POLITICAL PRISONER

Arrest of pro-Palestinian activist sparks outrage, Trump says 'first of many'

Washington (AFP) – Protesters in New York and rights groups expressed outrage Monday over the arrest of a leader of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, as President Donald Trump vowed further crackdowns.

Issued on: 11/03/2025 - FRANCE24

A protester in New York holds a sign calling for the release of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil © TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP


Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate and one of the most prominent faces of the university's high-profile protests, was arrested by US immigration officials over the weekend despite holding a permanent residency green card.

The Department of Homeland Security, confirming Khalil's arrest on Sunday, claimed he had "led activities aligned to Hamas" and that the DHS action was taken "in coordination with the Department of State."

"We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," the president wrote Monday on his Truth Social platform.

"This is the first arrest of many to come," he pledged.


The protests at Columbia, launched last year in opposition to Israel's devastating war in Gaza, brought widespread media attention as tensions mounted on campus and spread to other universities around the country.

Some protests turned violent and saw campus buildings occupied, while students protesting Israel's conduct were frequently pitted against pro-Israel campaigners, many of whom were Jewish.

Trump and other Republicans have broadly accused the protesters of supporting Hamas, the Palestinian militant group and US-designated terrorist group whose deadly attack on October 7, 2023 against Israel sparked the war.

While the Trump administration moves to quickly deport Khalil, who has reportedly been moved to the southern state of Louisiana, a federal judge on Monday ordered authorities to halt proceedings.

The order, seen by AFP, by Judge Jesse Furman of the Southern District of New York also called for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
'A kidnapping'

The Department of Homeland Security claimed Khalil had 'led activities aligned to Hamas' © TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned Khalil's arrest, calling it "unprecedented, illegal, and un-American."

"The government's actions are obviously intended to intimidate and chill speech on one side of a public debate," said Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, in a statement.

On Monday afternoon, over 1,000 protesters gathered in New York to express their outrage at Khalil's arrest.

"This was essentially a kidnapping," said 42-year-old Tobi, who declined to give her last name for fear of retaliation.

"It seems like a clear targeting of activists, which is a really, really dangerous precedent," she said.

According to his supporters, Khalil was arrested late Saturday night while returning with his pregnant wife to their residence in Columbia student housing.

"This is a dismal moment in American history. We must not go down this authoritarian path one step further," said Michael Thaddeu, one of around 50 professors who expressed their concern Monday at a press conference.

The Trump administration has particularly targeted Columbia over its handling of the protests, threatening to revoke billions in federal funding if more action is not taken.

On Friday, four government agencies announced initial cuts of $400 million.

The arrest also prompted an outcry from the United Nations, with the spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying Monday "it is crucial to underscore the importance of respecting the right of freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly everywhere."

© 2025 AFP


ICE Arrests Palestinian Green Card Holder Who Helped Lead Columbia's Gaza Solidarity Camp

South Korea's Kia denies responsibility for anti-Musk ad

Seoul (AFP) – South Korean automaker Kia told AFP on Tuesday it had not approved an advertising campaign that featured one of its electric vehicles with a bumper sticker denigrating rival Tesla owner Elon Musk.

Issued on: 11/03/2025 - FRANCE24

While Elon Musk enjoys Donald Trump's confidence, polling shows he is deeply unpopular among ordinary Americans    © Jim WATSON / AFP/File
The advertisement, posted last month on the social media accounts of Kia Norway, features the company's entry-level electric car, the EV3, with a bumper sticker saying: "I bought this after Elon went crazy."

The sticker appears to riff on a viral trend of Tesla owners, unhappy with the world's richest person's recent foray into politics, slapping bumper stickers on their vehicles claiming they had purchased them "before Musk went crazy".

The advertisement was removed on Tuesday after AFP asked the South Korean company about the image.

"Kia Corporation is aware of a social media post by Kia Norway, which has since been removed," a company spokesperson said in a statement provided to AFP.


"The post was an entirely independent local initiative that does not reflect the position of Kia Europe or Kia Corporation," it said.

Musk responded with apparent incredulity as users on the social media site X, which he owns, shared images of the Kia advertisement.

"They really did that?" he asked, in response to a post calling out Kia Norway for running the promotion.

Kia is an affiliate of South Korea's Hyundai, and combined they are the world's third-largest automaker by volume as of 2024, selling more than 7.2 million cars combined.

It has rolled out a range of EVs in recent years, from the EV3 -- Britain's 2025 car of the year -- to the large SUV EV9.

Billionaire Musk, the boss of SpaceX and Tesla, has become a key backer of and adviser to US President Donald Trump.

Musk has recently become the target of protests against the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that he leads, including vandalisation of Tesla facilities and an apparent cyberattack on X.

While Musk enjoys Trump's confidence, polling shows he is deeply unpopular among ordinary Americans, and his cuts have sparked angry confrontations between Republicans and their constituents at town halls.

Tesla has seen its sales drop across Europe in recent weeks following Musk's controversial support for far-right groups, including Germany's AfD during the country's recent election campaign.

Tesla sales in Germany -- Europe's biggest auto market -- plunged more than 76 percent year-on-year in February, official data showed. Overall sales in the European Union almost halved year-on-year in January.

Investors are concerned about the potential for boycotts and buyer backlash over Musk's divisive behaviour as an adviser to the US president.

Tesla has lost more than one-third of its market value since mid-December as Musk deepens his association with the polarising US leader.

© 2025 AFP

Trump says will buy a Tesla to show support for Musk

Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will buy a "brand new Tesla" to show support for his top campaign donor and advisor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk.


Issued on: 11/03/2025 - FRANCE24

People participate in a protest against Elon Musk outside a Tesla dealership in Pasadena, California on March 8, 2025 © Frederic J. BROWN / AFP/File


"To Republicans, Conservatives, and all great Americans, Elon Musk is 'putting it on the line' in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform just after midnight on Tuesday.

"But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World's great automakers, and Elon's 'baby,' in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for," Trump said.

"I'm going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.

"Why should he be punished for putting his tremendous skills to work in order to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN???"


Musk, the world's richest person, responded on his X platform, thanking the president.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has empowered Musk to slash federal government spending and agencies' workforces as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

But DOGE's cost-cutting campaign has faced increasing resistance, including protests, court rulings and some pressure from lawmakers.

While Musk enjoys Trump's confidence, polling shows the tech billionaire is deeply unpopular among ordinary Americans, and his cuts to government budgets have sparked angry confrontations between Republicans and their constituents at town halls.

And Tesla investors have feared boycotts and buyer backlash over Musk's actions and close ties to Trump.

Some owners of Tesla's pioneering electric cars have voiced buyers' remorse over Musk's foray into politics, and his sharing of conspiracy theories online.

Unhappy Tesla owners have even slapped bumper stickers on their vehicles claiming they had purchased them "before Elon went crazy."
Slumping shares

Tesla shares closed down more than 15 percent on Monday, as uncertainty over Trump's import tariffs and threats have left US financial markets in turmoil.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq tanked four percent owing in part to the plunge in high-flying titans including Apple, Amazon and Tesla.

Tesla has also seen its sales drop across Europe in recent weeks following Musk's controversial support for far-right groups, including Germany's AfD during the country's recent election campaign.

Tesla sales in Germany -- Europe's biggest auto market -- plunged more than 76 percent year-on-year in February, official data showed. Overall sales in the European Union almost halved, on year, in January.

In early March, a dozen Teslas were torched at a dealership in France in what authorities treated as an arson attack, and the firm's facilities have also been vandalized in the United States.

Tesla has lost more than one-third of its market value since mid-December as Musk deepens his association with Trump.

Meanwhile, Musk said his X platform was hit Monday by a major cyberattack, raising questions as to whether the politically divisive billionaire is being targeted or his decision to gut staff at what was once Twitter is haunting the social network.

© 2025 AFP

From 'mob wives' to millennials: Faux fur is now a fashion staple

Paris (AFP) – Thanks to the "mob wife" style trend and advances in manufacturing technology that make it look like the real thing, fake fur has conquered catwalks and the high street.


Issued on: 11/03/2025 - FRANCE24

A models wears a faux fur stole by Chloe during the Womenswear Fall-Winter 2025/2026 show in Paris © Bertrand GUAY / AFP


The look is set to last, with the Fall/Winter 2025 shows at Paris Womenswear Fashion Week over the last 10 days showcasing the material in almost every conceivable way.

Whether it was via stoles, long luxuriant coats, or embellishments on jackets or accessories, the fur look once associated with mob wives, Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and European aristocrats has been thoroughly revived.

The high-end imitation version is now so realistic that many observers are unable to distinguish it from the real thing, providing a boon for manufacturers such as France-based Ecopel.

"Since last winter, every brand, from luxury houses to mainstream labels like Zara, has been offering an unprecedented number of faux fur pieces," Ecopel CEO and founder Christopher Sarfati, who supplies around 300 brands, told AFP.


The fur look had almost disappeared due to concerns about animal welfare, with major brands such as Saint Laurent, Gucci and Chanel dropping it altogether and London Fashion Week introducing a ban on its catwalks.

Real fur isn't banned in Paris, and charities including PETA and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation protested last week in the French capital about the "return of fur".

They worry that the ubiquity of replica fur will spark interest in real animal skins in the fashion industry, reversing the decades-long decline of a product that became a byword for cruelty.
Upcycling

"I think faux fur is cooler. It's more beautiful. And we don't approve of animal cruelty," said Bryn Taubensee and Patric DiCaprio, designers of the US-based Vaquera label, which presented a very fur-heavy collection this week in Paris.

Leading French fashion journalist Matthieu Bobard Deliere said: "I think you can count the brands still using real fur on the runways on one hand."

According to Ecopel, which closely monitors the market, 89 percent of fur seen at Milan Fashion Week was faux, compared to 62 percent in New York.

A model wearing Ottolinger in Paris © Thomas SAMSON / AFP

Two brands which featured real fur during Paris Fashion Week -- newcomer Hodakova run by Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson and Gabriela Hearst from Uruguay -- both said they were upcycling existing skins.

Some designers argue that this is more environmentally friendly, as they are not relying on faux fur which is usually made from polyester and other oil-based synthetic fibres.

"Repurposed vintage mink was unstitched and then painstakingly reassembled by hand in a family-run atelier," Hearst said of the mink coat that featured in her show.

The Parisian fur store Sam Rone told AFP that its sales have increased since last year.

Second-hand fur is in high demand, especially among Gen Z, which loves vintage fashion, with some now rummaging through their grandmothers' wardrobes.

If real fur has animal cruelty drawbacks and fake fur is polluting, the solution for the ethically minded consumer would appear to be new non-plastic varieties being developed.

Ecopel claims to have found a solution with the launch of 100-percent plant-based faux fur.

"Brands will no longer be able to say 'We don’t use faux fur because it’s made of polyester and petroleum'," Sarfati explained.

© 2025 AFP

Indian artisans keep traditional toymaking alive

Channapatna (India) (AFP) – The whirr of machines and smell of carved wood hangs in the air of the Indian toy workshop, a centuries-old art form still in the game despite cheaper plastic alternatives.


Issued on: 11/03/2025 - FRANCE24

Channapatna's toymakers have survived competition from cheaper plastic alternatives but say a new generation of artisans is needed to keep business going 

© Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP


India's town of Channapatna is famed for its wood and lacquer toys, carved from ivory wood from a local deciduous tree -- and dipped in brightly coloured dye from natural ingredients including turmeric and indigo.

"I felt interest in learning toymaking after I saw people in my neighbourhood doing it," said toy maker Rupa, who uses only one name. "I felt that I could also learn the craft."

The Indian town enjoyed a boost when Michelle Obama bought several locally made toys during a visit to India in 2010 © Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP

Rocking horses, baby walkers and dancing dolls cut from wood are a common sight in workshops, which employ around 2,500 artisans in the town in the southern state of Karnataka.

Channapatna's toymaking industry dates back to the 1700s when Tipu Sultan, ruler of the then kingdom of Mysore, asked artists from Persia to train the locals.


Rising competition from mass-produced toys, including cheap replicas made in China, has cast a shadow on the growth of the industry in the town -- but it has endured.

Toys were once all hand-carved but the introduction of machinery has helped keep the industry economical © Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP

The town's products saw a surge of interest in 2010 when former US first lady Michelle Obama bought several in the capital, New Delhi, during an official visit to India.

Toys were once all hand-carved, but the use of electric lathes and other machinery has helped keep the industry economical.

"In the old days, every work demanded artisans," said B. Venkatesh, who runs two small workshops in the town. "But now, with a few at hand, machines can help with different tasks."

'Sense of joy'

Business is not bad for the 53-year-old, with his factory getting orders for around thousands of from suppliers all around the country during peak months.

He says people value the long-lasting quality of the toys.

"When we dry the ivory wood properly, and apply lacquer and vegetable dyes, the toys will remain the same for hundreds of years," Venkatesh said.

Channapatna is famed for its wood and lacquer toys dipped in brightly coloured dye 

© Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP

But he warned his trade would "perish in the long run" without more support.

Earlier this month, the government pledged a scheme aimed at making India a global hub for innovative and unique toys that showcased local culture.

Venkatesh said authorities needed to go further by opening workshops to help cultivate a new generation of artisans.

For those already in the business, their craft is more than a simple matter of livelihood.

"Making toys gives me a sense of joy and happiness," Rupa said.

© 2025 AFP

'Really suffocating': Pakistan emerges from record smog season

Lahore (Pakistan) (AFP) – Tens of millions of Pakistanis spent at least four months breathing toxic air pollution 20 times above safe levels, in the worst winter smog season for several years, according to data analysed by AFP.


Issued on: 11/03/2025 - FRANCE24

Pakistan regularly ranks among the world's most polluted countries 

© Arif ALI / AFP/File


Pakistan regularly ranks among the world's most polluted countries, with Lahore often the most polluted megacity between November and February.

AFP's analysis of data recorded since 2018 by independent air monitoring project AQICN shows the 2024-2025 winter smog season started a month earlier in October and persisted at higher levels, including in cities normally less affected by pollution.

Lahore's 14 million residents spent six months breathing concentrations of PM2.5 -- tiny particles that can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream -- at levels 20 times or more than recommended by the World Health Organization.

Those in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, and the capital Islamabad were subjected to 120 days of the same choking pollution levels.

"The smog is just getting worse every year," admitted a factory owner in Lahore, who wished to remain anonymous after openly criticising government policies.

Experts say the pollution is primarily caused by factory and traffic emissions 

© Arif ALI / AFP/File

"If I was rich, my first decision would be to leave Pakistan for Dubai, to protect my children and raise them in a smog-free environment," he told AFP.
Legal action

Experts say the pollution is primarily caused by factory and traffic emissions. It worsens in winter as farmers burn crop stubble and cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds trap the deadly pollutants.

This year, winter rains that typically bring relief did not arrive until late February, as climate change renders Pakistan's weather patterns increasingly unpredictable.

The smog was so thick it could be seen from space and prompted authorities to close schools serving millions of students across the largest province Punjab, including its capital Lahore.

Young climate activist Risha Rashid said Islamabad is fast becoming "another Lahore" and has launched legal action against the government.

"It's really suffocating," the 21-year-old, who has asthma, told AFP.

"I cannot go out, even if I have exams. It's not just affecting our physical health but our mental health as well."

An Ipsos poll in November found four out of five Pakistanis said they were affected by the smog.

Fine particle pollution: in Lahore, the air is unbreathable almost the whole year © Valentin RAKOVSKY, Valentina BRESCHI / AFP

It can cause sore throats, stinging eyes and respiratory illnesses, while prolonged exposure can trigger strokes, heart disease and lung cancer.

Its effects are worse for children, who breathe more rapidly and have weaker immune systems.

'At war'

This smog season, Punjab's provincial government declared a "war on smog", increasing public air quality monitoring devices tenfold to around 30 and offering farmers subsidised rentals of machinery to clear crop stubble and avoid burning.

It also pledged to increasingly enforce emissions regulations on tens of thousands of factories and more than 8,000 brick kilns, a major source of black carbon emissions.

But environmentalists and experts say action has been piecemeal and sometimes counterproductive, including restrictions on private air quality monitoring devices that the government claims give "misleading results that spread panic."

People in Lahore spent six months breathing concentrations of PM2.5 at levels 20 times or more than recommended by the WHO © Arif ALI / AFP/File

And anti-smog machines, including a tower in Lahore shut down two months after installation, are effectively useless, experts say.

"It is like putting an air conditioner out in the open," said one who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Pledges for clean air

Efforts that tackle pollution's effects, rather than its source, miss the point, said Ahmad Ali Gul at Lahore's University of Management and Technology.

"It's like when you have a bathtub and it's overflowing and it's creating a huge mess, do you first grab a towel or you first close the tap?" he said.

"First, we need to focus on reducing the emissions and then we talk about how to protect ourselves from smog."

The government has blamed rival India, which borders Punjab province, for pollution blowing over into Lahore.

But Pakistan has limited vehicle emissions standards, and officials admit 83 percent of Lahore's carbon emissions are from transport.

"Switching to a cleaner fuel would give immediate results, we've seen it in other countries," said Frank Hammes, the global CEO of the Switzerland-based AQI air quality project.

Pakistan has limited vehicle emissions standards, and officials admit 83 percent of Lahore's carbon emissions are from transport © Arif ALI / AFP/File

But that "needs a pretty strong central effort to push down sometimes the painful changes that need to be made in order to reduce air pollution," he added.

Pakistan's government wants electric vehicles (EVs) to account for a third of new sales by 2030.

Pakistan had a taste of clean air during the pandemic, when a lockdown forced vhicles off the streets and factories to close in March 2020, but it was short-lived as the economic impact was too great for many to bear.

While climate change can make air pollution worse, few Pakistanis worry about global warming, explained Abdul Sattar Babar, Ipsos director for Pakistan.

"Most Pakistanis are overwhelmed by the economic challenges that they are facing," he said.

"When you can barely survive, climate issues are obviously not your primary concern".

© 2025 AFP

RAPE CULTURE

Sexual harassment in French public transport on the rise: report

The number of victims of sexual violence on public transport recorded by law enforcement has increased by 86 percent in almost ten years, according to a report by the National Observatory on Violence against Women published on Monday.

People using the metro in Paris AFP - GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT

By:RFI
Issued on: 10/03/2025 - 



Mandated by the government – the Observatory group known as Miprof – collated the results of several studies carried out over the last ten years.

They highlight an alarming increase in the number of cases of sexist and sexual violence occuring on trains, metros and other modes of public transport across France.

The number of victims rose to 3,374 in 2024, 6 percent more than in 2023, and 9 percent more than in 2022, the government panel found.

Among them, 44 percent were victims in the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris and its suburbs.

Women remain the main targets representing 91 percent of victims, with two thirds of them under 30, and 36 percent are minors.

France struggles to shake off everyday sexism, particularly among young men

99 percent of perpetrators are men

"Although most violence against women is committed by members of their close circle, the fact remains that public spaces, and particularly public transport networks, remain places where women are exposed to sexist and sexual violence as soon as they enter them," Miprof Secretary General Roxana Maracineanu said.

Miprof included figures from a June 2022 survey conducted by the Enov Institute for the RATP transport network, which found that seven out of 10 women have already been victims of this type of violence in Île-de-France transport during their life.

That figure that rises to 90 percent for women aged 19 to 25, the survey found.

The nature of the violence suffered ranges vastly; from sexist and sexual insults to sexual harassment and indecent exposure.

15 percent reported having been victims of sexual assault and 6 percent of rape or attempted rape.

France targets public transport in campaign to stamp out violence against women

More than half of the women surveyed said they do not feel reassured in the spaces of the Île-de-France rail network and 80 percent admit to remaining on alert.

This fear of being attacked has lead to women changing their behaviour to adapt to certain situations: 68 percent said they dress differently on public transport, 83 percent place their backs to doors or walls when travelling standing up, and 93 percent try to sit next to a woman, a couple or a family rather than a single man.

Only 7 percent of victims recorded by the Enov study filed a complaint with a gendarmerie or the police.

According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, of all victims of sexual violence recorded in 2024, 3 percent were on public transport, a proportion that has remained stable since 2016, according to the National Observatory.
Changing behaviour

Manon Marguerit, urban planning researcher at the Gustave-Eiffel University, who was quoted in the report says different forms of sexual violence can stem from the fact that people find themselves in crowded confined spaces.

"The aggressors we always think of are exhibitionists and 'frotteurs' who rub up against people. It is true that the characteristics linked to the transport space – confinement, saturation of bodies, impossibility of escaping from the vehicle – can generate these forms of specific sexual violence", she notes.

Migrant women in France face ‘double violence’ when reporting sexual abuse

However, the researcher also mentions other forms of violence such as "stares - whether insistent, intrusive, threatening, voyeuristic - sexist insults, touching. Too often considered trivial, they can cause trauma to the person who suffers them", she emphasises.

In the space of ten years, the study found that the reaction of witnesses has evolved with 23 percent of victims say they were helped by a third party, compared to 10 percent in 2016.

Given the scale of the phenomenon, some operators have implemented measures to improve the safety of women on their network, such as on-demand drop-offs on buses.

The measures deployed - such as assistance numbers (3117 and 31177) and call points on platforms - are known to the majority of users of the Paris region network but remain little used - only 12 percent say they have ever used them.

(with AFP)

GOING UP

France rolls out plan to prepare for 4C temperature rise by end of century

The French government on Monday unveiled its long-awaited third national climate adaptation plan, outlining 52 measures aimed at preparing the country for temperature rises that could reach 4C by the end of the century.

People cool off under a mist outside the Eiffel Tower during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. AP - Louise Delmotte

By: RFI
Issued on: 10/03/2025 -

Presented by Ecological Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the plan follows two years of preparatory work and a public consultation that gathered nearly 6,000 contributions.

"There is a very strong expectation from local elected officials, particularly in coastal, mountain or forest communities, but also from healthcare professionals and nursing home residents, who are already experiencing the effects of global warming," Pannier-Runacher told French daily Le Monde.

The plan establishes a reference trajectory for climate adaptation (TRACC) based on scientific projections from the national weather agency Météo-France, preparing the country for temperature increases of 2C by 2030, 2.7C by 2050, and 4C by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels.


Adapting all sectors

To distribute resources effectively, it targets five main areas: protecting people, ensuring resilience of territories and essential services, adapting human activities, protecting natural and cultural heritage, and mobilising national resources.

Specific measures include creating a national map of exposure to natural risks, maintaining affordable insurance offerings even in high-risk areas, and improving housing to remain comfortable despite rising temperatures.

"Adapting is not giving up," Pannier-Runacher added.

"The idea is not to abandon efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but to accept facing reality and actively prepare for a rise in global warming whose impacts are increasingly felt in France."

France has already warmed by 1.8C above pre-industrial levels, and some scientists consider the government’s projections to be optimistic given the weakness of international commitments to reduce emissions.

How bolder targets, treaties and talks will steer a defining year for climate
Major investments

Nearly €600 million will be allocated to adaptation measures, the government has said, including €300 million from the Barnier Fund – set up for the prevention of major natural hazards – €30 million for clay soil shrinkage-swelling prevention, and €260 million from the Green Fund for local authorities.

An additional €1 billion from water agencies' budgets will be directed toward this issue between 2025 and 2030, “with nearly 40 percent for nature-based solution interventions”, according to the plan’s presentation document.

However, these amounts fall significantly short of what experts have said is necessary.

France Assureurs, the country's insurance industry association, has already deemed the Barnier Fund allocation insufficient.

According to the Institute for Climate Economics, between €1 billion and €2.5 billion should be invested annually just in new buildings, €4.4 billion for housing renovation, and at least €1.5 billion per year for agriculture.
Implementation worries

While environmental advocates welcome the plan, they express doubts about its implementation.

Nicolas Richard, vice-president of France Nature Environnement, told French news agency AFP the plan presents "a certain number of good intentions" but faces uncertainty about "whether they are funded and how they are managed".

The High Council for Climate previously judged the country's efforts inadequate, calling for a "change of scale in adaptation".

Natural disaster prevention fund takes centre stage in French budget debate

The Court of Auditors had also urged public authorities to "become aware" of the urgency of tackling this project, which it says requires a "wall of investments".

To ensure the plan’s implementation, Pannier-Runacher said she would work on specific roadmaps for four priority areas: forests, coastal erosion, mountains and agriculture.

The National Council for Ecological Transition will be responsible for monitoring indicators across sectors and providing annual progress reports.

"It is now necessary to implement and territorialise it, in full consultation with local elected officials," a ministry spokesperson said.

Chad extends detention of RFI journalist, as lawyers denounce 'crackdown'

An RFI correspondent and a national TV journalist have been detained in Chad in a move condemned by press freedom advocates as part of a broader crackdown on dissent.

Campaign posters showing Chad's presidential candidates in N'Djamena on 2 May, 2024. © ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP

By:RFI
Issued on: 10/03/2025 -

Following a further interrogation at the offices of the criminal investigation department on Saturday, journalist Olivier Monodji's custody has been extended until at least this Monday, when he will be brought before the public prosecutor of N'djamena.

Monodji, a correspondent for Radio France Internationale and publication director of the newspaper Le Pays, has been detained in the Chadian capital, since Wednesday, 5 March.

His lawyer, Allatha Amos, has slammed the arrest as baseless, stating: “The criminal investigation police were unable to tell us what offence my client is accused of. We are therefore waiting impatiently for Monday to find out. It is really absurd that journalists are still being arrested in the 21st century: it is truly from another age!”

Alongside Monodji, Mahamat Saleh Alhissein, a journalist with the national television station Tele Chad, was also arrested.



Russian translation

The exact reasons for Monodji’s detention remain unclear, but sources indicated to French news agency AFP that it may be linked to an article he wrote in September 2023 about the inauguration of the Russian House in N'Djamena.

Alhissein, on the other hand, is accused of translating documents containing information on Russia's proxy forces and the Sahel’s economic situation, according to Tele Chad.

The Union of Chadian Journalists (UJT) has denounced the detentions as arbitrary, labelling them a “serious attack on the freedom of the press” and calling for the unconditional release of both journalists as well as the return of Monodji’s work equipment.

Ruling party wins majority in Chad's legislative election as opposition boycott polls

Chad | Capital, Population, Language, Religion, Flag, & Map | Britannica

'Broader crackdown'

Monodji was reportedly interrogated for four hours on Saturday, by three criminal investigation officers, after which his custody was extended.

His lawyer has criticised this extension, emphasising that Monodji presents sufficient guarantees of representation.

“From now on, [the public prosecutor] alone can explain why he is being held at the premises of the criminal investigation department,” Amos stated.

The recent arrests of journalists in Chad have sparked widespread condemnation from press freedom advocates, who say they fit into a broader crackdown on opposition figures in Chad, as military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby tightens his grip on power.

France launches embezzlement inquiry into Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Déby

Since August 2024, at least three journalists have been arbitrarily detained, according to the Chad Online Media Association.

In September 2024, the World Organisation Against Torture condemned the Chadian intelligence service for increasingly using arrests and detentions without due process.

Deby, who took power after his father’s death three years ago, has distanced Chad from its former colonial ruler, France, and fostered stronger ties with Russia.

Moscow has expanded its influence in Africa through mercenary groups like Wagner, which operate in neighbouring Mali and the Central African Republic.

Réunion Island company revives ancient fermentation technique to boost health

Pot en Ciel Kreol is an artisanal cannery based on France's Réunion Island. Combining local agriculture with the ancient technique of lacto-fermentation, the company aims to preserve the island's rich biodiversity and promote better health for its inhabitants.

01:20

Sylviane Boyer and Mégane Mardemoutou at the Paris International Agricultural Show on 24 February, 2025. © RFI

By: Isabelle Martinett
Issued on: 09/03/2025 -  RFI

Sylviane Boyer founded Pot en Ciel Kreol in 2023, in Cambaie in the north of Réunion, a French department in the Indian Ocean. She had taken over her family farm, which grew numerous vegetables native to the island.

"On Réunion Island, we have exotic vegetables, which have lots of antioxidants. We’re protected here on this little volcanic island, in terms of all the produce we have," Boyer told RFI. "There are vegetables that can’t be found in mainland France… papaya, chayote, watercress that grow in our mountains. And chillies."
Cirque de Mafate on the volcanic island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. © AFP - Richard Bouhet

Over the years, Boyer began to notice a rise in cases of diabetes, Crohn's disease and high cholesterol. It was at this point that she became interested in micronutrition – the practice of optimising the diet to include vitamins and minerals the body needs – and discovered lacto-fermentation.

"We have lots of health problems because we eat too much fat and sugar. This led me to study lacto-fermentation a bit and I found that, scientifically speaking, a lot has been proven about it, which brought me back to it."

hy do France's overseas territories have a diabetes problem?

\This technique is very common in several Africa countries, where access to electricity can be limited, making food preservation a challenge.

 

Lacto-fermentation is an ancient food preservation technique. 

© Flickr/CC/Local Food Initiative

"In Africa, babies’ first meals are made using lacto-fermentation. It’s a natural process to follow," says Boyer.

This ancient food preservation technique involves immersing food in salted water to encourage the growth of lactic acid bacteria.

"We use large vats where we put local fruits and vegetables from Réunion, along with water and natural, unrefined salt from Saint Leu. This process helps us pre-digest the food and release its full bioavailability," explains Mégane Mardemoutou, sales manager at Pot en Ciel Kreol.

"This process develops probiotics and prebiotics, multiplies vitamin C, vitamin K – which is very important for the heart – and various B vitamins like B2 and B6."

Bitter melon from Réunion Island. © Flickr/CC/Sogni_Hal

One local vegetable the company works with is bitter melon. "It’s a fruit that grows on vines, somewhat like cucumbers. It's an old local vegetable with a thousand benefits because it aids detoxification, improves heart circulation and provides all the essential vitamins we need," says Mardemoutou.

Over half of all adults will be overweight or obese by 2050, study shows

The company is now working with hospitals, the Regional Health Agency and local organisations to spread awareness of the health benefits of lacto-fermentation.

France remains world's second largest arms exporter behind US

The United States maintains its position as world's number one arms exporter, followed by France, according to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on Monday. It also showed that Ukraine became the world's largest importer in the period 2020-2024.

French truck-mounted Ceasar howitzer at the Eurosatory 2024 show, 16 June 2024.

 © RFI/Jan van der Made

By:  Jan van der Made
Issued on: 10/03/2025 -
The findings by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) coincide with an announcement by European Union states that they intend to strengthen the continent's defence capabilities.

This comes after US President Donald Trump said Europe should become less dependent on the US.

The report published on Monday found that the United States strengthened its position as the world's top weapons exporter with some 43 percent of global exports and France confirmed a distant second place with 9.6 percent.

"France has now cemented its place as the second largest exporter vis-a-vis Russia, which was at that position some time ago," Mathew George, director of Sipri's Arms Transfer Programme told RFI.

France is also "making those inroads into different areas with exports to Asia and the Middle East," he says. "So it's really growing."
Arms embargoes

According to Sipri's report which covers 2020 - 2024, Ukraine became the world's largest arms importer with a growth of "9.627 percent more than the previous period", which is "mind-boggling," George says.

Russia accounted for only 0.5 percent of global arms imports between 2020 and 2024, but mainly "because Russia has mostly relied on domestic arms production to meet its demand," George explains.

In that period, Russia did import missiles with a range of 100 kilometres or more and one-way attack drones from Iran and artillery and missiles with a range of 450 kilometres from North Korea.

But figures are hard to come by due to arms embargoes on the three countries, George explains.

"We make conservative estimates. Unfortunately we don't have that much transparency in those transfers."

RFI

A man reads informations of an Iranian domestically-built drone as he visits National Aerospace Park of the Revolutionary Guard, just outside Tehran, Iran, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. AP - Vahid Salemi

Warring states' exports down

Exports coming from Russia and Ukraine went substantially down over the 2020-2024 period, Sipri's report shows.

Ukraine became the 20th largest exporter down from the 12th, with a a reduction of 72 percent less exports, while Russian exports declined by 64 percent.

George points out that this decline already started before the 2022 invasion, "most likely related to Russia's decision to prioritise the production of its major arms for its own armed forces over those for export".

This was aggravated by further effects caused by multilateral trade sanctions imposed on Russia and increased pressure from the US and its allies on other states not to buy Russian arms.

Russian arms exports remained at around the same levels of 2023, which was some 47 percent lower than 2022.

Missile systems manufactured by French company MBDA on display at the Eurosatory 2024 defence & security exhibition, 16 June 2024. © RFI/Jan van der Made

Arms imports by European NATO members more than doubled their arms imports in comparison to the period 2015-2020, which preceded the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to Sipri's database, 64 percent of Europe's arms imports come from the US, followed by France, South Korea, Germany and Israel.

Last week, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the union's spending on weapon procurement will be increased to €800 billion.

Windfall for European arms makers as Brussels ramps up defence spending

George isn't sure how this will impact current weapon transfers in the long term.

"We'll have to see what and where that is translated into. There has to be a lot of mobilisation in what the industry will need to do to support the requirements of Europe."

"We'll have to wait and see where that 800 billion gets invested into, whether that means that countries will again focus on their own industry to buy more European.

"Some of these decisions are not so much about what's available for us, but also to improve relationships and long-term relationships for a shared strategic objective." George says.

Ukraine has become the largest importer of arms. Percentage wise it is 9,627 percent. That's mindboggling.

REMARK Mathew George SIPRIJan van der Made