- FRANCE 24

14/05/2012 - CHINA

'Black jails': illegal detention becoming more common in China

The recent case of Chen Guangcheng has brought to the fore China's practise of detaining dissidents under illegal house arrest. Chen, who is blind, managed to escape from under the noses of his guards. But few others are able to do the same. Often, these prisoners are held in apartments, hotel rooms, or out in the country - and some are never heard of again.

11/05/2012 - CHINA

The Bo Xilai scandal rages on

The former chief of the Communist Party in the Chinese megacity of Chongqing, Bo Xilai, has been sacked - but that's not enough to satisfy his alleged victims. The anti-mafia campaign he oversaw from 2007 left 4,000 people in prison, but critics say not all of those were members of the mafia. They argue the mafia drive was a front for Bo to get rid of his rivals and siphon off their finances. Yet Bo still has supporters willing to defend him in the face of Chinese censorship.

03/05/2012 - PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

West Bank Palestinians complain of rising censorship

The Palestinian Authority appears to be clamping down on dissent in the West Bank, blocking access to internet news sites and arresting journalists who are suspected of libel against leading Palestinian politicians. The growing censorship has surprised outside observers, many of whom considered Palestinian internet use relatively free compared with neighbouring countries.

06/04/2012 - THE WEEK IN ASIA

Burma: remembering the Saffron revolution

As the Burmese opposition prepares to take its first steps on the new political scene, we look back at the lasting effects of the Saffron revolution. Next, the hacking group Anonymous targets the Great Firewall of China. Finally, after facing extinction, India's tigers look like they're making a comeback.

05/04/2012 - CHINA

China orders artist Ai Weiwei to stop self-surveillance project

Outspoken Chinese artist Ai Weiwei said Thursday that he has been ordered to take down the four live web cams he had installed in his home as a parody of the government's 24-hour surveillance of him. He was held in detention last year for dissent.

04/04/2012 - WEBNEWS

Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist under surveillance

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei draws attention to his constant surveillance by the state. 30 years on, the Falklands War debate continues on social networks. And an interactive map looking at climate change, those responsible and those that suffer…

31/03/2012 - CHINA - INTERNET

China arrests six, shuts websites after coup rumours

Chinese authorities arrested six and shut down 16 websites after rumours of a coup spread across the internet, state media said Friday. The rumours involved a coup led by security chief Zhou Yongkang following the dismissal of party head Bo Xilai.

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21/02/2012 - WEBNEWS

Iran cuts off Internet access

Widespread Internet outage in Iran. Online reports from Senegal as violence escalates in the run up to the presidential election. And a new online dating service especially for geeks.

09/02/2012 - CHINA

The war on microblogs

The Chinese government is cracking down on the country's most popular microblogs in an effort to prevent any Facebook or Twitter-inspired revolution spreading to China. As of mid-March, users of Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, will be forced to register their microblogs under their real name. But with 250 million Chinese people logged on, it's unlikely the government can clamp down completely.

07/02/2012 - WEBNEWS

South Korean man faces 7 years in prison for tweeting

A South Korean man faces seven years in prison for tweeting. Airlines are using viral videos to market themselves at little or no cost. And an animated video tracing the history of aviation.