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”.

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‘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.

Macron was joined by his wife, Brigitte Macron, and other senior politicians including former president Francois Hollande, who was in the stadium when the attack started.

Jihadists killed 130 people in shootings and suicide bombings in and around Paris on the night of November 13, 2015, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility.

The attackers killed around 90 people at the Bataclan concert hall, where the US band Eagles of Death Metal was playing.

They ended the lives of dozens more at Parisian restaurants and cafes, and one person near the Stade de France football stadium, where crowds were watching France play Germany.

Macron was due to visit all sites of the attacks, before presiding over a remembrance ceremony at a memorial garden in central Paris.

The sole surviving member of the 10-person jihadist cell that staged the attacks, 36-year-old Salah Abdeslam, is serving life in jail. The other nine attackers blew themselves up or were killed by police.

“France over these years has been able to stand united and overcome it all,” Hollande told AFP in a recent interview.

He was in the crowd at the football stadium when the attacks erupted, and returned to join Thursday’s commemoration ceremony.

As carnage broke out 10 years ago, he was whisked out of the audience before re-appearing on national television later that night, describing what had happened as a “horror”.

He declared France “at war” with the jihadists and their self-proclaimed caliphate, then straddling Syria and Iraq.

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‘Restorative justice’?

Hollande testified at the 148-day trial that led to Abdeslam being jailed for life in 2022.

He said he remembered telling the defendants, who also included suspects accused of plotting or offering logistical support, that they had been given defence lawyers despite having committed “the unforgivable”.

“We are a democracy, and democracy always wins in the end,” he said he told them.

US-backed forces in 2019 in eastern Syria defeated the last remnants of the IS proto-state that attracted French residents and inspired the Paris attacks.

Abdeslam remains behind bars and is open to the idea of speaking to victims of the attacks if they want to take part in a “restorative justice” initiative, according to his lawyer Olivia Ronen.

In Paris, survivors and the relatives of those killed have attempted to rebuild their lives.

Eva, who asked that her second name not be used, had her leg amputated below the knee after she was wounded when jihadists attacked a cafe called La Belle Equipe, killing 21 people.

She has since returned to the capital’s many cafe terraces but said she will “never again” have her back to the street.

The names of those who were killed, as well as those of two people who took their own lives in the aftermath, have been inscribed on commemorative plaques around Paris.

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Apprehension

A museum is to conserve their memory.

The Terrorism Memorial Museum, due to open in 2029, is to house around 500 objects linked to the attacks or its victims, most contributed by the bereaved families to curators.

The collection includes a concert ticket donated by a mother who lost her only daughter at the Bataclan, and the unfinished guitar of a luthier who was also killed at the concert.

It also contains a blackboard menu of La Belle Equipe riddled with bullet holes, still bearing the words “Happy Hour”.

The events of the autumn evening have also been committed to memory in books and screenplays.

But some survivors and relatives of victims approach the tributes with apprehension.

Stephane Sarrade’s 23-year-old son Hugo was killed at the Bataclan, a place he’s avoided since.

“I am incapable of going there,” he told AFP, adding he would stay away from Thursday’s ceremonies.

Nadia Mondeguer, whose daughter Lamia was killed aged 30 at La Belle Equipe, said she had been in two minds about the 10-year anniversary.

She said she felt that she and other victims had been included in official ceremonies as mere “spectators”.

But she said she would go anyway to a ceremony at La Belle Equipe to see other relatives.

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.

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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.

“We will try to pay tribute to all these people, both during the day and during the match by trying to put smiles on the faces of those who come to the stadium, even though we know it is not a happy day,” said the 26-year-old Real Madrid striker on the eve of the clash against Ukraine.

“We want to make the French people understand that despite the fact that World Cup qualification is at stake, there are far more important things.

“And commemorating this day, which is unfortunately historic, is one of them. We are not disconnected from that. So we wanted to spare a thought for all French men and women.”

A vigil will be held at the Place de la République in Paris, less than a kilometre away from the Bataclan concert hall where most of the 132 victims were murdered on the night of 13 November 2015.

An event will also take place at the Stade de France, where one person died as suicide bombers attempted to enter a friendly match between France and Germany. France’s then president, François Hollande, was among the 80,000 spectators in the ground for the game which was played to a conclusion despite the events unfolding around the city.

France marks decade of 2015 Paris attacks

‘Obligation to remember’

A decade on, none of the France players involved in that game will feature against Ukraine, but France coach Didier Deschamps remains at the helm.

“Deep down, I think it would have been better if we could have avoided playing on 13 November,” Deschamps said after announcing his squad for the qualifiers.

“There is an obligation to remember what happened, but there is a football match to be played too.”

A minute’s silence will be observed before the kick-off at the Parc des Princes in western Paris and a banner with the words “Football for Peace” will be displayed in the centre circle.

The France players and coaching staff will also wear the insignia of the Fondation du Bleuet de France, which helps veterans, war victims and their families.

Road to 2026

Victory over Ukraine will advance France to next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, where 48 teams will compete in the quadrennial event for the first time since its inception in 1930.

Should Ukraine win, France, with a superior goal difference, will get another chance to book their place against Azerbaijan on Sunday night.

Veteran midfielder N’Golo Kante, now playing in Saudi Arabia, was brought back into the France squad for the games and could make his first international appearance in a year.

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Further up the field, Deschamps has been forced to adapt his strategy to cope with a string of injuries to his forward line. Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé was hurt during Paris Saint-Germain’s defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. 

Dembélé’s PSG teammate, Désiré Doué, is also absent, and Marcus Thuram has only just returned to action with Inter Milan after being sidelined for more than a month with a left thigh injury.

However, Mbappé has been in sparkling form with Real Madrid. He has scored 13 goals for the Spanish league leaders and struck five times in their Champions League games.

“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.”

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‘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.

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”.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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“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 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.

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.

Launching on 10 November, “Lire les vitraux” (Read the Windows) will decipher the legends and narratives in 60 of the 172 windows that adorn the 13th-century gothic masterpiece.

Initially available only in French, explanations on the app will be offered in English and German from spring 2026 – when developers also hope to expand the technology to cover the cathedral’s entire 2,500 square-metre expanse of stained glass.

“You just take a picture of a window, and instantly, you get all the information to understand what’s in front of you,” said Jean-François Lagier, who coordinated the team of engineers, technicians and historians behind the app.

“So instead of just being amazed without context, your admiration is now enriched by knowledge which deepens appreciation for the stained glass itself.”

A mere 15 years ago, he said, such a tool would have been impossible to imagine. “Back then, the only option was to print heavy books, which limits access because they’re expensive and cumbersome.”

It was during a meeting about those weighty tomes eight years ago that new technology was first mentioned.

“We realised our previous books were out of print,” Lagier explained. “So we had to decide: reprint them, or find something more powerful, broader and more accessible. During those discussions, someone suggested exploring artificial intelligence and new algorithms.

“We then found an engineering team willing to take on the challenge. It had never been done and still hasn’t been done elsewhere – using AI to recognise scenes in a huge building like Chartres Cathedral.”

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Technical feat

Two types of algorithms drive the app. The first gives it the ability to recognise objects in variable conditions, with different angles or lighting situations.

“That one is very useful for stained glass, since light changes constantly from sunny to cloudy and it affects what you see,” said Lagier. “Once the system has identified an object, it moves to facial recognition and those algorithms identify the exact design or figure on each stained glass panel.”

The cathedral’s windows are typically made up of around 30 panels, each displaying characters, symbols and colours – the iconography of medieval stained glass.

“Beyond recognising an object, you need to interpret its forms,” added Lagier. “So we’ve combined these technologies with our own custom code, written by our developers, to create a recognition tool that works inside the cathedral.”

Hidden history

Notre-Dame de Chartres, some 80 km south-west of Paris, was constructed between 1194 and 1220 on the site of at least five earlier cathedrals that have dominated the land since the 4th century.

The present majesty was arguably saved from destruction during World War II by the actions of an American colonel, Welborn Barton Griffith Jr.

In August 1944, as Allied forces battled the Germans, who they suspected had set up positions in the cathedral, the order came to blitz it. Dubious, the officer took it upon himself to brave enemy lines with his driver to check.

After searching the cathedral and finding it empty, he raised the American flag in the bell tower and rang the bells. The order to bombard was cancelled.

Beneath those same spires, 80 years on, visitor Corentin Rouault said the cathedral had left him amazed.

“It’s magnificent, beautifully restored,” beamed the 31-year-old engineer, who had stopped off in Chartres after completing a section of the Paris to Mont St-Michel cycle path. “It was my first visit and it was stunning.”

On the prospect of an app to assist his next visit, he added: “That would be absolutely fantastic… I looked at the stained glass windows. They’re beautiful but it’s true that I don’t really know the stories behind them.”

Félicité Schuler does. A leading specialist in medieval iconography, she has worked for the best part of 30 years at the International Centre for Stained Glass, situated an inadvisable stone’s throw away from the cherished windows.

French stained glass museum reflects past and present art

For the past two years, as well as her duties as a guide and lecturer on the windows and their meanings, she has been sifting through her cornucopia of knowledge for use in the application.

“The most difficult problem has been to do a resume of a window in a specific amount of words,” she admitted. “We didn’t want to put too much text. So if somebody wants to read it very rapidly, they just take the headline. If they want to learn more, they can read the whole text.”

Even the smallest details can be revealing, she explained. A short tunic, for example, indicates that its wearer is a pagan. “But kings will never be shown with a short robe, even if they are pagans. Because they’re kings, they must be clothed correctly.”

‘Duty of memory’

The €270,000 cost of producing the app came from private sponsorship and donations in France and the United States. It will be available for free on all iOS and Android platforms.

“Having seen the stained glass windows a few years ago, I wanted to see how they had been cared for and enhanced to get them back to their former glory,” said another visitor Soraya Saidi, after her moment in the cathedral.

“I spent time in front of the windows and also at the centre of the nave, to meditate and pray in silence, as one can do here.”

The 47-year-old careers assistant from Clermont-Ferrand, central France, added: “I found the light, the gentleness and the energy flowing through the place quite extraordinary. The colours coming from the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass was beautiful.

“There’s such richness in the windows that hasn’t been passed on. There’s a duty of history and memory. We must honour what was created by our ancestors.”

Universities have been among Trump’s favourite targets since his return to the White House. Between cutting funding for certain degrees, demonising individual institutions and arresting students from immigrant backgrounds on campus, the college dream has soured for many in the US.

With the administration making visas harder to secure, the number of international students arriving in the US fell by 19 percent compared to the last academic year, according to the New York Times. Americans, too, are increasingly looking elsewhere. 

A record number applied this year to universities in the United Kingdom – which itself has been actively pursuing foreign students post-Brexit – according to figures from the UK’s higher education application body Ucas.

It received nearly 8,000 American undergraduate applications, marking a rise of almost 14 percent on the previous year.

Scotland is particularly popular, with three of its universities in the UK’s top 10 for the highest number of US students.

Scotland’s oldest university, St Andrews – long popular with Americans thanks to its starring role in the love story of Prince William and Kate Middleton – takes the top spot, with one in five students now coming from the US.

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‘It feels like a way of escaping’

Edinburgh University is second on the list, with the University of Glasgow in fifth place.

Gabby arrived at Edinburgh this year. “I’m doing a master’s degree in comparative public policy. My husband was accepted into the university first, and I wanted to do a master’s degree, so this was the easiest way to get a visa and join him,” she told RFI.

“But now that I’m here, it feels a bit like a way of escaping what’s happening at home: the defunding of university research, students being arrested just for voicing opposition… It’s concerning,” she added.

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John Rappa, from New Jersey, came to study in Edinburgh in 2019.

“I could have found an affordable university in the United States, but an institution as prestigious as Edinburgh would have been beyond my means. Including visa and tuition fees, studying here costs the same as a public university in my state… Why the hell would I not?”

While cost was his main motivation for choosing to study outside the US at that time, he notes that the change in political climate since then has only convinced him he made the right choice.

“My friends who stayed behind are seeing their course budgets cut. My brother is a PhD student in pharmacology, but the Trump administration has stopped funding his research, so he can’t graduate. The future looks bleak.”

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‘Quality of life’

In terms of his own future, Rappa also sees advantages to staying in Scotland.

“The quality of life is much better here, starting with social security for all. If I have children, I want them to have access to education, and that’s not the direction the United States is taking.”

Edinburgh University students have revived the defunct North American Society, thanks to growing demand. Freddie Pusch – a native Scot – is its treasurer. “It had ceased to exist since the pandemic, so we revived it.”

He jokes: “[The American] students are particularly noisy… No, they bring an enthusiasm that we locals don’t have. They remind us that we live in a great city.”

This article was adapted from a report in French by Emeline Vin.

Soaking up France’s deficit means saving €44 billion in next year’s budget. And an already deeply divided parliament can’t work out how to do it: the left wants a wealth tax, the right wants cuts in public spending.

This disagreement has brought down two governments in less than a year. The bill was meant to be agreed by Tuesday this week. It wasn’t – and the wrangling continues.

“We’re in total political deadlock. We don’t know whether we’ll have a budget at the end of the year. That means a great deal of uncertainty, and there’s nothing worse than uncertainty for business development,” says Pascal Demurger, head of mutual insurance company MAIF and co-president of the Impact France Movement, which aims to “put ecological and social impact at the heart of business”.

Anger over who should bear the cost of fixing France’s finances has pushed people on to the streets. In September, nearly a million marched in Paris and other cities to protest against spending cuts.

Many carried signs calling for higher taxes on the rich – such as Bernard Arnault, head of the €256 billion luxury group LVMH.

Thanks to various tax optimisation measures, and corporate tax cuts under President Emmanual Macron, large companies now pay an effective rate of just 25 percent – about half that of the average French person. Opinion polls show the majority of people want that to change.

Demurger recognises that the lack of fiscal justice is fuelling social anger and says France’s wealthiest should contribute more.

“It’s obvious that people in France today find it hard to accept paying more tax or making an effort if they feel that the richest members of the population aren’t contributing,” he told RFI.

“There’s a real issue of social appeasement. We won’t achieve acceptance of necessary reforms unless everyone feels the burden is fairly shared between the richest and the middle classes.”

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Swimming against the tide

Demurger took over MAIF in 2009. The company calls itself a “militant” insurer – an unusual term in business circles.

All contributions from its 4 million policy holders go to pay claims – accidents, thefts – rather than shareholders, while profits stay in the company and are reinvested.

Demurger had doubts about the proposed “Zucman tax” on assets higher than €100 million, set at 2 percent and rejected by MPs, but he supports extending a temporary corporate tax first introduced for 2025.

The levy, originally meant to apply for one year, targets firms with more than €3 billion in annual revenue.

“MAIF’s turnover is €5 billion, so we’d be affected. It would cost us a bit more than €20 million, but it’s an effort we’re ready to make to contribute to social calm and to finding solutions,” he says. “I think it’s by setting an example that we can get most people on board and calm this public anger down a bit.”

After the government agreed to keep the temporary tax in the 2026 budget, MPs passed a slightly amended version last week. Companies earning more than €3 billion will pay 33.8 percent instead of 35 percent, and those with between €1 and €3 billion will pay 26.25 percent.

Demurger’s support for a fairer contribution from big companies and their leaders puts him at odds with much of France’s business establishment.

Patrick Martin, head of the Medef employers’ union, has said companies shouldn’t pay “a euro more” and threatened to strike if a new levy was introduced.

While Demurger admits business costs in France are “extremely heavy”, he says such hard-line positions make things worse.

“We just don’t agree. By taking extremely hard-line positions, [Martin] maintains a situation of political deadlock and social anger, and in the end this penalises businesses and the economy.”

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Longer term stability

Demurger is also out of step with the Afep association representing the country’s largest companies. It claims the continuation of the temporary tax will hurt investment.

“The National Assembly’s vote to extend the extra tax on large companies is an error,” said Afep president Patricia Barbizet in a statement. “[It] will inevitably hamper companies’ capacity to invest in France at a time when we need French and European champions more than ever and therefore need to accelerate our investments.”

Demurger says political instability is just as damaging. He pointed to the collapse of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s first government, which lasted just 14 hours.

“That Monday morning, the Paris stock exchange fell sharply and interest rates on state borrowing increased. That adds to the public debt, which in turn raises interest payments, in a kind of snowball effect.

“For a company like MAIF, which holds assets including shares, we lost considerably more in the stock market fall that morning than the amount of the extra corporate tax we’d be ready to pay. Making an extra effort might not cost businesses so much after all, while refusing to do so could cost the French economy far more.”

Purpose as well as profit

MAIF’s “militant” identity also shapes how it operates. The company avoids fossil fuel investments, supports renewables and uses recycled vehicle parts for repairs to cut emissions.

Its 8,000 employees work under a trust-based management system. “Our management is based on trust, people are given a lot of autonomy and can take initiatives to do their jobs in a more impactful way,” Demurger says.

He describes visiting MAIF’s headquarters in Niort and discovering major works that had got under way without his approval.

“The facilities manager told me they were installing a geothermal system to heat and cool the building – entirely carbon neutral. He hadn’t even told me. That shows the culture.”

He says such independence improves results.

“When management cares about employees’ wellbeing, gives them room to act, and focuses on purpose as well as profit, people are happier and more engaged, and collectively, we’re more efficient.”

Staff turnover is low, absenteeism has fallen and the company’s reputation as an employer has grown. “We attract more talent. It’s a virtuous circle,” he adds.

Demurger didn’t always think this way. “I started out managing the company in an extremely classic way,” he says, but later realised he had a duty to ensure people feel good in their work and their lives.

“I saw that by trying to reconcile employees’ wellbeing, customer satisfaction, social impact and company performance, we could achieve far more relevant results than by opposing them.”

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Spreading the impact

Demurger also co-chairs Impact France, a network of 30,000 socially and environmentally responsible companies. When he took the role in 2023 there were just 8,000.

“There’s extremely strong growth in companies of all sizes, including some of France’s biggest groups.”

The network lobbies for measures to make state aid conditional on environmental commitments. A Senate report says France’s biggest corporations received €211 billion in state aid in 2023, with no checks on how it was used or what results it brought.

Impact France also wants the 25 percent corporate tax rate to be adjusted to reward sustainable practices.

“Today all companies pay the same rate of corporate tax. So if I run a firm that invests in de-pollution, and another in the same sector makes no effort, we pay the same,” Demurger points out. “That doesn’t encourage investment and it’s not good public management.”

A smarter tax system, he says, would reduce public health and environmental costs long-term.

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Change in governance

In his recently published book Gouvernez autrement! (“Govern Differently”), Demurger argues that the horizontal, participative, trust-based management style he employs in his company should be applied to the political sphere.

He pleads a more adult approach to governance. “Those in power must give up the ultra-vertical practices that infantilise [us] and the illusory quest for absolute control,” he wrote on social media.

“It must also dare, at last, to break free from the dictatorship of short-termism, rethink our model, and set out hopeful prospects.”

This means moving away from the idea that France is “ungovernable” or an “archipelago” lacking unity – labels used by some politicians, including the French president.

“I’m a great believer in finding solutions, not just compromises,” says Demurger, whose name was floated last year as a possible prime ministerial pick after Michel Barnier was ousted in December 2024.

Before moving into business, he had a six-year stint as a civil servant at the budget department of the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance.

But in a recent interview with RTL radio, Demurger said he was “lucky to run a wonderful enterprise and loved [his] job”, putting paid – for the moment – to rumours he could return to the world of politics.

After capturing the strategic town of Bara around 10 days ago, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are now besieging El-Obeid, the state capital. At least 40 people were killed there on Tuesday, according to the UN.

Residents fear a repeat of atrocities seen in other towns recently seized by the paramilitaries.

The fall of El-Fasher, capital of neighbouring North Darfur, last week has emboldened the RSF to expand their control beyond Darfur into Kordofan. The violence in El-Fasher also overshadowed the fall of Bara a few days earlier, where similar crimes were reported.

The Sudanese Doctors Network, which documents violence across the country, said that “dozens of bodies are piled up in houses in Bara” and that families are being prevented from retrieving them.

“It’s a crime against humanity,” the group said in a statement, denouncing “persistent silence in the face of these crimes”. “It’s shameful,” the statement added.

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Bodies in the streets

An RSF member confirmed on Sunday that “all our forces have converged on the Bara front”.

The town, like El-Fasher, has been cut off from outside help. No medical or humanitarian services are operating there.

Last week, Martha Pobee, the UN’s assistant secretary-general for Africa, warned of “vast atrocities” and “ethnically motivated reprisals” by the RSF in Bara, describing a pattern similar to that seen in Darfur.

The number of missing people in Bara continues to rise, along with the waves of residents fleeing in desperate conditions, the Sudanese Doctors Network said, adding that: “They are fleeing on foot, without water or food and without medicine.”

Around 36,000 civilians have fled North Kordofan in a week, according to the International Organisation for Migration, fearing RSF attacks.

As the army and paramilitaries fight for control of El-Obeid, residents told French news agency AFP that entire towns have become military targets and people no longer dare to work in their fields.

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Strategic prize

El-Obeid, under imminent threat of RSF attack, is a key logistics and command hub linking Darfur to the capital Khartoum. It also has an airport.

The RSF are preparing to attack Babnusa, another important town in North Kordofan that they are besieging and where the army remains entrenched.

Civilians are fleeing mainly from areas where massacres have taken place, such as Bara and Om Dam Haj Ahmad.

In the latter, nearly 400 civilians were killed on Thursday by the RSF, the Sudanese Doctors Network reported. The same day, an unknown number of people died in Zaribat al-Sheikh Borii in a drone strike.

On Monday, around 40 people were also killed in another strike in Louaib, a village east of El-Obeid, according to the army.

The victims, all civilians, were gathered for a funeral, the North Kordofan government said. “A crime that adds to those already committed by the RSF,” the governorate wrote.

The RSF have not responded.

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

No end in sight

The army has carried out attacks against RSF positions in North and West Kordofan and targeted reinforcements coming from Darfur.

On Tuesday, it intensified air strikes on RSF-held areas. The paramilitaries said they shot down a military cargo plane over Babnusa just after it dropped ammunition to army forces trapped in the city. The crew members were killed.

Despite mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, both sides remain determined to seize territory.

Sudan’s defence minister said on Tuesday evening that the war against the paramilitaries would continue, after a government meeting that discussed a United States proposal to halt the fighting.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate end to the conflict, warning that the crisis was becoming “uncontrollable”.

This story was adapted from the original version in French by RFI’s Houda Ibrahim

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.

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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)

France, Barbados and Kenya launched a working group in 2023 advocating for taxes on affluent air passengers, with the aim of supporting poorer nations in their response to climate change.

At UN climate summit in Brazil (COP30), which runs until 21 November, these countries are now trying to expand the coalition of about ten nations that want to commit to more specifically taxing luxury air travel, a source told French news agency AFP.

These commitments should be clarified during COP30 or later, depending on how the talks progress, according to the same source, who said the goal was to “grow the coalition and, in particular, bring in more European states.”

France, African countries form coalition to tax luxury air travel

Since March, France has introduced an increased tax on air travel by tripling the “solidarity tax” on airline tickets (TSBA). This led to an extra cost of €4.77 per ticket for domestic or European flights departing from France, and up to €120 per long-haul business-class journey.

Private aviation has also been affected by this tax hike, with an increase ranging from €207.37 to €2,097.37 per passenger on board.

Financing development

Launched in 2006 on the initiative of then-French President Jacques Chirac, in coordination with other countries, this tax was originally intended to finance development.

It has been raised several times and now also contributes to France’s infrastructure financing agency and the general state budget.

Green groups push for ‘frequent flyer tax’ to cut France’s aviation emissions

According to the French transport ministry, the current discussions at COP30 will not lead to any further increase in this contribution: “France has no intention of raising the TSBA,” the ministry said Tuesday.

These reflections aim to encourage other countries “to use the TSBA mechanism to help finance sustainable development goals in the Global South,” the same source explained.

(with AFP)

France’s highest administrative court on Monday rejected Le Pen’s appeal against her removal as councillor of the Pas-de-Calais department after she was sentenced and immediately banned from running for office.

Le Pen, who was re-elected to the National Assembly in the first round of the snap elections in 2024, argued that the law leading to her dismissal did not respect the principle of equality, as parliamentarians only lose their seats after a final conviction, whereas local positions are terminated immediately.

Immediate dismissal

The Council of State said the rules had been applied “as they have been consistently interpreted by the case law”, meaning local elected officials who are banned from office with immediate effect must be automatically be dismissed by the prefect.

They court also noted that the Constitutional Council had ruled at the end of March on the difference in treatment of MPs and local elected officials, and determined that municipal councillors are not in the same situation as MPs, because of the constitutional powers they hold “in the exercise of national sovereignty, the passing of laws, and the oversight of the Government’s actions”.

The Council of State said departmental councillors are in a similar position to municipal councillors, so the same reasoning applies.

Le Pen therefore remains an MP, but cannot continue serving as a departmental councillor.

The council had already rejected Le Pen’s appeal challenging the immediate application of her term of ineligibility.

Her appeal trial is scheduled to take place from 13 January to 12 February, with a decision expected four months later.

If the sentence were to be upheld, Le Pen would be barred from running in the 2027 presidential race.

(with newswires)

In an interview with US broadcaster Fox News, a discussion between Trump and presenter Laura Ingraham about foreign students coming to the United States turned into a harsh critique of France.

When Ingraham questioned him on the enrolment of Chinese students at US universities, saying, “they’re not the French, they’re the Chinese. They spy on us. They steal our intellectual property,” Trump answered:  “Do you think the French are better, really?… I’m not so sure”.

He then switched the focus from China to France’s taxation policies, which he said were a problem for the US.

Tariff war continues

“We’ve had a lot of problems with the French where we get taxed unfairly on our technology, where you know they put 25 percent taxes on American products,” Trump said, likely referring to an amendment to France’s 2026 budget bill currently being debated in parliament that would establish a 25 percent minimum tax rate on profits made by multinationals based on their activities in France.

The measure was passed in the National Assembly but must still be approved by the conservative-controlled Senate, which could strike it down.

The National Assembly also voted to double a digital tax on global tech giants, aimed at American firms Google, Apple, Meta and others – against the government’s wishes.

Economy Minister Roland Lescure warned that a “disproportionate” tax would lead to “disproportionate” retaliatory measures.

Trump has previously said he would impose extra tariffs on countries that introduced discriminatory digital taxes.

Tension between Trump and Macron

Trump’s relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron has had tensions in his second term, notably over the war in Ukraine and especially after Macron recognised the Palestinian state, which Trump opposed.

Macron has been part European efforts to keep Trump providing military support of Ukraine against Russia, especially after he insisted that the continent fund its own defence through Nato.

Trump U-turn on foreign students

More surprising than the critique of France, however, was Trump’s apparent reversal of his administration’s hard line on China and his defence of his decision to issue 600,000 student visas for China, despite a backlash from some supporters.

“A lot of MAGA folks, um, are not thrilled about this idea of hundreds of thousands of foreign students in the United States,” Ingraham said

Trump argued that American universities depend on foreign students, and he does not want to destroy them by limiting enrolment, especially as they pay more than Americans.

“The students pay more than double when they come in from most foreign countries, I want to see our school system thrive,” he said: “It’s not that I want them, but I view it as a business.” 

(with newswires)

As part of the annual ceremony marking the end of the First World War, Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unveiled a plaque in memory of the men, often referred to as malgré-nous (“despite ourselves”), at the Hôtel des Invalides.

Men from Alsace and Moselle were conscripted into the German army in 1942, following the introduction of compulsory military service for residents of those territories, which were annexed by Germany in 1940.

Although many tried to escape, most were compelled to serve, and between 20,000 and 40,000 died. Some 90,000 returned to France, where they were often considered traitors.

Six malgré-nous veterans were at the ceremony and were recognised by Macron, who had already spoken of the “tragedy of the malgré-nous” during the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Strasbourg in November 2024.

Remembrance Day in Paris

At the close of the annual Remembrance Day ceremony in Paris, after inspecting the troops, Macron laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe.

Among those who took turns to also lay a wreath were Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet and the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher.

Politicians, including former presidents and their families, are traditionally invited to the ceremony. Nicolas Sarkozy, who was released from prison on Monday, had announced that he would not attend.

The president’s wife Brigitte Macron was also absent. She has attended only once as first lady, during the centenary of the Armistice in 2018.

(with newswires)

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

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

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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.