Macron’s announcement on Friday came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the release of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel is expected to begin on Sunday.

The release is part of the ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas, announced on Wednesday and agreed by Israel’s security cabinet in a vote on Friday.

Under the deal struck by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, the coming weeks should also see the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

The agreement, which must now go to the full cabinet for a final green light, would halt fighting and bombardment in Gaza’s deadliest war.

Israeli strikes have killed dozens of people since the ceasefire – due to come into effect on Sunday – was announced. Israel’s military said on Thursday it had hit around 50 targets across Gaza over the previous day.

Israel intensifies strikes on Gaza as world leaders hail Hamas ceasefire deal

“Our fellow citizens Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi are on the list of 33 hostages to be freed in the first phase of the Gaza accord,” Macron wrote in a social media post. “We remain relentlessly committed to ensuring their return to their families.”

Kalderon, 53, was kidnapped alongside his two children Erez, 12, and Sahar, 16, who were released after 52 days in captivity.

Families await news of French hostages as Gaza truce deal advances

Yahalomi, 49, was taken with his 12-year-old son Eitan, who was freed during November’s temporary ceasefire.

Since the conflict began, 48 French citizens have died. Eight were taken hostage, of whom two died in captivity and four were released during previous negotiations.

The new truce between Israel and Hamas could see the release of 33 captives.

(with AFP)

Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the French Bishops Conference (CEF), told French radio on Friday that he had filed a formal request with the Paris prosecutor’s office to investigate potential cover-ups of sexual abuse and assault.

Nine new accusations emerged this week in a report commissioned by Emmaüs, bringing the total number of testimonies to 33 since initial revelations surfaced in July. The allegations span from the 1950s to the 2000s.

Among the latest accusations, a family member reported experiencing “sexual contact on her breasts and mouth in the late 90s”, while another testimony described “sexual act with penetration on an underage boy”.

De Moulins-Beaufort said he was horrified by the latest revelations and therefore had put his request for a legal investigation into writing.

“Only the justice system has the means of investigation necessary to allow all the possible truth to be revealed about the silences and non-denunciations from which Abbé Pierre could have benefited,” he said.

French church knew of sexual abuse by late priest Abbé Pierre, bishop says

Renowned priest

Born Henri Grouès in 1912, Abbe Pierre was known across France for his work with the poor through Emmaüs and the Abbé Pierre Foundation. He died in 2007 at age 94.

This is the third report from the firm mandated by Emmaüs to shed light on the accusations against him.

While criminal prosecution of Abbé Pierre is no longer possible due to his death, investigators could examine potential accomplices or those who failed to report abuse at the time.

De Moulins-Beaufort said the request for an investigation was an opportunity to “get to the bottom” of the story and to determine how “the facts were not reported to justice for all these years”.

Since the revelations began in July 2024, the church has faced mounting criticism for its silence on the allegations. De Moulins-Beaufort expressed “immense sorrow” to victims and encouraged others to come forward.

“Anyone who has experienced sexual violence at the hands of Abbé Pierre should feel free to contact church support services or Emmaüs’ listening platforms,” he said.

In September, the church took the unusual step of opening its archives on Abbé Pierre to researchers and journalists, bypassing the typical 75-year waiting period.

French church unlocks archives early on priest accused of sexual abuse

Rebrand

In the wake of the allegations, French cities have taken steps to distance themselves from Abbé Pierre.

In September, the mayor of Lyon said “the name Abbé Pierre would be removed from the public space” at a plaza in the city centre.

The Abbé Pierre Foundation said it would change its name, and a memorial centre in Normandy, where the priest resided for many years, will close permanently.

A statue of Abbé Pierre was removed from the village of Norges-la-Ville in Eastern France, where the second largest Emmaüs community centre is located.

The law to decriminalise abortion was proposed by then-health minister Simone Veil in November 1974. She was one of only nine female MPs at the time and faced enormous pressure – and abuse – during the 25-hour parliamentary debate.

“I never imagined the hatred that I would unleash,” Veil later said, recalling how some lawmakers likened abortion to the Holocaust – of which Veil was a survivor, having been deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps.

After concessions on adding a conscience clause for doctors who refused to perform the procedure, the bill was adopted with 284 votes for and 189 against.

It was enacted after approval by the Senate on 17 January, 1975, becoming what was known as the Veil Act. It was initially adopted for a period of five years, then prolonged indefinitely in 1979.

France marks 50 years since journey to decriminalise abortion began

There were originally two sets of circumstances under which abortion was accepted by the law – the first for an elective abortion due to a woman’s “distress” and the second for medical reasons.

Veil herself said that abortion should only be carried out as an exception, hence the inclusion of a seven-day waiting period and a “psycho-social” interview among the conditions for a termination, both of which have fallen by the wayside in recent years.

An evolving law

Fifty years on, the legacy of the Veil Act continues to mark French society. The technical aspects of the law have significantly evolved over time, with six major modifications between 1979 and 2024, when it was enshrined in the French constitution.

In 1975, elective abortion was initially authorised up to the 10th week of pregnancy. This limit was extended to 12 weeks in 2001 and to 14 weeks in 2022.

In 1975, terminations had to be performed surgically by a physician in a hospital. Under today’s legal framework, they can be performed in a range of settings, by both physicians and midwives, using various methods.

France set to make history by enshrining abortion rights in constitution

One of the biggest changes in the last 50 years is access to medical abortions, those in which medications are used rather than surgery, which accounted for four out of five abortions in 2023, according to a November report by the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED). The figure for surgical abortions went down to one in five the same year.

Initially administered in hospitals, these drugs also became available in physicians’ offices, clinics and sexual health centres in the 2000s. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, women seeking medical abortions can also access health practitioners remotely.

Increase in abortions

France is among the European Union countries with the highest abortion rate. In 2023, in France as a whole (including its overseas departments) there were 17 elective abortions (16 in mainland France) per 1,000 women aged 15-49, according to the INED report.

It also shows that France has seen an increase in abortions. Stable at around 220,000 per year for the last three decades, the figure began rising sharply in the early 2020s, reaching 241,700 in 2023.

The report’s authors suggest that the increase in elective abortions may be “in response to greater social and economic insecurity and increasing uncertainty about the future”.

Despite the legal and logistical advances in the law, access to abortion remains fragile in practice and unequal across the country.

Why changing the constitution doesn’t guarantee access to abortion in France

Planning Familial (“Family Planning”), an advocacy group, found in a survey commissioned by polling group the IFOP Institute in July 2024, that 27 percent of women who sought an abortion over the last five years had been faced with a refusal.

Some of these refusals may have been linked to the “conscience clause” which has been part of the law from the outset. It states that a medical practitioner has the right to refuse to carry out an abortion, but must immediately refer the patient to a service that can perform the procedure.

Furthermore, the survey found that 31 percent of women who terminated their pregnancy before its eighth week said they were given no choice of method – medical or surgical – even if the right to this choice is inscribed in the law.

Planning Familial also reported that 130 abortion centres have been closed over the last 15 years in France, and others are under threat.

Geographical discrepencies

A Senate report from October 2024 also pointed to geographical discrepancies when it came to accessing abortion.

In France’s overseas departments and regions the rate reaches close to double that of mainland France. However, it was these same departments – including Guyana, Guadeloupe and Réunion Island – where women found it difficult to access health centres due to distance and lack of transport.

Rural areas in France were also subject to similar difficulties, as well as long waiting times and under-equipped regional health facilities.

The Senate report stated that the number of medical staff willing to carry out abortions was not sufficient and that this was perhaps due to a lack of training, poorly updated information campaigns and in some cases, too much red tape.

Stigma

Both the Senate report and Planning Familial survey also pointed to the need to counter the stigma associated with abortion, which stemmed from aggressive disinformation campaigns and activism online.

In its July survey, Planning Familial found that 41 percent of women who recently had an abortion stated that they felt “the right to abortion was taboo”, and 63 percent feared being judged by those around them or by health professionals.

Meanwhile, 37 percent said they felt pressure over their choice to have an abortion, either from their entourage or society at large.

This concern was also highlighted in a 2024 report from the La Fondation des Femmes (Women’s Foundation), which pointed to a change in public opinion following the June 2022 ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States, which rolled back the Roe vs Wade decision that had guaranteed abortion rights on a federal level.

Should France guarantee supply of abortion drugs by producing its own?

According to the Fondation, this gave anti-abortion groups in France a sense of legitimacy in carrying out “attacks against the premises and organisations fighting for reproductive rights” and campaigns such as putting anti-abortion stickers on hire bikes in Paris.

Planning Familial said that while 85 percent of people questioned in the IFOP poll said they are very strongly attached to the right to abortion, 89 percent of people were aware that obstacles persist in France.

The recent addition of abortion rights to the constitution does not seem sufficient to reassure people moving forward, the group said. “The fear of a possible challenge to the right to abortion in France is present, and particularly among women who have already had an abortion – 51 percent compared to 30 percent of the general public.”

“We, activists, researchers, elected officials, demand the rehabilitation of women unjustly convicted of abortion,” they wrote in a petition published on the Libération website.

The law, first debated by MPs in 1974, was championed by health minister Simone Veil and adopted for a trial period of five years before being made permanent in 1979.

Abortion had been criminalised in France since the 1800s, with convictions rising dramatically under the Vichy regime during World War II. Between 1940 and 1943, it was punishable by death.

Even in 1946, French courts ruled on 5,151 cases of clandestine abortions, the petition states.

“We cannot forget those who suffered, those who died as a result of clandestine abortion and even more, those who were condemned by unfair laws,” the group wrote.

France’s Veil abortion law leaves positive but fragile legacy, 50 years on

Restoring dignity

Notable signatories include Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux, Fondation des Femmes (Women’s Foundation) president Anne-Cécile Mailfert, and actresses Laure Calamy and Anna Mouglalis.

“It is about restoring their dignity, but also giving them a worthy place in the history of women and their rights,” the petition says.

The group proposes creating an independent commission to oversee the recognition and compensation of women convicted of abortion under previous laws. Compensation could be material or symbolic.

The petition cites a recent precedent: a bill passed by the National Assembly on 6 March 2024, which recognised and sought to repair harm caused by discriminatory laws against homosexuals between 1942 and 1982.

The signatories argue that exonerating women convicted of abortion would be a “strong political gesture” in line with recent moves to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution, which was approved in March 2024.

(with AFP)

After more than two years of a political vacuum at the top, Joseph Aoun was elected president on January 9 and chose Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate.

They now face the daunting task of leading Lebanon after a devastating war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah last year, on of the country’s worst economic crisis in history.

“Come, come,” he said, leading nursery children in uniforms by the hand to take a picture with him and other students after arriving at a central Beirut school to excited cheers early in the afternoon.

Shortly before, Macron strolled along the lively Beirut neighbourhood of Gemmayzeh near the coastal city’s port, posing for photos and selfies with eager members of the public, and downing small cups of coffee offered to him along the way.

He had been the first foreign leader to visit the devastated district after a massive explosion of fertilizer at the Beirut port ravaged it on August 4, 2020.

Later in the day he was set to meet Aoun at the presidential palace, and hold a meeting with Salam.

He might meet UN chief Antonio Guterres, a French diplomatic source said, as a January 26 deadline to fully implement a Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire deal approaches.

Macron’s visit aims to “help” Aoun and Salam “to consolidate Lebanon’s sovereignty, ensure its prosperity and maintain its unity”, the French presidency said before his arrival.

France administered Lebanon for two decades after World War I, and the two countries have maintained close relations even since Lebanon’s independence in 1943.

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

‘Hope for possible redress’

Analysts say Hezbollah‘s weakening in the war with Israel last year allowed Lebanon’s deeply divided political class to elect Aoun and to back his naming of Salam as premier.

Islamist-led rebels overthrowing the Iran-backed group’s ally Bashar al-Assad on December 8 has also contributed to the ushering in of a new era for tiny Lebanon.

“In Lebanon, we have gone in a matter of months from a situation of dramatic escalation to a situation of hope for possible redress,” a French diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity.

Salam, a former presiding judge at the International Court of Justice, has launched delicate consultations to pick a government, with Hezbollah continuing to play an important role in Lebanon’s political scene despite its weakening on the battlefield.

The new government must “bring together Lebanon’s diverse people, ensure the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is respected and carry out the reforms necessary for the prosperity, stability and sovereignty of the country”, the French presidency said on Thursday.

The UN Security Council called Thursday for Lebanese leaders to rapidly form a new government, describing it as a “critical” step for stability in the war-battered country and region.

Ceasefire

Earlier on Friday, Macron met with UN peacekeeping mission chief Aroldo Lazaro and the heads of a committee tasked with monitoring any violation of a ceasefire that took effect on November 27 after more than a year of war.

“Things are moving forward, the dynamic is positive” on the implementation of the ceasefire, he told journalists after the talks.

Under the November 27 ceasefire accord, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.

At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani river, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in south Lebanon.

Speaking to UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, Guterres urged an end to Israel’s “continued occupation” and “military operations” in south Lebanon.

He also said that UN peacekeepers “uncovered over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah or other armed groups since the November 27 ceasefire.

He added that the “presence of armed personnel, assets and weapons” other than those of the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL peacekeeping force violated terms of a UN resolution that formed the basis for the deal.

Hezbollah is the only group in Lebanon that refused to surrender its weapons to the state following the 1975-1990 civil war.

Backed by Syria under Assad, it played a central role in politics for decades, flexing its power in government institutions while engaging in fighting with the Israeli military.

Fils, the French number two, took the first set 6-4. But Humbert, seeded 14th, wrestled control of the tie after claiming the second 7-5 and edging the third 6-4.

Visibly incapacitated by the injury, Fils, the 20th seed, conceded the encounter at the start of the fourth set.

On Sunday Humbert will play the second seed Alexander Zverev, a straight sets winner over the Briton Jacob Fearnley, for a place in the last eight at one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit.

The pair met last November in the final at the Paris Masters, where Zverev triumphed in straight sets.

Elsewhere in the bottom half of the men’s draw, 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, seeded seventh, advanced 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 past Tomas Machac from the Czech Republic.

Third seed Carlos Alcaraz needed four sets to see off Nuno Borges from Portugal and the 24th seed Jiri Lehecka dispatched the unseeded Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the last-16 in Australia for the second time in four visits.

The 23-year-old will take on Djokovic who is seeking a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.

Marathon

For the second match running, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina came from two sets down to prevail. The 25-year-old Spaniard saved a match point in the third set tiebreaker against the unseeded Czech player Jakub Mensik before winning it nine points to seven.

And 72 minutes after facing doom, Davidovich Fokina claimed the match to reach the last-16 in Australia for the first time in five visits.

In the women’s draw, the top seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka dismissed Clara Tauson from Denmark 7-6, 6-4.

Third seed Coco Gauff also progressed in straight sets and the 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva moved into the fourth round for the second consecutive year at the expense of Pole Magdalena Frech.

The 14th seed beat the 23rd seed 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 to set up a Sunday showdown with Sabalenka for a place in the last eight.

Since Monday, rescuers have used a cylindrical metal cage to pull up 78 bodies and 248 survivors, some of them emaciated and disorientated, in a court-ordered operation at the mine near the town of Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg.

The cage was sent down to 1,280 metres with cameras on Thursday for a final sweep.

“We couldn’t see any person still left behind and we couldn’t hear any voices on the recording,” head of Mines Rescue Services, Mannas Fourie, told reporters at the site.

The police operation, “Vala Umgodi” (“close the hole” in Zulu), started in August. Over the course of the siege, 1,907 miners resurfaced, while 87 bodies were retrieved.

Most of the survivors are foreign nationals, including 1,125 Mozambicans and 465 Zimbabweans. Only 26 are South Africans, according to police.

They have been arrested and charged with illegal immigration, trespass, illegal mining and other offences. 

Investigators now face “a mammoth task” in identifying the dead as some of the bodies were already decomposing, and in some cases just bones, police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe told journalists.

Among the dead, only two have been identified so far, Mathe said.  

Death toll rises as more bodies pulled from disused South African gold mine

Deaths could have been averted

No longer viable for commercial extraction, the mine – known as Shaft 11 – was entered illegally by the men trying to eke out a living.

Locally known as “zama zamas” – or “those who try” – illegal miners frustrate mining companies and are often accused of criminality by residents.

To force the miners out, police had restricted supplies of food and water that the surrounding community had been dropping down the shaft.

In November, a court ordered police to end all such restrictions.

UN panel seeks to stem mining abuses in global rush for critical minerals

But local community members, civil society groups and labour unions have denounced the Stilfontein crackdown.

Zinzi Tom told France 24 her brother had been down the mine for six months and she still didn’t know what had become of him. 

“Even if they’re saying he’s a criminal, does he deserve to die?” she said.

Community leader Johannes Qankase told French news agency AFP on Thursday that “the site had been turned into a mass grave by the government” and he believed most of the men starved to death.

Thembile Botman, a community leader in Khuma, told Reuters news agency that local residents had been warning for months that people would die, and the deaths could have been averted had the rescue operation taken place sooner.

Dehumanisation

The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) condemned what it called “the dehumanisation and criminalisation of these poor, desperate miners”.

“This is a bloody culmination of treacherous policies pursued by the government. This was a campaign of lies,” its president Mametlwe Sebei told reporters.

The police have denied blocking the miners’ exit and said more than 1,500 miners did get out by their own means between the start of the siege in August and the rescue operation.

Africa takes centre stage as South Africa maps ambitious G20 agenda

Authorities said they were investigating the broader criminal networks that orchestrate the mining activity, recruit miners and traffic the illicit gold. 

“Those ringleaders who are controlling what happens underground… some of them have been retrieved, some already in police custody, but we are looking for the real kingpins,” Mathe said.

Illegal mining cost South Africa over $3 billion last year.

(with newswires)

The NGO’s 2025 World Report, published on Thursday, 16 January, calls into question the integrity of democratic institutions in terms of human rights around the world, with those in France no exception.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that President Emmanuel Macron’s gamble to hold snap elections to stem the rise of the far-right, following significant gains by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party in June’s European Parliament election, in fact led to the amplification of racist and xenophobic rhetoric across the country.

This also coincided with a rise in hate crime targeting minorities and growing economic inequality, highlighting the political and social fractures to be found in France.

Homeless charities warn of ‘social cleansing’ ahead of Paris Olympics

Behind the Olympic dream

The much lauded Paris Olympic Games – while showcasing French panache on the global stage – also unveiled human rights concerns.

Preparations for the Games involved controversial “social cleansing” strategies which targeted marginalised groups, specifically migrants, while during the event discrimination against athletes – specifically bans on the hijab – spurred criticism from the United Nations and civil rights groups.

Reports also revealed abuse against homeless people and the deployment of intrusive surveillance technology, sparking fears over privacy violations and discrimination.

Human Rights Watch also condemned racial profiling in police identity checks, highlighting systemic racism issues.

Meanwhile, alarming statistics on hate crime – including a sharp increase in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents – illustrated a normalisation of hate speech across political and media platforms in France.

France sees ratings plunge in global freedom of expression report

Erosion of freedoms

The report also reveals that environmental activists have faced increasing pressure as the government deployed excessive police force, restrictive bans and anti-terrorism laws to crack down on protests.

Press freedom has also suffered, Human Rights Watch says, after journalists investigating French arms sales to Israel and environmental issues were arrested, drawing condemnation from various press freedom groups.

Last year also saw the resumption of the destruction of informal settlements in Mayotte, France’s poorest and least developed department.

Before the devasatation of the Indian Ocean island by Cyclone Chido in December, France’s approach to irregular migration, crime and disease on the island had failed to address urgent social issues.

New Caledonia separatists in Paris court over alleged role in deadly riots

New Caledonia overlooked

HRW reports a litany of failings in France over the rule of law, excessive police force and the right to protest. However, there is no mention in the report of how these issues have manifested in New Caledonia, the French territory in the South Pacific.

Following weeks of deadly clashes in 2024, separatist leaders were deported to the French mainland and incarcerated.

When questioned on this omission by RFI, Human Rights Watch said it would respond in due course.

The challenge in the National Assembly came after Bayrou’s statement this week on his government policy agenda, in which he opened the door to fresh talks on a 2023 pension reform “without taboo” but also said that France‘s “excessive” deficits needed to be cut in this year’s budget.

The speech sparked condemnation from most of the opposition in parliament where Bayrou – in the job only since last month – is well short of an absolute majority, making his government highly vulnerable to any no-confidence vote that, if successful, would force it to resign.

Jordan Bardella, the leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), dismissed it as “idle talk” by “a man of spineless continuity”.

But the backers of the no-confidence motion, submitted by the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, failed to win the RN’s backing.

“We don’t think a no-confidence vote should be a gadget to create a buzz,” RN deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy said ahead of the vote.

The RN’s vice-president, Sebastien Chenu, added before the vote that his party would judge the government “not by its words, but by its actions”.

Tanguy warned, however, that the RN might still come for Bayrou over his budget for 2025, which is overdue after the previous government of Michel Barnier was toppled over its austerity plans.

The new government’s budget announcement would be a “moment of truth”, Tanguy said.

French PM vows to reopen pension reform talks amid growing debt crisis

‘Another path’

The near-certainty of defeat as the vote neared did little to diminish LFI’s combativity.

“Mr Prime Minister, the days of your government of unhappiness are numbered,” said LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard as the debate on the no-confidence motion began.

“And when it falls, the monarch will follow,” he said, in a reference to President Emmanuel Macron, who only last month appointed Bayrou as France’s fourth prime minister within a year.

Bayrou, meanwhile, accused the hard left of trying to take France down the path of “infighting”.

The prime minister welcomed the decision of the Socialists to deny the LFI motion their backing, despite having been allied with the LFI since last year’s general election.

The Socialists’ defection showed that “another path towards understanding is opening up”, Bayrou said.

The LFI’s firebrand leader Jean-Luc Melenchon on Thursday evening vented that Bayrou “has just scored a point” thanks to “those who are running the Socialists today and have weakened us”.

But he denied that the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) alliance had cracked despite the Socialists’ refusal to back toppling Bayrou.

For their part, the Ecologists and Communists, who are both part of the NFP, made it clear that they intended to continue discussions with the government despite voting in favour of the motion.

The no-confidence vote won the backing of 131 deputies, well short of the 288 it needed to pass.

French politics was plunged into chaos last year when Macron called an election to break political deadlock but the vote returned a hopelessly divided lower chamber.

Macron has acknowledged his decision to dissolve the National Assembly had led to “divisions” and “instability”.

Constitutional rules mean new legislative elections cannot be called until July.

The French presidency said the visit aims to boost cooperation between the two countries while addressing major regional and international issues. President Lourenço is preparing to take over the presidency of the African Union in February, a key topic for discussions.

One of the key issues on the agenda is the conflict between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Macron, who visited Angola in March 2023, has reiterated his support for Lourenço’s efforts as key mediator. 

Since November 2021, the armed M23 movement, has seized large swathes of territory in the east of the DRC, rich in natural resources and torn apart by conflicts for 30 years. 

Rwanda denies supporting the M23 and says its aim is to tackle the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group primarily composed of Hutu militants formed in the wake of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

In December, Congolese Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame were to meet in Luanda for peace talks but the two parties failed to agree on the terms, leading to a last-minute cancellation.

DR Congo, Rwanda peace talks in Angola cancelled after hitting ‘deadlock’

Diversify the economy

On the economic front, more than 430 million euros worth of contracts are due to be signed during Lourenço’s visit to Paris.

While trade between France and Angola has been dominated by the hydrocarbon sector, Angola is now turning to France to help it diversify its economy.

Lourenço will attend the Angola-France Business Forum which will bring together companies from both countries at the headquarters of Medef, the French employers’ organisation, on Friday.

The French company Suez is expected to formalise the signing of a major contract in the treatment of wastewater in Angola.

Financing is also expected to be concluded between French bank Société Générale and Angolan authorities for the purchase of an Earth observation satellite to be manufactured by Airbus in Toulouse, southwest France.

For Angola, the objective is to map its oil and mineral resources but also water for agriculture.

A preliminary agreement is due to be signed with the French Development Agency concerning a huge irrigation project while cooperation continues to rebuild the coffee sector.

Discussions will also focus on the Lobito corridor rail line project, intended to transport minerals extracted in the DRC and Zambia to the Atlantic Ocean.

France’s Macron hails renewed economic ties with Angola

Potential and risks

For Sergio Calundungo, the coordinator of the Political and Social Observatory of Angola, the Lobito Corridor has great potential and represents an economic advantage not only for Angola, but for countries in the region, especially for the DRC and Zambia.

He however warns that there are potential risks associated with this type of development, that has attracted the interest of both American and European investors.

“We are talking about risks of an environmental nature, because it will have a lot of infrastructure, a lot of equipment, in an area that was left to its own devices and for such a long time and didn’t have much human intervention,” he told RFI’s Portugese service.

There is also a risk of social unrest he explains. “I believe that we must ensure that all these investments do not translate into land invasion, conflicts, disputes over access to land, access to water, access to other resources with local communities,” he says.

In a separate development, Angola is considering asking the French Hospital Equipment Company to open an ophthalmological hospital in the capital.

“The agreement must be respected. The hostages freed. Gazans aided. A political solution must happen,” Macron posted on X

His reaction comes after Qatar’s prime minister said Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza starting on Sunday and a hostage and prisoner exchange after 15 months of war.

The agreement follows months of on-off negotiations brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and came just ahead of the 20 January inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while welcoming the deal said  it was “imperative” that the ceasefire removes obstacles to aid deliveries as he welcomed the deal that includes a prisoner and hostage exchange.

Ceasefire deal

The deal, not yet formally announced, outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters news agency.

Israel’s government is expected to vote on the deal on Thursday.

A Palestinian official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters earlier that Hamas had given verbal approval to the ceasefire and hostage return proposal under negotiations in Qatar and was waiting for more information to give final written approval.

As celebrations spread in Gaza’s Khan Yunis, Israel said several clauses in the ceasefire deal with Hamas remain “unresolved”.

The statement from Netanyahu’s office reads: “Due to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s firm stance, Hamas backed down at the last moment from its demand to alter the deployment of forces along the Philadelphi Corridor.

“However, several clauses in the framework remain unresolved, and we hope the details will be finalized tonight.”

Egyptian state media said talks were under way to open the Rafah crossing to allow aid into Gaza.

Israel pushed to sign

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly compelled to accept the Gaza ceasefire agreement following pressure from a team appointed by incoming US president Donald Trump.

According to reports, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Netanyahu in Israel after participating in ceasefire negotiations in Doha.

These efforts were said to be instrumental in achieving the recent breakthrough, which had been 15 months in the making.

Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, also met with Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in Jerusalem. The discussions focused on preparations for a potential hostage release agreement, his office announced.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was cutting a visit to Europe short and flying back to Israel overnight to take part in security cabinet and government votes on the deal – meaning the votes would likely be by or on Thursday.

Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and burst into Israeli communities on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza health ministry figures, and left the coastal enclave a wasteland of rubble with hundreds of thousands surviving the winter cold in tents and makeshift shelters.

  (with newswires)

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced that 70 gigawatts of new generating capacity are currently under construction worldwide, marking one of the highest levels in the past three decades.  

In its latest report, the IEA forecasts that nuclear power production will reach a record 2,900 terawatt hours by 2025. 

AI, data centres

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol called it a “new era for nuclear energy,” driven by the growing demand for electricity to power advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and data centres.  

While China has led the charge in nuclear energy expansion, the United States and France have faced challenges due to the high costs of building nuclear plants. 

Birol said nuclear power could help the world transition to non-carbon energy sources to curb climate change.

(with AFP)

The often fraught relations between France and its former colony Algeria have hit an all-time low after a series of disagreements over Western Sahara, the detention of a French-Algerian writer and a French-Algerian blogger accused of inciting violence. Both countries have spoken of “humiliation” and “dishonour”. Arab world specialist  Adlene Mohammedi talks about bilateral relations being polluted by internal affairs – notably Algiers’ lack of democratic legitimacy and the increasing influence of the far right in France. And while the sorely needed level-headed diplomacy  is more needed than ever, it’s been run down in both countries.   (Listen @2’05”)

France’s remarkable geological diversity means the country is prime dinosaur territory – home to fossils from all three periods of the dinosaur age.  The first dinosaurs were discovered in France in the 19th century, but as paleontologist Eric Buffetaut explains, many of the major finds have been in the last 40 years, thanks to amateur paleontologists around the country. (Listen @21’25”)

France enacted a law decriminalising abortion on 17 January 1975. Ollia Horton talks about the legacy of that right and how despite being  enshrined in the constitution, access 50 years later is still not guaranteed. (Listen @14’40”)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani. 

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).

The parties did not reveal the value of the “multi-year” contract nor its precise duration.

It was the first such deal struck by AFP and for Mistral AI, a European competitor to American giants like ChatGPT creator OpenAI.

Tie-ups between news organisations and AI developers remain relatively rare worldwide, despite a pick-up in activity last year.

OpenAI has struck the most deals, including with British business daily the Financial Times, French centre-left paper Le Monde and Germany‘s Axel Springer group, which publishes conservative broadsheet Die Welt and tabloid-style Bild.

“This is the first deal between two players with global ambitions, indeed a global footprint as far as AFP is concerned, but with well-anchored European roots,” the agency’s chief executive Fabrice Fries told AFP journalists in an interview.

He added that the contract would offer the agency “a new revenue stream”.

On Mistral’s side, “AFP brings a verified, journalistic source that we think is very important”, founder Arthur Mensch said.

Verified information

AFP articles in six languages – French, English, Spanish, Arabic, German and Portuguese – will be available to Mistral’s Le Chat chatbot from Thursday.

The product works similarly to ChatGPT, the first such tool to reach a broader audience: users type in a question and receive a response within seconds.

France bets on AI-powered traffic cameras to catch drivers who break rules

Le Chat will answer questions about current events using AFP articles – the text news the agency typically sends to its subscription-paying clients in the media, government and other institutions, and businesses.

The AFP integration will undergo a test period during which it will be available only to a segment of Mistral users.

Le Chat can draw on the agency’s text archives going back to 1983, but has no access to AFP’s photo, video or infographics production.

The records amount to around 38 million articles, Fries said, adding that the agency publishes a further 2,300 every day.

Access via Mistral’s Le Chat could be useful to “professionals or managers in large businesses” for “writing memos” or other documents related to current affairs, Fries suggested.

Among the broader public, many people are using generative AI tools in different ways. Some ask questions about daily life, receiving answers the bots have plucked from the internet.

The two user styles are “complementary”, Mistral boss Mensch said.

Where users’ questions “require verified information, AFP will provide” the inputs. “Concerning shopping or the weather, it will come more from the web,” Mensch added.

‘Recurring revenue’

Thursday’s AFP-Mistral deal comes just over a week after Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta said it would end its fact-checking programme in the United States.

Worldwide, AFP is a major participant in fact-checking content on Meta’s platforms.

“Our discussions with Mistral began just under a year ago, so there’s no link to Meta’s decision,” Fries said.

AFP had actively chosen a “strategy of diversification” in tie-ups with digital platforms as traditional media is wracked by crisis.

In 2023, AFP booked its fifth annual profit in a row, bringing in 1.1 million euros.

Beyond its income from selling content, AFP also receives compensation for its public-interest objectives from the French state, which amounted to 113.3 million euros in 2023, out of a revenue of 320.1 million euros.

In a departure from similar media-AI deals, AFP text articles will not be used to train and develop Mistral’s language models.

Instead, the agency’s content will form “a module that connects to our system and can be disconnected” when the contract expires, Mensch said.

“This isn’t a one-and-done payment, as is often the case in deals for training models, but development of recurring revenue” for AFP, Fries said.

The report, published yesterday, has highlighted armed conflict as the leading global risk for 2025, underscoring an increase in global division as world leaders and business executives prepare for the yearly meeting at the Davos ski-resort in Switzerland next week.

In the survey involving over 900 experts from academia, business, and policy sectors, nearly 25 percent identified conflict – including wars and terrorism – as the greatest threat to economic stability in the coming year.

Previously identified as the most pressing issue for 2024, extreme weather remains a significant concern but has fallen to second place.

Upon the release of the report, WEF Managing Director Mirek Dusek stated: “Faced with deepening divides and multiple risks, world leaders must choose between fostering collaboration and resilience or facing increasing instability … The stakes have never been higher”.

Conflict, climate cast shadow over Davos economic summit

Keynote speakers

The WEF conference begins on 20 January, the day Donald Trump is due to be inaugurated as the 47th US president.

Trump, has pledged to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and will address the forum virtually on 23 January.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to speak at the event on 21 January, while other prominent attendees will include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang.

According to WEF President and CEO Borge Brende, discussions will also focus on Syria, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the potential intensification of Middle Eastern conflicts.

The threat posed by misinformation and disinformation was again highlighted as a foremost risk over the coming two years, retaining its 2024 ranking within the survey.

China says West’s economic de-risking is a ‘false proposition’

Climate and ecology fears still dominate

Looking over a decade, environmental dangers – particularly extreme weather – topped the list of concerns for experts, followed by biodiversity loss, critical shifts in Earth’s ecosystems, and diminishing natural resources.

For the first time, global temperatures last year surpassed 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, approaching the limits set by the 2015 Paris climate accord.

The  WEF report defines a global risk as a factor that could significantly impact global GDP, population, or natural resources.

The 900 experts were questioned from the period of September through October 2024, with 64 percent of participants believing the evolution of a fragmented, multipolar global order is set to continue.

This year, Davos will host around 3,000 participants, including 350 top government officials and more than 900 CEOs.

As cleanup operations continue across the Indian Ocean archipelago, it is clear that no area has been spared the devastation.

“The island was hit particularly hard this time; the damage is clear,” said Aramadi Salim, a driver in the capital, Mamoudzou, speaking to RFI. 

Amidst the wrecked vegetation and debris-strewn roads, Salim noted some progress: “Things are starting to improve. We spent a week without electricity or water, searching for water wherever we could. Now that the power has been restored, life is getting better.”

However, Salim’s return to work is far from easy. “Just getting fuel means waiting in line for hours,” he said.

The situation in Mamoudzou is improving, but in the northern part of the archipelago, which bore the brunt of the cyclone, it’s much more complicated.

“The boat is my livelihood. Without it, I can’t work,” says a fisherman, standing near a bay where most of the boats have capsized. 

“We’re practically cut off from Mamoudzou, even when it comes to information.”

‘Slums already up’

In Mayotte, information is just as critical as water and food.

In some areas, contact with authorities and insurers remains impossible, fuelling frustration.

“Why are they hiding the truth? Half the population of Hamjago still doesn’t have electricity,” says Faoulati, a mother of four.

“It’s inhumane. The aid that arrived hasn’t reached us in the north. Everything is concentrated in the slums where illegal immigrants live. And we’re left out,” she adds.

The slums, known as bangas, reflect another ongoing issue in Mayotte – illegal immigration, mostly from the Comoros.

“There’s a big problem in Mayotte right now. All the bangas are already up. Now is the time to fix it,” explains Mari Atibou, a resident of southern Mayotte.

Emergency bill passed

During his visit two weeks ago, Prime Minister François Bayrou promised to tackle illegal immigration and rebuild Mayotte “within two years”. 

French PM Bayrou unveils ‘Mayotte standing’ reconstruction plan

His emergency bill, aimed at speeding up reconstruction, was passed in the National Assembly on Wednesday despite criticism from opposition parties. The law also includes temporary social measures.

Manuel Valls, the newly appointed Overseas Territories minister, added that a second law to propose longer-term solutions, was scheduled for March. 

Additionally, a bill restricting birthright citizenship in Mayotte will be reviewed on 6 February. It is aimed at lengthening the residency requirement for parents seeking French nationality for their children.

Independence Square was under lockdown for the inauguration, with security forces blocking roads and patrolling the area to prevent violence.

As he took the oath of office, Chapo pledged to “defend, promote and consolidate national unity, human rights, democracy and the well-being of the Mozambican people”.

But his presidency starts under a cloud of tension and mistrust.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who claims the 9 October election was rigged in Chapo’s favour, has vowed to paralyse the government with daily demonstrations.

“We’ll protest every single day. If it means paralysing the country for the entire term, we will paralyse it for the entire term,” Mondlane said in a post on Facebook.

The unrest has already claimed more than 300 lives according to civil society group Plataforma Decide, with security forces accused of using excessive force against protesters.

Mozambique opposition leader calls for national strike, demos

Unknown ‘puppet’

In Maputo, Mondlane supporters are vocal in their rejection of the new president.

“Who is Chapo? I don’t know Chapo. He’s not my president,” said Paulo, a tuk-tuk driver waving a vuvuzela in Maputo’s Maxaquene district.

His words reflect widespread uncertainty about a leader who, until recently, was virtually unknown to most Mozambicans.

The 47-year-old entered the ruling Frelimo party without holding elected office, working his way up through administrative roles including heading the gas-rich Palma district in 2015 before becoming governor of Inhambane province.

His selection as Frelimo’s presidential candidate came after two days of internal party negotiations.

“As no faction managed to impose itself, they elected a puppet”, a former party member told RFI.

Post-election chaos in Mozambique sparks mass exodus to Malawi

Humble campaign image

Chapo is the first Mozambican president who did not participate in the 1975-1992 civil war. He has sought to portray himself as a man of the people, often referencing his modest upbringing.

“I was born in poverty. I’ve woken up not knowing what I would eat. I’ve sold mangoes in the street to buy paper and pencils,” he said during his campaign.

He also pledged to unite the country, stating on the night of his victory: “We will only be a nation if we know how to listen to each other.”

However, critics argue his affiliation with Frelimo, which has ruled Mozambique since independence in 1975, undermines his credibility as a candidate for change.

“It will be hard for him to win the hearts of Mozambicans as long as he is part of Frelimo,” said political scientist José Lourenço.

Mozambique’s highest court confirms Frelimo election victory

Poll observers critical

The election has drawn criticism from international observers, with the EU mission condemning what it called the “unjustified alteration of election results”.

Mondlane, who returned from exile last week, remains defiant. “This regime does not want peace,” he declared, blaming authorities for escalating violence.

The absence of many foreign leaders at the inauguration, with the exception of South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, has added to the perception of a tainted presidency.

Several Mozambican civil society organisations have petitioned the African Union not to recognise Chapo’s victory.

Meanwhile, Mondlane has expressed openness to dialogue, saying: “I’m here in the flesh to say that if you want to negotiate… I’m here.”

(With newswires)

The match ended 2-2 after extra-time and Bourgoin Jallieu won the shoot-out 4-2 to launch wild celebrations among their supporters at the Stade Pierre Rajon.

Lyon fans ripped out seats from the stands, threw them onto the pitch and fought with home supporters before riot police moved in to quell the clashes.

“I was never a talented player and I turned out at this level,” said Lyon boss Pierre Sage. “So I know all the things that go with playing at this level. We didn’t do the necessary things for playing against an amateur club like this.

“During the first-half we didn’t do enough. We didn’t play with any sense of pride or honour and Bourgoin Jallieu deserve their victory.

Blame

“I’m not pointing the finger at any one in particular. There is only one thing that we now have to live with and that is shame. Shame in front of our friends and families.

“Shame in front of people who love this club. Shame in front of the people who came to the stadium and shame in front of the world in general.

“It is a duty to beat a team that operates four divisions beneath us and tonight we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”

In the two other games between fifth tier opposition and Ligue 1 clubs, Paris Saint-Germain scored twice in the closing stages to see off Espaly 4-2 and continue the defence of their crown.

And Strasbourg needed a penalty shoot-out at the Stade de la Colombière in Épinal, north-eastern France to beat Thaon who were playing in the last 32 for the third time in four years.

The match ended 2-2 after extra-time and Leroy Rosenior’s men claimed the shoot-out 5-3.

Elsewhere, Chafik Abbas bagged a brace as fourth division Cannes saw off Ligue 2 pacesetters Lorient 2-1. And Brest won the all-Ligue 1 clash with Nantes by the same score.

On Saturday, 11 January on Paris’s Place de la République, dozens of people were protesting against the decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), announced last year by Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou.

The group is made up of members of the diaspora from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, and exiled political opponents.

Boubacar Mintou Koné – a member of the Malian political opposition in exile, from the Front malien patriotique pour le salut (“Malian Patriotic Front for Salvation”) – told RFI: “This withdrawal from Ecowas, currently under way, has been carried out without the necessary consultation of all the nation’s active forces and without a referendum to ask the entire Malian people whether or not we should remain in Ecowas.”

He supports the call for a return to constitutional order and the transfer of power from the military junta – which seized power in 2021, in what was the country’s third coup d’état in 10 years – to democratically elected institutions.  

‘Freedom of expression is being trampled’

Protesters from Niger and the north of Mali also denounced the juntas’ incompetence in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, as well as their ties with Russia.

“Russia is only there to exploit resources, by taking advantage of insecurity,” one protester from northern Mali said. “We also condemn and regret the inaction of the international community, which does nothing to try to alleviate the suffering of the people.”

Blinken tours West Africa offering US support to offset Russian influence in Sahel

Idrissa, a Nigerien living in Normandy, north-west France, travelled to the capital for the occasion. “Freedom of expression is being trampled on in the Sahel,” he told RFI. “Anyone who tries to speak out risks ending up in prison, whereas here in France we have the opportunity to voice our discontent.”

However, exiled Malian opposition figure Ismaël Sakho, who is president of the African Social Democratic Party, believes that even protesting in France is risky for members of the diaspora, as it could see their relatives back home threatened. But he says it remains a necessary evil.

“There needs to be leaders who dare, and we dare,” he told RFI. “We are not afraid because we want to remain part of a community that benefits us more.”

The protesters plan to assemble in Paris again soon, saying this first demonstration was a trial run.

Ecowas’ future in jeopardy after Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso leave group

Security threat

The withdrawal of the three countries from Ecowas poses major issues in terms of population circulation, trade and security.

Bakary Sambe is the regional director of the Dakar-based Timbuktu Institute, a think tank specialising in security and conflict resolution, who works on integration issues in West Africa.  

“In itself, the creation of the Sahel States Alliance through the Liptako Gourma Charter presaged a weakening of Ecowas and the tacit disappearance of the G5 Sahel, which was a key player in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa in general,” he wrote on the institute’s site.

For Sambe, the withdrawal risks the fragmentation of regional counter-terrorism efforts, and could have a negative impact on the African Union‘s efforts in terms of security and cooperation.

“Groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda are committed to the establishment of these states, denouncing democratic governance,” according to Oluwole Ojewale, research fellow at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, and regional coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa).

He told The Conversation: “Their influence and operational model are on the rise. They are radicalising the population, heightening sectarian strife and aggravating the difficulties of already volatile regions. Operating in parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad, these groups aspire to form a jihadist caliphate in the Sahel region.”

The often fraught relations between France and its former colony Algeria have hit an all-time low after a series of disagreements over Western Sahara, the detention of a French-Algerian writer and a French-Algerian blogger accused of inciting violence. Both countries have spoken of “humiliation” and “dishonour”. Arab world specialist  Adlene Mohammedi talks about bilateral relations being polluted by internal affairs – notably Algiers’ lack of democratic legitimacy and the increasing influence of the far right in France. And while the sorely needed level-headed diplomacy  is more needed than ever, it’s been run down in both countries.   (Listen @2’05”)

France’s remarkable geological diversity means the country is prime dinosaur territory – home to fossils from all three periods of the dinosaur age.  The first dinosaurs were discovered in France in the 19th century, but as paleontologist Eric Buffetaut explains, many of the major finds have been in the last 40 years, thanks to amateur paleontologists around the country. (Listen @21’25”)

France enacted a law decriminalising abortion on 17 January 1975. Ollia Horton talks about the legacy of that right and how despite being  enshrined in the constitution, access 50 years later is still not guaranteed. (Listen @14’40”)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani. 

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).

Syrian refugee Hasan Sallouraoglu and his family have carved out a new life in Istanbul with a thriving pastry shop in Istanbul‘s Sultanbeyli district, home to around 60,000 Syrians.

With Assad gone, the question of whether to return to Syria now looms. “It’s been 10 years, and my shop has been open for the last eight years. We can start a shop there in Syria, too,” explained Sallouraoglu.

However, Sallouraoglu, with an ironic smile, acknowledges returning to Syria is a hard sell for his family. “There is not much excitement in my family. We see the news and we see that our country is completely destroyed on the ground. Ninety percent of it has been destroyed, so we need time to think,” said Sallouraoglu.

Across the road from Sallouraoglu’s pastry shop, the owner of a clothes shop, Emel Denyal, is considering returning to her home in Aleppo but says such a move could mean breaking up her family.

Nostalgia

“We are all thinking about returning. But the children aren’t interested. They love being here. They want to stay here,” said Denyal.

 ‘We still feel nostalgic for our land. We are still missing Syria because we were raised in Syria,” added Denyal, “The Syrian generation growing up in Turkey doesn’t think about going back. The elderly and my husband are considering returning, but my children aren’t. Can we find a solution?”

Since Assad fled Syria, Turkish authorities claim about 35,000 Syrians out of the nearly four million living in Turkey have gone home.

The Refugee Association in Sutlanebeyli provides assistance to some of Istanbul’s 600,000 Syrian refugees. Social welfare director Kadri Gungorur says the initial euphoria over Assad’s ousting is making way to a more pragmatic outlook.

“The desire to return was very strong in the first stage but has turned into this: ‘Yes, we will return, but there is no infrastructure, no education system, and no hospitals,’ said Gungorur.

Gungorur says with only 12 families from Sultanbeyli returning to their homes, he worries about the consequences if Syrians don’t return in large numbers. “If the Syrians do not return, the general public may react to the Syrians because now they will say that ‘Syria is safe. Why don’t you return?'”

Over the past year, Turkish cities, including Istanbul, have witnessed outbreaks of violence against Syrians amid growing public hostility towards refugees.

 Turkish authorities have removed Arabic from shop signs in a move aimed at quelling growing resentment made worse by an ailing economy.

Concerns for women

Turkish presidential adviser Mesut Casin of Istanbul’s Yeditepe University claims the government is aware of the Turkish public’s concern.   

“We all saw the civil war in Syria. Four million immigrant people in Turkey and that has brought a lot of problems in Turkey …even criminal actions. There’s also the problem of border security. Turkish public opinion is opposed to the Syrian people today,” said Casin.

Erdogan is promising to facilitate the quick return of Syrian refugees. However, such aspirations could well be dependent on the behaviour of Syria’s new rulers,

“The Syrians you have in Turkey are mostly women and children. So it has to be a government and administration friendly to women and children, specifically women,” says analyst Sezin Oney of the independent Turkish news portal Medyascope. 

“But we don’t know with these, Islamist, jihadist groups. Will they be really friendly towards these othe groups? So I don’t see the return of the Syrians who are in Turkey, really,” added Oney.

Erdogan is pledging that the return of the Syrians will be voluntary. However, analysts suggest more decisive action may be necessary, as the Turkish leader knows if the refugees do not return home quickly, it could have political consequences.

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.

WORLD RADIO DAY is coming up – it’s on 13 February. As we do every year, we’ll have a feast in The Sound Kitchen, filled with your voices.

Send your SHORT recorded WRD greetings to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr by 1 February. This year’s theme is “Radio and Climate Change”, but you don’t have to talk about the theme – if you just want to say “hello!”, that’s fine, too.

Be sure you include your name and where you live in your message.

Most importantly, get under a blanket to record. This will make your recording broadcast quality.

Bombard me with your greetings!!!!

The RFI English team is pleased to announce that Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan, won the RFI / Planète Radio ePOP video contest, in the RFI Clubs category. Bravo Saleem! Mubarak ho!

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 the 23rd of November, I asked you a question about the legislative elections in Senegal, which were won by a comfortable margin by Pastef, the ruling party.

The win came just a few months after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye secured the presidency, pledging economic transformation, social justice, and a fight against corruption, so now the way is cleared for Faye and Pastef to carry out ambitious reforms. May they succeed!

You were to re-read our article “Senegal’s ruling Pastef party on track to get large majority in elections”, and send in the answer to these questions: How many registered voters are there in Senegal, how many members are there in the Parliament, and for how long do those MPs serve?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Senegal’s roughly 7.3 million registered voters were called to elect 165 MPs for five-year terms.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is the best thing to wake up to?”

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

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan, who is also this week’s bonus question winner.

Congratulations on your double win, Kashif!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in West Bengal, India, and Nahid Hossen, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. There’s RFI Listeners Club member Sunil Dhungana from Braga, Portugal, and last but not least, RFI English listener Renu Sharma from Rajasthan, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Slavonic Dance op. 46 No. 6 by Antonin Dvorak, performed by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by George Szell; “Jarabi”, written and performed by Toumani Diabaté and Sidiki Diabaté; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “La Musette” by Léojac and René Flouron, performed by Berthe Sylva with the Orchestre des Concerts Parisiens conducted by André Cadou.

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 Melissa Chemam’s article “France’s ex-president Sarkozy on trial over alleged Gaddafi pact”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 3 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 8 February podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

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This week, we focus on the fight against the exploitation of ‘blood minerals’ or ‘conflict minerals’ in Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Conflic minerals is the term used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to describe minerals sourced from conflict-affected and high-risk areas, such as tantalum, tin, tungsten (referred to as the ‘3Ts’), gold, cobalt, coltan, and lithium.

These minerals are essential for high-tech applications, including smartphones, electric batteries, and other advanced technology such as appliances, cars, and even wind turbines. They are predominantly found in the African Great Lakes region, especially in eastern DRC.

In an effort to combat the illegal and exploitative trade of these minerals, the NGO Global Witness established a transition team several years ago.

The May 2022 a report from Global Witness revealed that these minerals are used in products by international brands such as Apple, Intel, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, and Tesla.

Now, with a trial underway in France and Belgium accusing Apple, many observers are hopeful that it could bring about meaningful change.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of the tech giant Apple, alleging the company has illicitly used conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The American company claims it no longer sources conflict minerals from Central Africa, but is it doing enough?

DRC case against Apple brings new hope in conflict minerals crisis

The complaints filed against Apple have been described by lawyers involved as a matter of significant public interest.

European countries, consumers, and non-governmental organisations are increasingly scrutinising the international supply chains of minerals, with calls for highly profitable companies to be held accountable.

This complaint could mark the beginning of a broader wave of legal actions targeting technology companies linked to the sourcing of conflict minerals.

To examine the implications of this trial, this week’s guest is Gregory Mthembu-Salter, a researcher specialising in Africa’s political economy and a former consultant to the UN Group of Experts on the DRC on due diligence regarding conflict minerals. He is based in South Africa.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale.

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.

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Be Our Guest” by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman; “Auld Lang Syne”, performed by the Glenn Miller Orch, and “New Year Resolution” by M. Cross, R. Catron, and W. Parker, performed by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.

The quiz will be back next Saturday, 11 January, with the answer to the question about the legislative elections in Senegal. Be sure and tune in! 

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear what Helmut Matt, your fellow RFI English listener, has found to be true in his life. Don’t miss it!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Butterfly Lovers” by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, performed by the National Cinema Symphony Orchestra.

Next week, be sure and tune in for a special program featuring your New Year Resolutions and Wishes for 2025.

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.