Madagascar has been particularly hard hit by deforestation, having lost half its forests over the past 60 years.  

While Congo-Brazzaville has maintained a low deforestation rate compared to neighbouring countries in the Congo Basin, its forests are increasingly under pressure from logging, agriculture and infrastructure development. 

The forest partnership builds on an existing cooperation deal signed between the two countries back in 1984, which is now being revamped with an environmental focus. 

Exchanging expertise 

Successful restoration efforts in Congo-Brazzaville, officials say, could serve as a valuable model for Madagascar – while Congo stands to benefit from Madagascar’s approach to biodiversity management. 

“The Republic of Congo has committed to restoring what was destroyed in major afforestation and reforestation campaigns, while Madagascar has very interesting things for us in terms of transforming products from their biodiversity,” said the Congolese ambassador to Madagascar, Constant-Serge Bounda. 

Nations agree hard-fought plan to finance nature protection

“We also see how the Malagasy authorities manage their national parks. We are therefore here for an exchange so that all parties can benefit from their experiences.” 

Congo-Brazzaville’s Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and Odzala-Kokoua National Park are key biodiversity hubs, home to endangered species such as forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, bongo antelopes and leopards.  

Details unclear 

Despite Monday’s symbolic tree planting ceremony, both countries have yet to announce specific investment figures or concrete objectives for their partnership. 

While officials present the renewed partnership as a step forward, critics argue that broader environmental policies in Madagascar are inconsistent with conservation goals.  

Environmental groups in Madagascar have expressed doubt over President Andry Rajoelina‘s environmental commitments. 

At the Cop29 climate conference in Baku last November, more than 60 Malagasy organisations condemned the government’s planned highway project connecting the capital Antananarivo to the port city of Toamasina. 

Protected areas offer hope for Africa’s vanishing forests and wildlife

They warned the road would cut through protected forests that shelter endangered lemurs. 

According to European lawmakers who raised concerns with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), another proposed roadway known as the “Route du Soleil” risked fragmenting biodiverse Makira Natural Park, further threatening Madagascar’s forest ecosystems. 

In December, dozens of MEPs urged the IMF to withhold $321 million in funding to Madagascar until the country promised not to harm protected areas with either road project. 

Local communities say that construction work is already damaging rice fields, water sources and cultural sites. 

French President Emmanuel Macron said after European leaders rallied around Ukraine at a summit in London that France and Britain were proposing a one-month truce in Ukraine “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure”.

‘Good will’

Such a move “would allow proof of the good will of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin if he commits to a truce,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio on Monday.

‘Europe must do the heavy lifting’ in Ukraine, needs ‘US backing’: UK’s Starmer

“It’s then that real peace negotiations would start. We want a solid peace and a durable peace,” he added, emphasising that such a truce would not involve the withdrawal of Russian troops on the ground.

Britain, which hosted the summit, stepped back from embracing the plan on Monday, with Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard telling several media outlets that no truce agreement had been made.

It is “not a plan we currently recognise”, he told the BBC.

EU leaders in Ukraine to mark third anniversary of Russia’s invasion

“Certainly there are a number of different options being discussed privately between the UK, France and our allies at the moment,” he added.

Ukraine peace plan

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that European leaders had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to present to the United States, without going into details.

Macron said in an interview published in Le Figaro late on Sunday that under the plan, European ground troops would only be deployed to Ukraine in a second phase.

For Ukraine, any agreement must include security guarantees.

Front line ‘getting closer’, warns French FM as MPs prepare to debate Ukraine

“We need peace, not endless war. And that is why we say that security guarantees are the key to this,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky in a message posted Monday afternoon on the Ukranian presidency’s official site.

Russia said on Monday that the clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in Washington showed how difficult it would be to reach a settlement on the conflict.

France and EU move to secure Ukraine minerals as US pushes for deal

European Union leaders will meet for an extraordinary summit on Thursday, 6 March, to discuss additional support for Ukraine, European security guarantees and how to pay for European defence needs.

(with Reuters, AFP)

A critical freeze for this country. The impact of the recent US decision to suspend humanitarian and development aid to the poorest countries is already being felt in Sudan.

Many NGOs have expressed their opposition and concern over the US decision.

According to the UN, thirty million people, more than half of the Sudanese population, are suffering from hunger and need emergency assistance.

Global aid in chaos as Trump proposes to slash funds and dismantle USAID

Struggle for survival

Community kitchens, launched by volunteers among the inhabitants, at the beginning of the war in 2023, are feeling a heavy impact.

These kitchens initially relied on donations from the local society and the diaspora until they were able to benefit from aid allocated by international agencies that struggle to reach conflict zones. Their goal is to help those displaced by the war, in extreme need.

With the cuts, they are facing major difficulties. The volunteers report the closure of a thousand of these kitchens. Therefore, two million people in an absolute food emergency, who benefited from this aid, no longer have access to it.

According to some estimates from local workers gathered by RFI, American aid financed between 70 and 80 percent of the sum needed to operate these kitchens, but today the usual channels for receiving cash are no longer available.

Now, some volunteers told RFI they buy products on credit from fishermen and producers in order to keep their kitchens running at a minimum. With no assurance of ever being able to repay the money borrowed.

Acute hunger

Over half the population faces high levels of acute food insecurity in Sudan, according to the UN.

Famine conditions have been confirmed in five locations in North Darfur and the eastern Nuba mountains, and expected to spread to five more areas by May of this year.

“Conditions for millions of civilians in North Darfur have become catastrophic, and now humanitarians in Sudan are grappling with the abrupt cut in US funds which have crippled numerous life-saving aid operations”, according to a press release sent by Avaaz.

“This is a critical moment, as the consequences of food insecurity are already being felt in parts of South Kordofan, where families are surviving on dangerously limited food supplies, and malnutrition rates are rising sharply,” warned Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan.

“The front line keeps getting closer to us,” Barrot told France Inter radio, calling out “imperialist ambitions” in Ukraine and beyond.

“Never has the risk of war on the European continent – in the European Union – been so high, because for almost fifteen years, the threat has been getting closer and closer to us.”

London summit

Speaking a day after European leaders rallied around Ukraine at a summit in London, and hours before the start of a debate in the French National Assembly and Senate, Barrot said the London meeting was the “awakening of a whole segment of Europeans who refused to see the reality of the situation”.

Countries are now convinced of the need for “Europe to be able to take care of its own defence and security” and not have to ask anything of the United States, he said.

President Emmanuel Macron has been leading to push for rapid action by the European Union for a common defense, which would cost €200 billion, centred around France’s nuclear arsenal.

Not everyone France agrees, and different political factions have their own analyses of the situation and proposals to address the United States’ move closer to Russian interests.

‘Europe must do the heavy lifting’ in Ukraine, needs ‘US backing’: UK’s Starmer

Political parties react

On the left, the Communists and the hard-left France Unbowed movement are opposed to a European army.

Communist leader Fabien Roussel on Sunday called for a European peace conference, which includes Russia, to negotiate rather than a peace plan that he said was designed to “rearm” all parties.

France Unbowed has said that increased military spending will only benefit the American arms industry.

UK, France working with Ukraine on plan to stop fighting: Starmer

The far right National Rally is also sceptical. Leader Marine Le Pen criticised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement of a plan to rearm Europe, to be presented in Brussels on March 6.

“The European Commission is totally exceeding its powers”, she said, after criticising France’s failure to mediate the conflict.

Representatives of France’s various political groups will question Prime Minister François Bayrou, who will address the National Assembly Monday afternoon and the Senate on Tuesday.

(with AFP)

After several postponements, the launch of the European Space Agency (ESA) satellite launcher Ariane 6 from the Kourou base in French Guiana is expected at 1:24pm local time (4:24pm GMT).

Ariane 6, which underwent a successful test in July, was first scheduled to launch in December, but it was postponed to the end of February, then t 3 March because of problems getting the satellite to Kourou.

“The additional operations on the ground means are now completed,” Arianespace said, and the rocket is ready.

European space autonomy

The launch is part of Europe’s efforts to build up its security autonomy amid the rapprochement between the United States and Russia.

Since Ariane 5 was retired in 2023, Europe has been unable to launch heavier satellites, as Russia stopped allowing use of its Soyuz rocket in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russia, which said it would leave the International Space Station, announced on Monday that Soyuz had launched with a “spacecraft in the interests of the Russian Defence Ministry”, state RIA news agency reported, citing the Russian Defence Ministry

Soyuz is launched as needed for space missions, including carrying equipment and astronauts to the International Space Station.

High security

Given the military role of the satellite being launched by Ariane 6, strict security precautions are being taken to limit access to the Kourou base. Three Rafale fighter jets will patrol the surrounding skies.

The military satellite will join two others already in orbit, carried by Soyuz in 2018 and 2020.

Some of the images taken by CSO-3 will be shared with the German and Belgian militaries that invested in the satellites, and Sweden will have access in exchange for letting France use its space research centre near the Arctic town of Kiruna.

(with AFP)

As global competition intensifies for the resources powering modern technology, Ukraine’s vast mineral wealth has become a critical bargaining chip in deals concerning its security.

United States President Donald Trump has framed mineral agreements as a way for Ukraine to repay military aid it has received, turning access to these resources into a focal point of negotiations.

But Washington is not the only interested party. The race to secure Ukraine’s rare earth minerals has been in motion for several years, and France has stepped up its efforts to carve out a role for itself in Ukraine’s resource sector, seeking to strengthen its supply chains, reduce its reliance on China and the US and bolster Europe’s industrial independence.

Europe ready to ‘step up’ defence commitments in Ukraine: Macron

Supply chain vulnerabilities

Ukraine’s mineral resources include lithium, which is critical for battery production, and uranium, essential for nuclear power.

As the world moves toward cleaner energy, advanced defence systems and high-tech manufacturing, such materials are increasingly valuable.

These minerals are key to driving the European Union’s green energy transition, advancing medical technology and securing defence capabilities. Reducing dependency on imports – particularly from China, which dominates the market – is a priority for the bloc.

Supply chain vulnerabilities have also been exposed in recent years, making it clear that Europe must secure alternative sources of critical resources – such as Ukraine.

A minerals deal with Kyiv could not only enhance Europe’s industrial competitiveness, but also shield it from geopolitical disruptions and trade restrictions.

France’s strategy

On Thursday, French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed that negotiations with Ukraine have been ongoing for months.

Unlike the US – which has tied mineral access to military aid – France’s approach is rooted in long-term economic and defence planning. “We are not looking for payback,” Lecornu stated.

President Emmanuel Macron has long championed the idea of European strategic autonomy and reducing Europe’s reliance on external powers for critical resources.

Europe scrambles to boost defence as US wavers on Ukraine support

China’s near-monopoly on rare earth extraction and processing gives it tremendous influence over supply chains worldwide. Meanwhile, the US is aggressively diversifying its sources, with Ukraine emerging as a crucial supplier in Washington’s strategy.

A minerals deal between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump would further cement Washington’s presence in Ukraine’s resource sector.

However, Lecornu has insisted that talks between Ukraine and France are still in their early stages, describing the negotiations as “the beginning of the story”.

Blatter, the former head of the world football’s governing body FIFA, is anticipating the opportunity to clear his name of allegations of corrupt payments made to French football legend Michel Platini.

He has proclaimed his innocence and expressed confidence in a positive outcome from the hearing.

FIFA to take legal action to recover ‘illegal’ €1.83 from Platini

Speaking last week, Blatter described the appeal as “absolute nonsense” and asserted that he is the victim of a witch hunt.

The 88-year-old, who led FIFA from 1998 to 2015, will appear in court alongside Platini, who was once seen as his potential successor at FIFA.

Both were previously cleared in 2022 by a lower court after a seven-year investigation into a payment of 2 million Swiss francs (about €2.1 million).

However, prosecutors contested that decision, leading to the current appeal.

According to Blatter: “The Federal Criminal Court in 2022 confirmed that the contract between Platini and me was valid.

“I am fully confident that the new court will uphold this decision”.

‘Gentlemen’s agreement’

The case centres on a payment that FIFA made to Platini in 2011 – approved by Blatter – for work done a decade earlier.

In the 2022 ruling, the judge found the pair’s explanation of a “gentlemen’s agreement” credible and raised serious doubts about the prosecution’s fraud allegations.

“The payment was made based on a legitimate contract, and the first court agreed,” Blatter emphasised. “There was no bribery involved whatsoever.”

Platini – a three-time European Footballer of the Year – has also  denied the fraud charges.

His lawyer, Dominic Nellen, expressed confidence in another acquittal, stating: “It is incomprehensible that the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has appealed the case”.

Blatter faces final hearing over payment to former France captain Platini

Despite the challenges, both Blatter and Platini remain optimistic.

The hearing gets under way in Muttenz, near Basel, with a verdict expected 25 March.

Federal prosecutors are seeking suspended sentences of 20 months for both men.

Blatter says he is looking forward to turning the page on the affair and enjoying his retirement by following international matches on television and attending local games in his home canton of Valais.

“I truly hope this brings the matter to a close,” he said. “I’ll be happy when everything is over, and I can live in peace.”

(With newswires)

As the war in Ukraine rages on and air raid alerts in Kyiv remain a daily occurrence, a somewhat surprising new trend has flourished on TikTok – young people are posting about the race to get hold of theatre tickets. 

“Before, we used to announce new seasons a month in advance. Now we open ticket sales three months in advance and within two hours, everything’s gone,” said Victoria Bourkovska, the administrator of the Ivan Franko National Theatre – currently celebrating its 105th anniversary – who can hardly believe this turn of events.

In 2024, the hot ticket was for The Witch of Konotop, an adaptation of a 19th-century satirical novel about a Cossack chieftain battling witches. On TikTok, videos of the play have been viewed millions of times. 

EU leaders in Ukraine to mark third anniversary of Russia’s invasion

In front of the pastel blue facade of the theatre, Veronika and her group of friends are delighted to be among the lucky few who have seen the play. Yet Grehori, 32, confesses that before the war, he had never set foot in a theatre. One day he went along, and loved it. Tonight, the group don’t know what they’re going to see: “We just took whatever tickets they had.”

Evgeny Nuschuk, director of the Franko Theatre since April 2024, said: “There is a theatre craze at the moment. And it’s not just in Kyiv. With theatre, there’s this here and now aspect.” A living art form, a format that chimes with current events, it is also a source of inspiration for the future, as reflected in the theatre’s slogan for the new season: “Today’s theatre must reflect tomorrow’s society.”

There have been adjustments since the invasion. Big Russian names such as Pushkin and Chekhov have been eliminated from the repertoire – but a new generation of directors has seized upon Ukraine’s literary and theatrical heritage.

Fundraising for armed forces

In the event of an air raid alert, the play is stopped. And familiar faces have disappeared from audiences. “We have lost some regulars,” says Nuschuk. “They had bought tickets for the evening of 1 January, intending to start the year with us. Some other spectators brought flowers to lay on their seats.”

Before taking over the reins of the establishment, the director twice served as the country’s minister of culture. In the early days of the war he volunteered, and the theatre is engaged with the war effort. “In six months, we have collected more than 55 million hryvnias [almost €1.3 million] for our armed forces. Our troops perform in military hospitals and we lend our spaces to displaced troops from Sumy, Kherson or Mariupol every Monday,” said Nuschuk.

Zelensky hails Ukraine’s ‘heroism’ on third anniversary of Russia’s invasion

“There has always been a renaissance of Ukrainian culture in difficult times,” Tetiana and Olha told RFI. These two students have also become regular theatre-goers since the start of the war.

“Remember the proliferation of poetry and theatre in the 1920s, for example [at the time of the occupation by the Soviet Union]. But I also think that one of the reasons for the craze we are experiencing is that today’s directors are reviving a certain authenticity in Ukrainian culture, breaking away from the rigid and overwhelming Russian culture embodied by the great authors and the great ballets.”

Language as resistance

In this cultural war, language is another battlefield. In a country where most people have historically mastered both Russian and Ukrainian, the former is being rejected while use of the latter has become a symbol of resistance.

On Khreshchatyk Avenue – Kyiv’s Champs-Élysées – where Vladimir Putin was planning a victory parade in 2022, the Sens bookshop opened its doors a year ago. On this Saturday afternoon, its two floors are bustling with people, particularly young people. With its café and stylish interior, it’s eminently Instagrammable. The store’s motto? “You can do what you like here, but not in Russian.” You won’t find any books in the language of Tolstoy for sale in this shop.

When the first Ukrainian language only bookshop opened, just before the full-scale invasion of February 2022, many people were sceptical, says Oleksii Erinchak, one of the owners and founders of Sens. “We would always hear that books in Ukrainian were more expensive, that there were few translations and therefore little choice… We wanted to promote books in Ukrainian. And we’ve shown that there is a demand for them.”

He added: “Of course, it’s an act of resistance. For centuries, Russia stifled our culture. This is like putting a protective dome over it.” He believes culture is a weapon, one Russia had tried to deploy in Ukraine long before the invasion: “Putin thought that the Ukrainians would welcome the Russians with open arms because culture had already prepared the ground.”

Before the war, around 75 percent of the book market in Ukraine was made up of books imported from Russia, illustrating Russian influence. Since 2022, these have been banned.

Today, eight of the shop’s top ten bestsellers are written in Ukrainian. They include a collection of love poetry, an anthology on Ukrainian nationalism, and a thrilling detective novel by Illarion Pavliuk, a Ukrainian writer and journalist turned soldier.

The bookshop also organises the collection of Russian-language books for recycling, with the money raised going to anti-aircraft defence.

Macron warns Trump: ‘No weakness’ with Putin as France enters ‘new era’

Maria Smirova, who is browsing for books to give as gifts with her husband Dimitrov, said: “Before the war I only bought books online, and most of them in Russian. Now everything has changed. We only speak to each other in Ukrainian and we’ve got rid of all our books in Russian.” For her, shopping here also means supporting Ukraine. 

Over the last two years, some 50 new bookshops have opened across the country. According to Rostyslav Semkiv, a professor of literature at the University of Kyivand a literary critic, this “cultural blossoming” can be explained by “a reformatting of our identity”.

“Before 2014, the cultural landscape was dominated by a post-Soviet identity. The large-scale invasion shattered this identity. This Ukrainian ethnic identity has become political. Many people are starting to take an interest in Ukrainian history, art and literature. What makes up Ukrainian culture? There is a search for ‘Ukrainianness’,” he explained.

Somoloskyp (meaning “torch”), the small Ukrainian-language publishing house run by Semkiv, is a testament to this movement. “Ten years ago, for us, printing 1,000 or 2,000 copies of a book was huge. Today, we have average print runs of 4,000 to 5,000 copies, and we can go up to 30,000. And every book that comes out goes very quickly,” he says. Production is in fact struggling to keep up with demand, with the printing works slowing down as a result of the war. 

Renaissance and resilience

In a basement in the centre of Kyiv, around 30 people have taken their seats. “Glory to Ukraine! Putin, you dickhead!” shouts stand-up comedian Arthur Petrov as he takes to the stage.

Nadiya and Stanislas, who discovered Petrov on YouTube, are here hoping to escape for an hour “from our difficult daily lives, and hear a few good jokes about Russkies, fighting and body bags,” says Stanislas, with a heavy does of irony.

“Laugh and keep your head up” is the name of the programme offered by this venue, the Underground Standup Club, which was founded in 2016 and sends 20 percent of its takings to the armed forces. 

When the hour is up, Petrov has another engagement – a charity show with two other comedians in the town of Irpin, near the capital, which has been hit hard by the war. The money raised will go to a charity that buys drones.

The show is taking place in the brand new community hall of a newly built neighbourhood, on a street formerly known as Dostoevsky Street and now renamed for Olha Kobylianska, a Ukrainian feminist writer. The atmosphere is warm among this young, hip audience. 

Russians who refuse to fight in Ukraine see hope of sanctuary in France

Taxi drivers, the Montessori education method, talking in Ukrainian during sex, air raid alerts… war is not the only ground covered by the comedians, and laughter is clearly an outlet. Far from silencing it, the war has seen a huge increase in the number of comedians performing in Ukraine.

“Before the war started, most of the big stand-up shows in Ukraine were in Russian,” says Anton Zhytlov as he leaves the stage. “With the start of the war, we stopped using Russian and this has led to a sort of renaissance in Ukrainian humour.”

In the audience, Rima is happy to be able to relax a little. Her husband is at the front, but she doesn’t know where exactly. “It’s invaluable for our mental health,” she says.

For Zhytlov, the fact that Ukrainians still go to stand-up shows and comedians continue to perform, despite the war, is indicative of the national mentality: “We are courageous and we look fear in the eye. We’re not afraid of anything.”

This article has been adapted from the original in French, by our correspondent in Kyiv.

“What is exciting and quite unique is to find various objects from as far as Ireland, England, the Netherlands and Germany buried with the corpses in this part of western France, in the late 8th century,” archaeologist Annie Bolle, of France’s National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP), told RFI.

Bolle is the scientific project manager for excavations taking place at La Flotte, a village on the Ile de Ré, off the French Atlantic coast.

INRAP was called in to look at a plot of land ahead of the construction of a house – because in 1985 a Gallo-Roman villa dating back to the 4th century was unearthed next door.

Between October and December 2024, the INRAP team uncovered around 50 graves in and outside a chapel. Having belonged to the priory of Saint Eulalie, according to texts from 1156, it was later destroyed during the French Wars of Religion, between Catholics and Protestants, in the 16th century.

“The findings provide rare tangible evidence of close ties between the Carolingian Empire [a Frankish empire in Western and Central Europe during the early Middle Ages] and a population from the North and Celtic Seas,” said Bolle.

Unusual burials

Five of these graves stood out. The position of the bodies and the artefacts they were buried with “are quite rare to find on Ile de Ré or even in western France,” explained Bolle.

Two of the bodies were not positioned in the customary Christian fashion, with the heads facing east towards Jerusalem, but were orientated towards the south.

The lower limbs of some were bent rather than extended, as would be expected. Furthermore, two others were laid on their sides and one female was found lying face down.

Millennial surprise as Gallo-Roman graveyard unearthed in Paris

“The bodies in the five graves were buried with various objects and ornaments. This practice, common during the 6th and 7th centuries, disappeared later in the 8th and 9th centuries, around the time we think the five were buried,” said Bolle.

The archaeologists found two combs and necklaces made of amber, glass, bone and copper beads.

The findings from the La Flotte excavations have been preserved and will undergo analysis to gather information about their composition and provenance.

“By finding out what technique was used to make the combs, we will be able to tell when and where they were made. DNA testing of the material used – bones or antlers – will help us to more accurately determine where they came from,” Bolle explained.

Other artefacts unearthed include a metal belt with an intricate design, and a knife similar to one previously found in the south-east of England.

Social status

“Stable isotopes analysis of the human bones will help us to reconstruct the diet of the individuals,” Bolle said, explaining that what they ate will give an indication of where they came from – as well as their social status, given usually only people with means could afford meat.

Notre-Dame: archaeological discoveries reveal centuries of history beneath cathedral

“Paleogenetic analysis of the skeletons’ DNA should help us determine the sex of the individuals and whether they were related or not,” she added.

The findings have been sent to various laboratories around France, with some at the Arc’Antique Laboratory in Nantes, while some of the DNA testing – of the combs, for example – will be done at the Natural History Museum in Paris.

Trade links

Most of the artefacts unearthed from the graves appear to originate from northern Germany, the Netherlands, south-east England and the area around Dublin in Ireland. The beads are Irish, the knife or the belt could come from England and the combs may come from the Frisian region in north-western Europe – in modern times, parts of the north of the Netherlands and north-west Germany.

“What is fascinating is trying to uncover how the various objects from so many different places found their way in this small plot of land on Ile de Ré,” Bolle said.

“The La Flotte excavations [have uncovered] rare archaeological evidence of the active trade relations we’ve read about between the Carolingian Empire and the population around the North Sea.”

Danish and German archaeologists have already shown an interest in the La Flotte findings. Now follows at least two years of investigation to uncover the story behind them.

France returns ancient artefacts to Ethiopia

“What we don’t know yet is whether the individuals were locals buried with their own objects or whether they were foreigners buried on this land,” said Bolle. “It says a lot if the foreigners were buried amongst the locals. It means that they were well accepted. And, resonates with what is happening nowadays in terms of tolerance towards migrants.”

Founded in 2021, the Academy was created out of its founder’s need to bridge communication gaps, enhance social and professional integration in Senegal, and help dual nationals living abroad strengthen their connections with their partners.

Amy Cissé, Franco-Senegalese and founder of the Wolof Academy, explains why she created it four years ago:

“It was when I moved to live and work in Senegal that I felt the need to speak Wolof fluently and effortlessly. I developed a unique learning method that allowed me to truly speak the language fluently and, most importantly, quickly,” Cissé told RFI.

“In France, I already knew many French people of Senegalese origin who also had the need to speak Wolof but couldn’t. I decided to really transcribe the learning method I created through my own experience into the structure I developed,” she adds.

Distance learning

It is 8pm and a distance learning class begins for a group of three students based in France. Mossana, Céline and Isabelle attend their 16th lesson with their teacher Karim.

“Carole isn’t here yet. We’ll go ahead and start. Last time, we studied the verb ‘to be’ in different contexts. Anyway, we’ll do the exercises, and we’ll revisit it,” says Karim.

“Today, we’re having a review class. Every five lessons, we do a review. What were the last lessons we covered? Can you give me a quick reminder?” the teacher continues.

Senegal launches English lessons in nursery and primary schools

Why learning Wolof?

The profile of the learners ranges from French people of Senegalese origin to people of all nationalities who have good reasons to learn Wolof, like Isabelle, Céline, and Mossana.

“My husband is Senegalese, which is a great motivation. I currently work and live in Senegal as well. I pick up a lot of things, but I would really like to be able to communicate better with the beneficiaries I work with, in the local language, and with my in-laws too,” says Isabelle.

For Céline, it’s about being closer to the culture. “As for me, I lived in Dakar for seven years and built connections there. I still have friends there, so I enjoy going back when I can and speaking Wolof. Also, we are really at the heart of the culture,” she says.

“I am Senegalese on my father’s side. So, even though I don’t go to Senegal, I would love to be able to chat with my family,” says Mossana.

The Wolof Academy offers different online packages with or without a teacher, with prices ranging from 300 to 700 euros.

► This report was produced by Aram Mbengue for the RFI podcast Reportage France.

His first comments as the go-to face of the impending winter extravaganza were as assured as yesteryear’s surge to glory. 

“The challenge ahead of me is like a long field of bumps,” quipped Grospiron, who embarked on a career as a motivational speaker after hanging up his skis. “So you’re going to need strong knees … don’t worry, I’m used to it.

“We’re going to encounter bumps, but our mission is going to be to overcome them, to face them. The bigger the obstacle, the greater the opportunity behind it, and that’s what we’re going to be working on together with the organising committee.”

Top of the list will be the selection of a chief executive to help share the load. Around €600 million worth of sponsorship will also need to be secured to pad out the two billion euros allocated for the 26th Winter Olympic Games.

The egos of local, regional and national political leaders will have to be flattered and pampered while adhering to the icy demands of national and international Olympic administrators.

Global warming – leading to the amount and quality of the snow – will be a likely concern.

In the flurry of interviews after his anointment, Grospiron maintained his composure. 

Former skiing champion Grospiron takes on role as face of 2030 Winter Olympics

Task

“I don’t see it as a nightmare at all,” Grospiron told RFI. “On the contrary, I see it as a big challenge. And big challenges lead to big victories, and small challenges to small victories.

“What’s interesting about this project is that in France, we have extraordinary resources and we’re going to be able to mobilise them.

“They are already well mobilised to serve this project. It is a magnificent project that should also help to provide answers to the climate challenges we face”. 

Sports administrators in France are basking in the glow of a successful Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

The three-time Olympic canoeing champion, Tony Estanguet, headed that organising committee with drive and panache and French athletes then harvested record hauls of medals to justify the financial investments in their bids for personal and national kudos.

In the wake of those coups, regional government officials gleefully parade their savoir-faire during tours with delegations from future Olympic cities such as Los Angeles and Brisbane.

“It’s all about teamwork and synergy,” said Grospiron. “Managing to unite all the energies that will enable us to get there. Obviously, Paris 2024 leaves a legacy in terms of human resources, that are, shall we say, plug and play. And that’s a real opportunity”.

Grospiron emerged as a candidate after former biathlete Martin Fourcade quit at the beginning of February. Fourcade, France’s most successful Winter Olympian with six golds and a silver from Vancouver, Sochi and Pyeonchang between 2010 and 2018, fell out with local politicians and clashed over the siting of the organising committee’s headquarters. The 36-year-old preferred a base in Grenoble, Chamonix, Albertville or Aix-les-Bains rather than Lyon.

French Alps the only bidder to host 2030 Winter Olympics

Chance

His withdrawal was a huge blow to the prestige of the project a few months after President Emmanuel Macron described him as the Estanguet of the Alps.

Though unable to boast a dazzling array of Winter Olympic hardware – Grospiron took bronze in the moguls in 1994 – a sense of pragmatism emerges from the 55-year-old’s experiences as chef de mission for the France team at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics and as head of Annecy’s bid to stage the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“The only politics I’m going to have is knowing what’s good for the project and how the elected representatives are going to be able to help me deliver these Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Grospiron insisted. “Because that’s really what’s at stake.

“Tony [Estanguet] was faced with the same thing and he succeeded. He managed to get people on board the project”.

After an opening ceremony along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, the ice sports, except for the speed skating, will be staged in the city.

Some 600km away to the north, La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand in the Haute-Savoie section will provide the venues for the cross country skiing and biathlon. La Plagne, Courcheval and Méribel in the Savoie cluster will host inter alia the bobsleigh, luge and the alpine skiing. Serre Chevalier and Montgenèvre in the Briançon cluster will stage the freestyle skiing and snowboarding.

“On the basis of the budgetary realities and the environmental realities we face, we have to find solutions that will enable us, that must enable us to deliver games,” said Grospiron.

“The concept of these Olympic Games is a fragmented one that would have made purists howl 30 years ago,” he added.

“And I understand that. But this concept is an opportunity to spread the load, particularly of spectators. And that’s an opportunity”.

“Foreign contributions are a positive for a people, so long as they remain proportionate,” Bayrou said in a television interview in late January. “But as soon as you get the feeling of being flooded, of no longer recognising your own country, its lifestyle and its culture, there is a rejection.” He added that France was “approaching” this threshold.

With his use of the word “flood” Bayrou employed terms more commonly used by the anti-immigration far-right National Rally (RN) – now the largest single party in parliament.

French PM in hot water over migrant ‘flooding’ gaffe

The RN, formerly known as the National Front, has long maintained that such a migrant “flood” (soumission migratoire) is a reality in France. This echoes the notion of the “great replacement” – a term coined by author Renaud Camus, which claims that immigrants, and those from Africa in particular, will gradually replace Europe’s white, Christian populations.

Official data from France’s national statistics agency (Insee) does not support such a claim. In 2023, immigrants accounted for 7.3 million of France’s population of 68 million – or 10.7 percent. In 1975, they made up 7.4 percent.

The proportion of foreigners rose from 6.5 percent to 8.2 percent in the same 50-year period. Around 3.5 percent are from the European Union and the rest from non-EU countries. An estimated 0.25 percent entered the country illegally.

“If you look at the numbers, it’s hard to say that there is an overwhelming crowd of foreigners,” says Tania Racho, a researcher on European law, who also works for an NGO fighting disinformation on migration issues.

There has been a steady progression in the proportion of foreigners, she says, with an increase of “about 2 percent in the past 10 to 15 years,” while the annual number of new arrivals to France – 300,000 – has remained fairly stable. 

This increase reflects a global trend, and several other countries have higher proportions of foreign residents than France, says Racho – 16 percent of Sweden’s population are foreigners, and in Germany the figure is 15 percent. The United States, United Kingdom and Turkey also have a higher percentage of foreign residents than France.

Meanwhile, demographer François Heran’s research has found the increase in France was largely thanks to economic and student migration, and that family reunification had declined.

Listen to our conversation with Tania Racho on the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 124.

A post-truth society

However, Racho points out, the debate is not necessarily rooted in figures. “It’s not about the numbers really, it’s about the feeling of considering there are a lot of foreigners in France. And it’s more complicated on a scientific level to measure a feeling.”

Research shows the French tend to overestimate the number of foreigners in the country – putting the number at 23 percent rather than the real figure of 8.2 percent. 

“We’re in a changing world, where scientific reality is no longer the foundation of political decisions,” the researcher says. “It’s true in the US and unfortunately, it’s also coming in France.”

She cites an example from France’s interior minister Bruno Retailleau. When recently questioned about the claim by CEPII, a public institute for research in global economics, that “studies were unanimous in concluding immigration had no impact on delinquency” the minister replied: “Reality belies this study.”

Economic research on migration issues is clearly struggling to be heard, said Racho.

French Senate backs bill to stop undocumented immigrants from getting married

An online poll for French TV channel BFMTV in the wake of Bayrou’s remarks, which surveyed 1,005 people, found that nearly two out of three French people (64 percent) thought he was right to refer to a “feeling of a migrant flood”. But broader, more in-depth surveys paint a more nuanced picture.

The recently published long-term European Social Survey 2023-2024 – which spoke to 40,000 people in 31 countries – on attitudes towards immigration found that 69 percent of French people do not have a sense of migratory flooding and agreed that “many or some immigrants from a different ethnic group [than the majority] should be allowed to come and live in the country”. 

Another study by Destin Commun, the French branch of the UK’s More in Common think tank, found that around 60 percent of French people said they had no opinion on migration whereas 20 percent thought it was linked to national identity.

“The truth is those 20 percent speak out more,” Racho notes. “They are more [active] on social networks, there’s more media coverage of the people that have a strong opinion on the question, [rather than] the 60 percent that don’t.”

Debating identity

Bayrou has called for a national debate not just on migration, but on what it means to be French. “What’s been fermenting for years is [the question], what does it mean to be French?” he told broadcaster RMC. “What rights does it give you? What duties does it demand of you? What advantages do you get? What do you commit to when you become a member of a national community?”

“It could be useful on some level to be sure that the reality of migration is better known,” Racho said. “It could be interesting to have a real, deep debate if it’s possible. It really depends on the way it’s treated.”

PM Bayrou calls for national debate on immigration after controversial ‘flooding’ comments

A previous debate on national identity, launched in 2009 under former right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy, saw some 350 public debates held over three months, from which no concrete measures emerged.

Bayrou opposed the initiative at the time, saying: “Nothing is worse than turning identity into a subject of political confrontation and partisan use… The nation belongs to everyone.”

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The RFI English team is pleased to announce that Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan, won the RFI / Planète Radio ePOP video contest, in the RFI Clubs category. Bravo Saleem! Mubarak ho!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 1 February, I asked you a question about our article “African nations set to light up the homes of 300 million people by 2030”.

Nearly 600 million Africans live without access to electricity, which is higher than any other continent. The World Bank and the African Development Bank have a plan: Dubbed “Mission 300”, it’s meant to connect half of those homes to power by 2030.

You were to send in the names of four African countries that have committed to reform their electricity utility companies, push renewable energy integration, and raise targets to improve access to national electricity. The World Bank grant will only be available to countries once these reforms have been carried out.

The answer is, to quote our article: “In Nigeria, an estimated 90 million people, 40 percent of the population, don’t have access to electricity. The country, along with Senegal, Zambia and Tanzania is one of a dozen that committed as part of the Mission 300 Plan.”

The other countries are Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, DRC, Niger, Liberia, Madagascar, and Malawi. 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What item have you held on to as a remembrance of something?”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State, India. Radhakrishna is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Radhakrishna, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ahsan Ejaz, a member of the RFI Fans Club in Sheikhupura, Pakistan, and Sharmin Sultana, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Rounding out the list are two RFI English listeners: Subhas Paul, a member of the RFI Students Radio Club in West Bengal, India, and Christian Ghibaudo from Tende, France.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The “Vivace” from Serenade for Small Orchestra by Jean Françaix, performed by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Louis Lane; “Djourou”, performed by Ballaké Sissoko and Sona Jobarteh; “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 “Baul Song” by Lalan, performed by Torap Ali Shah.

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 president Macron set to brief EU leaders over details of Trump talks”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 24 March to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 29 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

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Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

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“Anora”, about a sex worker’s tumultuous marriage to a Russian oligarch’s son, dominated the Oscars, winning five awards including best picture, best director, best editing, best original screenplay, and best actress for the 25-year-old Mikey Madison. 

The ceremony also highlighted that 2024 was another exceptional year for French cinema.

Emilia Pérez

Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” was the most nominated non-English film in the history of the awards, and Zoe Saldana, who played a lawyer in the film, won best actress in a supporting role.

The film’s show-stopping song “El Mal” – co-written by French songwriters Camille and Clément Ducol, along with Audiard, and performed by Saldana – won best original song.

Behind the scenes

French artists behind the scenes were also recognised, with Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli winning best make-up and hairstyling for “The Substance”, a feminist thriller by Coralie Fargeat.

In the film, Demi Moore is transformed physically after she injects a mysterious substance that promises to make a younger, “better” version of herself, but turns into horror.

At the Cesar ceremony last week, Persin called for a category to honour make-up artists and hairdressers – professions that are not sufficiently respected in French cinema.

Animation

Finally, the independent animated film “Flow”, directed by Latvian Gints Zilbalodis, and co-produced and partly made in France, won best animated feature.

The film, which follows a cat that finds refuge on a boat with other animals after a flood, stood out for having no dialogue, and having been made on the free and open-source software Blender.

(with newswires)

Starmer says the Sunday summit ended with leaders agreeing to keep military aid flowing to Ukraine, calling for Ukraine to be at the table for any peace talks, and for the establishment of a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and guarantee peace in the country.

“Europe must do the heavy lifting’ in Ukraine but to support peace in our continent, and to succeed, this effort must have strong US backing,” he said.

Starmer also announced a new deal allowing Ukraine to use £1.6 billion (€1.9 billion) of UK export finance to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles.

Prevent future wars

Speaking to reporters outside Lancaster House after the summit, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said she would present a “comprehensive plan” at an EU summit Thursday, adding “we have to have a surge in defence” and “we have to step up massively”.

“It’s now of utmost importance we increase spending … it’s important we prepare for the worst,” she added.

The leaders had a “good and frank discussion” and talked about the need for security guarantees, said the EU chief.

Addressing US President Donald Trump, she said: “We’re ready together with you to defend democracy, to defend the principle that there’s a rule of law, that you cannot invade your neighbour and bully your neighbour, or you cannot change borders with force”.

“It’s in our common interest that we prevent future wars,” she added.

European allies rally behind Ukraine after White House clash

‘Once in a generation moment’

This sentiment was echoed by NATO chief Mark Rutte; who said that “It was very good news that more European countries will ramp up defence spending”.

He added that the US was committed to the transatlantic alliance despite frequent criticism by Trump.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also called for unity between Europe and the United States on Ukraine, saying he hoped an EU summit on Thursday would show Russia that the West “has no intention of capitulating”.

“Everything must be done to ensure that Europe and the United States speak with one voice,” he said. The upcoming summit should send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin “that the West has no intention of capitulating before his blackmail and aggression”.

At a press conference after the London summit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked if he would contribute to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, to which, Trudeau replied: “Everything is on the table”.

Avoid dividing the West

Eighteen allies gathered in London to discuss the key question of security guarantees for Ukraine, all the more pressing after Trump berated his Ukrainian counterpart in an unprecedented White House blow-up on Friday.

Their argument, played out in front of the world’s news cameras, raised fears that Trump wants to force Kyiv into a peace deal giving Russian President Vladimir Putin what he wants while leaving Ukraine broken and insecure.

Speaking ahead of the summit in London, Starmer said “nobody wants to see” scenes like Zelensky and Trump’s Oval Office clash.

UK, France working with Ukraine on plan to stop fighting: Starmer

On Sunday, sitting next to Zelensky in front of the flags of Ukraine and European nations, Starmer told him: “I hope you know that we are all with you and the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. Everyone around this table.”

Zelensky was embraced by some of the 18 other leaders, while protesters rallied outside the UK leader’s home in support of Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who met Starmer in his Downing Street home prior to the summit said that it was “very, very important that we avoid the risk that the West divides”.

(with AFP)

“There is no alternative to the faithful and full implementation by all parties of what was signed last January,” Abdelatty said at a news conference in Cairo with the EU commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica.

He also urged the European Union to exert “maximum pressure on the parties, especially the Israeli party, regarding commitment to the ceasefire agreement”.

As the 42-day first phase of the ceasefire drew to a close on Saturday, Israel backed an extension proposed by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which would cover the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Second phase

Hamas, however, has repeatedly rejected extending the first phase, instead insisting on moving directly to the second stage.

This would involve the release of all remaining hostages and a more permanent end to the fighting in Gaza.

“We must now move forward with negotiations on the second phase, which will naturally be challenging,” Abdelatty said.

He added that progress remained possible “if goodwill and political will are present”.

Vital supplies halted

His comments came after Israel said Sunday that it was suspending the entry of supplies into Gaza, amid deadly attacks reported in the territory.

“Israel will not accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas persists with its refusal, there will be other consequences,” a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

Hamas slammed the move, saying in a statement that the “decision to suspend humanitarian aid is cheap blackmail, a war crime and a blatant coup against the (ceasefire) agreement”.

France condemns Hamas as remains of Franco-Israeli hostage Yahalomi returned

The group called on “mediators and the international community to pressure” Israel to “put an end to these punitive, immoral measures against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip”.

More than 15 months of war created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the UN repeatedly warning the territory was on the brink of famine before the ceasefire allowed a surge of aid to enter.

The International Committee of the Red Cross on Sunday called on Israel and Hamas to maintain their ceasefire in Gaza to prevent further suffering.

“The ceasefire agreement has saved countless lives and offered a beacon of hope amid unimaginable suffering. Any unravelling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair,” it said in a statement, adding the truce was “essential.”

UN chief Antonio Guterres called on Sunday for Israel to end its suspension of humanitarian aid to Gaza “immediately.”

“The Secretary-General urges all parties to make every effort to prevent a return to hostilities in Gaza. He calls for humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately and for the release of all hostages,” said a statement from the UN posted on X.

Reconstruction plan

Egypt is set to host a meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Monday, ahead of a Tuesday summit where Arab leaders are due to discuss a reconstruction plan for Gaza.

Abdelatty said the plan had been finalised and was “awaiting presentation to Arab partners at the ministerial meeting and the summit for approval”.

Egypt has also been rallying Arab support against a plan by US President Donald Trump to take over Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

(with AFP)

“The United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States,” Starmer told the BBC.

Starmer is hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on Sunday for a summit on the conflict, which has taken on huge significance in the wake of the clash between the Ukrainian president and US counterpart Donald Trump.

Starmer told the BBC that “nobody wants to see” the scenes of the two leaders’ White House clash, and that “I am clear in my mind that he (Trump) does want a lasting peace.”

The prime minister has presented himself as a bridge between the United States and Europe, and met with Trump in Washington on Thursday.

Starmer, along with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron were among several European leaders who reiterated their support for Kyiv after the row.

Macron called for “calm” between the two leaders in interviews with French media but also for a dialogue on a possible European nuclear “shield” as the continent could no longer rely on the United States.

In the interviews, he said everyone should “return to calm, respect… so we can move forward… because what is at stake is too important”.

Macron said any US “disengagement” in Ukraine was “not in its interests”, as forcing Kyiv to “sign a ceasefire without security guarantees” would see “its capacity to deter Russia, China and others would evaporate the same day”.

Guarantees

Starmer insisted that all parties needed “to find a way that we can all work together. Because, in the end, we’ve had three years of bloody conflict. Now we need to get to that lasting peace.” Starmer said.

“For me, the components of a lasting peace are a strong Ukraine to fight on, if necessary, to be in a position of strength; to negotiate a European element to security guarantees… and a US backstop.

“There’s a risk that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will come again if he’s given the opportunity to do so…, which is why I’ve been so centrally focused on what a guarantee is. How do we defend the line if a line is agreed,” he added.

Where that physical line would be is “a subject for discussion”, said Starmer.

Ukraine‘s allies have been underscoring their steadfast commitment to counter growing concerns that Trump is about to sell Kyiv short in negotiations with Russia.

European allies rally behind Ukraine after White House clash

Warm welcome

The day after he was kicked out of the White House, Zelensky was warmly welcomed to Downing Street on Saturday.

He twice embraced the British prime minister in front of cameras and secured a loan to strengthen defences depleted by more than three years of fending off Russia’s invasion.

“I thank the people and government of the United Kingdom for their tremendous support from the very beginning of this war,” Zelensky said.

“We are happy to have such strategic partners and to share the same vision of what a secure future should look like for all.”

The pair discussed Ukraine’s position and how to end the war “with a lasting and just peace… that will not allow Russia to use the ceasefire to rearm and attack again”, according to a statement released by Zelenksy’s office.

They also unveiled a £2.26 billion (€2.73 billion) loan agreement to support Ukraine’s defence capabilities, to be paid back with the profits of immobilised sovereign Russian assets.

“The funds will be directed toward weapons production in Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “This is true justice – the one who started the war must be the one to pay.”

France and EU move to secure Ukraine minerals, as US pushes for deal

Royal audience

Zelensky  is due to meet King Charles III on Sunday before joining a cohort of European allies at a security summit.

The meeting brings together leaders from around continental Europe, including France, Germany, Denmark and Italy as well as Turkey, NATO and the European Union.

With fears growing over whether the United States will continue to support NATO, the gathering in the UK will also address the need for Europe to increase defence cooperation.

France and Britain are the only European countries with a nuclear arsenal.

Macron insisted that Europe could no longer rely on “the American nuclear deterrent. We need a strategic dialogue with those who don’t have it [a nuclear shield], and that would make France stronger,” Macron told Le Parisien newspaper on Saturday.

He told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper it would take between five and 10 years to build up an autonomous European defence independent of NATO.

The French leader warned that if the United States made were to conclude an agreement with Russia “without the Europeans around the table… it would be a rupture within the alliance”.

“We are in favour of peace,” he insisted, “but not of a capitulation that takes place against the backdrop of a rout or abandonment of the Ukrainians.”

On whether he would speak with Putin, as he did in the early days of the war, Macron replied that he would “not rule it out” but would only do so “at the opportune moment”.

Macron warned that if Putin was not stopped in Ukraine, “he would no doubt turn his attention to Moldova and perhaps beyond to Romania”.

(with AFP)

“Our troops have entered Mahagi town and we are in control,” Uganda’s defence and military affairs spokesman Felix Kulayigye told French news agency AFP on Sunday.

The deployment was requested by the Congolese army following alleged massacres of civilians carried out by a militia known as the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco), he said, without providing further details.

Mahagi is in Ituri province, which borders Uganda, where at least 51 people were killed on 10 February by armed men affiliated with Codeco, according to humanitarian and local sources.

Codeco claims it defends the interests of the Lendu community, mainly composed of farmers, against the Hema community, mainly herders.

Uganda already has thousands of troops in other parts of Ituri under an agreement with the Congolese government.

It also operates a joint mission to combat the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in strongholds near the Ugandan border. 

Last month, Uganda announced its troops had “taken control” of Bunia, capital of Ituri.

Uganda’s DRC mission under scrutiny amid claims of double dealing

Ituri is just north of the provinces of North and South Kivu, which at the end of January fell under the control of another anti-government group known as the M23, backed by neighbouring Rwanda.

The M23 has seized swathes of the DRC‘s troubled, mineral-rich east in recent months, including the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the DRC’s army denied that 20 fighters linked to the Rwandan genocide had been captured on its territory, calling a video of their handover to Rwanda “faked”.

The statement came after the M23 armed group in eastern DRC said on Saturday it had captured fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia founded by ethnic Hutus who took part in the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994.

The crisis in the DRC and the African Union response

‘Discrediting’ the army

Rwanda has long pointed to the alleged presence of the FDLR in eastern DRC to justify its support for the M23.

The M23 released a video showing its forces handing over 20 alleged FDLR fighters to Rwanda at a border post between the two countries.

“This is a faked incident in poor taste orchestrated with the sole aim of discrediting our army,” the Congolese armed forces chiefs of staff said in a statement.

“This is part of the Rwandan strategy to justify the invasion of parts of the DRC’s territory,” it added.

Analysts fear that Uganda and Rwanda’s growing presence in eastern DRC could lead to a repeat of the so-called Second Congo War, which lasted from 1998 to 2003, involving many African countries and resulting in millions of deaths from violence, disease and famine.

(with AFP)

Sudan has been locked in a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for nearly two years, plunging the country into what the United Nations describes as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory.

A week ago, the RSF and its allies signed a charter in Kenya declaring the formation of a “government of peace and unity” in areas under their control.

“Egypt expresses its rejection of any attempts that threaten the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of brotherly Sudan, including the pursuit of forming a parallel Sudanese government,” a statement from Cairo’s foreign ministry said Sunday.

It added that such actions “complicate the situation in Sudan, hinder ongoing efforts to unify political visions and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis”.

Egypt also called on “all Sudanese forces to prioritise the country’s supreme national interest and to engage positively in launching a comprehensive political (peace) process without exclusion or external interference”.

Last week, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty voiced the same stance in a press conference alongside his Sudanese counterpart Ali Youssef.

US sanctions Sudan’s RSF leader over genocide claims but critics say it is not enough

Red line

“Sudan’s territorial integrity is a red line for Egypt,” he said, adding that his country “rejects any calls to establish alternative structures outside the current framework”.

The paramilitaries’ move to form a rival government has drawn sharp criticism, including from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who warned it would “further deepen Sudan’s fragmentation”.

Saudi Arabia, which previously mediated ceasefire talks between the warring sides, also rejected the RSF’s move.

In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency on Friday, Riyadh’s foreign ministry warned against “any step or illegal measure taken outside the framework of official institutions”.

UN condemns RSF’s parallel government in Sudan as ‘hellscape’ emerges

Kuwait echoed that position on Friday, saying it rejected “any unlawful actions taken outside the framework of legitimate state institutions” in Sudan, calling them “a threat to its territorial unity”.

At a UN Human Rights Council dialogue on Friday, Saudi Arabia’s Gulf neighbour Qatar also expressed its support for “Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity”.

The United Arab Emirates, which has repeatedly been accused of supplying the RSF with weapons – claims it has denied – has not commented yet.

(with AFP)

A woman’s voice emanates from Michel-Marie Maudet’s laptop, sitting on a desk at the headquarters of his software development company Linagora, in Issy-Les-Moulineaux, south of Paris.

“Hello, I am Lucie, a large language model trained on a massive data set of text and code in French and other European languages.”

Speaking English with a French accent, she continues: “I am able to understand and respond to questions in a way that is sensitive to the nuances of European culture and language.”

This chatbot, which can communicate in French and several other European languages, uses the word “nuance” frequently when describing itself – which Maudet echoes. 

“It is a question of nuances. These large language models are statistics, and if the models are trained mainly on US content, you are more likely to get answers influenced by US culture.”

Listen to an interview with Michel-Marie Maudet (and “Lucie”) in the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 124:

The idea is that different content will be generated on a tool that has been trained on different languages.

“Languages are our culture, our civilisation, our values, and we developed Lucie, our large language model, to fix this under-representation of our culture,” said Maudet.

Lucie was released to the public in January with little testing beforehand, and ran into problems as users found it was generating nonsense – and worse. It was taken offline three days later.

Maudet said that while the release was premature, it generated interest – notably about the training data, which was made public at the same time as the chatbot, because Linagora is committed to developing open-source tools.

Behind the curtain of AI

“It’s a completely open-source model,” he said. “If you want to build transparency and trust in an AI system, you have to know where and how these models are built.”

The training data set was downloaded 10 times more than the actual model, revealing the level of interest in how these tools work.

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

And while Lucie’s release was something of a public relations disaster, Maudet says it also demonstrated an interest in alternatives to tools developed by US tech giants.

This was borne out at the AI Action Summit held in Paris earlier this month, at which France and other European countries sought to stake their claim in terms of innovation and governance.

European identity

“People are asking for this kind of technology, as an alternative to Chinese or US companies,” Maudet added. “I think the debates around Lucie were very interesting, because they raised an expectation that we want to have our own technology, our own strategy, our own mastery of our digital future.”

Linagora is not the only company developing these alternatives, and far from the most powerful. But the company is dedicated to transparency and open sourcing, in its aim to create a tool that can generate text not derived from American content.

France’s Mistral AI teams up with UAE-backed developers as Le Chat app launches

“We want to incorporate these systems into our daily life, and I am not sure we have the same approach in the US as our social system here in France or Europe,” Maudet explained.

However, the company’s mission presupposes a European identity that is not always clear, or unanimous.

“A big challenge for Europe is to act as one continent,” said Maudet. “AI models could ease a common vision of what we call Europe. We will be stronger and better if we play collectively and act as a single continent and one entity.”

Listen to an interview with Michel Maudet in the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 124, listen here.

Nataliia greets us with a big smile and gifts: her favourite Ukrainian sweets, which helped her get through her exile in Paris. We first met in February 2023, when she was living in the French capital her two children, Hanna and Ivan. The family had fled Ukraine days after the Russian invasion, and the destruction of their home. Nataliia’s husband, Volodymyr, had stayed behind in Bucha, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital. Forbidden from leaving the country, he set about rebuilding a home for his family.

Today, we meet Nataliia in the centre of Kyiv. She wants to show us the old town. “It’s a bit like Montmartre,” she says as she takes us down Andrew’s Descent, a street renowned for its artists.

Last July, she packed the family’s bags, sold their furniture and left Paris to return home, despite the war that is still raging.

Zelensky wants peace ‘this year’ on third anniversary of Russian invasion

In front of the sky blue St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, destroyed tanks sit as a reminder of the Ukrainian resistance that prevented Russian forces from entering the capital. “This represents our success,” says Nataliia. “There are also civilian cars. I think these are vehicles that were bombed by the Russians in Bucha or Irpin, when people were trying to evacuate.”

‘I’m on home ground’

Since her return, Nataliia hasn’t had much time to herself. So, after more than two years away, this walk around her city means a lot. “I’m on home ground, I’m in my hometown,” she says, excited. “And it’s important for me to be able to bear witness to life in war, to remind us of our history, who we are and why we’re fighting: for this freedom, for our children’s future.”

It’s hard to know how many Ukrainian refugees, like Nataliia, have made their way home. According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, of the 14 million Ukrainians who have fled their homes since 24 February, 2022, almost 4.3 million have already returned – around a quarter of them from abroad.

Nataliia says she will remember the moment she and her children crossed the border back into Ukraine, on the train from Warsaw, for the rest of her life. “The children were asleep and I started to cry with joy – at last, I’m home! It was crazy.”

At the station, her husband was waiting for her with a bouquet of flowers. “Before the war, he didn’t give me many flowers! And then my mother had prepared plenty of food, and the whole family was around the table, saying hurrah, you’re finally with us.”

French president Macron set to brief EU leaders over details of Trump talks

The first few weeks, however, were challenging. The family had to get used to the power cuts again, and the daily air raid alerts. “When we first came back, I couldn’t sleep. The children couldn’t even hear the alerts! I took medication, but after that I couldn’t wake up. So at one point, I said that’s enough. I turned everything off, the alerts and the news.”

Seven months on, the siren that wails as we warm ourselves up in a café no longer bothers her. The illusion of normality that Ukrainians have had to live with for almost three years has once again become her daily routine.

In the middle of the crowd on Independence Square, the nerve centre of Kyiv and the scene of the Maidan Revolution in 2013, she notes there is a “ballistic threat” and calls her children to check they are following “the two walls rule” – meaning there must be two walls between you and the street. On the other end of the line, Ivan and Hanna reply distractedly: “Yes, yes, Mum…”

“I was more stressed in France than here,” says Nataliia. “Here, I see the alert on my phone and life goes on. In France, I was always following the alerts on Telegram. When I saw that it was in Kyiv, I sent text messages, then when nobody answered I couldn’t sleep.”

A return to ‘normality’

Today, the family lives in a residential area of Kyiv. The work to rebuild a house on their land has been delayed, but they work on it every weekend, even if it bears little resemblance to the beautiful yellow house they lived in before the invasion. They are making do – with compensation from the city of Kyiv and help from the Ukrainian Fund for International Volunteers, a French humanitarian organisation.

On her return, Nataliia was lucky enough to be able to return to her job as a language teacher at the National Defence University of Ukraine, a military higher education institute. “I’m doing what I know how to do and what I like to do. That’s important to me,” she says, with relief.

In Paris, with the help of the Lesoult family, who took Nataliia and her children in on their arrival, and to whom she is “infinitely grateful”, she was taken on as a reception assistant for the Democratic Movement political party, where she also wrote articles on the situation in Ukraine for the party’s blog.

She has rediscovered the sense of purpose she had been missing 2,000 kilometres from home, even though she sent money to the army every month during her time away from Ukraine.

In Ukraine, anticipating the ‘next’ war with Russia

Her pride in teaching English to officers in the Ukrainian army can be heard in her voice – she leads intensive four-month sessions, six hours a day, to enable soldiers to communicate or handle equipment sent from abroad. She also continues to give online French lessons to Ukrainian refugees, and refuses to “let them go before they’ve reached survival level!”.

At first glance, Nataliia looks like she’s picked up where she left off in March 2022. But as her story unfolds, it becomes clear things are not that simple. Inevitably, her two and a half years away were not without consequences.

“I don’t regret coming back at all, because I’m with my family, as are my children, I’m with my husband. For us, that’s the most important thing.” But, she confides, “the separation was a complicated period” for the couple, and when she got back they had to learn to live together again.

The most painful thing has been the lack of understanding she sometimes feels among those close to her who have stayed in Kyiv throughout. It’s a rift that’s hard to heal, and it’s also fed, she thinks, by a feeling of betrayal, even jealousy perhaps. For many Ukrainians, she says, even before the war Europe sounded like an El Dorado – a place that promised a better life.

“Everyone thought it was a thousand times better than Ukraine. We had fantasies, no doubt linked to the Soviet Union and when the borders were closed.” So for those who stayed at home, for her to come back to a country at war, with children, when she had a flat and a job in Paris and spoke the language… “They can’t understand. They think, is she crazy or what?”

‘Life is difficult for refugees’

The decision to return was not an easy one. “I wanted to come back from day one, but I always had doubts about whether I was doing the right thing for my children, because my husband was always telling me no, you have to stay, the children have to live in peace, you have to sleep well, that’s what’s important.”

Right up until her last day in Paris, he hoped that she would change her mind. But for Nataliia, life in France had become unbearable. 

“We are very grateful for what France has done for us and for all the Ukrainian refugees,” she insists. “But it’s too complicated to be away from your family. And life is very difficult, especially for refugees, both materially and morally. Because all our roots are here in Ukraine. Over there, I was alone, everything was on my shoulders. I had to deal with all the problems, paperwork, for the flat, at work, with the schools… Everything I earned went to the rent. It was my husband who paid for our food. I couldn’t live there on my own with two children.”

The children went to school in France for two years, but also continued to follow the Ukrainian curriculum via distance learning in the evenings and at weekends, in the hope of eventually returning. For Nataliia, on top of everything else, this timetable was too much. “I said stop, we can’t live like this!”

Especially since she could see, on her visits home to see her family, that “people were still living here, trying to enjoy themselves”. “I said to myself, why do my children and I have to suffer in France if we can be with our families, be together and enjoy every day? Why do I have to cry myself to sleep every night without my husband, without my children’s father, without my parents, without my loved ones? Of course,” she concedes, “if we lived in occupied territory, if we didn’t have a roof over our heads, things would be different.”

Africa and war in Ukraine: from strategic neutrality to pro-Russian realignment

It was in a Telegram messaging group set up by a Ukrainian psychologist that she found the support she needed to put her fears to bed and take the plunge and go home. In the group, women, often mothers like her, refugees all over Europe, shared their worries. Others, who had already returned, talked about their experiences. 

Nataliia does not want to seem ungrateful to France. Her favourite things there, she says, were the châteaux, Normandy, the ocean and Berthillon ice cream – “a great stress reliever!” She knows that having temporary protection status made her situation among refugees rather enviable. But her eyes mist over and her jaw clenches when she thinks back to those two and a half years, when she felt herself drowning in problems.

How are Hanna and Ivan, now 13 and 11? “They’re happy, they’ve got their own room and their friends back,” she says. “Everyone thinks there’s no future here. But if everyone leaves, what will become of this country? Nothing. So it’s up to us and our children to rebuild.”

We pass beneath the imposing Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People, a monument from the Soviet era, then named the Peoples’ Friendship Arch, Nataliia explains. Night has fallen, it’s cold, and yet there are lots of people around. “We live each day,” says Nataliia – day by day. “Before, I wouldn’t buy anything, I’d save for the children, for work [on the house]. But now, no… you have to live now, you have to enjoy it. You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

This article has been adapted from the original French version, by our correspondent in Kyiv.

France’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget was cut by 35 percent in the recently approved spending bill, following pressure from the country’s conservative-dominated Senate. The ODA budget for 2025 now stands at €3.8 billion.

The French minister of foreign affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, announced last week the creation of a commission to evaluate ODA, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability.

“We will assess projects on a case by case basis to ensure that what we are doing serves either the direct or indirect interests of French people,” he said in an interview with French TV channel CNews.

‘Billions squandered’

The foreign minister was responding to criticism over the effectiveness of ODA, with the far right leading the charge.

A recent edition of the right-wing newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) bore the headline: “Scandal: billions squandered on aid to foreign countries”. The paper went on to describe ODA as “obscure,” “absurd” and “obsessed with gender issues”.

Guillaume Bigot – an MP with the far-right National Rally (RN) and author of a parliamentary report on ODA – called for a moratorium on development aid, which he deemed “unaccountable,” “costly” and “ineffective”. He also questioned the rationale in directing funds abroad when France is struggling with a record deficit. 

“In the beginning [ODA] was aimed at our former colonies and the poorest countries. It is now tinged with globalist ideology,” he told the JDD. “We are helping the development of the private sector, countries with which we have few links or that don’t need the aid – even hostile countries.”

He denounced an increase in contributions to multilateral organisations, such as the Green Climate Fund – set up in 2010 to help developing economies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change – and the Global Fund, which invests in the fight against HIV, malaria and tuberculosis.

Bigot said funding to such multilateral aid agencies accounted for 43 percent of France’s global aid package – €25 billion since 2017.

Global aid in chaos as Trump proposes to slash funds and dismantle USAID

On Wednesday,United States President Donald Trump announced the US was terminating 90 percent of its foreign assistance grants and awards, administered by USAID – cuts amounting to $60 billion. 

The US State Department said the move followed a review of foreign aid “to ensure taxpayer dollars were used to make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous”. 

Pierre Moscovici, head of France’s Court of Auditors, sees echoes of this US rhetoric in the criticism of France’s ODA. “A bit of Trumpism, a lot of xenophobia. Our ODA must of course be evaluated, which it is, but not in ignorance and bad faith” he wrote in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Moscovici, a former European commissioner for economic and financial affairs, argued foreign aid was “an asset for our influence and our economic presence in the world”.

AFD in the firing line

The far right in France has also heavily criticised the French Development Agency (AFD), the government body which implements France’s development policies – a public financial institution that funds projects linked to climate, peace, education, health, the majority overseas.

Earlier this month, Sarah Knafo, an MEP with the far-right Reconquest! party founded by former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, accused the AFD of “wasting” taxpayers’ money.

South Africa faces HIV crisis as Trump’s aid freeze halts treatment and research

“We’re helping the largest economic power in the world to develop… whereas at home we’re short of everything,” she said, claiming France “gives” China €130 million a year. She also criticised projects in Jordan, Algeria and the Gaza Strip, saying the AFD “takes money from French people’s pockets to send it around the world”.

The AFD disposes of an annual budget of €12 billion, but 85 percent of its resources come from bond loans via private investors, capitals, international pension funds or central banks, its website states. The remaining 15 percent comes from grants from public institutions, such as the French State or the European Union. Taxpayers’ annual contributions amount to €1.7 billion, the AFD told France Info.

‘Not one euro ‘given’ to China’

The agency denies it has “given” €130 million of French taxpayers’ money to China.

“Not one euro of public money is given to China,” it posted on X. “AFD lends on market terms and in full transparency. And in line with the mandate given by parliament, it only invests in climate and biodiversity projects in China.”

It highlighted how French expertise – for example from the state electricity company EDF – was used to develop low-carbon heating networks, as well as the creation of French-Chinese partnerships to exchange knowledge about conservation and ecotourism in national parks, such as China’s Xianju Park and the Parc des Ballons in eastern France.

US foreign aid halt to have major hit on poorest countries: report

“One tonne of CO2 saved in China means a tonne of CO2 saved for the whole planet, and all this without any impact on French taxpayers,” the AFD said.

Over the last two decades, the agency has invested €2 billion in 50 projects in China, its director Rémy Rioux told RFI – including reconstruction efforts in Sichuan province following the 2008 earthquake, and the Sponge City project in the city of Mianyang to improve urban land management to prevent flooding.

The AFD’s approach encourages “sustainable and solidarity-based investment rather than providing aid”, Rioux said, citing how the “French model for national parks inspired new legislation in China, while Chinese initiatives have offered valuable insights for similar efforts in France”.

“Ultimately these cuts will remove food and healthcare from desperate people,” Dodds said in a letter to Starmer posted on X.

On Tuesday, Starmer pledged to raise UK defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027 but ordered the overseas development budget to be cut from 0.5 percent to 0.3 percent of gross national income to pay for it.

Dodds said while she believed defence spending needed to be increased as “the post-war global order has come crashing down”, she had hoped for a collective discussion on finding the funding.

“Instead, the tactical decision was taken for ODA to absorb the entire burden,” she said, referring to overseas development assistance.

Starmer admitted in a reply to her letter that cutting aid funding was “a difficult and painful decision”.

“However, protecting our national security must always be the first duty of any government,” he added.

Starmer later announced that long-time ally Jenny Chapman would now fill the role of international development minister.

Fourth minister to step down

Dodds voiced fears that plans to help the people of Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, as well as support climate change and vaccination programmes, would now fall by the wayside.

“It will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cuts,” Dodds warned.

And she said it would “likely lead to a UK pull-out from numerous African, Caribbean and Western Balkan nations”.

Starmer sought to allay her concerns, saying his government would “continue to protect vital programmes, including in the world’s worst conflict zones”.

Dodds is the fourth minister to leave Starmer’s cabinet since his Labour party swept to victory in last year’s elections, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.

Earlier this month, the UK leader sacked junior health minister Andrew Gwynne for making anti-Semitic, racist and sexist remarks in a WhatsApp chat.

In January, anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq resigned after being named in probes in Bangladesh into graft accusations.

And in November, Louise Haigh stepped down as transport secretary after revelations that she pleaded guilty to a criminal offence before becoming a member of parliament.

Global aid in chaos as Trump proposes to slash funds and dismantle USAID

Response from charities

Humanitarian charities have also criticised the UK’s decision to cut its international aid budget in favour of defence spending, warning it would damage British influence and have a devastating impact on those they support.

“This is a short-sighted and appalling move,” said Romilly Greenhill, CEO of London-based Bond, a network for humanitarian organisations. “Slashing the already diminished UK aid budget to fund an uplift in defence is a reckless decision.”

The UK previously devoted 0.7 percent of its gross national income to overseas development, before this was cut by the previous Conservative government to 0.5 percent in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Starmer’s government had pledged to restore the aid budget to 0.7 percent 

ActionAid described it as a political choice that could have devastating consequences for people affected by humanitarian crises, such as those in Gaza, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.

South Africa faces HIV crisis as Trump’s aid freeze halts treatment and research

David Miliband, a former foreign secretary of the governing Labour Party and now head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) charity, called the move “a blow to Britain’s proud reputation as a global humanitarian and development leader”.

The UK is the fifth largest international aid donor, giving more than €18 billion in 2023, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The United States tops the ranking, followed by Germany, the European Union and Japan.

Nick Dearden, director of campaign group Global Justice Now, said: “To appease Trump, [Starmer] will cut aid to its lowest level in a generation. It is a day of shame for Britain.”

The United Nations children’s agency Unicef said the British aid cut would “undoubtedly risk lives” and Oxfam accused Starmer of “bending to populist pressures”.

US trade deal on the table 

Starmer also this week met with United States President Donald Trump, to discuss Ukraine truce talks and other issues.

In a press conference following the meeting, the US president spoke positively of a trade deal with the UK, which could see the latter avoid threatened US tariffs, and said such a deal could happen “very quickly”. 

UK firms cautiously optimistic on US trade deal prospects

For his part, Starmer handed Trump a letter from King Charles III inviting Trump to the UK for an unprecedented second state visit.

Since his return from the US, Starmer has invited more than a dozen European leaders to a summit on Sunday to “drive forward” action on Ukraine and security, his office said.

Ahead of the summit, Starmer will also chair a morning call with Baltic nations, before welcoming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street to discuss the war with Russia.

 (With newswires)

United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres this week urged immediate and strategic assistance for Haiti, as brutal gang violence increases.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Guterres outlined a new approach focusing on bolstering the multinational police mission in Haiti with logistical and financial aid, while dismissing calls for the immediate deployment of peacekeepers.

Regarding a full UN peacekeeping force for Haiti, Guterres said such a move could only be considered “once significant progress has been made in substantially reducing gang territorial control”. UN officials stressed that the fight against gangs and “enforcement” of peace are not the jurisdiction of peacekeepers.

Trump’s immigration crackdown sparks fear amid Haiti’s deepening crisis

Despite funding issues – and the impact of Donald Trump‘s United States administration slashing USAID funding by 90 percent – Guterres stated that, with the right support, significant strides could be made in restoring peace.

One key proposition is the establishment of a UN Support Office to manage logistics such as accommodation, food, and transportation for the mission – a model developed in Somalia.

Funded by the UN peacekeeping budget, the unit would bolster the effectiveness of the under-equipped and under-funded Multinational Security Support Mission, led by Kenya. 

Increase in deaths

Recent reports have highlighted a complete degradation of the security situation in and around the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. 

According to a UN dossier published this week, more than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti due to gang activities in 2024 – an increase of more than 1,000 deaths compared to the previous year.

One of the deadliest gang-related incidents in recent history took place in early December 2024, when the Wharf Jérémie gang orchestrated a massacre in the Cité Soleil district of Port-au-Prince, resulting in at least 207 deaths. The bodies of the victims – primarily elderly practitioners of Haitian Vodou – were mutilated, burned or discarded in the sea.

Macron calls for UN action as gang violence in Haiti worsens

The violence is not confined to the capital. In October, the town of Pont-Sondé experienced an attack by the Gran Grif gang that resulted in more than 115 deaths and displaced thousands.

The gang’s influence in the Artibonite department has seen numerous mass kidnappings and violent assaults reported.

Elections amid chaos

A report released this week by think tank the International Crisis Group (ICG), entitled Violence and Politics in Haiti’s Transitional Government, highlights the dynamic between the country’s political instability and gang violence.

According to the ICG, there is an urgent need for both comprehensive reforms and international support to dismantle the network of gangs perpetuating the violence.

The organisation also expressed concern that hastily organised elections, mooted for this year, could exacerbate the violence.

The head of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, Leslie Voltaire, has pledged to conduct elections in November – which would be Haiti’s first since 2016 – and establish an elected government by February 2026.

Gangs could overrun Haiti capital if aid falls short, UN chief warns

However, ICG analyst Diego Da Rin cautioned that proceeding with elections without first addressing security issues could worsen matters. “It would be a mistake to think that having elections in chaotic conditions without resolving… the security issue first would, by [some] miracle, completely change the situation.”

A Haitian electoral expert explained the dilemma to the ICG, saying: “If we hold the elections in total chaos, there is a good chance that mafia groups in collusion with gangs will win the elections. But if we wait to solve the problem of insecurity before holding elections, we could be in for another four years.”

Haiti’s healthcare system is currently on the brink of collapse, exacerbated by the destruction of facilities and the suspension of services due to security concerns.

The humanitarian crisis has seen more than 1 million people internally displaced – many forced to flee their homes due to gang incursions – and half the population facing food insecurity.

Stunned by Friday’s altercation in the Oval Office, which saw Zelensky depart the White House without signing an expected mineral deal, most European leaders rushed to his defense.

“You are not alone,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, fresh off his own visit to the White House, said he had spoken to both Trump and Zelensky following the clash and vowed “unwavering support” for Kyiv.

Representatives from more than a dozen European countries will convene in London for a summit Sunday, which according to Downing Street will focus on shoring up support for “securing a just and enduring peace” in Ukraine.

The gathering will also address the need for Europe to increase defence cooperation amid fears over whether the United States will continue to support NATO.

Trump has spoken dismissively of the transatlantic alliance and stunned many in Europe when he reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a deal on Ukraine, which Moscow invaded three years ago.

France and EU move to secure Ukraine minerals, as US pushes for deal

Shouting match

Their concerns were exacerbated by the scene that played out in the White House on Friday, where the years-long US policy of massive support for Ukraine collapsed in a shouting match.

During the clash, in front of US and international media, Trump and Vice President JD Vance shouted at Zelensky, accusing him of not being “thankful” and refusing to accept their proposed truce terms.

Trump said Ukraine will have to make “compromises” in a truce with Russia, which has occupied swaths of the country.

Zelensky said there should be “no compromises with a killer on our territory”.

After he pointed out that previous Western-backed peace efforts had failed to deter Russian aggression, Vance interrupted and called him “disrespectful”.

Europe ready to ‘step up’ defence commitments in Ukraine: Macron

“You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty”.

The session then boiled over into Trump and Vance loudly berating the Ukrainian leader. He sat in evident discomfort as his hosts talked over him.

Zelensky refused to apologise, telling Fox News, “I’m not sure that we did something bad”. He did, however, say he wished the exchange had not taken place in front of reporters.

Zelensky departed shortly after, with Trump posting on social media that “he can come back when he is ready for peace”.

‘Be brave, be fearless’

Following the clash, European Union chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa assured Zelensky that he was “never alone”.

“Be strong, be brave, be fearless,” wrote the European commission and council presidents in a joint statement on social media, telling Zelensky: “We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”

The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas questioned the United States leadership of the transatlantic alliance between European powers and Washington.

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

“Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge,” she wrote on social media.

French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated that Russia was the “aggressor” in the Ukraine war.

“We were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue to do so,” he told journalists.

Hungary thanks Trump

Macron also said he is ready to “open the discussion” on a possible future European nuclear deterrent, following a request from Germany’s next leader Friedrich Merz.

Merz has stressed the need for the continent to move quickly to “achieve independence” from the United States on defence matters.

However, not all European leaders were ready to jump to Ukraine’s aid.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of the closest partners of both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, thanked Trump for standing “bravely for peace”.

“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orban posted on X.

(with AFP)

“Thank you for finding me!” declared 72-year-old Audiard, after receiving his prize from the hands of French director Justine Triet, crowned last year for Anatomy of a Fall.

Audiard’s musical, Emilia Perez, about a Mexican drug cartel boss who transitions to life as a woman, has had a winning streak on the awards circuit, but not without a dose of controversy.

Praised at the Cannes Film Festival where it was awarded the jury prize and a collective award for its four leading actresses, the film then earned a record for a non-English-speaking production of 13 Oscar nominations. Its fate will be decided in Hollywood on Sunday.

Bought by Netflix prior to Cannes, it won big at the Golden Globes earlier this year and picked up two Bafta awards last week in London.

But award prospects were jeopardised when racist tweets from lead trans Spanish actress Karla Sofia Gascon emerged, compounding criticism of the movie’s Mexican cliches and use of artificial intelligence.

French musical Emilia Perez wins Spanish film prize amid rising scandal

Gascon, who was nominated for the César for best actress, like Zoé Saldana, was present at the César ceremony on Friday night.

“I loved working with you, I love you,” declared Audiard to his team. The director is now one of the most awarded filmmakers in the history of the César, after his trophies for Of Rust and Bone, The Sisters Brothers, A Prophet or The Beat of My Heart Stopped.

Emilia Perez’ composers Camille and Clément Ducol were rewarded for the film’s music score.

Dedicated to Ukraine

The 50th edition of the ceremony was dedicated to Ukraine by its president, Catherine Deneuve, who wore a badge in the colours of Kyiv on her dress.

European leaders will convene in London on Sunday to shore up support for “securing a just and enduring peace” in Ukraine, after the US warned it would pull back on military aid.

Among the happy César winners was the Guinean Abou Sangaré, who scored best upcoming actor for his role as a bicycle deliveryman in L’histoire de Souleymane (The Story of Souleymane). The low-budget film, directed by Boris Lojkine won four Césars, including best original screenplay and best supporting actress for Nina Meurisse.

23-year-old Sangaré, who only just recently was able to obtain a temporary visa to stay in France, thanked the audience.

“Thank you for your integration into humanity,” he said, adding that after arriving in France, “I almost had no more life, I no longer considered myself a human being”.

The double life of Abou Sangaré, undocumented migrant and Cannes award winner

Maïwène Barthélémy, a young farmer, was selected for the prize of best upcoming actress in Vingt Dieux (Twenty Gods), by Louise Courvoisier, who also won best first feature film.

However, there were some surprises. One of the most popular hits of the year, The Count of Monte Cristo was originally in the lead for the 2025 Césars with 14 nominations.

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

However, it only walked away with two awards for best costumes and decor.

Life as a dream

Karim Leklou won best actor for his role as a fragile man and adopted father in Le Roman de Jim (Jim’s novel) by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu. He paid tribute to “all the nice guys, all the guys who usually don’t get to hold a Cesar”.

Best actress went to Hafsia Herzi for her role in Borgo by Stéphane Demoustier.

Best foreign film went to Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest.

American star Julia Roberts brought a touch of glamor to the evening. “Today, my life is a dream!”, said the 57-year-old star, with her trademark smile, after being presented with her honorary César by Clive Owen, who starred with her in the Mike Nichols film Closer, in 2005.

A second honorary award was given to Greek-French director Costa-Gavras, who at 93, has just released his 20th film Le Dernière Souffle (The Last Breath).

(with AFP)

The body of a man was found trapped under one of thousands of trees ripped up by winds of up to 230 kilometres (143 miles) per hour that tore across the island of some 900,000 people on Friday, authorities said giving the new toll.

The other victims, two women and a man, were carried away by flash floods, trapped in a mudslide or killed by an electrical fire sparked by the storm, according to the prefecture.

More than 180,000 people were left without electricity and more than 170,000 without water, authorities said.

The island’s international airport was to reopen late Saturday.

The nearby tourist island of Mauritius shut its main airport on Wednesday, while Reunion shut down to flights on Thursday.

Mayotte sends back-up

About 200 firefighters and civil aid workers were to be sent from Mayotte – a French territory nearly 1,500 kilometres away – and mainland France, the government said. Troops have also been put on standby.

Residents posted pictures online of uprooted trees, torn-off roofs and flooded homes. Entire streets were inundated and cars washed away.

Patrice Latron, the central government representative on the island, said “a lot of work” would be needed with many roads blocked by fallen trees.

“Roads are flooded, roads are cut off and some washed away. Bridges have come down,” he added.

Latron said Garance was fiercer than cyclone Belal that killed four people on Reunion in January 2024.

(with AFP)

In a packed conference hall in an Istanbul hotel, Ahmet Turk, a leading member of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Dem Party, read a statement by Ocalan calling for the organization, which he founded, to disarm and dissolve itself, declaring an end to the decades-long conflict.

 The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, has been fighting for autonomy and Kurdish minority rights in Turkey since the 1980s.

Ocalan, imprisoned in a Turkish jail since 1999, made his disarmament call after the PKK suffered significant military setbacks in recent years.

 “The PKK is almost finished within the borders of Turkey,” explained Mesut Yegen, a political scientist at the Istanbul-based Reform Institute.

However, Yegen claims with the PKK now primarily based in northern Iraq on Turkey’s frontier, while its affiliate in Syria, the SDF, controls a large swathe of territory bordering Turkey all sides still have an interest in peace.

“We know that the Turkish state needs a peace process because it’s worried about the future development in the region in Syria and Iraq,” added Yegen.

Turkey looks for regional help in its battle against Kurdish rebels in Iraq

Cautious response

The Turkish government gave a cautious response to Ocalan’s statement, saying it’s waiting for the PKK to disarm. The PKK leadership based in Iraq, ahead of Ocalan’s statement, declared it is looking for gestures from the government before any disarmament.

“The peace process in Turkey will largely depend on what emerges, what kind of a deal emerges inside Syria,” Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington, said.

“So we’re also seeing Turkey be more cautious. That doesn’t mean, you know, Turkey won’t reverse course if it feels there’s no room to go with Syrian Kurds or inside the peace process in Turkey.”

Turkish armed forces are massed on the Syrian border with Ankara, demanding the SDF merge with the Syrian army under the control of Syria’s new rulers, with whom the Turkish government has close ties.

For now, the SDF leader Mazloum Abdi declared his force is not bound by Ocalan’s disarmament call while demanding Ankara end its ongoing attacks on its troops.

Turkey’s Saturday Mothers keep up vigil for lost relatives

Scepticism

Analyst Mesut Yegen adds that ending the PKK conflict will come at a price for Ankara.  “They’re (PKK) expecting that in return for that, the state promises that at least a kind of autonomy or status for Syrian Kurds is going to be recognised by the Syrian regime, the new regime, and that the Turkish state also supports this kind of solution.

“In addition to this, of course, the expectation is that some reforms will be implemented in Turkey with regards to the Kurdish question.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has distanced himself from the current efforts to end the conflict, other than saying a historic opportunity exists for Kurds and Turks to live in peace but offering no concessions.

For months, a crackdown on Turkey’s legal Kurdish movement continues, with the removal of elected mayors and arrests of journalists and human rights activists. 

Trial of alleged PKK figures accused of financing terror begins in France

Turkish commentator on Turkey’s Politikyol news portal, Sezin Oney, warns unless the causes of the conflict are addressed, there’s little hope of a permanent peace.

 “Probably, any disarmament or any disbanding of PKK would be a gimmick,” warns Oney.

“It wouldn’t be a real actual disbanding, and it might just appear in a year under a different name. Because they would still have the pretext to argue that armed struggle is necessary because the Kurds in Turkey don’t have their democratic rights.”

With previous peace efforts failing, opinion polls indicate that the public remains sceptical of this latest effort. But for 75-year-old Ocalan, analysts warn it may be his last chance of any hope of freedom.

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The RFI English team is pleased to announce that Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan, won the RFI / Planète Radio ePOP video contest, in the RFI Clubs category. Bravo Saleem! Mubarak ho!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 1 February, I asked you a question about our article “African nations set to light up the homes of 300 million people by 2030”.

Nearly 600 million Africans live without access to electricity, which is higher than any other continent. The World Bank and the African Development Bank have a plan: Dubbed “Mission 300”, it’s meant to connect half of those homes to power by 2030.

You were to send in the names of four African countries that have committed to reform their electricity utility companies, push renewable energy integration, and raise targets to improve access to national electricity. The World Bank grant will only be available to countries once these reforms have been carried out.

The answer is, to quote our article: “In Nigeria, an estimated 90 million people, 40 percent of the population, don’t have access to electricity. The country, along with Senegal, Zambia and Tanzania is one of a dozen that committed as part of the Mission 300 Plan.”

The other countries are Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, DRC, Niger, Liberia, Madagascar, and Malawi. 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What item have you held on to as a remembrance of something?”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State, India. Radhakrishna is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Radhakrishna, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ahsan Ejaz, a member of the RFI Fans Club in Sheikhupura, Pakistan, and Sharmin Sultana, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Rounding out the list are two RFI English listeners: Subhas Paul, a member of the RFI Students Radio Club in West Bengal, India, and Christian Ghibaudo from Tende, France.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The “Vivace” from Serenade for Small Orchestra by Jean Françaix, performed by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Louis Lane; “Djourou”, performed by Ballaké Sissoko and Sona Jobarteh; “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 “Baul Song” by Lalan, performed by Torap Ali Shah.

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 president Macron set to brief EU leaders over details of Trump talks”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 24 March to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 29 March podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

The United States’ military presence in Syria has been called into question, as President Donald Trump faces conflicting pressure from Turkey and Israel over the 2000-strong US force supporting a Syrian Kurdish-led coalition.

The US force is supporting an Arab-Kurdish coalition of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in its war against the Islamic State (IS) group.

Thousands of IS militants are currently being held in SDF prisons, but the US military presence now hangs in the balance. 

Turkey analyst Sinan Ciddi, of the Washington-based research institute, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies says Trump is in a dilemma because he ran on this promise of putting America first. “Getting out of foreign entanglements, not committing US troops and US money to parts of the world in which the US doesn’t have any interest,” he tells RFI.

However, Ciddi warns a quick withdrawal would not be without risk: “The dilemma for Trump is that in a theatre such as Syria, if he were to pull back 2,000 troops, then you’ve got this major security threat.”

Turkey’s Erdogan sees new Trump presidency as opportunity

Turkey labels SDF ‘insurgents’

However, a US pullout would be welcomed by its NATO ally Turkey. Ankara strongly opposes Washington’s military support for the SDF, which it accuses of being linked to Kurdish insurgents fighting Turkey.

International relations expert Bilgehan Alagoz, of Istanbul’s Marmara University, maintains the US deployment has poisoned relations between the two allies, but says a withdrawal by Trump would offer a reset in ties.

“I believe that there is going to be a new ground between Turkey and the United States,” Alagoz said. “And Turkey will guarantee the safety of US soldiers and a successful withdrawal from Syria. So it is all going to be a kind of new negotiation between Turkey and the United States.”

Until now, US soldiers in Syria have prevented the Turkish military – massed on the Syrian border – from overwhelming the SDF, but time may be running out for the Kurdish-led forces.

“Assuming that the US withdraws at one point from Syria … this will mean the end of the diplomatic umbrella for the SDF that the US was able to put over them,” according to Aydin Selcen, a former Turkish diplomat and now foreign policy analyst for Turkey’s Medyascope independent news outlet.

Selcen warns that the SDF has only a small window to secure its future: “Time is of the essence for the SDF to get their act together and join forces with Damascus… to fold their forces into the Syrian armed forces, which would also satisfy Ankara’s security concerns.”

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

Israel sees SDF as key against IS

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has close ties with Syria’s new leaders, and is demanding that the SDF disband or face a Turkish assault.

However, the Israeli government is voicing support for American backing for the SDF, given the risk posed by the Islamic State.

“We know that the SDF controls prisons in which there are around 10,000 Islamic State fighters and families,” explains Gallia Lindenstrauss, a foreign policy specialist at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

“Nobody wants to see the resurgence of the Islamic State. And I think in this respect, the US understands this is a small number of troops [and] they are effective. So why pull them out?”

Paris hosts global conference on shaping Syria’s future

Lindenstrauss told RFI: “Israel has voiced that it does want to see the West continue supporting the Kurdish presence in northeast Syria, so there will be Israeli diplomatic efforts to keep the [US] troops there.”

Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, recently underlined the importance of the Syrian Kurds as an ally to Israel – a message that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to have delivered to Trump during his visit to Washington this month, Ciddi believes.

“We’ve seen an increase in moves by the Israeli government to provide more formal and government support for non-state actors, such as the Syrian Kurds,” he said. “Because they understand that hitherto they’ve been entirely reliable in thwarting some of the major security concerns that the Israelis hold close to their heart.”

Greece is reacting furiously against France over the potential sale of the Meteor air-to-air missile to Turkey. The missile sale and the Turkish bid to procure Europe’s Eurofighter threatened to erase Greece’s military edge over its rival Turkey.

Despite France and Greece recently signing a defence pact, French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly rejected Greek calls to block the missile sale, which is made by a European consortium headquartered in France.

“I think that France’s decision is related to what is going on in Ukraine,” claims international relations Professor Federico Donelli of Trieste University in Italy

“Turkey and European countries have the same geo-strategic interest,” adds Donelli. “If you ask Turkey and Turkish policymakers, for them, the main threat to the security and stability of the country and integrity of the country remain Russia. So I think that on this point that France, Turkey, even other European countries converge”.

Turkey’s Erdogan sees new Trump presidency as opportunity

Force

With more than 800,000 personnel in its armed forces, including reservists, Turkey is Nato’s second-largest army.

The importance of the Turkish military to European security could be ascending with the looming threat of Russia and Washington demanding Europe take more responsibility for its defence.

“We think it’s an important part of being in a shared alliance together that the Europeans step up while America focuses on areas of the world that are in great danger,” warned United States Vice President JD Vance at this month’s Munich Security Conference.

Turkey’s poor human rights record has strained relations with the European Union, along with the authoritarian reputation of the Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But such concerns are being trumped by security fears.

“After the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Turkey is starting to be perceived by Nato members as an important ally,” explains Donelli.

“Maybe it’s not the best ally ever because we know that Turkey’s not an easy partner, but at the same time it is the most useful one”. 

Turkish President Erdogan ready to rekindle friendship with Trump

Threat

European leaders met this month to discuss Ukraine and the security threat facing the continent. With the Turkish army dwarfing its European counterparts, Ankara says it can play a key role in Europe’s defence.

“European allies understood that without Turkey, we cannot continue the defence of the European continent and Euro-Atlantic security,” claims Turkish presidential advisor Mesut Casin. “And is Turkey ready to support this European security and defence capability? The answer is: ‘Yes.'”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, too, is eyeing Turkey’s military. During his visit to Turkey on Tuesday, Zelenskyy underlined the importance of Ukraine’s allies deploying soldiers to guarantee any peace agreement reached with Russia.

“Two issues that are very, very important: a strong Ukrainian army, and the deployment in Ukraine from other armies like from Europe, and the United States, our partners,” declared Zelensky at a joint press conference with Erdogan.

Zelensky said he had discussed the issue with Erdogan but that it was too early to reveal the outcome of the talks. While Erdogan has close ties with his Ukrainian counterpart, the Turkish leader has also maintained good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Casin insists if all agree, Ankara is well placed to assist. “Turkey, maybe we send our troops to peacekeeping operations. Why do I say it like this? Turkey joined many UN peacekeeping operations, and the Turkish army is very powerful,” said Casin.

The Turkish military has participated in some of the world’s most difficult UN peacekeeping operations, from Kosovo to Somalia.

However, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov ruled out any Nato peacekeepers in Ukraine. Nevertheless, the importance of Turkey’s large and capable army could still play a key role in Europe as European concerns grow over the reliability of their American ally.

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The RFI English team is pleased to announce that Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan, won the RFI / Planète Radio ePOP video contest, in the RFI Clubs category. Bravo Saleem! Mubarak ho!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 25 January, I asked you a question about our article “French NGOs to quit social media platform X following Trump inauguration”. Earlier that week, more than 80 French NGOs and organizations said they would stop using the social media platform X – formerly Twitter – owned by Elon Musk. Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, is considered by these NGOs as: “a “danger” to freedom of expression and democratic values.”

You were to send in the names of four NGOs who will no longer use X as of the 20th of January, the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The answer is, to quote our article: “The signatories include La Ligue des droits de L’Homme, (The Human Rights League), France Terre d’asile – a non-profit organisation that supports asylum seekers – the charity Emmaüs France, and Greenpeace.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim, Germany. Helmut’s question was: “Are you religious and do you believe in God – and how do you see and define God or the divine in the world?”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Maryam Nawaz, a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Maryam is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations Maryam, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Naved Raiyan, the president of the RFI Fan Club in West Bengal, India, and RFI English listeners Mehedi Hasan from Chittagong, India; Noor Alam from Jessore, Bangladesh, and Sultana Begum from Sirajganj, also in Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Liebesleid” by  Fritz Kreisler, performed by Itzhak Perlman and Samuel Sanders;  “Manhã de Carnaval” by Luiz Bonfá and Antônio Maria, performed by Luiz Bonfá; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Helter Skelter” by Paul McCartney, performed by The Beatles.

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: “Claudel bronze sculpture found by chance fetches €3 million at France auction”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 17 March to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 22 March podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

The conflict in the eastern DRC has experienced a dramatic escalation recently.

Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf elected as AU commission chairman

The city of Goma, capital of the North Kivu province, fell to M23 fighters at the end of January.

The rebels are being supported by Rwandan soldiers, a claim that the government in Kigali continues to deny, despite evidence and reports of casualties among Rwandan troops.

Fighting resumes in DRC’s South Kivu ahead of crisis talks

The city has come to symbolise the conflict that has torn apart eastern DRC for more than three decades.

The M23 has launched additional attacks in South Kivu, and despite talks in Tanzania earlier in February and a brief ceasefire, the fighting persists. As a result, millions of Congolese have been displaced, with nearly 3,000 lives lost.

To explore the role of diplomacy in the country, as well as in other violent crises across the continent, my first guest is Liesl Louw-Vaudran from the International Crisis Group.

She joins us from Addis Ababa, where the African Union’s headquarters are located, following the release of the group’s annual report outlining the eight priorities the AU should focus on.

We will also hear from civilians fleeing Goma and from Paulin Nkwosseu, the Chief of Field Offices at UNICEF for the DRC.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

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

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.