The court said Abdallah, first detained in 1984 and convicted in 1987 over the 1982 murders, would be released on 6 December provided he leaves France, French anti-terror prosecutors said in a statement to AFP, adding that they would appeal.

“In (a) decision dated today, the court granted Georges Ibrahim Abdallah conditional release from 6 December, subject to the condition that he leaves French territory and not appear there again,” the prosecutors said.

Abdallah, a former guerrilla in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the murders of US military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov.

Washington has consistently opposed his release but Lebanese authorities have repeatedly said he should be freed from jail.

Abdallah, now 73, has always insisted he is a “fighter” who battled for the rights of Palestinians and not a “criminal”. This was his 11th bid for release.

He had been eligible to apply for parole since 1999 but all his previous applications had been turned down, except in 2013 when he was granted release on the condition he was expelled from France.

However the then interior minister Manuel Valls refused to go through with the order and Abdallah remained in jail.

The court’s decision on Friday is not conditional on the government issuing such an order, Abdallah’s lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, told AFP, hailing “a legal and a political victory”.

From protector to onlooker: how France lost its influence in Lebanon

Veteran inmate

One of France’s longest serving inmates, Abdallah has never expressed regret for his actions.

Wounded in 1978 during Israel‘s invasion of Lebanon, he joined the Marxist-Leninist PFLP, which carried out a string of plane hijackings in the 1960s and 1970s and is banned as a terror group by the US and EU.

Abdallah, a Christian, then in the late 1970s founded his own militant group the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF) which had contact with other extreme-left militant outfits including Italy‘s Red Brigades and the German Red Army Faction (RAF).

A pro-Syrian and anti-Israeli Marxist group, the LARF claimed four deady attacks in France in the 1980s. Abdallah was arrested in 1984 after entering a police station in Lyon and claiming Mossad assassins were on his trail.

At his trial over the killing of the diplomats, Abdallah was sentenced to life in prison, a much more severe punishment than the 10 years demanded by prosecutors.

His lawyer Jacques Verges, who defended clients including Venezuelan militant Carlos the Jackal, described the verdict as a “declaration of war”.

There remains a broad swell of support for his cause among the far left and communists in France. Last month, 2022 Nobel literature prize winner Annie Ernaux, said in a piece in communist daily L’Humanite that his detention “shamed France”.

“Gabonese women and men, I call on you to participate in this referendum, because our only enemy is abstention,” said transitional president Brice Oligui Nguema.

The military sees the vote as the final step in their transition plan following Bongo’s removal. Gabon‘s Council of Ministers passed a bill in October to organise the referendum.

“The Council of Ministers has expressed its satisfaction at the completion of the proposed new constitution,” said Laurence Ndong, spokeswoman for the transitional government.

Divisions

The draft constitution has sparked widespread debate. Supporters argue it represents a break from decades of Bongo family rule, but critics warn it could concentrate too much power in the presidency.

Several political and union leaders are urging people to vote no, including Roger Abessolo, who leads the powerful workers’ union “Dynamique unitaire”.

The union has always fought for strong institutions, Abessolo told told RFI, adding that this project puts too much power in one person’s hands.

Equatorial Guinea and Gabon face off at the ICJ over oil-rich islands

Among MPs, support for the draft is growing.

“Gabonese people should vote yes massively, because the future of the country is at stake,” said Florentin Moussavou, third vice-president of the National Assembly.

“This constitution could become one of the major keys to allow Gabon to make a qualitative leap towards the future.”

Marc Ona Essangui, third vice-president of the Senate and a prominent civil society leader, also backs the proposal. However, he emphasised the need for checks on presidential power.

“The president who will be elected will have a term that can be renewed once. Now, the powers of the President must be mitigated with countervailing powers,” he told RFI.

Gabon junta eyes two-year transition period before holding elections

Break with the past

The draft includes a clause banning family members of a president from succeeding them – a clear move away from the dynastic rule that has defined Gabon since independence from France.

“Everybody can agree that there shouldn’t be another family dynasty,” said Paul Melly, a consultant with Chatham House’s Africa programme.

Melly added that if Oligui ensures a genuine multi-party system, it could offer the opposition a meaningful role.

The referendum is seen as the final step in a process initiated after the military coup in August 2023. Following Ali Bongo’s contested re-election, the military junta dissolved institutions and formed a transitional parliament.

Elections are scheduled for August 2025, and Oligui has announced plans to run.

He has promised to restore civilian rule in Africa’s fourth-richest nation after South Africa, Egypt and Algeria.

Despite Gabon’s oil wealth and vast forests, one in three people live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

The survey – carried out by Inserm, France’s public health research body – is the first major exploration of sexuality in France in nearly two decades. Vast in scale, researchers questioned 31,000 people over a two-year period.

One significant change noted by the survey, published this week, is that young people are having sexual intercourse for the first time a little later – at the age of 18.2 for women and 17.7 for men. In 2006 the reported ages were 17.3 for women and 17.5 for men.

People also reported having more sexual partners than the previous average – women aged 18 to 69 said they had had an average of 7.9 partners in their lifetime, while for men the figure was 16.4. In the 2006 survey, these figures were 4.5 and 11.2 respectively.

However, there were discrepancies in how men and women chose to report the number of people they had slept with. Women took into account only “the men who counted” while men also included “the one-night stands”, said sociologist Nathalie Bajos, one of the study’s two main authors.

Triumph for victims as France criminalises ‘barbaric’ gay conversion therapies

Same-sex experiences 

In 2023, for the first time, women aged 18-29 reported having had more same-sex relationships than men: 14.8 percent of young women had had at least one partner of the same sex, compared to 9.3 percent of young men.

Nearly a third of women said they’ve been attracted to the same sex compared to 13.8 percent of men. And more than a third of young women and one in six young men said they were not strictly heterosexual.

The survey suggested one reason for this shift: “In a social context marked by the growing dissemination of feminist ideas, these young women seem to be moving more and more towards other sexual trajectories in which violence and inequality are less prevalent.”

Almost 90 percent of women and 56 percent of men aged over 18 said they viewed homosexuality as a sexuality like any other.

Digital dating

Online platforms play a growing role in modern relationships. Among respondents under 30, nearly 40 percent of women and 43.5 percent of men said they had met a sexual partner on the internet.

Additionally, 36.6 percent of women and 39.6 percent of men in the same age group said they had sent intimate images.

Less frequent, more satisfying

The study also identified a drop in the frequency of sexual relations for both sexes and across all age groups. 

In 2023, 77.2 percent of women and 81.6 percent of men reported having sex in the past year, down from 82.9 percent and 89.1 percent in 2006.

“This drop should be seen in the context of an increase in the number of sexual encounters considered pleasurable,” said the survey’s co-author Armelle Andro.

Sexual wellbeing industry revels in swelling sales

“It’s a questioning of women’s sexual availability in particular, which mechanically leads to a drop in sexual intercourse.”

Despite the decline in frequency, a majority of people remain sexually active, including those aged 50 to 89. Among this group, 56.6 percent of women and 73.8 percent of men reported having had sexual relations.

Sexual satisfaction varies with age but remains relatively high. About 45 percent of women and 39 percent of men across all ages said they were “very satisfied” with their current sex life.

The study also noted a rise in more varied sexual practices. Nearly 80 percent of women aged 18 to 69 said they masturbated, compared to 42.4 percent in 1992 and 56.5 percent in 2006.

Growing ‘masculinist’ culture in France slows down fight against sexism

Rising sexual violence

The survey showed a sharp increase in reports of sexual violence.

A third of women aged 18-69 said they had experienced forced intercourse or attempted forced intercourse, compared to 15.9 percent in 2006. For men, the figure rose from 4.6 percent to 8.7 percent.

“These figures reflect both an increase in frequency linked to the lowering of a threshold of tolerance to intra-marital sexual violence, [but also] a greater capacity to identify these facts and declare them in surveys,” Bajos said.

Mass rape trial revives question of consent within French law

The findings come as debates about redefining rape under French law resurface.

The Mazan rape trial, where a man is accused of orchestrating his wife’s rape by multiple strangers while she was drugged, has drawn attention to gaps in legal definitions of consent.

The report underscored changing views on marital rape, which was only recognised in French law in 1992.

“Acts that were once considered ‘normal’ can now be qualified, rightly, as forced intercourse,” it said.

On Thursday, the European Commission announced a €300 million investment to help up to nine EU countries purchase air defence systems, armoured vehicles and artillery ammunition.

“This is the first time we use EU budget to support member states in commonly procuring defence products,” said Margrethe Vestager, the commission’s vice-president.

The funding is part of a broader EU strategy to bolster its defence industry while increasing military aid to Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russian forces since February 2022.

“Importantly, the selected projects will also increase our support to Ukraine, with additional defence equipment,” Vestager said.

EU unveils €1.5 billion defence programme as Ukraine war persists

Ammunition goals

Despite the announcement, the EU has yet to meet its earlier pledge to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells by the end of March this year.

The bloc created a financial aid programme to encourage member states to purchase ammunition, but progress has been slower than promised.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has vowed that the target will be reached by the end of this year.

The initiative reflects the EU’s evolving approach to collective defence as it continues to respond to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

An investigation by Amnesty’s found that the Galix system, a defence technology designed by Lacroix Defense in partnership with KNDS France, was mounted on Nimr Ajban armoured vehicles.  

The rights group on Thursday shared photos of destroyed vehicles fitted with the system. 

“Our research shows that weaponry designed and manufactured in France is in active use on the battlefield in Sudan,” Amnesty secretary general Agnes Callamard said. 

The technology, used by land forces globally, can be loaded with ammunition such as smoke, decoys or projectiles. More than 5,000 vehicles worldwide are equipped with it, including some in the French army.  

Sudan’s civil war grows more brutal as UN details horrific sexual violence

UN arms embargo

Amnesty said the use of Galix in Darfur breaches the UN arms embargo, which has been in place since 2004. The European Union has also imposed an arms embargo on Sudan since 1994. 

Callamard called on France to “immediately stop the supply of this system to the UAE” and urged stronger export controls to ensure compliance. 

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks in Sudan’s civil war, which pits the country’s army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the paramilitary RSF led by general Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, a former ally.

Both sides face accusations of war crimes. More than 11 million people – nearly 30 percent of the population – have fled their homes in what the UN describes as the world’s worst displacement crisis. 

Amnesty urged France to extend the arms embargo to cover all of Sudan and strengthen export monitoring.

“If France cannot guarantee through export controls, including end user certification, that arms will not be re-exported to Sudan, it should not authorise” exports to countries like the UAE, Amnesty said.

During his first term, Trump cut off funding to the UN’s health and family planning agencies, withdrew from its cultural organisation Unesco and the Human Rights Council, and raised tariffs on China and long-time allies in defiance of the World Trade Organisation’s rules.

The US is the UN’s biggest single contributor, covering 22 percent of its regular budget.

This week, Trump signalled his direction for the UN by selecting Republican Representative Elise Stefanik as his candidate for UN ambassador.

The fourth-highest ranking House member, Stefanik recently called for a “complete reassessment” of US funding for the UN, including halting support for its Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA.

President Joe Biden paused the funding after UNRWA fired several staffers in Gaza suspected of taking part in the 7 October attack led by Hamas in 2023.

The Trump 2.0 agenda

Speculation regarding Donald Trump’s future policies is rampant, with observers from Washington and beyond engaging in discussions over what his return to the presidency might mean for the United Nations and global relations.

Historically, Trump’s views have not been consistent. He famously referred to climate change as a hoax and has often supported the fossil fuel industry, yet he has formed ties with environmentally conscious figures like Elon Musk.

While his first administration made substantial investments to expedite the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, he also aligned himself with anti-vaccine activists, such as Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, said Trump would likely treat the UN less “as a place to transact serious political business” and more “as a theatre to pursue a conservative global social agenda”.

• EU leaders chart independent future as Trump takes White House

Multilateralism aversion

Trump’s first term provides insight into his potential policies. He withdrew the US from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement – a decision Biden later reversed but which Trump could undo again if elected.

Trump also led the US to exit Unesco and the Human Rights Council, arguing they were biased against Israel. Although Biden rejoined both, he opted not to pursue another term on the Human Rights Council.

During his administration, Trump also cut funding to the UN Population Fund over its stance on abortion, despite the agency’s insistence that it remains neutral.

Trump’s scepticism towards multilateralism stood in contrast to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s push for greater cooperation among nations.

Global shift

The international landscape has changed significantly since Trump’s first term in 2017.

New conflicts have erupted in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan, and nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran have grown.

However, the UN Security Council has remained largely inactive, struggling with internal divisions among its five permanent members – Britain, China, France, Russia and the US.

Since Trump’s first term began in 2017, global conditions have shifted dramatically.

According to John Bolton, a former national security adviser at Trump’s White House: “It’s really back to Cold War days” with Russia and China providing cover for nations like Iran and North Korea, thereby complicating any diplomatic efforts involving weapons proliferation and conflict resolution.

• ‘Worry’ in Ukraine at Trump victory at critical moment in war

Bolton – also a former US ambassador to the UN – expects Stefanik will have a “tougher time” because of the range of issues facing the Security Council.

“What had been fairly sleepy during the first Trump term is not going to be sleepy at all in the second Trump term,” he said.

The Security Council’s inaction in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – coupled with its failure to produce a strong resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza due to US support for Israel – has underscored its limitations.

Despite this, the UN’s institutional framework could prevent any rapid policy shifts, even under Trump.

Known for enjoying the spotlight, Trump may still attend General Assembly sessions, where he has historically drawn global attention.

Around 4,000 police and members of the security forces patrolled inside and outside the Stade de France to prevent a repetition of the attacks on fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam last week.

A further 1,600 civilian security personnel were also on duty.

Stewards had to intervene at one point to stop fans of both nations from clashing in the stands, an AFP reporter saw.

Videos taken by spectators and posted on the X social media platform showed fans, some with Israeli flags, running along the rows of seats at the stadium while other supporters whistled and booed.

Members of the stadium security team moved between the two groups to separate them and the incident was over within minutes.

The tension surrounding the fixture caused many fans to stay away with just 16,611 in a stadium that holds up to 80,000.

Around 100 Israeli fans attended the match despite calls from Israeli authorities to avoid the fixture. Around 600 members of the Jewish community in France travelled to the stadium in buses with a police escort.

Paris ramps up security for ‘high-risk’ France-Israel football clash

Huge security operation

French authorities mounted a huge security operation after the government defied calls from some French lawmakers to postpone the match or move it to another city.

“We will not give in to anti-Semitism anywhere, and violence – including in the French Republic – will never prevail, nor will intimidation,” President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the game, told BFMTV.

Macron called Israeli Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu before the game to assure him that French authorities had taken the necessary security measures for the match to pass off smoothly, the president’s office said.

An elite police unit guarded the Israeli team from the moment they arrived on French soil. Israel coach Ran Ben Simon said the security had been “extraordinary”.

“We want to thank the security people for protecting us,” he said in a post-match press conference.

The incidents in the Netherlands took place with anti-Israeli sentiment and reported anti-Semitic acts across the world soaring as Israel wages wars against Iran-backed Islamist militants in Lebanon and Gaza.

The violence in Amsterdam flared after Maccabi fans in the city for a match against Ajax set fire to a Palestinian flag and vandalised a taxi 24 hours earlier, authorities said.

Following the match, Maccabi fans were chased by men on scooters and beaten.

Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema called it a “poisonous cocktail of anti-Semitism and hooliganism”.

Dutch far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders blamed the violence on “Muslims”.

French football league orders PSG to shut stand over homophobic abuse

Pro-Palestinian protests 

Several hundred people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Thursday in Saint-Denis to the north of Paris where the match was played.

That came after a larger protest on Wednesday against the holding of an “Israel is Forever” gala in the French capital. Clashes broke out with police firing tear gas and some protesters damaged the window of a restaurant.

The leader of the Jewish community in France, Yonathan Arfi, expressed hope the France-Israel match would demonstrate there could be no repeat of the violence in the Netherlands.

“We need to show a sort of ‘anti-Amsterdam’ this evening,” said Arfi, the president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (Crif).

As well as Macron, Prime Minister Michel Barnier and former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy were in the crowd.

Macron’s presence was aimed at drawing a line after “controversies and misunderstandings” in recent relations between France and Israel, said a member of his team who asked not to be named.

Last week in Jerusalem, Israeli police entered a French-owned church compound, briefly detaining two gendarmes and prompting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to abandon a scheduled visit.

The draw was enough for France to secure a place in the Nations League quarter-finals. Israel earned their first point of the competition.

“Dengue fever has entered the epidemic phase,” the mayors’ association and regional health authorities said in a statement on Thursday night.

It stated that a strain of the dengue virus that has not circulated much in the last 20 years had led the authorities to fear the possibility of “severe forms” with “a high number of cases to be expected if control and prevention actions are not implemented”.

The dengue 3 serotype (DENV-3) is one of four variants of the virus.

The health authorities said among 62 samples analysed between late September and mid-October, 97 percent were caused by DENV-3.

The average of 80 cases per week at this time of year has been far surpassed.

At the end of October the agency estimated the weekly figure hit 540 – more than double the number seen in September.

Hospitals were reporting a similar spike, with around 40 emergency room visits per week for suspected dengue cases, compared with 25 in September.

Combat breeding grounds

Dengue, also known as “tropical flu”, can cause high fever, fatigue and body aches, although most people have no symptoms. Severe cases can trigger bleeding, internally or from the mouth and nose.

The virus is spread by the Aedes “tiger” mosquito that breeds in stagnant pools.

Guadeloupe authorities stressed the need “to combat mosquito vectors and breeding grounds for larvae that can develop in water reservoirs around or inside homes, which may have accumulated after recent rainfall”.

It also advised people to wear loose-fitting clothing to cover the skin, use insect repellent and mosquito netting over beds. 

In October, the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) said the number of reported dengue cases worldwide has approximately doubled each year since 2021, with over 12.3 million cases, including more than 7,900 deaths, reported in just the first eight months of 2024.

The WHO has linked the spike in the number of cases to global warming.

(with newswires)

Workers in airlines, railways, the public sector and other industries are gearing up for action as they brace for a wave of job losses and spending reductions.

“We are at the start of a violent industrial bloodletting,” Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT union, told the weekly La Tribune Dimanche.

The CGT estimates that at least 150,000 jobs could be cut in the coming years, potentially creating a “domino effect” that could impact subcontractors. 

The proposed strikes come as MPs continue debating the draft budget, which is aimed at reducing the deficit to 5 percent next year. France’s current deficit sits above 6 percent – more than double the 3 percent limit set by the EU.

Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s plan seeks to raise €60 billion, with €20 billion from new taxes and €40 billion from cuts.

What’s in France’s belt-tightening budget and can it win support?

Airline levy

The SNPL pilots union got the ball rolling with a strike on Thursday to protest a planned tripling of the aviation levy on flights to and from France.

The new levy, expected to take effect in January 2025, aims to raise €1 billion annually. SNPL warned the levy would likely lead to job cuts.

Trade unions at France’s railway operator SNCF have also called for an indefinite strike from next month that could disrupt train services during the upcoming Christmas holidays.

The unions are pushing for a halt to the planned dismantling of SNCF’s freight division, Fret SNCF, and resisting conditions tied to opening up regional passenger lines to competition. A shorter strike is planned from 20-22 November.

In the civil service, unions FO and CGT have called for strikes following an unsuccessful meeting with Public Administration Minister Guillaume Kasbarian, with mobilisation likely in early December.

The government has warned that over 3,000 public sector jobs could be cut, alongside stricter sick leave rules.

Absenteeism in the public sector has reportedly risen, with days lost increasing from 43 million in 2014 to 77 million in 2022.

French rail unions call for strike action ahead of Christmas holidays

Trade woes

Farmers are also planning fresh protests in Paris and Brussels in the coming week against the Mercosur trade deal between the EU and Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Twenty-five years in the making, the agreement would create the world’s largest free trade zone, but French farmers fear an influx of cheap agricultural products. Barnier called the deal “unacceptable for France”.

The economic situation for private companies in France worsened last week as two major employers announced layoffs.

Tyre manufacturer Michelin announced the closure of two factories in western France by 2026, impacting 1,254 employees.

Michelin, which employs nearly 19,000 people in France, blamed competition from Asian manufacturers and Europe’s “worsening competitiveness” due to rising inflation and energy costs.

Economy Minister Antoine Armand said the government would “do everything in its power to help find a buyer” for the sites.

Supermarket chain Auchan also announced it would cut 2,389 jobs due to massive losses, including closing around 10 stores.

Franck Martineau, FO union representative for Auchan Retail, called the decision “catastrophic,” saying: “This will leave many, many employees and families in difficulty”.

French farmers plan fresh protests as Mercosur trade deal looms

Budget rejected

On Tuesday, French MPs rejected the government’s draft budget, heavily amended with opposition-led tax increases.

“A majority of MPs rejects both fiscal battering and the impossibility of France living up to its European commitments,” said Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin.

Barnier’s minority government now has leeway to submit a revised text to the Senate, where a final compromise may be reached.

As global rating agencies consider downgrades to France’s credit rating, Barnier hopes to restore confidence in the country’s economic stability.

A downgrade could raise the cost of France’s debt, currently costing €50 billion annually –second only to education in government spending.

Following the election results, leaders across the continent extended their well-wishes to the returning US president.

“I look forward to building on our mutual interests,” said Kenya’s President William Ruto, while Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu voiced hopes for a “reciprocal” era of cooperation over the next four years.

However many observers believe that Africa – previously labeled by Trump as a continent of “shithole countries” – remains a low priority for the United States. 

Historically, US foreign policy has largely neglected Africa, focusing instead on countering adversaries like China and Russia.

In contrast, President Joe Biden promoted Africa as a vital partner, though little was executed during his mandate. 

• US backs two permanent seats for Africa on UN Security Council

According to the International Crisis Group‘s Murithi Mutiga in Nairobi,Trump is “a committed isolationist and clearly wants to pull back” from global commitments.

Mutiga told AFP that Africa has often been viewed by the US “as a problem to be solved”, in contrast to China’s more investment-focused engagement on the continent.

J Peter Pham, a former US special envoy to the Sahel, said the future Trump administration “may seek ‘win-win’ scenarios in Africa, possibly continuing the African Growth and Opportunity Act”, which provides eligible nations duty-free access to US markets.

However, compliance issues have come to the fore of late – particularly with South Africa – accused of supplying arms to Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Reproductive health ‘conflict’

There are concerns that Trump’s presidency could impact critical funding for healthcare and development across Africa.

This includes potential cuts to reproductive health programs, which many African communities rely on, particularly for services aimed at young women and girls.

Max Primorac, a former USAID administrator, has openly criticised some USAID programs, aligning with conservative values outlined in Trump’s “Project 2025” agenda.

Primorac took issue with initiatives he claimed promote “abortion, climate extremism, and interventions against perceived systematic racism”, suggesting these could be targets for funding cuts.

However, it is more likely that the next US administration will focus on core security and economic interests rather than controversial social policies.

• Niger’s junta revokes military deal with US

‘Problems versus opportunites’

Trump’s re-election also comes at a time of escalating instability in Africa’s Sahel region, where a growing anti-Western sentiment has driven countries like Niger and Mali to seek partnerships with Russia.

As China and Russia expand their influence through investments targeting Africa’s mineral wealth, the US’s position has weakened.

“The US and the West viewed Africa as a problem, while China saw it as an opportunity,” Mutiga said, highlighting the different approaches taken by global powers.

While the Biden administration pledged over $22 billion in investment to Africa, Trump previously sought to significantly slash foreign aid – sometimes by as much as 30 percent. 

Potential funding cuts during Trump’s second presidency could also jeopardise vital health, security, and development projects amid rising hunger and threats to democracy in African nations.

• Morocco’s king praises French support, diplomatic gains over status of Western Sahara

Africa’s interests

In Morocco, Trump’s return has stirred optimism about Washington’s stance on Western Sahara. During his first term, Trump recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed region – a move that has not been reversed by Biden.

While this shift has yet to yield concrete results, Morocco hopes Trump’s second term could bring further support.

Security remains a key interest for the US in the Horn of Africa, where ongoing conflicts, such as the civil war in Sudan, have disrupted stability.

Analysts predict the Trump administration may reduce funding to Somalia, potentially redirecting resources to Somaliland as part of its strategic interests in the region.

While the G20 has recognised the African Union as a permanent member, concerns persist about the organisation’s effectiveness in representing the continent’s interests on the global stage.

“The question is often, what will Washington do? But really, what is in Africa’s interest?” Mutiga said.

As Trump readies to take over the White House, there is a growing emphasis for Africa to articulate its priorities clearly – focusing on its own interests – rather than serving as a pawn in geopolitical rivalries that will dictate US involvement.

The SEPM claims that Google was preparing to test a scheme that would exclude articles from specific media outlets with which it is in dispute over rights to online news content.

The testing was set to begin Thursday, according to the union.

Google countered, saying the project was only a “time-limited experiment” meant to assess the effect of European publishers’ content on user search experiences.

‘Compensation for content’

Google, along with other online platforms, has faced criticism in recent years for profiting from news content without sharing revenues with the creators of that content.

In response, the European Union introduced “neighbouring rights” – a form of copyright that lets print media request compensation for using their work.

France has led the way in applying these rules, with Google and Facebook agreeing to pay certain French media outlets for articles displayed in search results, though only after initial resistance.

Google and SEPM have been negotiating over neighbouring rights payments for several years, and the Paris court’s order now requires Google to “not proceed to test” the alleged scheme or risk fines of €300,000 per entity, covering Google LLC, Google Ireland and Google France.

• France slaps Google with €250m fine over EU media rules and AI use
• Google appeals record €500 million French fine over paying for news content

Google ‘not alone’ in media disputes

The SEPM – which includes some 80 media groups – has welcomed the order, which it said would “preserve the interests of the French press”.

Google expressed surprise at the SEPM’s stance, claiming that the testing was intended to gather data requested by “independent administrative authorities and press publishers” on the impact of news content display in Google’s search engine.

In March, Google was fined €250 million by France’s competition authority for failing to meet some of the commitments it has made on the issue of neighbouring rights. 

The Alphabet Group subsidiary is not alone in its disputes with French media over using content without payment. 

Accused of bad faith negotiations, social media network X was sued this month by leading French media groups such as Le Monde, Le Figaro and Le Parisien.

Agence France-Presse is suing X over the same issue with a court hearing set for 15 May, 2025.

The move triggered an outcry from environmental groups, which had hailed the law as an unprecedented breakthrough in the fight to protect nature and combat climate change.

Parliament was called to sign off on a delay requested by the European Commission following pressure from trading partners such as Brazil and the United States, and some member states including Germany.

But lawmakers on the right used the vote to bring new amendments, passed with support from right-wing and far-right groups.

This de facto restarted the legislative process, as the new text should now be re-discussed by the commission and member states – creating further uncertainty over its implementation.

The legislation would prohibit a vast range of goods – from coffee to cocoa, soy, timber, palm oil, cattle, printing paper and rubber – if produced using land that was deforested after December 2020.

Cocoa-producing countries call on EU to delay anti-deforestation law

Exporting countries considered high-risk would have at least nine percent of products sent to the EU subjected to checks, with the proportion falling for lower-risk ones.

Among the amendments introduced Thursday was the creation of a “no risk” category that would see products from some countries – such as Germany – face virtually no scrutiny.

Julia Christian, a campaigner at environmental group Fern, said it was the equivalent of giving “EU forested countries a free pass”.

“The message to the rest of the world is unmistakable: you must stop destroying your forests, but the EU won’t end the widespread degradation afflicting its forests,” she said.

The bill, introduced by Samantha Cazebonne, a former MP representing French citizens in Spain and Portugal, has reopened deep divisions between animal rights activists and defenders of local culture.

It will be voted on by senators on Friday.

In regions where bullfighting remains a core tradition – like the southern cities of Bayonne, Nîmes and Béziers – where it is recognised as part of the cultural landscape, debate has been especially fierce.

The Union of French Bullfighting Cities (UVTF), has vigorously opposed the bill, calling it an “unprecedented attack” on bullfighting. 

Animal rights groups, on the other hand, see it as an opportunity to raise awareness about what they argue is the damaging impact of bullfights on children. The Protec collective (Protect Children from Bullfights) has already gathered over 40,000 signatures in support of the bill.

One hundred mayors recently published a petition in Midi Libre, a regional newspaper, warning that exposing children to bullfights “introduces them to the practice of a crime”.

Jacques-Charles Fombonne, president of the French Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA), agrees, saying: “It is our duty to educate the younger generation to reject the idea of death as entertainment.”

Cazebonne remains determined to push the bill forward.

“Many neighbouring countries, including those with strong bullfighting traditions like Spain, Portugal and several South American countries, have already passed laws on this issue,” she said.

“Why should we be the last to protect our children?”

Animal cruelty or local culture? Bullfighting ban divides France

Cultural identity

The debate over the proposed ban has highlighted a broader clash between preserving cultural heritage and protecting children from what some consider violent and disturbing experiences.

The bill has found support from both left-wing and right-wing lawmakers, including some conservative Republicans in the Senate.

Among the bill’s supporters is Arnaud Bazin, a veterinarian and senator from Val-d’Oise, who argues that allowing children to attend bullfights is inconsistent with other protections in French law.

“These are extremely violent spectacles,” Bazin said. “Allowing them in the presence of children is contradictory to our laws on child protection.”

However, the bill faces strong opposition within the Senate. A recent committee review showed that the majority of senators support preserving local freedoms and parental rights, arguing that families should decide for themselves whether children can attend bullfights.

Max Brisson, a LR (Republicans) senator from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, expressed outrage on social media, saying the bill “violates local liberties, denies the role of parents in educating their children, and seeks to prevent them from passing down their culture and identity”.

Legal challenges

The bill also faces legal challenges. Critics point out that the proposed sanctions for violating the law – up to five years in prison and €75,000 in fines – are disproportionate, particularly when it comes to the issue of minors attending bullfights. 

Louis Vogel, a senator from the Horizons party and the bill’s rapporteur, described the proposal as inconsistent, noting that it would allow children to attend bullfighting schools but bar them from watching the actual events.

The bill comes two years after a failed attempt by Aymeric Caron, an MP with the hard-left France Unbowed party, to completely ban bullfighting in France. That bill, which aimed for a total ban, was never put to a vote in the National Assembly.

(with newswires)

Aliyev had accused France of “crimes” and “human rights violations” in overseas territories including New Caledonia in the South Pacific, where 13 people have been killed this year in protests that broke out in May over a contested voting reform.

On Wednesday, Pannier-Runacher told the French Senate: “President Aliyev’s words against France and Europe as the Cop29 opened in Baku are unacceptable.”

Azerbaijan’s leader was using “the fight against climate change for a shameful personal agenda,” she added.

Earlier, Aliyev had charged that “the regime of President Macron killed 13 people and wounded 169 … during legitimate protests by the Kanak people in New Caledonia”.

Taking to social media, Pannier-Runacher posted: “Azerbaijan is instrumentalising the fight against climate change for its own unworthy personal agenda. These attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the UNFCCC Code of Conduct. They will not go unanswered”.

‘Colonial yoke’

Violence broke out in mid-May in New Caledonia, northeast of Australia, over Paris’ plan for voting reforms that indigenous Kanak people fear would leave them in a permanent minority, crushing their chances of winning independence.

France sent thousands of troops and police to the archipelago, which is home to around 270,000 people and located nearly 17,000 kilometres from Paris. 

The reform has been abandoned by a new government since Macron called new legislative elections in June.

However, the extent of the violence and damage was such that Prime Minister Michel Barnier last month announced the postponement of the territory’s local polls until the end of 2025.

• Azerbaijan accused of stirring unrest in New Caledonia as tensions persist

Aliyev also accused France of holding Mediterranean island of Corsica and Paris’s far-flung overseas island territories “under the colonial yoke”.

Azerbaijan has played host to a group of pro-independence movements from French overseas territories in an apparent bid to needle Paris, which has long supported Baku’s arch-rival Armenia.

Aliyev’s latest attacks were “a flagrant violation of the code of conduct” that usually prevails at the landmark UN climate change conferences, Pannier-Runacher said.

“Direct attacks on our country, its institutions and its territories cannot be justified,” she added – also taking aim at “Azerbaijan’s words in favour of fossil energy”.

• Azerbaijan accuses France of stoking ‘new wars’ in Caucasus

‘Highest ambition’

This comes as Aliyev called oil and gas “a gift of the God” in his opening Cop address on Tuesday.

Pannier-Runacher deemed the Azeri president’s remarks “unworthy of the Cop presidency”.

She hoped instead to spotlight a “positive dynamic” at the conference in petrostate Azerbaijan, where Brazil and Britain announced new emissions targets.

While Macron and Barnier backed Pannier-Runacher in not personally attending, “France’s negotiating teams will spare no effort, with my support from a distance … to protect the planet and our populations,” she added.

“We will continue to argue for the highest level of ambition in implementing the Paris Accord” of 2015, Pannier-Runacher said.

The prosecution made the request in a Paris court where Le Pen and other defendants from her National Rally party are on trial accused of creating fake jobs at the EU parliament. She denies the charges.

If granted by the court, the ban would exclude the 56-year-old from running in France’s 2027 presidential election.

The prosecution demanded the ban be effective immediately, even if the defence team appeals.

The National Rally, like other far-right parties around Europe, is riding high following a strong performance in European elections in June.

How France’s far-right National Rally finally hooked the women’s vote

The prosecution demanded that all of the two dozen defendants be excluded from running from public office.

It demanded a five-year jail sentence for Le Pen, calling for at least two years of that to be a “convertible” custodial sentence, meaning there would be a possibility of partial release.

The prosecutors also demanded the RN be fined €2 million. 

Le Pen promptly denounced the prosecutors’ motion as excessive, branding it an “outrage” and accusing prosecutors of trying to “ruin the (RN) party”.

Le Pen denies wrongdoing in fake EU jobs trial

“I think the prosecutors’ wish is to deprive the French people of the ability to vote for who they want,” she said.

The alleged fake jobs system, which was first flagged in 2015, covers parliamentary assistant contracts between 2004 and 2016. 

Prosecutors say the assistants worked exclusively for the party outside parliament.

Addressing the trial last month, Le Pen said she was innocent.

“I have absolutely no sense of having committed the slightest irregularity, or the slightest illegal act,” she told the court.

The strike notice – which concerns Air France as well as other carriers with pilots on French labour contracts – comes as the government tries to push through its draft budget for next year, despite lacking a majority in parliament.

“This additional tax will ultimately lead to tens of thousands of job losses in France,” the SNPL union said in a statement on Sunday.

“This social disaster will go hand in hand with the weakening of French operators or those operating regularly in France compared to their European and international competitors,” it added.

The government’s proposed increase in the aviation levy will apply to flights to or from France as from January 2025, but exclude France’s overseas territories and Corsica.

The price of an economy class ticket would go up between €2.60 to €9.50 per passenger for flights within Europe and up to €40 for long-haul flights.

Business class tickets for long-haul flighs could see increases of up to €120.

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

A contested solidarity tax

The increases reflect an urgent need for more tax income with environmental aims.

Tripling the current levy, particularly for long-haul flights, is designed to generate additional revenue of €1 billion next year.

The measure has been included in the current version of the draft belt-tightening budget through an amendment.

However, it’s become the subject of political haggling between a hung National Assembly, the conservative-controlled Senate and Prime Minister Michel Barnier‘s government, so it’s unclear if the levy will be part of the final budget text.

In May, a strike by air traffic controllers at Orly airport over staffing shortages led to major flight disruption, but it remains to be seen how many pilots could walk out on Thursday or how flight schedules might be affected.

• France seeks to clamp down on ‘ecocidal’ private jets as climate crisis worsens

The proposed tax hikes have sparked anger in the aviation sector more widely.

On Thursday, Air France-KLM reported a bigger-than-expected drop in its quarterly operating result and warned that this year’s costs would be higher than previously projected.

Air France-KLM said that France’s proposed hike of the solidarity tax on flight tickets could hit its operating result by €90 to €170 million in 2025.

“Direct consequence could be higher fares which could make air travel less accessible to customers in our own market,” group CEO Benjamin Smith told reporters.

(with newswires)

The latest annual update by the Global Carbon Budget, which tracks where carbon emissions end up in the Earth’s system, found that time is running out to prevent dangerous temperature rises.  

“It’s very likely we will exceed the 1.5C limit if emissions continue at the current rate,” said French climate scientist Philippe Ciais, one of more than 120 scientists who contributed to the report, in an interview with RFI. 

Current trajectories show there’s a 50 percent chance that 1.5C will be breached by the end of the decade.

Released Wednesday, the study includes emissions from both fossil fuel burning and land-use changes, such as deforestation, which releases carbon stored in forests. 

It projects that fossil fuel emissions will reach 37.4 billion tonnes in 2024 – a 0.8 percent increase from 2023. 

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) last month flagged record greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, warning this will commit the world to rising temperatures for decades to come. 

African nations demand huge climate aid boost amid global distrust

Rising fossil fuels

While deforestation-related emissions have declined over the past 20 years, those from fossil fuels continue to rise. Although the rate of increase has slowed since the 2000s, there is still no sign of a sustained decline, Ciais explained. 

Some regions have shown progress in reducing emissions. Europe has seen decreases since the late 1980s or early 1990s, and the United States since 2005. However, India‘s emissions are rising sharply, while China saw nearly 5 percent growth in 2023 due to increased coal use. 

Natural carbon sinks – forests and oceans that absorb carbon dioxide – continue to play a vital role but face mounting pressures. Oceans absorb carbon dioxide consistently, but land-based sinks are more vulnerable to climate impacts. 

“When we have a warmer or drier climate – for example, there was a very large drought in the Amazon in 2023 – they can suddenly start releasing carbon,” Ciais said. 

Record greenhouse gas levels lock in decades of global warming

Forests under pressure

The report attributes around 60 percent of global deforestation-related carbon emissions to three main regions, each affected by unique pressures.

“In Brazil, it’s mainly illegal deforestation linked to the expansion of livestock farming, which is an extremely important and very centralised industry,” Ciais said.

In Africa, deforestation is largely driven by subsistence farming and the use of wood for energy.

In Southeast Asia, however, much of the forest loss comes from large-scale plantations, such as oil palm and rubber, which store less carbon than the native tropical forests they replace.

The study emphasises that natural forests are significantly better at capturing and storing carbon than planted monocultures.

“In a hectare of primary forest, there are more than 150 species living together. It’s the entire plant ecosystem that absorbs CO2, much more than monocultures,” Ciais said, explaining the biodiversity and density that make natural forests so effective.

Ice loss and plant growth mark new era for warming Antarctica

Threshold breach

The findings come as the European Union‘s Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that 2024 will be the first year when global temperatures exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement.  

The agency says 2024 is also virtually certain to be the warmest year on record.  

For 16 consecutive months from June 2023 to September 2024, global mean temperatures exceeded previous records by a wide margin, according to the WMO. 

Even if emissions were rapidly reduced to net zero, the current temperature levels would persist for several decades due to the long life of CO2 in the atmosphere, scientists say. 

Macron, who made a five-year restoration pledge shortly after the 2019 blaze, will also attend the first public mass in the newly restored cathedral the following day. 

In preparation for the reopening, the head of state will make a final visit to the construction site on 29 November, his seventh tour since the fire, to personally thank the artisans who have worked on the extensive project. 

His remarks will highlight what the Élysée Palace has described as a “French success story”, placing the Notre-Dame restoration alongside other national achievements like the Paris Olympics. 

France mulls charging tourists to enter Notre-Dame cathedral

Speech delivered outside 

Initially, the president’s address was planned for inside the cathedral. However, the decision to have him speak outside respects France’s strict secular laws separating church and state, said an Élysée spokesperson.  

Macron would take the opportunity to underscore “France’s resilience” in restoring a symbol of French heritage, the spokesperson added. 

“Macron is keen to focus on this success and to thank all those involved in what has been a monumental effort,” a close aide told daily paper Le Parisien, explaining that his speech would praise the “nation of builders”. 

On 8 December, Macron will join worshippers at the first mass in Notre-Dame since the fire. Led by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, the mass will consecrate the cathedral’s altar and interior. 

Macron will attend the service but, as is customary in his capacity as president, he will not take communion. “The president never receives communion when he attends a mass in an official role,” his team said. 

Five-year promise 

To honour Macron’s pledge to restore the cathedral within five years, the government implemented special policies to facilitate the process.

New laws encouraged private donations for national heritage projects, resulting in major contributions from donors, including the Pinault family. 

However, the campaign was not without controversy, with some critics arguing that wealthy donors held excessive influence. 

The restoration project also faced health concerns, with worries about lead contamination in nearby areas. These were addressed with new safety protocols, but debates continued over whether the cathedral’s spire should be rebuilt in its original style or with a modern design. 

Five years after devastating fire, race to rebuild Notre-Dame gains pace

In the end, authorities chose to recreate the spire exactly as it was, based on detailed historical records. 

The Élysée confirmed that Pope Francis would not attend the ceremony, as he is scheduled to visit Corsica the following week. However, guests from various countries are expected.  

“This event will be broadcast worldwide,” an Élysée official said. 

In its first week open, Notre-Dame will welcome the public until 10pm, allowing visitors to witness the newly restored interior. Access will be ticketed but free, with reservations available from one to three days in advance. 

Though some finishing touches remain, the primary reconstruction work is complete. Around €140 million of the restoration fund remains, and the government has yet to decide whether additional budget cuts might impact the final stages. 

Niger’s recent diplomatic shift away from France towards Russia has marked a turning point in the nation’s resource management strategy, particularly concerning its abundant uranium reserves.

Following the military coup in July 2023, which resulted in the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s military junta has been taking increasingly bold steps to redefine its international partnerships, especially in the critical mining sector.

On 8 November, Mining Minister Ousmane Abarchi announced that Niger is actively seeking to attract Russian investment in uranium and other natural resources.

• France’s Orano loses operating licence at major uranium mine in Niger

The move comes against the backdrop of a breakdown in relations with France, Niger’s former colonial power and a long-time partner in uranium mining.

Abarchi highlighted that several Russian firms have expressed interest in exploring Niger’s rich mining opportunities.

In an interview with Russia’s Ria Novosti press agency, Arbachi said: “We have already met with Russian companies that are interested in coming to explore and exploit Niger’s natural resources … not only uranium.”

“With regards to French companies, the French government – via its head of state – has said it does not recognise the Niger authorities,” he said.

“Does it seem possible in this case that we, the State of Niger, accept that French companies continue to exploit our natural resources?”

‘Nationalising’ control of resources

Tensions between France and Niger escalated after the junta’s decision to revoke Orano’s licence to operate at the Imouraren uranium mine in June of this year.

This deposit is one of the largest in the world and has been a focal point of French investment over the years.

Since its involvement began in the early 2000s, Orano has invested over €1 billion in developing the mine.

Despite optimism surrounding a recovery in uranium prices, the company found itself at the mercy of political changes as the French government’s crackdown on the military regime complicated operational agreements.

As Niger hopes to revitalise its mining sector under new governance, it has vowed to reshape regulations concerning foreign investments.

The junta’s focus on nationalising resource control appears to align with a regional trend across the Sahel, as neighbouring countries – such as Mali – have also pivoted towards Russia for support and investment, moving away from historical ties with France.

• Orano halts uranium output at Niger’s Arlit mine amid financial strain

Niger-Russia space cooperation

This comes as Niger signed an agreement with the Russian company Glavkosmos earlier this month to acquire advanced satellite technology.

The move – aimed at enhancing national security and counter-terrorism efforts – is expected to deliver three high-altitude satellites within four years.

Niger’s Minister of Communication, Sidi Mohamed Raliou, emphasised the strategic importance of the satellites for communication, remote sensing, and defence capabilities, further solidifying Niger’s technological relationship with Russia.

The junta’s increasing reliance on Russia not only signifies a search for allies in a complicated political and security environment but also represents an outright rejection of France’s former influence in the region.

Niger’s strategy to court Russian firms for mining and technological investments underlines the military régime’s audacious restructuring of foreign relations – especially with France – amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, as Paris grapples with its waning influence in its former African colonies.

(With newswires)

Arnaud Rousseau, president of agricultural union FNSEA, announced the mobilisation on France Inter radio Wednesday – emphasising the aim is to pressure the government without causing major disruptions for the public.  

“We are going to hit the road from Monday … We’re not here to annoy the French,” Rousseau said, adding that unlike previous protests, the new action would avoid blocking motorways.  

FNSEA’s plan will focus on rallies “in every department” for several days to coincide with a G20 meeting in Brazil where the controversial trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur nations – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – could be finalised. 

Farmers’ protests in France: a long and sometimes deadly history

Cheaper imports

The deal, under discussion for more than two decades, wouldremove tariffs and allow annual imports of up to 100,000 tonnes of South American beef into EU markets. 

Farmers argue that the influx of cheaper South American meat could devastate France’s agriculture, already weakened by a disastrous year. 

“We want to make France’s voice heard at this critical moment,” Rousseau said, warning the trade deal could have “dramatic consequences” for French agriculture, especially on the issue of production standards.  

“What are we talking about? Hormone-treated beef, growth-accelerated chicken,” he said. 

Meanwhile Prime Minister Michel Barnier will travel to Brussels on Wednesday to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and restate France’s opposition to the trade deal in its current form. 

Experts weed out flaws in France’s revamped plan to cut pesticides

Historic protests

The union’s announcement comes less than a year after historic farmer protests rocked France.  

Other farming groups are also planning action, with the Coordination Rurale, France’s second-largest agricultural union, promising an “agricultural revolt” from 19 November, including blocking food freight. 

French farmers face multiple challenges beyond the trade deal. “The urgent issue is farm cash flow,” Rousseau, pointing to a difficult year for the sector.  

France has seen “the lowest wheat harvest in 40 years, grape harvests down by about 25 percent […] and health issues like bluetongue disease.” 

Rousseau also expressed frustration over domestic agricultural policy. He noted that before parliament was dissolved in June, “we were promised an agricultural guidance law”.  

He added that regarding announcements made in early 2024, “concrete implementation is lacking in many areas”. 

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Paris following Donald Trump’s re-election as US President, Macron said he was “delighted” that more nations were aligning with his push for collective investment in defence.

“It’s the agenda of European strategic autonomy that will allow us to have more money, to build capacity and autonomy for the Europeans, and an ability to cooperate with our non-European allies as part of the alliance,” Macron said.

Trump has questioned Washington’s commitment to NATO and has discussed reducing support to Ukraine or making a deal with Russia to end its invasion, which has dragged on for years.

His return to the White House pushes Europeans – long reliant on US military protection, both conventional and nuclear – to reconsider their own defence strategies.

Macron urges European leaders to ‘write our own history’ at joint summit

‘Homegrown military capacity’

“Nothing should be decided about Ukraine without the Ukrainians, nor about Europe without the Europeans,” Macron said, calling the build-up of local military strength “a long-term effort”.

He and Rutte condemned the presence of North Korean troops alongside Russian soldiers, describing it as “a serious escalation” in the Ukraine conflict, one that also heightens risks in the Pacific, now a key theatre for the US.

“Russia, working together with North Korea, Iran and China, is not only threatening Europe, it threatens peace and security, yes here in Europe, but also in the Indo-Pacific and North America,” Rutte said.

“We must stand together – Europe, North America and our global partners. We have to keep our trans-atlantic alliance strong,” he added.

Rutte pointed to backing Russia has received from Iran, North Korea and China.

“We must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight. We need to raise the cost for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his enabling and authoritarian friends by providing Ukraine with the support it needs to change the trajectory of the conflict,” he told reporters.

(with AFP)

Zitouni Ould Dada, representing the FAIRR Initiative – a network raising awareness of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks in the food sector – underscores the need to transform global food systems.

“Since Cop15 in Paris and Cop26 in Glasgow, good progress has been made towards building sustainable and resilient agri-food systems,” he said. “Cop29 is a key moment to accelerate the transformation of food production.”

He calls on policymakers to strengthen climate commitments, integrate agriculture into national plans, and create policies to attract sustainable investment.

Financing green energy and addressing climate disasters are key issues at this year’s summit.

Seyni Nafo, spokesperson for the African negotiators group and chair of the Green Climate Fund, coordinates the African Union Adaptation Initiative. He shared his perspective with RFI’s Christophe Boisbouvier.

Speaking from Baku, Nafo explored the question of responsibility for funding climate recovery in the most affected regions.

The negotiations come during what is expected to be the hottest year on record, underscoring the urgency of Cop29’s agenda.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale.

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! 

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 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

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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.

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.