Focus

The north of England, a former industrial heartland, was long a bastion of support for the centre-left Labour party. But last year the region voted to leave the European Union, while Labour campaigned in favour of remaining in the bloc. So which way will the north lean in this Thursday's general election? And how might the recent terror attacks in Manchester and London impact on the results? Our correspondent reports from Manchester and Hartlepool. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Laura Burloux.

Regarded as the most respected authority within Sunni Islam, Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque and university aim to oppose religious extremism by promoting moderate Islam. As part of these efforts, Al-Azhar has created a Counter-Terrorism Observatory, which helps deconstruct Islamist propaganda. But the Cairo-based institution's good intentions are sometimes contradicted by its own practices. Our correspondents report. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Laura Burloux.

It’s a technique invented in Canada and which is becoming more and more common as police seek to solve so-called cold cases. Known as the “Mr Big” method, police set up a fake criminal ring and include the suspect in it, and little by little, the suspect often confesses to committing the crime. While police say the method is efficient, human rights organisations argue otherwise: In some cases individuals have been released after spending years in prison because judges have later deemed their confessions inadmissible. Pierre Millet and Spencer McNaughton investigate for France 24.

A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Jessica Sestilli.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, possibly the biggest political thorn in Vladimir Putin's side, has already declared himself a candidate for presidential elections in March next year. His chances of actually winning the top job at the Kremlin are slim, but that hasn't stopped the anti-corruption activist from opening dozens of campaign offices and continuing to stage unsanctioned demonstrations. FRANCE 24's Thomas Lowe and Elena Volochine report from the campaign trail. A programme prepared by Jessica Sestilli, Patrick Lovett and Perrine Desplats.

This week, we head to Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia where former Khmer rouge fighter Hun Sen has been in power for more than 30 years. On June 4, the Cambodians head to the polls in local elections seen as a barometer for the general elections due next year. Main opposition leaders say they are threatened constantly and live in fear. But the government continues to dismiss these claims and has reacted angrily to criticism from the West over its handling of power... A programme prepared by Aline Schmidt and Jessica Sestili

After two years of silence on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Venezuela, the government published figures revealing the extent of the problem this May. According to the ministry of health, the child mortality rate went up by 30 percent in 2016. Children are particularly suffering from the country’s food and medication shortages and many families live below the poverty line, meaning they cannot afford to buy from the already limited supplies, let alone those available on the black market. A programme prepared by Florence Viala and Jessica Sestili

Last month, the story of a feral girl found in India, whose behaviour mimicked that of wild monkeys, went viral on social media. Nicknamed "Mowgli" after the popular Jungle Book character, speculation was rife about how the little girl was raised. Officials now say she was an abandoned child with mental and physical disabilities. Sadly, it's a common story in India where over 11 million children are believed to be abandoned. Our correspondents compiled this report. A programme prepared by Ellen Gainsford.

For the past four years, South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, has been torn apart by civil war. Two tribes are fighting each other, and their soldiers burn and steal any crops they come across. Famine is being used as a weapon of war. In the north of the country, 120,000 people now live in the giant Bentiu refugee camp, under the protection of UN peacekeepers. When they arrive, many civilians - including children - are on the verge of starvation. A programme prepared by Ellen Gainsford and Laura Burloux.

The oceans off West Africa are teeming with life. Fish is a staple of many diets in the region and accounts for the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands in countries like Senegal and Sierra Leone. But their way of life is increasingly under threat, as far from the shore, industrial vessels trawl in huge quantities of fish illegally. Greenpeace describes the situation as a "Wild West in Africa's oceans". FRANCE 24 went aboard the Esperanza, the ship tasked with investigating the crisis.

How do you rebuild a country deeply divided by years of war? That's the question the people of Iraq need to answer. Divisions have been exacerbated by the violence of the Islamic State group, especially against Yazidis and Christians. Today, students from the University of Mosul are trying to overcome this inter-community hatred. In a university residence set up by the diocese of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, they all live together regardless of their religious background. Our team went to meet them.