Study reveals 8 million years of ‘Green Arabia’

Griffith University

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Based on a climatic record from desert speleothems, researchers show recurrent humid intervals in the central Arabian interior over the past 8 million years.

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Credit: Paul Breeze

A new study published in Nature reveals the modern arid desert between Africa and Saudi Arabia was once regularly lush and green with rivers and lakes over a period of 8 million years, allowing for the occupation and movements of both animals and hominins. 

The findings, led by an international team of researchers supported by the Saudi Heritage Commission, Ministry of Culture, shed new light on this hitherto unrecognised but important crossroad for biogeographic exchange between Africa and Eurasia. 

The Saharo-Arabian Desert is one of the largest biogeographic barriers on Earth, limiting the dispersal of early humans and animals between Africa and Eurasia.  

Recent research suggested the desert had been in place since at least 11 million years ago. 

But Professor Michael Petraglia, Director of Griffith University’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution and co-author on the new study, said fossil evidence from the Late Miocene (marked by an increase in global temperatures) and Pleistocene (which contained multiple ice ages) suggested the episodic presence within the Saharo-Arabian Desert interior of water-dependent animals. 

Animals such as crocodiles, equids, hippopotamids, proboscideans, were likely sustained by rivers and lakes that were largely absent from today’s arid landscape.  

“These wetter conditions likely facilitated these mammalian dispersals between Africa and Eurasia, with Arabia acting as a key crossroads for continental-scale biogeographic exchanges,” Professor Petraglia said. 

Dr Monika Markowska of Northumbria University, UK, and Dr Hubert Vonhof of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany, conducted new work on cave speleothems (mineral deposits such as stalagtites and stalagmites) that led to the realisation that there were numerous humid phases in Arabia during the last 8 million years.  

Dr Markowska, who was lead author on the study, explained that little was known about Arabia’s palaeoclimate before this time, noting: “The findings highlighted that precipitation during humid intervals decreased and became more variable over time, as the monsoon’s influence weakened, coinciding with enhanced Northern Hemisphere polar ice cover during the Pleistocene.” 

Dr Faisal al-Jibrin, lead Saudi archaeologist of the Heritage Commission, said “Arabia has traditionally been overlooked in Africa-Eurasia dispersals, but studies like ours increasingly reveal it central place in mammalian and hominin migrations.”  

The study ‘Recurrent humid phases in Arabia over the past 8 million years’ has been published in Nature. 

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Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-025-08859-6 

Article Title

Recurrent humid phases in Arabia over the past 8 million years

 

Pregnancy-related deaths in the US, 2018-2022

JAMA Network Open

About The Study: 

In this cross-sectional analysis of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., rates increased during 2018 to 2022, with large variations by state and race and ethnicity. The concerning rates in the U.S. should be an urgent public health priority.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Yingxi Chen, MD, PhD, email yingxi.chen@nih.gov.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.4325)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.

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JAMA Network Open

US aid freeze halts Malawi’s top science programme, disrupting research

Lilongwe – Just over a year after the US government, through the agency USAID, introduced a five-year, $17 milIlion initiative to strengthen higher education in Malawi through science projects, the programme has been abruptly closed, disrupting research and innovation, one of the affected universities has confirmed.


Issued on: 07/04/2025 -  RFI

In this file photo, a graduate students work in a lab at the Malawi University of Science and Technology. Photo taken in January 2022. © RFI/Charles Pensulo

By: Charles Pensulo in Malawi


Several institutions that received financial support amounting to thousands of dollars include Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mzuzu University, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, and the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).

Science eduction

The USAID-funded Transforming Higher Education Systems project, implemented by Michigan State University, targeted students aspiring to enroll in and complete higher education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Its objective was to enhance the mission and capacity of Malawian universities to drive innovation, productivity, and the competitiveness of Malawian industry.

The programme was also designed to improve access to higher education through grants and loans. Additionally, through curriculum development, students were expected to enhance their technical, soft, and entrepreneurial skills, while also engaging in research.

However, Professor Alfred Maluwa, director of research and outreach at MUST told RFI that they had received an official communication in February, instructing them to terminate the project.

USAID freeze calls into question billions in support for poorest countries

Alongside the Transforming Higher Education Systems project, which was being implemented via Michigan State University, another initiative - the Future Innovation Lab Research project - was being conducted through Boston University.

Conservation project

Among other components, the projects included a $700,000 initiative aimed at supporting field operations to promote the conservation of the Lilongwe River catchment area, focusing on farmer groups.

“The higher education project was supposed to run for five years but was discontinued midway before the full budget of $1.2 million had been utilised," Maluwa said.

"The project was working on policy reviews, the development of prototypes for innovations that impact the livelihoods of Malawians, and providing scholarships for financially disadvantaged undergraduate students.”

The Future Innovation Lab Research project had received funding of $95,000.

“The students have lost financial support, but we have recommended some to other cooperating partners to take over the scholarships. However, negotiations are still ongoing since this is a recent development,” Maluwa added.

“The activities that were supposed to be funded by these projects must now be supported by the university, which is putting a strain on the institution’s budget.”

Alternative sources?

Malawi’s Minister of Higher Education, Jessie Kabwila, said that while the aid suspension is discouraging, the Malawian government is working to find alternative sources to support students.”

Malawi's economic crisis pushes prices beyond the reach of struggling population

“We have engaged local private sector partnerships to explore possible assistance. We have also reached out to international partners…” she said.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, ordered a 90-day foreign aid freeze immediately after his inauguration as the 47th president on 20 January 2025, marking the beginning of his second term.

The order has disrupted operations in various government departments and agencies, including financial assistance distributed by USAID.

Numerous projects—including research in health, medicine, and agriculture—have been severely affected by the aid freeze.

International Maritime Organisation faces stormy debate on shipping emissions

Members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are divided over whether to approve a carbon tax on international shipping, ahead of a meeting starting in London on Monday to finalise emissions-reduction measures.


Issued on: 07/04/2025 - RFI

A cargo ship sails underneath the Bridge of the Americas, which spans the entrance to the Panama Canal in Panama City, Panama 22 January, 2025. REUTERS - Aris Martinez

The carbon tax, the most ambitious measure on the table, would make it more expensive for shipping companies to emit greenhouse gases, encouraging them to curtail emissions.

But some member states, including China and Brazil, are proposing other measures, arguing the carbon levy would increase the cost of goods and contribute to food insecurity.

The IMO expects to come to an initial agreement by Friday on which mechanism to adopt to help reach carbon neutrality in shipping by 2050.

The stakes are high as shipping accounts for nearly three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the IMO.

"(It is) difficult to say what will happen," Fanny Pointet, sustainable shipping manager at European advocacy group, Transport and Environment, told French news agency AFP ahead of the meeting.

The United States has been notably quiet about the issue, having not commented since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Island states push for carbon tax

The Pacific and Caribbean island states are leading the group pushing for a carbon tax, with support from other countries including the UK.

They argue that funds raised from a levy could be redistributed to nations most vulnerable to climate change to help adapt and mitigate its effects.

"Climate change is a terrifying lived reality for my country," said Albon Ishoda, the Marshall Islands' representative to the IMO.

Small island nations lead fight for climate justice at UN's top court

However, around 15 countries strongly oppose the carbon levy, arguing it would exacerbate inequalities between nations and raise the costs of goods such as palm oil, cereals and corn.

Concerns are also mounting that the European Union, once a supporter of a carbon tax, could water down the measure in favour of a carbon credit system.

Such a system would allow companies or countries to buy and sell credits representing the right to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide.

According to University College London research, the option of no levy presents the biggest risk to meeting the shipping sector's climate goals.
Alternative fuels

It could also distort fuel prices and create an uneven playing field, favouring states with strong industrial polices, such as China, researchers said.

"The fastest and cheapest energy transition is brought about by a strong levy," combined with a global fuel standard to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels used by ships, they added.

France's first wind-propelled cargo ship successfully crosses Atlantic

Challenges also remain with the fuel standard system, particularly the risk of using alternative fuels such as palm oil and soybean oil, which indirectly contribute to emissions through deforestation, Pointet explained.

While Brazil defends the key role of these biofuels, more than 60 environmental protection NGOs have raised objections to their inclusion in the future shipping fuel mix.

Other potential solutions include synthetic hydrogen-based fuels, currently very expensive to produce, or the installation of wind-powered propulsion systems onboard ship.

(with AFP)

France allowed 'major failures' in finances of 2023 Rugby World Cup, watchdog says

Paris (AFP) – "Major failures" in the French government's oversight of the 2023 Rugby World Cup led to heavy financial losses and left the French Rugby Federation in difficulty, the state's financial watchdog said on Tuesday.

Issued on: 08/04/2025 - RFI

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi lifts the 2023 Rugby World Cup trophy after the Springboks beat New Zealand in the final © FRANCK FIFE / AFP

The French Court of Accounts pointed the finger at the first head of the tournament's organising committee, Claude Atcher, but also said the French federation (FFR) and the government had to bear some responsibility "because of major failures in the control they should have exercised over the organising committee".

Despite promises that the tournament would generate big profits, it led to heavy financial losses, especially for the FFR.

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Financial losses

"Everyone won, except the (French) organisers," the court's president Pierre Moscovici said at a press conference.

The tournament was an "undeniable success with the public, the media and in a sporting sense", but generated financial losses which could reach up to nearly 29 million euros ($31.5 million) once related legal cases have been resolved.

"The financial targets were not met and the legacy resources left behind for rugby are virtually nil," Moscovici said.

He said the FFR gave unrealistic commitments to World Rugby to secure the hosting of the tournament.

The international federation "achieved the best financial result in its history" from the tournament while the FFR made "a minimum loss of 19.2 million euros, rising to 28.9 million euros", Moscovici said.

South Africa beat New Zealand to retain rugby union World Cup

Government involvement

The government only really became involved in the organisation in 2022 following a crisis in the organising committee when Atcher was removed over concerns over his management style.

Moscovici said he was concerned that "the French government does not have a clear, substantiated doctrine for analysing the conditions under which it provides its support" for the organisation of an international competition.

He said he hoped the recommendations contained in the report would be heeded by the organisers of the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

The French Court of Accounts was closely involved in the oversight of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and is expected to produce a report in June.

Atcher, in a formal right to reply to the report on the Rugby World Cup, claimed that "the catastrophic management of the event after my departure deprived French rugby of nearly 50 million euros in earnings".

(With AFP)

Rebel gods take centre stage in Kerala’s fight against inequality

Kerala – In northern Kerala, far from India’s big cities and tourist trails, an ancient ritual brings the gods down to earth – and takes aim at injustice. RFI went to the town of Payyanur to witness this Hindu ceremony carried out by Theyyam performers.


Issued on: 05/04/2025 

RFI

A Theyyam performer, channelling a rebel goddess, is guided toward the crowd in Payyanur, India. © Côme Bastin / RFI

Every January, as the region of Kannur in the Indian state of Kerala hums with drums and colour, millions of people gather to witness the Theyyams – mystical performers who embody gods that once led rebellions against the powerful.

Their faces are painted with wild patterns, their costumes rise taller than trees and their message is one of resistance.

In the town of Payyanur, hundreds gathered near a village temple at the end of a road lined with coconut palms and painted houses. They had come to see the goddess Bhagavathy. She would appear not in the sky, but through the body of Manoharan, a revered Theyyam performer.

“When I enter a trance, a light suddenly fills me and I lose consciousness,” said Manoharan. “I have no memory of what happens when the goddess manifests in me.”

Manoharan belongs to the Vannan caste – the only caste allowed to carry out this ritual. The tradition is passed down through families. He was just seven when, he says, the gods first entered him.

As dawn broke, Manoharan was painted head to toe. His face was covered in blood-red designs. A 10-metre-high costume, attached to a wooden frame, waited nearby. When he stepped into it, the transformation was complete. Bhagavathy had arrived.

Locals rushed forward to share their troubles, wishes and blessings with the goddess. Towering above the crowd, Manoharan seemed to belong to another world.

A Theyyam performer in trance, adorned with plants and fabric, stands beside a musician in Payyanur, India. © Côme Bastin / RFI

Ritual as rebellion

They might look otherworldly, but the Theyyams are deeply rooted in Kerala’s history of rebellion.

“It’s a total art form that combines spirituality, dance, music and theatre,” said KK Gopalakrishnan, author of Theyyam, Indian Folk Ritual Theater. “The forms of this artistic treasure unfold according to countless local legends, with hundreds of different gods and ceremonies.”

But there’s more to it than mere spectacle.

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“Theyyams belong to the lower castes of Hinduism who revolted during the feudal era,” said local historian Kunjiraman Mash. “At that time, they were forbidden to educate themselves, enter temples or associate with higher castes, the Brahmins.”

The gods they channel were rebels too. Bhagavathy, who appears through Manoharan, was born into the upper castes but defied caste and gender norms. For that, she was banished from her village and ended her life in exile.

Another powerful figure is Muthappan, the most important god in the local pantheon. A temple to him stands along the Valapattanam River, where people offer him toddy – Kerala’s coconut beer – during Theyyam ceremonies.

Though born into a high-caste vegetarian family, Muthappan rejected privilege and began drinking alcohol and eating meat like the peasants who supported him. He led a rebellion to redistribute wealth and open temples to the lower castes and untouchables.

Marx meets the mystics

This blend of spirituality and resistance has long shaped the politics of the region.

“The Indian Communist Party was born here in northern Kerala, and the first meetings of revolutionaries secretly took place in Theyyam temples,” said Mash.

He believes Marxist ideals found fertile ground in a place where people were already telling stories of gods who fought the elite.

The Theyyams are more than a memory – they’re a living tradition.

Indian author Shoba Narayan shares her sense of 'terroir'

In Payyanur, one festival draws huge crowds every 13 years. In 2024, around 300,000 people were expected over four days. A dozen Theyyam performers, including the most famous, appeared as Bhagavathy.

The mood was festive, with music, lights and food stalls. On 50-metre-long tables, volunteers served curries and chutneys on banana leaves.

“This is a meal normally reserved for weddings. We eat it to pay tribute to Bhagavathy, who could not marry because she committed suicide,” said Bismaya, a 28-year-old doctor.

“As a woman, Bhagavathy’s journey inspires me,” said Manjula, 23, who was waiting in line to see the performance. “Coming from the upper castes, she gave up her privileges to oppose patriarchy, and her fight is still relevant today.”
Ancient ritual, uncertain future

No one knows exactly how many Theyyam performers still practise – likely a few thousand. But the tradition is under pressure.

“With Kerala’s urbanisation, it is increasingly becoming a visual and commercial spectacle whose spiritual and philosophical significance is being lost,” said Gopalakrishnan.

India faces calls for caste census that could transform nation

He also said the message doesn’t travel easily. “Theyyams are also prevented from performing in most regions of India, where their anti-caste message is poorly received.”

Still, he remains hopeful. “We need to pass this tradition on to the rest of India and the world.”

This article has been adapted from the original version in French by Côme Bastin

DR Congo repatriates Americans jailed over coup attempt amid mining talks

Three American citizens jailed in the Democratic Republic of Congo over a failed coup attempt have been transferred to US custody following high-level talks between the two countries on security and mining deals.


Issued on: 09/04/2025 - RFI

Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun (left), Marcel Malanga (centre) and Tyler Thompson, who are all American citizens, await a verdict by a military court in Kinshasa on 13 September 2024. 

AP - Samy Ntumba Shambuyi

The Congolese presidency told Reuters the three men were handed over after their death sentences were commuted last week. They will now serve their time in the United States.

The deal was finalised during a visit to Kinshasa by Massad Boulos, senior Africa adviser to US President Donald Trump. Boulos held talks with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital.

“This shows that the collaboration and cooperation between the two states is growing stronger and stronger,” said a spokesperson for Tshisekedi.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The State Department said in an email that bringing Americans home was a top priority.

Failed coup

The three Americans – Marcel Malanga and his friend Tyler Thompson, both 21, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36 – were among 37 people sentenced to death by a military court in September.

The coup attempt took place in May last year and was led by Christian Malanga, a US-based Congolese opposition figure and the father of Marcel. He was killed by Congolese forces during the operation.

During the trial, Marcel Malanga said his father had threatened to kill him and Thompson if they disobeyed orders. His mother later wrote on Facebook that the family needed time and would not comment publicly.

DRC army says it foiled attempted coup involving US citizens

The plotters attacked the home of then economy minister Vital Kamerhe before moving on to a building housing the offices of Tshisekedi.

They flew flags of Zaire – the country’s former name under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko – and filmed themselves declaring an end to the current regime.

The Americans were initially sentenced to death along with others involved in the coup attempt. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison last week before they were repatriated.

The Congolese presidency said the handover was “part of a dynamic of strengthening judicial diplomacy and international cooperation in matters of justice and human rights” between Kinshasa and Washington.

Legal experts told Reuters the men are unlikely to have their sentences reduced further now they are back in US custody.
Talks on minerals, security

The handover comes as both countries explore closer cooperation. Congo has asked for more US support in its fight against armed groups in the east of the country, where violence has escalated since January.

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have captured two major cities, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.

Washington, meanwhile, is keen to expand its access to Congo’s mineral wealth, which includes cobalt, lithium and copper – all key components in mobile phones, electric vehicles and other tech products.

Much of Congo’s mining sector is controlled by Chinese firms. The US State Department has said it is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships after Congo pitched a potential “minerals-for-security” deal.

(with newswires)

Rights groups take France to court over residency permit tech failures

Social rights groups on Tuesday lodged a complaint with France's top administrative court over technical glitches in the online system for residency permits which they say are preventing foreigners from working or keeping their jobs in France.


Issued on: 08/04/2025 - RFI

Social rights groups as well as independent experts have compiled data highlighting the deficiencies of a digital platform for online applications for the right to live or stay in France. © Getty Images - Delmaine Donson

By: Paul Myers

Ten associations have appealed to the Council of State following results showing that the move to Anef – the digital administration for foreigners in France – is not only making it increasingly difficult to apply for the initial right to stay in France but also creating gridlocks for foreigners who have sometimes been living in the country for decades.

The hold-ups, according to the witness testimonies lodged with rights groups, have led to an array of problems such as job losses and evictions.

"The situation is such that today employers who have had difficulties recruiting people are calling us for help in renewing their employees' residence permits," said Pascal Brice, president of the Fédération des acteurs de solidarité (FAS), one of the groups trying to convince the Council of State to push the government to sort out the issues.

French interior minister to issue 'objective' rules on immigrants' right to stay

"The malfunctioning of the residence permit application system hamper foreign nationals' access to the labour market, exacerbate their precarious situation and heavily penalise the associations and companies that support or employ them," say the groups in a joint press release.

"This dematerialised, yet very real, wall against the residence and work of so many foreign nationals who want nothing more than to live in peace must come down for their dignity," added Brice. "It has to come down to stop hampering the work of associations and businesses."
Report

Last December, the Défenseur des droits – an independent panel of experts – published a 41-page report that took the government to task over Anef, a web portal launched in 2020 that was supposed to simplify administration.

"However, since the introduction of this tool, the Défenseur des droits has received a large number of complaints from people who are no longer able to complete the steps required to obtain a residence permit or to receive a response within a normal timeframe, even for a simple renewal," said its report.

"The service is failing to deliver on its promise to simplify administrative procedures," the report added. "The tool suffers from a number of limitations that affect both the submission and processing of applications."

The Défenseur's analysis highlighted persistent technical problems, patchy deployment and lack of information for users as well as lack of flexibility for completing or modifying a submitted application.

"The delegates of the Défenseur are confronted on a daily basis with situations of unacceptable denial of rights.

"The risk is that people who are prevented from accessing or completing a procedure may end up with no proof of their right to residency."

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The loss of this right, says the Défenseur's report, can lead to the loss of the right to work, loss of employment, suspension of social benefits, eviction or difficulties accessing healthcare.

Despite several meetings with officials from the Interior Ministry, the rights groups say there has been no progress in the quest for a swift resolution.

Sylvestre Wozniak, the managing director of Forum Réfugiés, added: "Every day, the Anef malfunctions are having an impact on people who are protected under the asylum system and who, as a result, are confronted with sudden disruptions in their path to employment or in their efforts to access housing. The aim of this appeal is to put an end to this obstacle."

Climate-hit citizens launch legal challenge against French state

Fourteen people in France – backed by major environmental groups – have taken legal steps against the government for failing to protect the population from the effects of climate change. It’s the first case of its kind in the EU focused not on reducing emissions, but on adaptation – the real-world consequences people are already facing.


Issued on: 08/04/2025 - RFI

The town hall square of flooded Arques, in northern France, on 4 January 2024. Extreme weather like flooding is central to a new lawsuit against the French state. AFP - DENIS CHARLET

The lawsuit targets France’s third National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, known as Pnacc-3. Finalised on 10 March, it sets out 52 measures meant to prepare the country for a potential 4C temperature rise by 2100.

But critics say the measure falls far short of what’s needed.

“The content of this plan is largely insufficient,” the plaintiffs argue in a legal notice was sent to the government on Tuesday. “It does not effectively or fairly protect populations exposed to climate risks and does not guarantee funding that matches the challenges.”

‘It’s slowly killing us’

One of the plaintiffs is Salma Chaoui. In 2018, she moved into social housing in Paris with her younger brother and 53-year-old mother.

Mould soon appeared on the walls. Their landlord Paris Habitat – the public body that manages much of the city’s social housing – told them to air out the flat more. That didn’t work, so Salma tried renovations herself – also without success.

“There is a feeling of injustice and serious consequences for our health,” she told RFI.

“My little brother has a chronic disease, one of the causes of which is the presence of fungi, and climate change only reinforces the presence of these moulds. The more it rains, the hotter it gets, and the more moulds develop. It’s slowly killing us.”

Chaoui’s family has already taken Paris Habitat to court over poor insulation.

Environmental groups behind the case say their situation reflects how climate change is hitting those already in fragile housing and health situations the hardest.

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A growing coalition

Thirteen others have joined the lawsuit including five individuals, six members of local groups such as Locataires Ensemble (Tenants Together) and Urgence Maisons Fissurées (Emergency Cracked Houses), and three major NGOs – Greenpeace France, Oxfam France and Notre Affaire à Tous (Our Shared Responsibility).

These organisations also led the landmark “case of the century” climate lawsuit, launched in 2019 after a petition gathered over two million signatures in just one week.

In 2021, France’s administrative court found the state at fault for failing to meet its emissions targets and ordered it to take “all useful measures” to fix the damage.

The NGOs say it still hasn’t followed through.

Now attention is turning to the damage already being done – and what the state is doing, or failing to do, to protect people from it.
Floods, mould, heatwaves

The lawsuit highlights a wide range of risks. Farmer Jérôme Sergent, 43, saw his land flooded eight times during the winter of 2023-2024.

Across France, homes are cracking due to the expansion and contraction of clay soil – an issue that could affect 54 percent of houses, according to France Assureurs, the national federation of insurance companies.

Meanwhile people living in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte are facing water shortages. “The taps are dry,” said Racha Mousdikoudine from the group Mayotte a Soif (Mayotte is Thirsty).

A 2023 study by the Foundation for the Housing of the Disadvantaged (formerly the Abbé Pierre Foundation) found that 55 percent of people in France had experienced uncomfortably high temperatures inside their homes – and one in four said it happened regularly.

Landmark lawsuit finds France guilty of climate failures

But most state policies still focus on keeping homes warm in winter. The foundation is calling for a “heatwave plan” to deal with worsening summer conditions.

The heat is a serious health risk for Jean-Raoul Plaussu-Monteil, a 45-year-old engineer in Isère, a department in the French Alps, who has epilepsy.

“Sleep is very important for dealing with epilepsy. But during heatwaves, sleep is greatly impaired,” he told journalists.

“We end up with avalanches of seizures that are much more difficult to control. There are also lesser known phenomena, such as sodium deficiency when you sweat profusely, which also triggers seizures.”

Roughly 600,000 people in France live with epilepsy. Many don’t drive, meaning they often live in cities where urban heat is worst.

“They suffer more from global warming even though they’re less responsible for it,” said Plaussu-Monteil.
Plan ‘inadequate’

The plaintiffs are not seeking compensation. They want the government to rewrite the Pnacc-3 and introduce effective, properly funded measures to protect people.

Official figures from 2016 said climate risks affected six in 10 people in France. That was nearly a decade ago – and temperatures have continued to climb.

France’s Court of Accounts has criticised the government for failing to act as a climate strategy leader. In a report last year, it said the state had not set clear targets or a path to reach them – one of the key roles of the adaptation plan.

The High Council for the Climate, an independent advisory body, echoed that criticism last month in its review of Pnacc-3.

“France is not yet ready to face the impacts of climate change,” it said, pointing to “a gap between the measures taken to deal with the impacts of climate change and adaptation needs”.

Council president Jean-François Soussana said the government is focusing on small adjustments when what is needed are “system transformations”. He added: “The Pnacc does not adequately address the needs of vulnerable categories – low-income households, elderly people, disabled people, children – who do not have the means to adapt to warming.”

Campaigners hail move to prosecute owners of French steelworks over pollution

Growing risks

Of the plan’s 310 proposed actions, only 48 have any kind of cost estimate. Some of the biggest risks – such as flooding – have no budget assigned at all.

“Most measures remain at the diagnostic stage,” said the NGOs behind the case.

“Paradoxically through a lack of adaptation and necessary and urgent investments, we will incur gigantic expenses in the decades to come. I find that slightly unfair for future generations,” Plaussu-Monteil added.

The 161-page legal notice was sent to the government on 8 April. Officials now have two months to respond.

If the plaintiffs find the reply insufficient – which is expected – they will file a case with France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil d’État, or Council of State.

They’re not asking for money. They want action – to protect people in France not just from future climate threats, but from the dangers already here.

This story has been adapted from the original version in French by RFI's Géraud Bosman-Delzons

Global executions on the rise as African states rethink capital punishment

While much of the world has left capital punishment behind, the most recent report by Amnesty International shows executions last year reached their highest level globally in almost a decade, while a number of African nations are considering reintroducing the death penalty.


Issued on: 09/04/2025 - RFI

As worldwide use of the death penalty reaches its highest level in almost a decade, plans by several African governments to reinstate executions are drawing criticism. 

© Amnesty International


A surge in executions, as reported by Amnesty International, has renewed debate over the death penalty – particularly in African nations including Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where governments are considering reintroducing capital punishment.

Human rights advocates warn this move could reverse years of progress in regions already grappling with fragile justice systems.

According to Amnesty International’s 2024 report, released on Tuesday, the number of people executed last year reached 1,518 – the highest number since 2015.

While most took place in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the announcement that several African states are considering bringing back the death penalty has raised alarm among campaigners.

The DRC is proposing introducing executions for ordinary crimes, and the ruling military junta in Burkina Faso has announced similar intentions.

These discussions come as Amnesty warns that some regimes are "weaponising" capital punishment in order to stifle dissent, target minorities or enforce political control – trends that observers fear could be replicated if these African states move forward with their plans.


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'Most cruel of punishments'

“The death penalty is an abhorrent crime with no place in today's world,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary-general.

“Those who dare challenge authorities have faced the most cruel of punishments – particularly in Iran and Saudi Arabia – with the death penalty used to silence those brave enough to speak out.”

Amnesty’s report paints a grim picture of how capital punishment is being misused. Iran was responsible for 64 percent of all known executions last year, many of which were linked to protests or involved vulnerable individuals.

Saudi Arabia doubled its executions from the previous year, often using beheading. Those sentenced to death included political dissidents and members of the Shiite minority.

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Miscarriage of justice fears

The potential reintroduction of the death penalty in parts of Africa has prompted broader concern over the continent’s human rights record as a whole.

In countries where the rule of law is often inconsistent and corruption widespread, rights groups warn that innocent people are especially vulnerable.

While 145 countries globally have either abolished or stopped using the death penalty, several African nations continue to implement it. Botswana, Egypt and Somalia are among those actively using capital punishment.

In 2024, Egypt carried out executions in complete secrecy, making it difficult to assess the true scope of the practice.

Nigeria’s possible reintroduction of capital punishment for drug-related offences is also under scrutiny. Amnesty notes that more than 40 percent of executions worldwide are linked to drug crimes – with Iran, China and Singapore among the main offenders.

Under international humanitarian law, drug offences do not meet the criteria of the “most serious crimes” – such as murder – warranting the death penalty.

This legal standard is crucial in Africa, where under-resourced judicial systems and lack of access to fair trials frequently lead to miscarriages of justice. In Nigeria, reports of torture and coerced confessions persist, raising questions about the state's ability to administer irreversible sentences responsibly.

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While some governments argue that the death penalty is a necessary deterrent in the face of rising crime or terrorism, many civil society organisations, both local and international, argue there is little evidence that capital punishment reduces crime more effectively.

Across Africa, a slow but steady trend towards abolition had been under way. Chad abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 2020, with Sierra Leone and Malawi following suit in 2021 – with the latter's Supreme Court citing its incompatibility with human rights principles.