JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Just a week had remained before scientists in South Africa were to begin clinical trials of an HIV vaccine, and hopes were high for another step toward limiting one of history’s deadliest pandemics. Then the email arrived.
Stop all work, it said. The United States under the Trump administration was withdrawing all its funding.
The news devastated the researchers, who live and work in a region where more people live with HIV than anywhere else in the world. Their research project, called BRILLIANT, was meant to be the latest to draw on the region’s genetic diversity and deep expertise in the hope of benefiting people everywhere.
But the $46 million from the U.S. for the project was disappearing, part of the dismantling of foreign aid by the world’s biggest donor earlier this year as President Donald Trump announced a focus on priorities at home.
South Africa hit hard by aid cuts
South Africa has been hit especially hard because of Trump’s baseless claims about the targeting of the country’s white Afrikaner minority. The country had been receiving about $400 million a year via USAID and the HIV-focused PEPFAR.
Now that’s gone.
Glenda Grey, who heads the Brilliant program, said the African continent has been vital to the development of HIV medication, and the U.S. cuts threaten its capability to do such work in the future.
Significant advances have included clinical trials for lenacapavir, the world’s only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV, recently approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One study to show its efficacy involved young South Africans.
“We do the trials better, faster and cheaper than anywhere else in the world, and so without South Africa as part of these programs, the world, in my opinion, is much poorer,” Gray said.
She noted that during the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa played a crucial role by testing the Johnson & Johnson and Novavax vaccines, and South African scientists’ genomic surveillance led to the identification of an important variant.
Labs empty and thousands are laid off
A team of researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand has been part of the unit developing the HIV vaccines for the trials.
Inside the Wits laboratory, technician Nozipho Mlotshwa was among the young people in white gowns working on samples, but she may soon be out of a job.
Her position is grant-funded. She uses her salary to support her family and fund her studies in a country where youth unemployment hovers around 46%.
“It’s very sad and devastating, honestly,” she said of the U.S. cuts and overall uncertainty. “We’ll also miss out collaborating with other scientists across the continent.”
Professor Abdullah Ely leads the team of researchers. He said the work had promising results indicating that the vaccines were producing an immune response.
But now that momentum, he said, has “all kind of had to come to a halt.”
The BRILLIANT program is scrambling to find money to save the project. The purchase of key equipment has stopped. South Africa’s health department says about 100 researchers for that program and others related to HIV have been laid off. Funding for postdoctoral students involved in experiments for the projects is at risk.
South Africa’s government has estimated that universities and science councils could lose about $107 million in U.S. research funding over the next five years due to the aid cuts, which affect not only work on HIV but also tuberculosis — another disease with a high number of cases in the country.
Less money, and less data on what’s affected
South Africa’s government has said it will be very difficult to find funding to replace the U.S. support.
And now the number of HIV infections will grow. Medication is more difficult to obtain. At least 8,000 health workers in South Africa’s HIV program have already been laid off, the government has said. Also gone are the data collectors who tracked patients and their care, as well as HIV counselors who could reach vulnerable patients in rural communities.
For researchers, Universities South Africa, an umbrella body, has applied to the national treasury for over $110 million for projects at some of the largest schools.
During a visit to South Africa in June, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima was well aware of the stakes, and the lives at risk, as research and health care struggle in South Africa and across Africa at large.
Other countries that were highly dependent on U.S. funding including Zambia, Nigeria, Burundi and Ivory Coast are already increasing their own resources, she said.
“But let’s be clear, what they are putting down will not be funding in the same way that the American resources were funding,” Byanyima said.
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Associated Press writer Michelle Gumede in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
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For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse
The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Windows 11’s recent test builds are unexpectedly playing the Windows Vista startup sound.
The bug had been fixed in Dev and Beta builds, but reappeared in the Canary branch.
Microsoft has explained that the fix did not make it to the Canary build, and a patch is on its way.
It seems that Apple’s announcement of the Vista-like Liquid Glass UI has stirred up a spectre of some sort. A month ago, we saw a really weird issue where Windows 11’s test builds started playing Vista’s startup sound. While it’s easy to assume it was a joke from Microsoft related to Apple’s new announcement, it quickly became apparent that this was a legitimate bug. Windows 11 somehow managed to fetch a startup sound from decades past.
Microsoft managed to fix this weird bug, but in the newest Canary builds, Vista has once again reappeared and changed the startup sound. Fortunately, there’s no need to call the Ghostbusters just yet, as Microsoft has explained why, exactly, the Windows Vista bug has returned once more.
Related
Microsoft gives a sassy reminder to Apple that Vista had “Liquid Design” almost 20 years ago
Let’s hope it’s the only design element that lives on from Vista.
The Windows Vista startup sound continues to lurk within Windows 11
As spotted by XenoPanther on X, the Windows Vista noise has made a return in Windows 11’s Canary branch. It’s a little weird, given how the Dev and Beta builds got a fix for this weird bug, and the Canary build is usually the one that gets all the latest updates and patches first.
So, what’s going on here? Is this a case of Windows Vista taking revenge for Microsoft trying to silence it? Well, not quite. Turns out that, while the Windows Vista startup fix managed to deploy on both the Dev and Beta builds, it didn’t quite make it over to the Canary branch. As such, Canary users get to experience this weird bug for themselves, albeit they should expect a patch very soon to fix it once more.
I have no idea how the Windows Vista startup sound managed to sneak into Windows 11’s settings in the first place, but it’s a pretty funny bug given the current talk about Apple’s Liquid Glass UI and how it’s very similar to what Microsoft achieved years ago. And if this has given you a dose of nostalgia for older Windows systems, check out our pieces on whether Windows Vista really was as awful as we remember and our video on why Windows Vista is the most hated version of the operating system even today. Because while the operating system definitely looked the part, there were some changes introduced that people really did not like, especially given how Vista had to carry the torch from the legendary Windows XP.
DERA GHAZI KHAN: In a pleasantly surprising turn of events following the tragic incident near Loralai, Balochistan, one of the nine individuals initially declared dead has been confirmed to be alive.
The individual, identified as Irfan from Dera Ghazi Khan, was mistakenly presumed dead due to a mix-up in the identification of bodies.
Commandant Border Military Police Dera Ghazi Khan Asad Chandia (who had supervised transportation of bodies from Balochistan border to their native areas in Punjab) told that Irfan was among the 12 passengers who were forcibly offloaded from the bus by armed assailants. However, Irfan managed to escape execution.
The commandant said following his escape, Irfan did not return to the passenger coach but instead took an alternative vehicle to reach his native village, Wasti Buzdar, tehsil Taunsa Sharif. At present he is in a state of shock according to his family, Chandia said.
One Kashif, who is an employee of 1122 and hails from the same village, told Dawn that Irfan successfully escaped execution by hiding his mobile phone and identity card.
Due to his absence from the passenger list during the recovery process, authorities mistakenly identified the body of another victim, Sheikh Majid, as that of Irfan.
The confusion was cleared when local administration contacted Irfan Buzdar’s family to identify the body and they confirmed that Irfan had returned home safely but was not ready to give detail of his ordeal.
This revelation raises questions about the accuracy of initial reports and identification processes.
The Loralai attack, allegedly carried out by militants linked to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), resulted in the deaths of nine passengers. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over passenger safety in the region.
Talking to Dawn, DGK Deputy Commissioner Usman Khalid said the district administration does not allow public transport to enter Balochistan at night in order to prevent any untoward incidents. However, the recent fatal attack, which occurred in broad daylight, has raised serious concerns about the safety of commuters who prefer to travel during the day to avoid such threats.
In December 2023, Dera Ghazi Khan had received bodies of six barbers from Waziristan and three from Balochistan in January 2024.
Heirs of six barbers had also received compensation from government but the families of three truckers Ahmed Rasheed Zuhrani (23), two brothers Syed Ali Haider (16) and Syed Kumail Haider (25) could not get financial aid despite the fact that the DGK district government had officially requested and wrote to the provincial government for the compensation.
Austin Taylor is speaking to me from her parents’ attic in the farmhouse where she grew up in rural Maine. The 26-year-old is the picture of vibrant youth – glowing skin, a long mane of thick blonde hair and an easy-going demeanour. She is about to begin a law degree at Stanford University and has already completed a double degree in chemistry and English at Harvard – they call it a double concentrator. She has also just published her debut novel, Notes On Infinity, which she sold in the US for a seven-figure sum.
You could call her an over-achiever, but I’m not sure she’d agree. In fact, not too long ago, she felt like a failure. “I certainly felt intense pressure at Harvard. You’re surrounded by people doing incredible cutting-edge work, especially in the sciences. You’re surrounded by the legacy of people who have come through the institution before you who have done incredible things. You’re surrounded by professors who are doing amazing research and teaching, and your peers who have amazing ideas and are working on really cool stuff in addition to taking five classes a semester and doing really well. There’s a sense that if you’re not doing something absolutely incredible, you’re falling short or failing. I certainly felt that way.”
It’s something she wanted to explore in Notes On Infinity, particularly around the “move fast and break things” culture that exists at the nexus of scientific research and venture capital-funded biotech start-ups. The book tells the story of Zoe and Jack, two brilliant Harvard students whose breakthrough scientific discoveries prompt them to drop out and set up a biotech company that claims to have found the cure for ageing. It’s a classic Icarus tale of young idealism warped by greed and ambition.
“The dollar amounts are just unimaginable,” she says of biotech VC funding, “especially for really young people. I think the incentive structures that that amount of money creates are often problematic and scary, especially in science, because science is fundamentally such a slow, iterative, uncertain process and business, especially in pitching a start-up, is all about positive spin. And that’s a fundamental tension. And sometimes that creates awesome innovation and other times it creates fire and broken glass and damage.” You can probably guess which of these paths her book follows.
[ Rethink needed on meeting the demand for Stem graduatesOpens in new window ]
The novel was somewhat inspired by the scandal surrounding Elizabeth Holmes and her blood-diagnostic start-up, Theranos. Holmes, a brilliant and beautiful scientist, was the face of the company but was eventually jailed for defrauding investors in a spectacular fall from grace. In Notes On Infinity, Taylor’s protagonist Zoe is a beautiful, brilliant young woman who also becomes the face of her and Jack’s start-up.
“One of the things I was interested in exploring was the obsession with women in [Stem] spaces and the tokenisation of women in these spaces. Elizabeth Holmes was lauded for her gender during Theranos’s rise, then after its fall she was demonised for her gender. I heard a disturbing number of comments about how she must have used her sexuality to manipulate male funders. That fixation on gender and self-presentation and hair and clothes and make-up, I do think it’s heightened by the fact that women are such a minority in science.
Former Theranos chief executive Elizabeth Holmes leaving court in San Jose, California, in March 2023. Photograph: Jeff Chiu/AP/PA
“I did consume a lot of the reporting on the Holmes case because I found it so fascinating and poignant, particularly on issues of gender, how we portray women in the media, especially powerful women who make mistakes.”
Taylor’s path from growing up as the only child of a dairy farmer in rural Maine to taking a double degree at Harvard to becoming a sought-after debut author about to embark on a legal career is remarkably grounded.
“I had a pretty idyllic, rural childhood. I rode horses and worked on the farm in the summers, milking cows. But I was also very invested in school and I played a lot of sports and I had access to lots of great opportunities.” Her decision to go to Harvard was motivated by the pursuit of academic excellence, but when she arrived on campus, she felt out of place.
“That transition was pretty jarring, which is something that comes out in the novel. I didn’t realise the extent to which most people at Harvard would have already been embedded in that sort of community of people who will go to Harvard. There are lots of ways that you can be in that pipeline, so I’m not talking about legacy or family connections, but people had gone to the same summer camps, or done the same competitive academic things like debate or math olympiad, or they had played sports together, and I truly had no connection to the institution at all, so when I showed up on campus for the admitted students weekend it was like everyone else already had friends and they knew how to act and they knew where things were and what parties were going on, and I was like how am I already not a part of this?“
Her choice of degree – chemistry – reinforced that feeling of being an outsider. “I was convinced I needed to do something practical with my college time. There were lots of people questioning my decision to even go to Harvard. I think this is really common in rural areas actually. You can go for free to your state university so people are like, why would you choose to go to this elite university that feels very other to our community, particularly when you’re going to be paying an amount of money, that seems silly? That divide and that perception is only worse now, given all of the things that are going on in America. I think that and coming from a farming family gave me this fixation that I needed to do a hard science, be practical and have a skill.”
When she took some English classes, it reignited her childhood love of writing. “If you had asked me when I was 10, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’, I would have said ‘writer’…but I came to realise that was a not a particularly stable or likely career path. In fact, I think it seemed like a total pipe dream, so I turned away.”
After college, she worked for a non-profit in New York for a year before returning to her family home to take a year out in an attempt to recover from debilitating migraines. “I had some time and I thought, what I’ve actually always wanted to do was to be a writer, so let me try.”
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. She wrote a novel, and submitted it to publishers but couldn’t find a home for it. “Which was very upsetting,” she says. But even as that first novel was dying on submission, she had already moved on to Notes On Infinity. Where did she find the determination to push on with another book in the face of that early rejection?
“I think it was mostly that I was really compelled by the idea for Notes. And I was really convinced that it could be special. Then there was a degree of stubbornness, which is part of my personality for better or for worse, and also a degree of naivety, which was necessary for me to do the whole thing. I think if I had thought too hard about how likely any of this was to work out, I simply wouldn’t have done it because the odds are so low.”
[ Pat O’Connor: ‘Why would girls study Stem if they have no career path afterwards?’Opens in new window ]
The book deals – in addition to the American deal, the book has sold for six figures in the UK, and at auction in Germany – have changed her life, she says. They’ve given her the time and space to get better at writing, although she says she has not yet touched any of the money. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a phone call where there was a ‘you-should-sit-down’ moment. Even the first payments are more money than I’ve ever seen in one place, ever.”
She is planning on working as an attorney with an interest in the interface between AI and media and arts. “I recognise we must make space for AI’s vast potential but, as a firm believer in the power and importance of good storytelling, I am concerned that existing legal frameworks provide inadequate protection for writers and the publishing ecosystem.”
She has no plans to stop writing – a double concentrator in life too, it seems. In fact she has already finished a draft of her second novel, which will centre around a similar subculture of very powerful young male tech founders and a young woman’s relationship with an older, more professionally powerful man. But she is very excited to be going to Stanford – to study law, and for the weather too, which is balmier than the northerly climes she is used to, but also for another reason …
“I’ve started drafting my third novel…” she says. “And it’s going to be set in Silicon Valley.”
Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor is published by Michael Joseph.
Anchor Links: His Highness the Aga Khan’s historic visit to France
(Last updated: July 13, 2025, 10:22 AM, EDT)
Please visit this page frequently for updates on His Highness the Aga Khan’s historic visit to France. For quick access to our updates posted on this page, please click on the following anchor links:
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July 12, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan blesses Ismailis with the first ever Didar since becoming the 50th Imam
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, wearing a chain bearing the names of 50 Imams, addresses the France jurisdiction Ismaili community in Paris on July 12, 2025, during the first historic Didar since becoming the 50th Ismaili Imam on February 4, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
Mawlana Shah Rahim Al Hussaini Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, who inherited the Throne of Imamat from his father, Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, on February 4, 2025, bestowed his first ever Didar (lit. a glimpse) upon his spiritual children who had gathered on July 12, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. This was a powerful moment for the Ismaili community, as they demonstrated their unity by coming together from various countries under the jurisdiction of the Aga Khan Council for France. A second Didar will be held on July 13 for Ismailis from the remaining French jurisdiction countries that did not participate on July 12.
Aside from the joy and happiness the Jamat experienced during their first-ever mulaqat (meeting) with their Imam in Paris, their brothers and sisters worldwide were also joyful for them. They have been offering supplications and prayers for their beloved Imam to visit them soon. Mawlana Hazar Imam had expressed his wish during his Takhtnashini Farman made on February 11, 2025, that he would very much look forward to visiting the Jamats and meeting with the leaders of the countries where the Jamats live.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, accompanied by his two sons, Prince Irfan (10 years old) and Prince Sinan (8), conveyed guidance and blessings for the worldwide Jamat. His deep gratitude towards the volunteers for their tireless efforts in organizing the visit was evident.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, seated on stage at the Didar hall in Paris, July 12, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
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Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, is received at the Didar hall by the esteemed Mukhi Saheb, Kamadia Saheb, Mukhiani Saheba, and Kamadiani Saheba of Paris Principal Jamatkhana, July 12, 2025. These community leaders officiate the Ismaili Jamatkhana proceedings daily, as representatives of the Imam. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
The Mukhi Saheb of Paris Principal Jamatkhana submitted Bayah (oath of allegiance) to the Imam on behalf of the Jamat, and Aiaze Mitha, President of the Ismaili Council for France, delivered a welcome address. Hazar Imam had a separate mulaqat for young members of the Jamat. It was a testament to his personal connection with them, making them feel a significant part of the community he leads.
The student Mukhi and Kamadia from Belgium, and Mukhiani and Kamadiani from Switzerland welcome Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, to the youth mulaqat, July 12, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
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Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, addresses young members of the Ismaili community at a mulaqat in Paris, July 12, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
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Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, meets with young members of the Ismaili Volunteers, July 12, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
To commemorate the historic event, the Jamat prepared an art installation entitled Ensemble-Together, representing the community’s individual and collective stories. The artwork is a visual narrative of the Jamat’s historical journey, made up of symbolic plants and fruits including the Mangrove, which represents migration across the Indian Ocean — from Gujarat to Madagascar and East Africa; an Olive Tree, symbolising the welcome the Jamat found in France and the countries of its jurisdiction; the Pomegranate, honouring members of the Jamat from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and India; the Fig, commemorating those who journeyed from Syria and other parts of the world; and Grape Leaves, representing the extension of the community to include family members from different faiths and backgrounds.
President Aiaze Mitha of the Aga Khan Council for France and the Jamats living under its jurisdiction presents an art installation, entitled Ensemble-Together, to Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan. The artwork, a compelling visual narrative, depicts the Jamat’s historical journey through the last 150 years, July 12, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
The fruits and leaves were inscribed with hundreds of hand-written messages by members of the Jamat and multi-faith family members of all ages, expressing their commitment to care for the environment and to serve the Imam and his Jamat.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, waves to members of the Ismaili Volunteers, July 12, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
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Members of the Ismaili Volunteers bid farewell to Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, as he departs the Didar hall in Paris, July 12, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
External websites: Please click on the following link(s) for more coverage and photographs of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Didar in Paris (July 12, 2025):
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JULY 11 – JULY 12, 2025: THE ISMAILI UPDATE (PART 3), HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN MEETS FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER AND ARRIVES AT THE DIDAR VENUE IN PARIS
The following YouTube posting by The Ismaili (Part 3) includes a brief recording of Mawlana Hazar Imam arriving at the venue in Paris for his historic Didar and being warmly received by the Jamati leadership. The video host also introduces the art installation, Ensemble-Together, a powerful representation of the community’s individual and collective stories and tributes. The video’s primary focus is on Mawlana Hazar Imam’s earlier meeting with the French Foreign Minister (see below), which took place on July 11.
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July 11, 2025 (2): His Highness the Aga Khan welcomed to Quai d’Orsay by the Foreign Minister of France, Jean-Noël Barrot
Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomes Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, to the Quai d’Orsay, July 11, 2025. Photograph: AKDN / Frédéric Bukajlo.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, was welcomed to Quai d’Orsay, the seat of France’s Foreign Ministry, by the Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot. This followed his visit to Élysée Palace, where he met President Macron to begin his official visit to France
In welcoming the 50th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, the Foreign Minister expressed the country’s shared desire to cooperate with the Ismaili Imamat in the service of the common good.
He said: “We are doing so with a high level of ambition to build together a global, coherent and effective vision.” He further expressed the hope that the “partnership will take us as far as possible along this path of responsibility, towards peace, development and the promotion of human dignity.”
Clockwise from top: Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, meets France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau at Place Beauvau (also see X post below); Luis Monréal, the General Manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), signs agreements in the field of culture between AKTC and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage; and AKTC and Musée Guimet as His Highness the Aga Khan and Jean-Noël Barrot look on., July 11, 2025. Photographs: Top, AKDN / Akbar Hakim, and bottom, AKDN / Frédéric Bukajlo.
Mawlana Hazar Imam also met with government officials, including the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, at Place Beauvau, the official residence of the Minister of the Interior.
Two agreements in the field of culture were signed: between the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage (ALIPH); and between AKTC and the Musée Guimet. These agreements formalise ongoing cooperation and create the framework for new projects.
External websites: Please click on the following link(s) for more coverage and photographs of the Aga Khan’s visit to France:
Posts on X
J’ai eu le plaisir d’accueillir à Beauvau Son Altesse le Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, chef spirituel des musulmans ismaéliens nizârites.
Nos échanges ont porté sur l’organisation de l’islam en France et sur les liens que la République entretient avec la communauté ismaélienne… pic.twitter.com/zE1AYrdHsN
— Ministre de l’Intérieur (@Interieur_Min) July 11, 2025
An English translation of the X post: I had the pleasure of welcoming to Beauvau His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, spiritual leader of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims. Our discussions focused on the organization of Islam in France and the ties that the Republic maintains with the Ismaili community present in our territory.
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July 11, 2025 (1): His Highness the Aga Khan is received by Emmanuel Macron; signs three Agreements with the French Republic
Mawlana Hazar Imam , His Highness the Aga Khan, is received at the Élysée Palace by French President Emmanuel Macron as he begins his official visit to France, the first such visit since becoming the 50th Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims on February 4, 2025. He arrived in France on the evening of July 10, 2025. Photograph: AKDN / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, was received on Friday, July 11, 2025, at the Élysée Palace by President Macron for a luncheon and private discussions to begin his official visit to France. He was accompanied by his uncle, Prince Amyn, and his brothers, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad, along with leaders of the Ismaili community and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The following three agreements were signed at the Élysée:
1. Agreement between the French Republic and the Ismaili Imamat
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, and French President Emmanuel Macron following the signing of an agreement between the French Republic and the Ismaili Imamat at the Élysée Palace, July 11, 2025. Photograph: AKDN / Frédéric Bukajlo.
The agreement reinforces a long-standing and deep relationship. It spans the domains of development investment, humanitarian support, health care, education, higher education and research, culture and the arts, agriculture development, food security, infrastructure, environmental protection and the fight against climate change, and social cohesion. It also facilitates dialogue and cooperation in matters of international relations, with the aim of fostering peace and stability, reinforcing a respect for pluralism, developing a strong and effective civil society, and promoting interfaith dialogue. The agreement recognises the presence of the Ismaili Imamat in France, including through official representation between the two parties and a joint coordinating committee.
2. Declaration of Intention to Cooperate in Syria
France and the Ismaili Imamat signed a declaration confirming their intention to cooperate for the successful and peaceful transition in Syria, protection of human dignity, rebuilding resilience and resettling displaced people. Cooperation will include responses to the urgent need for humanitarian assistance, and investments in the foundation for the sustainable, long-term development of the country, including rebuilding the economy through agricultural support and entrepreneurship; reinforcing the healthcare system; and providing cultural support to create employment and catalyse economic growth.
L to R: Michael Kocher, General Manager of Aga Khan Foundation (AKF); Shamir Samdjee, the Ismaili Imamat’s representative to France; Thani Mohamed Soilihi, Minister of State; and Rémy Rioux, CEO of Agence Française de Développement (AFD) sign an agreement at Élysée Palace as Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, and French President Emmanuel Macron look on, July 11, 2025. Photograph: AKDN / Frédéric Bukajlo
3. Declaration of Intention to Cooperate in the Indian Ocean Region
France and the Ismaili Imamat signed a declaration of their intention to cooperate on the regeneration of coastal zones and marine ecosystems in the Indian Ocean region. Notably, this initiative will include support for the reconstruction and sustainable development of Mayotte. The partnership will encompass four key priorities: protection and restoration of coastal ecosystems, in particular mangroves; the promotion of nature-based solutions to respond to the climate crisis; the development of opportunities in the blue and green economies; and the reduction of pressure on coastal and marine zones by improved access to drinking water, energy, waste management and improved agricultural practices. The agreement envisages the joint mobilisation of Euro 100 million to support action in Mayotte, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania.
His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit reinforces a longstanding relationship, spanning decades and across multiple areas of endeavour. For more than three decades, AKDN and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) have cooperated in areas of mutual concern, involving more than 60 projects in Africa, South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. AKDN is a founding member of the Paris Peace Forum. His family has enjoyed close relations with France going back over 75 years. His father, Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, was well-known and respected for his contributions to France in culture, tourism, diplomacy, and thoroughbred racing, amongst other areas.
Members of the Ismaili community have lived in France for more than six decades and contribute actively to the strength and prosperity of the country. On July 12 and 13 July, Hazar Imam will grace the Jamat of France, Switzerland, Belgium and Côte d’Ivoire with didar.
July 11, 2025: More coverage on external websites
Click on the thumbnail collage to view a gallery of photos posted by Getty Images of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan’s current visit to France, as he is received by French President Emmanuel Macron. The Getty gallery may include photos from earlier years of Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV. Please click GETTY.
Please click on the following links for videos and photographs of His Highness the Aga Khan being received by the French President as he commences his official visit to France:
The following official video, posted by The Ismaili (Part 2), provides a comprehensive overview of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s first full day visit to France. Hazar Imam and members of his family were received at Palais de l’Élysée by Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. The Ismaili will be updating their website regularly, and we encourage you to visit their postings for more information.
JULY 11, 2025: THE ISMAILI UPDATE (PART 2), HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN MEETS PRESIDENT MACRON
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July 10, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan arrives in France – His first in a series of inaugural visits to his Ismaili followers as their 50th Hereditary Imam
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, the 50th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, is welcomed to Paris by Aiaze Mitha, President of His Highness the Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for France, July 10, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, accompanied by his sons, Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan, arrived in France on the evening of Thursday, July 10, 2025. This marks a historic moment, as it is his first Jamati (community) visit to any part of the world since succeeding to the Throne of Imamat on February 4, 2025.
At the invitation of His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Mawlana Hazar Imam was received by Jean-Christophe Peaucelle, the French government’s official representative to the Ismaili Imamat. Shamir Samdjee, the Ismaili Imamat’s representative to France, and Aiaze Mitha, President of the Aga Khan Ismaili Council for France, were also present. Diwan Shafik Sachedina, who has served the Ismaili Imamat loyally for several decades, was also in attendance. A delegation of Jamati leaders, representing the Jamats from France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Côte d’Ivoire, warmly welcomed Hazar Imam, showcasing the unity and strength of the Ismaili community.
During his visit, Hazar Imam will meet with President Emmanuel Macron and senior officials of the French government.
He will also grace the French jurisdiction Jamat with Didar (lit. a glimpse). Didar is a profound spiritual experiencethat connotes both the physical meeting with the Imam and the feeling of his spiritual presence. As the Imam-of-the-Time, descended from Imam Ali, Hazar Imam is the current bearer of the Nur (also Noor) or Light of Imamat, through which his followers seek the elevation of their souls. The following supplications by the 14th-century Ismaili missionary and Pir, Hasan Kabirdin, fondly express the Ismailis’ yearning for their Imam and his status:
Transliteration
Eji, Aash Karine Ya Ali hun tere dar ubhi, Kar jodine em mangu Ya Shah; Dejo didar tusi mahavar datar Shah, Hama tere charane lagu.
Translation
With hope I stand at Thy door, O Ali! And sincerely beg of Thee; Bless me with Thy Holy Didar, O Great Lord and Benefactor! At Thy Feet I fall to prostrate
and
O Exalted Islam Shah [Imam-of-the-Time] Our Lord and Master of the Age, To you our hearts devoutly supplicate, O the Eternal King and Lord of our souls! Grace us with your visit to the Indian Subcontinent [The Imam’s base at the time was in Iran.] O Ali! You are Eternal, You are the Lord of Eternity. You alone are the Knower of the End, Of the End that has no End.
The anticipation and excitement for this visit, a globally significant event, have been overwhelming, creating a buzz and energy that is palpable to all. The preparations, which have been underway in France for several weeks, reflect this excitement. The visit was announced in a Talika from Mawlana Hazar Imam, read out to the worldwide Jamat on May 30, 2025. Then, on June 15, the youth of the Jamat under the jurisdiction of the France Aga Khan Council learnt that Mawlana Hazar Imam would give them separate Mulaqats, adding to the eagerness for the upcoming events.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, is welcomed to Paris by Jean-Christophe Peaucelle, official representative of the French Republic to the Ismaili Imamat, July 10, 2025. Photograph: IPL / Akbar Hakim.
Two days ago, we were thrilled to learn that all his inaugural visits would be underpinned by the motif of Nur. The worldwide Jamat is eagerly anticipating these visits, feeling spiritually connected as Mawlana Hazar Imam, the bearer of the Light of Imamat, bestows his loving blessings on his spiritual children during his presence with them. We look forward to covering the visit through official reports published by the Ismaili and AKDN websites, as well as our readers’ personal accounts of the Mulaqat with Hazar Imam. Our coverage will be comprehensive, with links to external media reporting on the visit.
The following official video, posted by The Ismaili, provides a comprehensive summary of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s arrival in France. It offers glimpses of the significant work carried out by hundreds of dedicated Jamati members in preparation for the mulaqats taking place over the weekend. The Ismaili will be updating their website regularly, and we encourage you to visit their postings for more information.
JULY 10, 2025: THE ISMAILI UPDATE (PART 1), ARRIVAL OF HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN
Date posted: July 11, 2025. Last updated: July 13, 2025 (10:22 AM, EDT).
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