Fifty limestone cubes – each measuring 7 centimetres by 7 centimetres and weighing nearly 800 grams – will be awarded to winners drawn at random between 7 and 11 April.

The stones come from the rubble of the cathedral, which almost burned down in 2019 but was fully renovated and re-opened last December, and each will carry a brass plaque authenticating its provenance.

La Fondation du Patrimoine (the Heritage Foundation) said the stones were too badly damaged to be used in the renovation.

Those hoping to own one of the cubes have until 4 April to make a donation of at least €40 through the organisation’s website, to help preserve France’s religious heritage.

“Beyond this emblematic monument, thousands of small Notre Dames throughout France are in danger and deserve our attention,” the organisation said in a statement. “With this competition, we want to remind people that every donation counts in preserving these treasures of religious heritage.”

Scientists build a virtual twin of Notre-Dame to help restore its glory

Saving national treasures

Around 5,000 religious buildings in France are in poor condition and require immediate intervention.

France’s culture minister Rachida Dati suggested in October last year establishing a €5 entrance fee to be paid by tourists, which would go towards the upkeep of these buildings.

The idea was met with mixed reactions from the public and politicians and is yet to be introduced.

Notre-Dame revival drives return to ancient French craftsmanship

La Fondation du Patrimoine was one of four organisations tasked with collecting money to restore Notre-Dame de Paris. 

It collected donations from 236,000 donors worldwide, raising €225 million out of a total of €850 million needed for the restoration.

After the French, Americans have been the biggest donors by far, raising some €58 million since 2019.

(with AFP)

“The capitalist system and the bourgeois mode of thinking is in a big crisis,” says Gernot Wolfer.

Comrade Wolfer is a representative of the Berlin cell of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD), which took part in the German election under the slogan “Make Socialism Great Again”.

Wolfer, 67, is a retired metal worker who was employed by multinational companies such as Bosch and Siemens, and active in the powerful IG Metall union. 

Berlin’s public transport grinds to a halt as workers strike ahead of German elections

In the library at the MLPD Berlin office is a small bust of Karl Marx, and the bookshelves feature titles such as “The End of Socialism?”, “Trade Union and Class Struggle” and “On the Formation of Neo-imperialist countries”.

On the photocopier sits a yellow hardhat with a sticker that reads “Workers of all countries: Unite!”.

Wolfer was well prepared, bearing five A4 sheets of remarks, written in both German and English. “It’s approved by the politburo,” he told us cheerfully, “so you can quote me on it.”

“We wanted to make a counterpoint to the well-known slogan of the US president,” he said, referring to Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” maxim.

“It makes no sense to make America great again, or Germany or Russia or China. They are heading directly to a third world war,” he added. “The world will be divided again, over raw materials. If mankind is to survive, we have to overcome capitalism. We need a socialist world.”

Fragmentation of the left

But even uniting those who share this goal to fight for it could prove a daunting task.

The MLPD is one of several parties within the German political left that uses “social” or “socialist” principles in their manifestos.

The largest by far is the establishment Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) – the country’s centre-left social democrat party, which has been in power on and off since the Second World War. It is the oldest political party in Germany, and the party of recently defeated Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Much further to the left is Die Linke. It is the offspring of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) – commonly referred to in English as the East German Communist Party – which ruled East Germany for seven decades.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the SED morphed into the Democratic Socialist Party (PDS) which in 2005 changed its name to Die Linke, and attained its best election result in 2009 with 11.9 percent of the votes.

Today, the party presents itself as combining green politics with social awareness. They made a surprise comeback during the recent election, with their share of the vote (8.77 percent) meaning they’ll have 64 seats in the Bundestag.

Germany’s far-left party celebrates surprise comeback in elections

An offspring of Die Linke, led by former MP Sahra Wagenknecht, the BSW, combines left-wing economics with right-wing nationalism and cultural conservatism – it is anti-immigration and pro-Russia – but did not get enough votes to enter parliament.

Left of the left

On the far left are the Socialist Equality Party (SGP), a Trotskyist group whose slogan is “Socialism instead of War!”, and Wolfer’s MLPD.

Germany’s domestic intelligence service (the BfV) names the SGP and MLPD as “strictly ideological left-wing-extremists”, as well as “extremist structures” within Die Linke, saying that their “shared goal” is “to dismantle the democratic constitutional state and establish socialism and, proceeding from that, a classless communist society”.

But for now, Wolfer believes it is better to operate within the existing system.

Praising France’s “anti-fascist front”, the alliance led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed party, he regrets that similar election coalitions are not allowed in Germany. “You have to go to the election as one single party,” he says, something he thinks is “a restriction of democratic rights”.

He adds that his party supports “a broad anti-fascist unity under all progressive parties, not only left parties”.

He also says that they “work together with people from Die Linke” which he says has “progressive demands”, adding: “That’s good. They are an important force within the anti-fascist movement.”

“But,” he continued, “they made their deal with the capitalist society. The word ‘socialism’ is very rarely used in their leaflets or books”.

Why socialism?

The question remains: why socialism? After the failure of the USSR, the excesses of Stalin’s Gulag, the Chinese Communist Party’s experiments with the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, costing the lives of millions of people, who is still interested in socialism as an ideology?

Cannibalism in China 50 years on

“The first socialist countries of the world have been very successful for decades,” counters Wolfer. “So the plane flew before it crashed.”

And the reason for this “crash”? “We call it a betrayal of the socialist principles,” he says.

A case in point is the Berlin Wall, which was constructed by East German authorities in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West. 

“The Berlin wall is not a socialist wall. The main slogan of the communist movement and of Marx and Lenin was for ‘workers of all countries to unite’, not to build walls and divide yourselves against each other,” explains Wolfer.

“The Stasi dictatorship in the former East Germany and the criminal acts in the later Soviet Union are not results of a socialist mode of thinking,” he says, referring to the infamous intelligence service that arrested and tortured thousands of civilians.

He argues that today, China’s Communist party is no longer a working-class party either: “On the latest party congress, there’s a bunch of millionaires.”

He says such betrayals of socialist ideals and the experiences of socialist countries must be evaluated. “We have to build on this and we have to make socialism great again.”

The official results of the German election held on 23 February, published on 14 March show that the MLPD won just 19,551 votes nationwide – or 0.04 percent of the total of 49,649,512.

Although the party gained 1,731 more votes than in the 2021 elections, Wolfer knows his party didn’t stand a chance of reaching the 5 percent threshold to get into the German parliament. But he will keep on fighting for global socialist unity, he says.

Some time ago, he and some other MLPD members went to Israel to “find comrades”. At a demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he and his friends saw a group of Israelis waving Palestinian flags – and red flags too.

“Bingo,” they thought. Wolfer and his MLPD comrades invited this group of Israelis to Berlin, along with a group of Palestinian Marxists.

“In the beginning they were suspicious, they didn’t want to talk to each other,” says Wolfer. But after a few days of discussions in the offices of the MLDP in Berlin, the atmosphere changed. “When they parted they were hugging and crying.”

All three teams advanced on Tuesday and Wednesday to the quarter-finals of the Champions League to continue the projection of the RDB’s “Visit Rwanda” logo in European club football’s most prestigious competition.

PSG progressed at the expense of Liverpool following a penalty shoot-out at Anfield. Bayern cruised past Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen 5-0 on aggregate and Arsenal spanked the Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven 9-3 over two legs.

In the last eight, PSG will play Aston Villa, Bayern will take on Inter Milan and Arsenal will face defending champions Real Madrid.

While the clubs battle for supremacy, their association with the RDB is coming under increasing scrutiny due to rows over the involvement of Rwandan troops in the M23 group which is fighting soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Human rights groups as well as the United Nations say they have evidence that Rwanda is actively bolstering the M23 in its sweep through Goma and Bukavu in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.

Authorities in Kigali deny providing arms and troops to M23 rebels. They say Rwandan forces are acting in self-defence against the Congolese army and militias hostile to Rwandans, especially Tutsi.

Possible deal

But as Angolan officials attempt to broker a peace deal between the Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi and M23 leaders, campaigners in Europe have called on the football clubs to terminate their contracts with a brand that they claim has become tarnished.

“Ideally, the contract should end immediately,” said Jordan Madiande who launched a petition in January calling for PSG’s deal with the RDB to be severed.

Arsenal’s association with “Visit Rwanda” began in May 2018. Its logo appears on the shirt sleeves of Arsenal’s men’s, women’s and youth teams and can be seen on boards at the Emirates Stadium in north London and on interview backdrops.

PSG signed its initial contract with the RDB in 2019. It was renewed in May 2023 and is scheduled to end after the 2025 season.

Under the PSG deal with the RDB, the logo “Visit Rwanda” appears on the training and warm-up kits of the men’s teams. Rwandan tea and coffee is also served at kiosks and in the suites at the PSG stadium. In both instances current and former players travel to Rwanda for promotional tours.

“If it’s not renewed, that will be acceptable,” added Madiande whose parents came to France from the DRC in the 1980s. “It will still be a victory.”

The 32-year-old social worker’s petition states that as an internationally respected club, PSG has an important role to play in promoting positive values.

It adds: “However, by maintaining this partnership with “Visit Rwanda”, our club could be perceived as ignoring the geopolitical and humanitarian realities of this situation, and risk giving the impression that it is turning a blind eye to human rights violations.”

Comment

PSG has yet to comment publicly on the petition which has amassed 73,000 signatures nor has there been a response to a letter from the DRC’s minister of foreign affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner.

In January, she called on PSG’s bosses as well as their counterparts at Arsenal and Bayern Munich to review their sponsorship deals.

“At a time when Rwanda is waging war, Rwanda’s guilt in this conflict has become indisputable,” wrote  Kayikwamba Wagner. “Your sponsor is directly responsible for this misery.”

Arsenal have maintained their links with the RDB so too Bayern Munich who dispatched a fact-finding team to Rwanda.

Congo’s government says at least 7,000 people have died in the fighting since January. According to the UN humanitarian affairs office (Ocha), at least 600,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since November.

“Maybe before, PSG’s executives didn’t really know what was going on or they didn’t understand the scale of it,” said Madiande.

“But new things are happening. Bukavu was taken since the petition began. There are the UN reports that say what is happening and there are international reports from human rights organisations. We didn’t invent it. So the question is now, can PSG go on with this?”

Contract

The controversy surrounding the 15 million-euro a year contract has also illuminated the extent and depth of Rwanda’s footprint in the world of sport.

Rwanda and South Africa are both bidding to stage a Formula 1 grand prix in 2027 – potentially the continent’s first such race since 1993. A state-of-the-art track is being built to F1 standards close to Kigali’s new Bugesera airport in the case of success.

In September, Rwanda will welcome the world cycling championships – the first time since its inception in 1921 that the planet’s elite operators will compete in Africa.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was also one of the strongest advocates for the establishment in 2021 of the Basketball Africa League. Critics say such promotion is sportswashing –  using sporting events to gloss over official clampdowns on political opponents and human rights abuses. 

“It is very much part of Kagame’s toolkit,” said Michela Wrong, author of several books on Rwanda and the DRC including Rwanda Assassins sans frontierès. “He does sportswashing superbly well.

“And it’s because it works in his favour, He’s also genuinely an Arsenal fan, so he likes to go and watch the matches himself.

“Rwanda is managing to get its its message out to a very particular audience. It’s a young audience. It’s a trendy audience. It’s an audience that possibly isn’t that well informed about the niceties of African politics over the last 30 years and one that can’t really be bothered to read up on that sort of detail.

“So it’s a way of sort of going over the heads of people like me and journalists. Rwanda goes over our heads and reaches a young audience that really doesn’t want to engage with those issues. So I think it’s a very effective way of marketing a certain kind of message.

“This is sportswashing taken to quite a very high level, a level that I don’t think you can see anywhere else in Africa.”

In February, the RDB, responded to queries about its sponsorship deals on social media. It claimed the DRC was undermining its international partnerships through misinformation and political pressure.

“These efforts threaten regional peace, stability, and economic cooperation,” said the message on X. “These collaborations transcend borders, inspire millions across Africa, and contribute to the continent’s socioeconomic progress.”

Madiande, a life-long PSG fan, said he would wait to see if the PSG sponsorship deal was renewed before deciding if the campaign should be stepped up.

“We think that clubs are intelligent and that they will understand that this is serious,” he said. 

“We think that with the values defended by PSG, Arsenal and Bayern Munich and especially with their histories, that it’s going to stop. But if it doesn’t, there will be further action. It will be more visible.”

 Ligue 1 pacesetters PSG host arch rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes on Sunday night. Victory over the visitors, who occupy second place, would extend PSG’s lead to 19 points with eight games remaining.

“I’ve been a PSG fan for as long as I can remember,” said Madiande. “But if their approach doesn’t change, I’ll have to ask myself lots of questions. That will be hard. I’ve supported them when they nearly went down to the second division and I’m still a supporter now when things are going better.

“They really can’t need this money from this source. There must be many organisations out there willing to be associated the club.”

Founded by French artist Erick Monjour in 2021, the Salon du Livre Africain de Paris has become a key event on the city’s cultural and literary calendar.

The 2025 edition, running from 14 to 16 March, brings together 100 publishers and 300 authors predominantly from Africa, but also from Europe and beyond.

Alongside book signings and talks by authors, the event features around 30 conferences on such diverse topics as books in the digital age, children’s literature and perspectives on history and colonialism.

Cameroon shares centre stage with Brazil as this year’s guest countries of honour, with a focus on exploring the African diaspora and its contribution to contemporary literature.

Several prominent names in African literature will be present – notably Senegal’s Mohamed Mbougar Sarr. Winner of the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 2021, he will chair a conference on Senegalese literature from the diaspora.

African writers celebrated with prestigious French literary prizes

‘Stories have to come from all over’

Among the events is a tribute to Haitian artist and writer Frankétienne, who passed away on 20 February in Port-au-Prince.

Born in 1936, Jean-Pierre Basilic Dantor Franck Étienne d’Argent is considered a national treasure in Haiti and hailed as a “father figure” to today’s generation of artists and writers.

Frankétienne’s compatriot Rodney Saint-Éloi, a poet and editor, will be among the guest writers at the fair.

A recipient of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic, Saint-Éloi’s latest book is entitled Les racistes n’ont jamais vu la mer (“Racists have never seen the sea”).

In an interview with France 24 this week, he underlined the importance of providing “diverse points of view”, saying: “Stories have to come from all over, not just big cities.”

He argued that book fairs are ideal spaces for this. Having started his publishing company Mémoire d’encrier (“Inkwell Memory”) 20 years ago, Saint-Éloi also understands the challenges of the market.

Having a publishing house is not just about adding books to the pile, he said, but about providing the opportunity to “rethink the colonial past” and make the publishing world “fairer and more global”.

Quality, not quantity

One of the highlights of the fair is the annual literary prize for French-language writers – Le Grand Prix Afrique – awarded by the Association of French-Language Writers (Adelf).

One of the six 2025 finalists is poet and author Véronique Tadjo, nominated for her book entitled Je remercie la nuit  (“I thank the night”).

Born in Paris and raised in Côte d’Ivoire, Tadjo headed up the French department at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and has won numerous literary prizes, including the Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique Noire in 2005.

Tanzanian writer Abdulrazak Gurnah wins Nobel Prize for Literature

A second award will be handed out during the book fair, rewarding “beautiful books on Africa” – be they about art, culture, architecture, design, photography, cuisine or fashion.

For Togolese writer Sami Tchak, it is important to have a fair that focuses on African writers and themes, to celebrate what is “rare” in the world, and to “zero in on special talents”, he says.

The author of some 20 books, he will present his latest work Profaner Ananda (“Desecrating Ananda”), written in collaboration with Annie Ferret and dedicated to the Mauritian author Ananda Devi.

“Literature is not about quantity,” he said. “The Paris fair is where we can meet one or two authors who lift everyone else up to a higher level and that makes it all worthwhile.”

The Salon du Livre Africain de Paris is open from 14-16 March at the Halle des Blancs Manteaux. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, was “no longer welcome” in the United States.

Rasool is “a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS,” Rubio posted on X, referring to Trump by his White House X account handle.

“We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”

South Africa’s presidency said in a statement it had “noted the regrettable expulsion” and urged “all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum in their engagement with the matter.”

“South Africa remains committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States of America,” the presidency said.

The expulsion of the ambassador, a rare move by the United States, is the latest development in rising tensions between Washington and Pretoria.

Trump in February froze US aid to South Africa, citing a law in the country that he alleges allows land to be seized from white farmers.

South Africa unites against Trump as US freezes aid over land reform

Rising tensions

Last week, Trump further fueled tensions, saying South Africa’s farmers were welcome to settle in the United States after repeating his accusations that the government was “confiscating” land from white people.

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that “any Farmer (with family!) from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to Citizenship.”

One of Trump’s closest allies is South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, who has accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of having “openly racist ownership laws.”

Land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa, with most farmland still owned by white people three decades after the end of apartheid and the government under pressure to implement reforms.

During a G20 event in South Africa last month, Ramaphosa said he had a “wonderful” call with Trump soon after the US leader took office in January.

But relations later “seemed to go a little bit off the rails,” he said.

In his X post, Rubio linked to an article from the conservative news outlet Breitbart, which addressed Rasool’s remarks via livestream to a foreign policy seminar on Friday.

“He said that white supremacism was motivating Trump’s ‘disrespect’ for the ‘current hegemonic order’ of the world,” Breitbart reported, adding that Rasool noted that Trump’s Make America Great Again movement “was a white supremacist response to growing demographic diversity in the United States.”

Rasool, an anti-apartheid campaigner in his youth, has expressed anger toward the Israeli government for its war in Gaza.

In February in an interview with news site Zeteo, he said what South Africans experienced during apartheid rule “is on steroids in Palestine.”

(With newswires)

Aix-Marseille University launched the “Safe Space for Science” initative earlier this month, offering to take in American scientists fleeing the US after the Trump administration announced it would pull funding and putting restrictions on some areas of research.

Forty US scientists have “answered the call”, the university said in a press release this week.

They include academics from Stanford, Yale, NASA, the National Institute for Health (NIH), and George Washington University.

Most of the research topics are related to health  – LGBT+ medicine, epidemiology, infectious diseases, inequalities, immunology, etc.), the environment and climate change, plus the humanities, social science and astrophysics, the statement said.

Ex-NOAA chief: Trump firings put lives, jobs, and science in jeopardy

‘New brain drain’

“We are witnessing a new brain drain,” Benton said in the statement,issued on Wednesday.

“We will do everything possible to help as many scientists as possible continue their research.”

The first American scientist arrived at Aix-Marseille this week. Andrea, a specialist in infectious diseases and epidemics, was working on the African continent.

“The main impact of Donald Trump’s policies on my work is that it’s created a climate of utter uncertainty and fear,” she told France Info. “And even if I still have a job, and we receive funds, there is no information on whether the financing will continue.”

Aix-Marseille says it can raise €15 million to support around 13 US scientists, but insisted it would not be able to meet all the requests on its own. Benton has called on the French and other European governments to help.

French scientists join US protests in face of Trump administration’s ‘sabotage’

The Trump administration’s cuts have already had an impact. On Tuesday, UMass Chan – a public medical school in Massachusetts – announced a freeze on hiring citing “ongoing uncertainties related to federal funding of biomedical research”. Students who had already been accepted were informed by email that their admissions for autumn 2025 term were rescinded.

France set the pace in the 2025 tournament following a resounding 42-27 victory over Ireland in Dublin last Saturday.

A win over the Scots will seem them clinch their first title since 2022.

But on the eve of the clash, Galthié said his players will have to suppress their more flamboyant impulses and deliver a cold-blooded display in order to ensure victory.

“We have to be vigilant,” said the former France international scrum-half. “Because we’re Latins and it’s really in our genetics to sometimes be unable to reproduce performances.”

‘British nations prepare very differently’

France started the 2025 tournament with a 43-0 mauling of Wales. They dominated England in the second game of the competition, but sloppy handling cost them several tries and England eventually pulled off a last-gasp victory at Twickenham.  

France responded a fortnight later with a 73-24 annihilation of Italy, followed by a dazzling destruction of defending champions Ireland last Saturday at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

France wallop Ireland to gain advantage in hunt for 2025 Six Nations crown

“At international level, we know that we are up against British nations who prepare very differently,” said Galthié.  “They are capable of performing well and then under-performing, but always playing with the same level of intensity.”

Galthié has drafted in Maxime Lucu for skipper Antoine Dupont, who was injured towards the end of the first half in the game against Ireland. Veteran Gael Fickou will play in the centre instead of Pierre-Louis Barassi, who was taken off following a collision in the second half with Calvin Nash last Saturday.

‘The toughest fixture in rugby’

France have scored 26 tries in their first four games. If they manage four more on Saturday night, they will break England’s Six Nations record of 29, set in 2001.

France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey touched down twice during the rout against Ireland to take his campaign tally to seven, equalling Jacob Stockdale’s exploits for Ireland during the 2018 Six Nations championships.

Another try on Saturday night would enable 21-year-old Bielle-Biarrey to enter the record books as the most prolific player during a single campaign.

Wales coach Gatland steps down after 2025 Six Nations losses to France and Italy

“It’s the last game of the Six Nations and we’re playing a very physical side away from home,” said Scotland coach Gregor Townsend. “When you see the French club teams dominating in European competitions, scoring 70 or 80 points against quality English sides on a couple of occasions, it shows you what can happen if you allow them to get on the front foot.”

He added: “France scored 70 points against a very good Italian team, 40 points against Wales, 40 points against Ireland. They could have scored 40 or 50 against England with the amount of chances they had, so now playing against France is probably the toughest fixture in world rugby.”

Should France fail to see off Scotland, Ireland and England could take the title with wins over Italy and Wales respectively.

“Women artists have long been marginalised in art history courses and by museums and galleries,” Manon Lecaplainn, director of the Sainte-Croix Museum, told RFI. “For decades, art history has been written without women. Why should our exclusively female exhibition be shocking?”

“Our aim is not to exclude men from art history,” she explains. “The goal is to make people think.”

The Sainte-Croix Museum has been known in France for its proactive policy of promoting women artists since the 1980s.

In this new exhibition, Lecaplain and her co-curator Camille Belvèze are showcasing nearly 300 works from the 18th century to the present day, divided into three sections: the collection of Eugénie Dubreuil, the hierarchy of genres in art history, and the social role of the museum.

Spotlight on Africa: celebrating female empowerment for Women’s History Month

This exhibition is the first step in a five-year project to promote Dubreuil’s collection – entitled La Musée – and relies on a financial grant of €150,000.

“Why not an initiative like this on a larger scale in France, Europe, the world?” asks Dubreuil.

► La Musée runs until 18 May, 2025 at the Sainte-Croix Museum in Poitiers.

France co-founded the United Nations International Labour Organisation in 1919, championing “equal pay for equal work”, and in 1972, the agency wrote the principle of pay equality into its labour code.

In 1983, France’s Roudy law mandated equal opportunities in the workplace, requiring companies to publish annual reports comparing the situation of its male and female employees and introducing a tool to help human resources managers identify and measure pay differences.

In 2018, the country launched an index to monitor the performance of large companies in the field of gender equality.

But this battery of legal measures has still not enabled France to close its gender pay gap.

Data published this week by the French National Statistics Institute (Insee) showed that in 2023 women’s average annual salary was €21,340 net compared to €27,430 for men – a difference of more than 22 percent.

While there has been progress, the pace is slow, with the gap narrowing at a rate of 1 percent per year over the last five years.

The primary reasons behind the gender pay gap are hours worked and type of jobs held. Women work on average 9 percent less than men and they’re also more likely to work part-time. But even when working hours are identical, their average salary is 14.2 percent lower than men’s, Insee found.

What’s more, working part-time is not necessarily a life choice says Anne Eydoux, an economist specialising in employment and gender issues.

“It’s a choice made under constraint, and some of the constraints refer to the gender divide of family roles where women take [more] parental responsibility,” she tells RFI. “But it’s also the result of occupational segregation.” Women are over-represented in for example supermarket and cleaning jobs, where split shifts are common.

Sexism and workplace inequality is rife in most areas of French life, research shows

Gendered occupations

Women are also far more likely to work in low-paying sectors such as health, care and education.

According to Insee, more than 95 percent of secretaries are women, with an average full-time net salary of €2,044 per month.

Meanwhile, only a quarter of engineers and IT executives – professions in which average monthly net salaries are close to €4,000 – are women.

“Women are over-represented in the care sector, where their skills are under-recognised,” Eydoux said. “And this is a fact for many female-dominated occupations, as the Covid crisis showed.”

Women also have less access to the highest-paying jobs. In 2023, they accounted for 42 percent of full-time equivalent positions in the private sector, and yet just 24 percent of the top 1 percent of high-paying jobs. The glass ceiling is still there, as Eydoux noted.

France works towards gender equality in top jobs while UK women are still struggling

Cultural attitudes

Working less and in lower-paid sectors does not, however, fully explain the 22 percent wage gap. Women doing the same job as men in the same company are still paid 3.8 percent less.

There are historical and cultural reasons for this according to Marie Donzel, an expert in social innovation and author of  “Justified inequalities: how to pay women less with a clear conscience”.

Until 1945, France had a “female wage”. Based on the assumption that a woman’s pay was intended merely to supplement her husband’s income, “women could be paid 10 to 15 percent less just because of their gender,” Donzel told RFI. 

This has helped foster gendered attitudes towards salaries. “Women tend to see [their pay] in terms of how much they need to live, and men see it in terms of ‘how much my job is worth’,” she said.

Donzel also points to a cultural prevailing negative image of women who take an interest in money. “We have a gendered socialisation in France that teaches us to be modest. When we talk about money, there’s still the spectre of venality.”

Gender pay gap means French women are ‘working for free’ until end of year

‘I thought negotiating was vulgar’

Women themselves are not always aware that they’re being discriminated against. It took Nathalie, a regional director for a multinational company, 15 years to find out.

“While chatting with my male counterparts, I realised that I was earning about €1,000 less per month than they were,” she told Franceinfo. “I’d lost €150,000 over 15 years.”

After comparing pay slips with colleagues, she realised that “every time, the women had significantly more experience in the role, more qualifications, we checked all the boxes. And yet, we were paid less. And the higher you climb in the hierarchy, the bigger the gap becomes”.

Nathalie took her case to court and won, securing a raise for herself and her colleagues. She questions whether women “negotiate their salaries enough”.

The question of negotiating pay “is as taboo as sex,” says lawyer Insaff El Hassini.

She set up a training and coaching company called Ma Juste Valeur – meaning “My True Worth” – to help women overcome that barrier and negotiate their pay, after facing gender discrimination in the workplace herself.

“I found out my male colleague earned €5,000 a year more than me,” she told RFI.  “When I voiced my concerns I was told, ‘Well you’re already well paid, you should have negotiated your starting salary when you joined’. No one had told me you had to negotiate. I thought it was vulgar.”

Gender gap at work far wider than expected, women’s pay remains static, UN says

Closing the gap

This year France will implement the EU’s 2023 Pay Transparency Directive, obliging companies to provide employees with pay scales for equivalent posts. Both Eydoux and Donzel welcome this transparency measure.

Eydoux also points to economic measures such as increasing both the minimum wage and income tax on very high wages, which together would narrow the pay gap. But the French government, which is trying to reduce the country’s huge deficit and keep high-earners and businesses on board, is not currently in favour of either.

Donzel insists that salaries in the female-dominated education and care sectors must be raised, given the contribution they make to society. “Whether it’s taking care of children, the elderly or in caring professions, this is obviously what’s most valuable, yet the economy has reversed the value system and that’s what we pay the least for.”

Eydoux would also like to see France’s gender quota policy, which has proven “very efficient” in breaking the glass ceiling by imposing gender-balance on executive boards, extended to other sectors.

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

For the moment, however, she says there aren’t many signs of improvement: “I don’t see much political will to focus on the gender pay gap and reduce it.”

Resistance to gender equality is nothing new, she added, and while younger women in particular are “more conscious of the gender pay gap and more willing to improve the situation”, they are now facing new forms of resistance.  

“More and more young men are defending masculinist positions and ideologies,” she said, with some claiming the 22 percent gender pay gap is “fake news”.

The massacre at Thiaroye took place on 1 December, 1944, when French colonial troops opened fire on West African soldiers who had just returned from Europe, where they had been fighting for France. 

The tirailleurs sénégalais (Senegalese riflemen), as they were known, had been promised the same pay and pensions as their French counterparts. 

When they assembled peacefully to demand their rightful compensation, they were met with gunfire. The exact death toll remains disputed: official French accounts initially claimed only 35 casualties, while other estimates suggest more than 300 were killed. 

Before turning his lens on Thiaroye, Monteil had examined policing methods in France. He observed parallels between contemporary law enforcement tactics and the operations once carried out in Africa. 

“During my research, I made the connection between modern law enforcement and its colonial heritage,” he told RFI. 

Documenting Thiaroye through images became the natural next step for the photographer, in tribute to the Senegalese soldiers whose story has been largely forgotten. 

France honours WWII colonial troops shot dead by French army in Senegal

Recreating the past

The result is the book Fecci Worma, which means “High Treason” in the Wolof language.  

Over three years, Monteil travelled between France and Senegal, retracing the events. He visited Morlaix, on the Brittany coast, where the discharged Senegalese soldiers had boarded a ship home, and Thiaroye, where they were killed. 

Monteil timed his photographs to recreate the past – shooting in the early morning in Morlaix to mirror the soft light when the soldiers departed. 

He also shot portraits of descendants of the soldiers, as well as the historians and artists who have studied the massacre, and the caretaker of Thiaroye’s military cemetery. 

Alongside his photographs, Monteil has used infographics and maps to bring complex historical data to life. Using French military archives, he also reconstructed the layout of the Thiaroye transit camp, which served as a temporary home to demobilised soldiers following their service.  

By overlaying contemporary aerial images on historical maps, he revealed a geography that had been buried by time.  

“A black circle surrounded the site of the massacre, on military reports from that time,” he explained. His maps highlight where the soldiers’ barracks stood and where the French army entered the camp. 

Senegal mourns Thiaroye war heroes slain by French troops 80 years ago

These visual reconstructions could prove useful for archaeologists. In February, the Senegalese government announced plans for excavations, in order to determine the true number of soldiers killed.  

A hidden history

In a single, striking image, one of Monteil’s infographics lays bare the conflicting figures reported over the past 60 years. 

His research draws on diverse sources: French public archives, newspaper clippings, the work of Senegalese filmmaker Mansour Kébé from the 1980s, as well as testimonies from military personnel, historians and the children of the soldiers. 

French historian Armelle Mabon, a specialist in the Thiaroye massacre, provided access to her own archives, which expose contradictions and omissions in the French state’s version of events.

“She is a historian, a detective, a researcher. She brings a different sensitivity and vision of things – a book was missing,” Monteil says of Mabon. 

For both the photographer and the historian, uncovering the truth about Thiaroye remains an unfinished mission – and a crucial one because the official record still contains significant gaps, 80 years on.

“There are still obstructions from the French state and we clearly show them in this book,” Monteil says.  

Among the grey areas is the list of repatriated soldiers, the exact mapping of where the soldiers are buried and archives that appear deliberately truncated. 

Monteil notes with frustration that a French parliamentary commission, established to investigate the massacre, ultimately produced no findings. 

For his book project, he bypassed traditional publishing houses in favour of crowdfunding, a choice he says ensured complete editorial independence. “The Thiaroye massacre would not have interested many publishers.”

This story has been adapted from the original version in French by Juliette Dubois

Shea butter is widely used in the cosmetics industry, as well as by chocolatiers as a substitute for cocoa butter.

Diongoma was founded by Mariama Sylla in 2007. Located in Salemata, in the southeast of the country, its product has been certified “organic” by the Ecocert organisation since 2016.

This certification was hard-won, as according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the marketing of organic products in Senegal faces a number of constraints, including the high cost of certification processes.

From harvest to production, Sylla currently works with 3,000 women. She has enabled more favourable valuation of shea, which is a source of income for up to a third of households in Senegal.

RFI went to the Paris Agricultural Show to meet Diongoma to find out more.

Sylviane Boyer founded Pot en Ciel Kreol in 2023, in Cambaie in the north of Réunion, a French department in the Indian Ocean. She had taken over her family farm, which grew numerous vegetables native to the island.

“On Réunion Island, we have exotic vegetables, which have lots of antioxidants. We’re protected here on this little volcanic island, in terms of all the produce we have,” Boyer told RFI. “There are vegetables that can’t be found in mainland France… papaya, chayote, watercress that grow in our mountains. And chillies.”

Over the years, Boyer began to notice a rise in cases of diabetes, Crohn’s disease and high cholesterol. It was at this point that she became interested in micronutrition – the practice of optimising the diet to include vitamins and minerals the body needs – and discovered lacto-fermentation.

“We have lots of health problems because we eat too much fat and sugar. This led me to study lacto-fermentation a bit and I found that, scientifically speaking, a lot has been proven about it, which brought me back to it.”

Why do France’s overseas territories have a diabetes problem?

This technique is very common in several Africa countries, where access to electricity can be limited, making food preservation a challenge.

“In Africa, babies’ first meals are made using lacto-fermentation. It’s a natural process to follow,” says Boyer.

This ancient food preservation technique involves immersing food in salted water to encourage the growth of lactic acid bacteria.

“We use large vats where we put local fruits and vegetables from Réunion, along with water and natural, unrefined salt from Saint Leu. This process helps us pre-digest the food and release its full bioavailability,” explains Mégane Mardemoutou, sales manager at Pot en Ciel Kreol.

“This process develops probiotics and prebiotics, multiplies vitamin C, vitamin K – which is very important for the heart – and various B vitamins like B2 and B6.”

One local vegetable the company works with is bitter melon. “It’s a fruit that grows on vines, somewhat like cucumbers. It’s an old local vegetable with a thousand benefits because it aids detoxification, improves heart circulation and provides all the essential vitamins we need,” says Mardemoutou.

Over half of all adults will be overweight or obese by 2050, study shows

The company is now working with hospitals, the Regional Health Agency and local organisations to spread awareness of the health benefits of lacto-fermentation.

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.

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 15 February, I asked you a question about Paul Myers’ article “Namibian independence leader Sam Nujoma dies aged 95”. Sam Nujoma was Namibia’s first democratically elected president; he led Namibia’s fight for independence from South Africa.

You were to send in the answer to this question: Namibians have just elected a new president, who will be inaugurated on the 21st of this month. What is the name of their president-elect? 

The answer is: Namibia’s president-elect is Dr. Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi – Ndaitwah. Born in 1952, Dr. Nandi – Ndaitwah will be Namibia’s fifth president and the first woman to hold the position. 

Speaking of Sam Nujoma, she, as Paul wrote in his article: “… paid tribute to Nujoma’s visionary leadership as well as his dedication to liberation and nation-building. ‘It laid the foundation for our free, united nation,’ she added. ‘Let us honour his legacy by upholding resilience, solidarity, and selfless service.’”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusene, Denmark: “Describe a cultural monument or a nature site in your country that is not known to the world at large.”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Debashis Gope from the Dakshin Dinajpur district in West Bengal, India.  Debashis is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Debashis, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Rasheed Naz, the chairman of the Naz Radio France Listeners Club in Faisal Abad, Pakistan; RFI Listeners Club member Father Steven Wara from Bamenda, Cameroon, and last but not least, two RFI English listeners from Bangladesh: Nargis Akter from Dhaka, and Sakila Musarrat from Chapainawabganj. 

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Sari” by George Fenton and Tom Leach; “Gnawa Funk Rhythm”; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Mulatu” by Mulatu Astatke, performed by the composer and his ensemble.

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 “Macron hosts European military chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 7 April to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 12 April 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

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

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MEP Marion Marechal, the niece of Marine Le Pen and who leads a separate far-right movement, will also attend the conference, held in Jerusalem on March 26 and 27.

Both politicians were invited by Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister for the diaspora and a member of the right-wing Likud party. 

While National Rally representatives have visited Israel before, this is the first time such high-level figures have been invited to this type of conference.

“Jordan Bardella will deliver a speech on the rise of anti-Semitism in France since October 7,” a source close to Bardella told France’s AFP news agency, referring to the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel in  2023.

“My presence in Jerusalem for this major conference against anti-Semitism demonstrates our absolute commitment to this fight,” Bardella told the JDD newswpaper. “RN is no longer the National Front.”

Shift away from past anti-Semitism

The National Front (FN) was co-founded by Marine Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who died earlier this year. Known for his anti-Semitic remarks, he declared in 1987 that the Nazi gas chambers used to exterminate Jews were “just a detail in the history of World War II”.

Marine Le Pen has strived to distance the movement from her father’s legacy, renaming the party the RN in 2018 and seeking to make it electable.

Last month Bardella abruptly withdrew from a meeting of conservatives in the US, citing concerns over a gesture made by former Trump advisor Steve Bannon that he described as ‘alluding to Nazi ideology’.

However, during last summer’s legislative elections, several RN candidates were involved in scandals over anti-Semititic, racist or homophobic remarks on social media. 

France’s far right tries to move away from past anti-Semitism

Mixed reactions

France’s council of Jewish insitutions (Crif) has yet to react to the upcoming visit, though a source within the Jewish community told Le Parisien they were “very uncomfortable”.

Writer and philosopher Bernard Henri-Levy, who is Jewish, told Le Monde he had withdrawn from the conference due to the two politicians. 

Meyer Habib, a former right-wing lawmaker and staunch defender of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, welcomed the invitation. “I have a problem with the RN’s historical DNA, but since 7 October, they have been impeccable,” he told Le Parisien. “Why should they not be invited? We need to stop talking about political quarantine.”

Anti-Semitic hate trial opens for French far-right veteran Jean-Marie Le Pen

Shifting positions on Israel

Bardella’s visit is part of a broader diplomatic shift in Israel as the Netanyahu government, under pressure from the hard right, seeks to forge closer relations with several far-right parties in Europe.

Argentina’s president Javier Milei and other far-right politicians in Europe are reportedly on the conference guest-list.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar recently lifted a ban preventing Israeli diplomats from engaging with far-right European parties. Ambassador Joshua Zarka defended the decision, stating that Israel now talks with all political groups willing to engage.

Maréchal, who once supported a two-state solution, has hardened her stance since the 7 October attack, arguing Hamas would turn Palestine into an Islamic caliphate.

Bardella has taken a similar stance, underlining that a Palestinian state would “legitimise Hamas”.

Mathieu Lefèvre, an MP with the President Emmanuel Macron‘s Renaissance party and head of the France-Israel friendship group, remains skeptical over the politicians’ commitment to battle anti-Semitism.

“The RN still includes figures linked to Holocaust denial,” he warned, calling the visit a dangerous attempt to normalise the party’s image.

In November 2023, Macron attacked the RN, without naming it, accusing the movement of “claiming to support our compatriots of Jewish faith by confusing the rejection of Muslims with support for Jews”. His remarks followed RN’s controversial participation in a huge rally against anti-Semitism following the 7 October attacks.

The meeting, held in the town of La Malbaie in Quebec, took place over two days against a backdrop of weeks of diplomatic tension, particularly concerning US policies on trade, security, and Ukraine.

Yet despite the challenges, the G7 ministers managed to present a united front on Friday, dispelling fears that divisions could be exploited by Russia or China.

“I think we’re on track to have a strong statement. I’m confident that can be the case,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said just before the ministers approved the final text.

“When it comes to different issues, Ukraine and the Middle East, we’ve had productive discussions, and the goal was to reinforce G7 solidarity”.

The Group of Seven – comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States along with the European Union – demonstrated its cohesion in the final communiqué, reaffirming its “unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence”.

Putin’s reaction to Ukraine ceasefire proposals deepen G7 rifts over US strategy

‘Security assurances’

France reportedly played a key role in ensuring strong wording on Ukraine, particularly in emphasising the need for credible security assurances.

While earlier drafts of the statement had included language about security “guarantees”, the final document opted for “assurances”, striking a balance that all G7 members could support.

However, the group sent a clear message to Moscow: unless Russia agrees to a ceasefire under equal terms, it will face additional sanctions, including tighter controls on oil pricing.

Macron hosts European military chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees

Washington, which had pushed for firmer language on China, ultimately saw its concerns reflected in the final statement.

The G7 reaffirmed its opposition to any “unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion,” a stance welcomed by Taiwan.

The discussions also covered the Middle East, with France advocating for a diplomatic approach to regional stability.

The final text avoided explicitly mentioning a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, but instead underscored “the imperative of a political horizon for the Palestinian people, achieved through a negotiated solution that meets the legitimate needs and aspirations of both peoples”.

(With newswires)

His latest salvo was a response to the European Union’s unveiling of tariffs on $28 billion (€27 billion) in US goods, to be imposed in stages starting in April.

The EU measures – including a 50 percent tariff on American whiskey – were a tit-for-tat measure against Trump’s levies on steel and aluminum imports that took effect Wednesday.

“If this tariff is not removed immediately, the US will shortly place a 200% tariff on all wines, champagnes and alcoholic products coming out of France and other EU represented countries,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

France will ‘not give in’ to threats

French producers say the tariffs could result in a dramitc increase in the price of French champagne and spirits in the US.

One French wine and champagne company – Taittinger – said a 200 percent tariff could bring the cost of some bottles from about $60 to more than $180 (€165).

France’s federation of wine and spirit exporters, known by the acronym FEVS, put the blame on the European Commission for placing its members “directly into the crosshairs of the US president”.

“We are fed up with being systematically sacrificed for issues unrelated to our own,” said the group’s director general Nicolas Ozanam.

French Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin, wrote on social media platform X that France “will not give in to threats” and is “determined to retaliate”.

French wine exports fall amid trade tensions and threat of US tariffs

American distillers dismayed

American distillers are also dismayed by the EU’s planned levy on US whiskey.

Chris Swonger, head of the Distilled Spirits Council, called the tariffs “deeply disappointing,” warning that reimposing such measures could hurt US distillers and farmers.

A similar tariff in 2018 resulted in a 20 percent drop in American whiskey exports to Europe.

What are Trump’s reciprocal tariffs and who may be hit?

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg Television he plans to speak with European officials, though details remain unclear.

Since taking office, Trump has engaged in multiple trade battles, using tariffs to pressure both rivals and allies alike.

His latest move follows the EU’s decision to impose levies on $28 billion worth of US goods, rolling out in phases from April.

Those measures – including a sharp tariff hike on American whiskey – are themselves in response to Trump’s recently implemented duties on steel and aluminium imports.

Wider trade conflicts

Trump’s tariff wars have not been limited to the EU.

Canada, Mexico, and China have all been targeted, with tariffs imposed on goods like steel, aluminium, and copper.

China, in particular, has retaliated with duties of up to 15 percent on US agricultural products such as soybeans and chicken, vowing “all necessary measures” in response.

Meanwhile, financial markets remain on edge over the uncertainty of Trump’s trade policies.

Despite the turbulence, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed concerns, maintaining that Washington remains focused on long-term economic strategies, including deregulation and privatisation.

The High Council for the Climate (HCC), a body comprising an array of leading economists, agronomists and scientists, says that there is a gap between the cash alloted to the transition and the real cost of implementing the changes.

“Funding for adaptation in the NCCP3 remains highly inadequate,” says the HCC report which was published on Thursday.

“The actions in NCCP3 that require immediate investment must be identified as quickly as possible,” it adds. “Part of the public funding earmarked for risk prevention and the ecological transition towards adaptation is provided for in the PNACC3 but much of the funding has yet to be defined, and the funding available at this stage is inadequate.”

The HCC report suggests the publication of a detailed multi-year financing plan following a 1.35 billion euro cut to a budget for the transition.

“Funding dedicated to adaptation by the agencies appear in the PNACC3 as budgetary support for a number of actions. The budget breakdown of these actions is not specified. The worsening impacts of climate change will require increased funding for adaptation.”

France rolls out plan to prepare for 4C temperature rise by end of century

Report

PNACC3 outlined some 50 measures, from increased protection for workers to various studies to better prepare transport systems and farming.

Launching the document, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the minister for ecological transition, said: “There is the scientific fact that climate change is already affecting the whole of France. Five thousand kilometres of French coastline – i.e. 20 percent of our coastline is already affected by coastal erosion. One and a half million people are at risk of marine submersion.

“There is an economic observation: if France does not adapt to climate disruption, the consequences will be severe. Faced with these facts, my line is clear: prepare, anticipate, act.”

HCC chairman Jean-François Soussana told the French news agency AFP that the PNACC3 was an important step towards adaptation but the government could not carry the load.

“The state will not be able to do everything,” he said. “You can also ask for efforts to be made by tightening up standards. For example, the introduction of summer comfort standards for buildings and the cost of that would fall mainly on private players.”

Climate body says France must improve ‘fragile’ gains on global warming

As well as highlighting the financial cracks in the PNACC3, the body, which was established by President Emmanuel Macron  in 2018, recommends more focus on the adaptation.

“Given the multitude of areas sensitive to climate change, interministerial coordination of its implementation is important,” adds the HCC report.

The experts warn that more monitoring is needed.

“Despite the efforts made, not all the lessons learned from the first two NCCAPs have been fully applied. PNACC3 does not provide any feedback on the effectiveness of the measures proposed in previous plans (PNACC1, PNACC2) and does not propose any evaluation criteria to assess the progress made in PNACC3.”

The enquiry aims to determine whether the app “encourages suicidal behavior and self-harm” or if it “amplifies” the availability of hypersexualised content, which could “contribute to the development of disorders”, said centrist lawmaker Laure Miller, who brought the proposal before parliament.

“TikTok has more than 15 million monthly users in France,” said Miller, adding that while the social network is officially prohibited for the under-13s, many children aged 12 and younger have accounts.

She also argued that TikTok has “the most opaque and probably the least effective content moderation policy” of all social platforms.

TikTok’s journey from fun app to US security concern

‘Dopamine slot machine’

The resolution to create the commission received cross party support in a vote on Thursday evening in the National Assembly, although only 23 MP were present.

“TikTok is a dopamine slot machine,” said Socialist lawmaker Arthur Delaporte.

In November, seven families filed a joint legal complaint against TikTok in France, accusing the video platform of exposing their teenage children to content about suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and other mental health problems.

Parents in France take TikTok to court over self-harm content aimed at children

While the commission will not be able to investigate ongoing cases, it will look into whether or not the app proposes more dangerous content to vulnerable groups.

In 2022, a US study suggested that young users who expressed distress on the platform were shown, on average, twelve times more videos related to suicide and self-harm.

Last February, the European Union opened an investigation into whether TikTok does enough to protect minors.

On Tuesday, TikTok rolled out a new feature across the EU allowing parents to limit the time teenagers spend on the app.

Ahead of France’s decision to set up a commission of inquiry, the company said the issues targeted by the commission were “not unique to TikTok”.

The five defence ministers acknowledged the challenges posed by the new administration of Donald Trump in the US, while insisting Europe was ready to stand on its own feet.

“There is obviously a very broad consensus emerging… that the first of the security guarantees for Ukraine is obviously the Ukrainian army itself,” French defence minister Sebastian Lecornu told reporters, ruling out any postwar “demilitarisation” of Ukraine.

“The word ‘demilitarisation’ is emerging, but it is not the case. On the contrary, the real guarantee of long-term security will be the capabilities that we will be able to give to the Ukrainian army,” he added.

Lecornu said that “at this stage, about fifteen countries have shown an interest in continuing this process,” referring to proposed options for a “security architecture” with a view to a lasting ceasefire” in Ukraine.

He warned against seeing Ukraine’s post-war security solely in terms of European troops who could be deployed there, repeatedly insisting that this was not an issue to be decided on now.

Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also welcomed a “real unity of the continent”, referring to the threat from Russia.

According to the website of the Polish Ministry of Defence, the EU’s main aim should be “to keep Russia as far away from here as possible. As far away from our countries as possible,” which means “supporting Ukraine when it is fighting.”

But the five also stressed the importance of the “strategic trans-atlantic partnership,” but all while “building a strong Europe.”

‘US engagement’

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that, despite the rapid pace of change, the current situation could help Europe.

“I am convinced that if we act now, if we choose security in Europe over the nitty-gritty of national interest, we will emerge from this situation strengthened,” he said.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain and its allies knew that “we must step up” and re-arm.

“We are looking to build a coalition,” he said. “We are accelerating this work.”

He added, “In the coming weeks you will see European allies coming closer together.”

He also spoke of “decisive days in the push for peace in Ukraine”, but added that after Tuesday’s agreement between Ukraine and the US it was up to Russia to show it was serious.

“I say to President (Vladimir) Putin ‘it is over to you now’. You said you wanted talks. Prove it. Accept the ceasefire, start negotiations, and end the war”

“Make no mistake: the pressure is now on Putin,” he said.

The defence ministers spoke after Ukraine on Tuesday gave the nod to a US-backed plan for a 30-day ceasefire, at talks in Saudi Arabia.

They also released a joint statement saying they had decided to “remain committed to NATO as the cornerstone of collective defence.”

“US engagement is essential in that regard,” the joint statement said.

Extra spending

Meanwhile, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday that failing to quickly approve extra spending to bolster the country’s military would be irresponsible given the turbulent international context.

Speaking at the beginning of a key parliamentary debate to discuss the plans, which need a two-thirds majority to pass, Merz said “any further delay” in lifting defence spending “would be irresponsible”.

“We must now take action to significantly increase our defence capabilities, and we must do so quickly,” he said.

Pointing to the United States’ deteriorating ties with Ukraine and its European allies, Merz said “we could be standing before a decision with deep consequences for our country’s history”.

Merz and his centre-right CDU/CSU alliance are currently in talks with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) on a possible coalition government after last month’s general election.

Last week the two parties jointly presented plans for big spending packages, including exempting defence spending from Germany’s constitutionally enshrined debt brake when it exceeds one percent of GDP, as well as on boosting infrastructure.

A vote on the plans is scheduled for Tuesday and Merz wants them to be approved quickly before the new parliament is convened.

Windfall for European arms makers as Brussels ramps up defence spending

Earlier on, on 4 March the EU Commission announced the “Rearm Europe” plan which includes that member states can boost defence spending even if it means breaking the bloc’s budget deficit rule of 3 percent of GDP. The plan was approved by a EU summit two days later. 

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested the EU could raise “close to” €650 billion over four years, which would be added to a €150 billion loan to member states for defence investment, totalling €800 billion.

Russia’s Tass news agency, quoted Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharovathe as saying that the “military buildup plan for Europe is designed to incite war.”

“Armament of countries that are clearly losing their ability to operate effectively is progressing rapidly and excessively. Historically, this has always been referred to as provoking war,” she said.

(With newswires)

Von der Leyen was in Cape Town on Thursday alongside other European leaders to take part in the eighth EU-South Africa summit.

The European Commission president said the Global Gateway investment package was intended to support a just energy transition, vaccine manufacturing and digital and physical connectivity.

The summit aims to enhance bilateral cooperation, including in the economy, trade and investment relations and security and defence. South Africa is the EU’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with €49 billion worth of trade in goods in 2023.

The bloc has also recently become South Africa’s top source of foreign direct investment – 53.7 percent of the total in 2022.

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

Stronger ties

For Ivor Ichikowitz, founder and chairman of the philanthropic Ichikowitz Family Foundation in Johannesburg, which focuses on growth and development on the African continent, the rise of European investment in South Africa is good news.

“I think that the EU summit in South Africa this year is probably more important and more relevant than anybody ever expected it to be,” he told RFI. “There has never been a time when South Africa needs the European Union more than right now.”

Referring to the recent freeze of foreign aid by the United States under President Donald Trump, he added: “The breakdown in the relationship between South Africa and the United States poses a massive threat to the South African economy.”

Ichikowitz believes a strong trading relationship with the EU is now crucial for South Africa.

EU leaders to boost ties with South Africa at summit focusing on Ukraine

“This is a partnership based on shared values and common interests. A partnership that seeks to create prosperity for our citizens and promote peace, safety and stability,” South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said at the summit.

According to him, the new investment package will “consolidate cooperation in areas such as science and technology, education and skills development, climate action, peace and security, health and critical minerals”.

A neutral voice

While South Africa is welcoming stronger ties with the EU in the wake of Trump’s USAID cuts, the EU in turn is seeking more global support for its engagement in Ukraine against Russia, especially among non-aligned countries.

Ichikowitz believes a stronger bond with the EU will push Ramaphosa to assert South Africa’s neutral stance.

“It means that South Africa has to now start walking the talk of neutrality. Historically, South Africa has definitely been identified as being an ally of Russia and against the West, when in reality, the stance of the government is that of neutrality.”

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

The EU measures will cover goods from the United States worth some €26 billion, and apart from steel and aluminum products, will include textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods. Motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans will also be hit.

The European Commission, which manages trade- and commercial coflicts for the bloc, said in a statement on Wednesday that the EU steps are a ‘carefully calibrated’ response to Washington’s tariffs and that they will take place in two stages.

On 1 April, the Commission will re-instate tariffs that were put in place during the first Trump administration between 2018 and 2020. These countermeasures target “a range of US products” that respond to “economic harm done on €8 billion of EU steel and aluminium exports.”

In response to new US tariffs affecting more than €18 billion of EU exports, the Commission will then put forward a new package countermeasures on US exports, to come into force “by mid-April.” 

‘Open to negotiation’

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU “will always remain open to negotiation.”

“We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs,” von der Leyen said.

Meanwhile, the UK said it would not impose retaliatory measures of its own on the United States, but London called Washington’s decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports “disappointing.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that tariffs on Australian steel and aluminum were “unjustified,” but that his government would not retaliate with its own tariffs.

And Japan said it was “regrettable“ that the country had not been granted an exemption from the US tariffs.

Japan government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi warned that “widespread measures to limit trade risk having a significant impact on the Japan-US economic relationship as well as the world economy and multilateral trade system.“ 

(With newswires)

Angola announced on Tuesday that it would attempt to broker the direct talks.

The Southern African country has been trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire and de-escalate tensions between Congo and neighbouring Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the Tutsi-led rebel group, M23. Rwanda denies those allegations.

Angola pushes for direct talks between Kinshasa and M23 in DRC crisis

Congo’s government has until now repeatedly refused to hold direct talks with M23, but on Tuesday it said that it had taken note of the Angolan initiative.

On Wednesday, the spokesperson for Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, Tina Salama, told media that the government had received an invitation from Angola, but she did not confirm its participation.

Meanwhile, the M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa boasted in a post on X about forcing Tshisekedi to the negotiating table, calling it “the only civilised option to resolve the current crisis” that has intensified dramatically since January.

More discussions

The situation in eastern DRC is also on the agenda of an extraordinary summit of heads of state of the Southern African region (SADC) this Thursday.

The meeting is held via videoconference and chaired by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, currently head of SADC.

The objective is to clarify the fate of the regional armed forces deployed in the eastern part of the country.

The rebels have seized the two provincial capitals in eastern Congo, Goma and Bukavu since January in an escalation of a long-running conflict. They’re also advancing in smaller villages in the area.

Regional implications

The conflict is rooted in the spillover into Congo of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide but also spiralled with the struggle for control of Congo’s vast mineral resources.

Eastern Congo is indeed home to vast reserves of strategic minerals such as coltan, cobalt, copper and lithium, resources that are central to the world’s race to develop new technology and green energy.

Listen to our podcast: In the DRC, can conflict mineral mining be stopped?

Congo’s government has said at least 7,000 people have died in the fighting since January.

At least 600,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since November, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office (Ocha).

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is also concerned about the shrinking civic space in areas controlled by the M23. In a report released on Wednesday, the human rights NGO states that Rwandan-backed rebels have repeatedly pressured and arrested civil society activists and journalists, going so far as to assassinate two of them.

This method, already used in areas occupied by the M23, is now becoming widespread in the provinces of North and South Kivu, sometimes with the help of Rwanda, according to HRW and RFI’s correspondents.

Congo’s neighbours, including Burundi, Uganda and South Africa have troops in eastern DRC.

Ugandan army deploys to town in northeast DR Congo amid fears of wider conflict

The situation is raising fears of an all-out regional war reminiscent of the Congo wars of the 1990s and early 2000s which killed millions.

 (with Reuters)

“In view of the ongoing internal clashes in Tigray, particularly in Adigrat and Mekele, travel throughout the Tigray region is now formally inadvisable,” said the ministry on its website.

“French nationals passing through are asked to leave Tigray as soon as possible,” the advice added.

Between November 2020 and November 2022, the region was a conflict zone between federal forces, supported by local militias and the Eritrean army as well as Tigrayan rebels.

The fighting left at least 600,000 people dead in Tigray, according to the African Union before a peace agreement was signed in Pretoria in South Africa. In the deal, the two parties agreed that an interim administration would be established to rule Tigray until elections are held.

However, due to delays in implementing the agreement, there have been sharp divisions within the TPLF. Getachew Reda, who was placed in charge of an interim administration by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy, is in a battle for control with Debretsion Gebremichael.

On Tuesday, Getachew ordered the suspension of three generals of the Tigray Defence Forces, accusing the rival faction of trying to take over the whole of Tigray in an interview with Tigrai Mass Media Agency.

Fear

There is growing fear that Ethiopia’s neighbour and historic rival, Eritrea, may take advantage of the situation to launch an invasion.

“We have been close to a new conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia for the past two years,” Kjetil Tronvoll, Oslo University professor specialising in the region, told the French news agency AFP.

“We just do not know what will be the triggering factor.”

He said that the dissatisfactiIon of the Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki’s with the 2022 peace agreement, Abiy’s ambitions for a port on the Red Sea, and geopolitical interest from the Middle East have all played into the deteriorating tensions.

“That has left the two countries inching closer to a new war,” he added. “The situation in Tigray can be the triggering factor.”

Abiy was lauded, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize, for finally reaching a peace agreement with Eritrea when he came to power in 2018.

It briefly allowed borders to reopen to the isolated country, which Afeworki has ruled virtually unchallenged since 1993.

However, relations have strained since the end of the Tigray war in 2022. “A war between Ethiopia and Eritrea could break out at any moment,” said General Tsadkan Gebretensae, senior strategist for the Tigray forces in Getachew’s administration, in remarks published earlier this week.

With the Jewish holidays of Purim and Passover just around the corner, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is taking proactive steps to ensure safety, calling on police prefects and security officials to be “extremely vigilant”.

The move underscores the government’s strong commitment to protecting Jewish communities during these important celebrations.

France has long made security a priority during Jewish festivities, reinforcing measures to prevent any potential threats.

Last year, then-Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin took similar steps, also emphasising the need for heightened security around synagogues and community spaces during Purim.

Given ongoing global tensions, these precautions remain as crucial as ever.

France ups security at synagogues, Jewish schools after Iran’s attack on Israel

Spike in antisemitic acts 

Passover, another key holiday, also saw heightened security last year, with police and military forces stationed at synagogues and Jewish schools.

Authorities noted a “very high level of terrorist threat” and a rise in antisemitic incidents, making extra security essential.

Purim, known for its lively spirit, features colourful costumes, festive readings, and acts of charity.

Passover, on the other hand, brings families together to commemorate freedom with the traditional Seder meal.

The celebrations bring a sense of unity and tradition – but also require extra vigilance to ensure that everyone can celebrate safely.

Macron promises France will be ‘uncompromising’ when it comes to anti-Semitism

Potential threats

The French government’s “no nonsense” approach to security during these holidays has been a reassuring sign for Jewish communities, as it not only deters potential threats but also encourages communities that they can celebrate freely and without fear.

Bruno Retailleau has asked those in charge to pay attention to the upcoming services and gatherings, which traditionally attract large crowds in certain places at certain times.

He has also underlined the need for increased vigilance, particularly around places of worship.

Retailleau had already issued such directives in the past, particularly at the start of Ramadan earlier this month, on All Saints’ Day and at New Year festivities.

(With newswires)

Belgian police launched a series of sweeping operations on Thursday, raiding multiple locations across the country as part of an investigation into suspected corruption disguised as commercial lobbying.

According to Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office, several individuals have been taken in for questioning over their “alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as forgery and the use of forgeries”.

The large-scale operation involved around 100 police officers and saw some 21 searches – conducted in Belgium and Portugal – underscoring the serious nature of the probe.

Huawei under scrutiny

Belgian newspaper Le Soir and investigative platform Follow the Money report that the investigation is linked to Chinese tech giant Huawei and its lobbying efforts in Brussels since 2021.

The raids mark another major corruption investigation in the corridors of the  European Union, following the high-profile “Qatargate” scandal more than two years ago, in which several European lawmakers were accused of accepting bribes to advance the interests of Qatar and Morocco – allegations both nations have firmly denied.

While the Belgian authorities have not disclosed the identities of those involved, they described the alleged corruption as the work of a “criminal organisation” operating discreetly since 2021.

The suspected bribes reportedly took various forms, including financial incentives for political positions, lavish gifts, paid travel expenses, and exclusive invitations to football matches – all aimed at swaying political decisions to benefit private commercial interests.

Prosecutors indicated that these illicit payments were disguised as conference expenses and funnelled through intermediaries.

Qatar bribery scandal ‘threatens credibility’ of European parliament

Money laundering

They are also examining whether money laundering played a role in the scheme.

At the centre of the allegations is a former parliamentary assistant who was employed at the time as Huawei’s EU public affairs director, Belgian media has reported.

Police have detained “several lobbyists,” who are expected to appear before a judge for further questioning.

A police source confirmed to French news agency AFP that no current EU lawmakers were among those questioned on Thursday morning.

Far-right Le Pen to stand trial on EU embezzlement, fraud charges

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the European Parliament stated that it “takes note of the information” and remains committed to full cooperation with judicial authorities.

This latest scandal comes as European authorities continue investigating financial misconduct within political circles.

In France, far-right leader Marine Le Pen remains under scrutiny over allegations of misusing EU funds, with prosecutors probing claims that she and her National Rally party improperly allocated parliamentary allowances for personal and political expenses.

(With newswires)

Passed with 288 votes in favour and 54 against, the resolution called on the EU, Nato and other allied countries to continue and increase their political, economic and military support for Ukraine.

The backing for President Volodymyr Zelenksy’s administration came hours after his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin urged his armed forces to continue their sweep through the border region of Kursk.

In his first visit to the region since Ukraine launched its counter-offensive in August, Putin, dressed in army camouflage, hailed recent gains.

“I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will be fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy,” he said in televised remarks.

Russia’s forces have retaken 24 settlements in the border region over the last five days, chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov told Putin.

Voyage

Minutes after footage of Putin’s remarks aired on Russian state TV, Ukraine’s army commander suggested his troops were pulling back to minimise losses.

“In the most difficult situation, my priority has been and remains saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. To this end, the units of the defence forces, if necessary, manoeuvre to more favourable positions,” commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said in a Facebook post.

Despite government objections, the resolution in the Assemblée nationale also wanted Russian assets to be seized in order to finance the military support for Ukraine.

“The total seizure of the main part of these assets raises legal questions and the question of the economic precedent that this could represent for foreign investors,” Benjamin Haddad, the Minister for Europe, told MPs.

MPs also clashed over EU countries continuing to import Russian gas and placing European troops on Ukrainian soil in the event of a peace agreement.

“We encourage the French government and its European partners to study the possibility of deploying European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine,” the resolution said.

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.

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 15 February, I asked you a question about Paul Myers’ article “Namibian independence leader Sam Nujoma dies aged 95”. Sam Nujoma was Namibia’s first democratically elected president; he led Namibia’s fight for independence from South Africa.

You were to send in the answer to this question: Namibians have just elected a new president, who will be inaugurated on the 21st of this month. What is the name of their president-elect? 

The answer is: Namibia’s president-elect is Dr. Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi – Ndaitwah. Born in 1952, Dr. Nandi – Ndaitwah will be Namibia’s fifth president and the first woman to hold the position. 

Speaking of Sam Nujoma, she, as Paul wrote in his article: “… paid tribute to Nujoma’s visionary leadership as well as his dedication to liberation and nation-building. ‘It laid the foundation for our free, united nation,’ she added. ‘Let us honour his legacy by upholding resilience, solidarity, and selfless service.’”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusene, Denmark: “Describe a cultural monument or a nature site in your country that is not known to the world at large.”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Debashis Gope from the Dakshin Dinajpur district in West Bengal, India.  Debashis is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Debashis, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Rasheed Naz, the chairman of the Naz Radio France Listeners Club in Faisal Abad, Pakistan; RFI Listeners Club member Father Steven Wara from Bamenda, Cameroon, and last but not least, two RFI English listeners from Bangladesh: Nargis Akter from Dhaka, and Sakila Musarrat from Chapainawabganj. 

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Sari” by George Fenton and Tom Leach; “Gnawa Funk Rhythm”; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Mulatu” by Mulatu Astatke, performed by the composer and his ensemble.

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 “Macron hosts European military chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 7 April to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 12 April 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.   

There are some explanations for France’s 22 percent gender pay gap – women work fewer hours on average and in lower-paid jobs. But even doing the same job and putting in the same hours, women still earn 4 percent less than men, and a barrage of legal measures hasn’t managed to change that. We look at what’s going on with economist Anne Eydoux and lawyer Insaff El Hassani – founder of a company helping women negotiate salaries. El Hassani highlights negative images around wealthy women and how France’s “female wage”, dropped in 1946, still impacts the way some employers view women’s salaries. (Listen @0′)

France has downsized its ambitions to increase the amount of organic agriculture after a drop in consumer demand for organic food . After years of growth, especially during the Covid pandemic, inflation and a distrust in labelling have turned consumers away from buying organic produce, even as new farmers are drawn to the prospect of working in a different way. At the recent annual agricultural fair in Paris, farmers and others working in the organic sector talk about how they are adapting to the new economic reality, and the need to raise awareness of the value of organic food, beyond the price tag. (Listen @17′)

France is marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Maurice Ravel, whose most famous piece, Boléro, is considered an avant-garde musical expression of  the machine age. (Listen @9’50”)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani. 

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

France’s handover of its sole base in Côte d’Ivoire and a pullout in January from Chad are part of a broader reduction of the French army’s presence across the region.

“What we are living in now is a transformational age,” international relations expert Federico Donelli of Trieste University told RFI.

“Many traditional players like France, for example, in that region of Africa are downgrading their own engagement in this area. Not because they have some economic or political constraint but because the local states want them to leave the region.”

Donelli believes the door is now open to new players, such as Turkey.

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invested heavily in Africa, quadrupling Turkey’s embassy presence across Africa in the past two decades. Erdogan, a devout Muslim, also plays the Muslim card and reminds his African audiences of France’s colonial past,” he says.

Insurgent threats

However, Eylem Tepeciklioglu of Ankara’s Social Sciences University believes the breakthrough for Turkey came with the French military failing to deal with insurgent threats in the Sahel and broader West Africa.

“The image of France is in tatters because the regional countries criticise French missions for failing to help them fight with terrorist groups and for bringing more harm than good,” explains Tepecikoglu.

Tepeciklioglu claims Erdogan’s Africa policy caught the regional zeitgeist.

“Together with rising anti-French sentiments, this brings opportunities for other countries to step in, and Turkey has several defense or mutual cooperation agreements with Sahelian countries. And according to some sources, Turkey has deployed military advisers and drones at the Abéché base in Chad,” adds Tepeciklioglu.

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

Deepening Senegalese and Turkish military ties was on the agenda at an Istanbul meeting in October. Shortly after the high-profile gathering, Senegal called for the removal of French forces.

Turkey’s vibrant arms industry selling battle-proven weapons invariably cheaper than its Western competitors, as well as having few, if any, restrictions on use, is complementing Ankara’s traditional diplomatic tools in its bid to broaden its influence.

“Turkish defense products are now very popular in African markets. So this also applies to Sahelian countries,” explains Tepeciklioglu, “For example, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad acquired Turkish drones. While other Sahelian countries acquired other Turkish military equipment.”

Overstretch

Turkey remains a relatively small player against the giants of Russia, China, and the United States in the battle to secure economic and diplomatic influence. 

But the growing competition between Western and Eastern powers could be to Turkey’s advantage, says Donelli.

 “So, for an African state, establishing a security agreement with Turkey is less costly in political terms in comparison with relations with Russia because that doesn’t mean ‘I break with the West, but I’m doing something with a NATO member’. This is really important,” adds Donelli.

Turkey and Italy consider teaming up to seek new influence in Africa

But Turkey’s rapid expansion into Africa does not come cheap what with diplomatic representations across the continent, growing military presence, such as army and naval bases in Libya and Africa.

“Turkey is expanding too much. This is called overstretch in diplomatic language,” warns International relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara Middle East Technical University.

“So, Turkey’s military and economic capabilities are actually limited. The more you expand, the more you have to pay,” he says, adding that such a strategy would not be sustainable.

With the Turkish economy mired in crisis and Erdogan looking to improve ties with Europe, including France, analysts say Turkey could be ready for cooperation rather than rivalry in Africa.

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.

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 8 February, I asked you a question about our article “French PM pushes through budget, faces second no-confidence vote”. That’s because French Prime Minister François Bayrou used Article 49.3 – a special executive power – to push the budget through. The Parliament does not take kindly to Article 49.3, because the executive branch can use it to bypass their votes.

After it went through, a no-confidence motion was immediately brought forward by the hard-left France Unbowed party. At that time, it was not thought the no-confidence motion would pass, because the Socialists said they would vote against it. My question to you was: Why did France’s Socialist party say they would vote against the no-confidence motion brought by the France Unbowed party? 

The answer is, to quote our article: “The Socialist Party said in a press release that it did not want to see France in an extended period of financial limbo and would therefore, ‘in a spirit of responsibility’, not back the no-confidence vote.”

They held to their word: The Socialist party did not back the no-confidence vote – France has a budget now, and the same prime minister, François Bayrou. 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Is the favorite child the worst child?”

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

The winners are: RFI English Listeners Club member Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria. Nasyr is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Nasyr, on your double win !

Also on the winner’s list this week are: Reepa Bain, the secretary of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh, India; Mukta Banu, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh; RFI English Listeners Club member Dipita Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India, and last but not least, RFI English listener Murshida Parvin Lata, the vice – president of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “One Woman” by Beth Blatt, Graham Lyle, and Fahan Hassan, performed by the United Nation Women Singers; “Toy Symphony” by Leopold Mozart; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Nubian Lady” by Kenny Barron, performed by Bobbi Humphrey and her orchestra.  

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, take another listen to the first story on Alison Hird and Sarah Elzas’ Spotlight on France podcast number 124, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 31 March to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 5 April 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 sharp decline in US-Ukraine relations has raised doubts about American support for Europe, as the continent assesses its ability to defend itself against a threat from Russia.

Donald Trump’s decision to cut military aid to Ukraine this week signals a  shift in US foreign policy and raises questions about America’s commitment to Europe’s security.

From shortages in the number of tanks and the availablity of artillery, to the debate over a unified European army, leaders must decide whether to bolster national forces or embrace deeper military cooperation.

As France and the UK guard their nuclear arsenals and Russia tests Europe’s resolve, can the EU build a credible deterrent, or will it continue to rely on America?

The Director for Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa at the Institute for Economics and Peace, Serge Stroobants, explained to RFI that Europe lacks the capacity to react quickly to security threats, with defence procurement bogged down by fragmentation and slow production timelines.

As early as 2016, Germany’s defence industry acknowledged that no major projects would reach completion for at least six to eight years. Today the projections are even worse.

“If you want to invest quickly in the military – into defence, into new equipment and weapon systems – these need to be bought off the shelf outside of Europe,” with the US, Turkey, and South Korea as key suppliers, he says.

Defence neglected

Beyond military upgrades, Europe faces a broader challenge as its entire economic and state system must adapt to meet modern security demands.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent pledge to cut red tape for defence procurement is a step in the right direction, Stroobants says, but it comes too late and under pressure from events rather than forward planning.

“The problem is – as is so often with the EU – we are doing this under the pressure of the events. We’re not doing this in advance. We’re not planning. We don’t have a strategy.”

Despite being a continent of 500 million people – and the world’s third-largest economic and military power – Europe remains unable to ensure its own security due to a longstanding lack of strategic foresight and neglect of defence spending.

As it stands, a unified EU defence force remains a challenge due to Europe’s struggle to coordinate military policy alongside foreign diplomacy and development.

Stroobants explains that peace and security are based on three pillars – diplomacy, development and defence. “When you look at the EU, this has been done for almost 75 years, but if you are not able to integrate foreign policy and foreign development…and have common influence outside of European borders? Well, it doesn’t really help to only unify just one of those three pillars,” he said.

While the EU has made progress in development and soft power, true strategic influence for the bloc requires the full integration of defence and diplomacy to establish an undivided foreign policy and a stronger global presence.

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

Reshaping Europe

“For 30 to 35 years now, we have been divesting from defence, but it’s much more than defence. It’s the entire society that has lived with the idea that we would live eternally in peace,” Stroobants says.

He argues that to independently deter Russian aggression, European nations must go beyond bolstering their military capabilities – they need to rethink their entire strategic approach.

“If you want to be ready, you need to invest in defence…but you also need to reshape your society and your infrastructure,” he adds.

He also points out that with France and the UK as Europe’s only nuclear powers, their cooperation on a nuclear umbrella remains uncertain. France insists its deterrent will stay national but may engage allies without losing autonomy. Both nations favour a “coalition of the willing” over an EU or NATO-led approach, prioritising national security.

‘Deterrance and power’

While Moscow takes America’s military threat seriously and views European states as weak, Stroobants added,  Europe must take concrete steps to change this perception and restore credible deterrence.

European security hinges on two key concepts: deterrence and power. Deterrence relies not just on military capability but on the will to use it – because, as Stroobants puts it, “you can have 20,000 nuclear warheads, but if you have nobody who is strong enough to use them, they are not going to be a deterrent.

“And that’s exactly what’s happening with the EU at the moment”.

True power – accroding to Stroobants – is essentially a combination of military, economic, and diplomatic strength,comboined with a clear strategy and the political will to act.

Britain holds back as France pushes for truce between Russia and Ukraine

While Europe possesses significant resources, it lacks a unified vision on how to confront Putin’s Russia and define its role in an increasingly aggressive global order – leaving it strategically adrift and unable to deter adversaries effectively.

The absence of key nations – including the Baltic states – from a recent high-level security meeting in London only underscores the challenge of consolidating a unified European deterrent.

“After having lived in the military for 30 years, in Europe and under the NATO umbrella, not incorporating all the allies or member states [at high level meetings] is really strange,” he said.

For Stroobants, Europe now is facing the disintegration of alliances that have taken over seven decades to build.

Officially recognised by the United Nations in 1977, International Women’s Day (IWD) originated from the labour movements of the early twentieth century.

On 8 March, women around the world – and throughout the month in some countries – are celebrated and recognised for their social, cultural, economic and political achievements.

The day also serves as a call to action to accelerate progress towards gender parity.

In 2025, the United Nations will mark International Women’s Day under the theme: “For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”

While the situation for women in parts of Africa is undeniably influenced by conflicts, disasters, and insecurity, this episode focuses on progress and empowerment.

Empowering

Spotlight on Africa’s first guest is Magalie Lebreton Traoré, an expert in digital transitions across the African continent at the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

As Unesco leads training for women in AI across Africa’s five regions, Magalie joins us to discuss how women are taking the lead in shaping high-tech industries, particularly artificial intelligence. This technological leap presents significant opportunities for women’s leadership and innovation.

Moreover, a study published in Nature revealed that 79 percent of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be improved or achieved through AI.

To tackle gender and geographical inequalities in AI, Unesco has made these issues a priority in its Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence – the first global standard-setting framework in this field, unanimously adopted by Unesco Member States in November 2021.

Celebrating

And to broaden the conversation, we also talk to a curator and two artists from Johannesburg in South Africa, who are organising a special exhibition to highlight the work of artist-mothers and women artists caring for families.

Lara Koseff is a curator at INCCA, the Independent Network for Contemporary Culture & Art in Johannesburg. She has established the second edition of ‘Art After Baby‘, with the support of the National Arts Council South Africa.

These female artists and mothers have been selected to receive support and mentorship in order to complete and exhibit a body of work in solo exhibitions at Victoria Yards in Johannesburg until the end of March.

Lara Koseff, Siviwe James and Phumelele Kunene join us on the line from South Africa.

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.