The Elysée Palace reaffirmed France’s commitment to supporting Haiti’s security efforts and mobilising international partners, particularly within the European Union.

“The Haitian people can count on the solidarity of France, which has always been present in Port-au-Prince,” the Elysée said, adding that restoring security was an absolute priority.

Escalating gang violence in Haiti claimed over 5,600 lives last year.

France has been helping the Haitian police both bilaterally and as part of the Kenya-led multinational security support mission.

But with only around 800 police officers deployed – far fewer than the 2,500 originally planned – the force remains too small to counter the growing dominance of armed gangs, which the UN estimates control 85 percent of the capital.

Despite worsening violence, Voltaire said long-delayed general elections are set for around 15 November 2025.

Haiti has been without elected representatives since January 2023, and no elections have taken place since 2016 due to spiralling violence.

Speaking to French-language channel TV5 Monde, Voltaire stressed the urgency of the vote. “We must pass on power to a legitimate, elected government on 7 February 2026,” he said.

However, with more than one million Haitians internally displaced and over five million facing severe food shortages due to gang activity, doubts remain about whether the country can establish the necessary conditions for a free and fair vote.

Gangs could overrun Haiti capital if aid falls short, UN chief warns

‘Horrific brutality’

The violence is not limited to Port-au-Prince.

In Kenscoff – a mountainous commune once considered a refuge from the capital’s chaos – armed gangs launched a brutal attack earlier this week, killing several residents, including 12 members of the same family.

Reporting from the scene, RFI documented harrowing accounts from survivors.

One resident, a father of three, described the brutality of the attackers. “They kidnapped the father of a young man called Léger, killed him, and then burnt him near my home.

Haiti witness recounts gang massacre driven by witchcraft claims

“Another citizen who was trying to flee was captured and beheaded. Madame Jacques, a sister from my church, was also beheaded, and the bandits took her head with them.”Another witness, Naïca, voiced her despair after losing contact with her family following the attack.

“Members of my family saw their house and shop taken by the bandits. They’ve moved into the house now. But I don’t see them anymore, I don’t know where they are.”

Voltaire said the UN-backed mission in Haiti is insufficient and warned of worsening conditions if the United States cuts humanitarian aid and escalates the deportation of Haitian migrants.

The group’s capture of most of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, is a dramatic escalation in a region that has seen decades of conflict involving multiple armed groups. 

Rwanda says its primary interest is to eradicate fighters linked to the 1994 genocide but is accused of seeking to profit from the region’s reserves of minerals used in global electronics. 

“We will continue the march of liberation all the way to Kinshasa,” Corneille Nangaa, head of a coalition of groups including the M23, told reporters in Goma.

“We are in Goma and we will not leave… for as long as the questions for which we took up arms have not been answered,” he said.

He went on to promise that the group would restore electricity and security in the city in the coming days, adding they would establish humanitarian corridors to help the displaced return.

It comes after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi pledged to continue fighting in an address to the nation late Wednesday, promising a “vigorous and coordinated response against these terrorists and their sponsors is under way”.

Local sources told AFP late Wednesday that Kigali-backed fighters were advancing on a new front and had seized two districts in South Kivu province.

The Congolese army has yet to make a statement about the M23 advances.

After days of intense clashes that left more than 100 dead and nearly 1,000 wounded, according to an AFP tally, some Goma residents on Thursday ventured out to take stock.

“We do not want to live under the thumb of these people,” one person, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP.   

Troops ‘vigorously’ countering M23 push, says DRC president Tshisekedi

‘Direct engagement’

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in the capital Kinshasa on Thursday and was due to meet Tshisekedi.

Tshisekedi’s decision to boycott talks on Wednesday with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame did “not bode well for a negotiated end to the conflict,” said ACLED Senior Africa Analyst Ladd Serwat.

The regional East African Community bloc called for peace, urging the DRC to “directly engage with all stakeholders, including the M23”.

In a late-night tweet, Kagame warned South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that his country was “in no position to take on the role of a peacemaker or mediator”.

Thirteen South African soldiers have been killed in the past week in the DRC, part of a UN peacekeeping force as well as the Southern African Development Community’s Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC).

Kagame said the SAMIDRC “is not a peacekeeping force, and it has no place in this situation”.

The 16-nation Southern African Development Community will hold a special summit on the crisis on Friday in the Zimbabwean capital.

Angola, which has mediated a ceasefire between the DRC army and M23 in the past, has also called for the Congolese and Rwandan leaders to meet urgently in Luanda.

Tshisekedi skips crisis summit as M23 tightens grip on eastern DRC

‘Nothing left to eat’

M23 fighters and Rwandan troops entered Goma on Sunday and after clashes took control of the airport, with AFP reporters saying they were the only forces remaining downtown.

Residents could be seen on the streets on Thursday, despite fears.

“There is nothing left to eat, everything has been looted,” said Bosco, a resident who gave only one name.

“We need help urgently.”

The offensive has heightened an already dire humanitarian crisis in the region, causing food and water shortages and forcing half a million people from their homes this month, the United Nations said.

Earlier, hundreds of Congolese soldiers and pro-Kinshasa militiamen, unarmed and wearing white headbands, were marched through the city centre by M23 fighters, a security source said.

M23 advance ‘will continue’

The UN, US, China and European Union have all called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the region.

DRC is rich in gold and other minerals such as cobalt, coltan, tantalum and tin used in batteries and electronics worldwide.

Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of waging the offensive to profit from the region’s mineral wealth — a claim backed by UN experts who say Kigali has thousands of troops in its neighbour and “de facto control” over the M23.

Rwanda has denied the accusations. 

Kagame has never admitted military involvement, saying Rwanda’s aim is to destroy a DRC-based armed group, the FDLR, created by former Hutu leaders who massacred Tutsis during the genocide.

“It is unprecedented. It shows you the level of engagement of the officers and the amount of violence in society,” Hubert Bonneau, head of the National Gendarmerie, told television station BFM.

“There is no such thing as a harmless patrol. You never know who you’re going to run into during an operation.”

Of the 10,000 injuries recorded in 2024, 5,300 occurred while gendarmes were on duty. The rest happened while travelling to work or during training exercises.

Official data shows that between 35 and 50 percent of all injuries took place in France’s overseas territories.

Attacks on officers

Bonneau, who took charge of the 130,000-strong force last October, said 63 gendarmes were shot at last year, while 1,000 were attacked with weapons ranging from guns and knives to blunt instruments.

“People are driving vehicles at them,” he added.

His comments came a day after L’Essor, the gendarmerie’s in-house newspaper, reported that an officer had suffered multiple injuries when a car driving the wrong way struck him at a motorway toll booth between Nantua and Oyonnax in south-eastern France.

“Every 20 minutes, a gendarme is confronted by someone who just refuses to obey a request to stop,” Bonneau said. “It’s just the everyday reality of the men and women serving as gendarmes.”

Prosecutor seeks trial for French police over delivery man’s death in chokehold

In a wide-ranging interview, Bonneau also spoke about the fight against drug networks, terrorism and rising violence in society – including the potential for social unrest.

Commenting on an internal memo instructing commanders to prepare for possible conflict, he said: “We’re in a violent society and we’re in a difficult international context.

“We’ve seen fighting for three years in Ukraine, which is important in the national framework for preparing an armed force such as the gendarmerie. Our mission is not only to do everyday policing but also – as an armed force – we must be ready to take on other eventualities such as aggression on mainland France.”

Pelicot, 72, who was sentenced in December to 20 years for aggravated rape, is being questioned over a rape and murder in Paris in 1991 and an attempted rape in the Seine-et-Marne region outside the capital in 1999, his lawyer Beatrice Zavarro said.

She said the investigation, being handled by a unit in the Paris suburb of Nanterre dedicated to “cold cases”, had been going on since October 2022 and Dominique Pelicot had already been interrogated in October 2023.

He has denied involvement in the 1991 rape and murder case but has admitted to the 1999 attempted rape after he was identified by his DNA.

These dates are well before the near decade from 2011 to 2020 during which Pelicot invited dozens of strangers, whom he had recruited online, to the family home in the town of Mazan in southern France to rape his heavily sedated wife Gisele.

The 20-year gap between these crimes has sparked fears that Pelicot could have committed other acts in the interim that have not yet come to light.

His ex-wife Gisele Pelicot has been hailed as a hero for her courage and dignity in the over-three-month trial that ended in December with all 51 defendants, including her ex-husband and the men he enlisted to rape her, being convicted.

France urged to place consent at centre of rape law reform

‘Little bottle of ether’

During his trial, Dominique Pelicot confessed to the 1999 attempted rape.

“It was indeed me,” he said. “I took off her T-shirt, her shoes and her trousers but I didn’t do anything.”

But he denied having played a role in the murder and rape of Sophie Narme, a real estate agent killed in Paris in 1991.

“I have nothing to do with that case,” he said, despite the similarities in the two cases, with both the victims young real estate agents aged 23, who were visited by a man under a false name to view an apartment.

The two women were undressed from below in the same way.

A strong smell of ether — an anaesthetic historically used in surgery — was also noted at the crime scene around Sophie Narme, and the substance had been used to attack the young woman in 1999.

“I had a little bottle of ether in the car and a piece of string,” he said of the attempted rape case during his trial.

Asked why he fled, he said: “I had a mental block, thinking it could have been my daughter,” he said.

Pelicot’s daughter, Caroline Darian, would have been in her early twenties at the time.

Darian, now 46, believes she was also drugged and raped by Pelicot after seeing pictures of her unconscious body, wearing underwear she did not recognise, were found among the detailed records her father kept of his crimes.

She told the BBC this month that he “should die in prison” as he was “a dangerous man”.

Among the 50 others sentenced in December, 14 have appealed.

Dominique Pelicot could thus again appear in court, but as a witness, during an appeals trial later this year in front of a jury, according to a prosecutor in the southern city of Nimes.

“This is one of the most misinterpreted elections in our last 75 years,” said Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report. A well-known Washington analyst, Cook has provided independent commentary for decades and is widely followed by major US news outlets.

“Yes, Democrats are extremely disappointed that they lost the presidential election,” he said, but pointed out that the party “picked up seats in the House of Representatives”.

The Republicans still control the House after the 2022 midterms, holding 220 seats to the Democrats’ 215. But while a majority requires 218 seats, the Republicans lost ground – dropping from 222 seats in 2022 – while the Democrats gained two.

“Democrats lost four seats in the Senate,” Cook acknowledged. “But three of them were states that they probably shouldn’t have had anymore. They were very, very red conservative Republican states, West Virginia, Ohio, and Montana.”

Republicans now control the Senate with a 53-47 majority. But the election results were not a wipe-out. “Not a single governorship in the country changed parties. The state legislatures: very little happened. Same thing on Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State,” he said.

The elections, Cook argued, were split into two different worlds. “One for president and one for everything else. And the everything else wasn’t that bad at all for Democrats,” he said.

Biden’s loss was a “very focused, very targeted repudiation” of his presidency and the Biden-Harris administration.

“It was purely about the cost of living (which, under Biden, went up with a staggering 20 percent) and the border, but it did not contaminate or damage Democrats down ballot. It really didn’t,” Cook said.

Push to ‘drain the swamp’

Trump has vowed to “drain the swamp” – his term for cutting back what he sees as a bloated and corrupt bureaucracy that slows down Washington politics.

“Eight years ago he had to find the swamp,” said Cook. “He didn’t know much about Washington at all, knew little about government.

“Today he knows more and has more loyal people surrounding him,” he said, adding that Trump’s attempts to overhaul the system could be more effective this time around.

But Trump faces a tight timeline. Midterm elections in November 2026 are just 20 months away.

“He only has a window of about two years to get things through Congress” because of the Republican Party’s extremely narrow majority, Cook said.

“In 90 percent of midterm elections, the president’s party loses seats. So the executive authority is really where he’s going to have the biggest impact.”

A multi-party system?

A recent study in The New York Times proposed an alternative to the current two-party system, which dominates US politics. A Pew Research Centre poll found that “nearly half of younger adults say they wish there were more parties to choose from”.

The newspaper suggested a six-party system, with a “Progressive Party” representing Bernie Sanders supporters, a “New Liberal Party” for market-friendly but socially liberal Democrats, and a “New Populist Party” for those between the Democratic and Republican mainstream.

On the Republican side, the proposal imagined a “Growth and Opportunity Party” for traditional market-friendly conservatives, a “Patriot Party” for Trump’s MAGA movement, and a “Christian Conservative Party” for fundamentalist Christians.  

Cook, however, is doubtful.

“There are lots of ways you could divide up the American people. But there are very few true independents out there,” he said. “The Republican side has become more populist with scorning any kind of elitism, expertise.

“You can agree or disagree with a lot of what Trump does, but it’s more populist than conservative. And absolutely different from the tradition that you saw with any previous Republican president or presidential nominee that we’ve had.”

Cook added that the US “has never been as bitterly divided since the Civil War as it is today”, making a shift to a multi-party system unlikely.

What lessons did the Democrats learn from the presidential defeat?

“I haven’t seen many signs that Democrats have learned any lessons at all,” Cook said. “In 2020, Joe Biden won the Democratic nomination because he wasn’t Bernie Sanders. And he won the general election because he wasn’t Donald Trump.

“Biden thought he had won a landslide and took it as an authorisation to do a very ambitious legislative agenda. People described it as historic, transformational, compared it to Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society and Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, when he had the authorisation to not be Donald Trump.”

But Cook said the same dynamic is now at play with Trump.

“Whenever a party wins a narrow victory, but pretends they won by a landslide and governs as if they had won by a landslide, that party is in grave danger,” he said.

“Biden did that in 2020, and Trump is doing that right now. And there’s very likely to be a political price paid.”

The move follows what Algeria called “consistent testimonies” about discriminatory practices by border police at Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “deep concern” over reports from travellers alleging “provocative, degrading and discriminatory” treatment by French authorities.

Secretary of State for the National Community Abroad Sofiane Chaib summoned French Ambassador Stéphane Romatet on Tuesday to lodge a “firm protest by the Algerian government against such totally unacceptable acts”, according to an official statement.

Chaib demanded France take all necessary measures to end “unacceptable practices that dishonour the French government”.

With Franco-Algerian relations at an all-time low, can they get back on track?

Border delays

State newspaper El Moudjahid reported that Algerian travellers faced extensive delays at Paris airports on Monday.

The paper claimed border authorities “intentionally closed all visa windows upon the arrival of Algerian passengers, leaving only one open for them”, forcing passengers to wait “longer than the duration of their flight” to have their passports stamped.

The newspaper accused French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau of orchestrating “a policy of humiliation directly targeting Algerians”.

France and Algeria revisit painful past in battle to mend colonial wounds

Historical tensions

Relations between the two nations, shaped by 132 years of French colonisation and a war of independence that ended in 1962, have deteriorated further since France announced support for Morocco‘s autonomy plan for Western Sahara in July.

The territory’s status remains undefined at the UN after five decades of conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front independence movement, which Algeria backs.

The diplomatic rift widened after Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal was detained in Algeria in November, followed by French authorities arresting several Algerian social media personalities this month for allegedly promoting violence.

Algeria has urged France to ensure its citizens are treated with “respect and dignity” when travelling.

France has yet to respond publicly to the accusations.

Lille walloped Feyenoord 6-1 in the final game of the group stages to finish seventh in the 36-team division and gain automatic qualification to the last-16 knockout round.

The other three sides – PSG, Monaco and Brest – completed their campaigns in 15th, 17th and 18th respectively. They will contest a two-leg play-off for a place in the last-16.

Dembélé scored his first at the MHPArena in Stuttugart in the 17th minute to double his side’s advantage in a game they had to win in order to be assured of advancing to the play-off places.

He slotted in his second just before half-time to put PSG in control.

The 27-year-old completed his hit a hat trick nine minutes into the second-half to give PSG a 4-0 lead.

William Pacho put through his own net 12 minutes from time to gift the Gerrmans a consolation goal. PSG’s 15th place finish means they will be one of the eight seeded teams for the play-offs where they could play Brest or Monaco.

Other unseeded teams include Feyenoord, Juventus, Celtic, Manchester City, Sporting Lisbon and Club Brugge.

Adventure

Brest lost their final game of the group stages 3-0 at home to Real Madrid. Rodrygo opened the scoring for the defending champions mid-way through the first-half. England international Jude Bellingham doubled the advantage shortly after the pause. And Rodrygo completed his brace 12 minutes from time.

“We want to keep going and make even more history than we have already,” said Brest goalkepper Marco Bizot. “And if we can continue to get results, why not.”

Monaco, who were reduced to 10 men following Christian Mawissa’s expulsion in the 13th minute, went down 3-0 at Inter Milan. Lauro Martinez was the star for the hosts with all three goals.

“We knew it would be a difficult match,” Monaco midfielder Caio Henrique told the club’s website. “Playing against Inter at the San Siro is always tough. We made mistakes right from the start.

“But we’re leaving with our heads held high despite everything, and now we have to think about the next stage. The important thing is that we qualified and now we have to correct our mistakes for the next phase.”

The government’s budget for 2025, if passed, will see public spending slashed by €32 billion. While most ministries are impacted, funding for public development assistance (PDA) is facing cuts of more than €2 billion – 35 percent of its budget. Coordination Sud, an umbrella group for 180 French non-profit organisations working internationally, say they’re being disproportionately hit at a time when international solidarity efforts are needed more than ever. Elodie Barralon, the group’s advocacy officer, talks about the impact of such cuts and concerns that civil society is being rolled back in France. (Listen @0′)

As a three-year experiment with medical marijuana comes to an end, instead of generalising its use, as intended, authorisation has been stalled. Nadine Attal, head of the pain centre at the Ambroise-Paré hospital in Boulogne near Paris addresses the sticking points, which include France’s current government chaos and the lack of political will to move forward. She sounds the alarm over the hundreds of patients enrolled in the experiment who have benefited from medical cannabis but whose health is now being ignored. (Listen @20’20”).

French humourist Pierre Dac came to fame in the 1930s with a winning brand of absurdist humour that managed to get everyone laughing while ridiculing no one. When WWII broke out he turned his talents to fighting anti-semitism, Hitler, and the collaborationist Vichy regime, joining Free France’s Radio Londres in 1943. He also founded a political party that defended the place of laughter and flabbiness in politics.  Fifty years after his death, on 9 February 1975, he remains one of France’s most popular, and humanist of humourists. (Listen @14’20”)

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).

However the reforms reduce discussion of gender identity and delay it until high school following backlash that gathered more than 80,000 petition signatures.

The latest version of the curriculum will be presented on Wednesday to the Higher Education Council (CSE), which includes representatives from teachers’ unions and parent associations.

Though French law has required schools to provide three sex education sessions annually since 2001, this requirement has rarely been enforced.

Age-adapted programme

“Education about love, about relationships and sexuality is absolutely essential,” Education Minister Elisabeth Borne told France Inter. “The programme is very careful to provide quality information that is adapted to a pupil’s age.”

The curriculum takes a staged approach. Primary school lessons will focus on emotions, body awareness and family structures, while middle and high school students will cover topics such as puberty, consent and sexual health.

For young children in primary school, lessons will focus on emotions and the basics of consent. Students will learn about personal boundaries through everyday scenarios, such as asking permission before sitting next to someone.

French PM Bayrou saves 4,000 teaching jobs in budget cuts reversal

Family structures – including single-parent, same-sex parent and blended families – will also be discussed.

In middle school, students will learn about puberty, gender stereotypes and the risks of online pornography. Older students will discuss topics such as sexual violence, relationships and personal identity.

In high school, topics will include consent, gender identity and self-image. Students will explore how biological sex and gender identity are addressed in society. The programme also aims to combat discrimination.

Conservative opposition

The proposed changes have sparked resistance, particularly over the inclusion of gender identity.

“Sex education is not in the best interest of children,” said SOS Education, a conservative group linked to the Catholic Church, which has gathered more than 80,000 signatures against the reform.

“Schools should start by teaching each child to read, write, reflect, respect authority and to accept that others may think differently, and be different, from them,” the group said.

In response to criticism, Borne’s team has revised the syllabus, reducing references to gender identity from 15 mentions in an earlier draft to seven.

The new guidelines state that gender identity discussions will now only take place in high school.

France struggles to decide what place screens should have in schools

Political division

The programme has already caused divisions within French politics.

Former minister delegate for academic success, Alexandre Portier, publicly rejected an earlier draft last year, though his position was later disavowed by senior officials.

The final version acknowledges parental concerns, explicitly stating that sex education “does not aim to take the place of pupils’ parents and families”.

“This programme is indispensable,” said Borne.

The guidelines are set to take effect in September across all French schools, including private institutions.

Prime Minister François Bayrou is facing a political challenge after his recent comments on immigration stirred controversy across the political spectrum.

His remarks about France being “flooded” with immigrants have put his delicate parliamentary support at risk, particularly from the Socialists who had previously helped him survive a no-confidence vote.

Bayrou, who has been working to maintain a fragile coalition, stated on Monday that while immigration is “a positive” factor, it should be “proportionate” to the country’s population.

French PM survives first no-confidence vote in parliament

However, his follow-up comment about the perceived “flooding” of France triggered strong reactions.

While some hardliners in the government and the far right supported his statement, centrist allies and the opposition condemned it.

Boris Vallaud, leader of the Socialist parliamentary group in the national assembly, slammed Bayrou’s comments saying: “If you govern with the prejudices of the extreme right, we will end up governed by the extreme right and you will have been an accomplice!”

Socialist disapproval

The Socialists – whom Bayrou has been carefully courting to ensure his minority government stays afloat – were particularly vocal in their disapproval.

Just weeks ago, their decision to abstain from an opposition-led no-confidence vote allowed Bayrou to hold onto power.

Now, however, they are reconsidering their stance after his controversial remarks.

With a crucial budget vote on the horizon, Bayrou needs all the support he can get.

His government’s long-overdue budget proposal is a significant milestone, especially after the previous cabinet was ousted over austerity measures.

The Socialists have been engaging in discussions with the government about the budget, but in a sign of their frustration, they abruptly canceled a scheduled meeting in response to Bayrou’s remarks.

Socialist deputy Philippe Brun urged Bayrou to reconsider his words, emphasising the need to avoid unnecessary division.

French PM Bayrou saves 4,000 teaching jobs in budget cuts reversal

‘Battle of words’

Meanwhile, Johanna Rolland – a prominent Socialist and mayor of Nantes – suggested that her party should seriously weigh the option of supporting a no-confidence motion against Bayrou’s government.

Despite the tension, government spokesperson Sophie Primas called for unity, urging all sides to focus on the budget rather than engaging in a “battle of words.”.

The coming days will be critical for Bayrou, as he navigates the political fallout and attempts to rebuild trust with his wavering allies.

As the prime minister fights to keep his government intact, all eyes are on whether he can mend fences and rally the support needed to push his budget through parliament. 

Human-driven climate change set the stage for the devastating Los Angeles wildfires by reducing rainfall, parching vegetation, and extending the dangerous overlap between flammable drought conditions and powerful Santa Ana winds, according to an analysis published Tuesday.

The study, conducted by dozens of researchers, concluded that the fire-prone conditions fueling the blazes were approximately 35 percent more likely due to global warming caused by burning fossil fuels.

“Climate change increased the risk of the devastating LA wildfires,” said Clair Barnes of Imperial College London, the lead author of the study by World Weather Attribution, an international academic collaboration.

“Drought conditions are increasingly pushing into winter, raising the likelihood of fires breaking out during strong Santa Ana winds that can transform small ignitions into deadly infernos.

“Without a faster transition away from planet-heating fossil fuels, California will continue to get hotter, drier, and more flammable.”

Fossil fuel rise drives planet closer to critical climate safety limit

Windy conditions increasing

The study does not address the direct causes of the wildfires, which erupted around Los Angeles on 7 January, killing at least 29 people and destroying more than 10,000 homes, the most destructive in the city’s history. 

In the span of just three weeks, more than two dozen fires have broken out across the region, cumulatively burning more than 57,000 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as of Monday.

That’s an area nearly equivalent to Washington, D.C. and Manhattan, New York City combined.

Researchers from WWA analysed weather data and climate models to assess how such events have evolved under today’s climate, which has warmed approximately 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Using peer-reviewed methods, they found that the hot, dry, and windy conditions were 1.35 times more likely due to climate change.

Looking ahead, the study warns that under current scenarios, where global warming reaches 2.6C by 2100, similar fire-weather events in January will become a further 35 percent more likely.

Historically, October through December rainfall has marked the end of wildfire season.

However, these rains have decreased in recent decades.

Trump withdraws US from Paris climate agreement for second time

‘Precipitation whiplash’

The study found that low rainfall across these months is now 2.4 times more likely during neutral El Nino conditions, leading to drier, flammable conditions persisting into the peak of the Santa Ana wind season in December and January.

The relationship between climate change and Santa Ana winds – which form in western deserts, then heat up and dry out as they flow down California’s mountains – remains unclear.

While most studies predict a decline in these winds as the climate warms, some suggest hot Santa Ana wind events and particularly strong years will persist.

This year’s fires followed two wet winters in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, which spurred the growth of grass and brush. However, almost no rain this winter left the vegetation dry and highly flammable.

Globally, extreme shifts between very wet and very dry conditions, known as “precipitation whiplash,” are becoming more common. These swings are driven by a warmer atmosphere that can hold and release greater amounts of moisture, exacerbating weather extremes.

(with AFP)

Dubbed “Sahelexit” by some commentators, the decision was first announced a year ago by the countries’ military leaders and is now taking legal effect.

The three nations are strengthening their cooperation through the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), announcing plans to create a joint military force of 5,000 troops to fight terrorism.

They will also introduce a shared passport system to allow free movement between their territories.

Foreign ministers from the three countries met in Ouagadougou on Sunday to finalise the terms of their withdrawal from Ecowas. They stressed a “comprehensive approach” to negotiations in line with the AES framework.

The ministers said they were determined to complete their exit swiftly while exploring practical solutions for future ties with neighbouring nations.

“We are ready to engage in dialogue with Ecowas to provide solutions to the concerns of the populations and their states,” said Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop.

He added that the three leaders remained “fully committed” to Pan-Africanism, advocating “friendship, fraternity and solidarity” within AES, across West Africa and the African diaspora.

Firm decision

For Komi Amewunou, sociologist, policy analyst and editor of Afrobarometer – a pan-African research network – the exit is not only final but logical for the three states

“It is legitimate for Sahel states to exit because they feel like Ecowas is not autonomous … like foreign powers are influencing its decisions,” he said.

“That’s what citizens are thinking … that it is not safe for them to keep a relationship with a regional organisation that is not completely autonomous.”

Amewunou said the security crisis in the Sahel, particularly in francophone West Africa, played a major role in the split, as did the influence of foreign powers like France.

He added that AES may now seek bilateral alliances with other Ecowas states, including Togo, where he is based.

“Togo is close to AES, but we can’t determine its position in terms of a potential Ecowas exit. Yet, Togo could be favourable to an exit and to enter AES in the near future,” Amewunou said.

“Togo has historically maintained a quieter and more pragmatic relationship with France – the key actor in the situation – but it has expressed sympathy for the AES, which could suggest a potential shift.”

Macron’s Africa ‘reset’ stumbles as leaders call out colonial overtones

Trading losses

The three military leaders cut ties with Ecowas after staging coups between 2020 and 2023. In response, Ecowas imposed tough economic sanctions, pushing the juntas to seek alternative trade routes.

But leaving the bloc comes with logistical and economic challenges. Before relations broke down, 80 percent of Niger’s freight passed through Benin’s port of Cotonou, the closest to the capital Niamey.

Togo was also an important point of access to the sea.

Despite Ecowas lifting its sanctions, Niger has refused to reopen its border with Benin, accusing it of harbouring jihadist groups trying to destabilise the country.

Fears for the future in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso over Ecowas withdrawal

In Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan’s port also saw a drop in road freight in the first half of 2024 for similar reasons.

Meanwhile, Togo and Guinea enjoy smoother relations with AES countries, making the ports of Lomé and Conakry key transit points.

The split is also a blow to Ecowas. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, the departure of these three founding members cuts the bloc’s population of 424 million by 16 percent and its GDP by 7 percent.

(with AFP)

It is estimated that over 1.1 million people are engaged in illegal mining across Ghana, with youth unemployment being a key driver. Foreign nationals from Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, and China are also involved in these activities.

The country’s cocoa industry is under severe threat as illegal mining devastates cocoa farms. As the world’s second-largest cocoa producer – responsible for around 20% of global supply – Ghana is losing vast tracts of farmland to mining operations.

Who were the winners and losers of African democracy in 2024?

Devastating impact 

The environmental destruction caused by illegal miners is immense, with major water bodies such as the Pra, Offin, Densu, and Ayensu rivers heavily polluted. These rivers serve as critical water sources for communities, but due to contamination, many water treatment plants have been forced to shut down, as the high turbidity damages machinery.

There are growing concerns over the long-term health effects of mercury used in mining, which could severely impact residents in affected communities.

According to Ghana’s Forestry Commission, an alarming 4,726 hectares of forest land have been destroyed due to illegal mining, affecting 34 of the country’s 288 forest reserves.

Yaw Owusu, a cocoa farmer from Mankraso in the Ashanti Region, shared his story with RFI:

“The illegal miners have destroyed my 20-acre cocoa farm. I was afraid to confront them because they were armed. I am not the only one – many farms in the area have been wiped out.”

Apart from environmental destruction, illegal mining has resulted in numerous fatalities. On 11 January 2025, two young men lost their lives when an illegal mining pit collapsed in Osino, Eastern Region. Violent clashes between illegal miners and security forces have also claimed lives.

John Mahama takes oath as Ghana’s president amid severe economic crisis

A recent confrontation at AngloGold Ashanti Mines in Obuasi, Ashanti Region, left nine illegal miners dead and many others injured.

Brigadier Emmanuel Aggrey-Quashie, Ghana Armed Forces’ Public Relations Director, outlined what happened.

“The miners, armed with locally made rifles, pump-action guns, knives, axes, gas cylinders, and other tools, opened fire on military personnel when confronted. In self-defence, the soldiers returned fire, resulting in the fatalities and leaving one illegal miner seriously injured. The remaining individuals fled the scene.”

Illegal mining in Obuasi has long posed serious safety risks and operational challenges. In response, the Ghana Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Halt II’ to curb illegal mining and protect mining concessions.

Government Efforts to Curb Illegal Mining

Over the years, Ghana has introduced several measures to combat illegal mining including:

• Formalisation of small-scale mining: The government has encouraged illegal miners to register and form cooperatives to enhance efficiency, reduce environmental damage, and minimise conflict.
• Community Mining Programme (2019): This initiative aims to legalise small-scale mining, improve working conditions, and create employment opportunities for local communities. However, progress has been slow.
• Operation Vanguard: A joint military-police task force regularly raids illegal mining sites to deter unauthorised activities.

Despite these efforts, illegal mining remains rampant, with little progress in eliminating the problem.

Africa is battling plastic pollution and waste crisis, activists say

Urgent Action

Michael Kwadwo Peprah, President of the National Concerned Small-Scale Miners Association of Ghana, condemned the violent incidents:

“We denounce the shooting of individuals who were simply trying to make a living. These actions are unacceptable. No one should lose their life in such circumstances, and we demand thorough investigations to ensure accountability and justice for the victims.”

Peprah proposed a new approach: “The government must ensure that mining concessions are fairly allocated to indigenous miners to promote inclusivity and local economic growth. There must be clear policies to regulate mining while creating legitimate opportunities for small-scale miners.”

The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey is urging President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive action.

Kenneth Ashigbey, the coalition’s convener, stressed the need for immediate intervention:

“The president must declare a state of emergency on all water bodies and deploy the military to remove illegal miners. All active and planned mining concessions overlapping with river buffers must be revoked, and mining should be prohibited within 100 metres of rivers and streams.”

Presidential Response

In response to the recent clashes, President John Dramani Mahama has ordered an immediate investigation into the violence at AngloGold Ashanti Mines.

In an official statement, he expressed regret over the loss of life and called for accountability:

“The government deeply regrets the tragic loss of up to nine lives, reportedly illegal miners, following a violent clash at a mining site in Obuasi. Those found to have acted unlawfully will be held accountable.”

Standing in front of the Mona Lisa, Macron said plans included a “special space” for Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece that would be “independently accessible compared to the rest of the museum”, with its own access pass”.

The Louvre museum would also have a “new grand entrance” to help ease congestion at its glass-and-metal pyramid entry point and be financed entirely using the institution’s “own resources”.

As part of the so-called “New Renaissance” project, France would, over the next few months, launch an “international architecture competition” and select winners by the end of the year to transform its buildings by 2031 at the latest, Macron said.

Macron’s announcement comes after Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned that the centuries-old building was in a dire state, and raised the alarm over water leaks, failing infrastructures and temperature swings which endanger the conservation of works of art.

Louvre plagued by leaks and crumbling infrastructure, museum boss warns

‘Higher fee’ for non-EU visitors

The Louvre management estimates the renovation work could cost between 700 and 800 millions euros over the course of ten years.

Macron said “a different, higher fee for foreign visitors from countries outside the European Union” starting next year would help cover the costs.

A government source said earlier that authorities were also considering ways to “mobilise resources elsewhere” and get private donors and major companies involved.

France relied on donations from billionaires and the public to restore Notre Dame cathedral, which was ravaged by fire in 2019 and reopened last month.

The museum was originally designed to receive 4 million annual visitors but now handles more than double that number, recording 8.7 million guests in 2024.

In the future, the renovated Louvre Museum aims to attract twelve million visitors per year, according to the French president.

(with agencies)

The proposed bill provides for the creation of a giant new company called France Médias, with a budget of €4 billion.

The so-called holding company would be made up of four subsidiaries: France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde (FMM) as well as the National Audiovisual Institute (INA).

It was due to be examined by lawmakers in December but was delayed after the fall of former prime minister Michel Barnier’s government.

Dati had openly pushed for the bill when she joined the culture ministry. last year and even called for a merger of public broadcasting companies.

The suggestion was met by angry strikes by journalists who slammed the project as “demagogic, ineffective and dangerous”. 

RFI staff carry on strike over merger of French public media

The project was then suspended for the first time by the dissolution of the National Assembly in June.

Dati, who gave her new year policy speech in Paris on Monday, said it was “essential to have a framework that allows better pooling of resources when it comes to managing investments that can be made jointly”.

The idea of ​​a joint holding company appears to be better accepted, both in the National Assembly and within the media concerned.

 Prime Minister François Bayrou, in his policy speech on 14 January, also insisted that changes needed to be made to the public media services.

“The reform of public broadcasting, for the common good of the French, must be completed,” he said.

Finding a balance

Faced with expected budget cuts in culture and audiovisual sectors, Dati is confident that her ministry will find “a balance…and make the efforts asked of us.”

However, in an open letter published on Monday, 15 performing arts organisations and unions accused Dati of “giving up” on them, and called a meeting to discuss their concerns.

House of Press Cartoons coming in 2027, says French culture chief Dati

They criticised the minister for having supported a government amendment that would see a total drop of €130 million for cultural projects and a further €80 million taken from the public broadcasting budget, as voted on by senators earlier in January.

A joint committee meeting to find a compromise on the 2025 draft budget is set for Thursday.

In a separate announcement, Dati also indicated that the government would provide a new legal framework based on the results of a long consultative audit on the media sector, carried out by professionals last year.

The group came up with fifteen proposals such as large-scale awareness of disinformation, reinforced protection of journalists’ sources, and further strengthening of the independence of the editorial staff.

(with AFP)

The biennial international event, which takes places in front of a live audience, was founded in 1987 by late French cooking legend Paul Bocuse.

Having witnessed Scandinavian countries dominate over the past decade, France’s team has become more professional and secured funding from public authorities and private donors, highlighting the significance of the title for national identity.

“It’s a childhood dream. It’s a source of pride to take France to the top again,” a visibly emotional Marcon, 29, told reporters on Monday evening after being hoisted onto the shoulders of his colleagues in his chef’s whites.

“Today I hope that we light up the eyes of all the cooks and cooks-to-come in France,” he added.

In total, 24 countries competed in the 2025 edition, with the Danish team, winners of the last edition, taking silver and Sweden the bronze medal.

Deer pie

Marcon and his team wowed the judging panel with a pie filled with deer braised in red wine, foie gras and wild mushrooms, accompanied by celery and followed by apple flavoured with French liqueur Chartreuse.

The quality of cooking on display at the Bocuse d’Or is seen by observers as increasing every year as countries invest in their delegations for national marketing purposes or to raise the profile of their gastronomic traditions.

France has won just one medal in the last decade – Davy Tissot having clinched gold in 2021 – with Scandinavian nations maintaining a grip on the top positions with their precise, minimalist and environmentally-conscious cooking.

Macron announces ‘centre of excellence’ dedicated to French cooking

Until Monday’s victory by Marcon, the United States – whose food the French have long looked down on – had won more medals than France over the last 10 years.

“France was navel-gazing,” Tissot told French news agency AFP recently, “while people around us were moving forward.”

Olivia Gregoire, then France’s trade and tourism minister, admitted last year that France had been “outstripped by the performance and influence of other countries.”

Injection of funds

Realising that the country had fallen behind, Team France head Romuald Fassenet began searching for new funds and resources when he took over in 2019 and he found an ally in President Emmanuel Macron, who became the first French leader to visit the Bocuse d’Or.

Around €600,000 were raised for this year’s French team led by Marcon from private donors and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region surrounding Lyon, which is headed by ambitious conservative politician Laurent Wauquiez.

Lyon: France’s gastronomy capital is dishy in more ways than one

A national centre for gastronomic excellence, called the Paul Bocuse Institute, was formally launched in January in Lyon to train chefs for international cooking competitions.

Macron has also created an “ambassador for French gastronomy”, naming former presidential chef Guillaume Gomez to the role last year.

(with AFP)

In a significant moment for post-Brexit relations, lawyers for the European Union have taken Britain to an arbitration tribunal over a ban on sandeel fishing in the North Sea.

The case marks the first legal dispute between the EU and the UK since Brexit and could influence the Labour government’s efforts to rebuild ties with the bloc.

The EU’s legal representative, Anthony Dawes, addressed a three-member panel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on Tuesday.

“We are here today because the UK’s prohibition of all sandeel fishing in its North Sea waters nullifies rights conferred on the European Union,” Dawes stated.

Ten EU states back France in fishing row with Britain

The hearing, set to last three days, will delve into whether Britain’s fishing ban violates the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) signed by both sides.

The arbitration panel, composed of legal experts from France, New Zealand, and South Africa, is expected to deliver a final ruling by late April.

While the financial stakes are modest – Britain estimates a worst-case revenue loss of upto €54 million for non-UK fishing vessels – the political implications loom larger.

The tribunal has two options: uphold the ban or determine it breaches the TCA.

If the latter, the EU could take retaliatory measures if the ban is not lifted, putting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government in a challenging spot.

France to seek EU legal action against UK over fishing rights

Opposition to concessions

Britain has defended its sandeel ban, citing scientific research that highlights the species’ critical role in marine ecosystems.

Sandeels serve as a vital food source for larger fish, marine mammals, and seabirds like puffins.

While UK fishing fleets don’t target sandeels, Danish vessels catch them primarily for animal feed and oil production.

The EU, however, argues that the ban is discriminatory, excessive, and unsupported by the best available science.

According to the bloc, it unfairly restricts EU fishing vessels’ access to UK waters guaranteed under the TCA.

As both sides make their case, the dispute underscores a delicate balance of post-Brexit relations.

As environmentalists and Brexiteers alike might oppose any concessions, the legal spat could make it harder for the UK to smooth relations with the EU.

Starmer is scheduled to meet EU leaders next Monday to discuss enhanced defence cooperation in response to Russia’s aggression, as well as NATO’s defence spending goals.

But beyond defence, Britain is also eyeing a veterinary agreement with the EU to streamline agricultural and food trade, signalling a desire for broader cooperation.

World leaders have joined the call for his release and many have signed a special petition to have him released which has now reached Washington.

The campaign has also created a  website dedicated to ensuring Mohamed Bazoum is not forgotten.

“His unjust detention is a call to action – for democracy, justice, and the principles he represents. Together, we stand with President Bazoum and demand his freedom,” the petition reads.

The American human rights lawyer and prosecutor Reed Brody is one of Mohamed Bazoum’s lawyers and spoke to him regularly until Bazoum’s phone was taken away, almost a year ago.

Since then, Bazoum and his wife have been cut off from the rest of the world, Brody told RFI.

“Since the coup in July 2023, they have been confined to his former palace. Only a doctor can visit him twice a week,” Brody said.

In recent weeks, his lawyers and campaigners advocating for his release have travelled across the globe to rally support, with backing from the United Nations, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary-General.

Concern grows for Niger’s president, detained by junta for over two weeks

The case is symbolic for Niger and its citizens. 

“It speaks about the lack of rule of law,” he said. “No charges have been brought against [former] president Bazoum and his wife. There is no legal basis for holding him. I think it’s a symbol because the military doesn’t want [him]… to talk to the world.”

Undemocratic rule

The coup that put the junta in power stormed the the palace and deposed Bazoum over 550 days ago.

“…for 550 days, unelected leaders have ruled over a once hopeful country, with no timetable for elections,” said Jeffrey Smith, the executive director of the public advocacy group Vanguard Africa, in Washington DC.

“They have seriously [and] violently trampled on basic freedoms,” Smith told RFI. “They’ve imprisoned hundreds of citizens, chief among them…the elected president of the country, Mohamed Bazoum, who in 2021 completed the first peaceful handover of power in Niger’s history.”

Since the 2023 coup, the military have reinforced their power in the country, and have not clarified when they intend to install representative democracy.

Niger is also about to leave the West African economic bloc Ecowas on 29 January, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, after forming their own Alliance of Sahel States.

Fears for the future in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso over Ecowas withdrawal

Security experts and members of the diaspora have voiced concern over what lies ahead.

Trump’s attention

The promoters of the petition hope that the new administration in the United States might help push for a final decision on Bazoum’s liberation.

“As with any incoming administration, there will be policy changes, sometimes significant and sweeping,” Smith told RFI. “It is important to maintain focus on building democratic resiliency and countering the threat of authoritarianism.”

According to Brody, the new Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has spoken about promoting democracy worldwide. As President Bazoum was a “friend of the United States,” this could make a difference.

“While respecting his country’s sovereignty, he was a strong advocate in the fight against terrorism. I hope that Donald Trump and Marco Rubio will look at this man and say, ‘This is the kind of man who shouldn’t be in jail. This is the kind of man who should be free’,” Brody added.

At a press conference in the capital Moroni on Monday, the deputy secretary general of the government, Mahamoud Salim Hafi, denied allegations that President Assoumani plans to transfer power directly to his own son, Nour El Fath, when his term ends in 2029.

“The head of state, at no time, has ever said that he was going to bequeath power to his son,” Hafi said, following up on a government press release that denounced an “erroneous and intentional interpretation by certain detractors”.

He was referring to a speech given by Assoumani on the island of Mohéli on 23 January, when the head of state spoke about his political future.

The leader was celebrating the CRC ruling party’s win in parliamentary elections the week before, which were heavily boycotted by the opposition.

He told his supporters that when the time comes for him to leave power, “I will place my son to replace me as head of the state and the party”.

Translation error ?

It seems that the confusion stemmed from a literal translation of the word ‘son’ that was relayed in various media outlets.

Hafi stressed that Assoumani was speaking in metaphorical terms of his future successor and that to report otherwise was “misinformation”.

“He [Assoumain] spoke of a son in terms of his three families: his political family, his government family and his nuclear family…In 2029, he will choose, within the framework of the party, a child of the party to run for the universal suffrage of the Comorian people,” Hafi went on.

The government spokesman explained that under a rotational leadership system shared by the three islands in the archipelago, the next leader must come from the island of Anjouan.

“In 2029, the turn falls to the island of Anjouan and Nour El Fath Azali is not from Anjouan. Not only is he not from Anjouan, but he has not lived the necessary ten years in Anjouan – as required by the Constitution,” Hafi added.

Broad powers given to Comoros leader’s son fuels fears of dynastic control

Despite the president’s denial, critics have raised concerns about the growing influence of Nour El Fath in Comoros’ political affairs. 

The 39-year-old was appointed by his father as coordinator of government affairs, granting him sweeping powers over the cabinet.

He also won 85 percent of the votes in his district of the Hambou region on Grande Comore Island in the legislative elections.

Electoral ‘farce’

Present at Monday’s press conference, Nour El Fath did not respond to any questions directly addressed to him, RFI’s correspondent reported.

Assoumani, who first seized power in a military coup in 1999, has maintained a firm grip on the nation’s politics.

His latest election win in 2024 was marred by accusations of vote manipulation.

He also brushed off claims of irregularities by the United Opposition coalition, which in a statement denounced the January legislative polls as “the worst electoral farce of our half-century of independence”.

A second round of voting will take place on 16 February, in which the United Opposition said it “would not participate”.

With original reporting by RFI Moroni correspondent Abdallah Mzembaba

Nearly 600 million Africans live without access to electricity – higher than any other continent.

A plan dubbed “Mission 300”, launched by the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) last April, is now racing to connect half of those homes to power by 2030.

The push aims to unlock at least $90 billion (€85 billion) in capital from multilateral development banks, development agencies, finance institutions, private businesses and philanthropies, according to the Rockefeller Foundation, which is part of the initiative.

“We want to expand and rehabilitate our electricity grids using the least cost possible,” said Kevin Kariuki, vice president for infrastructure at the AfDB during a two-day energy summit of African heads of state in Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

In Nigeria, an estimated 90 million people, 40 percent of the population, don’t have access to electricity. The country, along with Senegal, Zambia and Tanzania is one of a dozen that committed Monday to reform their electricity utility companies, push renewable energy integration and raise targets to improve access national electricity.

Multilateral development banks and commercial banks represented at the summit will use the country’s commitments to persuade their clients to invest in Africa’s energy sectors, said World Bank President Ajay Banga.

UAE pledges $4.5 billion investment in clean energy for Africa

Create new jobs

Providing 300 million people with access to electricity is a crucial building block for boosting Africa’s development by creating new jobs, Banga said.

The World Bank expects to spend $30-40 billion on the plan, Banga said, while the AfDB will provide $10-15 billion. The rest will come from private investors and other sources.

“The World Bank will pay countries as part of our support only when they make the (regulatory and policy) changes,” Banga said.

Private capital has in the past blamed unfriendly regulations, red tape and currency risks for making investments in Africa’s electricity sector hard.

Half of the targeted new connections will get electricity from existing national grids, the World Bank and the AfDB said, while the other half will be from renewable energy sources, including wind and solar mini-grids.

While Africa may have the most potential to generate solar power, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the continent has not yet installed enough capacity.

Zambia’s crippling drought creates chance for solar power to shine

(with Reuters)

Auschwitz survivor Marian Turski on Monday condemned a “huge rise” in anti-Semitism, calling for “courage” against Holocaust deniers and conspiracy theorists, on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp.

 “Today, and now, we see a huge rise in anti-Semitism and it is precisely anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust,” the 98-year-old told fellow survivors and world leaders at a ceremony by the gate of Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

Some 1.3 million people – most of them Jewish – were sent to Auschwitz during the four years it was in operation, but when Soviet troops liberated it on 27 January, 1945, there were only 7,000 people there.

The vast majority of those deported to the camp died at the camp – most sent to the gas chambers as soon as they arrived.

Located in occupied Poland, Auschwitz was part of a network of camps at the centre of Adolf Hitler’s “Final Solution” to annihilate European Jews.

International delegations

The liberation was commemorated by some 3,000 people, with 50 international delegations, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s King Charles III, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. 

There were questions over whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he travelled to Poland, given that he is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in November over alleged war crimes during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that any Israeli politician, including Netanyahu, could attend the ceremony without fear of arrest, despite the fact that Poland is a signatory to the ICC, although aides to Netanyahu have indicated that he would not be attending.

Despite the Soviet Union’s role in liberating the camp, Russia was not been invited to the ceremony, just as it was not invited to events marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France last year.

The politics of commemorating 80 years of D-Day

Focus on survivors

The director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum Piotr Cywiński has said he wanted the 80th anniversary to be free of contemporary politics, and that the ceremony should focus on survivors, as this may be one of the last commemorations that will include them.

Politicians were not invited to speak, instead the voices of some of the 50 survivors in attendance were heard. At the commemoration 10 years ago, 300 survivors participated.

Henriette Cohen, oldest French Holocaust survivor dies aged 101

Teresa Regula, 96, arrived at Auschwitz at the age of 16. The Gestapo took Regula and her mother from their home in Krakow and sent them to the Plaszow camp, where her mother was executed. Regula was then transported to Auschwitz and was tattooed with the inmate number 22011.

“They shaved us down to bare skin, and it was a scorching hot day, 4 August,” she told news agency Reuters from her home in Krakow. “That was the first authentic pain I felt.”

She contracted chickenpox, measles and scarlet fever in the camp. For decades after the liberation, she kept her memories repressed. “Now everything comes back to me,” she said.

Educating younger generations

Janina Iwanska, 94, a Polish Catholic woman was sent to Auschwitz in 1944. She was transported from Warsaw in a freight train and recalled stepping out of it to the smell of burning bodies. In the camp, she cared for children in the block she lived in.

“The children were treated differently; they didn’t have to work. They only had to wait patiently – either for their mothers or for the war to end,” she told Reuters.

Iwanska did not witness the liberation of Auschwitz because she was evacuated by the Germans days prior to it, to the Ravensbrück concentration camp in northern Germany, which was liberated on 2 May, 1945.

How Allied photos revealed true horrors of the Nazi death camps

For decades, survivors have kept the memory of the atrocities committed by the Nazis alive, by telling and retelling their stories, with the hope of educating younger generations to not repeat the same mistakes.

But Iwanska is not optimistic about this, citing the “hatred” and divisions in modern society. “I won’t live much longer. But when I look at the youth and the little ones… what will their future be? I see it as bleak.”

(with Reuters, AFP)

The government’s budget for 2025, if passed, will see public spending slashed by €32 billion. While most ministries are impacted, funding for public development assistance (PDA) is facing cuts of more than €2 billion – 35 percent of its budget. Coordination Sud, an umbrella group for 180 French non-profit organisations working internationally, say they’re being disproportionately hit at a time when international solidarity efforts are needed more than ever. Elodie Barralon, the group’s advocacy officer, talks about the impact of such cuts and concerns that civil society is being rolled back in France. (Listen @0′)

As a three-year experiment with medical marijuana comes to an end, instead of generalising its use, as intended, authorisation has been stalled. Nadine Attal, head of the pain centre at the Ambroise-Paré hospital in Boulogne near Paris addresses the sticking points, which include France’s current government chaos and the lack of political will to move forward. She sounds the alarm over the hundreds of patients enrolled in the experiment who have benefited from medical cannabis but whose health is now being ignored. (Listen @20’20”).

French humourist Pierre Dac came to fame in the 1930s with a winning brand of absurdist humour that managed to get everyone laughing while ridiculing no one. When WWII broke out he turned his talents to fighting anti-semitism, Hitler, and the collaborationist Vichy regime, joining Free France’s Radio Londres in 1943. He also founded a political party that defended the place of laughter and flabbiness in politics.  Fifty years after his death, on 9 February 1975, he remains one of France’s most popular, and humanist of humourists. (Listen @14’20”)

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).

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 14 December, I asked you a question about Syria and the end of Bashir al-Assad’s dictatorship. Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, seized Damascus on 8 December; Assad fled to Russia, ending his family’s six-decade- rule.

You were to re-read our article “France’s support for Syrian transition hinges on respect for minority rights” and send in the answer to this question:  France’s outgoing Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was quoted in the article. He noted that “Assad’s fall is a ‘clear defeat for Moscow’”. Why? Why does Jean-Noel Barrot think that Assad’s fall is a “clear defeat for Moscow”?

The answer is, to quote our article: “… Russia now could lose access to military bases in Syria which allowed it to conduct operations in the Magreb and elsewhere on the African continent.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Debashis Gope from West Bengal, India: “How can we have peace amongst all people?”  

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

The winners are: RFI English listener Dia Zanib from Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Dia is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Dia!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week is Omar Faruk, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Alok Bain, a member of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh, India. There’s RFI Listeners Club member Abdul Mannan Teacher from Sirajganj, Bangladesh, and last but not least, RFI English listener Nargis Akter from Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Vivace” from the Piano Concerto No. 11 in D major for fortepiano and orchestra by Franz Joseph Haydn, performed by Ronald Brautigam and the Concerto Copenhagen; the first movement from the Suite for Oud Quartet by Mohammad Osman, performed by the Syrian Oud Quartet; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Kudzi Malaissane” by José Pires and Roberto Isaias, performed by Kapa Dêch.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “French NGOs to quit social media platform X following Trump inauguration”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 17 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 22 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

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.   

How will 2025 shape up for African nations and their global partnerships? Will Africa secure a more central role in the global diplomatic landscape?

To understand what’s at stake on the continent, the Spotlight on Africa podcast consulted three experts in African politics and diplomacy.

Cameron Hudson from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CISC) in Washington DC discusses priorities for South Africa as it takes on the rotating presidency of the G20 group, and in particular its relationship to the United States. 

Michael Dillon from King’s College, London, UK, looks at China’s new strategy that aims to deepen its influence in Africa.

Thierry Vircoulon from IFRI in France analyses the legacy of France in Africa, notably in the Sahel where French troops have been pushed out by military juntas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

These countries have since established their own Alliance of Sahel States and made the decision to withdraw from the West African bloc Ecowas. Set to take effect on 29 January, security experts and members of the diaspora have voiced concern over what lies ahead.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale’s English language service.

Erdogan was quick to congratulate Trump on his election victory, making clear his desire to work with him again.

“Donald Trump is a man who acts with his instincts, and Erdogan is too,” explains Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations with Ankara’s Middle East Technical University. 

“They are not intellectuals as we used to have, big political leaders after World War II. They are tradespeople. They are very pragmatic ones, and they are political animals. In this sense, they like transactional policies, not value-based policies.”

Syria a key focus

Erdogan’s top priority is expected to be securing the withdrawal of US forces from Syria, where they support the Kurdish militia YPG in the fight against the Islamic State.

Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in Turkey for decades.

During his first presidency, Trump promised to pull US forces out of Syria, though this move faced strong resistance from American officials.

Sezin Oney, a commentator with Turkey’s independent Politikyol news portal, said new challenges in Syria make an early withdrawal unlikely.

“Not to have the ISIS resurgence again or this HTS presenting a threat to the United States, the Trump administration would be interested in protecting the YPG and the Kurds, their alliance with the Kurds,” said Oney.

“We already have the (US) vice president, JD Vance, pointing out the ISIS resurgence.”

Turkey steps up military action against Kurds in Syria as power shifts

Israel and Iran

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel could ease another potential point of tension between Erdogan and Trump, as Erdogan has been a strong supporter of Hamas.

Meanwhile, both Ankara and Washington share concerns over Iran’s regional influence, which could encourage cooperation between the two leaders.

“Trump administration is coming in with a desire to stabilise relations with Turkey,” said Asli Aydintasbas, an analyst with the Brookings Institution.

“We are likely to see more and more of a personal rapport, personal relationship, which had been missing during the Biden administration,” she added. “President Erdogan and President Trump will get along famously. But it does not mean Turkey gets all of its policy options.”

Success of rebel groups in Syria advances Turkish agenda

Fighter jets and Ukraine

Erdogan is also hoping the Trump administration will lift a Congressional embargo on advanced fighter jet sales. Experts suggest Turkey could play a key role in any Trump-led efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, given Erdogan’s ties with both Russia and Ukraine.

“If Trump is pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine between Russia and Ukraine, in this case Turkey could be very helpful as a potential mediator,” said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, head of the German Marshall Fund’s Ankara office.

But Unluhisarcikli warned of potential challenges.

“What happens in Syria could be a test for the US-Turkey relationship very early on. Turkey is actually preparing for a new intervention in northeast Syria against what Turkey sees as a terrorist organisation, and what the United States sees as a partner on the ground.”

Economic risks

Trump’s previous presidency saw tensions with Erdogan peak after Trump threatened to destroy Turkey’s economy over its plans to attack US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. This move triggered a sharp drop in the Turkish lira.

With Turkey’s economy now weaker than before, analysts say Erdogan will need to proceed cautiously in his dealings with the new Trump administration.

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 7 December, I asked you a question about the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which had just begun to hear evidence from 98 countries and 12 organizations about climate change, and how to establish rules for rich nations to support poorer ones, who are on the frontlines of climate change.

It’s a landmark case: brought by students in 2019 from the University of Vanuatu – the Pacific Island nation heavily impacted by climate change – led to a UN General Assembly resolution in 2023, asking the ICJ for a formal opinion on the legal obligations of states to protect the climate system. The court will also consider whether large polluting nations can be held liable for damages to vulnerable countries like small island states.

You were to re-read Paul Myer’s article “Small island nations lead fight for climate justice at UN’s top court”, and send in the answer to this question: In addition to the small island states and developing countries, who else will the ICJ hear from?

The answer is, to quote Paul’s article: “The court will also hear from the United States and China – the world’s top two emitters of greenhouse gases. The oil producer group OPEC will also give its views.

The 15 judges at the ICJ will hear submissions until 13 December and deliver their decision next year.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Liton Ahamed Mia from Naogaon, Bangladesh: What do you remember about your first boat journey, and how did you feel when you were back on land?

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

The winners are: Fatematuj Zahra, the co-secretary of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Fatematuj is also this week’s bonus question winner

Congratulations on your double win, Fatematju!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week is A. K. M. Nuruzzaman, the president of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and two RFI Listeners Club members from India: Babby Noor al Haya Hussen from Baripada, and Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State.

Rounding out the list of this week’s winners is RFI English listener Liton Islam Khondaker from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Hungarian Folk Dances by Bela Bartok, performed by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; “Dance With Pennons” from Three Japanese Dances by Bernard Rogers, performed by the Eastman Wind Ensemble conducted by Frederick Fennell; “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 “The Intrepid Fox” by Freddie Hubbard, performed by Hubbard and the Freddie Hubbard Quintet.

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

This week’s question … you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “’Exhausted’ Frenchman held in Iran since 2022 reveals identity in plea for help”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 10 February to enter this week’s quiz; the winners will be announced on the 15 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

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.   

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 an 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).

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.