The Latest Breaking News from RFI

The Malawian hit song, Moyo wa Mtawoni, meaning ‘the town life’, was released some 20 years ago by musician Ben Michael Mankhamba. It addressed the challenges of living in urban areas and praised the laissez-faire lifestyle of villages.

Not one to shy away from his reggae roots in calling out social problems, Côte d’Ivoire recording artist Tom D Genese’s latest song, “Paradoxes”, evokes Africa’s richness and poverty in the same breath.

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the recently formed leftist political parties’ coalition competing in France’s upcoming legislative elections. There’s “On This Day”, plenty of good music, and of course, the new quiz question, too. Just click on the “Audio” arrow above…

African Union leaders are meeting in Equatorial Guinea for two summits as the continent contends with humanitarian crises, terrorism and military coups.

The COP15 summit in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, which was focused on desertification and its impacts, closed with commitments by 196 countries to restore one billion hectares of degraded land between now and 2030. They also agreed to enhance drought preparedness, response and resilience.

Britain has unveiled a unilateral plan to drastically overhaul post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland, sparking deep concern from both the European Union and United States on how the move could impact the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended 30 years of sectarian violence.

Marat Gabidullin is the first combatant from private Russian paramilitary company Wagner to break rank and talk publicly about the secretive organisation. He recounts his four years as a mercenary in eastern Ukraine and Syria in his memoir In the Same River Twice, now available in French.

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the Paris Marathon. There are musings on doing nothing and the happiness it can bring, plenty of good music, and of course, the new quiz question, too. Just click on the “Audio” arrow above and enjoy!

Lack of communication, funds, and coordination are among the greatest challenges the Great Green Wall Initiative has encountered, 15 years after its launch by the African Union to combat desertification in the Sahel.