FRANCE 24 this week explored anti-government protests from Paris to Baghdad, featured a disturbing new book of allegations on Donald Trump's history with women, looked at the backlash against Roman Polanski after a new rape allegation, spoke with pop punk rockers Blink 182 on their latest album and mapped the battlelines in the war for streaming TV content.

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ARTICLES

Lebanese protesters face off with riot police officers in Beirut on November 19, 2019. Aziz Taher, Reuters

‘It’s your right to arrest us’: Beirut protesters vow to keep up the pressure

Lebanese protesters vow to keep pushing for an overhaul of the country’s politics even as riot police clashed with demonstrators who prevented lawmakers from reaching parliament.

Ladies and the Trump: The making of a sexual predator

Using comprehensive firsthand interviews, transcripts and court reports, a disturbing new book, "All the President’s Women", discovers at least 67 separate accusations of inappropriate behaviour, including 26 instances of unwanted sexual contact by US President Donald Trump.

After Morales: Bolivia faces uncertain future as violence rages

Bolivia's interim leadership has asked Congress to approve the organisation of new elections in the bitterly divided country as deadly violence continues to rage following the resignation of leftist President Evo Morales.

A year of insurgency: How the Yellow Vests left an ‘indelible mark’ on French politics

November 17 marked the first anniversary of France’s Yellow Vest movement, a potent, unconventional insurgency that has been widely caricatured and misunderstood, and is set to leave a lasting imprint on French society and politics.

Karim Benzema is still France's "best" striker, says his Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane. Susana Vera, Reuters

Benzema hits back at French football boss: ‘I alone will call end to international career’

France’s ostracised striker Karim Benzema has fired back at the head of the French Football Federation, who declared this week that the Real Madrid star's international career was over.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé – along with Trump's tariffs

Beaujolais Nouveau lovers uncorked this year’s first bottles on Thursday, but producers face the sobering truth of a dip in margins due to the new tariffs on EU products imposed by the United States, their second-biggest export market.

Challenging Islamic law in Egypt, Christian woman fights for inheritance equality

Egypt declared 2017 the "Year of the Woman", but nearly three years later women have yet to be granted equal inheritance rights. One woman has made it her personal mission to rectify that.

VIDEO REPORTS

At Baghdad's Tahrir Square, Iraqi women buck tradition to join protests

A number of young Iraqi women have been joining the anti-government protests at Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, overriding family concerns over potential outbreaks of violence, which has killed more than 300 people over the past month.

Young Iraqi women have been joining the recent protests in Baghdad. Screengrab, France 24

ENCORE!

Blink 182: California band return with new record 'Nine'

Twenty years after releasing the multi-platinum "Enema of the State", one of the most iconic alternative albums of the 1990s, Blink 182 are back with a new record called "Nine". FRANCE 24 sat down with them to talk about their new songs and the messages they want to convey about 2019.

Blink 182 returns with new record 'Nine'. Screengrab, France 24

Harlan Coben: 'Writers never like to admit it but all lead characters are based on them'

He's sold more books than most of your favourite authors combined: 70 million copies translated into more than 40 languages. Award-winning author Harlan Coben is adored here in France, with film director Guillaume Canet adapting his 2001 thriller "Tell No One" for the big screen in 2006 and two more of his books made into French TV series.

FOCUS

France: After the Nice terror attack, dealing with trauma and trying to move on

As the International Congress for the Victims of Terrorism opens in the southern French city of Nice, FRANCE 24 reports from the terror-struck Riviera city. On July 14, 2016, thousands of people were celebrating Bastille Day when a Tunisian national deliberately drove a truck through the crowd. Some 86 people were killed and more than 400 were injured, while thousands more are still trying to deal with the trauma of what they experienced.

Writer Thierry Vimal discusses life for survivors after the Nice terror attack that claimed his daughter's life. Screengrab, France 24

FRENCH CONNECTIONS

Going underground: Exploring the Paris Métro

The Parisian Métro system is arguably one of the most emblematic features of life in the French capital. The first line opened in 1900 and was an immediate success. According to a recent study, Parisians have the best access to rapid public transport compared to 25 other cities in the world. But the same can’t be said for the 12 million people living outside the city limits. So what are authorities doing to improve access to transportation around Paris, and to decongest the increasingly packed metros in the capital?

FASHION

Men's fashion: Are traditional catwalk shows still relevant?

Men have been taking to the catwalk for 50 years for fashion weeks in London, New York, Milan and, of course, Paris. But buyers and fashion journalists alike have short attention spans. How to stay exciting year after year? Are traditional fashion shows always the answer? Simon Jacquemus prefers picnicking with his guests to organising a show, Olivier Rousteing mixes men and women for Balmain, while Thom Browne wraps decor and models in bubble wrap.

THE 51 PERCENT

Outcry as director Roman Polanski faces new rape allegation

In this edition, protesters disrupt the French premiere of Roman Polanski's latest film following a new rape accusation made against the director. We also take a look at the debate here in France over the ban on women wearing the Muslim headscarf or hijab in government offices and schools, and speak to American journalist Karina Piser, who has reported extensively on French secularism.

Protesters rally against Roman Polanski's latest film in Paris. Screengrab, France 24

TECH 24

Streaming platforms: The war for content is on

A battle is raging inside your TV as networks are looking for new ways to get your attention. Streaming platforms offering on-demand, mobile and personalised experiences are on the rise. After Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now and Amazon Prime – and now Disney+ and Apple TV+ – we tell you how the war for content is heating up.

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