FRANCE 24's Alain Chabod was one of the few journalists to be allowed into Iran just days before the latest clashes between opposition protesters, police forces and Islamic militas. He brings brings us this special report from a nation on the brink of civil war.
Correspondent Alain Chabod is one of the few western journalists who has managed to gain access to the University of Tehran, one of the political centers of the Iranian capital. Religious figures preach from the university every week during Friday prayers, it's also a place where students debate politics and religion: a hotbed of ideas. But rare are those who speak openly against the regime...
Iran's students and intellectuals form a key part of the opposition's protests against the government, but are kept under tight scrutiny, no more so than at Tehran University. FRANCE 24 got to talk politics on campus.
Just before Christmas, Iranian authorities granted FRANCE 24 journalists the right to to film for one hour at Tehran University. Here is an exclusive report on how students on campus are reacting to their country's explosive political situation.
Nicolas Sarkozy announced on Monday that the French government will invest 35 billion euros in five major areas, including universities, research, green energies and digital economy. 13 billion of this national loan will come from the reimbursement of money borrowed by French banks during the financial crisis. The opposition accuses the government of further damaging public finances. Is today's big loan tomorrow's big taxation?
In this edition: thousands of Shiite Lebanese are expelled from the UAE for refusing to rat on their compatriotes; civilians get caught in the crossfire in Yemen's civil war; students at a Cairo university are divided over a proposed niqab ban.
Hernan Castillo, author of a book linking Hugo Chavez to the FARC rebel group, is one of a number of Venezuelan thinkers leaving a hostile country they feel now resembles a police state for fear of persecution for their political views.
In this edition: A new report ranks French universities far behind their international competitors; the tribulations and a trial for Europe's richest woman, L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt; crisis times in the Socialist Party.
All but six French universities have voted to re-open classes and schedule exams after four months of demonstrations over government public sector reforms that paralysed the higher education system.
