Focus

Under the guise of fighting crime, Sao Paulo has rolled out the world's largest facial recognition system operated by a city. India, China, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have introduced similar technologies under vague legal frameworks. But no city has embraced surveillance on the same scale as Sao Paulo, making it the world's biggest "Big Brother". The artificial intelligence system, known as...

India’s rapid-delivery apps have transformed everyday life in its biggest cities, promising almost anything at your doorstep in 10 minutes or less. But behind the convenience lies a fast-growing gig economy that is reshaping jobs, wages and expectations for millions of young Indians. Supriya Kumar and Sacha Desmaizières report.

In Bosnia, parts of the scientific community are opposing the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam, warning of potentially serious environmental consequences. The project comes as dam construction has surged across the country, fuelled by the fact that it has become a highly lucrative business – one critics say is largely controlled by those with close ties to the authorities.

Germany is rearming amid an economic recession with thousands of jobs slashed across industrial and service sectors. In these tough economic conditions, the Bundeswehr is now one of the country's most attractive employers for young people. Applications rose by 23 percent in January 2026 alone. Behind the figures lies a more complicated reality: for many young Germans, putting on a uniform is not a...

Scandola, a UNESCO-listed nature reserve off the coast of Corsica, is attracting a growing number of visitors from around the world – drawn to its dramatic landscapes and rich marine life. However, protecting its unique wildlife and fragile marine ecosystem is becoming an increasingly delicate balancing act. Our colleagues at France 2 and FRANCE 24's Guillaume Gougeon report.

While the Lyhanna case in France has exposed the shortcomings of a fragmented system for dealing with sexual violence against minors, Belgium stands as a model with its Centres for the Care of Sexual Violence (CPVS). The centres are based on a simple principle: a victim only has to walk through one door to find a doctor, forensic nurse, psychologist and specialized police officer – all in one plac...

One month after Congolese authorities officially declared a new Ebola outbreak, the virus is still spreading in the east of the country and the death toll continues to rise. There are now more than 1,000 confirmed cases and more than 250 confirmed deaths. FRANCE 24's Aurélie Bazzara-Kibangula reports from eastern DR Congo, with Paula Séville.

Brazil have advanced to the World Cup round of 16, despite many experts predicting that Japan would defeat the Seleção. The football-mad South American nation has lost some of its lustre since the team's dramatic 7-1 loss to Germany in 2014 on home soil – a World Cup that traumatised an entire nation, and not just because of the defeat. 

Poland is one of the most restrictive countries in Europe for LGBT rights. Neither marriages nor civil partnerships for same-sex couples are legal there. But as of late May, Poland has legalised the recognition of same-sex marriages performed in third countries. The change comes after the European Court of Justice ruled that Warsaw was in contravention of EU free movement laws if it withdrew right...

In Albania, a widespread protest movement is underway against the current government. The demonstrations erupted after construction began on a luxury resort in a nature reserve in the southwest of the country. The real estate project is spearheaded by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and his wife Ivanka. Environmental activists have rejected the prospect of construction in th...

A father of three who was seized by ICE at a FIFA match last summer – at the very same stadium where the World Cup final will take place – is warning immigrant fans of the risks they are taking if they attend World Cup games in the United States. FRANCE 24's Jessica Le Masurier, Yves Schaeffner, Mehdi Bouzouina and Sarah Andersen bring you this exclusive report. We are keeping the family anonymous...

In much of the world, rabbits are seen as harmless, fluffy pets. But in Australia, they’re an economic and environmental disaster. Introduced for sport hunting by British settlers in the mid-19th century, rabbits faced no natural predators. As a result, their population exploded across the continent within decades. Despite mass eradication campaigns, hundreds of millions of rabbits remain today, d...

This Tuesday June 23, Marc Bloch will be inducted into Paris's Panthéon mausoleum. A leading 20th-century historian, he co-founded the French academic journal "Les Annales" and was also a soldier in both World Wars. Bloch, who was Jewish, joined the French Resistance during World War II and was tortured and executed by the Gestapo in 1944. Throughout his life, he embodied both intellectual rigour...

In 2025, the Supreme Court of India declared maternity leave a fundamental right for working women. India is among the countries in the world where pregnant women are entitled to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, which can be taken for up to two children. The move has been widely welcomed by women's rights advocates. But they emphasise that India still has a long way to go in ensuring the rights o...

Over the last decade, gun murders have jumped by nearly 90 percent in Canada. This increase is fuelled by a never-ending stream of illegal weapons acquired across the border in the United States. According to data from the Toronto Police, 88 percent of the guns seized in crimes last year originated in the US. Canadian police and elected officials are demanding tighter controls at border crossings....

Gaming cafés have become a common sight on the streets of Cairo, especially in poorer neighbourhoods. Egyptians hold a world record for time spent gaming per day, with an average of 1 hour and 43 minutes daily. Some 43.5 percent of young gamers in Egypt are considered to be addicted. In February, the government launched a campaign to combat addiction. FRANCE 24's Mathilde Delvigne reports.

Poland, which is regularly targeted by Russian hybrid attacks, takes the threat of war with Moscow very seriously. The country now spends nearly 5 percent of its GDP on defence, and aims to train its civilians too, so they will know how to react if war breaks out. To this end, it has introduced a programme of one-day training sessions with the army, entitled "Always Ready", which have turned out t...

Syria has been particularly hard hit by the decline in global humanitarian aid, especially from the US. In the northwest of the country, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are still living in makeshift shelters. When the Assad regime fell, they hoped to be able to return home. But on seeing their villages destroyed, most have remained stranded in camps, waiting for reconstruction that will...

On Sunday, Japan sealed a 2-2 draw against the higher-ranked Netherlands in their 2026 World Cup opener. Since qualifying for its first World Cup in 1998, Japan has reached every edition of the tournament and now sits 18th in the FIFA rankings. FRANCE 24's Adam Hancock, Alexis Bregere and Ayana Nishikawa travelled across Japan to uncover the secrets behind the remarkable rise of Japanese football.

The fan zones are open, the stadiums are ready and the biggest World Cup in history is officially underway in the US, Mexico and Canada. Seven matchs are planned in Houston, Texas. The host city expects to attract around half a million visitors and an economic windfall of $1.5 billion. Yet some hotels remain half empty and many fans complain that soaring ticket prices have made the tournament unaf...

For the first time ever, Cape Verde is heading to the World Cup. The West African island nation – home to fewer than half a million people – will be one of the smallest countries in tournament history. In the capital Praia, preparations are in full swing, with qualification sparking huge excitement and renewed hope among young people. In working-class neighbourhoods, football has long been an esca...

Peeling paint, rundown roundabouts and shuttered post offices: in recent years, local public services across the United Kingdom have been in steady decline. But in some communities, volunteers have decided to step in – filling the gaps where the state has fallen short. Our France 2 colleagues report from Yorkshire, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.

In late April, 98 of the world's 100 hottest cities were located in India. From mid-April to May 2026, daily maximum temperatures exceeded 46°C across large parts of the country. During extreme heat, lack of access to cooling can mean the difference between life and death in the world's most populous country. While government data puts the heatwave death toll at 37, social activists say that figur...

For several months, Japan has been moving in a more nationalist and conservative direction. The shift has been fuelled by economic challenges at home and growing regional tensions with China. The country's new ultra-conservative prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is expected to accelerate this agenda, with plans to tighten immigration policies and strengthen Japan's defence posture. A report by Adam...