US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot to “inform him of the US wish for a ceasefire provided there was no Iranian retaliation,”  according to the source cited in French news agency AFP, said on Monday night.

“Rubio asked Jean-Noël Barrot to transmit this information to [Foreign Minister] Abbas Araghchi,” their Iranian counterpart, the source added.

France says ‘spiral of chaos must end’ amid fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire

“After the call, the (French) minister spoke to his Iranian counterpart to transmit the terms and details of the discussions (between) Americans and Israelis,” according to the same source.

Araghchi then indicated his “availability to continue negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme” including with France, Britain and Germany, and “after these discussions, the ceasefire was able to go into force”, it said.

Regional crisis

Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned that the situation surrounding the Israel-Iran conflict remains “unstable”, reinforcing the view that diplomacy should preside over military might in resolving the Middle East crisis.

Qatar and fellow Gulf state Oman had also both been pushing for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, persuaded Iran to agree to the US-proposed ceasefire with Israel after Iranian missiles targeted an American base near Doha, a source with knowledge of the talks has said.

World reacts to Israeli strike on Iran over nuclear activity

Israel said on Tuesday it has agreed to US President Donald Trump’s declaration of a ceasefire with Iran, adding that it has achieved all its objectives in the 12-day war with its arch-foe.

The war started with a wave of Israeli strikes on Iran on 13 June, just days ahead of a sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman.

 (with AFP)

“We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – that an attack on one is an attack on all,” the leaders said in a summit declaration.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday lauded NATO’s “tremendous” summit in the Hague as leaders wrapped up a meeting that saw the alliance back his demand to ramp up defence spending. 

“I think the summit was fantastic. It was a big success,” Trump told Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

Trump appeared keen to take the plaudits as he secured a key foreign policy win by getting NATO’s 32 countries to agree to meet his headline target of five percent of GDP on defence spending.

“It’s a great victory for everybody, I think, and we will be equalised,” Trump said of the new spending commitment, ahead of the summit’s main session.

NATO summit opens in The Hague amid unprecedented security and protests

Diplomats said that behind closed doors Trump insisted there was no greater ally than Washington and urged others to spend some of the new money on US weaponry.

The deal hatched by NATO is a compromise that allows Trump to claim triumph, while in reality providing wiggle room for cash-strapped governments in Europe.

It sees countries promise to dedicate 3.5 percent of GDP to core military spending by 2035, and a further 1.5 to broader security-related areas such as infrastructure.

Many people had expressed concern about the US President’s apparent hesitation to fully back the alliance.

Trump had rattled his allies by appearing to cast some doubt on the validity of NATO’s mutual defence clause, known as Article Five of the alliance treaty, telling reporters on the way to The Hague that it “depends on your definition. There’s numerous definitions of Article Five.”

Summit protests

During the two-day summit, critics had gathered to protest in several places outside the security zone reserved for the NATO summit. 

“We spend too much money for the wrong reasons,” says Marion, a handicapped LGBTQ+ activist who had come to a noisy gathering near The Hague’s Central Station of people protesting the anti-gay policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban and US President Donald Trump.

But she admitted that “it’s a very difficult to be a pacifist nowadays, because I would like to help Ukraine,” she says.

Just outside the World Forum, where the NATO summit took place, a small group of pro-Ukraine activists is holding up banners.

“We see that the regime in Russia threatens not only Ukraine, but Europe just as well,” says Cyril Schmidt, secretary of the NGO Free Russia NL. “We fear that the current NATO as it is now is not well prepared for full scale war with Russia,” he says.

Another activist shows an uncanny likeness to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The man calls himself “Howard X,” and says he is an “impersonator of Kim Jong-un since 2013. He brands the same haircut and clothes as the dictator. 

He says he came to The Hague to “raise awareness” about what he thinks are the destructive policies of Donald Trump. “He’s no longer supporting democracies. He’s on the side of dictators and autocracies.

Schmidt adds that “as of now NATO very much depends on American support,” while he says he hopes that “US support will not vanish,” but in spite of Trump’s promises, Howard X is sceptical. 

“The USA can no longer be relied upon,” he says, should Europe or any of the NATO countries be invaded by a foreign power. So Europe you better pick up and arm yourselves, because dark days are coming.”

De Villepin, 71, was prime minister of France under ex-president Jacques Chirac between 2005 and 2007 and also the late leader’s foreign minister between 2002 and 2004.

The conservative politician made his mark on the global stage as Chirac’s head of diplomacy, delivering an impassioned speech at a UN Security Council meeting in 2003 in which he set out France’s opposition to a US-led Iraq war and warned of the “incalculable consequences” of military action in the region.

While he left politics more than a decade ago, he has continued his anti-war stance, making a number of recent media appearances criticising Israel’s war in Gaza and its scandalous “spiral of violence”.

In an interview with Le Parisien published Tuesday he said: “I decided to create a movement of ideas, of citizens, through the creation of a political party.

“This movement is for everyone. We need to unite all French people to defend social justice and the republican order,” he said, adding that Humanist France already had “several dozen local branches”.

When Chirac opposed war in Iraq

De Villepin –  who was also minister of the interior under Chirac – did not explicitly say he would stand for president, saying “now is not the time to enter into the presidential debate”.  But the new party is likely to be seen as a platform for such a bid.

“I am not for escalation… but for a politics of balance and measure,” he said.

“Against a path of tension and identity polarisation, I offer one of assembly, public interest and humanism.”

French people deserve to have the choice, he said, and not be caught “between the radicalism of LFI  and that of the RN” – referring to the hard-left France Unbowed and far-right National Rally respectively.

Against US strikes

In an interview with France Inter radio on Tuesday, de Villepin outlined his positions on a number of major current affairs issues, including US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. “These strikes should not have been carried out insofar as diplomacy must enable progress to be made,” he said. “The path of war leads to many more tragedies.”

He also announced that he would propose repealing the 2023 pension reform that raised the legal age of retirement from 62 to 64, saying it had “broken the spirit of reform in this country”.

Government-brokered talks between unions and employers aimed at reaching a compromise over the unpopular reform collapsed without agreement on Monday. 

France’s Socialists file no-confidence bill against PM after pensions talks fail

The contours of the French 2027 presidential election remain largely unclear, with centre-right former prime minister Edouard Philippe the only major player to clearly state he will stand and President Emmanuel Macron barred from seeking another mandate.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is eager to stand for fourth time but her conviction earlier this year in a fake jobs scandal disqualifies her from running for public office.

She has appealed, and waiting in the wings is her protege Jordan Bardella, 29, who would stand if Le Pen was ineligible.

Does ‘politically dead’ Marine Le Pen still have a path to power?

Opinion polls suggest de Villepin and Philippe are currently France’s most popular politicians. 

(with newswires)

Months-long talks between French trade unions and employers over reforms to the pension system crumbled late on Monday, prompting Bayrou to summon both sides for talks to find a way forward.

In parliament on Tuesday, Bayrou said he was still convinced that there was “a path, albeit a very difficult one, that can lead us out of this impasse”.

But in what were billed as last-chance talks, pension negotiators failed to agree on how to amend the unpopular 2023 overhaul of the pension system that will gradually raise the retirement age to 64 from 62.

Unions wanted to allow workers with physically taxing jobs to retire earlier, and to give more weight to maternity leave, while employers were wary of concessions that could weigh on the system’s finances.

Up until now, centrist Bayrou has managed to stay afloat despite a deeply divided lower assembly, thanks to the support of the Socialists.

But Boris Vallaud, leader of the Socialists in the lower house, told parliament Tuesday evening that Bayrou had not kept his promise to put a new pension reform bill to parliament.

“This compels us to file a motion of censure,” Vallaud said.

Bayrou’s government survives no-confidence vote over France’s 2025 budget

Weakened position

Bayrou is already in a weak position. His centrist government – which brings together President Emmanuel Macron‘s Ensemble alliance and the conservative Republicans – could fall anytime if left-wing and far-right parties band together to back the no-confidence motion.

The hard-left France Unbowed has previously supported the idea of a confidence vote, but even with the support of the Socialists, it would be unlikely to fell the government unless it gets the backing of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN).

RN lawmaker Gaëtan Dussausaye said his party was not looking to topple Bayrou’s government, and Le Pen did not mention such a move when she addressed parliament.

Bayrou finds himself in a similar situation to his predecessor Michel Barnier, whose three-month-long administration was propped up by the RN until it backed a no-confidence measure in December over his belt-tightening 2025 budget bill.

The prospect of a no-confidence vote also augurs badly for Bayrou in the lead up to even tougher talks over the 2026 budget bill, with the government seeking to push through 40 billion euros in spending cuts.

(with newswires)

Activists and families of victims have called for peaceful demonstrations to mark a year since the deadliest day of the unrest when parliament was invaded. 

But some have called to “OccupyStateHouse” – referring to the Nairobi office of President William Ruto – and many schools and businesses are closed for fear of unrest.

Early on Wednesday, police blocked major roads leading into the capitals central business district, while government buildings were barricaded with razor wire.

At least 10 people have been admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi with gunshot wounds, a hospital source and Kenya’s Citizen Television said.

Thousands of mainly young male protesters waved Kenyan flags and placards with pictures of some of the 60 demonstrators killed last year and chanted “Ruto must go”.

“I’ve come here as a Kenyan youth to protest, it is our right for the sake of our fellow Kenyans who were killed last year. The police are here… they are supposed to protect us but they kill us,” Eve, a 24-year-old unemployed woman told France’s AFP news agency.

“It is extremely important that the young people mark June 25th because they lost people who look like them, who speak like them… who are fighting for good governance,” said Angel Mbuthia, chair of the youth league for the opposition Jubilee Party.  

Kenya protests reignited by custody death, but ‘Gen Z’ movement remains divided

‘Goons’ 

As well as marking the anniversary, anger has flared over police brutality, particularly after a teacher was killed in custody earlier this month following his arrest for criticising a senior officer.

Police said protests are permitted as long as they are “peaceful and unarmed”. 

But a group of peaceful protesters last week was attacked by a large gang of motorbike-riding “goons”, as they are known in Kenya, armed with whips and clubs and working in tandem with the police. 

Western embassies in Kenya, including those of Britain, Germany and the United States, criticised in a joint statement “the use of hired ‘goons’ to infiltrate or disrupt peaceful gatherings”. 

Justice and art: Kenya’s fight against police brutality; Africa’s bold new art fair in Basel

Threatening the nation

There is deep resentment against Ruto, who came to power in 2022 promising rapid economic progress.

Many have been disillusioned by continued stagnation, corruption and high taxes, even after last year’s protests forced Ruto to cancel the unpopular finance bill.

While his government has been at pains to avoid direct tax rises this year, the frequent disappearances of government critics – rights groups have counted more than 80 since last year’s protests, with dozens still missing – have led many to accuse Ruto of returning Kenya to the dark days of its dictatorship in the 1980s and 1990s. 

Tax hikes meant to save Kenyan economy are ‘sending businesses broke’

Ruto has previously promised an end to abductions but was unapologetic in a speech on Tuesday, vowing to “stand by” the police. “You cannot use force against the police or insult or threaten the police. You are threatening our nation,” he warned protesters. 

(with newswires)

In 2024, widespread protests erupted across Kenya in response to a proposed bill that sought a significant increase in taxes, culminating on 25 June. These demonstrations were met with a forceful and violent response from the police.

At least 60 people were killed during protests in June and July 2024, and dozens more were illegally detained by security forces in the aftermath.

This year, the country’s youth are back on the streets protesting against that violence.

Although the government had called for calm since last summer, the death of Albert Ojwang in police custody – arrested for publishing a blog post criticising a police officer – sparked a new wave of protests in early June this year.

Douglas Kivoi, a policy analyst at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), told RFI that he was not surprised by the events, as they reflect the typical conduct of police officers in the country.

Kivoi has been studying the role and behaviour of the police in Kenya for many years.

“They are used in settling political scores and silencing any dissent that the powers are not comfortable with. So that is just one of the few that made it to the public domain. Many of those cases hardly make it to the media. If the family keeps quiet or is threatened with dire consequences,” he told RFI.

“We have a progressive constitution but our police officers have refused to change and transform themselves and align themselves with best international practices,” Kivoi added.

Protesters and counter-protesters

Counter-protesters are also marching and supporting the police, raising fears of new violence, especially in Nairobi.

Addressing the crisis last Tuesday, Kenya’s President William Ruto promised to put an end to abductions, but was unapologetic in his latest speech, vowing to “stand by” the police. 

“You cannot use force against the police or insult or threaten the police. You are threatening our nation,” he warned protesters. 

Kivoi, however,  points out that shooting someone at point-blank range, as has happened in a recent incident, cannot be justified in any circumstances.

“Someone who is just selling masks in the streets and then is shot at point blank range –  I mean, how on earth would anybody do that knowing that the institution that they work for is under scrutiny for another murder of an individual who was arrested for a misdemeanour offense and then tortured to death in the police detention facilities?,” he asks

He believes this demonstrates that impunity within the police service and related policing agencies runs deeper than is apparent to the public.

Spotlight on Africa podcast – Justice and art: Kenya’s fight against police brutality; Africa’s bold new art fair in Basel

Problems in police agencies

Kivoi believes that violence within Kenya’s police force has been an issue since before the country’s independence.

He points out that even the most well-considered recommendations from police reviews and his own research have yet to be implemented.

“We take one step forward and then we take five steps backwards,” Kivoi told RFI.

“Since independence in 1963, the first president, Jomo Kenyatta, used police to silence any dissent. And when the second president (Daniel arap Moi) took over, it was the same story,” he said. “Assassinations, torture, detention.”

Later, when Mwai Kibaki assumed the presidency in 2002, he attempted to reform the police. However, the post-election violence of 2007-2008 marked a turning point, with numerous accusations directed at police officers for their actions. Many victims lost their lives either due to police gunfire or the failure of the police to act.

In 2010, Kenya drew-up and implemented a new constitution, which is progressive according to many including Kivoi.

The country also put in place institutions like the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, in an attempt to delink police from the office of the president.

“I believe the problem lies in our policing agencies. It’s not the resources,” he said. “So, if you carry out reforms in the name of changing institutions’ names and changing uniforms from the Kenya Police Force to National Police Service, that doesn’t change the attitude of these officers as they approach their work and in the way they interact with communities.”

To solve this problem he argues that the training of police officer must change.

“We need to change the way our officers are trained, then to depoliticise the policing, because police officers, since independence, have been used by the government of the day to settle political scores, arrest people without any justifiable reason, like Ojwang, who was tortured and killed in a police facility.” 

Kibera residents fear repetition of Kenyan election violence

System change

Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said on Monday said it would press murder charges against six people, including three police officers, for their role in killing Ojwang. The six suspects were arraigned on Tuesday.

Kivoi thinks that it is still difficult to highlight issues of police excesses and punitive actions because the media in Kenya “sometimes goes to bed with the government”, and doesn’t denounce police brutality.

“But the fact that we have got social media, and then we have got a young population that has embraced technology, makes it more difficult for police to think that they will behave the way they have been behaving and get away with it.”

The protests, and the technology helping reporting them, are playing a critical role in highlighting cases of police excesses when they are interacting with the civilians.  

Kenya rights groups have counted more than 80 disappearances of government critics since last year’s protests, with dozens still missing.

The first day of the NATO summit in The Hague concluded with a formal dinner at the royal Huis ten Bosch Palace, where alliance leaders emphasised unity and the need for increased defence spending.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte opened the summit by stressing that higher military budgets are essential to prevent war, stating, “We need ammunition, ammunition, ammunition. Peace comes through strength.”

He also reassured member states of continued American commitment to NATO, adding, “The American president and top leaders are fully committed to NATO.”

However, US President Trump caused uncertainty by refusing to confirm his support for Article 5 – the alliance’s mutual defence clause, telling reporters that it “depends on the definition.”

NATO set to unveil ambitious spending target at key summit

The day also included a Defence Industry Forum, where ministers and industry leaders debated strengthening NATO’s industrial base. Rutte urged winning a “new production war,” insisting it is unthinkable that Russia, with its smaller economy, could outproduce NATO.

Electricity outages

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a limited role at this summit due to cooled relations with President Trump. Nevertheless, Zelensky warned attendees that Russian intelligence is planning new operations on NATO territory, emphasising the ongoing threat from Moscow.

The summit’s first day was also marked by electricity outages that partially paralysed the railway system and some notable protests: one at Scheveningen beach against NATO’s stance on Gaza, and another by the LGBTQ+ community near The Hague’s Central Station.

“I think we are spending too much money on the wrong things,” Marian, a disabled gay protester who had come to the Malieveld to listen to speeches organised by a coalition of Dutch LGBTQ+ groups, told RFI.

Posters displayed by protesters targeted Trump and Orbán, the US and Hungarian presidents. One protester from Budapest said that despite political opposition from Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, a large Pride demonstration is set to take place in Budapest this weekend.

Meanwhile, Dutch authorities were investigating possible sabotage of the rail network on Tuesday after a power outage left the country’s main airport with limited train services. Other key routes, notably between The Hague and Utrecht and The Hague and Rotterdam, were also affected.

Caretaker Justice Minister David van Weel told the NATO Public Forum that investigators were considering the possibility that fires in some 30 rail cables may have been set deliberately.

The evening concluded with a three-course Dutch dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia, who welcomed the leaders with a group photo and light-hearted moments, including a brief mishap with the red carpet before Trump’s arrival.

(With newswires)

“I come from a region that has been deeply affected by war and displacement, but I wanted to use my body, my legs, my bike to send a message of peace across Africa,” said Masaisai, speaking to RFI from the Zambian capital Lusaka, where he arrived after 26 days on the road.

The triathlete, coach and lifeguard left Goma on 17 May and has completed around 2,700km of his journey.

Goma fell to Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in January but Masaisai’s “Pedals for Peace” project was planned in 2023, long before the latest crisis. It aims to showcase a different side of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – the one hidden behind the headlines.

Bringing the overlooked impact of DR Congo’s displacement crisis into focus

“I wanted to show the world that in our region, in our country, there isn’t only war, we also have very strong, very dynamic young people. And I want to say to them, use your talent to look for peace, not for war or violence.”

He hopes to unite youth across Africa, saying: “Everywhere I pass, that’s the message I carry.”

So far Masaisai has travelled through Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. He’s travelling alone, sporting a jersey in the colours of the DRC, with a backpack weighing around 20kg.

Whenever he sees young people along the route he stops to try and start a conversation. In Tanzania he went to a high school to share his project with the students. “I tried to talk with them, to inspire them. And many, when they hear my story, they’re curious,” he says.

Masaisai was unable to find sponsorship for his project but decided to go ahead regardless – another message he wants to spread. “People say to me, oh we thought you need to have millions or sponsorship to start a project like this, but your project is successful, you inspire us.”

‘Beauty exists everywhere’: Ballet builds hope for future in Nairobi slum

The kindness of strangers

The challenges have been immense. He spoke of dangerous roads shared with massive trucks speeding by with little regard for a cyclist, and the scorching sun in Zambia and Tanzania – a shock compared to the milder climes of his native Goma.

He recalls six hours spent crossing 120km of wildlife park in Tanzania – a long and risky stretch, especially when one of your tyres bursts. “It was very difficult, there was no one to help me, you could meet wild animals or bad people.”

“Tanzania changed me,” he wrote on Instagram. “Its tough roads, long distances and heat taught me perseverance. That country made me stronger.”

What’s kept his spirits up is the goodwill he’s encountered along with way. Without sponsorship, relying entirely on the kindness of strangers, he’s discovered that African hospitality is alive and well.

“I arrive in villages, try to talk to people in Swahili, Lingala, Bemba, French or English. I explain my situation and even if they don’t know me, they give me a place to sleep, food to eat. When I see that, I realise my project is successful. I see there is this unity, this other image of Africa.”

He remembers a particularly joyful moment when, approaching Lusaka, young people who had been following his journey on social media came out to meet him and escort him into the capital.

The women carrying the burden of Kenya’s rural healthcare on their backs

‘I cannot give up’

Pedalling an average of six hours a day can be a lonely business. But he takes heart from all the messages of encouragement he receives on social media. And he keeps in mind the reason he’s on his bike.

“I think of the pain of the place I’m coming from, from Goma. I have all my sweat, my fatigue, but I remember that all my pedalling is for peace, for the displaced mothers and children. It’s for them. I cannot give up.”

As Masaisai continues south into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, to reach his final destination in around a month’s time, he is seeking support to complete his mission.

For him, every kilometre pedalled is one more toward proving that Africa’s youth can unite, across borders, whatever the language and despite conflicts.

Follow and support Miguel Masaisai and his Pedals for Peace project on Facebook and Instagram.

With Israel and Iran exchanging fire for a fifth day, and planned talks on Iran’s nuclear programme called off, there is growing concern about the potential impact beyond the Middle East.

Benjamin Augé, a researcher with the Africa and Climate programme at the French Institute for International Relations spoke to RFI about the practical and diplomatic consequences for Africa.

Benjamin Augé: I think it’s important to recall the historical context of Israel’s and Iran’s relationships with Africa. Israel had extremely strong ties with many African countries during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s – until the Yom Kippur War, when most of them severed diplomatic relations with Israel.

Since [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in 2009, his objective has been to rebuild those relationships. Currently, more than 40 African countries have diplomatic ties with Israel. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Israel wields significant influence in Africa.

Since the 7 October, 2023 attacks [by Hamas on Israel] and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, many of its normally pro-Israel partners – Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Rwanda – have kept their distance. Rwanda even began delivering aid to Gaza as early as 20 October, 2023. So we’re already seeing Israel’s diplomatic position in Africa under significant strain.

The conflict in Gaza further weakens these already fragile ties – which are, in many cases, quite weak or practically non-existent in political and economic terms. So I think the conflict with Iran is not going to have a dramatic impact, given that Israel’s relationships with Africa are already weak and its exchanges with the continent are extremely limited.

Iran hails African countries’ resistance to ‘colonialism’

RFI: What about Iran?

BA: Iran’s relationships with Africa are also extremely weak. The most significant recent development was Niger opening an embassy in Tehran [in January 2024] after its coup against President Bazoum, and negotiations related to uranium – a move that raised alarm in the United States.

But aside from a few embassies with limited diplomatic staffing, mainly in predominantly Sunni areas in East Africa or the Sahel, Iran’s influence is very weak.

Tehran’s main objective in these areas is often related to spreading Shiism, for instance in Nigeria with Imam Zakzaky – a politically controvesial Shiite cleric. Apart from that, Iran, much like Israel, is not putting many resources into its Africa policy or even developing a policy for the continent. So whatever happens in the Middle East, its effects on Africa will be limited due to this weak diplomatic presence.

Nigerian cleric held since 2015 regains freedom

RFI: Are we likely to see any African governments responding to the escalating conflict with policy statements?

BA: It’s not impossible that some governments may view Israel’s actions against Iran as aggression and may speak up – framing their criticism in terms of international law. Iran didn’t attack, Israel did, and that’s a violation of international law. But I don’t think they’ll go much further than that, because there’s nothing for these countries to gain by strongly taking sides.

This is a peripheral conflict for them, and Israel’s image in Africa is already quite poor – not just in predominantly Sunni or Muslim countries, but more broadly. So if there’s a response, it’s likely to be a diplomatic note from the foreign ministry, emphasising international law, and that’s it. Some may align with Iran, but it would be a small and marginal number.

RFI: What about oil and gas? Could the continent be impacted economically?

BA: Yes, there might be a ripple effect for the continent, just as there will be for the rest of the world. The price of oil might increase temporarily due to the conflict. But we shouldn’t forget that the price per barrel is currently quite low and the market is well-stocked. So I think the impact will be limited and short-lived. The main consequence for Africa might be a slight increase in petrol prices in the months ahead – but it would be a small variation, especially when we compare it to periods when tensions were much greater.

Oil prices drop, stocks climb as Iran-Israel war fears ease

Q: What happens if the conflict persists?

BA: If it continues, there might be some upward pressure on prices. But the reality is that the market is well-stocked and geopolitical tensions are not affecting production or delivery. Iran, in particular, is a small oil producer. Because of longstanding sanctions, it produces about 3 million barrels per day and exports roughly 2 million. The global market is currently at 100 million barrels per day. So the conflict’s long-term impact, both in price and in volume, is likely to be limited.

This interview, adapted from the original in French, has been lightly edited for clarity. 

The Paris Court of Appeal said Thursday it would issue its ruling on 17 July in what is Abdallah’s umpteenth request for release.

Abdallah was arrested in 1984 in connection with the killings of US military attaché Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. While he was not the gunman, he was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for complicity in their murders.

The assassinations were claimed by the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF) – the Marxist-Communist pro-Palestinian militant group Abdallah founded in 1978 after he was wounded during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

LARF had ties to other leftist guerilla movements such as Italy’s Red Brigades and Germany’s Red Army Faction.

Abdallah, a former guerilla with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has never denied his political motivations, calling himself a “fighter” rather than a “criminal”.

Neither has he expressed remorse. “The path I followed was imposed on me by the human rights abuses perpetrated against the Palestinians,” he said at his 1987 trial.

Conditional release denied

Most convicts serving life sentences in France are freed after less than 30 years. Abdallah has now been imprisoned for 41.

A 2021 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights stated that life sentences with eligibility for parole only after 40 years were incompatible with European law.

While Abdallah has been able to apply for parole since 1999, his 11 bids have been denied.

In November 2024, a French court ordered his release, providing he left France. But France’s anti-terror prosecutors, arguing he had not changed his political views, appealed the decision and it was suspended.

Ahead of another appeal court hearing in February this year, 11 Lebanese MPs called on France to immediately release him. But the trial was postponed until 19 June after the court said it needed more time.

Abdullah’s lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, argued his client was being singled out. “The stance of the court risks creating a de facto life imprisonment,” he said.

He accused the judiciary of “pettiness,” after it insisted Abdallah pay the victims’ families around €16,000 in compensation.

Abdallah has refused to pay compensation directly to the United States. “I will never indemnify the country that drops bombs on Palestinian and Lebanese children,” he reportedly told the court.

Chalanset also insisted on the fact that other extremist groups active in the 1970s and 1980s – including “politicial prisoners” with the French group Action Directe, or Corsican and Basque militants – have been released.

French court orders release of Lebanese militant held since 1984

US interference

Abdallah’s case has become a cause célèbre among some left-wing MPs, activists and human rights defenders. In October 2024, Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux said in a piece in communist daily L’Humanite that his detention “shamed France”.

A number of his supporters claim the real reason for his continued detention lies not in the courts, but in Washington.

“The Americans have interferred in French sovereignty since the beginning,” said Lebanese journalist Pierre Abi Saab. “It’s an imperialist mindset, a kind of revenge. Georges Abdallah is paying for all peoples who have resisted US hegemony,” he told RFI.

US interference is well-documented. In a 1986 declassified US memo, diplomats warned of potential attacks on American interests if Abdallah wasn’t prosecuted.

Former US diplomat Steve Kashkett, who handled anti-terrorism at the US embassy in Paris in the 1980s, confirms Washington’s deep involvement. “When I arrived at the embassy in 1986, Abdallah became my top priority,” he told RFI. “At that stage, it was clear to us that the French government, which was seeking to avoid Middle Eastern terrorism against French targets, had absolutely no intention of aggressively prosecuting Abdallah.”

Washington therefore decided to intervene directly, with the US becoming a civil party in the case and hiring renowned French lawyer Georges Kiejman to represent its interests.

While the second diplomat assassinated by LARF was Israeli, Tel Aviv never formally joined the case as a civil party. “I remember Israel considering it,” Kashkett noted, “but it wasn’t necessary because we were doing it. Israel counted on the US to do the job.”

‘Unique case’

From 1986, the American government took an active role in blocking Abdallah’s release. Another declassified document noted that attacks against US targets were “possible given America’s major role in securing Abdallah’s trial”.

In 2013, WikiLeaks revealed that then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton sent a direct message to France’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius, urging him to find a way to prevent Abdallah’s release, even after a court had approved it. That same year, then-interior minister Manuel Valls refused to sign the expulsion order that would have allowed Abdallah to return to Lebanon.

Despite this, Kashkett insists that America’s actions should not be seen as interference given the US was a civil party during the trial. “Since the French invited the Americans to give our opinion, I don’t think we can speak of interference or pressure,” he said. 

Others disagree. One of Abdallah’s early lawyers, Jean-Paul Mazurier, later revealed he was working for French intelligence at the time.

“We bowed down to the United States, which opposed his release,” Mazurier told France Inter radio in 2024.

The late Jacques Vergès, another of Abdallah’s lawyers, referred in court to an “intolerable American diktat”, describing France as “America’s whore” in court documents.

Does Macron’s pledge on Palestine signal a return to France’s ‘Arab policy’?

Awaiting his release

After more than four decades, France may be growing tired of the case, says Abi Saab.

“France wants to get rid of this embarrassing case but it’s unclear whether they have the political will. There’s intimidation, interference. Since 1999, Georges Abdallah has been held hostage outside the rule of law. It’s a unique case.”

A small but vocal group continues to advocate for his release. There were demonstrations in Toulouse in February, near the prison where he is held.  A protest planned in Paris was, however, banned due to concerns over “a tense social and international context”, notably in Gaza.

While Abdallah refuses to compensate the US himself, he has agreed to Lebanon paying damages.

Chalanset, his lawyer, confirmed this week that the funds are now available should the court demand them. “The conditions of the court are met,” he said on 17 June. “We await his release.”

At the UN Ocean Conference in Nice this week, 37 countries led by Canada and Panama signed the first global declaration devoted solely to reducing human-caused ocean noise.

The effort targets the growing din from ships and industrial activity that is disturbing marine life around the world.

“We’re aware of about 130 different marine animals that are negatively impacted by underwater noise,” Mollie Anderson, senior campaign strategist at Canadian NGO Oceans North, told RFI in Nice.

“In some instances, they’re leaving areas altogether where noise is sustained and consistent.”

Sound travels more than four times faster in saltwater than in air, reaching vast distances and interfering with how marine animals communicate, hunt and navigate.

The big blue blindspot: why the ocean floor is still an unmapped mystery

Arctic under pressure

The problem is especially acute in the Arctic, where melting sea ice is opening new shipping lanes in waters that were once among the quietest in the world.

“In the Northwest Passage alone, there’s been a 30 percent increase in ship traffic since 2016,” Anderson explained. “That is having a significant impact on the marine ecosystem in the Arctic.”

Species like belugas and narwhals, which rely on sound to survive, are already changing their behaviour.

“These specied are having a hard time communicating with each other, performing bottom dives and other essential functions to feed themselves and to take care of their babies,” she said.

The disruption is not only ecological – it’s also affecting people. As noise drives marine mammals away from their usual habitats, indigenous communities are finding it harder to hunt the animals they have long depended on.

“Many indigenous people, particularly Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, are reliant on marine mammals for food security and cultural continuity,” Anderson said.

Niue, the tiny island selling the sea to save it from destruction

Simple steps, urgent need

The new declaration – known as the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean – is voluntary, but calls for quieter ship design, noise limits in marine protected areas and shared access to sound-monitoring technology.

It also aims to help countries with fewer resources to monitor and manage ocean noise.

Some of the most effective changes are also the simplest, Anderson said. “Even a reduction in speed of a few knots can make a big decibel difference.”

Other measures include re-routing ships away from sensitive zones, using more efficient propellers and switching to electric or hybrid engines.

In a recent pilot project, Oceans North measured the sound of an electric vessel using hydrophones – underwater microphones – and found it was significantly quieter than a conventional ship.

Ocean’s survival hinges on finding the billions needed to save it

From promises to policy

While some ports have introduced voluntary guidelines, regulation is needed. “There’s lots of voluntary measures that procurement and ports can adopt, but there’s no real regulation right now,” Anderson said.

“We regulate the roads that we drive on. I don’t see why it should be different for ships in certain areas. They should go faster or slower … That just seems like practical and good public policy to me.”

Panama Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro said the issue has been “sidelined in global environmental discourse” for too long.

The coalition, he said, signals a commitment to “act decisively” to protect marine biodiversity from what he called an “invisible yet powerful threat”.

Under a marine spatial plan adopted in 2022, Niue’s entire economic zone is divided into five areas – balancing strict conservation with sustainable fishing and tourism.  

“We are the astronauts of the Pacific,” says Coral Pasisi, president of the local nonprofit Tofia Niue and one of the architects of the move to sell 20-year conservation pledges for individual square kilometres of ocean.  

“Our culture is shaped by the ocean around us.” 

Pasisi is in Nice this week in her capacity as a scientist and regional leader. She is also director of climate change and sustainability at the Pacific Community (SPC), where she works with island governments on long-term strategies to manage the impacts of climate change and protect ocean resources. 

The big blue blindspot: why the ocean floor is still an unmapped mystery

Identity and survival

Niueans depend on the sea not just for food – which supplies more than 70 percent of their protein – but for stories, identity and survival.  

“We are surrounded by the ocean. We live off the ocean,” Pasisi told RFI. 

When a scientific expedition with National Geographic’s Pristine Seas team filmed the abundance of life beneath their waters in 2016, it brought many residents face to face with their marine heritage for the first time.  

The result was a groundswell of support to protect the island’s 127,000 square kilometre exclusive economic zone. 

Longevity blueprint

Niue’s conservation model is designed not just to protect the ocean, but to fund its guardianship for a generation.

It centres on Ocean Conservation Commitments, which are 20‑year sponsorships that help cover the costs of monitoring, enforcement and local stewardship. 

Within its waters lies the Moana Mahu Marine Protected Area – a zone covering 40 percent of Niue’s waters, where all fishing and extractive activity is banned. 

Ocean’s survival hinges on finding the billions needed to save it

At its heart is Beveridge Reef, a submerged coral atoll teeming with life: schools of grey reef sharks, singing humpback whales and the katuali – a rare venomous sea snake found nowhere else on Earth. 

“On every dive at Beveridge Reef, we saw sharks – up to 80 grey reef sharks at a time,” said Alan Friedlander, chief scientist at Pristine Seas. 

According to the organisation, the reef has “some of the highest densities of this species found anywhere in the world”. 

Generational wisdom

The conservation sponsorships treat the Moana Mahu sanctuary as a shared global asset, absorbing carbon dioxide and preserving biodiversity. 

“What we basically did was democratise that area into square kilometres … to help make sure that this is not a paper park – that we can actually protect it robustly,” Pasisi says.  

Behind Niue’s ocean strategy is a deeper legacy – one rooted in lived experience and generational wisdom.  

“When I take my children out to fish and spearfish, when I teach them what to shoot and what not to shoot, what to take and what not to take, it’s not my Western system of education and learning that taught me that,” Pasisi explains.  

“It is the knowledge that was passed down to me from my father, my mother and their parents. And that’s 4,000 years of knowledge. 

“The ocean made us who we are. Now we’re making sure it’s there for those who come after us.” 

Since its founding in 1975, ESA has contributed to a broad range of scientific and technological areas. One of its most notable moments came in 2014 with the Rosetta mission, when the Philae lander became the first human-made object to land on a comet. The event drew global attention and is considered a major milestone in robotic space exploration.

Copernicus and Galileo

ESA has also developed long-running programmes such as Copernicus and Galileo, which continue to serve scientific, environmental, and practical purposes. Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation programme, uses satellite data to monitor environmental changes. According to ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, “Without those satellites that we have built – and Europe has built many of those – we would not understand the extent of climate change.”

Ariane 6 rocket debuts successfully restoring Europe’s space independence

Meanwhile, Galileo, ESA’s satellite navigation system, now in its 30th year, has become a key infrastructure for location and timing services. Aschbacher described it as “the most accurate navigation system in the world,” with wide applications across transport, telecommunications, and emergency services.

Over the years, ESA has also expanded its international cooperation. It works with agencies in the United States, Japan, India, the UAE, and Australia, among others, across a range of missions and projects. “Partners want to work with us. We have something interesting to offer,” Aschbacher said, referring to ESA’s role in collaborative initiatives.

 New objectives?

Looking to the months ahead, a major point of focus is the ESA Ministerial Council, to be held in November. Occurring every three years, the council allows ESA’s 22 member states to allocate funding to various programmes. Unlike some international agencies, ESA operates on a voluntary contribution model. “I have to make proposals that are very attractive that member states want to participate and want to put money in. Otherwise, I’m not succeeding,” said Aschbacher.

The funding proposals being prepared for the Council span a wide range of domains, including Earth observation, satellite navigation, telecommunication, astronaut missions, launch systems, and planetary exploration, including the Moon and Mars.

First commercial launch of Europe’s Ariane 6 carrying French military satellite

ESA also has a busy launch schedule for 2025, with over ten missions planned. These include new Sentinel satellites under the Copernicus programme, further Galileo satellites, as well as the April launch of Biomass Earth Explorer mission, which will measure tropical forest biomass as part of broader efforts to monitor carbon cycles.

Several smaller missions based on CubeSats and micro-satellites are also in development, incorporating onboard artificial intelligence to process data in orbit more efficiently.

ESA is placing increased emphasis on the role of space-based technologies across different sectors. In Aschbacher’s view, their relevance is likely to expand significantly in coming decades.

“Space today already has many applications… but in 20 years from today, you cannot live without space technology,” he said, comparing the trajectory of space tech to the early development of the internet.

As ESA reaches the 50-year mark, attention is focused not just on past achievements but also on how space technologies might be integrated more deeply into scientific research, infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and industry in the years ahead.

“The situation clearly remains volatile and unstable. I think it’s a very good thing that President Trump is calling for a ceasefire,” Macron told reporters on Tuesday during a visit to Norway.

Trump said earlier that Israel and Iran had agreed to a truce which would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.

Noting reports of missiles having been fired after the ceasefire announcement, the French president said that “the last few minutes have shown that the situation remains very fragile”.

Israel launched strikes against Iran on 13 June, hitting nuclear and military sites as well as residential areas, and prompting waves of Iranian missile attacks on Israel.

While Iran and Israel have been in a shadow war against each other for decades, this has been by far the most destructive confrontation between the arch-foes.

Macron reiterates call for resumption of diplomacy to stop Middle East conflict

Secret uranium enrichment

Macron also said that “one of the main risks for the region and the international community” was that Iran would attempt to enrich uranium covertly.

Western powers, including the United States, have long accused Iran of secretly working to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has denied the claim, saying its programme is peaceful.

“This risk has indeed increased with what has happened recently,” Macron told reporters, adding that “we must absolutely prevent Iran from going down this path”.

The comments came after the US targeted an underground uranium enrichment centre with massive bunker-busting bombs and hitting two other nuclear facilities at the weekend.

Iran retaliated on Monday by launching a missile towards the largest US military facility in the Middle East – Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Macron took to social media to convey France’s support for Qatar and “each of its partners in the Gulf”.

France expresses concern, urges restraint, over US strikes on Iran

He declared that US strikes on Iran were not legal, but that France supported the objective of keeping Tehran from developing nuclear arms.

“While we can consider there being legitimacy in neutralising nuclear structures in Iran given the objectives we share… There is no legality in these strikes,” Macron told reporters in Norway.

“We have consistently believed from the beginning that this can only be achieved through diplomatic and technical means,” the French president said, speaking alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

Store echoed the sentiment.

“International law has some clear principles on the use of force. It can be granted by the Security Council or it can be in pure self defence,” Macron said, noting that this meant the strikes were “outside the realm of international law.”

Exercise restraint

The US decision to launch strikes on Iran in support of Israel has divided Europe’s NATO members, who are gathering for a two-day summit in The Hague.

Germany is strongly backing the US move but others – including Norway – have said it broke international law.

NATO 2025 starts in The Hague amid unprecedented security and citywide disruptions

The French head of state also voiced his opposition to any intention of a regime change in Iran through military means.

“Every time we’ve made this choice, whatever the legitimacy of the initial approach … we made a mistake,” he said, adding that such actions had not led to increased stability in the past.

“I call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, de-escalate and return to the negotiating table,” Macron said.

(with AFP)

The Nantes appeals court found France liable for the death of Jean-René Auffray, citing its “negligence” in enforcing environmental regulations to protect its waters and prevent toxic green algae blooms.

For more than five decades, tons of green algae have washed up annually on Brittany‘s beaches in western France, releasing hydrogen sulphide gas as it rots – a toxin that can prove deadly in high concentrations.

Auffray, a keen trail runner, died of sudden respiratory failure while jogging in the algae-choked Gouessant estuary near the city of Saint-Brieuc.

Toxic algae

His family sued over his death, but in 2022 a court rejected the claim, ruling there was insufficient evidence to link the toxic algae to Auffray’s death.

Tuesday’s decision reversed that ruling, marking the first time France has been held liable for the health risks posed by deadly green algae blooms along its coast.

The court “holds the State liable for negligence due to its failure to implement European and national regulations designed to protect waters from agricultural pollution”, which is “the main cause of the proliferation of green algae in Brittany”, it explained in a statement.

Green algae: French government blamed for water pollution

The court found Auffray’s death was caused by a rapid pulmonary oedema – a condition in which there is too much fluid in the lungs – which could only be explained by fatal poisoning from inhaling hydrogen sulphide at very high concentrations.

“For the first time, a French court has recognised the link between a person’s death and the state’s negligence in these green algae cases,” said the family’s lawyer, Francois Lafforgue.

The deceased’s family will receive partial compensation, as the court found the state 60 percent liable, noting that he had taken a personal risk by jogging in the estuary.

The state has been ordered to pay 277,343 euros to the jogger’s wife, 15,000 euros to each of his three children, and 9,000 euros to his brother.

Raising pork in Brittany the eco-friendly way

Nitrate pollution

According to a 2021 report from France’s top audit court, around 90 percent of Brittany’s algae blooms are caused by agriculture, where the use of nitrogen fertilisers has increased significantly since the 1960s.

Intensive farming – especially pig farming – and the resulting nitrate pollution have been linked to the spread of green algae in the western Cotes-d’Armor region.

(with newswires)

EDF, a leader in hydro-electric technology, won the tender in January 2024 to carry out preliminary studies on the conception and construction of a hydroelectric power plant in Saudi Arabia’s futuristic megacity in the desert, known as Neom.

But the Saudi authorities have quietly cancelled the contract, an investigation by Radio France revealed on Tuesday.

The kingdom informed EDF in March that they no longer required the hydroelectric plant. Instead, Neom officials said that “a mix of photovoltaic panels, wind power and batteries should suffice” to power the reduced development.

Launched in 2017 as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s flagship Vision 2030 project, Neom is set to include a 170-kilometre linear city called The Line, a luxury island resort on the Red Sea (Sindalah) and a ski resort to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

As the original anticipated cost of $500bn exploded to an estimated $8.8 trillion, Bloomberg reports that The Line has now been reduced to just 2.4 kilometres.

Jet skis in the desert: winter lake creates Saudi watersports oasis

‘Good’ or ‘depressing’ news

At EDF’s hydraulic engineering centre in La Motte-Servolex, Savoie – where 30 to 40 employees had worked on the project for several years – staff expressed mixed feelings. “This abandonment is good news because employees will no longer be at odds with this project,” said Florian Chollet, a CGT union rep at EDF Hydro.

Some EDF employees had already expressed discomfort over the Neom project. “You play golf and organise Winter Games in the middle of the desert” they told Radio France in 2024, viewing the project as contrary to the company’s commitments to promoting sustainablity. 

However, certain engineers regretted losing the technical challenge of building a hydroelectric plant in the Saudi desert –  pumping seawater, desalinating it, and transporting it via a pipeline to the desert location.  

“Some staff spent three or four years on this project. Overnight, it stops without warning. That can be violent and depressing,” Stéphane Bon-Mardion, another CGT representative at EDF Hydro, told Radio France.

EDF’s management has yet to officially comment on the loss of the contract, but it was seen as providing the renationalised utility giant – saddled with a €47bn debt – a welcome boost.

Staff at France’s EDF question involvement in futuristic Saudi city

Safety issues

Neom is being built on the Red Sea in the Tabuk region in northeast Saudi Arabia on some 26,000km2 of land. The decision to scale it down reflects broader challenges.

With over 100,000 workers mobilised across an area the size of Belgium, the project has struggled with overcrowded camps, inadequate infrastructure, and multiple safety incidents, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal, which has described the megaproject as a “dystopia” in the desert.

In November 2024 five fatal accidents occurred at work sites and on roads within the project area. Independent reports commissioned by Neom in 2022 highlighted the absence of a comprehensive emergency plan and insufficient resources to handle the scale of the project.

According to the Financial Times, Neom’s new acting CEO, Aiman al-Mudaifer, appointed in November following the departure of his predecessor, has launched a “comprehensive review” of the project’s scope and priorities. The review is taking place “in an environment of limited resources,” as Saudi Arabia recalibrates its spending amid falling oil prices and the vast scale of Vision 2030 commitments.

Despite such setbacks, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears determined to continue with a scaled-down version of Neom. The project, owned by the kingdom’s $940-billion sovereign wealth fund, remains central to Saudi efforts to diversify away from its dependency on oil.

The organisation of the two sporting extravaganzas last summer cost €2.77 billion, which included €1.4 billion for security.

A further €3.19 billion was spent on work linked to infrastructure projects.

The Olympics ran from July 26 to August 11, while the Paralympics took place from August 28 to September 8, with organisers making the most of historic sites in central Paris, either as venues or the backdrop to the events.

The Games were widely hailed as highly successful.

The national audit body said there would be a “heightened interest” in the figures because France is also preparing to host the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

It is the first time actual figures have been announced, although the president of the national audit body, Pierre Moscovici, had in 2024 said they would cost the state “three, maybe four, five billion euros”.

Moscovici, a former French finance minister and European Union Commissioner, added that the real costs would only be known at the end of the Games.

A ‘success’ with the public, media

Until now only the costs of the local organising committee (COJO) of €4.4 billion, which represented a surplus of €76 million, have been made public.

That figure came almost exclusively from private financing and from Solideo, the body responsible for delivering Olympic construction projects, which was in part publicly financed.

Lavish Paris Olympics river ceremony cost €100m, finance report reveals

A more detailled report will be published in October as other costs are not yet known.

The body added that because of a lack of concrete information the figures did not include “the positive and negative impact the Games had on economic activity”.

It said however that the Games were “indisputably a success with the public and the media”.

Another report on the legacy of the Games will be published in 2026. 

(with AFP)

The prosecutor’s office in Saint-Quentin announced on Monday that a preliminary judicial inquiry for involuntary homicide had been opened last week, alongside a health investigation.

“This preliminary investigation was opened against unknown persons on charges of involuntary manslaughter, involuntary injury, endangering the lives of others and deception regarding goods presenting a danger to human life,” according to a press release from the public prosecutor’s office.

Authorities in the Aisne department announced that the number of victims had risen to 19 after another child had been admitted to hospital with symptoms of food poisoning.

French health chiefs identify E coli as cause of major food poisoning outbreak

Eight of these young patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication characterised in particular by acute renal failure, one of whom, a 12-year-old girl, died on 16 June.

Currently, six children who contracted HUS are still receiving dialysis, while ten other children have been able to leave the hospital and return home, while receiving “continuous medical monitoring,” the prefecture said in a statement.

Samples under scrutiny

French Health Minister Yannick Neuder confirmed on Sunday during a press briefing in Saint-Quentin that the children had been affected by a contamination with the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria.

“At this stage, the most likely cause of contamination is meat consumption,” the Aisne prefecture recalled on Monday, while stressing that “school catering is not targeted in any of the cases identified.”

Nestlé France offers compensation to victims of food poisoning

Four butcher shops in Saint-Quentin, as well as the meat departments of two supermarkets in the area, have been closed as a precaution in recent days, and samples taken from these stores are currently being analysed.

The results of these analyses are expected “by the end of the week,” and “food investigations into the origin of the contamination carried out over the last two days have not revealed any new businesses,” according to the prefecture.

HUS affects between 100 and 165 children in France each year, according to the country’s public health agency.

(with AFP)

The killing of the 31-year-old teaching assistant – named only as Melanie – caused widespread shock, just months after another student killed a girl and wounded several others in a stabbing in western France.

Her funeral for took place on 17 June in Sarcey, a small village near Nogent, in eastern France.

14-year-old student Quentin G. was charged with the “murder of a person in a position of authority”, which under French law is an aggravating circumstance.

The suspect was also named as a person of interest in the assault of a gendarme during his arrest shortly after the fatal stabbing, prosecutors in the eastern city of Dijon said.

The attack took place during a routine bag check in front of the Françoise Dolto secondary school.

‘Fascination for violence’

Prosecutors said later that the pupil had wanted to attack “any” monitor after being reprimanded a few days earlier for kissing his girlfriend.

Regional prosecutor Denis Devallois told reporters that the teenager acknowledged “being the perpetrator” of the deadly stabbing and that he “intended to kill”.

Devallois said the suspect was a fan of “violent video games”, and showed a “fascination for violence and death”.

French government to ban knife sales to minors after deadly school attack

As a minor, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison instead of life imprisonment.

The victim, a former hairdresser, had worked at the school since September. She was a mother of a four-year-old boy and a councillor in her village.

Last week, the Ministry of Education announced that on top of the Legion d’honneur, she would also receive the title of Commander of the “Palmes Académiques”, the oldest distinction awarded to a civilian.

Son to receive award

The status of Ward of the Nation, which offers special material and moral protection to the children of victims of acts of terrorism, will be granted to her son.

France has seen several attacks on teachers and pupils in recent years by schoolchildren and authorities have promised a raft of measures to tackle knife crime among children.

In March, police began carrying out random searches for concealed weapons in and around schools.

EU countries push for stricter rules to keep children off social media

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou‘s office said a ban on the sale of knives to minors would be implemented by a decree.

Bayrou has also called for a trial of metal detectors in schools.

Education Minister Elisabeth Borne has called for children’s screen time to be limited.

Backed by France and Spain, Greece has also spearheaded a proposal for how the EU should limit children’s use of online platforms as evidence shows that social media can have negative effects on children’s mental and physical health.

(with AFP)

Philippe, a former prime minister and strong centrist contender for the 2027 presidential elections, has denied all the allegations.

A former senior official with the local authority, who has asked to remain anonymous, filed the complaint on Friday against Philippe and two others, her lawyer told French news agency AFP, as well as the Le Monde newspaper and the France Inter broadcaster.

The accusations include alleged bullying, favouritism and illegal taking of interest, said lawyer Jerome Karsenti.

France’s rights ombudswoman in January gave the female civil servant the status of whistleblower, a label Philippe has rejected.

The plaintiff had already filed a first complaint in September 2023, relating to the setting up of a digital hub in the city that aims to encourage innovation.

That led financial prosecutors later the same year to open a preliminary probe targeting Philippe and two other Le Havre officials on suspicion of influence peddling, favouritism, embezzlement of public funds and bullying.

As part of that investigation, French police in April 2024 searched Le Havre’s city hall.

A judicial source told AFP that probe was still ongoing and investigators were examining documents seized during the city hall raid.

Police raid ex-French PM’s office in Le Havre as part of corruption inquiry

‘Sad vendetta’

But the plaintiff told AFP and the two other media outlets that she felt like the case was not moving forward, and her lawyer said he feared the financial prosecutor’s office would be too scared to look into the alleged involvement of “a probable future presidential candidate”.

She hoped that this new complaint would trigger the appointment of an independent investigating magistrate, and allow her to be informed of the investigation’s progress as a civil party in the case.

Philippe, who was prime minister from 2017 to 2020, has rejected all accusations.

Former French PM Edouard Philippe announces 2027 presidential bid

“The plaintiff is pursuing her sad vendetta which has nothing to do with the cry of a whistleblower but rather relates to the unhappiness of a civil servant whose contract was not renewed,” he told AFP.

Philippe runs a centrist movement called Horizons that is allied with – but not part of – President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist faction.

He has firmly declared his intention to run for president in 2027, with polls showing him as the strongest candidate from the centre to take on the far right.

(with AFP)

“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.

Trump said the ceasefire would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations. Israel would follow suit 12 hours later, the president said.

The adversaries have been swapping missile fire since Israel carried out surprise “preemptive” strikes against Iran on 13 June, targeting nuclear and military sites, prompting Trump to warn of a possible “massive” regional conflict.

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran’s health ministry has said. Twenty-four people have died in Iran’s attacks on Israel, according to official figures.

Israel said early Tuesday it had agreed to Trump’s proposal for a bilateral ceasefire with Iran but will “react with force” to any violation.

“Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defence,” the statement said.

 “Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the cabinet… to announce that Israel had achieved all the objectives of Operation ‘Rising Lion’ and much more,” the government said in a statement, adding that it had removed “an immediate dual existential threat: nuclear and ballistic”.

Just hours before Trump’s latest announcement, Iran‘s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that “as of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on ceasefire or cessation of military operations”.

“However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” he said on social media.

Trump says US attack ‘obliterated’ Iran nuclear sites

Overnight strikes

At least four people were killed in a multi-wave Iranian missile attack shortly before the staggered ceasefire was meant to enter into force, Israeli emergency services and the military said.

The Magen David Adom rescue service said three people were pronounced dead at the scene of a strike in the southern city of Beersheba while a fourth was added in an update to its figures.

Explosions also continued to rock Tehran overnight, with explosions in the north and center of the Iranian capital described by journalists as some of the strongest since the conflict broke out.

Iran media reported that overnight Israeli strikes on residential buildings killed nine people in the north of the country and says a nuclear scientist was also killed.

US base in Qatar hit

The US leader’s ceasefire announcement came hours after Iran launched missiles at the largest US military facility in the Middle East – Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar – in a move Trump shrugged off as “very weak.”

Calling for a de-escalation, Trump said Tehran had given advance notice of the barrage and the base had been evacuated. No one had been hurt in the attack, Trump said.

Iran’s National Security Council confirmed having targeted the base “in response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran’s nuclear sites and facilities.”

Macron reiterates call for resumption of diplomacy to stop Middle East conflict

But it added that the number of missiles launched “was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used” – a signal that it had calibrated its response to be directly proportional rather than escalatory.

Iran said its assault in Qatar wasn’t targeting the Middle Eastern neighbor, but the government in Doha accused Tehran of “blatant aggression” and claimed its right to a “proportional” response.

Air space closed

Qatar earlier announced the temporary closure of its airspace in light of “developments in the region,” while the US embassy and other foreign missions warned their citizens to shelter in place.

The broadside was made up of “short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles,” a US defense official said.

“This was calibrated and telegraphed in a way that would not result in any American casualties, so that there is an off ramp for both sides,” Ali Vaez, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, told AFP.

The offensive came after the United States joined its ally Israel’s military campaign against Iran, attacking an underground uranium enrichment center with massive bunker-busting bombs and hitting two other nuclear facilities overnight Saturday into Sunday.

(with AFP)

This week, we go to East Africa where Kenyans are protesting to denounce police brutality, exactly a year after a wave of protests organised against an unjust tax, that led to police violence.

This year’s protests were triggered by the killing by the police of a teacher and blogger in his cell. Albert Ojwang, 31, had been arrested for criticising a policeman online.

On Monday (23 June), Kenyan prosecutors said they were charging six people, including three police officers, with murder over his death.

To better understand the issues surrounding this incident, Spotlight on Africa podcast spoke to Douglas Lucas Kivoi, Principal Policy Analyst, Governance Department, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA).

Africa Basel 

We also head to Switzerland for a new artistic event known as Africa Basel.

This first edition of a contemporary African art fair was created to coincide with the largest fair in the world, Art Basel, in Switzerland. It was held from 17 to 22 June, with over 30 galleries and dozens of artists.

Spotlight on Africa spoke with the two co-founders of the event, as they opened the first days of the event in Basel: Benjamin Füglister, artist and cultural entrepreneur born in Switzerland, and now the director of the Africa Basel and Sarah Hachi-Duchêne, curator at unx.art.

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Cecile Pompeani.

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

Carson Branstine beat her 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 to advance to the second round where she will face her fellow Canadian Bianca Andreescu.

Boisson was placed in the 128-player draw as the top seed on the back of her exploits on the clay courts at the French Open where she beat two top 10 players to reach the semi-final and climb nearly 300 rungs in the WTA ladder to world number 65.

But the 22-year-old, playing competitively for the first time on grass, was outfoxed in the key moments.

Serving to stay in the match, a cautious forehand drive landed mid court and Branstine advanced to slap away a cross court forehand winner to set up a match point.

In the next exchange, the 24-year-old chased down Boisson’s poorly disguised drop shot and engineered a stroke that forced Boisson into making a defensive lob.

The world 197 coolly terminated Boisson’s interest in the tournament with an overhead smash to conclude affairs on the main court at the Community Sports Centre in Roehampton, south-west London.

“She’s an incredible player,” said Branstine after her battle which lasted one hour and 53 minutes. “She fights for every point. Her result at the French Open speaks for itself. I’m proud of myself.”

Elsewhere in the ladies’ qualifying tournament, there were mixed fortunes for French players.

Diane Parry eliminated the Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykov in three sets but Tessah Andrianjafitrimo lost to Solana Sierra from Argentina.

The 10th seed won 6-1, 6-3 in 72 minutes to progress to the second round.

Sixteen players from the qualifying tournament win a place in the main draw of the singles event at Wimbledon which takes place at the All England Lawn Tennis Club between 30 June and 12 July.

Iran’s judiciary said Israeli strikes left sections of the facility damaged and Israel’s defence minister confirmed the army was targeting it.

Cécile Kohler has been held along with her partner Jacques Paris in Evin since May 2022 on espionage charges their families reject.

Overall, Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals in what some Western governments describe as a strategy of hostage-taking aimed at extracting concessions from the West.

Most are held in Evin, a large, heavily fortified complex notorious among activists for rights abuses.

It is located in a northern district of the Iranian capital.

Family of French couple jailed in Iran pleads for humanitarian evacuation

“This strike is completely irresponsible. Cécile, Jacques and all the prisoners are in mortal danger,” Noémie Kohler told French news agency AFP.

“This is really the worst thing that could have happened,” she added.

Lack of news

“We have no news, we don’t know if they are still alive, we’re panicking,” Noémie Kohler said.

She urged the French authorities to “condemn these extremely dangerous strikes” and secure the release of the French prisoners.

She also expressed concern about the risk of “chaos” and “riots”.

France sues Iran at top UN court over citizens detained in Tehran

Noémie Kohler has tirelessly campaigned to secure the release of her sister and her sister’s partner Jacques Paris.

Chirinne Ardakani, a lawyer for the Kohler family, denounced the strikes as “illegal”.

“The risk of riots, general confusion and reprisals by the security forces against the insurgent prisoners raises fears of bloodshed,” she told AFP.

“Both sides are playing with people’s lives.”

The Iranian judiciary’s website, Mizan Online, said that the prison buildings remained “under control.”

Iran’s Tasnim news agency said Israel also carried out a strike on the underground Fordo nuclear site, south of Tehran, already hit by US “bunker buster” bombs at the weekend.

The Israeli strikes on Monday hit a power supply system in Tehran, triggering outages in some areas, Fars news agency said.

Israeli strikes on Iran since 13 June have killed more than 400 people, Iran’s health ministry said. Iran’s attacks on Israel have killed 24 people, according to official figures.

(with AFP)

Police initially claimed he had taken his own life until government pathologists found he had been killed.

The case sparked rallies against police brutality – a long-running complaint in the east African country – which were met with tear gas and a mob of violent paid “goons” last week.

There was also outrage after an incident, witnessed by reporters from French news agency AFP and widely shared on social media, in which a police officer shot a bystander to the protests at point-blank range. He remains in critical condition in hospital.

Ojwang was initially arrested over allegedly criticising deputy police chief Eliud Lagat in online posts.

Violence erupts in Kenya as ‘goons’ attack protesters over death in police custody

Lagat has “stepped aside” during the investigation into Ojwang’s death, but protesters have called for his full resignation and charges against him.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said on social media platform X that it had “approved murder charges against six individuals”, including three officers and three other suspects, who were presented at Nairobi’s Kibera High Court on Monday.

Anniversary of protests

Earlier this month, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority said 18 people had died in police custody in the past four months.

Ojwang’s death comes at a sensitive time as Kenya marks the anniversary on Wednesday of massive Gen Z-led demonstrations against President William Ruto’s government last year.

Kenya protests reignited by custody death, but ‘Gen Z’ movement remains divided

On Monday, a government spokesperson said there would be “no protests” on 25 June, instead asking people to commemorate at home.

But last week, Nairobi Regional Police Commander George Seda told reporters his officers were prepared for protests, urging people to restrict themselves to “peaceful demonstrations”.

(with AFP)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored PSG’s opener in the 35th minute at Lumen Field in Seattle. And Achraf Hakimi doubled the advantage mid way through the second-half.

“We didn’t start the match well,” said PSG boss Luis Enrique. “We let Seattle have a few chances but by the end we were worthy winners and so I’m happy.”

Enrique’s men entered the 32-team tournament in the United States as one of the favourites for the title after claiming four trophies this year.

On May 31, PSG lifted the Champions League for the first time after thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final in Munich.

 In the prelude to claiming European club football’s most prestigious trophy, they won the Coupe de France, the Ligue 1 title and the French Super Cup.

On Sunday night at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, PSG will take on the runner-up from Group A. 

Botafogo will play that pool’s victor on Saturday night at Lincoln Field in Philadelphia.

The Brazilians, who won the Copa Libertadores last November, went down to Antoine Griezmann’s late strike for Atletico.

But it was not enough to lift the Spaniards into second place. 

On Tuesday in the competition, in Group A, Inter Miami face Palmeiras and Porto take on Al Ahly.

In Group C, Auckland City FC play Boca Juniors and second-placed Benfica battle with pacesetters Bayern Munich.

Health Minister Yannick Neuder confirmed on Sunday that E coli was behind the outbreak around Saint-Quentin, some 80km south of Lille.

“An initial series of tests determined that it is E coli,” said Neuder. “There will be a second round of tests this week at the Pasteur Institute to continue the investigation and establish the causal link.”

Authorities have deployed more than 30 investigators in the region to trace the chain of contamination.

“Tests are underway to establish a definitive link,” Neuder added.

The search for the source of the contamination has been complicated as the butchers do not have a common supplier.

“The idea is not to cause panic,” Neuder insisted. “It is still possible to eat meat. That’s not the issue.”

Eight of the 17 children affected over the past week are in hospital. Six are suffering from haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a serious kidney condition which occurs in most cases as a complication of E coli bacterial poisoning. It leads to bruising or tiny red spots on the skin, blood in the urine and exhaustion. 

It affects 100 to 165 children per year in France, according to the French public health institute.

‘Closed as a precautionary measure’

Two butcher shops in Saint-Quentin were closed as a precautionary measure on 19 June while investigations into the source of the poisoning were carried out.

“The sick children consumed meat or meat products from two establishments a few days before the symptoms appeared,”  said the Aisne prefecture which covers the region.

On 20 June, the prefecture added two more butcher shops to the list but did not close them. However, it advised customers not to consume products purchased from the shops. On 22 June, the butcher’s department in a supermarket in Saint-Quentin and a supermarket in Gauchy were suspended.

Nestlé France offers compensation to victims of food poisoning

During their initial investigations, health authorities tested the tap water in Saint-Quentin and the swimming pool water. However, these leads were ruled out.

E coli bacteria are one of the most well-known causes of serious and sometimes fatal food poisoning. They are a large family of bacteria, many of which are present in the human digestive system and even help it to function.

However, certain strains can cause poisoning. This is often food-borne, usually caused by eating raw or undercooked food. Symptoms generally appear three or four days after ingestion and in most cases result in stomach ache and diarrhoea. 

“But an increasing number of outbreaks are being linked to the consumption of fruit and vegetables – sprouted seeds, spinach, lettuce, raw cabbage and salads,” said a spokeswoman at the World Health Organisation.

(With news wires)

This week, we go to East Africa where Kenyans are protesting to denounce police brutality, exactly a year after a wave of protests organised against an unjust tax, that led to police violence.

This year’s protests were triggered by the killing by the police of a teacher and blogger in his cell. Albert Ojwang, 31, had been arrested for criticising a policeman online.

On Monday (23 June), Kenyan prosecutors said they were charging six people, including three police officers, with murder over his death.

To better understand the issues surrounding this incident, Spotlight on Africa podcast spoke to Douglas Lucas Kivoi, Principal Policy Analyst, Governance Department, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA).

Africa Basel 

We also head to Switzerland for a new artistic event known as Africa Basel.

This first edition of a contemporary African art fair was created to coincide with the largest fair in the world, Art Basel, in Switzerland. It was held from 17 to 22 June, with over 30 galleries and dozens of artists.

Spotlight on Africa spoke with the two co-founders of the event, as they opened the first days of the event in Basel: Benjamin Füglister, artist and cultural entrepreneur born in Switzerland, and now the director of the Africa Basel and Sarah Hachi-Duchêne, curator at unx.art.

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Cecile Pompeani.

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

Earlier this month, EU and Turkish officials met under the bloc’s Common Security and Defence Policy for the first time in three years.

The talks are part of a push to develop a more independent European defence system, amid concerns that a second Donald Trump presidency might weaken NATO’s guarantee to protect Europe.

Many see Turkey as well-placed to help meet the EU’s defence goals.

“We have huge potential for cooperation with Turkey,” said Federico Donelli, an international relations expert at Trieste University.

He pointed out that Turkey has the second-largest army in NATO, and that “many European defence systems are in some way compatible with Turkish military hardware because the majority of EU members are NATO members”.

Donelli said Turkey’s fast-growing defence sector could help the EU’s efforts to rearm.

“Turkey is one of the emerging players in the security market. One of Turkey’s key assets is producing efficiently at a lower cost compared with American or Israeli companies.”

Ankara’s expanding military

Turkey was recently admitted to the EU’s €150 billion Safety Assistance for Europe arms procurement programme.

While Turkey is not yet one of the top 10 global weapons producers, it has made major advances in certain areas. It is one of the world’s biggest producers of military drones and has developed a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

Last year, Turkish company Repkon built a munitions factory in the United States using technology designed to speed up production.

And this month, Turkey’s drone maker Baykar signed a deal with Italy’s Leonardo to develop drones together. The deal is expected to help Baykar meet EU rules that require 65 percent of the value of any arms contract to go to an EU firm.

Sinan Ciddi, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, said Turkey brings valuable assets to the table.

“Turkey has a vast ability not only to procure and manufacture but also to supply these, that’s readily available. So, on the physical side, it’s great,” said Ciddi.

Concerns over Turkish politics

But Turkey’s position on the war in Ukraine has raised eyebrows. Ankara has kept ties with both Kyiv and Moscow, and Ciddi said this creates a dilemma for the EU.

“On the political side, it puts the EU in a rather precarious position of having to rely on a country like Turkey simply because, you know, Turkey has been playing both sides of this conflict, so it’s a double-edged sword,” he said.

Greece and Cyprus are also worried about closer defence ties between the EU and Turkey. Both have territorial disputes with Ankara.

While relations between Athens and Ankara have improved, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis insists that any defence deal with Turkey must include a clear promise to drop threats of war.

Turkey has said for 30 years it might use force if Greece extends its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea. Athens says it has a legal right to do so under a UN maritime convention.

Turkey has rejected the demand, saying the issue should be resolved through talks. Mitsotakis is due to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of this month’s NATO summit.

Greek, Cypriot objections sidelined

Greece and Cyprus still have veto powers in the EU and have used them against Turkey in the past. But Federico Donelli said Russia’s actions have changed the mood in Europe.

“Nowadays, I think the priority of European countries – and the European Union as a whole – is more important than any concerns from Cyprus and Greece,” said Donelli.

“I don’t think they will be able to halt this process,” he added. “Honestly, the priority for European countries is security: to increase production and to cooperate with all actors who can help in the defence sector.”

In a move widely seen as a way to get around Greek and Cypriot opposition, the EU has now made decisions on arms procurement subject to majority voting.

Even so, Greece and Cyprus could still slow things down diplomatically. But with France and Germany pushing hard to boost Europe’s defences, deeper ties with Turkey are likely to move ahead.

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 winners’ 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” and 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: Brother 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 Brother 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 17 May, I asked you about the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival, which opened that week.  RFI English journalist Ollia Horton was there, and I asked you a question about her article “Ukraine, Gaza and #MeToo in the spotlight as Cannes Film Festival opens”. You were to send in the names of the three documentaries about the Ukraine conflict – as well as the names of the filmmakers – that were screened on the opening day.

The answer is: Zelensky, made by Yves Jeuland, Lisa Vapné, and Ariane Chemin; Notre Guerre (“Our War”) by Bernard-Henri Lévy and co-director Marc Roussel, and 2,000 metres to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov and Alex Babenko.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Khondaker Rafiq Ul from Naogaon, Bangladesh: “What was your happiest moment in your radio – or your DXing – history?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI English listener Hijab Abid, a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Hijab is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Hijab!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Paresh Hazarika, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, and RFI Listeners Club members Ataur Rahman Ranju, the president of the Alokito Manush Cai International Radio Listeners Club in Rangpur, Bangladesh, and Samir Mukhopadhyay from West Bengal, India. Last but not least, there’s RFI English listener Rabiul Awal from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Gente Humile” by Garota, played by Baden Powell; “Stairway to Heaven” by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, played by Tetiana Mazur and Serhii Shamra; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Cities in Dust” by Susan Ballion, Peter Edward Clarke and Steven Severin, performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

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 “Togo suspends French broadcasters RFI, France 24 for three months”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 14 July to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 19 July 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.   

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 winners’ 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” and 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: Brother 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 Brother 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 10 May, I asked you about a scientific summit held earlier that week here in Paris. It was about bringing to Europe US scientists whose research funds were being threatened – and now, many have been canceled – by US President Donald Trump.

The summit, called “Choose Europe for Science”, was attended by EU commissioners, scientists, and ministers for research from member countries, and hosted by Paris’s Sorbonne University. It closed with speeches by French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

You were to re-read our article “France hosts summit to lure scientists threatened by US budget cuts” and send in the answer to this question: Which specific research specialties are the Europeans hoping to attract? Amongst possible others, which specific sectors of research are the Europeans targeting?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Macron’s office said France and the EU are targeting researchers in a number of specific sectors, including health, climate, biodiversity, artificial intelligence and space.”

The first “refugee scientists”, as they’re being called, are on their way here.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “How do you greet friends and relatives? How do you greet people you are being introduced to for the first time? What do these forms of greeting mean to you?” The question was suggested by Jocelyne D’Errico from New Zealand.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State in India, who is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Radhakrishna.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria, as well as RFI Listeners Club members Rubi Saikia from Assam, India and Sahadot Hossain Khoka from Sunamganj, Bangladesh. Last but assuredly not least, RFI English listener Rajesh Dhakal from Mechi, Nepal.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Peaceful Journey” by Imade Suputra; the “Gigue” from the French Suite no. 2 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Andras Schiff; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and Quatre Bergerettes, four 18th-century French folksongs arranged by Siegfried Behrend and Sharon Isbin, performed by mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer and guitarist Sharon Isbin.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “French Polynesia unveils world’s largest marine protected zone”, which will help you with the answer.

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

Tundu Lissu is the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition Party for Democracy and Progress (Chadema). He was arrested on 9 April.

Treason charges were brought against him on 10 April, and he could receive the death penalty.

Amnesty International’s regional director for east and southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, reacted by saying that the Tanzanian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Tundu Lissu, whose arbitrary arrest and detention comes amid a growing crackdown on opposition leaders ahead of the October 2025 general election.

He added, “The authorities’ campaign of repression saw four government critics forcibly disappeared and one unlawfully killed in 2024. The police have also prevented opposition members from holding meetings and other political gatherings, subjecting them to mass arrest, arbitrary detention, and unlawful use of force.”

Tanzanian politician’s lawyers ask UN to declare his detention arbitrary

However, the opposition leader has not been released, nor have the charges been dropped. On the contrary, other members of his party have since been arrested and even subjected to torture.

Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania’s economic capital, Dar es Salaam, between 19 and 23 May, after attempting to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

The crisis extends beyond Tanzania to neighbouring Uganda and Kenya, where activists from a rights coalition in Kenya also accused police officers of sexually torturing Kenyan and Ugandan activists last month.

In this context, this week on Spotlight on Africa, RFI speaks to Tundu Lissu’s international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, who has lodged a complaint with the UN Working Group as part of a broader campaign of pressure.

This month, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Lissu’s arrest as politically motivated. Amsterdam also stated that he intends to petition the US State Department to impose sanctions.

Meanwhile, in Namibia, the first national commemoration was held on 28 May for the victims of mass killings by colonial-era German troops, in what is widely recognised as the first genocide of the 20th century.

When first the Herero and then the Nama revolted against the colonial administration, the response from Germany was brutal. An extermination order was sent by the Second Reich, and several concentration camps were built across the country.

Namibia holds controversial first commemoration of German colonial-era genocide

Some organisations representing victims’ descendants have declined to take part.

To discuss what is at stake with this commemoration, for Namibia but also for other former African colonies, we talk to the German historian Henning Melber, of the Nordic Africa Institute, who is also affiliated to the University of Pretoria and the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein in South Africa.

He says that while the announcement of an official Namibian Genocide Memorial Day has been long overdue, the chosen date of 28 May remains controversial, and that communities of descendants were excluded.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

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

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 winners’ 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” and 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: Brother 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 Brother 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 3 May, I asked you a question about women’s right to vote. Frenchwomen were granted the right to vote in 1944; the first election they voted in was in 1945. This is long after many of their sisters in other countries.

You were to re-read our article “How French women won, and used, their right to vote in 1945”, and send in the answer to this question: Which country was the first to grant women the right to vote, and in which year? I also asked you to send in the names and dates of the countries that followed the ground-breaker.

The answer is, to quote our article: “New Zealand was the pioneer, granting women the right to vote in 1893, followed by Australia in 1901, Finland in 1906, Denmark in 1915, Uruguay in 1917, Germany in 1918, the United States in 1920, and the United Kingdom in 1928.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, which was suggested by Father Stephen Wara from Bamenda, Cameroon. Father Steve wanted to know: What big anniversary do you have coming up? A birthday? A wedding? Something else? How will you celebrate it? How many guests will you invite?

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Mr. M. Ganesan from Goa, India, who is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Mr. Ganesan.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week – all women, to celebrate our big sister suffragettes who opened the door for us – are Hasina Zaman Hasi, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club members Jocelyne D’Errico from New Zealand; Jahan Ara Hussain from Odisha, India, and Shaira Hosen Mo from Kishoreganj in Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Eid Al-Adha Mubarak” by Babu and Shahnawaz, sung by Nawal Khan; Duet for Viola and Violoncello and Obligato Eyeglasses WoO 32 by Ludwig van Beethoven, performed by Keith Hamm and Julie Hereish; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Oi! Altas undas que venetz sus la mar” by Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, performed by the Eduardo Paniagua Spanish-French-Moroccan 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 Amanda Morrow’s article “The big blue blindspot: why the ocean floor is still an unmapped mystery”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 30 June to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 5 July podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

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

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

Madhya Pradesh is often referred to as the Heart of India. Located right in the middle of the country, the Indian region shows everything India has to offer through its abundant diversity. The IFTM trade show, which took place in Paris at the end of September, presented the perfect opportunity for travel enthusiasts to discover the region.

Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board, sat down to explain his approach to sustainable tourism.

“Post-covid the whole world has known a shift in their approach when it comes to tourism. And all those discerning travelers want to have different kinds of experiences: something offbeat, something new, something which has not been explored before.”

Through its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Shukla wants to showcase the deep history Madhya Pradesh has to offer.

“UNESCO is very actively supporting us and three of our sites are already World Heritage Sites. Sanchi is a very famous buddhist spiritual destination, Bhimbetka is a place where prehistoric rock shelters are still preserved, and Khajuraho is home to thousand year old temples with magnificent architecture.”

All in all, Shukla believes that there’s only one way forward for the industry: “Travelers must take sustainable tourism as a paradigm in order to take tourism to the next level.”

In partnership with Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board.

Also known as the Land of the Beautiful Islands, Malaysia’s landscape and cultural diversity is almost unmatched on the planet. Those qualities were all put on display at the Malaysian stand during the IFTM trade show.

Libra Hanif, director of Tourism Malaysia, explained the appeal of the country as well as the importance of promoting sustainable tourism today: “Sustainable travel is a major trend now, with the changes that are happening post-covid. People want to get close to nature, to get close to people. So Malaysia being a multicultural and diverse [country] with a lot of natural environments, we felt that it’s a good thing for us to promote Malaysia.”

Malaysia has also gained fame in recent years, through its numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which include Kinabalu Park and the Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley.

Green mobility has also become an integral part of tourism in Malaysia, with an increasing number of people using bikes to discover the country: “If you are a little more adventurous, we have the mountain back trails where you can cut across gazetted trails to see the natural attractions and the wildlife that we have in Malaysia,” says Hanif. “If you are not that adventurous, you’ll be looking for relaxing cycling. We also have countryside spots, where you can see all the scenery in a relaxing session.”

With more than 25,000 visitors at this IFTM trade show this year, Malaysia’s tourism board got to showcase the best the country and its people have to offer.

In partnership with Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. For more information about Malaysia, click here.