US Vice-President Vance’s arrival at the Munich Security Conference this Friday has underscored the Trump administration’s insistence that NATO allies contribute more funds to their collective defence.

Meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Vance stressed the need for “burden-sharing” so that the United States could shift its focus toward challenges in South East Asia.

“We want to make sure that NATO is actually built for the future,” Vance told Rutte, while the NATO chief acknowledged Europe’s need to step up. “We have to grow up in that sense and spend much more,” he said.

French president Macron warns against ‘capitulation’ in Ukraine peace deal

Earlier, France’s Deputy Foreign Minister Benjamin Haddad framed Europe’s security predicament in stark terms, warning that the region must prepare for a post-American defence order.

“I think we’re not sufficiently grasping the extent to which our world is changing,” Haddad told broadcaster France Info, stressing that reliance on Washington for European security is no longer sustainable. “Both our competitors and our allies are busy accelerating”.

This comes as French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the Financial Times that only Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky could negotiate on behalf of his country, warning against a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that could have repercussions for the world.

With Trump reportedly linking US support for Ukraine to access to the country’s rare earth minerals, concerns are growing that American foreign policy is shifting steadily toward a more entrenched, self-interested position.

Security and Ukraine

While the need for greater European defence spending is a key theme, the most pressing issue in Munich remains the fate of Ukraine.

The opening of the three-day conference followed a phone call earlier in the week between Presidents Trump and Putin, in which the two leaders pledged to work toward ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Trump’s approach to resolving the conflict – potentially forcing Ukraine to cede Russian-occupied territory – has alarmed European leaders, who fear a settlement on Putin’s terms could embolden further aggression.

Adding to tensions, a Russian drone struck the protective shell of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, just hours before a scheduled meeting between Vance and Zelensky.

While no increase in radiation levels have been reported, Zelensky labeled the strike a “very clear greeting” from Russia to the Munich gathering.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed Ukraine’s accusations, and Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova criticised Moscow’s exclusion from the conference.

Nato chief Rutte insists Trump and Putin peace plan must include Ukraine

Europe reacts to Trump’s ‘diplomacy’

Trump’s handling of the Ukraine conflict has left European allies scrambling for answers.

His phone call with Putin – before engaging directly with Zelensky – has been widely interpreted as a diplomatic snub, while his public remarks suggest he views a Ukrainian territorial concessions as an inevitable part of any peace agreement.

“The Ukraine war has to end,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “Young people are being killed at levels that nobody’s seen since World War II. And it’s a ridiculous war”.

Trump has also expressed scepticism about Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, despite the alliance’s previous commitment to Ukraine’s eventual membership.

“I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow them to join NATO,” he remarked, signalling a potential reversal of previous US policy.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, however, pushed back, stating that Ukraine “must be allowed to join NATO”.

While Vice President Vance assured that US military action against Russia remains an option if Putin refuses a negotiated settlement, European leaders remain unconvinced that Washington’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank is as steadfast as it once was.

For Ukraine, the road ahead looks increasingly uncertain.

As Zelensky has made clear in Munich: “We cannot accept it, as an independent country, any agreements [made] without us.”

(With newswires)

“A peace that is a capitulation is bad news for everyone,” Macron told the Financial Times (FT).

“The only question at this stage is whether President Putin is genuinely, sustainably, and credibly willing to agree to a ceasefire on this basis.

“After that, it’s up to the Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia,” Macron said.

The interview appears amid concerns in Europe that the US president Donald Trump and Putin are trying to negotiate the future of the continent’s security over the heads of European leaders.

On Thursday, Mark Rutte, the head of the 32-nation defence bloc Nato, insisted that Ukraine must be closely involved in any peace talks.

His comments, which echoed statements from a meeting in Paris of European foreign ministers, came as European defence chiefs gathered in the Belgian capital Brussels to begin preparations for the Nato summit in The Hague in June.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Spain said on Wednesday night that any peace deal in Ukraine must come with the involvement of Kyiv and its European partners.

“There will be no just and lasting peace in Ukraine without the participation of Europeans,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the Paris meeting.

Stages

The agenda of the defence chiefs was overshadowed by Trump’s move to engage with Putin over a peace deal for Ukraine.

In their first confirmed contact since Trump’s return to the White House, Trump said he had held a lengthy and highly productive conversation with Putin who ordered the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Zelensky is expected to meet the US vice-president, JD Vance, at a security conference in Munich on Friday. The Ukrainian leader insists Ukraine must be a part of any negotiations for a peace deal.

Vance is due to outline the American position on its commitment to security in Europe.

On Thursday evening, Trump used the press conference with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to  accuse Europe of skimping in its support for Ukraine.

Trump said: “We had some talks and we told the European Union, we told the Nato people – largely they overlap – you have to pay more money because it’s unfair what we’re doing.

“We’re doing a tremendous amount more, we’re probably 200 billion dollars more going into Ukraine, using for Ukraine to fight, and Europe has not really carried its weight in terms of the money.

“It’s not equitable and we want to see a counterbalance. We want to have them put up more money. They have to do that.”

Macron told the FT it would be up to Ukraine to discuss issues of territory and sovereignty but added that Europe had a role to play in regional security.

“It is up to the international community, with a specific role for the Europeans, to discuss security guarantees and, more broadly, the security framework for the entire region,” he said. “That is where we have a role to play.”

(with newsires)

French President Emmanuel Macron made waves this week by unveiling a massive €109 billion investment plan aimed at bolstering AI infrastructure within France.

The proposal focuses on the development of computing clusters and data centres – a strategic move to strengthen Europe’s competitive stance in the global AI industry.

Taking to the podium at Paris’ Grand Palais, Macron emphasised that this investment would ensure France’s position as a key player in the AI revolution, fostering an environment where innovation will thrive.

In parallel with national efforts, the European Union unveiled the InvestAI initiative – a pioneering €200 billion plan aimed at driving AI development across Europe.

This programme includes a €50 billion commitment from the EU, complemented by some €150 billion from private investors.

A key feature of InvestAI is the establishment of AI ‘gigafactories’ – massive infrastructure projects aimed at facilitating open and collaborative AI model development.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the initiative’s goal, stating, “We want AI to be a force for good and for growth. This unique public-private partnership, akin to a CERN for AI, will enable all our scientists and companies…to develop the most advanced very large models needed to make Europe an AI continent”.

Macron announces €109 bn investments in AI as leaders, tech giants meet in Paris

Mistral AI

Further cementing France’s presence on the global AI stage, French startup Mistral AI introduced Le Chat – an AI assistant capable of processing up to 1,000 words per second.

Its launch signals a new chapter in the development of AI in Europe, demonstrating that EU companies are poised to challenge Silicon Valley’s dominance in the sector.

Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde, director of the Geopolitics in Technology centre at the IFRI foreign relations think-tank, spoke to RFI about Mistral AI’s significance in the global AI race, particularly when compared to China’s DeepSeek: “It’s a French start-up that has a lot of support from the French government and during the [European Union’s] AI Act negotiations, France wanted to protect this French nugget.

Mistral AI’s approach closely mirrors DeepSeek’s—both being open-source—making them more resource-efficient in training and deploying models.

“I’ve seen comparisons made – particularly on the generation of lines of computer code between ChatGPT and DeepSeek …Le Chat was obviously very well positioned [at the summit] … it offered more efficient responses, was faster and consumed less energy. But we’ll have to see how it progresses and how widely it’s adopted,” de Roucy-Rochegonde added.

US’s Vance warns Europe on AI overreach, slams China’s tech crackdown at Paris summit

US critical of AI regulation

While the summit celebrated Europe’s AI advancements, it also exposed rifts in global AI governance.

Representing the United States, Vice President JD Vance voiced concerns over excessive AI regulation, arguing that stringent policies could stifle innovation.

He stressed the economic potential of AI and advocated for a more flexible regulatory approach to maintain the US’s competitive edge.

“AI is the engine of future economic growth,” Vance remarked. “We cannot afford to overregulate and cede leadership to our competitors.”

In a move that underscored these divergent perspectives, both the US and the UK opted not to sign a declaration endorsed by around 60 countries – including China, India, and Germany.

The non-binding agreement aims to ensure AI technology remains “safe, secure, and trustworthy“. 

For De Roucy-Rochegonde, the US stance on not signing the declaration was to be expected “because the vocabulary used to discuss ‘inclusive and sustainable AI’ is not in the current administration’s list of priorities.

“In the United States, they have the oligarchs … big tech bosses pushing an agenda that is both very anti-regulation and very anti-European. Once again, Vance attacked European regulations head-on”.

The UK’s position was more unexpected: “The Bletchley Park AI Safety summit – which was organised by the UK in November 2023 – resulted in a declaration that went roughly in the same direction,” she explains.

The race for ‘prestige’

Nevertheless, the absence of the US and UK as signatories to the Paris AI Action declaration “is a slap in the face for French diplomacy”, the IFRI specialist remarked. “Especially since the Elysée intended to have an alliance of democracies supporting a text, reaffirming the importance of having a human rights-centred approach for the development of AI”.

De Roucy-Rochegonde regards their refusal to sign as “emblematic of international tensions and the difficulties that multilateralism faces at the moment”.

Looking to the future, the race for artificial intelligence has both an economic and highly symbolic dimensions, “reminiscent of Star Wars during the Cold War,” she says.

During the Cold War “the aim was to be the first to master rockets. Going to the moon. So it was a race for prestige.

“It’s no coincidence that Donald Trump has called this grand plan Stargate … in reference to Reagan’s Star Wars. So we can expect artificial intelligence to continue to play a major role in international competition … and international tension”.

Dartevelle, 74, was found guilty on Thursday at the criminal court in Doubs, eastern France, of the sexual assaults between September 2016 and March 2018 when the victim was aged between 17 and 19.

“The civil party that I am representing and assisting has been recognised as a victim, and that is the most important thing for her,” said the woman’s lawyer, Benjamin Liautaud.

“As far as my client is concerned, moral duress has been recognised and punished.”

Dartevelle, a dentist with a surgery in Montbéliard, eastern France, rose through the ranks to head the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté tennis league and become one of the most influential tennis administrators in the country. His rise was halted in February 2017 when he narrowly lost out to Bernard Giudicelli to head the French national tennis federation. 

During the three-day hearing, Dartevelle told the court that the woman, now 25, had rewritten their story.

“She lies, she lies, she lies,” he said. “I don’t know who I am any more. A manipulator? A monster?”

The court heard Dartevelle describe a magnificent love affair. “I never saw a look of fear in her. I only saw tenderness. And if only she had shown any reluctance, I would have ended the relationship,” he said.

‘Hold’

The woman told the court Dartevelle’s close ties to her parents in the tennis world gave him an unnatural hold over her. 

“I developed an enormous fear of him,” she said. “I couldn’t find a way out or I didn’t have the courage to do it. I was too ashamed.”

The 18-month ordeal came, the court was told, during a period when the woman was trying to cope with a cluster of injuries and operations that forced her to reconsider her hopes of a career in tennis.

Despite surgery on her legs, the pain persisted and her health deteriorated. The court heard she went through phases of anorexia, bulimia and depression culminating in an attempt to take her own life.

The lawyer representing the French Tennis Federation, which helped the woman bring the case to court, accused Dartevelle of betraying his role as a leader.

“You abused the fragility of a top-level athlete, instead of defending her, you led her towards a precipice.”

Recalling the start of attacks, the woman told the court: “We had been chatting on social networks, and I agreed to a meeting because Mr Dartevelle had promised to help me. And that’s when I was raped for the first time.”

(With newswires)

It is understood the move comes in defiance of a recommendation to stop investigating the companies.

The inquiry follows formal complaints made by the Foodwatch watchdog against Nestlé Waters — whose brands include Perrier, Contrex and Vittel — and Sources Alma, France’s biggest mineral water producer.

Foodwatch has led moves to highlight the production methods of the firms in recent years. Foodwatch accuses the companies of misleading consumers over the water in the latest complaint taken up by the magistrate.

On 4 February, an investigation conducted by journalists from Le Monde and Radio France, claimed the French government allowed food and beverage giant Nestlé to continue selling mineral water that did not comply with health regulations.

Le Monde and Radio France revealed that the services of former prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, and the French presidency allowed Nestlé to market these waters, despite the health authorities’ recommendations for a ban from 2023.

Nestlé and Alma face renewed legal action in France over water fraud

No improvement

Citing “exchanges of emails and ministerial notes”, the journalists accuse the French government of having “privileged the interests of Nestlé to the detriment of consumers” by granting exemptions for the company’s practices. President Emmanuel Macron has denied the accusations of a wide-reaching cover-up.

In 2024, Nestlé Waters admitted using banned filters and ultra-violet treatment on mineral waters, which must be processed naturally by law.

Nestlé Waters paid a two-million-euro fine in September 2024 to avoid legal action over the use of illegal water sources and filtering. It says the filters it uses now are allowed by the government and that its water is “pure”.

Sources Alma had also previously been under investigation by prosecutors.

Tap water in French cities contaminated by toxic forever chemicals, study warns

Complaints

Another consumer group, CLCV, has also registered complaints which are being studied by magistrates.

The director general of health, Jérome Salomon, had called for the suspension of Nestlé’s operations permit at its sites in the Vosges region of eastern France and production of Perrier at Vergèze.

The government’s role in the water scandals has been under investigation by the French senate since November. A senate commission has criticised the government.

Alexandre Ouizille, the head of the commission, welcomed the investigations. “Each hearing we hold confirms to us the failure of ministries and administrative authorities,” he said.

In total 72 people died and three went missing, the maritime authorities for the northern French region of Pas-de-Calais said on Thursday.

However last week, Xavier Delrieu, a French official heading an office tasked with fighting migrant smuggling, gave a higher toll.

Delrieu, who leads a team of 157 specialist investigators, backed up by 450 police officers throughout France, said there had been 78 deaths last year – a record since small boat journeys across the Channel increased in 2018.

Both the French and British governments have vowed to crack down on people smugglers who are often paid thousands of euros by migrants to organise the crossing from France to England on packed dinghies.

French government to table new immigration law in early 2025

Increasing loads

Thursday’s report said that while smugglers loaded an average of 45 people on a single small boat in 2023, that figure increased to 54 last year.

It said this had increased the number of deaths linked to asphyxia by crushing aboard these dinghies.

Some migrants last year were embarking on these boats further south along the coastline than previously seen, leading to longer journeys and extended periods during which they were exposed to the elements and the risk of crushing, the report added.

EU leaders embrace foreign ‘return centres’ to counter illegal migration

“The stage of boarding and/or return to the beach is particularly dangerous and chaotic, resulting in the risk of hypothermia or drowning and/or asphyxia,” it noted.

Men, women and children often wade out into cold choppy waters off the beaches to board the unstable dinghies.

The report also added that migrants and smugglers were so determined to reach British shores that they often only sent out distress calls as a last resort.

Migrant rights groups, however, say that increased police surveillance is forcing migrants to take more risks.

French police arrest six people after migrants’ bodies found on northern beach

(With AFP)

Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC claim that the spills in the region were caused by sabotage or illegal refining.

The villagers, supported by Amnesty International Nigeria, say that decades of spills have damaged farms and waterways.

“The pollution created by the oil giant has caused immense damage to the local environment, depriving thousands of people of access to clean drinking water,” said the NGO Amnesty International.

“Sabotage and its consequences are insignificant compared to the destruction caused by the company’s oil exploitation,” Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, told RFI’s Environment desk.

“While we are trying to focus the debate on environmental damage, talking about sabotage is just a way to avoid taking responsibility,” Sanusi added.

A Shell spokesperson said: “The litigation does little to address the real problem in the Niger Delta: oil spills due to theft, illegal refining and sabotage, which cause the most environmental damage.”

Shell’s lawyers said in papers submitted to the court that SPDC recognises it is obliged to compensate those harmed by oil spills even if SPDC is not at fault

They added that they would not offer compensation where spills had been caused by the malicious acts of third parties.

Niger Delta communities file damage claim against Shell in London court

Ten years ago, residents from the Bille and Ogale communities in Nigeria claimed their livelihoods had been destroyed and homes damaged by hundreds of oil spills caused by Shell, according to Amnesty’s report.

The pollution caused widespread devastation to the local environment, killing fish and plant life, leaving thousands of people without access to clean drinking water.

According to the UN, at least 7,000 oil spill incidents have occurred in the region since 1958.

In 2011, a study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also highlighted the presence of benzene—a carcinogen—at nearly 900 times the WHO’s recommended levels in contaminated water in Ogoni, in the west of the country.

“Shell repeatedly delayed the case arguing it had no legal responsibility for any of the pollution. The delay has had a devastating effect on people’s lives,”  said Sanusi.

Godwin Bebe Okpabi, leader of the Ogale community in the Niger Delta, told Reuters news agency that he was appealing to Shell’s conscience to remediate the damage.

“As we speak, people are dying in Ogale, my community,” he said. “It is sad that Shell will now want to take us through this very expensive, very troublesome trial, claiming one technicality or the other.”

The month-long trial will determine issues of Nigerian law and whether SPDC can be held liable for oil spills caused by third-party interference, ahead of a further trial in 2026.

The case, parts of which began nearly a decade ago, has already been to the Britain’s Supreme Court, which ruled in 2021 that the case should be heard in the English courts.

 (with newswires)

Naâman released his final song Mon Amour in December as a testament to life and love. “Life only dies in books”, he sang.

Born in Normandy, he fell in love with the music of Bob Marley aged 12 and went on to become a leading figure on the French reggae scene combining hip-hop and raggamuffin with more traditional beats.

His catchy hit Outta Road garnered some 29 million views online.

RFI’s World Music Matters met Naâman in 2015 for the release of his second album Rays of Resistance where, among other things, he talked about transcending the ego in music.

Countries are looking for sovereignty in artificial intelligence and at a major AI summit in Paris this week, France and the EU backed a “third path” approach to AI – midway between the US’ private tech firm-dominated model and China’s state-controlled technology. With a focus on regulation to ensure trust, France is creating public/private partnerships, and encouraging companies to develop home-grown products. Linagora, an open-source software developper, recently released a large language model (LLM) trained on French and European content, in contrast to American LLMs like ChatGPT that are trained on mainly US content. While chatbot Lucie got off to a rocky start, Linagora’s General Manager Michel Maudet says there’s a clear need for technology focused on Europe, able to address the nuance of the continent’s languages and culture. (Listen @0′)

French MPs recently voted a controversial draft bill to end birthright citizenship on the overseas department of Mayotte to discourage illegal immigration from neighbouring Comoros. Prime Minister François Bayrou supports the proposed measure and has called for a wider debate on immigration and what it means to be French. His earlier remarks that there was a feeling immigrants were “flooding” France have caused outrage on the left in particular.  We talk to Tania Racho, a researcher on European law and who also works for an association fighting disinformation on migration issues, about the reality of immigration in France. While the data does not support claims France is overwhelmed with foreigners, people’s perceptions – nourished by a fixation on migration by both politicians and media – tell a different story. (Listen @18’40”)

Twenty years after the 11 February 2005 law on disability and inclusion, daily life for France’s 12 million people living with disabilities has improved. But since the law underestimated the timelines and costs of accessibility, there’s still a lot of work to be done. (Listen @14’30”)

Episode mixed by Vincent Pora. 

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).

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.

The Parisian exhibition, titled Dennis Morris – Music + Life, offers a glimpse into Morris’s black-and-white photographs, capturing the Jamaican and Sikh communities in London’s Hackney during the 1970s, as well as the white working-class, “The Happy Breed”.

Morris’s passion for photography began at an early age – his first photograph was published on the front page of the Daily Mirror when he was just 11. He met Bob Marley in the early 1970s at the age of 16 and went on to capture some of the most iconic images of the reggae legend, both on and off stage.

The photographer who describes himself as always “sharp, stylish and cool” didn’t just capture images, he worked as a stylist for various Jamaican musicians and played a role in transforming Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols into John Lydon for his next venture, Public Image Limited (PiL).

More recently, Morris worked with the band Oasis, drawing comparisons to the Sex Pistols, describing it as “absolute chaos”.

RFI: You had an exhibition at La Fab in Paris last year, and now at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. What is your connection to Paris?

Dennis Morris: I’ve been and worked in Paris many times. I used to do a lot of work for Rock&folk magazine and I have many connections here. I’ve worked with quite a few French bands such as The Rita Mitsouko, Telephone, FFF.

Paris is a very creative place. It’s a place where I think artists can come to find themselves. You know, sometimes artists reach a point in their career where they are looking for something, a new direction or they feel stagnated.  

Artists will come to Paris to find themselves and then to recreate themselves in that sense.  

And Paris is a beautiful city, architecturally, spiritually in that way.

RFI: At the MEP, there is a dedicated space showcasing your photographs of Bob Marley, both on and off stage. When did you first meet him?

Dennis Morris: The first time I met Bob Marley, it was my last year at school and I was very much into photography and music.

I had read in one of the music papers that he was coming over to do his first tour of England. I decided I wanted to meet him and take some photos of him.

So I went to the first venue he was to play on the tour in London, a place called the Speakeasy Club.

I didn’t go to school that day and went to the club, maybe at 10am in the morning. I didn’t know anything really about the music, how bands operated. I was there at 10am and they didn’t turn up till around 3 or 4pm to do their sound check.

I just waited and waited and eventually he arrived, and I walked up to him and said: “Can I take your picture? He said: “Yeah man, come in.” I went into the club with him, and while they were doing their sound check when they had a break, he was asking me what it was like to be a young black kid in England. And I was asking him about Jamaica.

He really liked me and said: “Would I like to come on the tour?” And I said, yes. So the next day I packed my bag as if I was doing sports and went to the hotel.

In those days, there wasn’t a tour bus. It was a van. And the very famous picture, one of my most iconic images of Bob. I was sitting in the row of seats behind, and he turned round and said: “You ready, Dennis?” And I said, yeah. And took the shot.

It’s become one of my most iconic images.

RFI: Are you a musician yourself? 

Dennis Morris: Yes, I had a stage in my career as a photographer where I decided I wanted to make my own music. A band was formed with Basement Five. 

I was the lead vocalist and very funny story was basically we were like a black punk band. But it was basically my influences from photography was punk and reggae, and I sort of fused the two together. 

It was very difficult for us because no one really understood us… Because we were black, people expected us to play reggae or to play funk or soul, and we weren’t like that at all. 

And so what was really strange about it was at the time our support was U2, we went on to bigger things. But we had a very big following, but we had very bad management. U2 had a brilliant manager. 

RFI: You’ve mentioned overcoming significant challenges in your life to become a photographer.How important is this achievement for you?

Dennis Morris: My ambition as a photographer was to be seen or recognised as one of the great photographers. If I have achieved that, I’m not sure. That’s not for me to say. That’s for the public to say. 

I’m also very grateful for what photography has given me in terms of it’s opened many doors for me. I’ve travelled the world through my photography and my work is recognised worldwide.  

For instance, in Japan, they call me “living legend”. Dennis Morris is a living legend, you know… So I am very proud of what I’ve been able to achieve.  

RFI: What does ‘punk’ mean for you? Are you a punk? 

Dennis Morris: I am a punk. Punk is a state of mind, a way of thinking. It’s not really about the way you dress. 

What punk really means is the ability, the desire to achieve what you want against all the odds, to go against the grain in that sense.

Working with Bob Marley…I learned how to be positive within myself, to recognise myself as a as a black man, as being equal to anyone. I learned my history. And more importantly, it gave me a sense to ground myself. 

With punk, I learned how to kick down the door to take what I want. And through Bob Marley, I learned how to ground myself through spirituality in that sense and positivity. 

► The exhibition Dennis Morris – Music + Life runs until 18 May, 2025 at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris.

France is hoping the summit, to be attended by world leaders as well as tech experts, will reinforce its leading European position, in a battle that is for now largely being played out between the US and China.

The country also hopes to stoke public interest in real-world uses of artificial intelligence (AI). The French Cultural Ministry has put together a weekend programme of events in Paris, ahead of the summit, for the public to learn about the use of AI in various arenas such as art, cinema, history and music.

For law professor Alexandra Bensamoun, it’s vital for France to keep abreast of the latest developments in AI, regardless of the sector. “I believe that we must get on the AI ​​train, we must not stand on the platform and watch it go by,” she said.

Bensamoun is among the guest speakers at a discussion being held at the National Library of France, focusing on AI’s place in the cultural domain. She is part of a special task force informing the government on a legal framework for AI, at both a French and a European level.

Paris hosts AI summit, with spotlight on innovation, regulation, creativity

One of the biggest challenges artists face in the age of AI is having their work re-used or copied by AI tools and applications, without being properly credited – or indeed paid.

As an advisory member of a national committee set up by the Culture Ministry (CSPLA), she is dedicated to finding a suitable legal framework to protect intellectual property in creative fields.

Her role is to “reconcile” the growth potential of AI while remaining “consistent with European values”.

‘Fundamentally human’

For Bensamoun, AI is an important tool, but it should be viewed as just that: a tool, to be used by humans, rather than something that replaces human endeavour.

Artistic and literary creation is “fundamentally human and it is important to recognise the uniqueness of human creation and to protect it,” she said. “The objective is not to ban AI, the objective is to allow the deployment of AI in an ethical environment, in an environment that respects everyone.”

To reach this goal, Bensamoun says two measures related to protecting copyright in cultural fields were included in the European Union’s AI act – published in 2024.

The first states that suppliers of AI programmes must respect author copyright and so-called “neighbouring rights”, which regulate the republication of certain content.

AI steals spotlight from Nobel winners who highlight Its power and risks

The second measure stipulates that AI suppliers must provide the public with “a sufficiently detailed summary of the content which was used for training artificial intelligence models”.

Such transparency at each step of the process, Bensamoun says, is only possible if all players in the AI field sit down and negotiate fair rules from the outset, rather than play catch-up via expensive legal action after the fact.

However, she adds that there are still unchartered waters moving forward, as copyright issues are necessarily inter-connected with other laws covering competition, image rights and the treatment of personal data.

Exploitation and education

Aside from legal questions, the use of AI raises philosophical and ethical debate.

One recent example that garnered media attention was the case of the late actor Alain Dorval, the French “voice” of American action hero Sylvester Stallone.

While Dorval passed away in February of 2024, a company called ElevenLabs used artificial intelligence to recreate his voice in order to dub Stallone’s voice for the trailer of the film Armor, due for a French release in March 2025.

However, as Bensamoun explains, Dorval’s family had only given their consent for simple tests to be done using the actor’s voice, and not for its use for media exploitation. In the end, another actor was hired to dub the full film.

German artist provokes anger after refusing award for AI generated photograph

In the report Bensamoun and other experts submitted to President Emmanuel Macron in 2024, one key recommendation was the importance of education on the use of AI, particularly in times of social and economic upheaval.

“We need to raise awareness, educate about AI. Not everyone is going to use AI, but everyone needs to understand what it is about,” she said.

Macron’s special envoy for AI, Anne Bouverot, with whom Bensamoun collaborated, believes “science can help us think through this revolution” and “understand the societal impacts of AI”.

“AI must not be the source of new divisions,” Bensamoun added.

One thing experts including Bensamoun and Bouverot agree on is that France and Europe will need to invest if they want to remain credible contenders in the AI race.

Recent events “show us that the field is still very open in terms of global competition,” Bouverot told a packed lecture theatre at the Polytechnique engineering school in Paris on Thursday.

Hot on the heels of a US plan for a $500 billion AI investment scheme, France has also announced major investments running into the billions, including for new data centres on its territory.

Fils, 20, and Mpetshi Perricard, 21, have forged a friendship over the past decade and were part of the France squad that beat Brazil 4-0 on 1 adn 2 February in Orléans, western France, in the first round of the 2025 men’s tennis team competition.

The victory moved France, 10-times winners of the 125-year-old competition, into a second round clash against Croatia in September.

“I played with Gio [Mpetshi Perricard] in doubles in junior competitions and now to play in the same team for the Davis Cup, it’s something unbelievable,” beamed Fils.

“Since we met each other we’ve been talking about playing for France together and to finally make it is huge. It’s something we’ve dreamed of since we were young and to do it … especially in France.”

Fils, who is 19th in the world rankings, said it was particularly emotional as La Marseillaise – the French national anthem – was played before the encounter at the Palais des Sports.

“I was standing next to Gio when La Marseillaise started,” he said. “To be there at an event like the Davis Cup with a very close friend, we were almost crying. Gio is almost like my brother. We go on holidays together. We do everything together.

Monfils returns to action at Indian Wells missing Djokovic and Nadal

“If he has got something on his mind, he calls me and I call him if there’s something troubling me. Really close. And it’s not often in tennis to feel something like this.”

‘Strong characters’

France Davis Cup skipper Paul-Henri Mathieu, himself a former top 20 player, said in the aftermath of the victory that he relished steering a squad with different abilities and temperaments.

“It’s all very well and good having strong characters but they have to go and win big matches and important ties like this,” said the 43-year-old.

“It’s helpful that they all get on well together. There was a good atmosphere in the squad during the week of preparation for the matches and we won in some style.”

Fils beat Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-1, 6-3 to give France a 2-0 lead following the straight sets victory of the French number one Ugo Humbert over the Brazilian number two Joao Fonseca.

Shelton ousts French veteran Monfils at Australian Open

Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Benjamin Bonzi joined forces on 2 February to overcome Marcelo Melo and Rafael Matos to furnish the decisive third point in the best-of-five series.

With qualification secured, Mpetshi Perricard, who shot up the rankings from 200 to 30 in 2024, was sent out to play the dead rubber – a match with no bearing on the overall result.

Despite the lack of jeopardy, Fils was courtside watching and encouraging his pal. “A bit too much,” quipped Mpetshi Perricard after his 6-4, 6-4 victory over Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida.

Encouragement

“I know he is very calm,” said Fils, well out of range of his 2.03m tall chum. “But you know, it’s Davis Cup, it’s something else. I told Gio before his game: ‘I’m gonna push you even if you’re leading 3-0, it’s gonna be the same. I’m gonna push you and you have to win this one.’ So of course, I was going a bit hard on him and putting a bit of pressure.”

He added: “But it’s OK. I think he he did great. He won in straight sets. And he enjoyed the moment on the court. So that was the most important thing.

“Hopefully we’re going to play 10, maybe 15 more years together for France for the Davis Cup. So I think we’re going to have a lot of memories.”

Veteran Monfils beats Mpetshi Perricard in battle of the French generations

After missing the Rotterdam Open through illness, Mpetshi Perricard will play at the Marseille Open which starts on Monday. Fils, who reached the last-16 in Rotterdam, will skip the Marseille event to nurse an injured left thigh.

“It’s going to be very tough year for sure,” said Fils who won ATP 500 tournaments in Hamburg and Tokyo in 2024.

“But it is always like this. The more you go up in the rankings, the tougher it gets. So I’m going to try my best. My goal is just to feel great on the tennis court, enjoy my time and to try to be one of the best to play the game.

“And I’m putting the work in. I don’t know if the success is going to happen in 2025 or 2026. But I know that I’m putting the work in with all my team. And let’s see, I will try to to win another title in in 2025.”

Such a success would be his fourth on the senior circuit since turning professional in 2021. His first championship came on home soil in Lyon in May 2023 a month shy of his 19th birthday.

On his way to glory at the Hamburg Open for his second title, Fils overcame the defending champion Alexander Zverev and in Tokyo he beat Humbert.

Following his run to the last-16 at the Australian Open, Humbert, the world number 15, remains France’s top player but the 26-year-old is likely to come under pressure to maintain that kudos from Fils and Mpetshi Perricard who, as black men, could follow in the footsteps of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils and maintain the sport’s projection into communities where talented young athletes traditionally veer towards football or basketball.

Role model

“I would love to be a role model for the young black kids,” said Fils whose Haitian-born father married a Frenchwoman. “I grew up near to Paris and I grew up with the the two cultures.

“And if you look closely, there aren’t that many Black players – around a dozen in the top 100. And if I and Gio can be a role model like Gael was, like Tsonga was, it would be the best thing in the world.”

Tsonga retired at the age of 37 after he lost to Casper Ruud in the first round at the 2022 French Open. Monfils, 38, soldiers on and with the crown from the ASB Classic in Auckland in January can boast the accolade of oldest player to win a senior tour title since tennis was opened up to professionals in 1968.

“Gael’s still going strong,” said Fils. “And he’s like a bit my big brother on the tour. He has given me a lot of advice and helps me with everything, not just on the court but with life in general.”

Pausing to consider the benefits of such a pastoral boon amid the Sturm und Drang of the international circuit, Fils added: “It’s amazing to be with him on the tour and with Gio as well … it’s unbelievable. I am blessed.”

The summit aims to coordinate global efforts in supporting Syria’s political transition, in the wake of the downfall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December following five decades of authoritarian rule.

The conference marks a significant step in Syria’s engagement with the international community.

Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, will hold discussions with his counterparts from neighbouring countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Lebanon, underscoring the regional commitment to Syria’s stability.

Macron calls Syrian leader to discuss transition, terrorism, sanctions

Representatives from Western nations, including the United States, will also participate, highlighting the global interest in Syria’s transition.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) will contribute their expertise with regard to humanitarian aid and justice initiatives.

Support for transition

The objectives of the conference to mobilise international aid and economic support, while addressing transitional justice, are in keeping with commitments made by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a recent discussion in which both leaders stressed the need for a political transition that upholds the rights of all Syrians.

EU to ease some sanctions against Syria following Assad’s fall

Thursday’s conference follows on from a series of international engagements focused on Syria’s future, notably a meeting in Jordan in December 2024 that included Turkey, Arab states and Western countries.

The inclusion of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the political process is also anticipated to be a point of discussion. France has emphasised the importance of involving the SDF, given their key role in combating extremist groups and maintaining regional security.

Interim president Sharaa weighs up Ankara and Riyadh in power struggle for Syria

His comments, which echoed statements from a meeting of European foreign ministers, came as European defence chiefs gathered in the Belgian capital Brussels to begin preparations for the Nato summit in The Hague in June.

However, the agenda is likely to be overshadowed by Donald Trump’s move to engage with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over a peace deal for Ukraine.

In their first confirmed contact since Trump’s return to the White House, Trump said he had held a lengthy and highly productive conversation with Putin who ordered the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin said the call between Trump and Putin lasted nearly one-and-a-half hours and that the men had decided that the time had come to work together.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Spain said on Wednesday night that any peace deal in Ukraine must come with the involvement of Kyiv and its European partners.

“There will be no just and lasting peace in Ukraine without the participation of Europeans,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the meeting in Paris.

Barrot’s German and Spanish counterparts – Annalena Baerbock and Jose Manuel Albares Bueno – added that no decisions could be taken without Ukraine.

Baerbock and Albares Bueno called on EU countries to show unity on the issue of Ukraine’s inclusion in the peace talks.

“We want peace for Ukraine but we want an unjust war to end with a just peace,” the Spaniard added.

Inclusion

Underlining the sentiments of the foreign ministers, Rutte said on Thursday that any final deal needed to be enduring.

“Of course, this is crucial,” Rutte added. “When we talk about Ukraine, that Ukraine is closely involved in everything happening about Ukraine.”

Trump’s declarations have raised concerns that Ukraine will be left out of talks after he said that Kyiv’s wish to join Nato was not practical.

Trump subsequently called the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to inform him of the conversation.

Trump said after the conversation: “Zelensky like President Putin, wants to make PEACE.”

Andriy Yermak, head of Kyiv’s presidential office, said in televised comments that Zelensky and Trump had agreed to immediately start work on the high-level teams from each side who will try to thrash out a deal.

On Wednesday, Pete Hegseth, the US Defence Secretary, told European counterparts that Ukraine’s dream of returning to its pre-2014 borders was an illusionary goal and that Kyiv’s wish for Nato membership was not realistic. Ahead of the Nato meeting he said Trump’s push for peace was not a betrayal of Ukraine.

The Kremlin’s statement on the call with Trump said Putin agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement could be reached through peace negotiations. It added that Putin wanted to address the root causes of the conflict, which Russian blames on western influence on Kyiv.

Zelensky is due to meet US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday at the Munich Security Conference.

In response to the expropriation reform, financial aid to South Africa was frozen following the signing of an executive order on 7 February. Outlining the reasons for its decision, a statement from the White House explained that it sees the reform as an attack on Afrikaners.

“The Republic of South Africa recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 to enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation,” the statement reads.   

Trump added that the US would show support to white South Africans who are, he says, “disadvantaged” by this land reform.

The statement adds that the United States will withhold aid and support from South Africa for as long as it engages in what it claims are unjust and immoral actions that negatively impact the US.  Additionally, it states that the US will support the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees fleeing government-backed racial discrimination, including the confiscation of property based on race.

Union against Trump in Pretoria

In response to Trump’s attack, the South African president is launching a major international campaign to clarify his policy.

“The work that we do and what we stand for does need to be explained, especially to our trading partners,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

He wants to send delegations to several capitals, including Washington, to set the record straight on the expropriation law.

Ramaphosa said in a national address last week that his country would not be “bullied” by the United States.

South Africa ‘will not be bullied,’ Ramaphosa says after Trump attack

MK takes action

Earlier this week, the party of former president Jacob Zuma, MK, filed a treason complaint against the group AfriForum, a pressure group championing the white Afrikaner minority in South Africa, which raised a complaint saying that they are being persecuted.

The MK party accuses AfriForum of lobbying against the law in US media and political circles, adding the group is spreading misinformation to influence Trump.

Afriforum expressed its “great appreciation” of Trump, while stressing that Africaners’ place was in their home country.

Meanwhile, the mostly white-led Democratic Alliance (DA) – coalition partner in Ramaphosa’s unity government said this week that it had filed a court challenge to the act, calling it unconstitutional. But the party has since decided to support Ramaphosa’s plan to send an envoy to the US, and criticised Trump’s remarks.

South Africa’s Ramaphosa announces cabinet that includes ex-opposition leader

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by Julius Malema, accused Musk of being behind Trump’s stance, notably in a post on Musk’s social media network, X.

South Africa’s foreign ministry said that, “It is ironic that the executive order makes provision for refugee status in the US for a group in South Africa that remains amongst the most economically privileged, while vulnerable people in the US from other parts of the world are being deported and denied asylum despite real hardship.”

The Expropriation Act

The land act was signed in Pretoria last month by President Ramaphosa to address land inequalities that have persisted for over three decades since the end of white minority rule.

Known as the Expropriation Act, it is designed to enable the state to reclaim land in the public interest, with the agreement of current private landowners, in an effort to rectify longstanding disparities in land ownership.

South Africa’s government is defending the reform as a means to rectify the injustices of the apartheid and colonial times.

Most farmland in South Africa is still owned by white people three decades after the end of apartheid. White farmers own three quarters of South Africa’s privately held land, while white people make up just seven percent of the population of 63 million, according to data from 2022.

Afrikaners make up a small proportion of that group, with no exact data on their number. They are descendants of European colonial settlers who arrived from the 17th century, mostly from Holland and France. Other white people have come to South Africa since and taken more land.

The sound of struggle: South Africa’s lasting legacy of cultural resistance

Pretoria also points out that no expropriations have yet taken place under the law.

“The country and its agricultural sector is doing robustly well in terms of the Expropriation Act,” economist Wandile Sihlobo told one of RFI’s correspondents in South Africa.

“It does not target particular people or a certain group of individuals. Property rights are still protected. I think President Trump’s statements are very divisive and not representative of what’s happening in South Africa,” the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) added.

 (with newswires)

“It’s a first success, a first step towards freedom,” declared Serge Atlaoui’s lawyer Richard Sédillot after the verdict, describing his client as “relieved” by the decision.

Sédillot said he could now lodge requests for both a softening of the sentence and possibly a pardon from President Emmanuel Macron.

“His ordeal can be ended, it will take a few more weeks,” he said.

Under an agreement last month between both countries for his transfer, Jakarta has left it to the French government to grant him either clemency, amnesty or a reduced sentence.

The French judiciary emphasised it was not competent to judge the case itself after the rulings by the Indonesian authorities and could only convert the sentence into the equivalent French term.

Frenchman on death row in Indonesia leaves jail ahead of transfer home

The Indonesian ruling “is equivalent in French law to the production… of drugs in an organised gang, which is punishable by 30 years in prison,” the court in Pontoise, north of Paris, said at the hearing on Wednesday.

Prosecutors had earlier said that the death sentence should be turned into a life term in France.

 Atlaoui, a 61-year-old welder from Metz in northeastern France, has always denied being a drug trafficker.

Diplomatic pressure

He was arrested in 2005 at a factory in a Jakarta suburb where dozens of kilogrammes of drugs were discovered, with Indonesian authorities accusing him of being a “chemist”.

The welder by trade said that he was installing machinery in what he thought was an acrylic factory.

An Indonesian court initially sentenced Atlaoui to life in prison, but the supreme court changed that to a death sentence on appeal in 2007.

The Frenchman was due to be executed alongside eight others in 2015 but was granted a reprieve after Paris applied pressure and the Indonesian authorities allowed an outstanding appeal to proceed.

Robert Badinter, French minister who ended the guillotine, dies at 95

Atlaoui’s return was made possible after an agreement between French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin and his Indonesian counterpart, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, on 24 January.

In the agreement, Jakarta said it had decided not to execute Atlaoui and authorised his return on “humanitarian grounds” because he was ill.

Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws and has executed foreigners in the past.

The death penalty was abolished in France in 1981.

(with AFP)

France’s Minister of the Intertior, Bruno Retailleau, has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the presidency of Les Républicans (LR) party – aiming to follow in the footsteps of Nicolas Sarkozy, who used the same strategy to secure the French presidency in 2007.

However, his move sets the stage for a potential showdown with LR president Laurent Wauquiez, igniting fresh tensions on the right.

With strong poll numbers backing him since his appointment as interior minister in September, Retailleau chose to break the news on Wednesday through a heartfelt letter to party activists.

And these activists will play a crucial role in electing the next party leader during an upcoming Républicains congress this spring.

Posting on X, Retailleau wrote: “I invite each of you to join me, to build this great movement of hope that the right must embody, for the French people we serve and for the France we love. Because that is the vocation of the Gaullists and patriots that we are”.

Riding high on a wave of recent LR victories in local and by-elections, Retailleau’s allies see his role in government as a key factor in these wins.

Now, he’s ramping up his campaign just ahead of a political bureau meeting of the party next Monday, where the congress date will be finalised.

France’s new hardline interior minister stirs controversy just days into job

‘War of the chiefs’

Retailleau’s leadership is bid isn’t without risks, as a brewing rivalry with LR president Wauquiez threatens to escalate into what some fear could be a “war of the chiefs”. 

Just last week, Wauquiez met with Retailleau over dinner at the Interior Minister’s official residence at Hotel Beauvau, reminding him of their supposed “agreement” – Retailleau would be the face of the right in government, while Wauquiez would rebuild the party.

“You lead in government, I rebuild our political family,” Wauquiez reportedly told him, making it clear that he has his own ambitions for 2027, using the party presidency as a launchpad for a presidential run.

Wauquiez’s camp wasted no time in criticising Retailleau’s announcement, accusing him of fueling an unnecessary leadership battle.

But Retailleau quickly countered in his letter: “I don’t want more divisions or fresh wounds in our party”.

He has insisted he would steer clear of media-driven sound bites and, in an interview with France Inter, argued that “voting is not the same as dividing”.

French conservatives in chaos after leader ousted over far-right pact

Return of Les Républicains

With momentum on his side, Retailleau has garnered support from major right-wing figures including former Prime Minister Michel Barnier and Louis Sarkozy, son of the former president. 

The manoeuvring within the France’s traditional right comes as the political landscape remains turbulent following President Macron’s decision to call snap legislative elections last summer.

The move – that was as a high-stakes gamble to regain parliamentary control – led to a fractured National Assembly and deepened divisions between parties.

Now, Les Républicains find themselves in a key position in Prime Minister Fraçois Bayrou’s newly formed, right-leaning coalition government. 

(With newswires)

The Sudanese army has been at war since April 2023 with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a conflict that has displaced around 12 million people, the AU and the International Rescue Committee (ICR) said.

The conflict “has hampered access to humanitarian relief, led to shortage of food and aggravated hunger,” the chairman of an African Union panel on Sudan, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, said on Tuesday.

“Children and women are continually abused, and the elderly and sick lack medical assistance,” he added.

“This is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”

Drone strike on Darfur hospital kills 30 as Sudan conflict persists

Need for humanitarian access

A senior AU official for child welfare, Wilson Almeida Adao, said in a separate post that hospital admissions for malnutrition rose by 44 percent in 2024, with over 431,000 children receiving treatment.

“We witness reports of grave violations, including attacks on schools and hospitals, forced recruitment of child soldiers, and the denial of humanitarian access,” he said.

The Sudanese army controls the east and north of the country while the RSF holds most of the stricken Darfur region, where the United Nations on Monday accused it of blocking aid.

For the AU, “only inter-Sudanese political dialogue, not the military option, can end this war,” Chambas said.

Sudanese women filmmakers defy war with stories of resilience

Impossible peace

The United Arab Emirates also called on Tuesday for a ceasefire in Sudan during the coming holy month of Ramadan, a UAE official said.

But the call was immediately rejected by the Sudanese army, as the country’s civil war approaches the two-year mark.

The army considers the UAE to be an aggressor of the war, accusing it of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, accusations UN experts and US lawmakers have said are credible.

The UAE denies these charges.

The Sudanese army claims to have made progress in Khartoum, in particular the recapture of a strategic sector in the north-east of the capital.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan also announced on 7 February that a transitional government would soon be formed.

 (with newswires) 

In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron, criticised the idea of relocating Gaza’s two million residents, stating, “You cannot say to two million people, ‘okay, now guess what? You will move'”.

He emphasised that the solution to Gaza’s poroblems should be political rather than a “real estate operation“.  

In response to former US President Donald Trump’s proposal to transform the Gaza Strip into a luxury resort by displacing its Palestinian inhabitants, France has expressed strong opposition, emphasising the importance of respecting international law and Palestinian rights. 

France, Europe slam Trump’s ‘Riviera’ vision for Gaza as legally indefensible

‘Violation of international law’

The French foreign ministry also condemned the proposal, labeling any forced displacement of Gazans as “unacceptable”.

A ministry spokesperson highlighted that such actions would constitute a “serious violation of international law” and undermine the two-state solution. Additionally, they warned that it could destabilise neighboring countries, particularly Egypt and Jordan.  

France’s stance falls in line with broader international criticism.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned against any action that could be perceived as “ethnic cleansing” following Trump’s proposal.  

France’s rejection of the plan underlines the need for democratic nations to commit to international law and the pursuit of a two-state solution, advocating for a political resolution that respects the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people. 

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

Widespread condemnation

European nations have been particularly vocal in their opposition to Trump’s proposal for Gaza.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has stressed that expelling Gaza’s civilian population would be “unacceptable and contrary to international law,” leading to further suffering and animosity.

“There must be no solution over the heads of the Palestinians,” she asserted.  

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated: “Gaza is the land of Palestinian Gazans and they must remain in Gaza. Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state.”

Similarly, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris highlighted that displacing Gazans would contradict UN Security Council resolutions, reinforcing the necessity of a two-state solution.  

Beyond Europe, the proposal faced significant criticism from Arab states, with Jordan’s King Abdullah II rejecting any attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians, while Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on the international community to rebuild Gaza without transferring its residents elsewhere.  

French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are in the southern port city of Marseille this Wednesday, to praise partnership and cooperation between the two countries.

Paris views its collaboration with New Delhi as a powerful symbol of bilateral independence from dominant powers such as the United States and China.

Today’s visit begins with the inauguration of the brand-new Indian Consulate General in Marseille – a move that reinforces India’s presence in France.

But the true highlight of the day is a visit to the construction site of the groundbreaking ITER experimental nuclear fusion reactor in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, near France’s flagship CEA nuclear research centre in Cadarache.

The ITER project – set to revolutionize energy production – sees India playing a crucial role, and the visit could pave the way for fresh cooperation on small modular reactors in the civil nuclear sector.

India and France agree on joint defence production

Imec trade corridor

While the original itinerary has been slightly adjusted – skipping a tribute to Indian soldiers who died in France in World War I at the Mazargues cemetery and a scheduled stop at the Port of Marseille – the two leaders “will also work on trade issues, particularly in the context of the development of the Imec corridor between Europe and India, and the increase in trade,” according to the Elysée Palace.

The two leaders are doubling down on trade, particularly in relation to the ambitious Imec corridor, which aims to bolster connectivity between Europe and India.

“This corridor through the Middle East is an incredible catalyst,” Macron emphasised at a Franco-Indian business forum on Tuesday.

“We are ready to drive concrete projects and investment”.

Plans for developing port and energy sectors between the two countries are also on the table.

India speeds up imports of French jets as part of Indian Ocean defence build-up

‘Special intimacy’

Beyond trade, Paris is eager to advance multi-billion euro negotiations on India’s acquisition of French Rafale marine fighter jets and Scorpène submarines.

Macron’s decision to host Modi in his “city of the heart” underscores the warmth of their relationship.

In 2023, Modi was a guest of honour at France’s Bastille Day parade, highlighting the deepening ties between the two nations.

On Tuesday evening, the two leaders enjoyed a dinner by the Mediterranean in the town of Cassis, following their co-chairing of the Paris summit on artificial intelligence.

“India and France are two great powers and have a special intimacy that we respect. We want to work with the United States of America, we want to work with China, but we don’t want to depend on anyone,” the French president explained in a televised interview on Sunday.

“We want to be independent,” he insisted, highlighting French strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.

On Tuesday, Narendra Modi gave assurances that their “partnership is not limited” to bilateral relations.

“We are working together to find solutions to the global challenges we face [and] strengthen our cooperation in all areas,” Modi said, with India having nurtured a position of balance between the US, China and Russia. 

After this Wednesday’s visit to Marseille, Narendra Modi will fly to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump.

France has long been a champion of democratic values and transparency, but the latest slip in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) last year has highlighted areas where progress is needed.

Released this Tuesday, the anti-corruption watchdog’s latest report covering 2024 shows France’s score dropping by four points to 67, placing it 25th globally.

While this signals challenges, it also presents an opportunity for the country to renew its commitment to accountability and reform.

France is not alone in facing these hurdles as Transparency International notes that 47 out of the 180 surveyed nations had their lowest scores since 2012, reinforcing the need for stronger anti-corruption measures worldwide.

Despite setbacks, global awareness of corruption issues is growing, pushing governments toward greater accountability.

The CPI – which measures public sector corruption through 13 data sources – underscores that while challenges persist, so does the resolve to address them.

Former French leader Sarkozy back in court to appeal corruption conviction

Western decline

Transparency International France has pointed out that while the country has effective tools for combating corruption, they need to be fully implemented.

A more proactive approach – particularly in ensuring the independence of the judiciary and reinforcing ethical standards in the executive branch – could help France regain lost ground.

According to the watchdog’s French bureau, the absence of a comprehensive public anti-corruption policy has been a concern, but with the right reforms, France could set a new standard for transparency.

Historically, France has demonstrated resilience in tackling corruption. Its highest-ever CPI score was 75 in 2005, and while it has dipped at times, the country remains well within the ranks of nations with strong democratic institutions. 

France’s decline in the CPI also reflects a broader trend among Western nations, suggesting that even well-established democracies must remain vigilant.

Germany has dropped three points to 75 – falling six places to 15th – while the US saw a four-point decline to 65, moving from 24th to 28th place.

These shifts shine a light on the importance of continued efforts in maintaining public trust and integrity.

European Parliament waives immunity of two MEPs suspected of corruption

Trouble in Europe, Middle East and Africa

In Europe, Slovakia dropped five points to 49 in the first full year of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government, “as numerous reforms erode anti-corruption checks and bypass public consultation”. 

Russia – which already declined significantly in recent years – shed another four points to 22 last year.

Transparency International notes that Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has “further entrenched authoritarianism”.

It said that Ukraine, while its score dipped one point to 35, “is making strides in judicial independence and high-level corruption prosecutions”. 

Paris probes alleged links between French MEP, former senator and Russia

In the Middle East and North Africa, the situation of anti-corruption efforts “remains bleak” as political leaders exert near-absolute control while benefiting from wealth and clamping down on dissent, the group said.

But it said that “unforeseen opportunities are also emerging,” for example in the wake of the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government in Syria.

Meanwhile, Sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest average score of any region, at 33.

Another crucial factor is the growing recognition of corruption’s impact on global challenges like climate change.

Transparency International warns that without accountability mechanisms, funds meant for climate initiatives risk being misused.

Tackling corruption is not just about governance – it’s about ensuring that critical global efforts, from environmental protection to economic growth, are not derailed by the misuse of resources.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored his sixth goal in the competition in the 49th minute at the Stade Louis II on Wednesday night to give the Portuguese outfit the advantage ahead of the return leg at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Tuesday night.

Monaco hampered their chances of a comeback when midfielder Moatasem al-Musrati was sent off in the 52nd minute.

The 28-year-old Libyan gestured to the referee Maurizio Mariani to book Benfica’s Alvaro Carreras for a crude challenge on the Monaco striker Breel Embolo.

But Mariani sanctioned al-Musrati for his impertienece and, having already been booked, he was ordered from the field.

“It’s only 1-0 to Benfica so anything is still possible,” said Monaco boss Adi Hütter. “We’ll go there and we’ll do our best. I liked our first 30-35 minutes, where we were on the same level as Benfica.”

As well as al-Musrati’s absence, Monaco will be without skipper Denis Zakaria who picked up a yellow card and will be suspended for the return leg.

“We have solutions in the squad to compensate for the various suspensions,” added Hütter. “Denis’s booking was really harsh, because he was completely focused on the ball. It’s a difficult decision, but we have to accept it. We are guilty of having conceded this defeat and not having defended well enough on the goal.”

Having started their Champions League campaign with a win over Barcelona in September, Monaco have suffered four defeats in their last five European outings.

Elsewhere in Wednesday’s first leg ties in the play-offs, Club Brugge beat Atalanta 2-1 and Bayern Munich won by the same score at Celtic. Feyenoord edged past AC Milan 1-0.

The confrontational remarks by Donald Trump’s deputy to world leaders gathered in Paris to discuss AI punctured the unity that hosts France had hoped to project for the two-day meeting.

Dozens of nations signed a statement calling for efforts to flank the technology with regulation to make it “open” and “ethical”. But the communique was not signed by the United States or Britain, which is no longer an EU member.

“Excessive regulation… could kill a transformative sector just as it’s taking off,” Vance told global leaders and tech industry chiefs at the French capital’s Grand Palais, calling on Europe to show “optimism rather than trepidation”.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had minutes earlier called for “collective, global efforts to establish governance and standards that uphold our shared values, address risks and build trust”.

Modi co-hosted the summit with France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his country will host the next meeting on advancing global rules.

Speaking after Vance, Macron said global rules were “the foundation, alongside innovation and acceleration, of what will allow AI to arrive and endure”, in an apparent rebuff to the US vice president.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen unveils €200 bn boost for AI at Paris summit

Signatories for ‘inclusive AI’

China, France, Germany and India were among 60 signatories who agreed it is a priority that “AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy” under “international frameworks”.

AI should also be “sustainable for people and the planet,” the text added.

The number of signatories was reduced after the French presidency removed Montenegro and a duplicate mention of Sweden.

Neither Britain nor the United States signed, and there was also no indication that key industry players like Sam Altman’s OpenAI would jump aboard.

“You’d only ever expect us to sign up to initiatives that we judge to be in our national interest,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman told reporters in London.

Dario Amodei, head of AI developer Anthropic, said the summit was a “missed opportunity” to ensure democratic nations control AI, prepare for safety threats from the technology and pre-empt its social and economic disruption.

Vance also took a thinly veiled shot at China, saying “authoritarian regimes” were looking to use AI for increased control of citizens at home and abroad.

Europe’s tech sector sees silver lining in DeepSeek’s AI shake up

“Partnering with them means chaining your nation to an authoritarian master that seeks to infiltrate, dig in and seize your information infrastructure,” Vance said.

Chinese startup DeepSeek rattled the AI sector last month by unveiling a sophisticated chatbot that it says was developed on a relatively low budget. A growing number of countries have taken steps to block the app from government devices over security concerns.

Vance also pointed to “cheap tech… heavily subsidised and exported by authoritarian regimes”, referring to surveillance cameras and 5G mobile internet equipment widely sold abroad by China.

Speaking after Vance, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels would push to mobilise €200 billion for AI investments in Europe, with €50 billion to come from the EU’s budget and the rest from “providers, investors and industry”.

Following Macron’s trumpeting Monday of €109 billion of investment into French AI projects and a $500-billion (€484 billion) US “Stargate” programme led by OpenAI, the vast figure underscored the resources needed to compete on the latest technological wave.

OpenAI ‘not for sale’

Meanwhile, a consortium led by Elon Musk, a Trump ally and the world’s richest man, has made a near $100 billion bid to buy ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the Wall Street Journal reported.

If successful, the deal would compound the tech influence of Musk, already boss of X, Tesla, SpaceX and his own AI developer xAI.

Altman, the OpenAI chief who was to speak in Paris on Tuesday, responded with a dry “no thank you” on X, while senior executive Chris Lehane said OpenAI was “not for sale”.

AI steals spotlight from Nobel winners who highlight Its power and risks

Vance did not comment directly on the prospective deal.

He vowed to “ensure that American AI technology continues to be the gold standard worldwide”, but also took aim at heavyweight tech “incumbents” who he said pushed for regulation that could strangle emerging challengers.

Altman has in the past invited regulation, including because of the “existential risk” some computer scientists believe superhuman AI could pose to human survival.

Rather than only benefiting big players, “we believe, and we will fight for policies that ensure, that AI is going to make our workers more productive”, Vance said, predicting “higher wages, better benefits, and safer and more prosperous communities”.

(with AFP)

“We aim to mobilise a total of 200 billion euros for AI investments in Europe,” the European Commission president told a Paris AI summit, saying the EU would contribute €50 billion with the rest pledged by “providers, investors and industry.”

Europe faces an uphill challenge as the United States and China charge ahead in the AI field, but von der Leyen insisted “the AI race is far from over”.

“We want to accelerate innovation,” she told the gathering of leaders and tech executives, declaring that “global leadership is still up for grabs”.

The EU investment push would include €20 billion to finance four AI gigafactories, “to allow open, collaborative development of the most complex AI models,” a commission statement said.

The initial EU funding will be drawn from existing programmes with a digital component.

Von der Leyen said the European funds would “top up” pledges announced Monday by a group of more than 60 European companies such as Airbus, Volkswagen and Mistral AI.

Paris hosts AI summit, with spotlight on innovation, regulation, creativity

Champions Initiative

The firms said they aimed to stimulate the emergence of new companies, with €150 billion “earmarked” by international investors for AI-related opportunities in Europe over five years as part of the “EU AI Champions Initiative”.

Von der Leyen also announced that the EU would be putting its public supercomputers “at the service of our best startups and scientists.”

“We want AI to be a force for good,” she said. “AI needs competition, but AI also needs collaboration.”

The EU chief took the stage in Paris immediately after US Vice President JD Vance who took aim at the bloc in warning that “excessive regulation” could kill the emerging AI sector.

“AI needs the confidence of people and has to be safe,” von der Leyen said, in defending the bloc’s landmark AI Act regulating the technology – which includes curbs on uses deemed too dangerous.

“Safety is in the interest of business,” said the EU chief, while also acknowledging that “we have to make it easier, we have to cut red tape”.

AI steals spotlight from Nobel winners who highlight Its power and risks

Streamlined procedures

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is hosting the Paris summit with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed on reducing administration.

He vowed Monday to blast through red tape to build AI infrastructure in his bid to keep Europe competitive.

“We will adopt the Notre Dame de Paris strategy” of streamlined procedures that saw France rebuild the landmark cathedral within five years of its devastation in a 2019 fire, he said.

Macron’s push to highlight French competitiveness saw him repeatedly trumpet €109 billion to be invested in French AI in the coming years.

He has also hailed France’s extensive fleet of nuclear plants as a key advantage providing clean, scalable energy supply for AI’s vast processing needs.

(with AFP)

The first medicines were being delivered to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, the WHO said, with further shipments planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal and Zambia, as part of the project’s pilot phase.

The treatments are expected to reach around 5,000 children with cancer this year across at least 30 hospitals in those six nations.

“Countries in the pilot phase will receive an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost,” the UN health agency said in a statement.

The WHO said that childhood cancer survival rates in low- and middle-income countries were often below 30 percent, compared with around 80 percent in high-income countries.

“For too long, children with cancer have lacked access to life-saving medicines,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

A further six countries have been invited to join the platform, which hopes to reach 50 countries in the next five to seven years, providing medicines for approximately 120,000 children.

UN report warns 1.1 billion people are living in acute poverty

Long term plans

An estimated 400,000 children worldwide develop cancer every year, most of them living in resource-limited settings, the WHO said.

“It is estimated that 70 percent of the children from these settings die from cancer due to factors such as lack of appropriate treatment, treatment disruptions or low-quality medicines,” it said.

African healthcare at a crossroads after United States pulls WHO funding

The WHO said cost-free provision would continue beyond the pilot phase, and the platform is working on developing its sustainability over the longer term.

The plan to establish the platform was first announced in December 2021.

It is a joint enterprise between the WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States.

The non-profit paediatric treatment and research institution has committed $200 million (€193 million) to its launch, the WHO said.

(with AFP)

The United Nations’ deadline for submitting updated carbon reduction targets passed on 10 February, with nearly all nations failing to deliver their revised commitments on time.

According to a UN database, only 10 out of nearly 200 countries met the cut-off, leaving major polluters – including China, India, and the European Union – absent from the list.

“It’s clear there are some broad geopolitical shifts underway that are proving to be a challenge when it comes to international cooperation, especially on big issues like climate change,” said Ebony Holland of the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, each nation was expected to propose more ambitious climate goals for 2035, detailing how they would achieve them.

Despite this requirement, most G20 countries failed to meet the deadline.

Among the few exceptions were the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. The American pledge was largely symbolic, however, having been made before President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement.

“The US retreat from Cop21 was clearly a setback,” Holland noted, highlighting the broader uncertainty surrounding international climate commitments.

Trump withdraws US from Paris climate agreement for second time

France lags in climate commitments

France – despite being a central player in European climate policy – has struggled to align its ambitions with concrete results.

In 2023, the government announced a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

While this roadmap included steps such as promoting electric vehicles and shifting freight transport off the roads, the country had only managed a 25 percent reduction at the time, indicating the challenge ahead.

More recently, reports of an almost six percent drop in emissions in 2023 was met with scepticism from environmental groups, who argued that the decline was due to temporary factors – such as increased nuclear energy production – rather than lasting policy changes.

On a broader scale, the European Union has seen mixed progress in its climate goals.

By 2023, the bloc had reduced its emissions by 37 percent from 1990 levels.

However, the European Commission has warned that based on existing policies, the EU is only on track to achieve a 51 percent reduction by 2030 – falling short of its legally binding 55 percent target.

Sectors such as agriculture, heating, and road transport have proven significant obstacles to meeting this goal.

How bolder targets, treaties and talks will steer a defining year for climate

September deadline set

The lack of timely submissions and the failure to hit existing climate targets raise concerns about the ability of nations to meet their Paris Agreement commitments.

The UN climate chief, Simon Stiell, recently described this round of climate pledges as “the most important policy documents of this century”.

Yet, with the slow response from major economies and geopolitical uncertainties complicating efforts, the global fight against climate change faces an uphill battle.

As countries now work toward a revised September deadline, there remains hope that delayed submissions will still push ambitious policies forward.

A European Commission has confirmed that the EU intends to submit its updated targets “well ahead” of the Cop30 summit being hosted by Brazil in November.

Meanwhile, analysts predict that China – the world’s largest polluter and a major investor in renewables – will release its long-anticipated climate plan later in the year.

(with newswires)

Countries are looking for sovereignty in artificial intelligence and at a major AI summit in Paris this week, France and the EU backed a “third path” approach to AI – midway between the US’ private tech firm-dominated model and China’s state-controlled technology. With a focus on regulation to ensure trust, France is creating public/private partnerships, and encouraging companies to develop home-grown products. Linagora, an open-source software developper, recently released a large language model (LLM) trained on French and European content, in contrast to American LLMs like ChatGPT that are trained on mainly US content. While chatbot Lucie got off to a rocky start, Linagora’s General Manager Michel Maudet says there’s a clear need for technology focused on Europe, able to address the nuance of the continent’s languages and culture. (Listen @0′)

French MPs recently voted a controversial draft bill to end birthright citizenship on the overseas department of Mayotte to discourage illegal immigration from neighbouring Comoros. Prime Minister François Bayrou supports the proposed measure and has called for a wider debate on immigration and what it means to be French. His earlier remarks that there was a feeling immigrants were “flooding” France have caused outrage on the left in particular.  We talk to Tania Racho, a researcher on European law and who also works for an association fighting disinformation on migration issues, about the reality of immigration in France. While the data does not support claims France is overwhelmed with foreigners, people’s perceptions – nourished by a fixation on migration by both politicians and media – tell a different story. (Listen @18’40”)

Twenty years after the 11 February 2005 law on disability and inclusion, daily life for France’s 12 million people living with disabilities has improved. But since the law underestimated the timelines and costs of accessibility, there’s still a lot of work to be done. (Listen @14’30”)

Episode mixed by Vincent Pora. 

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).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not hold back on the hospitality when hosting Sharaa, sending one of his presidential jets to fly the new Syrian leader and his large delegation to Ankara.

The Turkish president was keen too to underline the significance of the meeting. “I see today’s historic visit as the beginning of a period of permanent friendship and cooperation between our countries,” he declared in a joint press statement with the Syrian leader.

Erdogan also announced that Turkey’s institutions and ministries are coordinating efforts to help with Syria’s reconstruction.

Sharaa was quick to praise this assistance, saying: “The significant support is still tangible through Turkey’s ongoing efforts to ensure the success of the current leadership in Syria politically and economically, ensuring the independence, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.”

Macron calls Syrian leader to discuss transition, terrorism, sanctions

Ties with Turkey

The new Syrian leader developed close ties with Ankara during the years of fighting the Assad regime. The Turkish military protected the Idlib enclave where Sharaa was based, while Turkey offered refuge to many Syrians fleeing the fighting. 

“Ankara will definitely be viewed as a positive outside contributor by these new Syrian rulers because of the fact that we here in Turkey are hosting over 5 million Syrians and that, also, Turkey helped protect Idlib,” said Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region, now an analyst for the independent Turkish news outlet Medyascope.

However, Selcen cautions that Ankara should not overestimate its influence when it comes to dictating policy for its Syrian neighbour. “The centre of this Syrian endeavour, of this restructuring or this fresh beginning, will be Damascus. It will not be Doha, it will not be Ankara, it will not be Geneva,” he said.

Erdogan hails Syria leader’s ‘strong commitment’ to fighting terror

‘Islamic background’

While the Syrian and Turkish leaders meeting in Ankara lasted more than three hours and was followed by an exchange of warm words, no concrete announcements came out of it – only vague commitments to cooperation in security and development.

And despite Ankara’s strong support for the Syrian rebels, Syria’s new leader chose to make his first overseas visit as president to Saudi Arabia, one of Turkey’s main rivals in the region.

International relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University says the Syrian president is sending a message to Ankara.

“He [Sharaa] is an Arab nationalist with an Islamic background, not a Turkish one,” said Bagci. “And that’s why many people expect that in the long run, there will be different opinions on certain regional issues [with Turkey].”

For several years, Saudi and Turkish leaders have been engaged in a competition for influence among Sunni Arab countries. But Ankara is at a disadvantage, with its economy in crisis. Unlike oil-rich Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, it has little cash to offer to pay for Syria’s rebuilding.

‘Realpolitik’

Sharaa also appears ready to broaden his horizons further as he seeks to rebuild his country. “He has turned out to be such a realpolitik buff. He’s turning and negotiating with almost everyone, including the Russians,” observed Sezin Oney, an international relations commentator for Turkey’s Politikyol news outlet.

“They [Syria] will also be approaching Turkey with their own interests, and whether they’re aligned with Turkey’s interests is another question,” she added.

Turkey’s ongoing military presence in Syria as part of its war against a Kurdish insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) could become a point of tension between Ankara and Syria’s new rulers, experts predict.

Iran too – like Russia, also a key backer of the ousted Assad regime – is now seeking to reposition itself to reach out to the new Syrian regime.

Russia’s interest in Syria

“There are some pragmatic approaches,” said professor of international relations Bilgehan Alagoz, an Iran expert at Istanbul’s Marmara University. 

“The Iranian authorities have already started to label Assad as a person who didn’t act in accordance with Iran in order to have some new approach towards the new system in Syria.”

Ankara still has cards to play with Syria, being well positioned to offer support in helping to rebuild the country with its expertise in construction, energy and security. But experts warn Turkey faces a battle for influence in Damascus, as Syria seeks to widen its opportunities.

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.

RFI English listeners have been very generous with their wonderful graphics for World Radio Day that they have posted on the RFI English Listeners Forum Facebook page – 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 11 January, I asked you a question about France’s ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy. That week, Sarkozy’s trial on charges of accepting illegal campaign financing from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi began.

You were to refer to Melissa Chemam’s article “France’s ex-president Sarkozy on trial over alleged Gaddafi pact”, and send in the answer to this question: What was former French president Nicolas Sarkozy convicted of on 18 December, and what was his penalty?

The answer is, to quote Melissa: “This new trial is starting barely half a month after France’s top appeals court on 18 December rejected Sarkozy’s appeal against a one-year prison sentence for influence peddling, which he is to serve by wearing an electronic tag rather than in jail.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What do you remember about the first time you caught a fish?” It was suggested by Ratna Shanta Shammi from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Shahanoaz Akter Ripa, the president of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Shahanoaz is also this week’s bonus question winner.

Congratulations Shahanoaz, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Mogire Machuki from Kisii, Kenya; Najimuddin, the president of the RFI International DX Radio Listeners Club in West Bengal, India; Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria, and Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusenen in Denmark.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Preparation” from the film The Little Prince, written by Hans Zimmer and Richard Harvey; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and Histoire de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg and Jean-Claude Vannier, performed by Serge Gainsbourg and orchestra.  

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 PM pushes through budget, faces second no-confidence vote”, which will help you with the answer.

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

Since its launch in 2013, and even more so since 2018, the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair has grown into one of the most significant cultural events for African art, drawing gallery owners and artists from across the continent and beyond.

The galleries represent artists from all over the continent, from Ghana to South Africa, Tunisia to Angola.

The fair took place in the iconic events’ venue La Mamounia, in the heart of Marrakesh.

Since 2024, the art fair has also had exhibition spaces for younger artists in Dada, a gathering space for art, food and music near La Medina.

This year’s fair was held from 30 January to 2 February, during which the entire city hosted various art events, including exhibitions at the El Badi Palace and MACAAL, a museum dedicated to contemporary African art and artists from the African diaspora.

To understand how the fair built a platform for African art, RFI spoke to the fair’s founder and director, Touria El Glaoui on the opening day in Marrakesh.

El Glaoui shared how she frequently travels to African countries to discover new artists, events, and galleries. She also noted that new participants from across the African continent—and now even from Japan and Korea—are coming to the fair seeking representation.

We also visited other sites that make the event special, including art galleries, like Loft. 

“We opened the gallery sixteen years ago and we are a Moroccan gallery based in Morocco but with a real openness to the international scene,” Yasmine Berrada, co-founder of the gallery, told RFI.

“We’re open to Africa. We represent African artists from its diaspora. We’ve also worked with European artists,” she added. “We’re not closed off at all because, for me, there shouldn’t be any separation in art. I think that, on the contrary, we need to open up perspectives and integrate the Moroccan art market into the international stage.”

Our guests this week:

–Touria El Glaoui, founder and director of the 1:54 contemporary African art fair;

–Mous Lamrabat, Moroccan-Belgian artist;

-Yasmine Berrada, co-founder of the Loft art gallery.  

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam.

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

Turkish and Azerbaijani foreign ministers met in January in both Baku and Istanbul as part of efforts to deepen economic and trade cooperation.

Key to those goals is the plan to create a route dubbed the Zangezur corridor that would link Azerbaijan to the autonomous region of Nakhchivan bordering Turkey.

The corridor, which would go through Armenian territory, is part of a Turkish-Azerbaijani vision to develop a trade route between China and Europe.

Iran strongly opposes the proposed 40-km corridor because, observers say, it fears it would cut a vital route it uses to circumvent sanctions.

Iran’s ally Armenia also opposes the corridor as an imposition on its territory. But with Iran weakened by setbacks in Syria and Lebanon, Baku and Ankara see an opportunity to push ahead.

“A weaker Iran is a huge opportunity for Turkey in the Caucasus,” said Atilla Yesilada, a Turkey analyst for GlobalSource Partners.

“The only reason why Armenia resists the establishment of the Zangezur corridor is because of promises by Iran to defend it militarily.”

But with Iran coming under pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump, Azerbaijan or Turkey might be less likely to take Iran’s threats seriously, argues Yesilada.

Iran softens its stance

However, given Iran’s regional setbacks and the threat of increased pressure from Washington, Tehran needs friends in the region.

“It would be good for Iran if the Zangezur corridor is opened. It then has much better and closer relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan,” argues Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

It will depends on “whether they want two countries which are not friendly or two friendly countries,” Bagci adds.

In January, Iran appeared to soften its opposition, with one senior Iranian diplomat declaring opposition to the Zangezor corridor no longer a priority. Tehran’s apparent softening coincides with its deepening ties with Moscow. 

Since Turkey and Azerbaijan don’t enforce many sanctions against Russia, Moscow supports the Zangezor corridor as a way to bypass international sanctions by creating new trade routes through countries that don’t impose them.

US position unclear 

“Russia is basically rebuilding its whole logistical network and this corridor is a potentially important part of this new network from north to south,” says Tatiana Mitrova, a research fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at New York’s Columbia University. 

“Therefore, Russia is saying: ‘It matters. It’s part of a new plan of diversification of our export and import routes.'”

US and Armenia launched joint military exercises last year in a sign of their closer ties. Analysts suggest that Washington has, until now, contained Turkey and Azerbaijan’s intentions.

However, the new Trump administration has not yet positioned itself on the corridor project. Armenian political consultant Eric Hacopian warns Baku and Ankara could try to exploit the uncertainty.   

“Trump creates chaos, and chaos is an opportunity for bad actors to do things that they normally wouldn’t do when there’s no one on the watch,” said Hacopian.

Turkey’s Erdogan sees new Trump presidency as opportunity

In 2023, Azerbaijan’s army, supported by Turkey, defeated Armenian-backed forces over the disputed Nagorno Karabakh enclave.

A final peace agreement has yet to be secured. But if Ankara focuses its efforts on reviving the stalled Azerbaijani-Armenian peace talks, then diplomatic gains could outweigh the economic benefits of the Zangezur corridor, says Asli Aydintasbas of the Washington-based Brookings Institution says . 

“Turkey can actually make itself a very significant partner (with Trump),” Aydintasbas argued, citing the Armenian-Azerbaijan peace deal.

If Turkey positions itself on that issue “it would be very interesting to President Trump, who wants to position himself as an international peacemaker,” said Aydintasbas. 

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to foster close ties with Trump. At the same time, the Turkish leader is committed to supporting his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in their shared goal of turning their countries into a bridge between Europe and China.

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.   

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.