France's deadly heatwave triggers accusations of government inaction

After 11 days of an exceptional heatwave and in the face of the heavy human toll that is beginning to emerge, politicians are accusing the French government of "incompetence" and "inaction." This comes after health officials said Sunday there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected compared to previous months.

29/06/2026 - RFI

A healthcare worker enters the adult emergency department at the Pellegrin University Hospital during a heatwave in Bordeaux, south-western France on 23 June 2026. AFP - PHILIPPE LOPEZ

"We must fully shed light on the looming, devastating human toll in order to determine political accountability," Marine Tondelier, leader of the French Greens, stated on social media platform X on Sunday morning.

"And some will have to face the consequences."

Clémence Guetté, an MP for hard-left France Unbowed party, also slammed the handling of the heatwave as "a disaster" in an appearance on France 3 television, denouncing the government's "lack of preparedness."

Since last Wednesday, approximately 1,000 excess deaths have been recorded compared to the norm, according to national health agency Santé publique France.

The agency said areas under red alert for heat had been particularly badly affected, and 85 percent of the deaths had been those aged 65 and over.

The sharpest increases, the agency said, involved people dying at home, especially in the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris and its suburbs.

"This observation serves as a reminder of the need for measures of solidarity toward people who are isolated or experiencing profound loneliness, including in highly urbanised areas," the statement said.
'Not a fiasco'

The agency stressed that the figures were preliminary and were likely to be an underestimate.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that since 18 June, emergency responses had risen by 20 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching a cumulative total of 122,000 interventions.

Despite this, he insisted in Le Parisien newspaper that the situation was "not a fiasco."

"We were prepared, contrary to what some politicians are saying."

Health Minister Stephanie Rist said Saturday warned that pressure on already overwhelmed hospital facilities is likely to continue even after temperatures drop.

The effects of the heatwave for patients with chronic illnesses "can last for several weeks," Rist told La Tribune newspaper.

"But providing reliable figures takes time. Only 60 percent of death certificates are issued electronically. We have to wait for the paper certificates to come in," she said.

The minister said she would then make the figures public "with full transparency" using the "most reliable figures possible".

She also confirmed this week that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had approved an order for 30,000 air conditioners for hospitals. "I have released €100 million to urgently finance cooling equipment," she said.

The heat eased slightly across some parts of France on Sunday after days of punishing temperatures that saw the mercury rising above 40C in many areas.
Drop in 'green' funds

But storms overnight Saturday wreaked havoc in some areas.

In the Aisne department, north of Paris, lightning sparked several fires, including one in Laon that left five people with minor injuries.

Nationwide, electricity provider Enedis reported 63,000 customers without power due to the storms, primarily in the north of the country.

Weather bureau Météo-France noted on Saturday that this heatwave – a phenomenon intensified by climate change, which is driven primarily by the burning of fossil fuels – "surpasses the August 2003 event in terms of intensity and is equivalent in terms of duration."

The 2003 heatwave caused some 15,000 deaths, highlighting the unsuitability of many hospitals and nursing homes.

Many have criticised the sharp cut in funding for the so-called Green Fund in recent years, with allocations dropping from €2.5 billion in 2024 to €837.5 million in 2026.

Presidential hopeful Édouard Philippe argued that the Green Fund should be "doubled and refocused on adaptation and air-conditioning in public spaces," pledging that "adapting to global warming will be one of (his) priorities."

The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that heat stress was a 'silent killer' and called on European countries to "implement heat health action plans" to help safeguard health in the face of climate change.

(with newswires)

Punishing heatwave exposes cracks in France's nuclear power fleet

Three French nuclear plants halted production during this week's record-breaking heatwave as rivers became too warm to cool them, raising questions over the long-term future of Europe's biggest nuclear fleet.


Issued on: 26/06/2026 -  RFI

Record high temperatures forced EDF to close the two nuclear reactors at the Golfech plant this week. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

By: Alison Hird

EDF, France's electricity operator, shut down one reactor at its Golfech nuclear plant on the Garonne on Monday after river temperatures approached the site's operating limit of 28C. Output has also been reduced at reactors in Bugey on the Rhône and Nogent-sur-Seine.

The disruption remains limited. France's grid operator RTE said electricity supplies remain secure. EDF said the loss of 2.2 gigawatts – about 3.5 percent of the country's nuclear capacity – does not threaten the balance between supply and demand.

But ecologists and some energy experts say the shutdowns are part of a growing pattern that raises questions about how a nuclear fleet largely designed in the 1970s will cope with a warming planet.

Water shortages

"Nuclear power is clearly a 20th-century technology that is ill-suited to the 21st," said Yves Marignac, an independent nuclear expert and spokesperson for the think tank négaWatt.

"The warning signs are becoming stronger every year."

France generates around 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear power – more than any other country in the world. Most of its 56 reactors are built beside rivers or the coast because they require vast quantities of water for cooling.

"We're talking nearly one cubic metre per second," Marignac said.

EDF figures reported by French daily Le Monde show about 15.3 billion cubic metres of water are withdrawn from rivers each year to cool France's nuclear plants, making the sector the country's second-largest user of water with 31 percent, behind agriculture on 45 percent and ahead of drinking water on 21 percent.

"Given projections of a drop of up to 40 percent in available freshwater in France by 2050, maintaining both agriculture and the nuclear fleet in their current form becomes extremely difficult," Marignac said.

Most of France's 18 nuclear plants are inland. As rivers shrink during dry periods there is less water available for cooling. Warmer rivers also cannot absorb as much heated cooling water without harming fish and other wildlife.

"We now see these limitations every summer," Marignac said. "It's never the whole fleet and usually only for relatively short periods. But each year the alert becomes a little stronger."

French environmental regulations require EDF to reduce output when river temperatures reach certain thresholds, around 28C, to protect local ecosystems.

"The choice becomes one between producing electricity and preserving ecosystems," Marignac said.

France's new energy law slashes targets on renewables in favour of nuclear

Growing pressure

The reactors most exposed are those on the Rhône and Garonne, including Bugey, Saint-Alban, Cruas, Tricastin and Golfech, where operators depend on enough cool water to remain within environmental limits.

EDF said climate-related restrictions currently reduce annual nuclear production by around 0.3 percent. Without adaptation, the company estimates that figure could rise to around 1.5 percent by 2050.

The state-owned utility plans to invest 8.7 billion euros by 2040 to adapt its nuclear and hydroelectric power stations to a warmer climate.

Marignac said some of the risks are also becoming harder to predict.

Last August EDF temporarily shut down the Gravelines nuclear plant on the North Sea coast after a "massive and unpredictable presence of jellyfish" clogged its filter system. Algae blooms, which are also increasing because of warmer temperatures and greater use of nitrate-based fertilisers, have also disrupted water intake systems.

"We're entering a period where climate change and biodiversity loss are producing changes that are no longer linear," Marignac said. "That makes them much harder to anticipate."

Future designs

France's planned EPR2 reactors are expected to rely on the same basic cooling system as existing plants.

"The cooling principle doesn't change at all," Marignac said. "Each reactor is actually more powerful, so the cooling requirements are even greater."

Cooling towers can reduce the amount of heated water released into rivers but cannot remove the need for large volumes of water in the first place, Marignac said. Retrofitting them to older plants, while possible, is technically difficult and expensive.

EDF is studying other options, including cooling water before returning it to rivers, but Marignac said these are not long-term solutions.

Does France's emphasis on nuclear power guarantee its energy independence?

"The technology is fundamentally rigid. When you want to adapt it, you're forced into technical workarounds – bolting a second cooling loop onto the first, and so on.

"You draw water to cool the reactor, that heats the water, then you use the reactor's own electricity to cool it again before discharge. It's a sticking plaster on a design that's no longer fit for purpose."

Supporters of nuclear power have long argued it helps ensure France's energy sovereignty in an increasingly unstable world. Marignac argued renewable energy offers a more sovereign path in the long term.

"Once they're installed, nobody can take the wind or the sun away from us."

Why Germany is turning to Algeria for Europe's hydrogen future

Germany is strengthening its energy partnership with Algeria, as Europe searches for new long-term energy supplies and invests in renewable hydrogen to help cut emissions.

Issued on: 28/06/2026 - 

Algeria is emerging as an important partner in Europe's renewable hydrogen plans, with Germany and Algeria this month signing two new energy agreements. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

Two agreements signed in Algiers last week mark the latest step in a relationship that has grown steadily in recent years.

One will help modernise Algeria's electricity grid so it can integrate more renewable energy. The other aims to develop green hydrogen projects and reduce methane emissions.

Together, they reflect Germany's search for future low-emission energy supplies and Algeria's ambition to diversify its energy production.

The first deal launched DigiEnR, a German-funded project to modernise Algeria's electricity grid as the country expands renewable energy. The project will digitalise the network and make it easier to connect new energy systems.

"The industrial and technical partnership between Algiers and Berlin has entered a new era," Algeria's Energy Ministry said in a statement after the agreement was signed on 15 June.

The second deal brought together Algeria's state-owned energy company Sonatrach and German energy company VNG AG.

It expands an earlier partnership on green hydrogen and broadens it to include efforts to reduce methane emissions and explore future hydrogen supplies to Europe.

Beyond natural gas

One goal is to find out whether Algeria could become a future supplier of green hydrogen to Europe, particularly Germany. The companies will study how the fuel could be produced, delivered and eventually carried through parts of Algeria's existing gas infrastructure.

For VNG, Algeria's potential makes it an important long-term partner.

"The demand for low-emission energy sources in Germany and Europe is steadily increasing," VNG board member Hans-Joachim Polk said. "Europe will continue to rely heavily on imports. Algeria offers significant long-term potential."

Sonatrach said the renewed partnership reflected both companies' shared commitment to addressing the challenges facing the energy sector.

"We intend to build upon our previous successes and explore new synergies in the production and transportation of green hydrogen and its derivatives, as well as in reducing methane emissions."

Why hydrogen matters

Hydrogen has become a central part of Europe's plan to reduce emissions from industries that are difficult to run on electricity alone, including steel and chemicals.

Green hydrogen is made using electricity from renewable sources to separate hydrogen from water. European governments hope it can help industries lower emissions while supporting the shift away from fossil fuels.

The EU also sees renewable hydrogen as one way to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. In May, the European Commission approved a €1.3 billion German support scheme to boost renewable hydrogen production through the European Hydrogen Bank.

The programme forms part of the EU's Hydrogen Strategy and its REPowerEU plan, which aims to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels while strengthening Europe's energy security.

Algeria is also expected to play a role beyond its partnership with Germany. Since 2024, it has worked with several European countries on the SoutH2 Corridor, a planned 3,300-kilometre pipeline designed to transport green hydrogen from North Africa to Europe.

The hydrogen industry has expanded across Europe in 2026, with new projects announced in several countries. But many projects still face high costs, uncertain demand and the need for new infrastructure.

Germany and Algeria have steadily expanded their cooperation in recent years. Last year's first German-Algerian investment summit produced agreements covering industry and digital technology.

The two countries are expected to deepen those ties further during Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune's first state visit to Germany in mid-July.

Remains of people exhibited in ‘human zoos’ to be returned to French Guiana

In 1892, around 30 men, women and children from the Kali’na and Arawak peoples of French Guiana were brought to Paris to be put on display at "human zoos". Six of them did not survive the winter. A bill allowing the repatriation of their remains to their homeland has now received final approval – the culmination of a long struggle waged by their descendants.


Issued on: 28/06/2026 - RFI

A shaman travelled from French Guiana to hold a spiritual ceremony for the six Arawak and Kali’na Indigenous people on 17 September, 2024 at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris. © Arame Mbengue / RFI


The remains were initially buried and then later exhumed for scientific study, and have been held at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris ever since.

On 15 June, the National Assembly gave final approval to a bill already passed by the Senate allowing for the removal of the remains from public collections, which are usually inalienable, making it legally possible to return them to their community.

Martin Friess, head of the biological anthropology collections at the Museum of Mankind, part of the National Museum of Natural History, showed RFI six large grey boxes stacked on top of one another in a climate-controlled storeroom at the museum.

"Inside are the human remains of the six individuals. They were brought to France for the 1892 World’s Fair, where they were exhibited in the Jardin d’Acclimatation's 'human zoo'," he said.

These six people died in the same year.

"Most were buried and were exhumed in 1897, at which point they were transferred to the collections of the National Museum of Natural History," Friess explained.

"So we had these boxes made specifically for these individuals, because they are more or less complete skeletons that have been mounted – that is to say, articulated – which was the practice in the 19th century, mainly to facilitate exhibitions. They are assembled as if they were standing upright."

'A blessed and historic year'

For their descendants, the final vote at the National Assembly on 15 June marks 2026 as a historic year.

"It’s an exceptional year. A year which, I think, resonates with everyone’s memories, as it’s also the year of the Taubira Law," says Corinne Toka-Devilliers, chair of the Moliko Alet+po campaign group, referring to the law enacted in 2001 which made made France the first country in the world to officially classify the slave trade as a crime against humanity. This law was spearheaded by Christiane Taubira, an MP from French Guiana.

"So 2026 is truly a blessed and historic year, in every sense of the word, for the overseas territories, for the DOM-TOMs, for the local authorities and for French Guiana."

France confronts enduring legacy of slavery, 25 years on from Taubira Law

Corinne Toka-Devilliers stands before the remains of her ancestors during the spiritual ceremony held in September 2024. © Arame Mbengue / RFI

A shamanic ceremony was held in September 2024 at the museum to soothe the souls of the six people and prepare for their return.

This will take place in three stages, explained Toka-Devilliers.

"It will begin with an official ceremony at the Elysée Palace, as announced to us by the adviser to the president of the Republic.

"Next, there will be a ceremony on arrival at Félix Éboué Airport in Cayenne, and afterwards they will be taken to their burial site where a vigil will be held, in accordance with our ancestral Kali’na and Arawak culture, so that the following day they may finally find their final resting place and eternal rest."

This article has been adapted from the original version in French by Arame Mbengue.

French journalist Gleizes marks one year in Algerian prison as RSF renews appeal

French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes has now spent a year in detention in Algeria, prompting fresh calls from Reporters Without Borders and his family for his immediate release and a presidential pardon.

Issued on: 29/06/2026 - RFI

The President of the Bouches-du-Rhone Departmental Council Martine Vassal unveils a banner bearing French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, detained in Algeria, in the main hall of the Departmental Archives and Library Gaston Deferre in Marseille on 2 June 2026. AFP - MIGUEL MEDINA

37-year-old Gleizes, who contributes to the magazines So Foot and Society, was sentenced on 29 June 2025 to seven years in prison for “glorifying terrorism”.

He had been arrested in May 2024 while working on a report about Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie – better known as JSK – one of Algeria’s most prominent football clubs.

Reporters Without Borders, known by its French acronym RSF, said on Monday that the anniversary should serve as a renewed appeal to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

“It has been a year since Christophe Gleizes was unjustly detained,” said Thibaut Bruttin, RSF’s director-general, in a statement. RSF heads the support committee set up for the journalist.

Bruttin said Gleizes should have been reporting from the World Cup, which began on 11 June and runs until 19 July.

“The World Cup is taking place with an empty chair bearing his name in the press box; his official accreditation serves as a reminder that his place is in the stadiums, amongst the journalists covering the event, and not in a prison cell,” he said.

Fifa grants World Cup accreditation to jailed French journalist Christophe Gleizes

Hope for a presidential pardon

On the eve of the World Cup’s opening, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he hoped Gleizes would be granted a presidential pardon and be able to attend the tournament. FIFA had accredited the journalist to cover the competition.

Gleizes was first arrested in Algeria in May 2024 while reporting on JSK. He was placed under judicial supervision before being convicted the following year.

In March, he withdrew an appeal before Algeria’s Court of Cassation in the hope that doing so would clear the way for a presidential pardon. In May, Algerian courts also rejected an appeal filed by the public prosecutor’s office, bringing the legal proceedings to a close.

His family and supporters say that should now open the door to a humanitarian gesture.

“We welcome the recent legal developments in Algeria,” his parents, Sylvie and Francis Godard, said in a statement on Monday, urging that “these advances” should “lead swiftly to a presidential pardon”.

They added: “We continue to wait, with hope and dignity, for Christophe’s return to us.”

‘Cut off from the world’

Gleizes’s brother visited him on Sunday at Kolea prison, his parents told RTL radio.

His mother said the conditions in prison were “very good” and that her son was physically well. But she said the strain of detention was increasingly difficult.

“Health-wise, he’s doing well, but being locked up is really starting to take its toll on him: he’s cut off from the world and from current events,” she said.

His family also referred to his 102-year-old grandmother, who marked what they called a “sad anniversary” by renewing her plea in a video to see her grandson again.

RSF and Gleizes’s relatives have maintained that he was in Algeria as a journalist carrying out legitimate reporting work.

Uganda dissidents on trial as president’s son tightens control

Uganda's army chief, General Kainerugaba, has ordered the arrest of leading activists and politicians in recent weeks, and this weekend shut down the country's main independent media group. Two of those arrested appear in court this Tuesday: opposition figure Kizza Besigye and his lawyer.


Issued on: 30/06/2026 - RFI

Uganda's veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye during a court session at Nakawa Chief Magistrate's Court in Kampala on 23 May, 2025. © Badru Katumba / AFP

Uganda's opposition leader Kizza Besigye, held in detention since his abduction from Kenya in 2024, is to appear in a Kampala court regarding the long-standing treason charges against him.

Besigye's lawyer, Erias Lukwago, who was arrested this month on Kainerugaba's orders, will be heard in a separate case.

Both arrived in court in the morning. The High Court has scheduled the hearing of the bail application for 3 July at 2pm.

The trials of these two Ugandan government critics resume as the crackdown on critics by army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba tightens in an increasing show of power.

His father, President Yoweri Museveni, who won a seventh term in office less than six months ago, has made no comment on his son's recent actions.

Analysts say Kainerugaba, 52, has already become the dominant force in the country in recent weeks amid a mounting crackdown on critics.

General clampdown

Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, warned last week that the arbitrary detention and torture of Kizza Besigye's lead defence counsel Erias Lukwago points to "a continuation of a long and disturbing pattern of arbitrary arrests, torture and ill treatment of Kizza Besigye's legal team."

Early on Sunday, the army chief also ordered the shutdown of the leading independent media group that runs the Daily Monitor newspaper and NTV station, declaring: "I do not believe in a free press!"

Kainerugaba regularly posts controversial comments on social media that range from threats to abduct and torture opponents to jokes about stealing Beyoncé from her husband, while repeatedly saying he will be the next president after the 81-year-old Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for 40 years, leaves office.

People had at first taken Kainerugaba's threats "as a joke," according to Gerald Walulya, senior lecturer in the journalism department at Makerere University, but now, "we are seeing him being able to demonstrate power without any form of restraint from the father," he said.

Much of the Ugandan opposition has been neutered since the last electoral campaign that led to Museveni's re-election in January.

Besigye, 70, has run several times against Museveni, but was abducted in Nairobi by armed men, which raised international condemnation.

His family have accused the Ugandan state of torturing him and said he faces health issues.

Museveni's main opponent in recent years, the singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, ran for the presidency in January but had to flee the country after Kainerugaba threatened to hunt him down and behead him.

Besigye’s lawyer, Lukwago was preparing to serve legal papers summoning Kainerugaba over the abduction when he was himself arrested earlier this month. He is now accused of failing to reveal an alleged plot against the state.

Kainerugaba wrote on X shortly after the lawyer’s detention: “I’m proud of ALL the hurt and pain I will inflict on the CRIMINAL LUKWAGO!“

He has also targeted several Ugandan rights groups, including Agora, which has been summoned to appear before police last week over allegations of fraud and money laundering.

‘Cultivating fear’

Many observers say Museveni is grooming his son to take over from him, which he never officially acknowledged.

According to Yusuf Serunkuma, political columnist for The Observer newspaper, Kainerugaba, often just called by his first name Muhoozi, is still insisting that he is only following his father’s orders.

“I’m not sure whether exhibiting power and cultivating fear is part of the strategy for Muhoozi or if he is simply doing what comes naturally to him. as a soldier,” Serunkuma said.

With 1.3 million followers on the social network X, Kainerugaba's real popularity around the country remains untested.

“If he were strategic, he would have taken lessons from his father and cultivated connections with the general public and the international community,” said Serunkuma. “Instead he’s gone out of his way to break those connections.”

ZULU NATIONALISM
South Africa braces for violence as anti-migrant marches reach boiling point

South African police were deployed in force across the country on Tuesday to forestall unrest and protests, as anti-immigrant groups' unofficial deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country fell. It follows a weeks-long campaign that has sent thousands fleeing and claimed four lives.


Issued on: 30/06/2026 - RFI

A drone view of thousands of Malawians at a Durban drive-in site amid fears of anti-immigrant violence ahead of a June 30 deadline set by activists demanding undocumented migrants leave the country, in Durban, South Africa, 25 June 2026. REUTERS - Siyabonga Sishi



Thousands of people marched Tuesday in cities across South Africa to demand the departure of undocumented foreign nationals.

The protests have been mobilised by a loose coalition of minor political parties and small citizen-led vigilante groups which analysts say appear to be well organised and have a strong social media presence.

A few thousand South Africans took to the streets in the centre of the financial capital Johannesburg, where most shops stayed shuttered, workers stayed home, and transport hubs were quiet.

They marched behind organisers, waving flags and placards and watched by police in bulletproof jackets and riot helmets.




In the southeastern city of Durban, the Zulu heartland, protesters turned out in traditional warrior attire, carrying spears, whips and shields and some draped in leopard skins.

At least four armoured vehicles were stationed along the route, while a police helicopter hovered overhead, reporters saw.

Call for stricter laws

Brightness Gumbi, 48, who runs a kitchen business in a Durban township, said she joined the protest after years of struggling to secure an affordable place for her business.

"The illegal foreigners manage to pay it because they sell drugs to our people," she told French news agency AFP. "I hope through these demonstrations our president will hear our cries and enforce stricter laws."

The leader of the anti-immigrant March and March group, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, told reporters last week that 30 June would launch "a national march to freedom, a rolling mass action" until all undocumented foreign nationals were deported.

"We are not calling for violence... No one will be killed on the 30th of June and no looting will take place in our name," she said.

At least two Mozambicans, an Ethiopian and a Malawian have been killed in anti-immigrant violence over recent weeks, and several African governments have organised planes or buses to repatriate their citizens.

South Africa accused of failing to crack down on anti-immigrant violence

The government is keen to avoid a repeat of the unrest that occurred five years ago, when around 350 people were killed in days of looting and riots.

The government is keen to avoid a repeat of the unrest that occurred five years ago, when around 350 people were killed in days of looting and riots.

The July 2021 unrest was sparked by the brief jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma for refusing to testify to a commission probing corruption.

Some 25,000 people have already fled South Africa in recent weeks, according to the authorities, the majority of them Malawian nationals.

Repatriation centre moved

The Department of Home Affairs has closed the voluntary repatriation site in Durban – located near the coast on a disused parking lot – and relocated it roughly 1,000 kilometres away to the north of the country.

This ensures that Malawians still awaiting repatriation will not be in the city centre, where protesters have been demonstrating.

"I decided to go to avoid being attacked," said Malawian Peter Madsoan, 45, who was among several thousand gathered in the port city of Durban on Monday waiting for a bus to take him home.

"I am a breadwinner back at home in Malawi," said the builder. "It is better for me to go than to die in South Africa."

South Africa accused of failing to crack down on anti-immigrant violence

Pastor Raphael Bahebwa, who has been overseeing a refugee encampment outside the South African Department of Home Affairs building for over a month, said: "We are waiting to see what happens.

They [the authorities] said they would deploy a heavy police presence to ensure our safety. But we are no longer afraid of death. If we die, at least the world will know what is happening – that we were here legally but were killed. We aren't afraid of that," he told RFI.

As Tuesday's unauthorised deadline arrived, thousands of people gathered in Cape Town and Johannesburg, waiting for assistance to go home.

Some said their landlords had evicted them or their employers had fired them, fearing fines from officials or attacks by vigilante groups.

Uganda announced at the weekend an "evacuation plan" to start in the coming days for nearly 750 of its citizens.

November elections

One of the continent's wealthiest countries, South Africa is a magnet for migrant labour while grappling with an unemployment rate above 30 percent, high crime and a breakdown in services in many areas.

In the countdown to 30 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced stepped-up government plans to combat illegal immigration and called on traditional leaders to use their "standing to calm tensions".

Coming ahead of local government elections in November, labour analyst Dale McKinley said the anti-migrant push has been "politically weaponised".

Mozambique claims five of its nationals killed killed in South Africa 'xenophobic attacks'

"The xenophobic groups have got it wrong," he told French news agency AFP. "This is a problem of governance, corruption and mismanagement."

The premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, Thami Ntuli, said: "Whatever our concerns about undocumented migration, however legitimate the frustrations beneath them, we will not allow this province to be set alight a second time, whether by criminality or by xenophobia."

Previous flare-ups of violence targeting undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa have bee

South Africa anti-migrant protests turn violent as deadline passes

30.06.2026, dpa

Photo: Steffen Trumpf/dpa

By Kristin Palitza, Nobuhle Simelane and Christina Peters, dpa

Thousands of people demonstrated in several major South African cities on Tuesday demanding the departure of undocumented migrants, with violent attacks against foreigners from other African countries breaking out on the sidelines of the marches despite heavy security measures.

Demonstrators stormed and looted several migrant-run homes and businesses in suburbs of the city of Johannesburg, according to police.

In KwaZulu-Natal province, police detained 10 people on charges of looting and breaking and entering.

More than 25,000 migrants deported or departed

The marches marked the June 30 deadline set by the civic movement March and March - which has adopted increasingly radical rhetoric - by which it had demanded the departure of all undocumented migrants.

More than 25,000 foreign nationals have left or been deported in recent weeks, South African authorities said. Fear of violence has led not only undocumented but also legal migrants to opt for voluntary return.

March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma announced weekly demonstrations for the coming months to supporters in Durban, according to media reports. 

The movement demands stricter enforcement of immigration law, mass deportations and tighter border checks. It claims, without evidence, that undocumented migrants contribute to crime and unemployment in South Africa.

Tense situation ahead of elections - migrants made 'scapegoats'

As Africa's most industrialized economy, South Africa has long been a major destination for migrants from across the continent.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the violence against migrants, saying it was no solution to make "vulnerable groups scapegoats" for complex economic problems. At the same time, the president announced tighter immigration checks.

The domestic political situation is particularly tense, with South Africa just months away from local elections planned for November 6 at which Ramaphosa's ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), faces the prospect of heavy losses.

Voluntary returns driven by fear of violence

The country of 64 million people at the southern tip of the continent is grappling with high crime and unemployment, a struggling economy and weak public services.

March and March makes blanket and unsubstantiated claims that undocumented migrants bear responsibility for many of these problems.

Protests in recent weeks in major cities including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town have at times ended in violent attacks.

Several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda, have organized repatriation efforts for their citizens in recent weeks. Thousands from neighbouring countries such as Malawi and Mozambique are waiting in centres set up by South African authorities for their departure.

South Africa periodically experiences waves of violence against migrants, particularly ahead of elections. The worst such outbreaks occurred in 2008 and 2015, when dozens of people were killed.

At the end of April, UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed concern about the current attacks in South Africa.

• Human Rights Watch report

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbHn deadly, with 62 people killed in riots in 2008.

Volvic to appeal after French court rules green claims were misleading

The bottled water brand Volvic has been found guilty of “misleading commercial practices” by the Paris Commercial Court over environmental claims made on its mineral water bottles, including that they were “carbon neutral” or “100 percent recyclable”.


Issued on: 30/06/2026 - RFI

The logo on a plant-based plastic bottle of Volvic mineral water, after the Danone-owned brand was found guilty of misleading commercial practices over environmental claims on its packaging. AFP - THOMAS COEX

The ruling, handed down by the Paris Judicial Court on 23 June, was welcomed on Monday as a “landmark” decision by the French consumer association CLCV.

Danone – the French food and drinks giant that owns Volvic – said it contested both the court’s reasoning and its conclusion regarding “certain practices implemented in the past”, which it said had fully complied with the legislation and industry standards applicable at the time.

“Volvic will therefore appeal against this ruling,” the group said.

The case was brought by CLCV after Volvic used claims including “carbon neutral”, “certified carbon neutral”, “100 percent recycled”, “100 percent recyclable” and “always recyclable” on its bottles and packaging. The court found that the claims amounted to a misleading commercial practice.

Volvic has been ordered to pay €75,000 in damages to CLCV and to publish the judgement on the homepage of its website for six months.

Court questions carbon claims

In a statement issued on Monday, CLCV welcomed the court's decision, saying it had ruled for the first time on the use of terms such as “carbon neutral” and “100 percent recyclable” in relation to a consumer product.

According to the association, the decision “sets a standard that effectively protects consumers”.

The court found that the emissions produced in making a Volvic bottle were not fully cancelled out by carbon offsetting projects, and said the claims “carbon neutral” or “certified carbon neutral” were therefore likely to mislead consumers.

Danone said the claim had been based on certification obtained in 2020 from the Carbon Trust, using what it described as a recognised methodology.

The group added that after the certification was withdrawn in September 2023, it had “rethought” its approach and carried out a review to strengthen its carbon neutrality commitments, in order to ensure they remained in line with regulatory expectations.

Danone said it was working to cut its global carbon emissions by an average of 35 percent by 2030 compared with 2020, across all its operations.

Recycling labels also challenged

The court also challenged Volvic’s use of the claims “100 percent recycled” and “100 percent recyclable”.

It found that the bottles were only partially recycled and said the claim “100 percent recyclable” appeared on a label whose adhesive and ink were not, in fact, fully recyclable.

The ruling comes amid growing scrutiny of environmental marketing in Europe, particularly around plastic bottles and claims linked to recycling, carbon offsetting and climate neutrality.

In November 2023, BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation of which CLCV is a member, lodged a complaint with the European Commission over environmental claims relating to plastic bottles.

(With newswires)

 

Greece will use EU funds to pay fishermen to catch invasive pufferfish

Copyright ΑΠΕ ΜΠΕ

By Konstantinos Tsellos & euronews with ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ

Published on 29/06/2026 - EURONEWS

EU money will be used to support fishers whose livelihoods are threatened by climate change.

Greece will provide more support for professional fishers who "are facing serious challenges due to climate change and illegal practices” according to Margaritis Schinas, the Minister of Rural Development and Food.

Her ministry announced a package of measures to support professional fishers, aimed as cutting operating costs, safeguarding incomes and create a more stable operating framework for the sector.

Among the initiatives presented after the meeting between the Minister and representatives from the fishing sector, the standout is a pilot scheme for fishing the invasive pufferfish in the regions of Crete and the South Aegean, using European funds.

Fishermen recently called for a subsidy scheme to cull toxic pufferfish. The poisonous, omnivorous fish has invaded Greek water in recent years, destroying nets, ropes and fishing equipment with their extremely powerful jaws.

Greek fishers will be paid to catch invasive pufferfish

The maximum net payment for fishers is set at €5.33 per kilo, an amount which, according to the ministry, is up to 52 per cent higher than that applied in Cyprus. The measure is intended both to boost fishers’ incomes and to curb the spread of this particular invasive species. Only professional fishers will be allowed to catch it.

In addition to the subsidy for pufferfish fishing, the package includes six further measures:

1. Fuel subsidy for professional fishers. For April and May, support of €0.16 per litre is foreseen, while for June the amount comes to €0.12 per litre. According to Mr Schinas, implementation of the measure will require the tabling of a specific legislative amendment.

2. Creation of a compensation mechanism for professionals who will be affected by restrictions on fishing activity within national marine parks. The scheme will be designed in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Energy, with the aim of combining protection of the marine environment with economic support for coastal and island communities.

3. Changes being promoted to the new Common Fisheries Policy and to national legislation. Among other things, the ministry proposes lifting the ban on funding engines, so as to reduce vessels’ operating costs. At the same time, it seeks to encourage investment in safer, more efficient and more resilient fishing vessels. The same initiative also includes adapting legislation to make it easier for new professionals to enter the sector.

4. Strengthening the institutional presence of professional fishers in decision-making centres. In particular, a legislative intervention is being planned so that fishers are represented by type of fishing gear both at regional level and in national bodies, including the Fisheries Council. The aim is for decisions affecting the sector to be taken with the participation of the professionals themselves.

5. Stricter oversight of recreational fishing. A register of amateur fishers is to be created, along with an obligation to record their catches. The measure aims to curb the illegal trade in fish and unfair competition at the expense of professionals.

6. Rationalising the sanctions system. Under the plan, the suspension of a fishing vessel will no longer be imposed automatically, but only in cases of repeat offences. The penalty will be applied on the basis of a points system and aligned with European law. In this way, the ministry aims to establish a more proportionate framework that tackles serious violations without imposing disproportionate financial burdens on professionals.

Relate

“A step in the right direction, but…”

The president of the Panhellenic Association of Midwater Fisheries, Ioannis Bountoukos, acknowledged that some of the announcements are moving in a positive direction, but expressed reservations about the level and scope of the financial support.

As he pointed out, the subsidy for fuel costs is not sufficient to cover the real burdens faced by fishing businesses, particularly after the turbulence caused by the war in Iran and the rise in operating expenses.

Mr Bountoukos stressed that the pilot programme for catching pufferfish is a move in the right direction. He noted, however, that its implementation is confined to specific geographical areas and does not cover all professionals facing similar problems.

As for the ban on trawling in the Cyclades and the restrictions in national marine parks, he noted that such decisions should not be implemented without adequate scientific backing.

In his view, comprehensive studies are needed both to protect the marine environment and to ensure the viability of professionals’ livelihoods.

Finally, he said the fishing sector needs stronger funding, stable rules and meaningful participation by fishers in decisions that affect their activity.

Greece is leading the world in wildfire detection thanks to EU-funded satellites and AI

By Ioannis Karagiorgas

Published on 30/06/2026 - EURONEWS

Four nanosatellites are now fully operational, sending instant alerts to firefighters.

As Greece braces for yet another exceptionally difficult wildfire season a new line of defence is being deployed from above.

A specially designed fleet of satellites, each roughly the size of a small oven, will be on the lookout for the first signs of fire, creating a pioneering system that could save lives, protect communities and strengthen Europe’s push for technological autonomy.

Four OroraTech satellites, each smaller than a carry-on bag, were placed in low Earth orbit in May. Greece thus became the first country in the world to deploy a satellite constellation dedicated specifically to firefighting.

Nanosatellites for firefighting AP Photo

Instant real-time updates in the field, powered by Artificial Intelligence

The satellites carry thermal sensors designed to spot new fire outbreaks as small as four metres across, surpassing the capabilities of conventional satellites, which can only detect fires comparable in size to a cruise ship.

“We scan an area, use these images and send them to our artificial intelligence models. They analyse them with precision down to grid cells of 4 by 4 metres. Then, based on that analysis and the data held by the AI models, they can determine whether it is a fire or not. We then take this information and pass it on to the fire service or any other authority connected to the system,” explains OroraTech’s CEO, Ioannis Landouris.

Four OroraTech satellites were launched in May AP Photo

When a fire breaks out, incident commanders will receive an immediate alert with the location, size and intensity of the blaze already calculated. When several fires are burning at the same time, real-time data becomes crucial for making decisions on the response and the deployment of resources.

“The platform brings together all the data and presents it to you as you are, for example, trying to put out a fire. So if you are in the field with your tablet, you can see that: ‘If I deploy my crews here and here, there is a higher risk that the fire will move in that direction.’ At the same time, you can run simulations and forecast how the fire is likely to develop and spread,” Ioannis Landouris points out.

Related

Papastergiou: 'Support in critical periods'

“These satellites will help us in critical periods, such as the summer in Greece, when unfortunately we often face large wildfires. A fire in an urban environment is easily noticed by residents; they see the smoke and alert the authorities. However, a fire in a national park or a remote area can be detected much more quickly by such a satellite, which, thanks to its thermal cameras, can pick up these hot spots,” says Greece’s Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou.

Dimitris Papastergiou holds the nanosatellite Lefteris Pitarakis/Copyright 2026 The AP. All rights reserved

Life-saving support for firefighting crews

The thermal sensors also detect solar panels, overheated factory roofs and rock surfaces warmed by the sun, but artificial intelligence models have been designed to filter out these false signals before alerts reach the emergency services.

“With the four nanosatellites OroraTech launched in May, we will have this type of information every hour. There will be no gaps in coverage. This is important not only for early detection but also for the models that predict how a wildfire will spread. In this way, we will know every hour how the fire is developing and moving,” stresses Fire Brigade Commander Zisoula Dasiou.

Fire Brigade Commander Zisoula Dasiou AP Photo

The total cost of the network comes to €200 million and is funded by the European Union. Falling launch and manufacturing costs have made this expansion possible. The Greek programme is expected to be completed by the end of the year.