Focus

It's common for young people to vote against the status quo in elections. But that's not the case in Germany. The so-called "Merkel Generation" have only known one German chancellor and they want her to stay in charge. More than 50% of first-time voters and young adults say they'll vote for Angela Merkel on Sunday September 24. FRANCE 24's Anne Mailliet, Jessica Saltz and Denis Parchow sent us this report from Berlin. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Christopher Davis.

During Burma's half a century of military dictatorship, the country's Buddhist monks became one of the main pillars of non-violent protest against the junta. But in the last few years, as Burma has begun inching towards more democracy, Burmese Buddhism has witnessed the emergence of "radical Buddhists" within its ranks. Monks with an ultranationalist agenda have no qualms calling for violence against those that they accuse of threatening Burma's national identity, especially the Muslim Rohingya minority. While ongoing military operations in Burma's Rakhine State have caused 400,000 Rohingyas to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, France 24's Clovis Casali takes a closer look at these ultranationalist monks and how they are reaching an ever-growing audience in the Burmese population.

In recent years in Pakistan, a growing number of students from prestigious institutions have taken part in terrorist attacks. Unlike students from madrassas, which are under increasing surveillance, young people on campuses are harder for authorities to track, making them an asset for terror groups. Our correspondents in Pakistan report. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Christopher Davis.

A state of "financial calamity" was declared in Rio de Janeiro just before it hosted the August 2016 Olympic Games. Salaries for public servants went unpaid and funding was delayed for all sectors of local government while emergency funds were made available for the Games. More than a year later, the economic crisis has worsened and violence has returned to the favelas. FRANCE 24 correspondents report. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Florence Viala.

On the border between Burma and Bangladesh, the exodus of Rohingya people continues. In less than a month, more than 400,000 of them have crossed the border into neighbouring Bangladesh to flee a Burmese army crackdown which the UN describes as "ethnic cleansing." Nicolas Bertrand and Thomas Donzel from France 2 followed some of these exiled people on their perilous journey to reach overcrowded makeshift camps.

In Ivory Coast, violent youth gangs are spreading terror across the economic capital Abidjan. For several weeks now, these groups of delinquents - some as young as ten - have gone on the rampage, staging brutal and sometimes deadly knife and machete attacks. With an inadequate response from authorities, exasperated residents are taking matters into their own hands, and lynchings are fast becoming commonplace. Our team in Abidjan reports. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Florence Viala.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition of Arab states waging war in Yemen to overthrow the Houthi rebels, a pro-Iran Shiite militia which controls the western parts of Yemen and the capital Sanaa. The war has killed thousands of people, many of them civilians, and humanitarian organisations are now questioning the role played by Western countries, some of which supply weaponry to the Gulf countries. Jean-Yves Nalan reports. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Christopher Davis.

France has pledged to take in 30,000 migrants, currently in Greece or Italy, by the end of 2017. But so far, fewer than 2,000 are believed to have been relocated to France. At the French-Italian border, police patrols have risen since the 2016 terror attack in Nice, making it very hard for migrants to reach France. Meanwhile, activists such as farmer Cédric Herrou, who received a suspended fine for helping migrants, are providing support. FRANCE 24’s Aurore Dupuis and Karim Yahiaoui report. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Christopher Davis.

More than 300,000 Rohingyas have fled recent violence in Burma to find refuge in Bangladesh. But some 40,000 Rohingyas, most of whom fled their homeland years ago, currently live in India. The country’s ruling Hindu nationalists have expressed their intention to deport all undocumented Rohingyas – representing nearly three quarters of them. The Supreme Court has postponed a ruling on the legality of this process. Our correspondents in New Delhi report. A programme produced by Patrick Lovett and Christopher Davis.

The summer break is over and the French government is bracing for a showdown on Tuesday with several unions over its plans to overhaul the country's labour laws. It's been dubbed a "make or break" moment, three months into President Macron's five-year mandate. With his popularity tumbling, will he be able to push through the reforms by executive order and not bow to street protests? FRANCE 24’s Karina Chabour and Aurore Dupuis report. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Christopher Davis.