The relationship between Paris and Washington faces immediate challenges as Trump begins a presidency that could fundamentally reshape transatlantic relations.  

Those challenges were underlined by Macron’s exclusion from Trump’s inauguration guest list, despite invitations being extended to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian leader Viktor Orban – both seen as Trump allies. 

A source close to the French president played this down, saying it was not tradition to invite heads of state, before adding: “The problem is he’s inviting European leaders to stir up trouble.”

Early action 

Macron, nevertheless, has moved quickly to establish connections with the incoming administration.  

He congratulated Trump immediately after his election victory and, in an early diplomatic move, Macron hosted Trump in Paris last month for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral.  

The visit, Trump’s first international trip since his election, included a face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that was arranged by Macron. 

According to the Élysée Palace, Macron believes it is “time more than ever for Europe to take its destiny in its own hands” given the shifting global dynamics brought by Trump’s return. 

Trump vows blitz of emergency actions at star-studded rally in Washington, DC

European unity 

A key part of Macron’s strategy is preserving European unity against what some see as Trump’s divisive tactics.  

“The challenge is to ensure that European leaders don’t rush to Washington to defend their own narrow interests,” an Élysée source said. 

Macron has positioned himself as a defender of European cohesion, aiming to counteract Trump’s apparent strategy of engaging with individual EU countries to weaken the bloc’s collective power. 

The French leader’s influence within Europe has grown since his first term in 2017. 

“Macron has gained seniority in the European Council,” a former minister told RFI. “Despite domestic struggles after the dissolution, he remains influential in this small club. He wants to represent France and be useful at a European level.”

Thousands march in Washington DC to protest Trump’s presidency

Relationship of ‘trust’ 

Trump also sees Macron as a credible partner, partly because of his re-election. “That matters in the psychology of the American president,” the Élysée source added. 

Macron’s immediate focus is on resolving the war in Ukraine and addressing trade issues, two areas he believes are crucial for strengthening Europe’s autonomy. 

“There’s a relationship of trust between the two presidents,” the source said. “That’s essential for building a stronger Europe.”

 “If there is a need to defend Europe’s economic interests, we are ready to do so,” Valdis Dombrovskis said when asked about the threat by Trump – who so far has stopped short of announcing immediate new tariffs on US trading partners.

A potential trade conflict would have a “substantial economic cost for everyone, including the United States,” Dombrovskis added following a meeting of Finance Ministers in Brussels.

“If it becomes necessary to defend Europe’s economic interests, we are prepared to do so, just as we did during the first Trump administration (2017-2021), when it introduced tariffs on steel and aluminium,” he emphasised.

At the time, Europeans had responded “proportionately,” noted the European Commissioner, with retaliatory tariffs on American products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Bourbon whiskey.

In response to Donald Trump’s threats, the European Union must also “work on strengthening the resilience of its economy,” argued Valdis Dombrovskis, by “diversifying” its trade agreements globally.

Just before Donald Trump’s inauguration, the EU announced on Friday the reinforcement of its trade partnership with Mexico. For more about the inauguration follow our live blog for updates.

Trump promised an avalange of emergency actions Sunday at the massive “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” on the eve of his inauguration, starting with a crackdown on an “invasion” of immigrants at the border with Mexico.

“Starting tomorrow, I will act with historic speed and strength and fix every single crisis facing our country,” Trump told a cheering crowd at a Washington arena the day before he is sworn in for a second term.

“We’re going to stop the invasion of our borders,” added Trump, who has suggested that he will order police to take action in cities with big immigrant populations as soon as he takes office.  

The billionaire lashed out at the “failed administration” of outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden.

Trump also said he will immediately sign a record number of executive orders, undoing many of Biden’s policies including on diversity and on drilling for oil in offshore sites and on federal land. 

‘We’re being laughed at’

The rally featured celebrity backers including actor Jon Voight and musician Kid Rock, who all paid fulsome tribute to Trump.

Long lines of Trump supporters formed outside the arena despite icy conditions. The weather turned from drizzle to snow in the late afternoon. 

“We have a lot of problems,” Jeff Wilford, a ceramics salesman who came to Washington to witness the inauguration, told RFI.

“We haven’t any strenghth in the world any longer. We’re being laughed at.”

Wilford is certain that Trump will “restore” the people’s faith in the government. “He is going to secure our borders. He is going to make sure that our economy flourishes. He is going to usher in a Golden Age of a New America,” he says.

This optimism is the mantra spoken by many of the thousands of Trump supporters, who repeat known slogans such as “he’ll make America great again”.

Thousands march in Washington DC to protest Trump’s presidency

“People’s protest

“He is going to fix the mess,” says Michael Vaskin, who is holding a two-metre high Trump sign over his head. He had been queuing up since 6 o’clock in the morning.

According to Vaskin, the Biden administration set Americans against one another.

Biden “made us believe that “6 January” attack on the Capitol was an insurrection, he goes on.

“It wasn’t. It was a people’s protest,” he says. “We love Trump, we support our country. We support this great nation. And it is America for us, it is America first!

The inauguration on Monday, as well as the planned parade, will now be held inside, because of the extreme weather conditions.

“I am disappointed it moved indoors,” Vaskin told RFI. Like Wilford, he had planned to go to the National Mall to see some of the festivities, but now his ticket is worthless.

UN confronts uncertainty as Trump’s new agenda takes shape

“It is for safety and health reasons,” he says, Trump did it “because he loves Americans. He doesn’t want us to wait in line in the cold and get sick and hurt. I believe he does the right thing,” he says. 

By Sunday evening, most of Washington’s centre was a no-go area for cars, and long lines of metal fences were set up to prevent anybody into areas leading up to the Capitol and its surroundings.

Inauguration day itself will be dominated by the swearing-in ceremonies of Trump as President and JD Vance as Vice President, Trump’s inaugural address, the “honorary departure” of outgoing President Joe Biden and his Vice-President Kamala Harris, signing ceremonies, a luncheon, inspection of military troops and the presidential parade, which will also take place in the Capital One Arena due to the cold weather conditions. 

Teachers and administrative staff went back to school in Mayotte on Monday, a week later than anticipated, because of the threat from cyclone Dikeledi that swept through last week.

The school district on the archipelago employs just over 10,000 people, including more than 8,000 teachers, who are preparing to welcome back some 117,000 students.

Many – staff and students alike – are still without shelter, water or electricity, over a month after Chido swept through.

Some school buildings served as temporary shelters in the first week after the storm.

Many suffered damage, like the Nord high school in Acoua, whose roof blew off, and walls were reduced to rubble.

“Many classrooms are unusable,” school librarian Véronique Hummel told RFI. “Electricity only came back a month after the cyclone, and water only came back on the morning of Tuesday 14 January.”

She wonders how teaching will be in these conditions. There is also the question of how many teachers will actually be present.

Mayotte struggles to recover a month after devastating cyclone Chido

Students, teachers suffering

“There is a concern that because some have lost their homes, and are wondering how they’re going to manage,” said Jacques Mikulovic, superintendent of the Mayotte school district, which was already struggling to recruit before the cyclone.

“We want them to return so we can help them find a solution.”

Regardless of their personal situation, those teachers who are there all express concern for their students.

“These students are in a very precarious situation, and there’s a lot of uncertainty,” said Anaëlle Bracieux, who teaches French as a second language.

“We’re waiting to see if everyone will be there, if anyone has left, if any have moved or have been injured.”

Rebuilding bill

Meanwhile, in mainland France, lawmakers started debating an emergency bill for Mayotte that would waive certain city planning rules to speed up rebuilding homes and other buildings, including schools.

The bill only addresses reconstruction, and not the thorny issue of migration.

A bill restricting birthright citizenship in Mayotte – an attempt to stem migration from neighbouring islands – will be reviewed on 6 February.

The reconstruction bill is the first text from the new government under François Bayrou to be debated in the National Assembly, and several opposition lawmakers deemed it inadequate while it passed through committee.

But despite the criticism, it passed, with no group willing to be blamed for getting in the way of a law intended to rebuild Mayotte as quickly as possible.

Modelled on the reconstruction of Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral, the proposed legislation calls for the creation of a public operator to coordinate the reconstruction, which would be headed by General Pascal Facon, the former commander of Operation Barkhane, France’s anti-terrorist force in the Sahel.

The law would give the state power to allow local authorities to set aside rules on public procurement, planning and eminent domain.

The government hopes to have the bill passed in the National Assembly by the end of the month so it can be sent to the Senate on 3 February.

The European Commission accused China of pressuring innovative European high-tech companies into lowering their fees by allowing its courts to set binding worldwide royalty rates.

“The EU’s vibrant high-tech industries must be allowed to compete fairly and on a level playing field,” said Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade commissioner.

“Where this is not the case, the Commission takes decisive action to protect their rights”.

The action comes as trade tensions are soaring worldwide with tariff-loving Donald Trump set to be inaugurated as US President.

EU leaders chart independent future as Trump takes White House

It adds to a longer-running spat between Beijing and Brussels, which has seen the pair accuse each other of unfair practices and take a series of tit for tat measures.

The EU slapped hefty tariffs on electric cars made in China last year. In turn Beijing targeted European brandies and launched probes into EU subsidies of some dairy and pork products.

The latest challenge revolves around so-called “standard essential patents” protecting technologies enabling the manufacturing of goods to meet a certain standard.

European companies hold many such patents, notably in the telecom sector, according to the EU.

Consultations

By letting its courts set worldwide royalty rates, China was forcing EU companies to give its firms cheaper access to those technologies, the 27-nation bloc alleged.

The practice also unduly interfered with the competence of EU courts for European patent issues, according to the commission.

Brussels said it requested consultations at the WTO – the first step of the international body’s dispute settlement procedure – as “no satisfactory negotiated solution has been forthcoming from China”.

Trade war intensifies as EU to slap extra tariffs on Chinese-made EVs

Under WTO rules, the two parties have 60 days to settle the matter before the claimant can request that a panel is set up to rule on it.

China said on Monday it “regrets” the European Union’s decision.

“China strictly adheres to WTO rules and its accession commitments, continuously improving intellectual property rights protection legislation and enforcement,” Beijing’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

“China will…firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” it said.

The case is related to another challenge launched in 2022 where Brussels accused Beijing of barring EU owners of high-tech patents from turning to European courts to protect their intellectual property.

China is the EU’s second largest trading partner for goods after the United States. Bilateral trade reached €739 billion ($762 billion) in 2023, according to the commission.

(with AFP)

While the vast majority of French people believe it is more difficult to be a woman than a man, a growing number of men say being a man is not easy, according to the yearly report on sexism published by the High council on equality (Haut conseil à l’égalité HCE).

A quarter of French men – including 45 percent of men under the age of 45 – consider it to be “difficult to be a man”, and the trend is on the rise, according to the council, which provides recommendations on how to foster gender equality in public policies.

“Women are more feminist, and men more masculinist, especially young people,” HCE President Bérangère Couillard told the French new agency AFP.

Growing ‘masculinist’ culture in France slows down fight against sexism

Women face sexism daily

The report, based on a survey of 3,200 French people aged 15 and over, shows that women face sexism daily – at work, in politics and in public spaces.

86 percent of them have experienced sexism, and nine out of ten say they have adopted strategies to avoid sexism on a daily basis.

And yet, most respondents – men and women – believe that men have a role to play in preventing and fighting sexism.

In an interview with Liberation newspaper, Couillard says last month’s historic Pelicot trial helped raise awareness.

The pivotal 1970s trial that rewrote France’s definition of rape

51 men were convicted of raping Gisèle Pelicot, who had been drugged by her husband over several years.

However, Couillard warns that the trial also brought a “discourse of denial” from men who painted Dominique Pelicot and the others involved as “monsters”.

“Too few men still feel concerned by these issues,” she says, pointing to the resurgence of the #NotAllMen movement.

Sex education and other solutions

Nine out of ten French people are in favor of a new sex education curriculum being prepared by the Education Ministry intended to prevent gender-based violence.

But religious and pro-family groups have slammed the curriculum, saying it is unsuitable for young children.

Couillard said the law clearly requires three yearly sessions of relationship and sex education, and that the lessons proposed “are obviously adapted to the child’s age”.

The HCE has also recommended “gender-sensitive budgets”, to compare what is spent on boys and men versus girls and women on a national, regional and local level, and to “adjust public policies” accordingly.

(with AFP)

The 22-year-old American was leading two sets to one and had just taken the first game of the fourth set when his 38-year-old opponent retired due to exhaustion.

“In the third set, I felt I’d crossed a physical limit,” said Monfils, who was the last of the 13 French players who had been competing in hte main draw at the championships. “I was burnt out.”

Monfils entered his 19th Australian Open on the back of the crown in Auckland. The 13th trophy of a career spanning two decades brought him the accolade of becoming, at 38-years and four months, the oldest man to brandish a senior level title since tennis was opened to professional players in 1968.

He used that momentum to edge past his big-serving compatriot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in five sets in the opening round in Melbourne. More of his savviness was on show during the straight-sets dismissal of the unseeded German Daniel Altmaier in the second round.

Monfils then caused one of the shocks of the 2025 tournament when he took out the fourth seed Taylor Fritz in the third round.

“To push me the way he did today and entertain everyone is so impressive,” said Shelton of Monfils’ exploits. “He had played a lot of long matches and I wanted to make it as physical as possible.

Tricky

“But it was really tricky today because he was serving so well. There’s a lot of things that make him a nightmare to play.”

On Wednesday, for a place in the semi-final, Shelton will take on the unseeded Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who ended the run of the 19-year-old qualifier Learner Tien.

The 29-year-old dismissed the American 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to reach the last eight for the first time at one of the four Grand Slam tournaments which take place in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York.

Elsewhere on the ninth day of the season’s first Grand Slam tournament, the men’s top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner saw off the 13th seed Holger Rune in four sets and the local hero Alex de Minaur advanced to the quarters.

The 25-year-old, who is seeded eighth, beat the unseeded American Alex Michelsen 6-0, 7-6, 6-3 to reach the last eight in his home Grand Slam tournament for the first time in eight visits.

In the women’s draw, two days after annihilating the Briton Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-0 in 70 minutes in the third round, the second seed Iga Swiatek was even more expeditive in her fourth round tie against the German Eva Lys.

She dispatched the 23-year-old 6-0, 6-1 in 59 minutes to set up a last eight meeting with the eighth seed Emma Navarro.

Her party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), held a general assembly over the weekend at the end of which it said it had named her as its sole candidate for the October poll.

After taking power, Hassan was initially feted for easing restrictions Magufuli had imposed on the opposition and the media in the country of around 67 million people.

But rights groups and Western governments have since criticised what they see as renewed repression.

Politicians belonging to the main opposition Chadema party have been arrested and several opposition figures have been abducted and murdered.

“We achieved many things in the past four years and I promise to deliver more in the coming term,” Hassan said in her closing remarks.

“I urge all to maintain our unity as we go to the elections. The polls can seriously divide us but I believe we will remain united now that we have candidates,” the president added.

Freed Tanzanian opposition leaders ‘beaten’ during mass arrests

Challenge on the horizon

Last week, the leader of the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT Wazalendo) party, Dorothy Semu, announced her intention to challenge Hassan in October.

The Chadema party has not yet begun the process of selecting its candidate, but is expected to elect a new president on Tuesday.

Tanzania’s opposition rallies against ‘cosmetic’ electoral reforms

However, at the end of last year the party warned it intended to boycott the 2025 polls if significant reforms to the electoral system had not been implemented.

That long-standing demand has been consistently ignored by Hassan’s ruling party.

(with AFP)

Eighty-seven groups advocating for human rights, press freedom and the environment expressed their concerns over the running of the platform in an open letter published by French newspaper Le Monde on 14 January.

The signatories include La Ligue des droits de l’Homme (the Human Rights League), France Terre d’asile, a non-profit organisation that supports asylum seekers, the charity Emmaüs France and Greenpeace.

“By leaving X, we are well aware of depriving ourselves of a communication channel to promote our actions, our struggles… to challenge, to raise awareness,” they wrote.

“But this tool, which was a new space for freedom of expression in its beginnings, has become a serious danger to it and to the respect and dignity of people.”

Absence of moderation

The signatories are critical of X‘s “absence of moderation and the configuration of algorithms” which “promote the proliferation of hateful content and the circulation of conspiracy and climate-sceptic theories”.

The organisations, while inviting other advocacy groups to “leave X [in as great a number] as possible” said they would continue to communicate via other social networks, mentioning Bluesky and Mastodon.

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

Musk – the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX as well as the majority owner of X – openly shares Trump’s hard-right politics and has poured millions of dollars into his presidential campaign.

Trump has tapped Musk to co-lead an advisory commission aiming to slash federal spending and bureaucracy, which he has dubbed the “Department of Government Efficiency”.

‘Anti-democratic excesses’

Calls to boycott the X platform have been multiplying in France for several weeks, including from trade unions, public hospital networks in Paris, the Caen war memorial and media outlets including Ouest France and Mediapart.

Elsewhere in Europe, Germany’s defence ministry announced last Wednesday that it was suspending its activities on X, which it accuses of enabling the spread of disinformation.

The ministry said it “will no longer post proactively on the channel for the foreseeable future”, adding that “the fact-based exchange of arguments is becoming increasingly difficult” on the platform.

Last week, more than 60 German universities also said they were turning their backs on the site, expressing concern about its “anti-democratic excesses”.

‘Ouest-France’ becomes first French newspaper to stop posting on X

“[Its] current direction is not compatible with the basic values of the institutions concerned – openness to the world, scientific integrity, transparency and democratic discourse”, the German group said. A similar move was made in by universities in Austria.

Faced with accusations of spreading false information and not allocating sufficient resources to moderate exchanges on the platform, Musk continues to defend a radical vision of freedom of expression and rejects all forms of what he calls censorship.

Far-right support

He has notably stirred controversy by insulting German leaders and urging people to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in next month’s snap general election, a move which has been condemned across the political spectrum.

Last week X livestreamed a conversation between Musk and AfD leader Alice Weidel and two days later Musk shared a stream of the party’s congress on his own X feed.

Hate content on social media fuels French rise in anti-Semitism reports

There have been numerous controversies since Musk bought the social network in 2022, leading to various legal actions on the part of investors, former employees and companies that had contracts with X.

Several French press outlets recently filed a legal complaint targeting Musk for not paying to use their news content on the platform, as required under specific European laws.

(with AFP)

“Trillions are being gifted in inheritance, creating a new aristocratic oligarchy that has immense power in our politics and our economy,” Oxfam International said in its traditional annual pre-Davos report on the super rich.

“The crown jewel of this oligarchy is a billionaire president, backed and bought by the world’s richest man Elon Musk, running the world’s largest economy,” said the charity’s executive director Amitabh Behar, referring to the Tesla and X owner who helped to bankroll Trump’s campaign.

Musk and the world’s two other richest men – Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, whose Meta empire owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – will be at Trump’s inauguration in Washington Monday, when the World Economic forum kicks off at Davos in the Swiss Alps.

None are expected be among the 3,000 attendees at Davos, where Trump – who attended the forum twice during his first term  – will make an online appearance later in the week.

Calls to ‘dismantle the new aristocracy’

In its warnings, Oxfam echoed similar language used last week by outgoing US President Joe Biden, who called out an extremely wealthy oligarchy that “literally threatens our entire democracy”.

The group called on governments to “dismantle the new aristocracy” through taxes on the richest and the breakups of monopolies, caps on CEO pay, and the regulation of corporations to ensure they pay “living wages” to workers.

Many earned fortunes through investments in 2024, as top tech companies and stock market indexes like the S&P 500 had strong performances, as well as the price of gold and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Billionaires on the rise

Oxfam’s report, titled “Takers Not Makers”, found that billionaire wealth grew three times faster than in 2023, with each billionaire seeing their fortune increase by €1.941 million per day on average.

At least four new billionaires emerged each week in 2024, reaching a total of 2,769.

Three fifths of billionaire wealth comes from inheritance, monopoly power or “crony connections,” the report said, adding that Trump’s tax cut plans will only make them richer.

The group also said that five trillionaires will emerge within a decade, increasing its forecast from last year which said only one trillionaire would appear during that time.

(with AFP, AP)

Despite cooling La Nina conditions in the Pacific Ocean, scientists say that 2025 will still rank among the three hottest years on record. Temperatures are tipped to hit between 1.29C and 1.53C above pre-industrial levels, with extreme weather events continuing to devastate communities.  

Earth’s average temperature breached 1.5C for the first time last year, prompting United Nations Secretary General Antionio Guterres to urge governments to “exit this road to ruin” in a New Year’s message that warned there was “no time to lose”. 

The UN’s highest court will, sometime early this year, hand down a landmark advisory opinion on the legal obligations of states to address climate damages. 

The International Court of Justice ruling, requested by Vanuatu and supported by over 130 countries, will carry significant moral and legal weight despite being non-binding. Legal experts say it will provide critical guidance for courts worldwide, linking human rights to environmental protection and setting benchmarks for climate accountability. 

As this pivotal year for climate policy and justice gets underway, RFI breaks down the key moments to watch: 

JANUARY  

Second Trump presidency 

The return of Donald Trump to the White House on 20 January is expected to create immediate setbacks for climate diplomacy. Trump has signalled his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement for a second time.

The US is the world’s second-largest emitter, and plays an important role in global climate pacts. However renewable energy in the US is growing, supported by investments from the Inflation Reduction Act.

This means it will be difficult to stop moves towards decarbonising the economy, while states and local governments will be able to step up climate action in response to inaction on a federal level. 

FEBRUARY  

New national pledges 

Countries are required to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement by February. These plans, last handed in five years ago, will outline strategies to cut greenhouse emissions and adapt to climate impacts through 2035.

Existing NDCs have the world on track for 2.5C to 2.9C or warming.

Only four countries – representing 15 percent of global emissions – have so far submitted their updated plans. The UN has urged countries to focus on decarbonisation and renewable energy to close the emissions gap. 

“Bolder new climate plans are vital to drive stronger investment, economic growth and opportunity, more jobs, less pollution, better health and lower costs,” said the UNFCCC secretariat in a recent report. 

UN report warns increase in permanently dry land is ‘redefining life on Earth’

Resumption of biodiversity talks 

The second part of the Cop16 biodiversity summit will take place in Rome after talks in Colombia in November ended abruptly when negotiators left early to catch flights. The resumed conference aims to devise strategies to secure $200 billion in annual funding for biodiversity by 2030.  

Governments are also expected to discuss ways for monitoring progress towards protecting 30 percent of the Earth’s land and seas by 2030. The thorniest issue remains how wealthy countries will fund nature protection in developing nations. 

JUNE  

Ocean conference 

The third UN Ocean Conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, will focus on advancing ocean conservation under the UN’s “Life Below Water” sustainable development goal.

Over five days, member states will work to set new targets and timelines for safeguarding marine life, with 10 specialist panels addressing topics ranging from fishery management and ocean finance to the restoration of deep-sea ecosystems. 

Saudi Arabia hosts Cop16 to combat desertification crisis

MID-YEAR 

Resumption of plastic treaty talks 

Efforts to finalise the Global Plastics Treaty will continue this year after previous talks in 2024 failed to reach a consensus. Major disagreements remain over production limits, the elimination of certain products and chemicals, and waste management. 

Proponents argue that a legally binding treaty is critical to addressing the global plastic crisis, with only 10 percent of the eight billion tonnes of plastic produced since 1950 having been recycled.  

The treaty would be the first agreement of its kind to end plastic pollution. 

Carbon-mapping satellite launch 

MicroCarb, the first European satellite dedicated to mapping Earth’s carbon dioxide levels, will launch after completing final tests. The joint UK-French mission will track how forests and oceans absorb carbon, while also scanning cities to help with sustainable urban planning.  

From an altitude of 650km, its high-precision infrared spectrometer will collect the most detailed data yet on CO2 emissions, helping nations track their progress on Paris Agreement targets and distinguish between natural and human-caused emissions. 

The European Space Agency‘s even more high-resolution CO2M satellite won’t launch until 2026, however. 

French farmland tainted by widespread microplastic pollution, study finds

NOVEMBER  

Cop30 climate summit

The year’s biggest climate event, Cop30, will take place in Belem, Brazil, marking a decade since the Paris Agreement came into force. Discussions will focus on emissions mitigation, climate finance for developing nations and fossil fuel phase-down strategies.

Brazil, home to much of the Amazon rainforest, has positioned itself as a leader in global climate action, with deforestation in the region dropping to a nine-year low in 2024. 

DECEMBER  

Delayed EU deforestation rules take effect  

From December, large companies trading commodities like beef, cocoa, soy and palm oil in the European Union must prove their products are deforestation-free. The regulation targets both legal and illegal deforestation and aims to curb the EU’s environmental footprint. 

Goods from land cleared after December 2020 will be banned. Companies failing to comply face fines and restrictions, with small businesses granted an additional six-month grace period. 

An initial 42-day truce – brokered by Qatari, US and Egyptian mediators – came into effect on Sunday ending more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Under the plan, a total of 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli custody.

The first three Israeli hostages – Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher – were released on Sunday as planned. They were handed over by Hamas militants to the Red Cross.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the hostages, all women, were “in our hands and on their way home”.

Dozens of Palestinian prisoners are due to be released by Israel in exchange later on Sunday.

European Council Chief Antonio Costa said the truce brought a “much needed glimmer of hope to the region”. 

Joy in Israel at hostage release but fears for those still held

Displaced Palestinians head home

As the ceasefire took effect mid-morning, thousands of displaced Palestinians set off across the devastated Gaza Strip to return home.

In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds streamed down a sandy path, heading back to an apocalyptic landscape piled with rubble and destroyed buildings.

In a phone conversation with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, Macron said the governance of Gaza should “fully incorporate the Palestinian Authority (PA)”.

Gaza’s future should be aimed at the creation of a Palestinian state, while ensuring that “no massacre, like the one perpetrated on 7 October (2023), can ever be committed against the Israeli people again”, the Elysée palace said.

It is “now essential to immediately work to respond to the Gazans’ vital urgent needs, to ensure the delivery of massive humanitarian aid, at the level of the residents’ needs”.

Israel-Hamas ceasefire must lead to ‘political resolution’ in Gaza, Macron says

Minutes after the truce began, the United Nations said the first trucks carrying humanitarian aid had entered the Palestinian territory.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the truce, saying on X “it is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid”.

The truce is intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war, but a second phase has yet to be finalised.

The next group of Gaza hostages to be released under a ceasefire agreement will be freed on Saturday, a senior Hamas official told France’s AFP news agency.

(with newswires)

The march commenced from three separate locations within the city centre and concluded at the Lincoln Memorial, approximately two kilometres away.

Donald Trump retakes US presidency in stunning comeback

Dubbed the People’s March, the event drew a vibrant and diverse array of participants, including climate change activists, members of the LGBTQ+ community, feminists, pro-Palestinian advocates, and other concerned citizens concerned about what will happen under the incoming administration.

The atmosphere was lively and determined, though protesters occasionally encountered provocations from small groups of pro-Trump supporters along the route.

Trump returns to world stage at Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening in Paris

The march came in the wake of a contentious and polarising election in November, during which Trump secured victory despite winning the popular vote by nearly three million ballots.

His win, largely attributed to narrow successes in key battleground states, underscored deep divisions within the country and sparked significant public concern over issues ranging from environmental policies to human rights and social justice.

Trump’s re-election stirs up both hopes and doubts in Africa

The Maison des Coursiers (“Riders’ House”), located in a former EDF utility building, has become a refuge for the city’s food delivery cyclists – providing them with free legal and admin services, as well as practical amenities. 

“There’s a large room where riders wait. There’s coffee, tea and food available. There’s a microwave, toilets, plugs for charging phones or batteries,” Circé Lienart, who has coordinated the Maison des Coursiers since its opening in 2021, told RFI. 

“We’re right on Boulevard Barbès [a main thoroughfare in the north of Paris], making it easy for riders to come and also keep their bikes secure.” 

For many delivery workers battling harsh weather conditions and long hours, the space provides welcome relief.  

“We sometimes come here to take time out, stay warm, especially in cold weather, enjoy a coffee,” said one.

Award-winning migrant actor Abou Sangaré granted right to stay in France

Health concerns

Paid per delivery and earning well below the minimum wage, the cyclists face significant risks.

“We’ll support them with access to healthcare rights because if they have an accident it’s very important they can still get treatment. It’s quite an accident-prone job. And there are other related health risks,” Lienart said.

One rider who visited the centre explained: “I had an appointment with the nurse for health assessments about work, often muscle problems or sometimes infections, all that… It’s really hard, but we don’t have the choice.”

Will a watered-down EU law improve conditions for gig workers?

Legal support

The brightly coloured main room serves both as a break area and support centre. Ladji, an Ivorian delivery rider, finished his fish and attiéké while waiting for his appointment.  

“I come here for several procedures. I would even say for everything. To send my CVs to companies, make appointments at the prefecture, family benefits office, social security… I come to sort everything out here,” he said.

Many riders are undocumented, and in a precarious situation in terms of their immigration status.  

French food delivery workers to get minimum wage

“At the beginning, we had a large majority of people with irregular status. The difficulty is that riders work a lot, even more than regular employees in general,” explained Lienart.

“But they can’t access regularisation through work, either because the account isn’t in their name, or because they have invoices rather than payslips.

“And the prefectures won’t allow regularisation through work. That’s also why there’s an over-representation compared to other jobs.”

Following the success of centres in Paris and Bordeaux, similar projects are planned for Lille and Grenoble.  

► This report was produced by Sylvie Koffi for the RFI podcast Reportage en France.

The truck carrying 60,000 litres of petrol exploded after flipping over on a road in the centre of the country on Saturday, Nigerian authorities said.

“The final death toll from the tanker explosion is 86,” said Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesman for the Niger state’s emergency management agency.

“We buried 86 burnt corpses between 12:00 pm yesterday to 2:00 am of today,” he said, updating an earlier toll of 70.

“It took us 14 hours to bury the bodies because we couldn’t get excavators and had to get locals to dig the mass grave manually.”

He said 52 other people suffered “severe burns from the explosion”.

The blast struck at the Dikko junction on the road linking the federal capital Abuja to the northern city of Kaduna.

A crowd of people rushed to the spot where the tanker had turned over in search of fuel.

Kumar Tsukwam, the Federal Road Safety Corps sector commander for Niger state, said in a statement: “A large crowd of people gathered to scoop fuel despite concerted efforts to stop them.”

President Bola Tinubu expressed “deep sorrow over the fuel tanker explosion”, a statement from his office said Sunday.

He ordered a national campaign to “raise public awareness about the severe risks and environmental dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers”.

‘This hunger is too much’: Nigerians protest economic hardship

Such accidents have become common in Africa’s largest oil producer, which is grappling with its worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

The price of petrol in Nigeria has soared more than 400 percent since Tinubu scrapped a 50-year-old subsidy when he came into office in May 2023.

In October, 147 people died in a similar accident in Jigawa state, one of the worst such tragedies in Nigeria.

In 2020, the Federal Road Safety Corps listed 1,531 fuel tanker accidents which claimed over 535 lives.

Police in Nigeria launch probe after 35 children die in stampede

(with newswires)

Many of the ghastly pictures were at first held back from the broader public, partly out of concern for those with missing relatives.

The concentration and extermination camps were liberated one by one as the Allied armies closed in on Berlin in the final days of the 1939-1945 war.

The first was the Majdanek camp near Lublin in eastern Poland, whose surviving prisoners were freed by the Soviet Red Army on 24 July, 1944. The last camps to be liberated were Theresienstadt, near Prague, just after Germany surrendered on 8 May, 1945, and Stutthof near Gdansk in northern Poland.

‘Death Marches’

In June 1944, SS leader Heinrich Himmler ordered some camps to be evacuated before they were reached by Allied troops, with prisoners to be transferred to other camps.

SS officers were ordered to cover up all traces of crimes before fleeing.

The sprawling Auschwitz-Birkenau complex in southern Poland, the largest concentration camp, was gradually dismantled from mid-1944 and 60,000 emaciated prisoners forced onto “Death Marches” to other camps.

When the Soviets arrived on 27 January, 1945, only 7,000 prisoners remained, mostly those who had been unable to walk with the others.

On the trail of France’s first female World War II correspondent

Images not widely shared

The discovery of the first camps had little impact on the public at large because the images were not widely shared.

Russian and Polish investigators photographed the camps at Majdanek and Auschwitz-Birkenau, and US army photographers made a documentary on Struthof, the only Nazi concentration camp in what is now France.

French authorities in particular did not want the images broadcast to avoid alarming people with relatives missing after being deported, captured or conscripted.

A turning point came on 6 April, 1945, with the discovery of the Ohrdruf concentration camp, an annex of the Buchenwald camp in Germany.

French lake still riddled with bombs 80 years after World War II

‘Indescribable horror’

When American forces – accompanied by US war correspondent Meyer Levin and AFP photographer Eric Schwab – entered Ohrdruf, they came across a still-blazing inferno and skeletal prisoners executed with a bullet to the head.

The Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, Dwight Eisenhower, visited the camp on April 12, describing afterwards “conditions of indescribable horror”.

The Allied leadership decided immediately that all censorship should be lifted so the world could see evidence of the Nazi atrocities.

That evening, France’s communist daily Ce Soir published on its front page a picture of a mass grave.

Days later Eisenhower said journalists should visit camps “where the evidence of bestiality and cruelty is so overpowering as to leave no doubt in their minds about the normal practices of the Germans”.

The police officers were greeted by Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime on their arrival at Port-au-Prince airport on Saturday and will join the 400 Kenyan officers deployed last year.

“The arrival of these reinforcements marks a crucial step in freeing our country from the grip of criminal networks and restoring peace,” the prime minister said.

Kenya began sending troops to Haiti in June as part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) under the auspices of the United Nations.

Some 10 countries – including Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica and Belize – have together pledged over 3,100 troops, but so far few have deployed.

“Our commitment to this historic mission is unwavering,” said Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen as he shared a photo of himself with some of the officers aboard a plane.

“We will continue to mobilise all the necessary international support for it to succeed,” he said in a social media post.

Haiti witness recounts gang massacre driven by witchcraft claims

Criminal gangs still rife

President William Ruto has pledged to deploy 1,000 troops as part of the MSS force, but Reuters news agency reported last month that nearly 20 people in the initial deployment had submitted letters of resignation from the anti-gang mission due to pay delays and poor conditions.

The MSS in Haiti denied it had received resignations.

The UN estimates that more than 80 percent of the Haitian capital is still controlled by criminal gangs.

Gang violence has left more than 700,000 Haitians homeless in recent years, with many crowding into makeshift and unsanitary shelters after gunmen razed their homes.

Gangs tighten their grip on Haiti as peacekeeping debate drags on

More than 5,600 deaths were reported across Haiti last year, according to the UN Human Rights Office. The number of killings increased by more than 20 percent compared with all of 2023, it said.

According to latest estimates, “there are now over one million internally displaced people in Haiti, over half of them children in urgent need of humanitarian assistance”, the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (Unicef) said on Saturday.

The UN Security Council renewed the MSS mission in September 2024, for another year. But no decision was made on whether to make it a full UN peacekeeping operation, as urged by Antonio Rodrigue, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Haiti. 

(with newswires)

Israel on Sunday said a truce with Hamas began in Gaza at 09:15 GMT, nearly three hours after initially scheduled, following a last-minute delay as Israel waited for Hamas to publish the list of hostages to be freed.

During the delay, Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed eight people.

Hamas attributed the delay to “technical reasons”, as well as the “complexities of the field situation and the continued bombing”, ultimately publishing at around 10:30 am the names of three Israeli women to be released on Sunday.

Israel confirmed that the truce would begin at 11:15 am local time.

The ceasefire paves the way for 33 hostages taken by militants during the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel to be returned from Gaza during an initial 42-day period. One thousand Palestinian prisoners are also to be released, though anyone involved in the 7 October attack is excluded.

Hope and fear

On Saturday evening, hostage supporters gathered in Paris opposite the Eiffel Tower, awaiting the ceasefire.

“It’s a mix of hope and fear,” said Jean-David Ichay, president of the “Tous 7 Octobre” association.

“There’s already the fact that only 33 hostages have been announced so far… The rest will either happen later or not at all,” he said.

Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Continue to speak up for the hostages

Participants at the rally held up “bring them home” placards with the faces of some of the hostages while a digital counter marked the days, hours and minutes they have been held captive.

“Now, at last, we have hope. Please support us until the last hostage is home,” Efrat Yahalomi, sister of French-Israeli hostage Ohad Yahalomi, said from a stage.

Yahalomi and another dual national Ofer Kalderon are the two remaining French-Israeli hostages. They were both captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the 7 October attack.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said they are among those due to be freed in the first phase.

‘France does not abandon its children’ Macron tells families of Gaza hostages

That stage will also see the release of 737 Palestinian prisoners, Israel’s justice ministry said, starting from 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Sunday.

Moshe Lavi said his brother-in-law Omri Miran, 47, was not among those expected to be released.

“We rejoice for those who will be reunited. But for us and for so many others, our fight continues,” he said.

“We call on the public to not fall into euphoria but to continue to come to rallies and speak up for the hostages.”

Hamas’s 7 October, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war and resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

(with AFP)

Erdogan was quick to congratulate Trump on his election victory, making clear his desire to work with him again.

“Donald Trump is a man who acts with his instincts, and Erdogan is too,” explains Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations with Ankara’s Middle East Technical University. 

“They are not intellectuals as we used to have, big political leaders after World War II. They are tradespeople. They are very pragmatic ones, and they are political animals. In this sense, they like transactional policies, not value-based policies.”

Syria a key focus

Erdogan’s top priority is expected to be securing the withdrawal of US forces from Syria, where they support the Kurdish militia YPG in the fight against the Islamic State.

Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in Turkey for decades.

During his first presidency, Trump promised to pull US forces out of Syria, though this move faced strong resistance from American officials.

Sezin Oney, a commentator with Turkey’s independent Politikyol news portal, said new challenges in Syria make an early withdrawal unlikely.

“Not to have the ISIS resurgence again or this HTS presenting a threat to the United States, the Trump administration would be interested in protecting the YPG and the Kurds, their alliance with the Kurds,” said Oney.

“We already have the (US) vice president, JD Vance, pointing out the ISIS resurgence.”

Turkey steps up military action against Kurds in Syria as power shifts

Israel and Iran

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel could ease another potential point of tension between Erdogan and Trump, as Erdogan has been a strong supporter of Hamas.

Meanwhile, both Ankara and Washington share concerns over Iran’s regional influence, which could encourage cooperation between the two leaders.

“Trump administration is coming in with a desire to stabilise relations with Turkey,” said Asli Aydintasbas, an analyst with the Brookings Institution.

“We are likely to see more and more of a personal rapport, personal relationship, which had been missing during the Biden administration,” she added. “President Erdogan and President Trump will get along famously. But it does not mean Turkey gets all of its policy options.”

Success of rebel groups in Syria advances Turkish agenda

Fighter jets and Ukraine

Erdogan is also hoping the Trump administration will lift a Congressional embargo on advanced fighter jet sales. Experts suggest Turkey could play a key role in any Trump-led efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, given Erdogan’s ties with both Russia and Ukraine.

“If Trump is pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine between Russia and Ukraine, in this case Turkey could be very helpful as a potential mediator,” said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, head of the German Marshall Fund’s Ankara office.

But Unluhisarcikli warned of potential challenges.

“What happens in Syria could be a test for the US-Turkey relationship very early on. Turkey is actually preparing for a new intervention in northeast Syria against what Turkey sees as a terrorist organisation, and what the United States sees as a partner on the ground.”

Economic risks

Trump’s previous presidency saw tensions with Erdogan peak after Trump threatened to destroy Turkey’s economy over its plans to attack US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. This move triggered a sharp drop in the Turkish lira.

With Turkey’s economy now weaker than before, analysts say Erdogan will need to proceed cautiously in his dealings with the new Trump administration.

“He is one of the great filmmakers who left their mark on their era, and one we will never forget,” the post continued. 

Lynch was considered one of American cinema’s great auteurs, and was adored by fans and the industry alike. Nominated several times for the Oscars, he received an honorary statuette in 2019 for his career.

His family announced his death via a public statement on Facebook on Thursday. The director had announced last year that he was suffering from emphysema.

Steven Spielberg called Lynch “a singular, visionary dreamer” while Ron Howard hailed him as “a gracious man and fearless artist” who “proved that radical experimentation could yield unforgettable cinema”.

Lynch was particularly admired in France, where he won the César award for best foreign film for Mullholland Drive in 2002. His film Wild at Heart starring Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage also won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1990.

Gilles Jacob, former president of the Cannes Film Festival, called Lynch’s death “an immense loss and a very serious blow to the future of modern cinema as he conceived his art”.

A distinctive universe

French cinema critic and filmmaker Thierry Jousse told RFI that Lynch had a very distinctive way of making cinema, blending influences including surrealism and the absurdism of novelist Franz Kafka. “He was one of the few artists able to create a world entirely of his own. It’s an upside-down universe, a kind of labyrinth where all of his references collided.”

Born in small-town Montana in 1946, the son of an agricultural research scientist, Lynch travelled extensively around Middle America as a young man.

He attended fine arts colleges in Boston and Philadelphia before joining the American Film Institute, where he began work on his film Eraserhead. 

The 1977 black and white futuristic film about a couple and their grotesque baby was met with mixed reviews from critics, but went on to have success on the underground circuit and become a cult favourite.

‘A creative ocean’

This was followed by 1980’s tragedy The Elephant Man, also shot in black and white but decidedly more mainstream and accessible, earning him his first best director Oscar nomination.

Based on the diary of Joseph Merrick, born in the United States in 1862 with a condition that gave him a severely deformed physical appearance, it starred Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt.

It also won a French César award for best foreign film in 1982.

French trans gangster musical ‘Emilia Perez’ wins four Golden Globe awards

In the 1990s, he made the series Twin Peaks, which paved the way for many a prestige television drama. The tale of a tight-knit northwestern town reacting to the rape and murder of a popular but troubled high school girl captivated and shocked Americans.

One of the stars of the series, Kyle MacLachlan, who went on to make several films with Lynch, called him “an enigmatic and intuitive man with a creative ocean bursting forth inside of him”.

“I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision,” he wrote on Instagram.

Lynch returned to the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival with the actor in 2017 to screen the Twin Peaks film.

‘He was all about creating texture’

French film writer and director Nicolas Saada said Lynch was a role model for many filmmakers who came after him, in particular due to his use of sound in his films.

“He was all about creating texture in his films,” Saada told RFI. “The depth of his photography, the colours he used. He also created an aural texture. From his very first film Eraserhead, he put a lot of work into using sounds, be they from an industrial source or sounds from the street.”

Saada said Lynch had la “sixth sense” when it came to sound production, taking real life sounds and distorting them to create abstract sounds. “On top of that, the music used added to the overall texture, creating a very unique result.”

In today’s world, where everything is “rational and explained”, he says Lynch’s approach represented “total freedom” from linear storytelling constraints.

Catherine Deneuve to host 50th edition of César cinema awards in 2025

Arthouse attraction

Despite only making 10 films in 30 years, Lynch’s diverse repertoire is still popular in arthouse cinemas in Paris.

“There’s an atmosphere and a universe that continues to attract people,” explains Melvine, who works at the Cinema des Écoles in Paris, which is hosting a retrospective of Lynch’s films.

“With each screening, it’s the same success. We’ve been showing Blue Velvet for two or three years, for example, and each time it’s full,” he told Franceinfo.

Brics was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009 as a counterweight to the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialised nations. South Africa was added in 2010.

Last year the bloc added Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.

Nigeria becomes the ninth Brics partner country – joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

“With the world’s sixth-largest population – and Africa’s largest – as well as being one of the continent’s major economies, Nigeria shares convergent interests with other members of Brics,” Brazil’s Foreign Ministry, known as Itamaraty, said in a statement Friday.

“It plays an active role in strengthening South-South cooperation and in reforming global governance – issues that are top priorities during Brazil’s current presidency.”

With Brics expansion, China seeks a global counterweight to US

Brics now represents over half the world’s population and more than 45 per cent of global GDP, signalling its growing clout on the international stage.

As one of the world’s top oil producers, Nigeria brings significant economic weight to the group.

Last year President-elect Donald Trump threatened 100 percent tariffs against Brics if they attempt to undermine the US dollar. The bloc’s leaders say they’re committed to introducing an alternative payment system that would be independent of the dollar.

France’s TotalEnergies to invest billions in Nigeria

The partnership status, created in October 2024, allows Nigeria to participate in Brics meetings and events, but does not grant full membership privileges such as voting rights.

(with newswires)

Erdogan was quick to congratulate Trump on his election victory, making clear his desire to work with him again.

“Donald Trump is a man who acts with his instincts, and Erdogan is too,” explains Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations with Ankara’s Middle East Technical University. 

“They are not intellectuals as we used to have, big political leaders after World War II. They are tradespeople. They are very pragmatic ones, and they are political animals. In this sense, they like transactional policies, not value-based policies.”

Syria a key focus

Erdogan’s top priority is expected to be securing the withdrawal of US forces from Syria, where they support the Kurdish militia YPG in the fight against the Islamic State.

Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in Turkey for decades.

During his first presidency, Trump promised to pull US forces out of Syria, though this move faced strong resistance from American officials.

Sezin Oney, a commentator with Turkey’s independent Politikyol news portal, said new challenges in Syria make an early withdrawal unlikely.

“Not to have the ISIS resurgence again or this HTS presenting a threat to the United States, the Trump administration would be interested in protecting the YPG and the Kurds, their alliance with the Kurds,” said Oney.

“We already have the (US) vice president, JD Vance, pointing out the ISIS resurgence.”

Turkey steps up military action against Kurds in Syria as power shifts

Israel and Iran

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel could ease another potential point of tension between Erdogan and Trump, as Erdogan has been a strong supporter of Hamas.

Meanwhile, both Ankara and Washington share concerns over Iran’s regional influence, which could encourage cooperation between the two leaders.

“Trump administration is coming in with a desire to stabilise relations with Turkey,” said Asli Aydintasbas, an analyst with the Brookings Institution.

“We are likely to see more and more of a personal rapport, personal relationship, which had been missing during the Biden administration,” she added. “President Erdogan and President Trump will get along famously. But it does not mean Turkey gets all of its policy options.”

Success of rebel groups in Syria advances Turkish agenda

Fighter jets and Ukraine

Erdogan is also hoping the Trump administration will lift a Congressional embargo on advanced fighter jet sales. Experts suggest Turkey could play a key role in any Trump-led efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, given Erdogan’s ties with both Russia and Ukraine.

“If Trump is pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine between Russia and Ukraine, in this case Turkey could be very helpful as a potential mediator,” said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, head of the German Marshall Fund’s Ankara office.

But Unluhisarcikli warned of potential challenges.

“What happens in Syria could be a test for the US-Turkey relationship very early on. Turkey is actually preparing for a new intervention in northeast Syria against what Turkey sees as a terrorist organisation, and what the United States sees as a partner on the ground.”

Economic risks

Trump’s previous presidency saw tensions with Erdogan peak after Trump threatened to destroy Turkey’s economy over its plans to attack US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. This move triggered a sharp drop in the Turkish lira.

With Turkey’s economy now weaker than before, analysts say Erdogan will need to proceed cautiously in his dealings with the new Trump administration.

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 7 December, I asked you a question about the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which had just begun to hear evidence from 98 countries and 12 organizations about climate change, and how to establish rules for rich nations to support poorer ones, who are on the frontlines of climate change.

It’s a landmark case: brought by students in 2019 from the University of Vanuatu – the Pacific Island nation heavily impacted by climate change – led to a UN General Assembly resolution in 2023, asking the ICJ for a formal opinion on the legal obligations of states to protect the climate system. The court will also consider whether large polluting nations can be held liable for damages to vulnerable countries like small island states.

You were to re-read Paul Myer’s article “Small island nations lead fight for climate justice at UN’s top court”, and send in the answer to this question: In addition to the small island states and developing countries, who else will the ICJ hear from?

The answer is, to quote Paul’s article: “The court will also hear from the United States and China – the world’s top two emitters of greenhouse gases. The oil producer group OPEC will also give its views.

The 15 judges at the ICJ will hear submissions until 13 December and deliver their decision next year.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Liton Ahamed Mia from Naogaon, Bangladesh: What do you remember about your first boat journey, and how did you feel when you were back on land?

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

The winners are: Fatematuj Zahra, the co-secretary of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Fatematuj is also this week’s bonus question winner

Congratulations on your double win, Fatematju!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week is A. K. M. Nuruzzaman, the president of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and two RFI Listeners Club members from India: Babby Noor al Haya Hussen from Baripada, and Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State.

Rounding out the list of this week’s winners is RFI English listener Liton Islam Khondaker from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Hungarian Folk Dances by Bela Bartok, performed by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; “Dance With Pennons” from Three Japanese Dances by Bernard Rogers, performed by the Eastman Wind Ensemble conducted by Frederick Fennell; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “The Intrepid Fox” by Freddie Hubbard, performed by Hubbard and the Freddie Hubbard Quintet.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “’Exhausted’ Frenchman held in Iran since 2022 reveals identity in plea for help”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 10 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 15 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.   

The often fraught relations between France and its former colony Algeria have hit an all-time low after a series of disagreements over Western Sahara, the detention of a French-Algerian writer and a French-Algerian blogger accused of inciting violence. Both countries have spoken of “humiliation” and “dishonour”. Arab world specialist  Adlene Mohammedi talks about bilateral relations being polluted by internal affairs – notably Algiers’ lack of democratic legitimacy and the increasing influence of the far right in France. And while the sorely needed level-headed diplomacy  is more needed than ever, it’s been run down in both countries.   (Listen @2’05”)

France’s remarkable geological diversity means the country is prime dinosaur territory – home to fossils from all three periods of the dinosaur age.  The first dinosaurs were discovered in France in the 19th century, but as paleontologist Eric Buffetaut explains, many of the major finds have been in the last 40 years, thanks to amateur paleontologists around the country. (Listen @21’25”)

France enacted a law decriminalising abortion on 17 January 1975. Ollia Horton talks about the legacy of that right and how despite being  enshrined in the constitution, access 50 years later is still not guaranteed. (Listen @14’40”)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani. 

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).

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.

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.

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.