Archive for the ‘Online’ Category
Somali TFG must end in August, says UN rep
Mogadishu, Somalia, March 1993, CC licence: rjones0856
Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government must come to an end in August, a top UN official told RFI. Augustine Mahiga, the special representative for Somalia, said there have been “ups and downs” since 2004, but it will soon be time to “broaden the political base”, ratify a new constitution and run elections.
Interview: Augustine Mahiga, the special representative for Somalia
Bonobo at Le Plan after winning Best Album award
Bonobo at Le Plan, 17 December 2010
After winning DJ Mag’s Best Album award this week for Black Sands, Bonobo performed at Le Plan in Ris Orangis on Thursday night. Alongside vocalist Andreya Triana and a barrage of other musicians, Simon Green, AKA Bonobo, captivated French fans with a mix of down-tempo house, atmospheric soundscapes and more bassline heavy electronica.
Interview: Bonobo AKA Simon Green
Zimbabwe – MDC appeals to France for election support
Zimbabwe Prime Minister and MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai, June 2009, CC licence: Nick-Clegg
In an exclusive interview, Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change spokesperson Nelson Chamisa told RFI on Tuesday that they will ask for help in organising elections which President Robert Mugabe has called for by the middle of 2011. Despite not having a new constitution the MDC is happy with, they have come up with what they call a “stopgap measure”.
France-UK defence deal could bring cooperation on Africa, report
Tony Chafer, François Gaulme and Gordon Cumming (L to R), 3 November 2010, Ifri
After a ground-breaking military deal between France and Britain earlier this week – a report presented in Paris at the French Institute for International Relations (Ifri) says there should be more cooperation between the two countries in Africa.
Radio Report: Africa Report
France plans 13 ecocities
Hammarby urban redevelopment, Stockholm, Sweden, February 2010, CC licence: La Citta Vita
France is set to have 13 ecocities attracting 50,000 extra inhabitants over the next 25 years in specially designed eco-quarters. The government has told local authorities to submit their plans by March next year. Eighty per cent of France’s population lives in urban areas which produce 70 per cent of French greenhouse gas emissions. The plan aims to “show that it’s possible to grow, to welcome new inhabitants and do it in a sustainable way,” government adviser Emmanuelle Gay told RFI.
French solar cyclist finishes epic journey to Tokyo
Florian Bailly on his solar bike, Japan, October 2010, Photo: Sur la Route du Soleil Levant
Frenchman Florian Bailly arrived in Tokyo at the beginning of the week after a gruelling bicycle ride from France through 12 countries and across two continents. Travelling on a specially adapted solar bicycle, Bailly harnessed the sun’s rays as he completed the 10,000 kilometre journey in less than two-thirds of the time it would have taken on a conventional bike.
French press review 11 August 2010
Many French newspapers led with football this morning, and the ongoing saga with the French national squad. As Le Parisien recounts, France play Norway in a friendly tonight – and it’s the first match since the fiasco of the World Cup.
Africa-France business conference kicks off
The Column of Quinconces, in Bordeaux
The second Africa-France business conference starts in Bordeaux on Wednesday, described by some as the African Davos. It aims to bring together 100 African and 100 French firms to foster new business ties.
Coming just after the Nice summit, which saw French President Nicolas Sarkozy acknowledge the importance of African economic powerhouses such as South Africa and Nigeria, this conference sees companies from across the continent gather in what is traditionally the wine capital of France.
Radio Report
Conference opening
Chatting with Monsieur Chat at Paris graffiti show
Monsieur Chat at the Arteum
If you’ve ever spent time in Paris, are observant and like graffiti, then you won’t have failed to notice Monsieur Chat curled up on the sides of buildings and chimmey stacks across the French capital. The bright yellow smiling cat appears at a new exhibition in the city’s business district.
Thomas Vuille, alias Monsieur Chat, has been painting street art since he was 15 years old, amassing an incredible feline presence across Paris and other cities across the world. At one point Monsieur Chat purred at 80 different locations in Paris alone.
Mr Cat told RFI that around 20 per cent have been “deleted”, some propriétaires obviously not too happy about Vuille climbing across their rooftops to ink another acrylic cat. His new book M Chat provides a chronicle of his journey, illustrating Monsieur Chat’s pawprints around the planet.
custom-made radio 