Paris Live is a daily hour-long broadcast bringing you news and features from France and around the world. From politics and social issues, to environment and culture, the RFI team and its network of correspondents will keep you up to date.
Paris Live, Wednesday 1 April 2020
In today's Paris Live, our overview of the coronavirus situation begins with the announcement made by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization and the World trade organisation. They warn of the risk of a worldwide food shortage if the crisis isn't effectively tackled.They say the uncertainty could lead to fewer exports which in turn will create shortages and lead to panic buying.
Meanwhile, in Hungary, there are fears that the coronavirus crisis will impact greatly on civil liberties. This after Hungary's nationalist leader Viktor Orban took on sweeping powers. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned that any coronavirus emergency measures taken by EU countries must be, in her words, "limited".
In Germany, the government has voted a series of measures to try and keep the economy afloat during the coronavirus crisis, both for companies and for independent workers, but a recession is still in sight.
In India, a nationwide tracking effort is underway to identify, test and quarantine all people who attended a gathering New Delhi of almost 4,000 people belonging to a Muslim missionary group mid-March, many of whom came from abroad including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
And officials in Zimbabwe say the flow of water in the Zambezi River is more than 600 percent higher than this time last year. Residents of the resort town of Victoria Falls have shared pictures of the raging waterfall, which has now been closed to tourists due to the coronavirus lockdown.
1.4.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Tuesday 31 March 2020
Today's edition of Paris Live takes in the latest news on the coronavirus situation across the world with our network of correspondents in Spain, Mexico and India as well as the team reporting in Paris.
Our correspondent in Madrid explains that as of today, all non-essential economic activity in Spain will be banned. This comes as the country reported its highest number of deaths from coronavirus in a single day on Tuesday. 849 more people died from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of deaths from the virus to 8,189.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, health officials are concerned that an epidemic of coronavirus in the country would be catastrophic due to the high number of citizens with serious underlying conditions such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.
In India - we hear about two states which have sparked outrage by dousing poor migrant workers returning home with bleach disinfectant meant to sanitize buses. The nationwide curfew over the coronavirus, announced without warning left thousands stranded.
We feature an interview with the human rights coordinator of the Congress of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin. The group is urging governments to take measures to stop outsiders – such as miners, loggers and religious missionaries – from bringing coronavirus into isolated communities - something which would lead to tragic consequences.
31.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Monday 30 March, 2020
Today's Paris Live takes in diverse updates on the spread of coronavirus as it makes its way across the globe. We'll have an update on the situation in the United States - which is bracing for a death toll that could exceed 100,000 people. President Donald Trump on Sunday extended restrictive social distancing guidelines through April - a stark shift in tone by the Republican president, who only days ago was suggesting the country could reopen in just a few weeks.
Our correspondent in South Korea fills us in on the latest tactical weapons test in North Korea - the fourth in a month. Could this be a "business as usual" facade to hide any information that might emerge about the coronavirus there?
Over in Nigeria, RFI's Hausa service fills us in on the latest speech made by President Muhammadu Buhari regarding lockdowns in cities like Abuja and Lagos to stop the spread of the virus.
In sports news we find out the new dates for the next summer Olympic Games, and football's European championships - both postponed due to coronavirus.
In the press review, we move away from Covid-19 to talk books, in particular, the new memoir by film director Woody Allen, which was recently cancelled by the publisher Hachette over a past sex abuse scandal, only to be taken up by another publisher - the plot thickens, so they say.
And we rediscover an edition of Spotlight on Africa, originally broadcast in January to mark the occasion of the release of a documentary film I cannot Bury My Father, by director Nana-Jo Ndow. It sheds light on the 2005 murders of 56 West Africans in The Gambia – most of them Ghanaians.
30.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Friday 27 March 2020
Today's Paris Live begins with an update on the situation in France, where the Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has raised the alarm over an "extremely high" surge in coronavirus cases, warning the situation would be "difficult in the days to come."
Our correspondents in India, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Liberia all have updates for us on how the coronavirus is affecting their daily lives, politics and economy.
We have an interview with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation which is calling on leaders from the world’s 20 top economies to ensure global food systems continue running during the coronavirus pandemic.
In Cameroon, the violent Anglophone separatist crisis has affected all ways of life for English-speaking Cameroonians. In a special report, we find out the difficulties they face in order to bury their loved ones far from home.
And we finish with a report on a musical project carried out by students from Luxembourg and Germany who spent one month in Dakar with two Senegalese artists to create sound installations that represent what the city means to them.
27.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Thursday 26 March 2020
Today's edition of Paris Live begins with an update on the situation in France, with President Emmanuel Macron's announcement of a military mission called "Resilience" under which the army will join the fight against Covid-19. This began last week with the installation of a military field hospital near Mulhouse in eastern France to help relieve local hospitals.
We then take an overview of the coronavirus situation in Africa - namely with the announcement of a border closure between The Gambia and Senegal, a decision which means that many people have been left stranded with little food and no proper shelter.
Elsewhere, in South Africa, residents have gone into overdrive to prepare for a 21-day lockdown which starts at midnight on Thursday. It's being billed as the most draconian government action since the apartheid era.
In a special report, we find out why Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could be facing the biggest ever threat to his power. Two former close allies who’ve formed new political parties, are now calling for a more democratic Turkey.
In sports news, we hear about a number of high-profile football players and coaches who are helping and entertaining their fans during the coronavirus shut down.
Meanwhile, Kevin Mitchell, tennis correspondent for The Guardian newspaper reacts to the emergency meeting called to discuss this year's Wimbledon tournament, which has only ever been cancelled during the two world wars.
And we wrap up on a lighter note, with RFI's Susan Owensby who talks about how she's been doing Sound Kitchen from a distance, with new ingredients and of course, we finish with a happy song!
26.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Wednesday 25 March 2020
India's 1.3 billion people go into lockdown, with New Delhi enforcing a "total ban" on leaving homes.
Meanwhile US President Donald Trump contradicts public health officials by suggesting his country could be "reopened" by Easter.
Israel prepares to order a lockdown of its own, while Britain's Prince Charles tests positive for the coronavirus.
We'll be hearing from correspondents in India, the US, Israel and the UK - and we'll also be looking at why the Covid19 crisis hits women harder, even if the virus itself is deadlier for men.
25.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Tuesday 24 March 2020
The Tokyo Olympics are postponed by a year, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announcing the Games will be held by the summer of 2021.
France enforces stricter lockdown measures to comabt the coronavirus, while the UK puts into place a nationwide shutdown - with leader Boris Johnson telling his people the country faces a "national emergency".
We'll be hearing from our Spain correspondent as the government there asks the parliament for an extention to the lockdown, and we cross over to Seoul as South Koreans fear a fresh outbreak, despite their overwhelming success in containing the virus.
We finish the hour with a 1997 interview with Afro-jazz star Manu Dibango, who sadly passed away Tuesday after contracting the coronavirus.
24.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Monday 23 March 2020
As the coronvirus death toll approaches 700 in France, authorities extend bans on people gathering along the River Seine and in popular parks near the Eiffel Tower.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatens a complete lockdown in the UK if the British people don't follow social distancing guidelines within the next 24 hours.
Germans risk fines of up to 25,000 euros for breaking the social distancing rules, as Chancellor Angela Merkel is quarantined after coming into contact with a doctor who tested positive for the coronavirus.
We cross live to our correspondents in London and Berlin, plus we get the latest from Tokyo, where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says this year's summer Olympics may be postponed.
We also find out how the virus is hurting tourism in Kenya, and our Hausa service updates us on the first fatality in Nigeria
24.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Friday 20 March 2020
In today's Paris Live, we get updates on the coronavirus situation from our correspondents in the United States, where California has asked its 40 million residents to stay at home and on the holiday island of the Maldives, where the number of tourists has drastically gone down but the cases of infection are going up.
We ask the question - how do you impose a lock down and confinement on those who don't have a home? This as NGOs in France call on the government for more help to deal with the large numbers of homeless people and migrants who have nowhere to go.
We look at the closure of a painful chapter in India -- four men found guilty of raping a student in Delhi in 2012 and sentenced to death were hanged on Friday. But this has raised numerous questions about the failings of a judicial system which still lets too many offenders off the hook.
Meanwhile, we hear from a think tank in Dakar about how the lockdown measures against the coronavirus are impacting social norms across the continent.
There's a look at how sporting events have fallen prey to the coronavirus - namely the Formula 1, which has had to postpone seven major races around the world in the last few days, the most recent announcement being Australia's Grand Prix, cancelled at the last minute.
And we finish on a hopeful note, with the sketch of a song written by U2 frontman Bono, and published on his Instagram account earlier this week. Let your love be known is dedicated to the "doctors, nurses, carers on the front line" of the coronavirus pandemic.
20.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Thursday 19 March, 2020
In today's edition of Paris Live, we begin with an overview of the coronavirus situation in France, where the death toll has jumped up to 264 deaths, compared to 175 on Tuesday. Now into the third day of lockdown, the country's lawmakers are considering a national health emergency law which would increase executive powers to tackle the virus.
We hear from a pharmacist in Paris who describes the wave of panic buying he experienced in the days leading up to the lockdown and his advice to shoppers to take the confinement seriously.
We get an update on the situation from our correspondents in India, and Sierra Leone, which have also begun putting in place measures against the spread of the virus.
We'll also hear how the virus is impacting the sporting world and upending the calendar of international events such as tennis tournaments.
And finally, a breath of fresh air and musical inspiration as we travel with Anne-Marie Bissada to discover the origins of the oriental lute, known as the oud.
19.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Wednesday 18 March 2020
Hundreds of people fined for flouting the rules as France marks day two of its 15-day lockdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus, which has now infected more than 200,000 people worldwide.
Plus, criticism of the UK's so-called herd-immunity approach, Spain rolls out the "biggest aid package in its democratic history", Australian supermarkets introduced trading times for seniors, Cameroon closes its borders and schools and Zimbabwe declares a national emergency.
18.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
News bulletin 03/17 14h00 GMT
17.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
News bulletin 03/16 14h00 GMT
16.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Friday 13 March 2020
France bans gatherings of more than 100 people and closes schools and universities in an effort to get ahead of the coronavirus, while the European Union announces an investment initiative of 37 billion to protect battered economies.
The illness reaches the heart of the government in Spain, with bars and restaurants closed in the capital Madrid.
Plus new restrictions in India as the first coronavirus death on the sub-continent is confirmed.
We'll get the latest from our correspondents in Brussels, Madrid and New Delhi.
14.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Thursday 12 March, 2020
Today's Paris Live looks at the fallout from US President Donald Trump's travel ban on Europe to halt the coronavirus spread, a move that has rattled oil markets and sparked fierce reaction from Europe.
Visa restrictions are also being imposed on passengers travelling to India, where tourist visas have been suspended for a month and New Delhi has said it would quarantine visitors from seven virus-hit countries.
Oil prices continue to tumble for a second straight day, but the bogeyman may not be the coronavirus but an oil price war.
In sports, we'll be looking ahead to this weekend's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne where twenty drivers are vying for pole position.
With just days to go before French voters head to the polls, we go out on the field to meet with candidates on the campaign trail in the suburb of Nosiy-le-Sec, amid fears of abstention compounded by the coronavirus epidemic.
And why the virus has turned into a pop hit for Vietnamese music group Ghen. Their song Jealous Coronavirus calls on viewers to wash their hands thoroughly, not touch their faces, avoid large crowds, and "push back the virus corona, corona".
12.3.2020 • 1 Stunde, 1 Sekunde
Paris Live, Wednesday 11 March 2020
In today's Paris Live, we begin with a look at the resounding victories of former US vice President Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primaries in four states, which puts him firmly in the lead ahead of Bernie Sanders. Meanwhile, the coronavirus spread in the United States has also had an impact on the presidential campaign.
We look at how the coronavirus is affecting the international oil market. An analyst explains why decreasing demand prompted Saudi Arabia and Gulf partner UAE to start a price war and flood the market.
Our correspondent in India brings us up to date with the spread of coronavirus there, as the country faces repatriating nationals stuck in Italy and Iran. Authorities have incorporated health information into messages used by telecom operators to give the population regular updates.
Meanwhile, Unesco says nationwide school closures in 16 countries due to the coronavirus have interrupted the learning of more than 363 million students, from the primary to university levels -- an unprecedented scenario according to the United Nations agency.
And we hear part 2 of a report on Peru’s indigenous groups which have launched a court case to prove that environmental destruction of the Amazon forest is linked to tax corporate avoidance.
11.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Tuesday 10 March, 2020
Today's Paris Live takes an overview of how the world is coping with the spread of the new coronavirus, beginning with China where President Xi Jinping made his first visit to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.
Our correspondent in South Korea describes how the country is handling the crisis using mobile phone messages and technology.
In France, there's a look at how homecare providers are coping in the areas currently under lockdown due to the virus, such as the department of Haut-Rhin.
The spread of coronavirus has brought to the surface many other questions:-Why are aircraft still flying even if they're empty?-Why is the Nigerian government having to review its entire budget for 2020?-And will we see all top flight football matches be played behind closed doors to empty stadiums?
In environment news, indigenous leaders from Peru’s Amazon rainforest are in The Hague where they will file a complaint against the multinational oil company Pluspetrol – who they say is guilty of devastating pollution and tax avoidance.
And on a completely different note, we wrap up with the result of a different court case, this time in San Francisco where judges ruled that the rock group Led Zeppelin did not plagiarise Spirit for the song Stairway to Heaven.
10.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Monday 9 March, 2020
Today's Paris Live starts with a focus on Mexico where thousands of women turned out for a protest to mark International Women's Day on Sunday, ahead of a general strike on Monday. We hear from women and girls who are fed up and angry over police inaction with regards to femicides and a rising tide of violence across society.
We also take a look at how the coronavirus is affecting the organisation of the local elections in France, due to take place on the next two Sundays. From proxy voting, to catering for throwaway pens and hand sanitizers, or reducing the size of political rallies, the authorities have held off cancelling the polls outright, saying it would compromise democratic process.
A look at the press reveals that France has moved up to third place in the international arms sales ranking, behind the United States and Russia. The details were part of a report published by the independent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
On a positive note, we learn that emissions from the world’s power sector fell to their lowest level in three decades in 2019, amid a steep drop in the use of coal, according to a new report.
And we meet two representatives of the French NGO Run for Planet which has just launched a crowdfunding campaign aimed at replanting 15 million trees in Siberia, an area badly affected by forest fires. How will they do it? By supporting one man who will run from Nantes in western France to Vladivostok, a port in far eastern Russia, to raise money and awareness in an eco-friendly manner.
10.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Friday 6 March 2020
Today's Paris Live begins with a look at what actions will be taken to ensure the ceasefire in Syria's Idlib province, brokered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
We'll hear a special report from the Greek island of Lesbos, where tensions are mounting as more migrants flood into the island from Turkey, met by angry locals, already exhausted by years of a precarious humanitarian situation.
On the Africa news front, we hear about the emerging reactions to the confirmed victory of incumbant Togo president Faure Gnassingbe - who was re-elected for a 4th five year term of office.
We also turn to South Africa for an update on the spread of the new coronavirus, following the announcement of the country's first case, a man who returned from a ski trip in Italy and brought the virus back.
We visit Paris’ Odeon European Theatre - one of the rare theatres in France with a repertoire featuring foreign productions with subtitles, films adapted for the stage and international directors.
And we meet this week's World Music Matters guest, the Cameroonian singer songwriter Olgha who tells of the tragic situation in her native Anglophone regions.
6.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Thursday 5 March 2020
Today's Paris Live opens with a look at the meeting held between the Presidents of Turkey and Russia, who despite warming bilateral relations in other areas, do not see eye to eye on the conflict in Syria where they support opposing causes. An escalation of violence in the last rebel stronghold of Idlib province has raised fears of their armies clashing and launching a new migrant crisis.
We'll hear about the effect the spread of coronavirus is having on the pharmaceutical industry in India. The country - which accounts for about 40% of U.S. generic drugs - ordered the pharmaceutical industry to stop exporting 26 drugs and ingredients used in antibiotics without explicit permission from the government.
Meanwhile, the UN Environment Programme has released its Emissions Gap Report. Experts are calling on world governments to repair the damage done by a “wasted decade” on climate action – from 2010 until now – during which emissions continued to rise and the planet logged its hottest 10 years in human history.
We take a look at an Amnesty International report on the use of deadly violence at protests in Iran in November last year, in which at least 23 minors were killed.
As the crisis in the anglophone regions of Cameroon continues, we hear from our correspondent on why the military is denying that civilians were killed in a fresh attack.
5.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Wednesday 4 March 2020
Today's Paris Live opens with the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. Clashes were reported on the border between Turkey and Greece as thousands of people tried to continue their journey north. Cyprus now fears it will become a new migrant hotspot, seeing as it is split between the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state, and a breakaway Turkish entity in the north, recognised only by Ankara.
Elsewhere, former US vice-president Joe Biden is basking in the limelight after a string of victories following Super Tuesday primary votes held in 14 states. This puts him back in the race to become the Democratic challenger to President Donald Trump, while his rival Bernie Sanders won the primary in California.
In African news, South Africa’s Medical Council says it doesn’t believe the country's health facilities would be able cope with any outbreaks of the coronavirus.This comes as the government prepares to welcome home expats who have been living in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.
Elsewhere, we hear from a market analyst on South Africa's economic outlook, looking decidely grim as the country slides into another recession, the second in two years.
And as part of RFI's International Women's Day special this week, we meet Mayada Adil, a Sudanese activist and fashion designer. She talks about her campaigns to stop European Union funding to the Janjaweed militia, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, Sudan.
5.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live Tuesday 3 March
in today's edition of Paris Live we cross to Vermont in the USA on Super Tuesday, where 14 states will vote for their candidate to run against President Donald Trump in this November's election.
We take a look at what can be learnt from history in combatting the COVID19 Coronavirus and examining the spread and effect of the Spanish Flu pandemic of 100 years ago.
We'll be getting an update from the Greek island of Lesbos as the standoff between islanders, the coastguard and migrant boats continues.
We hear about "Crimes of Solidarity" a new Amnesty International report on how European laws are being misused in prosecuting genuine humanitarians who help migrants in difficulty.
A peruse of the French dailies with Michael Fitzpatrick and the latest from the trial of former Prime Minister and Presidential candidate François Fillon for clientelism and corruption.
Focus on Africa looks at South Sudan's latest government of national unity - in place since last weekend's deadline.
All the sports news with Paul Myers
And as always what's trending on RFI English.com.
3.3.2020 • 1 Stunde
Paris Live, Friday 28 February 2020
In today's Paris Live, our correspondent in Hong Kong fills us in on why media tycoon and high profile critic of Beijing Jimmy Lai was arrested on Friday and gives us an update on the coronavirus. Authorities announced that all pets of people infected with the virus must be quarantined, with one dog already in isolation.
We'll hear why the EU is worried that the situation in Syria, where dozens of Turkish troops were killed this week, could descend into all-out war.
Our correspondent in Tunisia looks at the alarming increase in the number of suicides among children and adolescents.
From Tanzania, we hear about the release of journalist Erick Kabendera, seven months after he was arrested and charged with money laundering and why the ruling CCM party has expelled it’s high profile former foreign affairs Minister Bernard Membe.
We feature an interview with the French company helping Uganda deploy a nationwide digital registry to prevent fraud in its land sector - the first African country to do so.
And we meet this week's guest for World Music Matters, Seb El Zin, of the group Ithak, pushing the boundaries of contemporary music.