When the G8 became the G7

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you'll hear the answer to the question about the G7. There's “On This Day”, great music, and of course, the new quiz question. Just click on the arrow in the photo above and enjoy!

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. You'll hear the winner's names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

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This week's quiz: On 31 August, I asked you a question about the Group of 7 (G7). The G7 used to be the G8. I asked you when it changed from G8 to G7, and why. You were also to tell me who wanted that disinvited country to be let back in.

The answer is: Russia. Russia was suspended in 2014 after it seized Crimea from Ukraine, and supported militias trying to break parts of eastern Ukraine away from the country.

U-S president Donald Trump said the United States, as the host of next year's meeting, might invite Russia to participate.

Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, told the New York Times: “Under no condition can we agree with this logic. The reasons why Russia was disinvited in 2014 are still valid.”

When Russia was admitted to the group in the late 1990s, Mr Tusk continued: “it was believed that it would pursue the path of liberal democracy, rule of law and human rights. Is there anyone among us who can say with full conviction, not out of business calculation, that Russia is on that path?”

European Union officials have noted that there are other international forums for Russia, like the Group of 20, that include countries like China and Saudi Arabia that are not democracies.

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club members Adita Prithika from Tamilnadu State in India; John James B from Cross River State in Nigeria; Solomon Fessahazion from Asmara, Eritrea; Radhakrishna Pillai from Kerala State, India, and Bushra Nawaz, a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. 

Congratulations winners!
Here's the music you heard on this week's program: Bourrée d'Avignonez, an anonymous French dance from the 16th century, performed by Jordi Savall and his ensemble; Food near me by Baptiste Vayer; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille by Anne Ségalen, Jacques Lanzmann, and Jacques Dutronc, sung by Jacques Dutronc.

Do you have a musical request? Send it to [email protected]

This week's question ... You'll have to listen to the show to participate. You have until 18 November to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 23 November podcast. When you enter, be sure you send your postal address in with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:
[email protected]
or
Susan Owensby
RFI – The Sound Kitchen
80, rue Camille Desmoulins
92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux
France
or
By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country's international access code, or “ + ”, then 33 6 31 12 96 82. Don't forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

To find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize, click here

To find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or to form your own official RFI Club, click here