“We can spend up to 44 hours with power,” Kelly Huckaby tells RFI from the outskirts of Lusaka.

Originally from the United States, he has been based in Zambia since 2010 and runs a Christian ministry that hosts camps and conferences for up to 200 children at a time.

A reliable supply of electricity is essential. But the drought that has gripped southern Africa since early this year has led to rolling cuts in a country that relies heavily on hydropower.

For Huckaby, solar is proving the best alternative.

“We have just ordered solar fans, which can provide relief from the heat and also a little light and allow us to charge phones,” he says. 

Not only has he decided to invest in the devices for his own centre, he wants to offer solar lamps and fans to all his employees for Christmas.

Dams run dry

Zambia is going through one of its worst droughts in decades. 

The country declared a national disaster in February, and has since been scaling back energy supply and trying to import electricity from neighbouring countries.

Hydroelectric dams normally provide more than 80 percent of the country’s power, but lie nearly empty after months of dry weather.

The gigantic Kariba Dam on the Zambezi river, Zambia’s largest source of hydroelectricity, has only 10 percent of water available for power generation, according to the Energy Ministry. The power plant it feeds will likely shut down within weeks.

“This year there’s been very little rain in the central and southern parts of the country,” John Keane, CEO of the UK-based charity SolarAid, told RFI from Lusaka. 

“But in the north of the country, there’s been more rain than usual, with flooding. There’s two stark realities: Lake Tanganyika in the north is reportedly at its highest levels since 1964, and in the south, where the Kariba Dam is, that’s extremely low levels.” 

Turning to alternatives

For months now Zambians have been forced to get used to lengthy blackouts, and more are on the way.

Last week the government warned that 14-hour power cuts introduced in July would be extended to 17 hours a day from September, with no end date in sight.

“Energy in particular is an obstacle to everyday life,” said one Lusaka resident who preferred not to be named.

Like others, she has sought ways to adjust to what has become a “new normal”.  

“In my household we are using alternative sources of energy, i.e. the solar lamps and gas for cooking,” she told RFI. “My family in particular, we’re relying a lot on solar energy.”

She’s not alone. According to SunnyMoney Zambia, a social enterprise owned by SolarAid that sells solar lighting in rural communities, sales have increased by more than 540 percent since the beginning of 2024.

“We ordered new containers of lights produced in China” to try to match demand, said SunnyMoney country manager Karla Kanyanga, “as well as a set of solar fans, as temperatures keep on rising”. 

Solar’s potential

Solar advocates hope the trend makes the start of a long-term shift.

“We’ve been campaigning in schools to educate people about solar power for years,” Kanyanga told RFI. “The goal was to promote the use of solar lights in homes, schools and clinics, especially to replace charcoal, gas and candles.” 

Now the drought has highlighted the potential of decentralised energy sources like solar, especially in remote areas. 

“In Zambia and much of sub-Saharan Africa, especially the rural areas, only a very small percentage of the population have access to electricity – we’re talking between two, three, four percent,” said SolarAid’s Keane.

“People are then living in houses without light, without any of the modern electrical appliances that we have grown up with. And that actually makes life pretty difficult.”

As the cost of solar panels drops and battery technology improves, organisations like his say solar is an increasingly affordable and reliable way to switch those households on.

Anglophone Cameroon’s Solar Mamas light the way for rural farmers

Scaling up

Zambia currently has two solar power stations in operation, built by French and Italian investors, and has signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to develop further large-scale projects.

The country has long depended on hydroelectricity, mostly produced by a single state-owned company.

Changing weather patterns and extreme events like this year’s drought have exposed how vulnerable it is to shortfall.

Lack of a steady power supply hinders both the economy and food production.

The International Monetary Fund in June revised its projected growth for Zambia’s economy this year downward from 4.7 percent to 2.3 percent because of the drought.

Meanwhile the UN’s World Food Programme has warned that the region-wide drought has worsened food insecurity across the whole of southern Africa.

The next rainy season would normally begin around November, but climate change makes it more difficult to predict the seasons.

Africa’s nuclear dreams a fusion of high hopes and high hurdles

Boki

No, this is not a dodgy god out of the Marvel comics universe. Ihar Boki thwarted the hopes of the Frenchman Alex Portal to win gold in the S13 400m freestyle. The victory gave 30-year-old Boki his 19th gold medal at the Paralympic Games. The Belarusian’s first came in London in 2012 and his third gold at the Paris Games burnishes his legend as the most successful male competitor in Paralympic history.

Brothers in larmes

Alex Portal – with a bronze and silver from two previous outings in the pool in 2024 – so desperately wanted gold in the 400m S13 freestyle. The 13,000 French flag-waving partisans willed it too. And for 350 metres, the 22-year-old local hero looked like the exploit could be his as 17-year-old brother Kylian battled away further down the field. But Ihar Boki surged away to win his third gold of the 2024 Paralympics. After the race, Alex went over to Kylian’s lane and they embraced. The elder to congratulate his sibling for an unexpected bronze and the younger to hail his brother’s success and soothe the disappointment. 

It’s a local affair

Alex and Kylian Portal are very much the local heroes. The pair were raised in Saint-Germain-en-Laye which is just a couple of kilometres from the Paris La Défense Arena. They perfect their arts at the Saint-Germain-en-Laye swimming club and there was a 20-strong contingent of family and friends to support their quest for glory.

Poor pickings

Despite only two medals on the night, there was a feelgood factor. “To see both of them on the podium was magical,” said Frédéric Portal after his children, Alex and Kylian, received silver and bronze. And ultimately it all helps. French paralympic chiefs are targeting eighth place for the country’s delegation as part of a quest to finish within the top five in subsequent Games.

Channel crossing

French paralympics bosses might do well to look over at what the British are doing. They finished second behind the table-topping Chinese three years ago in Tokyo and in Rio in 2016. They were third in 2012 and second in Beijing in 2008. Going into the fourth day of competition, they were in second place in the table behind the Chinese. That’s a consistenly jolly good show.

The 11 para triathlon events were rescheduled for Monday.

“This is subject to the forthcoming water tests complying with the established World Triathlon thresholds for swimming,” said World Triathlon in a statement on Sunday.

“Paris 2024 organising committee and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes and with these conditions, the Para triathlon events cannot take place today.” 

Rainstorms hit Paris on Friday and Saturday causing wastewater and runoff to flow into the river, leading to a rise in bacteria levels including E. Coli.

It is the second change for the para triathlon events. They had initially been scheduled to take place on Sunday and Monday.

But they were moved to Sunday because of rain forecasts.

Changes

During the Olympic Games, the men’s triathlon was postponed just hours before it was due to get under way after tests in the River Seine revealed unhealthy pollution levels. It eventually took place a day later after the women’s race.

French authorities have invested €1.4 billion euros over the last decade on new water treatment and storage facilities in and around Paris to clean up the river.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo takes plunge in Seine, signalling river is ready for Olympic events

But heavy downpours still overwhelm the city’s underground drains and sewage system, leading to untreated effluent being released into the waterway.

After an exceptionally wet spring and start to summer, the Seine had been consistently failing water tests until the beginning of July.

Levels of the E.Coli bacteria – an indicator of faecal matter – were sometimes 10 times higher than authorised limits.

Around 3.7 billion people live in areas that contribute less than 3 percent of global water quality data. This data gap is particularly concerning, as it hampers the ability to manage critical issues such as droughts, floods and pollution, a recent UN Environment report found.

Fewer than 4,500 lake quality measurements are available out of nearly 250,000 needed, highlighting the extent of the data shortage.

Recent years have seen widespread degradation of freshwater ecosystems.

Between 2015 and 2019, 61 percent of countries reported that at least one type of freshwater ecosystem was in a degraded state.

Although this figure decreased to 31 percent between 2017 and 2021, newly available data suggests that the proportion of countries with degraded ecosystems may still be around 50 percent, the UN said.

• French food authority finds traces of banned pesticide in drinking water
• Tap water undrinkable in a quarter of French towns and cities

Monitoring programmes

This environmental damage is affecting 90 countries, particularly in Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.

Key contributors to the decline include pollution, dam construction, land conversion, over-extraction of water and the impacts of climate change.

Addressing the decline in freshwater quality requires improved data collection and monitoring.

​​​​To help fill the data gap, UN experts recommend the expansion of government-funded monitoring programmes and suggests leveraging satellite-based Earth observation technologies and projection models to enhance data accuracy.

In France, recent issues highlight the urgency of addressing water quality.

Traces of banned pesticides have been detected in drinking water, and a quarter of French towns and cities are reported to have undrinkable tap water.

In the 17th century, Parisians frequently swam in the Seine, often in the nude, until authorities banned the practice. By 1923, all urban swimming in the Seine was prohibited for health and safety reasons due to increased river traffic in Paris.

A century later, in the summer of 2025, three sites in the heart of Paris will open for free to experienced swimmers.

These locations will be at Bras Marie, between the Sully and Marie bridges near the Marais on the right bank; at Bras de Grenelle, near the Eiffel Tower on the left bank, between the Grenelle port and the Île aux Cygnes; and upstream at Bercy, around the Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir between the Tolbiac and Bercy bridges.

“I really like the idea of swimming in the Seine, having heard about the recent work to clean it,” said Henry Gibbs, a set designer from Bristol, in the UK, who moved to Paris six months ago.

“I’d love it if I was able to swim here,” added his friend James Griffiths, lounging on a deck chair at Bras Marie. in black boxer shorts and a book

Griffiths, a photographer from Bristol now settled in Paris, said: “The most annoying thing in summer is having to travel outside the city, down to the river at Fontainebleau, to go swimming.”

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo takes plunge in Seine, signalling river is ready for Olympic events

Olympic boost

The Paris Olympic Games accelerated the City Hall’s long-term project of making the Seine swimmable. A total of 110 triathletes and 55 marathon swimmers participated in five open-water events held in the river, despite training sessions being cancelled and the men’s triathlon postponed due to heavy rainfall degrading the water quality.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo even dived into the Seine on 17 July to demonstrate that the water quality met Olympic standards.

The Olympics’ success strengthened the resolve of the state, the City of Paris, and others, to make swimming in the Seine a reality by July 2025 during the two-month Paris Plages summer events.

Paris Plages transforms the Seine’s banks and two canal locations into a summer oasis, offering various free activities, deck chairs, and parasols.

“I come to Paris Plages every summer,” said Eliza, an assistant lecturer in Paris. “At the moment, I don’t think I would dive in the Seine. I still feel it might be a little unclean.”

Efforts to improve water quality date back to the 1980s. Today, 34 species of fish thrive in the Seine, compared to only two 40 years ago.

Climate change

With increasing heatwaves, Paris’s initiative to open its waterways to swimming is a sustainable response to global warming and extreme heat.

The three future river swimming spots, along with the two existing sites on the canal, provide a much-needed respite, in summer, for a capital city with over two million residents.

“In other major cities in Europe, you can swim in the rivers. Paris is among the only ones I know where you can’t swim in the middle of the city,” Gibbs said.

“It would be really beneficial if you could do that here in Paris, at Paris Plages.”

Monitoring the river

Opening the Seine to swimmers during summer is a €10 million project subject to strict oversight by authorities before being deemed safe.

Antoine Guillou, Paris’s deputy mayor in charge of sanitation, told RFI ongoing discussions are taking place with the Regional Prefecture and the Regional Agency for Health.

Turning the tide: Olympic organisers hope to make murky Seine swimmable again

“The City of Paris will submit a dossier in the coming months to both institutions. The final word belongs to the Regional Prefecture. It’s the institution which will decide what the conditions will be in order to swim in the Seine in 2025.”

Once approved, Guillou said two types of tests would be regularly conducted.

The first is a laboratory test to assess E. coli and Enterococci bacteria levels – which indicate sewage or faecal pollution in the river – with results available within 24 hours. The second involves using the ColiMinder or Fluidion tool to monitor bacteria levels in the Seine, in real time.

Infrastructure

Swimming areas in the Seine will be different from the four existing pools in the canal, at Bassin de la Villette.

In the canal, water flows naturally into the pools through holes on the sides. The pools, of varying depths, are enclosed with flat floaters at the bottom.

In the Seine, there will be no enclosed pools; the swimming experience is intended to be as “natural” as possible, with lifeguards on duty.

Floaters will mark the boundaries for swimmers while protecting them from the usual river traffic at the Bercy location. Bras Marie and Bras Grenelle locations will be closed to river traffic while opened for swimming.

Layla, a Californian working for a start-up in Paris, remains unconvinced. “I run near Canal Saint Martin sometimes, and I saw people swimming in there one day. To be honest, I found that gross,” she told RFI.

However, she and her friend Eliza said they might “dip their toe in” if they saw others diving into the Seine.

The decision was taken on Saturday and announced by NDB chief Dilma Roussef at a meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

By joining “this important development institution, the financial arm of the BRICS group, Algeria is taking a major step in its process of integration into the global financial system,” the Algerian finance ministry said in a statement.

The bank of the BRICS group of nations, whose name derives from the initials of founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is aimed at offering an alternative to international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF.

Algeria’s membership was secured thanks to “the strength of the country’s macroeconomic indicators” which have recorded “remarkable performances in recent years” and allowed the North African country to be classified as an “upper-tier emerging economy”, the finance ministry said.

Membership in the BRICS bank will offer Algeria, Africa’s leading exporter of natural gas, “new prospects to support and strengthen its economic growth in the medium and long term”, it added.

Created in 2015, the NDB’s main mission is to mobilise resources for projects in emerging markets and developing countries.

It has welcomed several country as new members, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

• Brics club invites six new members in bid to reshape global order

(With newswires)

On 3 August, two Nepalese agencies signed an accord with a private drone provider to kick off the clean-up service on mountains around Mount Everest.

The deal came after a Chinese DJI FlyCart 30 airlifted 234 kilos of cargo in an hour last April, between Everest’s 5364 metre Base Camp and Camp I which lies six kilometres away.

“It would have taken more than a dozen porters six hours to carry out such a task,” an official said of the Flycart, which is fitted with cameras, radar and can airlift up to 30 kilos in a single sortie.

The firm will reportedly provide free drone service for two years, and the machines will ferry supplies to Camp I and fly back with trash.

According to Jagat Prasad Bhusal, administrator of rural municipality where Mount Everest is located, Nepal will send out the drones next month to Mount Ama Dablam.

He added the battle against litterbugs at the popular Ama Dablam mountain was just the beginning.

Besides Ama Dablam, drones will also deploy to other Himalayan peaks including around a 7861 metre mountain known as Mount Nuptse – some two kilometres from Everest.

• French mountaineer conquers K2 summit in record time, Japanese climbers feared dead
• Nepalese climbers spruce up Mount Everest in a message to peak litterbugs

Everest Next

“After the successful test in April, we [also] plan to use drones commercially in the Everest region,” Bhusal added.

“It’s a test. The success means we will use drones in a full-fledged manner to bring garbage from Camp II, next season,” he said.

“We however have not discussed whether drones can be used to transport supplies and logistics… to reduce casualties on the notorious Khumbu Icefall,” he added.

The kilometre-long strip of unstable ice has buried alive at least 50 Sherpas since 1953 including 16 killed in a 2018 avalanche and three more last year.

Mountaineers such as S.P. Malik – who is also the Secretary-General of India’s Sport Climbing Federation – hailed it as a “novel” project but voiced scepticism over its success.

“The success will be limited because many don’t bother about their climbing gear while returning,” Malik told RFI in Delhi.

“In fact, people must not just account for their gear but carry back stuff abandoned by others,” said Malik.

‘Leave No Trace’

Experts say manual trash collection from great heights poses a risk because of the unforgiving conditions.

Nepal estimates up to 50 tonnes of frozen trash including tents, oxygen tanks and ropes litter Mount Everest, as well as some 200 frozen bodies.

The country’s army brought down 119 tons of refuse and 14 corpses in annual clean-ups launched by the military in 2019.

In February, Nepal ordered climbers to bring back their excrement and said those scaling Everest – and two other designated peaks – must return with eight kilos of used gear.

Those on Ama Dablam are required to descend with three kilos of waste in line with a “Leave No Trace” policy in Nepal.

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan described August’s second round of indirect talks in Ankara between his Ethiopian and Somali counterparts as constructive and positive.

“We were able to focus on the details and technicalities of concrete steps that are important convergences on some major principles and specific modalities”, Fidan said.

“This constitutes notable progress.”

While there was no breakthrough, all sides agreed to meet again in September.

Controversial deal 

Ethiopian-Somali tensions have escalated since January, when Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway state from Somalia.

Under the agreement, Ethiopia would secure sea access in exchange for recognising Somaliland, a deal condemned by Somalia as an infringement on its territorial integrity.

“Ethiopia needs access to a coastline”, said Dubai-based geopolitical consultant Norman Ricklefs.

“It’s the second-largest country in Africa. It’s a booming economy. And, somehow, that deal needs to be made, but it’s not going to be easy because of the previous deal earlier this year with Somaliland.”

Ricklefs predicts that finding a solution will require considerable diplomatic finesse.

“It’s not going to be easy to convince the Somalis to grant that [Ethiopian demands], feeling that they’re under pressure right now because of the deal that was previously done with Somaliland,” he said.

“But I think Turkey is probably best placed, as they have a very close relationship with both Ethiopia and Somalia.”

Somalia recently threatened to block access to Ethiopian Airlines in the latest bout of diplomatic tensions. Meanwhile, Egypt could reportedly deploy soldiers to Somalia, a move that threatens to further escalate and broaden tensions, given existing Ethiopian-Egyptian conflicts.

Ethiopia and Somalia move closer to resolving Somaliland dispute

Deepening influence

The situation between Somalia and Ethiopia is expected to be discussed during Wednesday’s summit in Turkey, where Egyptian President Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to meet.

Africa expert Elem Eyrice-Tepecikoglu from the African studies department of Ankara’s Social Sciences University said Turkey’s historical and deepening economic and military ties with both Somalia and Ethiopia give it an advantageous position in its mediating efforts.

“Somalia has a very important place in Turkey’s Africa policy. Turkey has established its largest embassy in Somalia’s capital, and it also established its largest military training facility, again in Somalia,” said Tepecikoglu.

“But Turkey also has old and established relations with Ethiopia as well. There are several investments of Turkish companies in the country, and Turkey also signed a military cooperation agreement with Ethiopia. Reportedly, Turkish drones were used against the Tigray rebel forces.”

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

Economic, military stakes

Earlier this year, the Somali parliament ratified a naval agreement with Turkey to protect its territorial waters and a deal to search for hydrocarbons. Turkey is second only to China in investment in Ethiopia, including selling its military-proven drones.

Analysts suggest that there is more than diplomatic prestige at stake for Ankara in resolving Ethiopian-Somali tensions, given the region’s potential and geostrategic importance as a critical world trading route.

“There’s a reason why the Horn of Africa has American military bases and Chinese military bases. The Japanese even have a base in that area. All of them think the Horn of Africa is a pretty significant region for global shipping,” Ricklefs said.

“It’s a region that has not been developed. It has hydrocarbon resources and other resources like agricultural resources that have not been developed and would need networks and infrastructure that a country like Turkey could provide if there was security and stability.”

Ethiopian and Somali talks are set to resume in September. Success would underline Turkey’s growing influence in a region of increasing international competition, while failure could threaten two decades of Turkish investment in the region.

That the S13 world record holder Ihar Boki claimed the spoils to add the prize to his golds in the 100m butterfly and the 100m backstroke seemed irrelevant to the 13,000 partisans around the pool.

Alex Portal led for most of the race for swimmers with visual impairments. Boki went ahead of the 22-year-old Frenchman just before the turn for 350m and the 30-year-old Belarusian surged clear in the final 50m to take the course in three minutes, 58.37 seconds and rack up a 19th gold medal over four Paralympic Games.

Portal was nearly two seconds behind the legend. His 17-year-old brother pipped Kyrylow Garashchenko to the bronze to the delight of the flag-waving French fans.

Challenge

“I said to myself: ‘This is my moment. In front of the Paris crowd, I’m obliged to do the 50m of my life.’ said Kylian Portal.

“And I think that’s what I did. I managed to get this bronze medal.”

Kylian added: “Each time I win a medal, I have the feeling that Alex is prouder for me than he is for himself when he wins.”

Their father, Frédéric, was simply delighted.

“We would never have believed that the two of them would be on the same podium,” he told RFI. “It was magical.”

On Friday, Alex Portal claimed bronze in the 100m backstroke and silver – behind Boki – on Thursday in the 100m butterfly.

“Only Alex or Kylian on the podium would have been tough,” added Frédéric Portal; “But I’m extremely proud. Before the race, the most important thing for me was that they were not disappointed at the end.”

Reward

It was an otherwise barren third night of competition for French swimmers. However, their British rivals excelled winning three of the night’s 15 finals.

Stephen Clegg started the ParalympicsGB gold rush in the men’s 100m backstroke S12.

The 28-year-old finished in a world record time of 59.02 seconds.

William Ellard won the S14 men’s 200m freestyle also with a world best of one minute, 51.30 seconds. Nicholas Bennett from Canada was second and Jack Ireland from Australia claimed the bronze.

Three years after claiming bronze in the S10 100m backstroke at the Tokyo Paralympics, Alice Tai won gold over the same distance in the S8 class at the Paris Games.

Tai, 25, completed her race in one minute, 09.06 seconds. Viktoriia Ishchiulova was some six seconds behind in second and Mira Jeanne Maack from Germany was third.

The United States picked up two golds and Gabriel Geraldo dos Santos Araujo won his second gold of the Games for Brazil.

On Thursday the 22-year-old won the men’s 100m S2 backstroke. On Saturday night, he claimed the 50m S2 backstroke in 50.93 seconds.

Published every five years, this latest analysis paints a grim picture of the world’s largest coral reef system, which is struggling to recover from its fifth mass bleaching event in eight years.  

Despite a slight improvement in the condition of some fast-growing coral species, the reef’s overall prospects remain “very poor”, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) said in its 600-page report. 

“While recent recovery in some ecosystem values demonstrates that the reef is still resilient, its capacity to tolerate and recover is jeopardised by a rapidly changing climate,” it said, emphasising that any recovery is fragile at best. 

The assessment lays bare the worsening condition of the reef, driven by rising ocean temperatures, severe tropical cyclones and the increasing frequency of mass coral bleaching events. 

Rising threats 

Bleaching occurs when heat-stressed corals expel the symbiotic algae that lives within them, leading to a ghostly white appearance and, in many cases, death. 

Marine scientists in June told RFI of their deep concern for the survival of corals of the Unesco heritage-listed site, given that species typically resistant to bleaching are now also struggling.  

The GBRMPA report confirms their fears, showing that the recent marine heatwave, which brought sea surface temperatures to a peak of 2.5°C above average, has caused unprecedented damage across all three regions – northern, central and southern – of the Great Barrier Reef. 

Earlier this year, Neal Cantin of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, who led a team of researchers conducting aerial surveys along the 2,300-kilometre length of the reef, told RFI 2024 had delivered the worst bleaching event on record. 

Almost two-thirds of the reef was struck, including the southern third, an area previously thought to be more resilient due to its typically cooler waters.  

Great Barrier Reef bleaching crisis ‘like a bushfire underwater’

Warmest oceans 

The repeated bleaching of Australia’s reef comes as the warmest ocean temperatures in history, fuelled by El Nino, drive an ongoing mass bleaching of the world’s corals. Experts say more than 60 percent are suffering. 

They have described bleaching events as “underwater bushfires”, reflecting the catastrophic impact on coral reefs – often described as the rainforests of the sea due to their incredible biodiversity. 

However, the GBRMPA said that climate change was not the only threat bearing down on the Great Barrier Reef.  

Unsustainable fishing practices, pollution from coastal development, sediment runoff from agriculture and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish were combined pressures found to be severely degrading water quality and further diminishing the reef’s health. 

France to map genes of underwater species to help protect its vast sea life

Final neon glow 

The report also sheds light on a phenomenon observed during severe bleaching events: corals sometimes emit a vibrant, final burst of colour – bright pinks, blues and greens – as they struggle to survive.  

This dramatic display is a last, desperate attempt to stave off death. Despite the initial burst of brilliance, the majority of corals that experience severe bleaching do not recover. 

A survey from Australia’s Lizard Island, in the northern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef, revealed that over 97 percent of the fluorescing corals had perished just three months after heavy bleaching.

Known for its vibrant marine biodiversity and typically clear waters, the island is now a barometer of the reef’s broader health crisis and the devastating impact of prolonged thermal stress. 

Monaco’s ‘virtual dive’ of Australia’s Barrier Reef encourages ocean protection

Call for action 

The GBRMPA warns that without substantial global efforts to reduce emissions, the Great Barrier Reef will continue to deteriorate, with its window for recovery rapidly closing.  

It stresses the urgent need for governments – including Australia, a major exporter of fossil fuels – to address greenhouse gas emissions, enhance conservation efforts, combat starfish outbreaks and restore damaged ecosystems. 

“Future warming already locked into the climate system means that further degradation is inevitable,” the report said. “This is the sobering calculus of climate change.”

Many of the works selected for the annual photo festival in Perpignan, now in its 36th year, have to do with exclusion, poverty and life on the margins.

“When we hear Trump or Orban speeches and all these populists who make exclusion a key part of their programmes, we think it’s important to draw the public’s attention to that,” Jean-François Leroy, the festival’s director, told French news agency AFP.

Poverty across borders

A multi-year reportage by Pierre Faure explores the theme of poverty in France, while Karen Ballard and Brenda Ann Kenneally look at the decline of the American empire – photographing the other side of Venice Beach, California, or the misery of a working-class family in New York State.

Other photographers turn their lens on walls built to keep out or repel others.

Alejandro Cegarra captures the barriers encountered by migrants in Mexico, while Mugur Varzariu spotlights the segregation of Roma people in Romania.

Leroy praised the “varied” and “heterogeneous” view of events offered by the photographers.

Even after 36 years, he said, “I’m always pleasantly surprised by the proposals I receive”.

Photographs lift the lid on Japan’s underground 1950s tattoo scene

Capturing conflict

Other series present scenes from some of the year’s most intense conflicts.

Anastasia Taylor-Lind’s images show life a few miles from the front in Ukraine, Corentin Fohlen captures the shock of gang violence on the streets of Haiti, and John Moore photographs the merciless war waged on drug traffickers in Ecuador.

The festival has also reserved a special place for the Middle East, riven by the Israel-Hamas conflict since the attacks of 7 October 2023, with two exhibitions on Gaza and the West Bank.

Frozen in time: reviving 19th-century technique to photograph Ukraine war

Elsewhere, the focus is on the year’s biggest sporting event: the Paris Olympics. Some of the most memorable images taken by AFP’s roughly 70 photographers bring the Games back to life. 

From 2 to 7 September, eight Visa d’Or awards will be presented, including the top prize for news reporting, as well as four grants and six other prizes to support the work of photojournalists.

(with AFP)

► Visa pour l’Image runs from 31 August to 15 September 2024.

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.

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!

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. You are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution – told by the people it affects.

You do not need expensive video equipment to enter the competition. Your phone is fine.  And you do not need to be a member of the RFI Clubs to enter – everyone is welcome. And by the way – the prizes are incredibly generous!

Go to the ePOP page to read about past competitions, watch past videos, and read the regulations for your entry.  You can also write to us at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr, and we’ll forward your mail to Planète Radio.

The competition closes 12 September. We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

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

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

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

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bi-lingual 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”. According to your score, you’ll be counseled to the best-suited activities for your level.

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

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the 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 Paris Perspective, Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, 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. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

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

This week’s quiz: On 6 July, I asked you a question about France’s snap legislative elections, called by President Emmanuel Macron after his centrist party was severely trounced by the far-right National Rally Party in the European legislative elections.

The first round of voting was on 30 June; voter turnout was quite high. You were to consult RFI English journalist Jessica Phelan’s article “The three-way factor that makes France’s election results so unusual” and send in the answer to these two questions: What was voter turnout on Sunday 30 June, and in which year was it last that high? 

The answer is: As Jessica wrote in her article: “The last three parliamentary elections have seen turnout of roughly 48 percent (2022), 49 percent (2017) and 57 percent (2012) in the first round, which effectively meant parties had to win a higher share of ballots cast to get across the threshold.

On the 30th of June turnout reached almost 67 percent – its highest since 1997.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Given unlimited resources, what scientific or medical problem would you investigate, and why?”

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Lata Akhter Jahan from Bogura, Bangladesh. Lata is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Lata, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ras Franz Manko Ngogo, the president of the Kemogemba RFI Club in Tarima, Tanzania, and Nirupa Bain, a member of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu Shortwave Club in Chhattisgarh, India.

Last but not least, two RFI Listeners Club members: Sakawat Hossain from Sylhet, Bangladesh, and Solomon Fessahazion from Asmara, Eritrea.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Polovtsian Dances” from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, arranged for marimba ensemble by Fumito Nunoya and performed by the Nunoya Marimba Ensemble; “I’ve Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin, performed by Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and  “Un jour tu verras” by Georges van Parys and Marcel Mouloudji, sung by Mouloudji.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Paralympic torch arrives in France ahead of opening ceremony”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 23 September to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 28 September podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

or

By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country’s international access code, or “ + ”, then  33 6 31 12 96 82. Don’t forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

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

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

Wenjuan Huang, 19, and Yucheng Jin, 16, fought off the German veterans Juliane Wolf and Stephanie Grebe to claim the prize in the WD14 category.

They won 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8 in 31 minutes at the South Paris Arena.

“It feels so good,” Huang told the International Table Tennis Federation website.

“I never imagined I could get a gold medal. This was a very good start for the whole Chinese team.”

Of her burgeoning rapport with Jin, she added: “We practise very hard and we are good friends, too. We will be even better friends after winning this gold medal together.”

Huang competed at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo where she won silver in the singles and gold in the team event.

Jin, who was playing at her first Paralympic Games, started competing internationally last year.

“Jin played very well,” said Grebe magnanimously. “The match was very close but they were just a little bit better at the end,” added the 36-year-old who took silver and bronze in the S6 singles at the Rio and Tokyo Paralympics respectively.

“We had our chances,” Wolf said. “And that’s why I’m a little disappointed.”

The 36-year-old added: “If you have a chance to win a Paralympic final, of course you want to do this.”

Triumph

Shortly after Huang and Jin’s triumph, Jing Liu and Juan Xue upset the top seeds Su Yeon Seo and Jiyu Yoon from South Korea.

The Chinese duo won 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 to claim the WD5 gold and burnish their respective legends.

Both players have won every event they have entered in their Paralympic careers.

Liu, 36 secured the first of her nine golds at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. Xue had collected four in Rio and Tokyo.

The victories helped to push the Chinese overall medal tally to 25, including 12 golds.

Britain lie second in the table with six golds among their harvest of 15. Hosts France slipped from third at the end of the first day to seventh.

French Paralympic chiefs have targeted eighth place at the end of competitions on 8 Setpember. 

Elsewhere on the second day of action, the United States – which dominated the medals table at the Olympic Games – won its first gold at the Paralympics.

The success came at Paris La Défense Arena where Gia Pergolini defended her crown in the women’s 100m backstroke S13.

Pergolini, 20, finished in one minute, 04.93 seconds. Roisin Ni Riain from Ireland claimed the silver and the Italian Carlotta Gilli collected the bronze.

The Paralympics, which got underway on Wednesday, are counting on the incredible energy generated during the two weeks of the Olympics, which drew enthusiastic crowds both inside the venues and in the public fan zones around the capital.

One of the largest areas open to the public is at the Hôtel de Ville, or town hall, in the heart of the city.

The building’s ornate stone façade are festooned with banners in the Paris 2024 palette of pale pink, green, beige and shades of blue, while the flagstones of the plaza out front have been covered with bright blue mats, sports equipment and shaded seating areas to welcome around 2,500 people at a time.

Léo, a young instructor who works for the local parasports committee in the greater Paris region, runs workshops in wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

He’s happy to see parasports edging further and further into the limelight, thanks in part to the excitement around the Paris Games.

“I have a twin brother who is disabled so I have always been in contact with parasports. It is very rewarding and nice to see young people with disabilities enjoying sports,” he told RFI.

Requests for workshops to raise awareness in schools and communities have noticeably increased, he says.

Who are the French athletes competing in the Paris Paralympic Games?

A chance to explore

Nearby, teams of kids in red and green jerseys and eye masks are getting instructions on how to play blind football. Some of them are tourists visiting from Slovenia and Germany.

The workshops are run by members of Femix’Sport, an association which promotes diversity and women’s representation in sports federations.

Thiphaine Meriot, the group’s development and communications manager, says that the workshops at the city hall fan zone are an ideal opportunity for people from different social groups to mix – regardless of age and background, and whether or not they have a disability.

She says that people are surprised and curious to learn the rules of blind football, in which visually impaired players seek to score goals guided by a ball with a bell inside.

Only the goalkeeper is allowed to have full sight, while assistants near the goalposts can help give vocal instructions to the other players.

“I thought that blind football was quite well known, but in fact it’s not,” Meriot says. “We can tell that people are not familiar with it, so they discover it here.

“The more we have these kinds of workshops, the more we can help people discover new and challenging sports.”

Accessibility gaps

Not only are the Paralympics a chance to highlight the talents of remarkable athletes, organisers are also hoping to address issues of discrimination, inclusiveness and accessibility in wider society.

Alain, a volunteer at the Games, spends his days scooting around the fan zone in his electric wheelchair, showing visitors around.

Although he is proud to see Paris hosting such a high-profile event, he admits that a lot needs to be done to improve accessibility, especially when it comes to public transport.

“Only the automatised metro line 14 is fully accessible at all stations,” he says, adding that the tram network is in better shape because it was built more recently, while public buses now have special ramps.

But the suburban RER train network is unfortunately lagging behind, he says, as only a few of the stations have been upgraded. These lines serve several Paralympic sites outside the city, such as the equestrian arena at the Château de Versailles.

“Of course we can call on someone [from the station] to help us, but that means that we are not independent. I find that unacceptable in 2024. We should be independent like everyone else,” Alain says.

Paris metro accessibility a ‘weak spot’ ahead of Paralympics

Shifting priorities

A total of 18 of the 35 Olympic venues will be reused during the Paralympics, albeit with minor modifications to better suit parasports.

International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons told French news agency AFP earlier this year he hopes the Paris edition will help make the issues facing people with disabilities a higher global priority.

Parsons said he believes the Games “will have a big impact in how people with disability are perceived around the world”.

He argued that disability had fallen behind sexual and gender identity in recent years.

“We do believe people with disability have been left behind,” he said. “There is very little debate about persons with disability.”

Splash stance

The schedule was revamped for the para triathlon after forecasts showed inclement weather. All 11 medal events will be held on Day 4 instead of Day 4 and 5. “The decision was taken to provide athletes and coaches with as much certainty as possible,” said the organisers. This type of stuff revives memories over the many splendoured changes during the Olympics. Essentially heavy rains cause sewage to flow into the river which leads to a rise in bacteria levels and very unaesthetic objects in the river.

Wave of success 

Raoua Tlili from Tunisia won her seventh Paralympic title by claiming the F41 shot put category. It was her country’s first medal at the Paralympics. Tlili, 34, who competes in the petite category, was a strong favorite for gold – she has held the world record since the Tokyo Games in 2021. Her second throw of 10.40m secured the crown ahead of Kubaro Khakimova from Uzbekistan. Antonella Ruiz Diaz won the bronze medal with a season’s best throw of 9.58m.

New same old

Doubles has been off the agenda in para table tennis for a few decades. But the Paris 2024 organisers have put it back in. And lo and behold, the first two golds in the doubles since the 1976 Paralympic Games in Toronto went to … China. 

Fight for top spot

The Chinese and the Americans battled for supremacy at the top of the medals table during the Olympic Games. Athletes from both countries won 40 but the US eventually claimed the bragging rights because they had more silver and bronze. It doesn’t look like it will be anything like the same breathless struggle during the Paralympic Games. China have racked up 25 medals in two days and 12 of them shine gold. The US got its first gold on Day 2. Still a few more days to go.

Really?

Word reached the review about a poll that reported 88 percent of people questioned believed that the Paralympics opening ceremony was good. Operatives were charged with going out among the great unwashed to glean the views. The vast majority – that’s 87 percent – of the 1,189 souls quizzed thought it was a whizzer idea to launch the para sports fest along the Champs Elysées and Place de la Concorde. We’ve been watching the Paralympics action and haven’t had enough time to dive into the survey to find out how many people thought it was ace to charge between 150 and 700 euros to go and watch the show.

“Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to resuming and strengthening collaboration, with a view to ensuring regional stability and security,” said a Nigerian military statement on Thursday, a day after the nations’ defence chiefs signed a memorandum of understanding in Niger’s capital, Niamey.

Ties between the two countries soured after Niger‘s junta toppled Mohamed Bazoum in a military coup in July 2023.

The coup also fractured the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), casting doubt on the region’s ability to combat Islamist violence effectively.

Ecowas threatened to invade Niger if diplomatic efforts to restore its democratic government failed.

Nigeria’s army chief, General Christopher Musa, stated he was prepared to intervene if Ecowas requested and was “sure of victory”.

The threat of intervention prompted Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali to pull out of the 15-country bloc in January.

Claiming Ecowas had failed to assist them in addressing Islamist violence, the three Sahel nations subsequently signed a military pact, forming a parallel body known as the Alliance of Sahel States.

Despite the tensions, Niger has remained part of a Nigeria-led multinational joint task force (MNJTF) combating Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, though it has limited its participation.

Under the agreement signed on Wednesday, Niger “reaffirmed its readiness to reume active participation in security cooperation under the Multinational Joint Task Force”, said the Nigerian statement.

The leaders of Nigeria and Niger’s armed forces are expected to meet again soon in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.

(with newswires)

Artisanal gold mining is booming in Kédougou, a region in southeast Senegal where the Falémé river flows.

Over the past 20 years, miners from 19 African countries have flocked there in search of fortune.

Unfortunately, the mercury, lead and cyanide used in the gold extraction process have polluted the river, upon which thousands rely for farming and livestock.

Scientific studies have detected toxic substances in wells, water tables, agricultural products and even in the bodies of livestock and humans.

“This worrying situation calls for strong measures on the part of the national authorities to find a fair solution to the incessant complaints from people living along the river” said Senegal’s Ministry of Mines in a report last week.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko issued a decree suspending all mining activities on Senegalese territory up to 500 metres from the river’s left bank until 30 June 2027. The issuance of new mining permits has also been suspended.

A matter of national security

The Falémé river flows from the highlands of Guinea, along a significant portion of Senegal‘s border with Mali, and into the Senegal river.

It was once home to diverse species of fish and mammals but is now in urgent need of restoration said a 2024 report in the Journal of Water Resource and Protection.

A study by the Senegalese NGO Wassaton found that the number of illegal mining sites along both the Senegalese and Malian sides of the Falémé had risen from 600 to 800 in 2021.

Wassaton’s president, Adama Ndiaye, said that Chinese companies and traditional gold panners have set up these sites on both banks of the river.

“They’re in pick ups and L200 vehicles, using excavators and they don’t live in the area,” he told the Senegalese Press Agency.

PM Sonko said suspending all gold-panning activities to combat pollution was a “matter of national security”. But he acknowledged it was a difficult issue “because the solution does not depend on Senegal alone”.

“We share the river with our neighbour [Mali],” Sonko said. “And that’s why, during our recent trip to Mali, we raised the issue with the authorities. There is gold panning on the other side too, using the same products, notably mercury.”

In 2014, Senegal designated a zone where artisanal gold mining was authorised in an effort to regulate the activity. The army has dismantled at least three illegal gold-panning sites since April this year.

The government says it’s relying on the armed forces to enforce the temporary ban.

However, Senegalese authorities are unsure who the illegal gold panners are or where they are operating said Oudy Diallo, head of the non-profit Kédougou Alerte Environnement.

This makes it difficult to conduct a proper census “because we have no control over the comings and goings of gold miners from the sub-region” he told RFI.

Gold mining in Ivory Coast: Locals fear water contamination in eastern regions

‘Protectors of the Falémé’

Environmental activist Diallo says the suspension has been welcomed by people living along the Falémé, who are ready to assist the authorities in enforcing the decree.

“We need the population, the village chiefs, to get involved,” he said. “We are all protectors of the Falémé.”

He acknowledged that locals cannot arrest the gold panners themselves but suggested they could contact local authorities to ensure security forces intervene and remind miners they no longer have the right to mine gold.

Diallo is also calling for an independent audit of mining permits, which he claims were granted “without ever being subject to an environmental impact study.”

Most of the gold extracted is sold in Mali, where prices are higher – one gram of gold in Senegal can fetch 31,000 CFA (51 USD) while in Mali it can exceed 40,000 CFA (67 USD).

The effectiveness of the ban will also depend on whether Malian authorities can implement similar measures on their side of the river – a difficult task given Mali’s military-led government since the 2020 coup and ongoing struggles with jihadist violence.

(with newswires)

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan described August’s second round of indirect talks in Ankara between his Ethiopian and Somali counterparts as constructive and positive.

“We were able to focus on the details and technicalities of concrete steps that are important convergences on some major principles and specific modalities”, Fidan said.

“This constitutes notable progress.”

While there was no breakthrough, all sides agreed to meet again in September.

Controversial deal 

Ethiopian-Somali tensions have escalated since January, when Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway state from Somalia.

Under the agreement, Ethiopia would secure sea access in exchange for recognising Somaliland, a deal condemned by Somalia as an infringement on its territorial integrity.

“Ethiopia needs access to a coastline”, said Dubai-based geopolitical consultant Norman Ricklefs.

“It’s the second-largest country in Africa. It’s a booming economy. And, somehow, that deal needs to be made, but it’s not going to be easy because of the previous deal earlier this year with Somaliland.”

Ricklefs predicts that finding a solution will require considerable diplomatic finesse.

“It’s not going to be easy to convince the Somalis to grant that [Ethiopian demands], feeling that they’re under pressure right now because of the deal that was previously done with Somaliland,” he said.

“But I think Turkey is probably best placed, as they have a very close relationship with both Ethiopia and Somalia.”

Somalia recently threatened to block access to Ethiopian Airlines in the latest bout of diplomatic tensions. Meanwhile, Egypt could reportedly deploy soldiers to Somalia, a move that threatens to further escalate and broaden tensions, given existing Ethiopian-Egyptian conflicts.

Ethiopia and Somalia move closer to resolving Somaliland dispute

Deepening influence

The situation between Somalia and Ethiopia is expected to be discussed during Wednesday’s summit in Turkey, where Egyptian President Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to meet.

Africa expert Elem Eyrice-Tepecikoglu from the African studies department of Ankara’s Social Sciences University said Turkey’s historical and deepening economic and military ties with both Somalia and Ethiopia give it an advantageous position in its mediating efforts.

“Somalia has a very important place in Turkey’s Africa policy. Turkey has established its largest embassy in Somalia’s capital, and it also established its largest military training facility, again in Somalia,” said Tepecikoglu.

“But Turkey also has old and established relations with Ethiopia as well. There are several investments of Turkish companies in the country, and Turkey also signed a military cooperation agreement with Ethiopia. Reportedly, Turkish drones were used against the Tigray rebel forces.”

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

Economic, military stakes

Earlier this year, the Somali parliament ratified a naval agreement with Turkey to protect its territorial waters and a deal to search for hydrocarbons. Turkey is second only to China in investment in Ethiopia, including selling its military-proven drones.

Analysts suggest that there is more than diplomatic prestige at stake for Ankara in resolving Ethiopian-Somali tensions, given the region’s potential and geostrategic importance as a critical world trading route.

“There’s a reason why the Horn of Africa has American military bases and Chinese military bases. The Japanese even have a base in that area. All of them think the Horn of Africa is a pretty significant region for global shipping,” Ricklefs said.

“It’s a region that has not been developed. It has hydrocarbon resources and other resources like agricultural resources that have not been developed and would need networks and infrastructure that a country like Turkey could provide if there was security and stability.”

Ethiopian and Somali talks are set to resume in September. Success would underline Turkey’s growing influence in a region of increasing international competition, while failure could threaten two decades of Turkish investment in the region.

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.

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!

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. You are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution – told by the people it affects.

You do not need expensive video equipment to enter the competition. Your phone is fine.  And you do not need to be a member of the RFI Clubs to enter – everyone is welcome. And by the way – the prizes are incredibly generous!

Go to the ePOP page to read about past competitions, watch past videos, and read the regulations for your entry.  You can also write to us at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr, and we’ll forward your mail to Planète Radio.

The competition closes 12 September. We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

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

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

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

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bi-lingual 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”. According to your score, you’ll be counseled to the best-suited activities for your level.

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

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the 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 Paris Perspective, Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, 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. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

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

This week’s quiz: On 6 July, I asked you a question about France’s snap legislative elections, called by President Emmanuel Macron after his centrist party was severely trounced by the far-right National Rally Party in the European legislative elections.

The first round of voting was on 30 June; voter turnout was quite high. You were to consult RFI English journalist Jessica Phelan’s article “The three-way factor that makes France’s election results so unusual” and send in the answer to these two questions: What was voter turnout on Sunday 30 June, and in which year was it last that high? 

The answer is: As Jessica wrote in her article: “The last three parliamentary elections have seen turnout of roughly 48 percent (2022), 49 percent (2017) and 57 percent (2012) in the first round, which effectively meant parties had to win a higher share of ballots cast to get across the threshold.

On the 30th of June turnout reached almost 67 percent – its highest since 1997.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Given unlimited resources, what scientific or medical problem would you investigate, and why?”

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Lata Akhter Jahan from Bogura, Bangladesh. Lata is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Lata, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ras Franz Manko Ngogo, the president of the Kemogemba RFI Club in Tarima, Tanzania, and Nirupa Bain, a member of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu Shortwave Club in Chhattisgarh, India.

Last but not least, two RFI Listeners Club members: Sakawat Hossain from Sylhet, Bangladesh, and Solomon Fessahazion from Asmara, Eritrea.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Polovtsian Dances” from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, arranged for marimba ensemble by Fumito Nunoya and performed by the Nunoya Marimba Ensemble; “I’ve Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin, performed by Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and  “Un jour tu verras” by Georges van Parys and Marcel Mouloudji, sung by Mouloudji.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Paralympic torch arrives in France ahead of opening ceremony”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 23 September to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 28 September podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

or

By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country’s international access code, or “ + ”, then  33 6 31 12 96 82. Don’t forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

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

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

Azerbaijan showcased its military might in a grand parade in Baku last year to celebrate its victory in recapturing the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave from Armenian-backed forces.

Azerbaijan, buoyed by its oil wealth, is continuing its aggressive rearmament programme, heavily relying on Turkey for military support.

“The Turkish defence industry and Turkish military equipment will be providing further arms to protect Azerbaijan,” predicts Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.”

However, Bagci noted that Azerbaijan is also turning to another ally for advanced weaponry.

“Israel is much better in this respect. Azerbaijan buys the highest technology from Israel, and Israel is providing it.”

Turkish and Israeli arms played a crucial role in Azerbaijan’s recent military successes, overwhelming Armenian-backed forces that relied on outdated Russian equipment.

Armenia’s response

In response to its loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is also ramping up its military capabilities, with France leading the supply of new, sophisticated weaponry.

Paris argues that this support helps Armenia shift its focus away from Russian reliance and towards Western alliances.

Yerevan maintains that its rearmament is purely for self-defence.

“Right now, there is no military parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” says Eric Hacopian, a political consultant in Armenia.

“The goal is to create deterrents to make any aggression against Armenia more costly. In the medium term, we aim for equality, and in the long term, superiority.”

Stalled peace talks

The rearmament comes amid stalled peace talks, with Baku concerned that Yerevan’s military buildup might indicate ambitions to retake Nagorno Karabakh.

“The truth is our territory was under occupation, so we worry that in five, 10 years, Armenia will rearm its military, strengthen military capacities, and will come back,” warned Farid Shafiyev, chairman of the Baku-based Centre of Analysis of International Relations.

Yerevan maintains that its rearmament is purely for self-defence.

“Right now, there is no military parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The goal is to create deterrents in the short run to make any aggression against Armenia far more costly than it has been in the past,” says Eric Hacopian, a political consultant in Armenia.

“Two is to create equality in the middle term and in the long term superiority. You can’t have any other goal when your country is constantly under threat, or attack is the only way to respond to it.”

Hacopian also notes: “The moment Armenia can defend itself, then the game is up because Ilham Aliyev is not going to risk a war that he is not guaranteed to win; Armenia rearming means he is not guaranteed to win a war which he means he won’t launch one.”

However, Hacopian acknowledges that the coming year will be dangerous for the region as Yerevan seeks to close the military gap with Azerbaijan.

“Next year is the year of living dangerously because next year is the last year that they can do a major aggression against Armenia without having to face the consequences because the gap is closing. Once it closes, the game will be up,” he says.

Ongoing tensions

Earlier this month, Armenian and Azerbaijani forces exchanged fire in a border skirmish, underscoring the ongoing tensions between the two nations.

Both Baku and Yerevan insist their military enhancements are for defensive purposes.

However, Bagci warns that the arms race is turning the region into a potential flashpoint.

“Armenia and Azerbaijan are like two children; they play with fire, and the house is burning, and everybody is asking the big powers why the house is burning and who has done it. They have done it together,” he says.

Despite their rearmament, both Armenia and Azerbaijan claim to remain committed to the US-backed peace process.

Analysts, however, warn that the escalating arms race could deepen mutual suspicions and further complicate efforts to achieve lasting peace.

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.

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!

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. You are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution – told by the people it affects.

You do not need expensive video equipment to enter the competition. Your phone is fine.  And you do not need to be a member of the RFI Clubs to enter – everyone is welcome. And by the way – the prizes are incredibly generous!

Go to the ePOP page to read about past competitions, watch past videos, and read the regulations for your entry.  You can also write to us at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr, and we’ll forward your mail to Planète Radio.

The competition closes 12 September. We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

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

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

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

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bi-lingual 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”. According to your score, you’ll be counseled to the best-suited activities for your level.

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

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the 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 Paris Perspective, Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, 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. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English – that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

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

This week’s quiz: On 29 June, I asked you a question about France’s snap elections for the lower house of Parliament, the National Assembly. President Emmanuel Macron had just dissolved the Assembly after his party was rather severely trounced in the European Parliament elections by the far-right National Rally party.

The first round of voting was on 30 June, and the candidates were, as I noted then, promising the moon to voters … you were to listen to Sarah Elzas’ report on her Spotlight on France podcast, and send in the answer to this question: What did the National Rally party say they would do in July to decide what they can or cannot do, as far as their economic promises to the voters?

The answer is: As Romeric Godin told Sarah on the podcast: “Many of the spending proposals put forward by Bardella and the RN are predicated on an audit of the country’s finances, planned as of July, which would determine what can (and cannot) be done.

“That’s a traditional way to say ‘We can’t implement some promises we made before, because public finances are not in order’,” says Godin, skeptical that the RN will be able to deliver.

For Godin, the economic audit offers a way out: “They can say that if the report on France’s public finances is very bad, they will not do it in the autumn, or at all.”

The fiscal information is all there, no audit is necessary.  France’s Cour des Comptes, the country’s independent and supreme audit institution, publishes a monthly report on the country’s finances. It’s not a secret document. It’s online, and everyone can read it.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What do you remember about your first day at your first job?”, which was suggested by Mokles Uddin Mollahis from Bogura, Bangladesh.

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Rafiq Khondaker, the president of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Congratulations, Riaz, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria, and RFI Listeners Club member Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusene, Denmark. Last but not least, there are RFI English listeners Liton Ahamed Mia, from Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Malik Muhammad Nawaz Khokhar from the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. 

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Sous le ciel de Paris” by Hubert Giraud and Jean Dréjac, sung by the one and only Edith Piaf; the traditional valse-musette “A Happy Day in Paris” performed by AccordionMan; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Hymne à l’Amour” by Marguerite Monnot and Edith Piaf, sung by Céline Dion.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate.

You have until 16 September to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 21 September podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

or

By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country’s international access code, or “ + ”, then  33 6 31 12 96 82. Don’t forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

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

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

In a world increasingly dominated by Western beauty standards promoted through pop culture and the global beauty industry, the Decolonising Beauty campaign seeks to challenge narrow perceptions and showcase the multifaceted beauty traditions in Africa.

The campaign uses a multi-platform approach to reach a broad audience of English and French speakers in Africa and around the world.

A series of initiatives from the campaign will be announced until the end of the year involving photographers, artists, poets, media makers and content creators.

Zikora Media & Arts founder Chika Oduah tells us more.

• Read also: French lawmakers vote in favour of bill to ban hair discrimination

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompéani

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale

Abbas received a standing ovation in the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, where he addressed an extraordinary session. Deputies wore scarves adorned with Turkish and Palestinian flags as a show of solidarity.

With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan watching from the balcony, Abbas praised Turkey’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.

“We highly appreciate Turkey’s pioneering role under the leadership of President Erdogan for its courageous and unwavering positions in defense of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to freedom and independence,” declared Abbas.

Increasing isolation

Erdogan is attempting to position himself at the forefront of international opposition to Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, even as Turkey finds itself increasingly sidelined from global efforts to resolve the conflict.

China’s recent hosting of Palestinian faction leaders highlights Erdogan’s diminishing influence.

“Erdogan was hoping to reconcile Palestinian factions, but China stole the spotlight and acted preemptively. China had more political clout over the parties,” Selin Nasi, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics contemporary Turkish studies department, told RFI.

Abbas’s visit to Russia on Tuesday further underscores the growing importance of other nations in efforts to address the Gaza conflict.

Domestic message

Erdogan’s invitation to Abbas also serves as a way to reinforce his pro-Palestinian credentials with his domestic conservative base.

“He’s trying to keep his base intact domestically,” Sezin Oney, a commentator on Turkey’s Politikyol news portal, told RFI.

“Once upon a time, Erdogan resonated with the Arab public in general.

“The Arab Street, as it was called back then, and the Muslim population in general saw him as connected with international grassroots movements. But he doesn’t have that appeal anymore; he’s lost that appeal.”

Turkey a bridge?

Erdogan has long claimed to be a bridge between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

“This is an issue that Erdogan personally invested a lot of time and energy in,” said Selin Nasi.

However, Erdogan’s influence with Hamas has waned, particularly after the assassination of its leader Ismail Haniyeh last month, and his replacement by Yahya Sinwar, who is relatively unknown in Turkey.

“They cannot host [Sinwar], they cannot contact him, nor do they have the kind of relations that they had with Haniyeh. So they have to settle with Mahmoud Abbas at this point,” Oney said.

Abbas, however, appears to show little interest in Turkey’s playing a larger role in resolving the conflict, and Erdogan’s strong support of Hamas and his fiery rhetoric against Israel is increasingly isolating him from countries seeking to end the fighting.

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.