Strikes hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, a large medical complex in the south of Gaza that is a known gathering place for displaced journalists, according to the press freedom group Reporters without borders (RSF).

Hossam al-Masri, a freelance photographer for the Reuters news agency died in a first drone strike on the hospital Monday morning.

A second strike, eight minute later, killed three other journalists who had arrived at the scene to cover rescue efforts.

They included Mariam Abu Daqqa, a freelance journalist for the Associated Press news agency; Moaz Abu Taha, a correspondent for the American broadcasting network NBC; and Mohamad Salama, a photojournalist for Al Jazeera.

Freelance journalist Ahmad Abu Aziz died soon after of injuries.

Freelance photographer Hatem Khaled was wounded in the second strike, according to Reuters, as was Palestine TV journalist Jamal Bemdah, according to RSF.

RSF said the journalists were “deliberately targeted” and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to ensure the protection of journalists in Gaza and “that concrete measures are taken to end impunity for crimes against journalists, protect Palestinian journalists, and open access to the Gaza Strip to all reporters”.

France’s top diplomat calls for foreign press access to Gaza

Shocking indifference

The United Nations insisted that journalists and hospitals should never be targeted.

“The killing of journalists in Gaza should shock the world – not into stunned silence but into action, demanding accountability and justice,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees Philippe Lazzarini described the strike as “silencing the last remaining voices reporting about children dying silently amid famine“, adding on social media platform X: “The world’s indifference and inaction is shocking.”

Following the strike, the Israel-based Foreign Press Association called for an “immediate explanation” from the military and prime minister’s office.

“We call on Israel once and for all to halt its abhorrent practice of targeting journalists,” the group said in a statement.

The Israeli foreign ministry said on X that troops carried out a strike in the area around the hospital, which has targeted several times since the start of the war.

The military said will conduct an “initial inquiry as soon as possible”, the ministry said, adding that it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such”.

Recognition for journalists who bear burden of showing world the Gaza war

Media restrictions

Earlier this month an Israeli air strike killed four Al Jazeera staff and two freelancers outside Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

The Israeli military alleged that one of those killed, Anas al-Sharif, headed a Hamas “terrorist cell” and was “responsible for advancing rocket attacks” against Israelis.

The Committee to protect journalists and RSF slammed that strike, saying journalists should never be targeted in war.

According to the CPJ and other media watchdogs, over 200 journalists have been killed in nearly two years of war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, many of them while exercising their profession.

However, media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.

(with newswires)

Yuliia Panina, Maryna Berezniatska and Svitlana Holovan made their way to the stage to loud applause from the audience of a few dozen, gathered for a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

The three women were introduced by Liudmila Huseynova, director of the NGO Numo Sisters and herself a survivor of Russian prisons, having endured three years of torture in the illegal Izolyatsia detention centre.

She told the audience: “Not long before joining us, [these women] wondered if they would ever be able to speak Ukrainian again, after being forced to speak Russian throughout their captivity.”

In Russian detention centres, prisoners are forbidden from speaking their own language, under threat of torture.

‘Tears and joy are all mixed together’

The three women, all civilians, were arrested in 2019 in their respective cities, facing unfounded charges of espionage, extremism and terrorism.

Yuliia Panina was abducted by Russian security services while taking her 13-year-old daughter to school in the city of Donetsk.

She was the first to speak, sharing her first impressions after her release: “When we crossed the border and arrived in the Chernihiv region, we saw Ukrainian flags. People were waving at us. It was wonderful to see that – a huge relief.”

Yuliia too was held at Izolyatsia, a former cultural centre in the city of Donetsk, now used as a prison – a place where Russian guards commit atrocities against Ukrainian prisoners of war.

“For us, it was a miracle, and we are here. But back there, in detention, there are still women, at least six, who have been held for a long time,” she said.

Svitlana Holavan, a worker in a fish-curing factory in Novoazovsk, a town on the Russian border a few kilometres from Mariupol, on the shores of the Sea of Azov, was arrested at her home – because some of her relatives live in independent Ukraine.

This was enough to mark her as suspicious in the eyes of the illegal occupation authorities.

France accuses Russia of stalling peace efforts as massive strikes hit Ukraine

“I still can’t believe that this hell, which has ruled my life for six years, is over. When I saw all the people who welcomed us when we arrived by bus, I felt positive emotions that I hadn’t felt in six years,” she said.

“I prayed so hard for this to happen, and my ordeal is finally over. We waited a very long time for this moment, survived torture, but hope always endured. Soon, I will be able to see my children again, who have grown so much, which is why my emotions – tears and joy – are all mixed together.”

Svitlana’s daughters, Anna and Sofia, first found refuge in Mariupol then in the west of the country and finally in Germany, where they are still living. A family reunion is planned for the coming days.

Interrogations, isolation and sexual abuse

Maryna Berezniatska, who was the director of a dog shelter, was arrested on suspicion of cooperating with Ukrainian secret services.

She said: “I’m still trying to come to terms with everything that happened. When I was released, I couldn’t express my feelings, and I still can’t. It’s hard to immediately understand that it’s true, that it’s all over, that a new life is beginning, that all of that is behind us. The worst part was the suffering of our families while they waited. We were all strong, but it was difficult.”

All three spoke in hushed tones about the torture they endured – although without going into detail.

What they were unable to put into words, others – including Liudmyla – have spoken about before: endless daily interrogations, isolation, humiliation, physical and sexual abuse, mock executions, and deprivation of the most basic rights such as access to water, food, hygiene and medicine.

French researcher imprisoned in Russia faces new charges of espionage

They also testified as to what they need now – and what is lacking.

Liudmyla highlighted the urgent practical support required for the three women, and many other former detainees.

“You have to build yourself up psychologically and physically. I remember that for the first six months after my release, I still had adrenaline rushes. You feel strong, you think you can overcome it on your own, but after a few months, all the physical and mental health problems start, and they overwhelm you,” she said.

“Psychologists help us, and I’m grateful for that, but when you have nowhere to sleep, it doesn’t help… People have been coming back from captivity for 11 years and this problem still hasn’t been solved.”

From the audience, representatives of various organisations supporting former prisoners promised help, while Viktor Missak, the representative of the attorney general, took the floor to assure the women that justice will be done.

“We are doing everything we can to record and bring to justice all those responsible. Many people have committed war crimes, including Russian soldiers and the directors of illegal detention centres,” he said.

“We are identifying them and charging them in absentia, and one day they will sit in the dock before a Ukrainian or international court and be tried.”

‘Russia appears to have abandoned the rulebook’

Since 2022, more than 60 prisoner exchanges have taken place between Russia and Ukraine.

The most recent exchange saw “146 Russian servicemen” and “146 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian Armed Forces” transferred on Sunday, according to the Russian defence ministry – although Kyiv did not confirm any figures for the release.

But while Ukraine has opened the doors of its detention centres to international institutions, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to show that the human rights of prisoners are being respected, in accordance with international conventions, the fate of thousands of Ukrainian prisoners – men and women, civilians and military personnel – in Russia remains extremely precarious.

Russia has been accused of systematically torturing civilians in occupied regions of Ukraine.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, last week sent a dossier of torture allegations to Russia – highlighting in particular the use of sexualised torture and detailing the cases of 10 Ukrainian civilians abused in occupied regions of Ukraine.

The cases involved rape, threats of rape, and electric shocks administered to the genitals. The 10 civilians – four women and six men – were also beaten, kicked, blindfolded and subjected to simulated drownings and mock executions.

Russia and Ukraine exchange POWs, civilians

“They represent however only a small snapshot of a wider, well-documented pattern of risks of torture to civilians in occupied areas,” Edwards said in a statement.

“A rudimentary rule of international warfare is that civilians are to be protected. Russia appears to have abandoned the rulebook entirely. It is high time that they were held to account for these unlawful practices and more pressure brought to bear by all States with influence over them.”

Edwards also noted that arbitrary arrests and detentions and enforced disappearances were being used in Ukraine’s occupied territories – particularly in Kherson, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia.

One of the women concerned remains detained in Russia and an appeal for her urgent release has been launched, according to the statement.

Ukraine is demanding the return of all its prisoners, but so far Russia has not agreed to an “all for all” exchange. For now, Yuliia, Svitlana and Maryna are among the lucky ones.

(with newswires, and adapted from this story and this story by RFI’s French service)

European and US military chiefs last week reportedly presented ideas to their national security advisers on how to guarantee Ukraine’s security if there is a peace deal with Russia.

The discussions followed a summit of European leaders in Washington with US President Donald Trump on ending the conflict.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, but they will find ways of tackling that challenge without the US troops on the ground,” said Serhat Guvenc, professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.

“It will be a novelty because Europe has never carried out any peacekeeping or stabilization operation of this magnitude before.”

Turkey, with NATO’s second-largest army, is seen as a possible option.

“Turkey is an option, you know. And it seems that there is some talk of Turkish contribution,” Guvenc added.

Armenia and Azerbaijan peace deal raises hopes of Turkish border reopening

Ankara signals readiness

On the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss Ukraine’s security.

Ankara has already signalled it could take part in monitoring any peace deal, but Moscow’s approval would be necessary.

“If the parties agree, Turkey may send our troops to peacekeeping operations,” said Mesut Casin, a former presidential adviser and professor at Istanbul’s Yeditepe University.

Casin pointed to Turkey’s past record in UN operations.

“Turkey joined many UN peacekeeping operations in the former Yugoslavia, Somalia, and Korea, and in many other peacekeeping operations. The Turkish army is very powerful,” he said.

“Also, remember Putin is talking many times with Erdogan, and at the same time, Zelensky is visiting Ankara.”

Turkey and Italy boost cooperation in bid to shape Libya’s political future

Balancing Moscow and Kyiv

Since the start of the war, Erdogan has kept good relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

Ankara has refused to apply most international sanctions on Moscow, while at the same time selling vital military hardware to Kyiv. That balancing act has raised questions among European partners.

“Turkey ought to have been at the Washington meeting,” said Soli Ozel, an international relations scholar at the Institute for Human Studies in Vienna.

Even though Turkey borders both Ukraine and Russia, Erdogan was excluded from this month’s summit between Trump and European leaders.

“The fact that it wasn’t backs the observation that the bigger players or the major partners are not bringing Turkey center stage, they’re sidelining it,” Ozel added.

Despite this, Ankara remains strategically important.

“They keep it in the play, it’s important because if you’re going to need troops, you’re going to need Turkey. If you’re going to talk about the Black Sea security, you need Turkey. And so you cannot really dismiss Turkey,” Ozel said.

But he warned that mistrust is limiting Ankara’s role.

“You’re not making it part of the process that will hopefully lead to a conclusion or a peace treaty between Ukraine and Russia. There is a lack of trust, and I think that has something to do with the way Turkey has conducted its diplomacy,” Ozel said.

Peace or politics? Turkey’s fragile path to ending a decades-long conflict

Doubts over influence

Some analysts suggest Ankara hopes Europe’s reliance on Turkish forces or its navy for Black Sea security could help restore influence. But others see limited gains.

“There is no automatic increase in Turkey’s influence and credibility as a result of taking part in such operations,” said Guvenc.

“It does have a certain impact, but on the other hand, such contributions do not change other Western partners’ views of Turkey.”

Rather than a reset with Europe, Guvenc sees a continuation of the current dynamic.

“What might happen is yet another manifestation of transactionalism on both sides. And if Turkey contributes to peacekeeping in Ukraine, probably President Erdogan expects concrete benefits that will help him manage the deteriorating economic situation in Turkey.

“Therefore, you cannot build a comprehensive and sustainable relationship built on that transactionalism on both sides.”

Lanier gave notice of his potential in August 2024, when he tore through the field to claim the Japan Open and become the first Frenchman to win a World Tour Super 750 event – one of the most coveted trophies on the circuit.

The 20-year-old confirmed that promise at the European championships in April in Denmark where he claimed the gold medal at the expense of compatriot Toma Junior Popov. 

The Popovs combined during the championships in Horsens to claim gold. They will be in action together on Monday night at the world championships at the Adidas Arena in the men’s doubles. Christo, ranked 10th and Toma Junior, the 15th seed, will also play in the singles.

Lanier starts his singles campaign on Monday afternoon against Kantaphon Wangcharoen from Thailand.

Mixed doubles pair Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue are seeded eighth at the world championships and start their quest for glory on Tuesday under what Gicquel admitted were new psychological pressures following their victory at the Indonesian Open in June.

The triumph made them the first French duo to win a Super 1000 tournament.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been so much in the spotlight before a world championships,” beamed Gicquel as he finished preparations for the world championships.

The 26-year-old, who has been partnering Delrue for eight years, added: “So there will be more pressure. But it also gives us a lot of confidence and it really makes us want to do well especially when you’re in front of all the French fans, in front of your family and friends, it changes a lot of things.”

World championships a year after Olympic Games

“‘We hope it will be like at the Olympic Games, packed and with incredible support,” added Delrue. “We hope to relive the same emotions as last year, and that it will carry us through the whole week.”

The 9,000 seat Adidas Arena in La Chapelle, northern Paris, was the only venue inside the city built specifically for the 2024 Games.

The seats inside the arena were made from recycled plastic bottle caps while the solar panels adorning the roof help to provide electricity for the sports complex which also housed para badminton during the 2024 Paralympics.

The Popovs, like Delrue and Gicquel, also basked in the energy emitted from stands while competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics where France won 16 gold medals to finish as the top European nation.

Success at the world championships would be a continuation of the recent impressive results of French players which has been an outcome of the way the sport is administered in France.

“It started many years ago with a new structure, more professionalism and the creation of a huge system that helps from the bottom to the best players and with a lot of financial help,” Toma Junior said.

High hopes

He and his sibling will also compete in men’s singles. In doubles, they are ranked 19th while in singles Christo is ranked 10th while Toma Junior is ranked 15th.

Toma Junior said they work a lot on their physical fitness to compete in both categories.

“There are two different kinds of gameplay and two different kinds of mental setup,” he added. “The more serious part is the men’s singles, while doubles is the more enjoyable part.“

Lanier and the Popovs – aided by a vociferous hometown crowd – will have to wade through a talented field.

Top seed Shi Yu Qi will be aiming to translate his recent dominance into a first prize at the circuit’s most prestigious tournament after the Olympic Games.

Shi, who opens his campaign on Monday afternoon against India’s Lakshya Sen, won three of four HSBC BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournaments in the run-up to the championships.

The successes propelled the 29-year-old Chinese star to the top of the world rankings. He is seeded to play Anders Antonsen from Denmark in the final.

Antonsen will carry his country’s hopes of glory in the absence of his compatriot Viktor Axelsen.

The two-time world champion and double Olympic champion withdrew after failing to recover from surgery on his back in March.

In the women’s draw, a year after claiming gold at the Olympics, top seed Se-young An from South Korea starts the defence of the singles crown she won in Copenhagen in 2023 against Clara Lassaux from Belgium.

Zhiyi Wang will begin against Agnes Korosi from Hungary and Anna Tatranova, France’s only woman in the singles, plays the fourth seed Yufei Chen.

Kabila’s PPRD permanent secretary, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary called it “a political decision” that will be given “a judicial guise” by the judges of the High Military Court.

“It is an unfair, unjust, even less balanced trial, which is also a non-event. We see hatred oozing from it towards someone who gave you everything,” he told RFI’s Kinshasa correspondent.

“This decision makes Joseph Kabila even stronger and more resilient forever. That is why I limit myself to asking our PPRD leaders and activists and all Kabilists to remain calm until democratic victory, because there is nothing.”

Kabila himself has rejected the case as “arbitrary” and called the courts “an instrument of oppression”.

Congolese opposition leader Moïse Katumbi, through his party Together for the Republic, also denounced in a statement a “cynical political manoeuvre” intended to “silence a major player” and “sow terror” in the country.

Criminal charges

General Lucien Rene Likulia called on judges at the latest hearing last Friday, to condemn Kabila to death for war crimes, treason and organising an insurrection.

The trial against the former president, 53, began in his absence in July for his alleged support for Rwanda-backed M23 militants.

Likulia said Kabila, in coordination with Rwanda, had been trying to carry out a coup against President Felix Tshisekedi.

Kabila, who has been outside the DRC for two years faces charges including homicide, torture and rape linked to the M23 group.

DR Congo tries ex-president Joseph Kabila in absentia for treason

Other charges include “crime against the peace and safety of humanity” and “forcible occupation of the city of Goma”.

The M23 armed group has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwanda’s help.

The violence committed by the M23 in the east of the country had caused “immense prejudice” to the country, for which Kabila had criminal responsibility, Likulia argued.

The DRC lifted a moratorium on the death penalty last year but no judicial executions have been carried out since.

Deputy Justice Minister Samuel Mbemba told reporters : “The courts do not negotiate, they will do their work independently.”

M23 denies Kabila ties

The charges described Kabila as “one of the initiators of the Congo River Alliance” (AFC), the M23’s political arm, accusing him of colluding with Rwanda to try to “overthrow by force the power established by law”, and of being responsible for atrocities committed by the movement in the North and South Kivu provinces in the mineral-rich east.

But the AFC and M23’s executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa distanced the movement from Kabila at a news conference in Goma in the end of July. 

Former DRC president Kabila visits rebel-held Goma for controversial talks

He said that the government should not “label him an AFC/M23 member” just because he had come to the city.

“As a Congolese citizen,” Kabila is “free to go wherever he likes”, he said, branding the trial part of a “malevolent strategy” against the ex-president.  

Kabila has branded his successor’s government a “dictatorship”.

He himself took power following his father Laurent Kabila’s assassination in 2001 and governed the DRC until 2019, before leaving the country in 2023.

The eastern DRC has been ravaged by conflict between various armed groups for more than three decades, with the unrest intensifying since the M23’s resurgence in 2021.

   (with newswires) 

In a statement, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it had re-established communication with the ground troops that had been under threat by the jihadists.

The strike on four targets in the Kumshe area in Borno State had “intensified efforts” to dominate the battle field and “deny terrorists freedom of action”, said NAF spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame.

Insurgent resurgence

The Nigerian military has been fighting a resurgence of attacks from jihadist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) since the beginning of the year in the northeast, which neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Both ISWAP and Boko Haram have taken over military bases, killing soldiers and seizing weapons.

The army, which says it is battling not just jihadist militants but also armed gangs in the northwest, known as “bandits”, last week said it had killed 592 militia members in eight months, since the start of the year, surpassing operational gains made in 2024.

US could supply arms

Last week the United States State Department approved the sale to Nigeria of $346 million (€291 million) in weapons, including bombs, rockets and munitions.

The Nigerian army said the weapons – whose sale is subject to Congressional approval – would “improve Nigeria’s capability to meet current and future threats through operations against terrorist organisations”.

Civilians have been caught in the crossfire of the insurgency, which has left more than 40,000 people dead and forced more than two million to flee their homes, according to the UN.

Hostages held by ‘bandits’ freed

Nigeria’s air force also helped to rescued at least 76 people kidnapped by bandits, including women and children, in northwestern Katsina state, according to local authorities.

The rescue on Saturday followed a precision air strike by the air force at Pauwa Hill as part of a manhunt for a bandit known as Babaro who has been linked to a mosque attack last week in a nearby town that killed 50 people.

One child captive died in the rescue operation.

Mass kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigeria’s northwest and central states, where armed gangs often target remote villages, stealing cattle and abducting residents, and leaving residents unable to farm and feed themselves.

The militias are motivated by financial gain, and have no ideological leanings, but officials and analysts have expressed concern over growing pragmatic alliances with jihadists from Nigeria’s northeast.

(with newswires)

France’s national postal service, La Poste, has announced it will suspend most parcel deliveries to the United States, as confusion swirls around new American import rules.

The move, which takes effect Monday, puts France among the growing list of European postal operators hitting pause on shipments across the Atlantic.

At the heart of the disruption is the end of the long-standing “de minimis” exemption, which has allowed packages worth under $800 to enter the US duty-free.

Last year alone over one billion such parcels arrived in the US under this rule, carrying goods worth nearly $65 billion.

But from this week, the exemption disappears – and with it, the certainty that has underpinned a thriving trade in low-value packages.

La Poste said US authorities had failed to give postal operators enough time or detail to prepare for the change. “Despite discussions with US customs services, no time was provided to postal operators to re-organise and assure the necessary computer updates to conform to the new rules,” the company explained.

For French senders, the suspension will be frustrating but not permanent. Mail without merchandise – such as letters and documents – will continue to be accepted. But gifts, e-commerce orders and other goods are caught in the limbo created by the new tariffs.

EU readies response to new US tariffs, France braces for fallout

A Europe-wide pause

France joins Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy, which were among the first countries to suspend most merchandise shipments to the US as of Saturday.

Austria will follow the French timetable on Monday, while the UK’s Royal Mail has said it will stop US parcels from Tuesday. The aim is to ensure that items already in transit arrive before the tariffs bite.

“Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future,” DHL, Europe’s biggest shipping provider, said in a statement.

From Saturday, DHL stopped accepting parcels destined for the US from its European business customers.

In Italy, Poste Italiane confirmed that commercial shipments to the US would be suspended, although letters and non-merchandise mail are unaffected.

Sweden’s PostNord called its move “unfortunate but necessary,” while Dutch operator PostNL urged customers to send any urgent packages immediately, warning that US authorities still lacked a proper system to collect the new duties.

Trump unveils sweeping new global tariffs but delays deadline by a week

Shifting trade landscape

The new duties stem from a recent trade framework between Washington and Brussels, which sets a 15 percent tariff on the vast majority of EU-origin goods shipped to America. Crucially, packages under $800 – previously exempt – will now also be hit.

This follows an earlier step by the Trump administration in May to end the duty-free exemption for Chinese goods as part of its broader push to curb cheap imports. The extension to the rest of the world is the latest phase of that policy.

While private express services such as DHL Express can still deliver to the US, most European public postal operators say they have no choice but to suspend parcels until the rules become clearer.

PostEurop, the umbrella association for 51 postal services, has warned that if no solution emerges by 29 August, its entire membership may be forced to follow suit.

The pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), led by President Maia Sandu, hopes to win a new mandate to push ahead with European Union accession.

But Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service has warned of Russian disinformation campaigns, vote-buying and wider destabilisation efforts designed to block its pro-EU path.

Outside allies

These threats have amplified the need to bolster Moldova’s defences, and the country is seeking outside allies.

However, this does not include pursuing NATO membership, which is ruled out due to the fact that under its constitution, Moldova is officially a “neutral” state.

“NATO has a very negative image in Moldova,” said Veaceslav Ionita, an expert on economic policy with the IDIS Viitorul think tank and a former MP for the pro-EU Liberal Democratic Party PLDM.

He attributes this to “many years of [Russian] manipulation”, adding: “No party is ready to discuss seriously a NATO membership.”

Moldovan strategists are trying to circumvent political reluctance to join NATO by making deals with individual countries.

In March 2024, Sandu signed a landmark defence cooperation agreement in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron. The move marked a significant deepening of bilateral ties between the two countries, aimed at reinforcing Moldova’s sovereignty and security in the face of Russian “threats, pressure and intimidation,” according to Ionita.

The pact covers a broad range of defence cooperation measures: training Moldovan military personnel, intelligence sharing, joint consultations, enhanced airspace control capabilities, military telecommunications, logistics support and financial oversight of defence spending.

It also opens the door for the transfer of French military technology – as illustrated by Moldova’s acquisition of the Ground Master 200 radar system from French defence firm Thales, giving Chisinau improved aerial surveillance capabilities.

France strengthens support for Moldova as Russian destabilisation efforts persist

According to Ionita, France is currently regarded as the country that is most concerned for Moldova.

“France is number one,” he told RFI. Its popularity, he believes, is also in large part due to Macron’s close relationship with Sandu.

“For many years, polls [showed] that people favoured Russian President Vladimir Putin as the most important foreign leader to trust.”

But he had to yield to Angela Merkel – when “German investment [came] to Moldova and German companies created lots of jobs,” according to Ionita. 

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky became the most popular foreign leader in Moldova. But today, it is Macron.

“Nobody knows here who the [new] German leader is,” according to Ionita. “They [believe] that France is now the only big country having Moldova on its agenda.”

France’s engagement with the country builds on cooperation dating back to 1998, but has taken on a new urgency against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine and its continued military presence in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria. 

Aside from France, Moldova has forged military alliances with Romania and the United States, to strengthen its capacity to respond to both conventional and hybrid threats.

Its only cooperation with NATO takes the form of joint exercises, civilian emergency preparedness and technical assistance. While Chisinau is being cautious not to breach the country’s constitutional neutrality, it views such partnerships as essential to shoring up its defence in the absence of a formal alliance guarantee.

Frequent cyber attacks

Moldovan authorities have accused the Kremlin of orchestrating or supporting political movements aimed at derailing the country’s pro-Western policies.

Frequent cyberattacks, propaganda operations and economic pressure have contributed to a perception of an ever-present Russian threat.

Viewed in this light, the defence pact with France is about more than military hardware, t’s also about resilience – from cyberspace to public institutions.

In May 2024, Moldova formalised its “Security and Defence Partnership” with the EU, designed to fight hybrid threats, improve cyber-resilience, and safeguard democratic processes. The agreement reflects a recognition in Brussels that Moldova’s democratic stability is deeply entwined with its security.

‘Unprecedented interference’: how Russia is attempting to shape Moldova’s future

EU ambitions

But the country’s larger ambition – at least in some political quarters – is full EU membership, which would increase the level of security against possible Russian threats.

For Moldova, EU membership would also provide a massive boost to its economy.

In 2000, Chisinau began opening up free economic zones – areas where foreign companies can operate under a lower tax regime than in the rest of the country. These attracted mainly German investment.

“The biggest growth [since Moldova became independent from the USSR in 1991] took place between 2010 and 2019,” according to Ionita, the period in which the free economic zones started to flourish.

A second boost to the country’s economy came in 2014, after Russia banned the import of Moldovan fruits and agricultural products, and Chisinau then signed a free trade agreement with Brussels.

The Association Agreement, which includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), was signed in June 2014 and has been in full effect since July 2016. It forms the basis of Moldova’s current trade relations with the EU.

“Everyone understands that EU membership means industry development, good salary, good infrastructure and quality of life,” says Ionita. 

Moldova hosts first EU summit as leaders tackle Russia’s interference threat

Since being granted EU candidate status in June 2022, Moldova has undertaken sweeping reforms in governance, its judiciary and anti-corruption mechanisms – steps that are preconditions for accession talks.

In June 2024, Brussels formally opened accession negotiations with Chisinau, but the overall accession process remains lengthy and politically sensitive.

Sandu has tied her political project firmly to EU membership, seeing it as the only viable path to long-term security and prosperity. The government plans to press ahead with reforms irrespective of political turbulence, but the outcome of the 28 September elections will be decisive in determining the pace – and perhaps the viability – of Moldova’s European course.

However, opposition to EU membership remains strong. According to Ionita, even if there is a majority in favour, the pro-Russian parts of the country remain vocal.

Around one third of Moldova’s population is pro-Russian, with stronger support in certain regions – the separatist Transnistria region, where Russian troops are stationed; the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia in the south, and parts of northern Moldova.

Around half the population is pro-EU – with the rest either centrists, or undecided.

RFI: How were you able to travel to Afghanistan?

Chela Noori: I travelled to Afghanistan with my British passport. I didn’t need a visa because my country of birth on my passport is Afghanistan.

I had never attempted to travel under the Taliban regime before. I didn’t know if it would work out or not. In the end, it did. I had no problems at the airport. What I wanted to do was to assess the psychological and humanitarian situation by travelling around the country a little. I visited 15 cities and major provinces and I interviewed many women, but not just women. I also spoke to little girls, little boys, men… I wanted to get everyone’s point of view. 

What kind of restrictions did you encounter?

Officially, the burqa is mandatory, but in reality this is not always the case. I went there wearing a veil and a long black tunic, and many Afghan women were dressed like that. I was also always accompanied by a “mahram” [a male relative who acts as a chaperone].

Taliban mark fourth year in power in Afghanistan

Did you sense any resistance among Afghan women? 

For me, resistance in Afghanistan comes from women – that’s clear. Here in France, what we hear is that Afghan women are forbidden from leaving their homes unless accompanied by a mahram. But people said to me: “You know the character of Afghan women, they couldn’t keep us all locked up at home.”

So some manage to go out anyway, even if they don’t have a mahram. The Taliban tolerate it, let’s say. But the Amr bil-Maroof [the morality police], not at all.

Who are the Amr bil-Maroof? 

There are lots of videos circulating on social media showing them beating women in public because they didn’t wear their face coverings properly, for example. They find any excuse to reprimand them. There are also kidnappings.

I came face to face with them in Bamyan. I really wanted to visit Band-e-Amir Lake. They made us pay and let us in, but while my mahram was parking, I acted like a typical European and ran over to look because the place is so beautiful. I took out my phone and called my children. I wasn’t paying attention and suddenly I realised that someone was talking to me. I saw one of these men looking at me with a murderous expression and repeating in a loud voice: “According to the Amr bil-Maroof, women are not allowed here.”

Suddenly, my whole body started shaking. I told him I was with my nephew. But he repeated the same thing. You’re not supposed to stand up to them, you’re not supposed to talk to them. I turned around politely, and they followed me to the car.

A window into the hidden lives of Afghan women cut off from society

You weren’t allowed to be outside alone as a woman, right?

It’s not even just that – it’s that all leisure facilities are off limits to women. I tested this everywhere, in Kabul, in Kandahar…

What was the state of mind among the women you met? 

I interviewed about 15 young girls and women. The young girls are in a very bad way psychologically, because they are thinking, at 13, we will be banned from school, it will be over [since the return of the Taliban, girls are no longer allowed to go to school beyond primary level].

They start crying because they have no future at all. People are thinking of marrying them off. Since there is no future, it’s the only option for them. Those who were studying or working are all extremely depressed. They told me, look, we are at home all day, we get up, we cook, we clean… the only thing we can do is go out to do the shopping or visit each other. But apart from that, there’s nothing else to do from morning to night. And since they’re not allowed to go out, the children are all at home too.

Can they consider leaving? 

All they dream of now is leaving. But it is very difficult to obtain a passport. Since 2023, Pakistan has been sending all Afghans back, and the visa that used to cost $800 (€682) can now cost up to $5,000. Everything is being done to prevent Afghans from leaving the country.

‘Collective heroism’: French film recounts evacuation amid Taliban takeover

Did you meet any women who have continued to work or study?

I haven’t seen any women studying. Women who work, yes. Everywhere you look, it’s women – because it’s women who have to search women. At the airport too, at the immigration desk, it was women.

Children are suffering under this regime too, of course… 

Yes, what struck me most were the children. Because we talk a lot about women, but very little about the youngest who are suffering.

It’s important to note that there are almost no jobs in Afghanistan. So all the adults are unemployed. I noticed that all the streets were spotless everywhere, and it’s actually the children who clean them. I asked a few of them about this, and they explained that their parents weren’t working, so they had to pay the rent. So they’re out there working in the sun all day, without hats, without protection – for, let’s say, 50 cents a day.

The humanitarian situation is dire. There are no jobs, so people live on credit. Everyone goes into debt to pay the rent, which is forbidden in Islam. And it’s a vicious circle. So when the children manage to find a little work, they bring home money to pay the rent.

A window into the hidden lives of Afghan women cut off from society

And what did the men you met say about all of this?

I saw anger in the eyes of an impoverished father, who told me: “My dream was that my three daughters wouldn’t have to struggle, that they would get an education and make something of themselves, that they wouldn’t have to depend on a husband. But in the end, they’ll become as dependent as my wife. I hoped they would become doctors and get a good education.” And he started to cry.

Are people resigned to their powerlessness, or is there hope for them?

They say, if we lose hope, we will commit suicide. So we hope. We hope – but in the long term. Four years without being able to study is already a big loss in the long term. The message they wanted me to convey here is that we should put pressure on this regime to let them work, let them study.

You mentioned mental health, but physical health is also an issue. If girls can no longer be treated by male doctors and women are no longer being trained as doctors, soon there will be no one left to treat women.

Yes, it’s a lost generation. There won’t be any more female doctors. For now, there are a few who are still working. But in the long term, there won’t be any more female doctors. Everything is being done to ensure that there are no more.

Calls for France to recognise all Afghan women and girls as refugees

You went to Kabul, but also to other parts of the country, such as Kandahar, Jalalabad and Herat. Did you notice any differences between the capital and the provinces?

What’s incredible is that I saw the same situation, the same atmosphere, everywhere I went. Whether in big cities, large provinces or small villages, it was the same thing. They have established a form of security – but the insecurity only existed because of them. When they took power, they established this form of peace through dictatorship.

You mentioned pockets of resistance. Did you see any other forms of resistance or solidarity among Afghan women?

Today, all beauty salons and hairdressers are closed. However, I noticed that there were still many lavish weddings taking place, so I asked about this. They explained that they were all going to one person’s house to do their makeup. They are doing what they used to do, but hidden away at home. That is our form of resistance.

This article has been adapted from the original version in French.

Click here to read more about Afghan Women of France (in French).

The best known structures are in the town of Carnac, where nearly 3,600 stones stretch in long rows across six kilometres of land. They were erected about 7,000 years ago.

Carnac’s mayor Olivier Lepick called them “the first experience of human-built structures”. He says the Unesco label will help protect the site and attract more visitors.

Tourists already come in summer for the beaches, but Lepick expects the recognition to bring people year-round.

“They will also come in the spring and autumn seasons which will be very good for the business and the economy of the city,” he says.

Inside France’s perfectly preserved prehistoric Cussac cave

Mysterious function

Experts are still unsure why the vast fields of stone were built. “We don’t see any understandable function,” Lepick says.

“We believe this is related to religion, probably to gods. But there were no writings at this time. So, it’s only a hypothesis.”

The Carnac site is the first in Brittany to be fully inscribed on the World Heritage list. The Vauban Tower in Finistère already appears, but only as part of a wider group of 12 fortifications across France.

France now counts 54 sites on the Unesco list. Spain and China each have 60, and Germany has 55.

At Sainte-Anne hospital in Paris, psychiatric emergency services report seeing more patients during heatwaves. For French psychiatrists, this is a warning sign of what lies ahead as summers get hotter.

“You may think you’re not affected because you’re young. But it will affect the healthy population as much as other groups,” Suzana Andrei, secretary-general of the French Federation of Psychiatry, told RFI.

People already living with a mental health condition are at the greatest risk.

“Even if it is mild, it will be made worse by a heatwave that consumes a person’s physical and mental coping resources,” Andrei added.

A study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, published in July, found that people with bipolar disorder are more likely to see their condition suddenly worsen during heat spikes.

Medication too can be affected by hot weather, Andrei warns. “Dehydration is never far away. So the medicine becomes more concentrated in the blood and side effects can be felt in a much more unpleasant way than usual.”

Biggest French wildfire since 1949 a ‘catastrophe on an unprecedented scale’

Climate anxiety

When temperatures climb, physical reactions can include sweating, headaches and faster breathing – symptoms that can trigger anxiety even in people with no prior history of it.

The body also reacts by producing cortisol – the stress hormone – to help cope with danger.

“Cortisol normally helps us adapt to temperature changes. But when the heat is very intense and lasts for several days, cortisol production can’t keep up, and the body’s stress system gets overwhelmed,” Andrei said.

This summer has seen periods of extreme heat across Europe, with June and July ranked among the hottest ever recorded – which are feeding eco-anxiety.

“It can affect people with no previous mental health issues – sometimes those very active in public life and committed to their community’s future. This fear can trigger a wider anxiety disorder,” Andrei explained.

Young people are particularly vulnerable to anxiety over climate change. In a 2023 European study, 45 percent of people aged 16 to 25 said that eco-anxiety had a significant impact on their daily lives.

The impact of heat affects some more than others, given that access to insulated housing, a cool workplace or a psychologist is determined by a person’s income and status. People in precarious situations often lack these protections, putting them more at risk of heat stress.

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

Increase in domestic violence

Researchers also warn of the effect of extreme heat on social issues, including domestic violence.

A report from the United Nations Spotlight Initiative – a global project aimed at ending violence against women and girls – links each 1C of warming to a 4.7 percent rise in intimate partner violence.

At 2C, that would mean 40 million more women and girls facing such abuse every year by 2090.

A separate study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in June, found consistent connections between higher temperatures and violence against women worldwide.

Scientists say heat-induced stress can reduce self-control and increase irritation – one reason extreme heat is linked with higher incidences of aggression and violence.

And direct exposure to extreme climate events can magnify this effect, as France’s psychiatry federation observed during the wildfires around Marseille in early summer 2025.

“It causes acute stress for people living in the area. Vulnerability, psychological distress that can be long term, even post-traumatic stress,” said Andrei.

With Europe warming faster than any other continent, psychiatrists expect more heat-linked stress in summers ahead – from spikes in emergency visits to longer-term anxiety and trauma.

Partially adapted from this article by RFI’s French service

“On 10 September we’re not paying, we’re not consuming and we’re not working.” This is the message disseminated online by Bloquons tout.

These posts emerged last month, in the wake of the budget cuts announced by Bayrou.

The stated aim is to bring France to a standstill on 10 September. But while the slogan has been adopted by thousands of people across social media, the origins of this grassroots movement are unclear – as are its demands.

French PM unveils radical plan to tackle ‘deadly danger’ of national debt

Yellow Vests links

A group called Les Essentiels, which has links to far-right and conspiracy theorist circles, was the first to posit the date of 10 September, in a video posted on TikTok on 14 July, one day before Bayrou’s speech.

In a video created using artificial intelligence, a voice can be heard saying that this date will not be “just a hashtag that will disappear in three days”.

The call was quickly relayed by former figures from the Yellow Vests movement, with the vast majority of activity taking place via Facebook and the Telegram messaging service.

In addition, Bloquons tout organises small local meetings of around a dozen people to discuss their demands and raise public awareness of the movement.

A website called Bloquons tout now seems to be at the core of the movement, bringing together the largest number of internet users. Its Telegram channel has more than 7,000 subscribers.

French MPs unanimously vote to publish Yellow Vests’ 2019 public grievance log books

Two of them, both former members of the Yellow Vests, agreed to speak to RFI.

Nicolas, a civil servant who describes himself as apolitical, acknowledges that he doesn’t “feel like something is about to happen right away”, but says he doesn’t believe that means there won’t be any protests on 10 September.

Patrick, a construction worker and another former Yellow Vest protester, says he will definitely take part in the blockade on 10 September.

“The people have had enough. ‘Let’s block everything’ means demonstrations, blocking supermarkets and petrol stations, just like we Yellow Vests used to do,” he says.

Political divide

Within the French political class, only one party has declared its support for the movement – the far-left France Unbowed party, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

In an opinion piece published on Saturday by newspaper La Tribune Dimanche, he wrote: “We call on all those who share our principles and our determination to put an end to the Bayrou government to immediately join the local groups organising this mobilisation and do everything in their power to ensure its success.”

The leader of the Greens, Marine Tondelier, in an interview with the newspaper Libération on Wednesday also called for support for the 10 September shutdown.

However, she warned against political parties co-opting the movement, urging them to “stay in their lane” and not to “exploit the struggle”.

“I say this to all parties: there is no question of spoiling everything by organising a competition to see who can wave the most flags or making protesters feel uncomfortable because they feel they are following in the footsteps of one presidential candidate or another,” she stressed.

She told French news agency AFP: “The [Greens] will be involved in all initiatives,” but added that the ideal scenario would be “to have as many political parties and as many trade unions, environmental and social organisations as possible calling for a massive mobilisation that completely transcends the usual political divisions”.

The Socialist Party and the Communist Party have also pledged their support for the 10 September mobilisation. 

Communist Party spokesman Léon Deffontaines said: “We will support the movement and play an active role.” He added that his party calls for “participation in all demonstrations against the Bayrou project, including on 10 September”.

Meanwhile, Socialist Party secretary-general Pierre Jouvet said: “We are watching this initiative with great interest. The motivations and methods are still quite vague at this stage, but we understand the exasperation behind this movement.”

French PM turns to YouTube to sell budget cuts and calm public anger

These expressions of support have been criticised by the far-right National Rally party, which views the movement as the work of the far left.

At the government level, the response has been limited to stating that it remains attentive to citizen mobilisation, regardless of what form it takes.

Bloquons tout itself claims to be apolitical.

With regard to whether trade unions will participate in the called-for 10 September shutdown, while many have already called for a strike in the first weeks of September, there has been no indication as yet that they will officially join the emerging movement.

This article was adapted from the original version in French.

The findings, published with All Eyes on Wagner, reveal how Russia is reshaping its methods while keeping a strong presence across the continent.

On 7 August, two Russian nationals were arrested in the Angolan capital Luanda after violent protests over soaring fuel prices. They face charges including criminal conspiracy, document forgery, terrorism and terror financing.

Angolan authorities said the pair had set up a network of propaganda and disinformation designed to stir unrest and bankroll the demonstrations.

The arrests shed light on Moscow’s evolving toolkit in Africa.

One of the men, Lev Lakshtanov, is accused of masterminding the operation, RFI journalist Carol Valade said.

Death toll rises in Angola after protests and looting over fuel hike

Operative in ‘cultural diplomacy’

At 64, Lakshtanov has a long track record in the world of Russian soft power. He founded Farol, a cultural NGO for Portuguese-speaking countries, backed by Rossotrudnichestvo – the state agency for cultural diplomacy created under former president Dmitry Medvedev.

Plans were under way to open a Russian cultural centre in Luanda this year.

After spending time in Brazil, Lakshtanov wound up his activities in Russia around the time of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He later appeared in the United Arab Emirates before quietly settling in Angola on a tourist visa.

With his associate Igor Racthin, he moved into Luanda’s Gamek district. The pair posed as journalists, sought contacts with opposition figures, and reached out to Buka Tanda, a Russian speaker and senior member of the youth wing of UNITA, Angola’s main opposition party.

They told Tanda they were preparing a documentary and wanted to set up a cultural centre. He introduced them to his cousin, a journalist at state TV.

Soon the group was running paid interviews with politicians and commissioning opinion polls on perceptions of Russia – until their arrest on charges of orchestrating fuel protests.

Former Wagner media operative lifts the lid on Russian disinformation in CAR

Echoes of Chad

The case mirrors events in Chad a year earlier. In September 2024, three Russians and a Belarusian were arrested in N’Djamena.

Among them were Maksim Shugaley and Samir Seyfan, both long linked to Wagner’s African influence operations.

The group posed as investors, rented property, cultivated political contacts and recruited Russian-speaking Chadians. Two presented themselves as journalists, offering training and funding to reporters – then asking them to publish pro-Russian articles for cash.

They were detained during the inauguration of a Russian cultural centre in the capital, also set up under Rossotrudnichestvo.

Wagner replaced in Mali by Africa Corps, another Russian military group

From Wagner to Africa Corps

These cases show how Moscow’s strategy has shifted. “They are now more discreet but busier than ever, expanding and becoming increasingly professional,” said Lou Osborn, of All Eyes on Wagner.

The operations now run under the umbrella of the African Initiative, closely linked to Africa Corps – the Kremlin’s new command structure bringing Wagner’s former military assets under state control.

A wider network of private actors and consultants, many tied to Wagner or Russian intelligence in the past, is also active. Angolan police and Western officials refer to this circle as “Africa Politology”.

The findings come five years after the 18 August 2020 coup in Mali, which ended decades of French influence and brought the country into Russia’s orbit.

Since then, Wagner’s troops in Mali have been replaced by Africa Corps, while Moscow has signed multiple trade and nuclear energy deals with Bamako.

Grape harvests in France are starting on average three weeks earlier than in the 1980s, according to the National Institute for Agricultural, Food and Environmental Research (Inrae).

Rising temperatures – which scientists confirm are due to human-driven climate change – are accelerating vine growth, with grapes ripening earlier. 

In Alsace, eastern France, the harvest has never started so early. The harvest of grapes that make the sparkling white wine crémant officially began on Tuesday – 10 days ahead of 2024, according to the Winegrowers’ Association (AVA).

Harvest dates for winemakers depend on the region and the variety of grape, and adhere to a calendar fixed by the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO).

Nationwide trend

In Champagne, in eastern France, the grape harvest officially started last Wednesday.

David Chatillon, co-president of the Champagne Committee said that although the harvest was early due to the intense heat of recent weeks, he was expecting “a very good vintage” this year.

“The vineyard is in remarkable condition, which allows us to approach this harvest with confidence and serenity,” the committee’s press release said.

Early harvests are now being seen across all of France’s wine-growing regions.

Bordeaux saw the first pruning last Monday in plots dedicated to crémant, according to the Bordeaux Wine Interprofessional Council (CIVB).

The harvest is expected to be around 10 September for other white and red wines – which make up 85 percent of production.

The harvest now begins “10 or 15 days” earlier than it did 40 years ago due to climate change, according to the interprofessional association.

In Saint-Emilion, near Bordeaux, the harvest has begun around 15 September since 2010, instead of 26 September as seen in most of the 20th century, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition.

As temperatures climb, is the future of French wine in England?

Vine cycle affected

At the Beaunes grape harvest in Burgundy, in recent years Pinot Noir has begun on the 6 September on average.

However, from the end of the Middle Ages up to 1988, this harvest usually took place around 27 September, according to a study that compiled data going back to 1354, cited by Le Monde newspaper.

This database has become a historical indicator of climate change, also cited in the sixth report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Hervé Quénol, a research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) told Franceinfo that, in reality, “it is the entire cycle of the vine that is earlier, from the budding [the opening of the buds] which occurs earlier and earlier in the spring, and therefore makes it more vulnerable to the frosts of late winter”.

Climate change helps France’s Beaujolais wine find its sweet spot

Maximum daily temperatures during the grape growing season have increased by around 3C since 1980, according to an Inrae ​​study published in May.

This phenomenon means grapes are gaining in alcohol content (the sugar content that will become alcohol) and acidity.

In Languedoc, for example, wines have had an average alcohol content of nearly 14 percent since 2015, compared to 11 percent in the 1980s, according to Inrae.

Loss of crops

Climate change caused by carbon emissions from fossil fuels has been linked to an increase in extreme weather events including intense heat, drought and heavy rains, which can destroy crops and even plots of land, particularly due to erosion, Inrae ​​notes.

Production drops can be drastic – up to 50 percent in the Hérault and Gard departments in southern France in 2019, for example, when grapes were burned by a heatwave.

Dilemma for French winemakers as alcohol content rises while consumption falls

Heat also brings an increase in vine diseases and pests, due to humidity. This was the case in Gironde, southwest France, in 2020, when mildew attacked Bordeaux vineyards, which had been flooded by heavy rains in May.

More frequent and larger wildfires also directly affect vines, as seen in early August when several hundred hectares burned in Aude, in the south of France.

According to a study published in 2024 in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, if global warming exceeds +2C compared to the pre-industrial era, 90 percent of coastal and lowland wine regions in southern Europe could be unable to produce quality wine at economically sustainable yields by the end of the century.

(with newswires)

“The allegations from the ambassador are unacceptable,” said the French Foreign Ministry in a statement released Sunday in which it summoned the ambassador as a formal and public notice of displeasure.

In his letter dated August 25, but published in the Wall Street Journal Sunday, Kushner said Macron must enforce hate crime laws and tone down criticism of Israel, saying that a decision to recognise a Palestinian state has fuelled antisemitic incidents in France.

“I write out of deep concern over the dramatic rise of antisemitism in France and the lack of sufficient action by your government to confront it,” he said.

Kushner, who is Jewish, and whose son Jared is a former senior adviser to Trump and married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, said that antisemtiism “has exploded” since Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which prompted Israel’s bombing response on Gaza and the ongoing war.

• Trump taps Charles Kushner, father of his son-in-law, as envoy to France

Kushner said Macron’s critiques of Israel over the Gaza war and his plan to recognise the state of Palestine at the UN in September “embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France”.

“France firmly refutes these latest allegations,” the Foreign Ministry said, hours after the letter’s contents were made public, adding that the comments “do not live up to the quality of the transatlantic relationship between France and the United States and the trust that should result between allies”.

Kusnher’s letter comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent similar critiques on Tuesday, saying antisemitism had “surged” in France following Macron’s announcement last month that he would recognize Palestinian statehood.

The presidency responded, calling the allegation “abject” and “erroneous”.

The incident adds to diplomatic tension between France and the US amid Trump’s trade war and disagreements on support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

France also has objected to the US push to wind down the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Lebanon, which is due for a Security Council vote on Monday.

(with newswires)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed himself more firmly on the diplomatic stage, holding a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday that touched on the war in Ukraine, the Middle East and other pressing global crises.

Posting on X, Macron said their discussion covered “the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine in the context of Monday’s meeting in Washington, as well as the situation in the Great Lakes region”.

The two leaders agreed to meet again in September on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The exchange with Macron underlines Ramaphosa’s growing role as a mediator as he seeks to rally support from both the Global South and Europe.

Pretoria later confirmed that Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the G20, also spoke with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and will reach out to other European leaders in the weeks ahead.

Zelensky-Putin peace talks on the table after Washington summit

‘Oil and vinegar’

At the heart of his message is a call for a direct meeting between Kyiv and Moscow.

Earlier on Saturday, Ramaphosa held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which he pressed the urgency of “bilateral and trilateral meetings between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the United States as key to signal a firm commitment to ending the war”.

Zelensky reiterated his openness to “any format of meeting with the head of Russia”.

Yet he voiced frustration that Moscow was “once again trying to drag everything out even further”, urging the Global South to apply pressure to steer the Kremlin towards peace.

On Sunday – as Ukrainians celebrated Independence Day –  Zelensky struck a defiant note, declaring that his country would “never surrender”.

The intervention comes as momentum for a Russia–Ukraine summit appears to be stalling. US President Donald Trump, who earlier in the week suggested that Vladimir Putin and Zelensky had agreed to meet face-to-face, has since compared the pair to “oil and vinegar”.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov bluntly stated that “no meeting” was on the cards.

France accuses Russia of stalling peace efforts as massive strikes hit Ukraine

Balancing act

Despite his warm personal ties with Putin – whom he called a “dear ally” and “valued friend” at last year’s BRICS summit – Ramaphosa has gradually shifted South Africa’s stance.

For the first time since the war began, Pretoria this year voted in favour of a United Nations resolution describing Russia’s actions as a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

That balancing act – keeping dialogue open with Moscow while engaging with Western partners such as France – has made Ramaphosa an increasingly interesting figure in international diplomacy.

His latest round of calls suggests he intends to use his G20 presidency to keep the pressure on for talks, even as trust between Kyiv and Moscow remains scarce.

The mystery surrounding the grim discovery of four bodies in the River Seine earlier this month is beginning to clear, as French prosecutors have now charged a young homeless man with their murders.

The man, thought to be in his twenties and of North African origin, was brought before a judge in Créteil on Sunday morning following four days in police custody.

His precise identity and nationality remain unclear, but investigators believe he had been living rough along the river.

Prosecutors have asked for him to be held in pre-trial detention, launching a full judicial inquiry into what they describe as “murders committed in concert” – a classification that allows investigators to use extended questioning and special investigative techniques.

The suspect has so far said very little about his background and has declined to comment on the charges. His lawyer, Antoine Ory, has also refused to make a public statement.

Man arrested over murder of woman and four children near Paris

Tracing the links

Investigators say their inquiries have uncovered a link between the suspect and each of the four victims, around the time they went missing.

CCTV footage, phone records and witness testimony placed him near the riverbanks where the bodies were eventually recovered on 13 August.

Those same banks are known both as a spot frequented by local anglers and as a makeshift refuge for some of the homeless population.

Reporters visiting the area described abandoned technical buildings nearby that serve as rough shelters.

The suspect had already attracted police attention earlier this month.

On 5 August he was detained carrying identity papers that later turned out to belong to one of the victims, who at the time had not yet been reported missing.

He was released with a court summons for handling stolen goods. He was also due in court in September for a separate charge of theft from a vehicle.

Interpol seeks clues to solve cold case murders of women and girls

The victims

DNA analysis has now confirmed the identities of all four men. Two of them, aged 21 and 26 and originally from Algeria and Tunisia, were themselves homeless and known to spend time near the river.

A third, a 48-year-old Frenchman from Créteil who disappeared on 11 August, was believed to frequent the area, which is known locally as a meeting spot for brief homosexual encounters.

The fourth victim, another 21-year-old Algerian based in Choisy-le-Roi, had been missing since 7 August.

Autopsy results point to strangulation in at least two of the cases, while another body bore a suspicious mark whose cause has yet to be established. Further forensic work is under way to confirm how each man died.

A second man, who was taken into custody last Thursday in connection with two of the victims, has been released without charge. Prosecutors say no evidence currently links him to the killings.

Although many questions remain unanswered, investigators now believe they have a clearer picture of how the victims and the suspect crossed paths along the Seine.

For local residents, the arrests at least mark the beginning of an explanation for a crime that shocked the Val-de-Marne.

Djokovic, 38, opens against 19-year-old American Learner Tien on Monday. The Serb is chasing a record 25th singles title at the Grand Slam tournament venues in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York.

Fellow 38-year-old Monfils will lend his renowned showmanship to an opening round tie against Russian Roman Safiullin.

The Frenchman is playing his 16th US Open. He reached the semifinals in 2016. Djokovic has reached the last four in New York 13 times, winning four titles and losing six finals.

Seventh seed Djokovic shares the same side of the draw as Alcaraz, the winner in 2022.

The 23-year-old Spaniard, who begins against American Reilly Opelka, has since added four more major trophies.

New look at tournament

Alcaraz paired with 2021 women’s champion Emma Raducanu in the mixed doubles – which was one of the most salient and controversial changes at the 2025 US Open.

Another new feature is a Sunday start to an event dating back to 1881. Men’s and women’s first-round matches are spread over 24-26 August, which organisers say gives an extra 70,000 fans the chance to coo over the crème de la crème.

Spectators can buy tickets for day and night sessions on Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums, plus entry to the Grandstand Arena’s Sunday session.

The move mirrors the French Open’s gambit in 2006 to start the opening round of men’s and women’s singles on a Sunday.

“I’m happy I didn’t lose, because otherwise I’d be very angry right now,” said the then world number one Roger Federer after taking just over two and a half hours to see off the Argentine journeyman Diego Hartfield in straight sets.

“I requested not to play Sunday, so I wasn’t happy to play,” added the then world number one. “But I’m through. I can go home to Switzerland, come back in four days and be ready for Wednesday [second round],” added the Swiss tartly.

Federer as a loose canon freaked the marketing teams in Paris and he never played again on a Sunday during his pomp.

Sinner and Sabalenka defend titles

World number ones Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka return as defending champions.

For Sinner, the focus will be on a Sunday finish – the final on 7 September.

He starts against Czech player Vit Kopriva. The 24-year-old Italian is aiming for his fifth Grand Slam trophy. He retired with illness against Alcaraz in Cincinnati on 19 August and withdrew from mixed doubles to recover.

Alcaraz, who mastered Sinner in an epic French Open final in June, is the expected adversary on 7 September despite the likes of the 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev or the fourth seed Taylor Fritz in his side of the draw.

Dubbed “the New Two” by the former world number one Jim Courier just before their French Open showdown, Alcaraz and Sinner have shown such dominance over the field that it will be a surprise if they do not contest a third consecutive final at a Grand Slam tournament.

Sabalenka consistency on show

Though she has not won a major title this season, Sabalenka, who opens against Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova, remains the supreme being on the WTA circuit.

The 27-year-old Belarusian boasts a 3,000 point lead over world number two Swiatek in the singles rankings.

As well as titles in Brisbane, Miami and Madrid, she contested the finals of the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June as well as the semis at Wimbledon in July.

“In my opinion she has been the best player in the world this year and is yet to win a major [this year],” said the former world number one Andy Roddick on his Served podcast.

“She has lost some heartbreakers but overall I always want to write her into very deep in the draw.

“If you have won as many matches as she has this year and people are disappointed, that means you are really good at your job and you have reset expectations to a level where it is Grand Slam or bust.

“That is a compliment to her – that we expect her to win a major every year. She is in that category.”

While Sabalenka has displayed consistency, Swiatek, who reigned as world number one for nearly a year  before Sabalenka dislodged her in October 2024, comes into the singles tournament on a roll.

The 24-year-old won Wimbledon in July after more than a year without a title.

She overpowered Jasmine Paolini in the Cincinnati Open final before linking up with Ruud for the mixed doubles. Swiatek starts her tilt for a second US Open crown against Colombia’s Emiliana Arango,

“How awesome is tennis,” said journalist and author Jon Wertheim on Served. “Swiatek is having a rough go of it … she doesn’t defend her French Open title [in June].

“Everyone’s asking: ‘What’s going on with Iga?’ She drops to number eight in the world but she wins Wimbledon, wins in Cincinnati, comes and plays in the mixed doubles in New York and gets to the final in that.

“Everything’s looking towards Iga.”

Montmartre, once celebrated as a bohemian village within the French capital, is now one of its busiest tourist spots. Atop the hill, the white domes of Sacré-Cœur Basilica draw up to 11 million visitors a year – more than the Eiffel Tower.

The streets below are packed with tuk-tuks, guided tours and queues for photos, creating what some locals describe as an open-air theme park.

Black banners strung across balconies warn of growing frustration: “Behind the postcard: locals mistreated by the mayor,” one reads in English. Another, in French, declares: “Montmartre residents resisting.”

Protest groups say butchers, bakers and greengrocers are steadily vanishing, replaced by bubble-tea vendors, ice-cream stands and souvenir stalls.

Residents complain that the neighbourhood has been subject to a creeping “Disneyfication”, stripping away the daily life that once made it unique.

Nice to ban cruise ships in fight against overtourism and pollution

Over-tourism across Europe

Across Europe, similar pressures are reshaping historic cities.

Venice now charges day-trippers an entry fee and caps numbers. In Barcelona, thousands have marched against cruise ships and short-term holiday lets, some wielding water pistols. In Athens, authorities have imposed daily limits at the Acropolis to shield the ancient site from record visitor numbers.

Paris has also felt the strain. Staff at the Louvre Museum staged a strike in February last year over overcrowding, understaffing and worsening conditions. The gallery received almost 9 million visitors in 2024, more than twice what its infrastructure was built for.

Overall, the French capital welcomed just under 50 million tourists last year, a 2 percent rise from 2023. That dwarfs its permanent population of just over 2 million. Sacré-Cœur was the country’s most visited monument in 2024.

Authorities have promised tougher action against unlicensed short-term rentals and are stepping up efforts to regulate platforms.

Yet residents in Montmartre say everyday life is still being squeezed out. Urban planners warn that without careful balance, historic quarters risk becoming “zombie cities” – picturesque but hollowed out, serving visitors more than locals.

Louvre plagued by leaks and crumbling infrastructure, museum boss warns

Daily life ‘unmanageable’

Among those feeling the pressure is 56-year-old Olivier Baroin, who moved to Montmartre 15 years ago when, he said, it still felt like a village.

Now, he describes a neighbourhood dominated by tourists and stripped of essential services. “There are no more shops at all, so everything must be delivered,” he told Associated Press.

Baroin, who has a disability, said recent pedestrian-only measures have made daily life unmanageable. “I told myself that I had no other choice but to leave, since when you can no longer take your car, you have to call a taxi from morning to night.” He has now put his apartment up for sale.

Not everyone is dismayed. Visitors continue to revel in the atmosphere. “All of Paris has been pretty busy, but full of life, for sure,” said Adam Davidson, an American tourist from Washington DC. “I’d say this is full of life to a different degree.”

With the global middle class expanding, cheap flights proliferating and digital platforms funnelling millions of people towards the same landmarks, experts say the challenges will only grow.

UN forecasts suggest the world’s population will approach 10 billion by 2050, adding further momentum to international travel.

Irish rap group Kneecap are set to take the stage outside Paris on Sunday, performing at the Rock en Seine festival in Saint-Cloud despite mounting controversy, funding cuts and calls for their slot to be cancelled.

The trio, who blend political edge with swaggering humour, have never shied away from provocation. Known for backing the Palestinian cause and their outspoken criticism of Israel, they have turned concerts into political arenas as much as musical ones.

One member, Liam O’Hanna – stage name Mo Chara – is currently facing a British terror charge after allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag during a London show last November.

In June, he used the Glastonbury stage to declare: “Israel are war criminals.”

More recently, Kneecap were barred from Hungary and missed their planned performance at Budapest’s Sziget Festival – a decision widely seen as a nod to Hungary’s close ties with Israel.

Still, the controversy has not slowed them down. The group have already played in France twice this summer – at Eurockéennes in Belfort and at Cabaret Vert in Charleville-Mézières – without incident.

Kneecap rapper in court on terrorism charge over Hezbollah flag

Festival under pressure

Rock en Seine organisers faced a political storm after refusing to drop Kneecap from the line-up.

Local authorities in Saint-Cloud pulled their €40,000 subsidy, while the wider Île-de-France region also cancelled its funding for the 2025 edition.

Yet the festival, with a budget of around €16 to €17 million, remains financially solid.

Director Matthieu Ducos struck a optimistic tone, telling journalists: “We are confident that the group will perform in the correct manner.”

Kneecap are scheduled to hit the stage at 6:30pm local time – a slot the organisers have no intention of scrapping.

Interior Minister Retailleau calls for ‘extreme vigilance’ during Jewish holidays in France

Tensions in France

The show takes place against a tense national backdrop. Since the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing war in Gaza, France has wrestled with rising concerns over antisemitism.

Jewish groups have strongly objected to Kneecap’s appearance.

Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), accused the group of “desecrating the memory” of French victims of Hamas and Hezbollah.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has warned police to remain alert to “any comments of an antisemitic nature, apology for terrorism or incitement to hatred” during the concert.

France rejects Netanyahu’s antisemitism claim over recognition of Palestine

From Belfast to the world

Hailing from Belfast, Kneecap channel Irish republican themes and local slang into a swaggering rap style that has won them a cult following.

Even their name is a provocation: it refers to the notorious punishment shootings, or “kneecappings,” carried out by republican paramilitaries during the Northern Ireland conflict.

More than a quarter-century after the Good Friday Agreement, Kneecap’s blend of Irish identity, political theatre and dance-floor energy continues to stir debate.

Love them or loathe them, their brand of rebellious performance has carried them from the streets of Belfast to Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, and now onto one of France’s most prestigious summer festivals.

France’s Overseas Minister, Manuel Valls, will extend his stay in New Caledonia until Monday, when he is set to once again bring together supporters of the Bougival agreement on the future of the archipelago, his office confirmed on Friday, following comments he made to local daily Les Nouvelles calédoniennes.

“We will hold a third meeting of the drafting committee on Monday morning, which will give me the chance to meet more people, to reaffirm my deep commitment to New Caledonia and, of course, to press ahead with the implementation of the Bougival agreement,” Valls told the paper.

The former prime minister, who arrived in the Pacific territory on Wednesday, had originally been due to return to mainland France on Saturday.

Valls presses case for independence deal in tense New Caledonia talks

Independence Front shuns meetings

The process has, however, been complicated by the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), which has chosen not to take part in the drafting committee.

The committee’s role is to transform the Bougival agreement – signed on 12 July in the Paris region – into a constitutional bill.

That deal, endorsed at the time by the Overseas Minister, independence leaders and non-independence parties alike, proposed that New Caledonia be recognised as a distinct State within the French constitution, with its own Caledonian nationality.

While the FLNKS grassroots later rejected the accord, all other political forces in the territory have stood by it and continue to participate in the drafting process.

The Front declined to attend Thursday’s first meeting of the committee, which is scheduled to gather again on Saturday.

Valls heads to New Caledonia in wake of collapse of independence deal

Valls unveils health measures

Earlier on Friday, Valls also announced a raft of measures aimed at revitalising the health sector, which has been under severe strain since the 2024 riots.

Triggered by proposed electoral reforms, the unrest left 14 people dead and caused damage estimated at more than €2 billion.

In the north, two local hospitals were forced to shut due to staff shortages. In May, a man tragically died outside Koumac hospital, after relatives had taken him there despite its closure.

Facilities that remain open are struggling to cope. The Bourail medical-social centre in the north of South Province, for example, has seen patient numbers jump by 30 percent in the space of a year, according to provincial health authorities.

To help plug the gaps, Valls announced the deployment of a mobile medical team in partnership with the Order of Malta.

The unit – comprising three doctors, a dentist and a midwife – will serve the hardest-hit areas suffering from a lack of healthcare professionals. The €1.4 million scheme will be fully funded by the French state.

Kenya has been officially recognised as having eliminated sleeping sickness as a public health issue, the World Health Organization announced this month.

The achievement makes Kenya the 10th African country to reach this milestone, after years of sustained efforts.

Sleeping sickness – formally known as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) – is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly.

Without treatment, the infection is almost always fatal, but Kenya’s decades of vigilance and investment in public health have paid off.

“I congratulate the government and people of Kenya on this landmark achievement,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Kenya joins the growing ranks of countries freeing their populations of HAT. This is another step towards making Africa free of neglected tropical diseases.”

Distinctive symptoms

The first cases of sleeping sickness in Kenya were recorded in the early 20th century, at a time when the disease was sweeping through parts of Africa.

Rural communities lived under the shadow of the illness, which thrives in areas where people rely on farming, fishing, hunting or animal husbandry.

Sleeping sickness is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, which tsetse flies pick up from infected animals or people.

Once inside the human body, the parasite multiplies in the blood and lymphatic system before eventually invading the central nervous system.

This is when the most distinctive symptoms appear: personality changes, confusion, sensory problems, poor coordination – and the disruption of sleep cycles that gives the disease its name.

African healthcare at a crossroads after United States pulls WHO funding

Disease in decline

Sleeping sickness was once one of the great scourges of sub-Saharan Africa. In the late 1990s, almost 40,000 cases were being reported every year, with the true number believed to be much higher due to under-diagnosis in remote communities.

According to WHO figures, fewer than 1,000 cases have been reported annually across the entire African continent since 2018 – a remarkable public health turnaround.

This progress is thanks to coordinated international action, new diagnostic tools, safer treatments and community-based surveillance that has allowed health workers to respond quickly to outbreaks.

The WHO has set an ambitious target of eliminating sleeping sickness as a public health problem across Africa by 2030.

WHO countries strike landmark deal on tackling future pandemics

Kenya’s success follows similar announcements from nine other African nations: Benin, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Togo and Uganda.

While challenges remain in countries where the disease is still endemic, experts say the overall trajectory is highly encouraging.

For Dr Aden Duale, Kenya’s Secretary for Health: “This validation marks a major public health milestone for Kenya, as we celebrate the elimination of a deadly disease in our country. The achievement will not only protect our people but also pave the way for renewed economic growth and prosperity.”

“It is a famine: the Gaza famine,” said Tom Fletcher, the UN’s emergency relief coordinator.

He blamed Israel, accusing it of “systematic obstruction” of aid deliveries to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

Israel‘s foreign ministry said the declaration that famine is now present in and around Gaza City was “based on Hamas lies laundered through organisations with vested interests”.

“There is no famine in Gaza,” it insisted.

The assessment of famine was made by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC), a coalition of monitors tasked by the UN to warn of impending crises.

It defines famine as occurring when 20 percent of households have an extreme lack of food; 30 percent of children under five are acutely malnourished; and at least two in every 10,000 people die daily from outright starvation or from malnutrition and disease.

UN agencies have for months been warning of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has worsened as Israel steps up its offensive against Hamas.

Defining famine: the complex process behind Gaza’s hunger crisis

The Rome-based IPC said that “as of 15 August 2025, famine (IPC Phase 5) – with reasonable evidence – is confirmed in Gaza governorate”, the area that encompasses Gaza City and its surroundings.

The UN estimates that nearly one million people currently live in the Gaza governorate.

“After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death,” the IPC report said.

It projected that famine would spread to the Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates by the end of September, encompassing more than three-quarters of the total Gaza population, or nearly 641,000 people.

The IPC said it was “the first time a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East region”. A famine was projected in Yemen in 2018, but did not materialise, a spokesman told AFP.

‘Haunt us all’

The IPC said the crisis was “entirely man-made”, driven by a sharp escalation of the conflict in July, massive displacement of people since mid-March and restricted access to food.

In early March, Israel completely banned aid supplies from Gaza, before allowing very limited quantities to enter at the end of May, leading to severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Fletcher said the famine should “haunt us all”.

“It is a famine that we could have prevented if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel,” he said.

Gaza’s largest hospital struggles to function in ‘catastrophic’ health situation

UN rights chief Volker Turk said “it is a war crime to use starvation as a method of warfare”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in the war, the release of all hostages taken by Hamas from Israel, and full humanitarian access to Gaza.

“We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity,” he said.

‘Too weak to cry’

Children are particularly hard hit by the lack of food.

In July alone, more than 12,000 children were identified as acutely malnourished – a six-fold increase since January, according to UN agencies.

“The signs were unmistakable: children with wasted bodies, too weak to cry or eat, babies dying from hunger and preventable disease,” said Unicef executive director Catherine Russell.

The local food system has collapsed, with an estimated 98 percent of cropland in the Gaza Strip either damaged, inaccessible or both, the IPC said. Livestock is decimated and fishing is banned.

The severe deterioration of the health system and the lack of safe drinking water and adequate hygiene compound the crisis.

Gathering information is extremely difficult in Gaza.

The IPC said conditions in the North Gaza Governorate, north of Gaza City, may well be worse, but said it did not have enough data.

Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the IPC’s assessment as “political” and asserted that a “massive influx of aid” had entered the Gaza Strip in recent weeks.

The Israeli defence ministry body which oversees civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, COGAT, accused the authors of relying on “partial data” and ignoring information provided to them.

The United States announced new sanctions against two judges and two prosecutors from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, over efforts to prosecute US and Israeli citizens.

Senegalese deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang was among the four sanctioned. The others include French Judge Nicolas Guillou, who is presiding over a case in which an arrest warrant was issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Canadian judge Kimberly Prost, and deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji.

“Senegal calls on the American authorities to lift these sanctions, which constitute a serious violation of the principle of judicial independence,” Senegal’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on social media.

The US State Department said the two deputy prosecutors were being punished for supporting “illegitimate ICC actions against Israel”, including by supporting arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

International Criminal Court chiefs slam US sanctions on top staff

‘Full solidarity’

The Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it learned “with surprise of the US sanctions against four ICC magistrates”.

The ministry expressed its “full solidarity” with Niang, saying the sanctions violate ICC members’ rights to “freely and peacefully exercise the mandate entrusted to them”.

The country’s authorities “call on the American authorities to withdraw these sanctions, which constitute a serious attack on the principle of the independence of justice,” said a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko posted on social media on Thursday that the “government of Senegal will… confront these unjust and unfounded measures by the United States of America”.

More broadly, the statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry reaffirmed Senegal’s “unwavering support for the ICC in its mission to serve international criminal justice”.

It also called for “solidarity” from other countries backing the ICC, urging them to “redouble their efforts to ensure that the judges and all staff of the Court can carry out their mission in complete independence, without threats or restrictions”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously imposed sanctions on four other ICC judges in June. In February, the US sanctioned chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who was responsible for the request that led the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

The US and Israel have never joined the ICC, which is backed by the majority of Western democracies.

‘Existential threat’: What next for the ICC after US sanctions?

‘The wrath of the US’

For Maître Drissa Traoré, secretary-general of the International Federation for Human Rights, the situation concerning the ICC is getting worse, “all the more so since the American president now feels invested with greater power and presents himself as both the great peacemaker and one who only respects his own wishes,” he told RFI.

This is affecting the court’s funding and ability to function, according to him.

“The proceedings before the ICC are progressing more slowly,” Traoré said, “but above all, all the organisations and individuals, the NGOs that help the proceedings and investigations on the ground to run smoothly, must be very careful not to incur the wrath of the United States.”

He believes the US also makes use of the ICC according to its own political positions.

“We remember that the United States previously supported the work of the Court, with regard to Darfur and Libya, for instance,” he said. “Today, its interests, both political and strategic, are no longer the same, and the United States with President Trump opposes the Court being able to do its work in Afghanistan and particularly in Palestine.”

He believes the recent controversy has given African nations a new appreciation of the scope of the ICC’s work. 

“We no longer hear that the ICC is there only for Africans and those who do not have power”, he said. “We realise today that the ICC is truly a court that is called upon to work across the entire Earth and to address all serious human rights violations.”

The fate of Guinea’s mining workers hangs in the balance, with fears growing over widespread job losses and social fallout as the dust settles from a sweep of regulatory reforms.

The ruling junta says its intent is to clean up the mining registry and boost sector revenues for national development.

One of the most notable cases is the withdrawal of the operating licence from Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), an Emirati firm that – along with its subcontractors – employed around 3,000 people, all now at risk of losing their livelihoods.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Aamadou Oury Bah told RFI that GAC’s assets and staff would be taken over by the newly formed state company, Nimba Mining Company.

“A delegation from the authorities visited to reassure us,” one GAC manager, speaking anonymously, confirmed.

“Right now, GAC is in the process of winding down operations. Most staff have received redundancy notices. We’ve been promised priority, but officials have been cautious and haven’t provided any numbers. For now, I’m remaining optimistic.”

However, the transition from private multinational to freshly established state firm is shrouded in uncertainty and causing scepticism.

Trade unionist Mamady Diakité from the Federation of Mines and Quarries under the General Union of Guinean Workers points out that, “We’ve seen this sort of situation before, as with SMB (Boké Mining Company). Back then, employees were assured their service rights, salaries, and benefits would all be protected. The reality was very different.”

UN panel seeks to stem mining abuses in global rush for critical minerals

State silence

This scepticism is echoed by Amadou Bah, executive director of the NGO Actions Mines, who notes the lack of transparency surrounding Nimba Mining Company.

“We don’t even know its true agenda. Will it take on the activities and outsourced services previously handled by GAC? And what of the refinery project – supposedly one of the reasons for GAC’s permit being pulled? Everything is still unclear,” he says.

“If the state plans to operate at GAC’s previous pace, it’ll have to keep staff levels up.”

Outside GAC, state silence has left employees at other affected companies in the dark.

At Axis Minerals, founded by the Swiss-Australian businessman Pankaj Oswal, the firm reports the loss of its licence puts some 5,000 jobs in jeopardy.

Guinea’s junta sets September vote on new constitution after missed deadline

Mamoudou (a pseudonym), a supervisor at an Axis subcontractor, says that since early May he’s been on reduced hours, receiving only a third of his normal salary.

“It’s nowhere near enough,” he says. “With wages so low, it’s even tougher. Many are looking for new opportunities, but where can they go?”

10,000 jobs at risk

The shockwaves are also being felt in smaller businesses and among local populations in Guinea‘s key mining areas like Boffa, along the Atlantic coast, and Boké in the northwest. The potential number affected could far exceed official estimates.

As Amadou Bah warns, “If you include every salaried worker, we’re looking at more than 10,000 jobs at risk. If the government does nothing, poverty in these communities will only deepen.”

A well-placed source at the Ministry of Mines reports that a review committee is now handling more than 100 appeals from companies contesting the permit withdrawals.

These reviews focus on both procedural and substantive grounds. Some businesses argue the moves are illegal; others are seeking administrative recourse.

“Once verification is complete, we’ll decide what comes next. The state’s priority is definitely job protection, but if a company is found to be in breach of regulations, we cannot intervene,” said the source.

This article was adapted from the original version in French by RFI’s Diarouga Aziz Balde in Conakry.

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which provides food assistance to 523,000 people in Cameroon, said it has already been cutting back operations “as resources ran out”.

In the Gado Camp in eastern Cameroon, refugees “are now receiving only half of their daily food needs, pushing families to adopt negative coping strategies such as skipping meals, or selling their limited belongings to afford food”, the WFP in a statement.

In July, WFP said it had already stopped assistance for 26,000 refugees – many from Nigeria – in the Minawao refugee camp in the north.

“We have reached a critical tipping point,” said Gianluca Ferrera, WFP’s country director in Cameroon.

“Without immediate funding, children will go hungry, families will suffer, and lives will be lost,” Ferrera added.

The UN body said it needs €57 million to sustain humanitarian assistance through January 2026.

Djaounsede Madjiangar, communications officer and spokesperson for the WFP’s regional office for West and Central Africa said there were multiple reasons behind the crisis.

Cameroon’s forgotten crisis displaces nearly a million people

“Already, as we speak, our studies have shown that there are more than two million people, all categories combined, affected by acute hunger in the country,” he told RFI.

“And the reasons are well known: conflicts that prevent people from working the land, climatic shocks, and of course, the rising cost of living, making households almost unable to access food.”

Families skipping meals

In the Gado camp, Madjiangar says mothers are skipping meals to feed their children.

“There is one mother who told us that she is forced to deprive herself; she refuses to eat so that her children can eat their share,” adding that others are forced to sell the smallest things and the few possessions they have left. How long they will last, we don’t know.”

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

Around 2.6 million people in Cameroon were facing “acute food insecurity” between June and August 2025, according to estimates from Cadre Hamronise, a tool used to identify areas at risk of food insecurity and famine – up six percent compared to a year ago. The country has a population of about 31 million.

The rising numbers of refugees in Cameroon are fleeing multiple crises, including a prolonged conflict with armed groups in the Lake Chad basin, ongoing violence in the country’s northwest and southwest, and persistent instability spilling over from neighbouring Central African Republic.

Last year, Cameroon overtook Burkina Faso on the Norwegian Refugee Council‘s list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises.

(with AFP)

In July, US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen struck an agreement setting a 15 percent tariff on the majority of EU exports to the United States.

But many details were left unclear, with the EU pushing for exemptions and Trump threatening higher tariffs on other goods.

A joint statement Thursday brought some clarity, although negotiations are not over and some moving parts remain.

Relief for cars

The new tariff covers most EU exports, including cars, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber.

EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the rate for cars, lower than the previous 27.5 percent, would apply retroactively from 1 August once the EU passes legislation to remove its own tariffs on US industrial products.

Sefcovic said the commission was “working very hard” to deliver on this.

Sigrid de Vries, director of European car lobby ACEA, welcomed the announcement and urged Brussels to move quickly.

She said the deal should be implemented “without delay, mitigating the tariff impact which already has cost automakers millions of euros in duties every day”.

Trump unveils sweeping new global tariffs but delays deadline by a week

No exemption for wine

France, Italy and other wine-making countries had pushed for a zero tariff on wine and spirits, but failed to secure one.

“Unfortunately, here we didn’t succeed,” Sefcovic said. He added that negotiations would continue but he did not want to give “false promises”.

“These doors are not closed forever,” he said.

French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard called the deal “unbalanced” in a post on social media platform X. She urged negotiators to make wine a priority and said she expected “strong European measures to support producers”.

Gabriel Picard, head of the French wine exporters federation FEVS, said the sector was “hugely disappointed” and warned the tariffs would “create major difficulties for the wines and spirits sector”.

Christophe Chateau, spokesman for Bordeaux producers, called the outcome “bad news” but added it was still better than the worst case scenario, when Trump had threatened tariffs as high as 200 percen.

French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin said Paris would keep pushing for “additional exemptions” in the deal.

France’s wine industry is in crisis. Can this Nigerian consultant save it?

Italy in crisis

In Asti, Piedmont, wine merchant Dino Riccomagno said Italy’s producers were already struggling.

“My concern is that the Italian wine sector is already in crisis with Germany, the other major export market. And these customs duties could further aggravate the situation,” he said.

“In the cellars, surpluses are already very high, and with the harvest soon to begin, many winegrowers will have storage problems.”

Italian wine exports to the United States were worth nearly two billion euros last year. The Italian Wine Union estimates tariffs could cost the industry €317 million next year, and as much as €460 million if the dollar weakens.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the deal was “not yet an ideal or final point” but noted a “trade war” had been avoided. She said Italy would continue to work with the European Commission to lift tariffs on its agri-food exports.

Meanwhile the US Distilled Spirits Council, a trade group, also expressed disappointment, saying it favoured tariff-free trade on both sides of the Atlantic.

“These new higher tariffs on EU spirits products will further compound the challenges facing restaurants and bars nationwide,” said the group’s CEO, Chris Swonger.

South Africa braces for heavy job losses as stiff US tariffs take hold

‘Victory for Trump’

Vincent Vicard, deputy director of the French Centre for Study and Research in International Economics (Cepii), said the deal was a win for Trump.

“It’s more of a symbolic victory for Donald Trump, which validates the threats in the negotiations and the violation of World Trade Organization rules,” he told RFI.

“On the European side, it’s an abandonment […]. There was an opportunity to retaliate and deal with the United States as equals. The EU didn’t do so. It’s a missed opportunity.

“It also raises the question of how to overcome this weakness of the European Union vis-à-vis the United States in the years to come.”

EU’s controversial trade truce with Trump faces mounting backlash

Under the agreement, the EU committed to significantly improving market access to a range of US seafood and agricultural goods, including tree nuts, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, pork and bison meat.

On the other hand, a special more favourable regime will apply as of 1 September to a number of EU exports to the US including “unavailable natural resources” such as cork, all aircraft and aircraft parts and generic pharmaceuticals.

These would effectively face a “zero or close to zero” rate, the commission said.

“Faced with a challenging situation, we have delivered for our Member States and industry, and restored clarity and coherence to transatlantic trade,” said von der Leyen.

“This is not the end of the process, we continue to engage with the US to agree more tariff reductions, to identify more areas of cooperation, and to create more economic growth potential”.

(with newswires)

European and US military chiefs last week reportedly presented ideas to their national security advisers on how to guarantee Ukraine’s security if there is a peace deal with Russia.

The discussions followed a summit of European leaders in Washington with US President Donald Trump on ending the conflict.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, but they will find ways of tackling that challenge without the US troops on the ground,” said Serhat Guvenc, professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.

“It will be a novelty because Europe has never carried out any peacekeeping or stabilization operation of this magnitude before.”

Turkey, with NATO’s second-largest army, is seen as a possible option.

“Turkey is an option, you know. And it seems that there is some talk of Turkish contribution,” Guvenc added.

Armenia and Azerbaijan peace deal raises hopes of Turkish border reopening

Ankara signals readiness

On the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss Ukraine’s security.

Ankara has already signalled it could take part in monitoring any peace deal, but Moscow’s approval would be necessary.

“If the parties agree, Turkey may send our troops to peacekeeping operations,” said Mesut Casin, a former presidential adviser and professor at Istanbul’s Yeditepe University.

Casin pointed to Turkey’s past record in UN operations.

“Turkey joined many UN peacekeeping operations in the former Yugoslavia, Somalia, and Korea, and in many other peacekeeping operations. The Turkish army is very powerful,” he said.

“Also, remember Putin is talking many times with Erdogan, and at the same time, Zelensky is visiting Ankara.”

Turkey and Italy boost cooperation in bid to shape Libya’s political future

Balancing Moscow and Kyiv

Since the start of the war, Erdogan has kept good relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

Ankara has refused to apply most international sanctions on Moscow, while at the same time selling vital military hardware to Kyiv. That balancing act has raised questions among European partners.

“Turkey ought to have been at the Washington meeting,” said Soli Ozel, an international relations scholar at the Institute for Human Studies in Vienna.

Even though Turkey borders both Ukraine and Russia, Erdogan was excluded from this month’s summit between Trump and European leaders.

“The fact that it wasn’t backs the observation that the bigger players or the major partners are not bringing Turkey center stage, they’re sidelining it,” Ozel added.

Despite this, Ankara remains strategically important.

“They keep it in the play, it’s important because if you’re going to need troops, you’re going to need Turkey. If you’re going to talk about the Black Sea security, you need Turkey. And so you cannot really dismiss Turkey,” Ozel said.

But he warned that mistrust is limiting Ankara’s role.

“You’re not making it part of the process that will hopefully lead to a conclusion or a peace treaty between Ukraine and Russia. There is a lack of trust, and I think that has something to do with the way Turkey has conducted its diplomacy,” Ozel said.

Peace or politics? Turkey’s fragile path to ending a decades-long conflict

Doubts over influence

Some analysts suggest Ankara hopes Europe’s reliance on Turkish forces or its navy for Black Sea security could help restore influence. But others see limited gains.

“There is no automatic increase in Turkey’s influence and credibility as a result of taking part in such operations,” said Guvenc.

“It does have a certain impact, but on the other hand, such contributions do not change other Western partners’ views of Turkey.”

Rather than a reset with Europe, Guvenc sees a continuation of the current dynamic.

“What might happen is yet another manifestation of transactionalism on both sides. And if Turkey contributes to peacekeeping in Ukraine, probably President Erdogan expects concrete benefits that will help him manage the deteriorating economic situation in Turkey.

“Therefore, you cannot build a comprehensive and sustainable relationship built on that transactionalism on both sides.”

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Heimer Sia, Hossen Abed Ali, and Debashis Gope. 

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Angelina” by Pierre Perez-Vergara, Stéphane Planchon, and Yassine Dahbi, performed by PSY; “Like Jesus to a Child”, written and performed by George Michael, and the traditional 18th-century French drinking song “Chevaliers de la Table Ronde”, sung by the Quatre Barbus with André Popp and his ensemble.

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 ensure these voices are heard.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: 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). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

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

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need.

https://concours.epop.network/en/

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

The quiz will be back next Saturday, 30 August. Be sure and tune in!

The deal, brokered by US President Donald Trump, commits both countries to respect each other’s territorial integrity – the issue at the centre of bloody wars.

The agreement is seen as paving the way for Turkey to restore diplomatic ties with Armenia.

“Ankara has been promising that once there is a peace agreement, it will open the border,” says Asli Aydintasbas, of the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

“There was a brief period in the post-Soviet era when it [the border] was opened, but that was quickly shut again due to the Armenian-Azeri tensions.”

Aydintasbas says reopening the border could have wide-reaching consequences.

“Armenia and Turkey opening their border and starting trade would be a historical moment in terms of reconciliation between these two nations, which have very bitter historic memories,” she adds.

“But beyond that, it would help Armenia economically because it’s a landlocked country entirely dependent on Russia for its protection and its economy.”

Turning point

In June, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. The meeting was seen as a turning point in relations long overshadowed by the memory of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, which Ankara still officially denies.

“There’s now a degree of personal chemistry between the Armenian prime minister and Erdogan. This was seen in a June historic meeting, the first ever bilateral contact, a face-to-face meeting,” says Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Centre, a think tank in Yerevan.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 after ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan seized the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

The enclave was retaken by Azerbaijani forces in 2022. Giragosian says the peace deal, along with warmer ties between Pashinyan and Erdogan, could now help Yerevan reach a long-sought goal.

“In the longer perspective for Turkey and Armenia, this is about going beyond the South Caucasus. It’s about Central Asia. It’s about European markets, potentially a new Iran in the future,” he says.

Erdogan congratulated Pashinyan on Monday over the deal, but made no official pledge on reopening the border. That decision may lie with Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev.

“They [Ankara] will be looking to Baku. Baku is basically able to tell Turkey not to move on normalisation with Armenia, not to open the border,” says Aydintasbas.

“Part of the reason is that Turkey has developed an economic dependency on Azerbaijan, which is the top investor in Turkey. In other words, little brother is calling the shots, and I think that Ankara, to an extent, does not like it, but has come to appreciate the economic benefits of its relationship with Azerbaijan.”

Azerbaijani demands on Armenia

Azerbaijan is also pushing for changes to Armenia’s constitution, which it claims makes territorial claims on Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The Armenian constitution refers to the Declaration of Independence of Armenia, which has a clear clause on the unification with Armenia, with Nagorno-Karabakh,” says Farid Shafiyev of the Centre for Analysis of International Relations, a Baku-based think tank.

Shafiyev warned that without reform, the peace deal could unravel.

“Let’s say, imagine Pashinyan losing elections, a new person says: ‘You know, everything which was signed was against the Armenian constitution.’ For us, it is important that the Armenian people vote for the change of the constitution,” Shafiyev says.

Analysts note that changing the constitution would require a referendum with more than 50 percent turnout – a difficult and time-consuming process.

Time, however, may be running short. Russia is seen as the biggest loser from lasting peace in the Caucasus. For decades Moscow exploited the conflict to play Armenia and Azerbaijan against each other.

Pashinyan is now seeking to move away from Russian dominance and closer to Europe.

Giragosian warned that Armenia’s window of opportunity is limited.

“There is a closing window of opportunity – that is Russia’s distraction with everything in Ukraine. We do expect a storm on the horizon, with an angry, vengeful Putin reasserting or attempting to regain Russia’s lost power and influence in the region.”

Weakening Russia’s grip remains key, he adds. “Armenia, after all, is still a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Russian-dominated trade bloc.

“But it’s also a country that has a Russian military base. Russia still manages the Armenian railway network, for example. This is why, for Armenia, the real key here is going to be Turkey and normalising relations with Turkey.”

At present, Armenia’s only open land borders are with Georgia and Iran – both close to Russia. Opening the Turkish border would give Armenia a vital new route, while also benefiting Turkey’s economically depressed border region.

But for now, Azerbaijan may seek further concessions before allowing any breakthrough.

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear three different versions of a song requested by Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India.

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” by Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson, Berry Gordy, in three versions: Brenda Holloway, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Alton Ellis.

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 ensure these voices are heard.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: 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). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

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

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need.

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

Earlier this month, the leaders of Italy, Turkey and Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) met in a tripartite summit – the latest sign of growing cooperation between the three Mediterranean nations.

“Turkey and Italy have both differing interests, but interests in Libya,” explains international relations professor Huseyin Bagcı of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

“Particularly, the migration issue and illegal human trafficking are big problems for Italy, and most of the people are coming from there [Libya], so they try to prevent the flow of migrants.

“But for Turkey, it’s more economic. And Libya is very much interested in keeping the relations with both countries.”

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

Migration, legitimacy concerns

Turkey is the main backer of Libya’s GNA and still provides military assistance, which was decisive in defeating the rival eastern-based forces led by strongman Khalifa Haftar. An uneasy ceasefire holds between the two sides.

Libya security analyst Aya Burweilla said Turkey is seeking Italy’s support to legitimise the Tripoli government, as questions grow over its democratic record.

“What it means for the Tripoli regime is very positive. This is a regime that has dodged elections for years,” she says.

“Their job was to have democratic elections, and one of their ways to make sure they stay in power was to get foreign sponsors, like Turkey… Now, with this rubber stamp from Meloni in Italy, they can keep the status quo going at the expense of Libyans.”

Years of civil war and political chaos have turned Libya into a major hub for people smugglers. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, elected on a pledge to curb irregular migration, sees stability in Libya as key to that goal.

“The migration issue has become very, very urgent in general for Europe, but of course for Italy too,” says Alessia Chiriatti of the Institute of International Affairs, a think tank in Rome.

Trump and Erdogan grow closer as cooperation on Syria deepens

Mediterranean ambitions

Chiriatti said Meloni’s partnership with Turkey in Libya also reflects broader foreign policy goals.

“There is another dimension – I think it’s directly related to the fact that Italy and Meloni’s government want to play a different role in foreign policy in the Mediterranean space,” she says.

“Italy is starting to see Africa as a possible partner to invest in … But what is important is that Italy is starting to see itself as a new player, both in the Mediterranean space and in Africa, so in this sense, it could have important cooperation with Turkey.”

She points out that both Italy and Turkey share a colonial past in Libya. That legacy, combined with the lure of Libya’s vast energy reserves, continues to shape their diplomacy.

Ending the split between Libya’s rival governments is seen as vital for stability. Moscow’s reduced military support for Haftar, as it focuses on its war in Ukraine, is viewed in Ankara as an opening.

“Russia is nearly out, and what remains are Turkey and Italy,” says Bagcı.

He added that Ankara is making overtures to the eastern authorities through Haftar’s son Saddam, a senior figure in the Libyan military.

“The son of Haftar is coming very often to Ankara, making talks. It’s an indication of potential changes… But how the deal will look like I don’t know, we will see later. But it’s an indication of potential cooperation, definitely.”

Turkey steps into EU defence plans as bloc eyes independence from US

Shifting alliances

Libya was discussed when Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on Saturday.

Sisi backs Haftar’s eastern government. Libya had been a source of tension between Turkey and Egypt, but with relations thawing, both say they will work together on the country’s future.

Turkey’s position in Libya is strengthening, says Burweilla.

“Saddam is pro-Turkey – there is a huge difference between son and father – and the younger generation is pro-Turkey,” she says.

Such support, Burweilla said, stems from Ankara allowing Libyans to seek sanctuary in Turkey from fighting in 2011, when NATO forces led by France and the United Kingdom militarily intervened against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

“I think the Europeans underestimated the political capital that gave Turkey. Turkey is winning the game in Libya,” Burweilla says.

She adds that Ankara’s rising influence is also due to a shift in tactics towards the east.

“What they [Ankara] realised was that you can’t conquer the east of Libya by force; they tried and they failed. And the Turkish regime is very much motivated by business… They don’t care about anything else, and they’ve realised they want to make a business,” Burweilla says.

They’ve reached out more to the east, and the east, in turn, has realised that if they don’t want to be attacked by Turkey and its mercenaries, they need to make peace with Turkey as well.”

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Hossen Abed Ali from Rangpur, Bangladesh and a composition written by SB Leprof from Winneba, Ghana.

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Epitaph” by Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake and Michael Giles, to lyrics by Peter Sinfield, performed by King Crimson, and “Ginger Milk” by SB Leprof.

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 ensure these voices are heard.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: 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). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

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

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In partnership with Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board.

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

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

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

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

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

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