rfi 2025-07-08 20:07:52



European Union

Poland’s border clampdown highlights EU tensions as leaders gather in London

Poland has reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania, marking a significant shift in the region’s approach to free movement within the Schengen Area. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, comes amid growing concerns over illegal migration and follows similar measures introduced by Germany earlier this year. The new controls, which began overnight on Sunday, are set to last for an initial period of 30 days, although Polish authorities have not ruled out an extension.

According to the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, 52 checkpoints have been established along the German border and 13 along the Lithuanian border. The checks are being carried out by the Border Guard, supported by police and Territorial Defence Force soldiers.

Inspections are conducted randomly, with a focus on vans, vehicles carrying multiple passengers, and cars with tinted windows. Officials have emphasised that these are not a return to pre-Schengen barriers; vehicles will pass through, and only selected cars will be stopped for document and boot checks.

The move is a response to what Polish authorities describe as a spike in irregular migration, with far-right groups in Poland alleging that Germany has been pushing migrants back into Polish territory after they reached Western Europe.

Migrant centre in Germany feels the heat from rising far right

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has made tougher migration policy a central part of his administration, recently increased police presence at Germany’s borders and announced that some asylum seekers would be turned away.

For the European Union, these developments highlight the growing strain on the Schengen system, which has long been seen as a cornerstone of European integration and economic cooperation.

The temporary reintroduction of border controls is permitted under EU rules in cases of serious threats to internal security, but Brussels and many observers see the trend as a worrying sign of retreat from collective solutions to migration and security challenges.

Summit on Ukraine

The timing of Poland’s decision is particularly notable as it coincides with French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the United Kingdom, where he is hosting a summit on Ukraine.

The summit, which brings together European leaders to discuss support for Kyiv and broader security issues, is set against a backdrop of shifting alliances and heightened concerns about border security across the continent. Poland’s move to tighten its borders underscores the broader anxieties within the EU about managing migration and maintaining internal cohesion at a time when external threats and geopolitical instability are at the forefront of the European agenda.

Macron to co-chair Ukraine talks while in UK for state visit

As leaders gather in London to reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine and European unity, Poland’s border checks serve as a reminder of the persistent challenges facing the EU’s vision of open borders and collective security.

The coming weeks will test both the practical impact of these controls on cross-border movement and the political resolve of European governments to balance national interests with the ideals of integration.

(With newswires)


France – UK

Macron to co-chair Ukraine talks while in UK for state visit

Emmanuel Macron is expected for a three-day state visit in the UK starting Tuesday, when he will address parliament. The French president will also co-chair a summit with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European leaders to discuss boosting Ukraine’s defences. 

Macron is the first French president to make a state visit to the UK since Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 and will follow in the footsteps of his predecessors Charles de Gaulle and Francois Mitterrand.

“The president and Mrs Macron will visit the Palace of Westminster, where the president will address parliamentarians” on Tuesday, the Buckingham Palace office of King Charles III said last week.

The king invited the French leader and his wife Brigitte for the three-day visit, which starts on Tuesday (8 July).

Charles will host them for a state banquet at his Windsor Castle residence, west of London, where the couple will also stay. While in Windsor, Macron will privately visit St George’s Chapel to lay flowers on the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince William and his wife Catherine will greet the presidential couple on their arrival in the UK and accompany them on their journey to Windsor.

The trip follows Charles’s state visit to France in September 2023 which was widely regarded as a success that helped boost relations.

King Charles heads to France for three-day state visit

The two countries have yet to agree a strategy to halt migrants making perilous small boat crossings of the Channel, a key political issue in the UK.

As more small boats land on English shores, and the UK government  is under mounting pressure from the far right to tackle irregular migration, London has pressed Paris to do more.

In recent weeks, France said it is considering stopping migrant boats in its shallow coastal waters, though the move raises safety and legal issues.

On Friday, the British government said it welcomed footage showing French police stopping a small boat carrying migrants from setting off across the Channel.

Migration will feature high on the agenda of the 37th Franco-British summit, which will take place on Thursday (10 July).

Boosting Ukraine’s defences

On that day, Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also co-chair talks with other European leaders on boosting Ukraine’s defences.

“There will certainly be a discussion on how to seriously maintain Ukraine’s combat capability,” the Elysee Palace said last week, adding that the meeting will take place by video link.

The meeting on 10 July comes as US-led peace talks on ending the more than three-year-old war against Ukraine have stalled.

The US, Ukraine’s biggest military backer since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, said last week it was halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine.

Europe must ‘step up’ as US halts some arms to Ukraine, EU chief says

During the Ukraine meeting, Macron and Starmer will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the French presidency said.

The summit will touch upon the deployment of “a reassurance force” to Ukraine after a ceasefire. The discussions will also focus on “how to increase pressure on Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire that it has consistently refused.”

(with AFP)


Wildfires in France

Wildfires in southern France mark start of season spurred by high temperatures

A wildfire has burned through 2,000 hectares of vegetation near the southern French city of Narbonne, leading to the closure of the A9 highway, linking France and Spain. It is the third wildfire in the department since last week’s heatwave, marking the start of what could become a record fire season.

The fire, which started on Monday afternoon, continued to burn Tuesday, Christophe Magny, director of the Aude fire department, told BFM TV, with over 1,000 firefighters from all over the country working to put it out.

Dash and Canadair aircraft resumed their rotations at dawn, to try to put out flames that Magny says are moving towards the south of Narbonne.

A number of neighbourhoods are under containment orders, as well as the cities around, the prefecture said in a statement issued on Tuesday morning.

The A9 highway, which links France to Spain along the Mediterranean coast, was closed in both directions at the intersection with the A61, and rest areas nearby were evacuated.

An investigation has been opened into the cause of the fire, which ignited vegetation dried out by last week’s high temperatures and was fanned by wind gusts of up to 90 km/h on Monday.

The department fought two other fires during the heatwave last week, which burned over 800 hectares.

Along with fires in the Herault and Bouches-du-Rhone departments, these were the first major fires of the season, which the Météo France weather service has said remains at high risk, as similar weather conditions continue.

(with AFP)


US Tariffs

EU gets reprieve as Trump announces higher tariffs on Japan, South Korea

The European Union will not face higher tariffs from the United States, unlike several other countries that received letters from US President Donald Trump Monday informing them of sharply higher tariffs on goods starting 1 August.

In letters to 14 countries so far, including Japan and South Korea, as well as smaller exporters Serbia, Thailand and Tunisia, Trump said he would be imposing an additional 25 percent tariffs from 1 August, warning them against imposing their own tariffs.

“If, for any reason, you decide to raise your tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added on to the 25 percent that we charge,” Trump told Japan and South Korea in letters released on his Truth Social platform.

The higher tariffs will not combine with previously announced sectoral tariffs, such as those on automobiles and steel and aluminium, which means that tariffs on Japanese cars, for example, would stay at 25 percent, rather than increasing to 50 percent.

EU gets more time

Other trading partners including the European Union, got an extra three weeks to negotiate agreements with the US after Trump signed an executive order Monday extending to 1 August the Wednesday deadline for negotiations.

The EU still aims to reach a trade deal by Wednesday after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a “good exchange,” a commission spokesperson said.

Since early April, European steel and aluminium exports to the US have been subject to a 50 percent tariff, along with 25 percent for cars and car parts and 10 percent on most other products.

The US is looking into further tariffs on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.

China has until 12 August to reach a deal with the US to prevent Trump from reinstating additional import tariffs.

Only two countries – Britain and Vietnam – have made deals with the US so far.

(with Reuters)


Covid

French court drops Covid-19 mismanagement case against former government ministers

A French court on Monday dropped an investigation into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, which had targeted three former officials, including former prime minister and 2027 presidential hopeful Édouard Philippe.

The Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR) closed the case five years after its launch in July 2020, following complaints alleging the government mishandled the response to the virus—citing, among other issues, shortages of protective equipment and inconsistent guidance on mask-wearing.

At the time, then-prime minister Philippe, former health minister Agnès Buzyn, and her successor Olivier Véran were designated as assisted witnesses – a status in the French legal system that lies between that of a witness and a formal suspect, and implies potential wrongdoing without sufficient evidence for formal charges.

Thousands of complaints lodged over French government’s handling of Covid crisis

Five-year inquiry with no trial

“The investigative committee of the Court of Justice of the Republic has decided to dismiss the case,” Prosecutor General Rémy Heitz said on Monday, without providing further details.

The public prosecutor had already requested the case be dropped in May, effectively ruling out the possibility of a trial.

The CJR is the only court in France authorised to prosecute and try current or former members of government for alleged crimes committed in the course of their official duties.

The investigation found that the government had taken a range of measures to tackle the pandemic, Heitz noted in May. The prosecutor’s request—seen by AFP—acknowledged that although those measures were in some respects insufficient, neither Philippe nor Véran had wilfully failed to respond to the crisis.

“Each of them, in their respective roles, took action against the epidemic from the moment it appeared in France,” the request stated.

Buzyn faced significant public criticism at the time for stepping down at the outset of the health crisis to run for Mayor of Paris. However, she resigned on 16 February 2020—several days before France officially declared a state of emergency, following the first Covid-19-related death on 25 February, the prosecutor general’s office noted. In hindsight, some observers have questioned whether that criticism was justified.

Buzyn had also been under investigation for endangering the lives of others, but the Court of Cassation dropped that charge in January 2023.

French court dismisses case against former health minister over Covid charges

Philippe clears legal hurdle 

Philippe, a widely popular prime minister from 2017 to July 2020, currently serves as mayor of the northern city of Le Havre and leads a centre-right party allied with, though distinct from, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition. He remains the only major figure to have definitively declared his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election.

The court’s ruling may remove a key legal cloud that could have complicated Philippe’s presidential ambitions. As of now, none of the three former officials has issued a public statement in response to the decision.

Public reaction to the dismissal has been mixed. While some see it as a necessary closing of a politically motivated case, others—particularly among victims’ families—have expressed disappointment, arguing that accountability has not been fully served.

Five years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, what legacy has the virus left?

According to France’s public health agency, approximately 168,000 people died from Covid-19 in the country between February 2020 and September 2023, when the World Health Organization declared the global health emergency to be over.

This decision marks a turning point in the legal reckoning over France’s pandemic response, bringing one of the country’s most high-profile inquiries to an official close.

(with newswires)


Kenya riots

Heavy police presence empties Nairobi on pro-democracy uprising anniversary

Police mounted a heavy presence across Nairobi on Monday, blocking roads and deterring anti-government protesters as Kenya marked Saba Saba Day, the anniversary of the 1990 pro-democracy uprising. The city’s usually bustling streets were largely deserted, with many residents opting to stay home amid fears of violence.

Saba Saba Day, meaning “Seven Seven”, commemorates the mass demonstrations that forced Kenya’s return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule.

This year, police set up roadblocks and restricted access to central Nairobi, where previous rallies have taken place. Most businesses remained closed, and an online map showing at least 20 police roadblocks was widely shared on social media.

Despite the clampdown, small groups of mainly young protesters gathered on the outskirts of the city, clashing with anti-riot police.

Officers fired tear gas at crowds, who responded with rocks and, in some cases, looting and vandalism. Journalists of the French press agency AFP witnessed at least two people wounded in the confrontations, as well as property destruction in surrounding areas.

Protesters on a major highway chanted “Ruto Must Go” and “one term” in a direct challenge to President William Ruto.

The protests reflect growing frustration among Kenya’s youth, who face economic hardship, corruption, and alleged police brutality.

Demonstrations last month descended into violence and looting, leaving dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed. Protesters accuse the authorities of using armed vandals to discredit their movement, while the government has compared the unrest to an “attempted coup”.

Police block roads to Kenyan capital on anniversary of pro-democracy protests

The heavy police response appears to have discouraged many from joining the marches. At least 80 people have died in protests since June last year, according to rights groups, and dozens have reportedly been detained without charge.

“I have never witnessed the city centre like this,” said security guard Edmond Khayimba, 29. Motorbike driver Rogers Onsomu, 32, said he hoped more would join the demonstrations later, criticising President Ruto for failing to deliver on promises, especially on healthcare.

Tensions have also been heightened by attacks on civil society.

On Sunday, men armed with sticks stormed the compound of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission during a press conference condemning enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

Since his election in 2022, President Ruto has formed an uneasy alliance with opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger for the 2027 election. However, each violent crackdown seems to fuel further unrest.

“Every time people organise a protest, they kill more people, so it just continues to feed off itself,” said activist Nerima Wako.

African politics expert Gabrielle Lynch of the University of Warwick observed that the government appeared to be recycling tactics from the 1990s. “But we’re not in the nineties,” she said. “They don’t seem to have realised the world is different.”

(With newswires)


Justice

Lawyers of Chadian jailed opposition leader call on Macron to intervene

Lawyers in Chad representing former prime minister and opposition leader Succès Masra have issued a formal appeal to French President Emmanuel Macron, urging him to intervene in what they describe as a politically motivated legal case after Masra was arrested in May.

Masra, who leads the opposition Les Transformateurs party, has been held in pre-trial detention since May 2025 on charges of orchestrating the massacre of 42 herders in Mandakao, near the border with Cameroon, on May 14 – an allegation he categorically denies.

According to his legal team, which includes both Chadian and French lawyers, the judge’s decision to detain Masra was made under pressure from the highest levels of the Chadian government.

In a letter addressed to the French president, they argue that the only piece of evidence submitted by investigators – and which the examining magistrate relied upon – is a 2023 audio recording in which Masra calls on southern populations to engage in self-defence amid a wave of deadly violence at the time.

“This case was fabricated from the start,” Vincent Bringarth of the Paris-based law firm Bourdon & Associés told RFI.

France launches embezzlement inquiry into Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby

International recourse

Bringarth, who has previously represented Masra in a case before the International Criminal Court following the October 2022 “Black Thursday” crackdown, criticised the French authorities’ silence.

“The prosecution is entirely based on a two-year-old audio recording that has no causal link whatsoever to the May 2025 violence,” he said. “We have firmly presented this argument before the Chadian courts, which clearly refuse to engage with reason. When domestic legal avenues are exhausted, we must take international recourse.”

The lawyers’ letter denounces what they call “serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms” against Chad’s main opposition figure. Citing a complete loss of confidence in the Chadian judiciary, Bringarth called for decisive action from Paris.

“We are waiting for a strong response from France,” he said. “We expect President Macron to take on the role of mediator in a situation that is clearly at an impasse. We simply do not understand France’s silence in the face of what we view as a politically driven detention.”

Chad extends detention of RFI journalist, as lawyers denounce ‘crackdown’

Silencing the opposition

Masra was appointed prime minister on 1 January, 2024 by transitional president Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, who seized power on his father’s death in May 2021, continuing the Deby family’s three-decade hold on power.

He ran for president in the May 2024 elections but lost out to Deby with 18.53 percent of the vote. His party contested the results. He resigned as prime minister and filed a legal challenge.

Masra’s arrest in May this year has deepened concerns over political repression in Chad, where intercommunal violence continues to destabilise parts of the country.

His supporters maintain that the charges are intended to sideline a key opposition voice ahead of future political transitions.

(With newswires)


FRANCE – CLIMATE

Wake-up call for France as climate experts push for new action on emissions

France’s top climate advisory body has called for renewed urgency in tackling climate change, warning that recent setbacks and a slowdown in decarbonisation efforts risk undermining the country’s environmental goals.

France is falling behind on its climate promises as extreme weather claims lives, hits food supply chains and strains public budgets, the country’s top climate advisory council warned on Thursday.

In its annual report, the High Council for the Climate (HCC) painted a bleak picture of France’s fight to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Political instability and stop-start funding are holding back the changes needed to adapt to a fast-warming world, it said.

France’s climate plan has “stalled” this year, the HCC added, blaming a lack of clear leadership and poor coordination between government ministries.

“Is there still a pilot on this plane while the turbulence is getting worse?” the report asked. The HCC, created in 2018, was renewed for five years last year.

It comprises 12 independent experts and is chaired by Jean-François Soussana, an agronomist and the vice-president of France’s national research institute for agriculture and the environment.

Europe is world’s fastest-heating continent, report warns

France warming faster than average

The council’s seventh annual report landed during a heatwave that has swept across France and the rest of Europe – the fastest-warming continent. It shows the country is not on track to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and that it is heating up faster than the global average.

Over the last 10 years, mainland France has warmed by 2.2°C. If the global average rises by 1.5°C, on the current trajectory that will means a rise of around 2°C for France.

If the world reaches 2°C, France could see 2.7°C, and a global rise of 3°C would mean a 4°C rise in France, the HCC said.

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

It warned that the occurrence of heatwaves could triple in the next five years, and become five times more common by 2050 compared with the late 20th century.

Pointing to the consequences of rising temperatures, the report said: “In recent years, impacts have reached levels never seen before.”

In 2024, heat caused more than 3,700 deaths during the summer in France. Cereal harvests fell to their lowest in 40 years. The cost of floods last winter reached €615 million.

Cuts in emissions too slow

Although France did meet its second carbon budget, from 2019 to 2023, progress has declined sharply since then. France’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 6.7 percent between 2022 and 2023, but only dropped 1.8 percent between 2023 and 2024.

Next year’s drop is likely to be just 1.3 percent – a figure which needs to be doubled to reach the 2030 target.

The building sector, which contributes 15 percent of emissions, needs to cut emissions nine times faster than it currently does. But sales of gas boilers rose by 15 percent this year, while sales of heat pumps have fallen by 40 percent.

The waste sector has increased its emissions, and must cut them by a factor of 29.

The HCC also said that only one third of emissions cuts came from climate policies this year, with the rest due to temporary factors such as increased nuclear energy, fewer cattle, a mild winter and good rainfall which benefited hydropower.

Global warming accelerating at ‘unprecedented’ pace, study warns

Policy rollbacks

“The strengthening of existing policies would help restart the drop in emissions,” the HCC wrote. But this will need “strong political support” and steady funding, both of which were lacking last year.

The council listed a series of rollbacks: social leasing for electric cars was paused, support for home insulation was cut, low-emission zones were scrapped and rules to protect soil from construction were weakened.

Agriculture too remains a sticking point. The HCC said the French government’s response to farmers’ protests at the start of the year had weakened efforts to cut farm emissions.

“The political response to the farmers’ protests has slowed the sector’s agro-ecological transition,” the report said, adding that new laws risk locking agriculture into high-emission models instead of shifting to greener, more sustainable methods.

Threatened by climate change, France’s forests need billions of euros to adapt

Key plans delayed

In addition, France’s climate plans are behind schedule. The third National Adaptation Plan came out in March but the new Low Carbon Strategy will not be ready before the end of this year, while the new energy plan is expected by the end of summer.

“Without these, France risks missing its 2030 and 2050 targets,” the HCC warned. Diane Strauss, a member of the council and an expert on transport and energy, said: “Government uncertainty weighs on the survival of public policies.”

France’s main planning office for climate action, the SGPE, lost its head in February. Antoine Pellion, who had led the office since it was set up in 2022, resigned over cuts to green policies and lack of political support.

EU confirms 90 percent emissions cut by 2040, with some concessions

Public trust at risk

The Climate Action Network, which brings together 40 environmental groups, released its own list of “more than 43 environmental rollbacks” by the government or parliament over the last six months.

It added a 44th when President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to revisit the EU’s goal to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2040. “Where is the compass of the French government?” the group asked.

Soussana warned that climate policies must benefit everyone to maintain public support, as climate change worsens social divides.

“There is a temptation to polarise the debate on climate and ecology, which could threaten targets and budgets,” he said. “Some people feel policies have not helped everyone equally, so there is some support for tearing them down. But all French people suffer during heatwaves, so we need policies that help everyone.”


Biodiversity

River frog scales new heights on Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro in rare alpine find

Local guides in Tanzania have made an unexpected discovery on the icy heights of Kilimanjaro – a river frog spotted at over 4,000 metres altitude. While its spectacular leap to Africa’s highest mountain reveals the potential of the continent’s little-known alpine wildlife, it also raises concerns over climate change.

Named Amietia wittei after Belgian herpetologist Gaston-François De Witte, the frog was thought to live only at lower altitudes, so members of an expedition up Kilimanjaro were not looking for amphibians.

“We wanted to observe the scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird – a tiny colourful bird resembling a hummingbird, fond of nectar,” said Dmitry Andreichuk, co-founder of Altezza Travel agency.

“We know it lives between 2,000 and 4,500 metres altitude, so we thought in this part of Kilimanjaro we should definitely find some.”

But it was not a bird that took Andreichuk’s breath away.

“I start descending the slope, and there, I see something jump into the water… I think: ‘Did I really see that?’ Then I move forward again, and I see a second thing jump… and there, I realise it’s a frog!”

That memorable day was in late June on the Shira plateau, at the foot of the memorial to mountaineerer Scott Fischer who died on Everest.

Andreichuk immediately called his brother, who asked him to wait to be sure they were not mistaken. They waited two hours, their feet in icy water, until the frogs reappeared.

It turned out they had seen Amietia wittei, a river frog widespread in Africa but which had never been seen this high before.

Population of critically-endangered thumbnail-sized frogs found in South Africa

Surviving in icy water

In an environment where “even staying 30 seconds with your feet in the water chills you to the bone”, Andreichuk notes, the frogs appear to thrive. The small stream – barely 10 centimetres deep – houses a hundred tadpoles and several adults.

“We immediately knew it was something important. We didn’t yet know if it was a new species, but we knew river frogs normally don’t climb this high.”

Professor Alan Channing, a specialist in amphibians at Northwest University in South Africa, confirmed that it was indeed Amietia wittei. The frog had already been found on several high plateaus of East Africa – notably in Kenya (Aberdare, Mount Elgon, Mount Kenya) and Uganda – but never at this altitude.

“These frogs have an incredible capacity for adapting to the cold,” Channing explains. “Their metabolism works at slow speed. They can survive in icy waters, sometimes even covered with surface ice. They’ve been there for millions of years.”

Melting African glaciers an early casualty of global warming, say experts

Limited escape routes

With global warming, the frogs are moving higher to stay cool. “If streams continue to flow at higher altitude, they could climb even more,” he notes.

The frogs rely on cold water and mountain micro-ecosystems, so they may not keep pace with rising temperatures. “They flourish in cool zones, but if temperatures rise too much, their survival will be compromised.”

Other related species, like Amietia nutti, already live lower down and have fewer options. Kilimanjaro reaches nearly 6,000 metres, but other East African mountains such as Mount Elgon or the Aberdares are lower, leaving limited escape routes.

On these ranges, some frogs already live at the top, and if the planet keeps heating, they will have nowhere left to go.

A 45-day mission to Kilimanjaro is now planned to watch the frogs and learn more about how they survive.

Andreichuk’s discovery could herald others.

“We weren’t even doing research, we were just hiking for pleasure,” he says. “And yet, we made an extraordinary discovery. Imagine what specialised researchers could find.

“Kilimanjaro still has a lot to show us.”


This article was adapted from the original version in French by RFI’s Christina Okello


AFRICA – LITERACY

How untold stories in African languages could turn the page on publishing

African stories and languages could unlock billions for the continent’s publishing industry if governments back local writers, a Unesco report has found. Africa’s book market, now worth $7 billion, could reach $18bn with more homegrown books in local languages.

The African book industry, from authors to distributors and publishers, represents 5.4 percent of the global publishing industry, according to a new report from Unesco – which found that African literature has a growing influence around the world.

The report – which covers the 54 Unesco member states in Africa – demonstrates that this potential is largely underexploited, and examines solutions to increase publishing on the continent.

“The African Book Industry: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities for Growth” reports that the continent has all the means to develop a lucrative sector that would create jobs.

There are 6,400 publishers in Africa, publishing 86,000 titles per year on average. The continent is home to 8,000 public libraries, 270 annual book festivals and fairs, and 200 professional publishing associations.

Current trends include an increase in formats such as comics and graphic novels, a new focus on publishing for children and young people, and African books being made into films.

Africa has also seen rapid growth in digital reading. “Over the past years, we’ve seen a big push on digital platforms, and particularly in young publishers going this way,” Caroline Munier, culture programme specialist at Unesco, told RFI. “This can play a transformative role”.

Untapped potential

The African book industry is currently worth $7 billion, but according to Unesco has the potential to reach $18bn in revenue.

This includes $13bn from school books, thanks to the continent’s 329 million pupils. School publishing is already the most lucrative segment of the African market, accounting for 70 percent.

Another notable trend is the increase in publishing in local languages. “It’s still weak, but over the past decades, a lot of local publishers have emerged and have tried to put the focus on the local and indigenous languages beyond the official, foreign languages like French, English and Portuguese,” Munier said. “And this is growing.”

Senegal celebrates pioneer of African history Cheikh Anta Diop

 

Currently the majority of books sold on the continent are imported, and written in English, French or Portuguese – even though Africans use more than 2,000 local languages.

Continental heavyweights, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, are able to supply books to national and regional markets, but other countries are struggling to do so, which explains why Africa as a whole remains largely dependent on book imports, to the detriment of its linguistic diversity.

As a result, millions of children are growing up without access to books in the language they speak at home. Unesco warns this is holding back literacy, education and the telling of local stories, and is encouraging publication in local languages. The UN cultural body is also supporting efforts to build reading and community centres and public libraries, particularly in rural areas.

Unesco recommendations

However, local publishers face an uphill battle. Printing costs are high, public support is limited and global companies dominate the lucrative educational market.

The legal framework regarding copyright, which is either poorly enforced or non-existent in many countries, also ranks among the obstacles to faster growth. The situation is similar regarding the ISBN system, which allows books to be traced – and publishing houses and distributors lack the financial support to strengthen these systems.

For Souleymane Gueye, a bookseller and publisher in Senegal, who founded the Saaraba publishing house dedicated to African literature, distribution is the weakest link in the chain. 

“Today, books are published here, but how do we ensure that readers who need them 200 kilometres from the publishing area can access them?” he told RFI. “Every book industry player, every point of sale, manages on their own and finds informal solutions.” 

‘Towering giant of Kenyan letters’ author Ngugi wa Thiong’o dies aged 87

The Unesco report calls for action in three main areas: the reinforcement of institutional and legislative frameworks; building a strong domestic market in each country, including increasing the production of textbooks and children’s books, and the expansion of readership and access to books. 

Recommendations for achieving the latter include investing in public libraries, increasing the number of bookstores and supporting digital publishing platforms. 

“Because without readers,” said Munier, “you don’t have a book industry.”


Drug abuse

‘Smoking to survive’: How Sierra Leone’s youth got hooked on kush

A cheap synthetic drug known as kush is ravaging West Africa and its epicentre is Sierra Leone. The government has declared kush a public health emergency, but poverty and trauma are slowing efforts by communities to help unhook young people from its sometimes deadly hold.

At 20, Ousmane’s future should be unfolding. Instead, he spends his days at a drug point in Grey Bush – a ghetto in the capital Freetown – hunting for money for his next dose of kush.

“This drug, honestly, it makes me angry at my country,” he tells RFI. “Look at how it destroys young people like us. It makes us eat rotten food. A young person like me, in another country, I’d already have a car and a roof. But here, I’m just running around, looking for money to smoke.”

Young people, looking dazed, gather at these so-called “cartels”, exchanging crumpled notes. They smoke, then collapse.

“I lost my whole family since I started smoking in 2018,” said 23-year-old Ramadam. “Back then we bought two doses for 5,000 leones [€0.19]. Now it’s 20,000 for one. Jagaban is the strongest kind, it knocks you out. Even I can’t stay on my feet.”

‘Now we’re trapped’

A synthetic cocktail, kush is usually made from marshmallow leaves soaked in industrial chemicals. It is increasingly mixed with nitazenes – opioids up to 25 times stronger than fentanyl, according to a recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.

Kush first appeared in Sierra Leone in the early 2020s and quickly spread across Liberia, Guinea, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The report said kush is likely behind thousands of deaths in West Africa.

Cheap to produce and highly addictive, the Sierra Leonean government declared kush a public health emergency in April 2024, but the drug keeps spreading – overwhelming families, police and the fragile healthcare system.

Its hold goes beyond physical craving. “If I don’t smoke for two or three hours,” Ousmane said, “my bones hurt, I can’t sit, I can’t stand. But if I smoke, I get energy to hustle and then all I want is another dose.”

The young men describe a cycle of hunger, addiction and poverty. “We didn’t ask for this drug,” Ousmane adds. “We were just smoking marijuana. Then they came into the ghetto and said: ‘Try this, it’s better.’ So we tried it just once, and now we’re trapped.”

Opioid crisis explodes in Ghana as young people fall victim to ‘Red’

Detox treatment  

Calling the crisis a national emergency in April 2024, President Julius Maada Bio promised centres in every district with trained professionals to offer “care and support to people with drug addiction”.

The government recently opened its second official detox centre on a military base in the southern city of Bo, where 50 young men, most under 25, are undergoing four weeks of treatment.

Before entering the centre, residents say goodbye to their families. “I want him to change, to have a goal,” said one mother. “Please, let him become a new man.”

Kneeling down, her son said: “I want to reassure her that after this cure, I’ll be the man she expected me to be.”

 

Kush addiction is tearing families apart.

“I’m exhausted. I’ve suffered so much. And he’s suffering too,” said Sidora, a single mother and police officer, as she dropped off her 20-year-old son.

She described how he has lived on the streets, disappeared for days and stolen from her to feed his addiction.

As a family support officer with the Sierra Leonean police, she sees similar stories every day. “We get parents who come to report their kids. They’re being robbed by their own children for drug money. We investigate and we take them to court.”

Despite the pain, she refuses to give up on her son. “I know I’m not the only one. This is a national problem,” she said.

Synthetic drug ‘kush’ ravages Sierra Leone’s young

Community support

“Over the last four years, I’ve seen a drastic rise [in kush use]; it’s often due to stress, depression, no jobs,” said Joseph Santigie Bangoura, Dropping Center Manager of Social Linkages for Youth Development and Child Link (SLYDCL).

He puts the number of young kush addicts at between 6,000 and 7,000, meaning there are “far too few detox centres”.

Faced with the inadequate care, communities are filling the gaps. In Grey Bush, locals have built an informal detox shelter next to a known kush spot.

“See that sign? ‘No smoking’ – that’s our number one rule. No fighting either,” said Nabiu Musa Samuel, who runs the shelter’s community kitchen.

“We talk to them, give them encouragement, share what food we can. This community used to have bright students, now our youth is washing away. Businesses are closing. We’d like to do more, but it’s all we can do.”

Nearby, Souleymane cares for a man with kush-induced lesions. He shows a photo of an open wound exposing the young man’s bones. “That’s from jagaban – the stronger kind of kush. They can’t even walk,” the careworker says.

“Some people say we’re crazy for helping, that we must be users too,” said Ali, another volunteer. “But these are our brothers. We can’t pretend they don’t exist.”

Crystal meth abuse: Zimbabwe’s hidden social time bomb

‘Drug is everywhere’

The Global Initiative report said kush is part of a well-organised supply chain. Chemicals, often ordered from China or Europe on sites like Alibaba, are smuggled into Sierra Leone hidden in food containers or sent by courier.

Local “cooks” prepare the drug, which is sold at hundreds of “cartels”.

“We make kush from marshmallow leaves, add products that come through the port. Some make it milder, some stronger,” said Michael, who runs a kush point near an abandoned construction site at funkia fishing port.

“We have problems with police, sometimes we pay them off, sometimes we run, sometimes they take our drugs.”

Despite police raids, the trade not only survives but spreads.

“The drug is everywhere, even in the police and army… soldiers, students, teachers, they’re all using it,” said Isata Bridget Kallon, one of Sierra Leone’s few social workers focusing on addiction.

“Kush is destroying everything we rebuilt after the war.”

The country still bears the scars of its 10-year civil war. Average annual income was just €423 in 2022, said the World Bank, and its 8.4 million population faces high prices and mass unemployment.

Unless young people find better opportunities the fight against kush will be lost, Bangoura warns.

“After rehab, their bodies are clean. But then what? Many have no home so they go back on the streets. And they relapse. That’s the problem.”


This article was based on an audio report in French by Liza Fabbian, adapted by Alison Hird.


Tibet

Dalai Lama says his office has ‘sole authority’ to name successor after his death

On 6 July, Tenzin Gyatso, whom Tibetans believe to be the 14th reincarnation of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, celebrates his 90th birthday. Earlier this week, he announced that the 600-year-old institution would continue after his death and that his office would name his successor. However, Beijing may have other plans. RFI spoke to Vincent Metten of the International Campaign for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama’s statement, published on 2 July, affirming that he will have a successor is crucial for Tibetans, many of whom had feared a future without a leader – as well as for Buddhists around the world and global supporters who see the him as a symbol of non-violence, compassion and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.

He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.

Tenzin Gyatso, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, had previously said the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue only if there was popular demand. He confirmed on Wednesday that he had received multiple appeals over the past 14 years from the Tibetan diaspora and from Buddhists from across the Himalayan region, Mongolia and parts of Russia and China “earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue”.

Vincent Metten, EU policy director with the NGO the International Campaign for Tibet, spoke about the significance of the Dalai Lama’s decision. 

Vincent Metten: The Dalai Lama in 2011 made the statement, saying that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the office of the Dalai Lama, has the authority to decide on the next reincarnation. But he hadn’t decided yet that the institution will continue. So, this is a step forward that he has taken now.

He has made this decision based on requests made by different people, including Tibetans inside Tibet, and he has received a lot of calls, appeals and comments from the diaspora as well to ensure that the institution would go on. This is relevant because since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 and the occupation of Tibet, Beijing is controlling the religious institution in Tibet. 

‘Colonial’ China accused of depriving Tibetans of their own language, education

So, by making the statement, the Dalai Lama is telling Beijing that it is not up to them to decide who the next Dalai Lama is, but to the Tibetan Buddhist community and to [his] office to decide in the future.

RFI: Can you elaborate on the selection process of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama?

The authority to decide on the future and the next, the 15th, Dalai Lama, is under the responsibility of his office, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which is based in Dharamsala [India]. This body will consult religious representatives from different schools, and they will decide who the next Dalai Lama will be.

The Dalai Lama has indicated that, in view of the situation in Tibet, if he is to be reborn it will not be in China, but it will be abroad in a democratic and free country. 

How is that logical? Assuming that people believe in a universal Buddhist spirit, how would it care about whatever political structure is in place? 

The Dalai Lama has the ability to decide how, when and if he will or will not reincarnate. So that’s his competence, [his] responsibility. That’s how it has always been. It is the Dalai Lama who decides if he wants to transfer his energy to another person. It can be also during his lifetime. Or it can be after his lifetime.

Of course, Beijing has very different views on this. They claim that reincarnated Lama should be endorsed and approved by the state and by the Chinese Communist Party. And we have seen that there are already interferences by the Chinese state on the reincarnation of a previous Lama. And a very obvious example is the Panchen Lama.

“By making the statement, the Dalai Lama is showing his determination to Beijing, saying this is not up to you to decide.”

01:22

REMARK by Vincent Metten, EU policy director, International Campaign for TIbet

Jan van der Made

In 1995, the Chinese kidnapped the Panchen Lama’s reincarnation, then a six-year-old child. With that, they have cut this important link and connection between the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. It was a very strong attack on the Tibetan Buddhist institution. Today, there is no information, no information at all. Nobody has ever access to him. And the Chinese claim he is living a happy life and does not want to be disturbed. 

Despite 70 years of Chinese oppression, Tibet continues to resist

The Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama

The Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama are the two most revered figures in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, but their roles and influence differ. The Dalai Lama is regarded as the highest spiritual leader of Tibet (and historically its political leader), believed to be the incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The Panchen Lama is considered the incarnation of Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, and holds the second-highest spiritual authority and is traditionally based at Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse.

Each helps to recognise the other’s reincarnation, ensuring spiritual continuity. However, in 1995, after the Dalai Lama recognised six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama, Chinese authorities detained the boy, who has not been seen publicly since. Beijing then appointed its own Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, using the position to assert control over Tibetan Buddhism and influence the future selection of the next Dalai Lama. This move is widely seen as an attempt by China to legitimise its authority in Tibet and shape the succession of Tibetan spiritual leadership.

And what is the Tibetan response to the Panchen Lama, who was appointed by Beijing?

Beijing uses him, sometimes he goes to some Tibetan areas. He is being promoted, he has some political role. But he’s not recognised by the Tibetans, he’s not seen as the real and legitimate successor of the 10th Panchen Lama. So the Tibetans don’t buy into that and reject the one selected by the Chinese.

What are the possible consequences if, as expected, there will be two rival Dalai Lamas, one recognised by Beijing and the other by the Tibetan community in exile?

That there will be two different Dalai Lamas – one legitimate and one which is [a] fake or Chinese Dalai Lama – plays into a political strategy from Beijing to try to control the institution and further control society and religion within Tibet. But the Tibetans will not recognise this Chinese Dalai Lama, they will only recognise the legitimate one. So Tibetans and the international community will not buy into that. 

How do you think Beijing will react to the plan announced by the Dalai Lama to have a succession process take place outside China?

They have already made it clear that it’s up to the Chinese Communist regime to decide, that they have the authority to decide [and] that any other process should be rejected by Beijing.

It’s absurd for an atheist Communist regime to say that they have the pretension to be the one who decides who should be the next Dalai Lama.

Uyghurs, Tibetans urge France to tackle human rights with Chinese president

How important is the role of the Tibetan diaspora in safeguarding the continuity and legitimacy of Tibetan leadership?

The Dalai Lama [gave] up his political power some years ago and transferred it to the elected Central Tibetan Administration. There is a community of around 150,000 Tibetans abroad – mainly in India and Nepal, but also in Australia, in Europe and in the United States. They vote for their political representatives based in Dharamsala.

They work to explain what is happening in terms of human rights in Tibet, where the Chinese have imposed assimilation policies which are very destructive [to] Tibetan culture and identity.

Most of the 6 million Tibetans live in [Chinese-ruled] Tibet, where there is also some resilience. Tibetans are contesting Chinese policies and the fact that the Dalai Lama is abroad. There have been many cases of self-immolation since 2009, to denounce Beijing’s policies and the lack of freedom.

The role of the community in exile is important also because they have the ability to speak, to inform the world about what’s going on. 

France is home to one of the largest Tibetan communities in Europe, numbering between 8,000 and 10,000. What role does that community play in the broader network and the Free Tibet Movement?

They play an important role and demonstrate on a regular basis. They started a lawsuit against the Musée Guimet – which is not using the name “Tibet” anymore in its exhibitions, but “The Himalayan World” – to try and convince them to change this decision, because it’s diluting the Tibetan identity.


France-Iran relations

France ‘worried’ over teenage cyclist’s disappearance in Iran

The French Foreign Ministry has reiterated warnings over travelling to Iran after an 18-year-old tourist on a cycling trip in the country went missing, describing his disappearance as “worrying”. 

Frenchman Lennart Monterlos, who was on a cycling trip in Iran, has not been seen since 16 July.

“It’s a worrying disappearance and we are in contact with the family,” Laurent Saint-Martin, who is also trade minister, told RTL radio on Monday.

“It is worrying because Iran has a deliberate policy of taking Western hostages,” he added.

“I can assure you that consular protection is the right of every French citizen (…) in a foreign country. But (…) if we often strongly advise against travelling to certain countries, it is precisely so as not to find ourselves at risk.”

Monterlos went missing a few days after Israeli planes struck targets in Iran.

Saint-Martin did not say specifically that the Iranian authorities were holding Monterlos, who also has German nationality.

The 18-year-old had given details of his trip on a post on a crowdfunding platform, writing that he was in his final year of high school in eastern France and wanted to cycle across Europe and Asia.

In a post on Instagram on 12 June he was ironic about Iran: “You have to remember it’s not the Cote d’Azur, and take precautions of course, but it’s been a great experience up until now.”

The Europeans still held in Iran

Talks over French hostages in Iran continue

Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals on charges of spying for Israel, many of whose cases have never been publicised.

Two French nationals Cecile Kohler, 40, and Jacques Paris, her 72-year-old partner, have been held in Iran since May 2022 on charges of espionage that their families deny.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Sunday to demand the release of Kohler and Paris, according to the ministry, which did not say if the French minister raised the case of Monterlos.

Iran earlier this week charged Kohler and Paris with spying for Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, as well as “corruption of Earth” and “plotting to overthrow the regime”, diplomatic and family sources said on Wednesday.

French couple face death penalty in Iran on spying and conspiracy charges

Tehran has not confirmed the new charges, all three of which carry the death penalty. France says their “arbitrary” arrest and the conditions of their detention are “tantamount to torture”.

(with AFP) 


France taxation

Seven Nobel laureates urge France to adopt tax on ‘ultra-rich’

Seven Nobel Prize-winning economists have called on France to implement a minimum tax on wealthiest households, endorsing a measure inspired by the so-called “Zucman tax” that was rejected by the French Senate last month. The proposal comes as the French government looks for new sources of public revenue to balance its strained public finances.

In a joint op-ed published Monday in Le Monde, the laureates argue that France has a chance “once again to show the way to the rest of the world,” by taking the lead on taxing extreme wealth.

Signatories include 2024 Nobel laureates Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, 2019 winners Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, 2001 laureates George Akerlof and Joseph Stiglitz, and 2008 laureate Paul Krugman. Most are American citizens and globally influential figures in the field of economics.

According to the economists, “the ultra-rich are particularly prosperous in France”. While global billionaires hold assets equivalent to 14 percent of global GDP, French billionaires control wealth worth nearly 30 percent of their country’s GDP, they note, citing data from Forbes magazine.

France’s top CEOs earn 130 times more than their employees, says Oxfam

Leading by example

The group argues that a floor tax on wealth – expressed as a fixed percentage – would be both effective and fair. “It is efficient because it targets all forms of tax avoidance, regardless of their nature,” they write. 

“It is also targeted – affecting mainly the wealthiest taxpayers who engage in aggressive tax optimisation.”

The authors also welcome ongoing international discussions around wealth taxation, including a G20 proposal for a global minimum tax on billionaires equivalent to 2 percent of their net wealth.

The initiative failed to advance last year but the economists say momentum is building.

“There is no reason to wait for the finalisation of an international agreement,” they write. “On the contrary, countries should take the lead by example, just as France did in the past” with the introduction of VAT in 1954.

VAT turns 70 and still brings in much of France’s tax revenue

Divided over Zucman tax

The open letter comes after the French Senate in June rejected a wealth tax targeting the ultra-rich, known as the Zucman tax.

The bill was based on proposals by French economist Gabriel Zucman. Initially passed by the National Assembly, the bill would have introduced a “differential contribution” ensuring that individuals with more than €100 million in assets pay at least 2 percent of their annual wealth in taxes.

The aim was to curb the kinds of avoidance strategies employed by some ultra-wealthy individuals, who are often able to structure their assets in ways that greatly reduce their tax burdens.

The bill sparked a heated debate among economists – some championed the measure as a step towards fiscal justice while opponents saw it as economically harmful or difficult to apply. 

(with AFP)


Migration

Canada’s new immigration policy fuels wave of scams in Africa

Ottawa’s 2023 decision to open its borders to citizens from French-speaking Africa has led to a surge in well-organised scams targeting hopeful immigrants. Authorities warn that the number of victims is steadily increasing.

By 2027, Canada plans to welcome nearly 80,000 new French-speaking residents from Africa, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Looking to leave the African continent for a fresh start, Marie decided to fly to Canada with her husband and children.

In 2024, a friend recommended a Facebook page for a specialised agency. The comments under the posts lauded praise on the “consultant”.

“So I contacted him, sent him my profile, and he told me it was quite good. That’s how it all started,” Marie, not her real name, told RFI.

Exchanges and promises ensued – permanent residency for Marie and her family, the offer of a job.

The consultant promised that everything would be settled within six months – provided she paid.

“He kept insisting on how quickly I needed to send the money. He assured me that the Canadian government was looking for profiles like mine and that the faster I sent the money, the sooner I’d sign the documents and get my permanent residency.”

Marie didn’t suspect a thing. She borrowed money from friends and sold her furniture. In total, she paid $15,000 (€12,800) to the scammer.

US envisages adding 25 more African countries to travel ban

Fake documents

According to Nicholas Avramis, a consultant whose company, Beaver Immigration, is based in South Africa and certified by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), scammers operate using different methods.

Some take an initial cash transfer and then vanish into thin air, while others make big promises. Scammers have been located in the capitals of some French-speaking African countries as well as in Toronto.

Fake documents are delivered on time. “Once the money was transferred first in my country, then to Canada, he simply blocked me from all apps,” Marie regrets.

Some are “posing as Canadian embassy staff”, Avramis says. “They claim the file has entered the system but needs more money to cover processing fees.”

He says he alone has received 24 testimonies like Marie’s since the beginning of the year. But he believes the real figure is far greater.

“Victims are embarrassed. They know the process seemed shady, and they realise they might have done something illegal. So why report it to the authorities?,” he said.

Marie hasn’t dared to file a complaint. Deep in debt, she urges others to be cautious and hasn’t given up hope of one day making it to Canada.


This story was adapted from the original version in French.

International report

Pashinyan’s Turkey visit signals new chapter as Ankara eyes Caucasus shift

Issued on:

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s June visit to Turkey marks the latest step in the ongoing rapprochement between the two countries. The move comes as Ankara seeks to expand its influence in the Caucasus, amid the waning power of regional rivals Iran and Russia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s hosting of Pashinyan in Istanbul last month represents a notable diplomatic effort to normalise relations. Ankara had severed diplomatic ties and closed its border with Armenia in 1993 following the war between Armenia and Turkey’s close ally, Azerbaijan, over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

However, Pashinyan’s Istanbul visit is being hailed as groundbreaking. “I believe it was very significant for several reasons. It was the first bilateral diplomatic summit between the Turkish and Armenian leaders,” explains Richard Giragosian, Director of the Regional Studies Centre, a Yerevan-based think tank.

Until now, interactions between the two leaders had been limited to multilateral engagements—such as Erdoğan’s inauguration and meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. But Giragosian argues that the Istanbul meeting carries deeper significance.

“This is the first bilateral invitation from Turkey to the Armenian leader. That reflects a second important development: Turkey is seeking to regain its options with Armenia,” observes Giragosian.

Armenia looks to reopen border with Turkey as potential gateway to the West

Zangezur corridor at centre

One of the key issues discussed was the creation of a land bridge through Armenia to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, which borders Turkey. Known as the Zangezur Corridor, this project is a strategic priority for Ankara. It would not only link Turkey directly to its key ally and vital trade partner Azerbaijan, but also open a new route for Turkish goods to Central Asia.

“It is especially important now from an economic standpoint,” notes international relations professor Hüseyin Bağcı of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

Pashinyan’s visit is seen as part of a broader Turkish diplomatic push to secure regional support for the Zangezur Corridor. “This is why Prime Minister Pashinyan came to Turkey,” says Bağcı, who suggests Erdoğan is attempting to counter Iranian resistance. “The Zangezur Corridor should not be held hostage by Iranian opposition. It shouldn’t be conditional on Iran’s stance,” he adds.

Iran, Armenia’s powerful neighbour, strongly opposes the corridor. Currently, Turkish goods must transit through Iran to reach Central Asia—giving Tehran significant leverage. Iran has often restricted this trade during periods of diplomatic tension with Ankara. More critically, Tehran fears the proposed 40-kilometre corridor would cut off a vital route it uses to bypass international sanctions.

Despite Turkish diplomatic efforts, Iran remains firmly opposed. “Nothing has changed in Tehran’s position regarding the Zangezur Corridor. Iran is still against the project,” warns Prof Dr Zaur Gasimov of the German Academic Exchange Service.

Growing military buildup in Azerbaijan and Armenia a concern for peace talks

Gasimov notes, however, that recent geopolitical developments—particularly Israel’s ongoing conflict with Iran—have shifted the regional balance in Ankara’s favour. “As of July 2025, Iran’s diplomatic, political, and military capabilities are far more constrained than they were just a few years ago, due to Israel-led and US-led operations,” says Gasimov. “In both military and political terms, Iran is now significantly limited.”

Yet Azerbaijan’s insistence that the Zangezur Corridor operate independently of Armenian control remains a major sticking point for Yerevan, says Giragosian. Still, he believes the broader aim of establishing a new trade route—combined with Turkey’s willingness to reopen its border—offers the region both economic incentives and a path towards stability through mutual dependence.

“The reopening of closed borders, and the creation of trade and transport links, reshapes strategic thinking. It makes any renewal of hostilities far more costly,” says Giragosian.

“In this context, it lifts all boats. It’s a win-win for everyone,” he continues. “And I do think the real sticking point now will be Russia’s reaction, more than any resistance from Turkey, Armenia, or Azerbaijan.”

Russia and Iran push back

Initially, Moscow supported the Zangezur Corridor, particularly since Russian personnel were envisioned to administer it under the original proposals. But Gasimov notes that Russia’s enthusiasm has cooled as it grows increasingly wary of Turkey’s expanding influence in a region it still considers part of its traditional sphere.

“Moscow is very concerned about Ankara–Yerevan relations. Turkey, after all, is a NATO member—even if Russia cooperates with it in several areas,” says Gasimov.

France pushes for peace in the Caucasus amid heat over Iran detainees

 

Despite being heavily engaged in its war in Ukraine, Gasimov suggests Russia still has leverage in the South Caucasus

“After three years of war and sweeping sanctions, Russia’s capabilities in the region are diminished. But it continues to try to assert itself—by intimidating vulnerable regional economies and exploiting internal political instability, as it did in Armenia just two weeks ago,” says Gasimov.

Last month, Armenian security forces arrested several opposition figures, claiming to have foiled a coup attempt.

As Moscow remains bogged down in Ukraine, Yerevan may have only a limited window of opportunity to capitalise on Russia’s distraction and weakness. “We do see a storm on the horizon,” warns Giragosian. “With an angry and vengeful Putin lashing out at Russia’s neighbours, he’s seeking to reassert Russian power and influence across the near abroad—from Central Asia to the South Caucasus.”

Armenia reconsiders alliances

Giragosian argues that such threats could be the catalyst for historic diplomatic realignments. “From an Armenian perspective, it’s deeply ironic. For decades, Armenia feared Turkey and turned to Russia for protection. Now, Armenia is looking to Turkey for a greater role—and seeking to distance itself from the Russian orbit.”

Pashinyan has made no secret of his intent to pivot Armenia away from Russia and towards Europe. But with neighbouring Georgia increasingly under Moscow’s sway, and with Iran and Azerbaijan offering few viable alternatives, Turkey may now represent Armenia’s best chance to achieve that strategic realignment.


AFRICA – LITERACY

How untold stories in African languages could turn the page on publishing

African stories and languages could unlock billions for the continent’s publishing industry if governments back local writers, a Unesco report has found. Africa’s book market, now worth $7 billion, could reach $18bn with more homegrown books in local languages.

The African book industry, from authors to distributors and publishers, represents 5.4 percent of the global publishing industry, according to a new report from Unesco – which found that African literature has a growing influence around the world.

The report – which covers the 54 Unesco member states in Africa – demonstrates that this potential is largely underexploited, and examines solutions to increase publishing on the continent.

“The African Book Industry: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities for Growth” reports that the continent has all the means to develop a lucrative sector that would create jobs.

There are 6,400 publishers in Africa, publishing 86,000 titles per year on average. The continent is home to 8,000 public libraries, 270 annual book festivals and fairs, and 200 professional publishing associations.

Current trends include an increase in formats such as comics and graphic novels, a new focus on publishing for children and young people, and African books being made into films.

Africa has also seen rapid growth in digital reading. “Over the past years, we’ve seen a big push on digital platforms, and particularly in young publishers going this way,” Caroline Munier, culture programme specialist at Unesco, told RFI. “This can play a transformative role”.

Untapped potential

The African book industry is currently worth $7 billion, but according to Unesco has the potential to reach $18bn in revenue.

This includes $13bn from school books, thanks to the continent’s 329 million pupils. School publishing is already the most lucrative segment of the African market, accounting for 70 percent.

Another notable trend is the increase in publishing in local languages. “It’s still weak, but over the past decades, a lot of local publishers have emerged and have tried to put the focus on the local and indigenous languages beyond the official, foreign languages like French, English and Portuguese,” Munier said. “And this is growing.”

Senegal celebrates pioneer of African history Cheikh Anta Diop

 

Currently the majority of books sold on the continent are imported, and written in English, French or Portuguese – even though Africans use more than 2,000 local languages.

Continental heavyweights, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, are able to supply books to national and regional markets, but other countries are struggling to do so, which explains why Africa as a whole remains largely dependent on book imports, to the detriment of its linguistic diversity.

As a result, millions of children are growing up without access to books in the language they speak at home. Unesco warns this is holding back literacy, education and the telling of local stories, and is encouraging publication in local languages. The UN cultural body is also supporting efforts to build reading and community centres and public libraries, particularly in rural areas.

Unesco recommendations

However, local publishers face an uphill battle. Printing costs are high, public support is limited and global companies dominate the lucrative educational market.

The legal framework regarding copyright, which is either poorly enforced or non-existent in many countries, also ranks among the obstacles to faster growth. The situation is similar regarding the ISBN system, which allows books to be traced – and publishing houses and distributors lack the financial support to strengthen these systems.

For Souleymane Gueye, a bookseller and publisher in Senegal, who founded the Saaraba publishing house dedicated to African literature, distribution is the weakest link in the chain. 

“Today, books are published here, but how do we ensure that readers who need them 200 kilometres from the publishing area can access them?” he told RFI. “Every book industry player, every point of sale, manages on their own and finds informal solutions.” 

‘Towering giant of Kenyan letters’ author Ngugi wa Thiong’o dies aged 87

The Unesco report calls for action in three main areas: the reinforcement of institutional and legislative frameworks; building a strong domestic market in each country, including increasing the production of textbooks and children’s books, and the expansion of readership and access to books. 

Recommendations for achieving the latter include investing in public libraries, increasing the number of bookstores and supporting digital publishing platforms. 

“Because without readers,” said Munier, “you don’t have a book industry.”


Aviation

French intel claims China launched disinformation campaign against Rafale jets

French intelligence and military officials say China orchestrated a covert campaign to damage the reputation of the Rafale fighter jet – France’s flagship military export – following its combat deployment in India-Pakistan clashes in May.

Chinese defence attachés stationed in embassies across Asia and elsewhere actively lobbied against the French-built aircraft, questioning its performance in private meetings with military officials from nations that have purchased or are considering purchasing the jet, notably Indonesia. 

According to an intelligence report seen by the Associated Press, the attachés are alleged to have promoted Chinese-made alternatives while casting doubt on the Rafale’s combat record.

The report, shared by a French military official on condition of anonymity, suggests the campaign was launched after the first confirmed combat loss of a Rafale during India’s Operation Sindoor in May.

While Pakistan claimed to have downed three Rafales, France has acknowledged the loss of just one, alongside a Russian-made Sukhoi and a Mirage 2000. India has not officially confirmed numbers.

French military and intelligence officials say the lobbying was accompanied by a broader online disinformation effort, involving more than 1,000 newly created social media accounts spreading manipulated images, AI-generated content, and video-game footage misrepresented as combat visuals. The narrative sought to depict Chinese missile systems as decisively superior.

Macron courts Jakarta, offers Indonesia ‘third way’ in regional power play

Undermining Rafale sales

Although no direct link has been established between Beijing and the social media campaign, French officials argue that the embassy-led lobbying and online activity form a coordinated effort to undermine Rafale sales – particularly in strategic Indo-Pacific markets such as Indonesia, which has ordered 42 Rafales and may procure more.

“The Rafale was not randomly targeted,” France’s Defence Ministry said. “It represents a strategic French offering. This campaign sought to undermine not just a combat aircraft, but France’s credibility as a defence partner.”

Beijing has denied the allegations. “The relevant claims are pure groundless rumours and slander. China has consistently maintained a prudent and responsible approach to military exports, playing a constructive role in regional and global peace and stability,” the Ministry of National Defence in Beijing told AP.

However, analysts warn that such efforts align with China’s growing use of disinformation and influence operations to challenge Western arms sales and strategic ties in Asia.

Former French pilot suspected of sharing defence intelligence with China

Dassault Aviation has sold 533 Rafales, including 323 for export to Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Indonesia.

Exports form a central pillar of France’s defence diplomacy. Officials in Paris are now working to reassure partner nations amid what they describe as an “unprecedented” assault on their reputation.

(with AP)


BRICS

BRICS leaders meet in Rio to defend multilateralism ‘under attack’

BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry US President Donald Trump’s “indiscriminate” trade tariffs, saying they are illegal and risk hurting the global economy.

Emerging nations, which represent about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output, are set to unite over “serious concerns” about US import tariffs, according to a draft summit statement obtained by AFP.

Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties. His latest salvo comes in the form of letters informing trading partners of new tariff rates that will soon enter into force.

The draft summit declaration does not mention the United States or its president by name. But it is a clear political shot directed at Washington from 11 emerging nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

“We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules,” the draft text says.

It warns that such measures “threaten to further reduce global trade” and are “affecting the prospects for global economic development.”

Xi no show 

Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power.

But the two-day summit’s political punch will be depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.

“I expect there will be speculation about the reasons for Xi’s absence,” said Ryan Hass, a former China director at the US National Security Council who is now with the Brookings Institution think tank.

“The simplest explanation may hold the most explanatory power. Xi recently hosted Lula in Beijing,” said Hass.

The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. War crime-indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin is also opting to stay away, but will participate via video link, according to the Kremlin.

Hass said Putin’s non-attendance and the fact that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be a guest of honour in Brazil could also be factors in Xi’s absence.

“Xi does not want to appear upstaged by Modi,” who will receive a state lunch, he said. “I expect Xi’s decision to delegate attendance to Premier Li (Qiang) rests amidst these factors.”

Still, the Xi no-show is a blow to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage.

In the year to November 2025, Brazil will have hosted a G20 summit, a BRICS summit, and COP30 international climate talks, all before heading into fiercely contested presidential elections next year, in which he is expected to run.

Conflict resolution

Iran‘s President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel, is also skipping the meeting.

A source familiar with the negotiations said the BRICS countries were divided over how to respond to the wars in Gaza and between Iran and Israel.

Iranian negotiators were pushing for a tougher collective stance that goes beyond referencing the need for the creation of a Palestinian state and for disputes to be resolved peacefully.

But one diplomatic source said the text would give the “same message” that BRICS delivered in June when Iran was being bombed by Israel and the United States, expressing “concern.”

Finally, Brazil’s president insisted the world must act to stop what he described as an Israeli “genocide” in Gaza.

“We cannot remain indifferent to the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza, the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians and the use of hunger as a weapon of war,” he told leaders from China, India, and other nations.

His comments came as Gaza truce talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, and as pressure mounted to end the 22-month war, which began with Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks.

Artificial intelligence and health will also be on the agenda at the summit.

Original members of the bloc Brazil, Russia, India, and China have been joined by South Africa and, more recently, by Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.

  (with newswires)


Kenya

Armed gang attacks Kenya Human Rights Commission

An armed gang attacked the headquarters of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission on Sunday as it hosted a press conference calling for an end to state violence, an AFP journalist saw. 

“The gate was locked but they forced themselves in. They were attacking and robbing guys, saying: ‘You are planning protests here’,” the journalist said.

The press conference was being held ahead of Monday’s “Saba Saba Day“, an annual commemoration of pro-democracy protests in the 1990s, that this year coincides with large-scale demonstrations against police brutality and poor governance.

Women’s Collective Kenya, a grassroots rights movement, had helped organise the press conference to call for “an immediate end to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of their children for taking to the streets”.

But the meeting had yet to start when the gang of around 20 people attacked, some armed with sticks, forcing many to flee for safety.

“Armed goons have attacked offices of the Kenya Human Rights Commission,” the Women’s Collective posted on social media.

Armed “goons”, as they are widely known in Kenya, have been deployed to attack protesters in recent weeks.

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

Protesters marching against police violence on 17 June in Kenya were attacked by hundreds of men on motorbikes armed with whips and clubs.

AFP journalists at the scene saw them working with the apparent protection of police, and some openly said they had been paid by local government leaders.

At least 19 people died on 25 June as another day of protests turned violent, with thousands of businesses looted and destroyed.  

There is deep resentment against President William Ruto over economic stagnation and corruption, and anger has been fuelled by police killings and dozens of illegal detentions since large-scale protests first broke out in June 2024. 

 (AFP)


Comoros

Comoros marks 50 years of independence amid ongoing dispute over Mayotte

The Comoros marks 50 years of independence from France on Sunday but an ongoing territorial dispute over the island of Mayotte – a former part of the Comorian archipelago which chose to remain part of France – hangs heavy over the celebrations.

Geographically, the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean is made up of four islands: Grande Comore, Anjouan, Mohéli and Mayotte. The first three gained independence from France in 1975, but Mayotte remained under French control – a status that Comorian authorities have never accepted.

Bound by historical, cultural, economic and family ties, many Comorians consider the return of Mayotte a national cause. “Mayotte is Comorian,” successive governments have insisted. Yet critics argue that the Comorian leadership has grown too conciliatory towards Paris.

The rift dates back to a 1974 referendum in which France asked the Comorian people whether they wanted independence. Nearly 95 percent of voters across the archipelago said yes, but more than 63 percent of Mayotte’s electorate voted against it.

How overseas Mayotte became ‘a department apart’ within France

Despite objections from the United Nations, which urged France not to break up the archipelago, in line with international law, the French government claimed the right to keep Mayotte. 

Until 2009, Mayotte had the hazy status of “collectivité d’outre-mer” (overseas collectivity), but in a 2009 referendum it voted overwhelmingly to become France’s 101st department. 

‘Now is the time’

“Some Mahorans don’t even know the Comoros,” Houmed Msaïdié, a former minister and presidential adviser on political affairs, told RFI. “Fifty years have passed. Now is the time. We want serious dialogue with France, but above all, with our brothers in Mayotte. Our goal is clear: territorial integrity.”

Despite strong backing from the African Union and the United Nations – both of which recognise Mayotte as part of the Comoros – the issue has faded from the international stage as Paris and Moroni have strengthened economic and development ties.

Why are people being driven from the postcard paradise of the Comoros?

Dr Mohamed Monjoin, president of the pro-reunification Comité Maore, is critical of the current diplomatic approach. “Bilateral dialogue has failed,” he says. “Moroni must bring Mayotte back to the UN General Assembly. That hasn’t happened in 30 years.”

As the Comoros celebrates half a century of sovereignty, many view this independence as incomplete without Mayotte – a freedom still awaiting its final chapter.


This article was adapted from the original version in French.


Extreme weather

At least 50 people confirmed dead in Texas flood, including 15 children

At least 50 people, including 15 children, have been confirmed dead following flash floods in central Texas, authorities said on Saturday as rescuers continued a frantic search for dozens more campers, vacationers and residents who were still missing.

The sheriff’s office in Kerr County, Texas said more than 800 people had been evacuated from the region as flood waters receded in the area around the Guadalupe River, about 85 miles (137 km) northwest of San Antonio.

“We will not stop until every single person is found,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference.

At least 23 to 25 people from the Camp Mystic summer camp were missing, most of them reported to be young girls. The river waters rose 29 feet rapidly near the camp.

The US National Weather Service said that the flash flood emergency has largely ended for Kerr County, the epicentre of the flooding, following thunderstorms that dumped as much as a foot of rain early on Friday. A flood watch, however, remained in effect until 7pm for the broader region.

Kerr County sits in the Texas Hill Country, a rural area known for its rugged terrain, historic towns and other tourist attractions.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said up to 500 rescue workers were searching for an unknown number of people who were still missing, including many who had come to the area for an Independence Day celebration by the river.

“We don’t know how many people were in tents on the side, in small trailers by the side, in rented homes by the side, because it was going to be the Fourth of July holiday,” he said on Fox News Live.

US President Donald Trump said the federal government is working with state and local officials to respond to the flooding. “Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” he said on social media.

Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerrville, the county seat, told reporters on Friday that the extreme flooding struck before dawn with little or no warning, precluding authorities from issuing advance evacuation orders as the Guadalupe River swiftly rose above major flood stage in less than two hours.

State emergency management officials had warned as early as Thursday that west and central Texas faced heavy rains and flash flood threats, citing National Weather Service forecasts ahead of the holiday weekend.

The forecasts, however, “did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” W. Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told a news conference on Friday night.

The weekend disaster echoes a catastrophic 1987 Guadalupe River flood in which 10 teenagers drowned when trying to leave a church camp, according to the National Weather Service.

 (Reuters)


US politics

Musk announces forming of ‘America Party’ in further break from Trump

The dispute between Republican President Donald Trump and his main campaign financier Elon Musk took another fractious turn on Saturday when the space and automotive billionaire announced the formation of a new political party, saying Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax bill would bankrupt America.

A day after asking his followers on his X platform whether a new US political party should be created, Musk declared in a post on Saturday that “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” he wrote.

The announcement from Musk comes after Trump signed his self-styled “big, beautiful” tax-cut and spending bill into law on Friday, which Musk fiercely opposed.

Musk, who became the word’s richest man thanks to his Tesla car company and his SpaceX satellite firm, spent hundreds of millions on Trump’s re-election and led the Department of Government Efficiency from the start of the president’s second term aimed at slashing government spending.

The first sign of investor dissatisfaction with Musk’s announcement 

followed later in the day. Investment firm Azoria Partners will postpone the listing of a Tesla exchange-traded fund, Azoria CEO James Fishback said in a post on X.

Fishback is asking Tesla’s board to clarify Musk’s political ambitions and said the new party undermines the confidence shareholders had that he would be focusing more on the company after leaving government service in May.

Musk said previously that he would start a new political party and spend money to unseat lawmakers who supported the bill.

Trump earlier this week threatened to cut off the billions of dollars in subsidies that Musk’s companies receive from the federal government.

Republicans have expressed concern that Musk’s on-again, off-again feud with Trump could hurt their chances to protect their majority in the 2026 midterm congressional elections.

Asked on X what was the one thing that made him go from loving Trump to attacking him, Musk said: “Increasing the deficit from an already insane $2T under Biden to $2.5T. This will bankrupt the country.”

There was no immediate comment from Trump or the White House on Musk’s announcement.

The feud with Trump, often described as one between the world’s richest man and the world’s most powerful, has led to several precipitous falls in Tesla‘s share price.

The stock soared after Trump’s November reelection and hit a high of more than $488 in December, before losing more than half of its value in April and closing last week out at $315.35.

Despite Musk’s deep pockets, breaking the Republican-Democratic duopoly will be a tall order, given that it has dominated American political life for more than 160 years, while Trump’s approval ratings in polls in his second term have generally held firm above 40 percent, despite often divisive policies.

 (Reuters)


Football

PSG mental resilience key to reaching Club World Cup semi-finals

Much has been made of European champions Paris Saint-Germain’s attacking flair, their rapid and dangerous wingers and thrilling style, but what carried them through to the Club World Cup semi-finals on Saturday was a dose of resilience.

Luis Enrique’s side beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in Atlanta with just nine men at the end after late red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez.

PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several good saves to help the French treble winners progress to the final four, where they will meet a familiar face in Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.

Captain Marquinhos said his team’s mentality was vital to keep adding silverware to their trophy cabinet.

“It was a game that taught us lessons, a game that brought us out of our comfort zone,” the Brazilian defender told reporters.

“(It showed) the mentality of our group, it’s something we talk about a lot, winning is very hard and to keep winning is even harder.

“That’s our mentality today, to show we are always hungry, that we always want to go further.”

Enrique explained that his team’s work over the past year has contributed to their growing resilience.

“This goes back to the season that we played, we suffered together… we displayed a true team spirit,” said the Spaniard.

“We may win, we may lose, we may have a draw, but our attitude, our actions are there.”

PSG won the Champions League for the first time in their history in May after a tricky run to the final, including a last-16 triumph over Liverpool on penalties.

Donnarumma was the hero as they dug deep at Anfield in March and ousted Arne Slot’s side, who were among the favourites to win the trophy.

“We even went to Liverpool looking for a result — you need a very good mentality. Today again, with two fewer men, we were all together on the pitch, defending as a team, helping each other out there,” said Marquinhos.

“When the (first) red card happened I looked at my team-mates and I saw they were pumped up to defend together.

“We talked to each other, we said we’ll defend, we won’t concede goals, this game is ours and we’ll defend hard to the end.

“I knew nothing would happen — we said that our team is very strong in this moment… it doesn’t matter what happens, mentally we’re ready.”

In fact, with PSG down to nine men and leading through Desire Doue’s goal, they held off Bayern and added a second through Ousmane Dembele.

PSG rout Messi’s Inter Miami to reach Club World Cup quarter-finals

‘At all times’   

The Parisians also impressed against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals, resisting Mikel Arteta’s side in the first leg to claim a hard-fought 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.

They fell two goals down in the Coupe de France semi-final against Dunkerque, before bouncing back to win 4-2 on the way to claiming the trophy.

Enrique said his squad had a “great ability” to manage difficult moments after that Cup win in April, and the coach again praised his team for their strength to hold on against Bayern.

“It’s a team that has resilience, our supporters, they have great resilience,” said Enrique.

“We are a team that is ready to compete at all times, no matter the result.”

Marquinhos said the former Spain and Barcelona coach’s work was a key reason for the club’s mental strength improving.

Previous PSG sides have been littered with star names but lacked the nous and grit to triumph on the biggest occasions.

“The key is our coach, he has brought his philosophy, he’s brought with him his mentality, he has prepared the team very well from the first day he arrived,” said Marquinhos.

“He was looking to improve the team mentally, to be ready for everything that can happen in a game…

“We went through it all this season, bad moments in which we didn’t get results, when we played well but didn’t score.”

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany recalled the excessive criticism of Luis Enrique after the Germans edged PSG 1-0 in the Champions League first round in November.

However, after they overcame that hardship among others to dominate Europe, hammering Inter Milan in the most one-sided final in the competition’s history, few would bet against them going on to conquer the world.

 (AFP)


DRC conflict

Rwanda’s Kagame unsure whether peace deal with Congo will hold

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said on Friday he was unsure whether a U.S.-brokered peace deal would hold with Democratic Republic of Congo and warned he would respond to any “tricks”from his neighbour.

The agreement signed last week calls for Rwandan troops to withdraw within 90 days from eastern Congo, where the United Nations says they are supporting M23 rebels who seized the region’s two largest cities earlier this year.

Rwanda denies helping M23 and says its forces are acting in self-defence against Congo’s army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, including from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

Kagame told reporters in Kigali that Rwanda was committed to implementing the deal, but that it could fail if Congo did not live up to its promises to neutralise the FDLR.

“If the side that we are working with plays tricks and takes us back to the problem, then we deal with the problem like we have been dealing with it,” Kagame said.

He said he was grateful for the involvement of US President Donald Trump’s administration in mediation efforts.

“If it doesn’t work, they aren’t the ones to blame,” Kagame said.

There was no immediate response from Congo which has regularly accused Rwanda of being the aggressor.

Kagame’s remarks were his first in public since 6 June. He was not seen attending events from then until 24 June and there was no activity on the presidency’s usually busy social media accounts during that time.

His absence led to speculation among Rwandan dissidents based outside the country about his health. David Himbara, a former Kagame adviser turned critic living in Canada, said repeatedly on social media that Kagame was ill.

Asked for a response, Kagame brushed off the reports. “Some of my personal health problems might originate from managing you people,” he said, to laughter.

“What is the problem? What would people want me to account for? That I am not human?” added the president who showed no signs of being unwell during the press conference.

Congo‘s government and M23 said on Thursday they would send delegations back to Qatar for parallel talks aimed at ending the conflict.

The Trump administration has dangled the possibility of a separate investment deal that could unlock Western investment in regional supply chains for minerals such as tantalum, gold and copper as an incentive for all sides to make peace.

 (Reuters)


Climate change

Unesco warns majority of World Heritage sites at risk from drought or flooding

Almost three-quarters of the world’s cultural and natural heritage sites are under threat from drought or flooding as a result of global warming, the United Nations cultural agency said this week.

Seventy-three percent of all 1,172 non-marine sites on the Unesco Heritage List are exposed to at least one severe water risk, the Unesco study “Mountains and glaciers: Water towers” showed.

These risks include water stress, drought, river flooding and coastal flooding, as extreme weather events including hurricanes, droughts, floods and heatwaves become more frequent and intense thanks to rising temperatures.

“Water stress is projected to intensify, most notably in regions like the Middle East and North Africa, parts of South Asia and northern China, posing long-term risks to ecosystems, cultural heritage and the communities and tourism economies that depend on them,” the report said.

More killer heat and rising seas likely in next five years, UN warns

According to Unesco, cultural sites are most commonly threatened by water scarcity, while more than half of natural sites face the risk of flooding from a nearby river.

In India, the Taj Mahal monument in Agra “faces water scarcity that is increasing pollution and depleting groundwater, both of which are damaging the mausoleum”. While in the United States, “in 2022 a massive flood closed down all of Yellowstone National Park and cost over $20 million in infrastructure repairs to reopen”.

Iraq’s southern marshes – the reputed home of the biblical Garden of Eden – “face extremely high water stress, where over 80 percent of the renewable supply is withdrawn to meet human demand,” the report added.

Competition for water is expected to increase in the marshes, where migratory birds live and locals raise buffalo, as the region grows hotter in coming years.

UN chief says aid surge needed to face ‘climate chaos, raging conflicts’

On the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls has faced recurring drought and is sometimes reduced to a trickle.

In Peru, the pre-Colombian city of Chan Chan and its delicate 1,000-year-old adobe walls face an extremely high risk of river flooding, while in China, rising sea levels driven in large part by climate change are leading to coastal flooding, which destroys mudlands where migratory waterbirds find food.

(with AFP)

International report

Pashinyan’s Turkey visit signals new chapter as Ankara eyes Caucasus shift

Issued on:

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s June visit to Turkey marks the latest step in the ongoing rapprochement between the two countries. The move comes as Ankara seeks to expand its influence in the Caucasus, amid the waning power of regional rivals Iran and Russia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s hosting of Pashinyan in Istanbul last month represents a notable diplomatic effort to normalise relations. Ankara had severed diplomatic ties and closed its border with Armenia in 1993 following the war between Armenia and Turkey’s close ally, Azerbaijan, over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

However, Pashinyan’s Istanbul visit is being hailed as groundbreaking. “I believe it was very significant for several reasons. It was the first bilateral diplomatic summit between the Turkish and Armenian leaders,” explains Richard Giragosian, Director of the Regional Studies Centre, a Yerevan-based think tank.

Until now, interactions between the two leaders had been limited to multilateral engagements—such as Erdoğan’s inauguration and meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. But Giragosian argues that the Istanbul meeting carries deeper significance.

“This is the first bilateral invitation from Turkey to the Armenian leader. That reflects a second important development: Turkey is seeking to regain its options with Armenia,” observes Giragosian.

Armenia looks to reopen border with Turkey as potential gateway to the West

Zangezur corridor at centre

One of the key issues discussed was the creation of a land bridge through Armenia to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, which borders Turkey. Known as the Zangezur Corridor, this project is a strategic priority for Ankara. It would not only link Turkey directly to its key ally and vital trade partner Azerbaijan, but also open a new route for Turkish goods to Central Asia.

“It is especially important now from an economic standpoint,” notes international relations professor Hüseyin Bağcı of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

Pashinyan’s visit is seen as part of a broader Turkish diplomatic push to secure regional support for the Zangezur Corridor. “This is why Prime Minister Pashinyan came to Turkey,” says Bağcı, who suggests Erdoğan is attempting to counter Iranian resistance. “The Zangezur Corridor should not be held hostage by Iranian opposition. It shouldn’t be conditional on Iran’s stance,” he adds.

Iran, Armenia’s powerful neighbour, strongly opposes the corridor. Currently, Turkish goods must transit through Iran to reach Central Asia—giving Tehran significant leverage. Iran has often restricted this trade during periods of diplomatic tension with Ankara. More critically, Tehran fears the proposed 40-kilometre corridor would cut off a vital route it uses to bypass international sanctions.

Despite Turkish diplomatic efforts, Iran remains firmly opposed. “Nothing has changed in Tehran’s position regarding the Zangezur Corridor. Iran is still against the project,” warns Prof Dr Zaur Gasimov of the German Academic Exchange Service.

Growing military buildup in Azerbaijan and Armenia a concern for peace talks

Gasimov notes, however, that recent geopolitical developments—particularly Israel’s ongoing conflict with Iran—have shifted the regional balance in Ankara’s favour. “As of July 2025, Iran’s diplomatic, political, and military capabilities are far more constrained than they were just a few years ago, due to Israel-led and US-led operations,” says Gasimov. “In both military and political terms, Iran is now significantly limited.”

Yet Azerbaijan’s insistence that the Zangezur Corridor operate independently of Armenian control remains a major sticking point for Yerevan, says Giragosian. Still, he believes the broader aim of establishing a new trade route—combined with Turkey’s willingness to reopen its border—offers the region both economic incentives and a path towards stability through mutual dependence.

“The reopening of closed borders, and the creation of trade and transport links, reshapes strategic thinking. It makes any renewal of hostilities far more costly,” says Giragosian.

“In this context, it lifts all boats. It’s a win-win for everyone,” he continues. “And I do think the real sticking point now will be Russia’s reaction, more than any resistance from Turkey, Armenia, or Azerbaijan.”

Russia and Iran push back

Initially, Moscow supported the Zangezur Corridor, particularly since Russian personnel were envisioned to administer it under the original proposals. But Gasimov notes that Russia’s enthusiasm has cooled as it grows increasingly wary of Turkey’s expanding influence in a region it still considers part of its traditional sphere.

“Moscow is very concerned about Ankara–Yerevan relations. Turkey, after all, is a NATO member—even if Russia cooperates with it in several areas,” says Gasimov.

France pushes for peace in the Caucasus amid heat over Iran detainees

 

Despite being heavily engaged in its war in Ukraine, Gasimov suggests Russia still has leverage in the South Caucasus

“After three years of war and sweeping sanctions, Russia’s capabilities in the region are diminished. But it continues to try to assert itself—by intimidating vulnerable regional economies and exploiting internal political instability, as it did in Armenia just two weeks ago,” says Gasimov.

Last month, Armenian security forces arrested several opposition figures, claiming to have foiled a coup attempt.

As Moscow remains bogged down in Ukraine, Yerevan may have only a limited window of opportunity to capitalise on Russia’s distraction and weakness. “We do see a storm on the horizon,” warns Giragosian. “With an angry and vengeful Putin lashing out at Russia’s neighbours, he’s seeking to reassert Russian power and influence across the near abroad—from Central Asia to the South Caucasus.”

Armenia reconsiders alliances

Giragosian argues that such threats could be the catalyst for historic diplomatic realignments. “From an Armenian perspective, it’s deeply ironic. For decades, Armenia feared Turkey and turned to Russia for protection. Now, Armenia is looking to Turkey for a greater role—and seeking to distance itself from the Russian orbit.”

Pashinyan has made no secret of his intent to pivot Armenia away from Russia and towards Europe. But with neighbouring Georgia increasingly under Moscow’s sway, and with Iran and Azerbaijan offering few viable alternatives, Turkey may now represent Armenia’s best chance to achieve that strategic realignment.

The Sound Kitchen

Our oceans – the great nourishers

Issued on:

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear the answer to the questions about the world’s oceans. There’s Ollia Horton’s “Happy Moment”, “The Listener’s Corner”, and Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan. All that and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy! 

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.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to give these voices the reach they deserve.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens, where the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). This is the very essence of an ePOP film: a concentrate of humanity that challenges, moves and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world. Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate.

Go to The Sound Kitchen or the RFI English Listeners Forum Facebook pages for all the information you need about creating your video.

We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

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. 

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

This week’s quiz: On 7 June, I asked you a question about RFI English journalist Amanda Morrow’s article “The big blue blindspot: why the ocean floor is still an unmapped mystery”.

You were to re-read Amanda’s article and send in the answers to these three questions: How many people do the world’s oceans feed per year? How much economic activity is generated by the oceans every year? And, what is the percentage of the ocean’s waters that are formally protected?

The answers are, to quote Amanda’s article: “The ocean feeds 3.2 billion people and generates an estimated 2.6 trillion USD in economic value each year. Yet just 8 percent is formally protected – and only a fraction of that is off-limits to damaging activities.” 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is the most hilarious thing or situation you’ve come across in your life, or what or whom made you laugh the most?”, which 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 Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India, who is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Jayanta, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Abdur Rakib, the co-president of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Nuraiz Bin Zaman, who’s a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, also in Bangladesh. Last but certainly not least, RFI Listeners Club member Mumtaz Hussain from Odisha, India, and RFI English listener Nowsaba Nuha from Munshiganj, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The theme to Mannix by Lalo Schifrin; the “Aquarium” from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens, performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn; “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 “Take the A Train” by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, performed by the Joe Henderson Trio.

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 “Ocean campaigners hail French move to snuff out cigarette butt pollution”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 28 July to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 2 August 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.   

Spotlight on France

Podcast: living in 50C, French egg shortages, Paris metro

Issued on:

As France heats up, an experiment simulating life in 50C aims to get people to take climate change more seriously. Faced with a growing demand for eggs, France looks for ways to boost homegrown production and halt the need for imports. And a look back at the first line of the Paris metro, which opened in 1900.

France just experienced its hottest June since 2003, with several days of extreme heat at the end of the month that left two people dead and slowed the country down – halting work outdoors and closing schools. The heatwave is a taste of what the future might hold, as global warming leads to more extreme weather conditions. The Human Adaptation Institute has created an immersive experience of what life at 50C would be like. Jeanne Richard reports from the mobile lab as it tours France to raise awareness over the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change, one hot individual at a time. (Listen @0′)

France is Europe’s largest egg producer, yet it’s struggling to meet growing demand from people looking for a cheap source of protein. Eggs are now being imported from Ukraine where environmental, health and animal welfare norms are far lower. Alice Richard, head of the National Egg Promotion Committee (CNPO), talks about the need to increase home-grown production and make it easier for farmers to start or expand their farms. Cyril Ernst, campaign manager with Anima, whose mission is to put an end to laying hens in cages, insists any easing of regulations for new farms mustn’t be at the expense of animal welfare. (Listen @16’45”)

The first line of the Paris metro opened on 19 July 1900, after decades of wrangling between the capital and the state slowed down its development. Today the metro system is 245kms long, with 16 lines covering the entire city and beyond. (Listen @10’30”)

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani

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

International report

Turkey walks a fine line as conflict between Israel and Iran cools

Issued on:

Turkey has spent weeks walking a diplomatic tightrope, caught between its outrage over Israel’s actions and its reluctance to cross the United States. A ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump has given Ankara some breathing room – at least for now.

“We welcome the news that an agreement has been reached on the establishment of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which came late last night,” Erdogan said before departing for the NATO summit in The Hague.

Israel’s war on Iran had put Erdogan in a tricky spot – maintaining his hostility towards Israel without damaging his ties with Trump.

On Saturday, Erdogan slammed Israel, calling it a “terrorist state”, while warning that the war on Iran threatened to plunge the region into chaos. The speech, delivered in Istanbul at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, was just the latest in what has become an almost daily verbal assault on Israel.

But the United States bombing of Iran just a few hours after Erdogan spoke drew little reaction from Ankara beyond a short statement expressing its “concern” over the attack.

Turkey’s rivalry with Iran shifts as US threats create unlikely common ground

Words versus actions

Erdogan’s actions have also not always matched his rhetoric.The Turkish leader resisted opposition calls to close the US-operated NATO Kurecik radar base near the Iranian border.

“Turkey is not interested once again in going into conflict with America because, if you close Kurecik, then it is a NATO issue, and Israel has close relations also with NATO,” said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

The Kurecik radar station, Bagci said, is important to Israeli security.

“Turkey signed the acceptance (agreement) that Israel should take information from Kurecik,” Bagci added. “There is no in an article in the case of war that Turkey would not provide the information. So, this is why Erdogan, based on this fact, is not undertaking any steps against Israel.”

Earlier this month, Erdogan lobbied Baghdad not to follow Tehran’s calls to intercept Israeli warplanes using Iraqi airspace to strike Iran. All moves that are likely to play well with Trump. Erdogan values what Trump has called a “great friendship”.

The two leaders are expected to meet for the first time since Trump’s re-election on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, where Erdogan will likely be seeking an invitation to Washington.

With Turkey and Iran long-time regional rivals, competing for influence from the Caucasus to Central Asia and the Middle East, Ankara also shares the West’s concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“Turkey definitely doesn’t want a nuclear-armed Iran, because that is going to trigger a proliferation process in the Middle East,” said Serhan Afacan, head of the Center for Iranian Studies, a research organisation in Ankara.

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

Refugee fears and regional risks

The United States bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities – which Washington claims has ended Tehran’s atomic programme – drew no condemnation from Ankara. But the risk of a wider conflict has raised fears of growing instability and the possibility of a refugee wave into Turkey from Iran.

Trump’s surprise move to broker a ceasefire between Iran and Israel will come as a relief to Ankara, said regional expert Professor Zaur Gasimov of the German Academic Exchange Service in Istanbul. He warned the ceasefire came just as signs were emerging of a refugee exodus.

“What we see now is already now is the mobility of people within Iran, leaving Tehran and other bigger cities, going to different directions, that is a challenge for the entire region. And maybe Turkey is a country that is about to observe a refugee influx coming from Iran by the border,” said Gasimov.

He warned Ankara is likely not prepared for such an exodus.

“That is a challenge. So, Turkey is currently observing the situation with great attention, and certain answers to this challenge is not ready yet,” said Gasimov.

Azerbaijan and Turkey build bridges amid declining influence of Iran

Economic toll

Turkey, which borders Iraq and Syria, has struggled for decades with chaos on its southern frontier. It currently hosts as many as five million refugees and has paid a heavy economic price through the loss of valuable regional markets.

Ankara will likely be eyeing the potential rewards of a weakened Tehran in the long-running competition for regional influence.

“A weak Iran is good for Turkey always, but not a dead Iran,” said Bagci.

“Iran is important for connectivity. They [Iran] have many neighbours like Turkey. They are close to Russia, Central Asian republics, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, you name it. And the destabilisation of the region is in nobody’s interest.

“That is why China and Russia are very careful in their statements, and everybody is trying now for a diplomatic solution.”

How long Trump’s brokered ceasefire will last remains to be seen. But for Ankara, the hope is that wider regional chaos has been avoided – and that it has managed, at least for now, to balance its competing interests.

The Sound Kitchen

France and Britain and the olive branch

Issued on:

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear the answer to the question about the Macron/Starmer talks in Britain. There’s “The Listener’s Corner” and comic music from Rossini, as well as the new quiz and bonus questions, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy! 

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. 

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 24 May, I asked you a question about our article “EU and UK reunite in London for talks on diplomacy and defence” – that week, talks were held between France’s President Emmanuel Macron and the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer – after five years of rather tense relations between the two countries, following Britain’s exit from the EU in 2020.

I asked you to send in the answer to this question:  Which three issues – aside from defense and security partnerships – were also discussed – issues which are still quite politically sensitive?

The answer is: Fishing rights, food checks, and youth mobility.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Rafiq Khondaker: “What is your favorite animal, and why?”

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

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

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Debakamal Hazarika, the president of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, as well as RFI Listeners Club members Sharifa Akter Panna from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh; Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist – Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India, and last but assuredly not least, RFI English listener Rodrigo Hunrichse from Ciudad de Concepción, Chile.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The overture to L’Italiana in Algerie by Giacchino Rossini, performed by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic; “Round Midnight” by Thelonius Monk, performed by the Thelonius Monk Quartet; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and the Act I finale of L’Italiana in Algerie by Giacchino Rossini, sung by Marilyn Horne and Paolo Montarsolo with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by James Levine.

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 Alison’s article “From Goma to Cape Town, the young Congolese athlete pedalling for peace”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 21 July to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 26 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.   

Spotlight on Africa

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

Issued on:

In this episode, Spotlight on Africa reviews the origins of protests in Kenya against police brutality. And you’ll also hear from the co-founders of the Africa Basel contemporary art fair, in Switzerland, the newest event of its kind. 

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.


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Madhya Pradesh: the Heart of beautiful India

From 20 to 22 September 2022, the IFTM trade show in Paris, connected thousands of tourism professionals across the world. Sheo Shekhar Shukla, director of Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board, talked about the significance of sustainable tourism.

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.

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The editorial team did not contribute to this article in any way.

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Exploring Malaysia’s natural and cultural diversity

The IFTM trade show took place from 20 to 22 September 2022, in Paris, and gathered thousands of travel professionals from all over the world. In an interview, Libra Hanif, director of Tourism Malaysia discussed the importance of sustainable tourism in our fast-changing world.

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.

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The editorial team did not contribute to this article in any way.

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