France is following an argument in the family of the super rich L'Oreal heiress Lilianne Bettencourt with bated breath. Revelations about alleged tax evasion and illegal party donations are putting pressure on president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Topics
France: The L'Oreal Funding Scandal
The Liliane Bettencourt scandal has all the ingredients of a prime time soap opera and has put French President Nicolas Sarkozy under intense pressure. He denies claims that his presidential campaign was funded illegally by France's richest woman, but the affair has brought his popularity to an all-time low.
87-year-old Bettencourt reportedly has a net worth of €17 billion, largely in holdings of stock in cosmetics giant L’Oréal. The scandal was first brought to light by her daughter, Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers. It started out as a legal dispute over the family fortune between the two, but when prosecutors opened a separate investigation into Liliane Bettencourt's tax affairs, her political connections came under the spotlight - including her donations to Sarkozy's conservative party, the UMP. Even her butler and her accountant have given their version of events.
Spain: Women in the Army
Spain's conservative generals need to do a rethink. For two years the post of defense minister has been occupied by a woman. And more and more women have joined Spain's elite fighting force, the Legion.
Until well into the 1990s the Legion was an all male institution. But since then women have had the opportunity to join. Legionnaires refer to themselves as married to death. Their code of honor states there is no greater honor than to die in battle...even today. The myth surrounding the legion is one thing. The other side of the coin is the prospect of a secure profession which attracts both men and women to the service.
The Czech Republic: Is Prague Turning into a New Amsterdam?
This year the Czech Republic has eased its anti drugs laws. Narcotics police would like that to change again.
In the Czech republic the possession of up to 15 grams of hashish or four ecstasy pills is regarded as a misdemeanor and not a crime. Prague could soon be more attractive to youngsters than Amsterdam. Anyone who wants to smoke a joint without fear of prosecution can find what they need around Wenceslas Square. Even during communist times Czechoslovakia had drug rehabilitation centers, which was pretty unique in Soviet bloc nations. Drug dealing is still a crime. But the Czech Republic's neighbors are still viewing the liberal drug laws there with a degree of skepticism.
Belgium: A Shadowy Legacy in the Congo
There are still unresolved issues between Belgium and the Congo some 50 years after the latter became independent. Belgians in general are reluctant to look into the brutal policies conducted in the former colony under King Leopold II.
Severed hands, mass executions and villages razed to the ground were part and parcel of the Belgian colonial regime. This hardly features on the school curriculum back home, however. The Brussels suburb of Matonge is now home to many descendants of former Congolese slaves. Sometimes they have the feeling that Belgians still see the Congo as a colony.
Russia: A Village Calls the Tune
Bavleny is a small Russian provincial town which no one would pay any attention too...if there had not been a music school and a woodwind orchestra for children for 30 years.
Bavleny is home to 3000 inhabitants. It's four hours away from Moscow. Unemployment is high, but Bavleny has something special...culture. The music school teaches children the love of music. And it's very successful. The orchestra has already won all the provincial competitions. It has toured Poland, Hungary and Germany. It is a unique opportunity for the children to see the wider world.
