The Latest Breaking News from Radio France Internationale

Iran holds state funerals for dozens killed in its brief war with Israel, as regional tensions simmer and international voices call for renewed diplomacy.

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear the answer to the question about the Macron/Starmer talks in Britain. There’s “The Listener’s Corner” and comic music from Rossini, as well as the new quiz and bonus questions, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!

One in three homes in France is so poorly insulated it turns into a “boiler” during heatwaves, says the NGO La Fondation pour le Logement. The group found that 3,700 people died in France last summer because of extreme heat.

Despite positioning itself as the guardian of the landmark climate agreement signed in Paris in 2015, France is sending mixed signals when it comes to fulfilling the EU’s ambitious targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The 27 members are expected to agree on figures at a meeting next week.

France has some of the strongest LGBT protections in Europe, but far right groups are increasingly seeking to politicise the movement. A small anti-immigration “homo-nationalist” group has received backing to join Paris's annual pride march on Saturday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda plan to sign a landmark truce agreement in Washington on Friday, marking a potential turning point after decades of conflict in eastern Congo. The US-brokered deal aims to halt hostilities and pave the way for deeper economic cooperation between the two neighbours.

Soldiers in Togo used tear gas and batons on Thursday to disperse hundreds of protesters who blocked main roads in the capital. The protests have been going on since Wednesday, to denounce a power grab by longtime leader Faure Gnassingbé and demand his resignation.

The African Union's human rights court has rejected petitions by former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo and former prime minister Guillaume Soro to overturn bans on their running in the country's upcoming presidential election.

France’s public debt rose again in early 2025, reaching just over €3.35 trillion at the end of the first quarter – 114 percent of GDP – official figures showed on Thursday. The government now says it needs to find another €5 billion in savings to rein in the ballooning deficit.

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog says Iran’s nuclear sites have suffered major damage in recent Israeli airstrikes – but the country’s atomic programme is not completely destroyed. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told RFI he wants inspectors to return to Iran…

The world drug market has never been so globalised, active and diverse, according to the United Nations – which marks International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday. RFI takes a look at the latest trends, from the explosion of cocaine to shifting routes and new synthetic drugs.