading to farms or domestic animals,” the local prosecutor said, citing swine fever and bovine tuberculosis.

In late December, Cappé was ordered to hand the animal over to a company that trains animals to appear on film and television.

She refused, saying it was “shameful” to want to send Rillette there for financial gain.

The courts are due to render their decision this week. Cappé risks three years in prison and a €150,000 fine. Rillette risks far more.

The initiative provides financial support within three to five days, covering urgent expenses for those fleeing abuse.

It has been granted to 36,115 women since its implementation on 1 December, 2023, Minister for Gender Equality Aurore Bergé said in an interview with newspaper La Voix du Nord.

The average aid amount paid, she added, was €877.

First femicide of 2025

Bergé announced the figures during a visit to the northern town of Haumont, where France’s first femicide of 2025 was recorded.

Isabelle Mortaigne, a 52-year-old homemaker, was killed early on New Year’s Day. Her husband has been charged with voluntary manslaughter.

Bergé joined family members and hundreds of local residents who placed white roses at the town hall, where a banner reading “In memory of Isabelle Mortaigne” hung from the facade.

Bergé said that 1,889 aid packages had been granted in the Nord department, where Haumont is located, in 2024.

Victims of domestic abuse in France to receive emergency aid

Ongoing challenge

While financial support aims to help victims leave abusive households, statistics indicate the scale of the challenge.

Official figures show 93 women were killed at the hands of their partner or former partner in 2023. While that’s down on the year before, cases of domestic violence are on the rise.

The latest report from the Interior Ministry (SSMSI) published in November showed that security forces recorded some 271,000 victims of domestic violence in 2023, with women making up the vast majority of cases.  

This figure marked a doubling of reported incidents since 2016.

(with newswires)

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)

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.