France 24 – programme highlights in October

6 October 2021

France 24 – programme highlights in October

Paris-based France 24’s English service has a range of programmes scheduled for October 2021

FRANCE IN FOCUS

40^th anniversary of the abolishment of death penalty

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 AT 1545 GMT

After three days of heated debates at the French Parliament, on October 9, 1981, the death penalty was officially banned by Article 66-1 of the Constitution of the French Republic. This date symbolises the end of a long-lasting battle led by French lawyer Robert Badinter. Forty years later, is this battle still relevant? “France is focus” reports on this polarising issue.

REPORTERS PLUS

Iraq: A Revolution murdered

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 AT 1910 GMT

In Iraq in October 2019, a series of protests to denounce corruption, unemployment and inefficient public services started in the streets of Bagdad, Basra, and Karbala. They spread across the central and southern provinces of the country. The protests were violently repressed: the government used bullets, tear gas and much more, causing the death of 600 people and injuring 21,000. This repression was followed by an assassination and intimidation campaign that killed activists, opinion-leaders, journalists and lawyers involved with the protests.

France 24’s journalists Amar al Hameedawi and Jonathan Walsh met with victims’ families who demand justice and activists who now live in hiding. Who wants to silence them? What can be done about this generalised impunity? A powerful and deeply moving report on the behind-the-scenes of Iraqi politics.

FRENCH CONNECTIONS PLUS

Is Paris a dirty city?

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 AT 0915 GMT

When people picture the French capital, they think of beautiful monuments, romantic cafés and pretty parks. But for many tourists, Paris is just too dirty! Whether it is the urine-soaked streets, ubiquitous dog poop or cigarette butts as far as the eye can see, real everyday Paris can clash with the postcard version. Paris authorities pump a lot of money and manpower into keeping the city clean. So what is the problem? Could it be Parisians themselves? In this episode of “French Connections Plus”, Florence Villeminot and Genie Godula investigate the capital’s filthy reputation.

ENCORE!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 AT 1015 GMT

Palestinian actress and director Hiam Abbas is the guest of “Encore!” to discuss Tarzan Abu and Mohammed Abou Nasser’s latest movie “Gaza my love”.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 AT 1015 GMT

For the new Africa-France Summit (October 7-9 in Montpellier) “Encore!” meets with major cultural actors who take part in the event. The team also reports on the Cosmogonies exhibition with the Zinsou foundation at MO.CO: it presents nearly 110 pieces by 37 artists of different generations such as Mallick Sidibé and Chéri Samba. Finally, “Encore!” brings viewers a report on artwork taken from Africa and returning home.

EUROPE NOW

Slovenia special

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23 AT 1115 GMT

It is a country that’s been at the crossroads of European empires and power play for centuries – and now as Slovenia marks 30 years as an independent country, France 24’s Europe team pays a visit. This small, mountainous, heavily forested country is almost completely landlocked and today it is home to just over two million people with a strong nature-loving side. Its lands have been ruled and fought over by everyone from the Romans to the Austro-Hungarians, through Napoleon Bonaparte, the First and Second World Wars, after which it was part of Yugoslavia, until an almost bloodless independence in 1991.

This year not only marks 30 years of independent Slovenia. The country holds the rotating Presidency of the European Union, from July until December. All this amid the pandemic, and with a Prime Minister Janez Janša facing heat at home and beyond amid accusations he is degrading Slovenian democracy.

In the programme, Catherine Nicholson meets decision makers from the governing and opposing political parties and looks deeper into some of the big issues that make Slovenia tick today: from concerns about media and judicial freedom to its relationships with its EU and Balkan neighbours. She also looks at why Slovenia is touted as the green tourism destination of Europe.

Questioning the power of international law

29 September 2021

Questioning the power of international law

BBC Learning English and the UK’s largest academic institution, The Open University, have joined forces to explore the power of international law. The award-winning team of BBC Learning English has collaborated with renowned academics from The Open University to create Making and Breaking International Law – content focusing on what the individual, big business and the national state can do within a framework of international law.

As the world sees the devastation caused by climate change, as the availability of fresh water becomes more and more limited, as corporations become bigger than countries and race to Mars – what is the responsibility of countries and companies to current and future generations? What is the role of international law – or lack of it? Can it help protect individuals and guide and manage the behaviour of countries and companies? Is international law even worth the paper it is written on?

BBC Learning English Editor Paul Scott says: “For BBC Learning English, working alongside The Open University always means an exciting opportunity to bring new approaches and programmes to our audiences around the world. Benefitting from top academic expertise, the series explains key concepts of international law in a way that, while being legally accurate, is also helpful and useful for the learners of English, wherever they are.”

Caroline Ogilvie, Head of Broadcast & Partnerships at The Open University, adds: “We are delighted to once again be partnering with BBC Learning English and to have had the opportunity to work on this fascinating subject area which helps illuminate and explain different aspects of international law.”

The new series shows how individuals can use international law to create positive change – and even change the law itself. Animated guides help audiences around the world understand the background, history and key elements of international law, explaining where it originates, what it is, how the UN and human rights are involved in it, and what might happen if it’s breached. Twenty presenter-led programmes look at increasingly important areas of international law: space, environment, water, and the power of multinationals.

The programmes address a wide range of issues – such as ownership of space and war in space, whether companies are really interested in abiding by the law, and what happens when people challenge big business – and ask if access to water can be discriminatory or whether international law can help stop islands sinking. The answers and explanations are provided via case-studies and interviews with practising lawyers and legal experts, exploring the power and influence of international law.

The Making and Breaking International Law series launches on Monday 4 October with content focusing on space, marking the start of World Space Week. This will be followed with explainers and programmes themed on environment, water, and finally, the power of multinationals.

BBC Learning English is a world leader in using international broadcasting to teach English. Part of the BBC World Service, BBC Learning English connects with its audiences via the website, bbclearningenglish.com , YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Viber, and podcasts such as The English We Speak and 6 Minute English. The BBC Learning English App brings together the BBC’s most popular English-teaching content. While the majority of the BBC Learning English content is in English, it is also produced as bilingual content in Afaan Oromoo, Amharic, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Tigrinya.

France 24 en Español goes 24 hours a day

23 September 2021

France 24 en Español goes 24 hours a day

After doubling its broadcast time in September 2019 (from six to 12 hours a day) France 24 in Spanish, which is celebrating its fourth birthday, will broadcast 24 hours a day from 24 September 2021.

This development enables the channel to increase its competitiveness in Latin America, offering viewers continuous news in Spanish, a brand-new morning show, more news bulletins, magazines, reports and debates. This offer is now equivalent to those from Paris in English, French and Arabic.

Since its launch in 2017 (in partnership with Radio France Internationale’s Spanish service), France 24 in Spanish has successfully grown in Latin America: today it broadcasts in 17 of the 19 Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, as well as in Brazil. It is available in 12.5 million households, plus 12 million more with its partial broadcast in Mexico.

In Colombia, Argentina and Mexico, 14.2 million people say that they know about France 24 (+26% vs. 2019) and more than three million say that they watch the channel on TV each week (+56% vs. 2019). On digital platforms (the website and app), France 24 in Spanish records on average 2.8 million monthly visits (+6.4% vs. 2020). YouTube data indicates more than 91.4 million views since January 2021 (+26% vs. 2020).

The channel’s 24/7 broadcast will enable to accelerate its growth and increase its viewership in the Latin America. Media surveys already confirm France 24’s growing performance in terms of awareness on the continent as well as viewers’ trust in its programs. They highlight in particular the trustworthiness, reliability and relevance of the channel.

On September 24, for the launch of France 24 in Spanish’s 24 hours daily broadcast, all four channels bring viewers live broadcasts between the Spanish newsroom in Bogota and the English, French and Arabic ones in Paris, as well as with RFI’s Spanish service.

Taliban murder relative of DW journalist, injure another

20 August 2021

Taliban murder relative of DW journalist, injure another

Taliban fighters hunting a DW journalist have shot dead one member of his family and seriously injured another. The Taliban were conducting a house-to-house search to try and find the journalist, who now works in Germany.

Other relatives were able to escape at the last moment and are now on the run. DW Director General Peter Limbourg issued a strong condemnation and called on the German government to take action.

“The killing of a close relative of one of our editors by the Taliban yesterday is inconceivably tragic, and testifies to the acute danger in which all our employees and their families in Afghanistan find themselves,” Limbourg said. “It is evident that the Taliban are already carrying out organised searches for journalists, both in Kabul and in the provinces. We are running out of time!”

Taliban hunting journalists

The Taliban have raided the homes of at least three DW journalists. Nematullah Hemat of the private television station Ghargasht TV is believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban, and Toofan Omar, the head of the private radio station Paktia Ghag Radio, was, according to government officials, targeted and shot dead by Taliban fighters.

Two men, also presumably Taliban, shot and killed the translator Amdadullah Hamdard, a frequent contributor to Germany’s Die Zeit newspaper, on August 2 in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, right there on the street. And a month ago, the world-renowned Indian photographer and Pulitzer Prize winner Danish Siddiqui died in Kandahar, presumably killed by Taliban militants.

Media alliance calls on German government for help

Consequently, DW has joined the Federal Association of German Newspaper Publishers (BDZV), Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, Deutschlandradio, dpa, Reporters Without Borders, stern, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, taz, RTL, n-tv and Arte in publishing an open letter calling on the German government to set up an emergency visa program for Afghan staff.

The German Journalists’ Association (DJV) is also calling on the German government to take swift action, given that stringers who worked for Western media are now being hunted down. “Germany must not stand idly by while our colleagues are persecuted and even murdered,” said Frank Überall, the DJV chairman. He said that saving these journalists right now and offering them refuge in Germany was absolutely essential.

DW is not revealing the name of the journalist or the location of his family as their lives are still at risk.

The Media Freedom Coalition [MFC] is meeting to explore ways this alliance of 49 nations can assist in protecting and supporting journalists and others employed by media companies in Afghanistan. It is not expected that Afghanistan, which under the elected government became a member of the Media Freedom Coalition, will take part in the meeting. The Association for International Broadcasting is a member of the Consultative Network to the MFC and will be taking part in the meeting.

Photo: A view across the city of Herat in Afghanistan from Herat Citadel. Jonathan Wilson/Adobe Stock

Volant Media UK launches Afghanistan International TV

18 August 2021

Volant Media UK launches Afghanistan International TV

On Sunday 15 August, the day the Taliban captured Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, Volant Media UK, the parent company of Iran International TV, launched Afghanistan International TV (AITV). AITV aspires to serve as a 24/7 international news network to provide reliable information for audiences and protect media freedom in the country.

With Afghanistan undergoing a chaotic transition after the US military withdrawal, AITV aspires to be a voice for the voiceless—to tell the story of the people of Afghanistan, said Harun Najafizada, AITV’s director. He revealed concerning reports of the Taliban’s tense relations with the media community and how independent journalistic activities have been severely disrupted.

The situation in Afghanistan is so dire that AITV decided to launch the network prior to the planned start date—which was slated for the United Nations’ International Peace Day on September 21. The hope is that this will fill a media vacuum that has developed with so many people fleeing the country and will provide a critical source of reporting and information amid rapidly shifting events on the ground.

AITV, which has started with daily nine hours of live television news and programmes, plans to expand to a full 24/7 schedule as soon as possible. But AITV also has a radio stream which is already offering 24-hour news and programs.

In terms of programming, Najafizada said AITV plans to rely heavily on reporting from across Afghanistan and to produce informative programs—talk shows, documentaries, and debates—to engage with people inside and outside Afghanistan. AITV will be an independent and impartial channel which will report facts, in keeping with standard journalistic norms.

As to how AITV will fare with the Taliban in control of Afghanistan, Najafizadeh says it is not about AITV, but it is about the Taliban and how they receive the international media. AITV is prepared for any scenario.

Haftar’s Russian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner Group – a BBC World Service investigation

11 August 2021

Haftar’s Russian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner Group – a BBC World Service investigation

BBC News Arabic and BBC News Russian have teamed up to deliver a TV documentary which investigates the presence in Libya of fighters who are working for the Wagner Group – a shadowy Russian organisation supplying fighters to war zones – fighters who are accused of war crimes by the local population. Haftar’s Russian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner Group reveals the organisation’s apparent access to sophisticated modern weapons that, according to expert testimony, could only come from Russian military supplies. While Wagner employees almost never speak publicly, two former fighters discuss the types of people who are drawn to the organisation, their motivations, and the organisation’s goals.

BBC News Arabic and BBC News Russian journalists Nader Ibrahim and Ilya Barabanov reveal and analyse the contents of a tablet computer left behind by the Russian fighters when they were forced to retreat from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, in spring 2020. The tablet’s secrets include reconnaissance drone footage and manuals for anti-personnel mines and IEDs. Military maps of the frontline give an unprecedented insight into the group’s operations, as well as codenames of Wagner fighters, which helped the BBC to identify some of them. The tablet also provides evidence of the Russian mercenaries’ involvement in the mining and booby-trapping of civilian houses.

The film includes accounts of other suspected war crimes, among them the intentional killing of civilians. A Libyan villager describes how fighters, he believes were from the Wagner Group, kidnapped his father, his two brothers and their brother-in-law and later executed them. This blindfolded eyewitness survived by playing dead but still managed to glimpse the killers. His testimony, together with footage of Wagner fighters, allows the BBC to identify one suspected killer – a mercenary also suspected of involvement in possible war crimes in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

The killing of prisoners is also a war crime. Mohammed, a young veteran from Libya’s government forces, recounts how his soldiers were overwhelmed by Russian fighters who were better equipped and more professionally trained. He describes how one of his men was shot as he tried to surrender. Four of them are still missing.

The BBC has obtained documents linking Wagner’s mercenaries in Libya to Evro Polis, a Russian company reported to be a beneficiary of contracts for oil and gas field developments in Syria. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a rich businessman close to President Vladimir Putin and currently under US sanctions, has been linked to both Evro Polis and Wagner by the Russian media and foreign intelligence sources.

One of the documents is a request for military equipment for Wagner’s continued operations in Libya. It was addressed to an unnamed “General Director”, believed by some to be Prigozhin. A military analyst tells the BBC how the document suggests that, contrary to official Russian denials, such state-of-the-art technology would only be available from the Russian military.

A spokesperson told the BBC that Yevgeny Prigozhin has nothing to do with Evro Polis or Wagner. Mr Prigozhin commented: “I have not heard anything about the violation of human rights in Libya by Russians and I am sure that this is an absolute lie.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has responded to the allegations contained in the film: “Russia is doing its utmost to promote a ceasefire and a political settlement to the crisis in Libya. Information about the presence of Wagner employees in Libya […] is mostly based on rigged data and is aimed at discrediting Russia’s policy in the Libyan direction.”

Jelena Aparac, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries, under the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, comments: “The Working Group on the use of mercenaries is concerned by the increased involvement and proliferation of non-state actors such as ‘Wagner’ operating in contemporary armed conflicts. The lack of transparency on their status, rules of engagement, roles and command structures allowed states to obscure their involvement in conflicts and evade responsibilities. We have repeatedly called for urgent attention and discussions on ways to counter mercenaries and related activities and supported the discussions on legally binding instruments for private military and security companies.”

Commenting on the investigation, the director of the documentary, Nick Sturdee, says: “This film provides an unprecedented window into the workings of the Wagner Group and its relationship with the Russian state, uncovers detailed and hard evidence of Russian mercenaries fighting to topple the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, and broadcasts powerful testimony linking Wagner fighters to war crimes committed in Libya.”

Commissioning editor, Christopher Mitchell, adds: “The film dynamically conveys the two interacting investigations in Tripoli and Moscow. As a joint teamwork between BBC News Arabic and BBC News Russian, this documentary showcases the way the World Service’s language teams benefit from each other’s reporting, insights, and expertise.”

Russian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner Group is available via the BBC News Arabic website and YouTube channel and other digital and social-media platforms, and in English from 23:00GMT – on BBC News iPlayer (UK only).Content about the investigation will be available via the BBC News website and YouTube channel and via the BBC News Russian website. The international TV channel, BBC World News, will show the film on Saturday 21 August. Later, the film will be available via BBC News Russian.

Reporters: Ilya Barabanov and Nader Ibrahim

Producer/director: Nick Sturdee

Executive producers: Kateryna Khinkulova and Paul Mitchell

BBC News Arabic and BBC News Russian are part of BBC World Service.