“I’ll revoke nearly 80 destructive and radical executive actions of the previous administration,” Trump told a crowd in Washington after his inauguration on Monday.

“I will implement an immediate regulation freeze, which will stop Biden bureaucrats from continuing to regulate,” Trump went on, adding he will also “issue a temporary hiring freeze to ensure that we’re only hiring competent people who are faithful to the American public.”

Among the executive orders signed, several have caught the world’s attention, in particular, leaving the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement and pardoning rioters who ransacked Congress in January of 2021.

Trump also rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals for allegedly committing violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the new White House website said.

The White House adds that Trump will “take bold action to secure our border and protect American communities,” declaring drug cartels as “terrorist organisations” and stressing his old mantra of “cleaning the swamp,” in Washington DC by streamlining the federal bureaucracy.

Wrath of God

Earlier in the day, thousands of the president’s supporters wearing Trump hats, shawls, trousers or even branding orange wigs reminiscent of Trump’s hairdo, queued up outside hoping to get a glimpse of their hero.

The inaugural parade was originally to take place in different locations along the length of Pennsylvania Avenue, with groups of performers and musicians from 30 states taking part. 

But just three days before the event, icy temperatures saw all activities moved indoors.

Trump withdraws US from Paris climate agreement for second time

Religious preachers standing along the queue with banners and loudspeakers blasting about the “wrath of God” and demanding the passers-by to “repent” made for a surreal atmosphere.

“We’re excited,” Nelissa Hayes, sporting a white Trump baseball hat, told RFI. “We’re happy.

“(Trump) will turn our country around in the right direction, protect our children, protect our citizens, protect our border, put America back on track and make America great again,” using the mantra of the Trump campaign. 

“He said that he will fulfil all his promises. We’re happy we are here, we’re in line,” says Jason Blechennel, another Trump fan.

Lori from Oregon, who had been queueing since 7am planning to get a glimpse from Trump, who had promised to come to the Capitol One Arena, had given up hope to enter.

Thousands march in Washington DC to protest Trump’s presidency

Frustrated

“I just follow these people. The atmosphere is great,” adding that “it is a very special day for me. Because I love President Trump. And I love (Vice-President) JD Vance. And I love America. And they represent the America that I love.”

Temperatures dropped on Sunday from around freezing point to -11C on Monday prompting Trump to express concern that people might get “sick or hurt” if they stood outside too long.

Yet thousands braved the cold anyway hoping, often in vain, to get into the Arena, which could house only one tenth of the 200,000 people that had come down to Washington to watch the parades.

One distinguished looking gentleman from Boston, wearing a red ski-cap says that he is “Very frustrated. I have a VIP pass, and then I tried to get into it, and it was all over, due to bad weather.”

Nelissa doesn’t mind. “I was a little disappointed,” she told RFI. “But you know what: I think I care more about the safety of our new incoming President.”

In a Starbucks not far from the Arena, enjoying a hot coffee with her mother, Maria from California rejoices. “Look, before last November it was kind of embarrassing to say that you would vote for Trump. You didn’t really want to talk about it. You thought you were a minority. But now it appears we are not.”

Others join in with agreement, and the group ends with chanting “USA! USA!”

On Tuesday, Trump will still go to an interfaith National Prayer Service at 11 am at the Washington National Cathedral, after which life in the US capital will turn to a new political page under Donald J. Trump’s second presidency.

Trump’s action, hours after he was sworn in to a second term, echoed his directive in 2017, when he announced that the US would abandon the global Paris accord.

The pact is aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels or, failing that, keeping temperatures at least well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Trump also signed a letter to the United Nations indicating his intention to withdraw from the 2015 agreement, also known as Cop21, which allows nations to provide targets to cut their own emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.

Those targets are supposed to become more stringent over time, with countries facing a February 2025 deadline for new individual plans.

According to Trump, the Paris accord is among a number of international agreements that don’t reflect US values and “steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people.”

Instead of joining a global agreement, “the United States’ successful track record of advancing both economic and environmental objectives should be a model for other countries,” Trump said.

Global temperatures exceeded 1.5C warming limit in 2024

The outgoing Biden administration last month offered a plan to cut US greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent by 2035.

Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a key architect of the Paris accord, told Associated Press that the planned US withdrawal was unfortunate but said action to slow climate change “is stronger than any single country’s politics and policies.”

Momentum

The global context for Trump’s action is “very different to 2017,” Tubiana said Monday, adding that “there is unstoppable economic momentum behind the global transition, which the US has gained from and led but now risks forfeiting.”

The International Energy Agency expects the global market for key clean energy technologies to triple to more than $2 trillion (€1.9 trillion) by 2035, she said.

“The impacts of the climate crisis are also worsening. The terrible wildfires in Los Angeles are the latest reminder that Americans, like everyone else, are affected by worsening climate change,” Tubiana said.

The world is now long-term 1.3 degrees Celsius above mid-1800s temperatures. Most but not all climate monitoring agencies said global temperatures last year passed the warming mark of 1.5 degrees Celsius and all said it was the warmest year on record.

Trump’s return sharpens Macron’s bid for a stronger, united Europe

The US – the second biggest annual carbon polluting country behind China – put 4.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in the air in 2023, down 11 percent from a decade earlier, according to the scientists who track emissions for the Global Carbon Project.

But carbon dioxide lasts in the atmosphere for centuries, so the United States has put more of the heat-trapping gas that is now in the air than any other nation.

The US is responsible for nearly 22 percent of the carbon dioxide put in the atmosphere since 1950, according to Global Carbon Project.

(with newswires)

“This conflict will not end tomorrow or the day after,” Macron said in his New Year’s address to the French armed forces hours before Trump’s investiture in Washington as the 47th president of the United States.

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

Trump promised an end to the war on the campaign trail and in a TV debate with Kamala Harris last September that he would broker an end to the war before being sworn in as president.

Speaking in Cesson-Sevigne in north-western France, Macron said: “It is important to give Ukraine the means to last, and to enter any future negotiations from a position of strength.

Trump’s return sharpens Macron’s bid for a stronger, united Europe

“The challenge, when hostilities cease, will be to give Ukraine guarantees against any return to war on its territory, and assurances for our own security.”

Macron’s comments came as leaders from around the world offered 78-year-old Trump their congratulations for sweeping to a second term in power following four years in the political wilderness.

“I look forward to working closely together once again, to benefit both our countries, and to shape a better future for the world,” said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who referred to Trump as a dear friend.

Billionaire wealth on the rise, says Oxfam, warning of ‘aristocratic oligarchy’

‘Closest Ally’

“The US is our closest ally and the aim of our policy is always a good transatlantic relationship,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

After his investiture, Trump outlined his vision for the US promising to deport millions of illegal immigrants and target diversity programmes.

“The golden age of America begins right now,” he told an audience that included the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and leading American politicians including outgoing president Joe Biden as well as former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

“From this day forward our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens, while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair,” he said. “From this moment on, America’s decline is over.”

Thousands march in Washington DC to protest Trump’s presidency

American relationships

Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky said: “President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve a long-term and just peace, which is the top priority.”

Blinken honoured in France, shrugs off Trump’s jibes ahead of transition

Benjamin Netanyahu, who was prime minister of Israel during Trump’s first term in office between 2017 and 2021, said: “I believe that working together again we will raise the US-Israel alliance to even greater heights, The best days of our alliance are yet to come.”

Despite Trump’s threats to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports, Justin Trudeau, the Canadian leader, said he looked forward to working with Trump. “We are strongest when we work together,” Trudeau added. “Canada and the United States have the world’s most successful economic partnership.”

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

France’s Prime Minister François Bayrou echoed his president’s caution during a trip to the south-western French city of Pau where he is mayor.

“The United States, with the inauguration of the president, has decided on a politics that is incredibly dominating,” Bayrou said. “If we do nothing then our fate will be simple. We will be dominated. We will be crushed. We will be marginalised. It is up to us, French and Europeans, as it is impossible without Europe.”

However, Ursula von der Leyen, the chief of the 27-nation European Union, adopted a more emollient tone. She wrote on social media: “The EU looks forward to working closely with you to tackle global challenges. Together, our societies can achieve greater prosperity and strengthen their common security.”

   –

“After more than a year of negotiations, French authorities have succeeded in convincing the US and Canadian authorities of the safety of HPAI vaccination,” the French agriculture ministry said Monday in a statement, referring to Highly pathogenic avian influenza, the virus known as bird flu.

Bird flu has decimated flocks in France and the US in recent years, and has been spreading through Europe this winter.

France has been trying to limit the spread with a vaccination campaign it started in October 2023, focused on ducks raised for foie gras, which are particularly vulnerable.

But some countries, including the US and Canada, were concerned that vaccinated birds may not show signs of infection, meaning it is impossible to determine whether the virus is in a flock.

France reports bird flu outbreak just weeks after declaring virus-free status

More steps to come

In a reversal, they are now allowing imports of unvaccinated poultry and products from unvaccinated poultry the Agriculture Ministry said.

Poultry exports to the US and Canada are small, however, compared to poultry genetic material  – hatching eggs and chicks – whose export status is still still being worked out.

The US also lifted its embargo on exports of ducks and duck products from other European Union member states, the French ministry said.

(with Reuters)

Accused of being at the origin of a deadly drug trafficking war in France’s second largest city, 34-year-old Félix Bingui was arrested on 8 March, 2024 in Casablanca.

In April 2024, during a hearing at the Rabat Court of Cassation, he agreed to be extradited to France.

He arrived in France on Tuesday and is expected to be heard by the investigating judge, according to a report in Le Parisien daily newspaper.

Reacting on social media platform X, the newly-appointed French Justice Minister, Gérald Darmanin wrote that the extradition was a “victory against narcobanditism”.

Darmanin, who was Interior Minister when Bingui was arrested, thanked the Moroccan authorities for their cooperation in the extradition process, “which will finally allow French justice to judge him”.

The arrest warrant issued by a Marseille investigating judge accused Bingui of “importing narcotics through an organised gang, the transport, detention, acquisition and transfer of narcotics, criminal association (…) money laundering and non-justification of resources”.

Macron launches major police operation to end Marseille drug wars

Bingui’s lawyer Philippe Ohayon said he “hoped that the magistrates responsible for the case [would] approach the subject with serenity and complete independence, while respecting the rights of the defense.” 

Born in Alès, in the Gard region, Bingui has an extensive police record, Le Parisien said, adding Bingui went by the nickname “le chat”.

“He started with burglaries, he was arrested the first time for a big burglary in Montpellier and slowly, he slid towards drug trafficking and settling scores,” police officer Bruno Bartocetti, told France 3 Provence-Alpes television.

Bingui regularly travelled back and forth between Marseille and Morocco until the outbreak of a “war” between the “Yoda” gang and the rival “DZ Mafia” in February 2023 which forced him to stay in Morocco.

The turf war between the two gangs for control of lucrative deal points – up to €80,000 in daily turnover in certain places – has scarred the city and prompted a major crackdown by authorities.

According to Le Parisien, 35 of the 49 drug trafficking deaths in 2023 were in connection to these two main gangs.

Must remain ‘vigilant’

On Tuesday, both the Chief police prefect and the Marseille prosecutor presented their latest report on the security situation.

While the number of deaths linked to drug trafficking in the southern city had decreased to 24 in 2024, police remain on their guard.

The decrease in the number of these “narchomicides”, as Marseille police call them, is partly due to “the victory of the DZ Mafia over the Yoda clan”, chief prosecutor Nicolas Bessone told AFP

“But we must remain very vigilant, there are still ongoing conflicts,” he said, referring to what he calls “narcoterrorism”, whereby gangs use weapons to terrorise “everyone and in particular the population who live there”.

According to Prefect Pierre-Edouard Colliex, the drop in the number of deaths can also be credited to the “historic mobilisation” of police and justice services.

In 2024, more than 2,000 people were indicted in Marseille on drug offenses, of whom 833 were placed in pre-trial detention, and several commandos were arrested before they could take action.

Marseille’s drug war victims, perpetrators younger than ever: prosecutor

The prosecutor said that “more than half of juvenile delinquency” in Marseille is linked to the drug trade, citing some 480 arrests of teenagers in the past year.

Attracted by the mirage of “easy money” for running errands for gangs, these youths come from all around France, the prosecutor said.

For him, authorities must not let up on the gangs, taking the lead from the “XXL cleanup” measures launched by President Emmanuel Macron from Marseille in March.

The latest statistics come as lawmakers prepare to debate a bill to develop further measures against drug trafficking in France.

(with AFP)

Blier, who was born in 1939, died peacefully at home Monday night in Paris, surrounded by his wife and children, his son Leonard Blier, said.

Several French personalities praised his career, noting that his works were firmly rooted in a bygone era.

“In films that captured the spirit of their time, he gave iconic roles to some of the greatest actors. Bertrand Blier was a remarkable and unconventional filmmaker, passionately devoted to the freedom of creation,” wrote French Culture Minister Rachida Dati.

“Both a writer and a filmmaker – cynical yet provocative, moralistic yet jaded – Bertrand Blier loved women, but he made them suffer at the hands of his male characters,” Gilles Jacob, a former president of the Cannes Film Festival, added.

Depardieu’s career

He followed in his father’s footsteps, starting in cinema as an assistant director. In 1963, he directed his father Bernard Blier, in his first feature, “If I Were A Spy”.

In 1974, Blier shocked France and launched Gérard Depardieu’s career with Les Valseuses, a subversive tale about a pair of joyriding young thugs on a sex and crime spree across the country.

The title, which means testicles in French slang, was rather primly translated as “Going Places” for its American release.

Based on Blier’s own novel, it became a cult classic and was the first of his nine movies with Depardieu, whom Blier later described as “my pet actor, my cinema brother, my alter-ego”.

A parable of male unease at women’s liberation, many at the time found Les Valseuses morally ambiguous and its sex scenes brutal and vulgar, but its theme would dominate almost all of his later work.

His work is currently facing criticism for its misogyny and the way it portrays male dominance. In recent years, some of his actresses, such as Miou-Miou and Brigitte Fossey, have shared that they sometimes experienced his crude humor as an humiliation or an assault.

‘Wounded machismo’

The same ‘wounded machismo’ ran through his biggest international hit, Trop belle pour toi (“Too Beautiful For You”) in 1989, with Depardieu playing a man who grows bored by his beautiful wife and falls for his much plainer secretary.

Regarded as something of a modern classic, the New York Times called it an “exceptionally rich romantic comedy”.

It also won Blier the jury prize at the Cannes film festival and five Cesars including best actress for Depardieu’s then real-life partner, Carole Bouquet, who played the wife.

“What intrigues me again and again is how male friendships are relatively unproblematic, and yet when men approach what they passionately desire, then their problems begin,” he said.

Blier burst onto the scene at a time when France’s New Wave directors were running out of steam, with his black comedies peopled with marginal figures, villains, rogue policemen and prostitutes, seen as unique and unclassifiable.

He said he found modern cinema “irritating”, though many found echos of his work in that of Spanish surrealist director Luis Bunuel.

Oscar success

In 1979, he won the best foreign film Oscar with the menage-a-trois comedy “Get Out Your Handkerchiefs”, again featuring the Depardieu-Dewaere duo.

In 1980, he won a Cesar for Buffet Froid (Cold Cuts), a mixture of absurd and realism, in which he directed his father for the last time, inevitably alongside Depardieu.

A born iconoclast, he was never happier than when poking fun at social mores, and had another hit with the provocative Tenue de Soiree (Evening Wear) in 1986, took on homosexuality and sex triangles.

By the 1990s and 2000s after a string of commercial flops, Blier was having trouble securing funding for his films.

In 2010 he returned to surrealism with the “Clink of Ice” which broached cancer, with an alcoholic writer played by Jean Dujardin talking about his illness, which takes the form of a man played by Albert Dupontel.

(with AFP)

“Fifty years of the European Space Agency (ESA) have been fifty years of remarkable successes. Over these decades, we have developed and launched an extraordinary number of satellites and rockets,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher told RFI.

ESA’s foundation

The European Space Agency was officially established on 30 May 1975 through the merger of two earlier organisations: the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), focused on scientific research, and the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), dedicated to developing rockets.

Its founding was a response to the growing realisation that European nations could achieve far more in space exploration and technology by pooling resources and expertise.

Today, ESA comprises 22 member states and collaborates with international partners, including NASA, to advance space science and innovation.

Ariane 6 rocket debuts successfully restoring Europe’s space independence

Agency achievements

Highlighting some of the agency’s achievements, Aschbacher emphasised that programmes developed over the past two to three decades have significantly impacted both our global economy and our understanding of the planet.

“Climate change is one critical area where our knowledge has deepened. Thanks to Copernicus satellites and space-based observations, we now have a much clearer understanding of how the climate system functions and how severe the changes to our planet truly are.

“It is fair to say that without these satellites—which Europe has been instrumental in building, providing critically important measurements—we would not fully comprehend the extent of climate change today.”

He further noted that ESA has been pioneering satellites designed for diverse applications such as agriculture, forestry, maritime navigation, air traffic management, and global positioning.

“With the Galileo navigation system, we have developed the most accurate navigation system in the world. It provides precise positional data every single second, supporting industries such as the automotive sector and mobile telecommunications,” he explained.

Aschbacher also highlighted the groundbreaking success of the Rosetta mission, which achieved the historic milestone of landing a probe on a comet and conducting detailed measurements of its environment.

Vega-C launch marks milestone for Europe’s space programme

ESA in 2025

This year marks another pivotal period for ESA due to an ambitious schedule of ten space missions, including Sentinel missions as part of the Copernicus programme, advancements in the Galileo navigation system, and the Earth observation mission Biomass, which will globally measure forest biomass and contribute to climate monitoring and ecological research.

In addition, ESA’s Ministerial Council, convened every three years to decide the agency’s future priorities and funding, will take place this November. The meeting is expected to shape the next era of ESA’s contributions to science, technology, and space exploration.

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.

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.