Best RFI English Podcasts (2025)

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Turkey opposition faces wave of arrests and court fight over leadership 6:57

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1d ago6:57

6:57

The legal noose is tightening around Turkey’s main opposition party, with waves of arrests targeting mayors and local officials. But the troubles of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) could deepen further, as a court case threatens the removal of its leadership. "We are fighting for the future of Turkey's democracy," said party leader Ozgur Ozel t…

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Macron and Erdogan find fragile common ground amid battle for influence 5:07

10d ago5:07

5:07

Following years of tension, the presidents of Turkey and France are finding new areas of cooperation. Ukraine is at the centre of this shift, but the Palestinian territories, the Caucasus and Africa are also emerging as shared priorities. However, analysts warn that serious differences remain, making for an uneasy partnership. French President Emma…

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Podcast: PM woes, tourists 'overtake' Montmartre, when Martinique became French 29:55

11d ago29:55

29:55

As France gets its fifth prime minister in three years, demonstrators who responded to a call to block the country talk about feeling ignored by the government. Residents and business owners in Paris' picturesque Montmartre neighbourhood hit out at overtourism. And the brutal history of France's colonisation of the Caribbean island of Martinique, o…

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Druzhba pipeline: dependence, diplomacy and the end of Russian leverage in Europe 7:05

11d ago7:05

7:05

The bombing of the Druzhba pipeline has disrupted oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia and exposed new political rifts in Central Europe. RFI spoke with Andreas Goldthau of the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy about the wider implications for regional energy security and the shifting dynamics between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union. The …

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Turkey warns Kurdish-led fighters in Syria to join new regime or face attack 8:18

18d ago8:18

8:18

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned of military action against the Syrian Democratic Forces over its failure to honour an agreement to merge its military with the new regime in Damascus. In a move steeped in symbolism, Turkey’s leader chose recent celebrations marking the Ottoman Turks' defeat of the Byzantine Christians at the Battl…

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Turkey eyes Ukraine peacekeeping role but mistrust clouds Western ties 6:07

28d ago6:07

6:07

Turkish armed forces could play a major role in securing any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. For Ankara, this would be a chance to reassert itself at a time when many fear it is being sidelined by Western allies. European and US military chiefs last week reportedly presented ideas to their national security advisers on how to guarantee Ukrai…

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Armenia and Azerbaijan peace deal raises hopes of Turkish border reopening 7:34

1M ago7:34

7:34

The signing of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington has raised hopes of ending decades of conflict and reopening Turkey's border with Armenia. The deal, brokered by US President Donald Trump, commits both countries to respect each other’s territorial integrity – the issue at the centre of bloody wars. The agreement is seen as p…

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Turkey and Italy boost cooperation in bid to shape Libya’s political future 7:00

1M ago7:00

7:00

Turkey and Italy are working more closely on migration, energy and regional influence as they seek to shape Libya’s political future. Both see the North African country as a key shared interest and are moving to consolidate their positions in the conflict-torn but energy-rich eastern Mediterranean. Earlier this month, the leaders of Italy, Turkey a…

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Turkey walks a tightrope as Trump threatens sanctions over Russian trade 7:16

2M ago7:16

7:16

Ankara is aiming to dodge President Donald Trump’s threat of sanctions against countries that trade with Russia. While Turkey is the third largest importer of Russian goods, it has largely escaped international sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. However, with Trump vowing to get tough with Moscow if it fails to make peace with K…

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Azerbaijan flexes its muscles amid rising tensions with Russia 6:32

2M ago6:32

6:32

Azerbaijan is increasingly engaging in tit-for-tat actions towards powerful neighbour Russia amid escalating tensions in the South Caucasus region. This comes as Baku deepens its military cooperation with long-standing ally Turkey. In a highly publicised move, Azerbaijani security forces in Baku recently paraded seven arrested Russian journalists –…

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Europe’s new right: how the MAGA agenda crossed the Atlantic 7:02

2M ago7:02

7:02

With political landscapes across Europe shifting, in this edition of International Report we explore the growing influence of Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement on the continent's politics. Conservative think tanks, whose influence was once limited to Washington's corridors of power, are now establishing connections with political a…

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Peace or politics? Turkey’s fragile path to ending a decades-long conflict 6:32

2M ago6:32

6:32

One of the world's most protracted armed conflicts could finally be drawing to a close in Turkey. This month, a small group of fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an armed struggle against the Turkish state for greater minority rights, voluntarily disarmed. At a ceremony in northern Iraq, PKK commander Bese Hozar…

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Forty years on from Rainbow Warrior bombing, Greenpeace leader reflects 9:19

2M ago9:19

9:19

Forty years after the bombing of its Rainbow Warrior vessel, Greenpeace International’s executive director Mads Christensen tells RFI that the attack not only failed to silence the movement, but made it stronger than ever. In an exclusive interview, he reflects on how an act of violence became a rallying cry. Christensen, who was 13 years old at th…

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Crackdown on Turkish opposition intensifies, with further arrests of mayors 6:28

2M ago6:28

6:28

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is warning that the future of democracy in the country is at stake, as a legal crackdown against it intensifies. This month has seen three more city mayors arrested in anti-corruption probes, while half of CHP parliamentary deputies are facing having their legal immunity lifted. Thousands mar…

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Pashinyan’s Turkey visit signals new chapter as Ankara eyes Caucasus shift 7:11

3M ago7:11

7:11

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s June visit to Turkey marks the latest step in the ongoing rapprochement between the two countries. The move comes as Ankara seeks to expand its influence in the Caucasus, amid the waning power of regional rivals Iran and Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s hosting of Pashinyan in Istanbul last …

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Podcast: living in 50C, French egg shortages, Paris metro 28:55

3M ago28:55

28:55

As France heats up, an experiment simulating life in 50C aims to get people to take climate change more seriously. Faced with a growing demand for eggs, France looks for ways to boost homegrown production and halt the need for imports. And a look back at the first line of the Paris metro, which opened in 1900. France just experienced its hottest Ju…

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Turkey walks a fine line as conflict between Israel and Iran cools 6:01

3M ago6:01

6:01

Turkey has spent weeks walking a diplomatic tightrope, caught between its outrage over Israel’s actions and its reluctance to cross the United States. A ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump has given Ankara some breathing room – at least for now. “We welcome the news that an agreement has been reached on the establishment of a ceasefir…

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Turkey steps into EU defence plans as bloc eyes independence from US 5:27

3M ago5:27

5:27

The European Union is working more closely with Turkey on defence, aiming to build military independence as fears grow over Russia and doubts linger about continued US support. Earlier this month, EU and Turkish officials met under the bloc’s Common Security and Defence Policy for the first time in three years. The talks are part of a push to devel…

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Turkey escalates crackdown on Istanbul's jailed mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu 5:32

4M ago5:32

5:32

Turkish authorities are intensifying their crackdown on Istanbul's imprisoned mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. The move comes as İmamoğlu, despite his incarceration, remains President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s principal political rival, with protests continuing over his arrest. On Wednesday, a suburb of Istanbul witnessed the latest demonstration in support of …

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Romania's new president Nicușor Dan pledges to counter Russian influence 5:00

4M ago5:00

5:00

In this week's International Report, RFI’s Jan van der Made takes a closer look at the recent Romanian elections, in which centrist candidate Nicușor Dan secured a decisive victory over his far-right rival, George Simion. On 26 May, pro-EU centrist Nicușor Dan was sworn in as President of Romania, having vowed to oppose “isolationism and Russian in…

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Trump’s aid cuts prompt African leaders to embrace self-reliance 19:10

4M ago19:10

19:10

Some African leaders regard United States President Donald Trump’s decision to halt aid to the continent as an opportunity to foster self-reliance. They have already initiated plans to mobilise the necessary resources to reshape Africa’s aid landscape. “Trade, not aid, is now the pillar of our policy in Africa,” said United States ambassador Troy F…

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Trump and Erdogan grow closer as cooperation on Syria deepens 7:19

4M ago7:19

7:19

Turkey and the United States are stepping up their cooperation in Syria, strengthening a partnership that has grown despite tensions with Israel. The two countries say they are working more closely on security and stability in the region, reflecting a broader reset in their relationship. The pledge was made during a meeting of the US-Turkey Working…

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Podcast: Assisted dying in France, Pagnol at Cannes, meet the neighbours 28:15

4M ago28:15

28:15

As French lawmakers consider legalising assisted dying, a look at the citizen's assembly that carefully considered the issue. Also, a film about the writer – and filmmaker – Marcel Pagnol at the Cannes film festival, which is finally tackling sexual harassment in the industry. And the man who created the fête des voisins 25 years ago so neighbours …

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PKK ends 40-year fight but doubts remain about the next steps 7:08

4M ago7:08

7:08

The Kurdistan Workers Party, the PKK, has announced the end to its more than forty-year fight against Turkey, a conflict that claimed more than 40,000 lives. But the declaration, called historic by Turkish officials, is being met by public skepticism with questions remaining over disarmament and its calls for democratic reforms. Upon hearing the ne…

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Can Europe withstand the ripple effect of the MAGA political wave? 12:34

4M ago12:34

12:34

Célia Belin of the European Council on Foreign Relations tells RFI that Donald Trump’s administration is treating Europe less as a partner and more as a rival. In backing nationalist movements and undermining multilateral institutions, it is exporting a political mode of operation that risks fracturing European unity. The impact of Donald Trump's s…

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Turkey's independent media on alert over stance of tech giants 6:34

4M ago6:34

6:34

As Turkey slipped further down in the latest Press Freedom Index, the country's besieged opposition and independent media are voicing concerns that some of the tech giants are increasingly complicit in government efforts to silence them. While protests continue over the jailing of the Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, his account on social media platf…

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US is a key partner but principles aren't for trade, South African FM tells RFI 9:19

5M ago9:19

9:19

Increasingly tense relations between South Africa and the United States have been marked by trade threats, diplomatic expulsions and deepening divisions over global conflicts. But despite the pressure, South Africa is not backing down on key principles. Foreign Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola tells RFI their “dynamic and evolving” relationship must …