15/09/2011 / SYRIA
The revolt will be televised: How Syrians film their protests
In this news report, broadcast today on FRANCE 24, two of our Observers in Syria explain how, despite government censorship, they manage to film the protest movement that is shaking their country. Watch video...
Contributors
14/09/2011 / LIBYA
"Pinch me!": Life in Tripoli without Gaddafi
The residents of Tripoli are slowly starting to get used to life without Colonel Gaddafi. Nearly a month after the capital fell to anti-Gaddafi forces, street vendors have re-opened their shops, garbage men are once again cleaning the streets, and all over the city, the tricolour flag of independence flies high. Our Observer in Tripoli tells us how life has changed for the capital’s residents. Read more…
Contributors
13/09/2011 / CHINA
Let them take aspirin: a pharmaceutical company builds its own Versailles
Crystal chandeliers, gilded wall moldings, grand pianos and reproductions of the great masters… Welcome to the plush headquarters of China's state-owned Harbin Pharmaceutical Group. Read more...
12/09/2011 / EUROPE
How the economic crisis turned lives upside down: five stories from Europe
As Europe’s economic woes deepen amid talk of a double-dip recession, we asked our readers via Facebook, Twitter and email if they cared to share with us how the crisis has affected their lives. We received a deluge of responses. Some said they had been touched little if at all, while others described moments of hardship and struggle – jobs lost, loves lost, and futures rendered uncertain. Read more...
12/09/2011 / PAKISTAN
Deadly floods return to Pakistan
For the second year in a row, Pakistan is facing monstrous floods in Sindh province, the country’s breadbasket. More than 200 people have died, and thousands have been left homeless. Amateur photos and videos show the extent of the disaster. Read more…
Contributors
12/09/2011 / WORLD
Best of the Obs: the week in amateur videos
Silly, amazing or shocking things happen every day, all over the world – and in our era of video phones and high-speed internet, chances are they’ll be caught on camera and broadcast across the globe. Watch videos...
Contributors
09/09/2011 / RUSSIA
Russian officials try to keep smelly toxic cloud hush-hush
When a thick layer of mysterious, orange smoke blanketed the city of Chelyabinsk last week, terrified residents shuttered themselves indoors. Schoolchildren even missed their first day of class. Local authorities, however, did their very best to downplay the disaster. Read story and watch videos…
Contributors
08/09/2011 / LIBYA
Tripoli: After the Arab Spring comes the spring clean
Since the Libyan capital fell to the anti-government forces, immigrants have fled Tripoli in large numbers. In their absence, the city’s residents have had to take on tasks usually handled by foreign workers, notably cleaning the city’s streets. Read more and see photos…
08/09/2011 / SYRIA
‘Snipers are shooting everywhere’, says Homs eyewitness
At least 21 people were killed during an army raid Wednesday in Homs, a hotbed of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. While foreign media is banned from reporting in Syria, we were able to track down amateur footage filmed inside Homs, showing a city under siege. Through Skype, we also managed to contact our Observer in Homs, Waleed Fares (not his real name), who told us this may be the worst crackdown he’s witnessed yet. Watch our video report…
Contributors
07/09/2011 / CHINA
77-year-old woman strips to protest the demolition of her home
Desperate for justice, a 77-year old woman knelt naked in front of a Shanghai courthouse on August 18 to protest the demolition of her home. The scene was filmed and has since gone viral online. She tells FRANCE 24 why she took such drastic measures. Read more….
Contributors
