Focus

At the COP29 summit draws to a close, this report takes us to a renewable energy farm in India, partly owned by billionaire Gautam Adani. He has just been charged in the US for allegedly bribing Indian authorities over contracts for solar plants in the south of the country. As one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases, India is at a critical juncture in its battle against climate change. Given its pace of economic expansion, the country continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels to meet the energy demands of its 1.4 billion people. However, this fast-growing economy is also aiming to become a leader in renewable energy. Yet reports say India's climate goals for 2030 would cost close to €1 trillion. FRANCE 24's Priyata Brajabasi, Navodita Kumari and Lisa Gamonet report.

With the COP29 summit now in its final days, we take a closer look at the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. A major global carbon sink that's nicknamed the lungs of the planet, the Amazon is once again under threat. Illegal fires set by farmers ravaged millions of hectares over the summer. Our France 2 colleagues followed the police as they tracked down those responsible. They bring us this report, with FRANCE 24's Luke Shrago.

In Pakistan, a blasphemy-related case turned tragic in September. A doctor accused of blaspheming the Prophet Mohammed was allegedly shot dead by police officers and his body set on fire by a mob of fundamentalists. In a historic first, members of civil society then mobilised to demand justice for him. Blasphemy is a very sensitive topic in Pakistan. Sometimes even mere rumours trigger riots and rampages. While mob killings of blasphemy suspects are common in Pakistan, such extrajudicial executions by police in blasphemy-related cases are rare. Our team went to meet the grieving family of the victim. FRANCE 24's Shahzaib Wahlah reports, with the collaboration of Sameer Mandro.

A year after far-right leader Geert Wilders’ victory in the Dutch general elections, the Dutch government is set to introduce its strictest asylum policy ever. The new measures will limit family reunification and make it more difficult to submit new asylum applications. Report by Fernande Van Tets and Alix Le Bourdon.

Is the Gaza war’s final battle being fought in the north of the besieged enclave? The Israeli army launched a major operation there on October 6, targeting the towns of Jabalya and Beit Lahya, where Hamas is attempting to regroup and rebuild. For now, nearly 400,000 Palestinian civilians have refused the Israel Defense Forces’ evacuation orders and remain in the north. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel, alongside the Real Gaza Production teams, investigated.

Indonesia may be on the front lines of the fight against global warming, but many of its people are climate sceptics. A 2019 survey found that Indonesia – the world's biggest Muslim-majority country – has the highest proportion  of climate change sceptics globally. About 18 percent of respondents said human activity is not affecting the climate, compared with 16 percent in the US. Campaigners are hoping that Islamic authorities and mosques can help raise awareness of environmental issues. They've condemned deforestation, installed solar panels on their premises and spearheaded waste recycling. FRANCE 24's William de Tamaris, Justin McCurry and Ismutia Rahmi report from Java and Bali.

Two years after the Pretoria agreements ended the Tigray war, what’s the situation on the ground? The conflict resulted in nearly 600,000 deaths, with Eritrean soldiers fighting alongside the Ethiopian federal army against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. While the peace deal called for Eritrean troops to withdraw, Eritrea never signed it, and many border areas remain occupied. Those living there feel abandoned. Our Ethiopia correspondent Clothilde Hazard reports.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of industry in the former East Germany, many women have left the region and never returned. Men are now over-represented, with a surplus of up to 25 percent in some municipalities. This shortage of women has created a vicious cycle: a rapidly ageing population, a loss of social cohesion and a decline in the attractiveness of eastern cities. The gender imbalance is also fuelling political radicalisation, which Germany's far-right AfD party is taking advantage of. FRANCE 24's Anne Mailliet, Willy Mahler, Nick Holdsworth and Caroline du Bled report.

Since January, Ivory Coast has embarked on a mass eviction project. Authorities have targeted 176 neighbourhoods in Abidjan and have destroyed homes without any proper relocation plans for residents. This project was initially presented as a safety measure to deal with flooding that has ravished informal settlements. However, it soon became clear that the operation was actually being used to build roads and infrastructure projects. Infrastructure that the authorities say is essential to the city's development, but which leaves more than 30,000 people in a precarious situation. FRANCE 24’s Julia Guggenheim, Damien Koffi and Tom Canetti report.

Sri Lanka has earned a global reputation for its high-quality tea, thanks to the generations of workers who bring this "green gold" to life. From the high-altitude slopes where leaves are carefully picked, to the processing and tasting that define its unique flavours, the country's tea industry is a way of life. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Guillaume Gougeon.