The Latest Breaking News from RFI

Indian Army seeks to lease 20 helicopters for 5 yrs to replace ageing Cheetah/Chetak fleet. MoD issued RFI, AoN to be processed in 6 mths. RFP expected mid-Oct. Lease period likely to extend to 10 yrs. Ka-226T procurement from Russia stuck. HAL's LUH yet to qualify auto-pilot. IAF, Navy also…

Congolese former minister Chérubin Okende, a member of the opposition in parliament, was found dead in his car on Thursday. His murder puts a question mark over the possibility of democratic elections in December.

The Gnaoua music festival takes place once a year in the town of Essaouira, western Morocco. But the town has become a major destination for maâlems – or master musicians – who meet and play in the Moroccan town all year long. RFI met two generations of Gnaoua maâlems, Seddik…

For the first time, students from military academies on the African continent were invited to take part in France's 14 July Bastille Day parade. RFI met them on the eve of the big day, as they were putting the final touches to their steps and calming their nerves.

Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi has wrapped up a short official visit to Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The three African states signed deals with a “critical strategic partner” while Iran boosted diplomatic and economic ties with what Raisi called a “continent of opportunities”.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be guest of honour as France celebrates its national Bastille Day holiday – a tribute to the country's historic commitment to human rights. Despite the symbolism, the French government is expected to overlook concerns about Modi's anti-democratic tendencies in favour of securing lucrative defence…

Senegal's opposition politician Birame Souleye Diop, member of the Pastef party, was charged on Tuesday "offencses against President Macky Sall."

The UN’s International Seabed Authority (ISA) has begun a crucial round of negotiations in Jamaica to try to reach agreement on the rules governing deep-sea mining, a day after companies were allowed to file for permits to mine the oceans. Defenders of the deep are also ramping up their efforts…

Every July, for three weeks, the southern French city of Avignon plays host to theatre and performing arts shows from around the globe. There is a special kind of excitement in the air for the spectators, performers and directors who are discovering the festival for the very first time.

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the French D-Day veteran. There’s information on The Sound Kitchen listener essay contests, the “Listeners Corner”, and lots of good music. All that, and the new quiz question, too, so click on the “Play” button above…

France's second city, Marseille, has become a hotspot for the rioting triggered all over the country by the death of a 17-year-old driver at the hands of police. While the situation appeared to have calmed by Monday, residents were counting the cost of a weekend of unrest.