The text also called on the investigative team to identify suspected perpetrators where possible in a bid to ensure they are held accountable.

The decision came at the end of a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Sudan, called amid mounting warnings of crimes against humanity and the risk of genocide.

In an opening address to delegates in Geneva, the UN human rights chief Volker Turk urged the international community to act.

“There has been too much pretence and performance, and too little action. It must stand up against these atrocities – a display of naked cruelty used to subjugate and control an entire population,” Turk said.

Since breaking out in April 2023, the war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly 12 million more and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

UN warns of ethnically motivated ‘atrocities’ in Sudan’s El Fasher

The violence has escalated dramatically in recent weeks, with the RSF seizing control of the key town of El Fasher in Sudan‘s western Darfur region after an 18-month siege.

Reports have emerged of executions, sexual violence, looting, attacks on aid workers and abductions in and around the city, where communications remain largely cut off.

The RSF has denied targeting civilians or blocking aid, saying any such actions are the work of rogue actors.

Cycle of impunity

British ambassador Kumar Iyer, whose country requested the special session along with Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway, insisted that “the scale and severity of the crisis in Sudan can no longer be met with silence”.

“The violence in El-Fasher bears the hallmarks of a coordinated campaign against civilians by the Rapid Support Forces,” he said, pointing to “credible reports of actively targeted killings, systematic sexual violence, and the deliberate use of starvation”.

Before Friday’s resolution was adopted, he urged countries to green-light an investigation: “Without it, accountability will remain out of reach and the cycle of impunity will continue.”

Social media videos, satellite images capture snapshot of atrocities in Sudan

The text was adopted by consensus without a vote, although several countries, including Sudan, distanced themselves from sections broadening the scope of the fact-finding mission’s investigation.

The UN estimates that nearly 100,000 have fled El Fasher in the past two weeks, many going to the town of Tawila, about 50 kilometres away, or even across the border to Chad.

“Information gathered indicates that hundreds of women and girls were raped and gang-raped along escape routes, including in public, without fear of repercussions or accountability,” Mona Rishmawi, from the UN’s independent fact-finding mission on Sudan, told Friday’s session.

Adama Dieng, the African Union’s special envoy and the UN special adviser for the prevention of genocide, warned that “the risk of genocide exists in Sudan. It is real and it is growing every single day.”

‘Existential war’

Sudanese ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan cautioned that his country was caught up in “an existential war”.

He accused the United Arab Emirates of “supporting [the RSF] with military and strategic equipment”, something the UAE denies.

UAE ambassador Jamal Jama Al Musharakh criticised both the paramilitaries and the Sudanese army, accusing the latter of “indiscriminate attacks on markets, villages and hospitals, amid famine, while ignoring international calls for a truce”.

Seizure of Sudan’s El Fasher a ‘political and moral defeat’ for RSF militia: expert

Much of Friday’s discussion revolved around the need to ensure accountability. Turk warned that the International Criminal Court had indicated it wasfollowing the situation closely.

He also said that “despicable disregard for civilian lives” was becoming apparent in the Kordofan region that borders Darfur.

Kordofan is comprised of three states that serves as a buffer between the RSF’s western Darfur strongholds and the army-held states in the east.

“Kordofan must not suffer the same fate as Darfur,” Turk said.

(with newswires)

The French presidency said the aim of the talks is to build on momentum created at last month’s gathering of the Coalition of the Willing allies, led by France and the United Kingdom.

At the group’s most recent meeting on 24 October, European partners said frozen Russian assets should be used quickly to back Ukraine financially.

The debate grew after European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that using this money to fund a new loan was the “most effective way” to finance Ukraine.

Von der Leyen’s executive has proposed using Russian central bank assets immobilised in Belgium to generate a €140 billion “reparations loan” for Ukraine. She said Kyiv would repay the loan “if Russia pays reparations”.

The plan has faced strong resistance from the Belgian government, which fears possible legal reprisals from Moscow.

Four killed in wave of ‘calculated’ Russian strikes across Kyiv

The Elysée said Macron and Zelensky will also discuss bilateral co-operation on energy, the economy and defence during the Paris visit.

Zelensky said on Friday that Russia had launched around 430 drones and 18 missiles in overnight attacks, primarily targeting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Four people were killed and dozens wounded. 

“This was a deliberately calculated attack aimed at causing maximum harm to people and civilian infrastructure,” Zelensky said.

He also said that the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk had suspended oil exports, after what local authorities described as a major Ukrainian drone attack.

(with newswires)

Between May and October the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims – known by its Arabic acronym JNIM – has captured Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, Emirati, Iranian, Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian nationals, according to the NGO ACLED, which tracks violence in conflict zones worldwide.

Some have since been released, but not all. ACLED says that it does not have sufficiently verified information to provide figures on releases, particularly in the case of Chinese and Indian nationals.

Héni Nsaibia, senior West Africa analyst at ACLED, told RFI that the number of people who have been captured is “almost double the previous record of 2022,” when 13 foreigners were kidnapped.

JNIM has made kidnapping wealthy foreigners for ransom a pillar of its strategy of “economic jihad”.

Its goal is to oust the country’s ruling junta – which has struggled to contain Mali’s decade-long insurgency since taking power following coups in 2020 and 2021 – by scaring away investors and paralysing the country’s economy.

Mali’s economy near standstill amid JNIM fuel attacks

In June, JNIM threatened to strike any foreign businesses and industries installed in Mali, as well as any enterprise doing business with the Malian government without its “authorisation”.

To consolidate its power and push for expansion in the region, the group has maintained a fuel blocade and increased attacks on tankers carrying fuel to landlocked Mali from the coasts of Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. JNIM has also launched assaults on factories and mines.

Record ransom

Most of the kidnappings have occurred in the west of the country, where around 80 percent of Mali’s gold production is mined, according to the Soufan Centre consultancy.

At least 11 Chinese citizens have been abducted in western Mali in attacks on seven industrial sites, six of them run by Chinese companies, according to the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute (AEI) think tank.

Five Indians working for an electricity company and an Egyptian were kidnapped in the same region last week.

In late October, almost €50 million was paid to JNIM in exchange for an Emirati sheikh and two of his business partners, an Iranian and a Pakistani.

The member of the United Arab Emirates royal family was involved in the gold trade and kidnapped near the capital Bamako on 26 September, according to a source close to the negotiations and another Malian security source.

That sum “represents the highest known ransom in the region and constitutes a major financial boost for [JNIM)]”, according to ACLED. It is unknown who paid the ransom.

Chinese firms pay price of jihadist strikes against Mali junta

Liam Karr, an analyst at AEI, told French news agency AFP that “funds will help the group procure more weapons, such as commercial drones, explosives, and small arms, as well as pay salaries to fighters”.

A Malian security source added that in this deal JNIM also obtained “the release of around 30 of its prisoners” held by the Malian intelligence services.

“Malian soldiers were also released during the same exchange. It is an astounding deal in terms of its scale and the elements involved, especially in the current context,” they said.

In addition to foreign hostages, JNIM is holding dozens of Malian hostages, including soldiers, state representatives, workers and ordinary civilians.

Security vacuum

For Rida Lyammouri, a researcher at the Policy Center for the New South, this type of ransom will allow the JNIM to “maintain its current level of military engagement, including the economic blockade on Bamako, for a prolonged period”.

“Such a haul will only serve to boost the JNIM’s ambitions to expand and establish a lasting presence in the Sahel and the coastal states of Africa,” Lyammouri told AFP.

Wagner Russian paramilitary group’s troubled legacy in Mali revealed

The researcher says the withdrawal of French troops in the wake of the coup has left a security vacuum to be exploited by the jihadists, which the junta’s new security partners – including Russia – have failed to fill.

With JNIM’s grip tightening, the United States and the United Kingdom announced two weeks ago they were pulling out all non-essential personnel from Mali, while many embassies have urged their citizens to leave the country.

However, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop stated last week that the terrorists’ “change in modus operandi” was “a sign of their weakening”. 

Kick the Big Polluters Out, a coalition of 450 NGOs, says overall attendance at Cop30 sits at 56,118 as of 10 November – and 1,603 of these attendees have links to the oil and gas industry.

The coalition says that while the total is lower than at some past summits, the concentration inside the talks is at its highest point.

It added that this count has risen sharply since it recorded 500 attendees with fossil fuel ties at the Glasgow summit five years ago. This rise has continued even as pressure builds for a shift away from fossil fuels.

The group of lobbyists in Belém is bigger than almost every national delegation. Brazil is the only country with a larger presence, at 3,805 people. China follows with 674, then Nigeria, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The UN puts the total of official delegates at 11,991.

Cop30 opens in Brazil, exposing global rifts on fossil fuels and finance

Growing unease

In a letter dated 1 October, 225 organisations urged the Cop30 presidency to stop inviting major polluters into the talks. They wrote that the figures show “the urgency of protecting United Nations climate negotiations by establishing clear conflict of interest policies and accountability measures”.

They added that “big polluters should not have access to climate policy making”.

Allowing industry representatives into negotiations, they argued, lets them “continue to influence and undermine the international response”.

Lobbyists include corporate leaders, technical experts and energy specialists, whose interests can clash with climate goals. Some form groups such as the International Emissions Trading Association, which has a pavilion at the summit.

EU ministers agree weakened climate target to take to Brazil summit

Behind closed doors

Blue zone accreditation gives observers – including environmental NGOs, youth groups, women’s rights organisations and unions – access to negotiation rooms.

States can close meetings to observers, but special party overflow badges allow some people to remain without speaking rights. At least 600 lobbyists hold this badge.

The influence of fossil lobbyists often outweighs that of NGOs due to economic weight, Fanny Petitbon, from the climate campaign group 350.org, told RFI – adding that NGOs defend the public good while lobbyists defend economic interests.

This pressure has contributed to a long-running taboo around fossil fuels in UN climate talks, she said. “It makes no more sense than inviting the tobacco industry to a conference on fighting cancer.”

EU parliament votes to dilute landmark rules holding corporations accountable

Banks in the mix

Japan has 33 lobbyists on site, including members of Osaka Gas. Norway has 17, including six from Equinor. France’s delegation of 449 includes at least 22 people linked to the sector, including five TotalEnergies executives. They include chief executive Patrick Pouyanné.

TotalEnergies was found guilty two weeks ago by a French court of misleading commercial practices, over claims it could reach carbon neutrality by 2050 while increasing oil and gas production.

The list of accredited people consulted by RFI also includes representatives from banks BNP Paribas and Crédit Agricole. Both rank among the top 30 financiers of fossil projects.

The annual Banking on Climate Chaos report said in June that the world’s 65 largest banks provided $869 billion of funding to fossil fuels in 2024, a rise of 23 percent.

How Brazil’s booming coffee industry is driving deforestation

Disclosure fight

In a statement, Kick the Big Polluters Out said it counts as lobbyists delegates who can reasonably be assumed to seek influence over policy in the interests of the fossil industry or its shareholders.

It also included financial institutions that have provided major support to fossil firms since the Paris Agreement.

The coalition said it had secured a new rule this year requiring all registered participants at Cop30 to declare any potential conflict of interest. They must state who funds their participation, whom they work for, the nature of their link, their role and their actor group.

This rule does not apply to state delegation badges.

“It is clear we cannot solve a problem by giving power to those who caused it,” said Jax Bongon from IBON International in the Philippines, which has recently been hit by two typhoons. “Yet 30 years and 30 Cop summits later, more than 1,500 fossil fuel lobbyists walk through the climate negotiations as if nothing had happened.”

He added: “It is exasperating to see their influence grow year after year, making a mockery of the process, and the communities that suffer the consequences.”

This article was adapted from the original version in French by RFI’s Géraud Bosman-Delzons

Two and a half years into the war in Sudan, the United Nations and aid organisations are expecting a wave of new arrivals across the border. El Fasher, the city in North Darfur where reports suggest paramilitary forces have committed mass killings and other atrocities, lies some 300 km from eastern Chad.

But Chad’s humanitarian response remains shockingly underfunded, raising profound questions about how the country will cope. 

Slente, the Danish Refugee Council‘s secretary-general, this week visited transit camps in Adre and Aboutengue, where she told RFI she saw signs of “one of the most complex humanitarian crises one can imagine”. 

RFI: What did you see on the ground?  

Charlotte Slente: The situation in Sudan is that in 2025 the fighting has shifted more towards very densely populated towns, and that has amplified civilian casualties. We see a war with a very expansive use of explosive weapons in very densely populated areas, with high levels of civilian casualties. We see widespread destruction of homes, markets, health facilities, infrastructure, etc. Following the events at the end of October in El Fasher in Darfur, we know that more than 110,000 people are on the roads, heading out of Sudan, fleeing these atrocities.

Social media videos, satellite images capture snapshot of atrocities in Sudan

And here in Chad there could be very many new arrivals – thousands and thousands of refugees, but also Chadians that have been living in Sudan for a number of years and now have to return to Chad due to the situation in Sudan.

We already see an increasing number of people arriving, around 50 people per day in the latest weeks. That is a little bit less than expected, because the direct road from El Fasher to Adre is too insecure to travel through. So many are seeking other entry points into Chad further north, with longer routes, also dangerous.

On other border points, we are seeing an increasing number of people arriving and we expect that there will be more people arriving in the coming days, weeks and months.

Sudan’s civilians flee mounting atrocities as Darfur’s war deepens

Do Sudanese people feel they would be safer if they crossed the border? 

I want to tell you the story of a family I met here in Adre to explain the situation. It was a family of three people, a mother, a father and a young child of not even two years. They arrived here a few days ago, and they appeared, as I talked to them, in a state of shock and disorientation. Their seven-year-old son was shot dead as they left their own burning house, hit by a bombardment. The brother of the husband was likewise shot dead. What they described to me was a nightmare situation of random attacks and massacres of civilians.

They had been travelling by mule cart, car and by foot; they passed more than 40 checkpoints on these 250 km, were looted on the way, losing the very few belongings that they had left, including all their money and phones.

Nevertheless, the situation is such that people really need to escape from Sudan because they don’t feel safe any longer in the country. Several families have been escaping a number of times, displacing themselves first internally a number of times before they decide to take the very dangerous journey out of Sudan. That is why people are arriving and expected to be arriving here in bigger numbers.

It’s not easy for refugee camps in Chad to deal with more people. What would you recommend, as an organisation that has worked there for a while now? 

Chad continues to welcome the refugees from Sudan. They automatically offer them refugee status when they arrive. The traditions of hospitality remain very strong. But Chad is experiencing one of the most complex humanitarian crises one can imagine.

As of the end of September of this year, [UN refugee agency] UNHCR reported around 1.4 million refugees in the country. And with hundreds of thousands of potential new arrivals in the coming weeks, we could reach even higher numbers of refugees and displaced people in Chad.

We must remember that Chad is one of the poorest countries in Africa, and the eastern region is the poorest in the country. So refugees are arriving into a host community that is welcoming, but in dire need for very basic stuff to survive as well. It’s difficult to distinguish the level of needs of the host community from the refugees’ – the difference being that the refugees come here with a lot of traumatic experiences.

Chad, WFP warn of ‘catastrophic’ food insecurity amid influx of Sudan refugees

So what needs to be done? Support Chad to host refugees from Sudan. The world also needs to step up. Chad’s generosity is not met with sufficient international engagement at this time. The humanitarian response plan is only 17 percent funded. Important donors remain engaged, but much more is needed at this very critical moment when humanitarian organisations, including ourselves, are preparing for the new large-scale displacement movements into already overwhelmed camps.

Last April, a year into the conflict, an international conference produced promises to raise funds. Would you say it has not been enough? 

I think not enough is being done. There was a donor conference, yes, and new commitments were made, but that was before we knew that the crisis would come to the levels that we are seeing now. And there is a humanitarian funding crisis not only in Sudan, but in general. So we are very concerned that the levels of support will not be sufficient to meet the needs of people who are already hosted here as refugees in the many camps. 

A lot of people enter with trauma and need psychosocial support, medical treatment, but also psychological treatment for violent attacks, violence against women and girls, etc. We also need to look into the longer-term perspective. So what we are gearing up to do is to support income-generating activities, and retraining people so that they can earn a living by themselves. 

Podcast: In two years of devastation, Sudan’s war claims thousands and displaces millions

Finally, a core message: we need the war in Sudan to stop. All parties to the conflict must immediately cease the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in line with the obligations that they have under international humanitarian law.

This is a civil war that cannot be resolved by weapons. It needs a politically negotiated solution, and we need civilians to be protected and not be a target in this war. So immense pressure needs to be put on all the parties to this conflict for it to end with a political and negotiated peace.

This interview was lightly edited for clarity.

Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has in recent months intensified its attacks on infrastructure, particularly targeting Ukrainian energy facilities and rail systems, as well as residential areas.

“This was a deliberately calculated attack aimed at causing maximum harm to people and civilian infrastructure,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The attack killed four, Zelensky said, and wounded dozens including a pregnant woman.

Zelensky added that Russia had launched around 430 drones and 18 missiles in the attack.

AFP journalists in the capital saw tracer bullets used against drones and several anti-missile systems deployed.

“There are a lot of damaged high-rise buildings throughout Kyiv, almost in every district,” Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city’s military administration, wrote on social media.

Ukrainian emergency services rescued dozens from fires and destruction across the city, as the police said 30 residential buildings in nine districts were damaged.

Some parts of the Desnyansky and Podil district were temporarily left without heat, mayor Vitaly Klitschko said.

But local emergency outages caused by the attack were resolved by the morning, he said.

Transport was partially blocked, city administration authorities said, with buses and trams delayed.

Corruption scandal exposes ‘absolute impunity’ in Ukraine’s energy sector

Entrenched war

The attack comes as Kyiv’s Western allies ratchet up pressure on Russia.

On Wednesday, Canada unveiled new sanctions targeting Russia’s drone and energy production, as well as infrastructure used to launch cyberattacks.

On the same day, G7 foreign ministers called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, voicing “unwavering” support for the country’s territorial integrity.

And the European Commission is considering using part of Russia’s assets frozen after its invasion to provide Kyiv with a loan for budgetary and military support over the next two years.

But after almost four years of war, both sides are heavily entrenched with Moscow rejecting ceasefire calls and efforts by US President Donald Trump to revive a long-stalled peace deal.

Russian forces have been grinding across eastern Ukraine for months, trying to take control of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

France reach World Cup on day of tributes to victims of Paris terrorist attacks

Experts say Russia’s latest strikes on energy infrastructure are putting Ukraine at risk of heating outages ahead of the winter months.

Ukraine has in turn stepped up attacks on Russian infrastructure, and sought to strike further beyond the front.

Russian forces downed more than 200 Ukrainian drones overnight into Friday, Moscow’s defence ministry said, including 66 over Krasnodar Krai and 45 over Saratov in the south.

A fire broke out at the Sheskharis oil refinery, one of the largest in Russia, in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, before being brought under control, Krasnodar Krai authorities said.

A civilian vessel there was also damaged, with three of the crew wounded and hospitalised, they added.

Approved only last year, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) was hailed by green and civil society groups but criticised by businesses.

In a vote on Thursday, the EU parliament’s biggest centre-right bloc joined forces with the hard right to back amendments that significantly reduce the number of companies to which the rules apply. They secured support from 382 lawmakers, with 249 voting against.

The directive is one of the first to fall under Brussels’ new drive to make life easier for European industry, which is struggling in the face of competition from the United States and China.

The text requires large companies to fix the “adverse human rights and environmental impacts” of their supply chains worldwide. This means tracking deforestation and pollution that they or their suppliers and subcontractors cause, plus other issues like forced labour – and taking steps to curtail them.

But EU lawmakers backed limiting its application to large companies. Now only businesses with 5,000 employees and more than €1.5 billion in turnover will be bound by the rules, a revision of the original threshold of 1,000 employees and €450 million in turnover.

They also moved to do away with the European civil liability regime, which served to harmonise firms’ obligations in the event of breaches, referring to national legislation instead.

EU backs tough legislation to slash food waste and rein in ‘fast fashion’

Right-wing push 

Jorgen Warborn, a lawmaker from the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) who sponsored the text, said ahead of the vote that the changes would boost competitiveness for companies while keeping “Europe’s green transition on track”.

But the outcome triggered an outcry among the EPP’s traditional partners on the left and centre, who denounced what they fear is a new alliance between the centre and the far right in the EU parliament.

René Repasi of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) accused the EPP of having “torpedoed any middle-ground compromise”.

“The conservatives marched ahead with a red pen – striking away the firewall and redrawing their self-made majority together with the anti-democratic forces on the fringes,” he said.

EU vows to slash red tape but stick to climate goals

The far-right Patriots group hailed the result as a “significant success” and a “victory for workers, farmers and industry”.

“Today, Patriots for Europe broke the old coalition’s deadlock and opened the path to replace the Green Deal straitjacket with a competitiveness-driven agenda,” the group wrote on social media platform X, referring to the EU’s ambitious climate policies.

An ultimate round of negotiations is now to kick off with member states and the European Commission, aimed at finalising the changes by the end of the year.

Landmark law

Stéphane Séjourne, the EU commissioner for industry, said the amendments came on the back of extensive consultations and in “response to the firm and repeated demands of member states and the new parliamentary majority”.

Right and far-right parties, which made significant gains in the 2024 European elections, have been clamouring for Brussels to take a more pro-business slant and ditch some of its green policies.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron had called for the CSDDD to be scrapped altogether. The directive has also come under fire from trade partners including the United States and Qatar, who warn the rules risk disrupting their gas supplies to Europe.

EU ministers agree weakened climate target to take to Brazil summit

The World Wildlife Fund accused the EU of “turning its back on climate and nature” in the name of simplification.

“These laws that provided hope, security, and promise for a fairer and more sustainable future have been reduced to performative exercises that have little effect on the real needs of people, nature, and businesses,” said Mariana Ferreira of the WWF’s European policy office. 

The text was proposed by the European Commission in 2022 after a parliamentary push inspired by the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory building in Bangladesh, which left at least 1,134 people dead.

Its approval in 2024 was hailed as historic and celebrated as a landmark in the fight to preserve the planet and promote better working conditions across the globe.

(with AFP)

RFI: The potential terror threat is now coming from increasingly younger individuals in France. What are the typical profiles of radicalised young people you have observed?

Laurène Renaut: Since 2023, 70 percent of those arrested for planning jihadist attacks have been under the age of 21. But there is no typical profile because radicalisation is a multi-faceted phenomenon.

The common denominator is a search for identity and a sense of injustice that drives them to consume violent online content, sometimes frantically. Some also look at more theoretical material that claims to show them how to be, according to jihadist propaganda, “a true Muslim”.

In recent years, propagandists have adapted to this younger audience. Their videos place great emphasis on feelings of isolation in society, at school or within their families. They use these feelings and tell them that if they feel different or marginalised, it may be because Allah has called them to fight. They exploit pre-existing vulnerabilities.

France marks decade of 2015 Paris attacks

RFI: How can we explain this resurgence of the terror threat in France?

LR: This resurgence is not a new phenomenon. Among the first generations of jihadists, we saw profiles with average ages ranging from 30 to 35. Then, with the Islamic State organisation from 2014-2015 onwards, the average age dropped to between 25 and 27. By the end of 2023, we were seeing a very sharp decline in the average age of radicalised profiles.

I would explain this by the adaptation of jihadist propaganda to new social media platforms that appeal to younger people, such as TikTok. These platforms have accelerated the phenomenon of self-radicalisation – a phenomenon that did not exist, or existed only to a very limited extent, less than 10 years ago.

Previously, radicalisation was a slower process. People became radicalised through offline encounters, and certain factors related to the family environment could also play a role. Online exchanges were ultimately a minority factor in the radicalisation process.

TikTok under scrutiny as toxic videos reach young users within minutes

With platforms such as TikTok equipped with increasingly powerful algorithmic recommendation systems, some young people are more easily isolated than before. If you view jihadist content, within a few hours you may find that you are only receiving that type of content.

The consequence is that, since the end of 2023, we have observed that the time it takes for young people to become radicalised is getting shorter and shorter. In other words, the gap between the moment a young person consumes jihadist propaganda online and the moment they express a desire to take action is getting shorter and shorter. Some young people, upon coming into contact with jihadist propaganda, switch sides immediately.

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RFI: You mentioned that propagandists are adapting to these new methods of delivery. How are they doing this?

LR: The techniques used are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Phishing tactics are being observed in video games, which I refer to as the “gamification” of radicalisation. On certain video game platforms such as Roblox, some propagandists recreate battles won by jihadists on the Iraqi-Syrian front. They can get young people to take on the roles of mujahideen, or Islamic State fighters.

But the fun aspect is just a pretext for then getting in touch with them via the messaging services on these gaming platforms. We then see a narrative similar to the one we talked about earlier. Propagandists offer them violent content to watch, and then try to raise their awareness of certain injustices suffered by Muslims around the world. These platforms are the new vectors for the radicalisation of young people.

This article was adapted from the original version in French by Baptiste Coulon.

The day began in Paris with a security exercise. “In the morning, an exercise [had been] organised involving the security forces, in case of a mass killing in Paris,” recalls Cazeneuve of 13 November 2015. 

In the afternoon, he presented a national plan to combat arms trafficking at the Hauts-de-Seine prefecture, north-west of Paris. In the early evening, he decorated the civil servants who had assisted police officer Clarissa Jean-Philippe during the January 2015 terror attacks.

In short, for Cazeneuve: “This was a day entirely devoted to preventing and combatting terrorism.”

France marks decade of 2015 Paris attacks

The call from Hollande

At 8pm, everything changed.

“I received a call from the president of the republic, who was at the Stade de France, telling me that he had heard explosions,” Cazeneuve remembers.

A few minutes later, police prefect Michel Cadot confirmed: “This is likely a criminal act of a terrorist nature.”

Cazeneuve then received another call. “The police chief calls me back to tell me that shootings are taking place on a number of streets in the capital. At that moment, I realise that we are facing a large-scale operation designed to destabilise the country.”

A new terrorism

He knew even then that France’s resources were lacking, recalling that the police force had recently lost 13,000 jobs. In his view, the 2008 merger of two police intelligence agencies had “deprived the Interior Ministry of the tool it needed to detect early signs of radicalisation”.

“We were not at the level we needed to be,” he said. “There was a gap between the decisions we make and their implementation, which is an unavoidable delay, even though we were facing a real race against time.”

The changing nature of the threat they were attempting to combat was also a crucial factor.

“In the years 2010 to 2015, we were not facing the same kind of terrorism that had struck Europe in the 1980s and 1990s,” said Cazeneuve.

The terrorists of 2015 were “individuals living on national territory, who might be our neighbours, who became radicalised through the internet and left for Iraq and Syria, or were indoctrinated by groups that called for attacks to be carried out everywhere, to indiscriminately strike at citizens… in an attempt to fracture French society”.

France probes plot linked to ex-girlfriend of Paris attacks convict

‘The blindness of the left’

Cazeneuve – himself a member of the Socialist Party until 2022, when he left in protest at its decision to join an electoral coalition with other left-wing parties, including the far-left France Unbowed – is blunt about what he calls complacency on the part of some on the left, and the consequences. 

“The blindness came from the fact that some people considered that taking an interest in Islamism was a form of Islamophobia, even though it was Islamism that was taking an interest in us,” he told RFI.

“The left has always been the party of universalism, freedom of expression and rejection of communitarianism. All those who considered that the fight against the totalitarianism of Islamism was a form of Islamophobia forgot that the first people we are protecting are Muslims themselves.”

He criticised the far left, saying those on that end of the political spectrum see “Muslims as an electoral constituency to be won over, for cynical reasons of political calculation”.

The aftermath

When it came, in the aftermath of the attacks, to tackling the terrorists’ desire to divide French society, Cazeneuve says he prioritised unity.

“[I did not want] to turn these attacks into a stage for grandstanding, but to speak as precisely as possible, to be as balanced as possible, and to continually call for harmony.”

He recalls: “I visited many places of worship. Churches and synagogues, of course, but also many mosques, to tell our Muslim compatriots that the Republic was committed to embracing all its children.”

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A country adrift?

His assessment of France’s current political situation is pessimistic.

“We feel that the new world we were promised has turned out to be a return to a world we had forgotten, with all its worst flaws – that of the Fourth Republic.”

He went on to list these flaws: “A collapsed party system, constant political manoeuvring and backroom deals, parliamentary debates that inspire a sense of shame, and a worrying budgetary situation that is not being addressed honestly.”

Outlining his chief concern, he said: “We risk having a confrontation between two forms of rejectionism that are both disastrous for the country: the extreme left and the extreme right.”

His solution is a rallying cry around “the left wing of government” with four key battles: “Affirmation of republican principles, compatibility between economic efficiency and social justice, ecological transition without economic decline, and commitment to democracy and the principles of the rule of law.”

Cazeneuve concluded by quoting General de Gaulle: “A French person is someone who wants France to continue. That means wanting it to remain independent and free to make its own choices, universalist in its values, secular, without territorial divisions.”

This article was adapted from the original version in French by Frédéric Rivière.

“It starts when the clocks go back, to be honest. Paris has that same light, the same damp weather it did then.”

Dénouveaux, who escaped through an emergency exit on the night of 13 November 2015, thinks of France’s worst ever terror attacks long before the commemorations start. 

“What comes back is a sort of tenderness for the person I was back then. And then sadness at finding myself still tied to all this 10 years on, at thinking about all the people who died, at having met so many grieving families.”

Today, he heads victims’ association Life for Paris, co-founded with other survivors months after the attacks across Paris and its suburbs. The role means he’s often asked to relive the events – something he says is getting easier with time.

“I feel better than last year, better than the year before that and so on,” he told RFI a few days before the 10th anniversary. “Time does a lot, so does justice.”

His recovery has involved finding a place for the memories of 13 November in his life now. 

“It doesn’t haunt me. I’ve done enough psychotherapy to be able to keep it very fresh in my mind, and it’s really important to me to hold on to those memories and not lose them, but also to put them at a distance,” he said.

“There’s real ambivalence – I don’t want to lose those memories, but I don’t want them to have the power to intrude on my life. And now it’s been seven or eight years since I had any kind of panic attack, so it’s working.”

Police photos, audio, provide harrowing glimpses of Bataclan night of horror

‘Perpetual unease’

Yet Dénouveaux, who testified at the trial over the attacks and has written a book about their aftermath, says he continues to live with “perpetual unease”. 

“I don’t live the way I did before. I tell myself it could happen again, and for me it’s an enormous frustration. 

“I think what I share with all victims of terrorism is the wish to be the last – to tell myself that what I went through was so awful, and I speak about it so often, that no one will ever want to do it again. And unfortunately that’s not the case.”

The unease, he believes, applies to France as a whole. The Bataclan attack and others, as well as years of heightened security and government warnings, have made the threat of terrorist strikes a daily presence in generations of people’s lives.

Dénouveaux says the 2015 attacks helped usher in what he calls “a sort of management by fear” by France’s political leaders, whereby a continual war footing precludes meaningful debates.

The country declared a state of emergency in the wake of the attacks that would end up lasting nearly two years. Some of the emergency powers were made permanent under a sweeping 2017 anti-terrorism law, which has since been followed by several others expanding the reach of the security services. 

“We’ve changed the gauge since 2015,” said Dénouveaux. “Now we conduct surveillance of social media and messaging apps so people are arrested very early when their plans are still in the very preliminary stages. So all it takes is bar room talk, almost, to make people afraid.”

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Opportunities missed and taken

He sees the political response as a missed opportunity to diagnose deep-rooted problems. Two months after the 2015 attacks, then prime minister Manual Valls declared: “To explain is already to seek to excuse somewhat.”

Dénouveaux disagrees. “We’ve focused a lot on how young people are being radicalised. But why are they susceptible to being radicalised in the first place, and what is it about the basic project of our society that they don’t like?” he asks.

Other reactions give him more hope. He is encouraged by the flurry of documentaries, debates and other initiatives coinciding with the 10th anniversary. “It seems to me that we’re building peace from the bottom, not from the top,” he told RFI. “Maybe that works just the same.”

France marks decade of 2015 Paris attacks

In his book, Dénouveaux argues that France’s leaders “preferred a minute of silence to time for reflection”. But that doesn’t mean he sees no value in commemoration. 

“I think it’s really important for France to have a moment of unity. We never really had one after 13 November [2015] because of the state of emergency – we never had big national rallies,” he said.

This year, for the first time, the anniversary is being marked with a televised ceremony and a speech by President Emmanuel Macron. 

Dénouveaux hopes it will feel meaningful. “I think it’s a moment of national unity we need to have, even if it’s very brief, just to say to ourselves: we’re here together to think about 13 November, but also to move on.” 

This article was adapted from an interview in French by RFI’s Arnaud Pontus.

RFI: Before Brigitte Macron, former United States First Lady Michelle Obama and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, as well as numerous female athletes, have been the target of rumours questioning their “true femininity” and claiming they are in fact transgender. Why do these types of allegations come up again and again in relation to women with a certain amount of power?

Christine Bard: We have inherited centuries of patriarchal history. Women who have attained a certain degree of power, however relative, have always been portrayed as unnatural, masculine women – masculinised by the power that they desired or that was attributed to them.

This is a way of reminding everyone at all times that in a patriarchal system, the roles assigned to each sex must be respected and that any deviation will be punished by public condemnation.

The beginning of the 21st century is no exception to this historical burden, and the conservative camp has stuck with this view. Despite progress in equal rights, we are still far from effective equality.

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If, even today, questioning “femininity” remains such an effective way of disempowering women in public life, what does this reveal about society’s relationship with the female body?

The devaluation of women who are perceived as powerful takes the form of attacks targeting their bodies. People look for signs of masculinity in them and if they cannot find any, they invent them.

In addition, the masculinity that people believe they can see in these women in turn diminishes the masculinity of their partners. Isn’t this the aim of the attacks on Brigitte Macron? They are targeting a woman, but also a couple – and not just any couple, the head of state and his partner. 

What does this type of attack tell us about sexism and transphobia? Why is the mere suggestion that a woman is transgender enough to discredit her?

The rumour that Brigitte Macron is a transgender person comes at a time when transphobia is on the rise. The attack is sexist, transphobic and homophobic.

It is sexist because it uses a woman to target a man and calls into question the criteria for assessing “true femininity” through physical characteristics, gestures and dress. It reinforces a normative definition of femininity.

In the logic of transphobia, trans identity does not exist, cannot exist – for transphobes, “Brigitte” will always be “Jean-Michel” [Macron’s brother, who American YouTubers Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy accused of having changed gender and assumed the identity “Brigitte”].

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This is a way of insinuating that the president of France is married to a man and is therefore homosexual – and therefore, by the logic of homophobia, cannot offer the same guarantee of virility.

The fact that people are receptive to this fake news provides a measure of the persistence, and even intensification, of sexist, homophobic and transphobic hate speech – which is a real cause for concern.

This interview was adapted from the original version in French and lightly edited for clarity.

The promises made in 1975 painted a picture of an egalitarian state, capable of repairing five centuries of domination and transforming political freedom into social justice.

The Angola of 2025 is rich in natural resources, including oil, gas and diamonds. Its capital, Luanda, is dotted with steel and glass towers Almost 70 percent of its 37 million inhabitants are under 30 – a dynamic, urban population.

However, the United Nations Human Development Index ranks the country 148th out of 193. Despite significant progress since the end of the civil war in 2001, the gap between the promised land and the reality remains – with a lack of infrastructure, poor housing amongst the capital’s skyscrapers and a generation of frustrated youth.

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

President João Lourenço, elected in 2017 following José Eduardo dos Santos’s 38-year reign, likes to remind the people that “independence is not an end point, but an ongoing endeavour”.

Under his leadership, the country has been attempting to turn the page on its authoritarian past, and its economy’s total dependence on oil – the revenues from which fund more than 80 percent of the state budget.

Angola left OPEC, the intergovernmental body of oil-producing nations, at the end of 2023 in order to regain control of its production. It is investing in gas and agricultural diversification, as well as building the multi-billion dollar Lobito Oil Refinery led by the state oil company, Sonangol.

Completion is expected by early 2027, when it will process 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with the aim of making Angola a major exporter of refined products to both domestic and regional markets.

A marginalised majority

The young people who make up the majority of the Angolan population have known neither the war of independence nor the civil war. But while they may not have inherited the hardships of the past, they face another struggle: against unemployment, poverty and political mistrust.

Despite two decades of peace, economic development remains fragile. Access to stable employment is rare, especially for graduates. “The problem is no longer war, but the distribution of wealth and economic freedom,” says economist Francisco Paulo.

According to him, Angola’s labour market remains dominated by the informal economy: “Of 12 million workers, 10 million work in the informal sector. That represents more than 80 percent of jobs, a real social time bomb.”

Young people alternate between odd jobs, street trading and long periods of inactivity. The dominance of the oil economy has led to a lack of diversification of opportunities. Growth benefits a minority, while inequalities are widening.

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Meanwhile, the relationship between citizens and the state remains marked by mistrust.

Activist Laura Macedo describes a climate of silent tension: “Citizens fear those in power, and those in power fear citizens. This mutual fear ultimately leads to revolt.”

She highlights a generational shift, saying: “Those who govern us can no longer threaten us with war. It no longer silences us.”

For her, this symbolises the breaking of a cycle: war is no longer a political argument. But freedom of expression remains fragile, limited by the authorities, the police and societal pressures.

Transition to true democracy

For philosopher and activist Domingos da Cruz, a leading figure in the 15+2 human rights group, the country remains trapped by an authoritarian culture. “Fifty years after independence, we cannot talk about freedom, only resistance,” he says.

He believes that the transition to true democracy “will depend exclusively on the Angolan people”.

The 15+2 name was coined when 15 young activists and two other individuals were arrested – da Cruz among them – for discussing a book on non-violent resistance to the regime under dos Santos.

Their trial represented a turning point in the country’s recent political history. For the first time, a civil protest led by young urbanites was expressed peacefully, without resorting to violence. Following this event, several citizen movements emerged in the fight against corruption, unemployment and electoral transparency.

Artistic exchange between Brazil and Angola aims to reclaim colonial ties

‘Women are relegated’

Inequalities in the country are visible as early as primary school. Nearly 4 million children remain excluded from the education system, according to local NGOs. Activist Sizaltina Cutaia says there is a persistent hierarchy: “Young people simply want to live in a country where they can fulfil their potential, without having to join a political party.”

She added: “Education should be the starting point, but girls are still often excluded, especially in poor families. The belief persists that they will be supported by a husband.”

This lack of access to schooling further fuels inequality and undermines social mobility, and despite a growing presence in public life, women remain marginalised. Those active in politics face verbal abuse and media invisibility.

“The history of Angola is told through the figure of the father of the nation. Women, despite being active participants in the struggle, are relegated to the margins,” says Cutaia.

Macedo too highlights institutionalised patriarchy. “The president said he would put women in government, and that he would put more in if they behaved themselves. That sums up the prevailing mindset.”

The promise of equality from 1975 has not been fulfilled, and nor have the pledges of prosperity. Fifty years after Angola’s first president, Agostinho Neto, declared independence, the country no longer lives under fire, but under the weight of disillusionment.

This article was adapted from the original version in French by Ligia Anjos.

The 4 November elections were the first major test of voter sentiment since President Donald Trump’s re-election and the turbulence that followed his second inauguration.

The early months of Trump’s new term, marked by policy reversals, federal job cuts and social discord, have shifted the political mood.

Against this backdrop, left-winger Zohran Mamdani’s surprise win in the New York mayoral race and Democratic advances in Virginia and New Jersey speak to an electorate growing weary of economic strain and political instability.

While it is too soon to say whether the party can maintain the momentum ahead of midterms next November, the results suggest that voters may be looking for steadier leadership. 

Bullock told RFI what explains the Democrats’ success, and what lessons both they and the Republicans can take from it.

RFI: What are the implications of Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York? 

Charles Bullock: It certainly ended the career of former Governor [Andrew] Cuomo. But does this suggest that the Democratic Party is shifting significantly to the left nationally? I don’t think it does. The New York electorate is hardly representative of the electorate across the country.

A problem for the Democrats is that Republicans have been trying to make him the face of the Democratic Party. We’ve seen this before: regardless of where you stood as a Democrat, Republicans linked you to Ted Kennedy, and more recently to Nancy Pelosi.

So Mamdani is likely to become, in Republican eyes, the face of what they would call “socialism” or even “communism”, and they will try to make more moderate Democrats in other parts of the country carry that burden.

What underlying trends do the Democratic victories in Virginia and New Jersey’s governor elections reveal heading towards the 2026 midterms?

Virginia is an interesting case, as it almost always votes for the nominee of the party that does not control the White House – and it followed that pattern again. But beyond that, [Governor-elect] Abigail Spanberger was such a strong candidate, winning by more than a dozen points.

Further down the ballot, Democrats picked up 15 seats in the state legislature, leaving only 35 Republicans, down from 49 – the lowest number of Republicans in the House of Delegates in 40 years.

This was a real wipe-out for Republicans in Virginia, the bluest state in the South, and one with a large number of federal employees, many of whom are currently unpaid or were dismissed as a result of cuts by Elon Musk.

This suggests that, going into 2026, states with large numbers of federal employees may take out their frustrations on the Republicans.

How significant is the mobilisation of Democratic voters in traditionally competitive races? And do you see this as a genuine shift or a reaction to specific national events?

Several factors are driving the Democratic Party at the moment, particularly the cost of living. This puts Republicans in a difficult position because part of the reason Donald Trump did so well and won the seven swing states was his promise to tackle inflation.

Prices haven’t gone down. And as of Saturday, people on Obamacare – the healthcare plan for those without employer coverage – began receiving bills that have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. This reinforces the public perception that costs are spiralling, and that blame is likely to fall on the Republican Party.

This fits into a broader pattern: presidents tend to lose ground in their midterm elections. The midterms act as a check on how the president and his party are performing. You can’t vote against the president directly, but if you’re unhappy, you take it out on his party.

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Based on the 4 November election results, what warning signs are there for both Democrats and Republicans as they begin preparing for next year’s midterms?

The Democrats might risk getting carried away by these successes, though it will certainly make fundraising easier. For Republicans, it’s a moment to reflect and consider whether changes are needed.

I don’t think the results will have any effect on Maga supporters – the people in the red hats who remain firmly committed to Donald Trump. Their minds won’t change.

So in Republican primaries, the incentive is still to seek Trump’s endorsement, or at least to avoid criticising him. But given that Trump’s approval ratings are now in the low 40s nationally – and even in the 30s in some states – this could be a double-edged sword.

His backing may help a Republican win a nomination but could hurt them in the general election. You’ll always get the Republican vote, but in most states that’s not enough; you need independents, and maybe even some Democrats. What we saw on 4 November is that independents have largely turned against Trump.

What do these results suggest about the current national mood, and how might they shape party messaging for next year?

The Democrats performed well in these elections, but in some ways they are still swimming against the tide, as many voters remain dissatisfied with both parties.

We are also seeing an ever-wider divide between urban and rural America. Urban areas lean Democratic, but rural ones are now overwhelmingly Republican.

If Democrats focus only on their urban strongholds and neglect outreach in rural communities, they could underperform there badly enough to cancel out their urban gains. That’s something they need to keep in mind going into 2026.

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Do you see any special issues emerging during the midterms, or is it too early to tell?

There’s growing disaffection among Latino voters. Trump made notable gains with them in 2024, but this year’s vote in New Jersey shows a clear shift away from the Republican candidate for governor, Jack Cittarelli, who closely tied himself to Trump.

Latinos who supported Trump when he promised to deport criminal elements might accept that if it targets genuinely dangerous offenders, but they’re not willing to see relatives or neighbours with minor offences deported.

If there’s a significant swing of Hispanic voters back towards the Democrats, that could change the outcome in marginal congressional districts in states such as Texas and Florida.

Democrats seemed completely at a loss in the months that followed Trump’s re-election, unable to find a clear strategy to counter him. Will they now be able to organise themselves better to challenge the Republican candidate in the 2028 presidential election?

They should now have a clearer sense of the issues they can campaign on. Much of what Trump ran on is proving less popular in practice.

His plans to reduce the size of the federal government have alienated large numbers of federal employees who have been laid off, as well as their families and communities.

The cuts have created widespread frustration, with people struggling to reach services such as Social Security or the Internal Revenue Service.

The policies Trump promised to implement are turning out to be far less popular than he anticipated with the broader electorate.

“Everything will be done to prevent any new attack and to ruthlessly punish those who would dare to attempt it,” he said at the final commemoration ceremony at the Jardin du 13-Novembre, the new memorial garden opposite City Hall.

“Eighty-five attacks have been foiled in 10 years, including six this year.”

Macron said a decade of pressure had weakened Islamic State but warned of a jihadism that was “internal, insidious, less detectable, less predictable”.

He said “when terrorists want to strike democracy and freedom, it is France and Paris first and foremost that they target” and added that “the republic has held firm”.

He added that “unfortunately, there are no guarantees” attacks will end but insisted that “for those who take up arms against France, the response will be uncompromising”.

The commemorations opened with the bells of Notre Dame ringing to honour the victims of the shootings and bombings of 13 November 2015. The attacks were carried out by a 10-person cell linked to the Islamic State group.

At a central Paris ceremony, first responders read the names of those killed that Friday night and of two survivors who later took their own lives. Addressing relatives and survivors, Macron said: “Each of your pains is senseless, unjust, unbearable.”

Doctor who treated Bataclan terror victims takes measure of life

Remembering the victims

Around 90 people were killed at the Bataclan concert hall during a show by the US band Eagles of Death Metal. Dozens more died at cafes and restaurants, and one person was killed near the Stade de France, where France were playing Germany.

Earlier, Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with a choir made up of survivors and people who had lost loved ones.

Thursday’s ceremonies began at the Stade de France, where the family of the first person killed paid tribute.

Manuel Dias, a bus driver, died in the suicide bombings outside the venue. His daughter Sophie said: “We will never forget. They tell us to move on 10 years later, but the absence is immense.”

Residents gathered at the Place de la Republique with candles, flowers and notes. One visitor, Adrain Aggrey, said he laid flowers for the families “to show them we haven’t forgotten”.

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Trials and scars

Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the cell, is serving life in jail. The other nine attackers blew themselves up or were killed by police.

Former president Francois Hollande told AFP: “France over these years has been able to stand united and overcome it all.” Hollande, who was at the Stade de France when the attacks began, later described the events as a “horror”.

He testified during the 148-day trial that ended in 2022. He said he told the defendants they had been given lawyers even though they had committed “the unforgivable”.

He added: “We are a democracy, and democracy always wins in the end.”

US-backed forces defeated the last remnants of the Islamic State proto-state in Syria and Iraq in 2019. The group had claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks.

Abdeslam is open to speaking to victims who want to take part in a “restorative justice” initiative, his lawyer Olivia Ronen said.

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Lives rebuilt

Some survivors have approached the tributes with apprehension. Stephane Sarrade, whose son Hugo, aged 23, was killed at the Bataclan, told AFP he avoids the site. “I am incapable of going there,” he said.

A museum is set to open in 2029 with around 500 objects linked to the attacks or the victims.

The planned Terrorism Memorial Museum will include a concert ticket donated by a mother who lost her only daughter at the Bataclan and the unfinished guitar of a luthier killed there.

It will also show a blackboard menu from La Belle Equipe, marked with bullet holes and still bearing the words “Happy Hour”.

(with newswires)

“What worries me is all the dissension that we feel in our society,” he told RFI. “I think that’s been something the attacks have contributed to … more violence and more tension in our society.” 

Lesaffre had finished his shift as a physician at the Menilmontant fire station in northern Paris on 13 November 2015.

Walking past Le Petit Cambodge in the 10th arrondissement on his way to his dinner date, he paused to watch a fire brigade crew from the Parmentier station helping an elderly woman near the restaurant.

“I had been working with a team from that fire station that day and I wanted to give them some information on a patient that we had treated together, but it was not the same team so I continued,” Lesaffre recalls.

Minutes later, terrorists attacked Le Petit Cambodge and the bar Le Carillon opposite, killing 13 and wounding 10. The rampage around Paris left 137 people dead and more than 400 injured.

France commemorates a decade since Paris attacks scarred the nation

First moments

“About an hour later, I started to receive messages and calls that something was happening in Paris,” Lesaffre says. “And right after that I received a call from my fire station asking me to come back to work because of what was happening.”

Retreading his footsteps past Le Petit Cambodge, he saw colleagues from his fire station treating people on the terraces.

He found a taxi whose driver took him to Menilmontant for free. From there he was teamed up with a nurse and a driver and sent to the Bataclan.

As he sits by the blazing log fire in the living room of his home on the southern outskirts of Paris, his account radiates grace under pressure.

Victims were being rushed out of the concert hall into the street. The plan was to split them into two groups. “The most urgent ones were supposed to go into one courtyard and the less urgent ones in another courtyard,” Lesaffre explains.

But the flow was such that rescue teams used anything they could find on the streets to carry victims and deposit them in either area.

Triage under pressure

“We started treating them and stabilising them,” Lesaffre says. “Usually the role of the physician is to organise the flow, so you don’t do much medically in the initial phase. You leave that to the nurses.”

He worked in a courtyard with another physician. Together they organised care in one area and evacuation to hospitals in another.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, Lesaffre told friends the story of a judgment made too soon. 

“A nurse asked me what she had to do about one particular patient,” he recounts. “She had been doing everything she could … like putting in adrenaline, but the woman had severe bullet wounds and she was going down despite all that the nurse had been doing.

“I remember it well because what I said was: ‘OK, now we’re going to have to organise a mortuary zone.'”

He says he pointed to a spot as the patient opened her eyes.

“I will never know if she heard me or not but it was really not a good move on my side to speak like that in front of her,” he says. “But when you have a rush of victims like that, you have to prioritise and focus on those you think you can save.

“And effectively, we couldn’t do more than what we had done for her except send her to a surgeon. And that’s what was done once we had more teams on site.”

Lesaffre smiles wryly. “I know she survived.”

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Lessons learned

Two of Lesaffre’s five children were eight and seven at the time of the attack.

“The first thing was to try and make sure they did not feel unsafe or threatened,” he says. “I explained that I did my work, which was to try and rescue people.”

Following the assaults, Lesaffre spent 18 months travelling in Europe and Asia to lead seminars on how French emergency services responded that night to attacks on the Bataclan, cafes and restaurants in Paris and the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

“What I tried to deliver to other medical teams was a fair account of all the things that were helpful in the way we were organised, but also our shortcomings and where we failed,” he says.

“And it was also a chance for me to see how other services abroad were organised and to bring back some ideas and some training systems as well.”

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Choosing life

Trying to implement some innovations in training and at the emergency call centres, says Lesaffre, proved too onerous and ultimately led to him stepping away from his role.

“My impression was that everybody knew that some changes were needed but at the same time they would not let it happen,” he says without bitterness.

He also had a co-operative housing project underway. “It soon became clear that there was a need to be more involved in that,” Lesaffre says.

Two boys and a girl, all born since he stopped life as a full-time doctor five years ago, further occupy his time.

“I’ve never been doing anything special or trying to not commemorate 13 November,” Lesaffre says.

“It’s rather been a point not to alter the course of my life because of these attacks otherwise I’d have the impression of conceding some kind of victory to the perpetrators who want to hurt us.

“It seems to me the more we go back to normal, the more strength somehow we build.”

A minute’s silence was held at the Parc des Princes before kick-off, in tribute to the victims of the terror attacks around Paris and at the Stade de France – during a friendly between France and Germany – on 13 November, 2015.

This was followed by applause from the 41,000 fans in the stands. 

On the pitch, France enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball but laboured to penetrate a doughty Ukrainian rearguard.

And Ukraine’s rugged tactics appeared to be on the verge of bearing fruit just after the pause when referee Slavko Vincic reviewed the pitchside monitor to check a possible penalty for the visitors.

A deluge of goals from France followed their disappointment.

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Taras Mykhavko hacked clumsily at France winger Michael Olise to concede a penalty afer 55 minutes.

Mbappé rammed the ball confidently into the centre of goal as the Ukraine goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin dived to his left.

Trubin saved Mbappé’s snap shot minutes later and should have been given no chance when substitute Maghnes Akliouche was sent through.

Fellow substitute Hugo Ekitiké prodded the ball on to the post as France ramped up the pressure. 

Fourteen minutes from time, veteran midfielder N’Golo Kanté slid the ball through the line of Ukraine defenders and Michael Olise swept home to double the score.

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With relief palpable around the ground and Ukraine lacking ideas, France maintained possession. Mbappé tapped in his second and France’s third before the goal of the night.

Ekitiké picked up the ball just before the half-way line and surged towards the goal. The Liverpool striker elegantly dispatched the ball into the goal past an increasingly bedazzled Trubin.

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The French players and coaching staff celebrated behind a hoarding bearing the legend: “Qualified” as supporters roared their delight at having progressed to next year’s tournament – with a game to spare.

 “Given the context tonight, we are pleased to have put some smiles on faces by securing qualification,” said France coach Didier Deschamps, who led the team 10 years ago when suicide bombers tried to enter the Stade de France.

 “We have fulfilled our objective,” added the 57-year-old, who has announced he will step down after next year’s tournament.

“I understand that it is seen as normal that France qualify but we still had to go out and do it, so we are very proud.”

Victor Osimhen struck twice in extra-time at the Hassan Moulay Stadium in Rabat to seal Nigeria’s spot in the showdown at the same venue.

Chancel Mbemba scored in second-half stoppage-time at the Stade El Barid in the capital to edge DRC past Cameroon

Gabon, who have never played at the World Cup, handed themselves a lifeline as stoppage-time approached when Mario Lamina cancelled out Akor Adams’ 78th-minute opener.

However, it was one-way traffic in extra-time.

Chidera Ejuke restored Nigeria’s advantage in the 98th minute and before Gabon could muster a riposte, Osimhen pounced to notch up his 30th .international goal.

The 26-year-old bagged his brace to make it 4-1 and up his tally to 31 with 10 minutes remaining.

Nigeria will be seeking a seventh appearance at the World Cup while the DRC have not featured a thte tournament since 1974 when it was called Zaire.

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The victor in Sunday’s final will advance to a tournament where they will be among the sides from four of the five other confederations that make up world football’s governing body Fifa.

For that six-team competition, expected to be held in Mexico, the two highest ranked nations will be placed directly in the final. The other four will play in a one-off semi-final.

The winners of the two finals will progress to the World Cup in the Untied States, Mexico and Canada where 48 teams will feature for the first time since the inception of the quadrennial competition in 1930.

The scandal, which has unfolded as the country deals with Russian strikes that have battered its power grid ahead of winter, centres on revelations from Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies that a criminal network allegedly siphoned off €90 million from contracts linked to the state nuclear company, Energoatom.

Investigators say the network was run by Mindich – a businessman and a co-owner of Zelensky’s former TV studio Kvartal95 – who reportedly fled the country hours before the scheme came to light.

Zelensky on Wednesday told Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko to resign, and on Thursday announced a decree freezing Mindich’s assets.

The scandal has triggered a crisis of confidence in the Ukrainian president, who was elected on an anti-corruption platform, with opposition figures calling for a change of government.

According to Daria Kaleniuk, director of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre in Kyiv, the scale of the scheme makes it unlike anything Ukraine, a country well-versed in dealing with corruption, has faced before.

RFI: How do you feel about this new corruption scandal?

Daria Kaleniuk: I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, because I’ve been working in the anti-corruption sector in Ukraine for many years. That said, I am outraged by the scale and the manner in which this type of embezzlement has been committed in Ukraine.

Recordings revealed by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau have shown that people close to Zelensky, including Timur Mindich, had a complete disregard for the war and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, considering the state – particularly Energoatom – as a source of illicit enrichment.

They embezzled millions upon millions of euros. People in this network received a 10 percent commission on every contract awarded by the state-owned company Energoatom, simply by using their influence and proximity to President Zelensky. This is absolutely scandalous and unacceptable.

RFI: What is Volodymyr Zelensky’s responsibility in this scandal?

DK: We are at war. Martial law is in force. We cannot hold elections. Volodymyr Zelensky has been in power since 2019. He had an absolute majority in parliament before the war. This had already led to an enormous concentration of power in his hands. And after the Russian invasion, martial law further accentuated this concentration of power. This has simply destabilised our democratic system of checks and balances in Ukraine and created a sense of absolute impunity.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and I think Zelensky is out of touch with reality. When he travels abroad, he enjoys enormous support from other leaders. I understand why, because he represents the Ukrainian people. But I think he is mistaken and interprets this support as personal support. And I think that if he does not come back to reality now, after these revelations from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the National Agency for Corruption Prevention, we are heading for big problems.

RFI: Why?

DK: Because this is not only about the embezzlement of Ukrainian taxpayers’ money, but also about the potential embezzlement of aid from international partners. For us, for the Ukrainian people, every hryvnia, every euro, every dollar of foreign aid is so important that it must be spent effectively, without any abuse.Because people’s lives, soldiers’ lives, and the effectiveness of our war efforts depend on it.

Investigations by anti-corruption institutions have shown that there are huge problems with the way Volodymyr Zelensky governs. It depends on who surrounds him, who has access to him. And it seems to me that the president has isolated himself with loyalists who distort reality for him, such as his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, or people like Timur Mindich, and he trusts them.

But they are Volodymyr Zelensky’s enemies. They are Ukraine’s enemies. They are undermining society’s trust in the president, and they are undermining our international partners’ trust in Ukraine.

RFI: What can the president do to tackle corruption in Ukraine?

DK: He must stop intimidating the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the National Agency for Corruption Prevention, as he did this summer. He must let them do their job properly. He must also begin reforming the prosecutor general’s office, the national investigation bureau, and the Ukrainian intelligence services, as stipulated in the latest European Union accession report.

The EU is closely monitoring every step of the process within Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies, and the measures that Ukraine must take to move closer to the EU are clearly set out.

He must carry out these necessary reforms in the areas of the rule of law and good governance, which are demanded by both the Ukrainian people and our international partners.

This article was adapted from an interview in French by Lila Olkinuora

Meeting in the Canadian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake – just a short hop from the US border – G7 foreign ministers held talks with their Ukrainian counterpart as Kyiv braces for what could be its most challenging winter yet.

Rolling blackouts triggered by Russian aerial attacks have underscored the fragility of Ukraine’s energy grid, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha made no attempt to play down the scale of the challenge.

Ukraine, he said, needed the full support of its partners to withstand a “very difficult, very tough winter”. The priority now was to “move forward to pressure Russia, to raise the price for the aggression… for [President Vladimir] Putin, to end this war”.

Zelensky pushes EU to unlock €140bn in frozen Russian assets

Fresh pressure on Russia

Following two days of discussions, the G7 ministers issued a joint statement pledging to tighten economic pressure on Moscow and examine new measures targeting those who bankroll Russia’s war machine.

Canada, for its part, rolled out fresh sanctions aimed at individuals involved in the development and deployment of drones, while Britain earlier in the week committed additional funding to shore up Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure.

Although the United States offered no new initiatives at the summit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social-media post that ministers had explored ways “to strengthen Ukraine’s defence and find an end to this bloody conflict”.

Canada’s Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, struck a similarly determined note: “We are doing whatever is necessary to support Ukraine,” she said.

France sounds alarm on Caribbean unrest as G7 leaders meet in Canada

Trade tensions with US

The gathering took place against an awkward political backdrop. US President Donald Trump recently pulled the plug on trade talks with Canada after Ontario’s provincial government ran an anti-tariff advert in the United States – a move that reportedly infuriated him.

It capped a fractious spring during which Trump openly mused that Canada should simply become the 51st US state.

Anand, however, sidestepped questions about the dispute, insisting she was in Niagara-on-the-Lake solely to focus on G7 business. She added that she had not raised trade matters during her meeting with Rubio, noting that responsibility for the file lies with another minister.

One sensitive topic that barely featured – at least publicly – was the Trump administration’s expanding military campaign against alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Washington says it has carried out 19 strikes since early September, killing at least 75 people. Members of Congress have been pressing for clarity on who is being targeted and on what legal basis.

Yet Rubio insisted the issue simply did not arise in his discussions with fellow ministers. “It didn’t come up once,” he said, brushing aside reports that Britain had halted intelligence sharing.

“Nothing has changed or happened that has impeded in any way our ability to do what we’re doing,” he added. “Nor are we asking anyone to help us with what we’re doing – in any realm. And that includes military.”

Sudan’s civilians flee mounting atrocities as Darfur’s war deepens

Condemnation of Sudan violence

Where the ministers did speak out forcefully was on Sudan, where violence between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is spiralling.

In their statement, G7 countries condemned the escalation in fighting, while Rubio described the humanitarian situation as dire and urged efforts to halt the flow of weapons to the RSF.

Pressed on the widely reported role of the United Arab Emirates – allegations the UAE has repeatedly denied – Rubio was circumspect but pointed.

The United States, he said, knew exactly who was supplying the RSF. “At the highest levels of our government, that case is being made and that pressure is being applied to the relevant parties,” he said. “This needs to stop.”

Alongside the G7 members – Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – Anand expanded the table by inviting ministers from Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine.

(with newswires)

Nigeria will face Gabon at the Moulay Hassan Stadium and Cameroon will take on Democratic Republic of Congo at the Al-Barid Stadium for a place in Sunday’s African play-off final.

The winner of that showdown at the Moulay Hassan Stadium will advance to a tournament where they will be among the sides from four of the five other confederations that make up world football’s governing body Fifa.

For that six-team competition, expected to be held in Mexico, the two highest ranked nations will be placed directly in the final. The other four will play in a one-off semi-final.

The winners of the two finals will progress to the World Cup where 48 teams will feature for the first time since the inception of the competition in 1930.

Salah delays rehab to support Egypt during Cape Verde crunch at Cup of Nations

Of the  four African teams in Morocco, only Gabon has failed to feature at the World Cup. 

Coach Thierry Mouyama is expected to place Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the spearhead of the attack.

The 36-year-old emerged unscathed after scoring the final goal in Marseille’s 3-0 victory over Brest on Saturday night in Ligue 1 at the Vélodrome.

Aubameyang hit all four goals in the 4-3 victory over Gambia in Gabon’s penultimate World Cup qualifier. His dismissal in the closing stages meant he was suspended for the final Group F game against Burundi.

His return for an 84th international appearance will furnish a sub-plot which involves his Nigeria counterpart Victor Osimhen. 

The 26-year-old rampaged to a hat trick in the 4-0 annihilation of Benin in the final Group C qualifier to take his side into second place behind South Africa.

And he notched up another in Galatasaray’s 3-0 win at Ajax in the Champions League on 5 November.

“He’s unpredictable,” said Mouyama of Osimhen. “But he’s also a player who loves running into space.

Ghana self-destruct at Cup of Nations as Cape Verde and Egypt advance

“Our main question lies in our ability to reduce the distances, especially in depth, behind our defence. That’s part of the challenge: our ability to close down the spaces in behind. 

“But even if you fix that problem, he has another side to his game,” Mouyama added. “He’s very good at corners and free kicks. That’s the complexity of it all and that’s where the coach’s work, the technical staff’s work, becomes interesting. We will debate and agree on a common defensive strategy.”

Nigeria, who debuted at the World Cup in 1994, will be fighting to reach the tournament for the seventh time.

Cameroon, runners-up in Group D to Cape Verde, will be seeking a ninth appearance.

They face a DRC team only six places beneath them in the Fifa world rankings.

Sébastien Desabre’s charges finished behind Senegal in Group B and as his players went through their paces in Morocco, the 49-year-old Frenchman was at pains to calm expectations more than 50 years after the country – then known as Zaire – made its only visit to the World Cup. 

“People go on sometimes as if the DRC has played in 18 World Cups and won the Africa Cup of Nations 10 times,” Desabre said. 

“It’s not by magic that we’ll go from 75th place in the world rankings to surpassing Senegal or Morocco. It has to be built.

“It’s true that we are making progress and we all know that Congo has very good football players.”

“Now, everyone wants us to beat Argentina or Brazil when we play them. Of course, that day will come, I am convinced of it.”

The news broke on the second day of Cop30, the 30th UN climate change conference held in Belem, in the Brazilian Amazon.

Richard Muyungi, chair of the Africa Group of Negotiators told AFP the group “has endorsed Ethiopia.” The Brazilian presidency of Cop30 confirmed the African countries’ choice to French press agency AFP.

It’s not yet official — the decision still needs to be officially adopted by all participating nations during the conference, which ends on November 21 — but that should be a formality.

“We welcome the announcement of Cop32 in Ethiopia and look forward to elevating Africa’s climate priorities and leadership,” said Rukiya Khamis, Africa senior organiser at the nonprofit 350.org.

UN climate conferences are organized in rotation among five regional blocs, which must select the host country by consensus within their group. The process can lead to power struggles.

This year, Brazil was chosen to host Cop30 on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean states. Africa’s turn is scheduled for 2027, and Ethiopia was selected as the host country over Nigeria, another African giant.

“We look forward to welcoming all of you to Addis Ababa for Cop32,” Ethiopian Ambassador to Brazil Leulseged Tadese Abebe said in response, during a plenary session, adding his country had begun initial preparations.

Cop30 opens in Brazil, exposing global rifts on fossil fuels and finance

As the headquarters of the African Union (AU), the Ethiopian capital is well-versed in hosting major global events — from AU annual meetings to numerous international conferences.

Cop31 deadlock

While the decision regarding the 2027 Cop32 is awaiting official ratification, obstacles remain for Cop31 next year.

Australia wants to host it in Adelaide and has more support, but Turkey refuses to concede and abandon its bid for Antalya.

Both countries belong to the “Western Europe and Other States” group.

Negotiations are ongoing, and a decision must be reached in Belem, otherwise Cop31 will be held by default at the UN Climate Change headquarters in Bonn, Germany.

Such a deadlock would be unprecedented in the history of UN climate conferences.

(with newswires)

After German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday urged Algeria to free the 81-year-old, “the president of the republic decided to respond positively”, the Algerian presidency said.

The statement said Germany would take charge of the transfer and treatment of Sansal, who has prostate cancer, according to his family.

Sansal was given a five-year jail term in March, accused of undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity after he told a far-right French outlet last year that France had unjustly transferred Moroccan territory to Algeria during the 1830 to 1962 colonial period.

France ‘concerned’ over disappearance of writer Boualem Sansal in Algeria

Algeria views those ideas – which align with longstanding Moroccan territorial claims – as a challenge to its sovereignty.

He was arrested in November 2014 at Algiers airport. Because he did not appeal March’s ruling, he was eligible for a presidential pardon.

Steinmeier urged Algeria to make a humanitarian gesture “given Sansal’s advanced age and fragile health condition” and said Germany would take charge of his “relocation to Germany and subsequent medical care”.

‘Mercy and humanity’

French President Emmanuel Macron had also urged Tebboune to show “mercy and humanity” by releasing the author.

Sansal’s daughter Sabeha Sansal, 51, told Ffrench news agency AFP by telephone from her home in the Czech Republic of her relief.

“I was a little pessimistic because he is sick, he is old, and he could have died there,” she said. “I hope we will see each other soon.”

A prize-winning figure in North African modern francophone literature, Sansal is known for his criticism of Algerian authorities as well as of Islamists.

He acquired French nationality in 2024.

Appearing in court without legal counsel on June 24, Sansal had said the case against him “makes no sense” as “the Algerian constitution guarantees freedom of expression and conscience”.

When questioned about his writings, Sansal asked: “Are we holding a trial over literature? Where are we headed?”

French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal sentenced to five years in prison

His case has become a cause celebre in France, but his past support for Israel and his 2014 visit there have made him largely unpopular in Algeria.

The case has also become entangled in the diplomatic crisis between Paris and Algiers, which has led to the expulsion of officials on both sides, the recall of ambassadors and restrictions on holders of diplomatic visas.

Another point of contention was the sentencing to seven years in prison of French sportswriter Christophe Gleizes in Algiers on accusations of attempting to interview a member of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), designated a terrorist organisation by Algeria in 2021.

Both Sansal and Gleizes’s prosecution came amid the latest rise in tensions between Paris and Algiers, triggered in July 2024 when Macron backed Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.

Civil servant turned novelist

An economist by training, Sansal worked as a senior civil servant in his native Algeria, with his first novel appearing in 1999.

“The Barbarians’ Oath” dealt with the rise of fundamentalist Islam in Algeria and was published in the midst of the country’s civil war which left some 200,000 people dead according to official figures.

He was fired from his post in the industry ministry in 2003 for his opposition to the government but continued publishing.

Algeria court upholds writer Boualem Sansal’s five-year jail term

His 2008 work “The German Mujahid” was censored in Algeria for drawing parallels between Islamism and Nazism.

He has received several international prizes for his work, including in France and Germany.

In recent years Germany has offered refuge to several high-profile prisoners from other countries.

The late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was treated at Berlin’s Charite hospital after being poisoned in August 2020.

Last year Germany welcomed several other high-profile Russian dissidents as part of a historic prisoner swap with Moscow.

(with newswires)

Abbas, 89, is the longtime head of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited control over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and is being considered to possibly assume governance in Gaza under the deal.

Macron, whose country in September recognised a Palestinian state, warned against any Israeli plans for annexation in the West Bank following an uptick in violence in the Palestinian territory.

“Plans for partial or total annexation, whether legal or de facto, constitute a red line to which we will respond strongly with our European partners,” Macron said at a joint press conference with Abbas.

“The violence of the settlers and the acceleration of settlement projects are reaching new heights, threatening the stability of the West Bank and constitute violations of international law,” the French president said.

Violence in the West Bank has soared since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

At least 1,002 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of the war in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

During the same period, 43 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank, according to official Israeli figures.

Constitutional committee

Following their meeting to discuss the next steps after the Gaza ceasefire, Macron and Abbas announced the creation of a joint committee “for the consolidation of the state of Palestine”, the French leader said.

France to recognise Palestinian statehood, defying US-Israel backlash

It “will contribute to the drafting of a new constitution, a draft of which President Abbas presented to me”.

Abbas renewed his commitment to “reforms”, including “holding presidential and parliamentary elections after the end of the war”.

“We are nearing completion of a draft of the provisional constitution of the state of Palestine and the laws on elections and political parties,” he added.

(With newswires)

Speaking to reporters at the start of a Group of Seven gathering in Canada, top French diplomat Jean-Noel Barrot said it was crucial to avoid “instability caused by potential escalations,” after Venezuela warned the US deployments could trigger a full-blown conflict.

“We have observed, with concern, military operations in the Caribbean region because they disregard international law,” Barrot said, without citing specific US actions.

But the comments at the meet near Niagara Falls came after the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, entered an area under control of the US Naval Forces Southern Command, which encompasses Latin America and the Caribbean.

President Donald Trump’s administration is conducting a military campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, deploying naval and air forces for an anti-drugs offensive.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the Trump administration of “fabricating a war” while pursuing a regime change plot in disguise.

Barrot said it was essential for the G7 club of industrialized democracies to “work in concert” to confront the global narcotics trade, noting that more than a million French citizens live in the Caribbean and could be impacted by any potential unrest.

Ukraine, Sudan

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, the meeting host, said bolstering Ukraine would feature prominently at the talks, but has stopped short of promising concrete G7 action to support Kyiv’s efforts against invasion by Russia.

As the meeting began, the UK announced £13 million (€14.7 million) of funding to help repair Ukraine’s energy sector, which has sustained massive Russian attacks in recent days.

Britain also announced a maritime services ban on Russian liquid natural gas.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Russian President Vladimir Putin “is trying to plunge Ukraine into darkness and the cold as winter approaches.”

At the G7, Cooper plans “to galvanise (Britain’s) closest partners to continue to stand up for Ukraine in the face of Putin’s mindless aggression,” the foreign office said.

Anand told reporters that Sudan’s escalating crisis will be addressed Tuesday at a working dinner on global security.

Seizure of Sudan’s El Fasher a ‘political and moral defeat’ for RSF militia: expert

She said Canada was “absolutely horrified” by the conflict that has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, and that the G7 would work “to support those who are suffering and dying needlessly in Sudan.”

Anand is set for a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio before the G7 meeting closes on Wednesday.

But she said she did not expect to press the issue of Trump’s trade war, which has forced Canadian job losses and squeezed economic growth.

“We will have a meeting and have many topics to discuss concerning global affairs,” Anand told French press agency AFP.

“The trade issue is being dealt with by other ministers.”

Trump abruptly ended trade talks with Canada last month — just after an apparently cordial White House meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The president has voiced fury over an ad, produced by Ontario’s provincial government, which quoted former US president Ronald Reagan on the harm caused by tariffs.

(with newswires)

Roger Lumbala Tshitenga, 67, is accused of complicity in crimes against humanity for his role during the 1998-2003 Second Congo War, which saw more than a half-dozen African nations drawn into the globe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

He was arrested in France, where he owned a flat, under the principle of universal jurisdiction in December 2020 and has been held in a Paris prison since. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Human rights groups have hailed his trial as an opportunity to deter further abuses in the eastern DRC, where a Rwanda-backed militia’s 2025 advance has fanned the flames of the fighting plaguing the mineral-rich region for more than three decades.

“Survivors of these crimes have waited for over two decades for justice. This historic trial is an opportunity to send a clear signal that those suspected of criminal responsibility of mass atrocities in the DRC are mistaken if they believe they can hide in other countries away from scrutiny,” according to Vongai Chikwanda, of Amnesty International.

Impunity

Investigating magistrates describe Lumbala as a warlord who let fighters from his Uganda-backed rebel movement, the Rally of Congolese Democrats and Nationalists (RCD-N), pillage, execute, rape and mutilate with impunity.

UN investigators also accuse his paramilitaries of targeting ethnic pygmies.

Lumbala, who later ran for president in 2006 and served as a minister before being sacked for corruption, insists he was merely a politician with no soldiers or volunteers under his control. He is almost certain to contest the competence of the French justice system to try him.

Dozens of victims are expected to testify in the more than a month’s worth of hearings before the judge is set to hand down their verdict on December 19. But there are doubts over whether all will be able to make the trip to the French capital.

The NGOs TRIAL International, the Clooney Foundation for Justice, the Minority Rights Group, Justice Plus and PAP-RDC, which supports pygmy peoples, hailed the proceedings as “a crucial opportunity to deliver justice for survivors”.

(with newswires)

Sylvia Bongo, 62, and Noureddin Bongo, 33, both tried in absentia, were found guilty of embezzlement of public funds, among other charges.

The wife of Ali Bongo, whose family ruled the central African country with an iron fist for 55 years, had been accused of manipulating her husband to embezzle taxpayers’ money.

She denied all charges.

Her son and co-defendant, Noureddin, criticised the trial as a “legal farce” in an interview with French press agency AFP last week.

Ex-president Ali Bongo was toppled in a coup on August 30, 2023, which brought General Brice Oligui Nguema to power.

Gabon’s President Bongo has been ‘placed in retirement’, head of presidential guard says

The deposed leader is not facing prosecution.

Bongo ruled for 14 years and was overthrown moments after being proclaimed the winner in a presidential election the army and opposition declared fraudulent.

He had succeeded his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who ruled with an iron fist for nearly 42 years until his death in 2009.

French citizenship

Bongo’s wife and son, who both hold French citizenship, were accused of exploiting the former leader, who suffered a serious stroke in 2018, to effectively run Gabon for their own personal profit.

Arrested after the coup, they were detained in the country for 20 months before being released in May and allowed to leave the country for London, officially on medical grounds.

Both allege they suffered torture during their detention.

Ten former allies of the Bongos are also on trial, accused of complicity in the embezzlement of public funds. Proceedings are expected to continue until Friday.

Prosecutor Eddy Minang said that statements by the co-accused and witnesses during the trial revealed a system of diverting public funds “for the benefit of private interests”.

In May last year, Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo filed a lawsuit in France alleging that they were “repeatedly and violently tortured” by Oligui’s closest army allies while in detention.

“We know full well that if we go back, we will suffer things far worse than we have already suffered,” Noureddin Bongo told AFP ahead of the trial.

He said his Gabonese lawyer would also not attend the hearing to avoid “justifying… a legal farce”.

French court rejects corruption charges against daughter of Gabon’s ex-president

“We are not opposed to the idea of being held accountable for so-called acts we may have committed,” Bongo insisted.

“But only if it is before an independent and genuine court of law, not one that is clearly under the orders of the executive branch in Gabon,” he told AFP.

The family also claims the new authorities have leant on the courts to find them guilty.

Oligui was officially sworn in as president in April after handing in his general’s uniform.

He has denied there was any form of torture and promised that both would have a “fair trial”.

(With newswires)

Asanti king Otumfuo Osei Tutu II received the artefacts at the Manhyia Palace Museum in the Asante capital Kumasi this week.

The items included royal regalia, drums and ceremonial gold weights and depict governance systems, spiritual beliefs and the role of gold in Asante society. 

In 2024, the Manhyia Palace Museum received 67 restituted or loaned cultural objects from institutions including London’s British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Fowler Museum in Los Angeles. 

After Britain, the US sends looted royal artefacts to Ghana’s Ashanti King

South African mining company

At the ceremony, the Asante king thanked AngloGold Ashanti, a South African mining company, for returning several items purchased on the open market. The mining giant returned some artefacts to Ghana in 2024.  

It reflected “goodwill and respect for the source and legacy of the Asante kingdom”, the monarch said.

Twenty-five other items were donated by British art historian Hermione Waterfield. 

According to art historian and Manhyia Palace Museum director, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, Waterfield’s gifts included a wooden drum believed to have been seized during the 1900 siege of Kumasi by British forces. 

France formally hands back 26 looted artworks to Benin

Their return comes as pressure mounts on Western museums and institutions to address the restitution of African artefacts plundered during colonial times by Britain, France, Germany and Belgium.

(with AFP)

Tanzanians were called to the polls on 29 October, but instead of a free and fair election, they were met with severe repression. Demonstrations have been banned, protesters arrested, and members of the opposition detained.

Tanzania’s authorities have also charged more than 200 people with treason — an offence that carries the death penalty.

The incumbent president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, was eventually declared the winner of the election with 98 percent of the vote. However, the opposition – which had been barred from participating – condemned the results as fraudulent.

To explore the deep-rooted causes of this repression, and to consider how the situation could shape the political future not only of Tanzania but of the entire East African region, we are joined by a special guest: Prince Charles Dickson, a Nigerian peace and policy analyst with a PhD from Georgetown University and decades of experience in public policy and development practice.

Films from Africa

The cinema festival Film Africa 2025 (14–23 November 2025) opens in London, UK. To mark the event we have Stella Okuzu, interim director of the festival, with us to explain what’s happening.

Meanwhile in France, the Festival du Cinéma Franco-Arabe de Noisy-le-Sec is coming to an end just outside Paris (7–13 November). The festival has placed a special focus on Tunisian cinema. Mathilde Rouxel, its cultural director and programmer, tells us more.

Sudan’s blind football team success

Also this week we take a look at South Sudan’s blind football team which recently played its first major match in Kampala, Uganda, thanks to the help and support of the charity Light For The World. And they won! 

We have their coach and players on the line to tell us how football changed their life and why it is so important for people with visual impairment.

Angélique Kidjo and La Chica de Favela

Finally, “La Chica de Favela” is an initiative from ‘Beyond Music’, a song featuring a Congolese man, a Latin American, a Swiss citizen, and a Beninese woman, Angélique Kidjo.

“The African continent is predominant on this song”, Angélique told Spotlight on Africa, “and it tells a story through this song.”

It tells the story of a young girl in a favela “who doesn’t want to be defined by her gender”. She is free and independent. “In a patriarchal world that doesn’t necessarily give women much space,” Angélique told us. “And that’s what made the subject interesting to me.”

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

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

“Turks out!” shouted protesters as they marched through Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital. Several Turkish-owned businesses, among the country’s largest investors, were ransacked during last month’s violence.

The clashes were sparked by a knife attack on a Montenegrin citizen by Turkish nationals.

After the unrest, Montenegro imposed visa requirements on Turkish visitors. Some opposition parties accused Serbia of stoking the protests, pointing to rising friction between Belgrade and Ankara over the arms sale to Kosovo.

“There are those accusing the Serbian region of being behind it,” Vuk Vuksanovic, of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, told RFI. “Although I have seen no material evidence.”

Widening rift

While Serbia has not commented on the accusations, it has the capacity to incite such unrest given its strong influence in Montenegro, Vuksanovic said. “The drama involving Montenegro has built up to this difficult atmosphere in Serbian-Turkish relations,” he said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic last month accused Turkey of trying to resurrect the Ottoman Empire through the sale of sophisticated drones to Kosovo, which broke away from Serbia in 1999.

Analysts say the weapons deal could shift the balance of power in the region.

“There are the kamikaze drones, which are posing a threat, and there are also strategic drones likely to be used to secure the border itself and more as a show of force,” said Zoran Ivanov, a security expert from the Institute of National History in Skopje, North Macedonia.

“So it poses a direct security threat to Serbia and Serbia has to react to this.”

Criminalising identity: Turkey’s LGBTQI+ community under threat

Changing alliances

The tension marks a sharp turnaround. In recent years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had built a close relationship with his Serbian counterpart, and Turkish companies became major investors in Serbia.

However the arms sale to Kosovo reveals a shift in Turkey’s relations with Belgrade, explained international relations professor Huseyin Bagci, of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

“Turkey has more leverage than Serbia,” Bagci said. “The relations between Turkey and Serbia, we understand each other, but it is not as happy as before.”

Analysts say the shift reflects Ankara’s wider ambitions in the Balkans.

“Ankara is trying to increase its influence and will do it,” said Bagci, adding that Turkey’s historical and cultural ties to the region run deep – with millions of families tracing their roots back to the former Ottoman territories.

“The Ottoman Empire was a Balkan empire. The Turkish influence is getting bigger, and of course, they don’t like it. But Turkey is the big brother in the Balkans.”

Turkish Cypriot vote could force shift in Erdogan’s approach to divided island

Turkish expansion

Last month, Turkish forces took command of NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. At the same time, Turkish businesses continued expanding across the region.

“They’re expanding their markets; they’re expanding their capabilities; they’re expanding their influence,” Ivanov said.

Turkey’s renewed focus on the Balkans was unsurprising given historical ties, he added. “That’s natural for the Turks to come to invest in the region and now looking for their old roots.”

However its expanding presence might feel like history repeating itself, Ivanov warned.

As “a man who is coming from the Balkans,” he said, he sees “the Turks coming as they were in history” – a reminder of a past many in the region have not forgotten.

The European Union has praised Ankara for supporting peacekeeping operations and economic aid in Kosovo. But analysts caution that Turkey must avoid alienating its Balkan neighbours.

“Ankara also has to be mindful of its own limitations of its own Balkan ambitions,” Vuksanovic. said. “Because otherwise it can push majority Christian Orthodox nations like the Serbs, Greeks and Bulgarians to work against the Turks if the Turks are perceived to be too provocative or aggressive.”

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

It sounds early, but it’s not. 2026 is right around the corner, and I know you want to be a part of our annual New Year celebration, where, with special guests, we read your New Year’s resolutions. So start thinking now, and get your resolutions to me by 15 December. You don’t want to miss out! Send your New Year’s resolutions to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This week’s quiz: On 11 October, I asked you to send in the answer to these two questions: Who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and why was she chosen?

The answers are: The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize went to the Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, because she is, as Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes said, “One of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by RFI Listeners Club member Jocelyne D’Errico, who lives in New Zealand. Her question was: “What is the hardest problem you had to resolve in your work or school life?” 

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Shahanoaz Parvin Ripa, the chairwoman of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Shahanoaz is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Shahanoaz.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ras Franz Manko Ngogo, the president of the Kemogemba RFI Club in Tarime, Mara, Tanzania. There’s Rubi Saikia, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India; RFI Listeners Club member Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim, Germany, and last but not least, RFI English listener H. M. Tarek from Narayanganj, Bangladesh. 

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Le matin d´un jour de féte” from Claude Debussy’s Iberia, performed by the Czech Philhamonic conducted by Jean Fournet; “Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon, performed by John Lennon & Friends; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Nine Over Reggae” by Jack DeJohnette, performed by DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, and Herbie Hancock.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Michael Sarpong Mfum’s article  “Invasive water hyacinths choke wildlife and livelihoods in southern Ghana”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 1 December to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 6 December podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

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France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

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

False claims that President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte is transgender first emerged online in 2021. The story could have fizzled out. But pushed by the far right and conspiracy theorists, it’s now reached half the world’s population. Ten people are on trial in France for cyberbullying the first lady and a lawsuit has been filed against a far-right influencer in the US. Thomas Huchon, an investigative journalist and teacher specialising in fake news, says he and other mainstream journalists failed to address the story when it broke, allowing conspiracists to fill the gap. (Listen @2’15”)

Open-air food markets are arguably a cornerstone of life in France. Held once or twice a week in most cities, they’re one of the few ways of still bringing people together. On a visit to Paris’ Aligre market, journalist Olivier Razemon, author of a new book extolling street markets as “an ingredient for a happy society”, argues that they are underappreciated by policymakers and the general public for their ability to create community and revive urban centres. (Listen @20’40”)

One of France’s earliest colonisation attempts was in what is now Brazil, when 600 settlers arrived in Guanabara Bay – now Rio de Janeiro – in November 1555. The colony, called France Antarctique (Antarctic France), lasted only 12 years, but it inspired other French colonising missions as well as reshaping Europeans’ ideas about South America and its people. (Listen @15′)

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani.

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

This week, the New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the Turkish government to drop a proposed law targeting the country’s LGBTQI+ community. Amnesty International has made a similar demand.

Rights groups sound the alarm

The proposed legislation, which was leaked to the media, criminalises attitudes and actions deemed contrary to biological sex, carrying sentences of up to three years in prison.

“It’s really one of the worst reforms, or proposed reforms, we’ve seen in many years,” warns Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey director of Human Rights Watch.

“Because it basically says that the government or the authorities can decide that certain behaviour and attitudes are contrary to biological sex and general morality, and are criminal on that basis.”

Turkey’s Pride struggling to survive amid LGBTQ+ crackdown

Widespread impact

Sinclair-Webb claims that with the proposed law criminalising the promotion of the LGBTQI+ community, its impact would be far-reaching.

“That could affect journalists reporting on matters connected with gender, sexuality and gender identity. It could mean NGOs working to defend the rights of LGBTQI+ people from stigmatisation and discrimination.”

Since the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, homosexuality has never been criminalised. But LGBTQI+ rights advocates warn that this could change, given the broadly written nature of the proposed law.

“It’s not even same-sex sexual acts that are criminalised. It’s just your appearance. Because the law says anything against biological sex. I mean, it could be very widely interpreted,” explains Öner Ceylan of Lambda a LGBTQI+ rights group in Turkey

“So, this could be a woman with short hair or wearing trousers,” adds Ceylan. “Let’s say I’m on the streets, I’m being myself, and I can go to jail for it for three months. Then I’m released, and what happens next? I can easily go back to jail according to that law. So it can be a perfect excuse to imprison an LGBTQI+ person.”

Turkey’s embattled civil society fears worst as foreign funding dries up

Decade of crackdowns

Under the proposed law, people could face between three months and three years in prison, opening the door to lengthy pre-trial detention and the risk of mass arrests  – a prospect that worries rights groups.

Since the early 2000s, Turkey’s LGBTQI+ community has become increasingly visible and vibrant, particularly in Istanbul, with gay clubs, cafés and bars. The city once hosted large Pride marches, with the 2015 event drawing over one hundred thousand people.

However, for the past decade, Turkey’s religiously conservative government has been cracking down on the community in the name of protecting the family. Pride marches have been banned since 2015.

“Now they’ve banned any kind of LGBTQI+ event in the public sphere,” explains Yıldız Tar of Kaos, an LGBTQI+ group. “We no longer share public venues or their addresses. So we are already living a kind of criminalised life, as if many queer people coming together is a criminal activity, which it is not.”

Tar warns that the proposed law represents the endgame in the government’s campaign. “It’s the result of a decade-long war against LGBTQI+ people, and if this law passes, this is the last step.”

Turkey’s embattled civil society fears worst as foreign funding dries up

Rising rhetoric and rising

In September, the Turkish Interior Ministry filed a criminal complaint against openly gay pop singer Mabel Matiz, alleging that one of his songs violated morals and obscenity laws.

Meanwhile, an all-women pop group, Manifest, was detained under the country’s morality laws for one of their performances, prompting the group to end their sell-out national tour.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been ramping up his rhetoric against the LGBTQI+ community, even equating it with terrorism. The proposed legislation also targets the country’s transgender community, banning gender-affirming healthcare for those under the age of 25.

The LGBTQI+ community has vowed to step up its protests against the law and has secured the support of Turkey’s two main opposition parties in opposing it. But Tar warns that if the law passes, many in the community will likely flee the country –  though he says he and others are ready to resist, whatever the cost.

“We will continue to do our work, to share the very basic knowledge that being LGBTQI+ is not a threat to society. It’s not a threat to the family,” declares Tar. “But it will be harder, and most of us will end up in jail.”

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.