Arab and Muslim leaders gathered in Riyadh on Monday, more than a year into the Israel-Hamas war and regional escalation, in what is seen as a chance to send a message to US president-elect Donald Trump.

Opening the summit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the international community must “immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon”, condemning Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide”.

Saudi Arabia “affirms its support for the brothers in Palestine and Lebanon to overcome the disastrous humanitarian consequences of the ongoing Israeli aggression,” he said.

A draft resolution for the summit stresses “firm support” for “national rights” for the Palestinian people, “foremost among which is their right to freedom and to an independent, sovereign state“.

Just hours earlier, newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was not “realistic” to establish a Palestinian state, dismissing it as a “Hamas state”.

“I don’t think this position is realistic today and we must be realistic,” Saar said in Jerusalem.

Foreign ‘interference’

Prince Mohammed also called on Israel not to attack Iran, highlighting improving ties between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned that the country was suffering an “existential” crisis and hit out at countries meddling in its internal affairs – a thinly veiled swipe at Iran.

Countries should stop “interfering in its internal affairs by supporting this or that group, but rather support Lebanon as a state and entity,” Mikati said.

The Saudi foreign ministry announced plans for the summit in late October during a meeting, also in Riyadh, of a new “international alliance” to press for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Despite criticism of the impact Israel’s military campaign has had on Gaza civilians, outgoing US President Joe Biden ensured that Washington remained Israel’s most important military backer during more than a year of fighting.

• EU, Gulf leaders hold first ever summit to tackle Middle East crisis
• Arab, Muslim blocs meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Gaza conflict

The return of Donald Trump

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s election last week for a second term in the White House was also a topic of interest, as it provided an opportunity for regional leaders to signal to the incoming administration what they want in terms of US engagement. 

In his first term, Trump’s actions showed him as an even firmer supporter of Israel.

He defied international consensus by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving Washington’s embassy there.

He also endorsed Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

Under the Abraham Accords, Trump oversaw the establishment of Israeli diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Morocco.

Though Saudi Arabia did not join those agreements, Trump cultivated warm ties with the Gulf kingdom while in office and has deepened his business connections to the region during the Biden years.

The 57-member OIC and 22-member Arab League include countries which recognise Israel and those firmly opposed to its regional integration.

A similar summit last year in Riyadh saw disagreement on measures like severing economic and diplomatic ties with Israel and disrupting its oil supplies.

(With AFP)

Before the traditional ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe, the two leaders placed wreaths by statues of Churchill and of Georges Clemenceau, the French prime minister at the time of the Armistice

“I am honoured to be in Paris to stand united with President Macron in tribute to the fallen of the First World War who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today,” Starmer said.

Starmer is the first British leader to attend France’s Armistice Day ceremony since Churchill joined Charles de Gaulle in 1944, Starmer’s office said.

The Paris ceremony, which is both “traditional and particular”, according to Macron’s office, echoes Franco-British commemorations 80 years ago, when Allied troops liberated most of France’s territory from Nazi occupation.

The meeting is intended as a symbol to show the two countries’ friendship, 120 years after the Entente Cordiale, the historic agreement between France and the United Kingdom.

Starmer announced that the British government has committed over €12 million to commemorate next year’s 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe and the defeat of Japan that ended World War II in 1945.

During Starmer’s visit to Paris, he and Macron were expected to discuss foreign policy, notably Ukraine, following the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

The British Prime Minister is also expected to meet France’s new Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

The meeting marks a significant step in Starmer’s plans to reset relations with the European Union following the UK’s exit in 2020.

(with AFP)

Cop29 is taking place as 2024 is expected to be declared the hottest year ever recorded.  

The two-week event faces major challenges: Azerbaijan has announced plans to expand gas production, local activists have been jailed in a pre-summit crackdown, and nations remain sharply divided over who should pay the trillions needed to tackle climate impacts. 

What’s undisputed, however, is that emissions are not being cut fast enough. United Nations estimates show the planet is on track for a catastrophic temperature rise of between 2.6C and 3.1C by 2100 – far above the safer 1.5C limit set in Paris in 2015. 

The need for action is amplified by a looming February 2025 deadline for countries to update their Nationally Determined Contributions, or emissions reduction targets, under the Paris Agreement.  

Without stronger commitments, the world faces rising sea levels, devastating heatwaves and worsening food insecurity. 

Finance goal 

Sitting at the top of the agenda is climate finance. The world must agree a new funding goal to replace the previous $100 billion annual target, which wealthy nations only met in 2022 – two years late.  

That delay eroded trust between richer and poorer nations, and the latter now say they need far more support to transition to a low-carbon future as they grapple with the escalating impacts of climate change. 

This post-2025 funding goal – to be agreed by nearly 200 nations – is expected to be one of the key outcomes of Cop29.  

Some countries are calling for $1 trillion annually, with the funds split between emissions cuts, adaptation and disaster relief. A UN-commissioned report found that developing nations will require $2.4 trillion per year by 2030. 

Record greenhouse gas levels lock in decades of global warming

Ongoing divisions

But fractures remain. Wealthy countries like the United States argue that the donor pool should be expanded to include contributions from major economies like China – now the world’s largest polluter – as well as oil-rich Gulf states. 

The existing donor group, which also excludes big economies such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, was based on the development status of nations at the time the UN’s climate convention was ratified back in 1992. 

Developing countries insist those with the longest histories of industrialisation bear the primary responsibility for climate finance. 

Another contentious issue is the form the financial support should take. Developing countries want grants rather than loans so as to avoid being saddled with further debt down the road. 

With the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations now spending twice as much annually on debt repayments as they receive in climate aid, financial solutions are seen as a critical part of successful climate action. 

Meanwhile fossil-fuel producers such as Azerbaijan are pushing for more control over finance targets – a stance that critics say risks undermining more robust solutions. 

Ice loss and plant growth mark new era for warming Antarctica

Greenwashing fears 

This year’s Cop marks the third consecutive summit held in an authoritarian state, following Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. 

Azerbaijan is an unusual host for a climate summit focused on reducing emissions, given that fossil fuels make up about half its economy. 

President Ilham Aliyev recently announced plans to boost gas production to meet European energy needs, calling his country’s reserves “a gift from God”. 

This has raised questions over conflicts of interest – especially given Aliyev’s selection of Mukhtar Babayev, a key oil figure, as Cop29’s lead negotiator. 

“Azerbaijan must guide the UN negotiations towards agreement on crucial climate finance. But the country’s weak environmental credentials, repressive politics and attachment to fossil fuel revenues invite doubts about its ability to provide effective climate leadership,” the London-based policy institute Chatham House warned in a report. 

“There is a risk that Azerbaijan could rally fellow fossil fuel producers around limited and unambitious outcomes at the summit.” 

Unlike Cop28 in Dubai last year, which hosted a record 100,000 attendees, Baku is expected to host between 40,000 and 50,000 government representatives, UN officials, scientists and activists.  

But human rights groups warn Azerbaijan’s crackdown on civil society could limit local participation. Amnesty International reported that more than 300 people have been imprisoned on politically motivated charges.  

Activists and journalists, including climate advocate Anar Mammadli, remain in detention, sparking warnings that Azerbaijan’s presidency may serve more to “greenwash” its image than advance global climate action.

US President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Trump highlighted the US’s “sizeable military presence in Europe” and expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss “the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.”

Trump has criticised the level of U.S. support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia since the 2022 full-scale invasion and has promised to end the conflict without explaining how.

Britain and France have said it is essential to keep supporting Ukraine against Russia to protect the European continent as a whole.

In Paris Starmer and Macron will discuss “Russia’s ongoing barbaric invasion of Ukraine and the appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Downing Street said.

Europe has been the biggest provider of aid to Ukraine, providing €118 billion since the start of the conflict, while the US has provided € 85 billion, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Starmer will be the first British leader to attend French Armistice Day services Winston Churchill was hosted by Charles de Gaulle in 1944 during the second world war.

(with AFP, Reuters)

Photo books took center stage at Paris Photo, with 45 publishers presenting a rich variety of photographic works. The collection included limited-edition prints, rare volumes, and artist’s books, showcasing the growing importance of this niche segment in the photography world.

Among the featured publishers was Delpire & Co, which, since 1958, has published one of the best-selling photo books in the world, The Americans by Robert Frank (1924-2019).

Paris Photo celebrated the centenary of his birth this year and the legacy of the US photographer.

“The publication of this book caused a shock because of the freedom, the way he took photos on the streets of New York. This had never been done before,” Emmanuelle Kouchner, the director of Delpire & Co, told RFI.

To choose a photo book, “people tend to gravitate toward what they know or have heard of,” said Kouchner.

“Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lee Miller – these are the reliable names.”

Japanese publishers

Japanese photo book publishers also made a strong showing at the fair, underscoring the ongoing significance of the photo book in Japan’s rich photographic history.

CASE Publishing, for instance, is known for creating high-end “object books” such as Mineko Orisaku, a work that features a unique printing technique and the use of metallic Japanese ink. The book is priced at 220 euros, reflecting the craftsmanship involved.

The tradition of photography books in Japan has roots in the post-World War II era, where they became an essential tool for documenting history and personal narratives.

“Japanese photographers often aim to publish a book first, whereas French photographers tend to focus more on exhibitions,”  a Franco-Japanese photographer present at the event, said.

Photo book of the year

In recognition of the crucial role photo books play in the evolution of photography, the Paris Photo-Aperture Book Prize has been awarded since 2012.

This year, the prize went to Taysir Batniji for his book “Disruptions” published by Loose Joints Publishing. The work compiles pixelated screenshots of WhatsApp video calls between Batniji and his family in Gaza, taken between 2015 and 2017.

The first book prize was awarded to Taiwanese photographer Tsai Ting Bang for “Born From the Same Root”, a self-published work, awarded with a $10,000 cash prize.

A niche sector

Despite the vibrancy of events like Paris Photo, the photo book market remains a niche sector, facing numerous challenges.

In the last two decades, the number of photography-focused publishing houses has quintupled, but selling these books has become increasingly difficult.

“It’s tough because booksellers don’t have much room, and most are quite hesitant to take risks. It’s a shame,” explained Emmanuelle Kouchner.

“That’s why fairs like Paris Photo are so important – they give us a platform to introduce our books to a wider audience.”

In France alone, around 200 new photo books are published each year, but the market is characterised by high production costs, limited distribution, and relatively low sales.

The recent surge in paper prices and the global health crisis have only exacerbated these challenges, making photo book publishing more expensive than ever before.

But despite these obstacles, the appeal of photo books continues to thrive among collectors and photography enthusiasts.

The nine-member council’s decision – dated for publication on Monday 11 November – seeks to push out Garry Conille after just five months in office and replace him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.

The bulletin says the council agreed by consensus on 8 November to remove Conille – a former UN official and academic who was named in May to lead the country as it confronts soaring gang violence and long-standing political instability.

58-year-old Conille reportedly sent a letter to the transitional council asking for the decision not to be officially published.

Power struggle

The two sides have reportedly been locked in a power struggle for weeks, with the council wanting to change the ministers of justice, finance, defence and health against the prime minister’s wishes.

And Conille sent the council a letter this week seeking the resignation of three of its members accused of corruption.

It is not immediately clear if the council – whose members represent various political and civil society groups – even has the power to dismiss Conille.

As the newly created council is not mentioned in the constitution and it was not approved by parliament because Haiti does not have a sitting legislature.

The country has not held elections since 2016, widening a political vacuum that has worsened existing security and health crises.

The country has long been over-run by gang violence, but conditions sharply worsened at the end of February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in the capital Port-au-Prince, saying they wanted to overthrow then-prime minister Ariel Henry.

Unelected and unpopular, Henry stepped down amid the violence, handing power to the transitional council, which has US and regional backing.

• Murder rate in Haiti spikes with over 1,200 killed in three months
• Kenya promises full Haiti deployment by January amid calls for UN mission

Killings, kidnappings and sexual violence

Despite the arrival of a Kenyan-led police support mission, gang violence has continued to soar in Haiti.

The United Nations reported late last month that over 1,200 people were killed from July through September, with persistent kidnappings and sexual violence against women and girls.

Gangs in recent years have taken over about 80 percent of the capital as any semblance of governance evaporated.

The United Nations report also said these powerful gangs are digging trenches, using drones and stockpiling weapons as they change tactics to confront the Kenyan-led police force.

Gang leaders have strengthened defences around the zones they control and placed gas cylinders and Molotov cocktail ready to use against police operations.

According to the International Organization for Migration than 700,000 people – half of them children – have fled their homes because of the gang violence.

Even before final results were officially released, Jugnauth said his Lepep alliance, led by his Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), was “heading towards a big defeat”.

Opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam is set to take over as prime minister for the third time at the head of his four-party Alliance of Change coalition.

“I have tried to do what I can for the country and the population. The population has decided to choose another team. I wish good luck to the country,” Jugnauth who has been prime minister since 2017, when his father stepped down from the post, told reporters.

The lively, sometimes heated campaign for the 62 seats in parliament by candidates from 68 parties and five political alliances focused on cost-of-living issues, but it became overshadowed by a wire-tapping scandal.

Jugnauth, who negotiated an agreement for Britain to cede the Chagos Islands, blocked social media platforms in the lead-up to the election after the wire-tapping scandal, which may have influenced voters.  

Turnout was about 80 percent, according to provisional estimates by the election commission which was due to announce final results later Monday.

(with Reuters, AFP)

“We are now facing a crisis,” Zurabishvili said Monday at a press conference, where she called for “new elections so that Georgia could have a legitimate parliament, a legitimate government”.

“Our friends are here to join us in seeking out ways to help Georgia emerge from this crisis,” Zurabishvili said, referring to a group of MPs from eight European countries, including from France and Germany, who visited Georgia on Monday.

The pro-Western opposition has refused to recognise the results of the 26 October election, which the ruling Georgian Dream party said it had won by 54 percent.

Zurabishvili said the election was “controlled and manipulated by one party” and has accused Russia of interference.

The opposition has refused to enter the newly-elected parliament, which it deems “illegitimate.”

A group of Georgia’s leading election monitors said earlier that they had uncovered evidence large-scale electoral fraud that swayed results in favour of Georgian Dream.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Tbilisi to protest the alleged fraud.

The European Union and the United States have called for a probe into what they called electoral “irregularities”.

Ahead of the election, Brussels had warned the vote would determine Georgia’s chances of joining the bloc.

(with AFP)

The rise of the Senegal River is devastating crops and buildings in a large region of the country.

Residents have condemned the authorities’ inadequate response as the disaster now threatens to spark a health crisis

Food security is also at stake, according to business leaders in the country, which is key to the agricultural sector.

Torrential and late rains are a result of climate change, according to UN agencies working in the region.

They have led to severe flooding in different parts of Senegal since 5 November.

The overflowing of the Senegal and Gambia rivers is due to water releases from the Manantali (in Mali) and Faleme dams, which led to fluvial flooding, causing considerable damage, particularly in the regions of Tambacounda, Matam, Kedougou and Saint Louis.

Several villages along the riverbanks in these regions were submerged.

Official sites and buildings, including schools and health centres, are still flooded.

Floods leave 10 million children out of school in west and central Africa

Displaced populations

Senegal’s government estimates that more 56,000 people have been displaced as a result.

“It’s hard to live. If your field is destroyed, you have nothing to eat,” Khardiatou Sy told news agencies, as her house was reduced to rubble by the rising water.

Seeking shelter in a tent of sticks and rags after floods devastated her village in northeastern Senegal, she says she feels abandoned by the government days ahead of snap parliamentary elections.

The 28-year-old is one of tens of thousands to have been displaced when torrential rains caused the Senegal River to burst its banks in October.

Her village of Bely Dialo used to live off rice cultivation, she said, but its inhabitants must now fish in the nearby floodwaters to eat and earn money.

Economic and political challenges

The scale of the destruction is one of the many challenges facing Senegal’s new government, which took office in April and is heading into legislative elections on 17 November.

Senegal’s president dissolves parliament, calls snap November election

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has recently called the state of public finances “catastrophic”, and his government is willing to tackle high unemployment and to address the large numbers of young people risking their lives to reach Europe.

Opinions on the new government’s first seven months are divided in the rural Matam region, often seen as a stronghold of former president Macky Sall.

Some want to believe in a better future, following the ambitious rhetoric of the ruling Pastef party; others feel the government has not done enough yet to address the challenges of daily life.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has come to visit some flood-affected areas in recent weeks, with the government allocating eight billion CFA francs (12,3 million euros) to support the victims.

Meanwhile, at a Pastef rally in the nearby city of Matam, joy and expectation filled the evening air as thousands played vuvuzelas and chanted songs in admiration of Faye and Sonko.

After Faye dissolved the opposition-led parliament, Pastef believes this election will secure a legislative majority and help implement its agenda of economic transformation, social justice and the fight against corruption.

The Matam region is one of the poorest in Senegal and has the worst employment rate.

The government unveiled last month a vast 25-year national development project, planning to turn the region into a hub for processing phosphate into fertiliser.

Senegal unveils 25-year development plan aiming for economic sovereignty

Meanwhile, Senegal‘s coasts remain the main departure points for young people attempting the perilous Atlantic crossing to Europe, where thousands have died or disappeared in recent years, risking their lives in overloaded, often unseaworthy boats in search of brighter prospects.

 (with AFP)

Paris police said Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for Thursday’s match to ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transport. 

The announcement comes a week after violence in Amsterdam between groups of individuals and Maccabi Tel-Aviv supporters, which drew international condemnation.

“It’s going to be a high-risk match”, said Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez, in “a very tense geopolitical context” in reference to the Israel-Gaza war and Israeli strikes on north Lebanon.

In addition to 2,500 police officers in and around the Stade de France stadium and 1,500 others on public transport in Paris, Nunez said some 1,600 security agents will also be mobilised at the stadium, and France’s elite police unit (Raid) will provide security for the Israeli team.

“There will be an anti-terrorist security perimeter around the stadium,” he added. Security checks will be “reinforced,” including with systematic pat-downs and bag searches.

Some leftist MPs have called for the match to be relocated but Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said: “France does not back down, this would be akin to surrendering to threats of violence and antisemitism.”

French government launches consultations on fighting anti-Semitism

Macron to attend

Nuñez said French organisers have been in contact with Israeli authorities and security forces in order to prepare for the match.

President Emmanuel Macron‘s office has confirmed his presence to “send a message of fraternity and solidarity after the intolerable acts of antisemitism that followed the match in Amsterdam”.

Israeli authorities have urged fans not to attend.

On Sunday, the French Football Federation (FFF) estimated “around 20,000” tickets had been sold for the match, a far cry from the 80,000 or so available.

Earlier this week, a pro-Palestine group gathered at the FFF headquarters in Paris to protest the France-Israel match.

Around 20 activists held banners that read “Criminal Israel, Accomplice FFF,” “No to France-Israel Match at Stade de France,” and “Stop Genocide, Silence Kills”.

UN rapporteur says Israel’s war in Gaza is ’emptying the land completely’

Zionist antisemitism rally planned

Israeli football fans were assaulted last week in Amsterdam by groups of young people apparently riled up by calls on social media to target Jewish people, according to Dutch authorities.

Ten people were injured and dozens were arrested after the attacks, which were condemned as antisemitic by Israeli, Dutch and European leaders.

However, videos shared on social media also showed Maccabi fans setting fire to Palestinian and Dutch flags while chanting “Gaza is a cemetery”, disrupting a minute’s silence for victims of the floods in Spain, and roaming the streets with wooden planks after the match.

Tension around Thursday’s match has mounted further after the Jewish youth movement Betar said it would rally in Paris against antisemitism.

Yigal Brand, CEO of World Betar, said in a statement Sunday that the movement, which is present worldwide and has links to the Israeli right, was “outraged at what has happened in Amsterdam”.

“We are proud Zionists and have nothing to apologise for,” Brand stated.

He called on group members and supporters to gather Wednesday in Paris and Thursday at the soccer game. 

Arrest of French embassy staff at Jerusalem holy site further strains ties

Betar and the French Jewish student movement MEJF are to host Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday on the sidelines of the “Israel Is Forever” gala in Paris in support of Israel.

A number of associations, unions and French leftist parties have denounced the gala, and in particular Smotrich’s planned appearance. Police chief Nunez confirmed on Sunday that the event would go ahead.

(with newswires)

“Long live medical research,” said Anne-Laure Vaineau from the French Foundation for Medical Research as she watched 17-year-old Valentin Muguet, who has cerebral palsy, walk the last 100 metres of the event in an exoskeleton.

The robotic suit, made by French company Wandercraft, enables people with disabilities to stand and walk, serving as a powerful rehabilitation tool.

Valentin has been using robot-assisted gait therapy since he was nine, beginning in Poland with a device called a Lokomat, which supports patients in a harness over a treadmill as robotic legs guide their steps.

“I was moved beyond words when I watched my son, upright in a lokomat, looking down at his feet for the first time, looking up and looking down at his own two feet again,” Anne Gautier, Valentin’s mother, told RFI.

Boosting health

For the past two years, Valentin has trained weekly in an exoskeleton at Wandercraft in Paris, building muscle and enhancing his overall health.

“We are made to walk, not sit in a wheelchair. When Valentin walks, his muscles send messages to his brain, teaching it how to move,” said Gautier.

“Walking with an exoskeleton means better joints, better digestion, and a better quality of life. It lets children and adults stand on their own feet and live almost normal lives.”

Gautier, along with Valentin’s father Stéphane Muguet, set up the charity Fighting cerebral palsy (Agir Ensemble Contre l’IMC) in 2015 to support families in France with children affected by cerebral palsy.

Maria Dirani, 26, a paraplegic, was one of the three young people who walked the race’s final 100 metres in an exoskeleton. She told RFI it was her first time taking part.

“It was magical. I hope it will not be the last time because I really enjoyed it. I did not train for the race. It was hard but terribly gratifying,” she said.

Exoskeleton helps wounded French soldiers get back on their feet

Accessibility dream

The goal is for the exoskeletons to become a part of everyday life.

“My dream is that that one day, the kids be able to walk down the street, you know like Goldorak [or Grendizer, a Japanese anime character], pick up a baguette, go shopping, or meet friends at a cafe, just like everyone else,” said Gautier.

However, the high cost of exoskeletons remains a barrier, with no coverage from France’s national health insurance.

“Today, it’s very expensive, beyond the reach of most families. But tomorrow, we can imagine a world where wheelchairs are replaced by exoskeletons,” Gautier added.

The 46th edition of the Paris 20 km in 2024 brought together 31,000 participants from 107 countries, including amateur runners, elite athletes, and people with disabilities.

Tens of thousands of people lined the docks of Sables-d’Olonne to wave goodbye to the 40 intrepid sailors.

The gruelling race, dubbed the “Everest of the Seas”, is held every four years. Bestaven won the last edition in 2021, completing the 24,300 nautical mile-course (45,000 kilometres) in three hours and 44 minutes.

All 40 skippers starting this tenth edition hope to outsail their opponents and pocket the 200,000-euro winner’s cheque.

“I’m in great shape,” said Bestaven. “The weather conditions are pretty good.”

But he was in no doubt about what lay ahead.

“There’s always a bit of stress. You never know how things are going to turn out. It’s a new story to write. Of course there’s the stress of saying goodbye to our life on land, to all our friends and family, but there’s also the stress of the departure itself.”

Move over Dalin: Bestaven’s bonus gives him victory in Vendée Globe yacht race

First-timers

British skipper Sam Davies is one of six women on the race, each of them looking to emulate Ellen MacArthur who remains the only woman ever to make the Vendée podium when she came second in 2000-01.

Fifteen skippers are making their Vendee debuts, including Violette Dorange who, at 23, is the youngest in the race.

“This is my first challenge on such a massive scale, it’s a journey into the unknown for me – I’ve never experienced the Southern Ocean or the Doldrums,” she told Reuters.

The Frenchwoman began sailing as a seven-year-old in La Rochelle and crossed the English Channel in a tiny Optimist dinghy aged 15. The crossing took her 15 hours, but gave her “a real taste for the open sea”.

“I want to finish this adventure. That’s the only thing that matters,” she said.

Yoann Richomme, winner of the Solitaire du Figaro in 2016 and 2019 and the Route du Rhum in the Class 40 category in 2018 and 2022, is embarking on his first Vendée Globe.

“The hardest thing will be solitude, I’m not a solitary person at heart,” he told RFI. “I’ll need to keep myself occupied, so I’ve brought along plenty of reading material and podcasts.”

Other neophytes include 35-year-old Jingkun Xu, who only saw the sea for the first time at the age of 12 and is now the first Chinese sailor to take on the Vendee Globe Globe.

‘Everest’ of the seas

The race started life in 1989, set up by French yachtsman Philippe Jeantot. Of the 13 boats that started only seven finished with another Frenchman Titouan Lamazou winnings in 109 days.

Every navigator is well aware of the risks involved in the solo race.

One skipper, Nigel Burgess, died in the second edition in 1992-93;  Mike Plant perished while crossing the Atlantic to reach the French start point for that race.

Four years later the Canadian Gerry Roufs disappeared, his boat turning up on the coast of Chile six months later.

And four years ago Kevin Escoffier came within a whisker of joining them when his boat snapped in two. He was lucky, picked up by veteran Jean Le Cam who at 64 will be the oldest of this year’s competitors.

The French influence remains as strong as ever with the race still waiting its first “foreign” winner.

(with newswires)

The Paris Olympics didn’t just showcase sporting prowess and monuments, they also gave huge exposure to songs in French. 

Celine Dion arguably stole the opening ceremony with a monumental rendition of Edith Piaf’s L’Hymne à l’amour from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Within 24 hours, streamings of the song worldwide were up by more than 300 percent.

Online streaming platforms have helped bring songs in French to new audiences, breaking the language barrier with translations at the ready. French-Malian star Aya Nakamura, who also contributed a memorable performance to the Olympic opener, is now the most streamed French-speaking artist ever.

Nakamura, Dion and Piaf, but also Juliette Gréco, Françoise Hardy, Zaz and many other female artists take centre stage at the exhibition “C’est une chanson qui nous ressemble” (“A song that resembles us”) that looks into the success of popular francophone songs around the world.

The title is taken from the classic Les Feuilles mortes (Autumn Leaves) by Jacques Prévert and Joseph Kosma.

“When you say ‘I love you’ and you’re not French it means something more, it means the Champs-Elysées, the Eiffel Tower, the Côte d’Azur, fields of lavender…” says the exhibition’s curator, Bertrand Dicale.

“That’s the story we wanted to tell – the extent to which the French language, through song, carries with it realities, dreams, ambitions and illusions.” 

Listen to an interview with Bertrand Dicale on the Spotlight on France podcast:

‘Black Marie-Antoinette’ 

Music journalist Dicale is a walking encyclopedia on French song and when, in July 2023, he began thinking about which artists had made the most impact abroad, he realised they were primarily women. 

“I drew up an initial list – Juliette Gréco, Aya Nakamura, Françoise Hardy, Edith Piaf, and of course the ‘Everest of French song’ Celine Dion, and then Françoise Hardy, Mireille Matthieu, Zaz… I had to get to 11th or 12th place to get the first man, Charles Aznavour.” 

A life-size photo of Nakamura in figure-hugging, gold lamé dress opens the exhibition, alongside the video of her hit song Pookie, staged at the chateau of Fontainebleau. 

Nakamura has broken through in more than 100 countries around the globe, Dicale explains.  

And yet she faced a barrage of racism from the far right ahead of the Paris Olympics, after rumours circulated she would sing Piaf at the opening ceremony – as if she were “unworthy” of embodying French song. In the end she not only performed – alongside the Republican Guard – she redefined what it meant to be French.

“The far right and conservatives see her as an immigrant, therefore black… But seen from abroad, she is France,” Dicale insists. “She’s sexy, independent, she embodies freedom, beauty, glamour. She’s seen as a kind of black Marie-Antoinette.”

Exoticism and agony 

Nakamura rubs shoulders with French icon Juliette Gréco, whom Dicale says experienced similar “love and hate” in her own era – the 1950s. 

A photo of Gréco singing in Berlin shows her in a long, tight, black dress. While it covered everything but her hands and face, its body-hugging contours left nothing to the imagination.

Dicale says Gréco’s untamed locks and free-woman attitude, combined with her ability to interpret philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre, outraged conservative French society at the time. There was a sense of “shame”, he notes, that she was representing France in Rio or Berlin. And yet she became a kind of “luxury export” – both cultivated and scandalous. 

Remembering Juliette Gréco, Grand Dame of la chanson française

While both Nakamura and Gréco are shrouded in a certain eroticism, the term doesn’t immediately spring to mind with that other French great, Edith Piaf.

The exhibition features a 1956 press cutting from the New York Times that refers to her as the high priestess of agony who “drenched Carnegie Hall in tears last night, and a large audience wallowed in them with an enthusiasm which proved that heartbreak makes the whole world kin”. 

Through songs like Les Amants d’un jour, about two lovers committing suicide together, Dicale says Piaf performed a kind of  “theatre of suffering” – a genre not common in the US where ballads tended to be softer. 

Politics in a male voice 

While love features big time, non-francophone listeners are also drawn to songs in French for their message of freedom and resistance. 

“The most popular and most recorded song in French worldwide is not La Vie en rose but La Marseillaise,” says Dicale. 

Recorded in hundreds of languages, “it’s a song of revolution, the people’s revolution, a symbol of revolt by the people”, he notes.

“But it’s also a song of contradictions, sung both by those that took up arms against the French army and by members of the army as they were rifling protestors.” 

Most recordings have been made with male voices. That’s also the case with L’Internationale – the song of communist revolt, composed in 1888 – and Le Boudin, the anthem of the French Foreign Legion. 

“They’re men’s songs and songs of the street,” says Dicale. “Politics is often carried by a male voice, even if [Eugène Delacroix’s painting] Liberty Leading the People is a woman.” 

Le Déserteur (The Deserter), another French-language hit abroad, bucks this trend somewhat. Written by Boris Vian, it was made famous in the US by Peter, Paul and Mary.

“They recorded it in French at the beginning of the Vietnam War and it remains one of the most famous pacifist songs in the world,” Dicale notes. 

The exhibition features a version in Russian recorded last year by France-based Ukrainian artist Diane Nelson, aimed at encouraging Russian soldiers in Ukraine to desert. 

Oh, Champs-Elysées! 

Of the 2,800 songs written about Paris, one of the most emblematic has to be the 1969 Joe Dassin hit Champs-Elysées.

The song celebrates the avenue where you can find “everything you want”, notably romance. But its origins are not French. 

It was adapted from the 1968 British song Waterloo Road by obscure rock band Jason Crest, which celebrated a street in London where you might run across a “happy fella playing cakewalks on his guitar”.  

The original was a flop. But French lyricist Pierre Delanoë heard the melody, liked it and gave it a more romantic twist, relocating it on an avenue where two strangers become lovers “dazzled by the long night”.

The Champs-Elysées is now a soulless, overpriced boulevard, prompting local associations to campaign to help Parisians fall back in love with it.  

But true to tradition, the song has allowed the dream to live on, long after reality took over.

The exhibition “C’est une chanson qui nous ressemble” runs at the Cité Internationale de la langue française at Chateau Villers-Cotterets until 5 January 2024. 

More on this story on the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 117. Listen here.

“Death itself is a tragedy. Here, you are reliving that tragedy all over again,” said the 43-year-old, who had 23 other relatives also removed from their family tomb, located in a sprawling cemetery known as the City of the Dead in Old Cairo.

Since 2020, thousands of graves have been demolished at the UNESCO-listed World Heritage site, one of the oldest necropolises in the Muslim world.

It is the latest piece of Cairo‘s history to be torn apart as authorities aggressively remake parts of the city, a longtime cultural beacon of the Arab world.

The Egyptian government says the cemetery’s destruction is necessary to build new roads and bridges that they hope will improve traffic in the congested, densely populated capital, home to around 22 million people.

But it is a painful ordeal for families like Meligui’s, whose 105-year-old family tomb, built in traditional Islamic style with grand wooden doors and a spacious courtyard, is slated for demolition.

“I had to separate the bones of the men from the women,” the father of three said, describing an Islamic burial custom.

“The most heartbreaking moment was when I found the shroud of my grandfather, who raised me, torn and tattered. The bones fell down and I had to gather them up from the ground,” he said, holding a photo of his maternal grandparents and their four children taken more than 50 years ago.

Speaking from his luxury home in west Cairo, Meligui said he had the remains transported in a hearse to be reinterred at a new cemetery in Fayoum province, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) away.

Graves in Egypt relocated and demolished to make space for a highway

‘Indescribable pain’

The Egyptian government has offered alternative burial sites outside Cairo to families, but these cemeteries are smaller and more remote, according to several people whose families have tombs there.

An official at Egypt‘s planning ministry told AFP the government “understands the grief of citizens” but said the process is ultimately for “the public interest”.

A massive concrete bridge now cuts through the cemetery, connecting Cairo’s eastern district of Mokattam with the central and western part of the capital – cutting the previous hour-long commute in half.

“The whole area has changed dramatically,” said Meligui, who owns a construction company.

Not far from his family’s burial ground, the Khayalah cemetery was completely razed in April 2020 and replaced with a bustling new multi-lane highway.

Mokhtar, a 63-year-old jewellery maker who asked to use a pseudonym to speak freely, said he felt “indescribable pain” when exhuming his family members, including his sister, just five months after her burial.

“Imagine digging up your family’s graves with your own hands and gathering their bones into bags,” he said.

Mokhtar, who used to visit the cemetery monthly, arranged for new shrouds and a hearse to rebury his maternal family’s remains in a government-provided lot.

“I moved my sister as she was, the body was completely intact with… blood,” he said.

‘Where should I go?’

Mokhtar said the new fast road that cuts through his family’s tomb is not worth the price.

“Easier or not. My loss cannot be replaced,” he said.

The destruction of Cairo’s cemeteries has taken a toll not only on the deceased and their families but also the thousands of people who have made the sacred grounds their home.

Since the 1980s, thousands of Egyptians have been living in cemeteries due to a severe housing crisis in the country of 107-million.

One such resident is Sayyed al-Arabi, 71, who has lived and guarded a cemetery in Old Cairo for decades.

His one-room home, where his three children were born, is now surrounded by piles of rubble from demolished tombs. Outside, a bulldozer levels the unpaved ground, puddled with water.

“They told us they would remove the bodies and demolish the cemetery,” he said, a television hanging on the wall next to two dilapidated beds and a rusty fan.

In the spacious courtyard of the cemetery built in 1925, Arabi’s granddaughters played under the watchful eyes of their mother as she washed clothes.

“The owners of the graves will receive a replacement, but what about me? Where should I go?”

The latest execution in Burkina Faso was in 1988, according to rights group Amnesty International.

It concerned four leaders accused of an attempted coup d’état to depose president Blaise Compaoré – defence minister Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani, minister of economic promotion Henri Zongo, and two unidentified men.

Reintroducing capital punishment to the penal code “is being considered. It’s up to the government to discuss it, then make the proposal to the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) for adoption,” the source said, adding that the date had not been chosen.

Justice Minister Rodrigue Bayala said on Friday, after parliament passed a bill introducing community service, that “the issue of death penalty, which is being discussed, will be implemented in the draft criminal code”.

Bayala also said there could be further amendments to the criminal code, “to follow the vision and the guidelines given by the head of state, Captain Ibrahim Traore”, who seized power in a September 2022 coup.

In May this year, Burkina Faso’s junta announced it would extend its rule for another five years despite Traoré having pledged to restore a civilian government by 1 July.

In July it passed a bill that included plans to ban homosexuality.

Military regimes have turned the Sahel into a ‘black hole’ of information

Capital punishment in Africa

Amnesty International reported a sharp increase in the use of the death penalty across sub-Saharan Africa. “Recorded executions more than tripled and recorded death sentences increased significantly by percent”, it said in a statement in October.

On the other hand, the rights group noted that “24 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes while two additional countries have abolished it for ordinary crimes only”. 

“Kenya and Zimbabwe currently have bills tabled to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, while Gambia… has commenced a constitutional amendment process that will… effectively abolish the death penalty,” it said.

(with AFP)

Mauritus, a scattering of islands about 850 kilometres east of Madagascar, prides itself on being a secure and prosperous nation.

More than one million Mauritians are registered to vote in the 12th legislative election since gaining independence from Britain in 1968.

The ruling Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) is seeking to retain its majority and offer its leader, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, a second five-year term.

His main opponent is Navin Ramgoolam, Labour Party leader and head of the progressive Alliance of Change, who is a former prime minister and son of Mauritius’s first leader.

Jugnauth, who won by a wide margin in 2019, is facing challenges following leaked phone calls recordings involving politicians, diplomats and journalists, which surfaced online in October.

The government responded last week by banning social media, but public outcry from opposition parties and local media forced it to change tack within 24 hours.

The election features a new contender, the Linion Reform alliance, running on the slogan “Neither Navin, Nor Pravind”.

It has campaigned against corruption and nepotism – and called for greater transparency, which may hit home in the aftermath of the wire-tapping leaks.

Banks, beaches and boom times: four facts about Mauritius

‘Mauritian miracle’ in question

With a population of 1.3 million, Mauritius has experienced economic growth and stability since gaining independence, largely through tourism, manufacturing and financial services.

There are, however, growing fears about the state of democracy.

“In the last five years, the institutions that were ensuring checks and balances have not been functioning and corruption has increased,” said Roukaya Kasenally, a researcher on democracy.

She highlighted procurement scandals during the Covid-19 pandemic, harassment of opposition parties, and the use of police against political opponents.

In October, Mauritius dropped from first to second place on the Ibrahim Index, which assesses governance across Africa.

Handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius ‘not an outright win’

Kasenally attributed this decline to “systemic” disadvantages faced by the Creole population, who have struggled for representation in a predominantly Hindu nation with significant Christian and Muslim communities.

“After independence we developed this democratic success story and ‘Mauritian miracle’ economy, and never thought we were going to backslide,” she said.

Meanwhile, the recent deal with Britain over the Chagos archipelago was a major diplomatic victory for the government, even if the UK will retain a lease to keep a joint US military base on the island of Diego Garcia for an “initial” 99 years.

Observers in Mauritius are now considering how US president-elect Donald Trump’s stance on the Indian Ocean base could affect the Chagos agreement.

(with AFP)

“We have to hurry up, it starts to be hot, and the bees will be upset,” he says.

In his garden in Hawidela, a village about an hour from Mekele, capital of the Tigray region, the beekeeper has about 40 hives from which clouds of bees are soon escaping.

For nearly 20 years, his hives have produced white honey, a creamy, highly prized variety for which the northernmost region of Ethiopia is famous.

Amanuel, 42, remembers a time when they produced “in abundance”.

But that was before the war in Tigray between federal government troops and Tigrayan rebels that raged from 2020 to 2022, which forced him to flee with his wife and children.

“In this region, there was a lot of damage,” he says, pointing to a hill from which shells were fired.

When he returned a few months later, all his hives – and his livelihood – had been destroyed.

Before the war, he could produce about 600 kilos of white honey each year and earn some 900,000 birr (about $7,500 at today’s rates).

That is a considerable sum in a country where more than a third of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

When he resumed production, Amanuel said he had lost 95 percent of his earnings. He has gradually rebuilt the hives, but still only produces 100 kilos.

‘Bees starving’ in disastrous year for French honey

‘Sound of misery’

The situation is replicated across Tigray.

Goshu Welealeabzgi, a specialist for the Tigray authorities’ Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources, says 40 to 60 percent of hives were destroyed by the war.

Before the conflict, he estimates there were 500,000 colonies in Tigray, with 200,000 people directly dependent on beekeeping, in a region of around six million inhabitants.

Bees were also victim to the environmental damage caused by the conflict, especially as desperate locals were forced to cut down trees, particularly the acacias that covered the hills, to sell or use for firewood.

“If trees are lost and flowers are lost, production will decrease,” says Amanuel.

“The conflict harmed everybody,” he adds. “The sound of bullets has stopped, but there is still the sound of misery.”

UN falls short of billion-dollar pledge to tackle Ethiopia’s hunger crisis

His hives are home to Apis mellifera monticola bees, a particularly productive species that can survive the region’s high altitudes. Mekele sits at more than 2,200 metres above sea level.

Ethiopia, an East African country with a population of around 120 million, is the continent’s largest producer of honey.

Nectar is particularly important in Ethiopian culture, with yellow honey used to produce tej, a popular local mead.

Amanuel regularly sells his honey to Birhanu Araya, who runs a small shop in Mekele where dozens of cans containing the precious nectar are piled up.

“There are only very few (bees) due to the war and drought,” says 61-year-old Birhanu, who has been running his business for 25 years.

“The amount that’s entering now is small and the price is very high,” he adds.

Goshu says he remains optimistic.

“If resources are allocated and the community gets onboard, maybe it could recover in three to five years,” he says.

“We have to look forward.”

Published this week by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), the report raises concerns about the nutritional quality of products from major multinationals, including Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever, sold in poorer regions.

The findings show a significant gap in healthfulness, with products sold in low-income countries scoring an average of just 1.8 stars on the Health Star Rating system, compared to 2.3 stars in high-income countries.

The Health Star Rating, developed in Australia and New Zealand, ranks products from 0 to 5 stars, with scores above 3.5 indicating healthier options.

“It’s a very clear picture that what these companies are selling in the poorest countries in the world, where they are more and more active, are not healthy products,” Mark Wijne, ATNI’s research director, told Reuters.

He described the findings as a “wake-up call” for governments in low-income countries, urging them “to be vigilant”.

More that 1 billion of world’s population is clinically obese, study shows

Obesity crisis

The report highlights the impact of packaged foods on the global obesity crisis, now affecting more than one billion people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

The World Bank estimates that 70 percent of those who are overweight or obese now live in low- and middle-income countries, where affordable, processed foods high in sugars, fats and salt contribute to rising rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Nestlé responded to the report, stating in an email that the company is “committed to growing our sales of more nutritious foods, as well as guiding people towards more balanced diets”.

The spokesperson added that Nestlé fortifies products to help bridge nutrient gaps in developing countries.

PepsiCo declined to comment, though the company set new goals last year to reduce sodium in its potato chips and add whole grains to its products.

(with newswires)

The unions are demanding a moratorium on the dismantling of Fret SNCF, the national rail operator’s freight division.

They are also protesting against the terms and conditions for opening up regional lines to competition, as required under EU legislation. 

In a joint statement to AFP, the CGT-Cheminots, Unsa-Ferroviaire, Sud-Rail and CFDT-Cheminots unions said the action would begin on 11 December. 

The unions also reiterated their call for shorter strike action from 20-22 November.

Industrial action at SNCF has repeatedly disrupted travel during school holidays.

In February, train controllers went on strike during a holiday weekend, leaving 150,000 people stranded. A Christmas strike in December 2022 affected some 200,000 holidaymakers.

Rail strike set to paralyse SNCF operations on first weekend of Christmas season

In 2023, the European Commission carried out an in-depth investigation into whether France breached EU rules on state support by subsidising the freight division of SNCF to the tune of €5.3 billion between 2007 and 2019.

As a result, the French government launched a restructuring process which will see France’s top rail freight company disappear on 1 January, 2025 and be replaced by two separate companies – Hexafret and Technis.

Both companies will operate under Rail Logistics Europe, an SNCF subsidiary, and are expected to generate some €700 million in revenue by 2025 – a figure comparable to Fret SNCF’s 2023 earnings.

The plan was negotiated by the French government and the European Commission to avoid a reorganisation procedure that could have led to the outright liquidation of the company, which employs 5,000 people. 

In their statement, the trade unions “reaffirm that a moratorium is possible and necessary to allow the various players to get back to the table and find ways of guaranteeing not only the continuity of Fret SNCF, but also its development over the longer term”.

(- with AFP)

“A heroine has gone,” wrote the daily newspaper L’Humanité, for whom she worked as a war correspondent. Riffaud’s publisher Dupuis confirmed her passing on Wednesday.

Born in 1924 in the Somme, Riffaud was the only daughter of schoolteachers.

By 16, she had joined the Resistance, first as a midwifery student and later as a liaison officer with the communist resistance group, the Francs-tireurs et partisans (FTP).

Operating under the codename “Rainer”, in homage to the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, she often said she was “not at war with the German people, but with the Nazis”.

Home village decimated

What led to her taking up arms was the massacre of Oradour-sur-Glane, the village of her youth, decimated in June 1944 by the Nazis.

Riffaud’s commitment was fuelled by the Nazi massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane, which left her childhood village decimated in June 1944.

On 23 July 1944, she shot a Nazi officer on Paris’s Solférino Bridge, a defining act in her Resistance activities.

France remembers Oradour, a WWII massacre and the martyred village left behind

She later expressed mixed feelings about the act, saying: “Can one be mean, when one looks at the Seine? He was perhaps a good guy… but well, that’s war.”

Captured soon after, she was tortured for three weeks without food, water or sleep – yet refused to reveal information about her fellow “resistants”.

“Killing someone is a terrible thing to do. It is never good to kill anyone, even an enemy, you should know that,” she told reporters years later.

War reporting

Following the war, Riffaud channelled her experiences into journalism, working for L’Humanité and reporting on global conflicts, including the wars in Algeria and Vietnam.

She spent seven years embedded with the Viet Cong, documenting the resistance during the Vietnam War. Her experiences inspired a book on guerrilla warfare and solidified her reputation as a fearless correspondent.

In 1946, she met with Ho Chi Minh in Paris and travelled to Vietnam, joining the Viet Cong resistance for seven years and covering their fight during the Vietnam War.

She later wrote a book on guerrilla warfare inspired by this experience.

Remembering D-Day’s heavy toll on French civilians

After returning to France, she published Les Linges de la Nuit, her first book, and an anthology of poetry in 1972.

Her work was widely recognised, and in 2001, she received the Legion of Honour from fellow resistance fighter Raymond Aubrac, marking her lifelong dedication to justice.

On her 100th birthday, Riffaud released the final volume of her graphic memoir, Madeleine, Résistante, created with artist Dominique Bertail and writer Jean-David Morvan, chronicling her war years.

Morvan paid tribute to her on social media shortly after her passing, sharing a photo of her.

Riffaud died in her Paris apartment on 6 November, 2024.

The liberal ideals of 1989 “are not something we can take for granted”, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday, just days after the his governing coalition collapsed.

“A look at our history and at the world around us shows this,” added Scholz, whose three-party alliance imploded the day Donald Trump was re-elected US president, plunging Germany into political turmoil and towards new elections.

November 9, 1989, is celebrated as the day East Germany opened the borders to the West after months of peaceful mass protests, paving the way for German reunification and the collapse of Soviet Communism.

That “joyful day” underlines the sombre fact “that freedom and democracy have never been a given”, Berlin mayor Kai Wegner told a commemoration service at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Saturday.

One Berliner who remembers the momentous events, retiree Jutta Krueger, 75, said it was “a shame” Germany’s political crisis had erupted just before the anniversary weekend.

“But we should still really celebrate the fall of the Wall,” she said, hailing it as the moment East Germans could travel and “freedom had arrived throughout Germany”.

Saturday’s event at the Berlin Wall Memorial, which was attended by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, honoured the at least 140 people killed trying to flee the Russian-backed German Democratic Republic (GDR) during the Cold War.

When the wall came tumbling down in Berlin

Enduring relevance

In the evening, a “freedom party” with a music and light show was to be held at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, on the former path of the concrete barrier that had cut the city in two since 1961.

On Sunday, Russian protest punk band Pussy Riot was to perform outside the former headquarters of the Stasi, former East Germany’s feared secret police.

Pro-democracy activists from around the world have been invited for the commemorations – including Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad.

Talks, performances and an open-air art exhibition will mark what culture minister Claudia Roth called “one of the most joyous moments in world history”.

Replica placards from the 1989 protests are on display along four kilometres of the Wall’s route.

Among the art installations will be thousands of images created by citizens on the theme of “freedom”, to drive home the enduring relevance of the historical event.

Berlin’s top cultural official, Joe Chialo, said the theme was crucial “at a time when we are confronted by rising populism, disinformation and social division”.

Axel Klausmeier, head of the Berlin Wall foundation, said the values of the 1989 protests were “the power-bank for the defence of our democracy, which today is being gnawed at from the left and the right”.

‘Populism and division’

The fall of the Berlin Wall – symbol of the Cold War and the division between an Eastern and a Western Bloc – contributed to the collapse of Communism in eastern Europe and the reunification of Germany a year later.

The 155-kilometre “wall of shame” was erected around West Berlin in 1961 to end an exodus of citizens from the Western Bloc enclave in Communist East Germany.

Most East Germans are grateful the GDR regime ended but many still have unhappy memories of the perceived arrogance of West Germans, and resentment lingers about a remaining gap in incomes and pensions.

These sentiments have been cited to explain strong support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in eastern Germany, and for the Russia-friendly, anti-capitalist BSW.

Strong gains for both at three state elections in the east in September highlighted enduring political divisions between eastern and western Germany, more than three decades after reunification.

Germany’s far-right AfD wins first state election: exit polls

This weekend also marks a darker chapter in German history.

During the Nazis’ Kristallnacht or Night of Broken Glass pogrom of November 9-10, 1938, at least 90 Jews were killed, tens of thousands were sent to concentration camps, countless properties were destroyed and 1,400 synagogues torched in Germany and Austria.

“It is very important for our society to remember the victims… and learn the correct lessons from those events for our conduct today,” government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said on Friday.

Her comments came just days after several members of the AfD, which is anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim, were arrested as suspected members of a racist paramilitary group that practiced urban warfare drills.

Erdogan, who congratulated Trump as a “friend” on social media, sees this as a chance to reshape US-Turkey relations.

During Biden’s presidency, engagement was largely limited to foreign ministers – marking a stark contrast to the “strong leader-to-leader relationship” Erdogan and Trump had enjoyed, says analyst Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara.

Trump and President Erdogan met face to face about nine times, compared to only two “brief encounters” with Biden, he adds.

Chemistry

Erdogan often speaks warmly of his dealings with Washington during Trump’s first term in office.

“The chemistry is the same. Two charismatic leaders, two leaders who are unpredictable,” notes Turkish presidential adviser Mesut Casin, a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Yeditepe University.

He believes their personal rapport could set the stage for greater bilateral and regional cooperation, including efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Erdogan has long sought to play a role in ending the Russia-Ukraine war, given his close ties with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and, more controversially, with Vladimir Putin – a relationship that drew criticism and suspicion from some of Turkey’s NATO partners.

“Trump will push for negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war. And I think that’s something that Turkey has always preferred,” predicts Asli Aydintasbas a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Turkey eyes US presidential race that stands to shake up mutual ties

YPG policy

Erdogan will also look to Trump for changes in US policy toward the YPG, a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara views as linked to the PKK, a group fighting the Turkish state.

The YPG’s alliance with Washington against the Islamic State has strained US-Turkey relations, with Biden resisting Erdogan’s calls to end support for the group.

Former Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen predicts Erdogan will hope Trump might be open to a deal.

“Erdogan thinks that, like himself, Trump too is a pragmatic leader. So leaving aside principles or other such in brackets, the two sides can reach an agreement by giving and taking something between the two,” says Selcen.

Unpredictability

While Trump has often spoken positively about Erdogan, he nonetheless remains unpredictable.

“Can you rely on him?” asks Murat Aslan of SETA, a Turkish pro-government thinktank.

Tensions between Turkey and Israel could also complicate relations.

Erdogan has expressed hope that Trump will succeed where Biden failed in ending Israel’s war on Hamas and Hezbollah, but with Trump’s strong support for Israel and Erdogan’s backing of Hamas, a clash could be looming.

“What happens if there is an escalation in the Middle East with the polarisation of Israel and Turkey, as it currently is, and the attitude of Trump, it’s very clear that the Trump administration will threaten Turkey,” says Aslan.

With conflicts raging across the region, Erdogan views a new Trump presidency as an opportunity for Turkey and the region.

But given the leaders’ unpredictability, that opportunity doesn’t come without risks.

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’s time for you to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions for our annual New Year’s Day show. If you’ve already made up your mind about what you’ll aim for in 2025, go ahead and send it to us … if not, be sure you send us your resolution – or resolutions if you are really ambitious! – by 15 December.

Mark your calendars now for 12 December, 6 PM Paris time – that’s when the winners of the ePOP video competition will be announced, live on the ePOP Facebook page. My good pals Max Bale and Gaël Flaugère, who run the Planète Radio department that sponsors ePOP, invited me to come on the show and talk to you for a few minutes, in English. So plan to stay up late or get up early on 12 December, beloved listeners! And we are so pleased that “one of our own” has made it into the running: Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listeners Club, is one of the 10 nominees in the RFI Clubs category! 

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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”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

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

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 12 October, I asked you a question about the troubled relationship between France and Algeria.

Algeria’s recently re-elected president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, accused France, its former colonial ruler, of “genocide”.

Tebboune has postponed trips to Paris to meet with Emmanuel Macron several times; the latest was scheduled for late September or early October, and that trip was also postponed.

You were to re-read our article “Algeria’s Tebboune refuses France visit in snub to former colonial ruler”, and send in the answer to this question: What happened last July that sent the Algeria/France relationship into a nosedive – even provoking Algeria to recall its ambassador to France?

The answer is, to quote our article: “… relations nose-dived in July after Macron sent a letter to King Mohammed VI of Morocco voicing support for the Kingdom’s autonomy plan in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “How do you remember things?”

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Bushra Nawaz, who’s a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Bushra is also the winner of this week’s bonus question.

Congratulations, Bushra, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist – Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India, and Father Steven Wara, who lives in the Cistercian Abbey in Bamenda, Cameroon.

Last but assuredly not least, RFI English listeners Amara, a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan, and Jahangir Alam, the president of the World DX International Radio Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Soul Bossa Nova” by Quincy Jones, performed by the Quincy Jones Ensemble; “Aghan” by Mohammad Rouane, performed by the Rouane Ensemble; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Asa Branca” by Luiz Gonzaga and Humberto Teixeira, performed by Rosinha De Valença.

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 “Tributes roll in for beloved musician and producer Quincy Jones, who died at 91”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 9 December to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 14 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

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

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

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

France produces 2.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year, most of which does not get recycled. In the ongoing battle to reduce waste, a 2021 law is intended to phase out single-use packaging by 2040. We go to a packaging expo to see how this might happen and meet people being pushed to the front lines of waste reduction. (Listen @3’45”)

Bouchot mussel farmers in northern France are sounding the alarm about spider crabs devastating their crops. Warming waters have led to a four-fold increase in crab numbers, a prized marine resource, but which threatens the future of the industry. A mussel farmer talks about the impact, and a marine scientist presents possible solutions. (Listen @19’47”)

A hundred years ago this month, women and girls working in sardine canning factories in Brittany launched a six-week strike that has gone down in history as one of the earliest examples of women successfully organising to defend their labour rights. The granddaughter of one of the strikers describes its legacy. (Listen @12’20”) 

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompéani. 

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).

The bitter rivals embarked on a final frenzied campaign blitz Monday with both hitting must-win Pennsylvania on the last day of a tight and volatile US presidential election campaign.

Pennsylvania is the single biggest swing state prize under the US Electoral College system, which awards influence in line with population.

Republican Trump has promised a “landslide” as he seeks his return to the White House, while Democrat Harris said the “momentum” was on the side of her bid to be America’s first woman president.

Deadlock

But the polls suggest a different story on the eve of Election Day – total deadlock in surveys nationally and in the seven swing states where the result is expected to be decided.

The world is anxiously watching the election, which is set to have profound implications for conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s war in Ukraine, and for tackling climate change.

Both sides say they are encouraged by early turnout numbers, with over 78 million people having voted already, around half of the total number of ballots cast in 2020.

No middle ground

The closeness of the 2024 White House race reflects a deeply divided United States, as it chooses between two candidates whose visions could scarcely be more different.

Media outlets and political parties have poured millions of dollars into advertising campaigns that leave little room for middle ground.

This stark divide is a reflection of the American political system, where the winner-takes-all approach often marginalises third-party candidates and reinforces the dominance of the two major parties.

US elections: Who are the running mates for the key candidates?

As election day approaches, the spotlight has fallen on undecided voters who may ultimately tip the scales in this tight race.

Campaign volunteers have been working tirelessly, engaging directly with potential voters in an effort to sway opinions and drive turnout.

To discuss what is at stake, RFI’s Jan van der Made spoke to analyst J. Wesley Leckrone, Chair Political Science Widener University, Daniel Hopkins, Political Scientist University of Pennsylvania and Daniel Laurison, Associate Professor Sociology at Swarthmore College and former campaigner for Barack Obama.

Erdogan has avoided commenting on the US election, but Ankara sees the outcome of the 5 November vote as key for Turkish-US relations.

Each of the contenders, Vice-President Kamala Harris and Trump, are expected to take significantly different approaches to Turkey’s long-time leader.

“During the past Trump presidency, the political relationship at the highest level between Erdogan and Trump was a strong one,” says Sinan Ulgen, head of the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, an Istanbul think tank.

Ties with President Joe Biden have been notably less friendly, however, if Harris were to win the relationship with Erdogan is likely to be a much more shallow one, Ulgen believes.

Face-to-face time

Erdogan met Trump nine times during his 2017-21 presidency, including on a state visit to Washington.

In contrast, he met Biden only briefly on the sidelines of international summits, with US-Turkish relations mainly conducted at foreign-minister level.

“Erdogan has been in power for more than 20 years and Biden is the only US president who has refused to meet him in an official capacity, either in the US capital or in the Turkish capital,” says international relations professor Serhat Guvenc of Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.

“For Erdogan, leader-to-leader talks are key to achieving his goals. And probably, he thinks deep down that he can sort out many things through personal contact, connections or personal engagement.”

Such interaction, especially with the most powerful person in the world, is also seen as vital to Erdogan’s status at home.

“It’s very important for his domestic standing and legitimacy,” says Asli Aydintasbas, a political commentator and visiting fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

“He has built a personalised system but also convinced voters, particularly his base, that he is a consequential leader, that Turkey is rising, that he is very important, he is on par with the US president and the Russian president, that everybody is looking up to Erdogan.”

Turkey and Russia closer than ever despite Western sanctions

Lack of chemistry?

Aydintasbas questions how easy it would be for Erdogan to develop a relationship with Harris, even if she were ready to engage more directly than Biden.

“I cannot imagine what type of chemistry Harris and Erdogan would have. They don’t come from similar backgrounds. It’s difficult to imagine the two developing a very close personal relationship, to be honest,” the analyst says.

Erdogan has often spoken warmly of his relationship with Trump – despite the fact he got hit by sanctions during his time in the White House over the detention of an American pastor, prompting the Turkish lira to crash in 2018.

Trump once even vowed to “totally destroy and obliterate” the Turkish economy over Turkey’s threats to attack US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces.

“We have memories of the threats and sanctions,” warns Murat Aslan of the pro-government Seta Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research in Ankara.

Invoking the 2018 crisis, Aslan said: “Rather than words, I think deeds are important.”

Erdogan hopes a U-turn can salvage Turkey’s floundering economy

High-risk candidate

The Middle East is another potential sticking point.

Trump is calling for more support for Israel in its wars against Hamas and Hezbollah, and analysts say differences could again emerge between the US and Turkish leaders.

“Trump’s approach to the Middle East and the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel could actually escalate the tension in the Middle East to the extent that a regional war could be unavoidable,” warns Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, who directs the German Marshall Fund’s office in Ankara.

“So yes, a Trump presidency has many opportunities for Turkey – but at a very high risk.”

Meanwhile, though there has been little direct contact between Biden and Erdogan, Turkish-US relations have shown signs of improvement in recent months.

With the two Nato allies increasingly cooperating and better managing their differences, Aydintasbas suggests, there are merits for Ankara to both candidates.

“A Kamala Harris administration would mean more continuity, but the promise of stability in Turkish-US relations,” she says. “Whereas Trump is so unpredictable that it could be very good one day, very bad one day.”

With the Middle East war continuing to rage, Trump’s unpredictability remains a risk to Ankara – but Erdogan will likely still covet the opportunity to renew his relationship with the US strongman.

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’s time for you to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions for our annual New Year’s Day show. If you’ve already made up your mind about what you’ll aim for in 2025, go ahead and send it to us … if not, be sure you send us your resolution – or resolutions if you are really ambitious! – by 15 December.

Mark your calendars now for 12 December, 6 PM Paris time – that’s when the winners of the ePOP video competition will be announced, live on the ePOP Facebook page. My good pals Max Bale and Gaël Flaugère, who run the Planète Radio department that sponsors ePOP, invited me to come on the show and talk to you for a few minutes, in English. So plan to stay up late or get up early on 12 December, beloved listeners! And we are so pleased that “one of our own” has made it into the running: Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listeners Club, is one of the 10 nominees in the RFI Clubs category! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the 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 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 30 September, Marine Le Pen – the leader of the French far-right party the National Rally – along with her father and 25 colleagues went on trial over alleged misappropriation of European funds.

They’re accused of using European parliamentary funds to pay for assistants, who actually worked for her National Rally party, formerly called the National Front, rather than on European affairs.

If found guilty, Le Pen could face a maximum of ten years behind bars and a 1 million euro fine – and a possible five-year ban on standing for public office. 

You were to re-read our article “French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on trial for misuse of EU funds”, and send in the answer to this question: How many euros has the European Union Parliament estimated that Le Pen and her colleagues in the National Rally party allegedly embezzled?

The answer is, to quote our article: “The EU Parliament estimated in 2018 that 6.8 million euros had been embezzled. Marine Le Pen has always denied any wrongdoing.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Can you remember the first time you received new clothes from your parents?”, which was suggested by Ratna Shanta Shammi from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Deepita Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Deepita is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Deepita, on your double win!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Hasina Zaman Hasi, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club members Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria, as well as Sakawat Hossain from Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Last but assuredly not least, RFI English listener Bidhan Chandra Sanyal from West Bengal, India. 

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Hadouk” by D. Malherbe and L. Ehrlich, played by Kosinus; “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin, performed by the composer; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “We Swing (The Cypher)” by Jean Baylor, Marcus Baylor, Eric Scott Reed, Keith Loftis, and Dezron Douglas, performed by The Baylor Project.

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-listen to Melissa Chemam’s 18 October Spotlight on Africa podcast, “Ghana grapples with crisis caused by world’s throwaway fashion”, or re-read her article of the same name, both of which will help you with the answer.

You have until 25 November to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 7 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

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

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

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

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.