Focus

India's mammoth elections are now under way, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi widely expected to win a third term. Since coming to power in 2014, Modi has expanded subsidy programmes for the poor and women. These programmes include measures like equipping homes with butane gas by offering free cylinders or distributing free food rations. Some 60 percent of the population benefits

Deepfake pornography of famous women like Taylor Swift has sparked outrage and calls for the regulation of artificial intelligence. Yet this powerful technology is not only being used to bully women in the public eye – minors are also being victimised. Schoolgirls are finding themselves targeted by AI-generated deepfake porn made by their own classmates using new, easy-to-access

Indonesia is aiming to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, with 30 percent of the country's energy slated to come from biodiesel by 2030. But the plan has caused alarm among environmental groups. Palm oil, a key component of biodiesel, is the primary driver of deforestation in Indonesia. To meet Indonesia's energy transition goals, more palm trees are needed – and that means c

As the Olympic flame begins its journey to Paris and the French capital prepares to host some 15 million tourists in less than four months' time, more than 80 NGOs are denouncing a form of "social cleansing". Authorities in the French capital has been relocating people from the streets in the city centre and around the Olympic sites. These vulnerable populations include homeless pe

With China set to have 400 million elderly people by 2035, authorities are trying to figure out how to take care of them. Family structures were transformed with the now defunct one-child policy. Even now, the birth rate continues to plummet. With the state pension fund drying up and less than one grandchild for four grandparents, who will take care of China's elders? FRANCE 24's Y

Louisiana is home to 25 percent of the US petrochemical industry and is the country's fourth-largest crude oil producer. As a result, it is one of the states with the highest levels of industrial pollution, with disastrous consequences for the health of its citizens. In St James County, part of an area of Louisiana known as "cancer alley", the cancer rate is 50 times higher than th

As South Koreans head to the polls for a parliamentary election, the country's worsening ties with North Korea are high on the agenda. The small South Korean island of Yeonpyeong is located about 12 kilometres from the North Korean coast. In January, Pyongyang fired live artillery into nearby waters, forcing islanders into air raid shelters. The island could be first in the line of

In Greece, the success of the tourist industry is making it difficult for local Greeks to keep up with surging property prices. Short-term rentals are booming, while chain stores are replacing local retailers. Residents are being forced out, with more than 40 percent of their disposable income spent on housing – more than in any other European country. FRANCE 24's Nathalie Savari

Even if homosexuality is not illegal in Madagascar, it is widely considered to be socially unacceptable. Many LGBT people have to hide their sexuality in order to hold onto their job or simply live in peace. They have developed their own networks, body language and dialect. FRANCE 24's Gaëlle Borgia, Vanessa Rakotomalala and Jedidia Andriamasy report.

Eight years after a national ban on skin-whitening products came into force in Ivory Coast, the trend continues to boom despite its health risks. Half of Abidjan's women are known to engage in skin depigmentation, which can lead to serious health issues such as diabetes and hypertension. NGOs are denouncing what they see as a lack of political will from authorities to tackle the pr