Week in Review: Australian firefighters, gender violence in India and the new generation of French fashion designers
Issued on:
Australian firefighters report from the frontline of the inferno; brutal gender attacks are still happening in India, but now the women are learning to fight back; Putin announces an unknown as Russia's new Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin; and Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks exclusively to FRANCE 24 about escalating tensions in the Middle East.
ARTICLES
Mikhail Mishustin: The unknown tax chief surprisingly promoted to Russian PM by Putin
President Vladimir Putin nominated a new prime minister on Wednesday 15 January after the shock resignation of Dmitry Medvedev, who has been at the head of the government since 2012. Medvedev will be succeeded by Mikhail Mishustin, who until now was a barely known tax chief with no political clout. So who is this political newcomer?
Sudan’s ‘predicted nightmare’ revolt highlights risks to democratic transition
A deadly revolt on January 14 by Sudanese security forces protesting against their severance packages has underscored the importance of reforming and restructuring the country’s hydra-headed security services. But it’s a daunting task with ambitious armed men jostling for power.
Ethiopian PM Ahmed asks South Africa for help in talks on Nile dam construction
He won the Nobel Peace Prize for forging a deal to end a 20-year-old border dispute with neighbouring Eritrea, but Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is finding reaching an agreement with Egypt over its project to build a dam on the Blue Nile far more difficult.
At the end of a recent summit on the Sahel, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged extra troops and called on the US to maintain its military support to combat a spiraling Islamist militancy. But support for corrupt regimes overseeing abuses by local security forces may be part of the problem, not the solution.
TV SHOWS ONLINE
‘We cannot afford instability in our part of the world,’ King Abdullah II of Jordan tells FRANCE 24
King Abdullah II of Jordan sat down for an exclusive interview on January 12 with FRANCE 24's Marc Perelman to discuss a number of issues including the escalating tensions between Iran and the US, the stalled peace process in Israel and the ongoing conflict in Syria.
Kremlin reshuffle: Will Putin reforms guarantee grip on power?
A classic Putin move. The master of the Kremlin catching all comers off guard with the sacking of his cabinet, the kicking upstairs of longtime shadow Dmitry Medvedev, and plans for a constitutional reform that the opposition suspects is all about keeping the reins of power beyond the end of his term-limited mandate in 2024.
'Inside My Heart': The plight of three families forced to flee Syria and Afghanistan
Filmmaker Debra Kellner spent almost three years following the journeys of three families forced to flee war-torn Syria and Afghanistan as they searched for somewhere to call home in Europe. Her documentary "Inside My Heart" allows viewers to see the human stories behind the migrant statistics. She joined us for Perspective to talk about meeting the families at a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, why she was inspired to make the documentary and what has happened to the families since.
Australia's wildfires: The devastating damage to flora and fauna
Scientists say the huge bushfires still burning across Australia will become routine unless more is done to cut carbon emissions. In Perspective, we spoke to Professor Andrew Beattie from Macquarie University in Sydney. He and his colleagues have already estimated that the final nationwide animal death toll from the fires will be in the billions, with many warning it will take decades for the damage caused to wildlife to be repaired.
'Shadowplay': Dracula, Dublin and the dark side of Victorian theatre
Irish novelist Joseph O'Connor is an author who likes to plunge his readers back in time, taking us onboard a famine ship in his bestseller "Star of the Sea", or across post-Civil War America in "Redemption Falls". O'Connor has wound the clock back once again in his latest book "Shadowplay", which retells the life of the vampire creator Bram Stoker. This latest offering has already won him the Novel of the Year prize at the 2019 Irish Book Awards. He joined us for Perspective.
French senior citizens at work: A choice for some, a necessity for others
French workers' and employers' unions have until April to find a way to balance out the country's pension schemes. If they fail, the government will reintroduce the controversial "pivot age" in its reform plan, which would force all French citizens to work until the age of 64 to be eligible for a full pension.
Thousands of asylum seekers waiting in streets, makeshift camps around Paris
After an asylum seekers’ camp in northern Paris was cleared last November, France plans to continue to break up others across the country. Although the number of places in shelters has doubled, with over 108,000 beds available for asylum seekers, makeshift camps are still scattered around the capital's ring road, where several thousand people are living in squalid conditions. FRANCE 24’s team reports.
Malta's Joseph Muscat: The fall of a prime minister
In Malta, the Labour Party has chosen Robert Abela to be the country's new prime minister. He'll replace Joseph Muscat, who was forced to resign following widespread anger over his perceived efforts to protect friends and allies from a probe into the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Mathilde Bénézet, Céline Schmitt and Wassim Cornet take a look back at the scandal that brought down the Maltese premier.
Gender violence in India: Brutal attacks against women continue
With a death warrant being issued for the four men convicted of the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a young woman in New Delhi, we take a look at why brutal assaults on women still continue in India. We talk to journalist, Rituparna Chatterjee, who's at the forefront of the nation's #MeToo movement. Also, we report on how self-defence classes are on the rise in India. Plus we meet the new mayor of the Colombian capital, Bogota, who is not only the first woman in the job but is openly lesbian.
Northern Ireland after Brexit: How will businesses cope with new rules?
With Brexit on the horizon, how are businesses in Northern Ireland preparing for their unique situation after leaving the EU? We speak to Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland, which represents industry there. Also, as China and the United States sign a ceasefire in their trade war, how much damage has been done to the world's two largest economies? And we have a report from France, where charity supermarkets aimed at students are selling essentials for next to nothing.
'1917': Sam Mendes's breathless WWI film takes us to the trenches
Its technical prowess and its haunting tension has seen "1917" nominated for 10 Academy awards. Here, film critic Lisa Nesselson tells us why the film transports modern viewers to the frontline of the Great War and brings home the horror of relentless armed conflict. We also revisit the work of screenwriter and director Paul Schrader, as the Forum des Images in Paris celebrates the work of the man who wrote "Taxi Driver".
The Seine: The world's most romantic river
Bestselling author and former New York Times Paris bureau chief Elaine Sciolino speaks to Eve Jackson about her new book "The Seine: The River That Made Paris", its fascinating history and how its water saved Notre-Dame Cathedral during last year's fire.
Music show: 'The new Dawn' of Cameroonian internet sensation Irma
Singer-songwriter Irma Pany speaks to Eve Jackson about finding fame on YouTube, how her new album, "The Dawn", served as a sort of therapy and why it's important for her to keep creative control of every aspect of her music.
Open Mode Festival: Young creative minds lay foundations for eco-responsible fashion
They’re between 19 and 30 years old and are determined to do things differently. They don’t advertise in magazines, and don’t even sell their clothes in boutiques – although they might make an exception for a pop-up shop! An impressive crop of young fashion designers recently came together to exhibit their creations at the third edition of the Open Mode Festival, at Paris's Grande Halle de la Villette. So what do this new generation of designers want? Here's a clue: Eco-responsible fashion is centre stage!
FRANCE 24 Special Edition: Australia Inferno
As the crisis in Australia enters its fifth consecutive month, more than 150 fires are still raging across the continent, some of them merging to create what’s known as mega-blazes. We hear first-hand accounts of the flames as well as analysis from experts, activists and journalists in an effort to try to understand the amplitude of this human and environmental catastrophe.
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