Week in Review: Paris May Day protests turn violent, Arundhati Roy & the world is getting angrier
Issued on: Modified:
This week FRANCE 24 took a look at Leonardo da Vinci's genius, 500 years after his death; independence activists who sought Hitler's help in liberating India from colonialism; and how China uses a new "social credit" system to rank citizens.
ARTICLES
People are becoming angrier and more stressed, Gallup report says
People around the world are becoming angrier and more stressed – especially in Armenia and Greece, the annual Gallup Global Emotions Report has found.
Experts warn Macron against rushing to rebuild Notre-Dame
More than a thousand architects, conservationists and academics from around the world have urged French President Emmanuel Macron to exercise caution as he moves forward with plans to rebuild Notre-Dame cathedral within five years.
France probes how May Day protesters ended up on hospital grounds
The French government on Thursday accused radicals of storming a Paris hospital during a fiery May Day rally. But protesters say they were chased onto hospital grounds by black-clad riot police firing teargas.
After Bashir’s ouster, who will lead Sudan’s revolution?
Tensions between Sudan’s protest movement and the military have been mounting in the weeks after President Omar al-Bashir’s ouster, with regional powers ready to seize on divisions between and within rival camps.
The digital cemetery: When Facebook controls our history
The Facebook profiles of people who have died may exceed the number of those living in just 50 years, according to a new study. In the process, the social network could become the repository of a significant part of humanity’s collective memory.
#BalanceTonMetro: New hashtag condemns sexual harassment on French transport
Launched on April 24, the #BalanceTonMetro hashtag – in the tradition of #MeToo – aims to give voice to women who are sexually harassed on public transport and provides a practical service by alerting RATP to the abuse women are suffering.
TV SHOWS ONLINE
'My sister, Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, has been tortured in prison'
Loujain al-Hathloul is a prominent Saudi women's rights activist who has been in prison for almost a year for "aiming to undermine the security, stability and national unity of the kingdom" through contacts with NGOs, journalists and diplomats. She and 10 other activists are currently on trial in Riyadh. Her sister, Alia al-Hathloul, says her sister has been tortured and sexually abused during her detention.
Arundhati Roy speaks to FRANCE 24 about India's election
In this edition of India Votes we speak to Man Booker Prize-winning author and activist Arundhati Roy. She predicts Prime Minister Narendra Modi won't be returning for a second term given that, as she puts it, "he shot off the tyres of an economy that was on the move".
The Free India Legion: Hitler's Indian soldiers
On August 15, 1947, India gained independence after 150 years under British rule, earning Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru a place in the history books as freedom fighters. But less well known is Subhas Chandra Bose, an Indian independence activist who was controversial for his aggressive nationalism – and who solicited Adolf Hitler's help in liberating India from colonial rule.
New laws tighten grip on internet in Russia
New laws will allow Russian authorities to block any websites spreading fake news or any message deemed "offensive to representatives and symbols of the state". The Russian web could soon be completely isolated from foreign servers, alarming internet defenders who fear the new measures could be used to track down political opponents.
China ranks 'good' and 'bad' citizens with social credit system
Millions of people have their faces scanned on a daily basis in China, where authorities are developing a "social credit" system to rank citizens. Behaviour is monitored and scrutinised, and Chinese citizens are given scores and ranked according to rules set by the government. "Model" citizens enjoy perks such as reduced bus fares while those with low scores lose certain rights or are blacklisted.
Leonardo da Vinci: Celebrating his genius, 500 years on
He drew portraits for Italian dukes, painted for popes and died at the court of a French king. Leonardo da Vinci was an artist who spanned borders, crossing the Alps from Italy into France while carrying his most famous work, the Mona Lisa, on a donkey's back. FRANCE 24 brings you a special edition of Encore! to mark 500 years since da Vinci's death.
Dying soil: An invisible crisis at our feet
One-third of the world's topsoil has already been degraded. The usual suspects are to blame: Intensive agriculture and its rampant pesticides, erosion and global warming. At current rates of destruction, we may have only 60 years of crop production left.
UN waters down 'rape in war' resolution after US pressure
The Trump administration's opposition to abortion resulted in a UN Security Council resolution on ending sexual violence in war being watered down, sparking outrage among activists and a vocal objection from France.
Bahrain's human rights record under the microscope
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted King Hamad of Bahrain at the Élysée Palace in Paris this week. On the agenda were the conflicts in Yemen and Syria, but rights groups have been calling on Macron to draw attention to the Gulf nation's dismal human rights record. We spoke to Jawad Fairooz, a Bahraini former MP and the chairman of Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, which says sexual abuse and torture have become widespread in Bahrain's prisons.
To see previous editions of the Week in Review, please click here.
For more on these and other international news stories, visit FRANCE24.com or check out the full range of our TV shows.
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning
Subscribe