All posts filed under: Images talk

Elon Musk’s tweets: Investigating the billionaire’s anti-European rhetoric

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The FRANCE 24 Observers -including me- collaborated with France Info and Belgium’s RTBF to analyse the rhetoric of Elon Musk, one of Trump’s closest advisers. This two-part investigation, conducted by the Médias Francophones Publics, examines the X owner’s social media posts, documenting how the billionaire is propagating anti-Ukraine sentiment and posting tweets in support of the European far right.“I use my tweets to express myself,” Musk said in 2018. Seven years later, and three years after he bought Twitter, Musk uses his own platform, now known as X, to express himself more freely than ever. With his criticism of Europe and its institutions, attacks on Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky in recent months, Musk has become a vocal supporter of the US presidential camp’s line. Journalists from Belgium’s RTBF, the FRANCE 24 Observers, and France Info, collaborating under the umbrella of the French-speaking public media association MFP (Médias Francophones Publics), looked at the 15,485 posts published or shared by Musk between November 4, 2024, the day before Trump’s election, and April 4, 2025. This report …

How Elon Musk boosts Europe’s far right on X

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To mark the 100th day of US President Donald Trump’s second term, the FRANCE 24 Observers collaborated with France Info and Belgium’s RTBF to analyse the rhetoric of Elon Musk, one of Trump’s closest advisers. This two-part investigation, conducted by the Médias Francophones Publics, examines the X owner’s social media posts, documenting how the billionaire is propagating anti-Ukraine sentiment and posting tweets in support of the European far right. I was lucky to be part of the team. If you are interested, you can find our investigation here: Elon Musk’s tweets (1/2): A conduit for pro-Russian anti-Ukraine rhetoric Elon Musk’s tweets (2/2): Raising the profile of Europe’s far right

Iranian female singers face arrests and police summons

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In Iran, at least seven women have recently been arrested or summoned for questioning by police. The Iranian regime does not allow women to sing in public. However, more and more Iranian women are defying the ban, particularly since the “Woman Life Freedom” movement began. In recent weeks, they have been the target of a crackdown. This report aired and was published first here at France 24.

‘Free Women of the Levant’: Jihadists’ families rally against al-Sharaa’s crackdown in Syria

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On December 14, dozens of protesters—mostly women and children—gathered in Aleppo in northern Syria to demand the release of their relatives from the prisons of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Yet the detainees are not pro-democracy activists or journalists imprisoned by the Islamist group: they are hardline jihadist fighters who rejected HTS’s increasingly pragmatic approach since the group began distancing itself from al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group. This shift began after the group’s founding in 2017 under Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. The detainees call themselves “The Real Mujahideen.” Among the demonstrators were women dressed in black burqas with leaflets in hand, chanting slogans and demanding the release of their relatives while carrying their photos. They refer to themselves as the “Free Women of the Levant.” The protest marks the first anti-HTS demonstration since the group seized control of Damascus and toppled the Bashar al-Assad regime. These women make no effort to hide their disdain for Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new leader of Syria and HTS, expressing their grievances …

Repression in Iran, ammunition made in France

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A two-year investigation by FRANCE 24 has revealed that hunting cartridges produced by the French-Italian ammunition manufacturer Cheddite were used in Iran during the violent crackdown on the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in 2022. The investigation uncovers how these cartridges are widely available in Iran, despite European sanctions imposed in 2011. It appears the ammunition may have been routed through Turkey, where Cheddite at one point held shares in a weapons manufacturing company. This investigation, broadcast by FRANCE 24, sheds light on the dealings that allowed the ammunition to reach Iranian soil, despite international sanctions. This investigation was produced by Ershad Alijani and Jullie Dungeloef. You can watch it on YouTube above and read the full story here on France24.