Julian Assange: hero or villain?

A British judge has ordered Julian Assange to be released with bail set at €235,000. But the founder of Wikileaks, the whistleblowing website, is still behind bars after Swedish authorities appealed the decision. The 39-year-old says the rape allegations against him are politically motivated - they emerged after Wikileaks published thousands of secret US diplomatic cables. So is Julian Assange a hero or a villain?

FOCUS

13/05/2013 - SPAIN

Spain's royal family falling out of favour

Spain's King Juan Carlos is under increasing pressure to abdicate in favour of his son, Felipe. Last year's elephant-hunting trip to Botswana did not help improve the King’s ailing popularity, especially at a time when the country’s public purse strings are being tightened. His popularity has slipped further in the wake of allegations linking Princess Cristina and her husband to an embezzlement plot. France 24 reports from Majorca on what the locals think of Spain’s monarchy.

10/05/2013 - BULGARIA

The modern-day slave trade

Commemorations were held across France on Friday May 10th for "Slavery Remembrance Day". The slave trade in France was officially abolished in 1848, but modern-day slavery still appears alive and well in Europe. We take a look at a report from Bulgaria on the plight of women caught up in the sex trade.

10/05/2013 - PAKISTAN

The Taliban's election campaign of violence

The Taliban have been doing their best to disrupt Pakistan's May 11th election. It's been the deadliest campaign in the country's history with hundreds killed and many others kidnapped. The Taliban unleashed a campaign of terror calling democracy "un-Islamic" and vowed to attack anyone who associated with it. Our correspondents Taha Siddiqui and Julien Fouchet went to Peshawar, where candidates found themselves under threat 24/7.

09/05/2013 - ITALY

Berlusconi tax fraud conviction upheld

An Italian court has upheld a ruling in Silvio Berlusconi's trial for tax fraud. The former prime minister had appealed the conviction, which came with a four-year prison sentence. His lawyers now say they will contest the decision before Italy's highest court of appeal. This comes shortly after Berlusconi's centre-right PDL party joined a grand coalition with the centre-left PD.

09/05/2013 - USA

Three women held captive for over a decade found alive in Ohio

Three women who had been missing for around a decade have been found alive in Ohio. Kidnapped and held in a house in Cleveland for years, they managed to escape their captor on Monday. The owner of the house and his two brothers have now been arrested over the kidnappings of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight.