Focus

The himalayan flash flood that devastated northern Nepal on August 26 was an unprecedented disaster. The death toll continues to rise, with nearly 1,400 people now confirmed dead and 5,130 still missing, including around 600 foreign nationals from 35 countries.  

Part of the island of Montserrat, a UK Overseas Territory, was buried by a volcanic eruption in 1995. Today, caution is essential for those venturing on the mysterious island that is full of spectacular Caribbean landscapes. Our colleagues at France Télévisions and FRANCE 24's Florent Marchais report.

The aviation sector is one of the India's strongest-performing industries. More than 70 airports have been built over the past decade, and the country counts over 400 million air passengers annually. In just ten years, India has become the world's third-largest aviation market, behind China and the United States.

Since this spring, about 6 percent of Lebanon has been occupied by the Israeli army. On the ground, around 600 French soldiers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continue to patrol the zone. The delicate peacekeeping mission documents violations of UN resolutions by both Israel and Hezbollah, with its own future highly uncertain. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Florent Marchais.

Over the past five decades, Nepal has established itself as a model for wildlife conservation. Nearly 20 percent of the country’s territory has been designated as protected areas. An effective anti-poaching policy has helped save iconic species such as the one-horned rhinoceros and the gharial crocodile, which were once on the brink of extinction. But this success also comes with tragic consequences.

Syria's economic capital Aleppo was left largely in ruins by the fighting that raged there between regime and rebel forces from 2012 to 2016. A 2023 earthquake also caused severe damage to the old city. But reconstruction is now well underway, in particular of Aleppo's treasured historic monuments.

Vietnam, a country of more than 100 million people, is facing a sharp decline in its birthrate. Once known for large families, the nation's fertility rate has fallen to just 1.9 children per woman. This figure worries the government, which for decades was obsessed with controlling population growth. For more than 40 years, a two-child policy was the norm in Vietnam – a restriction that was only lifted in June 2025.

Pakistan, a country known for its conservative values, rarely makes waves in the music and entertainment industry. Yet in major cities like Karachi and Lahore, a quiet but thriving DJ scene is beginning to make itself heard, with emerging talents and artists transforming the music industry. At the heart of this evolution, more and more women are asserting themselves in a field largely dominated by men.

Born barely five years ago in Yopougon – the poorest, but also the liveliest area of Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan – Biama has got the whole of Ivorian youth dancing. Faster than coupé-décalé, this newer musical and choreographic genre borrows many of its codes. But unlike its older sibling, which is associated with trendy nightclubs, biama is danced in the streets and on social media, making it easily accessible to its young, working-class audience.

The indigenous Hmong people have lived in a mountainous region of northern Vietnam for centuries. But today, these farming communities are on the front line of the climate crisis. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall and landslides are now part of their daily life. The terraced rice paddies tended by generations of villagers are struggling to cope, while important medicinal plants are disappearing due to deforestation.

In 1894, when the Belgian city of Antwerp was hosting a World's Fair, 144 Congolese people were forcibly brought to the city to be exhibited in the Congo Pavilion. In this "human zoo", seven Congolese men ultimately died of disease. Today, this shocking episode still haunts Belgium as one of its colonial history's darkest chapters.

In the 1930s, Japan found itself battling against the spread of leprosy. Faced with the infectious disease, which attacks the nerves and deforms the body, the authorities confined leprosy patients to sanatoriums – some of them on the island of Nagashima. Even after the first treatments appeared in the late 1940s, it would take until 1996 for the government to end the forced confinement of patients who had in fact been cured for decades.

For decades, humanoid robots belonged to the realm of science fiction. But today, they're one of Silicon Valley's hottest markets. According to consulting firm McKinsey, automation could transform up to 30 percent of all hours worked across the US economy by 2030. Dozens of companies are already developing robots that can interact with people and even help with everyday tasks. FRANCE 24's Pierrick Leurent and Valérie Defert report, with Wassim Cornet.

Pasta may be one of the world's most beloved staples, but technology is being used to improve the iconic Italian dish. In the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy's "Food Valley", researchers are creating the pasta of the future by focusing on its main ingredient, wheat. FRANCE 24's Natalia Mendoza, Laura Roudaut, Tommaso Marro and Charlotte Davan Wetton report.

Two earthquakes of rare magnitude struck Venezuela on June 24, seconds apart. The state of La Guaira on the Caribbean coast was by far the hardest hit, with entire buildings collapsing there in seconds. Tens of thousands of people are still missing but help still has not arrived.

In this edition, our reporters look at Haiti, which is still in the grips of a long-running battle against armed gangs in the capital and some provinces. A new international security force is being deployed but has yet to make widespread progress. Against this backdrop, the humanitarian crisis in the country is continuing to spiral. 1.5 million people are now internally displaced in Haiti and malnutrition is widespread.

In just a few decades, the Hunza Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, a remote mountainous region of northern Pakistan, has undergone a dramatic transformation. Expanded access to education, improved healthcare and strong local development have reshaped the area, in a model of progress often linked to foundations associated with the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community. The minority counts nearly 500,000 members in Pakistan and makes up around 90% of Hunza's population.

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 Smart Sampa, is now at the centre of a growing scandal after being accused of racial profiling. Report by Marine Resse, Fanny Lothaire, Mélanie Blondeau.

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 vocation – it's a fallback option. FRANCE 24’s Anne Mailliet reports, with Nick Holdsworth.

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 place. Born from a pilot project in three hospitals, the model proved convincing with its scientific results from the first evaluation. In 2020, the government decided to roll it out nationwide.

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.