Focus

In the United States, gun ownership is a constitutional right. Recently, a federal appeals court overturned a ban on Americans aged 18 to 21 purchasing firearms. Yet, they are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the country. Some, encouraged by their parents, learn to shoot at a young age. Others face tragic consequences. We bring you this report from France 2. 

In a rare glimmer of hope, 115 Gazans have resettled in France through a university refugee programme, though many had to leave their families behind. Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza grows dire, with 2 million people facing famine, according to the World Health Organization. The World Food Program has exhausted its aid supplies, and while Israel allowed a small number of food trucks to enter on Sunday, humanitarian organisations say it's far from enough after two months of a complete blockade. France 2 has the full report.

On October 29, 2024, flash floods in Spain's eastern Valencia region claimed 228 lives. More than six months later, residents are still struggling to rebuild. Beyond the economic toll, many say they cannot move on until accountability is addressed. Victims argue that lives lost – in cars, basements, and on the streets – could have been saved if regional authorities had issued timely and adequate warnings. FRANCE 24's Sarrah Morris reports.

Decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan began soon after it suffered a triple meltdown in March 2011. Fourteen years on, the work continues. This summer will mark two years since Tokyo Electric Power Company, the plant's operator, began discharging water that was used to cool the damaged reactors into the sea. In November last year, workers removed a few grams of radioactive debris from a reactor for the first time. A second extraction took place a few weeks ago. Neighbourhoods closest to the plant are still off-limits, but other areas are safe to live in. For some residents, life is slowly returning to normal. Justin McCurry, Alexis Bregere and Airi Futakuchi Report.

Poland goes to the polls on Sunday for the first round of presidential elections. In a country that borders Ukraine and plays a key role in Western support to Kyiv, the stakes are high. So, the authorities say, is the level of attempted Russian meddling. From stoking a migrant crisis on the eastern border, to disinformation, cyberattacks and arson, Poland's government believes it is currently the most targeted country in the EU for Russian destabilisation efforts. Our correspondent Gulliver Cragg reports.

It's been a deadly start to the year in Peru. The country has already seen more than 700 homicides: a 20 percent increase compared to last year. These murders are often the result of extortion attempts, a crime that is also on the rise and affects all sectors: business owners, bus drivers and even private schools. To deal with the violence, the government declared a state of emergency in the capital Lima on March 18, but that has done little to help. Across the city, residents are exhausted and frightened. FRANCE 24's Agathe Fourcade and Martin Chabal report, with Wassim Cornet.

In the Gulf of Mexico, the prawn fishing industry has been undermined for several years by foreign competition, particularly from Asia and South America. US shrimp fishermen find it impossible to cope with the low import prices charged by these countries when they themselves are faced with rising fuel prices and inflation. In the state of Louisiana, one in 70 jobs is linked to fishing, meaning that an entire way of life is threatened by globalisation. Some of those fishermen say Donald Trump's import tariffs, which have now been suspended for 90 days, offer a glimmer of hope to an industry on its last legs. FRANCE 24's Fanny Allard reports, with Fraser Jackson.

Specialising in combat and equestrian aerobatics, Kazakhstan supplies many of the stuntmen for Hollywood productions such as "Mulan" and "Napoleon". With its spectacular landscapes and recognised expertise, the country is becoming a new hub for action films, attracting more and more international shoots. Buoyed by the success of its stuntmen, the Kazakh film industry as a whole is now enjoying a golden age. FRANCE 24's team reports.

The twin cities of Windsor, Canada, and Detroit, United States, separated only by a river, have a long history as automotive manufacturing hubs. But since Donald Trump launched a bitter trade war by imposing sanctions on long-time ally Canada in early April, this once friendly relationship has been on shaky ground. Our colleagues from FRANCE 2 travelled to the region to hear from residents on both sides of the border. 

80 years ago, on 8 May 1945, Nazi Germany capitulated, bringing the Second World War in Europe to an end. Although a large part of France was no longer occupied, there were still "pockets" of German resistance in several northern towns. Dunkirk, best known as the site of the remarkable evacuation of British and French troops in the spring of 1940, was one of them. In ruins, the town was liberated the day after the capitulation, the German soldiers having been ordered to hold out until the end.

It's a rare case of a species being saved from near-extinction. Twenty years ago, the Iberian lynx was the most threatened feline in the world due to poaching and the animals' natural habitat being turned into farmland. Today, the species is practically out of danger thanks to conservation efforts in Spain. Our correspondents report.

On March 11, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by Interpol on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and transferred to The Hague in the Netherlands to stand trial. The former Philippine leader is accused of crimes against humanity for his deadly war on drugs. Human rights groups say his policies left tens of thousands of Filipino men dead, many of them from poor backgrounds with no proven connections to drug use. But despite these accusations, many Filipinos continue to support Duterte and denounce a worsening security situation, particularly in the capital Manila. Meanwhile, relatives of victims are demanding justice. FRANCE 24's correspondents Alexis Bregere, Mélodie Sforza and Jan Camenzind Broomby report.

Romanians head to the polls on Sunday for a re-run of last November's presidential election, which was annulled following reports of foreign interference. Last year's vote saw the surprise victory of a previously unknown far-right independent candidate, Calin Georgescu. An isolationist and ultra-nationalist, Georgescu has ties to neo-Legionary groups, which have roots in the pre-war Iron Guard fascist movement. FRANCE 24's Maria Gerth-Niculescu reports. 

Since 2014, the regimes installed by Russia and its local collaborators in occupied regions of Ukraine have been arbitrarily detaining civilians on a massive scale. The Ukrainian government puts the number of those currently in detention at over 16,000. Journalists, activists, local politicians: just about anyone the occupation authorities take a dislike to is in danger of being taken prisoner. Some are held for a few days, others for years. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg investigates with a consortium of media under the "Forbidden Stories" umbrella.

As he marks 100 days since returning to office for his second term, US President Donald Trump is facing countless challenges, many of his own making. On-off tariffs have sent markets lurching. A public meltdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office shocked allies in Europe. Despite his pledge to end it within 24 hours, the war in Ukraine grinds on, as does the conflict in Gaza. FRANCE 24's Etienne Paponaud and Peter O'Brien recap the first 100 days of Trump's explosive return to power.

Eighty years ago, on April 29, 1945, the last SS troops fled the German camp of Ravensbrück, the largest Nazi concentration camp for women. Among those held there was Suzanne Bouvard, a young woman from Brittany. During her deportation, she became friends with Simone Séailles, a Parisian resistance member. In life and in death, the two women bound their destinies together. After the war, Suzanne decided to rebuild her life by planting orchards. Rooting herself in the land was her way of healing and forgetting the hell of the camps. FRANCE 24's Claire Paccalin and Stéphanie Trouillard report. 

The duel between the Liberals and Conservatives in Canada's federal election this Monday is shaping up to be a close one. Led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Liberals were struggling at the beginning of January but are now in leading in the polls ahead of Pierre Poilièvre's Conservatives, against the backdrop of a trade war and threats of annexation by US President Donald Trump. Our correspondents François Rihouay and Joanne Profeta visited the town of Peterborough in southern Ontario. Home to 40 percent of Canadians and more than a third of the country's parliamentary seats, the province is seen as key in the path to election victory.

The US Navy's Top Gun program is famous around the world thanks to the success of the Tom Cruise films. But the downside of this elite profession is the mental and physical toll it takes on the pilots. Many airmen suffer from neurological disorders and depression. Some have even committed suicide. The problem has now reached the US Congress, which has requested an investigation from the Navy. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.

It's a price tag that has obsessed US President Donald Trump since his first term: the cost of the military shield the US provides to its allies. Particularly in Trump's sights are South Korea and Japan. Both countries pay around €1 billion per year for American protection on their own soil, a sum deemed insufficient by the US president. Last October, Trump even claimed that South Korea should pay 10 times more. Is the US president serious, or is this another high-stakes bluff? FRANCE 24's Adam Hancock, Alexis Bregere, Mélodie Sforza and Chloé Borgnon report.

On the streets of Governador Valadares, in the agricultural Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, references to the United States are everywhere. This wealthy town has become famous for the large number of residents who have left for the United States. Although US President Donald Trump has tightened his immigration policy, this change is unlikely to have a major impact on the flow of Brazilians to the US, according to experts and the authorities. The American dream continues to flourish in Governador Valadares, as FRANCE 24's Fanny Lothaire, Mathieu Leme and Jan Onoszko report.

Six years after the fall of the Islamic State group's self-proclaimed caliphate, thousands of women and children linked to IS group fighters remain detained in camps across northeastern Syria. Managed by Kurdish authorities since 2019, these detainees fall under a non-state jurisdiction — one that cannot try or extradite them, and where international humanitarian law offers little protection. This legal limbo could now shift with the fall of the Assad regime. The new government in Damascus is expected to take control over the camps. Kurdish officials — and the families themselves, including dozens of French nationals — are waiting anxiously to see what the future holds. FRANCE 24's Marie-Charlotte Roupie and Lina Malers report.

The first trials of those arrested during recent anti-government protests in Turkey are expected to open this Friday. The rallies were sparked by the arrest one month ago of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The student-led protests began on the campus of Istanbul University, where young people say they won't be scared off the streets. FRANCE 24's reporters Andrew Hilliar, Julie Dungelhoeff and Amar al-Hameedawi went to meet them.

Land reform has been at the forefront of political debate in South Africa in recent months, leading to strained relations with Donald Trump and his administration. A new law allows the government to expropriate land without compensation in rare cases where the land is abandoned or not being used. This has led some farmers and activists to call on the US president and Elon Musk for help, claiming that White South Africans are victims of racial persecution. But on the ground, other farmers say the issue has been plagued with disinformation. To date, no private property has been expropriated without compensation in South Africa. Our correspondents report.

Mont-Saint-Michel, in the French region of Normandy, is more than just a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's also a tiny village, home to just 30 residents. But the tidal island welcomes around 3 million visitors a year. Our colleagues at France 2 take us behind the scenes to meet some of the people who call this iconic landmark home. They bring us this report, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.

Fifty years ago, Lebanon descended into one of the darkest periods in its modern history: the civil war. The brutal 15-year conflict was marked by sectarian violence and shifting front lines. In the capital Beirut, some buildings still bear the scars of battle. Others have been rebuilt, but the trauma remains in people's minds. Our correspondent Serge Berberi spoke to some of those who lived through the conflict and who are trying to keep its memory alive today. He brings us this report, with Rawad Taha.

Straddling the US-Canadian border, the Haskell Library has a unique location: it is situated in both the towns of Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont. Until now, an agreement allowed Canadians to use a stretch of pavement on the American side to access the library. But since a controversial visit by US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem back in January, US Border Protection has put an end to that agreement. As the iconic border town now awaits the fate of its century-old customs posts and famous Canusa Street, Stanstead already embodies the growing divide between Americans and Canadians. FRANCE 24's François Rihouay, Joanne Profeta and Fraser Jackson report.

The European Court of Human Rights recently ruled against the Italian state for failing to act and putting the lives of locals in danger. The case, brought by residents and NGOs from a region near Naples known as the "Land of Fires", came after they noticed an unusually high number of cancer diagnoses and high levels of pollution in the groundwater. The cause of the pollution was toxic waste dumped by the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia. Our correspondents report.

Brazil, which is hosting the COP30 summit in the Amazon in November, is facing a worrying rise in sea levels due to global warming. Sea levels in the village of Atafona, in the north of Rio de Janeiro state, could rise some 21cm by 2050, according to UN forecasts. The village is experiencing one of the world's most serious environmental disasters due to coastal erosion. Every year, the sea advances by an average of six metres. Across the country, over 2 million people could be affected in the long term by rising sea levels. In Santos, in the state of Sao Paulo, the mayor's office is trying to anticipate matters in order to avoid an economic and human catastrophe. FRANCE 24's Louise Raulais and Jan Onoszko report.

Located on the border with Russia, the Estonian city of Narva could be Russian President Vladimir Putin's ideal spot if he were to plan an invasion. Only a bridge separates the two countries. The population is divided: while some members of the town's Russian-speaking community are nostalgic for their Soviet-era past, others fear Moscow's war ambitions. In view of a potential attack, Estonian civilians are undergoing military training and preparing for all possible outcomes. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.

Ravaged by 30 years of civil war, Cambodia is littered with anti-personnel mines. Every year, they kill and injure civilians, despite the government destroying 4 million landmines since the 1990s. Today, more than 5,000 people around the country are working to neutralise the millions of mines left buried in the ground, while a Belgian NGO has pioneered the use of rats to sniff them out. In November 2024, Cambodia hosted the Fifth Review Conference of the Ottawa Convention, a treaty ratified by 164 countries that aims to ban the use of these deadly weapons worldwide. FRANCE 24's William de Tamaris, Aruna Popuri and Justin McCurry report.

On March 13, Syria's Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa approved a temporary constitutional declaration, setting the stage for a new regime. The declaration specifies that only the state can have an army. This has raised concerns for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led military faction in northeastern Syria. Under an agreement signed with Damascus, the SDF will eventually be integrated into the national army. But how can Syria's most powerful armed force join a unified army when some of their potential allies are also their enemies? The path to a unified Syrian army remains uncertain.

With the ever-growing and often overwhelming number of news outlets, it has become increasingly difficult to identify reliable sources. Artificial intelligence is likely to make matters worse, as more and more articles are now computer-generated and spread false information. These fake websites often have just one person at the helm, using artificial intelligence in the hope of earning money from advertising. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Jennifer Ben Brahim.

In 2024, Brazil recorded an almost 70 percent year-on-year increase in cases of discrimination and attacks on religious practices, according to the ministry of human rights. The main victims are religions of African origin, such as Umbanda and Candomblé. Their followers are threatened and their religious temples destroyed and ransacked. This intolerance is fuelled by branches of evangelical Christianity: Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal churches, whose numbers have soared in Brazil in recent years. FRANCE 24's Louise Raulais and Jan Onoszko report.

Private forests in France have become a target for large-scale timber theft, which results in a huge financial loss for property owners and an environmental disaster. But when nearly 300 beautiful oak trees were illegally cut down in the Yvelines department in 2022, local residents took it upon themselves to track down the culprits. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.

Semiconductors can be found in all our electronic devices: mobile phones, computers and surveillance cameras. Still a minor player in this highly strategic sector, Vietnam is rapidly developing its industry. The government is investing in universities to train more engineers specialised in semiconductors, in the hope of eventually competing with China and Taiwan. FRANCE 24's Adam Hancock, William de Tamaris and Mélodie Sforza report.

Peru is home to more than 2,000 glaciers. But like elsewhere in the world, they are melting faster and faster due to climate change. The country's glaciers have lost more than half of their surface area over the past 50 years and this change in the landscape is having catastrophic consequences for many residents of the Andes. The water they drink every day is being contaminated with heavy metals. FRANCE 24's Agathe Fourcade, Martin Chabal report, with Wassim Cornet. 

In 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) in the country by 2025, aiming to set an example globally. Since December 2024, India's health minister has led a "100-day campaign" to eliminate TB, but recent WHO data shows India is far from its goal. It recorded 2.5 to 3 million new cases and over 400,000 deaths in 2023 alone, accounting for a third of global TB cases and deaths. The country faces two major issues: TB treatment shortages and the rise of multi-drug-resistant TB. While treatments exist, the government's slow approval of their distribution has hindered progress, leaving India at a critical juncture in its fight against the disease. FRANCE 24's Khansa Juned and Alban Alvarez report.

The peregrine falcon, one of Scotland's protected species, is facing a growing threat. Smuggled to the Middle East for falcon racing, these birds can fetch a high price on the black market. As demand grows, conservationists are fighting to protect them from an increasingly sophisticated illegal trade, while police are tracking down the criminals. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Guillaume Gougeon.

Our Syria correspondents travelled to the country's western coastal province of Latakia, which was the scene of the shocking massacre of civilians from the Alawite minority between March 7 and 9. They bring us this exclusive report.

Located in the southern West Bank, the village of Masafer Yatta was made famous by the film "No Other Land", which won the 2025 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film. The movie, the joint brainchild of Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra and Israeli director Yuval Abraham, recounts daily life in a region under continuous attack from extremist Israeli settlers. Here, a unique form of activism exists between Israelis and Palestinians. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel reports from Masafer Yatta, with Josh Vardey. Warning: some viewers might find these images distressing.

Since the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's regime last December and an increasingly virulent debate on immigration in Germany, many exiled Syrians there are wondering about their future. Some are already packing their bags to return home, while others are eagerly awaiting the resumption of direct flights between Berlin and Damascus so that they can visit their families, but have no intention of returning to live in Syria. More than a million Syrian refugees call Germany home, with many of them having rebuilt their lives there. FRANCE 24's Louay Ghabra, Sébastien Millard, Anne Mailliet and Nick Holdsworth report.

India, the world's second-largest arms importer after Ukraine, now dreams of positioning itself as a country capable of producing and selling its own weapons abroad. New Delhi is now producing bullet-proof vests and helmets, night vision binoculars, drones, helicopters and even missiles. Since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government has been pushing for self-reliance, in particular with its "Make in India" policy. Our correspondents report.