http://en.rfi.fr RFI's English-language service produces news and features, on the radio and online. We currently have over 40 journalists and producers in our Paris office and a network of over 50 correspondents around the world. Other en Wed, 15 Feb 2017 10:02:18 +0000 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 18:31:00 +0200 30 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss iono.fm 2.6.0.0 RFI feeds@iono.fm (Feed Manager) https://cdn.iono.fm/files/p323/logo_323_20250908_202140_1400.jpeg http://en.rfi.fr RFI's English-language service produces news and features, on the radio and online. RFI episodic RFI sinatou.saka@francemm.com false FR https://iono.fm/e/1726423 https://iono.fm/e/1726423
AI is widely used in France, despite many peoples' misgivings. Tech consultant Frederic Cavazza says adoption is being driven by individuals, rather than a coherent or systemic approach. That results in a paradox: the technology is everywhere, but guidance and confidence in it is lacking. (Listen @2'40'')

One field that is heavily impacted by generative AI in France – and the non-English-language world – is translation. Low-cost translation agencies are increasingly using machines to deliver first drafts and relying on humans for ungratifying, poorly paid "post-editing". But translators are fighting back. The En chair et en os collective and the recently-launched STEF union for translators in publishing marked last week's World Translation Day with symbolic strike action. They gathered to find collective ways of keeping humans at the heart of the translation process, including an initiative to "sabotage" the post-editing system. (Listen @17'50'')

The story of French musician Nadia Boulanger, a talented composer and the first woman to conduct some of the world's top orchestras. Today she is best remembered for teaching an extraordinary number of the 20th century's most famous musicians, from Aaron Copland to Philip Glass, Burt Bacharach and Quincy Jones. (Listen @10'30'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. ]]> News Thu, 08 Oct 2026 18:31:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: AI in France, translators fight back, musicians' mentor 0 0 RFI full 33:25 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1721825 https://iono.fm/e/1721825
Hello everyone!

As noted on the show, I am retiring on 1 October, and today’s show is our last meal together. Unfortunately, The Sound Kitchen is retiring too – I will not be replaced.

We’ve had a great time together all these years, haven’t we?

Click here to listen to past Sound Kitchen podcasts.  

I know you will all stay loyal to RFI English – our service has so much to offer. We’re small, but my colleagues are firebrands!

For example, we have wonderful podcasts: Spotlight on France, with journalists Alison Hird and Sarah Elzas; Melissa Chemam’s insightful Spotlight on Africa, and our International Report, usually sent to us by one of our foreign correspondents. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) – to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our team of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

And don’t forget, in addition to our audio bilingual series, you can also learn French through our website “Le Français facile avec rfi”. In addition to online lessons, there are news broadcasts in slow, simple French, with exercises to practice what you’ve heard.

Go to their website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be advised on the best-suited activities for your level, according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of the “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour,” and now she heads this key international award-winning RFI department – so stick with it!

For the quiz on 7 February: I asked you a question about the 68th annual Grammy Awards that took place on 1 February. You were to re-read our article “French DJ wins Grammy for Lady Gaga remix” and send in the answer to this question: Which six artists were given “Lifetime Achievement” awards?

The answer is, to quote our article: “On Saturday evening, Nigeria's Fela Kuti was posthumously awarded a lifetime achievement award, becoming the first African artist to receive the distinction.

The king of Afrobeat was one of several artists to receive the award, including Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by RFI Listeners Club member Alan Holder from the English Isle of Wight. Alan’s question was: “What would be your ideal gift from your best friend or spouse? Why?” 

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Mohamed Elsayed Abd Elraheim from Elsharkya, Egypt. Mohamed Elsayed is also this week’s bonus question winner.

Also on the list of lucky winners are RFI Listeners Club members Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusene, Denmark; Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim, Germany; Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan, and last but not least, gentle Debashis Gope from West Bengal, India.

Congratulations winners!

For the quiz on 14 February: That week, I asked you a question about the Benin Bronzes, the trove of Nigerian sculptures and artifacts that were looted by colonial powers.

One of the most well-known organizations working for the return of these works is in Nigeria: it’s the National Commission for Museums and Monuments – the NCMM- which requested the return of bronzes from Britain that were looted from the Kingdom of Benin during the British Benin Expedition of 1897. Some of the sculptures date to the fourteenth century, but the bulk of the collection dates to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

And that week, the NCMM had a win, as my good colleague Melissa Chemam noted in her article: “Cambridge University museum set to return Benin bronzes to Nigeria”.

You were to re-read Melissa’s article and give the details of the artefacts to be returned. What did Melissa name in her article about the Benin Kingdom artworks that went home to Nigeria?

The answer is, to quote Melissa: “Among the returned bronzes that will travel in the coming months are wood and ivory sculptures, as well as commemorative heads of King Oba and Queen Mother Lyoba Idia.

The term ‘Benin bronzes’ refers to objects crafted from brass and ivory as well as bronze, which were seized during the colonial-era military expedition.”

The bonus question you answered that week was: “What do you know after all these years? What have you found are important life truths?

The winners are: Faithful RFI Listeners Club member Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Jayanta is also the bonus question winner.

Also on the list of lucky winners are RFI Listeners Club member Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State in Nigeria, as well as RFI English listeners M. Ganesan from Goa, India, and three listeners from Bangladesh:  Rafiq ul Islam from Naogaon, as well as Abdul Mannan and Mahfuza Akhter, both from Chapainawabganj.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Minor Swing” by  Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli, performed by the composers with Le Quintette Hot Club de France; "Water No Get Enemy" by Fela Kuti, performed by Fela Kuti and Africa ’70; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer;  “L'hymne à l'amour” by Edith Piaf and Marguerite Monnot, sung by Edith Piaf, and “I Wish You Love” by Charles Trenet and Léo Chauliac, performed by Laufey with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hugh Brant.

With much affection from The Sound Kitchen team – Erwan Rome, Paul Myers, and yours truly, Susan Owensby - fare thee well! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 26 Sep 2026 07:36:00 +0200 0 0 Adieu, dear listeners! 0 0 RFI full 27:24 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1721412 https://iono.fm/e/1721412
Some 800,000 people have signed up to see Pope Leo XIV on his first official visit to France, a secular country where the Catholic faith no longer dominates. Francois Mabille, head of the Geopolitical Observatory of Religion at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, looks at why France is of interest to the Vatican, and young people of different religions talk about what Pope Leo means to them. (Listen @0'00)

Vultures all but disappeared from France by the 1940s as people sought to eradicate the scavenger birds. A programme to reintroduce the four European vulture species to the Grands Causses plateaux in the southern Massif Central has been sucessful – so successful that some farmers say there are now too many. We visit a vulture feeding station to explore the close relationship between vultures and agriculture, and the tensions that arise with the return of wild species. (Listen @20'00)

In 1792, France introduced one of Europe’s first and most liberal divorce laws, as part of a broader revolutionary effort to enact liberté, egalité et fraternité in the family itself. (Listen @14'00)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. ]]> News Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:12:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Pope in secular France, vultures and farmers, first divorce law 0 0 RFI full 33:15 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1719723 https://iono.fm/e/1719723
Hello everyone!

As noted on the show, I am retiring on 1 October. Unfortunately, The Sound Kitchen is retiring too – I will not be replaced.

We’ve had a great time together all these years, haven’t we?

Click here to listen to past Sound Kitchen podcasts.  

I know you will all stay loyal to RFI English – our service has so much to offer. We’re small, but my colleagues are firebrands!

For example, we have wonderful podcasts: Spotlight on France, with journalists Alison Hird and Sarah Elzas; Melissa Chemam’s insightful Spotlight on Africa, and our International Report, usually sent to us by one of our foreign correspondents. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) – to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our team of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

And don’t forget, in addition to our audio bilingual series, you can also learn French through our website “Le Français facile avec rfi”. In addition to online lessons, there are news broadcasts in slow, simple French, with exercises to practice what you’ve heard.

Go to their website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be advised on the best-suited activities for your level, according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of the “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour,” and now she heads this key international award-winning RFI department – so stick with it!

For the quiz on 24 January: I asked you a question about the Africa Cup of Nations, and an article sent to us by Paul Myers, who was there. You were to re-read his article “Senegal outwit Morocco to claim 2025 Africa Cup of Nations”, and send in the answer to this question: At the 2026 World Cup, which took place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in June, in which group did Morocco play, and in which group did Senegal play?

The answer is, to quote Paul’s article: “Morocco will play in Group C against Brazil, Scotland and Haiti.

Senegal will feature in Group I with France, Norway, and the team that emerges from the intercontinental play-off in March.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is your favorite day of the year? Why? What is it about that day that makes it your favorite?”

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Dipita Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Dipita is also the bonus question winner.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Muhammed Naved, a member of the International DX Radio Listeners Club in West Bengal, India; Muhammad Abdullah, a member of the RFI Online Visitors Club in Sahiwal, Pakistan; RFI Listeners Club member Rodrigo Hunrichse from Bio-Bio, Chile, and last but not least, RFI English listener Sakila Musarrt from Chapainawabganj in Bangladesh. 

Congratulations winners!

For the quiz on 31 January: You were to listen to our podcast “Spotlight on France”, the brainchild of my colleagues Alison Hird and Sarah Elzas. I hope you listen to it regularly, it’s really quite good.

On their programme number 138, Alison reported on La Ménardière, an alternative living arrangement for seniors in the village of Bérat, close to the southern French town of Toulouse. The aim of the project is for seniors to live and grow old together, contributing to society for as long as possible, and to delay – or avoid – the moment when people are forced into institutional care.

The answers you were to send in were: How many residents can live at La Ménardière, and what is the selection process?

The answer is, to quote Alison: “La Ménardière can house up to 20 residents. The selection process to become one is rigorous. Candidates stay for trial weekends and, if they decide to join, they must then complete a six-month probation period.”

The bonus question you answered that week – suggested by Murshida Parvin Lata, the co-chairman of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh – was: “Which daytime temperature do you prefer: cold or hot? Why?”

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Father Steven Wara, who lives and serves in the Cistercian Abbey in Bamenda, Cameroon. Father Steve is also the winner of this week’s bonus question.

There’s long-standing RFI Listeners Club member Zenon Teles, who is also the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist – Maoist Association of Listening DX-ERs in Goa, India, as well as another faithful Sound Kitchen listener – and club member – Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State, also in India.

Moving over to Bangladesh, Anjana Parvin – she’s the secretary of the very active Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon. And last but not the least, club member and my fellow dinosaur, Alan Holder, from England’s Isle of Wight.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Take the A Train” by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, performed by Duke Ellington and his orchestra; the “AFCON 2025 Official Intro Theme – Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025” by Othmane Laaouina; “What a Wonderful World” by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss, sung by Louis Armstrong; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Étincelles”, Op. 36, No. 6 by Moritz Moszkowski, played by Alexander Zhou.

I’ll talk to you next week, 26 September, for our final Sound Kitchen together. You’ll hear the answers to the questions about the Grammy Awards Lifetime Achievement Awards and the Benin Bronzes, as well as your responses to the bonus questions on "The Listener’s Corner" with Paul Myers, so be sure and tune in.

Until then, fare thee well! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 19 Sep 2026 08:43:00 +0200 0 0 A doubleheader feast! 0 0 RFI full 32:03 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1716610 https://iono.fm/e/1716610
Eco-anxiety is on the rise in France after a summer of unprecedented heatwaves led to wildfires, scorched crops and the deaths of at least 7,000 people as well as livestock and birds. Juliette Decq, a climate adaptation consultant, says fear is a normal response to the reality people are now facing. A mother of two young children, she experienced that reality firsthand when her own home became unsafe. She talks about her anger over France’s lack of preparedness, not least in schools, but also about the solidarity she witnessed in her local community as they helped people protect themselves. Eco-anger, she says, can be a force for change. (Listen @0')

Historically a leader in Europe’s space programme, France is reassessing its role in space. Although French astronaut Sophie Adenot is currently on the International Space Station, France’s space ambitions haven’t focused on human space flight. But as the US and China ramp up their Moon missions and space becomes increasingly industrialised, France is looking to find its place. Space policy analyst Xavier Pasco explains how Europe is positioning itself as a regulator in a rapidly changing sector that has, until now, remained largely unchecked. (Listen @20'10'')

French inventor Nicéphore Niépce took the earliest surviving photograph in July 1827: a scene from a window that might have taken days to make. He fell into obscurity, and the photo itself was lost. Now it's returning to France, as part of a celebration of 200 years of photography in his honour. (Listen @14'15'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. ]]> News Thu, 10 Sep 2026 17:01:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Eco-anger, France in space, world's first photograph 0 0 RFI full 33:50 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1698650 https://iono.fm/e/1698650
This week on the podcast, we're heading to Zambia, which is gearing up for elections next month and is now in full campaign mode. Two of our RFI colleagues, Yang Mei and Igor Strauss, travelled to Zambia recently for in-depth reporting on four years of Hakainde Hichilema's rule, and his chances of re-election.

In power since August 2021, "HH", as he's most often called, is a businessman, farmer and politician, and the seventh president of Zambia.

General elections are due to be held in the country on 13 August 2026 to elect a president, members of the National Assembly, councillors and council chairs.

The year ahead for African democracy: who is going to the polls in 2026?

Hichilema has received endorsements from some members of the UPND Alliance, including from the leaders of the Party of National Unity and Progress and the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy.

According to an opinion poll conducted by a University of Zambia demographer, Hichilema is set to be re-elected, leading with 60 percent of the vote, while the combined opposition would take 35 percent.

Zambia's Hichilema sworn in, becoming rare opposition president in southern Africa

Our colleagues Yang Mei and Igor Strauss bring us some of the interviews they gathered on the ground, so join us as we hear from ordinary Zambians, as well as from leading journalist Joseph Mwenda, editor-in-chief at News Diggers, who has led multiple investigations into the current government's relations with China; and from Robert Mwale, an economist and Lead Public Finance and Economic Governance Researcher at the Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD).

Among the issues at stake are a lack of freedom of expression, but also a legacy of economic growth, driven in no small part by China's heavy involvement in the economy.

Thanks to our reporters, Igor Strauss and Yang Mei, for their work and insight, and thank you for listening.

This is the last episode of the 2025–26 season. We'll be back in September with another one.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English language service. This episode was mixed by Erwan Rome. ]]> News Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:41:00 +0200 0 0 Countdown to the ballot: Zambia gears up for August elections 0 0 RFI full 30:10 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1693169 https://iono.fm/e/1693169
Heatwaves in Europe are getting a lot of attention from the media, as they break records, but temperatures are also on the rise in Africa, with 50°C reported in the Sahel since March. And West Africa is facing unprecedentedly violent floods, especially in Ghana, parts of Nigeria and in Côte d'Ivoire. All due to global warming and climate change.

Severe flooding leaves a trail of death and destruction in West Africa

But if Africa is often seen as a victim of climate disasters - it’s also the source of solutions. 

Climate change is directly linked to oil and other fossil fuel use, which also causes environmental pollution.

In May 2026, Shell and other major oil companies held their annual general meetings, a tense moment for the victims of decades-long pollution by the companies. In the case of Shell, it might be able to shed its duty to clean up the region by selling some of its assets to another group named Renaissance.

Ahead of and after the annual meeting, local communities in Nigeria organised to act, as they see a critical opportunity to amplify scrutiny of Shell's continued fossil fuel expansion. The goal is to show the company's failure on climate accountability and environmental justice.

The pollution also affects other parts of Africa, and many actors, investors and campaigners are organising to make their demands heard.

A month after the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi, and ahead of the 11th Global Summit on Climate Change in Paris on 30-31 July 2026, this week we hear from three people building the future.

Does the Africa Forward summit signal a fresh start?

Emem Okon is the executive director of Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre – a frontline leader on gender, oil pollution and community rights in the Niger Delta. She tells us how the communities are fighting for accountability.

Yuma Sasaki, from Japan, is Dodai's CEO, working from Addis Ababa. Dodai is an electric mobility company based in Ethiopia. They recently raised $13 million (the largest fundraiser ever in Ethiopia) to scale up electric bikes.

Ethiopia, like Kenya, has emerged as a hub for electric vehicles given progressive government policy. It was the first country in the world to ban the import of fuel vehicles.

With abundant and cheap hydropower, Ethiopia could make e-bikes commercially advantageous as well as environmentally beneficial.

Meet the Kenyans on a roll, manufacturing the electric vehicles of the future

And Bim Adisa, CEO of Beacon Power Services, explains how artificial intelligence can help improve the reliability of electricity grids. Lagos-based BPS helps operators stabilise electricity grids – already impacting over 100 million people worldwide, including in West Africa.

This episode was mixed by Erwan Rome. ]]> News Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:27:00 +0200 0 0 Climate justice in Africa: floods, fossil fuels and the fightback 0 0 RFI full 33:15 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1691907 https://iono.fm/e/1691907
France has just endured one of the most intense heatwaves in its history. Record 43C temperatures put the country's schools, hospitals and transport to the test and caused at least 1,000 heat-related deaths. Climate risk expert Antoine Poincaré, head of the Apave Climate School, argues France has little choice but to adapt to a hotter world. It will mean making difficult political choices and rethinking everything from schools to Champagne, croissants and even the postcard image of Paris. Listen @0')

Working out has never been a particularly French pastime, until recently. Around six million people in France have gym memberships and the numbers are rising, driven largely by younger people. Christophe Andanson, who founded one of France's first gyms in the early 1980s, welcomes the trend. He and coach Aurélien Broussal-Derval attribute some of the growing popularity of fitness to social media influencers, notably Tibo InShape, France's largest YouTuber. (Listen @19'40'')

The beauty of the Grande Mosquée de Paris belies controversy. Since it opened in July 1926, the mosque has been a flashpoint for tensions over colonialism and France's relationship with Islam. (Listen @14'45'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. ]]> News Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:30:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Adapting to heat, France's fitness boom, Paris Mosque at 100 0 0 RFI full 27:49 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1688646 https://iono.fm/e/1688646
 

This month, a new report from the NGO Global Witness has revealed how coltan is being smuggled out of the Democratic Republic of Congo and sold to companies worldwide via Rwanda, amid the devastating conflict in the country's eastern provinces.

Coltan, short for columbite-tantalite, is a mineral from which the metals tantalum and niobium are extracted, both classified as critical raw materials by companies from the United States, the European Union, China and Japan.

The report finds that conflict minerals from the war-torn east of the DRC are present in everyday technology products made by major global companies. It also links the illegal trade to Rwandan firms and to leading international brands including Amazon, Ericsson and Sony, which source minerals from eastern DRC.

The trafficking is linked to the M23 militia, accused of widespread sexual violence, summary executions and torture.

It took the British non-governmental organisation more than a year of documentary and field research to establish the exploitation network.

A separate Global Witness investigation from April 2025 had already revealed that coltan linked to the conflict in eastern DRC had likely entered the European Union market through international commodities trader Traxys. Earlier reports had also implicated companies including Apple, dating back to 2022.

For this latest investigation, the NGO spent months cross-referencing its findings with surveys conducted by the United Nations and other non-governmental organisations.

Alex Kopp, the report's author and an expert at Global Witness, is our first guest.

DRC takes on Apple: can conflict mineral mining be stopped?

Rwanda monument

The artist Grada Kilomba was commissioned to create a monument for the city of Paris commemorating the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The monument comprises two black brass steles bearing an engraved tribute to the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children massacred between April and July 1994.

It was unveiled in the heart of Paris on 2 June 2026, in the presence of the two countries' presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Paul Kagame.

France and Rwanda unite to honour genocide victims with Paris monument

Kilomba is a Portuguese artist of African heritage, with roots in São Tomé and Angola.

Raised in Portugal, she has worked in Germany, Brazil, England and beyond, using performance and installation to explore the history of African and black people across centuries and continents, including the slave trade.

She was selected through a rigorous process to design this monument, the first of its kind in France. She travelled to Rwanda to meet survivors and conduct her own research before completing the project, titled "The Archive".

Her creative process led her to reflect on France and Europe's responsibility in the tragic events.

Grada Kilomba is the second guest in this episode.

 

 

This episode was mixed by Vincent Pora. ]]> News Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:43:00 +0200 0 0 Blood minerals and memory: the Great Lakes in focus 0 0 RFI full 28:34 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1687725 https://iono.fm/e/1687725
The murder of a child in south-west France has caused outcry after it emerged that the chief suspect was previously accused of raping and sexual assaulting other children – but had never been charged, or even interviewed by police. Child welfare advocates and feminist groups have started weekly demonstrations outside the Justice Ministry, demanding stronger action against systemic failures to investigate, prosecute and convict child abusers. Steffy Alexandrian and Arnaud Gallais, who both founded child protection groups after being sexually abused, describe their experiences with the justice system and why an overhaul is long overdue. (Listen @3')

On 18 June 1940, a then little-known general made a radio broadcast from London to German-occupied France to rally the French resistance. Few heard his call, but the speech would launch Charles de Gaulle on the path to becoming one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. Eighty-six years later, de Gaulle is back in the spotlight thanks to the blockbuster biopic La Bataille de Gaulle. Historian Julian Jackson – whose acclaimed biography, A Certain Idea of France, inspired the film – talks about the delicate process of bringing history to the screen, the general's love-hate relationship with Winston Churchill, and why his warnings about Europe's dependence on America still resonate. (Listen @18'40'')

In July 1976, France passed a landmark law for animal rights: Article L214 of the Rural Code, which recognised animals as “sentient beings” with needs that humans had to respect. Fifty years later, animal studies specialist Émilie Dardenne says it has not stopped sometimes shocking cruelty in France’s massive farming industry. (Listen @12'40'')

Episode mixed by Jeremie Boucher.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. ]]> News Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:21:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Justice for children, De Gaulle on screen, France’s animal welfare gap 0 0 RFI full 32:28 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1684329 https://iono.fm/e/1684329
The next time you watch a nature documentary filmed in Africa, listen carefully to the soundtrack: you might be hearing music composed in the West, a product of "parachute" filmmaking, rather than authentic sounds and locally led stories from the continent.

A group of artists, producers and organisers is working to change that through Africa Refocused, a collaboration between the National Geographic Society and Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF).

NEWF offers mentorship, professional development and laboratories that teach specialised skills such as underwater cinematography and music composition, supporting a community of more than 370 storytellers from over 35 African countries, who have created 27 films and counting.

Their goal is to bring authentic sounds to the screen, so that Africa's nature documentaries reflect the continent's rhythms, sounds and instruments.

Spotlight on Africa spoke to two storytellers leading this movement. Dércio "Muha" Gomate is a National Geographic Explorer and Mozambican composer whose work has featured internationally, including his contribution to "Nkashi: Race for the Okavango", winner of Best Original Music Score at the 2023 Jackson Wild Film Festival.

Labdi Ommes, a NEWF Fellow, is a singer-songwriter and composer from Kenya who plays the orutu, an instrument women were historically forbidden to play.

They discuss their creative process in the field and the studio, how they are reclaiming soundscapes to replace "parachute" scores with local sounds, and how the NEWF Composers Lab is opening doors for African musicians to monetise their work and gain international exposure.

Africa at Cannes 2026

Meanwhile, African films featured at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Why is African cinema out of the picture at the Cannes Film Festival?

Our culture reporter Ollia Horton met the organisers of a programme supporting women film directors and screenwriters from West Africa.

Mariama Lab is a year-long mentoring programme created by Collectif 50/50, a French organisation for gender equality, and the Mariama Institut, a film-writing residency in Mauritania.

We will hear from Mathy Mendy, a coordinator with Collectif 50/50, and from the actress and director Azata Soro.

And the World Cup!

Finally, you will hear from Paul Myers, our sports reporter, who will be covering the 2026 football World Cup for RFI English.

It starts on 11 June with a game between the co-hosts Mexico and South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Africa's finest: Democratic Republic of Congo return renamed

It is the first tournament to feature 48 teams, 10 of them African, with matches played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

 

 

 

This episode was mixed by Vincent Pora. ]]> News Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:44:00 +0200 0 0 Africa's sound, African film at Cannes and the World Cup kick-off 0 0 RFI full 30:57 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1684301 https://iono.fm/e/1684301
The next time you watch a nature documentary filmed in Africa, listen carefully to the soundtrack: you might be hearing music composed in the West, a product of "parachute" filmmaking, rather than authentic sounds and locally led stories from the continent.

A group of artists, producers and organisers is working to change that through Africa Refocused, a collaboration between the National Geographic Society and Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF).

NEWF offers mentorship, professional development and laboratories that teach specialised skills such as underwater cinematography and music composition, supporting a community of more than 370 storytellers from over 35 African countries, who have created 27 films and counting.

Their goal is to bring authentic sounds to the screen, so that Africa's nature documentaries reflect the continent's rhythms, sounds and instruments.

Spotlight on Africa spoke to two storytellers leading this movement. Dércio "Muha" Gomate is a National Geographic Explorer and Mozambican composer whose work has featured internationally, including his contribution to "Nkashi: Race for the Okavango", winner of Best Original Music Score at the 2023 Jackson Wild Film Festival.

Labdi Ommes, a NEWF Fellow, is a singer-songwriter and composer from Kenya who plays the orutu, an instrument women were historically forbidden to play.

They discuss their creative process in the field and the studio, how they are reclaiming soundscapes to replace "parachute" scores with local sounds, and how the NEWF Composers Lab is opening doors for African musicians to monetise their work and gain international exposure.

Africa at Cannes 2026

Meanwhile, African films featured at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Why is African cinema out of the picture at the Cannes Film Festival?

 

Our culture reporter Ollia Horton met the organisers of a programme supporting women film directors and screenwriters from West Africa.

 

Mariama Lab is a year-long mentoring programme created by Collectif 50/50, a French organisation for gender equality, and the Mariama Institut, a film-writing residency in Mauritania.

We will hear from Mathy Mendy, a coordinator with Collectif 50/50, and from the actress and director Azata Soro.

And the World Cup!

Finally, you will hear from Paul Myers, our sports reporter, who will be covering the 2026 football World Cup for RFI English.

It starts on 11 June with a game between the co-hosts Mexico and South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Africa's finest: Democratic Republic of Congo return renamed

It is the first tournament to feature 48 teams, 10 of them African, with matches played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

 

 

 

This episode was mixed by Vincent Pora. ]]> News Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:24:00 +0200 0 0 Africa's sound, Cannes' snub and the World Cup kicks off 0 0 RFI full 30:57 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1682888 https://iono.fm/e/1682888
Former prime minister Édouard Philippe, currently one of the leading contenders in next year's presidential race, is facing allegations of embezzling funds from Le Havre, the city he governs as mayor. A civil servant first raised the alarm over the alleged misconduct, and now the city has attacked her whistleblower status. Cléo Bour, legal manager of the Maison des Lanceurs d'Alerte, which provides support to whistleblowers, talks about France's fraught relationship with those who speak out, the patchwork of protections available to them, and what it means when a powerful political figure uses public resources to go after them. (Listen @1'50'')

France, Europe's largest agricultural producer, relies heavily on imported fertilisers to keep its fields producing. But the Middle East crisis has driven up the price of nitrogen-based fertilisers, while the cadmium-rich phosphates France imports from Morocco have serious health impacts. Microbiologist Marc-André Selosse argues there are sound financial, environmental and health reasons to look for homegrown alternatives – such as human waste, which he suggests could provide up to 40 percent of France's fertiliser needs. We also visit a pioneering urine collection point near Paris, run by the Ocapi research programme, which benefits a local farmer. (Listen @18')

France has been shifting its clocks forward in spring and back in autumn every year since 1976, but it first adopted daylight savings time in June 1916. (Listen @12'05'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. ]]> News Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:36:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Protecting whistleblowers, homegrown fertiliser, daylight savings in France 0 0 RFI full 31:45 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1679671 https://iono.fm/e/1679671
Coordinated attacks by Tuareg separatists and jihadists dealt a major new blow to the junta in power in the capital, Bamako, in the last days of April, securing the capture of Kidal, a northern rebel stronghold.

Several strategic towns and areas around the capital Bamako were also targeted in the offensive by Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition and the jihadist Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which was launched at dawn on Saturday 25 April.

Two days of intense fighting followed between Malian soldiers and the armed groups around Bamako and Kati, a garrison town and junta stronghold about 15 kilometres north of the capital.

Mali's junta has now lost control of key northern areas and still faces a growing insurgent campaign that is tightening pressure around Bamako rather than directly attempting to seize the capital.

Analysts say this could be a turning point for the military in power since a 2020 coup.

 

Mali plunged into uncertainty following coordinated attacks on junta

 

Mali has been beset by violence from radical Islamists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group since 2012, as well as local criminal gangs and pro-independence fighters.

For more than a decade, around 300,000 refugees have fled to eastern Mauritania's desert Hodh Chargui region to escape the violence that has plagued Mali.

 

Héni Nsaibia is the senior analyst for West Africa at ACLED, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data group. He co-wrote the organisation's latest report, released in mid-May, showing that global jihadism threatens Africa like no other region on earth. It also explores how jihadist groups are expanding across the continent, controlling territory, targeting civilians and disrupting infrastructure.

Héni Nsaibia is Spotlight on Africa's guest this week.

"The whole offensive in Mali really marked a turning point in the conflict," he told RFI.

"It's not a development that arrived overnight; it's a gradual process that has been ongoing for many years. However, in the past few years, and especially since the military regimes in the region came to power, we have seen a degradation of the security situation in all three countries that form the alliance of Sahel states, where military officers have taken power on promises to deliver on security."

JNIM is likely to maintain military pressure on the Malian regime as it attempts to isolate the capital and ultimately bring down the government, thereby posing an existential threat to Bamako, according to Nsaibia.

The report also shows that West Africa has become the world's most active zone of Islamist militancy, with groups now combining improved tactics with greater coordination and the use of technologies such as armed drones.

Why the Sahel is now the world’s deadliest region for terrorism

 

As the security landscape across the Central Sahel and Lake Chad Basin shifts rapidly, the latest ACLED report reveals that jihadist activity is no longer just a series of localised insurgencies but a coordinated effort to challenge state authority across the region, with Islamic State activity in Africa hitting a record high of 86 per cent in early 2026.

 

Since early 2025, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has also changed tactics and conducted more complex attacks carried out in succession over a short period of time.

With Héni Nsaibia, we will also discuss how jihadism has evolved across the rest of the continent.

The problem is now affecting not only the three Sahelian states of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, but is spreading rapidly across West Africa and beyond, including Somalia, Mozambique and the Great Lakes region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This episode was mixed by Erwan Rome. ]]> News Tue, 26 May 2026 13:11:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Global jihadism's growing grip on Africa 0 0 RFI full 27:00 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1678408 https://iono.fm/e/1678408
Twenty-five years ago, France became the first country to recognise slavery as a crime against humanity, but has never issued an official apology for its role in the trade. Last month, Pierre Guillon de Princé, a descendant of a family of slave traders in the port city of Nantes, made history by apologising publicly for his family's actions. He and Dieudonné Boutrin, the descendant of enslaved people on the French overseas territory of Martinique, have come together to build fraternity amid growing racism in France. They talk about inaugurating a new memorial – the Mast of Fraternity and Memory – and their long, sometimes difficult battle to encourage reparatory justice. They're not responsible for the past, they say, but they are responsible for the present and the future. (Listen @0')

The Cannes Film Festival shines a light on the world of cinema – the films, the glamour and the business of making movies. In the midst of this year's edition, the French film industry was shaken as the head of Canal+, one of the biggest funders of French and European film, announced he would cut ties with the hundreds of actors, directors and creatives who signed a letter criticising the influence of right-wing billionaire Vincent Bolloré, who owns a third of the company. Economist Kira Kitsopanidou looks at the major role that Canal+ plays in financing French cinema, and what happens when money meets ideology. And RFI's Ollia Horton reports from the festival. (Listen @20')

What would become the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French president, was built three centuries ago with money amassed by a French slave trader. Anti-racism activist Louis-Georges Tin calls on President Emmanuel Macron to acknowledge the building's history, while Laurine Gomis of association Memoires et Partages explains where to find other traces of France's slaving past in Paris. (Listen @13')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. ]]> News Thu, 21 May 2026 17:53:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Grappling with legacies of slavery, French film industry crisis 0 0 RFI full 32:55 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1674931 https://iono.fm/e/1674931
Joining Kenyan President William Ruto at the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron is accompanied by some 30 heads of state, as well as between 1,500 and 2,000 French and African business leaders and stakeholders. Young people, artists and athletes are also among those invited.

Formally titled Africa Forward: Partnerships between Africa and France for Innovation and Growth, the summit reflects a stated desire to diversify France's alliances. According to the Élysée, the aim is to forge closer ties with East African economies in the wake of a series of diplomatic crises across the Sahel.

France to host African summit in Kenya, in bid to ‘diversify alliances'

Also on the agenda are discussions on creative and cultural industries as economic drivers, and sport as an emerging frontier for investment and job creation. The energy transition, infrastructure development, regional connectivity, and agriculture and food systems feature among the other topics under consideration.

A new era?

According to XN Ikari, professor at the University of Nairobi, France still appears to be looking to East Africa after failing to support its partners in West Africa. New investors, he adds, are always welcome in Kenya.

For Roland Marchal, a senior research fellow at Sciences Po Paris covering Africa, the significance of the summit remains to be seen, depending on whether its promises on investment and climate justice materialise.

"The simple fact that the conference will pay attention to these issues is positive in itself," he tells RFI. "And Macron may rhetorically commit some money for new climate initiatives, this could be heard with some scepticism, as African leaders know very well that France is facing its own internal issues."

He adds that William Ruto has been a strong advocate for new environmental policies, and that the choice of Kenya to host the summit could therefore lend credibility to Emmanuel Macron's promises.

"It's always good to have conferences move around and test what the audience wants," infrastructure investment expert Bowale Odumade tells RFI, as you'll hear.

A central hub for transport and logistics, Nairobi also boasts a thriving financial industry and a technology start-up environment, she adds.

Also featured are Kenyan entrepreneurs, as well as Phil Clark, professor at SOAS, based between South Africa and the UK, on the greatest challenges facing the French if they want to be seen as equal and respectful partners.

 

 

This podcast was edited by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome, mixed by Erwan Rome. ]]> News Tue, 12 May 2026 10:58:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Africa Forward - a fresh start in Nairobi? 0 0 RFI full 41:25 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1673682 https://iono.fm/e/1673682
The French government has vowed to crack down on unauthorised raves, known as "free parties", with a proposed law that would punish organisers with up to six months in prison and hefty fines. While the interior minister claims such gatherings threaten public order, free party fans defend their right to meet and share techno music outside of for-profit venues. Electronic music producer Maelström, who cut his teeth DJing at rave parties in France as a teenager in the late 1990s, looks back at the growth of that counter-culture and how it shaped his own music. Rather than repressing rave culture, he argues the state should help young people make such gatherings safe and sustainable. (Listen @2'15'')

France has dozens of regional accents, but you wouldn't know it to listen to broadcasters or politicians – most of whom have learned to speak a standardised form of French shaped in Paris. Sociologist Médéric Gasquet-Cyrus dissects his own Marseille accent and others from around the country, and explains why the impetus to flatten distinctive accents remains strong in France. (Listen @22')

The Front Populaire, a broad left-wing coalition elected in May 1936, introduced paid time off and other reforms that continue to shape French society today. Economic historian Nicolas Bresset explains why, 90 years on, it remains a powerful symbol for the French left. (Listen @14'50'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. ]]> News Thu, 07 May 2026 17:14:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: French raves, accent insecurity, birth of the Front Populaire 0 0 RFI full 36:19 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1670509 https://iono.fm/e/1670509
V&A East, the latest offshoot of the world-renowned Victoria & Albert Museum, opened in Stratford – the area regenerated by London's 2012 Olympic Games – on 18 April. 

Its inaugural exhibition, entitled "The Music is Black: A British Story", charts the rise of black music in the UK, from early drumbeats brought over from Africa to the present day, in which African and Afro-Caribbean music reflect British multiculturalism.

Black British music takes centre stage as London's V&A East opens doors

From Africa via the Caribbean and North America, the contribution of musicians of African descent still resonates in the United Kingdom – from reggae to rap and grime, a contemporary black British musical genre born in East London, which has allowed young people to create a sense of belonging, while connecting to a global audience.

V&A East director Gus Casely-Hayford talks to RFI about how he imagined a space that would attract visitors from all over the world, as well as from across London.

We also hear from curator of the exhibition Jacqueline Springer, a former music journalist, about how her team planned a display that spans centuries of history.

Cathartic rhythms for West African band born in 'black London'

Looking outside London, Bristol rapper and producer Tricky – whose family has roots in Jamaica, Africa and England – talks about how his city invented its own distinctive sound in the 1990s: trip hop. 

And we hear how producer Tim Norfolk, of the duo The Insects, is releasing a record produced in Bristol in 1994 by the late Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Biggie Tembo, leader of the Bhundu Boys.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English language service. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome. ]]> News Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0200 0 0 From reggae to grime: how black music became synonymous with a British sound 0 0 RFI full 32:38 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1665814 https://iono.fm/e/1665814
The conflict, now nearing its three-year mark, has already killed tens of thousands, displaced more than eleven million people and created what the UN describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.

International summits and negotiations have done little so far to put an end to the fighting, which has been marked by violations on both sides.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Sudanese civilians continue to bear the brunt of the atrocities. 

The NGO’s latest report has found that forces affiliated with the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have arbitrarily detained, tortured, and ill-treated civilians in areas under their control, denying them any due process for their rights.

Sudan is also directly affected by the US-Israeli war against Iran and Tehran’s retaliation in the Persian Gulf, reducing the supply of medicines to Africa – a sector already severely impacted by funding cuts. 

Sudan: rebels using sexual violence in Darfur as 'war weapon', says MSF

In this episode, you'll here from the newly appointed advisor to the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) chairman in Sudan, Amgad Fareid Eltayeb, on the line from Khartoum, then Omar Digna in Cairo, Egypt – a Sudanese author and analyst – who fled the country four months after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over Khartoum. 

Ethiopia's involvement

Meanwhile, the RSF have been accused by the Sudanese military of launching drone attacks "from inside Ethiopian territory" since March. This constitutes the first public allegation of Ethiopian involvement in the conflict.

Ethiopia has denied the claim and has also rejected allegations that it is hosting RSF camps.

But the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) said analysis of satellite imagery and open-source data shows activity "consistent with military assistance to the RSF" at an Ethiopian base in Asosa, in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, between late December 2025 and late March 2026.

To discuss Ethiopia’s involvement in favour of the RSF, and the recent changes on the conflict, we speak to Christy Cooney, Chief of the Sudan team for the NGO Avaaz, who is regular contact with its staff in Sudan.

"What the Yale team have been able to conclude with a high degree of confidence is that these vehicles are then being fitted at this Ethiopian military base, fitted with these mounted machine guns, and then being used in attacks that are where the RSF are crossing the border and launching attacks inside Sudan," Cooney said.

"So there you have the Ethiopian military colluding with the RSF to launch these attacks in Blue Nile. They're colluding with an organisation that has been credibly accused of of genocide in Darfur."

Chad relocates refugees amid rising tensions at border with Sudan

Saving Sudan's cultural legacy

One aspect that is less obvious to outsiders is the impact the war has had on the country’s culture and heritage. 

Important public buildings such as the Sudan National Museum have been ransacked since the fighting broke out, putting precious historical artefacts at risk of damage, theft and trafficking.

RFI's Ollia Horton looks into how Sudanese cultural institutions like the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) and the Louvre museum in France have been working together to preserve the country's heritage for future generations.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English language service. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome. ]]> News Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:24:00 +0200 0 0 Sudan: Three years of war and new reports of meddling by Ethiopia 0 0 RFI full 32:32 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1664496 https://iono.fm/e/1664496
French MPs will vote next week on a bill that aims to tackle "new forms" of antisemitism, which has spiralled since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel triggered the war in Gaza. Among other measures, the legislation would create a new offence punishing incitement to "the destruction of a state". Critics claim the bill is aimed at silencing criticism of Israel and more than 600,000 people have signed a petition to push MPs to reject it. Law professor François Dubuisson argues the reform is not necessary and Cécile Marquerie, advocacy coordinator for a platform of pro-Palestine NGOs, raises concerns over freedom of speech. (Listen @2'40'')

In 1926, Rey Jeanton donated a replica of the Statue of Liberty to his hometown of Izon, a small town outside Bordeaux. It was his tribute to the United States, where he had spent over 30 years of his life. During WWII, the statue was destroyed, and with it, a piece of Izon’s history. A century later, Izon is recreating the statue to revive its city centre and forge a sense of identity for what risks becoming another commuter town. (Listen @20'10'')

The story of Valérie André, a helicopter pilot and neurosurgeon who blazed a trail for women in the armed forces when she became France’s first female general on 21 April 1976. (Listen @13')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:39:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: 'New' antisemitism, Statue of Liberty, France's first female general 0 0 RFI full 31:06 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1662957 https://iono.fm/e/1662957
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Nasyr Muhammad, Hossen Abed Ali, and Alan Holder.  

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “The Cup of Life” by Luis Gómez Escolar, Desmond Child, and Draco Rosa, sung by Ricky Martin; “Englishman in New York”, written and performed by Sting, and “Mona Lisa” by Raymond B Evans and Jay Livingston, sung by Nat King Cole. ]]> TV & Film Sat, 04 Apr 2026 08:56:00 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen, No 43 0 0 RFI full 16:32 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1661875 https://iono.fm/e/1661875
In Kibera, one of the largest informal settlements in Africa, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, the NGO CFK Africa has begun helping landlords to spot and respond to domestic violence and sexual assault.  

Siama Yusuf, senior programme officer for girls empowerment at CFK Africa, told RFI: "Kibera faces a persistent high level of gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse."

And this reflects broader national trends, she adds, with the situation intensified by poverty and overcrowding in informal settlements such as Kibera.

"Violence often happens behind closed doors and goes unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, lack of trust in institutions and the belief that such issues are private family matters," she explained. 

Little by little, however, thanks to the way the charity is supporting landlords, some parts of Kenya are becoming safer places for women, as awareness on how to address the violence grows.

Stigma and sisterhood: how one Kenyan woman knitted a healthcare revolution

Lessons for improvement

In 2025, landlords working with the charity made 92 referrals to the authorities, helping survivors of violence with life-saving support services.

While landlords might once have dismissed signs of domestic violence in the homes of their tenants as a private matter, CFK Africa's training teaches them how to intervene. 

One owner said that after this training, he knew that he was entitled to go and investigate upon hearing cries from inside one of his properties – where he found a father sexually assaulting his four-year-old daughter. Thanks to the landlord’s intervention, she survived.

Childcare solution springs up for Nairobi's market trader mothers

Geoffrey Wesonga is a landlord in Kibera who is involved in the training.

"When I first heard of the programme, I was really happy because handling gender-based violence cases in Kibera was becoming something very hard to do, because we didn't have anywhere to report them," he told RFI.

"The police tend to tell the perpetrator who reported the matter to them," Wesonga continues. "So, when I heard of the programme CFK was rolling out, I felt that in my capacity as a landlord, I would help many households."

Kenya: The accidental librarian keeping Kibera's kids in books

CFK Africa says its programme could be replicated around the globe. It quotes the work of researcher Meg Warren from Western Washington University in the United States, who conducted a study in 2024 with academics in the Democratic Republic of Congo that suggested the most powerful allies often aren't outsiders, but local leaders.

It also showed male allyship was key to lasting changes.

"In the past, most landlords didn't know the power they hold in preventing and reporting cases of gender-based violence," said Yusuf.

"But, because the landlords usually live within or near the compounds they oversee, they frequently hear or see warning signs before anyone else, so positioning them as critical gatekeepers in prevention and response is crucial."

Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English language service. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome. ]]> News Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:36:00 +0200 0 0 The Kenyan landlords helping fight gender-based violence 0 0 RFI full 28:30 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1660476 https://iono.fm/e/1660476
France's far right has made further inroads into the mainstream of French politics, winning 70 cities and hundreds of municipal council seats in last week's local elections. On the left, divisions were laid bare, with Socialists who refused alliances with the hard-left France Unbowed perfoming better overall than those who joined forces. Meanwhile, the Greens party, in coalitions with the Socialists, struggled to hold onto the cities it won in 2020 during the so-called "green wave". Political scientist Sylvie Ollitrault examines how France's Greens are caught between left-wing factions, and considers how the environmental movement in France may be abandoning politics altogether. (Listen @0')

France's skiing industry employs some 120,000 people directly or indirectly in its 250 resorts. But diminishing snowfall linked to climate change means that smaller, lower altitude sites are struggling to survive. Some have also failed to sufficiently invest in infrastructure or developing year-round activities. The resort of Alpe du Grand Serre in the northern French Alps is threatened with closure due to lack of funding. But local residents and businesses, who depend on the winter ski season to keep the village economy going, are taking matters into their own hands. Listen @18'10'')

The 1946 radio drama about the potential dangers of nuclear science that may have started a panic on the streets of Paris... or not. (Listen @11'45'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:21:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: French Greens, skiing's melting future, nuclear radio hoax 0 0 RFI full 30:58 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1656397 https://iono.fm/e/1656397
As the conflict spreads across West Asia, the Gulf and the Red Sea, worries are growing about how it could affect the African continent.

American military bases in Djibouti and Somalia lie within range of Iranian-aligned groups, while US deployments in Nigeria and Kenya further extend potential exposure.

Israel also maintains military assets in Eritrea, vulnerable to missile attacks launched across the Red Sea. Such attacks could also threaten Egypt if missiles pass through its airspace.

Some African countries fear security risks from the United States, Israel, Iran or Houthi forces in Yemen. Others are already suffering from rising oil prices, related food insecurity and concerns for migrant workers.

More than 700,000 African workers remain in Gulf states as missile strikes continue in the region.

Fearful African migrants warily work on through Gulf missile strikes

Ladd Serwat, an analyst on Africa at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED – a conflict data organisation), writes regular analyses on Iran’s regional reach and the security implications of the war for Africa.

He said direct military action by Israel or the United States against Iranian allies in Africa remains unlikely, but cannot be ruled out.

Nigeria and jihadist insecurity

Meanwhile, West Africa is facing a rise in jihadist attacks in the Sahel.

Violence has increasingly spread south to coastal countries such as Benin, Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, prompting governments to seek stronger cross-border cooperation.

Authorities in Benin and Nigeria announced this week plans for a joint security operation along their shared border.

The move aims to combat militant groups operating in the area.

In the podcast, Sunday Dare, senior adviser to Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, discusses security challenges facing the country, including the Islamist insurgency and the need for regional and international cooperation.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:08:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Africa faces security worries as Iran conflict spreads 0 0 RFI full 30:39 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1655074 https://iono.fm/e/1655074
France has deployed navy vessels to the Mediterranean and Red Sea to protect countries attacked by Iran in retaliation for strikes by the United States and Israel. It says it is staying out of the war, maintaining a "strictly defensive" stance to support its allies and protect its interests in the region. Defence expert Guillaume Lagane, who teaches international relations at Sciences Po Paris, examines France's position and the delicate balancing act it is pursuing. (Listen @2'45'')

France heads to the polls on 15 and 22 March to elect its mayors and town councillors. We already know that half of the councillors will be women, after a 2025 law imposed gender-balanced lists in every one of France's nearly 35,000 communes. Putting forward an equal number of male and female candidates can be challenging in a village like Fresnes-lès-Montauban in northern France, where non-profit Elles Aussi is helping encourage women to run. Julia Mouzon, founder of the Elues Locales network that supports and promotes women in politics, talks about the collective achievement of getting gender parity on electoral lists – and why there are still so few female mayors. (Listen @18'25'')

The small town in France where Iran's first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, spent his last months in exile, preparing his return to Iran at the height of the 1979 revolution. (Listen @12'35'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani and Arthur Devillers.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:39:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Middle East war, women in politics, Khomeini's last days in France 0 0 RFI full 32:01 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1651865 https://iono.fm/e/1651865
At the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital and home to the headquarters of the organisation, leaders held debates on conflicts, institutional reform, financial sovereignty, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and Africa’s place in the emerging new geopolitical order.

Giorgia Meloni was a guest of honour, invited to co-host the second Italy-Africa Summit and to consider a strategy to tackle the root causes of migration.

United Nations secretary-general António Guterres was also in attendance, and called again for two permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council.

The rotational chair passed from Angola to Burundi, putting leadership of the AU for 2026 with the latter's President Évariste Ndayishimiye.

Outgoing chair João Lourenço, president of Angola, parted with the warning that: "Normalising coup-makers who retake power through elections cannot become standard practice."

With 10 military coups having taken place on the continent since 2020 and elections held in a climate of repression, plus wars in Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and insurgency in the Sahel region, observers agree that Africa needs stronger institutions and leadership.

We spoke with Liesl Louw-Vaudran, senior advisor for the AU at the International Crisis Group (ICG), and Désiré Assogbavi, an international development strategist with more than two decades of experience in policy analysis.

African Union summit opens, as continent faces conflict and climate extremes

Imprints of violence

Also in this episode, we meet South African photographer Jo Ractliffe, whose images focus on the residues of violence left by apartheid, regional conflict and population displacement.

South African photographer Jo Ractliffe captures imprints of violence

 

RFI's Isabelle Martinetti met her in Paris, where her latest exhibition "Out of Place" is showing at the Jeu de Paume, displaying work from the past four decades.

With photographs taken in South Africa and Angola, several of which are being shown in France for the first time, the exhibition explores places marked by history and trauma.

Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English service. ]]> News Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:03:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Reflections on the future of the African Union 0 0 RFI full 29:38 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1647114 https://iono.fm/e/1647114
The African continent is rich in resources that are critical to the energy transition, as well as to the electronics and high-tech industries. Africa holds vast reserves of coltan, gallium, cobalt, tantalum, lithium, nickel, and many other strategic minerals that sit at the heart of this global competition.

The Trump administration is seeking to counter China's growing dominance over the continent's metals and mining sectors.

 

DR Congo weighs price of security in minerals deal with US

 

For the moment, Trump is focused on a  US - DRC agreement, which would prioritise American interests in the central African country's supply chain. The DRC sits on vast mineral wealth and is currently engaged in a peace process with Rwanda, brokered by the United States.

DRC takes on Apple: can conflict mineral mining be stopped?

To help us analyse the context of these deals, we are joined today by three guests.

First, Clionadh Raleigh, head of ACLED - the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. We also have Akin Adegoke, Chief Digital Officer at Lotus Bank, who brings experience in driving technology-led, inclusive banking.

And finally, Frédéric Mousseau, Policy Director at the California-based Oakland Institute, who argues that, that under the guise of peace and development, the US–DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement rewrote Congo's laws to favour American mining interests."

Delegates also gathered at the Cape Town International Convention Centre for the 32nd edition of the African Mining Indaba, the continent's largest conference on the sector.

You'll also hear reactions from people on the ground in the DRC, as well as from leaders in South Africa and Zambia, on what has already been dubbed the new scramble for Africa.

Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:55:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: the race for Africa's critical minerals 0 0 RFI full 29:29 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1645907 https://iono.fm/e/1645907
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. NB: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 17 January, I asked you a question about our article “France launches recruitment for 10-month voluntary national military service”. You were to send in the answer to these two questions: How many volunteers will be accepted into the 2026 program, and what will their jobs be? 

The answer is, to quote our article: “From September, around 3,000 volunteers will join the army, navy, or air and space force for missions carried out exclusively on French soil.

Tasks will range from helping out during natural disasters and providing support for counter-terrorism surveillance, to more specialized jobs such as drone operation, mechanics, electrical work, baking, or medical support.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: What is the most romantic thing that has ever been said to you? Or the most romantic action? Or the most romantic gift?

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Murshida Parveen Lata, who is the Co-Chairman of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Murshida is also the winner of this week’s bonus question Congratulations on your double win, Murshida.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ashraf Ali, a member of the International RFI DX Radio Listeners Club in West Bengal, India; Sumara Sabri, a member of the RFI Online Visitors Club in Sahiwal, Pakistan; Sameen Riaz – also from Pakistan, this time from Sheikupura city – Sameen is a member of the RFI Listeners Club in that fair city, and last but not least, RFI Listeners Club member Sami Mossad from Giza, Egypt.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Fast Bob” by Romane and Stochelo Rosenberg, played by the Rosenberg Ensemble; “La Marseillaise” by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, arranged by Claude Bolling and performed by the Claude Bolling Big Band; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “You’re the Top” by Cole Porter, sung by Ella Fitzgerald.  

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Cambridge University Museum set to return Benin bronzes to Nigeria”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 9 March to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 14 March podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:05:00 +0200 0 0 Happy World Radio Day! 0 0 RFI full 53:27 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1645504 https://iono.fm/e/1645504
Recent data shows one in two university students in France are skipping a meal each day and relying on food handouts. In response, the government is extending a 1-euro meal scheme – introduced during Covid for those on bursaries – to all university students as of May. Student union rep Marian Bloquet outlines why the problems go far beyond food. We also report from the Cop1ne community kitchen in Paris. Run by students for students, it provides cheap, home-cooked food, but also company and solidarity.  (Listen @3'20'')

As France prepares to ban children from social media, kids weigh in on their use of the platforms and how they would like to see them regulated. Cybersecurity expert Olivier Blazy considers the technical challenges and privacy issues raised by such a ban. (Listen @20'20'')

The adventurous life of the French explorer Alexandra David-Néel, who in the winter of 1924 became the first European woman to reach Lhasa, Tibet's "forbidden city". (Listen @14'10'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:55:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: student poverty, kids and social media, a French woman in Tibet 0 0 RFI full 32:39 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1643516 https://iono.fm/e/1643516
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. NB: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 13 December, I asked you a question about Paul Myers’ article “Nigeria power past Mozambique into quarterfinals at Africa Cup of Nations”.

Nigeria had just beaten Mozambique 4 to 0. Paul noted in his article that the win was the biggest winning margin in a Cup of Nations knockout tie since the Africa Cup in 2010. And that was one of your questions: you were to tell me which countries played in the Africa Cup semi-finals in 2010, and who won that knockout tie by 4 to 0.

The second question was: In the Nigeria/Mozambique match, what is the name of the Nigerian player who scored the fourth goal?

The answer is, to quote Paul’s article: “Akor Adams, fed by Lookman, thrashed in Nigeria's fourth goal 15 minutes from time to notch up the biggest winning margin in a Cup of Nations knockout tie since Egypt battered Algeria 4-0 in the semi-finals at the 2010 tournament in Angola.” So, Egypt/Algeria, and Akor Adams are the correct answers.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by RFI Listeners Club member Pradip Basak from West Bengal, India: “How do you deal with jealousy when your friend achieves something you secretly wished for?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: Amir Jameel, the president of the RFI Online Visitors Club in Sahiwal, Pakistan.  Amir is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Amir.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Sharifun Islam Nitu, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and Faheem Noor, the president of the WULO RFI Club in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan. There are also two RFI Listeners Club members: Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusene, Denmark, and S. J. Agboola from Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Heer on Sarangi”, traditional music from Pakistan performed by Ustad Sultan Khan; “Water No Get Enemy” by Fela Kuti, performed by Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and the traditional Andalucian “La Saeta del Larios”, sung by Diana Navarro.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “French DJ wins Grammy for Lady Gaga remix”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 2 March to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 7 March podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:59:00 +0200 0 0 Africa Cup knockout tie legends 0 0 RFI full 27:29 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1642162 https://iono.fm/e/1642162
This week, we discuss recent US airstrikes in northern Nigeria and the fact that many people of  African descent feel threatened by the recent enforcement actions by ICE in many US cities. 

The United States launched airstrikes in northern Nigeria in late December, saying it had targeted Islamic State jihadists - at Abuja’s request - to halt the killing of Christians. However, experts have challenged Washington’s claims that Christians are being massacred in Nigeria, arguing that the narrative, promoted by sections of the American right, oversimplifies far more complex conflicts.

US strikes on Nigeria set 'deeply troubling precedent' for African governance

First, we talk to Isa Sanusi, from Amnesty International Nigeria, to discuss the aftermath of the US strikes and of US President Donald Trump's invasive strategy to fight jihadism in West Africa.

US to increase cooperation with Nigeria to pursue Islamic State militants

US African diaspora in Minneapolis

Meanwhile, within the United States, anti-immigration policies have intensified since the Trump administration took office a year ago, affecting even some people who are living in the country legally.

In Minneapolis in January 2026, two people were killed in shootings involving US federal immigration agents. On 7 January, 37‑year‑old Renée Nicole Macklin Good, an American woman, was fatally shot by an agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a federal enforcement operation.

Then, on 24 January, 37‑year‑old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a United States citizen and intensive care unit nurse, was shot and killed by officers from United States Customs and Border Protection in a separate incident in Minneapolis.

US immigration agent's fatal shooting of woman leaves Minneapolis in shock

Others were killed without making the headlines. Human rights lawyers have cited at least nine such cases, and possibly more, including Keith Porter, Parady La, Heber Sanchaz Domínguez, Víctor Manuel Díaz, Luis Beltrán Yáñez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, and Geraldo Lunas Campos.

Anti-immigration policies have particularly targeted Somali migrants and Somali Americans, among other immigrant communities.

Minneapolis is also the city where George Floyd, a Black American man, was killed by police in 2020, an event that sparked the global Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Dr Rashad Shabazz joins us from the United States. He is a historical geographer specialising in race, culture and the built environment at Arizona State University.

He has recently published a series of studies on the diversity of Minneapolis, undertaken while working on a new book about one of the city’s most famous residents, the musician and singer Prince.

Music from us

Finally you'll also hear music from the Cameroonian French duo, OKALI.

The song Gathering celebrates gathering and sharing; Traveler explores travel and cultural exchange.

 

Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:32:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: US strikes in Nigeria and fear among the African diaspora 0 0 RFI full 33:05 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1641209 https://iono.fm/e/1641209
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

World Radio Day is just around the corner, so it’s time for you to record your greetings for our annual World Radio Day programme!

WRD is on 13 February; we'll have our celebration the day after, on the 14 February show. The deadline for your recordings is Monday 2 February, which is not far off!

Try to keep your greeting to under a minute. You can record on your phone and send it to me as an attachment in an e-mail to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Be sure to record your greeting from underneath a blanket. Then the sound will be truly radiophonic – I mean, you want everyone to understand you, right?

Don’t miss out on the fun. 2 February is just around the corner, so to your recorders!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. NB: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 13 December, I asked you a question about the then-new US security strategy, which presented Europe as lacking in "self-confidence" and facing "civilizational erasure" due to immigration.

You were to re-read our article “EU Council president rejects political influence in US security plan”, and send in the answer to this question: What did the EU Council president, Antonio Costa, say about the difference in the idea of “free speech” between Europe and the United States?

The answer is, to quote our article: "The United States cannot replace Europe in what its vision is of freedom of expression,” Costa said.

"There is no freedom of speech if citizens' freedom of information is sacrificed to defend the techno oligarchs in the United States."

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by RFI Listeners Club member Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Jayanta’s question was: “What inspiring act have you witnessed that could motivate a nation or society?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Khizar Hayat Shah from Punjab, Pakistan. Khizar is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Khizar.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Faheem Noor, the president of the World United RFI Listeners Organization in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, and RFI Listeners Club members Solomon Fessahazion from Asmara, Eritrea, as well as Deekay Dimple from Assam, India.

Last but not least, there’s RFI English listener Liton Hossain Khan from Naogaon in Bangladesh.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Scherzo” from the Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57, by Dmitri Shostakovich, performed by the Quintetto Chigiano; “What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye, Al Cleveland, and Reynaldo Benson, performed by Marvin Gaye; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “ Pithecanthropus Erectus” by Charles Mingus, performed by Mingus and his ensemble.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, tune into Alison Hird’s report on alternative retirement living on the “Spotlight on France” podcast number 138 (Reinventing retirement, saving a Paris cinema, counting the French), which will help you with the answer.

You have until 23 February to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 28 February podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:38:00 +0200 0 0 Is disinformation “freedom of expression”? 0 0 RFI full 32:42 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1640722 https://iono.fm/e/1640722
Saying he wants to lower the price of medication in the United States, President Donald Trump has been putting pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron to raise the cost of an unspecified pill in France. But it's the French public health system, not Macron, that negotiates with drug companies – keeping prices for patients in check. Sociologist Theo Bourgeron believes that Trump's demand is not about improving care, but pressuring countries to weaken price controls and boost US pharmaceutical profits. (Listen @0')

More than a third of the French claim they're not drinking this month to mark Dry January. It's part of a wider trend of falling alcohol consumption in France, particularly among young adults. But in a country famed for its wine and apéro culture, sobriety can be seen as irritating and "un-French". We visit Le Social Bar in Paris, which has gone alcohol-free for January to show you don't need to be tipsy to have a good time. Author Claire Touzard talks about her journey towards sobriety and why alcohol, far from encouraging conviviality, can end up excluding people. And journalist Vincent Edin argues that while France is becoming slightly more tolerant of non-drinkers, successive governments still struggle to recognise that alcoholism is a problem. (Listen @20'15'')

France conducted its final nuclear test on 27 January 1996, ending a programme that has left a lasting legacy of health problems in French Polynesia, the archipelago in the South Pacific that for 30 years was France's nuclear testing ground. Hinamoeura Morgant-Cross, a member of the French Polynesian parliament, says the consequences of the testing have been "really traumatic for our people". (Listen @13'50'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 29 Jan 2026 18:57:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Drug prices, Dry January, nuclear tests in French Polynesia 0 0 RFI full 34:58 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1638384 https://iono.fm/e/1638384
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

World Radio Day is just around the corner, so it’s time for you to record your greetings for our annual World Radio Day programme!

WRD is on 13 February; we'll have our celebration the day after, on the 14 February show. The deadline for your recordings is Monday 2 February, which is not far off!

Try to keep your greeting to under a minute. You can record on your phone and send it to me as an attachment in an e-mail to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Be sure to record your greeting from underneath a blanket. Then the sound will be truly radiophonic – I mean, you want everyone to understand you, right?

Don’t miss out on the fun. 2 February is just around the corner, so to your recorders!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. NB: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 6 December, I asked you a question from Jan van der Made’s article and interview with Claudiu Nasui, a former Romanian economy minister and a current member of parliament in the pro-European Save Romania Union party. You were to re-listen to, or re-read, Jan’s “On NATO’s eastern flank, Romania finds itself at the crux of European security”, and send in the answer to this question: What does Nasui think is the core issue for defence spending? What does he think the EU needs to do?

The answer is, to quote Jan’s article: “It’s also about spending efficiency. We should buy more European – like the SAM-T and other weapon systems – to achieve economies of scale.

For cheap, efficient weapon systems, you need economies of scale, which we won’t get if we don’t buy European. So it’s about more than just investing money – how you invest matters.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by RFI Listeners Club member Debashis Gope from West Bengal, India. Debashis asked: “What is the most precious thing in life?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Khondaker Rafiq ul Islam from Naogaon, Bangladesh. Khondakar is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Khondakar.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Najimuddin, the president of the RFI International DX Radio Listeners Club in West Bengal, India; Bithi Begum, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club member Debashish Gope from West Bengal, India. Last but not least, there’s RFI English listener Abdul Mannan from Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh. 

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Vavavoum” by Romane and Stocchelo Rosenberg, performed by the Rosenberg Ensemble; the Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 op. 11 by George Enescu, performed by the WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Cristian Măcelaru; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Doktharake Julideh” by Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Sa’di, performed by Mohammad Reza Shajarian and the Aref Ensemble.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myers’ article “Senegal outwit Morocco to claim 2025 Africa Cup of Nations”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 16 February to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 21 February podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 24 Jan 2026 10:22:00 +0200 0 0 Buy European 0 0 RFI full 1:02:58 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1636832 https://iono.fm/e/1636832
Over 21 million Ugandan citizens were called to the polls last Thursday in the country's general elections.

Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 81, stood for a seventh term following 40 years in power. He faced seven challengers, including Robert Kyagulanyi, known to most as Bobi Wine, who garnered substantial support but fell short of unseating the veteran leader. Museveni was declared the winner on Saturday 17 January, securing over 76 per cent of the vote.

In this edition of Spotlight on Africa, you'll hear from Bobi Wine's international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, about the formidable obstacles facing opposition candidates during the campaign.

'He represents a population desperate for change’, Bobi Wine’s lawyer tells RFI

Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the think tank Vanguard Africa, joins us to examine the aftermath of these elections and the future of politics in Uganda, and more broadly across East Africa and other parts of the continent where democracy is severely undermined.

Somaliland, Israel and the Horn of Africa

The state of Israel recognised the independence of Somaliland from Somalia in the final days of December, prompting widespread concern and questions in an already turbulent region, and drawing largely condemnatory responses.

The risky calculations behind Israel's recognition of Somaliland

 

Faisal Ali is a Somali British independent journalist. He looks with us at the motivations behind this move for every state involved. 

 

Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Uganda vote and Somaliland recognition roil East Africa 0 0 RFI full 33:13 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1635992 https://iono.fm/e/1635992
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

World Radio Day is just around the corner, so it’s time for you to record your greetings for our annual World Radio Day programme!

WRD is on 13 February; we'll have our celebration the day after, on the 14 February show. The deadline for your recordings is Monday 2 February, which is not far off!

Try to keep your greeting to under a minute. You can record on your phone and send it to me as an attachment in an e-mail to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Be sure to record your greeting from underneath a blanket. Then the sound will be truly radiophonic – I mean, you want everyone to understand you, right?

Don’t miss out on the fun. 2 February is just around the corner, so to your recorders!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. NB: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 29 November, I asked you a question about two Chinese pandas – Huan Huan and Yuan Zi – who were in the Beauval Zoo here in France, and had just gone back to China.

You were to re-read our article “France says goodbye to star pandas going back to China” and send in the answer to this question: How many cubs did Huan Huan give birth to while here in France?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Huan Huan gave birth to three cubs – the first to be born in France. The eldest, Yuan Ming, a male, was sent back to China two years ago, but twins born in August 2021 will remain at Beauval at least until 2027.” The twins’ names are Hunalili and Yuandudu.   

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by RFI English listener Sadequl Bari Liton from Naogaon, Bangladesh, “How do you spend your weekly holiday?” 

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in West Bengal, India. Nafisa is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Nafisa.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are A. K. M. Nuruzzaman, the president of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club members Samir Mukhopadhyay from West Bengal, India; Kanwar Sandhu from British Columbia in Canada, and last but not least, Habib Ur Rehman Sehla, the president of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.  

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicolò Foron; the traditional Chinese “Sun Quan the Emperor”; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “L'auzel ques sul bouyssou” (“Bird sitting in the Bush”) by Estienne Moulinié, sung by Claire Lefilliâtre with Le Poème Harmonique conducted by Vincent Dumestre.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myers' article “France launches recruitment for 10-month voluntary national military service”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 9 February to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 14 February podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 17 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0200 0 0 Adieu to the Chinese pandas 0 0 RFI full 23:30 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1635542 https://iono.fm/e/1635542
Scandals over abuse of the elderly in French care homes, combined with growing loneliness among pensioners, are forcing reflection on how – and where – people spend their later years. Three decades after founding the Utopia network of independent cinemas, Anne-Marie Faucon and Michel Malacarnet have turned their energy and experience towards imagining an alternative to traditional retirement homes. Their project, La Ménardiere, is an 18th-century mansion in the small town of Bérat, in south-west France. It operates as a shared-living collective, where residents, known as coopérateurs, are also shareholders. By taking control of their own destinies, they have created a model that also provides services and cultural activities for the surrounding community. Residents describe the approach as ageing together in a house that is “on the offensive”. (Listen @)4')

La Clef, an historic arthouse cinema in Paris, has reopened its doors after a group of residents, cinephiles and activists spent years protesting its closure. Ollia Horton met some of those who took part in the years-long occupation of the theatre that resulted in the activists raising enough money to buy the building from the owners who wanted to sell the prime piece of real estate in the centre of the city. (Listen @21'48'')

As census takers fan out around France on 15 January to begin the annual counting of the population, we look at the process that started in the 14th century. The census was coopted by the Nazi occupation during WWII to identify Jews, and while it has since stripped out questions relating to race and religion, it recently added controversial ones about parental origins. (Listen @17'10'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:44:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Reinventing retirement, saving a Paris cinema, counting the French 0 0 RFI full 30:06 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1633625 https://iono.fm/e/1633625
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

World Radio Day is just around the corner, so it’s time for you to record your greetings for our annual World Radio Day program!

WRD is on 13 February;  we'll have our celebration the day after, on the 14 February show. The deadline for your recordings is Monday 2 February, which is not far off!

Try to keep your greeting to under a minute. You can record on your phone and send it to me as an attachment in an e-mail to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Be sure to record your greeting from underneath a blanket. Then the sound will be truly radiophonic - I mean, you want everyone to understand you, right?

Don’t miss out on the fun. 2 February is just around the corner, so to your recorders!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 22 November, I asked you a question about the world’s most visited museum – the Louvre here in Paris. The museum was back in the news, due to an architectural audit that turned up structural weaknesses in some of the beams in the building. 

You were to re-read our article “Louvre Museum in Paris shuts gallery over structural safety fears”, and send in the answer to these two questions: What is the name of the gallery that has been closed, and what artworks are in that gallery?

The answer is: The Campana Gallery, which houses nine rooms dedicated to ancient Greek ceramics. 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: What are your unique relationship rules?  

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan. Kashif is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Kashif.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Nuraiz Bin Zaman, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club member Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria.

Last but not least, RFI English listeners Murshida Akhter Lata, the co-chairman of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Miss Shuno, a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Barkley’s Bug” by David Grishman, performed by the David Grishman Quintet; Traditional Greek music produced by Visual Melodies; the “Rondo” from Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto no. 1, performed by Krystian Zimmerman and the Polish Festival Orchestra; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Guinnevere” by David Crosby, arranged and performed by Miles Davis and his ensemble.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myers' article “Nigeria power past Mozambique into quarterfinals at Africa Cup of Nations”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 2 February to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 7 February podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 10 Jan 2026 10:26:00 +0200 0 0 The Louvre in the news again 0 0 RFI full 44:17 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1631624 https://iono.fm/e/1631624
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz and bonus questions, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

There’s no quiz this week – check in next week, 10 January, for the answer to the question about the gallery in the Louvre Museum that had to be closed.

Thanks to everyone who sent in their Resolutions – may you make good progress in keeping them! And many thanks to this week’s co-host, my daughter Mathilde Daguzan-Owensby, and for the contributions to the show from Olivia Morrow and Evan Coffey. And of course, hats off to the Magic Mixer Erwan Rome, who made this show sing! 

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Be Our Guest” by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman; the traditional “Auld Lang Syne” performed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra; “A House with Love in It” by Sid Lippman and Sylvia Dee, sung by Nat King Cole; “Winter Wonderland” by Felix Smith, performed by the Chet Baker Quartet; “Let it Snow” by Sammy Cahn, sung by Leon Redbone; “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson, performed by the Sam Bush Ensemble, and “We Wish you the Merriest” by Les Brown, sung by June Christie.

From the entire RFI English service, we wish you a Happy 2026! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:53:00 +0200 0 0 Your 2026 Resolutions 0 0 RFI full 43:50 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1631004 https://iono.fm/e/1631004
Hello everyone!

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear a “My Ordinary Hero” essay by listener Rasheed Naz from Faisal Abad, Pakistan.  I hope you’ll be inspired to write an essay for us, too!

If your essay goes on the air, you’ll find a package in the mail from The Sound Kitchen. Write in about your “ordinary” heroes – the people in your community who are doing extraordinarily good work, quietly working to make the world a better place, in whatever way they can. As listener Pramod Maheshwari said: “Just as small drops of water can fill a pitcher, small drops of kindness can change the world.”

I am still looking for your “This I Believe” essays, too. Tell us about the principles that guide your life … what you have found to be true from your very own personal experience. Or write about a book that changed your perspective on life, a person who you admire, festivals in your community, your most memorable moment, and/or your proudest achievement. If your essay is chosen to go on-the-air – read by you – you’ll win a special prize!

Send your essays to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Or by postal mail, to:

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Here's Rashid Naz’s essay:

Heroes are not always found in stories or movies. Sometimes they live among us, quietly working to make our world a better place. My “ordinary” hero is a community leader in our town, someone who has taught me that real heroism comes from serving others with kindness and courage.

Our community leader, Mr. Ahmed, is not rich or powerful, but he has a heart full of compassion. He organizes clean up drives, helps poor families, and encourages young people to stay in school. Whenever there is a problem - a sick neighbor, a broken road, or a family in need - he is the first to step forward. His actions remind us that small efforts can bring big changes.

What I admire most about him is his humility. He never seeks fame or reward. When people thank him, he simply says, “We are all responsible for our community.” Those words inspire me. He believes that leadership means service, not authority, and he proves it every day through his actions.

To many people, he might seem like an ordinary man. But to me, he is a true hero - a symbol of dedication, honesty, and hope. Because of him, I’ve learned that anyone can be a hero, not by wearing a cape, but by using their heart to make a difference.

That is why my “ordinary” hero is our community leader Mr Ahmed, a man whose quiet strength and selfless service continue to inspire us all.

 

 

Be sure and tune in next week for our annual New Year’s Resolutions program! Talk to you then! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 27 Dec 2025 11:09:00 +0200 0 0 My Ordinary Hero 0 0 RFI full 9:35 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1630347 https://iono.fm/e/1630347
Hello everyone! Merry Christmas!

This is Alberto Rios’ poem, which you heard him read on the programme.

Christmas on the Border, 1929

1929, the early days of the Great Depression.

The desert air was biting, but the spirit of the season was alive.

Despite hard times, the town of Nogales, Arizona, determined

They would host a grand Christmas party

For the children in the area—a celebration that would defy

The gloom of the year, the headlines in the paper, and winter itself.

In the heart of town, a towering Christmas tree stood,

A pine in the desert.

Its branches, they promised, would be adorned

With over 3,000 gifts. 3,000.

The thought at first was to illuminate the tree like at home,

With candles, but it was already a little dry.

Needles were beginning to contemplate jumping.

A finger along a branch made them all fall off.

People brought candles anyway. The church sent over

Some used ones, too. The grocery store sent

Some paper bags, which settled things.

Everyone knew what to do.

They filled the bags with sand from the fire station,

Put the candles in them, making a big pool of lighted luminarias.

From a distance the tree was floating in a lake of light—

Fire so normally a terror in the desert, but here so close to miracle.

For the tree itself, people brought garlands from home, garlands

Made of everything, walnuts and small gourds and flowers,

Chilies, too—the chilies themselves looking

A little like flames.

The townspeople strung them all over the beast—

It kept getting bigger, after all, with each new addition,

This curious donkey whose burden was joy.

At the end, the final touch was tinsel, tinsel everywhere, more tinsel.

Children from nearby communities were invited, and so were those

From across the border, in Nogales, Sonora, a stone’s throw away.

But there was a problem. The border.

As the festive day approached, it became painfully clear—

The children in Nogales, Sonora, would not be able to cross over.

They were, quite literally, on the wrong side of Christmas.

Determined to find a solution, the people of Nogales, Arizona,

Collaborated with Mexican authorities on the other side.

In a gesture as generous as it was bold, as happy as it was cold:

On Christmas Eve, 1929,

For a few transcendent hours,

The border moved.

Officials shifted it north, past city hall, in this way bringing

The Christmas tree within reach of children from both towns.

On Christmas Day, thousands of children—

American and Mexican, Indigenous and orphaned—

Gathered around the tree, hands outstretched,

Eyes wide, with shouting and singing both.

Gifts were passed out, candy canes were licked,

And for one day, there was no border.

When the last present had been handed out,

When the last child returned home,

The border resumed its usual place,

Separating the two towns once again.

For those few hours, however, the line in the sand disappeared.

The only thing that mattered was Christmas.

Newspapers reported no incidents that day, nothing beyond

The running of children, their pockets stuffed with candy and toys,

Milling people on both sides,

The music of so many peppermint candies being unwrapped.

On that chilly December day, the people of Nogales

Gathered and did what seemed impossible:

However quietly regarding the outside world,

They simply redrew the border.

In doing so, they brought a little more warmth to the desert winter.

On the border, on this day, they had a problem and they solved it.

 

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The traditional “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” sung by the Gracias Choir conducted by Eunsook Park, and “Santa Claus Llego A La Ciudad” by J.Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, sung by Luis Miguel.

Be sure and tune in next week, 27 December, for a “My Ordinary Hero” essay by your fellow listener Rasheed Naz.      ]]> TV & Film Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:21:00 +0200 0 0 Merry Christmas! 0 0 RFI full 9:33 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1629901 https://iono.fm/e/1629901
As France marks 200 years since Louis Braille invented his system of raised dots allowing blind people to read by touch, we visit the country's only remaining Braille printing house. At the CTEB in Toulouse, a team of 12 staff and mainly blind volunteers transcribe more than 200 books each year for both adults and children, along with bank statements, brochures and other documents. Despite extremely high production costs, the centre sells its books at the same price as the originals to ensure equal access. Now deeply in debt, it's calling for state aid to survive – arguing that, even in the age of digital Braille and audio books, turning a page is important in learning to read. (Listen @3'15'')

Scientists are increasingly convinced that the trillions of bacteria living in the human digestive system also contribute to health and wellbeing. Le French Gut is a large-scale study intended to track the connection between the microbiome and disease. Launched in 2023, it aims to recruit 100,000 French participants, to contribute samples and fill out health and diet questionnaires. Now the scientists are looking to get more children on board. Project director Patrick Vega shows the lab and biobank where the bacteria are being analysed, and talks about the discoveries in the gut that could help predict or even cure diseases. (Listen @21'20'')

Seventeenth-century French midwife Louise Bourgeois, the first woman in Europe to publish a medical book, was a pioneer in women's health at a time when only men were allowed to be doctors and women delivered babies according to tradition, not science. (Listen @14'45'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:13:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: in defence of paper Braille, Le French Gut, a pioneering midwife 0 0 RFI full 33:25 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1628463 https://iono.fm/e/1628463
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 8 November, I asked you a question about an article sent to us by RFI English correspondent Michael Sarpong Mfum, who reports for us from Ghana. His article, “Invasive water hyacinths choke wildlife and livelihoods in southern Ghana”, is about the water hyacinth, a free-floating aquatic plant native to the Amazon River basin in South America. It’s also one of the world’s most invasive species.

The water hyacinth has found its way to Ghana, notably Lake Volta, a vast reservoir behind a hydroelectric dam that generates much of the country's power.

Your question was: What are the consequences for Ghana’s Eastern and Volta regions from this hyacinth invasion? What did Jewel Kudjawu, the director of the EPA's Intersectoral Network Department, warn about?

The answer is, to quote Michael’s article: “Jewel Kudjawu, director of the EPA's Intersectoral Network Department, warned that the weed's uncontrolled growth has dire consequences for aquatic life, fishing communities and hydropower production.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: What was the best week of your life?

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State, India. Radhakrishna is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Radhakrishna.

Be sure and look at The Sound Kitchen and the RFI English Listeners Forum Facebook pages to see the stamps from Bhutan with Radhakrishna’s picture!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Debjani Biswas, a member of the RFI Pariwar Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh, India, and RFI Listeners Club member Mahfuzur Rahman from Cumilla, Bangladesh. Rounding out the list are RFI English listeners Shihabur Rahaman Sadman from Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Bashir Ahmad, a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Music for the Royal Fireworks by George Frederick Handel, performed by Le Concert des Nations conducted by Jordi Savall; “Igbo Highlife”, produced by Mr. Zion; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Lança Perfume” by Roberto de Carvalho and Rita Lee, sung by Rita Lee.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Jan van der Made’s article “EU Council president rejects political influence in US security plan”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 26 January to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 31 January podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 13 Dec 2025 08:39:00 +0200 0 0 Beautiful destructive flowers 0 0 RFI full 34:04 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1627470 https://iono.fm/e/1627470
For this final episode of 2025, we look back at the full sweep of the African continent’s history.

Sixty years after launching its ambitious project to recover, document and narrate Africa’s past from prehistory to the present day, Unesco has announced the completion of the last three volumes of the General History of Africa.

Relaunched in 2018, the project seeks to translate this body of knowledge into educational resources for teaching the continent’s history. Three new volumes - IX, X and XI - have now been published, introducing fresh material and innovative approaches.

Our special guest reflects on the project and on African history more broadly: UNESCO’s assistant director-general for social and human cciences, Lidia Brito,, who discusses these three new volumes.

In the second part of this episode, we also welcome the Congolese artist and filmmaker Sammy Baloji, who discusses his new film The Tree of Authenticity, recently screened at Film Africa in London and now available on the website of the Franco-German television channel ARTE.

Rapper and sorcerer-poet, Baloji, works his magic on new album

The documentary begins in Yangambi, in the Congo, in search of the remnants of a former research centre for tropical agriculture, bearing witness to the country’s colonial past at the heart of the continent.

In doing so, it highlights the links between colonisation and the climate crisis, adopting an unusual perspective: that of the “tree of authenticity”, which plays a decisive role in regulating the climate.

Congolese filmmaker Baloji mixes magic with biting social commentary

 

Episode edited and mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:23:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Unesco' history of Africa, and Sammy Baloji's Congolese history 0 0 RFI full 32:02 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1626246 https://iono.fm/e/1626246
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

2026 is right around the corner, and I know you want to be a part of our annual New Year celebration, where, with special guests, we read your New Year’s resolutions. You must get your resolutions to me by 15 December to be included in the show. You don’t want to miss out! Send your New Year’s resolutions to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 1 November, I asked you to listen to RFI English journalist Melissa Chemam’s podcast Spotlight on Africa: “Inside Côte d’Ivoire’s pivotal election: voices of hope and uncertainty”. Melissa had traveled to Côte d’Ivoire to cover their presidential election and talked to a wide variety of people about their hopes, their fears, and their desires for their country. Near the beginning of the show, Melissa talks about women who, she says, were very involved in the campaigns – as event organizers, supporters, and mothers. Melissa enumerates the main concerns of the Ivorian women – and that was your question. What are the four main concerns the women of Côte d’Ivoire voiced during the presidential campaign?

The answers are, as Melissa noted in her podcast, work, school for kids, childcare, and healthcare.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: How do you make friends as an adult?

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Father Stephen Wara. Father Stephen is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Father Steve!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist - Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India; Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State in India; Helmut Matt from Herzbolheim, Germany, and last but not least, Dipita Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Tapez fort” produced by DJ Tevecinq; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams;  “Little Toot” by Allie Wrubel, sung by the Andrews Sisters, and “Little Rootie Tootie” by Thelonious Monk, performed by Monk and the Thelonius Monk Trio. 

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Jan van der Made’s article “On NATO’s eastern flank, Romania finds itself at the crux of European security”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 19 January to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 24 January podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 06 Dec 2025 10:33:00 +0200 0 0 Côte d’Ivoire’s women speak out 0 0 RFI full 27:14 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1625794 https://iono.fm/e/1625794
The recent murder in Marseille of 20-year-old Mehdi Kessaci, the younger brother of a well-known anti-drugs campaigner, has highlighted the growing problem of drug-related organised crime in France. The government has promised tougher repressive measures, but what if civil society also had a role to play? Inspired by the example of Italy, the Crim'HALT association campaigns for the official recognition of victims of organised crime. Its co-founder, Fabrice Rizzoli, talks about taking ordinary citizens to see firsthand how Italian anti-mafia initiatives work. Jean-Toussaint Plasenzotti, who founded the anti-mafia collective Massimu Susini following the murder of his nephew in 2019 in Corsica, and Hassna Arabi, whose relative Socayna was killed by a stray bullet in 2023, explain how travelling to Italy with Crim-HALT has helped their work back home. (Listen @0')

As Europe looks to increase its defence capacity in the face of war in Ukraine and threats from Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a special military service aimed at recruiting a new generation of soldiers. Unlike the mandatory military service that was suspended in 1997, the new format would be voluntary – and paid. Historian and army reservist Guillaume Lasconjarias says that in providing a way for young people to be of service, the scheme responds to something they want. (Listen @17'30'')

Forty years after Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped Paris's Pont Neuf in September 1985, opening the door to monumental public art displays, the city has approved a new project on the bridge by artist JR. (Listen @11'45'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 04 Dec 2025 18:18:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Fighting drug crime, France's military service, (re)wrapping the Pont Neuf 0 0 RFI full 32:14 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1623775 https://iono.fm/e/1623775
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

2026 is right around the corner, and I know you want to be a part of our annual New Year celebration, where, with special guests, we read your New Year’s resolutions. You must get your resolutions to me by 15 December to be included in the show. You don’t want to miss out! Send your New Year’s resolutions to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counselled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 25 October, just days after the famous theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre, I asked you a question about another famous theft from the Louvre. You were to re-read our article “Paris police hunt Louvre thieves after priceless jewels vanish in daring heist”, and send in the answers to these three questions: Which artwork was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, and by whom? How did he do it?

The answers are, to quote our article: “In 1911, the Mona Lisa famously vanished from its frame, spirited away by Vincenzo Peruggia, a former museum employee who hid overnight in a broom cupboard and simply walked out with the painting under his coat.”

Interesting fun fact, also in our article: The Mona Lisa at that time was not a famous painting at all. Because the theft made global headlines, when it was recovered two years later in Florence, it had become the most famous painting in the world.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: What “Instant Karma” incident have you been involved in?  

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Jayanta is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Jayanta.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Naved Rayan, the president of the RFI Fan Club in Murshidibad, India. There are RFI Listeners Club members Sahadot Hossain from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh and Karobi Hazarika from Assam, India, and last but not least, RFI English listener Khizar Hayat Shah, the president of the Sadat Listeners Club in Punjab, Pakistan.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The “Hunting Song” from Felix Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words Op.19 No.3, performed by Daniel Barenboim; the theme from To Catch a Thief by Armando Trovajoli; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “The Harder They Come” by Jimmy Cliff, performed by Jimmy Cliff and his ensemble.  

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “France says goodbye to star pandas going back to China”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 12 January to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 17 January podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 29 Nov 2025 10:10:00 +0200 0 0 A Louvre Museum burgling history 0 0 RFI full 20:34 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1622494 https://iono.fm/e/1622494
In Sudan, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said last week that atrocities in Darfur – where the rebellious RSF are fiercely battling the regular army and targeting civilians – have been met with indifference and “complete impunity”.

He made the remarks following a visit to the devastated Sudanese region.

Chad has consequently become a refuge for hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the conflict in Sudan – and as violence against civilians intensifies in Darfur, even more are crossing the border. The influx is placing severe pressure on already scarce resources in one of Africa’s poorest countries.

Meanwhile, Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council, travelled to eastern Chad recently and spoke to us while on the ground visiting refugee camps. She said that the escalating humanitarian crisis urgently requires the world’s attention and that she expects more people to flee Sudan in search of safety and basic survival.

As thousands flee, Sudan's war spills over into humanitarian crisis in Chad

Last weekend in South Africa, the final event of the country’s G20 South African presidency - the heads of state summit  - took place in Johannesburg, aiming to secure commitments on debt relief for developing countries and to address global inequalities.

World leaders signed a declaration reflecting a “renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation”, according to South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

We have two guests reflecting on this significant year for Africa:



Désiré Assogbavi, Adviser for Africa at the Open Society Foundations, a lawyer and international development expert in African institutions, policy, and politics, who took part in many of this year’s meetings in South Africa, including the Heads of State Summit in Johannesburg this weekend;



Ivor Ichikowitz, founder and director of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, which has produced the comprehensive African Youth Survey G20 Briefing to better understand what young Africans expect from this moment of leadership.

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

Finally, we’ll hear from my colleague Ollia Horton, who recently met in Paris with the Ghanaian artist Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku, a civil engineer by profession and an artist at heart.

A stitch in time: the Ghanaian artist sewing trash into treasure

He has found an innovative way to raise awareness of the problem of textile waste in his native Ghana.

His  installations are stitched together from hundreds of pieces of used clothing, collected from cities around the world as part of a project that has spanned decades.

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:27:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: from Sudan’s exodus to South Africa’s G20 and the arts 0 0 RFI full 39:10 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1621110 https://iono.fm/e/1621110
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

2026 is right around the corner, and I know you want to be a part of our annual New Year celebration, where, with special guests, we read your New Year’s resolutions. So start thinking now and get your resolutions to me by 15 December. You don’t want to miss out! Send your New Year’s resolutions to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 18 October, I asked you a question about Morocco, where the young people are demanding reforms on education and health care, as well as tackling corruption and a cost-of-living crisis.

You were to re-read our article “Morocco Gen Z protesters call for 'peaceful sit-ins' to demand reforms”, and send in the answers to these two questions: What happened in the city of Agadir that lit the flame of the protests in September? And what is the combined cost the kingdom spent on renovating or building the stadiums for the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup?

The answers are, to quote our article: “The protests erupted in late September, after the deaths of eight pregnant women during Caesarean sections at a hospital in Agadir, in southern Morocco, sparked anger over conditions at public health facilities.” 

And for the second question: “Economist Najib Akesbi says there is a fundamental problem in how resources are allocated. ‘The needs of the majority of the population are clearly not being prioritised,’ he told RFI. ‘Instead, ostentatious, prestige-driven spending is favoured. That’s the great imbalance.’ The country’s large-scale sports infrastructure – the stadiums built or renovated for the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup, with a combined budget of nearly €2 billion – are the most striking examples, Akesbi argued.

‘The big problem in Morocco is that we invest massively, but often in projects that are not profitable, that generate neither sufficient growth nor enough jobs,’ he says.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: What is your favorite memory of your grandparents?  

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim in Germany. Helmut is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Helmut.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Reepa Bain, a member of the RFI Pariwer Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh, India, and Rubi Saikia, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, also in India.

Last but not least, there are RFI English listeners Zeeshan, a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan, and Zhum Zhum Sultana Eva, from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: Polonaise op 2, no 2 by Dionisio Aguado, performed by Julian Bream; “Raqsa cha'abya”  by Abderrahman el Hadri, performed by el Hadri and his ensemble; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Tune for T” by Laurent de Wilde, performed by de Wilde and the New Monk Trio.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Louvre Museum in Paris shuts gallery over structural safety fears”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 15 December to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 20 December podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 22 Nov 2025 10:24:00 +0200 0 0 Gen Z takes to the streets in Morocco 0 0 RFI full 29:15 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1620648 https://iono.fm/e/1620648
Immediately following the Paris attacks on 13 November, 2015, the French government put in place a nationwide state of emergency, granting police exceptional powers to detain and search people suspected of links to terrorism. Some of those sweeping powers have since passed into law, at the expense of civil liberties. Law professor Sophie Duroy says that while the public may have got used to authorities having greater reach, it is not always the best way to fight terrorism. (Listen @0')

Last December, 51 men were found guilty of raping or sexually assaulting Gisèle Pelicot in her home in Mazan in what was France's biggest rape trial to date. It made headlines worldwide – not least because Pélicot chose to drop her anonymity to make "shame swap sides" from victim to rapist. Independent photojournalist Anna Margueritat was one of many to cover the trial, but in her own way: as a feminist, an activist and victim of sexual violence, posting daily photos and stories on her Instagram account. Author of a recent book on her experience, she reflects on her time in court and what it changed. (Listen @16'45'')

A judge this week suspended the auction of a nearly 400-year-old calculator, after a group of academics called for the government to stop it leaving France. The object in question is a Pascaline, one of the first calculating machines, invented by French scientist Blaise Pascal in the 1640s. (Listen @10'40'')

Episode mixed by Nicolas Doreau.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:07:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Civil liberties vs terrorism, Pelicot trial revisited, the Pascaline 0 0 RFI full 29:26 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1618559 https://iono.fm/e/1618559
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Historian Lisa Waller Rogers, whom you'll hear from today, has just published a book about the long fight to end slavery in the United States. Called When People Were Things: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Abraham Lincoln and The Emancipation Proclamation, it is published by Barrel Cactus Press. I hope you can find it where you live. You might also look for Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the novel that put the spotlight on what slavery really was. 

It sounds early, but it’s not. 2026 is right around the corner, and I know you want to be a part of our annual New Year celebration, where, with special guests, we read your New Year’s resolutions. So start thinking now, and get your resolutions to me by 15 December. You don’t want to miss out! Send your New Year’s resolutions to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

 

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 15 Nov 2025 08:35:00 +0200 0 0 A special interview today! 0 0 RFI full 19:23 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1617429 https://iono.fm/e/1617429
Tanzanians were called to the polls on 29 October, but instead of a free and fair election, they were met with severe repression. Demonstrations have been banned, protesters arrested, and members of the opposition detained.

Tanzania’s authorities have also charged more than 200 people with treason — an offence that carries the death penalty.

The incumbent president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, was eventually declared the winner of the election with 98 percent of the vote. However, the opposition – which had been barred from participating – condemned the results as fraudulent.

To explore the deep-rooted causes of this repression, and to consider how the situation could shape the political future not only of Tanzania but of the entire East African region, we are joined by a special guest: Prince Charles Dickson, a Nigerian peace and policy analyst with a PhD from Georgetown University and decades of experience in public policy and development practice.

Films from Africa

The cinema festival Film Africa 2025 (14–23 November 2025) opens in London, UK. To mark the event we have Stella Okuzu, interim director of the festival, with us to explain what's happening.

Meanwhile in France, the Festival du Cinéma Franco-Arabe de Noisy-le-Sec is coming to an end just outside Paris (7–13 November). The festival has placed a special focus on Tunisian cinema. Mathilde Rouxel, its cultural director and programmer, tells us more.

Sudan's blind football team success

Also this week we take a look at South Sudan's blind football team which recently played its first major match in Kampala, Uganda, thanks to the help and support of the charity Light For The World. And they won! 

We have their coach and players on the line to tell us how football changed their life and why it is so important for people with visual impairment.

Angélique Kidjo and La Chica de Favela

Finally, "La Chica de Favela" is an initiative from 'Beyond Music', a song featuring a Congolese man, a Latin American, a Swiss citizen, and a Beninese woman, Angélique Kidjo.

"The African continent is predominant on this song", Angélique told Spotlight on Africa, "and it tells a story through this song."

It tells the story of a young girl in a favela "who doesn't want to be defined by her gender". She is free and independent. "In a patriarchal world that doesn't necessarily give women much space," Angélique told us. "And that's what made the subject interesting to me."

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:16:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Tanzania’s elections, film, football, and Angélique Kidjo 0 0 RFI full 39:52 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1616151 https://iono.fm/e/1616151
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

It sounds early, but it’s not. 2026 is right around the corner, and I know you want to be a part of our annual New Year celebration, where, with special guests, we read your New Year’s resolutions. So start thinking now, and get your resolutions to me by 15 December. You don’t want to miss out! Send your New Year’s resolutions to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 11 October, I asked you to send in the answer to these two questions: Who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and why was she chosen?

The answers are: The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize went to the Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, because she is, as Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes said, “One of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times."

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by RFI Listeners Club member Jocelyne D’Errico, who lives in New Zealand. Her question was: “What is the hardest problem you had to resolve in your work or school life?” 

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Shahanoaz Parvin Ripa, the chairwoman of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Shahanoaz is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Shahanoaz.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ras Franz Manko Ngogo, the president of the Kemogemba RFI Club in Tarime, Mara, Tanzania. There’s Rubi Saikia, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India; RFI Listeners Club member Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim, Germany, and last but not least, RFI English listener H. M. Tarek from Narayanganj, Bangladesh. 

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Le matin d´un jour de féte” from Claude Debussy’s Iberia, performed by the Czech Philhamonic conducted by Jean Fournet; “Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon, performed by John Lennon & Friends; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Nine Over Reggae” by Jack DeJohnette, performed by DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, and Herbie Hancock.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Michael Sarpong Mfum’s article  “Invasive water hyacinths choke wildlife and livelihoods in southern Ghana”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 1 December to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 6 December podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 08 Nov 2025 09:33:00 +0200 0 0 Nobel committee honors right-leaning Venezuelan politician 0 0 RFI full 32:51 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1615627 https://iono.fm/e/1615627
False claims that President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte is transgender first emerged online in 2021. The story could have fizzled out. But pushed by the far right and conspiracy theorists, it's now reached half the world's population. Ten people are on trial in France for cyberbullying the first lady and a lawsuit has been filed against a far-right influencer in the US. Thomas Huchon, an investigative journalist and teacher specialising in fake news, says he and other mainstream journalists failed to address the story when it broke, allowing conspiracists to fill the gap. (Listen @2'15'')

Open-air food markets are arguably a cornerstone of life in France. Held once or twice a week in most cities, they're one of the few ways of still bringing people together. On a visit to Paris' Aligre market, journalist Olivier Razemon, author of a new book extolling street markets as "an ingredient for a happy society", argues that they are underappreciated by policymakers and the general public for their ability to create community and revive urban centres. (Listen @20'40'')

One of France’s earliest colonisation attempts was in what is now Brazil, when 600 settlers arrived in Guanabara Bay – now Rio de Janeiro – in November 1555. The colony, called France Antarctique (Antarctic France), lasted only 12 years, but it inspired other French colonising missions as well as reshaping Europeans’ ideas about South America and its people. (Listen @15')

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:52:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Brigitte Macron, lauding open-air markets, France's Brazilian colony 0 0 RFI full 31:58 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1613688 https://iono.fm/e/1613688
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

It sounds early, but it’s not. 2026 is right around the corner, and I know you want to be a part of our annual New Year celebration, where, with special guests, we read your New Year’s resolutions. So start thinking now, and get your resolutions to me by 15 December. You don’t want to miss out! Send your New Year’s resolutions to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 4 October, I asked you a question about Moldova’s legislative elections. The pro-EU ruling party, the Party of Action and Solidarity – the PAS - won the elections with more than 50 percent of the vote.

You were to re-read our article “Moldova’s pro-EU ruling party wins majority in parliamentary elections”, and send in the answer to these three questions: What is the name of the head of the PAS, what is the name of the party that is pro-Russian, and what was the voter turnout?

The answers are: Maia Sandu is the name of the head of the PAS. The name of the party that is pro-Russian is the Patriotic Electoral Bloc. Voter turnout was around 52 percent, similar to that of the last parliamentary elections in 2021. And just so you know, the population of Moldova is 2.4 million.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: What do you do when one of your best friends falls in love with someone you dislike?

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Alan Holder from the Isle of Wight, Britain. Alan is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Alan.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Sakirun Islam Mitu, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh; Muhammad Muneeb Khan, a member of the RFI Listeners Club in Sheikhupura, Pakistan; RFI Listeners Club member Babby Noor al Haya Hussen from Odisha, India, and RFI English listener Ripa Binte Rafiq from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: The “Polovtsian Dances” from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan; the traditional Moldovian “Hora Boierească” performed by the Orchestra Fraților Advahov; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich, performed by the Steve Reich Ensemble.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-listen to Melissa Chemam’s Spotlight on Africa podcast “Inside Côte d’Ivoire’s pivotal election: voices of hope and uncertainty”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 24 November to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 29 November podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 01 Nov 2025 12:13:00 +0200 0 0 Moldovans at the polls 0 0 RFI full 1:25:13 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1612092 https://iono.fm/e/1612092
In Spotlight on Africa this week, you’ll hear from the people RFI met and interviewed in Abidjan - the main economic hub of Côte d’Ivoire and its administrative capital  - located in the south of the country on the Atlantic coast.

Although Yamoussoukro is the official capital, Abidjan remains home to most embassies, the National Assembly, and one of the presidential palaces. 

Côte d'Ivoire's recent economic growth depends heavily on its cocoa and coffee producers as well as on the mining sector. Abidjan is also recognised as a cultural hub for the whole of West Africa.

In this episode, you’ll hear from campaign supporters - particularly young people and women - about their expectations for the post-election period and its outcome.

We’ll then head to the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny to hear from students and their lecturer, Wise Bogny.

 

In Cocody, we also take you to the shop of Axel Emmanuel Gbaou, Le Chocolatier Ivoirien, the first Ivorian chocolate maker.

We then head to the Maison de l'Art, in Grand Bassam, which opened in late September and which now hosts the first museum of African contemporary art in Côte d'Ivoire.

Finally, in the last part of this episode, you'll here from the AKAA, (Also Known As Africa) the African contemporary art set in Paris, which was open until Sunday, with our arts journalist Ollia Horton. 

Paris fair celebrates modern African artists reinventing traditional crafts

 

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:04:00 +0200 0 0 Inside Côte d’Ivoire’s pivotal election: voices of hope and uncertainty 0 0 RFI full 37:39 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1611239 https://iono.fm/e/1611239
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

It sounds early, but it’s not. 2026 is right around the corner, and I know you want to be a part of our annual New Year celebration, where, with special guests, we read your New Year’s resolutions. So start thinking now, and get your resolutions to me by 15 December. You don’t want to miss out! Send your New Year’s resolutions to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 27 September, I asked you a question about Paul Myers’ article “Dembélé and Bonmati win Ballon d'Or as PSG take team and coach prizes”. The French Ballon d’Or award is awarded every year to the top football players in Europe, both men and women.

You were to send in the answer to these three questions: What is the name of the football prize for strikers, who won the men's, and for which teams does he play?

The answer is, to quote Paul’s article: “In other awards, Viktor Gyokeres received the Gerd Müller Trophy to honour the striker of the year. Playing for Sporting Lisbon and Sweden, he netted 54 goals in 52 matches to top the scoring charts across the continent.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?”, which was suggested by Rafiq Khondaker, the chairman of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Rafiq Khondaker, the chairman of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Rafiq is also the winner of this week’s bonus question – and the listener who asked the question!

Congratulations on your double win, Rafiq, and thanks for all the bonus question ideas you regularly send to us.  

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in West Bengal, India, and Ras Franz Manko Ngogo, the president of the Kemogemba RFI Club in Tarime, Mara, Tanzania.

There are RFI Listeners Club members Zenon Teles, who’s also the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist - Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India, and last but assuredly not least, Shaira Hosen Mo from Kishoreganj in Bangladesh.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Mathar”, mixed by Brendan Lynch and performed by the Indian Vibes Ensemble; “Carnival De Paris” by Dario G, performed by the Dario G Ensemble; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Hurt” by Trent Reznor, sung by Johnny Cash.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Paris police hunt Louvre thieves after priceless jewels vanish in daring heist”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 17 November to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 22 November podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 25 Oct 2025 08:50:00 +0200 0 0 Who is the best European striker? 0 0 RFI full 24:09 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1608893 https://iono.fm/e/1608893
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 30 August, I asked you a question about France’s budget problems … since I asked that question, two governments have been dissolved: that of François Bayrou, and that of the next in line, Sébastien Lecornu, who quit after just a few days, but now he’s back. It’s a high-level game of musical chairs, and we still are not anywhere near coming up with a budget.

You were to read our article “French PM puts government on line with call for confidence vote” and send in the answers to these two questions: What is France’s budget deficit, and what is the official European Union limit for a country’s budget deficit?  

The answer is, to quote our article: “After years of overspending, France is on notice to tame a budget deficit that hit 5.8 percent of gross domestic product last year, nearly double the official EU limit of 3 percent.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is your favorite memory of your mother?” The question was suggested by Liton Rahaman Mia from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Debashis Gope from West Bengal, India. Debashis is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Debashis.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Paresh Hazarika, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, and RFI Listeners Club members Shadman Hosen Ayon from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, as well as Arne Timm from Harjumaa in Estonia. Last but certainly not least, RFI English listener Rowshan Ara Labone from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Les Feuilles Mortes” by Jacques Prévert, set to music by Joseph Kosma and sung by Yves Montand; “Twelfth Street Rag” by Euday L. Bowman; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Serenade to a Cuckoo” by Roland Kirk, performed by Kirk and the Roland Kirk Quartet.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Morocco Gen Z protesters call for 'peaceful sit-ins' to demand reforms”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 10 November to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 15 November podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 18 Oct 2025 08:54:00 +0200 0 0 France and the EU deficit limit 0 0 RFI full 32:54 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1607368 https://iono.fm/e/1607368
The presidential campaign officially began on Friday 10 October.

President Alassane Ouattara has led the country since April 2011, and is seeking a fourth term. 

He managed to establish himself as a heavyweight in Ivorian politics over the past thirty years, and is credited with keeping Côte d'Ivoire prosperous and economically dynamic. But Ouattara's Côte d'Ivoire is also seen as "France's last bastion".

Now 83, he can run after changing the constitution in 2016 to remove presidential term limits, which has angered most of the opposition in Côte d'Ivoire.

Four candidates are standing against the incumbent president, the only ones having been ruled eligible by the country's constitutional court: former ministers Jean-Louis Billon, Ahoua Don Mello and Henriette Lagou, and Simone Gbagbo, ex-wife of president Laurent Gbagbo and therefore a former first lady.

But neither of the main opposition parties - PDCI and PPA-CI - have been able to secure a candidate, as the court disqualified many, including former president Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam, a businessman and former minister of development.

Why Côte d’Ivoire’s election could be more complex than it seems

The election campaign will end on 23 October, two days before voting begins.

Provisional results will be published at the national level by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) between Sunday 26 October and Thursday 30 October 2025.

To be elected in the first round, a candidate must obtain an absolute majority of the votes cast. If none does, a second round of the presidential election could take place on Saturday 29 November.

Our guest this week is Paul Melly, researcher on West Africa and consulting fellow with the Chatham House think tank in London, UK.

 

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:55:00 +0200 0 0 Côte d'Ivoire presidential election 2025: What's at stake? 0 0 RFI full 26:20 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1606481 https://iono.fm/e/1606481
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 24 July, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognize a State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly, which was in September.

Following Macron’s announcement, there was a two-day conference at the UN Headquarters in New York. Co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, ministers from across the world discussed fostering the Israeli and Palestinian states living peacefully side-by-side.

You were to re-read our article: “UN gathers to advance two-state solution to Israel-Palestine conflict”, and send in the answer to this question: Aside from recognizing Palestinian statehood, what other three issues were discussed at the conference?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Beyond facilitating conditions for the recognition of a Palestinian state, the meeting will focus on three other issues – reform of the Palestinian Authority, disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from Palestinian public life, and normalisation of relations with Israel by Arab states.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Rafiq Khondaker, the president of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Rafiq’s question was: “What is your favorite historical site in your country? Why?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: Fatematuj Zahra, the co-secretary of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Fatematuj is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Fatematuj.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Naved Raiyan, the president of the RFI Fan Club in Murshidibad, India, along with a fellow Murshidabadite, Asif Ahemmed, a member of the RFI International DX Radio Listeners Club. There are RFI Listeners Club members Rodrigo Hunrichse from Ciudad de Concepción in Chile, and last but not least, RFI English listener Miss Kausar, a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khānewāl, Pakistan.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Ständchen” by Franz Schubert, arranged by Franz Liszt and performed by Vladimir Viardo; the traditional “Longa Alla”, performed by the Ensemble musical de Palestine; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and the selections from the anonymous L'amour de moy, performed by Doulce Mémoire conducted by recorder player Denis Raisin Dadre with singer Jean François-Olivier.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article about the winner, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 3 November to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 8 November podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 11 Oct 2025 09:23:00 +0200 0 0 France and the push for Palestinian statehood 0 0 RFI full 35:01 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1605970 https://iono.fm/e/1605970
As French politicians remain deeply divided over how to address the country's growing deficit, one measure appears to unite public opinion across the political spectrum: the Zucman tax. Devised by 38-year-old economist Gabriel Zucman, the idea is to add a two percent tax on the ultra-rich, who often use holding companies to shield their wealth from income taxes. While the left sees it as fiscal justice, many on the right are concerned about additional taxes in a country that already has a lot, and maintain taxing the wealthiest will drive them abroad. (Listen @2')

Ali Akbar left his native Pakistan aged 18, looking to make enough money to buy his mother a decent home. Since arriving in France in 1973, he's managed to do just that – selling newspapers like Le Monde on the streets of Paris's Left Bank district. A popular figure in the neighbourhood, Akbar – the capital's last remaining hawker – was recently selected for the National Order of Merit by President Emmanuel Macron, a former customer. He talks about loving his work, the collapse of the newspaper culture and how recognition by France will help to "heal" the injuries of his past. (Listen @18'30'')

France abolished the death penalty on 9 October 1981. Forty-four years later, the justice minister who fought to change the law, Robert Badinter, is entering the Pantheon, the monument dedicated to French heroes. (Listen @11')

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 09 Oct 2025 16:55:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Taxing the ultra-rich, last paperboy in Paris, end of the death penalty 0 0 RFI full 28:38 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1604065 https://iono.fm/e/1604065
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 26 July, I asked you a question about Paul Myers' article “Petition seeking repeal of new French farming law passes one million signatures”.

It was about the Duplomb law, which was passed by the French parliament on 8 July. The law would allow the pesticide acetamiprid to be used, after a ban since 2018. French farmers protested the ban because it is allowed at the European level; they say it puts them at a disadvantage with their European counterparts.

But two weeks after the bill passed, Eléonore Pattery, a young student from Bordeaux, launched a petition calling for a recall.

And that was your question: you were to write in with the number of signatures on that petition as of 20 July, and also how many signatures French law requires before the lower house of Parliament, the Assemblée Nationale, has the right to hold a public debate on the contents of the petition.

The answer is, to quote Paul's article: “Late on Sunday, the 20th of July, the number of signatures had risen to 1,159,000.

Under French rules, once a petition crosses that threshold and has verified signatures from throughout the country, the Assemblée Nationale has the right to hold a public debate on the contents of the petition.

The regulations also state that even if a petition gathers 500,000 names, it does not mean that the legislation will be reviewed or repealed.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by RFI Listeners Club member Jocelyne D'Errico from New Zealand. She wanted to know how you feel and what you think about soulmates.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Kalyani Basak from West Bengal, India. Kalyani is also the winner of this week’s bonus quiz. Congratulations, Kalyani, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Akbar Waseem, a member of the RFI Seven Stars Listeners Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan; RFI Listeners Club member Rasel Sikder from Madaripur, Bangladesh, and RFI English listeners Sadman Shihab Khondaker from Naogaon and Momo Jahan Moumita, the co-secretary of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, both in Bangladesh.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: España by Emmanuel Chabrier, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ataúlfo Argenta; “Hoe-Down” from the ballet Rodeo by Aaron Copland, performed by the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Mama Used to Say” by Junior Giscomb and Bob Carter, sung by Junior Giscomb.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article "Moldova’s pro-EU ruling party wins majority in parliamentary elections", which will help you with the answer.

You have until 27 October to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 4 November podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 04 Oct 2025 09:13:00 +0200 0 0 The EU, France, and pesticides 0 0 RFI full 34:36 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1602293 https://iono.fm/e/1602293
DZ Fest is the only festival focused on Algerian culture outside the country. It has been run every year since 2022 in the United Kingdom.

This year the festival took place in the latter half of September with events in both London and Nottingham.

Spotlight on Africa travelled to London to talk to the organisers and guests of DZ Fest, and to some Algerians living in the UK

Founder and creative director Rachida Lamri - an artist, musician and member of the London-based Arabo-Andalusian orchestra - curated a programme showcasing Algerian music, traditions, and cuisine.

We also met:

The Algerian chef Djamel Ait Idir, who runs couscous workshop in his restaurant, Khamsa, in Brixton, South London Fayssal Bensalah, an Algerian-born novelist and a lecturer teaching creative writing in Cardiff, Wales Comedian Mehdi Walker, also born in Algeria, who lives in France but performs his comedy sketches in English Artist and filmmaker Leila Gamaz, who lives between Bristol and Morocco. 

 

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Nicolas Doreau.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:33:00 +0200 0 0 DZ Fest brings Algerian culture centre stage in the UK 0 0 RFI full 36:01 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1601477 https://iono.fm/e/1601477
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec rfi” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”, and you’ll be counseled on the best-suited activities for your level according to your score.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it”. She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, the International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service.  Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  

Teachers take note!  I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 19 July, I asked you a question about RFI English journalist Dhananjay Khadilkar’s video and article about the study of exoplanets, or extrasolar planets, which are planets outside of our solar system.

As you read in Dhananjay’s article “Swiss exoplanet pioneer reflects on Earth’s place in the cosmos”, Didier Queloz, along with Michel Mayor, discovered the first exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star in 1995, which ushered in, as Dhananjay wrote, a new era in astronomy and planetary science. The two scientists won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work.

Dhananjay met with Didier Queloz, who told him, and I quote: “Looking for exoplanets is essentially looking for us.”

What did Professor Queloz mean by that? You were to send in the answer to this question: According to Queloz, what is the essential reason for studying other planets?

The answer is, to quote Dhananjay Khadilkar’s article: “In essence, by studying other planetary systems, scientists are holding up a mirror to our own. Are the conditions that led to Earth’s habitability common or exceedingly rare? Is our solar system an outlier, or just one example among countless others?”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Is it up to the State, the government, to decide what is fair, or what is just?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Dipita Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Dipita is also the winner of this week’s bonus quiz. Congratulations, Dipita, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners is RFI Listeners Club member Pradip Basak from Kerala, India, and RFI English listeners Debashis Gope from West Bengal, India; Liton Rahaman Khan from Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Rashidul Bin Somor, the General Secretary of the Source of Knowledge Club, also in Naogaon.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: The allegro di molto from the Symphony No 38 in C Major (the “Echo” symphony) by Franz Joseph Haydn, performed by the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra conducted by Adam Fischer; “Space Ambient” produced by Space Relax; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Young at Heart” by Johnny Richards and Carolyn Leigh, sung by Connie Francis.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myers’ article “Dembélé and Bonmati win Ballon d'Or as PSG take team and coach prizes”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 20 October to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 25 October podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 27 Sep 2025 11:01:00 +0200 0 0 Anyone else out there? 0 0 RFI full 23:57 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1601000 https://iono.fm/e/1601000
Evacuations from Gaza to France were suspended on 1 August after a Gazan student in Paris was found to have published antisemitic social media posts before her arrival. The suspension has left applicants for the largely state-funded Pause programme, which welcomes scientists and artists facing persecution, in limbo. French and international writers and Palestine solidarity groups have denounced it as "collective punishment". Gazan rap musician Abou Joury, who arrived in France in January, talks about finding safety and financial stability. Meanwhile French fruit farmer Mathieu Yon – whose friend and "sister", the poet Alaa al-Qatrawi, is currently stuck in Gaza – has taken up position in front of the Foreign Ministry, pushing for evacuations to resume. (Listen @3'50'')

A record 19 percent of France's GDP is now in savings accounts – the highest level outside of the exceptionally high rate recorded during the Covid pandemic. While the French have always had a tendency to squirrel money away, sociologist Jeanne Lazarus says the current increase is a sign people are feeling anxious about the economy and the long-term viability of France’s famously supportive social welfare system. (Listen @22'20'')

The story of how French revolutionairies overturned not only the monarchy but time itself, by instituting the Republican calendar from 22 September 1792. (Listen @16'25'')

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:56:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Gazans in France, saving and spending habits, the Republican calendar 0 0 RFI full 32:10 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1599414 https://iono.fm/e/1599414
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from Erwan, Paul, and me.

Be sure you send in your music requests. Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Picadillo de Soya” by José Luis Cortés, performed by José Luis Cortés and NG La Banda; “Electricity” by Paul Humphreys and Andrew McCluskey, performed by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, and “One Life to Live” from Lady in the Dark by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin, performed by Teresa Stratas with the Y Chamber Symphony conducted by Gerard Schwarz.

The quiz will be back next Saturday, the 27th of September. Be sure and tune in!  ]]> TV & Film Sun, 21 Sep 2025 13:30:00 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen, No 42 0 0 RFI full 24:08 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1597805 https://iono.fm/e/1597805
Cameroonians are set to go to the polls for the presidential election on 12 October, but the opposition remains fragmented, despite efforts to unite behind a single candidate to challenge President Paul Biya, who, at 92, is seeking an eighth term.

In the first week of September, the United Nations raised concerns over whether rising tensions in the country could jeopardise the possibility of free and fair elections.

According to Enrica Picco, Central Africa director for the International Crisis Group (ICG), this lack of unity, combined with the perception of an absent or weak opposition, could lead to low voter turnout. The ICG also warns that ongoing instability in the country may further depress participation.

On Saturday, Issa Tchiroma Bakary was named the opposition’s “consensus candidate” for the October vote. But will this be enough to galvanise voters?

The 10 other opposition candidates, who remain officially in the race, have yet to comment on Tchiroma Bakary’s appointment.

We have Enrica Picco on the line to discuss the potential flashpoints and the ICG’s recommendations ahead of the election.

Fears over divided opposition and instability, as Cameroon heads to the polls

 Oil pollution in Nigeria

In Nigeria, major oil companies are facing allegations that they have abandoned decades of pollution in the Niger Delta without addressing the environmental damage.

A UN-appointed panel of experts has written to Shell, Eni, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies, warning that the firms cannot simply sell off their assets to evade their responsibilities to local communities.

We'll hear the reaction of community member Celestine AkpoBari, an Ogoni-born activist who coordinates the Ogoni Solidarity Forum and leads the Miideekor Environmental Development Initiative (MEDI).

Oil giants accused of dodging Niger Delta clean-up as UN panel intervenes

South Africa and the US

Finally, in South Africa, since Donald Trump assumed office in the United States, companies, business leaders and diplomats have been working behind the scenes to strengthen relations, particularly for the hundreds of South African seasonal farmers who spend a few months each year in the US to supplement their income.

One prominent advocate for these farmers is Neil Diamond, president of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the US, based in Atlanta.

We discuss the importance of these work opportunities in the US for South Africans, as well as the final three months of South Africa’s G20 presidency — a historic first for an African nation.

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:04:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Cameroon votes, Niger Delta oil pollution, South Africa - US ties 0 0 RFI full 32:31 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1597022 https://iono.fm/e/1597022
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Ali Shahzad, Jocelyne D’Errico, and a composition by B. Trappy.  

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Love is Stronger”, written and performed by B. Trappy; “Coups et Blessures” written by Adrien Gallo and performed by BB Brunes, and “Misty”, by Erroll Garner and Johnny Burke, performed by Sarah Vaughan with Quincy Jones and His Orchestra.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create a unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need.

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 13 Sep 2025 09:03:00 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen, No 41 0 0 RFI full 15:05 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1596573 https://iono.fm/e/1596573
For many critics of French President Emmanuel Macron, his nomination of close ally Sebastien Lecornu to replace François Bayrou as prime minister is a slap in the face, and further proof that the government is ignoring people's wishes.  Participants in a movement to shut down the country on Wednesday talk about feeling unheard, and draw comparisons with the anti-government Yellow Vest movement from 2018-2019. (Listen @0')

Tourists have long been drawn to the "village" of Montmartre, with its famed Sacre Cœur basilica, artists’ square, winding cobbled streets, vineyards and pastel-shaded houses. But the rise of influencers and instagrammers who post picture-postcard decors, as featured in hit films and Netflix series, have turned it into a must-see destination. With tourists now outnumbering residents by around 430 to one, the cohabitation is under strain. Béatrice Dunner, of the Association for the Defence of Montmartre, is calling on local authorities to follow the example of Amsterdam and tackle overtourism before it's too late. (Listen @13')

On 15 September 1635, a group of French colonists claimed the Caribbean island of Martinique, establishing a plantation economy reliant on slavery. Its economic and cultural legacy continues to shape the island today as an overseas department. (Listen @6'35'')

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:33:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: PM woes, tourists 'overtake' Montmartre, when Martinique became French 0 0 RFI full 29:55 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1594657 https://iono.fm/e/1594657
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Eric Mbotji, Hossen Abed Ali, and Jayanta Chakrabarty. 

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Seven Seconds” by Youssou N'Dour, Neneh Cherry, Cameron McVey, and Jonathan Sharp, performed by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry; “Babe” by Gary Barlow, played by Take That, and “Never Let You Go” written and performed by Klaus Waldeck and Patrizia Ferrara.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create a unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need.

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 06 Sep 2025 09:46:00 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen, No 40 0 0 RFI full 18:51 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1592995 https://iono.fm/e/1592995
Rwanda received seven people from the United States in the last week of August, as part of a deportation deal with the Trump administration, which has sought to send foreigners to third countries including Eswatini, South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda.

Authorities in Kigali announced at the beginning of August that they had reached an agreement with the United States to take in up to 250 migrants.

The move has raised fresh concerns over human rights, legality, and the growing trend of wealthier nations paying others to accept deportees.

To understand the implications for migrants, for Africa, and for human rights, we spoke to Phil Clark, Professor of International Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. A specialist on Rwanda, the Great Lakes region, and conflict and post-conflict issues in Africa, he has conducted field research in Rwanda and beyond every year for the past 20 years

Rwanda agrees to take migrants from US in deal that includes cash grant

Kasakula: The first solar-powered village in Malawi

Meanwhile, in southern Africa, a community of nearly 9,000 households in rural Malawi became the country’s first village to achieve universal access to solar power at the end of August.

Kasakula town, where off-grid families have until now relied on lamps and candles, has reached this milestone, according to Brave Mhonie, general manager of the charity SolarAid Malawi and president of the Renewable Energy Industries Association of Malawi.

SolarAid is a small international charity, and chose the remote and low-income village of Kasakula to pilot its model called Energy-as-a-Service. 

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:48:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Rwanda’s new migrant deal, Malawi’s first solar-powered village 0 0 RFI full 31:12 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1592189 https://iono.fm/e/1592189
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard. 

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need. 

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 12 July, I asked you a question about our article “Seven Nobel laureates urge France to adopt a tax on the 'ultra-rich’”. The open letter, written by seven Economics Nobel laureates, urged the French government to implement a minimum tax on the wealthiest households in France.

The laureates noted that while global billionaires hold assets equivalent to 14 percent of global GDP, French billionaires control wealth worth nearly 30 percent of France’s GDP.

Our article cited a proposed wealth tax, which was voted down by the French Senate (it did pass in the lower house, the Assembly). I asked you to send in the name of the bill and why it has that name.

The answer is: The bill is called the Zucman bill, after Gabriel Zucman. As noted in our article, “The bill was based on proposals by French economist Gabriel Zucman. Initially passed by the National Assembly, the bill would have introduced a 'differential contribution' ensuring that individuals with more than €100 million in assets pay at least 2 percent of their annual wealth in taxes.

“The aim was to curb the kinds of avoidance strategies employed by some ultra-wealthy individuals, who are often able to structure their assets in ways that greatly reduce their tax burdens.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Sultan Sarker, the president of the Shetu RFI Fan Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Sultan’s question was: “What do you do when tragedy enters your life? How do you deal with the sorrow, the grief?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Admand Parajuli, the president of the Bandhu Listeners Club in Sunsari, Nepal. Admand is also the winner of this week’s bonus quiz. Congratulations, Admand, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in W. Skikda, Algeria, and Nahid Hossain, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Last but not least, RFI Listeners Club members Rasel Sikder from Madaripur, Bangladesh, and Father Steven Wara, who lives and serves in the Cistercian Abbey at Bamenda, Cameroon.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Les Sauvages” from Jean Philippe Rameau’s opera-ballet Les Indes Galantes; “Hail, Hail the Gang’s All Here” by Theodora Morse and Arthur Sullivan, sung by the The Childen’s Music Band; “Money Makes the World Go Around” from John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical Cabaret, sung by Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Azúcar pa' ti” by Eddy Palmieri, performed by Eddy Palmieri and La Perfecta.  

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “French PM puts government on line with call for confidence vote”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 13 October to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 18 October podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 30 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0200 0 0 Income inequality 0 0 RFI full 39:42 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1589829 https://iono.fm/e/1589829
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Heimer Sia, Hossen Abed Ali, and Debashis Gope. 

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Angelina” by Pierre Perez-Vergara, Stéphane Planchon, and Yassine Dahbi, performed by PSY; “Like Jesus to a Child”, written and performed by George Michael, and the traditional 18th-century French drinking song “Chevaliers de la Table Ronde”, sung by the Quatre Barbus with André Popp and his ensemble.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create a unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need.

https://concours.epop.network/en/

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers!

 

The quiz will be back next Saturday, 30 August. Be sure and tune in! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 23 Aug 2025 12:35:00 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen, No 39 0 0 RFI full 17:55 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1587308 https://iono.fm/e/1587308
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear three different versions of a song requested by Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India.

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson, Berry Gordy, in three versions: Brenda Holloway, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Alton Ellis.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create a unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need.

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:40:00 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen, No 38 0 0 RFI full 15:28 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1584932 https://iono.fm/e/1584932
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Hossen Abed Ali from Rangpur, Bangladesh and a composition written by SB Leprof from Winneba, Ghana.

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Epitaph” by Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake and Michael Giles, to lyrics by Peter Sinfield, performed by King Crimson, and “Ginger Milk” by SB Leprof.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create a unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need.

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers! ]]> TV & Film Sat, 09 Aug 2025 10:05:00 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen, No 37 0 0 RFI full 16:39 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1582593 https://iono.fm/e/1582593
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard. 

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need. 

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 5 July, I asked you a question about an article written by RFI English journalist Amanda Morrow: “Ocean campaigners hail French move to snuff out cigarette butt pollution”. In her article, we learned that cigarette ends, or butts, are filled with microplastics and that when they break apart, they leach chemicals into soil and water.

France has banned smoking on beaches, in public parks, and at bus stops, as well as near schools, libraries, swimming pools, and sports grounds.

You were to re-read Amanda’s article and send in the answer to this question: How many liters of water can a single cigarette butt contaminate?

The answer is, to quote Amanda’s article: “According to the French Ministry of Ecological Transition, a single cigarette butt can contaminate up to 500 liters of water.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by long-time RFI Listeners Club member Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria: “What is your favorite prize you’ve received from RFI, and why?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Kanwar Sandhu from British Columbia in Canada, who is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Kanwar.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Karobi Hazarika, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, and RFI Listeners Club member Mahfuzur Rahman from Cumilla, Bangladesh. Last but not least, there are two RFI English listeners from Bangladesh: Laila Shantu Akhter from Naogaon and Labanna Lata from Munshiganj.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The piano sonata in B flat, K.529, by Domenico Scarlatti, played by Ivo Pogorelich; the “Trout” Quintet in A major, D. 667, by Franz Schubert, performed by the Endes Quartet with pianist Rolf Reinhardt; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and a medley in honor of Ozzy Osbourne, arranged by Vincent Pora Dallongeville:

“Paranoid”, by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward;

“Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, and Bob Daisley;

“No More Tears” by Ozzy Osbourne, Zak Wylde, Randy Castillo, Mike Inez, and John Purdell;

“Bark at the Moon” by Ozzy Osbourne, Jake E. Lee, and Bob Daisley.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “UN gathers to advance two-state solution to Israel-Palestine conflict”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 6 October to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 11 October podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 02 Aug 2025 09:36:00 +0200 0 0 France bans smoking on beaches 0 0 RFI full 42:38 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1580158 https://iono.fm/e/1580158
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard. 

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need. 

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 28 June, I asked you a question about an article written earlier that week by RFI English journalist Alison Hird. She profiled Miguel Masaisai, a young athlete from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who’s riding his bike across several countries in Africa.  Masaisai has a message: peace.

You were to re-read Alison’s article “From Goma to Cape Town, the young Congolese athlete pedalling for peace”, and send in the answers to these two questions: At the time of publication, which countries had Masaisai cycled across, and which countries are still ahead of him?

The answers are: At the time of publication, Masaisai had ridden across the DRC, Zambia, Rwanda, and Tanzania; ahead of him were Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.

Since publication, Masaisai has pedaled through Botswana and is in South Africa. Bravo Masaisai!

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Liton Hossain Khondaker from Naogaon, Bangladesh: What is your favorite festival, religious or otherwise?

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim, Germany, who is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Helmut.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Alomgir Hossen, a member of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and RFI English listeners Shohel Rana Redoy from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Noor, a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan. Last but not least, there's Sadman Al Shihab, the co-chairman of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Cuckoo” from The Birds by Ottorino Respighi, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Istvan Kertesz; an anonymous cycling playlist; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and traditional music from the Kaiabi indigenous people of Brazil, recorded in 1954 by Edward M. Weyer Jr.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myers’ article “Petition seeking repeal of new French farming law passes one million signatures,” which will help you with the answer.

You have until 29 September to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 4 October podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 26 Jul 2025 08:52:00 +0200 0 0 Pedalling for peace 0 0 RFI full 35:36 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1577888 https://iono.fm/e/1577888
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard. 

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need. 

We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 21 June, I asked you a question about our article “Togo suspends French broadcasters RFI, France 24 for three months”. We were informed on June 16th.

Togo has accused us of biased and inaccurate reporting.

The shutdown followed protests in the country’s capital, Lomé, in early June.

You were to send in the answers to these two questions: What is the name of Togo’s president, and what is the reason for the protests?

The answers are: The name of Togo’s president is Faure Gnassingbé. The reason for the protests is due to, to quote the RFI English article:  “… increasing pressure from critics over recent changes in the constitution that could effectively keep Gnassingbé in power indefinitely. Critics have called the changes a constitutional coup.”

Faure Gnassingbé was elected in 2005. He’s the son of Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who was president for 38 years. At the time of his death, Gnassingbé Eyadéma was the longest-serving leader in modern African history.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Have you ever made a mistake that ended up saving you?” It was suggested by Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: Sultan Mahmud Sarker, the president of the Shetu RFI Fan Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Sultan is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Sultan, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechara in West Skikda, Algeria, and RFI Listeners Club members Rubi Saikia from Assam, India, as well as Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria. Last but not least, there’s RFI English listener Kalyani Basak from Kerala State, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Raga Charu Keshi” played by Ravi Shankar; traditional music from Togo performed by the Flutistes Kotokoli; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and the Quartet in F major by Maurice Ravel, performed by the  Alban Berg Quartet.  

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, watch the video and re-read Dhananjay Khadilikar’s article “Swiss exoplanet pioneer reflects on Earth’s place in the cosmos”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 22 September to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 27 September podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 19 Jul 2025 12:41:00 +0200 0 0 RFI and France 24 banned in Togo 0 0 RFI full 56:04 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1575538 https://iono.fm/e/1575538
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard. 

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world.

Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate!

Click here for all the information you need. 

We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 14 June, I asked you a question about the 2025 One Ocean Summit, which was held in the French city of Nice. There was very good news on the opening day: French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson announced that his country is on track to create the world's largest marine protected area.

You were to re-read our article “French Polynesia unveils world's largest marine protected zone”, and send in the answer to this question: What is the size of France’s maritime domain?

The answer is: 11 million square kilometers. As noted in our article: “Polynesia's announcement alone allows France, whose maritime domain covers 11 million square kilometers, to increase the proportion of its waters under protection to 78 percent, a broad term that includes areas where activity restrictions are minimal.

Of this area, 14.8 percent is now considered highly protected, compared to 4.8 percent before Polynesia's announcement.

Just eight percent of global oceans are designated for marine conservation, despite a globally agreed target to achieve 30 percent coverage by 2030.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Which season of the year do you like the most, and why?” The question was suggested by Rafiq Khondaker.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: Saleem Akhtar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Radio Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan. Saleem is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Saleem, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week is RFI Listeners Club member Sahadot Hossain, who, as an Assistant Professor of Geography and Environment at the Gurudayal Government College in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, can probably recite every country’s maritime domain in his sleep! There are two more RFI Club members on the list this week, and they’re both from Assam, India: Deekay Dimple and Karobi Hazarika. Last but assuredly not least, there’s RFI English listener Lata Yeasmin Jahan, the co-chairwoman of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Dawganova”  by David Grisman, played by the David Grisman Quintet; “Le coucou” by Louis-Claude Daquin, performed by Ruth Laredo; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Scar Tissue”, written by Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith, and performed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Seven Nobel laureates urge France to adopt tax on 'ultra-rich'”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 25 AUGUST (yep, summer vacation is coming up!) to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 30 August podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 12 Jul 2025 08:06:00 +0200 0 0 French Polynesia declares increase in ocean protection 0 0 RFI full 26:26 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1574440 https://iono.fm/e/1574440
This week, we begin in Harlem, New York City, USA, with Rico Speight, a film and theatre director.

His film, Rediscovering Fanon, was screened in Paris on 5 July in partnership with the Frantz-Fanon Foundation, as this year marks the centenary of one of the inspirational figures of the anti-colonial movement. The film will also be screened acorss France and in Martinque later in the year.

According to Speight, Frantz Omar Fanon (1925–1961), whose ideas have stirred the hearts of progressives since the 1950s, continues to inspire even decades after his death.

With Speight's latest documentary, the filmmaker said he "aims to reveal the man behind the legend and analyse the relevance of his prolific theories in a globalised, post-racial millennium."

Biopic explores the life and legacy of Frantz Fanon, a century after his birth

We also head to Unesco in Paris, where Spotlight on Africa spoke to Caroline Munier about the UN agency's new report on the state of the publishing industry on the African continent. 

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:22:00 +0200 0 0 Fanon at 100: reflecting on a revolutionary legacy 0 0 RFI full 34:41 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1573279 https://iono.fm/e/1573279
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The ePOP video competition is open!

The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people.

The ePOP contest is your space to give these voices the reach they deserve.

How do you do it?

With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens, where the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). This is the very essence of an ePOP film: a concentrate of humanity that challenges, moves and enlightens.

From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world. Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate.

Go to The Sound Kitchen or the RFI English Listeners Forum Facebook pages for all the information you need about creating your video.

We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 7 June, I asked you a question about RFI English journalist Amanda Morrow’s article “The big blue blindspot: why the ocean floor is still an unmapped mystery”.

You were to re-read Amanda’s article and send in the answers to these three questions: How many people do the world’s oceans feed per year? How much economic activity is generated by the oceans every year? And, what is the percentage of the ocean’s waters that are formally protected?

The answers are, to quote Amanda’s article: “The ocean feeds 3.2 billion people and generates an estimated 2.6 trillion USD in economic value each year. Yet just 8 percent is formally protected – and only a fraction of that is off-limits to damaging activities.” 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What is the most hilarious thing or situation you've come across in your life, or what or whom made you laugh the most?”, which was suggested by Jocelyne D’Errico from New Zealand.  

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India, who is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Jayanta, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Abdur Rakib, the co-president of the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Nuraiz Bin Zaman, who’s a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, also in Bangladesh. Last but certainly not least, RFI Listeners Club member Mumtaz Hussain from Odisha, India, and RFI English listener Nowsaba Nuha from Munshiganj, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The theme to Mannix by Lalo Schifrin; the “Aquarium” from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens, performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Take the A Train” by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, performed by the Joe Henderson Trio.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Amanda Morrow’s article “Ocean campaigners hail French move to snuff out cigarette butt pollution”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 28 July to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 2 August podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 05 Jul 2025 10:59:00 +0200 0 0 Our oceans – the great nourishers 0 0 RFI full 37:58 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1572760 https://iono.fm/e/1572760
France just experienced its hottest June since 2003, with several days of extreme heat at the end of the month that left two people dead and slowed the country down – halting work outdoors and closing schools. The heatwave is a taste of what the future might hold, as global warming leads to more extreme weather conditions. The Human Adaptation Institute has created an immersive experience of what life at 50°C would be like. Jeanne Richard reports from the mobile lab as it tours France to raise awareness over the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change, one hot individual at a time. (Listen @0')

France is Europe's largest egg producer, yet it's struggling to meet growing demand from people looking for a cheap source of protein. Eggs are now being imported from Ukraine where environmental, health and animal welfare norms are far lower. Alice Richard, head of the National Egg Promotion Committee (CNPO), talks about the need to increase home-grown production and make it easier for farmers to start or expand their farms. Cyril Ernst, campaign manager with Anima, whose mission is to put an end to laying hens in cages, insists any easing of regulations for new farms mustn't be at the expense of animal welfare. (Listen @16'45'')

The first line of the Paris metro opened on 19 July 1900, after decades of wrangling between the capital and the state slowed down its development. Today the metro system is 245kms long, with 16 lines covering the entire city and beyond. (Listen @10'30'')

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:24:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: living in 50°C, French egg shortages, Paris metro 0 0 RFI full 28:55 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1570896 https://iono.fm/e/1570896
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 24 May, I asked you a question about our article “EU and UK reunite in London for talks on diplomacy and defence” – that week, talks were held between France’s President Emmanuel Macron and the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer – after five years of rather tense relations between the two countries, following Britain’s exit from the EU in 2020.

I asked you to send in the answer to this question:  Which three issues – aside from defense and security partnerships – were also discussed – issues which are still quite politically sensitive?

The answer is: Fishing rights, food checks, and youth mobility.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Rafiq Khondaker: “What is your favorite animal, and why?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State in Nigeria, who is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Nasyr.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Debakamal Hazarika, the president of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, as well as RFI Listeners Club members Sharifa Akter Panna from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh; Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist - Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India, and last but assuredly not least, RFI English listener Rodrigo Hunrichse from Ciudad de Concepción, Chile.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The overture to L’Italiana in Algerie by Giacchino Rossini, performed by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic; “Round Midnight” by Thelonius Monk, performed by the Thelonius Monk Quartet; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and the Act I finale of L’Italiana in Algerie by Giacchino Rossini, sung by Marilyn Horne and Paolo Montarsolo with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by James Levine.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Alison's article “From Goma to Cape Town, the young Congolese athlete pedalling for peace”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 21 July to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 26 July podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 28 Jun 2025 09:39:00 +0200 0 0 France and Britain and the olive branch 0 0 RFI full 28:01 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1569301 https://iono.fm/e/1569301
This week, we go to East Africa where Kenyans are protesting to denounce police brutality, exactly a year after a wave of protests organised against an unjust tax, that led to police violence.

This year's protests were triggered by the killing by the police of a teacher and blogger in his cell. Albert Ojwang, 31, had been arrested for criticising a policeman online.

On Monday (23 June), Kenyan prosecutors said they were charging six people, including three police officers, with murder over his death.

To better understand the issues surrounding this incident, Spotlight on Africa podcast spoke to Douglas Lucas Kivoi, Principal Policy Analyst, Governance Department, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA).

Africa Basel 

We also head to Switzerland for a new artistic event known as Africa Basel.

This first edition of a contemporary African art fair was created to coincide with the largest fair in the world, Art Basel, in Switzerland. It was held from 17 to 22 June, with over 30 galleries and dozens of artists.

Spotlight on Africa spoke with the two co-founders of the event, as they opened the first days of the event in Basel: Benjamin Füglister, artist and cultural entrepreneur born in Switzerland, and now the director of the Africa Basel and Sarah Hachi-Duchêne, curator at unx.art.

 

Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 24 Jun 2025 13:14:00 +0200 0 0 Justice and art: Kenya’s fight against police brutality; Africa’s bold new art fair in Basel 0 0 RFI full 34:10 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1568449 https://iono.fm/e/1568449
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Brother Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Brother Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 17 May, I asked you about the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival, which opened that week.  RFI English journalist Ollia Horton was there, and I asked you a question about her article “Ukraine, Gaza and #MeToo in the spotlight as Cannes Film Festival opens”. You were to send in the names of the three documentaries about the Ukraine conflict - as well as the names of the filmmakers – that were screened on the opening day.

The answer is: Zelensky, made by Yves Jeuland, Lisa Vapné, and Ariane Chemin; Notre Guerre ("Our War") by Bernard-Henri Lévy and co-director Marc Roussel, and 2,000 metres to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov and Alex Babenko.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Khondaker Rafiq Ul from Naogaon, Bangladesh: “What was your happiest moment in your radio - or your DXing – history?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI English listener Hijab Abid, a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Hijab is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Hijab!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Paresh Hazarika, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, and RFI Listeners Club members Ataur Rahman Ranju, the president of the Alokito Manush Cai International Radio Listeners Club in Rangpur, Bangladesh, and Samir Mukhopadhyay from West Bengal, India. Last but not least, there’s RFI English listener Rabiul Awal from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Gente Humile” by Garota, played by Baden Powell; “Stairway to Heaven” by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, played by Tetiana Mazur and Serhii Shamra; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Cities in Dust” by Susan Ballion, Peter Edward Clarke and Steven Severin, performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Togo suspends French broadcasters RFI, France 24 for three months”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 14 July to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 19 July podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 21 Jun 2025 09:21:00 +0200 0 0 Ukraine at Cannes 0 0 RFI full 30:36 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1566304 https://iono.fm/e/1566304
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Brother Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Brother Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 10 May, I asked you about a scientific summit held earlier that week here in Paris. It was about bringing to Europe US scientists whose research funds were being threatened – and now, many have been canceled - by US President Donald Trump.

The summit, called “Choose Europe for Science”, was attended by EU commissioners, scientists, and ministers for research from member countries, and hosted by Paris's Sorbonne University. It closed with speeches by French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

You were to re-read our article “France hosts summit to lure scientists threatened by US budget cuts” and send in the answer to this question: Which specific research specialties are the Europeans hoping to attract? Amongst possible others, which specific sectors of research are the Europeans targeting?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Macron's office said France and the EU are targeting researchers in a number of specific sectors, including health, climate, biodiversity, artificial intelligence and space.”

The first “refugee scientists”, as they’re being called, are on their way here.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “How do you greet friends and relatives? How do you greet people you are being introduced to for the first time? What do these forms of greeting mean to you?” The question was suggested by Jocelyne D’Errico from New Zealand.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State in India, who is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Radhakrishna.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria, as well as RFI Listeners Club members Rubi Saikia from Assam, India and Sahadot Hossain Khoka from Sunamganj, Bangladesh. Last but assuredly not least, RFI English listener Rajesh Dhakal from Mechi, Nepal.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Peaceful Journey” by Imade Suputra; the “Gigue” from the French Suite no. 2 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Andras Schiff; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and Quatre Bergerettes, four 18th-century French folksongs arranged by Siegfried Behrend and Sharon Isbin, performed by mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer and guitarist Sharon Isbin.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “French Polynesia unveils world's largest marine protected zone”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 7 July to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 12 July podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 14 Jun 2025 08:13:00 +0200 0 0 The US’ scientific brain drain 0 0 RFI full 29:28 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1564874 https://iono.fm/e/1564874
Tundu Lissu is the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition Party for Democracy and Progress (Chadema). He was arrested on 9 April.

Treason charges were brought against him on 10 April, and he could receive the death penalty.

Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, reacted by saying that the Tanzanian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Tundu Lissu, whose arbitrary arrest and detention comes amid a growing crackdown on opposition leaders ahead of the October 2025 general election.

He added, “The authorities’ campaign of repression saw four government critics forcibly disappeared and one unlawfully killed in 2024. The police have also prevented opposition members from holding meetings and other political gatherings, subjecting them to mass arrest, arbitrary detention, and unlawful use of force."

Tanzanian politician's lawyers ask UN to declare his detention arbitrary

However, the opposition leader has not been released, nor have the charges been dropped. On the contrary, other members of his party have since been arrested and even subjected to torture.

Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania’s economic capital, Dar es Salaam, between 19 and 23 May, after attempting to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

The crisis extends beyond Tanzania to neighbouring Uganda and Kenya, where activists from a rights coalition in Kenya also accused police officers of sexually torturing Kenyan and Ugandan activists last month.

In this context, this week on Spotlight on Africa, RFI speaks to Tundu Lissu’s international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, who has lodged a complaint with the UN Working Group as part of a broader campaign of pressure.

This month, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Lissu’s arrest as politically motivated. Amsterdam also stated that he intends to petition the US State Department to impose sanctions.

Meanwhile, in Namibia, the first national commemoration was held on 28 May for the victims of mass killings by colonial-era German troops, in what is widely recognised as the first genocide of the 20th century.

When first the Herero and then the Nama revolted against the colonial administration, the response from Germany was brutal. An extermination order was sent by the Second Reich, and several concentration camps were built across the country.

Namibia holds controversial first commemoration of German colonial-era genocide

Some organisations representing victims' descendants have declined to take part.

To discuss what is at stake with this commemoration, for Namibia but also for other former African colonies, we talk to the German historian Henning Melber, of the Nordic Africa Institute, who is also affiliated to the University of Pretoria and the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein in South Africa.

He says that while the announcement of an official Namibian Genocide Memorial Day has been long overdue, the chosen date of 28 May remains controversial, and that communities of descendants were excluded.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:37:00 +0200 0 0 Silencing dissent in Tanzania, reckoning with genocide in Namibia 0 0 RFI full 23:48 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1564028 https://iono.fm/e/1564028
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Brother Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Brother Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 3 May, I asked you a question about women’s right to vote. Frenchwomen were granted the right to vote in 1944; the first election they voted in was in 1945. This is long after many of their sisters in other countries.

You were to re-read our article “How French women won, and used, their right to vote in 1945”, and send in the answer to this question: Which country was the first to grant women the right to vote, and in which year? I also asked you to send in the names and dates of the countries that followed the ground-breaker.

The answer is, to quote our article: “New Zealand was the pioneer, granting women the right to vote in 1893, followed by Australia in 1901, Finland in 1906, Denmark in 1915, Uruguay in 1917, Germany in 1918, the United States in 1920, and the United Kingdom in 1928.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, which was suggested by Father Stephen Wara from Bamenda, Cameroon. Father Steve wanted to know: What big anniversary do you have coming up? A birthday? A wedding? Something else? How will you celebrate it? How many guests will you invite?

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Mr. M. Ganesan from Goa, India, who is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Mr. Ganesan.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week – all women, to celebrate our big sister suffragettes who opened the door for us - are Hasina Zaman Hasi, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club members Jocelyne D'Errico from New Zealand; Jahan Ara Hussain from Odisha, India, and Shaira Hosen Mo from Kishoreganj in Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Eid Al-Adha Mubarak” by Babu and Shahnawaz, sung by Nawal Khan; Duet for Viola and Violoncello and Obligato Eyeglasses WoO 32 by Ludwig van Beethoven, performed by Keith Hamm and Julie Hereish; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Oi! Altas undas que venetz sus la mar” by Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, performed by the Eduardo Paniagua Spanish-French-Moroccan Ensemble.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Amanda Morrow’s article “The big blue blindspot: why the ocean floor is still an unmapped mystery”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 30 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 5 July podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 07 Jun 2025 09:40:00 +0200 0 0 Out of the kitchen and into the voting booths 0 0 RFI full 43:41 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1561579 https://iono.fm/e/1561579
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. This week, you’ll hear musical requests from your fellow listeners Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India, Alan Holder from Isle of Wight, England, and Karuna Kanta Pal from West Bengal, India.

Be sure you send in your music requests! Write to me at thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all.  

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “A Million Roses” by Raymond Pauls and Leon Briedis, performed by L’Orchestre Dominique Moisan; “Anak” by Freddie Aguilar, performed by Aguilar and his orchestra, and "Hips Don't Lie” by Shakira, Wyclef Jean and Archie Pena, performed by Shakira and Wyclef Jean.

The quiz will be back next Saturday, 7 June. Be sure and tune in!  ]]> TV & Film Sat, 31 May 2025 09:52:00 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen, No 36 0 0 RFI full 16:41 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1560079 https://iono.fm/e/1560079
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Donald Trump in Washington last Wednesday.

The meeting took place amid tensions over several issues, including the United States’ resettlement of white Afrikaners—whom President Trump has controversially described as victims of "genocide" - and South Africa’s ongoing land reform.

South Africa's Ramaphosa to meet Trump on high-stakes White House visit

However, the US President defied all expectations of diplomacy by repeating allegations against Ramaphosa and accusing South Africa of the alleged killing of white farmers.

President Ramaphosa remained composed, and the visit continued the following day with further discussions on bilateral relations and trade.

To discuss, the recent evolution of the relations between the two countries, Spotlight on Africa has two guests this week:

Cameron Hudson, senior fellow at the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington DC Ivor Ichikowitz, founding director of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation and keen observer of South Africa's foreign affairs.

We also visit the Paris Noir exhibition, currently on display at the Pompidou Centre  in central Paris. It showcases the largest collection ever assembled of works by Black artists who created art in the French capital from the 1950s onwards.

Paris Noir is at the Pompidou Centre in Paris until 30 June, 2025.

'Paris Noir' exhibition showcases work made in French capital by black artists

Finally, we go on a tour with the black British photographer, writer and broadcaster Johny Pitts, who has himself documented the black and Afropean communities all over Europe for over ten years. 

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 27 May 2025 11:10:00 +0200 0 0 Ramaphosa in Washington: can South Africa - US ties be saved? 0 0 RFI full 26:30 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1559458 https://iono.fm/e/1559458
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Brother Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Brother Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 26 April, I asked you a question about the late Pope Francis, who’d died earlier that week. As the Vatican prepared to elect a new pope, we published an article about the men who were responsible for electing the next head of the Roman Catholic Church.

You were to re-read our article “What happens now after the death of Pope Francis?” and send in the answer to this question: What are the nationalities of the 135 cardinal electors who will elect the next pope?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Currently there are 135 so-called cardinal electors, 108 of whom were appointed by Francis. Of these, 53 are from Europe, 20 are from North America, 18 are from Africa, 23 from Asia, four from Oceania, and 17 from South America.”

As you know, the cardinals elected Robert Francis Prevost, the first American to hold the post. He took the name Leo XIV as his papal name, and he was formally inaugurated to serve the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics on 18 May.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, which was inspired by the long-running BBC program “Desert Island Discs”. You were to write in with the names of the three records, or audio recordings, that you would take with you to an uninhabited island.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Christian Ghibaudo from Tende, France. Christian is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Christian,on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are A. K. M. Nuruzzaman, the president of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and Paresh Hazarika, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, as well as RFI Listeners Club members Shadman Hosen Ayon from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, and Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusen, Denmark.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Mother” by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd; “A Mighty Fortress is our God” by Martin Luther, played by Kaleb Brasee; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and Buenos Aires Symphony in Three Movements by Astor Piazolla, performed by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonardo Garcia Alarcon.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “EU and UK reunite in London for talks on diplomacy and defence”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 23 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 28 June podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 24 May 2025 16:55:00 +0200 0 0 A diverse cardinal elector college 0 0 RFI full 46:36 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1558887 https://iono.fm/e/1558887
French MPs are shortly to vote on whether or not to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia. The draft legislation draws heavily on the work of the Citizens’ Convention on end-of-life care – a group of 184 people, randomly selected in late 2022 to reflect France's diverse population. Though strangers to each other and to the subject, they spent four months in thoughtful debate, building a spirit of mutual respect despite deep differences of opinion. Economist Marc-Olivier Strauss-Kahn, one of the participants, talks about why this exercise in deliberative democracy was so enriching and valuable to society. Along with others, he's helped launch an association to ensure the dialogue, and the social inclusion it fostered, continues beyond the convention itself. (Listen @0')

This year's Cannes film festival is taking the issue of sexual harassment in the movie industry more seriously than ever, just weeks after actor Gerard Depardiee was convicted for sexual assault. Ollia Horton talks about what's changing. She also introduces a film about the life of Marcel Pagnol – one of France's most cherished writers and a former Cannes jury president. (Listen @20'15'')

The annual fête des voisins, held on the last Friday of May, is an opportunity for neighbours to get to know each other. Launched 25 years ago in Paris by local councillor Atanase Périfan, it was aimed at bringing more solidarity into everyday life and it seems to be working. (Listen @14'10'')

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 22 May 2025 16:38:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Assisted dying in France, Pagnol at Cannes, meet the neighbours 0 0 RFI full 28:15 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1557082 https://iono.fm/e/1557082
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Brother Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Brother Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 19 April, I asked you a question about Mario Vargas Llosa, a Nobel Prize-winning author from Peru. You were to re-read Paul Myers’ article “Nobel prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa dies aged 89”, and send in the answers to these questions: In which year did Llosa win the Nobel Prize for Literature, and what did the Nobel Committee write about his work?

The answer is, to quote Paul’s article: “His Nobel Prize in 2010 came 51 years after The Cubs and Other Stories. The Nobel committee said the accolade was an award for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual’s resistance, revolt, and defeat.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, “What are the obstacles that impede your happiness?”, which was an idea from Erwan Rome, who suggested we look at the philosophy questions asked on the French baccalaureate exams, the French leaving-school exam. This one was for the 2018 students.

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Father Stephen Wara from Bamenda, Cameroon. Father Steve is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Father Stephen,on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Samir Mukhopadhyay from West Bengal, India - who noted Vargas is one of his favorite Latin American writers; Mahfuzur Rahman from Cumilla, Bangladesh; Niyar Talukdar from Maharashtra, India, and last but not least, RFI English listener Tanjim Tatini from Munshiganj, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “En route à Bengal” inspired by traditional Bengali folk music, arranged and performed by the Hamelin Instrumental Band; Traditional Peruvian Cumbia; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “The Loud Minority” by Frank Foster, performed by the the Loud Minority Big Band.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Ollia Horton’s article “Ukraine, Gaza and #MeToo in the spotlight as Cannes Film Festival opens”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 16 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 21 June podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 17 May 2025 10:29:00 +0200 0 0 The Peruvian Nobel Prize winner 0 0 RFI full 37:04 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1555358 https://iono.fm/e/1555358
According to Amnesty International, Donald Trump's rise to the presidency has hastened trends already unfolding over the past decade.

Just one hundred days into his second term, President Trump has demonstrated a complete disregard for universal human rights, making the world both less safe and less just, the organisation's latest report claims.

"His all-out assault on the very concepts of multilateralism, asylum, racial and gender justice, global health and life-saving climate action is exacerbating the significant damage those principles and institutions have already sustained and is further emboldening other anti-rights leaders and movements to join his onslaught,” Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, wrote.

While Africa's armed conflicts caused relentless civilian suffering, including increasing levels of sexual and gender-based violence, and death on a massive scale, international and regional responses remained woefully inadequate.

The NGO also denounces global failures in addressing inequalities, climate collapse, and tech transformations that imperil future generations, especially in fragile zones. 

To discuss the implications for Africa in detail, this week, Spotlight on Africa's first guest is Deprose Muchena, senior director for regional human rights impact at Amnesty International. 

Meanwhile, in South Africa, experts reflect on a recent visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as the country leads the G20 this year and tries to become a platform for peace talk.

Did Zelensky's South Africa visit signal a diplomatic pivot by Pretoria?

We talked to the French business and veteran diplomat, Jean-Yves Ollivier, founder of the Brazzaville Foundation, who was a key actor in organising Zelensky's meeting with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Finally, we hear from Djiby Kebe, one of the founders of  Air Afrique magazine, created by and for young members of the African diaspora in Paris and Abidjan. Inspired by the once-successful Pan-African airline of the same name, the publication centres on culture and travel.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 13 May 2025 12:31:00 +0200 0 0 Africa’s human rights crisis: global silence and the Trump effect 0 0 RFI full 28:41 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1554512 https://iono.fm/e/1554512
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 12 April I asked you a question about the drop in air pollution in Paris. That week, Airparif, an independent group that tracks air quality, reported that between 2005 and 2024, levels in Paris of the two most harmful air pollutants – fine particles and nitrogen dioxide – fell by 55 percent and 50 percent respectively.

You were to re-read our article “Air pollution in Paris region 'cut in half' over the past 20 years” and send in the answer to this question: According to Airparif, what are the policies that led to the reduction in Paris’ pollution? What are some of the concrete steps that were taken?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Antoine Trouche, an engineer at Airparif, told France Inter radio that several concrete steps had made a difference.

These included ‘the Euro emissions standards, taxation of industrial pollutant emissions, and increased public transport and cycling infrastructure’.

He also pointed to ‘the replacement of diesel vehicles with petrol and electric vehicles.’”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India: “Suppose you find an old magical lamp which when rubbed a genie appears and tells you he will fulfill one wish. What would your wish be?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Malik Allah Bachaya Khokhar, the president of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Malik is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations on your double win, Malik.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ramu Reddy, a member of the RFI Pariwar Bandhu SWL Club in Chhattisgarh, India, and RFI Listeners Club members Sardar Munir Akhter from Punjab, Pakistan, as well as Deekay Dimple from Assam, India.

Last but not least, RFI English listener Ataur Rahman Ranju, the president of the Alokito Manush Cai International Radio Listeners Club in Rangpur, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Free Wheelin’” by Thierry Durbet and Laurent Thierry-Meig; “Arc en Ciel 3” by Philippe Bestion; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Un Nuit à Paris” by Kevin Godley and Lol Cream, performed by 10cc.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “France hosts summit to lure scientists threatened by US budget cuts”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 9 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 14 June podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 10 May 2025 08:15:00 +0200 0 0 Breathing easier in Paris 0 0 RFI full 40:53 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1554009 https://iono.fm/e/1554009
Ever since US President Donald Trump started defunding and dismantling US scientific institutions, France has made a push to get scientists to move. In March the French minister in charge of research asked universities to fund programmes to attract American scientists. In 2017, after Trump first pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Accords, Macron launched a recruitment drive aimed at climate scientists working in the US. Two of those grantees, Ben Sanderson and Philip Shulz, talk about the experience of leaving the US for France, and what the current environment is like for climate scientists today. (Listen @1'10)

With 87 percent of France considered a "medical desert", lawmakers and the government are looking to tackle doctor shortages. But the proposals – to regulate when specialists can open their private practices and require health professionals to work two days a month in areas with chronic shortages – have met with strong opposition from GPs, trainee doctors and students. Yassine Bahr, vice-president of the French junior doctors union (ISNI), and Anna Boctor, president of France's Jeunes Medecins (young doctors) union, talk about why the proposals won't solve the problem and the sense of injustice at being held responsible for a situation that is not of their making. (Listen @20'20)

On 8 May 1945, during a celebration of the end of WWII in Europe in the Algerian city of Setif, French colonial authorities shot at Algerians holding pro-independence signs. The ensuing riots then spread to neighbouring cities where the authorities  unleashed a campaign of reprisals to crush the unrest – indiscriminately killing tens of thousands of Algerian men, women and children. France has yet to officially acknowledge its role in the massacres. (Listen @15'00)

Episode mixed by Cécile Pompeani

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 08 May 2025 17:22:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: US science 'refugees' in France, doctor shortages, 8 May massacre 0 0 RFI full 34:33 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1552099 https://iono.fm/e/1552099
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 3 April I asked you a question about Marine Le Pen, the president of the far-right French party the National Rally (RN). She, along with eight other RN Parliament members, was judged guilty of embezzling 4.4 million euros in European Union funds to pay France-based RN party staff who worked only for the RN and not on EU issues.

Le Pen and her fellow lawmakers have been banned from running for office for five years. This ban, which had previously been a rare sentence, has become commonplace since the Sapin 2 law was adopted in 2016, which made it the standard sentence for cases involving the embezzlement of public funds and was roundly supported by RN lawmakers – until now.

You were to re-read our article “RN leader Le Pen battles for political future after embezzlement conviction”, and send in the answer to this question: Aside from the ban on running for office, what else was included in Le Pen’s sentence?

The answer is, to quote our article: “Le Pen was also sentenced to four years' imprisonment, two of which will be served under an electronic bracelet, and a fine of 100,000 euros.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by the late Muhammad Shamim who lived in Kerala State, India: "Would you rather be rich but not famous, or famous but not rich?"   

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Lata Akhter Jahan, the co-president of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Lata is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Lata, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Shaira Hosen Mo from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh; Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria; John Yemi Sanday Turay from Freetown, Sierra Leone, and last but not least, Saleha, who is also a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme:  “Les Jardins de L’Alhambra” by Gérard Torikian; “Stacatto” by René Aubry; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Aýa döndi” by Nuri Halmamedov and Mahtumkuli, performed by baritone Atageldi Garýagdyýew.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “How French women won, and used, their right to vote in 1945”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 2 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 5 June podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 03 May 2025 07:45:00 +0200 0 0 Marine Le Pen’s penal sentence 0 0 RFI full 35:01 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1550710 https://iono.fm/e/1550710
The two rivals were once allies, having jointly overthrown Sudan’s long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019 after nearly 30 years in power. However, their alliance fractured in 2021 amid growing tensions over how to transition the country towards civilian-led democratic rule.

Most recently, on 25 March, the Sudanese armed forces announced the recapture of the capital, Khartoum. But fighting continues south and west of the capital, where pockets dominated by the RSF remain.

'No one else will': Sudan's journalists risk all to report the war

This week, Spotlight on Africa's first guest is Assadullah Nasrullah, spokesperson and communication officer forHe had been working in Sudan for two years before this war began, and now works on supporting people displaced inside Sudan by the fighting.

This week, Spotlight on Africa's first guest is Assadullah Nasrullah, spokesperson and communications officer for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Sudan. He had been working in the country for two years prior to the outbreak of war and now focuses on supporting those displaced within Sudan by the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, 's European Union director Philippe Dam outlinnes for Spotlight on Africa how the European Union could have leverage to act on many levels in the conflict, and that the EU should act.

Meanwhile, Philippe Dam, European Union director at Human Rights Watch, outlines for Spotlight on Africa how the EU could exert influence on multiple levels in the conflict — and why it must act.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:27:00 +0200 0 0 Sudan, after two years of war, leaves people in an unprecedented level of suffering 0 0 RFI full 26:20 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1550147 https://iono.fm/e/1550147
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

We have new RFI Listeners Club members, Jocelyne D’Errico, a Frenchwoman who lives in New Zealand, and Alexander Konak from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

Welcome Jocelyne, welcome Alexander!  So glad you have joined us!

You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write to me at english.service@rfi.fr and tell me you want to join, and I’ll send you a membership number. It’s that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you’ll receive a premium prize.

This week’s quiz: On 29 March, I asked you a question about RFI English journalist Jan van der Made’s article “France’s wine industry is in crisis. Can this Nigerian consultant save it?”

Not only are people drinking less wine – sales are down and so are exports – but there are the 200 percent tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump. 

But Chinedu Rita Rosa, whom Jan profiled in his article, thinks she has the solution.

You were to send in the answer to this question: What is Chinedu Rita Rosa’s solution for the troubled French wine industry?

The answer is, as Rosa told Jan: “It's time to find alternatives to the US and China, in countries such as Brazil, India and Africa ... French wine producers should have a deep understanding of the culture and tastes of new markets and adjust their products and marketing strategies accordingly. ‘You have to meet people, learn about their tastes, and adapt accordingly.’”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Sadman Shihab Shahorier, the co-chairman of the Source of Knowledge Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh: “What is your most vivid childhood memory?” 

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Tasmaul Akhter Nazma, the general secretary of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Tasmaul is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Tasmaul, on your double win!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria, and Abiha Fatima, a member of the RFI Online Visitors Club in Sahiwal, Pakistan. There’s Naved Raiyan, the president of the RFI Fan Club in West Bengal, India, and last but not least, RFI English Listener Mampi Paul, also from West Bengal.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Wildlife of Tanzania” by Wuji; “Paris Cafe Ambience”; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Mount Harissa” from the Far East Suite by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, performed by the Duke Ellington Orchestra.  

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “What happens now after the death of Pope Francis?”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 19 May to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 24 May podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 26 Apr 2025 09:04:00 +0200 0 0 New markets for Bordeaux wine 0 0 RFI full 32:58 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1548197 https://iono.fm/e/1548197
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

We have new RFI Listeners Club members, Jocelyne D’Errico, a Frenchwoman who lives in New Zealand - and Alexander Konak from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

Welcome Jocelyne, welcome Alexander!  So glad you have joined us!

You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write to me at english.service@rfi.fr and tell me you want to join, and I’ll send you a membership number. It’s that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you’ll receive a premium prize.

This week’s quiz: On 22 March,I asked you a question about Paul’s article “Zimbabwe's aspiring Olympics supremo Coventry targets development of athletes”, which profiled seven-time Olympic medalist Kirsty Coventry, the most decorated African in the 129-year history of the Games.

Kirsty Coventry was one of the candidates vying for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee, which was decided a few days after the podcast … and she won! She’s the first woman, and the first African, to hold the post. Congratulations Ms. Coventry!

You were to send in a list of the medals the swimmer won, along with the dates of the Games in which she won them.

The answer is, to quote Paul: “… in 2004 at the Athens Games, she won gold in the 200m backstroke, silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 200m individual medley.

In Beijing in 2008, she retained her backstroke title and claimed silver again in the 100m backstroke as well as silvers in the 200 and 400m individual medley.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Alan Holder from England’s Isle of Wight. His question was: “Do you believe that people have a sixth sense - that is, an ability to know something without using the ordinary five senses of smell, sight, taste, hearing, and touch?  Can you recall any personal experiences to justify your belief?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Dipita Chakrabarty. Dipita is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Dipita, on your double win!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club member Bidhan Chandra Sanyal from West Bengal, India, and Paresh Hazarika, a member of the RFI United Listeners Club in Assam, India. Last but not least, there are RFI English listeners Khondaker Rafiqul Islam from Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Ahmad, who’s a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Koud Min” by Aurélien Chambaud and Yon Kalawang; “Hip Hotheads” by Rick Braun; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and Antonio Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in a minor, RV 499, performed by Daniel Smith with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Philip Ledger.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myers’ article “Nobel prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa dies aged 89”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 12 May to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 17 May podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 19 Apr 2025 10:21:00 +0200 0 0 Zimbabwe’s supremo swimmer 0 0 RFI full 33:50 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1546162 https://iono.fm/e/1546162
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

We have new RFI Listeners Club members, all members of a student radio club in West Bengal, India, headed up by their teacher, Ratan Kumar Paul. Join me in a hearty welcome to new members Deep Paul, Dilip Meta, Sima Pal, and Rimil Paul, with of course, their teacher, Ratan Kumar Paul.

Welcome, one and all! So glad you have joined us!

You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write to me at english.service@rfi.fr and tell me you want to join, and I’ll send you a membership number. It’s that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you’ll receive a premium prize.

This week’s quiz: On 15 March, I asked you a question about our article “Macron hosts European military chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees”. French President Emmanuel Macron had just met with defense ministers from Europe's five main military powers for talks on the "necessary rearmament of Europe", as well as military support to Ukraine, according to one of the French defense minister's aides.

You were to send in the answer to this question: Which five countries are Europe’s main military powers? 

The answer is: France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and Poland. 

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Which is more important, talent or hard work?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim, Germany. Helmut is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Helmut, on your double win!

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Hasina Zaman Hasi, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club members Solomon Fessahazion from Asmara, Eritrea, Karobi Hazarika from Assam, India, and Samir Mukhopadhyay from West Bengal, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The Adagio from the Concerto for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by violinist Nemanja Radulovic, oboist Sébastien Giot, and the Double Sens Ensemble; “Herr, unser Herrscher”  (“Lord, our Ruler”) from the St John Passion, BWV 245 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society conducted by Jos van Veldhoven; Czardas by Vittorio Monti, performed by Nemanja Radulovic with the Chamber Orchestra of Cannes, conducted by Didier Benetti; the Allegro from the Violin Concerto in d minor, BWV 1052R by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Nemanja Radulovic and the Double Sens Ensemble; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; the theme music from "I Dream of Jeannie" by Hugo Montenegro; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and traditional Greenland Inuit Chants and Drums. 

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Air pollution in Paris region 'cut in half' over the past 20 years”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 5 May to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 10 May podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 12 Apr 2025 09:22:00 +0200 0 0 Europe’s leading military powers 0 0 RFI full 40:25 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1545693 https://iono.fm/e/1545693
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President Emmanuel Macron said France was moving into a "war economy" – calling on weapons manufacturers in particular to produce more and more quickly. We hear from staff at KNDS, a Franco-German defence group half-owned by the French state, about how they've managed to triple production of Caesar artillery and ammunitions to deliver to Ukraine. We also talk about the challenges of funding a war economy, given France's huge deficit, with economist Virginie Monvoisin from the Grenoble School of Management. (Listen @2'20'')

As France aims to become a leader in developing artificial intelligence, it is upping its investment into building the computing power needed to run it. The Jean Zay supercomputer, at the Paris-Saclay university campus south of Paris, is one of France's most powerful, and is available free of charge for researchers. Pierre-François Lavallée, director of France's IT research institute (IDRIS), explains how the supercomputer works, its uses, and how the massive amount of heat generated by the calculations is redirected and reused as a source of energy. (Listen @18'45'')

La Marseillaise became the French national anthem 230 years ago, in 1795. Written in a few hours, on 25 April 1792, it has weathered many a storm and remains a popular symbol of revolutionary fervour against authoritarianism. It has also been reinterpreted in France and abroad to serve other political causes, such as feminism. (Listen @12')

Episode mixed by Vincent Pora.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 10 Apr 2025 17:29:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: War economy, France's supercomputers, La Marseillaise and the Republic 0 0 RFI full 29:03 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1543789 https://iono.fm/e/1543789
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winners' names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

We have new RFI Listeners Club members, all members of a student radio club in West Bengal, India, headed up by their teacher, Ratan Kumar Paul. Join me in a hearty welcome to new members Deep Paul, Dilip Meta, Sima Pal, and Rimil Paul, with of course, their teacher, Ratan Kumar Paul.

Welcome, one and all! So glad you have joined us!

You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write to me at english.service@rfi.fr and tell me you want to join, and I’ll send you a membership number. It’s that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you’ll receive a premium prize.

This week’s quiz: On 8 March, I asked you to listen to Alison Hird and Sarah Elzas’ Spotlight on France podcast number 124. They covered AI in the show, and the EU-backed "third path" approach, midway between the US' private tech firm-dominated model, and China's state-controlled technology.

You were to re-listen to their AI report, specifically about the French company Lingora, who recently released a large language model trained on French and European content. You were to send in the answer to these two questions: When was the company Lingora founded, and in which year did they begin work on their AI model? 

The answer is, as Sarah noted: Lingora was founded in 2000; the company began working on AI in 2016.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: "Is it wrong to disobey laws?"

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Jayanta is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Jayanta, on your double win.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State, India; Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist - Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India, and Mahfuzur Rahman from Cumilla, Bangladesh.

Last but assuredly not least, there’s RFI English listener Shaharier Sadman Shihab from Naogaon, Bangladesh.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Kashmir” by George Fenton and John Leach; “Bamboule” by  Pierre Bensousan; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Yé ké yé ké” by Mori Kante, performed by Mori Kante and his ensemble. 

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “RN leader Le Pen battles for political future after embezzlement conviction”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 28 April to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 3 May podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 05 Apr 2025 09:06:00 +0200 0 0 Artificial inteIligence and Lingora 0 0 RFI full 22:52 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1542228 https://iono.fm/e/1542228
For decades, many African artists have found that success often hinges on recording, producing, and touring overseas. However, a new generation of musicians is working to shift this dynamic, striving to develop a sustainable music industry within Africa while also supporting fellow artists in doing the same.

The conversation around this shift was a key focus at the AfriCapitales festival in Paris on 28 March.

At the event, academics from the revue Volume! presented their research on global phonographic production, examining how major recording hubs have historically shaped the music industry.

A roundtable discussion brought together scholars and professionals from Africa’s music sector to explore how digital technology and evolving industry structures are reshaping the landscape.

In a world that is increasingly interconnected yet diversely globalised, these discussions underscored the potential for African artists to reclaim their creative processes and redefine the future of music production on the continent.

Our first guest to expand on the research is the Cameroonian singer songwriter Blick Bassy.

Cameroon's Blick Bassy seeks to unite new generation of African music makers

Drawing on his experience as an African artist who has found international success, Bassy put in place a festival in Cameroon for other young music makers. The first edition took place in November 2024.

Billed as the first festival in Africa to offer training in production, Africa Prod Fest aims to encourage those starting out in the music industry to move forward with their own projects.

"The idea of the festival in Cameroon came from the process I went through myself to understand the structures of the music business," Bassy told RFI. "And now I would like to share this experience with my people in Africa."

You will also hear from the sound engineer Bey-K, who is part of the organisation of the Jambulance, a moving recording studio traveling between Senegal and Guinea, and from the Nigeria singer Cill.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:02:00 +0200 0 0 Bringing the beat home: African musicians push for local music production 0 0 RFI full 24:58 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1541399 https://iono.fm/e/1541399
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner's names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 1 March, I asked you a question about the UN General Assembly vote on 24 February.  

You were to re-read our article “French president Macron set to brief EU leaders over details of Trump talks”, and send in the answer to this question: With which country or countries did the US align its votes at the UN General Assembly meeting?  

The answer is, to quote our article:  “As the talks between Macron and Trump were taking place, the US sided with Russia in two votes at the United Nations to avoid condemning Russia's campaign against Ukraine - a shift from the stance of the previous US administration.”

The resolution, co-sponsored by Ukraine and European Union countries, condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops. The US vote marked a significant policy shift, as the country aligned with Russia, Belarus, and North Korea in opposing the resolution. 

The resolution was adopted with 93 votes in favor, 18 against, and 65 abstentions. Countries that abstained included India, China, and the United Arab Emirates. 

The second vote was a U.S.-introduced resolution, which did not mention Russian aggression and called for a swift end to the conflict. This resolution was adopted after an amendment, proposed by France, acknowledged Russia's invasion. The amended U.S. resolution received 93 votes in favor, eight against, and 73 abstentions, with the U.S. abstaining from the final vote on its own resolution.

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “What was the breaking point that made you quit a job?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: Jocelyne D'Errico, a Parisian who lives in New Zealand. Jocelyne is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Jocelyne.

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria; Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in West Bengal, India; RFI English listeners Shihab Al Islam from Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Rimil Paul from West Bengal, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The traditional Bangladeshi “Ki Jadu Korila”; “Ballade Russe” by E. Dermenko, played by Nicolas Kedroff; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Giant Steps” by John Coltrane, performed by Gary Bartz.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Jan van der Made’s article “France’s wine industry is in crisis. Can this Nigerian consultant save it?” which will help you with the answer.

You have until 21 April to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 26 April podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 29 Mar 2025 09:28:00 +0200 0 0 Topsy-turvy geopolitics 0 0 RFI full 34:42 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1540894 https://iono.fm/e/1540894
As French people consume less wine, and exports to China are slowing down, the wine industry – in Bordeaux in particular – is turning to new markets. Jan Van der Made meets Chinedu Rita Rosa who is helping Bordeaux winemakers shift their approach, to sell in Nigeria and other African countries. (Listen @1'30)

Obesity is on the rise in France with an estimated 10 million people living with the condition – twice the number since 1997. While France has put in place a range of measures, people suffering from obesity still face a lot of social stigma and discrimination in a country that values thinness. Anne-Sophie Joly, author of Je n'ai pas choisi d'etre gros.se (I didn't choose to be fat), and founder of an association  that's advising the health ministry, shares her experience and talks about why France needs to recognise obesity as an illness. Not only would it make economic sense, it would encourage much-needed training of health professionals and a better understanding of patient suffering.  (Listen @14'30)

Ubisoft has become a leader in Europe's video game industry. Created on 28 March 1986, the company is facing challenges and is banking on the release of the latest installment of its hit series Assassin's Creed to bring it out of its economic woes. (Listen @8'50)

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani. 

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:31:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: French wine in Africa, confronting obesity, video game giant 0 0 RFI full 29:08 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1539184 https://iono.fm/e/1539184
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner's names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 22 February, I asked you a question about the French sculptress Camille Claudel. That week, after an incredible find, her lost-for-over-100-years sculpture The Mature Age was sold at auction for 3.1 million euros.

You were to re-read our article “Claudel bronze sculpture found by chance fetches €3 million at France auction”, and send in the answer to this question: Aside from The Mature Age, what are the other names of Claudel’s sculpture?

The answer is: To quote our article: “Also known as Destiny, The Path of Life, or Fatality, the work was originally a commission from the state but was never completed.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Mogire Machuki from Kissi, Kenya: “What is the one thing you can’t do without?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: Amir Jameel, the president of the RFI Online Visitors Club in Sahiwal, Pakistan. Amir is also the winner of this week’s bonus question. Congratulations, Amir, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Sultan Sarkar, president of the Shetu RFI Fan Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh; Muhammed Raiyan, a member of the RFI International DX Radio Listeners Club in Murshidabad, India as well as Sharifun Islam Nitu, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Last but not least, RFI Listeners Club member Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: The first movement from Antonin Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, ("American"), performed by the Cleveland Quartet; “First Sextet” from the film Claudel scored by Gabriel Yared; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “La Mauvaise Reputation” by Georges Brassens, performed by the composer.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myers’ article “Zimbabwe's aspiring Olympics supremo Coventry targets development of athletes”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 14 April to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 19 April podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 22 Mar 2025 11:19:00 +0200 0 0 The lost-for-over-100-years sculpture found under a dust sheet 0 0 RFI full 26:05 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1537868 https://iono.fm/e/1537868
Since the start of the year, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, has moved to drastically cut the country’s long-term aid commitments, aiming to save approximately $60 billion on overseas development and humanitarian assistance programmes.

The United Kingdom has also announced a deep cut in its budget for emergency and development aid, which it says it needs to do to develop its defence strategy. Other European countries have indicated that they might do the same.

France launches commission to evaluate overseas aid, amid far-right criticism

These decisions are already impacting emergency aid systems in many countries, including Sudan and Congo, as well as public health initiatives in nations such as Kenya and South Africa.

Sudan reels as US suspends aid amid ongoing war

Spotlight on Africa reached out to three experts involved in rethinking the future of aid.

Jeffrey Okoro is the executive director of the NGO CFK Africa in Kenya. He said that since the decision of the US government to freeze US Agency for International Development (USAID) spending in January, Kenyans working in healthcare have been hit hard. The decision has already disrupted efforts to stop the spread of diseases like HIV and tuberculosis.

"A sizeable portion of the Kenyan government funding for health counselling comes from international organisations from foreign governments," Okoro told RFI from his office in Kenya.

US grant cuts could affect two million worldwide, disrupt HIV aid in Kenya

 

Meanwhile, Ivor Ichikowitz, chairman of the philanthropic Ichikowitz Family Foundation, based in Johannesburg, which focuses on growth and development across the African continent, says that the decrease in aid and the rise of European investment, as discussed at a conference in South Africa recently, could, in fact, have positive results.

 

EU flags stronger partnership with South Africa with €4.7bn investment

We also  talk to Patrick Gathara, a Kenyan columnist and senior editor at The New Humanitarian, a website covering conflicts and humanitarian issues. He argues that the aid industry has long reinforced imperial domination, and its collapse could create an opportunity to establish a new order. He explains how.

 

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service. ]]> News Tue, 18 Mar 2025 11:52:00 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: Is the future of aid at risk and ready for change? 0 0 RFI full 27:33 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1537120 https://iono.fm/e/1537120
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner's names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. 

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 15 February, I asked you a question about Paul Myers’ article “Namibian independence leader Sam Nujoma dies aged 95”. Sam Nujoma was Namibia’s first democratically elected president; he led Namibia's fight for independence from South Africa.

You were to send in the answer to this question: Namibians have just elected a new president, who will be inaugurated on the 21st of this month. What is the name of their president-elect? 

The answer is: Namibia’s president-elect is Dr. Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi - Ndaitwah. Born in 1952, Dr. Nandi - Ndaitwah will be Namibia's fifth president and the first woman to hold the position. 

Speaking of Sam Nujoma, she, as Paul wrote in his article: “… paid tribute to Nujoma's visionary leadership as well as his dedication to liberation and nation-building. ‘It laid the foundation for our free, united nation,’ she added. ‘Let us honour his legacy by upholding resilience, solidarity, and selfless service.’”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Hans Verner Lollike from Hedehusene, Denmark: “Describe a cultural monument or a nature site in your country that is not known to the world at large.”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI English listener Debashis Gope from the Dakshin Dinajpur district in West Bengal, India.  Debashis is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations, Debashis, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Rasheed Naz, the chairman of the Naz Radio France Listeners Club in Faisal Abad, Pakistan; RFI Listeners Club member Father Steven Wara from Bamenda, Cameroon, and last but not least, two RFI English listeners from Bangladesh: Nargis Akter from Dhaka, and Sakila Musarrat from Chapainawabganj. 

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Sari” by George Fenton and Tom Leach; “Gnawa Funk Rhythm”; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Mulatu” by Mulatu Astatke, performed by the composer and his ensemble.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. 

After you’ve listened to the show, re-read our article “Macron hosts European military chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 7 April to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 12 April podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.    ]]> TV & Film Sat, 15 Mar 2025 09:14:00 +0200 0 0 Namibia’s new president 0 0 RFI full 35:38 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1536688 https://iono.fm/e/1536688
There are some explanations for France's 22 percent gender pay gap – women work fewer hours on average and in lower-paid jobs. But even doing the same job and putting in the same hours, women still earn 4 percent less than men, and a barrage of legal measures hasn't managed to change that. We look at what's going on with economist Anne Eydoux and lawyer Insaff El Hassani – founder of a company helping women negotiate salaries. El Hassani highlights negative images around wealthy women and how France's "female wage", dropped in 1946, still impacts the way some employers view women's salaries. (Listen @0')

France has downsized its ambitions to increase the amount of organic agriculture after a drop in consumer demand for organic food . After years of growth, especially during the Covid pandemic, inflation and a distrust in labelling have turned consumers away from buying organic produce, even as new farmers are drawn to the prospect of working in a different way. At the recent annual agricultural fair in Paris, farmers and others working in the organic sector talk about how they are adapting to the new economic reality, and the need to raise awareness of the value of organic food, beyond the price tag. (Listen @17')

France is marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Maurice Ravel, whose most famous piece, Boléro, is considered an avant-garde musical expression of  the machine age. (Listen @9'50'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani. 

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878). ]]> News Thu, 13 Mar 2025 19:34:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Women wage outrage, farmers face organic slump, Ravel's Bolero 0 0 RFI full 30:17 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1534683 https://iono.fm/e/1534683 TV & Film Sat, 08 Mar 2025 08:51:23 +0200 0 0 Shine, sisters! 0 0 RFI full 31:25 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1533204 https://iono.fm/e/1533204 News Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:00:22 +0200 0 0 Spotlight on Africa: celebrating women's empowerment for Women's History Month 0 0 RFI full 25:07 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1532370 https://iono.fm/e/1532370 TV & Film Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:43:19 +0200 0 0 Lighting up homes in 12 African countries 0 0 RFI full 30:49 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1530103 https://iono.fm/e/1530103 TV & Film Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:54:56 +0200 0 0 X is X’d off their list 0 0 RFI full 29:53 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1528597 https://iono.fm/e/1528597 News Tue, 18 Feb 2025 12:50:22 +0200 0 0 The crisis in the DRC and the African Union response 0 0 RFI full 21:29 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1527859 https://iono.fm/e/1527859 TV & Film Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:12:05 +0200 0 0 The French prisoners in Iran 0 0 RFI full 27:34 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1527376 https://iono.fm/e/1527376 News Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:44:17 +0200 0 0 Podcast: AI 'à la française', immigration fact vs feeling, disability law 0 0 RFI full 33:14 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1525660 https://iono.fm/e/1525660 TV & Film Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:28:53 +0200 0 0 A World Radio Day celebration! 0 0 RFI full 1:14:57 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1524242 https://iono.fm/e/1524242 News Tue, 04 Feb 2025 13:19:46 +0200 0 0 Morocco: Bridging Africa and the world through contemporary art 0 0 RFI full 20:04 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1523460 https://iono.fm/e/1523460 TV & Film Sat, 01 Feb 2025 08:12:52 +0200 0 0 Gazan filmmakers make it to the Oscars 0 0 RFI full 42:37 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1522998 https://iono.fm/e/1522998 News Thu, 30 Jan 2025 17:50:07 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Budget woes, medical cannabis stalled, French comic who defied Hitler 0 0 RFI full 32:27 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1521179 https://iono.fm/e/1521179 TV & Film Sat, 25 Jan 2025 09:27:05 +0200 0 0 Russia’s interest in Syria 0 0 RFI full 32:55 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1520193 https://iono.fm/e/1520193 News Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:30:08 +0200 0 0 Africa’s changing diplomacy as G20, Ecowas divisions and new global alliances loom 0 0 RFI full 21:38 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1519052 https://iono.fm/e/1519052 TV & Film Sat, 18 Jan 2025 08:50:19 +0200 0 0 Climate change and rich nations' responsibilities 0 0 RFI full 43:09 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1518648 https://iono.fm/e/1518648 News Thu, 16 Jan 2025 17:01:16 +0200 0 0 Podcast: France Algeria fall out, land of dinosaurs, abortion rights 0 0 RFI full 34:50 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1516943 https://iono.fm/e/1516943 TV & Film Sat, 11 Jan 2025 09:31:26 +0200 0 0 Senegal’s legislative mandate 0 0 RFI full 29:10 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1516092 https://iono.fm/e/1516092 News Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:27:27 +0200 0 0 DRC takes on Apple: can conflict mineral mining be stopped? 0 0 RFI full 24:33 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1515259 https://iono.fm/e/1515259 TV & Film Sat, 04 Jan 2025 10:49:33 +0200 0 0 Listener resolutions for 2025 0 0 RFI full 23:05 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1514619 https://iono.fm/e/1514619 TV & Film Sat, 28 Dec 2024 08:27:46 +0200 0 0 This I Believe 0 0 RFI full 15:31 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1514122 https://iono.fm/e/1514122 TV & Film Sat, 21 Dec 2024 09:11:51 +0200 0 0 Merry Christmas! 0 0 RFI full 20:47 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1513756 https://iono.fm/e/1513756 News Thu, 19 Dec 2024 17:14:45 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Renaming Tibetan art, Paris region's first olive oil, Comoran independence 0 0 RFI full 31:02 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1513598 https://iono.fm/e/1513598 TV & Film Thu, 19 Dec 2024 12:44:30 +0200 0 0 This I Believe TO BE PUBLISHED 28 DECEMBER 0 0 RFI full 15:31 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1512509 https://iono.fm/e/1512509 TV & Film Sat, 14 Dec 2024 10:19:31 +0200 0 0 The amazing Mr. Jones 0 0 RFI full 31:15 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1512412 https://iono.fm/e/1512412 News Fri, 13 Dec 2024 16:29:42 +0200 0 0 Young Nigerian entrepreneurs seek to reshape relationship with France 0 0 RFI full 18:26 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1510036 https://iono.fm/e/1510036 TV & Film Sat, 07 Dec 2024 07:56:37 +0200 0 0 Textile dumping in Ghana 0 0 RFI full 24:12 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1509608 https://iono.fm/e/1509608 News Thu, 05 Dec 2024 17:13:00 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Forgotten female war correspondent, lighter French wine, Notre-Dame reopens 0 0 RFI full 32:20 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1507746 https://iono.fm/e/1507746 TV & Film Sat, 30 Nov 2024 09:35:42 +0200 0 0 There’s Music in the Kitchen 0 0 RFI full 14:04 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1507500 https://iono.fm/e/1507500 News Fri, 29 Nov 2024 11:32:23 +0200 0 0 How harmful stereotypes and media bias are costing Africa billions 0 0 RFI full 22:04 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1505504 https://iono.fm/e/1505504 TV & Film Sat, 23 Nov 2024 10:16:47 +0200 0 0 Too little, too late? 0 0 RFI full 28:06 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1504939 https://iono.fm/e/1504939 News Thu, 21 Nov 2024 17:04:59 +0200 0 0 Podcast: Dictionary wars, France digests Trump, disaster solidarity 0 0 RFI full 31:30 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1503183 https://iono.fm/e/1503183 TV & Film Sat, 16 Nov 2024 09:49:28 +0200 0 0 Speedy East Africans at the fore 0 0 RFI full 32:59 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1503055 https://iono.fm/e/1503055 News Fri, 15 Nov 2024 15:14:53 +0200 0 0 Africans push food systems and climate justice at Cop29 0 0 RFI full 20:48 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1500890 https://iono.fm/e/1500890 TV & Film Sat, 09 Nov 2024 09:57:16 +0200 0 0 Trouble in the Sahara 0 0 RFI full 21:12 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1500422 https://iono.fm/e/1500422 News Thu, 07 Nov 2024 16:47:50 +0200 0 0 Podcast: France's packaging problem, spider crab invasion, women's labour rights 0 0 RFI full 28:28 Spotlight on France https://iono.fm/e/1498480 https://iono.fm/e/1498480 TV & Film Sat, 02 Nov 2024 11:12:11 +0200 0 0 Caught in the act, or political harassment? 0 0 RFI full 26:15 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1498219 https://iono.fm/e/1498219 News Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:38:40 +0200 0 0 Cultural exchanges beyond borders as African art gains global interest 0 0 RFI full 17:54 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1496086 https://iono.fm/e/1496086 TV & Film Sat, 26 Oct 2024 09:17:16 +0200 0 0 Will French politicians learn to compromise? 0 0 RFI full 38:40 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1493763 https://iono.fm/e/1493763 TV & Film Sat, 19 Oct 2024 08:52:11 +0200 0 0 Madam Ambassador 0 0 RFI full 34:51 The Sound Kitchen https://iono.fm/e/1493572 https://iono.fm/e/1493572 News Fri, 18 Oct 2024 13:12:24 +0200 0 0 Ghana grapples with crisis caused by world's throwaway fashion 0 0 RFI full 22:37 Spotlight on Africa https://iono.fm/e/1491944 https://iono.fm/e/1491944 TV & Film Sat, 12 Oct 2024 09:13:48 +0200 0 0 Algerian military’s 'more important role' 0 0 RFI full 22:39 The Sound Kitchen