SPECIAL REPORTS

Last modification: 24/05/12 - SYRIA

The Syrian Insurgency - One Year On

Since last September, Syrian authorities have intensified their efforts to crush an insurgency that has been gaining ground since it began on March 15, 2011. The international community is still divided on how to end the violence that has claimed the lives of more than 8,500 people, according to the UN. Despite this, the United States and European Union are stepping up sanctions in the hope that it helps loosen President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on the country.
Last modification: 22/05/12

France: The left back in power

François Hollande’s victory on May 6, 2012 marks the return of the French left to power, 17 years after François Mitterrand’s historic win in 1981. Hollande, who beat incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy by 51.6% of the vote to 48.4%, came to power on a promise to tax the super rich, promote growth instead of austerity and create thousands of jobs in education. In a first symbolic gesture, the newly-named government led by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault voted to cut ministers’ salary by 30%.
Last modification: 03/05/12 - US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2012

The race for the Republican presidential nomination

The Republican Party held its first caucus of 2012 in the state of Iowa on January 3, and now the race for the party’s presidential nomination is in full swing. While many have dropped out of the contest, a handful of hopefuls continue to sharpen their campaign messages and raise election war chests. State by state, month after month, the candidates will battle to win over the hearts of conservative voters and unite a massive and fractured party behind one voice.
Last modification: 29/04/12 - SPECIAL REPORT

Mali: a country divided

Mali is a country in turmoil. A military coup d'état on March 22, 2012 removed President Amadou Toumani Touré from power, and in the ensuing chaos rebels in the north, dominated by Tuareg tribesmen, took control of the country's three main northern cities. The West African country has been effectively divided in two.
Last modification: 30/03/12 - SPECIAL REPORT

The Strauss-Kahn case

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a prominent member of France’s Socialist Party, was arrested in New York on May 15, accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. The charges forced Strauss-Kahn to resign from his post as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and ruined his chances of running in France's 2012 presidential election. The criminal case against him unravelled in July after prosecutors acknowledged there were serious questions about his accuser's credibility, after which all criminal charges were dropped.
Last modification: 26/03/12 - PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2012

Senegal: Wade era draws to an end

Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade has conceded defeat to his former protégé, Macky Sall, putting an end to his 12-year rule and buttressing the country's credentials as a model of African democracy.
Last modification: 14/03/12 - FRANCE 2012

France 2012: en route to the presidency

France heads to the polls this spring for the country’s most important election in five years. Campaign season does not officially start until April 9, but at least a dozen presidential hopefuls are already jostling for position in the imminent race to the Elysée Presidential Palace. FRANCE 24 takes an in-depth look at the players and power plays that will make 2012 a year to remember.
Last modification: 23/02/12 - SPECIAL REPORT

Famine and fighting in Somalia

Somalia is suffering its worst drought in over half a century, bringing famine to an already war-torn country. International aid efforts are being hampered by insurgent violence, lawlessness and political instability.
Last modification: 18/02/12 - SPECIAL REPORT

New chapter opens in Libyan history

One year has gone by since the start of the revolution that led to the ouster - and gruesome death - of Libya's long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The country's new leadership, the National Transitional Council (NTC), has vowed to steer the country towards democracy, promising to hold free elections in 2012. But after 42 years of Gaddafi’s quixotic, brutal and absolute rule, the country appears destined for a long and delicate transition.
Last modification: 14/01/12 - SPECIAL REPORT

One year after the fall of Tunisia's Ben Ali

On January 14, 2011, after 23 years in power, a wave of popular unrest forced Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down. Exiled in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the former strongman would later be tried in absentia and sentenced to 35 years in jail. France 24 takes a look back at this historic moment.
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