A big-budget French adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s epic novel, The Count of Monte Cristo leads the 2025 Césars with 14 nominations.

Directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière, it was a box-office hit, drawing 9.4 million spectators in France last year.

Lead actor Pierre Niney is the front-runner in the best actor category, but faces competition from Francois Civil who starred in the romantic drama hit of the year, Amour Ouf (Beating Hearts), which received 13 nominations.

Niney won a César in 2015 for his portrayal of fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent, while Civil has been nominated on several occasions over the years.

Civil’s partner in Amour Ouf, Adèle Exarchopoulos has been nominated for best actress, 11 years after she won best upcoming female talent for La Vie d’Adèle.

French films storm Oscar nominations as Audiard’s Emilia Perez breaks records

Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, which broke records last week with 13 Oscar nominations, is up for 12 Césars, including best film and best director.

The surreal musical about a Mexican drug lord who transitions to life as a woman won both the Jury Prize and a collective best actress award at Cannes in 2024.

In fourth spot with eight nominations including best film and best director is L’Histoire de Souleymane (Souleymane’s Story), an arthouse production that recounts the struggles of an undocumented food delivery cyclist in Paris.

The star of the film, Abou Sangare, was an undocumented migrant from Guinea with no previous acting experience when he was chosen at a casting call by director Boris Lojkine.

The 23-year-old was nominated for a Cesar in the breakthrough male actor category, while co-star Nina Meurisse was nominated as best actress.

Sangare, who was the subject of a deportation order, only recently obtained a work permit to stay in France legally as a mechanic.

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

Two honorary Césars

Catherine Deneuve, a two-time César winner, will host the awards alongside 12 other well-known figures from French cinema, including Jean-Pascal Zadi, star of the 2021 satire Tout Simplement Noir (Simply Black).

American actress Julia Roberts will receive an honorary César. She won an Oscar in 2001 for Erin Brockovich and became a household name with Pretty Woman in 1990.

The career of Franco-Greek filmmaker Costa-Gavras will also be honoured. President of the Cinémathèque Française museum, he won a César in 2003 for Amen, which condemned the Vatican’s silence during the Holocaust.

His latest film, Le Dernier Souffle (The Last Breath), about the end of life, is set for release in February.

The winners in 24 categories will be chosen by the 4,951 members of the César Academy.

(with AFP)

Organisers said 200,000 people had turned out to denounce the breach by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Germany’s unwritten agreement not to work with the far right at the national level, in place since World War II.

After the rally kicked off just outside the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament building, some protesters chanted slogans including “Shame on you CDU” before moving on towards the party’s headquarters.

Others accused the CDU and its leader Friedrich Merz of having made a “pact with the devil” by seeking the backing of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to pass an anti-immigration bill.

“(We want to) make as much noise as possible to call for the self-described ‘democratic’ parties to protect this democracy,” protester Anna Schwarz told French press agency AFP.

The 34-year-old said she was joining a political rally for the first time as “we can no longer avert our gaze, it’s too serious”.

• Elon Musk addresses German far-right rally by video link

The CDU’s canvassing for the far-right AfD’s support in parliament last week sparked widespread fury in Germany, less than a month ahead of a key snap federal election.

In doing so Merz, frontrunner ahead of the February 23 vote, broke the decades-old “firewall” set up in the aftermath of the horrors wrought by Nazi Germany.

‘Terrifying’

The two parties successfully passed a non-binding resolution on Wednesday in an attempt to block undocumented foreigners at the border, including asylum seekers.

On Friday, they failed to pass a contentious bill to further restrict immigration — yet the taboo had been broken all the same.

“Friday I was very nervous, I spend the day watching the debates in the Bundestag with friends. To see, live, the CDU speaking then the AfD clapping and vice versa, it’s terrifying,” said Oez, who did not give her full name.

The 33-year-old self-proclaimed “queer militant” said she was reassured by the number of Berliners who had turned out for the rally.

“Today, we need to show that there are more of us defending democracy than there are of them,” she said.

Merz launched his all-out immigration crackdown after police arrested an Afghan man following a deadly knife attack a week ago against a group of kindergarten children.

He “wants to cut through” the norm of not working with “right-wing extremists in one fell swoop”, said left-wing NGO Campact, one of the organisers of protests in Berlin.

Already on Saturday, more than 220,000 people had marched in cities across the country, including Hamburg, Leipzig, Cologne and Stuttgart, according to figures compiled by public broadcaster ARD.

Trade unions, civil society and human rights groups, churches and environmental activists were among those to answer the call.

Centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned that the conservatives and the far right could soon join forces to govern the country, as has been the case in other countries.

(With newswires)

Following wins on Saturday for Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils over Joao Fonseca and Thiago Seyboth Wild respectively, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Benjamin Bonzi paired up at the Palais des Sports in Orléans, western France, for their first competitive doubles tie to beat the Brazilian duo Marcelo Melo and Rafael Matos.

Herbert and Bonzi won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to offer the hosts the decisive point in the best-of-five series. Qualification secured, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard overpowered Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida 6-4, 6-4 in the show game.

“We were probably favourites on paper as we we’re playing at home as well,” Herbert said.

“But we knew that the Brazilian team would be tough. Joao has been been making a lot of progress lately and winning a lot of big games and Thiago is never easy to play,” the 33-year-old added.

“Marcelo and Rafael know each other like the back of their hand and have had some great victories in Davis Cup;

“So to wrap up the tie 3-0 is really good. We wanted to win the doubles match and not give them hope of staging a comeback.”

Return

That return looked more than possible after the Brazilians clinched the first set. A flurry of mid set service breaks ended when Melo eventually held his serve to give Brazil a 5-3 lead. Herbert followed suit and likewise Matos to seal the  opener after 41 minutes.

The French broke away to lead 4-2 in the second and held on to take it and level proceedings after 83 minutes.

The Frenchmen, roared on by some 3,000 partisans, notched up the first break points of the decider at 2-2 on the service of Matos but slick volleying from Melo at the net bailed the Brazilians out on three separate occasions.

The 41-year-old unfurled another deft volley from his repertoire to win the game and edge his country into a 3-2 advantage.

But the French pair broke to lead 5-4 on the back of brilliant defensive play. Bonzi, displaying nerves in his first Davis Cup match with stakes, held his serve to complete the victory.

“It was complicated,” said Bonzi of the final game. “All my first serves hit the tape on the net which was a shame as they were going exactly where I wanted them. But we did it together.”

In September’s second round, France will play Croatia for a place among the final eight teams in November.

Europe must “assume a form of power dynamic” in the face of Donald Trump’s tariff threats, French Industry Minister Marc Ferracci said on Sunday, calling for a “biting” response to the American president.

“Trade negotiations with Donald Trump must assume a form of power dynamic,” Ferracci told France Info on Sunday, following the United States’ imposition of 25 percent tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10 percent on existing tariffs on Chinese products.

As the American president has threatened to also sanction the European Union, “it is obvious that we must react,” Ferracci stated, while adding that “we are waiting for the American administration’s decisions on what will concern Europe”.

According to him, “to be effective, the response must focus on products that are important to your interlocutor and the country with which you are negotiating”.

He emphasised that “it must be ‘biting,’ meaning it should have an impact on the American economy to have a credible threat in negotiations”.

“We must abandon naivety,” Ferracci stated, while calling to “better protect our industry” by implementing a “Buy European Act” to favour products made in Europe.”

“A lot at stake”

Brussels had until now indicated it hoped to avoid a trade conflict with Trump through negotiation.

But Trump said on Friday that he “absolutely” planned to target the EU in future, as he slapped levies on his north American neighbours and China.

“The European Union regrets the US decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China,” said a spokesman for the European Commission.

“Tariffs create unnecessary economic disruption and drive inflation. They are hurtful to all sides.”

The spokesman said “the EU would respond firmly to any trading partner that unfairly or arbitrarily imposes tariffs on EU goods”.

“At this time, we are not aware of any additional tariffs being imposed on EU products,” he added.

He said the 27-nation EU remained committed to low tariffs as a way to “drive growth and economic stability within a strong, rules-based trading system”.

And he reiterated the EU’s commitment to its trade and investment relationship with the United States — “the biggest in the world”.

“There is a lot at stake,” said the spokesman. “We should both be looking at strengthening this relationship.”

(With newswires)

“At 15, I told my parents I wanted to be an architect. They thought it was a good idea, and I had to leave my girls’ school to attend a technical college in Bamako,” Sy tells RFI.

That decision set her on a path from Mali to Belgium, where she earned her architecture degree, and then to France’s prestigious Craterre research centre in Grenoble.

It was there she mastered the art of building with the earth, a material at the core of her sustainable designs. Today, Sy’s firm Architerre is at the forefront of eco-friendly architecture in West Africa.

Building with nature

Through projects ranging from homes and medical centres to mosque renovations in Timbuktu, Sy demonstrates how traditional materials can meet modern needs while respecting the environment.

“Whether it’s soil, stone or whatever we can find locally, the idea is really to use as little energy as possible in construction and to use materials suited to the local temperature,” she says.

“As it happens, in Mali, soil is one of the most widespread and well-known local materials, and for us Sahelians, the advantage is that these materials truly adapt to our climate.”

Sy’s work has gained attention beyond Mali, inspiring clients across Africa to embrace eco-friendly construction methods.

She co-founded Fact Sahel, a network of architects, masons, engineers, researchers and writers united by a shared vision of environmentally responsible building practices.

“This question of eco-responsible architecture affects everyone. Even though we know we’re not the biggest energy consumers in the Sahel, we still suffer the consequences,” she says.

“So it’s important to also take into account new technologies and questions that affect everyone and apply them to ourselves. We consider ourselves activists. For us, our work truly is activism.”

Rediscovering African identity

The revival of traditional construction techniques is part of a larger movement across Africa.

French architect Jean-Marc Lalo, who organises exchange seminars between African and European architects, sees it as a significant shift in the continent’s architectural landscape.

“There’s both a question of African architectural identity, an enthusiasm for rediscovering traditional earth construction techniques,” he says.

“Secondly, it’s also one of Africa’s future prospects: making a direct leap to construction with bio-sourced, local materials. Earth is perfectly adapted for this, in fact.”

From Senegal to Morocco, countries are increasingly embracing sustainable practices. In Benin, the government has commissioned high-profile earth-based projects, including works by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Francis Kéré.

Similar innovations are taking root in Burkina Faso and beyond, with compressed earth bricks becoming a cornerstone of modern African architecture.

Burkina Faso-born architect Francis Diebedo Kéré wins prestigious Pritzker Prize

From tradition to innovation

Sy’s next project – a school in Bamako built entirely with earth-based techniques – encapsulates her philosophy of blending tradition with innovation.

“How do we explain to people the return to these materials which have so many advantages in many aspects of life, not just construction?” Sy wonders as she inspects a wall of compressed earth bricks.

For her, each earth-built structure is more than just a building – it’s a bridge between Mali’s architectural heritage and its sustainable future, demonstrating how ancient wisdom can help solve modern challenges.

This story has been adapted from the original version in French by Frédéric Garat

The government of Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region said Sunday that US military strikes in the Golis mountains had killed “key figures” in the Islamic State group.

US President Donald Trump announced the air strike late Saturday, posting on the Truth Social platform that he had ordered “precision military air strikes on the senior ISIS attack planner and other terrorists” in Somalia.

” .. I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes targeted IS-Somalia operatives in the Golis mountains in semi-autonomous Puntland region.

“Our initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed,” Hegseth said in a statement.

“This action further degrades ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies.”

Trump’s words were repeated verbatim in a press release signed by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Islamic State has a relatively small presence in Somalia compared to the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab, but experts have warned of growing activity.

“The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!'” Trump said in his post.

In an interview with the Washington Post on 31 January, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had said that “The United States is supporting us in intelligence gathering, logistical support, aerial support, surveillance and sometimes even preempting certain attacks of al-Shabab on our forces. However, adding that “there are no American soldiers fighting on the ground.”

Mohamud was briefed on the strikes on Saturday night, according to the president’s office, which added the attack “reinforces the strong security partnership” between the two nations.

He also expressed his “deepest gratitude” to Washington following the strikes in a post on X Sunday.

“Terrorism will neither find friends, nor any place to call home, in Puntland state and entire Somalia,” he added.

(With newswires)

With the radio on and a paintbrush in hand, Nana Agyq methodically works on a 1.5 metre by 1 metre flour sack canvas.

In his small studio with blue walls in Teshie, a neighbourhood in Accra, he brings to life a terrifying creature: a giant wasp-woman devouring humans, inspired by the 1950s Roger Corman horror film The Wasp Woman.

“Some of my neighbours come to me and say: ‘Why do you only paint scary things? Because of you, I’m having nightmares.’ But I really enjoy painting horror films, that’s what works best,” Nana Agyq said.

Collectors, mostly American, are willing to pay between €430 and €1,000 per piece for these bold and humorous posters.

An artform kept alive

Robert Kof is the co-founder of Deadly Prey, an American-Ghanaian gallery where about 10 artists, including Nana Agyq, keep this art alive.

“What makes our posters so unique is the imagination we put into them”, he explains. 

“If a film, for example, is too boring, we add more action to it. Every day, something different must be represented… that’s what creates this hilarious love for our movie posters.”

From just four posters sold in the early 2010s, the Deadly Prey gallery now receives much more. 

Interest is growing in an art form that emerged in the 1980s, when mobile cinema operators used posters to draw crowds and boost profits.

“The operators of mobile cinemas were looking to double their profits,” says Joseph Oduro-Frimpong, an anthropologist at Ashesi University, explaining its origins.

“And one way to do that was to invest in artists to create posters to promote the films. The extravagant nature of the posters partly comes from the competition, which eventually became part of the art.”

However, with the rise of standardised reproduction in the 1990s, hand-painted posters began to disappear.

Today, Oduro-Frimpong is working to restore this cultural heritage, which has been largely forgotten by Ghanaians themselves.

► This report was produced by Victor Cariou for the RFI podcast Reportage Afrique.

Canadian and Mexican exports to the United States will face a 25 percent tariff starting Tuesday, although energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10 percent levy.

Goods from China, which already face various rates of duties, will see an additional 10 percent tariff.

Trump’s orders also suspended exemptions allowing low-value imports from the three countries to enter the US duty-free.

The announcement threatens upheaval across supply chains, from energy to automobiles to food.

Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in imposing the tariffs, with the White House saying “the extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, constitutes a national emergency.”

“Corresponding countermeasures”

The aim is to hold all three countries “accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country,” the White House added.

China’s commerce ministry said in a statement it would take “corresponding countermeasures” and file a claim against Washington at the World Trade Organization.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her country would impose retaliatory tariffs.

Sheinbaum said she had told her economy minister “to implement Plan B that we have been working on, which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico’s interests.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — who spoke with Sheinbaum — separately said his country would hit back with 25 percent levies of its own on select American goods worth €102 billion, with a first round on Tuesday followed by a second one in three weeks.

“We’re certainly not looking to escalate. But we will stand up for Canada, for Canadians, for Canadian jobs,” he said, as he warned of a fracture in longstanding Canada-US ties.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his approval of tariffs as a policy measure, and has signaled that Saturday’s action could be the first volley in further trade conflicts to come.

This week, he also pledged to impose future duties on the European Union.

He has also promised tariffs on semiconductors, steel, aluminum, oil and gas.

“Tariffs are a powerful, proven source of leverage for protecting the national interest,” the White House said.

(With newswires)

The film Haiyu – Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara, chronicles Africa’s last colony. This resource-rich territory of 266,000 square kilometres, with valuable phosphate deposits and fishing waters, is home to 600,000 inhabitants.

Since Spain ended its colonial rule in the mid-1970s, the region has remained caught between Morocco and Mauritania’s territorial claims, while Sahrawi independence fighters backed by Algeria continue their push for sovereignty.

At its premiere in Biarritz’s elegant Casino theatre, half the audience admitted they had never heard of Western Sahara. By the end, all applauded the film’s rare archival footage presenting an unprecedented Sahrawi perspective on the conflict.

RFI interviewed Mohamedsalem Werad, co-founder of the online platform Saharwi Voice and one of the film’s four directors, about the challenges of making the documentary and the story it tells.

RFI: Why is Western Sahara considered Africa’s last colony?

MW: Western Sahara remains colonised because superpowers like France and the United States provide Morocco with the support it needs to maintain occupation. Morocco does their dirty work in return for military and political protection at the UN Security Council. At the same time, they exploit the region’s natural resources for their benefit.

RFI: What was the goal of the documentary?

MW: The purpose of the documentary is to tell the story of Mariem Hassan and, through her, the story of the Sahrawi people and their fight for a free and independent Western Sahara.

RFI: Was Mariem Hassan the main symbol of Sahrawi resistance?

MW: Mariem Hassan was one of many figures in our struggle – and I insist on “one of”. There are many other legendary Sahrawis, from politicians to artists, who dedicated their lives to our cause. If we must speak of a Che Guevara for Western Sahara, it would be El Ouali Mustapha Sayed, the Polisario Front founder. He launched our revolution at 23 and was killed at 27.

RFI: How did music and culture play a role in Sahrawi resistance?

MW: We have a slogan: “Culture and music in service of liberation”. During Spain’s 90-year colonial rule, they deliberately limited Sahrawis’ access to education. Only a handful of people could read or write, so our nation relied on oral traditions like poetry and song. Music was essential for communicating messages of freedom, touching people’s hearts and strengthening their convictions.

From her refugee camp, Hassan sang against occupation, forced displacement and Morocco’s 2,700-kilometre defensive wall, built with American and Israeli expertise and known to Sahrawis as the “wall of shame”. Her song Arrabi al Arabe became an anthem for peace and unity.

Macron renews French support for Moroccan rule in disputed Western Sahara

RFI: What were the challenges of making this documentary?

MW: The film represents 10 years of work. We had no budget and faced enormous challenges. I worked from a refugee camp, another director was in Spain, and two others were in Sweden. We handled everything ourselves, from archive research to production, travelling only when we could raise funds.

RFI: Why are Sahrawi artists largely unknown outside the region?

There are so many barriers. We’re a small, divided nation, and even in the refugee camps, we only received electricity in 2015. We spent 40 years without development, making it impossible for our voices to be heard outside. Major powers have no interest in amplifying Sahrawi artists. It would expose their role in Morocco’s occupation and their exploitation of our resources.

RFI: What is Mariem Hassan’s legacy?

MW: When Sahrawis face difficult times, they find refuge and renewal in her music. She left us an extraordinary musical legacy that we must preserve.

In her final recorded message before her death in 2015, Hassan urged her people to continue to keep and develop our culture and arts. Through her music, she continues to inspire new generations to carry on the struggle.

We fight not just for her and past generations but for those to come,” Werad said, “so they won’t endure the same suffering she witnessed.

This story was adpated from the original version in French by Siegfried Forster

Now in its 52nd year, the four-day event celebrates the “ninth art” with nine major exhibitions, special guests, dozens of talks and a bustling publishing marketplace.

The festival officially kicked off on Wednesday with the Grand Prize going to French author Anouk Ricard.

The 54-year-old is only the fifth woman to receive the award since it was created in 1974. It is also the second consecutive year a female artist has won, following British writer Posy Simmonds in 2024.

“I’m definitely seeing more women authors and that’s a good thing,” Ricard told the press, adding that she was “overjoyed” and “proud” to be chosen by her fellow cartoonists.

Ricard, who first made herself known in children’s publishing with her series Anna and Froga, was in the running against fellow French author Catherine Meurisse and the American Alison Bechdel, a key LGBTQ figure.

Britain’s Posy Simmonds wins top prize at Angoulême Comics Festival

The super power of comics

One of this year’s biggest draws is Superman: The Hero with a Thousand and One Lives, running until 10 March. Created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster at the height of the rise of Nazism, the superhero’s story reflects decades of social and political change in the United States.

“In an era where everything feels more sinister, it’s easier to promote Batman, who has a darker view of society,” exhibition curator Yann Graf told AFP. But he insisted Superman is “more relevant than ever” amid social unrest and climate concerns.

The festival is also showcasing emerging talents and has a dedicated pavilion for school students, complete with its own awards.

For artistic director Marguerite Demoëte, the event’s success lies in its inclusivity. “It represents all genres of comics for all age groups,” she said.

She noted that France’s comic book industry attracts readers from all backgrounds.

“There is no contradiction between the popular aspect and the literary aspect of these works,” she told France 24.

Comics can tackle serious topics with satire and humour while bridging generational gaps. Demoëte pointed to Mortelle Adèle, a rebellious schoolgirl created by Antoine Dole, alias Mr Tan, as a book that has inspired many children to start reading.

Young talents paint a bright future for vibrant comic book business

Olé Olé! 

Spain is the guest country of honour this year, with its own pavilion and a focus on Spanish authors, with the exhibition “Constellation Graphique”.

The collection includes works of nine women avant-garde authors such as Barbara Alca, Marta Cartu and  Roberta Vazquez.

Ernest Urtasun, the Spanish Minister of Culture present at Wednesday’s awards ceremony, welcomed the inclusion at the Angouleme festival as a “historic opportunity” for his country.

“Most countries look at Angoulême as the central point of dialogue around comics,” he told AFP.

Emilio Gonzalo, general secretary of the Spanish Comic Sector told RFI’s Spanish service that many Spanish authors had made their mark in the competitive world of comics.

“Almost 200 Spanish authors currently work in the United States in the superhero market, both in Marvel and DC Comics,” he said.

Japanese manga is also a major feature this year, with three key exhibitions.

Vinland Saga: A Quest for Identity explores Makoto Yukimura’s cult series from the 1990s, while Gou Tanabe X H.P. Lovecraft: Hallucinated Visions dives into cosmic horror.

The third exhibit, Kamome Shirahama’s Sorcerer’s Workshop, showcases the enchanting universe of the Witch Hat Atelier creator.

“The returning hostages have just been transferred to IDF (military) and ISA (internal security) forces in the Gaza Strip,” the military said, referring to Israeli Yarden Bibas and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon who were freed by the Palestinian militants in the southern city of Khan Yunis. The Israeli American Keith Siegel was also released.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a reaction that he shares ‘joy’ of Kalderon’s release after ‘unimaginable hell.’

Kalderon, 54, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the 7 October attacks along with his children Erez, 12, and Sahar, 16, who were released in November 2023.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed receiving a list of three male hostages to be released Saturday but did not publicly disclose names.

“All hostage families have been informed by military liaison officers,” the office said.

However Hamas named Kalderon, American-Israeli Keith Siegel and Israeli Yarden Bibas as the three to be released, according to the group’s military wing spokesman on Telegram.

Family reacts

The Kalderon family said in a statement: “It’s an immense joy mixed with paralysing fear. We are waiting impatiently to finally reunite with Ofer. Until he is in our arms, we won’t dare to believe it.”

Kalderon’s ex-wife Hadas escaped the October attack by hiding in a shelter with their older children.

“When I first heard about the agreement, I couldn’t believe it. Even if it’s not perfect, it must be accepted – otherwise, we risk bringing back fewer hostages,” she told French daily Le Parisien.

Macron tells Netanyahu to honour Lebanon truce as death toll from Israeli fire rises

The release leaves just one French-Israeli, Ohad Yahalomi, in Hamas captivity.

Yahalomi, 50, was also taken from Nir Oz alongside his 12-year-old son Eitan, who was freed in November.

Palestinians released as well

Also on Saturday, three buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of a ceasefire deal arrived in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Saturday.

The prisoners, many wearing grey prison uniforms, were greeted by hundreds of Gazans who gathered around the buses as they approached the city’s European Hospital.

The prisoners were to undergo medical checks at the hospital before heading to their homes.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club in Ramallah, 150 of the 183 detainees released on Saturday as part of the truce between Israel and Hamas were to be transferred to Gaza.

The hostage-prisoner exchanges continue under the ceasefire agreement brokered between Israel and Hamas. On Thursday, Hamas released eight hostages in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

While the truce remains in place, tensions persist – with the sight of armed militants escorting hostages through cheering crowds raising objections among Israeli officials.

During the French protectorate in Tunisia, thousands of soldiers were conscripted to fight in World War I as part of the African colonial riflemen – the tirailleurs. But little remains today in terms of archives or recordings documenting Tunisia’s role in the 1914-1918 conflict.

Now, a joint effort between the Lautarchiv of Humboldt University and the phonotheque of Tunisia’s Centre for Arab and Mediterranean Music has helped recover these lost voices.

Funded by the German Lost Art Foundation, the project marks a step towards restoring a missing chapter of Tunisia’s wartime history. Of the 445 recordings returned, 111 feature soldiers from across North Africa.

The discovery of the recordings came by chance in the 2000s, when Mounir Hentati, cultural advisor and former director of the Centre for Arab and Mediterranean Music, visited Berlin.

“One day, I was a bit tired, so I went to the library. Really, that’s how it happened. I asked if there were any recordings related to Tunisia, and that was the turning point. I discovered a real treasure, and I dedicated myself to studying these documents and listening to them,” Hentati told RFI.

Among the earliest recordings is a song expressing the hardships of war and exile, sung by a Tunisian soldier.

One of the soldiers, Sadok Ben Rachid, was held in a camp south of Berlin with nearly 4,000 prisoners when German researchers began recording them using gramophones and phonographic cylinders.

The project was part of an ethnographic study of North and Sub-Saharan African soldiers.

“Some were both poets and musicians, and they set words to old melodies to convey messages. Other prisoners were asked to recite the Quran or sing a melody from their region of origin. It’s a very varied material. For me, it’s very moving because it’s like sound archaeology,” Hentati said.

“As part of a review of their colonial heritage policy, more and more researchers and voices in Germany have called for these archives to be released, to bring these voices back to life and, in a way, to resocialise them.”

After 25 years of discussions, the archives have finally been returned to Tunisia.

► This report was produced by Lila Blaise for the RFI podcast Reportage Afrique.

As US-based company Nvidia – the world’s leading manufacturer of AI chips – reels from a record-breaking stock drop, European semiconductor firms and AI developers are weighing what the disruption could mean for them.

Philippe Notton, CEO of SiPearl, a European company developing processors for supercomputers, told RFI that DeepSeek’s ability to develop AI with fewer resources could be a turning point.

“That’s bad news for Nvidia in terms of future sales, because if you can develop some competitive solution with fewer Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), it means that Nvidia will sell fewer chips,” he said.

“All the forecasts predict that the hype on GPUs and Nvidia is collapsing.”

Artificial intelligence may lead humanity to extinction, industry leaders warn

Unexpected crash

DeepSeek’s launch last week sent tech stocks plummeting.

On 27 January, Nvidia, called the “posterchild of America’s AI frenzy” by Bloomberg, lost $589 billion in market value – the biggest market-cap loss for a single stock ever.

The Nasdaq 100 fell 3 percent, and the S&P 500 dropped 1.5 percent.

DeepSeek claims to have developed its model with just €6.23 million, far below its Western competitors.

For comparison, Stephen Walker, an AI developer and founder of Klu.ai, estimates that training OpenAI’s ChatGPT requires about 25,000 Nvidia H100 chips costing between €23,900 and €29,700 each – bringing total development costs to nearly €920 million.

“If what DeepSeek said is true, they can develop such a model for only €5.75 million with some 2,000 to 4,000 GPUs, which is very, very low compared to what the others are using,” Notton said.

“It’s good news for the planet because it’s going to use much less energy to build this. It’s good news for Europe because they could do it for a limited budget.”

AI development cannot be left to market whim, UN experts warn

Plagiarism concerns

As the dust settled, accusations surfaced that DeepSeek may have built its model using data from US companies. OpenAI and Microsoft are investigating whether DeepSeek trained its chatbot using their proprietary data.

Daniel Castro, vice-president of the Washington-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), compared the situation to past innovations.

“Apple didn’t invent the smartphone,” he said. “They just invented the best one, and that’s why they were so successful with the iPhone.

“When something like this comes out, all the other companies are asking themselves: what are we doing to make sure to lower the costs. Ultimately that competition will be very good for the AI industry.”

French industry

Meanwhile, European tech firms scrutinise the DeepSeek phenomenon with interest.

According to Semiconductor Review, the industry generates €25 billion in yearly revenue and employs more than 50,000 people, constituting over 10 percent of the country’s total exports.

However, Acsiel, which monitors trends in the French electronics sector, reports the market fell 19 percent in the third quarter of 2024, to €486 million.

A massive reduction of research and developing costs in the increasingly competitive AI market may prove very welcome. 

The French AI start-up Mistral on Thursday hailed the latest DeepSeek model as “great,” and announced another new release of its own.

“R1 is a great and complementary piece of open-source technology,” Mistral said in a statement, while announcing its own new release “Mistral Small 3”, which it claims is competitive with larger models including Meta’s Llama and Alibaba’s Qwen.

Over-regulation?

However, US analysts argue that European AI regulations could hinder innovation.

Stephen Ezell, vice-president at ITIF, said the EU’s AI Act, introduced in July 2024, was one of the most restrictive regulatory regimes we’ve seen for AI globally.

“If I was a European policymaker looking at how a company like DeepSeek is challenging probably the top European AI company, Mistral … I would be very concerned about the approach of now putting them at a further disadvantage through this regulatory regime that really restricts access,” Ezell said.

The developments gain added significance following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the €500 billion Stargate project, a joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank that he called “the largest AI infrastructure project in US history”.

This is something that Europe cannot compete with, Notton said.

“But if finally, we can do it for let’s say 100 times cheaper, it becomes much more reasonable,” which makes the DeepSeek phenomenon “a kind of revolution because if it can be produced for a lower price, much more countries will be able to do it.”

France’s Mistral AI signs partnership with Microsoft

Fears for free speech 

Advocates of free speech and data protection advocates are worried.

If users ask DeepSeek questions that are sensitive to China’s Communist Party, it suddenly stops functioning properly.

Probes about the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, independence for Tibet or Taiwan, or about deposed politicians or Chinese dissidents are flatly answered with “sorry, that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk about something else”, or “I am sorry, I cannot answer that question. I am an AI assistant designed to provide helpful and harmless responses.”

But Castro is not worried. “American and European researchers are not going to use this AI chatpod to research Chinese history or politics,” he told RFI. “If that was the primary use, that would be of concern.”

Yet other worries remain.

Dieter Kugelmann, president of Germany’s Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, warned that DeepSeek “seems to be lacking in pretty much everything in terms of data protection law”.

The app collects extensive user data – including IP addresses, chat histories and keystroke patterns – which could be stored on servers in Hangzhou, thus potentially accessible to China’s Ministry of State Security.

If these concerns prove valid, the EU may need to act. The European General Data Protection Regulation only allows data transfers with countries offering comparable protections to the EU.

No such agreement exists between China and the EU.

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.

As you know, World Radio Day is coming up on 13 February, and we’ll have the annual WRD Sound Kitchen feast next Saturday, 8 February, to get you ready for your upcoming festivities.

Be sure and take a look at the RFI English Listeners Forum Facebook page – there are oodles of wonderful graphics posted by your fellow Sound Kitchen listeners – there’s even a World Radio Day quiz from Anand Mohan Bain, the president of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh India – so don’t miss out!

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 21 December, I asked you a question about that week’s International Report podcast, produced by RFI English journalist Melissa Chemam. It was really interesting – Melissa reported on a series of 22 short films produced by Gazan filmmakers.

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

Entitled From Ground Zero, the 112-minute collection is presented as a feature film in two parts and has been selected to represent Palestine at the Oscars in March 2025.

The project was made possible by the Masharawi Fund for Gaza Filmmakers, created in 2023 by Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi.

You were to listen to Melissa’s 15 December International Report podcast – “Gaza’s powerful war narratives make their way to the Oscars” – and answer me this: What are the names of three of Masharawi’s films, and in which years were they produced? 

The answer is, to quote Melissa: “Masharawi, who is from Gaza, is one of the first Palestinian filmmakers to have directed cinema projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.

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

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: What would your fantasy road trip be like?

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

The winners are: Ali Shahzad, a member of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan. Ali is also this week’s bonus question winner – congratulations on your double win, Ali!  

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Father Steven Wara, who lives in the Cistercian Abbey in Bamenda, Cameroon, and Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist – Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India. There’s Bithi Begum, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and RFI English listener Amara, who belongs to the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “The Courtly Dances” from Gloriana by Benjamin Britten, performed by Julian Bream and the Julian Bream Consort; “Bulbul Al-Afrah” by Dede Effendi Bayati Husseini-Muhayyer Maqam, performed by Nidaa Abou Mrad and the Classical Arabic Music Ensemble; “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 “Green Chimneys” by Thelonious Monk, performed by Thelonius Monk with the Thelonius Monk Quartet.  

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 “African nations set to light up the homes of 300 million people by 2030”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 24 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 1 March 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.   

When the United Kingdom formally left the European Union at 11pm universal time on 31 January 2020, the economies on both sides of the English Channel entered unchartered waters.

While breaking from the EU was championed by Brexiteers as a step toward sovereignty and economic independence, its impact has been mixed.

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks better deals with Brussels, EU officials insist insist Britain must first implement the existing agreements before any concessions are considered.

The financial burden of Brexit continues to mount, with estimates putting the cost at over €36 billion.

Unresolved questions

Trade figures show the scale of change.

UK exports to the EU fell by 27 percent and imports dropped by 32 percent between 2021 and 2023, the Institute for Public Policy Research reports. 

“It’s been a success in the sense that Brexit now feels like something in the past. It’s been done. But it’s not something that everyone’s terribly happy about,” UK politics professor Colin Hay, from Sciences-Po in Paris, told RFI.

“They’re not chuffed [with what] Brexit turned out to be. And that leaves a whole series of questions unresolved, which now become the agenda for the next five years and next 10 years.”

The UK has yet to fully implement the Brexit deal’s requirements for produce to flow freely between Britain and the EU.

Over the past five years, British businesses have adapted to new conditions and Prime Minister Starmer wants to improve the terms of trade between Britain and the EU. 

“But he doesn’t want something which looks like it’s about seriously revisiting and overturning part of the Brexit deal,” Hay said.

“So it’s a little bit one foot in, one foot out … in particular, what he has asked for is easing up the flow of goods into the UK economy from the European Union and vice versa, particularly foods.”

EU and UK clash in first post-Brexit legal battle over North Sea fishing ban

Europe still strong

While the EU has maintained economic cohesion despite global challenges like the Ukraine war and inflation, Brexit has affected both sides.

“Brexit was not a victimless crime,” said Hay. “Brexit caused hardship for Britain, but it’s caused hardship for every single one of the EU member states that exports to the UK.

“Since most of those economies had a balance of trade surplus with the UK, in one sense, it’s done almost more harm to EU member states together than it’s done to Britain individually. So there has been lots of suffering from this.”

The split has weakened Europe’s geopolitical position in negotiations with global powers like Russia, China and the US.

UK’s centre-left Labour sweeps to power as leader Starmer vows to bring change

Shifting attitudes

A recent YouGov survey found 55 percent of Britons now consider Brexit a mistake, with younger people particularly favouring closer European ties.

“The polls show that if a referendum were to happen tomorrow, Britain would vote to overturn the original decision,” said Hay.

“But there’s a very big but here, because if you study the polling data, if you ask British citizens if they would they like to have a second referendum, they’re very clear that they don’t want to revisit the question again … [and] the Labour government is not contemplating that at all.

“The British political class today views Brexit as something which has already happened and is irreversible now,” said Hay.

French forces have left Chad after 65 years of almost continuous presence in the West African country.

While the withdrawal was undertaken at Chad’s request, France’s foreign ministry told RFI it is “absolutely not the end” of cooperation on military matters.

The ministry’s spokesperson also outlined France’s position on the crisis in eastern DRC where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are advancing in North and South Kivu provinces.

On Thursday, the French army handed the Adij Kossei base – its last military compound in Chad – over to Chadian authorities, with President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno welcoming what he called the “definitive and complete departure” of French forces.

The handover marks the end of France’s military presence in its former colony “according to the wishes of the high Chadian authorities” in the capital N’Djaména.

President Déby, in power since 2021, had previously said the cooperation agreements with France had become “completely obsolete” in light of “the political and geostrategic realities of our time”.

French withdrawal across Sahel

French forces have already been forced to withdraw from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in the wake of military coups, marking a decline in French influence in West Africa.

But Christophe Lemoine, spokesperson with France’s Foreign Ministry, insists the closure of the Kossei base was “the natural outcome” of talks with Chad in the context of reconfiguring France’s military presence on the African continent.

He underlined that France and Chad will continue to cooperate in several fields.

“It is absolutely not the end of cooperation with Chad in military terms,” he told RFI, adding that bilateral cooperation – such as public development aid, economic cooperation, cultural cooperation, student exchanges –  would also continue.

On Friday, however, Déby appeared to strike a different tone: “We are not breaking off our relationship with France but we are ending the military dimension of this cooperation,” the leader said at the base, where only the Chadian flag is now flying.

France to reduce military presence in West and Central Africa

Chad ‘not concerned’ by Macron comments

Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments to diplomats that African countries “forgot to say thank you” for France’s decade-long deployment to fight an Islamist insurgency in the Sahel met with irritation among France’s remaining African allies. 

Chad’s foreign affairs minister called the remarks “humiliating and unacceptable”.

Lemoine insists Macron was “expressly referring to the operations that have been deployed in certain Sahel countries at the request of these states”.

“I’m thinking of the Barkhane and Serval missions, especially in Mali,” he added.

French troops were deployed in Mali in 2013 to help in the fight against terrorism, at the request of Malian authorities.

“France lost 58 French soldiers in these operations. And I think that’s what the President of the Republic was referring to. It was not a criticism addressed to the Chadians who were not concerned by these operations. I think we have to be precise about the situation and not mix things up”.

Macron’s Africa ‘reset’ stumbles as leaders call out colonial overtones

Rwanda must withdraw

In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, heavy fighting between Rwandan-backed M23 fighters and Congolese government forces have led to several deaths and forced thousands to flee.

M23 claims to have taken control of Goma in East Kivu province and is advancing in South Kivu. It has vowed to march all the way to Kinshasa.

Lemoine described the situation as “very worrying” and “dramatic” for the civilian population, saying the situation had to end.

“From France’s perspective, the best way to end the situation is to find a diplomatic solution through dialogue between [Congolese] President Tshisekedi and [Rwanda’s] President Kagame, in order to put in place a plan for the full withdrawal of  M23 troops from the Congolese territory.”

France has already called on Rwanda to stop its offensive and Lemoine reiterated its demand that Rwanda withdraw its troops citing the principle of respect for DRC’s territorial sovereignty.

“North Kivu is Congolese territory and foreign troops must leave the Kivu area,” he said.

While Germany has suspended development aid to Rwanda in protest over the DRC crisis, Lemoine said France had “not yet” made a decision on whether to follow suit.

As for sanctions, he insisted that such decisions had to be made “either at the UN or EU level”.

Faithfull, who inspired the Rolling Stones to compose the iconic “As Tears Go By” in 1964, moved to the French capital in the 1990s.

She was a vocal fan of Édith Piaf and Juliette Gréco.

Faithfull was managed by François Ravard, who later became her partner. He produced her live album “20th Century Blues”, recorded at the New Morning club in Paris in 1997.

By the 2000s, she had settled in the first arrondissement, near the chic rue Saint-Honoré. About 10 years later, she moved to the Left Bank, living in Montparnasse.

‘Music saved my life’

Faithfull endured many health struggles, including alcoholism, drug addiction, hepatitis and breast cancer. In a 2011 interview with RFI’s Imogen Lamb, she reflected on the role of music in her life:

“[Music] really saved my life. I always thought it might. I had great faith in that.”

“I often think that it’s the vibrations in the sound that are so healing […] Certain chords are very healing. I know that.”

Tears gone by as Marianne Faithfull tours again

Speaking about “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan”, the hit from her album “Broken English”, which marked her comeback in 1979, she said: “It’s a song written by Shel Silverstein. He can write beautifully about women and what they’re feeling and thinking and the situation they’re in.”

Faithfull could identify with Lucy Jordan.

“I know I’m not a housewife in a white suburb somewhere, cleaning the house all day… I never was. But I do understand Lucy Jordan and I put my heart into it,” she said.

‘I ended up in this life by mistake’

In 2016, French news agency AFP interviewed Faithfull after she recounted her life in the documentary Marianne Faithfull, Fleur d’âme, directed by French actress Sandrine Bonnaire. The film won awards at the Biarritz Audiovisual Festival in 2018.

“I always tell myself I ended up in this life by mistake because of Andrew [Loog Oldham] and the fascination with the Rolling Stones,” Faithfull said.

In this interview, she also talked about “They Come at Night”, inspired by the 13 November, 2015 Paris attacks: “I was at home, so shocked that I had to write a text immediately.”

Yet, she would perform at the Bataclan on 24 November, 2016.

In 2020, after recovering from a severe case of Covid, Marianne Faithfull crossed the Channel back to London.

The group’s capture of most of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, earlier in the week was a dramatic escalation in a region that has seen decades of conflict involving multiple armed groups.

Rwanda says its primary interest is to eradicate fighters linked to the 1994 genocide but is accused of seeking to profit from the region’s reserves of minerals used in global electronics.

The crisis has rattled the continent and international observers, with a southern African regional bloc holding an emergency summit in Zimbabwe‘s capital Harare on Friday.

M23 fighters are now moving south.

Local sources told AFP on Thursday that fighting was concentrated some 30 kilometres from the city of Kavumu.

The city has a strategic military airfield and is where the Congolese army has laid down its defensive line just 40 km north of South Kivu’s provincial capital Bukavu.

The United Nations warned it was concerned by “credible reports that the M23 is moving rapidly towards the city of Bukavu”.

Troops ‘vigorously’ countering M23 push, says DRC president Tshisekedi

The second biggest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after Goma, Bukavu has a population believed to be around two million.

The Congolese army has yet to comment on the latest M23 advances but President Felix Tshisekedi said earlier this week that a “vigorous” military response was under way.

Information about the fast-moving offensive has remained unclear, but so far M23 fighters have met limited resistance from the ill-equipped and poorly paid Congolese forces.

In Goma, residents have emerged to count the dead and search for food, as hospitals struggled to cope with the wounded.

“We do not want to live under the thumb of these people,” one person, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

The United Nations, United States, European Union, China, Britain, France and mediator Angola have all called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces.

Britain said Thursday it was considering reviewing aid to Rwanda.

Tshisekedi skips crisis summit as M23 tightens grip on eastern DRC

‘Not Rwandans’

Rwanda has hit back at the criticism, with government spokesperson Yolande Makolo saying the UK did not deliver “a direct warning” about aid.

“The international community has its fair share of the blame in the current situation,” she posted on X.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame also strongly rejected accusations that Kigali is supporting the armed group, saying: “M23 are not Rwandans – they are Congolese.”

On Friday, the 16-nation Southern African Development Community will hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the “worrying situation”.

Kagame and Angolan President Joao Lourenco, the African Union-appointed mediator between Kigali and Kinshasa on the conflict, will not attend.

The meeting follows soaring tensions between Kagame and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa after the deaths of 13 South African soldiers in DRC’s east.

“We are ready to defend ourselves if we are attacked by a coalition including South African forces,” Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told South African public broadcaster SABC late Thursday.

Rebels tighten grip on Congo mineral wealth as UN warns of long-term control

‘We will not leave’

The M23 and Rwandan troops entered Goma on Sunday. During days of intense clashes that killed more than 100 people, the group seized control over much of the city as many Congolese soldiers surrendered or fled.

“We are in Goma and we will not leave,” Corneille Nangaa, head of a coalition of groups including the M23, said on Thursday.

“We will continue the march of liberation all the way to Kinshasa,” he added.

The offensive has heightened an already dire humanitarian crisis in the region, causing food and water shortages and forcing half a million people from their homes this month, the UN said.

Africa‘s health agency warned that the “unnecessary war” in eastern DRC – a hotspot for infectious diseases including mpox – raised the risk of pandemic.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of waging an offensive to profit from the region’s mineral wealth.

Rwanda has denied the accusations.

Monaco, the other French club in the play-offs will take on Benfica.

Following the eight games of the group stages, PSG finished in 15th place in the 36-team division. Monaco and Brest completed their campaigns in 17th and 18th respectively.

The draw, which took place at the headquarters of competition organisers Uefa, pitted the 2024 champions Real Madrid against the 2023 winners Manchester City.

Both teams ended outside the top eight places guaranteeing automatic qualification for the the last-16 and they will play each other for the fourth year running in a knockout tie during European club football’s most prestigious competition.

“It feels like a derby already,” quipped the Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Friday at a press conference ahead of his side’s Premier League game at Arsenal on Sunday.

“Four years in a row facing Real Madrid. Hopefully we can arrive in the first leg and then at Madrid in the best possible condition.”

In other play-off matches, Juventus take on PSV Eindhoven and in another battle between Dutch and Italian outfits, Feyenoord play AC Milan.

Last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta will face Club Brugge of Belgium while Celtic will vie with Bayern Munich. Sporting Portugal were drawn against last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund.

The play-offs will take place on 11 and 12 February with the return legs on 18 and 19 February.

The draw for the last-16 onwards will take place on 21 February.

Storm Ivo hit areas already struggling with flooding from storms Eowyn and Herminia. Red weather alerts remain active in three regions of Brittany – Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique and Morbihan.

Their combined impact of the storms was exacerbated by the fact that the ground was already drenched from previous persistent rainfall.

National weather service Météo France warned that the situation could get worse in the coming days and authorities are on high alert.

River levels expected to rise

The town of Redon, surrounded by two rivers, a canal and marshes, has been underwater since Wednesday.The Vilaine river’s level was hovering just below that of historic floods in 2001, but was expected to rise further, official alert body Vigicrues reported.

“It’s highly likely that the peak won’t be reached today, but it will be in the next few days,” Redon‘s Mayor Pascal Duchene told French news agency AFP.

He said an estimated 750 residents could be affected.

The Red Cross had set up an emergency shelter for 50 people at a local gym. A second shelter was being set up at another sports centre for 200 people, a Red Cross official said.

Meanwhile, Ille-et-Vilaine’s administrative centre Rennes experienced its worst flooding in 40 years, with rainfall around the city exceeding 178mm for January.

“Unfortunately we haven’t seen the worst of the flooding,” the mayor of Rennes, Nathalie Appere told AFP on Sunday, after around 400 people were evacuated at the weekend.

“It’s quite catastrophic,” a local resident Juanita told RFI. “I am also thinking of how the clean-up will be difficult for all these people once the waters recede.”

France declares natural disaster zones for nearly 400 towns flooded in October

De-waterproofing

The city of Rennes has already begun looking into ways to manage urban development and prevent flooding.

The city’s energy and climate agency told RFI that the plan is to “de-waterproof” the ground at “all levels” from the courtyards of individual houses to industrial lands and streets.

This means allowing water to gradually infiltrate the ground and prevent overflow.

On top of that, work is also being carried to restore local wetlands, which would be able to store excess water during storms.

Another solution is the restoration of agricultural land by replanting hedges, which naturally retain excess rainfall. These were previously removed to create bigger farming plots.

As residents struggle to clean up and shore up their homes and businesses, the Minister of Ecological Transition Agnes Pannier-Runacher said a “state of natural disaster” would be declared in the coming days.

France skipper Antoine Dupont set up three tries as the hosts went in at half-time on Friday night leading 28-0.

Dupont was taken off shortly after the pause but his absence failed to disrupt the France machine nor spark the visitors who slumped to a 13th successive defeat – their worst run in their 144-year history.

“A very good first match gives you no guarantees for the rest of the Six Nations,” said Dupont after the game.

“We’re satisfied with this win but next week, against England, a team in a different place to Wales, will be something else.”

Dupont was at the heart of the team that beat Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland and Italy to hoist the 2022 Six Nations crown and achieve the Grand Slam – victories over all five sides.

Ireland repeated that feat in 2023 and retained the title last year.

For the 2025 campaign, the Irish will be vying to become the first country to win three championships on the trot since the inception of the Six Nations in 2000 when Italy joined the Five Nations party.

“The goal is to win a championship and everyone wants to win a Grand Slam, that’s the ultimate goal,” said Ireland forward Tadhg Beirne in the prelude to Saturday evening’s opening game against England in Dublin.

“But there’s a big hurdle in front of us each week. This week it is England and as each week goes by it becomes clear whether we have the possibility of winning a Grand Slam or not.”

Ireland, the world’s second best team after South Africa, beat England 27-22 to launch their tilt for renown. Scotland and Wales loom on the horizon before the crunch against France, who lie fourth in the world rankings, on 8 March at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Return

In Friday night’s match, France coach Fabien Galthié sent out Dupont and his Toulouse teammate Romain Ntamack at fly-half for the first time in nearly two years.

Injuries forced Ntamack to miss the 2023 World Cup and last year’s Six Nations tournament while Dupont skipped the 2024 Six Nations championships to prepare for the 2024 Olympics with the sevens team with whom he won a gold medal.

While Dupont shone against Wales in his Six Nations return, Ntamack blotted his copy book with a red card nine minutes from time for a dangerous tackle on the Wales fly-half Ben Thomas.

In contrast to the pre-match feel good factor around Dupont and Ntamack, Galthié entered far more controversial waters with the inclusion of the 21-year-olds Oscar Jégou and Hugo Auradou.

The pair were accused of raping a 39-year-old woman in their hotel room in Mendoza, western Argentina, following a drunken night out during the tour of South America last summer.

The men said the sexual relations were consensual and Argentine judges cleared them in December. However, the defendant has lodged an appeal against the court’s decision which will be heard on 10 February.

Cleared

Galthié has stressed that once the pair were exonerated, he felt that they should be available for selection for the national team. However, powerful voices in the French media have queried such swiftness.

“Fabien Galthié could have waited another two weeks for the appeal verdict,” said an editorial in the French newspaper Le Figaro on 15 January. “That would have been more respectful of Argentine justice.”

The editorial added: “The French rugby federation and Galthié had the opportunity to make their mark, to put ethics back at the heart of the game. And, more cynically, to avoid the headlines and other debates that will inevitably accompany the return to favour of Jégou and Auradou. The coach could have avoided hiding behind the law. Legally, that’s fair. Morally, it remains to be seen.”

Both Jégou and Auradou came on as substitutes during the match against Wales and were booed by sections of the crowd.

Galthié remained defiant about his decision to include the pair. “They’ve been tried, they’ve been arrested, and that’s as it should be,” he said after the victory. “And from the moment they are eligible for selection, if they are performing well, they have the right to a second chance, they have the right to redemption.”

Pressure

Around 80,000 fans watched the opening game of Les Bleus – the nickname for the national team. A similar crowd is expected at the arena to the north of Paris for the final game of the campaign against Scotland on 15 March.

Following Friday night’s annihilation of Wales, three games over the next five weeks will determine whether that clash will be a joyous coronation or a lament for what could have been.

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.

As you know, World Radio Day is coming up on 13 February, and we’ll have the annual WRD Sound Kitchen feast next Saturday, 8 February, to get you ready for your upcoming festivities.

Be sure and take a look at the RFI English Listeners Forum Facebook page – there are oodles of wonderful graphics posted by your fellow Sound Kitchen listeners – there’s even a World Radio Day quiz from Anand Mohan Bain, the president of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh India – so don’t miss out!

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 21 December, I asked you a question about that week’s International Report podcast, produced by RFI English journalist Melissa Chemam. It was really interesting – Melissa reported on a series of 22 short films produced by Gazan filmmakers.

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

Entitled From Ground Zero, the 112-minute collection is presented as a feature film in two parts and has been selected to represent Palestine at the Oscars in March 2025.

The project was made possible by the Masharawi Fund for Gaza Filmmakers, created in 2023 by Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi.

You were to listen to Melissa’s 15 December International Report podcast – “Gaza’s powerful war narratives make their way to the Oscars” – and answer me this: What are the names of three of Masharawi’s films, and in which years were they produced? 

The answer is, to quote Melissa: “Masharawi, who is from Gaza, is one of the first Palestinian filmmakers to have directed cinema projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.

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

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: What would your fantasy road trip be like?

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

The winners are: Ali Shahzad, a member of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan. Ali is also this week’s bonus question winner – congratulations on your double win, Ali!  

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Father Steven Wara, who lives in the Cistercian Abbey in Bamenda, Cameroon, and Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist – Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India. There’s Bithi Begum, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and RFI English listener Amara, who belongs to the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “The Courtly Dances” from Gloriana by Benjamin Britten, performed by Julian Bream and the Julian Bream Consort; “Bulbul Al-Afrah” by Dede Effendi Bayati Husseini-Muhayyer Maqam, performed by Nidaa Abou Mrad and the Classical Arabic Music Ensemble; “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 “Green Chimneys” by Thelonious Monk, performed by Thelonius Monk with the Thelonius Monk Quartet.  

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 “African nations set to light up the homes of 300 million people by 2030”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 24 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 1 March 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 government’s budget for 2025, if passed, will see public spending slashed by €32 billion. While most ministries are impacted, funding for public development assistance (PDA) is facing cuts of more than €2 billion – 35 percent of its budget. Coordination Sud, an umbrella group for 180 French non-profit organisations working internationally, say they’re being disproportionately hit at a time when international solidarity efforts are needed more than ever. Elodie Barralon, the group’s advocacy officer, talks about the impact of such cuts and concerns that civil society is being rolled back in France. (Listen @0′)

As a three-year experiment with medical marijuana comes to an end, instead of generalising its use, as intended, authorisation has been stalled. Nadine Attal, head of the pain centre at the Ambroise-Paré hospital in Boulogne near Paris addresses the sticking points, which include France’s current government chaos and the lack of political will to move forward. She sounds the alarm over the hundreds of patients enrolled in the experiment who have benefited from medical cannabis but whose health is now being ignored. (Listen @20’20”).

French humourist Pierre Dac came to fame in the 1930s with a winning brand of absurdist humour that managed to get everyone laughing while ridiculing no one. When WWII broke out he turned his talents to fighting anti-semitism, Hitler, and the collaborationist Vichy regime, joining Free France’s Radio Londres in 1943. He also founded a political party that defended the place of laughter and flabbiness in politics.  Fifty years after his death, on 9 February 1975, he remains one of France’s most popular, and humanist of humourists. (Listen @14’20”)

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).

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 14 December, I asked you a question about Syria and the end of Bashir al-Assad’s dictatorship. Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, seized Damascus on 8 December; Assad fled to Russia, ending his family’s six-decade- rule.

You were to re-read our article “France’s support for Syrian transition hinges on respect for minority rights” and send in the answer to this question:  France’s outgoing Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was quoted in the article. He noted that “Assad’s fall is a ‘clear defeat for Moscow’”. Why? Why does Jean-Noel Barrot think that Assad’s fall is a “clear defeat for Moscow”?

The answer is, to quote our article: “… Russia now could lose access to military bases in Syria which allowed it to conduct operations in the Magreb and elsewhere on the African continent.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Debashis Gope from West Bengal, India: “How can we have peace amongst all people?”  

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Dia Zanib from Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Dia is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Dia!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week is Omar Faruk, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Alok Bain, a member of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh, India. There’s RFI Listeners Club member Abdul Mannan Teacher from Sirajganj, Bangladesh, and last but not least, RFI English listener Nargis Akter from Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Vivace” from the Piano Concerto No. 11 in D major for fortepiano and orchestra by Franz Joseph Haydn, performed by Ronald Brautigam and the Concerto Copenhagen; the first movement from the Suite for Oud Quartet by Mohammad Osman, performed by the Syrian Oud Quartet; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Kudzi Malaissane” by José Pires and Roberto Isaias, performed by Kapa Dêch.

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 “French NGOs to quit social media platform X following Trump inauguration”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 17 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 22 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.   

How will 2025 shape up for African nations and their global partnerships? Will Africa secure a more central role in the global diplomatic landscape?

To understand what’s at stake on the continent, the Spotlight on Africa podcast consulted three experts in African politics and diplomacy.

Cameron Hudson from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CISC) in Washington DC discusses priorities for South Africa as it takes on the rotating presidency of the G20 group, and in particular its relationship to the United States. 

Michael Dillon from King’s College, London, UK, looks at China’s new strategy that aims to deepen its influence in Africa.

Thierry Vircoulon from IFRI in France analyses the legacy of France in Africa, notably in the Sahel where French troops have been pushed out by military juntas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

These countries have since established their own Alliance of Sahel States and made the decision to withdraw from the West African bloc Ecowas. Set to take effect on 29 January, security experts and members of the diaspora have voiced concern over what lies ahead.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale’s English language service.

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.   

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.