Scientists uncover key to decoupling economic growth from pollution in developing countries

New mathematical framework shows the compatibility between economic growth and environmental sustainability in developing countries using the kindergarten rule

Tokyo University of Science

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This plot, derived using a specific configuration with the public goods model, shows the minimum GDP per capita threshold to implement a zero-emissions policy (in red) and the GDP per capita when the labor income tax rate that maximizes the growth rate of GDP per capita is selected (in blue). The intersection between these two functions implies that the threshold to successfully implement a zero-emissions policy can be reached in finite time.

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Credit: Professor Hideo Noda from Tokyo University of Science, Japan Image link: https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S0217590825500304

Balancing environmental conservation with economic progress is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. This is particularly difficult for many developing countries, which urgently need to lift their populations out of poverty while grappling with the increasing degradation of their environment. Unfortunately, a common belief is that these nations have to choose between economic growth and a clean environment—a situation made more complex by their reliance on foreign aid.

While the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provide a global roadmap for tackling such issues, a theoretical understanding of how developing countries can actually achieve these goals is missing. Specifically, there’s no robust theoretical framework to analyze how foreign aid can be strategically leveraged to simultaneously achieve economic progress and environmental sustainability.

Now, a recent study published online in the journal The Singapore Economic Review on August 06, 2025, provides this much-needed framework. The research was led by Professor Hideo Noda of the Faculty of Business Administration, Department of Business Economics at Tokyo University of Science (TUS), Japan, and co-authored by Ms. Fengqi Fang, a PhD candidate in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business Administration at TUS. “This work is related to a 2021 study by Noda and Kano, who demonstrated that zero-emissions policies and sustainable economic growth are theoretically compatible. However, their model assumed developed countries with mature, innovation-driven, knowledge-based economies,” explains Prof. Noda. “Therefore, the motivation for our study was to prove that zero-emissions policies and sustainable economic growth are compatible even in developing countries that rely on official development assistance for a significant portion of their government revenue.” Thus, this study is positioned as a continuation of the study by Noda and Kano (2021).

To explore this complex problem, the researchers constructed two types of economic growth models: a public goods model and a congestion model. The public goods model assumes that government services like infrastructure or education are freely available to everyone without competition. In contrast, the congestion model takes into account how an increase in a country’s population can reduce the effectiveness of public services.

These two models allowed the researchers to analyze and simulate different economic scenarios in developing nations. Their goal was to understand the conditions under which a government could successfully implement a ‘zero-emissions policy’—a policy that reduces net pollution emissions to zero. The study also examined if such a policy could be compatible with sustained economic growth. The researchers then compared the results from both models to see how the presence of congestion in public services might affect a country’s ability to achieve these goals.

Overall, the study’s findings are optimistic and offer a clear path forward. Both models suggest that a zero-emissions policy and sustainable economic growth are compatible in developing countries receiving foreign aid. However, this requires a developing country’s gross domestic product per person to surpass a specific minimum threshold to successfully implement the zero-emissions policy. The researchers called this threshold the ‘kindergarten rule level of pollution abatement,’ referencing a basic principle commonly taught in kindergarten: “if you make a mess, clean it up yourself.”

This important threshold depends on several factors, including the level of clean technology available in the country, population size, the amount of foreign aid received, and how much of that aid is specifically designated for environmental protection. Interestingly, the research shows that countries with better clean technology or larger populations can achieve zero emissions at lower income levels. Notably, the mathematical models revealed that when governments set effective tax policies to boost economic growth, countries can reach the necessary income threshold in finite time. The researchers verified this via numerical simulations, using real-world parameters.

The findings underscore the importance of foreign aid as a catalyst for the transformations needed and suggest ways to accelerate these processes. For example, receiving countries should prioritize using foreign aid to invest in cleaner production technology, whereas donor countries could allocate a larger portion of their aid specifically to environmental programs and clean-tech development.

 “Our research will help people in developing countries who believe that it is difficult to achieve both environmental conservation and economic growth," concludes Prof. Noda. “I hope this will be an opportunity to change the mindset of such people.”

 

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Reference                     
DOI: 10.1142/S0217590825500304

 

 

About The Tokyo University of Science
Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators.

With a mission of “Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society," TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/

 

About Professor Hideo Noda from Tokyo University of Science
Dr. Hideo Noda obtained a PhD and a Master’s degree in Economics from Kyushu University. He joined TUS in 2013, where he currently serves as Professor at the Department of Business Economics, Faculty of Business Administration. His research focuses on the mechanisms of economic growth and business cycles, zero-emissions policies, and work-life balance. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers on these topics with more than 100 citations. He has been awarded the “Best Poster Award” in 2015.

 

Funding information
This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (20K01639) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Journal

The Singapore Economic Review

DOI

10.1142/S0217590825500304 

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Zero-emissions Policy and Sustainable Economic Growth in Developing Countries Receiving Foreign Aid

Seaweed snare: Sargassum stops sea turtle hatchlings in their tracks

Florida Atlantic University

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A sea turtle hatchling crawls over sargassum on Juno Beach in July 2021.

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Credit: Abbey M. Appelt, Florida Atlantic University

Every year, sea turtles hatch on Florida’s beaches and make their way from the sand to the ocean – a critical journey that determines their chances of survival. As these hatchlings navigate obstacles such as artificial lights, beach debris and predators like birds and crabs, a new hazard looms. Sargassum seaweed washing up on Florida’s shores in record amounts is more than just a nuisance for beachgoers – it’s becoming a serious threat to vulnerable sea turtle hatchlings.

While it’s long been known that obstacles on the beach can slow down hatchlings and put them at risk, little research has focused specifically on the impact of sargassum. A new study is beginning to fill that gap. 

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science set out to explore whether sargassum buildup makes it more physically demanding for hatchlings to crawl to the ocean – and whether that added effort could affect their survival.

The study focused on three common species in Florida: leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerheads (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from three beaches – Juno Beach, Jupiter and Boca Raton.

Researchers created controlled crawlways on the sand to simulate a hatchling’s natural path to the water, adding loose mats of sargassum up to 19 centimeters high (about 7.5 inches) at the end of a 15-meter path. A dim light was placed several meters ahead to guide the hatchlings forward, simulating the natural light over the ocean that they instinctively follow. This method allowed them to directly measure the physical toll of crawling through sargassum and observe the hatchlings from a distance to avoid interfering with their natural behavior.

After completing the crawl, hatchlings had their blood glucose levels measured to assess energy use. Researchers also tested how quickly each turtle could flip itself upright when placed upside down in water – a simple test of physical condition. To account for environmental factors, researchers also recorded sand temperature at the beginning, middle and end of each crawl. 

Results of the study, published in the Journal of Coastal Research, reveal that all three species of hatchlings took significantly longer to complete their crawl when sargassum was present, and the time it took to climb up and over the seaweed piles was the primary reason. Even with the lower heights (7-9 centimeters) tested in the study, some hatchlings – across all three species – were unable to complete the climb within the time limit.

Based on median values, leatherbacks took 54% longer to crawl through light sargassum and 158% longer through heavy sargassum. Loggerheads were slowed by 91% in the light sargassum treatment and 175% in the heavy treatment. Green turtles also saw delays of 75% in light sargassum and 159% in heavy. The crawl speed decreased sharply for all species in sargassum sections, with loggerheads showing the most significant slowdown.

“The longer a hatchling stays on the beach, the more at risk it becomes – not just from predators like birds and crabs, but also from overheating and dehydration, especially after sunrise,” said Sarah Milton, Ph.D., senior author and chair and professor, FAU Department of Biological Sciences. “When sargassum piles are higher – some can be over a meter high on South Florida beaches in the summer and extend for hundreds of meters down the beach – we can expect more failed attempts, particularly when hatchlings have to cross multiple bands of seaweed just to reach the ocean.”

The study also found that hatchlings often flipped upside down – referred to as “inversions,” while trying to climb the sargassum, especially in the heavy coverage trials. One hatchling flipped more than 20 times in a single trial. These inversions not only extended the time hatchlings spent on the beach but also increased their risk of predation and heat exposure.

Interestingly, despite these delays and the physical challenges of navigating the seaweed, the study found no significant differences in blood glucose levels between the hatchlings that crawled through sargassum and those that didn’t, across all three species. Glucose concentrations remained within expected ranges, suggesting that while the added obstacle increased the effort and risk, it didn’t immediately deplete their measurable energy stores. Only leatherbacks in the no-crawl control group had noticeably higher glucose levels, indicating that the act of crawling in general, rather than the sargassum itself, has the stronger physiological impact – at least in the short term.

“For sea turtle hatchlings, reaching the ocean is already a race against time – and survival. Now, increasingly large mats of sargassum are adding new challenges to this critical journey,” said Milton. “As these seaweed accumulations grow taller and more widespread, they risk blocking hatchlings entirely, draining their limited energy or leaving them stranded. Beyond impeding movement, sargassum may also reduce nesting space and alter incubation conditions.”

This growing issue calls for smarter, more responsive beach management strategies. Without action, these dense mats could quietly undermine hatchling success and, ultimately, long-term conservation goals.

Study co-author is Abbey M. Appelt, a graduate of the FAU Department of Biological Sciences and a sea turtle nesting specialist at Ecological Associates, Inc., a South Florida environmental consulting firm.

- FAU -

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University serves more than 32,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the Southeast Florida coast. It is one of only 21 institutions in the country designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an “R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production” university and an “Opportunity College and University” for providing greater access to higher education as well as higher earnings for students after graduation. In 2025, Florida Atlantic was nationally recognized as a Top 25 Best-In-Class College and as “one of the country’s most effective engines of upward mobility” by Washington Monthly magazine. Increasingly a first-choice university for students in both Florida and across the nation, Florida Atlantic welcomed its most academically competitive incoming class in the university’s history in Fall 2025. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

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Journal

Journal of Coastal Research

DOI

10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-24-00092.1 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Physiological Effects of Sargassum Beach Coverage on Three Species of Sea Turtle Hatchlings

A leatherback hatchling, which lacks claws on the front flippers and are longer with longer flippers than green or loggerhead hatchlings, had the most difficulty navigating over sargassum mats.




A green turtle hatchling crawling over sargassum on Juno Beach in July 2021.



A loggerhead hatchling crawling over sargassum on Juno Beach in July 2021.



Sargassum accumulations greater than 30 centimeters high are obstacles for sea turtle hatchlings crossing the beach. (Juno Beach, July 2021)

Extensive sargassum accumulated on a beach in Juno Beach in July 2021.


Credit
Abbey M. Appelt, Florida Atlantic University

How Malawi's first fully solar-powered village became a beacon for energy access

A community of nearly 9,000 homes in rural Malawi last month became the country’s first village to receive 100 percent universal access to solar power – a move that it is hoped could inspire change far beyond the region.


Issued on: 08/09/2025 - RFI

Thauzeni Chibweza lives in the village of Kasakula, Malawi, which has been connected to 100 percent solar power. © SolarAid for RFI

By: Melissa Chemam

Kasakula received universal access to solar power through an award-winning energy model from SolarAid, a small international charity, which chose the remote, low-income village to pilot its Energy-as-a-Service model.

It means that, since the last week of August, it has become 100 percent powered by solar energy, and almost all of its 8 to 9 000 households have access to this solar powered electricity.

Malawi’s government is now keen to roll out access across the country, setting a precedent for Africa.

Kenedy Buleya outside his home in Kasakula, Malawi, enjoying the light provided by SolarAir, on 26 August 2025. © SolarAid for RFI

Kasakula residents used to live off-grid, relying on candles and a few lamps, says Brave Mhonie, SolarAid Malawi general manager and president of Renewable Energy Industries Association of Malawi.

"We are kind of living the dream, a global dream of universal energy access," Mhonie told RFI.

"We're achieving our SDG 7 [Sustainable Development Goal 7] by 2030. [But] as a sector, we are behind our global goals for various reasons, one being poverty. The majority of customers who are being left behind is because they are very poor."

Sustainable Development Goal 7 is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. It aims to "ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all".

SolarAid's Brave Mhonie with Chief Kasakula, in Malawi, in August 2025. © SolarAid for RFI

"What we wanted was to develop a model that enables universal energy access while being sustainable," Mhonie said.

"And realising that dream that we have actually connected the entire community, which will act as a blueprint to others to also learn and understand how it can actually be done. So for us, it's not just a celebration belonging to SolarAid."

The programme has been pushing the grid to go into the remotest areas, but this grid has got limitation as to how many people can be connected to it and how far it can go for proper maintenance.

SolarAid's model started by integrating into what the government is already doing, then by extending power coverage, to connect people and make sure that everyone in the area is actually powered with electricity, according to Mhonie.

"We are talking of about 32,000 individuals," Mohnie said.

They also got involved in this business model.

"We put the community itself at the centre stage of the implementation and delivery of the business activities," he added.

Kasakula, Malawi, is a 3-hour drive north of the capital, Lilongwe. © SolarAid for RFI

Changing lives

These changes impact directly the life of people in the village; they improved the way people work, and security at night, and the way they communicate with each other.

"In general, we can see quite a big shift in terms of impact, on opening business opportunities, for instance," Mhonie said. "We have some people like tailors using the light to continue working at night, which they never used to do before. We have got some people who own small shops. Again, they are connected and they are extending their working hours."

Ethel Botomani, working later in the day at her workshop, thanks to solar lamps in Kasakula, Malawi, in August 2025. © SolarAid for RFI


SolarAid also connected 12 schools in the area, ten primary schools and two secondary schools. "Learners are now coming to the school at night to have extra lessons from their teachers as well as are studying, especially during the exam time.

One of the greatest stories that Mhonie has observed so far is its impact on the girls.

"Previously the area, the performance of girls was very low. When we did a survey, we realised that, when the school organises these extra lessons or night studies at school, before we brought in the electricity, it was very difficult for the girls because they couldn't go to school at night, for obvious reasons, they are so vulnerable."

So, they were forced to stay at home, while boys were going to school at night to have extra lessons and to study.

"Now that we have connected more or less every, household, the girls are having access to electricity in their respective homes don't have to go anywhere. And that also has created them to have opportunity to read at night and putting them at the same level as the boys in terms of opportunities."

There is also one health facility in the area, which is connected to grid, but it is not reliable.

"So at night nurses and midwives were finding it difficult to deliver women at night, when the facility had no electricity. They approached us to connect them to an alternative electricity and a backup to the grid. Now the solar is having more impact on women's health at night."

National expansion

Kasakula's governance structure involves traditional chiefs

Now, the team behind the project is working very closely with the traditional authorities, the chiefs, on consumer education about clean renewable energy and how it actually works, and to teach them about their responsibility in looking after the products.

"We work very closely with the local chiefs to to educate the consumers."

Spotlight on Africa podcast: Malawi’s first solar-powered village

The community is at the centre stage of delivering this work.

"All the success that we are celebrating today is because of a very strong, cohesive, ah, collaboration with the community members themselves."

And other villages could learn from that experience, in Malawi and beyond.

"Our intention is to do something that actually inspires others to also stand up and take action. We know that people want to see solutions coming out, but probably no one has spearheaded with a bold move to take that level of action. So, what we are expecting is that other communities will be inspired by it, and will also take action."

The charity and its partners are now working with the government to make sure that it has a good knowledge of what is happening, so they can take this model and incorporate it into its rural electrification further into the country.

"We have already received requests from other chiefs wanting us to go into their villages as well to do it, from other organisations that are also interested in rural electrification, coming to seek support on how we can work with them to help."

The enterprise SunnyMoney and the Swedish NGO Postcode Foundation are also helping in one of the districts down south in Malawi, where a similar project has also been set up at a smaller scale.

Another community group in the eastern part of the country is also working on making solar power happen, as well as a local Catholic church and church members, willing to receive electricity in their homes.

"So it's something that indeed can be replicated in other areas quite easily," Mhoni concluded.

 

UN urges nations to submit overdue climate plans 'as soon as possible' ahead of COP30

Copyright AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

By Euronews Green

Published on 04/09/2025 - 

Most parties, including the EU, missed the February deadline to submit new climate plans, and pressure is mounting as the UN climate summit approaches.

The UN has urged countries to submit their already late national climate plans this month.

Known as Nationally Determined Contributions, these national blueprints are required under the Paris Agreement and were due this year. They should outline how each country is expecting to cut emissions by 2035.

In a letter to nearly 200 countries, UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged countries to submit their plans "as soon as possible".

Related

Most countries missed the deadline in February this year, and six months later, many major polluters have yet to submit their updates. This includes the EU, which has delayed its submission due to negotiations around the bloc's 2040 climate target, which will likely shape its plan.

Countries, including France and Poland, have called for delays in approving the legally binding 2040 goal. This week, France demanded that negotiations on the target be escalated to national leaders rather than being decided by climate ministers, which could further stall a deal.

The UN has asked countries to submit their NDCs during September so that their efforts can be assessed before the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November.

Countries urged to submit climate plans 'as soon as possible'

"These national climate plans are much more than words on paper; they are among this century’s most powerful engines of economic growth and rising living standards, and the cornerstone of humanity's fight against the global climate crisis," Stiell wrote in a letter.

The UN climate chief commended those nations that have already submitted their NDCS, saying that those with strong new plans were "on their way to securing the biggest share of the clean energy boom".

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The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is supposed to conduct its new review of commitments in a report that needs to be ready by COP30.

Plans that are submitted by the end of September will make it into this "important update", Stiell wrote. He encouraged world leaders to use the UN General Assembly on 24 September in New York as a platform to announce their new policies.

Millions hit as London Underground train workers strike

London (AFP) – Rush-hour commuters faced chaos Monday as staff on the London Underground train network staged a five-day strike, shutting stations and forcing people to work from home or use alternative modes of transport.


Issued on: 08/09/2025 - RFI

Pedestrians pass a closed entrance to London Bridge Underground Station

 © CARLOS JASSO / AFP


Thousands queued to try and get on crammed buses while others reluctantly walked or cycled.

Transport for London (TfL), which manages the Underground, also known as the Tube, warned there would be little or no service between Monday and Thursday as a result of the first major strike in more than two years.

Lauren, 53, a construction sector admin worker, told AFP she was having to walk a couple of kilometres to work in central London instead of catching her usual Tube train.

"It's a real inconvenience. I'm not sympathetic (to train drivers). They should get back to work," she said.


The RMT trade union called the strike on the Tube -- which carries up to five million passengers a day -- as they battle to secure better pay and conditions.

Drivers are striking along with signalling and maintenance workers after having rejected TfL's proposal for a 3.4-percent pay rise.

Workers are also demanding a reduction in their hours.

"We are not going on strike to disrupt small businesses or the public," said an RMT spokesman.

"This strike is going ahead because of the intransigent approach of TfL management and their refusal to even consider a small reduction in the working week," he added.
Concert postponed

TfL said it was "bitterly disappointed" that the strikes were going ahead.

Commuters throng London Bridge as most of the city's Underground services were suspended during strike action © CARLOS JASSO / AFP

"We have been clear that their demand for a reduction in the working week is unaffordable and impractical," said Claire Mann, TfL's Chief Operating Officer.

Concert organisers were forced to postpone two shows by American singer Post Malone, scheduled for Sunday and Monday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Without a Tube service, it's impossible to get people to the concert and home again safely," Live Nation UK posted on X.

Trains on other networks were running Monday, but often with disruption as overcrowding concerns meant services did not always stop at stations shared with Underground lines.

Amita, a public sector worker in regulation, said she had taken her usual commuter train to the central London Bridge Station but faced a further 45-minute walk to get to her office.

"We've all got a job to do. I have a public-sector job and I get very minimal pay rises," she told AFP.

Seventeen-year-old student Aida was trying to make her first day at college.

"I'm going to be late and I'm on a disciplinary, which is like if I miss or get a late I'm going to get kicked off my course," she said.

It is the first major Tube strike to take place under the Labour government of Keir Starmer, who became prime minister in July last year.

His government is already languishing in the polls and suffered a serious blow last week when deputy prime minister Angela Rayner was forced to quit after underpaying tax on her new house.

© 2025 AFP

At least 10 killed in Nepal protest over social media ban

Kathmandu (AFP) – At least 10 protesters were killed Monday after Nepal police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators in Kathmandu demanding the government lift its ban on social media and tackle corruption.

Issued on: 08/09/2025 - RFI

]

Nepal police and demonstrators clashed during protests against a government ban on social media sites © Prabin RANABHAT / AFP

Several social media sites -- including Facebook, YouTube and X -- have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms, leaving users angry and confused.

"Until now 10 protesters have died and 87 are injured," Shekhar Khanal, spokesman for the Kathmandu valley police, told AFP.

"The crowds are still in the streets".

Many of the injured were being treated at the nearby Civil Hospital, according to its information officer Ranjana Nepal.

"I have never seen such a disturbing situation at the hospital," she told AFP.

"Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work".

Waving national flags, young demonstrators in the capital Kathmandu started the protest with the national anthem before unleashing chants against the social media prohibitions and corruption.

The crowd swelled as it crossed into a restricted area close to the parliament, and pushed through barbed wire.

Violence erupted in the streets as police baton-charged protesters, some of whom climbed over the wall into the parliament premises.

The district administration imposed a curfew in several key areas of the city, including the parliament, the president's residence and Singha Durbar, which houses the prime minister's office.

Similar protests were organised in other districts across the country.

Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.

"We were triggered by the social media ban but that is not the only reason we are gathered here," said student Yujan Rajbhandari, 24.
'We want to see change'

"We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal."

Another student, Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting against the "authoritarian attitude" of the government.

Protesters gather outside parliament in Kathmandu, with similar demonstrations in other parts of the country © Prabin RANABHAT / AFP

"We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation," she told AFP.

Since the ban, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which is still operating.

"There have been movements abroad against corruption and they (the government) are afraid that might happen here as well," said protester Bhumika Bharati.

The cabinet decided last month to give the affected companies seven days to register in Nepal, establish a point of contact and designate a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer.

The decision came after a Supreme Court order in September last year.

In a statement on Sunday, the government said it respected freedom of thought and expression and was committed to "creating an environment for their protection and unfettered use".

The government blocked access to the Telegram messaging app in July, citing a rise in online fraud and money laundering.

It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok in August last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.

© 2025 AFP

 

French actress Adèle Haenel joins the Global Sumud flotilla to Gaza from Tunis

Copyright AP Photo

By David Mouriquand

Published on 05/09/2025 -

The celebrated French actress, who announced two years ago that she was stepping away from the world of film for “political reasons”, has said she will set sail for the Gaza Strip from Tunis aboard the Global Sumud flotilla - the biggest attempt yet to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

French actress Adèle Haenel has announced that she will set sail for the Gaza Strip from Tunis aboard the Global Sumud flotilla. 

The ships of the Global Sumud Flotilla (‘sumud’ means ‘resilience’ in Arabic) are scheduled to reach Gaza mid-September to deliver humanitarian aid, after two attempts were blocked by Israel in June and July. 

“At this dramatic moment in history, I decided to board one of the ships participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission,” explained actress and activist. “Our goal is to bring food and medicine to the people of Gaza, who are suffering from a famine deliberately orchestrated by the Israeli government,” she denounced. 

Haenel, who rose to fame in the critically acclaimed films Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Deerskin, arrived in Tunisia last weekend and took part in two days of training to prepare for the operation. 

“We are united by the desire to act peacefully to open a humanitarian corridor and break the illegal blockade imposed by the Israeli state on Gaza,” added the actress. 

More than a hundred people are expected to embark from Tunisia on Sunday. Initially planned for last Thursday, the departure was postponed due to weather conditions and delays affecting the flotilla that left Barcelona. 

Among the activists from dozens of countries on board the flotilla's ships are Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, as well as European elected officials like La France Insoumise MEP Emma Fourreau and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.  

Haenel, 36, made her mark on the French film world by storming out of the 45th César Awards ceremony in 2020, outraged by the awarding of an honour to Roman Polanski, who has been accused of rape and sexual assault by several women. 

In 2023, the actress announced she was stepping away from the world of film for “political reasons”, sending a letter to French magazine Télérama in which she explained her reasons, denouncing the “general complacency” toward “sexual aggressors” like Gérard Depardieu and Roman Polanski. 

“I decided to politicise my retirement from cinema to denounce the general complacency of the profession towards sexual aggressors and more generally the way in which this sphere collaborates with the mortal, ecocidal, racist order of the world such as it is,” she wrote. 

The actress had previously shared that she had been abused by the director Christophe Ruggia between the ages of 12 and 15, added that the French film industry had reacted with indifference to #MeToo accusations. 

Demonstration in support of Palestinians and the Global Sumud Flottilla, Milan, Italy - Wednesday 3 September 2025 AP Photo

Last month, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification announced that people in the Gaza Strip are officially facing “a man-made” famine in the territory – despite what the Israeli government has said.  

Since Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, multiple UN human rights experts have stated that Israel’s military actions in Gaza amount to genocide, with the International Court of Justice finding claims of genocide plausible. 

Israel has rejected the genocide accusations and maintain that its operations are lawful acts of self-defence.

Spain, Israel spar after Madrid moves 'to stop Gaza genocide'

Madrid (AFP) – Israel on Monday accused Spain of antisemitism and barred two government ministers from entry after Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez announced measures aimed at stopping what he called "the genocide in Gaza".


Issued on: 08/09/2025 - FRANCE24

Sanchez is an outspoken critic of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza 

© HANDOUT / LA MONCLOA/AFP


The spat marks a new low in relations over the devastating Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory, launched after an unprecedented Hamas attack in Israel in 2023.

Sanchez, one of the most virulent critics of Israel's military campaign, said the nine measures aimed to "stop the genocide in Gaza, pursue its perpetrators and support the Palestinian population".

The Socialist prime minister said his government would approve a decree to "consolidate in law" a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel, a measure it had applied since the start of the conflict.

Boats carrying fuel destined for the Israeli military will be barred from Spanish ports and Spain will act to reduce the transport of military equipment to Israel by air, Sanchez said in a televised address.

"All those people participating directly in the genocide, the violation of human rights and war crimes in the Gaza Strip" will be banned from entering Spanish territory, he added.

Spain will also ban the importation of products from "illegal settlements" in the occupied Palestinian territories with the aim of stopping "the forced displacement of the Palestinian population" and keeping alive the two-state solution, Sanchez continued.

Consular services for Spanish citizens residing in those settlements will be limited "to the legally obligatory minimum assistance", he said.

Sanchez also announced new collaboration projects in agriculture, food security and medical aid to support the Palestinian Authority and additional humanitarian funds for Palestinians.

'Divert attention'

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar lashed out at Spain after the announcement, accusing Sanchez on X of trying "to divert attention from serious corruption scandals through a continuous anti-Israel and antisemitic campaign".

Saar announced that Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, both members of the Socialists' far-left junior coalition partner Sumar, would be banned from entering Israel.

"Today we put a red line here, demonstrating we will not take it from them anymore," Saar added during a press conference in Budapest with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto.

The Spanish foreign ministry responded that it "strongly rejects the false and slanderous accusations of antisemitism" as well as the entry bans on Diaz and Rego.

"Spain will not be intimidated in its defence of peace, international law and human rights," it added in a statement.

Diaz said on social network Bluesky that it was a cause for "pride that a state that perpetrates a genocide denies us entry", calling for the withdrawal of the Spanish ambassador from Israel.

Sanchez is the most senior European leader to refer to the conflict as a "genocide".

His government broke with European Union allies last year by recognising a Palestinian state, infuriating Israel.

The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

Palestinian militants also seized 251 hostages on that day, with the Israeli military saying 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 believed to be dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,522 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

© 2025 AFP

Spain rejects Israel's accusations of anti-Semitism as unfounded

Spain forcefully rejected Israeli accusations of anti-Semitism as "false and slanderous", after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unveiled new measures targeting Israel over its war in Gaza, including an arms embargo and port restrictions.


Issued on: 08/09/2025 - 
By: FRANCE 24

Spain said Monday it "strongly rejects the false and slanderous accusations of antisemitism" made by Israel after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced nine measures aimed at stopping what he called "the genocide in Gaza".

The foreign ministry also condemned Israel for barring two far-left government ministers from entering the country, saying Spain "would not be intimidated in its defence of peace, international law and human rights".

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X that Sanchez's criticism of the war was an attempt "to divert attention from serious corruption scandals through a continuous anti-Israel and antisemitic campaign".

Saar also announced entry bans on Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, both members of the far-left Sumar group that is the junior partner of Sanchez's coalition government.

Rego is of Palestinian descent on her father's side and spent part of her early childhood in the occupied West Bank.

Among the measures announced by Sanchez was an arms embargo on Israel and a ban on vessels carrying fuel for the Israeli military from using Spanish ports.

Spain is one of the most outspoken European critics of Israel's devastating war in Gaza, which was sparked by the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and recognised a Palestinian state last year.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)