The Latest Breaking News from RFI

France's former president François Hollande granted an interview to FRANCE 24 and RFI on Wednesday, some 10 years after launching Operation Serval, which ousted armed rebels and Islamist militants from northern Mali. Hollande defended the record of French military operations in the Sahel region and expressed regret at the arrival…

In information revealed by RFI, 49 Ivorian soldiers who were arrested last year in Mali and accused of being mercenaries were part of the UN's Minusma mission and had been deployed at the request of the German contingent.

This week on The Sound Kitchen, a special treat: RFI English listeners’ musical requests. Just click on the “Audio” arrow above and enjoy!

The kora – a stringed instrument that combines the features of a lute and a harp – is traditionally reserved for men in West Africa, but that hasn't stopped British-Gambian artist Sona Jobarteh from carving out her own place alongside its greatest players.

The UN has announced the suspension of critical operations in Afghanistan following the Taliban government's ban on female employees working with aid groups. Foreign ministers from 12 countries and the EU – including the United States and France – have urged the Taliban to reverse its decision.

Eight years after first initiating a ban on locally-made whisky sold in plastic bags, the government is finally enforcing a sweeping ban across the country, effective as of 31 December. The whisky has been tested and found to be harmful to human health, but Cameroonians are still stocking up.

When dance, acrobatics and percussion meet, the result is Kalabanté - a circus company created in 2007 by Guinean artist Yamoussa Bangoura. RFI met him at the Nuits d'Afrique festival in Montreal.

Artisans in Normandy are carrying on the traditional practice of lacemaking that dates back to the Renaissance. Shedding the dusty image of decorative doilies, the Bayeux Conservatory of Lace has rejuvenated the art through creative workshops and a boutique – proving just how modern lace can be.

In the presence of the Togolese mediator and Cote d’Ivoire delegation, the Malian government agreed on Thursday in Bamako to release the 46 Ivoirian soldiers who have been detained for the past five months in the Malian capital.