Thursday, April 23, 2026

D.E.I.

'A rebel who liked order': Valérie André, France's first female general

Fifty years ago this month, the French army got its first female general: Valérie André, a surgeon, parachutist and helicopter pilot who blazed a trail for women in the highest ranks of the military.

Issued on: 19/04/2026 - RFI

French doctor and pilot Valérie André receiving a medal from the US Secretary of State for Air, Harold Talbot in Paris on 26 October 1953. She was one of the first women in the world to fly a helicopter in combat zones. © AFP - STF

By: Jessica Phelan

Long before she was France’s highest-ranking female officer, Valérie André was a girl who wanted to fly.

“I decided when I was three years old that I would be a pilot,” she told RFI in 2010, then aged 88.

“I used to cut out articles from newspapers and aviation magazines. I collected it all. They were my idols, the aviators of days gone by.”

Pioneers including Elisa Laroche, the first woman to get a pilot’s licence in 1910, and Adrienne Bolland, the first woman to fly over the Andes, in 1921, had shown André that women had a place in the sky.

But they didn’t yet have a place in the armed forces. A handful of women would be recruited as auxiliary pilots during the Second World War, but France disbanded their unit once the conflict was over.

But in the wars that came afterwards, André would become one of the first pilots, man or woman, to fly a new type of aircraft on a new type of mission.

Witness to war

Born in Strasbourg on 21 April, 1922, André came from a family where girls and boys alike were encouraged to pursue their passions.

Alongside aviation, hers was science. As a teenager she saved up to pay for flying lessons, then enrolled to study medicine – but both were interrupted when the Nazis invaded France.

Her native region of Alsace was annexed and André fled, resuming her studies in Paris. In August 1944, she watched the city's liberation.

By the time she qualified as a doctor in 1948, France was at war again. Communist independence fighters were battling France for control of what was then the colony of Indochina – today Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

The French army was relying on volunteers, and it badly needed medics. While women were barred from combat, they were accepted into the medical corps. André signed up.

From Strasbourg to Saigon

Shipped out to a military hospital in Saigon, André was confronted by what she would later call “the daily horror” of war.

Injured soldiers streamed in. Given the number of severe head wounds, she developed a specialism in brain surgery, sometimes operating on as many as 100 people a month.

French forces were scattered across Indochina, many in remote outposts, and not all the wounded could make it to hospital. The army’s solution was to airdrop doctors.

André was the perfect candidate. Writing her university thesis on injuries suffered by parachutists, she had taken up parachuting as a hobby.

She got to work jumping over distant parts of Laos, setting up tents in which to treat patients – French soldiers, locals and sometimes even the Viet Minh that France was fighting.

Soon, technology replaced her parachute. “I saw the helicopters arrive,” André told RFI. “It was love at first sight.”

The flying doctor

The helicopters in question were lightweight and “very primitive”, according to aviation historian Charles Morgan Evans, author of a biography of André.

“This helicopter afforded absolutely no protection. It was entirely made out of aluminium and very underpowered,” he told RFI. “It was just a very difficult helicopter to work with.”

Developed by the American company Hiller, they were fitted with a stretcher on either side on which to carry wounded soldiers.

It was the first time the French army had used them, and André lobbied her superiors for the chance to fly one. Not only did she have the medical training, she pointed out, but she weighed less than most men.

“Since these helicopters had such terrible payload capacity performance in tropical environments, she said it would be possible not just to take two wounded soldiers back to a hospital, but possibly three,” said Evans. “One in the cockpit and two in the litters on the side of the helicopter.”

The head of the medical corps agreed and André returned to France to get her pilot’s licence. Redeployed to Vietnam, she began flying rescue missions.

These involved heading into the heart of areas where fighting was taking place, often escorted by fighter planes firing machine guns or dropping napalm to drive back the Viet Minh. They would have just minutes to land, load up the wounded and take off before the enemy regrouped, then fly long distances to a hospital.

Pilots were exposed to enemy fire, as well as mechanical failures. It was, Evans said, “incredibly, incredibly dangerous”.

“It was mainly afterwards it sank in,” André told RFI decades later. “In the moment, you had to get on with it.”

Under her call sign “Ventilateur”, between 1951 and 1953 she flew 128 missions and rescued 168 soldiers.

'A woman like any other'

After two tours, André returned to France. Soon the country was at war again, this time in Algeria. She flew another 350 missions there from 1959 to 1962, both evacuating soldiers and transporting troops.

After that she came back to France for good, serving as a medical officer on military bases. She was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, colonel and then, on 21 April, 1976 – her 54th birthday – brigadier general.

It was big news. A TV interviewer asked her husband – a fellow army rescue pilot – about her cooking, while André, her eyes hidden behind aviator sunglasses, told the reporter she was “a woman like any other”.

In fact, the French armed forces were structured to allow only exceptional women in. Quotas limited the percentage of female recruits each year that could go into the various branches, which meant only those with the very highest qualifications were picked.

In some cases, according to Evans, André saw men admitted to the medical corps with lower entrance exam scores than female applicants.

She lobbied to revise those quotas, and headed a commission that recommended allowing women into certain officer positions that were previously barred to them.

Today, the medical corps is the only branch of France’s armed forces where women outnumber men. Overall, they make up around 17 percent.

A quiet pioneer

Since André retired in 1981 as a three-star general, the French forces have dropped their quotas and opened all posts to women. It currently has 65 serving female generals, including its first with the highest possible five stars.

Defence officials say they expect that number to rise in the next five years, as women admitted to France’s top military academies in the 1990s – when they stopped capping the numbers of female students – climb the ranks.

André died in January 2025 at the age of 102, with a dozen medals to her name. She avoided calling out sexism in the military publicly, telling RFI: "As long as you do what’s expected of you, you set an example. It’s not a problem.”

Her autobiography contains a clue as to how she saw herself. “In my own way, I’ve always been a rebel, bucking against injustice and outdated traditions,” she wrote.

“But I’m a rebel who loves order… and taking risks.”

Why China’s decades-long ambition to green the desert could run dry

At the edge of China's Taklamakan Desert, rows of trees are slowly edging into one of the world’s harshest landscapes after decades of planting. Scientists say this shows how human action can transform extreme environments – but warn of the cost to water resources, and that such schemes might not be easy to repeat elsewhere.

Issued on: 19/04/2026 - RFI

Aerial view of the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Bayingolin, Xinjiang, on 27 August 2025, where large-scale tree planting is reshaping the landscape. © CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty

The Taklamakan, in the vast Xinjiang region, is one of the driest deserts on Earth. Surrounded by mountains that block humid air, it has long been hostile to plant life.

China launched its Great Green Wall project in 1978 to slow the spread of deserts in the north of the country. The programme, which stretches across roughly 4 million square kilometres, is due to run until around 2050.

Authorities said in 2024 they had completed a green belt around the desert, planting 66 billion trees along roughly 3,000 kilometres.

A study published in January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found this is already having an impact, with the region becoming greener, rainfall increasing and carbon absorption improving.

Chain reaction

Using satellite images and field data, researchers described a clear pattern: more trees brought more rain, more rain fed more vegetation and more vegetation pulled more carbon dioxide from the air.

During the wet season from July to September, rainfall rose by up to 16.3 millimetres per month. While that would be a low rainfall in most places, in a desert such as the Taklamakan it's a notable increase.

China’s forest cover has grown from 10 to 25 percent of its territory over recent decades. During the wet season, carbon dioxide levels in the regional atmosphere fall by around three parts per million compared with the dry season.

“We observed three very clear trends,” explained Yang Jiani of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which uses satellite data to study the Earth’s climate.

"First, vegetation cover has increased significantly over the past 20 years. Second, the intensity of photosynthesis has continued to grow. And third, the ecosystem’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide is also increasing.”

Each hectare in the planted zones absorbs around 1.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, Yang told RFI. Across the entire desert, that would add up to 58 million tonnes annually.

The findings show that human action can strengthen carbon storage even in extreme dry landscapes, co-author Yuk Yung told the news website Live Science.

Water pressure

While the results suggest the project is having a real impact on the desert environment, they do not answer a key question – what it means for water resources in such a dry region.

That concern has been raised by critics for several years. Mass tree planting could come at the expense of water resources for future generations, Jiang Gaoming of the Chinese Academy of Sciences warned. Grasses, which need less water, would be more effective in fighting desertification, he argued.

Other researchers have raised broader concerns about how such projects reshape fragile ecosystems. Planting trees in very dry regions could have unintended effects, French hydrologist Emma Haziza told RFI.

“Once you start modifying an extremely arid environment and planting on a massive scale, a huge number of factors will determine whether it is a good or a bad idea,” she said.

Planting trees in very dry regions can shift water out of the ground and into the air, Haziza explained, adding that moisture can later fall as rain somewhere else – sometimes far away – but the area where the trees are planted may lose water.

“We are dealing with a complex system that requires many variables to be taken into account,” she said.

A separate study published in October in the journal Earth’s Future, by Chinese and European researchers, found that changes in land cover between 2001 and 2020 shifted rainfall towards the Tibetan Plateau, while reducing it in eastern China and especially in the north-west.

The study did not directly assess groundwater or quantify the specific impacts on the regional water cycle. “This article does not allow us to confirm that there is a risk of overexploiting future water resources,” Yang said.

Long-term viability

The long-term stability of the desert’s carbon storage also remains uncertain.

“A green belt this vast, stretching thousands of kilometres, will certainly change the carbon sink, but for how long?” Haziza asked.

Carbon storage depends on the water cycle and soil moisture, she explained. “As long as the soil is fully moist, it can act as a carbon sink. Once it dries out, that function disappears.”

Other researchers say the picture is more complex. Changes to air circulation and the water cycle could produce unexpected results, Li Zhaoxin, a senior researcher at France’s national scientific research centre CNRS, told RFI.

The field is still new and sometimes produces inconsistent or even contradictory findings, with outcomes often depending on local conditions. This desert greening effort also has clear limits.

“The case of the Taklamakan Desert is relatively rare on a global scale,” Yang said, because it reflects decades of continuous investment by a single country and relies on locally adapted species backed by scientific monitoring.

The project also integrates engineering with ecology and is not a model that can be easily reproduced, she said. Rather than a universal solution, it is a demonstration that it can be done, and each country must adapt to its own specific situation.

An African echo

The Chinese model has travelled beyond the country’s borders, though not without challenges. Africa’s Great Green Wall, launched by the African Union in 2005, aims to stretch from Dakar to Djibouti, over 7,800 kilometres in a corridor 15 kilometres wide.

The project has had mixed results and has been slowed by political and financial difficulties.

Despite this, China continues to promote its experience in the Taklamakan as an example for African countries.

For Yang, the lesson is that such projects can work, but only under certain conditions.

“Our research mainly shows that with scientific management and long-term investment, even the most remote and arid desert areas can become functioning carbon sinks,” she said. “But a balance will have to be found between carbon gains and water security.”

This article was adapted from an article in French, using original reporting by Yang Mei for RFI's Chinese-language service.

Window to tackle Europe’s global heating deaths closing, experts warn

Heat killed 62,000 people across Europe in 2024, and deaths related to extreme temperatures rose in nearly every part of the continent over the past decade, a new report has found.

Issued on: 22/04/2026 - RFI

The arrival of the Asian tiger mosquito in France over the past decade has led to the spread of associated diseases, such as chikungunya. © Getty Images - Pawich Sattalerd

The window for meaningful action to tackle the intensifying impact of global heating on human health is "narrowing", according to the latest Lancet Countdown Europe report, published on Wednesday.

Compiled by 65 researchers from 46 academic and United Nations institutions, the annual report tracks how climate change affects human health.

It found that 820 of the 823 regions monitored recorded a rise in heat-attributable deaths between 2015 and 2024, compared with the period 1991 to 2000, with an average increase of 52 deaths per million inhabitants per year.

Over the same period, daily extreme heat warnings rose by 318 percent.

“Across Europe, the health impacts of climate change are intensifying faster than our response is keeping up,” said eco-epidemiologist Joacim Rocklöv, co-director of Lancet Countdown Europe.

Nearly all European regions monitored experienced an increase in deaths. The most severely affected were the Balkans, Italy, Spain and Mediterranean France.

Health impacts include heatstroke, sleep disruption, worsening of chronic diseases and adverse birth outcomes, with infants and the elderly the most vulnerable groups.

Climate change is also compounding food insecurity across Europe as a result of rising temperatures and ensuing drought. More than 1 million additional people across Europe experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023 compared to the 1981-2010 baseline, researchers found.

Mosquito-borne diseases

The report also documents how climate change is speeding up the spread of infectious diseases, as higher temperatures encourage mosquito habitats.

The overall risk of dengue outbreaks in Europe has almost quadrupled over the past decade, rising by 297 percent since the 1980-2010 baseline, the authors noted.

Cases of the West Nile, Chikungunya and Zika viruses are also increasing across the region.

France is identified as the European country most affected by new transmission clusters of diseases carried by the tiger mosquito.

Meanwhile, the pollen season has lengthened by one to two weeks since the 1990s, with concentrations of birch and olive pollen rising by 15 to 20 percent in northern France.

“Rising heat, worsening household air pollution, exposure to infectious diseases and growing threats to food security are placing millions of people at risk today – not in a distant future,” said Rocklöv.

“The choices we make now will decide whether these health impacts worsen quickly or whether we begin moving towards a safer, fairer and more resilient Europe."

However, the report warns that political and public responses are failing to match the scale of the crisis. Of 4,477 speeches delivered in the European Parliament in 2024, only 21 addressed the link between climate change and health.

Fossil fuels

The report does highlight some progress – such as the rapid growth of renewable energy and a reduced dependence on fossil fuels, which has helped improve air quality.

“We are also seeing a decline in air pollution primarily coming from the energy sector, and the link between mortality and air pollution related to energy and transport continues to decrease overall, resulting in significant health benefits,” Rocklöv noted.

Nonetheless, the authors say governments remain "locked in a dependence on fossil fuels" that is worsening health risks and economic vulnerability.

In a context marked by the global energy shock caused by the war in Iran, the authors said: “As long as Europe remains reliant on fossil fuels, its economies, public budgets, and health will continue to be vulnerable.”

"The window for action is narrowing," said Cathryn Tonne, co-director of the report and a professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health. "But Europe has an opportunity to reinforce its decarbonisation leadership and pursue rapid, coordinated and health-centred climate action."

EV sales spike nearly 50% in the EU in March amid Iran war energy fears

By Quirino Mealha

Published on 23/04/2026 - EURONEWS

EV growth in the EU is accelerating as Iran war disruption to the Strait of Hormuz tightens global oil and gas supplies, driving fuel price volatility.

In a landmark month for the European automotive industry, new battery-electric vehicle (BEV) registrations across the EU rose 48.9% in March compared to the same period last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

The growth comes at a moment when Europe is facing an extended period of high petrol prices due to the Iran war and the disruption of global energy supplies.

Battery electric cars reached more than 20% share of the total EU market in March and a 19.4% share for the first quarter. This compares with 15.2% in the first quarter of 2025.

The ACEA's report explained that the shift was significantly bolstered by new and revised tax benefits and other incentive schemes introduced across major European countries.

While electric cars are gaining ground rapidly, hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) still hold the largest individual share of the market at 38.6%, and registrations surpassed 1 million units in the first quarter.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) also grew, rising to a 9.5% share from 7.6% a year earlier.

In contrast to the EV figures, internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) continue to lose ground.

Petrol car registrations decreased further across the EU in the first quarter, dropping significantly from last years' 28.7%, and diesel followed a similar path, with its share shrinking to just 7.7%.

ACEA said overall car sales grew by 4% in the first quarter compared with the same period in 2025, largely driven by new and revised tax incentives and support schemes introduced across major European countries.

ACEA also noted that, despite strong BEV growth, demand for hybrid vehicles remains robust.

This supports a “technology-neutral” approach to decarbonisation, allowing for a gradual transition that reflects differing consumer needs and uneven charging infrastructure across Europe.

Western Europe’s 'Big Four'

The performance of the continent's major economies, often referred to as the "Big Four," played a key role in these results. Italy, France, Germany, and the UK showed varied but broadly strong trends toward electrification.

In the EU, Italy recorded the fastest growth, with a 65.7% increase in BEV registrations during the first quarter.

France followed with a robust 50.4% increase, while Germany recorded a 41.3% rise in the same category.

The UK mirrored this trend with significant volumes, registering over 86,000 new BEVs in March alone, a 24.2% increase compared to the same month in 2025.

However, the transition is not without its casualties.

Petrol and diesel car sales plummeted across these key markets. France saw the most dramatic contraction, with registrations falling by 40.3%.

Italy, Germany and the UK also reported double-digit declines in this category, reflecting a broader shift in consumer sentiment and policy.

Geopolitical pressures accelerate the shift

The transition toward electrification is also unfolding against a volatile and costly geopolitical backdrop.

The Iran war and the consequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have created sustained pressure on global energy markets, leading to high and unpredictable prices for traditional fuels.

These external factors are effectively penalising owners of petrol and diesel cars, making the lower running costs of EVs increasingly attractive to European motorists.

If the conflict prolongs, it is expected that the trend of new buyers increasingly favouring EVs will continue, as it alienates consumers from the increased costs.

Iran war effects on Europe: Is a recession already unfolding?

By Piero Cingari

Published on 23/04/2026 - EURONEWS

The eurozone’s private sector slipped back into contraction in April, marking its weakest performance in nearly a year and a half since November 2024, as the war in Iran hit services and fuelled inflation.

The war in the Middle East, involving Iran, has now done what no trade dispute, tariff threat or industrial malaise of the past two years managed to achieve

According to a flash Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) surveys released Thursday by S&P Global, business activity across the euro area fell sharply in April.

The services sector, the engine of the bloc's 2025 recovery, posted its weakest reading since the pandemic lockdowns of early 2021.

Input costs surged to a more than three-year high. Business confidence dropped to its lowest since late 2022.

Weakest level in over a year

The flash Eurozone Composite PMI fell to 48.6 in April from 50.7 in March, well below the 50 line that separates growth from contraction. This is the weakest level in around a year and a half.

The services PMI dropped to 47.4 from 50.2, which is effectively the weakest reading since the pandemic lockdowns of early 2021.

"The eurozone is facing deepening economic woes from the war in the Middle East. The conflict has pushed the economy into decline in April, while driving inflation sharply higher," Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said.

Manufacturing, paradoxically, went the other way.

The factory PMI climbed to 52.2 from 51.6, a nearly four-year high, while the manufacturing output index rose to an eight-month high.

But the gain is misleading. Companies across the bloc are ordering inputs ahead of expected shortages and further price increases, lifting headline output figures in a way that reflects defensive stockpiling rather than recovering demand.

Suppliers' delivery times in the eurozone manufacturing sector lengthened to the greatest extent since July 2022, a direct consequence of the supply-chain disruption tied to the Middle East war.

"April's flash PMI has moved into contraction territory for the first time since late 2024, signalling a 0.1% quarterly rate of GDP decline after a 0.2% gain had been signalled for the first quarter," Williamson added.

The cost side of the survey is where the stagflation signal becomes unmistakable.

Input costs rose at their fastest pace since late 2022, while output prices hit a peak not seen in just over three years.

Every major economy recorded a downside surprise at the composite level.

Germany saw its first contraction in activity in almost a year, while France’s slowdown deepened to its weakest level in over a year.

"The recovery in the German economy has been stopped in its tracks by the war in the Middle East," said Phil Smith, economics associate director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

In German manufacturing, input price inflation hit a 3.5-year high. In France, it touched a three-year high.

"The [French] service economy has deteriorated due to a diminishing willingness to spend — a typical consequence of uncertainty — pulling overall business activity levels lower," said Joe Hayes, principal economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

IMF slashes every major European forecast

The euro area took the biggest growth downgrade among major advanced economies from the International Monetary Fund's April 2026 World Economic Outlook.

IMF staff now expect euro area growth to decline from 1.4% in 2025 to 1.1% in 2026 and 1.2% in 2027.

Both 2026 and 2027 forecasts were revised down by 0.2 percentage points versus the January 2026 Update.

Germany absorbed the largest hit, with its 2026 and 2027 growth forecasts both cut by 0.3 percentage points.

Italy stayed stuck at 0.5% annual growth across both years, already the weakest baseline in the eurozone.

Spain decelerated from 2.8% in 2025 to 1.8% in 2027. France held flat at 0.9% on the annual measure but loses 0.3 points on the Q4-over-Q4 profile that captures end-of-year momentum.

The IMF attributed the revision to the effect of better-than-expected growth at the end of 2025, giving way to the negative impact of the Middle East conflict over time.

That, it noted, will add to the lingering effects of the persistent rise in energy prices since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, dragging on manufacturing, with additional pressure from the real appreciation of the euro relative to currencies of countries exporting similar products.

The ECB's stagflation dilemma returns

Data from April placed the European Central Bank in the same uncomfortable position it faced a month ago, only sharper.

The standard monetary policy toolkit offers no clean answers.

"The ECB once again has the unenviable task of deciding whether to raise interest rates in the face of the worrying inflation picture, or whether this price spike will prove temporary and its focus should instead be on the need to prevent the economy sliding into a deeper downturn," Chris Williamson said.

Prediction markets currently price the probability of an ECB rate hike in 2026 at around 72%, up sharply from low double digits before the Strait of Hormuz closure.

Goldman Sachs: This shock is not 2022

Goldman Sachs economist Niklas Garnadt argued this week that the current Hormuz shock differs from the 2022/23 European energy crisis along three dimensions.

First, the price move is smaller and less persistent. Goldman now sees Brent averaging $83 per barrel in 2026 versus $64 before the conflict, and European TTF gas at €44 per megawatt hour against €34 — a 20% to 30% annual increase.

By contrast, Brent averaged $99 in 2022 (up 40%), and TTF hit €133 (up 180%).

Second, this crisis is oil-driven, not gas-driven. Oil markets are global, so the damage is less concentrated in energy-intensive industries like chemicals and basic metals but more diffused across export-oriented sectors like autos, machinery and electrical equipment.

Third, Asia is not insulated this time. Chinese petrochemical prices have risen alongside European ones, Goldman's tracking shows. In 2022, European energy prices roughly doubled while Chinese prices barely moved — triggering a collapse in European net exports. That competitiveness gap is smaller now.

According to the bank, the current shock lowers euro area industrial production by almost 2% by the end of 2027, roughly half the 4% drag from 2022/23.

Brussels has an unused €80 billion lever

If the ECB is constrained, Brussels has an unused tool.

Goldman Sachs economist Filippo Taddei estimated that roughly €80 billion of the European Recovery Fund is unlikely to be disbursed before the programme's end-of-year deadline.

That envelope could be redirected. There is a precedent: in 2022, the EU created REPowerEU by amending the Recovery Fund regulation, a change passed by qualified majority.

Taddei argues the same mechanism could now fund grid modernisation — repurposing the money, he writes, would "improve the European power grid, which remains the oldest among major economic regions."

Bottom line: Is a recession forming in plain sight for Europe?

The April PMI data do not yet describe an outright recession.

A 0.1% quarterly contraction is a stumble, not a collapse, and the IMF is still forecasting 1.1% growth for 2026.

But the direction of travel, the speed of the deterioration and the inflation backdrop combine into a picture European policymakers thought they had moved beyond.

What has changed since March is that the survey data no longer describe a risk scenario. They describe the current one.

Trump envoy calls on FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup

By Gavin Blackburn

Published on 23/04/2026 - EURONEWS

Italy missed out on the World Cup for the third successive time after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final.

A US envoy has asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup this summer, despite Italy's failure to qualify.

US special envoy Paolo Zampolli said he made the request as it would be a "dream" to see four-time World Cup winners Italy at the final tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada.

"I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA President Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup," Zampolli told the FT.

"I'm an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion," he added.

Italy missed out on the World Cup for the third successive time after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final.

Iran's participation in the World Cup has been thrown into doubt by the war that broke out on 28 February.

FIFA declined to comment on Zampolli's request, referring instead to Infantino's statement that the Iranian team will be participating "for sure".

"We hope that by then the situation will be ... peaceful. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come if they are to represent their people," Infantino said last week.

"They have qualified, and they're actually quite a good team as well. They really want to play, and they should play. Sports should be outside of politics."

While attending Iran's friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey last month, Infantino stated that Iran will be at the World Cup and that they will play "where they are supposed to be, according to the draw."

The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) had said in April it was "negotiating" with FIFA to relocate the country's World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.

On Wednesday, an Iranian government spokesperson said the men’s national team is preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the US.

“The Ministry of Youth and Sports made an announcement about the full preparedness of our national soccer team for presence in the 2026 World Cup in the US, by the order of the minister,” government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohejerani told state TV.

The team is due to arrive at its training camp in Arizona no later than 10 June, at least five days before its first game, as required by FIFA’s World Cup rules.

Zampolli is an Italian-American socialite, businessman and former modelling agent who claims to have introduced Trump to his wife Melania.

Neither the White House, nor Italian or Iranian football federations have responded to requests for comment.

Can Italy replace Iran in the tournament?

The answer is yes and no.

Under FIFA rules, the governing body has "sole discretion" over selecting a replacement team in the event of a withdrawal or exclusion.

If Iran, which qualified for the World Cup on merit, were to withdraw, that would create another issue, with FIFA ideally aiming to replace them with another team from Asia to maintain the continental balance.

One option would be to replace Iran with the top-ranking national team that failed to qualify. According to the current official standings, this would be the 12th-ranked Italy.

The suggestion was reportedly part of an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the US president called her "unacceptable" and lacking "courage" for not being supportive of the Iran war.

The unexpected public rift between the two leaders, who cultivated one of the closest transatlantic relationships over the past year, erupted after Trump criticised the pontiff for his anti-war stance on Iran.

"I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," Trump told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera last Tuesday.

Meloni defended the Holy Father of the Catholic Church, calling Trump's criticism of the pope "unacceptable".

"The pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn all forms of war," Meloni said.

She added she would not feel comfortable living in a society where "religious leaders do as they are told by politicians."

Trump pushed back, telling the Italian daily, "She's unacceptable because she doesn't mind that Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if they had the chance."

Trump previously called Meloni "one of the real leaders of the world" and "full of energy, fantastic", while Meloni said she was able to speak to him "frankly even when we disagree."

Synthetic drugs reshape global markets, putting health systems under pressure

WHO Director-General delivers a speech at the forum World Health Organisation

By Rushanabonu Aliakbarova

Published on 23/04/2026 - EURONEWS

Emerging patterns of substance use are creating more complex and less predictable health risks. Experts warn that health systems are struggling to keep pace, while access to treatment and prevention services remains limited.

Synthetic drugs are rapidly reshaping global drug markets, creating new and less predictable health risks while placing growing pressure on already strained health systems.

Speaking at an international forum on countering transnational drug threats in Samarkand, the World Health Organization's director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that substance use disorders are a major and expanding public health challenge, affecting individuals, families and communities across all regions.

Globally, an estimated 300 million people used drugs at least once in the past year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, with between 40 and 64 million people living with drug use disorders. Each year, around 600,000 deaths are linked to drug use, including from overdose and drug-related diseases such as HIV and viral hepatitis.

“These lives can be saved,” he noted, pointing to evidence-based prevention, treatment and harm reduction. Yet access remains limited, with only a small proportion of people receiving the care they need.

Barriers such as stigma, discrimination, and criminalisation continue to push vulnerable groups away from health services. Women, young people and people with co-existing conditions face particularly high risks.

Synthetic drugs reshape the landscape

Health systems in Central Asia are also struggling to keep pace with the rapid evolution of drug markets.

According to Salome Flores, Head of the UNODC Information Centre for researching and analysing transnational drug threats, the region has undergone a significant shift in recent years.

The decline in opium production in Afghanistan has altered supply patterns, while synthetic drugs are becoming more widespread. Unlike traditional substances, synthetics can be produced locally using precursor chemicals, making them harder to monitor and control.

At the same time, another trend is emerging: the misuse of pharmaceuticals.

“We’re also talking about the use of pharmaceuticals for non-medical purposes,” Salome Flores told Euronews. “People go to pharmacies and buy tranquilizers, antidepressants, sleeping pills, and in certain doses they can produce certain effects.”

This combination of synthetic substances and pharmaceutical misuse is creating a more complex health challenge, requiring both stronger regulation and expanded medical responses.

Rethinking health responses

Experts say current health system responses are no longer adequate.

Many national approaches were originally developed to address heroin, cocaine and amphetamines. But the rise of synthetic drugs, combined substance use and new distribution channels, has changed the nature of the problem.

Health systems now need to integrate services for mental health, substance use and infectious diseases, particularly at the primary care level. Community engagement is also seen as critical to reaching vulnerable populations and improving outcomes.

Treatment, experts emphasise, should be voluntary, evidence-based and grounded in human rights. Punitive approaches alone are unlikely to reduce dependence or improve public health outcomes.

Uzbekistan shifts focus to treatment and rehabilitation

In Uzbekistan, officials are increasingly framing drug use as a health and social issue rather than solely a criminal one.

According to Asilbek Khudayarov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Health, the forum highlighted the need for new approaches.

He said the discussions reinforced that drug addiction is a complex issue linked to human health and the future of younger generations, requiring coordinated and comprehensive responses.

“In the context of the spread of synthetic drugs, it is necessary to further improve treatment and rehabilitation systems,” he said.

Khudayarov also stressed the importance of combining international medical experience and providing integrated care including medical, psychological and social support for people affected by drug dependence.

Strengthening prevention, early detection and outpatient care services is also seen as critical, placing additional responsibility on healthcare systems.

As part of this approach, Uzbekistan has proposed creating a Central Asian Association of Narcologists to support knowledge exchange and improve rehabilitation practices across the region.

Prevention and youth engagement

Prevention is another key pillar, particularly in a region with a relatively young population.

According to Zhandos Aktayev, Chairman of the Public Fund “Esbol Qory” in Kazakhstan, engaging young people directly is essential.

“Central Asia is a region with a very young population, so all our countries must focus on youth and engage them as subjects and actors of prevention work,” he said.

Evidence-based programmes and training are being used to raise awareness and help young people develop the skills needed to avoid risky situations.

Experts say early prevention can reduce long-term health risks and limit the social impact of drug use

Towards a health-centred approach

The discussions in Samarkand reflect a broader shift in how drug-related challenges are being understood.

Rather than focusing solely on law enforcement, there is growing recognition that effective responses must address the underlying health, social and economic dimensions of drug use.

This includes improving access to treatment, strengthening health systems and reducing stigma, while also adapting to new risks posed by synthetic substances.

As drug markets continue to evolve, experts say the effectiveness of responses will depend on how quickly health systems can adapt and how well countries can work together to protect the most vulnerable.

European Economic Congress 2026: Is Europe too late to the metal recycling game?

By Katarzyna Kubacka

Published on 23/04/2026 - EURONEWS

As the energy transition drives demand for battery metals, European policymakers are scrambling to catch up on recycling and raw material security — decades after the rest of the world got started.

Europe's critical raw materials crisis has a partial answer sitting in the waste stream — but the continent has been too slow to see i

Dorota Włoch, CEO of Eneris Surowce, was direct: recycling is no longer optional.

Unlike plastics, metals can be recovered and reused indefinitely, making urban mining — the recovery of raw materials from existing products and waste — increasingly valuable, particularly for batteries.

"From recycling, we recover metallic aluminium and so-called black mass, which is a concentrate of metals, mainly cobalt-nickel. These are some of the most valuable battery metals. And batteries are crucial today, not only in the automotive sector, but also in storing energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar," she said.

'Europe is 25 years late'

Włoch put the scale of the problem plainly. "Deposits are critical — any machine can be bought, but natural resources are not. They are non-transferable and non-renewable. If we use them, they simply disappear," she said.

Europe's belated recognition of that reality has cost it dearly.

"The regulation of critical raw materials came 25 years after other regions of the world had invested heavily in deposits. Europe was too passive. Today we are catching up, but the regulations are often so demanding that countries like Poland have difficulty implementing them."

Who benefits most from extraction?

Poland holds significant reserves of raw materials critical to the modern economy, such as copper, coking coal, nickel, platinum group metals, helium, rhenium, lead and silver.

But the minerals needed most for the energy transition, such as lithium, cobalt and graphite, exist only in limited quantities, forcing imports.

Arkadiusz Kustra, dean of the faculty of civil engineering and resource management at AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, told a panel at the European Economic Congress that awareness of the full supply chain, and who profits from it, was now essential.

He pointed to Serbia as a case study.

"Serbia has lithium deposits and is already in talks with Mercedes or Stellantis," he said. Belgrade is using that leverage to attract investment in battery factories and car plants, keeping more of the value chain at home.

The goal, Kustra argued, should be regional supply chains that retain added value locally.

"You can earn the least at the beginning and the most from the end customer," he said.

The bigger obstacle is Chinese dominance.

"Margins in critical raw materials largely go to the Chinese, who control more than 90% of processing and trading, even though they do not own most of the deposits," he said.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo — among the world's most resource-rich countries — Chinese entities control around 90% of deposits.

The panel also pointed to growing interest in new supply partnerships, with Poland eyeing assets in the Congo region and the Americas.