Why Spain is offering amnesty to 500,000 undocumented migrants

As countries on both sides of the Atlantic ramp up deportations of undocumented migrants, Spain’s left-wing government is preparing to give legal status to hundreds of thousands of irregular workers. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has championed the amnesty as a way to not only give informal workers legal protections, but to also bring more money into a social security system increasingly under stress by the country's ageing population.


Issued on: 28/01/2026 
FRANCE24
By: Paul MILLAR

Spanish shepherd Ãlvaro Esteban and Sudanese shepherd Osam Abdulmumen head to gather a sheep herd in Los Cortijos, central Spain © Bernat Armangue, AP

With a few scratches of a pen, Spain’s Socialist-led government is preparing to grant legal status to roughly half a million people now living and working in the country without documentation.

Foreign nationals with clean criminal records who arrived before the end of 2025, and who can prove they’ve lived in Spain for at least five months, will soon be eligible for renewable one-year residence permits. People who applied for asylum in the country before December 31 will also be able to apply. Migration Minister Elma Saiz said Tuesday that she expects applications to open April through June.

This extraordinary mass regularisation – the first in Spain in more than 20 years – was born from a citizen-backed proposal signed by some 700,000 people and supported by hundreds of civil society groups, including the Catholic Church.

While most immigrants in Spain have legal status, the country’s booming economy has also drawn hundreds of thousands of largely working-age people from across the world to work in the country’s underground economy. Undocumented migrants work on construction sites, on farms, in shops and restaurants or in people's homes, cooking and cleaning and caring for children.

Spain bets on migration to drive economic growth, bucking European trend

FOCUS © FRANCE 24
04:36


The bulk of these workers come from the country’s former colonial holdings across Latin America and North Africa such as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and nearby Morocco.

And while footage of migrants scrambling over the barbed-wire fences surrounding Spain’s North African exclaves or lurching towards the Canary Islands in flimsy dinghies weigh heavily on the public imagination, the reality is usually less dramatic.

Most undocumented migrants are people who entered Spain legally, going on to overstay their visas and find cash-in-hand work in what has become known as the country’s “black economy”.

Bucking the trend

The decision sits in stark contrast to a hardening approach to irregular immigration that has flourished across Europe and the US in recent years as the far right gains ground.

Despite declining numbers of irregular arrivals, European Union states in December last year backed harsher migration measures that would allow rejected asylum seekers to be deported to offshore “return hubs” or countries with which they have no connection.

In France, last year’s figures show rising numbers of deportations paired with fewer cases of undocumented migrants being granted legal pathways to work.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has maintained that – far from being a drain on the country’s social services as critics claim – migrants play a crucial role in keeping the country’s welfare state standing. Bringing half a million workers into the formal economy, he argues, will only strengthen the country’s social security system.

Migration Policy Institute Europe deputy director Jasmijn Slootjes said that Spain’s decision was partly in response to fears that the ageing native-born population won’t be capable of sustaining the kind of workforce the country needs to thrive.

“If you look at the demographic decline, the fertility rate in Spain is the lowest in Europe – so it's really, really low,” she said.

“There were a lot of skill shortages, labour shortages, and de facto a lot of irregular migrants are working, although in informal work. And through regularising you can, of course, get more tax payments, and you also get better matching [to] their skills – because people can actually work at their skill level. So it’s a very pragmatic approach.”

She said that the Sanchez government – which announced this decision as part of a deal struck with its erstwhile coalition partners, the leftist PODEMOS party – was championing migration as a fundamental driver of the country’s flourishing economy.

Official data released on Tuesday indicated that 52,500 of the 76,200 people who raised employment numbers in the final quarter of 2025 were born overseas, with that same quarter marking Spain's lowest unemployment rate in 18 years.

“That’s really something that's being mentioned time and again – this link to the economy, maintaining social welfare access and a healthy, competitive country. That is really a core argument in all of this, and the evidence is indeed pointing that way,” Slootjes said.

“I think one quote of [Sanchez's] is very clear in clarifying their approach – he says, ‘Spain needs to choose between being an open and prosperous country, or a closed-off and poor country’,” she said.

Migrant deaths at Melilla border post: Three years on, truth remains elusive

Billet retour © France 24
16:51

Since the last mass regularisation in 2005 – the sixth such amnesty since the fall of the Franco dictatorship – Spain has pursued a less dramatic approach to undocumented migrants, offering them a step-by-step pathway over several years towards gaining a legal right to live, work and eventually become a Spanish citizen.
'Sanchez hates the Spanish people'

Despite a turbulent 20 years of boom and bust as Spain weathered the 2008 global financial crisis and then the Covid-19 pandemic, the country has largely avoided the rising anti-immigration sentiment that has pushed far-right parties into prominence – and sometimes power – across Europe and beyond.

That changed in 2018 with the arrival of Vox on the political scene. Born out of a broader backlash to Catalan separatism, the far-right party won the third-most seats in parliament in 2019 on an increasingly anti-immigration platform.

Unsurprisingly, Vox party leader Santiago Abascal was incensed by the announcement.

“The tyrant Sanchez hates the Spanish people. He wants to replace them,” he posted on social media, adding that Sanchez wants to "accelerate the invasion”, echoing oft-repeated right-wing narratives.

Abascal instead called for “remigration” – another far-right rallying cry that champions the mass deportation of people born overseas, sometimes including naturalised citizens.

READ MORESpain's far-right resurgence raises spectre of Franco 50 years after his death

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the conservative People’s Party – which oversaw several of the amnesties in previous decades – has also criticised the decision, as the party struggles to head off rising support for the anti-immigration Vox.
Support for immigration remains 'largely stable'

Slootjes said that while Spain was not immune from the rising tide of nativist sentiment, levels of anti-immigration feeling had not reached the same heights as in other parts of Europe.

“Spain is also witnessing similar trends that we’ve been seeing in other countries in Europe and also across the Atlantic, of course, which is this increasing restrictive narrative around migration and a rise of support for the far right,” she said.

“This is really a moment where Vox is very vocal and really pushing this issue. So for those who are anti-migrant and agree with them, of course this can bolster their support."

Spanish think-tank Funcas in May last year found that local support for immigration was among the highest in Europe, with just 28 percent of respondents favouring restricted immigration in 2024. Those attitudes appeared to endure even as the country reeled from mass unemployment in the wake of the 2008 crash.

"Even during years when unemployment exceeded 25 percent, support for immigration remained largely stable," the report said.

And with more and more countries across Europe facing similar demands for workers, giving those people already practicing their livelihoods without legal protections a pathway out of precarity could well be a way forward, she noted.

“It's food for thought for policymakers across Europe and across the world, especially as this competition for talent and skill shortages, and ageing and demographic decline are plaguing our economies and societies, and it will all ramp up,” she said. “So it's going to be interesting to see how this may become more of a tool in the future, maybe if the tides are shifting and Spain is really testing it out and really creating this evidence to build future policies on how to do it – and how to do it well.”

As Trump Terrorizes Immigrants, Spain Offers Permanent Residency for 500,000 People

Responding to the deadly US crackdown, one Spanish leftist leader said, “If they kidnap children and murder, we give papers.”


Immigrants and supporters march, shout slogans, and hold placards with messages including, “Borders Kill” and “We Are Reclaiming Human Rights,” during a July 1, 2022 protest in Madrid.
(Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)

Brett Wilkins
Jan 27, 2026
COMMON DREAMS

As President Donald Trump terrorizes immigrants and Americans alike with his deadly mass deportation blitz while warning European leaders to tighten their borders by raising the racist specter of “civilizational erasure,” Spain’s government is moving against the xenophobic tide by offering hundreds of thousands of migrants a chance at permanent legal residency.

The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the leftist Podemos party reached an agreement Monday following the collection of more than 700,000 petition signatures in favor of a legislative initiative to legalize up to 500,000 undocumented migrants.

‘A Travesty’: Trump Suspends Processing of Immigrant Visas From 75 Nations



Trump DHS Post Calling for ‘100 Million Deportations’ Suggests Intent to Kick Out Nonwhite Citizens

Those who can prove that they were in Spain for at least five months before December 31, 2025 and have no criminal record will be eligible for permanent legal residency with permission to work.

Spanish Migration Minister Elma Saiz (PSOE) said during a press conference that “today is a historic day” for starting the process of legalizing hundreds of thousands of immigrants in a country that has made great strides in overcoming its legacy of racism and xenophobia.

The far-right Vox party called the legalization plan “madness” that promotes “barbarity.”

However, Saiz said that legalization will help Spain “recognize, dignify, and give guarantees” to people who already live and work in the country.

“We’re reinforcing a migratory model based on human rights, on integration, and on coexistence that’s compatible with both economic growth and social cohesion,” she added.

Responding to arguments that legalizing so many migrants would severely strain Spain’s social safety net, Podemos Secretary General Ione Belarra said on social media, “What overwhelms public services are your cuts and privatizations.”

Belarra also said that some opponents of legalization are angry that they will no longer be able to exploit migrants by paying them less than legal workers.




Podemos Political Secretary Irene Montero said Tuesday that “we have a legal obligation to guarantee [migrant] rights and that is what this regularization is, which we hope will reach all the people without papers in Spain who were here before December 31, 2025.”

Spain’s population is approximately 49.4 million. Legalizing half a million immigrants would be the equivalent of granting permanent residency to about 3.6 million migrants in the United States. There were believed to be about 7.1 million foreign nationals living in Spain at the beginning of last year, of whom an estimated 840,000 were in the country without authorization.

Sánchez’s PSOE-led government has been supportive of immigrants since coming to power in 2018, offering safe harbor for migrants arriving in Europe by sea when other European Union nations have moved to restrict their entry. More than 10,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain in 2024, according to the Spanish advocacy group Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders).

Meanwhile, Trump’s latest National Security Strategy, released last month, urges the US to “cultivate resistance” to immigration in Europe, espousing racist “great replacement” ideology while warning of “the real and stark prospect of civilizational erasure.”

“Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less,” the document states.

European nations including Denmark, Germany, Greece, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have recently tightened their migration and asylum policies, in some cases partially due to pressure from Washington.

Responding to Trump’s deadly anti-immigrant crackdown—which has killed both immigrants and US citizens—Montero said Tuesday that “in the United States at the moment there are millions of people who are afraid in their own homes because Trump’s migration policy enters people’s homes and takes them away.”

“We cannot accept that there are people who live in fear and without rights,” she added. “We cannot accept racist violence. Racism is answered with rights. If they kidnap children and murder, we give papers.”

French Senate to vote on assisted dying as end-of-life debate intensifies

France’s upper house is set to approve expanded palliative care but block assisted dying, raising tensions with MPs over end-of-life legislation.


Issued on: 28/01/2026 - RFI

French senators take part in the examination of a bill for the creation of a right to assisted dying at the Senate, the French Parliament upper house, in Paris on 20 January 2026. AFP - ALAIN JOCARD

After a week of fraught and emotionally charged debate, France’s Senate will vote on Wednesday on two bills dealing with end-of-life care.

While senators are expected to approve a widely supported plan to strengthen palliative care, their rejection of assisted dying is likely to return the political initiative to MPs in what remains one of the most sensitive societal reforms of the parliament.

Both texts will go to a formal vote at 4:30pm local time.

One, broadly consensual, aims to improve access to palliative care nationwide.

The other is far more controversial, addressing assisted suicide and euthanasia – practices the Senate has consistently refused to endorse.

French parliament adopts long-debated bill to legalise assisted dying

A bill hollowed out in the Senate

During debates, the conservative majority in the upper house, backed by centrists and led by Les Républicains leader Bruno Retailleau, mobilised forcefully to reshape the assisted dying bill. They succeeded in rallying enough support to rewrite it almost entirely.

The proposal, originally introduced by MP Olivier Falorni, had set out a tightly regulated framework for assisted dying and enjoyed broad backing in the National Assembly.

In the Senate, however, it has been stripped of its substance.

Several senators expressed discomfort at voting on what they described as a ‘ghost text’ – degraded, incoherent and largely devoid of meaning.

Critics on the left went further, warning that the amended version could be counterproductive by contradicting the Claeys–Léonetti law currently in force, which allows deep and continuous sedation until death in certain end-of-life situations.

Amendments adopted by the Senate now establish a ‘right to the best possible relief from pain and suffering’, while clearly stating that ‘no voluntary intervention shall be intended to cause death or assist in dying’.

'Right to die' activists on trial in France as lawmakers debate end of life bill

MPs poised to reclaim the initiative

For Falorni, the Senate’s stance reflects ‘an extremely conservative vision, far removed from the expectations of the French people’.

On the other side of the chamber, Les Républicains senator Christine Bonfanti-Dossat, rapporteur for the bill, defended what she called an ‘alternative political direction’.

While acknowledging the text is ‘not perfect’, she argued it was necessary to push back against what she sees as the National Assembly’s ‘extreme permissiveness’.

Centrist unease could prove decisive. Senator Olivier Henno said he was torn between voting in favour and abstaining, but warned he would regret ‘letting the National Assembly legislate on its own’.

With centrists divided and the left firmly opposed, the vote promises to be close.

If the Senate rejects the text outright, MPs will revert to the version they adopted on 16 February 2025 at second reading.

If it is approved, there is little doubt the Assembly will seek to reinstate its own compromise – legalising a tightly regulated form of assisted suicide and, in certain cases, euthanasia, even if those terms are not explicitly spelled out in the law.

The president of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, has said she is confident the reform could be definitively adopted ‘before the summer’. Delivering it would fulfil a key promise of Emmanuel Macron’s second term and bring France into line with countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada.

Meanwhile, the palliative care bill – largely overshadowed by the assisted dying row – is expected to pass smoothly.

It sets out a national strategy to expand provision and create dedicated palliative care and support centres across the country. Its adoption by the Senate on Wednesday is considered a foregone conclusion.

(with newswires)

TRUMP BULLIES 

South Africa confirms temporary withdrawal from G20, as US takes the helm

South Africa has decided to "temporarily withdraw" from the G20, after a request by the United States. Washington takes on the rotating presidency for the year 2026, following on from South Africa in 2025. This comes after more than a year of bilateral tensions which Pretoria hopes to ease by taking a step back.


Issued on: 27/01/2026 - 11:39

South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, speaks at a press conference during the G20, in Johannesburg on 22 November, 2025. 

AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

The climate of tension has been growing since January 2025, climaxing last November, when US President Donald Trump boycotted the G20 summit held in South Africa, accusing the country of pursuing policies hostile to American interests.

Trump had even said that South Africa – which in 2025 became the first African country to chair the forum – would not be invited to US-hosted events in 2026.

To appease Washington, South Africa’s Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, confirmed that the country will step back from its G20 engagements during the United States presidency of the grouping.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland last week, he described the decision as a "temporary setback".

US President Donald Trump received South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on 21 May 2025. 

REUTERS - Kevin Lamarque

'A rational decision'

"South Africa wants to avoid any problem, any crisis with the United States, and it is a really rational decision," Koffi Kouakou, lecturer at the School of Governance at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, told RFI.

"The G20, which was created to bring together all the countries of the world, not just those we like, those that resemble us, or those that are like us, is now being destroyed by President Trump. It’s truly a shame. But South Africa wants to avoid any problems, any crisis with the United States, and this is a very rational decision."

G20 summit ends with commitment to multilateralism, despite US boycott

With this unprecedented move, the G20 becomes a sort of G19, which will in turn affect the relationships between these powerful economies and the African continent, South Africa being the only representative of Africa in the group.

"This is a very strong signal, and the G20 members must reflect on it because there will also be consequences for the role of the African Union. South Africa and the African Union represent nearly 1.4 billion people. Its withdrawal will create a void for Africa, a void of African representation within the G20," Kouakou adds.

Minister Godongwana said he believed Africa’s voice would still be heard at the G20 through the African Union.

South Africa closes G20 year framed as ‘presidency for all of Africa’

The United Kingdom will become the 2027 president, and South Africa hopes to be reincluded then.

South Africa will host the Special World Economic Forum (WEF) Summit in April 2027.

The country's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, said in Davos that as Africa’s most industrialised economy and a key voice of the Global South, South Africa is uniquely positioned to convene global leaders to advance collective solutions to pressing global challenges

"South Africa’s leadership in climate diplomacy, renewable energy transition, digital transformation, and regional integration align closely to the World Economic Forum’s mission to improve the state of our world," the Minister added.

(with newswires)

EU countries give final approval to Russian gas ban, commit to wind power

European Union countries on Monday gave their final approval to ban Russian gas imports by late 2027, making their vow to cut ties with their former top supplier legally binding, nearly four years after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.


Issued on: 26/01/2026 - RFI

An environmantal activist from Greenpeace holds a placard, during a protest next to a giant inflatable gas tanker featuring figures of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Brussels, Belgium, on 26 January, 2026.

 REUTERS - Yves Herman


Ministers from EU countries approved the law at a meeting in Brussels on Monday, although Slovakia and Hungary voted against and Bulgaria abstained.

Hungary said it would challenge the law at the European Court of Justice.

The ban was designed to be approved by a reinforced majority of countries, allowing it to overcome opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, who remain heavily reliant on Russian energy imports and want to maintain close ties with Moscow.

Under the agreement, the EU will halt Russian liquefied natural gas imports by end-2026 and pipeline gas by 30 September, 2027.

The law allows that deadline to shift to 1 November, 2027, at the latest, if a country is struggling to fill its storage caverns with non-Russian gas ahead of winter.

Russia supplied more than 40 percent of the EU's gas before 2022. That share dropped to around 13 percent in 2025, according to the latest available EU data.

But some EU countries continue to pay Moscow for oil, pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas, contradicting their efforts to support Ukraine and restrict funding to Russia's wartime economy.

Law bans new gas deals

Last month, the five biggest EU importers spent €1.4 billion on Russian energy, mostly on gas and LNG, data from the non-profit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air showed. Hungary was the biggest buyer, before France and Belgium.

The EU imposed sanctions on Russian seaborne oil in 2022, but never proposed sanctions on gas imports, which would require unanimous approval from all 27 EU countries.

The EU law prohibits companies from signing new Russian gas deals and will require those with existing contracts to terminate them to comply with the ban.

For existing contracts, imports under short-term deals signed before 17 June 2025, will be banned on 25 April 2026, for Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 17 June for pipeline gas. Long-term contracts must be phased out by the final deadlines.

Companies could face financial penalties of up to 3.5 percent of total global annual turnover for failure to comply.

The European Commission plans to also propose legislation in the coming months to phase out Russian pipeline oil, and wean countries off Russian nuclear fuel.

Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal welcomed the EU's 2027 ban on Russian gas imports, saying in a statement on Monday that independence from Russian energy "is, above all, about a safe and strong Europe."
Wind power commitment

Meanwhile, also on Monday, Germany, France, the UK and Denmark were among nine countries which signed an agreement pledging to turn the North Sea into the "world's largest clean energy reservoir".

The EU's Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jorgensen, said that the agreement was a "very clear signal to Russia".

"No more will we let you blackmail member states of the European Union and no more will we help indirectly fund the war in Ukraine," Jorgensen said.

Signed at the third North Sea summit in Hamburg, it pledges to deliver 100 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power capacity through large-scale joint projects. That would be enough to power roughly 100 million homes.

The commitment to boost cross-border collaboration is part of a goal agreed by North Sea countries in 2023 to have 300 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050.

In response to recent comments from US President Donald Trump branding wind farms "losers", British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said that "offshore wind is for winners".

Wind farms are "absolutely critical for our energy security" to provide "homegrown, clean energy that we control", he said, adding that this energy is not under "the control of the dictators and the petro-states".

(with newswires)

European Governments Adopt Ambitious Plan for 100 GW of Offshore Wind Power

They are calling for sharing power including the plans for "energy islands" in the North Sea (Denmark)

Published Jan 26, 2026 4:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

Meeting for the third North Sea Summit, the governments of nine Northern European countries adopted a new plan calling for coordination, power sharing, and working in unison to develop 100 GW of offshore wind power. They estimated it represents an investment of over $1 trillion.

Known as the Hamburg Declaration, the agreement was signed by the governments of Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Northern Ireland, and Luxembourg, to achieve what they are calling energy sovereignty. The countries are promising to work in unison, saying they are “doubling down” on clean power.

Europe currently has approximately 37 GW of offshore wind energy installed in 13 countries. The UK has emerged far and away as the leader and last week completed a record new allocation round. Other countries, such as Denmark, which pioneered offshore wind energy, Germany, and the Netherlands, have struggled with recent rounds designed to launch the next phase of their offshore energy projects.

Three years ago, the countries set a goal of reaching 300 GW by 2050. They spoke of ways they could improve the tendering process and the benefits of coordinating. Today’s landmark agreement outlines specific steps while addressing the recent challenges that emerged in the market. 

The declaration outlines steps for “getting offshore wind back on track.” They are calling for a stable tender pipeline with a predictable schedule for the developers, taking steps to de-risk investments, designing a sound investment framework, and simplifying and speeding up permitting. It endorses Contracts for Difference as the standard auction methodology, although many of the governments have been slow to adopt this structure, which has worked for the UK. 

They are also outlining steps, including interconnecting the offshore grids to develop cross-border projects and the sharing of power generation capacity among countries. They are also proposing hybrid offshore assets, including subsea energy infrastructure that combines offshore wind connections with electricity interconnects. Separately, Denmark and Germany said they would proceed with the Bornholm Energy Island, one of the first concepts for an energy hub approximately 10 miles offshore.

“This ambitious announcement to build a vast number of new offshore wind farms jointly with our European partners will increase the energy security of the UK and the whole of the North Sea region,” said Jane Cooper, Deputy Chief Executive of RenewableUK. “This historic declaration puts offshore wind right at the heart of Europe’s power system.”

The Europeans agreed to push forward with offshore wind as part of a broader clean energy strategy. This came despite pressure from Donald Trump, who continues to make moves to block the U.S. industry and said at the World Economic Forum last week that “windmills” are “losers.” He continues to be critical of European countries focusing on wind and clean energy

More than 100 companies also endorsed the Hamburg Declaration and committed to their part in the development. They are pledging to reduce the cost of offshore wind energy by 30 percent by 2040 by taking steps to drive scale, lower financing costs, and industrialization. 

European energy ministers said they believed it would be possible to build a steady pipeline for installing 15 GW per year across the North Sea and Baltic. 

Vineyard Wind Gets Fourth Preliminary Injunction Against Stop-Work Order

Vineyard Wind 1 won an injunction to restart work on its nearly completed offshore wind farm (Avangrid)

Published Jan 27, 2026 5:50 PM by The Maritime Executive

A U.S. District Court Judge in Massachusetts became the fourth to award a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s stop-work orders on the offshore wind energy industry. Vineyard Wind 1 had gone to court in mid-January following Dominion Energy, Ørsted, and Equinor, each of which also received preliminary injunctions in their cases, leaving only Sunrise Wind to still be heard by the courts.

Vineyard Wind 1, which is located approximately 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts, is the most developed of the wind farms as it is 95 percent complete. The company argued it was in an extremely vulnerable place with the greatest danger because it had 10 installations where the turbines were in place without their blades when the Trump administration issued the stop-work order in December.

The company argued that these installations, known in the industry as “hammerhead,” were at risk because of exposure to the elements and dangers such as lightning strikes, which they said could cause a fire.

The Department of the Interior attempted to refute the claims of danger from the partially installed turbines. It said the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement did not agree with the dangers. The administration has been arguing that new confidential research showed increased dangers to national security from the wind farms, from elements such as radar clutter from the blades and towers.

Judge Brian Murphy issued the preliminary injunction against the stop-work order today, January 27, for Vineyard Wind 1. It permits the company to restart its installations while the case is argued in the court.

Vineyard Wind 1, which is being developed by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, told the court it is 95 percent complete, and without the stop-work order, it was expected to be completed by March 31. It has been under construction since 2022, but had a delay after faulty blades were discovered in July 2025. 

Because of its status as being partially operational, the government had permitted the project to continue operations, but required it to stop the final turbine and blade installations. In the court filing, the project said 44 of its 62 turbines were fully installed and operational, and 61 were at least partially installed. The project is already able to produce nearly 600 MW of its ultimate capacity of 800 MW. 

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell filed an amicus brief last week in support of Vineyard Wind. The state asserted the project is critical to meeting increased energy demand and protecting Massachusetts’ economy.

The stop-work order that came from the Department of the Interior targeted the five under-construction projects, and with today’s decision, four judges have blocked the stop-work order from being enforced. Like Vineyard Wind 1, Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind and Ørsted’s Revolution Wind are in advanced stages of construction, and both are expected to shortly begin generating power.  The administration has continued its efforts to oppose the industry and has promised to fight the cases in the courts.

Some of the other judges have said the stop-work order was too broadly written. They found the government failed to show a danger from the construction continuing. One judge said the issue was with operations not the installation. Each of the companies has said it wants to work with the government to understand the concerns and resolve the issue. They point out the projects went through years of review during the permitting and addresses issued raised by all the parties during the process.

Judge shoots down Trump's halt on massive Martha's Vineyard Offshore Wind project

Daniel Hampton
January 27, 2026 

RAW STORY

A federal judge has dealt the Trump administration yet another courtroom defeat over offshore wind, ruling Tuesday that construction can resume on the nearly complete $4.5 billion Vineyard Wind project off Martha's Vineyard.

Judge Brian E. Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction allowing developers to restart work, marking the fourth legal setback for the administration's aggressive push to kill the nation's burgeoning offshore wind industry, The New York Times reported.

The Trump administration had abruptly ordered all work halted on Vineyard Wind and four other East Coast projects just before Christmas, citing a classified Defense Department report alleging national security risks. But Judge Murphy, appointed by former President Joe Biden, wasn't buying it. After reviewing the classified material under seal, he said the administration failed to "adequately explain or justify the decision to halt construction."

Vineyard Wind is 95 percent complete and already pumping power into Massachusetts' grid. Once finished, it'll power over 400,000 homes and businesses. The roughly $2 million daily losses have been piling up during the shutdown.

The White House fired back through spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, insisting the pause was necessary because "our number one priority is to put America First and protect the national security of the American people." She vowed "ultimate victory."

Three other offshore wind projects, Revolution Wind, Empire Wind, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, have won similar court victories. Gov. Maura Healey called Tuesday's ruling "an important development" protecting thousands of well-paying jobs.

Australia’s Victoria Sets Date for Country's First Wind Energy Auction

Victoria rescheduled the date for the country's first offshore wind auction (Star of the South)

Published Jan 27, 2026 4:34 PM by The Maritime Executive

The southern Australian state of Victoria has rescheduled what will become the country’s first offshore wind industry auction as it works to finalize details with the federal government. The auction, which is planned for August, is good news for the beleaguered Australian efforts, which have struggled to make progress.

Australia has been following a meticulous process, having finalized the regulatory framework for offshore wind in 2022, followed by the selection of zones for the projects. Companies are developing plans and bidding for feasibility licenses.

Victoria, which includes Melbourne and key industrial regions in the country, reports it will seek 2 GW of capacity in the August 2026 auction. Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio today announced the Request for Tender (RFP) for Victoria’s first offshore wind industry auction as the first step toward the goal of reaching 2 GW of installed offshore capacity by 2032, 4 GW by 2035, and reaching 9 GW by 2040. The auction had been postponed in 2025.

The minister notes Victoria has some of the best offshore wind resources in the world, and they believe it will be critical to the state’s sustainability goals. The minister noted that work continues with the industry and the Commonwealth to finalize the design of the country’s support program. The Albanese government proposed a program called the Electricity Services Entry Mechanism, which won government support in December.

“We want to give industry the certainty it needs to invest and help us keep building the renewable energy Victoria needs to push down energy bills,” said Victoria’s Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio. “We’re working closely with developers on the progress of this exciting auction to ensure strong competition to secure the best projects and best value for Victorians.”

The date for the auction comes as good news for the Star of the South project, which proposed 2.2 GW in Victoria. It is viewed as the country’s most developed project and is poised to be an early leader.

Moving forward with the offshore wind component is critical for Victoria, which has scheduled the closing of two major coal-fired power plants by the end of the decade.

The offshore wind energy industry has been facing challenges in Australia. While several key projects have been offered the feasibility licenses, others, including plans from RWE, AGL, and BlueFloat, have been withdrawn. The government has also failed to back key efforts such as plans for a wind seaport in Victoria.

Last week, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, announced that the government was offering two feasibility licenses to Bunbury Offshore Wind and one to Westward Wind, so that the projects could develop detailed plans. He noted it is part of the strategy to develop 4 GW of cleaner energy for Western Australia.

However, he also announced that the government will not be granting feasibility licenses for generation projects in the Illawarra (south of Sydney), as no application was able to be progressed to a license award. In addition, he reported that a preliminary decision has been made to not offer feasibility licenses in the Bass Strait due to a lack of competitive bids.

The government asserts it remains committed to offshore wind. The hope is that the state scheduling the auction, after delaying it in 2025, will provide a new excitement to support enhanced activity in the sector.

 US ambassador says no ICE patrols at Winter Olympics

Milan (Italy) (AFP) – A branch of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent to Italy for the Winter Olympics will not carry out patrols and will have only an "advisory" role, Washington's ambassador to Rome said on Wednesday.


Issued on: 28/01/2026 - RFI

Milan in northern Italy is hosting the Winter Olympics from February 6 to 22 

© Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP


News of its deployment for the February 6-22 Games in Milan-Cortina has sparked anger in Italy, after the agency's involvement in an often brutal crackdown on immigration in the United States.

But US ambassador to Italy Tilman J. Fertitta said ICE's Homeland Security Investigations unit will be "strictly advisory and intelligence-based, with no patrolling or enforcement involvement".

"At the Olympics, HSI criminal investigators will contribute their expertise by providing intelligence on transnational criminal threats, with a focus on cybercrimes and national security threats.

"All security operations will remain the responsibility of Italian authorities," he said after meeting Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.

ICE operations in a number of US cities have triggered large-scale protests, and the recent killings of two demonstrators have caused outrage.

Agents accused of violence there are from a different division than that earmarked for the Olympics.

Fertitta said the HSI focuses on "cross-border criminal activity, ranging from investigating human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, child exploitation, financial crimes, intellectual property right theft, to recovering stolen art and antiquities".

The Italian authorities initially denied speculation that ICE would be present at the Games, then played down their role, suggesting that they would only be helping with security for the US delegation.

US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected at the opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro stadium on February 6.

Italy's political opposition has asked the government to refuse the deployment, and protests are expected in the coming days in Rome and Milan.

© 2026 AFP

MEPs urge EU to block ICE from entering Europe for Winter Olympics

Copyright AP Photo

By Vincenzo Genovese

Published on 28/01/2026 - EURONEWS

Several European lawmakers have urged the EU to impose restrictive measures on ICE, arguing that the agency should not operate in Europe due to concerns over democratic oversight and human rights.

European lawmakers have urged the EU to block US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel from entering the continent following reports that the agency will be involved in security operations during the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics.

The controversy over their presence at the upcoming Games in Italy has been further fuelled by revelations of ICE’s business relationships with France-based IT multinational Capgemini.

Public outrage over ICE's actions spiked after the fatal shooting deaths of two Minneapolis residents, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, by ICE officers in separate incidents this month.

In the US, ICE has faced accusations of excessive use of force, abuse of power, and violent conduct from politicians, advocacy groups and public figures.

Tensions further escalated when ICE’s investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), confirmed that it would be “supporting” other law enforcement authorities to “vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations” during the Winter Games, scheduled to begin on 6 February.

'Increased violence' to impact Europeans, MEPs say

Several MEPs now argue that ICE should not operate on European soil, citing concerns over democratic accountability and respect for human rights.

“It is a snub to Italy by Trump,” socialist MEP Sandro Ruotolo told Euronews, arguing that the Olympics are being used as a showcase for ICE at a time when the agency is under fire back home.

“Trump took a step back by removing Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, but he cannot get rid of ICE entirely,” Ruotolo said.

“He is imposing ICE on the Italian government, reinforcing a top-down relationship with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. We will oppose this decision.”

On Tuesday, Manon Aubry and Martin Schirdewan, co-presidents of The Left group in the European Parliament, sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other institution leaders calling for “restrictive measures” against ICE agents and urging the EU to “prevent the entry of such forces onto its territory.”

They warned that what they described as escalating violence by the agency necessitates a firm response from the EU to protect its citizens and uphold human rights standards.

“The increased violence and repression of ICE will directly impact European citizens here,” the letter stated.

Liberal Renew Europe group also reacted to the news of ICE agents' presence at the Olympics, stating in a post on X that "it is not acceptable".

"In Europe, we do not want people who ignore human rights and avoid democratic control," the group said. "Our union, our values, our rules."

However, some MEPs do not share this view. Italian lawmaker Salvatore De Meo (EPP) told Euronews that there is not much to worry about.

“It is ridiculous to imagine that ICE agents would come to Italy with the same tasks assigned in Minneapolis," De Meo said.

"During major international events, forms of cooperation and coordination with allied partners are an usual practice, in full respect of the rules and national sovereignty.”

According to De Meo, “turning a serious issue like security into an ideological controversy is irresponsible and does no service to the country.”

The European Commission declined to comment on the request on Wednesday, reiterating that security issues fall under national competence.

“National security is the sole responsibility of each member state. The Commission has no competence in this regard,” a Commission spokesperson told Euronews.

Tajani: 'It is not the SS coming here'

According to the Italian Interior Ministry, ICE personnel would operate exclusively alongside Italian authorities in coordination centres.

The ministry stressed that the agents would not patrol public spaces or carry out immigration enforcement activities.

In an effort to calm tensions, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani quipped that “it is not the SS coming here,” and emphasised that the personnel involved are not the same as those engaged in controversial operations in the US.

Despite these assurances, opposition remains strong. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala has called for ICE agents to be barred, while protests have erupted in the Lombardy regional council and several petitions have been launched opposing their presence.

Italian opposition parties called for a rally in Milan next Saturday to protest against ICE's presence. Participants are asked to carry whistles, commonly used by anti-ICE demonstrators in the US.

Trump and his administration have consistently defended ICE and its actions, citing success in reducing crime rates across the US. In turn, the US president has blamed Democrats for what he described as "chaos" of recent weeks.

"During the four years of crooked Joe Biden and Democrat failed leadership, tens of millions of illegal alien criminals poured into our country, including hundreds of thousands of convicted murderers, rapists, kidnappers, drug dealers, and terrorists," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday evening.

"In the five Republican run states ... ICE has arrested 150,245 criminal illegal aliens over the past year, with zero protests, riots, or chaos," he added.

French company also under fire over ICE

Meanwhile, a separate controversy has emerged in France over an investigation that revealed French IT multinational company Capgemini’s US subsidiary provided ICE with “skip tracing services for enforcement and removal operations.”

According to the L’Observatoire des multinationales report, Capgemini was awarded a contract worth up to $365 million (€305.3m), with an initial payment of $4.8 million (€4.01m) released in December.

The company has reportedly maintained contractual ties with ICE since at least 2007, some worth tens of millions of dollars. The findings sparked public backlash and prompted France’s Economy Minister Roland Lescure to seek clarification.

“I am calling on Capgemini to shed light in an extremely transparent manner on its activities — on this policy — and no doubt to question the very nature of those activities,” Lescure stated at the National Assembly in response to a question from a member of parliament.

In response, Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat said that the company’s US subsidiary operates under independent governance, with its own board and decision-making process.

As a result, he said, the Capgemini Group does not have access to CGS’ classified information or contractual arrangements.

French government and lawmakers step up pressure over Capgemini’s ICE ties

The French government has urged the IT group Capgemini to review its activities following revelations that one of its US subsidiaries had signed a contract with the United States immigration police (ICE), as lawmakers from the far left announced a parliamentary initiative targeting the agency.


Issued on: 28/01/2026 - RFI

ICE agents stand next to a boy, who a witness identified as Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old that school officials said was detained in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in January 2026 

© Reuters

“I am urging Capgemini to shed light, in an extremely transparent manner, on the activities it carries out, on this policy, and no doubt to review the nature of these activities,” economy minister Roland Lescure said in response to a question from a member of parliament.

Capgemini and ICE

According to information published last week by the association L’Observatoire des multinationales and reported on Monday evening by public broadcaster France 2, Capgemini supplied ICE with a tool for identifying and locating foreign nationals.

In a message posted on Sunday on the social network LinkedIn, Capgemini chief executive Aiman Ezzat said he had learned “from public sources” of the signing in December of a contract between the group’s US subsidiary and ICE.

He said the subsidiary operated independently under US law, with strict separation from the group’s central management.

The subsidiary “takes decisions autonomously, has segregated networks, and…the Capgemini group is unable to access any classified information or classified contracts,” he said, adding that a review of the content and scope of the contract had been launched.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Lescure said he had raised the matter with the company, stressing that this explanation was insufficient and that a group must know what is happening within its subsidiaries.

'Immediate and public cessation'

Capgemini’s CGT trade union called for “the immediate and public cessation of any collaboration with ICE”, saying such partnerships were contrary to the group’s stated values and made it complicit in serious human rights violations.

Against this backdrop, lawmakers from La France insoumise (LFI) announced on Tuesday that they had tabled a non-binding resolution against ICE.

The text calls on the French government to publicly condemn alleged human rights violations by the agency, request the opening of an international investigation, freeze European assets of ICE agents and officials identified as perpetrators or instigators of abuses, and ban those individuals from entering the European Union.

'Supremacist militia'

At a press conference at the National Assembly, LFI lawmaker Hadrien Clouet sharply criticised what he described as a “supremacist militia disguised as a federal immigration service”, accusing the agency’s leadership and supervising ministers of guaranteeing impunity for its agents.

“It is time for France to assume its responsibilities,” Clouet said, also deploring the fact that “private French companies collaborate and work with ICE”, referring to press reports about Capgemini’s US subsidiary developing software to detect and locate foreign nationals.

LFI parliamentary leader Mathilde Panot said her group hoped the resolution would be adopted.

The federal immigration police and border police have been implicated in the deaths of two demonstrators shot dead in Minneapolis, Minnesota, prompting a wave of outrage in the United States. According to the city’s mayor, federal agents deployed there were due to begin leaving the city on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump sought to ease tensions.

An ICE spokesperson told AFP that federal agents would also be deployed on support missions abroad, including in Italy for the Winter Olympic Games, scheduled to take place from 6 to 22 February.

French tax on high earners disappoints as wealthy find ways to shield income

Revenue from a tax targeting high earners in France is expected to be far below forecasts this year, as wealthy people find ways to reduce their tax bills. However, a new corporate tax could bring in more than first predicted in 2026, which might help offset the disappointment.


Issued on: 23/01/2026 - RFI

A demonstrator holds a placard that reads "Let's tax the rich" in Nantes, 13 September 2025.

 © Sebastien Salom-Gomis/AFP

The tax on top earners that was introduced last year is expected to raise only €650 million this year compared to the €1.65 billion initially forecast, sources at the Ministry for Public Accounts told journalists, confirming a report by French daily Le Monde.

First conceived under former Prime Minister Michel Barnier, the "differential contribution on high incomes" (CDHR) was introduced in the 2025 budget adopted last February. It sets a minimum tax rate of 20 percent on individuals earning more than €250,000 a year, or €500,000 for couples without children.

Revenue projections have been revised downwards. Last year, the CDHR raised only €400 million, almost five times less than the €1.9 billion originally expected, according to Le Monde.

Many high earners are thought to have anticipated the tax and adjusted how they receive their income, in particular by shifting it into dividends, which are taxed at lower rates.

They were helped by deadlock in France's parliament, which meant the budget came into effect later than planned – preventing the government from applying the tax retroactively to 2024 revenue and instead limiting it to income earned in 2025.

Podcast: Taxing the ultra-rich

Corporate tax to the rescue?

Yet revenue from the corporate tax introduced in 2025 came in on target – and Economy Minister Roland Lescure said it could top forecasts in 2026.

The tax brought in just under €8 billion in 2025, the minister told RTL radio on Thursday, and it did not seem to disrupt business, as some had warned.

"It did not stop growth, nor investment to meet their targets," he said.

Initially billed as a one-off, the surtax on companies with revenue of €1 billion or more has been rolled over into 2026 under a budget compromise announced last week.

Would tax hikes for the wealthiest really drive them to flee France?

Projected revenue for this year will be a little less than in 2025 because around 100 smaller businesses will be exonerated, but the tax is still expected to raise more than the projected €4 billion included in the government's initial budget.

Lescure said that 99 percent of French businesses are not impacted by the tax, which targets the 300 largest corporations to "support the purchasing power of working people".

Companies are charged around 20 percent if they earn €1-3 billion, rising to 41 percent if earnings exceed €3 billion.

As part of ongoing debates on how to tackle a growing public deficit, France also considered introducing a minimum 2 percent annual wealth tax on individuals worth more than €100 million, but lawmakers rejected the proposal.

Growing demand for local products in Africa's €1bn baby food market

Across Africa, a third of children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition, according to Unicef, while in recent years the baby food industry has been rocked by a series of scandals, many involving major multinationals. But a growing number of local agri-food companies are moving into the baby food market.


Issued on: 24/01/2026 - RFI

Baby food is a growing sector in Africa, expected to exceed €1 billion this year. 

© AP - Denis Farrell


Ivorian Marie-Ange Ehounou is a nutritionist, a state-certified early childhood educator and a mother of young children.

In 2018, she fed her baby boy Kylian with commercially available foods. She thought she was doing the right thing, and could never have imagined what was to come next.

"He suffered from infant malnutrition and nearly died," she told RFI.

It was then that she decided to train as a nutritionist, and – finding there was high demand for information, as well as quality products – started a blog on the subject, and a company producing flour.

Tackling child malnutrition in the DRC through cooking classes

Pooyou now has 10 employees and works with almost 100 Ivorian female farmers producing more than 40,000 tonnes of flour locally per year.

But despite the growth of her business, challenges remain.

"Especially when it comes to finding funding," she explains. "Because for a start-up like mine, where the market is already established – it's reliable, viable and growing rapidly – you need money right away to be able to boost the business."

A market worth €1 billion

Last September in Cotonou, Benin, Unicef launched the First Foods Africa initiative – with one of its objectives to support a local agro-industry dedicated to high-quality baby food.

"We want to engage local companies that are seeking to improve nutrition for young children. Once we have identified this type of company, we facilitate investment," explains Mauro Brero, a Unicef nutrition specialist.

He cites the example of medium-sized companies “that do not have easy access to financing because they cannot access microcredit, as they are too large for microcredit”.

They also don't have access to "traditional financing from banks, because they cannot provide sufficient guarantees – that's what we're targeting too,” he adds.

UN food agency forced to halt aid in Ethiopia for 650,000 women and children

This sector also cannot move forward without significant political support.

"We are working with governments to improve standards and regulatory policies, because it is important to have a political environment that is favourable to local production and business and, at the same time, complies with the highest standards," explains Brero.

"Sometimes it's not easy because we face very strong lobbying from certain multinational companies, but governments can move in this direction. We have evidence that in some countries, it's working."

Purchasing power and consumer awareness are driving an increasingly strong demand, with the market, valued at €600 million in 2022, expected to exceed €1 billion this year.

NAKBA 2.0

French volunteer protecting village in West Bank 'beaten' by Israeli settlers

Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank have risen sharply since the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas – and international volunteers defending Palestinian civilians are also increasingly being targeted. French academic Albane Buriel tells RFI she was assaulted with iron bars while taking part in a "protective presence" mission with an Israeli NGO.


Issued on: 23/01/2026 -  RFI

Palestinian and Israeli activists protest in the West Bank town of Beit Jala against Israeli settler violence, 14 November, 2025. © Mahmoud Illean / AP

Buriel moves slowly because she is in pain. She points to the very large bruise on her back.

“I was beaten by [people who] were probably settlers, who set fire to the place where I was staying and struck us around 20 times with crowbars,” she told RFI's correspondent in Jerusalem.

The French researcher, who specialises in education sciences, arrived in Jerusalem around 10 days ago to volunteer with the Israeli non-profit Torat Tzedek.

Set up by Rabbi Arik Ascherman in 2017, the organisation provides what it calls a "protective presence" in Palestinian villages in the West Bank.

Volunteers remain day and night with the most vulnerable Bedouin communities in order to deter attacks by Israeli settlers.

Buriel is no stranger to conflict zones, having worked in Iraq and Syria. "Protective presence is intended, in a peaceful way, to protect civilians," she says.

Albane Buriel says she was beaten with crowbars while peacefully protecting a Palestinian village in the West Bank. © RFI/Frédérique Misslin


West Bank Bedouin community driven out by Israeli settler violence

Masked assailants

The assault took place on 17 January in the Bedouin village of Mukhmas, between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Buriel was woken up by one of the inhabitants at about 9pm to see 20 masked people heading towards her.

“They arrived at full speed and I saw they had iron bars and they started throwing stones at me," she says. "There was a car in front of me, so I lay down on the ground and one of them struck me directly with a very heavy metal bar. I was alone at that moment."

She says another person set fire to the car she was sheltering against.

People view the damage to an agricultural installation owned by a Palestinian farmer, following an attack by Israeli settlers in the village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, 23 April 2025. AFP - ZAIN JAAFAR


Buriel was joined by an American volunteer and the pair tried to run away but the researcher says she was hampered by her painful injuries. The attackers caught up with them and beat her colleague.

“Crowbar blows to a body are really horrific." She recalls his scream and says he was beaten in the same way – with 15 to 20 blows.

"I have the impression it was controlled enough to be done without killing. This violence appears to be systemic," she added.

A Palestinian from the village was also seriously injured.

Albane filed a complaint in Israel and has since returned to France.

Security camera footage from 8 January shows men wearing masks, one of whom is kicking a man on the ground as he tries to flee a nursery in the northern West Bank village of Deir Sharaf. Witnesses said the assailants were Israeli settlers beating 67-year-old Basim Saleh Yassin. AP - UGC


Rise in assaults

In a separate incident, The Guardian reported that a French national was among international volunteers attacked by "a gang of eight masked Israeli settlers armed with clubs" when they raided a Palestinian family home near Ramallah on 7 December.

A 13-year-old Palestinian boy, his grandmother and activists working with the International Solidarity Movement from Colombia, the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as France, were injured in the attack.

Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordonation of Humanitarian Affairs shows settlers carried out more than 750 attacks on Palestinians and their property during the first half of 2025, with an average of nearly 130 assaults a month.

According to the Israeli army, settler violence rose by 27 percent in 2025, compared to the previous year. Ten Palestinians have been killed in attacks by settlers and nearly 400 injured since 2024.

The military says it tries to prevent the attacks, but an investigation by the New York Times last year found that the Israeli authorities have failed to impose significant restraints on settlers committing crimes.

This article was adapted from the original version in French.