Kyrgyzstan - The erosion of democracy

Every year, the Italian town of Viterbo honors its patron saint, Santa Rosa, with a unique procession. A 30-metre-high sculpture has traditionally been carried through the town by more than 100 men. Now, women are challenging that exclusionary custom. Viterbo is an Italian town with a centuries-old tradition. Every year, on 3 September, more than a hundred men carry the huge Macchina di Santa Rosa sculpture - standing almost 30 meters tall - through the old town. For many, this ritual is a defining part of their identity. But Viterbo is changing, and a new generation is questioning why this tradition is reserved for men. At the heart of this development is 13-year-old Stella. She was the first girl to be accepted into the Mini-Macchina club - the first step for children hoping to one day become fully-fledged Macchina bearers. Now she's preparing for her most important challenge. For the first time, she's allowed to take part in what's known as the steep stage to the Santuario di Santa Rosa, a symbolic highlight of the ritual. One of the bearers

For decades, many families in India and China did not want daughters. Girls were often aborted, killed as infants, abandoned, or sold. But in recent years, things have started to change. Political decisions aimed at curbing rapid population growth in India and China, together with a widespread preference for boys for economic reasons, have led to a situation where both countries now have more men than women. Again and again, the preference for sons over daughters caused families to resort to radical measures, ranging from sex-selective abortions to infanticide, the abandonment of girls, and, in China, the sale of girls after birth. As early as 1990, Indian economist Amartya Sen, who would later win the Nobel Prize in Economics, warned that more than 100 million women were "missing" in the developing world, and especially in India and China, in the ratio to men. Today, many men in China and India are unable to find wives due to the shortage of women. That is one of the factors that has led to a shift in thinking in both countries—both in politics

Before the Taliban’s return, a brief hope was ignited. Could Afghanistan become a more just country? A group of Afghan women sat at the negotiating table. But after the Taliban took power in 2021, those dreams were dashed. Four women were part of an Afghan negotiating team that included representatives of the former government. They wrestled with the Taliban over the future of Afghanistan. Although it was life-threatening for them to raise their voices against the Taliban's misogynistic regime, they never gave up hope of preserving the women of Afghanistan’s hard-won rights. The team's intelligence, perseverance and bravery in the face of a hopeless situation are characteristic, when it comes to women around the world who fight for both peace and equality. But the Taliban were not interested in a democratic, free society in which girls and women have basic rights and can go to school, study or work. After decades of war and chaos, Afghanistan has become safer under the Taliban. But the price for women is high: they have paid with their freedom. ______ DW Documentary gives you

Why Social Media Rewards Hate - Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen reveals how social media algorithms shape public opinion, reward outrage, and threaten democracy itself. From misinformation and political manipulation to addictive algorithms and profit-driven decisions, this documentary exposes the hidden mechanics behind one of the most powerful systems ever created. Because on modern social media… attention is power and outrage is profitable. Why Social Media Rewards Hate (2022) Stars: Frances Haugen Genre: Documentary, Interview, Technology, Current Affairs Country: France Language: French Also Known As: Interview with Frances Haugen / Entretien avec Frances Haugen Release Date: 2022 Synopsis: Entretien avec Frances Haugen features an in-depth interview with Frances Haugen, the former Facebook employee who exposed thousands of internal company documents revealing how the platform allegedly ignored the harmful effects of its algorithms and business practices. In the interview, Haugen discusses how social media platforms amplify misinformation, polarization, and harmful content while prioritizing engagement and growth. She explains the internal culture inside Facebook, the lack of effective oversight, and the urgent need for regulation of major technology companies. The documentary examines

He made Wall Street cheer while $80 million of inventory never existed. This is the rise and unraveling of Crazy Eddie and its mastermind, Eddie Antar. From bait-and-switch sales to underground supply chains, Eddie turned a single Brooklyn store into a 39-location empire and one of the hottest IPOs of the 1980s. But behind the commercials and rock-star shareholder meetings was a machine built on skimming cash, secret Tel Aviv accounts, and a planted cousin inside the auditing firm. See how pallets of boxes became a facade, why auditors kept “finding” what Eddie wanted them to see, and how a bold Walkman bet helped mask deeper problems. As the fraud ballooned, a family rift, suspicious stock sales, and a hostile takeover exposed an $80 million hole. And when the money trail led to Geneva, a frozen account and an unexpected sting ended the run. Discover the playbook that fooled the Street, the pressure that made it crack, and the moment everything collapsed. Watch to learn how the biggest retail fraud of its era was engineered—and finally caught.

Lars used to be a police officer. Together with his wife Sandy and their young son, he moved from Germany to a remote Scottish island in the Atlantic. Colonsay has only 120 inhabitants, a shop and a café - and not much else. Lars was keen to escape big city life and pitched the idea to his Scottish wife, Sandy. She agreed to relocate their family and move to Colonsay. The remote island is where she grew up; she and Lars even got married there a few years ago. Lars is a lively, sociable type. Will the solitude and almost eerie tranquility on the island in winter suit him? Lars’ father-in-law runs an oyster farm on Colonsay. He’d been looking for someone to take over the business and now Lars is there to help. It’s a tough business. In summer, life feels like a holiday. But in winter, ‘the demons come’, as the islanders say. Lars, too, is struggling with his past. It’s only light for a few hours a day in winter, and the island is often battered by