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A lawyer defending Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari,  the Hindu priest arrested and accused of sedition in Bangladesh, has been attacked, the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) has said. A court in Bangladesh is expected to hear the case on December 3. 

In a post on X, Radharaman Das, the spokesperson for ISKCON, said, "Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life".

Many lawyers in Bangladesh, however, have denied any such event.

Last month too, there were claims on social media and a few news outlets that a lawyer defending Chinmoy Krishna Das was killed. But investigations revealed that the murdered lawyer, Saiful Islam, was an assistant public prosecutor and he was not defending Chinmoy Das.

The post from Radharaman Das read: 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. 
 
Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaveBangladeshiHindus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaveBangladeshiHindus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu</a> <a href="https://t.co/uudpC10bpN">pic.twitter.com/uudpC10bpN</a>
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) <a href="https://twitter.com/RadharamnDas/status/1863593503609303469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2024</a></blockquote>

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a prominent former leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, was arrested in Dhaka last month after protests by the Hindu community in Rangpur, demanding stronger legal protections for minority groups. He has been accused of sedition and was denied bail by a Dhaka court on Tuesday.

Bangladesh has seen widespread political violence and protests over minority rights since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Amid attacks on minority Hindus in the neighbouring coutry, Radharaman Das had earlier posted on X that two disciples of Chinmoy Krishna Das have gone missing in Chattogram after a second Hindu monk, Shyam Das Prabhu, was arrested.

India has condemned the arrest and urged Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities. 

The arrest has also been strongly criticised by Indian religious leaders and members of the civil society.

Protest rallies have been held in West Bengal and several other staes that share border with Bangladesh.

In Tripura, the criticism has taken the form of boycott. Hotels and restaurants have decided not to accept bookings from tourists from Bangladesh, the top association of the travel sector has said.

Earlier today, more than 50 protesters allegedly entered the premises of the Bangladeshi mission in Tripura capital Agartala, leading to panic among the officials and staff at the complex. India has described the incident as "deeply regrettable".

Advocate Defending Hindu Priest In Bangladesh Attacked, Says ISKCON

Scientists have been left amused after spotting an octopus hitchhiking during its journey, albeit with an unlikely marine friend. In a <a class="sp_lnk2" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cYlBarkmDY&t=1s" rel="noindex,nofollow">video </a>posted on social media, researchers captured the orange-hued Maori octopus clinging to the back of a large shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), regarded as one of the fastest sharks in the world.

The footage captured in December 2023 but released this week shows the "sharktopus", casually strolling around in the Hauraki Gulf off the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island.

"At first, I was like: 'Is it a buoy? Is it entangled in fishing gear or had a big bite?'" Rochelle Constantin, marine ecologist at the University of Auckland told the <a class="sp_lnk2" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/science/octopus-riding-shark-new-zealand.html" rel="noindex,nofollow">New York Times.</a>

Afterwards, one of the technicians set up a drone for a closer look which managed to capture the stunning footage. As per the researchers, what made the incident unusual was the fact that octopuses are usually found on the seabed where shortfin mako sharks rarely pay a visit.

"We moved on after 10 minutes, so I can't tell you what happened next. The octopus may have been in for quite the experience, though, since the world's fastest shark species can reach 50 km per hour," said Ms Constantin.

"The 'sharktopus' encounter is a reminder of the wonders of the ocean. One of the best things about being a marine scientist is that you never know what you might see next in the sea. By supporting conservation initiatives, we can help to ensure that such extraordinary moments keep happening."



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Octopus spotted riding on top of world's fastest shark <a href="https://t.co/631gtGK5eg">pic.twitter.com/631gtGK5eg</a>
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) <a href="https://twitter.com/AMAZlNGNATURE/status/1903172171410678242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h3>Social media reacts</h3>

As the video went viral, social media users reacted in astonishment with many calling the octopus smart for utilising the ocean resources for its commute.

"This octopus is a genius. Work smart, not hard," said one user while another added: 'Bro got himself an Uber."

A third commented: "You know humanity is doomed when the alien octopi start domesticating the sharks to ride into battle."



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bro got himself an Uber ? <a href="https://t.co/GbNHd1XH9V">https://t.co/GbNHd1XH9V</a>
— John Mark Bucsit (@JMBucss) <a href="https://twitter.com/JMBucss/status/1903299400488894786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The researchers said it is possible that the octopus may have fallen with the shark quickly devouring it but it is equally likely that the eight-armed commuter may have slid to the seabed safely, owing to the shallow waters.

Octopus Caught Hitchhiking On Shark's Back In Viral Video: "Bro Got An Uber"

Eight years before the Boeing Starliner suffered glitches, ensuring an extended stay on the International Space Station for nine months, NDTV had spoken to Sunita Williams and asked whether she thought flying on a privately built spacecraft could be risky. The Indian-origin astronaut, who had already begun collaborating with Boeing at the time, had said that while there were bumps and even a few heated discussions, she was confident that the spacecraft would be safe when people flew in it.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV during a visit to India in 2016, Ms Williams also spoke about being the first astronaut to have samosas on the International Space Station (ISS) and how she intended to carry an idol of Lord Ganesh, whom she called her "good-luck charm", on her next spaceflight. <a class="sp_lnk2" href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/sunita-williams-butch-wilmore-elon-musk-spacex-crew-9-earth-international-space-station-nasa-stranded-astronauts-return-journey-to-begin-shortly-7948251" target="_blank">Follow Sunita Williams Homecoming Live Updates Here</a>

Responding to a question on whether she thought she was taking a big risk by being one of the first astronauts on a private sector spacecraft, Ms Williams, who is vastly experienced and also held the record for the maximum hours of spacewalks by a woman, said the collaboration with Boeing and SpaceX had been really good and the companies had allowed them to participate in the development of the craft.

"We are working hand in hand with our commercial partners. And I think it's a really good collaboration, a really good partnership where, particularly the first four of us who are going to more than likely fly on their spacecraft, they have allowed us into their companies to take a look at what their engineers are doing and understand from the grassroots part of development of the spacecraft, how it is being made. What's interesting and nice about that, I think they are open to that because both of these companies only have a limited number of people who have flown in space," she had said.

Ms Williams said the companies understood that the astronauts were trying to ensure they would be successful and their expertise would help them.

"At the same time, we are not doing things the way we have always done them. We are letting the companies come up with new ideas. And so we are having this dialogue back and forth, a little bit of a debate, like, how come you think this process is correct? And then they have to defend it a little bit. We have to defend our ideas of why we think things should go a (certain) way. And then we could come to the best solution," she said.

"So, of course, we are going to run into bumps and have a little heated discussion on some of these things. But I think we will iron it all out and we will figure it all out. And I think by the time we put the people on the spacecraft, we will have a very safe spacecraft," she asserted.

Ms Williams was assigned to the Starliner project in 2018 and played a key role in the development of the spacecraft, which carried her and fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station in June last year.

Indian Connection

Sunita Williams' father, Deepak Pandya, is from Jhulasan village in Gujarat's Mehsana and left for the United States in 1957. The Indian connection was clearly very much on her mind when NDTV asked her why she ate samosas at the ISS and said she had asked for some "special things that reminded her of home".

"I think my answer to a lot of things is, why not? If you have the opportunity, take it. I love samosas. I had asked for some special things that reminded me of home, and one of those things was samosas. And so my family was somehow able to work with NASA - we get some care packages when we are up in space for a long time, and so they put the samosas in there, and it was a nice surprise," she said.

The astronaut had carried the Gita into space in an earlier mission and to a question on what she intended to take with her next, she said it would probably be a Ganesh idol.

"Something for my niece and nephew, who are both Indian. I will probably bring something for them, some Indian toys as well as probably another Ganesh, because Ganesh is my good luck charm... I'm more of a just a spiritual person. I just know he's there with me, guiding (me)," she said.

Ms Williams also said she had been good friends with fellow Indian-origin astronaut Kalpana Chawla since she had met her after joining NASA.

"We did a lot of things together. Did a lot of nature walks, went bike riding quite a bit, just talked a lot. She's just the type of person that you would automatically connect with. And probably our similar backgrounds, just having Indian parents, you know, lent itself to that," she said.

Calculated Risks

When she was asked whether Ms Chawla's death - when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere in 2003 - worried her sometimes, Ms Williams said, "Yes and no. I mean, we understood, I knew we would come to the conclusion and understand exactly what happened to Space Shuttle Columbia. And we would fix that problem. And moving on from there, I think all of the Columbia crew, all the members there, were all good friends of ours in the astronaut office. And I think what their dream, their vision, was just to continue and to explore.

"And, so, it worries us all. I think every time we or any of our friends from the office get on a rocket, it's a big explosion essentially that you're sitting on. But those are calculated risks," she asserted.

Samosas And The Risk Of Private Spacecraft: What Sunita Williams Had Told NDTV

<div id=":r8" class="Am aiL Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" tabindex="1" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" aria-owns=":11b" aria-controls=":11b" aria-expanded="false">
Indian passengers At Kuwait Airport: कुवैत एयरपोर्ट पर भारतीय यात्री फंसे हुए हैं. मुंबई से मैनचेस्टर जा रही गल्फ एयर की फ्लाइट को तकनीकी खराबी के कारण कुवैत इंटरनेशनल एयरपोर्ट पर इमरजेंसी लैंडिंग करनी पड़ी. फ्लाइट के इंजन से धुआं निकलने की सूचना के बाद यह कदम उठाया गया. हालांकि, यात्रियों को वहां कोई मदद नहीं मिल रही है, जिससे वे 23 घंटे से ज्यादा समय से बिना &nbsp;खाना-पानी &nbsp;के एयरपोर्ट पर फंसे हुए हैं. दरअसल, मुंबई से मैनचेस्टर जा रही फ्लाइट के इंजन में खराबी के कारण कुवैत एयरपोर्ट पर इमरजेंसी लैंडिंग की गई. फ्लाइट में धुआं देखने के बाद यह निर्णय लिया. 60 भारतीय यात्री 23 घंटे से एयरपोर्ट पर इंतजार कर रहे हैं. उन्हें न तो बैठने की पर्याप्त जगह दी गई है और न ही भोजन-पानी उपलब्ध कराया गया है. सोशल मीडिया पर यात्रियों की शिकायतें
सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल हो रहे वीडियो में यात्री कुवैत एयरपोर्ट अधिकारियों के साथ बहस करते दिख रहे हैं. यात्रियों ने आरोप लगाया है कि भारतीय यात्रियों के साथ जानबूझकर गलत व्यवहार किया जा रहा है. वहीं, अब तक गल्फ एयर की ओर से यात्रियों की मदद या समस्या के समाधान को लेकर कोई ठोस बयान नहीं आया है.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Embassy has been informed by Gulf Air that the flight for stranded passengers from Kuwait to Manchester is tentatively scheduled at 3.30 am on 2 Dec. This is being conveyed to all passengers by the Embassy team at the airport. <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrSJaishankar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KVSinghMPGonda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KVSinghMPGonda</a>
&mdash; India in Kuwait (@indembkwt) <a href="https://twitter.com/indembkwt/status/1863258309878267989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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दूतावास ने लाउंज में किया ठहराने की व्यवस्था
कुवैत में भारतीय वीजा ऑन अराइवल (VoA) के लिए पात्र नहीं हैं, इसलिए वे एयरपोर्ट से बाहर नहीं निकल पा रहे हैं हालांकि वहां भारतीय दूतावास उनकी सहायता करने की कोशिश कर रहा है. फंसे हुए भारतीयों की परेशानी और बढ़ गई है क्योंकि कुवैत में खाड़ी सहयोग परिषद (GCC) की बैठक के कारण एयरपोर्ट होटल उपलब्ध नहीं है. दूतावास ने उन्हें एयरपोर्ट लाउंज में ठहराने का प्रबंध किया है.
भारतीय दूतावास की प्रतिक्रिया
कुवैत में भारतीय दूतावास ने रविवार रात को एक्स पर कहा "दूतावास को गल्फ एयर की ओर से बताया गया है कि कुवैत से मैनचेस्टर के लिए फंसे हुए यात्रियों के लिए उड़ान 2 दिसंबर को सुबह 3.30 बजे निर्धारित है. हवाई अड्डे पर दूतावास की टीम &nbsp;सभी यात्रियों को यह जानकारी दे रही है. लाउंज में फंसे यात्रियों के लिए भोजन और पानी उपलब्ध है"
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Reading WHY BHARAT MATTERS while getting stuck in Kuwait without any help All British Passport holders got their hotels sorted with On-arrival visa while <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianPassport?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianPassport</a> holders have been left stranded without any info, food, or any kind of help. <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrSJaishankar</a><a href="https://twitter.com/GulfAir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GulfAir</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GF5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GF5</a> <a href="https://t.co/5qUNEP8rMO">pic.twitter.com/5qUNEP8rMO</a>
&mdash; Shivansh (@shiv4nsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/shiv4nsh/status/1863117612411994509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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फंसे हुए यात्रियों में से एक सॉफ्टवेयर इंजीनियर शिवांश ने एक्स हैंडल @shiv4nsh से लिखा &ldquo;बिना किसी मदद के कुवैत में फंसे रहने के दौरान (विदेश मंत्री एस जयशंकर की) Why Bharat Matters पढ़ रहा हूं. सभी ब्रिटिश पासपोर्ट धारकों को VoA के साथ अपने होटल की व्यवस्था कर दी गई, जबकि भारतीय पासपोर्ट धारक बिना किसी जानकारी, भोजन या किसी भी तरह की मदद के फंसे रह गए.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
01.12.2024 at 2.50 - I was traveling on a Gulf Air flight with other 268 passengers last night when the left engine caught fire mid air when we are cruising at 15000 meters attitude, leading to an emergency landing in Kuwait City. 💤💤<a href="https://twitter.com/GulfAir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gulfair</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thankyou?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thankyou</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#flight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fire</a> <a href="https://t.co/KnA3h4Z6c1">pic.twitter.com/KnA3h4Z6c1</a>
&mdash; Sai Samrat Anandapu (@SamratChintu) <a href="https://twitter.com/SamratChintu/status/1863229575431332048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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एक अन्य यात्री साई सम्राट आनंदपु ने अपने हैंडल @SamratChintu से ट्वीट किया "मैं बहरीन में ट्रांजिट के साथ हैदराबाद से मैनचेस्टर जा रहा था. हमारी उड़ान सुबह 2.10 बजे शुरू हुई, लेकिन 1.5 घंटे बाद बाएं इंजन में आग लग गई, जिससे कुवैत सिटी में आपातकालीन लैंडिंग हुई. हम 6 घंटे से अधिक समय से मदद का इंतजार कर रहे हैं, लेकिन केवल ब्रिटिश नागरिकों और जीसीसी निवासियों को ही जगह दी गई है, जिससे हम भारतीयों को मदद नहीं मिल पा रही है. हमारे बीच बच्चे और बुजुर्ग भी हैं, जिन्हें मैनचेस्टर के लिए हमारी उड़ान के बारे में कुछ नहीं बताया गया है. कृपया हमें ठहरने के लिएआवास प्रदान करें, क्योंकि हमें फ्रेश होने हैं."
</div>
ये भी पढ़ें:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abplive.com/states/delhi-ncr/arvind-kejriwal-said-delhi-is-captured-by-gangsters-in-press-conference-after-arrest-of-aap-mla-naresh-balyan-2834058">'नरेश बाल्यान खुद पीड़ित, उन्हें मिल रही धमकी', AAP विधायक की गिरफ्तारी पर बोले अरविंद केजरीवाल</a>

कुवैत में करानी पड़ी फ्लाइट की इमरजेंसी लैंडिंग, 23 घंटों से एयरपोर्ट पर ही फंसे कई भारतीय

Vodafone Idea is in exploratory talks with various satellite communication providers, including Starlink, the company said on Wednesday, a week after the Indian telecom firm's rivals signed deals with Elon Musk's company.

The mobile operator made the disclosure after Indian stock exchanges sought a clarification on its stock move and a report by local financial news website Moneycontrol earlier in the day.

Shares of Vodafone Idea rose nearly 5% on Wednesday.

"Our strategy is to provide services -- whether fixed or mobile -- in uncovered areas, where satellite makes perfect sense," Vodafone Idea Chief Technology Officer Jagbir Singh told Moneycontrol, as per the report.

"The other (strategy) is to provide fixed wireless broadband in rural areas and smaller towns, where it is expensive to roll out such services."

Last week, Elon Musk's SpaceX signed deals with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to bring Starlink's internet services to India.

As part of the deals, the Indian operators will stock Starlink's equipment in their retail stores, giving the US-based satellite communication firm a direct distribution point in thousands of such outlets across the country.

The deals will be conditional on Starlink obtaining government approval to begin operations in the country.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Vodafone Idea In Talks With Elon Musk's Starlink, Other Satcom Providers

France's trial of a man who drugged his wife so dozens of strangers could rape her while unconscious has been both ordinary and extraordinary, AFP journalists who have been covering it say.

Details of the case have horrified audiences in France and abroad since the trial began on September 2, drawing renewed attention on the widespread crime of rape and the issue of consent.

But it has also catapulted its main victim, 72-year-old Gisele Pelicot, into the limelight as a feminist hero demanding a patriarchal society change its attitude to sex crimes.

Dominique Pelicot, 72, has admitted sedating his then wife with sleeping pills from 2011 to 2020 so that men he recruited online could rape her in her own bed, meticulously documenting the abuse in video footage.

As the court case draws to a close with verdicts expected on Thursday, the AFP journalists who have been covering it say it has raised questions both about gender relations and how to report sensitively on horrific abuse.

Video journalist Viken Kantarci remembers the first day of the trial.

"Gisele Pelicot turned up and we knew that she, like us, was discovering all these faces -- the faces of the men who had raped her -- for the first time," said Kantarci, who covered the story with colleague Fabien Novial for AFPTV.

"We were soon plunged into the atmosphere of what the trial would be: something both quite ordinary, in terms of the type of people we were seeing, but also out of the ordinary because of how many of them there were and the extent of the alleged crimes," he said.

Beyond Dominique Pelicot, the other accused aged 27 to 74 have hailed from all walks of life, and included an unemployed man, a truck driver, a journalist, a firefighter, an engineer and an electrician.

All are accused of raping, attempting to rape or in one case touching Gisele Pelicot, except for one who has been charged with repeatedly abusing his own wife after drugging her with Dominique Pelicot's help.

Several have admitted rape but many have maintained Dominique Pelicot manipulated them and they thought they were taking part in a couple's fantasy.

'Anonymous victim to hero' 

Many had expected the trial to be held behind closed doors.

But Gisele Pelicot demanded on its first day that hearings be open to the public. She argued that it should be up to abusers -- not victims -- to feel shame.

David Courbet, one of AFP's text journalists who has been reporting from inside the courtroom, said that decision changed everything.

Gisele Pelicot's choice "enabled the trial to exist and, hopefully, leave its mark on history", he said.

AFP initially only used the main victim's first name and the initial of her last name to protect her family's privacy.

But after she spoke to the media three days into the trial, saying she would fight her corner until the end, the news agency decided to publish her full surname with the consent of her family's lawyers.

While Gisele Pelicot has since divorced her husband and reverted to using her maiden name, she has decided to use the surname carried by some of her children and grandchildren during the trial.

"She went from anonymous victim to hero, carrying a political, universal message," Courbet said.

As news of the trial spread, Gisele Pelicot, her fringed bob haircut and round sunglasses inspired art and messages of support in Avignon and other French cities but also abroad.

The town of Avignon started to beat to the rhythm of the trial, with repeated feminist protests outside the courthouse and restaurants often fully booked for lunch.

Journalists soon learnt who ate where: which restaurants served the civil parties, and which fed the defendants.

"From just a few cameras at the start of the trial, other French and foreign crews then started arriving in the following days," said video journalist Kantarci, listing British, US and Spanish media in particular.

In the hall outside the courtroom, they rushed in every day to catch images or soundbites as civil parties, defendants and their lawyers made their way to and from hearings.

From as early as 5:45 am -- two and a half hours before the courthouse opens its doors -- members of the public have been standing outside to try to nab one of around 30 seats in a single room transmitting hearings via videolink, sometimes without success.

Photographer in awe 

Barred from the courtroom itself, AFP photographers and video journalists have tried to capture a sense of the proceedings from the margins, through capturing the chants of support to Gisele Pelicot outside court, speaking to villagers in Mazan where the Pelicots used to live as well as to sociologists.

Inside court, Benoit Peyrucq has been sketching those taking the stand or sitting in the dock. His sketches of Dominique Pelicot have been among the most popular with AFP clients.

Just outside, AFP has seen Gisele Pelicot arriving with her head held high to be greeted by applause or even bunches of flowers, while her alleged abusers have sought to avoid cameras, concealing their features under hoodies, baseball caps or surgical face masks.

Kantarci, the video journalist, said several had even been "aggressive towards the media".

Photographer Christophe Simon, who has been with AFP for four decades, said the trial had required more sensitivity than other stories.

"We gave Gisele Pelicot and her family a lot of space because we could imagine what they were going through," he said.

Instead, day after day, he said, he built up a relationship with Gisele Pelicot and her lawyers, greeting them and exchanging pleasantries.

"One day I even tripped and she helped me get up," he said.

On October 23, her lawyers agreed for him to take her portrait. She has not accepted any other such request since.

They met in the early afternoon in the garden of the hotel where she was staying.

The veteran war reporter told Gisele Pelicot he was greatly "impressed" by her courage.

"She looked surprised and interested," said the photojournalist, whose portrait of Gisele Pelicot staring straight into his lens has since been published around the world.

Troubling footage 

As AFP's then-bureau chief for the southern city of Marseille and surrounding area including Avignon for most of the trial, Isabelle Wesselingh coordinated much of its coverage with her deputy chief Olivier Lucazeau.

"The repeated rape of a woman is really shocking, and you also realise the extent to which the case has ripped a family apart," she said.

But also "we had to keep in mind that a trial requires a two-sided debate, fair coverage of the defence's point of view, and a certain questioning of things -- all without underplaying the suffering".

Following AFP guidelines on covering sexual abuse, the team prepared by discussing the best language "to avoid voyeurism and remember the dignity of victims while covering incidents that were sometimes really vile", she added.

Text journalists also discussed how to prevent post-traumatic stress with AFP's work doctor before the trial started.

This was especially useful after judges, at the request of the civil parties, allowed reporters and members of the public to watch the graphic videos Dominique Pelicot filmed of strangers abusing his wife.

David Courbet says he realised watching the footage how important it was for it to be seen.

"They speak for themselves," he said.

To cope with their brutality, he said, he tried to focus on the wallpaper or the news bulletin you could hear on in the background.

Philippe Siuberski, another text reporter who covered the trial, said Gisele Pelicot "was sleeping, unresponsive".

"You could clearly hear snoring," said the journalist normally based in the southern city of Montpellier.

"We do our job as journalists. But it's not always very nice to be a witness," he said.

"I would watch two to three seconds (of the footage) then return to my notes, or look to see how Dominique Pelicot or Gisele Pelicot were reacting," he said.

"More than the words, it's the images that stay with you," said the journalist who also covered the 2004 trial of Belgian child rapist and murderer Marc Dutroux.

'Thank her'

Due to staff availability, it was mostly men who covered the mass rape trial for AFP.

"Ideally it would have been good to have a man and a woman, but we had to plan according to who was available and who might be reluctant due to the nature of the case," said Wesselingh.

But she said it was "interesting to have men confront these questions about masculinity and the behaviour of 50 ordinary men," she said.

Courbet, the text reporter, said he hopes the trial will help men to "think more about consent".

"The trial has forced us men to think about our past, present and especially future behaviours," he said.

His colleague Siuberski said he was mostly impressed by Gisele Pelicot's strength in "never veering from what she wanted to say", though she could so easily have been overwhelmed by what happened.

Kantarci, the video reporter, said it was difficult not to be moved by all Gisele Pelicot had achieved.

"As a journalist I probably shouldn't, but I want to thank her," he said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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