#BoycottFrance spreads, CCP hints at 5-Year Plan, Trudeau thinks Covid "sucks" and Netflix's chess drama
26 October - 1 November 2020
Welcome to November!
TENSIONS IN FRANCE
A controversial campaign by Emmanuel Macron to curb "Islamic separatism" has sparked anger at home and abroad.
Several Muslim-majority communities and countries held anti-France protests, while various shops removed French products from their shelves as part of the #BoycottFrance movement.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Macron said he understood the feelings of Muslims who take offence at cartoons of Prophet Muhammad but that violence was unjustifiable. The French president went on to explain why he believes "radical Islam" is a threat to all, and his duty to protect freedom of speech and expression.
Tensions were reignited in France when a history teacher was beheaded on 16 October after it emerged he had discussed caricatures of Prophet Muhammad with his class. Then, on Thursday, three people were killed in a knife attack at a church in Nice.
The tragic events and public outcry are stirring debate about France's unique brand of secularism, called laïcité. Academics and analysts wonder if this philosophy is simply anti-religion as opposed to promoting a system independent of religious influences.
A PEEK AT THE BLUEPRINT
"Where do you see yourself in five years time?"
This is usually a tricky question to answer in job interviews but China's political elite have a precise plan of action.
The crème de la crème of the CCP met behind closed doors this week to finalise their vision for the country and its growth trajectory. Initial details of the 14th Five-Year Plan (covering 2021-25) were released on Thursday, providing a glimpse at the roadmap that will be approved by the National People's Congress in early 2021. The committee also outlined their 15-year strategy which will be completed by 2035.
The main points of these blueprints are strengthening the "socialist market economy", accelerating self-reliance, improving living standards, technological innovation, reducing carbon emissions, and further enhancing "social etiquette and civility".
According to an op-ed in Chinese state media, the five-year plans inject doses of certainty into a turbulent world. It added that these goals "seem unreachable in some Western countries where long-range policies can barely survive".
"THIS REALLY SUCKS"
Covid-19 cases are spiking. France, Germany and the UK are introducing lockdown measures. The world economy is in tatters. International leisure travel is basically non-existent.
Yes, 2020 is a year most of us would like to forget - and Justin Trudeau wants you to know he's on the same page. "We are in an unprecedented global pandemic that really sucks," said the Canadian PM at a press conference on Tuesday. "This sucks, it really, really does."
As Christmas approaches, people are looking for a candid assessment of the coronavirus chaos. But what do you think of Trudeau's rather millennial word choice? Did he strike the right tone or should he stick to formal language?
A THRILLING GAME OF CHESS
If you're searching for another distraction on Netflix, my latest 'quaran-teevee' pick is The Queen's Gambit.
Based on a 1983 novel, the seven episode drama tells the tale of Beth Harmon (played wonderfully by Anya Taylor-Joy), a young chess whizz who competes in the male-dominated field while overcoming addiction and childhood trauma.
The Queen's Gambit is a riveting character study and intriguing period piece - the story is set in the 1950s and '60s - making it worthy of your attention.
As New York Magazine notes, the show manages to turn the classic board game into something "exciting, even a bit sexy".
THE ORIGINAL 007
This edition of Deep Dive ends with a tribute to Sir Sean Connery, who has died at age 90.
Connery beat out Cary Grant and Richard Burton to land the role of Ian Fleming's elusive MI6 agent. The Scotsman made his debut as 007 in 1962's Dr No, where he delivered one of the most famous lines in movie history - "Bond, James Bond".
Connery played the fictional British spy in other hits, including From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball, and consequently created a cinematic icon.
After retiring the gun and martini glass, the actor earned acclaim for his performances in scores of films, notably Robin and Marian, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Untouchables, The Hunt for Red October and Entrapment.