“The statement naming the prime minister will be published tomorrow morning,” the Elysee presidential palace said on Thursday after Macron returned early from a trip to Poland.

“He is finishing his consultations,” an aide to to the president added.

Macron was widely expected to name a new prime minister on Thursday evening.

Suspense mounts as Macron prepares to unveil new French PM

The new delay, albeit an overnight delay, underscores the political challenges posed by the fractured lower house of parliament, a result of July’s snap elections.

The assembly remains split among a leftist alliance, centrists and conservatives, and the far-right National Rally (RN), complicating efforts to secure a stable government capable of surviving no-confidence votes.

On Thursday, Greens leader Marine Tondelier urged Macron to take bold action.

“The French public want a bit of enthusiasm, momentum, fresh wind, something new,” she said in an interview with France 2 television, adding that the president needs to “get out of his comfort zone.”

France’s Macron meets party leaders, promises new PM within 48 hours

The urgency to name a new government leader follows last week’s confidence vote, which ousted former Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

His administration, backed by Macron’s centrists and Barnier’s conservative allies, fell over a contentious cost-cutting budget proposal.

Meanwhile, Barnier’s caretaker government on Wednesday approved an emergency bill aimed at maintaining essential financial functions, including tax collection and borrowing, despite the absence of a formal 2025 budget plan.

Outgoing French government to present ‘special’ budget to avoid shutdown

The stopgap measure is expected to pass parliament on Monday with broad support.

As the political gridlock continues, Macron faces mounting pressure to secure a cohesive government while navigating the fragmented parliamentary landscape.

Political stalemate

Whoever is named will be the sixth prime minister of Macron’s mandate after the toppling of Barnier, who lasted only three months, and faces an immediate challenge in thrashing out a budget to pass parliament.

Each premier under Macron has served successively less time in office and there is no guarantee for the new premier that they will not follow this pattern.

Macron seeks allies to rebuild government after historic collapse

Macron remains confronted with the complex political equation that emerged from the snap parliamentary polls — how to secure a government against a no-confidence vote in a bitterly divided lower house where no party or alliance has a majority.

All the candidates widely floated so far have encountered objections from at least one side of the political spectrum.

 “They are stuck,” someone close to Macron said, asking not to be named and lamenting that “each name gets blocked.”

 “No one is in agreement around the president,” added the source, expressing hope Macron will surprise everyone with an unexpected choice.

Macron’s rumoured top pick, veteran centrist Francois Bayrou, raises hackles on the left — wary of continuing the president’s policies — and on the right, where he is disliked by influential former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Beyond Bayrou, prime ministerial contenders include former Socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve, current Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a Macron loyalist, and former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Another name being discussed in the media is Roland Lescure, a former industry minister, but the nomination of the former Socialist risks inflaming the right.

(With newswires)

Speaking during a joint press conference with Macron in Warsaw, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he discussed the possibility of stationing foreign troops in Ukraine in case of a ceasefire with Russia, but that Poland was not currently “planning any such actions”.

During Macron’s visit, Tusk underlined: “I would like to take this opportunity to end speculation about the potential presence of troops from one country or another in Ukraine once a ceasefire or peace has been agreed. The president [Macron] knows this, we discussed it, any decision on Polish actions will be taken in Warsaw and only in Warsaw. For the moment, we are not planning any such actions”.

“We will work with France on a solution that will, above all, protect Europe and Ukraine from resuming the conflict if an agreement can be reached,” he added.

Trump, Zelensky meeting in Paris

Thursday’s bilateral talks follow a meeting at the Elysée Palace between Macron, Trump and Zelensky on Saturday, that has been described as “brief but important”. 

Donald Trump – who will take office at the White House on 20 January – has called for an immediate ceasefire and for negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, the day after his Paris meeting with Zelensky.

However, in an interview published in Time Magazine this Thursday Trump said he disagrees “very vehemently” with Ukraine firing US-supplied missiles deep into Russia.

But the US president-elect insisted he would not abandon Ukraine as US support for Kyiv would be key leverage in efforts to bring the war to a close.  

Trump returns to world stage at Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening in Paris

Winter peace talks?

Tusk has recently mooted that peace talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine could begin this winter.

The Polish prime minister – who is a staunch backer of neighbouring Ukraine and will take over the rotating EU presidency from Hungary next month – also announced a series of upcoming talks with foreign officials.

“Our [EU] presidency will notably be co-responsible for what the political landscape will look like, perhaps how the situation will look during [peace] negotiations, which could begin – though there are still question marks – in the winter of this year,” Tusk told reporters on Tuesday.

Poland has been a strong Ukraine supporter since Russia invaded nearly three years ago and serves as a crucial logistics hub for Western military aid to Kyiv.

EU and Mercosur trade bloc finalise free trade deal opposed by France

Opposition to Mercosur deal

Meanwhile, Macron and Tusk also discussed the controversial trade deal between the EU and the South American Mercosur bloc, with the French president hammering home his opposition to agreement concluded in Uruguay last week, stressing that European farmers could not be “sacrificed in the name of the principles of the past century”.

Both France and Poland are opposed to the trade agreement which aims to create a vast market of more than 700 million consumers, but still needs the approval of at least 15 member states representing 65 percent of the EU’s population, and then a majority in the European Parliament.

Thursday’s meeting in Warsaw came ahead of a forthcoming EU summit on 19 December and Poland’s presidency of the EU Council on 1 January.

Sweden’s prosecution authority announced two months ago that it was investigating an alleged incident that occurred at an upscale Stockholm hotel on 10 October, without mentioning the suspect by name.

The 25-year-old forward with Real Madrid – one of the highest-profile players in world football – was in the Swedish capital from 9 to 11 October with a group of people after he was not selected by France for a Nations League match. 

Several Swedish media outlets, including newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen and public broadcaster SVT, identified Kylian Mbappé as the suspect.

Mbappé ‘not involved’

In a statement released this Thursday, prosecutor Marina Chirakova said: “My assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed,” although she did not mention Mbappé by name.

Chirakova said the suspect had “not been notified of suspicion of a crime”.

In October, Mbappé said that he was “shocked” to see his name linked to the investigation.

Speaking for the first time about the case on Sunday, he told French television show Clique he was “not involved”.

“I haven’t received anything, no summons … I’m not involved,” he said.

• Mbappé to take legal action for libel over Swedish rape investigation

According to Aftonbladet, Mbappé and his entourage dined at a restaurant one evening before going on to a nightclub. 

Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed on October 12 after the alleged victim had sought medical attention.

Meanwhile, Expressen reported that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black top.

Photographs showed police officers leaving the hotel with brown bags.

• Mbappé fights off-field drama buoyed by support of Madrid fans

Difficult season

Mbappé joined Madrid this summer after seven years at Paris Saint-Germain and has stayed clear of scandal in his private life.

The forward – who is known for carefully managing his image through a close network of family, lawyers and spokespeople – has become one of the world’s highest paid players after a stellar career that began when he was barely into his teens.

Mbappé won the World Cup as a teenager in 2018 in Russia and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar which France lost on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina. 

He has had a difficult season since moving to reigning European champions Real Madrid from PSG in the summer, failing to find his top form.

However the Frenchman scored in Madrid’s 3-2 win against Italian side Atalanta on Tuesday, which revived Real’s flagging bid to regain their Champions League title.

According to the Paris-based NGO, 18 journalists were killed by Israeli forces this year: 16 in Gaza and two in Lebanon.

RSF described the killings as “an unprecedented bloodbath” and claimed more than 145 journalists have died in Gaza since the war began in October 2023.

Thirty-five of them were actively working at the time of their deaths.

RSF’s annual report – which covers data up to 1 December – states: “Palestine is the most dangerous country for journalists, recording a higher death toll than any other country over the past five years.” 

The organisation has filed four complaints with the International Criminal Court for “war crimes committed against journalists by the Israeli army”.

Israel rejects RSF death toll

In a separate report published Tuesday, the International Federation of Journalists reported that 104 journalists have been killed worldwide in 2024, with more than half of them in Gaza.

The figures differ between the IFJ and RSF due to different methodologies used in calculating the toll.

RSF only includes journalists whose deaths have been “proven to be directly related to their professional activity”.

• Dozens of media associations call on EU to suspend treaty with Israel

Israel denies that it intentionally harms journalists, but admits that some have been killed in air strikes on military targets.

Government spokesman David Mercer told reporters: “We don’t accept these figures. We don’t believe they are correct.”

After Gaza, the deadliest places for journalists in 2024 were Pakistan with seven deaths, followed by Bangladesh and Mexico with five each.

• French NGO files case with ICC over journalists’ deaths in Gaza

Journalists held captive

In 2023, the number of journalists killed worldwide stood at 45 in the same January to December period.

The RSF report also noted a rise in detained journalists, with 550 imprisoned worldwide as of 1 December – up from 513 the previous year.

The highest numbers are in China, which holds 124 journalists (11 in Hong Kong), followed by Myanmar with 61 and Israel with 41.

Additionally, 55 journalists are being held hostage globally. Nearly half – 25 in total – are held by the Islamic State armed group.

The report also revealed that 95 journalists are reported missing, including four new cases this year.

In a report released on Wednesday, the WHO estimates there were 263 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2023 – 11 million more than the previous year.

It also found that the death toll remained relatively stable. In terms of the overall mortality rate, “we have come back to pre-pandemic numbers”, according to Arnaud Le Menach, of the WHO’s Global Malaria Programme.

In 2020, disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic led to a sharp increase in malaria-related mortality, with an additional 55,000 deaths counted that year.

Since then the total number of deaths from the disease – which is caused by a mosquito-borne parasite – has gradually shrunk, as has the mortality rate.

Why is malaria so difficult to combat?

However, the estimated 2023 mortality rate in Africa of 52 deaths per 100,000 population still remains more than double the target set by a global strategy for combatting malaria through 2030. The WHO is insisting that “progress must be accelerated”.

Vaccine promise

The WHO has pointed to the wider rollout of malaria vaccines as a promising development, expected to save tens of thousands of young lives each year.

The two jabs currently in use – RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M – hold the promise of significantly easing the burden in Africa, which accounts for up to 95 percent of all malaria deaths.

Malaria vaccines were rolled out on the continent in April 2019 – first in Malawi, with Kenya and Ghana following suit.

According to the WHO, by the end of 2023 almost 2 million children in those three countries had received jabs of the RTS,S vaccine.

“We saw in those three pilot countries … a 13 percent drop in mortality during the four years of the pilot programme,” said Mary Hamel, who heads the WHO’s malaria vaccine team.

The organisation is now anticipating a similar drop in other countries introducing the vaccines, with Hamel pointing out that the countries that began introducing the jabs early this year were “following a similar trajectory”.

So far, 17 nations across sub-Saharan Africa have included the vaccines in their routine immunisation programmes.

A further eight countries had been approved to receive funding towards introducing the inoculations through the GAVI vaccine alliance.

• UN to roll out 18 million malaria vaccines across 12 African countries by 2025
• WHO says Covid disruptions caused surge in malaria deaths

‘Curb the threat’

In another promising development, new-generation dual-insecticide nets are becoming more widely available.

The nets – which are coated in a pyrrole insecticide in combination with the standard pyrethroid insecticide – have been shown to offer far better protection against malaria.

The WHO estimated earlier this year that such nets had averted 13 million malaria cases and nearly 25,000 deaths over three years.

Despite these successes, the WHO highlighted a number of factors slowing the battle against malaria, including a lack of funds and insufficient stocks of vaccines – as well as climate change, which is allowing a greater spread of the mosquitos that carry the parasite that causes malaria.

“Stepped-up investments and action in high-burden African countries are needed to curb the threat,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

Hailing it as a “historic agreement”, Erdogan said he hoped the deal would be “the first step towards a new beginning based on peace and cooperation between Somalia and Ethiopia“.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud flew into Ankara earlier on Wednesday for the latest round of talks following two earlier rounds that made little progress.

The two neighbours have been at loggerheads since landlocked Ethiopia struck a deal in January with Somalia’s breakaway region Somaliland to lease a stretch of coastline for a port and military base in exchange for recognition, although this was never confirmed by Addis Ababa.

The move sparked a fierce diplomatic and military row between Ethiopia and Somalia, which branded the deal a violation of its sovereignty, setting international alarm bells ringing over the risk of renewed conflict in the volatile Horn of Africa region.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Erdogan said he believed Wednesday’s agreement, which came after talks that reportedly lasted eight hours, would eventually bring about a way to ensure landlocked Ethiopia’s access to the sea.

“I believe with the meeting we had today, especially with Ethiopia’s demands to access the sea, my brother Sheikh Mohamud will give the necessary support for accessing the sea,” he said.

‘Constructive talks’

According to the text of the agreement released by Turkey, the parties agreed “to leave behind differences of opinion and contentious issues, and resolutely move forward in cooperation towards common prosperity”.

They agreed to work closely together on commercial arrangements and bilateral agreements that would ensure Ethiopia’s “reliable, safe and sustainable access” to the sea “under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.

To that end, they would start technical talks no later than the end of February which would be completed “within four months”, with any differences to be dealt with “though dialogue, where necessary with Turkey’s support”.

Speaking alongside Erdogan, his remarks translated into Turkish, Ethiopia’s Abiy said: “We have addressed the misunderstandings that have occurred over the past year.

“Ethiopia’s desire for secure access to the sea is a peaceful venture and will benefit our neighbours, it is a venture that must be seen in the spirit of cooperation, not suspicion.”

Turkey deepens Somali ties with energy push, but rising Ethiopia tensions jeopardise investments

He said the “constructive talks” would allow the two nations “to enter the New Year in a spirit of cooperation, friendship and the willingness to work together instead of against each other”.

The Somali leader, whose remarks were also translated, said the agreement had “put a halt to their differences” and that his nation was “ready to work with the Ethiopian leadership and the Ethiopian people”.

The row had sent shivers through the Horn of Africa, drawing in Ethiopia’s long-standing rival Egypt, and Eritrea.

Somalia expelled Ethiopia’s ambassador in April and said Ethiopian troops would be excluded from a new African Union peacekeeping force against Islamist Al-Shabaab insurgents that is due to be deployed on 1 January.

Turkey has been mediating between the two sides since July, leading discussions aimed at resolving their differences, but the two previous rounds of talks in Ankara had failed to produce any tangible progress.

In December 2023, Mali’s ruling junta pushed the United Nations stabilisation mission (Minusma) to leave the country amid deteriorating international relations and a spike in jihadist battles and separatist violence.

Minusma had previously maintained around 15,000 soldiers and police in the Sahel state, and was in part tasked with protecting civilians and human rights.

According to a Human Rights Watch report published on Thursday, since May the Malian army – supported by the Wagner mercenary group – has “deliberately killed at least 32 civilians”, forcibly disappeared four others, and burned at least 100 homes in the north and centre of the country.

The NGO also said the Al-Qaeda-linked Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) had “summarily executed at least 47 civilians and displaced thousands of people since June”.

Number of deaths could be higher

The rights group added the number of civilians deaths given in its report could be underestimated by hundreds due to difficulties conducting research in central and northern Mali.

“Since Minusma left Mali a year ago, it has been extremely difficult to get comprehensive information on abuses, and we are deeply concerned that the situation is even worse than reported,” senior Sahel researcher at HRW, Ilaria Allegrozzi, was quoted as saying in the report.

HRW said it based its information on interviews with 47 witnesses and 11 other informed sources, as well as satellite imagery and verified photos and videos. 

• Malian junta sacks civilian PM and his government
• Malian junta suspends TV5 Monde, citing ‘lack of balance’ in reporting

Failure of accountability

The rights group said it had sent its findings to the Bamako government but received no response.

“Malian authorities’ failure to hold members of the security forces, the Wagner Group, and Islamist armed groups to account for grave abuses has eased the way for further atrocities,” it said.

Minusma ended its 10-year mission in Mali on 31 December, 2023.

The junta which seized power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021 has also broken off relations with former colonial ruler France and turned to Russia for political and military assistance.

As well as Tuesday’s attack in the village of Petel Kole, social media was awash with claims that another savage assault had taken place in Chatoumane, in the same western region, but the ruling junta denied those “unfounded claims”.

“The Petel Kole detail was the target of a terrorist attack yesterday afternoon. A horde of hundreds of criminals on motorcycles tried to take control of the position,” the army said.

It said at least 26 attackers had been “neutralised”.

Social media posts on the alleged Chatoumane attack said 91 soldiers and around 40 civilians had been killed. AFP was not able to immediately verify the information.

Niger military junta seizes control of French uranium operations

Niger‘s joint chiefs of staff denied the claim, telling state TV: “It is clear this is a brainwashing campaign by adversaries of the Nigerien people to sap our troops’ morale and sow divisions.”

Niger has been ruled since July 2023 by a military junta that took power in a coup that ousted elected president Mohamed Bazoum.

Like fellow Sahel neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali, it has been hit by years of violence by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

At least 1,500 civilians and troops have been killed in jihadist attacks in Niger in the past year, according to conflict monitoring group ACLED – more than double the 650 killed from July 2022 to July 2023.

The massacre was reportedly ordered by gang leader Micanor Altès – also known as Monel Felix and Wa Mikano – who suspected his child had been made sick using black magic. 

Haiti’s government has acknowledged the killings in the impoverished Cité Soleil neighbourhood, and promised to bring to justice those behind the “unspeakable carnage”. 

The events began on Friday, On 6 December, when Altès gathered between 200 and 300 people in the Wharf Jeremie area of Cité Soleil, an unnamed witness told RFI, adding that civilians were forced to appear before him for a sham judgment. 

“They brought people to him one by one and he asked them: ‘Are you evil? Do you practice black magic?’ And if he thought yes, they tied their hands behind their backs and put them aside,” the witness said. 

Deadly aftermath  

Some 80 people were reportedly killed that evening, with another 50 murdered the following morning as gang members conducted raids throughout the neighbourhood, killing victims with machetes and guns. 

The UN has confirmed that at least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, were slaughtered between 6 and 8 December in the Wharf Jérémie area. 

The densely populated Cité Soleil has long been a stronghold for gangs, with little government or police presence. 

RFI’s witness said Altès had blamed the death of his newborn son on a curse.  

“He claimed that he himself now had to make a pact with the devil. He said this several times during the fake trial,” the witness said. 

A history of violence: Haiti’s revolution, collapse and descent into anarchy

Grief and loss  

The killings have devastated families across Cité Soleil. One young woman described how her father was lured to his death. 

“Micanor sent two motorbikes. My father was sitting outside our house when they called him,” she told RFI.  

“He said, ‘What have I done? I have no problem with anyone. I’m innocent.’ He went to them calmly. That was the last time we saw him.”  

Another young woman, using the pseudonym Dayana, expressed her anguish.  

“My father was my guide and my rock. Whenever I was in trouble, I could lean on his shoulder. Micanor took his life, just like that. I demand justice,” she said. 

Mackeson Cangé, whose father was stabbed and burned, said: “The bandits took away a friend, a confidant, because when my father spoke to me, it was as if we were two good friends.” 

The attacks reportedly ended when Altès’s men announced through a megaphone that the massacre was over.  

Despite this, the fear remains. Many residents have begun fleeing the area, fearing further violence. 

France to evacuate vulnerable citizens from Haiti as unrest rages

Official response  

Haiti’s Prime Minister’s office condemned the attacks, calling them a “red line” and vowing to “mobilise all forces to track down and annihilate” those responsible, including Altès. 

Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for urgent action to curb arms trafficking to Haiti, which fuels gang violence.  

“These killings bring the death toll this year in Haiti to a staggering 5,000 people,” Turk said, urging international support. 

The White House also expressed outrage, with a security spokesperson saying the US was “appalled”. 

Meanwhile Haitian leaders are pressing for the deployment of a stronger, Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support mission, but logistical and financial hurdles remain. 

This story has been adapted from RFI’s original version in French

The special law, presented to the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, contains three key articles designed to maintain essential state functions and prevent any interruption of public services. 

It comes in the wake of a political impasse that has stalled the passage of key finance legislation. 

“The objective is really to ensure the continuity of the state,” a government source told FranceInfo, adding that the law contains “no political reform”. 

The legislation will allow the government to continue collecting existing taxes and permit state borrowing through the French Treasury Agency.  

It also authorises four social security organisations to take out loans to maintain their operations. 

However, the emergency measure blocks any new tax initiatives and freezes several planned investments, including 25.7 billion euros in commitment authorisations for the armed forces. 

France’s Macron meets party leaders, promises new PM within 48 hours

Recruitment freeze  

The temporary law also affects public sector recruitment, with 700 planned military positions and 1,500 justice ministry jobs now on hold until a full budget can be passed. 

“Recruitment necessary for the continuity of public services can nevertheless continue,” the finance ministry said. 

The National Assembly will examine the text on 16 December, followed by the Senate on 18 December.

The law must be enacted before 31 December to ensure uninterrupted public services. Once passed, a decree will allocate the minimum funds needed to keep those services running. 

“When you look at the content of this law, there is no political reform, the objective is really to ensure the continuity of the state, so nothing suggests this would be a subject of discord,” the government source told FranceInfo. 

Manuel Bompard, coordinator of the hard-left France Unbowed party said: “We must guarantee budgetary continuity.” 

France’s article 49.3 a handy constitutional tool to bypass parliament

Suspended measures  

Several key programmes will be affected by the temporary arrangement.

The government confirmed that special electricity tariffs will revert to pre-crisis levels of 33.78 euros per megawatt hour, with regulated rates to be reviewed on 1 February 2025. 

Support measures for farmers and New Caledonia will be suspended, while local authorities will receive their standard revenue allocations but not special investment grants. 

The text follows article 45 of France’s organic finance law and article 47 of the constitution.  

A similar emergency measure was last used in December 1979, when the Constitutional Council rejected the government’s draft budget over procedural issues. 

In a nod to the 100th anniversary of the tournament, the opening game of the 2030 World Cup will be held in the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo in Uruguay which hosted the inaugural event. The second and third games of the tournament will be played in Argentina and Paraguay respectively.

The rest of the matches will then unfold in stadiums in Spain, Portugal and Morocco where plans are underway to build a 115,000-seat stadium in Benslimane, 40km east of Casablanca.

“Fifa has proposed World Cups that are an ecological aberration,” said Guillaume Gouze, of the Centre of Sports Law and Economics at the University of Limoges in France. 

“Fifa has a moral responsibility to integrate climate concerns into its tournament plans.”

Benja Faecks, of the non-governmental organisation Carbon Market Watch, which evaluates climate promises of major events, told the French news agency AFP that the 2030 tournament was an unfortunate geographic choice.

“When an event is spread over sites thousands of kilometres apart, teams and potentially hundreds of thousands of their loyal fans have to travel by plane,” she added.  

Fifa, set up in Paris in May 1904 to oversee international competition among eight European national football associations, has grown into a global body comprising more than 200 associations.

It earned 7.5bn dollars in revenue through four years of commercial deals tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In the cycle leading up to the 2018 event in Russia, it raked in 6.5 billion dollars.

“With the exception of the games in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, for 101 games, the tournament will be played in a footprint of neighbouring countries in close geographic proximity and with extensive and well developed transport links and infrastructure,” Fifa said in a statement about the 2030 tournament.

Concerns

Last month, the campaign group Human Rights Watch claimed that Saudi Arabia’s bid failed to tackle alleged abuses of the 13.4 million migrant workers in the country.

Saudi Arabia aims to construct 11 stadiums and 185,000 hotel rooms for the month-long tournament as well as massive infrastructure upgrades covering airports, road and rail networks.

Last summer, the Building and Wood Workers’ International Union (BWI) filed a forced labour complaint against Saudi Arabia at the International Labour Organization (ILO). The complaint was based on cases of tens of thousands of workers with unpaid wages from two Saudi-based construction companies and testimony from 193 migrant workers who have faced a range of abuses.

Violations included confiscation of identity documents and poor working and living conditions despite Saudi authorities claiming that labour laws had been revised. 

“Saudi Arabia’s World Cup hosting documents ignore the country’s egregious human rights violations, including inadequate heat protections, unchecked wage theft, the ban on labour unions and an abusive visa sponsorship labour system,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch.

 “Fifa is wilfully blind to the country’s human rights record, setting up a decade of potentially horrific human rights abuses preparing for the 2034 World Cup.”

Twelve days ago, Fifa released an evaluation report incorporating an independent human rights context assessment carried out by the law firm AS&H Clifford Chance. The Fifa report said Saudi Arabia was considered “medium risk” for human rights.

Bid

“The Saudi bid presents a very strong all-round proposition, reflected in the results of the technical evaluation, which assesses the proposed infrastructure (both sporting and general) as well as its commercial potential,” the Fifa report said.

In the prelude to the publication, a dozen human rights organisations – including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and FairSquare – queried the rigour of the assessment.

“The severe risks of hosting the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia are clear and well-known – without huge reforms, critics will be arrested, women and LGBT people will face discrimination, and workers will be exploited on a massive scale”, said Steve Cockburn, head of labour rights and sport at Amnesty International.

“It is incredible that AS&H Clifford Chance omitted such glaring risks from its assessment and scandalous that Fifa paved the way for them to do so.

“Fifa must now insist on a proper assessment and meaningful human rights strategy, or its flagship tournament will inevitably be tarnished by severe human rights violations.”

Concerns over human rights overshadowed the 2022  tournament in Qatar – the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East.

Similar issues will dog the second football fest even as authorities in Saudi Arabia strive for more credibility and less opprobrium with high-profile events such as a Formula One Grand Prix, heavyweight boxing contests and the women’s end of season tennis championships.

 “Based on clear evidence to date, Fifa knows workers will be exploited and even die without fundamental reforms in Saudi Arabia, and yet has chosen to press ahead regardless,” Cockburn added.

“The organisation risks bearing a heavy responsibility for many of the human rights abuses that will follow. At every stage of this bidding process, Fifa has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham.

“Fifa must urgently change course and ensure that the World Cup is accompanied by wide-ranging reforms in Saudi Arabia, or risk a decade of exploitation, discrimination and repression connected to its flagship tournament.”

In mid-September, investigating magistrates said they would consider an appeal by civil parties against the October 2023 decision to dismiss the case and their refusal to carry out certain investigative acts into the Bisesero massacre.

They accuse the French-led UN Operation Turquoise of having knowingly abandoned Tutsi civilians who had taken refuge in the Bisesero hills in western Rwanda for three days, allowing hundreds of them to be massacred by genocidal Hutu militia between 27 and 30 June 1994.

In the case, the associations Survie, Ibuka, International Federation for Human Rights and six survivors – all civil parties – accused France and French peacekeeping forces of “complicity in genocide”.

In a post on social media ahead of the court decision, Survie wrote: “[We] hope that justice will enable the survivors of Bisesero, the families of the hundreds of victims, and the French people to know the truth.

‘Denial of justice’

According to Eric Plouvier, representing the civil society association Survie, “at the very least, the investigations must continue. It is not a good thing for a judicial decision to leave the bitter taste of a denial of justice”.

In light of this Wednesday’s announcement by the Paris court, “an appeal to the Supreme Court will inevitably be lodged,” he added.

Pierre-Olivier Lambert, who is defending General Jean-Claude Lafourcade – who headed Operation Turquoise – has consistently maintained that he and his client “confidently [expected] the Court of Appeal to confirm the analysis made by the investigating judges [following] the meticulous investigation carried out over nearly 20 years, which unequivocally exonerated the French army and its soldiers”.

• Court weighs survivors’ claim that French troops stood by during Rwanda genocide
• Rwanda marks 30 years since France’s contested mission to stem 1994 genocide

The two investigating magistrates from the Crimes against Humanity Unit of the Paris Judicial Court had decided to drop the charges against the five soldiers involved in the proceedings, who were never indicted.

After an initial dismissal of the case in September 2022, the investigation was reopened for procedural reasons – linked to the publication of the report by the commission chaired by historian Vincent Duclert in April 2021 – which highlighted France’s “profound failure” during the Bisesero massacres.

According to the United Nations, the massacres instigated by the Hutu government left more than 800,000 dead in Rwanda between April and July 1994, mainly among the Tutsi minority.

In mid-November, the Paris Administrative Court rejected an application by victims of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda to have the French state condemned for its alleged complicity in the 1994 tragedy, saying it lacked the legal competence to hear the case.

(With newswires)

Prosecutors allege he played a key role in atrocities that left 300,000 dead and forced 230,000 to flee to neighbouring Chad, according to UN figures. 

Abd-Al-Rahman, 72, denies the 31 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, claiming he was merely a pharmacist caught up in the conflict. 

Final arguments 

Closing arguments at the court in The Hague began Wednesday and will span three days, with prosecutors, victim representatives and Abd-Al-Rahman’s defence presenting their final statements. 

The trial, which began almost three years ago, included testimony from 56 prosecution witnesses, many of whom gave evidence anonymously or behind closed doors due to security concerns. 

“Civilians were attacked, raped and murdered, their homes and villages were destroyed, thousands were forcibly displaced,” former ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the court during the trial.  

“Men were loaded onto vehicles, taken a short distance away and executed in cold blood. Mr Abd-Al-Rahman was present at and directly participated in these callous crimes.” 

Deadly shelling of Darfur camp sparks exodus of displaced people

Suspects at large

Abd-Al-Rahman is the first Sudanese leader to be tried at the ICC. However, three other former officials from ex-president Omar al-Bashir‘s regime, including Bashir himself, face charges but remain at large. 

The fighting erupted when non-Arab tribes protesting systematic discrimination took up arms against Bashir’s Arab-dominated government, which responded by deploying the Janjaweed militia. 

Abd-Al-Rahman fled Sudan in 2020, eventually surrendering to the ICC in the Central African Republic four months after the new Sudanese government announced it would cooperate with ICC investigators. 

Call for sanctions amid claims of ethnic cleansing in Sudan’s West Darfur

Ongoing crisis 

As the ICC trial ends, Sudan faces another devastating conflict. Fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan’s army has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. 

Current ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said the court had made “significant progress” in investigating new war crimes linked to the ongoing conflict.  

“I hope by my next report, I will be able to announce applications for warrants of arrest regarding some of those individuals that are the most responsible,” he said. 

The judges will retire to deliberate after hearing the final arguments.  

“The country accounts for 10 percent of all people in humanitarian need, despite being home to less than one percent of global population,” the New York-based International Rescue Committee (IRC) aid organisation said in their 2025 Emergency Watchlist.

Sudan tops a 2025 watchlist of global humanitarian crises released by the organisation for the second year in a row, followed by Gaza and the West Bank, Myanmar, Syria, and South Sudan.

Since April 2023, the war in Sudan between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted 13 million.

War in Sudan leaves 13 million people displaced and more than half the population malnourished

Nearly nine million of those are displaced within Sudan, most in areas with decimated infrastructure and facing the threat of mass starvation.

Across the country, nearly 26 million people — around half the population — are facing acute hunger, according to the United Nations.

Famine has already been declared in the Zamzam displacement camp in the western Darfur region, and the United Nations has said Sudan is facing the worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory.

Ongoing fighting

At least 175 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Sudan on Monday and Tuesday by barrel bombs and shelling from the warring sides, rights activists said.

More than eight barrel bombs hit the market in the North Darfur town of Kabkabiya on Monday, the pro-democracy Al-Fashir Resistance Committee said.

Emergency Lawyers, a human rights group, said densely populated civilian areas have been targeted.

The 20-month-old war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been turning increasingly bloody as ceasefire efforts have stalled, and crises elsewhere have dominated world attention.

The army has stepped up airstrikes in the half of the country that the RSF controls, while the RSF has staged raids on villages and intense artillery strikes.

The army has frequently targeted towns in North Darfur with airstrikes as it fights the RSF for control of the state capital, al-Fashir, its last foothold in the region.

It denied responsibility for the attack on Kabkabiya, while insisting that it had the right to target any location used by the RSF for military purposes.

The RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

No end in sight

The IRC’s report says a total of 30.4 million people were in humanitarian need across the northeast African country, making it “the largest humanitarian crisis since records began”, the IRC said.   

There is no end to the war in sight, with both parties intensifying strikes on residential areas in recent weeks.

The IRC warned of total “humanitarian collapse”, as the health crisis was set to worsen and both sides continued to “choke humanitarian access”.

Around 305 million people worldwide are in need of humanitarian support, according to IRC, with 82 percent of them in watchlist areas such as the occupied Palestinian territories, Myanmar, Syria, South Sudan and Lebanon.

“It is clear that ‘the world is on fire’ is a daily reality for hundreds of millions of people,” IRC chief David Miliband said.

(With newswires)

“France is putting an end to its detachment of fighter planes at the Kossei airbase,” a French military source told the French news agency AFP.

“The French army has taken the decision to remove its planes.” 

Chad had been a key link in France’s military presence in Africa and its last foothold in the wider Sahel region after the forced withdrawal of its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in the wake of a series of military coups.

On 28 November, hours after a visit by France’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, Chadian authorities announced the end to the security and defence agreements that had linked it with France since the end of the colonial era in 1960.

The declaration caught Paris off guard. But Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby was quick to emphasise the move did not mean severing ties.

‘Not a rejection’

“The decision in no way constitutes a rejection of international cooperation or a calling into question of our diplomatic relations with France,” he said.

“It is not a question of replacing one power with another.”

Chad – the last country in the Sahel to host French forces – had been home to around 1,000 French troops at bases in N’Djamena, Abéché and Faya-Largeau.

Déby has sought closer ties with Russia in recent months but talks to strengthen economic cooperation have yet to bear concrete results.

Party chiefs who met with Macron told the French news agency AFP that he intended to name a new premier within 48 hours.

Macron had gathered leaders of major political parties at the Élysée Palace office in a bid to thrash out the conditions for a new government that could escape losing a no-confidence vote in France‘s hung parliament.

The effort to find a way forward comes as caretaker ministers scramble to clarify France’s 2025 finances, after the previous administration fell over its cost-cutting budget plans.

Barnier had been supported by the conservative Republican party and Macron’s centrist camp.

But the alliance was far short of a majority in a National Assembly and was brought down by a left-wing alliance, including France Unbowed, and the far-right RN.

Rocky road ahead

It was unclear how a broader base of support could be built for any new government.

RN figure Marine Le Pen said the party leaders were gathering for the purpose of “keeping their place” at the table.

“They didn’t together to find out how to solve the problems of the French, but rather to ‘stay on the horse’,” she told France 2 television on Wednesday. Even if she had been invited, Len Pen added, she wouold not have gone.

Most parties are unwilling to compromise on pet issues such as last year’s unpopular pension reform, or to tarnish their image with voters by giving ground ahead of potential new elections next year.

Outgoing French government to present ‘special’ budget to avoid shutdown

In a letter this week, Socialist leaders told Macron they were open to “dialogue and pitting points of view against one another” to “find an exit from this deadlock situation that’s harmful to the French public”.

But they added that they would not join a technocratic government or one run by a prime minister from the right, and called for “a true change of political course” on “pensions, purchasing power and tax justice”.

There is little hope for a quick resolution to the political crisis. 

The Greens have ruled out joining a “national interest” government while the Socialists said they would only serve under a left-wing premier – which has been ruled out by conservatives.

Auradou and Jégou, both 21, had been under investigation since 12 July for alleged aggravated rape — a charge used for suspected gang rape — in Mendoza, western Argentina.

The men denied the accusation. They claimed the woman, who they had met in a night club in the city, had consented.

Judge Eleonora Arenas dismissed the case against the players. “The facts investigated do not constitute a crime,” she told the court in Mendoza.

The men were arrested in Buenos Aires on 8 July as the France squad was preparing to leave for a Test match against Uruguay in Montevideo.

The two players spent several days in detention and almost a month under house arrest in Argentina. They were eventually allowed to leave the country at the start of September, when they returned to France.

Two France rugby players held in Argentina over alleged sexual assault

Return

“It was very difficult here but we did it,” said Rafael Cuneo Libarona, the mens’ lawyer in Argentina. “I always believed in the innocence of the players.”

Auradou has played eight matches for his club, Section Paloise, since returning to competitive action on on 5 October. Jégou resumed his career on 2 November with Stade Rochelais and has featured in four games.

On Tuesday night, French rugby chiefs said in a statement that the men would again be considered for the national team.

“The French Rugby Federation welcomes this decision with relief and satisfaction,” it added. “The Argentine courts have rehabilitated the players.”

Bosses at the FFR have acknowledged the 2024 summer tour of South America as a watershed moment in French rugby history. 

The reconfiguration started just after the 28-13 victory over Argentina on 6 July with the expulsion from the squad of Matthieu Jamnet for posting a video of himself making racist comments about North Africans.

The video was picked up by La France insoumise politician Sébastien Delogu and widely shared on social media.

France rugby stars accused of rape placed under house arrest in Argentina

Change

It was followed with the allegations against Auradou and Jégou.

Though the FFR supported the men publicly, behind the scenes, post-match discipline became a battleground for hardliners attempting to crack down on boorish behaviour and traditionalists keen on maintaining the ideal of amiable carousing but with greater vigilance.

In the quest for the top job at the FFR in the autumn, the outgoing president, Florian Grill said he preferred a stricter framework for how players behaved on international duties. Didier Codorniou, his opponent, said he wanted the players punished irrespective of the decisions in Argentina.

Grill won the contest convincingly and his imprint was evident in the FFR’s response to the decision of the Argentina judges.

“While the French Rugby Federation is delighted, these events are a reminder of the need to create new conditions to prevent and avoid risky behaviour in top-level rugby, and to train responsible and exemplary players, taking inspiration from the 60,000 volunteers and 2,000 amateur rugby clubs who work every day to create social links and play an educational and civic role as much as a sporting one.”

Under Argentine law, the woman’s legal team have three days to lodge an appeal. On Tuesday night, her lawyer, Natacha Romero, refused to say if they would attempt to continue.

“We will wait until all avenues have been pursued,” said Antoine Vey, the lawyer in France for Auradou and Jégou.

“The Argentinian justice system, which investigated the case on the basis of objective elements such as videos, witness statements and expert reports, was able to state clearly that the events of which the men were accused did not exist.”

The blaze, which destroyed the cathedral’s iconic spire and much of its roof, also caused extensive damage to its interior. The fire marked a tragic moment for one of the world’s most beloved Gothic landmarks, sparking a global outpouring of grief and an urgent commitment to rebuild.

Advanced tools, including high-precision 3D scanners, have played a critical role in the restoration process.

These scanners meticulously documented the entire monument, enabling more precise restoration work and creating a comprehensive digital archive for future conservation efforts.

Mexican architect Alejandro Arredondo of AGP (Art, Graphique & Patrimoine), one of the experts responsible for 3D modeling, highlighted the scope of the project.

Scientists build a virtual twin of Notre-Dame to help restore its glory

“We used high-precision 3D scanners to capture every detail of the monument. The scans covered the exterior, all interior spaces, and even the roof of the cathedral,” he said.

To access hard-to-reach areas damaged by the fire, the team employed drones, which complemented the ground-based scans.

“This combination of tools allowed us to survey the structure quickly and thoroughly by placing the scanner at various strategic points,” Arredondo explained,” he added.

Over 2,000 scanning positions were meticulously recorded during several survey campaigns, resulting in an invaluable digital database.

This archive not only informs the ongoing restoration but also ensures that Notre-Dame’s architectural and historical details are preserved for future generations.

These efforts are part of a broader mission to restore the cathedral to its former glory while safeguarding its legacy after one of the most significant architectural tragedies in recent history.

‘Open your doors’: Paris unveils Notre-Dame after five-year refit

World leaders and Syrians abroad are still reeling after Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus on Sunday, ending President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal rule.

Since the civil war began in 2011, 500,000 people have been killed and half the country forced to flee their homes, millions of them finding refuge abroad.

The sudden turn of events has prompted several countries to question their asylum-seeking procedures for Syrians.

Germany on Monday said it would suspend decisions for asylum procedures for the time being, as did Austria, Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

France’s out-going Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Monday that “a decision should be reached in the coming hours,” specifying that the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Ofpra) was in charge of the issue.

Ofpra, an independent public body, said it was “carefully monitoring the situation in Syria” in a press release.

Call for patience

“As always in the event of an evolving situation in a country of origin of asylum seekers, this may lead to a temporary suspension of decision-making on certain asylum requests from Syrian nationals, depending on the reasons given,” Ofpra said.

Director of the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII) told public broadcaster franceinfo on Tuesday that France should be patient before making a decision.

“We are in an uncertain, changing situation”, Didier Leschi said.

In 2023, more than 4,465 asylum requests from Syrian nationals were registered in France and 2,500 since the start of 2024, according to the latest figures from Ofpra.

Number of requests for asylum in Europe rises 28 percent in first half of 2023

Around 700 requests including minors are still being processed, added Ofpra.

Germany has taken in almost one million Syrians, with most arriving in 2015-16 under ex-chancellor Angela Merkel.

On Monday, Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees imposed a freeze on decisions for ongoing asylum procedures “until the situation is clearer”.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said many Syrian refugees “now finally have hope of returning to their Syrian homeland” but cautioned that “the situation in Syria is currently very unclear”.

She added that “concrete possibilities of return cannot yet be predicted and it would be unprofessional to speculate in such a volatile situation”.

Volatile situation

Rights group Amnesty International slammed Germany’s freeze on asylum decisions, stressing that for now “the human rights situation in the country is completely unclear”.

Far-right politician Alice Weidel, of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, reacted with disdain to Sunday’s mass rallies by jubilant Syrians celebrating Assad’s downfall.

“Anyone in Germany who celebrates ‘free Syria’ evidently no longer has any reason to flee,” she wrote on X. “They should return to Syria immediately.”

Asylum requests slump as EU borders tighten following shift to far right

In Austria, where about 100,000 Syrians live, conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer instructed the interior ministry “to suspend all ongoing Syrian asylum applications and to review all asylum grants”.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner added he had “instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly repatriation and deportation programme to Syria”.

“The political situation in Syria has changed fundamentally and, above all, rapidly in recent days,” the ministry said, adding it is “currently monitoring and analysing the new situation”.

Vigilance

Authorities in Belgium and the Netherlands have also announced moves to suspend asylum applications for the time being.

Britain’s interior ministry said it was taking the same measure “whilst we assess the current situation”.

The Italian government said late Monday after a cabinet meeting that it too was suspending asylum request “in line with other European partners.”

The leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats, a coalition partner in the government, said residence permits for Syrian refugees should now be “reviewed”.

EU countries strike deal for major overhaul of asylum system

“Destructive Islamist forces are behind the change of power” in Syria, wrote their leader Jimmie Akesson on X.

“I see that groups are happy about this development here in Sweden. You should see it as a good opportunity to go home.”

In Greece, a government spokesman voiced hope that Assad’s fall will eventually allow “the safe return of Syrian refugees” to their country, but without announcing concrete measures.

The head of the UN refugee agency, Filippo Grandi cautioned that “patience and vigilance” were needed on the issue of refugee returns.

(with AFP)

Dry land now covers around 40 percent of the Earth’s land mass, excluding Antarctica, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) study found, cautioning the shift could affect up to five billion people by 2100.

“Some 77.6 percent of Earth’s land experienced drier conditions during the three decades leading up to 2020 compared to the previous 30-year period,” the report said.

It indicates an “existential threat” posed by the seemingly irreversible trends and showed that dry land – regions where agriculture is difficult — increased by 4.3 million square kilometres between 1990 and 2020, an area a third the size of India.

The warning comes during a 12-day meeting in Riyadh, which began last week, for the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (Cop16) under the UNCCD and seeks to protect and restore land and respond to drought amid ongoing climate change.

Aridity, a chronic shortage of water, now extends over 40.6 percent of the Earth’s land mass, again excluding Antarctica, compared with 37.5 percent 30 years ago, the report warns.

Unrelenting transformation

It also cautions the areas most affected include the nations bordering the Mediterranean, southern Africa, southern Australia and certain regions of Asia and Latin America.

“For the first time, the aridity crisis has been documented with scientific clarity, revealing an existential threat,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary.

“Unlike droughts – temporary periods of low rainfall – aridity represents a permanent, unrelenting transformation,” he said.

Saudi Arabia hosts Cop16 to combat desertification crisis

“The drier climates now affecting vast lands across the globe will not return to how they were and this change is redefining life on Earth,” he added.

The changes are largely attributed to global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, which alter rainfall and increase evaporation, the report said.

Jean-Luc Chotte, president of the French Scientific Committee on Desertification, told RFI that the UN report will allow countries to anticipate and react to the effects of desertification in the medium and long term.

Chotte says the new data from the report enables a projection of aridity, in the face of global development and “reinforces the need to find solutions and adapt,” be it in terms of agricultural practices and the varieties of plants adapted to drought conditions.

France makes declaration

However, he warns that as new land becomes progressively arid, “today’s solutions may no longer be effective tomorrow”.

France for the first time, officially declared itself “affected by desertification, land degradation and drought”, bringing the total number of nations to 170.

For Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, the Secretary of State for Francophone countries and International Partnerships, France’s announcement at Cop16 “sends a message of solidarity to the most vulnerable countries”, overriding the view that desertification is predominantly an African issue.

Crippling drought forces drastic water cuts in French territory Mayotte

According to the French scientific committee on desertification, around 1 percent of the country’s territory is affected, notably the Mediterranean rim and southern Corsica, as well as the overseas territories of Reunion Island, Guadeloupe and Mayotte.

In Mayotte, where drought has been rife for years, water cuts have been extended to cope with an increase in consumption.

Mainland France notably experienced an unprecedented drought in 2022, with a rainfall deficit of 25 percent, making it the second least rainy year since 1959.

Forced migration to increase

“For the first time, a UN scientific body is warning that burning fossil fuels is causing permanent drying across much of the world,” lead UNCCD Chief Scientist Barron Orr said.

He added this could have “potentially catastrophic impacts affecting access to water that could push people and nature even closer to disastrous tipping points”.

Nearly 68 million suffering from drought in southern Africa, says regional bloc

The effects of the chronic water shortages include soil degradation, ecosystem collapse, food insecurity and forced migration, according to the scientists.

Already, 2.3 billion people live in expanding dry areas, according to the report, with projections showing a “worst-case scenario” of five billion people living in the conditions as the planet continues to warm.

To counter this trend, the scientists urged members to “integrate aridity metrics into existing drought monitoring systems”, improve soil and water management, and “build resilience in vulnerable communities”.

(with newswires)

Orange is France’s leading telecommunications firm, with a popular email service.

“Internet access and email service provider Orange used its email service to introduce advertisements” that resembled emails in customers’ message feeds, said Louis Dutheillet de Lamothe, deputy head of France’s privacy watchdog CNIL.

Advertisers in France are required to obtain permission before sending material to a person’s email address, and CNIL considered Orange’s actions were equivalent to that even if users’ addresses were not used to display the ads between their emails.

CNIL said more than 7.8 million users received the unsolicited ads.

CNIL “took into account the fact it was a breach that generated money” for Orange, Dutheillet de Lamothe told French news agency AFP.

Orange said in a statement to AFP that it would appeal against the fine to the top administrative court, branding the amount “totally disproportionate”.

EU strikes deal giving users greater control over their data

A warning to operators

The advertisements represented “neither a breach nor a lapse in security but common market practice that did not involve any use of customers’ personal data”, it said.

The company also said it had not received any warning about the matter before being fined.

The fine was unusually high for such a penalty – outside of those that have been imposed on major tech giants.

Health website Doctissimo fined €380,000 by French privacy watchdog

Dutheillet de Lamothe said it should serve as a warning for other operators.

CNIL also said the fine took into account that in November 2023 Orange changed its email interface to make ads clear to users.

It also found that Orange users who asked to stop receiving cookies – code that allows advertisers to track users’ activities on the internet – continued to receive them anyway.

Orange was given three months to correct that problem or face additional fines.

(with AFP)

The lightning offensive of Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, which has seen the rebels capture several major Syrian cities in less than two weeks, gives Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leverage over his Syrian counterpart President Bashar al-Assad.

“Turkey can easily stop both [rebel] entities and start a process. Turkey does have this strength, and Assad is well aware of it,” said Murat Aslan of the SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, a Turkish pro-government think tank. 

Until now, Assad has rejected Erdogan’s overtures for dialogue to end the civil war peacefully. “The Turkish intention politically is not to escalate in Syria [but to] start a political, diplomatic engagement with the Assad regime, and come to the terms of a normal state, and that all Syrians safely return to their homes,” Aslan noted.

Syrian rebels surround Hama ‘from three sides’, monitor says

Syrian refugees an issue

Erdogan is seeking to return many of the estimated 4 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, amid growing public unease over their presence in the country.

“According to the opinion polls here, yes, the Syrian refugees [are] an issue. For any government, it would be a wonderful win to see these Syrians going back to Syria of their own will,” explained Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region and is now a foreign policy analyst for Turkey’s Medyascope news outlet.

However, Moscow has a lot to lose in Syria, as a key military backer of Assad, who in turn has granted Russia use of a key Syrian naval base. “For Moscow, it’s of crucial importance that the personality of Assad remains in power,” said Zaur Gasimov, a professor of history and a Russia specialist at the University of Bonn.

Syria rebel leader says goal is to overthrow Assad

Gasimov warns that Turkey could be facing another humanitarian crisis. “Russia would definitely use the military force of its aerospace forces, that can cause a huge number of casualties among civilians. Which means a new wave of migrants towards Turkish eastern Anatolia.”

With more than a million Syrian refugees camped just across the Turkish border in the rebel-controlled Syrian Idlib province, analysts warn a new exodus into Turkey is a red line for Ankara.

“If they refresh their attacks on the captured areas by indiscriminate targeting… well [we can] expect further escalations in the region,” warned Aslan of the pro-government SETA think tank. “And for sure there is a line that Turkey will not remain as it is, and if there is a development directly threatening the interests or security of Turkey, then Turkey will intervene.”

Pushing back the YPG

With the Syrian rebel offensive also making territorial gains against the US-backed Kurdish militant group, the YPG, Ankara is poised to secure another strategic goal in Syria. Ankara accuses the YPG of having ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is fighting the Turkish state.

France joins Germany, US and Britain in call for de-escalation in Syria

“Without putting up a fight, and without getting directly involved, they [Ankara] have achieved one of their goals – for YPG to pull back from the Turkish frontier towards the south,” explained Selcen. “I think Ankara now is closer to that goal.”

With Syrian rebel successes appearing to advance Ankara’s goals in Syria, some analysts are urging caution, given the rebels’ links to radical Islamist groups. “The crashing down of the Assad regime is not in the interest of Turkey, because there will be chaos,” warned international relations professor Huseyin Bagci, of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

“Who is going to rule? What type of [governing] structure are we going to have?” he asked. “They are radicals, and another Daesh-style territory would not be in the interest of Turkey – in Turkish prisons, there are thousands of Daesh people.”

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 winners’ 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.

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, 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! 

It’s time for you to get your New Year’s resolutions – or wishes – in the mail for our annual New Year’s Day show. We need your resolutions and/or wishes by 15 December.

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!

We have a new RFI Listeners Club member to welcome: Zahurul Islam Joy from Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Welcome, Zahural!

This week’s quiz: On 2 November, I asked you a question about Ghana – Melissa Chemam had just published her Spotlight on Africa podcast, where she shined the light on textile waste in Africa from fast fashion – and how Ghana has become a dumping ground for the world’s unwanted textiles, with devastating consequences for local ecosystems.

You were to send in the answer to these questions: How much second-hand clothing arrives in Ghana each week, and what happens to the unsellable clothes?

The answer is, to quote Melissa: “About 15 million items of second-hand clothing arrive in Ghana each week. Nearly half cannot be resold. The unsellable clothes end up in informal dumps or are burned in public washhouses, contaminating the air, soil and water.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question:  “Which of the 13 overseas French territories would you visit, if you had the chance?”, which was suggested by Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusen, Denmark.

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State in India. Radhakrishna is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Radhakrishna, on your double win.   

Also on the list of lucky winners this week is a long-lost RFI Listeners Club member: Arne Timm from Harjumaa, Estonia. Welcome back to the Kitchen, Arne – don’t be such a stranger!

There’s also Ekbal Hossain, who’s a member of the RFI International DX Radio Listeners Club in West Bengal, India, and our brand-new RFI Listeners Club member Zahurul Islam Joy from Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Rounding out the list of lucky winners this week is RFI English listener Kadija Akter, also from Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Set Me Free” by Dominique Guiout and Manu Vergeade; “Life is Just a Party” by Kiala Pepple, performed by Ghetto Blaster; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Motor Head Baby” by Johnny “Guitar” Watson and Mario Delagarde, played by Johnny “Guitar” Watson.

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 Paul Myer’s article “Small island nations lead fight for climate justice at UN’s top court”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 13 January to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 19 January podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

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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.   

A few days before General Charles de Gaulle was due to make his triumphant entry into Paris, the three French war correspondents lined up to cover the event were captured. A young French-British journalist was chosen, in extremis, to replace them. Her name was Marcelle Poirier but despite being de Gaulle’s official reporter and AFP’s first female war correspondent, she and her work somehow fell into oblivion. When AFP journalist and photo editor Laurent Kalfala stumbled on a photo of her in military uniform, he embarked on a long paper-trail to dig up her fascinating story. His documentary reveals a feminist with a flair for strong human stories, and who mysteriously waited 40 years to tell her own. (Listen @1’50”)

Warmer summers in France’s wine-growing regions have pushed up the sugar content in grapes, which is leading to more alcoholic wine. Wines that used to be 11 or 12% alcohol even a decade ago are now pushing 15% today, and customers are taking notice. Winemakers and visitors to a recent wine fair talk about the tension between the impacts of global warming on wine and a trend towards drinking less alcohol. (Listen @21’30”)

As Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral reopens to the public, five years after the 2019 fire that destroyed much of its wooden and metal roof and toppled the spire, Ollia Horton meets local residents and business owners who are looking forward to things going back to normal. (Listen @14’15”) 

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).

US President Joe Biden signalled this week that Turkey could have a role in mediating peace in the Middle East.

“The United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza,” Biden told reporters.

However, US officials have downplayed Turkey’s mediating role due to Ankara’s ties to Hamas.

“We don’t believe the leaders of a vicious terrorist organisation should be living comfortably anywhere, and that certainly includes in … a major city of one of our key allies and partners,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said earlier.

Hamas tensions

Hamas leaders reportedly relocated to Turkey after the collapse of ceasefire efforts in November.

Erdogan, a staunch supporter of Hamas, has described the group as a “liberation movement”. Following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Erdogan declared a national day of mourning.

“There are rumours, and I don’t know how true they are, that many of those people have actually received Turkish citizenship as well,” Soli Ozel, a lecturer at the Institute for Human Studies in Vienna told RFI.

In a move seen as an attempt to placate Washington, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that there are no plans for Hamas to open a political bureau in Turkey.

Turkish presidential adviser Mesut Casin defended the policy: “Ankara will continue its position hosting Hamas number one. Number two, they will continue dialogue with Hamas in order to establish peace”.

Turkish President Erdogan ready to rekindle friendship with Trump

Complex ties

Despite tensions between Turkey and Israel, they maintain back-channel communication.

In November, the head of Israel’s intelligence agency Shin Bet met his Turkish counterpart in Ankara. The meeting reportedly centred on the plight of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

“We have 101 hostages that are still, we don’t know their fate,” says Gallia Lindenstrauss, an Israeli foreign policy specialist at the Institute for National Security Studies.

“There are attempts to at least receive information about who’s alive, who’s dead, who’s holding them – Hamas or Islamic Jihad.”

Lindenstrauss cautioned that Israel remains sceptical of Turkey’s ability to act as a neutral mediator.

“It would be very hard for Israel in general and specifically Prime Minister Netanyahu to trust Turkey to be a mediator that will be respectful to both sides,” she said.

While Erdogan’s public rhetoric often inflames tensions, analysts say Turkish-Israeli relations are shaped more by pragmatism than politics.

“Turkey and Israel have one way of dealing with one another in public and another way of dealing with one another diplomatically and in security cooperation,” Ozel explains.

In a possible effort to build trust, Turkish authorities recently extradited three Uzbek suspects linked to the murder of an Israeli rabbi in the United Arab Emirates.

Egypt and Turkey’s closer ties spark hope for peace among Libya’s rival factions

Challenges remain

As Israel intensifies its military campaign against Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a Gaza ceasefire for now.

“The reason for having a ceasefire is to separate the fronts and isolate Hamas,” Netanyahu said Tuesday.

“From day two of the war, Hamas was counting on Hezbollah to fight by its side. With Hezbollah out of the picture, Hamas is left on its own. We will increase our pressure on Hamas.”

Despite Ankara’s overtures, Israel has warned that Hamas leaders are not safe from targeting, even in Turkey.

“They will find these Hamas leaders and target them wherever they find them,” Lindenstrauss maintains.

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India, Alan Holder from Isle of Wight, England, and Karuna Kanta Pal from West Bengal, India.

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Nunca es Suficiente” written by Natalia Lafourcade, Daniela Azpiazu, and Anthony Lopez, sung by Natalia Lafourcade; “Lake Como” by Giselle Galos, performed by Sweet People, and “Dance Little Lady, Dance” by Gerry Shury and Ron Roker, sung by Tina Charles.

The quiz will be back next Saturday, 7 December. Be sure and tune in! 

“Negative narratives about Africa have real consequences for people’s lives and futures,” said Abimbola Ogundairo, campaign lead for the NGO Africa No Filter, which produced the report and works to promote balanced storytelling about the continent.

The organisation’s latest research found these biases cost African economies $4.2 billion annually in lost investment opportunities.

It found that persistent portrayals of poverty, conflict and corruption have far-reaching consequences, from deterring investment to increasing borrowing costs for African nations.

Stories of success, innovation, and resilience were overlooked.

Investors deterred

Using case studies and data analysis, the report examined how media narratives influence investment, particularly during election periods. It compared African countries to their global peers and quantified the costs of misrepresentation.

The report also quantified how biased media coverage correlates with sovereign bond yields – a critical financial indicator.

It found that even nations with strong democratic institutions are often framed through lenses of instability and corruption – reinforcing negative stereotypes and overshadowing progress.

The Spotlight on Africa podcast explores this issue, featuring interviews with both Ogundairo, who is from Nigeria, and the acclaimed filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, from Mauritania.

Both emphasise the need for African voices to take control of the continent’s narrative.

Episode mixed by Vincent Pora.

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale.

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.