Earlier this month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that made assisted dying permanent in the state, after an initial law was passed in 2016. At the time, the change was a turning point in the approach to end-of-life care for people with terminal illnesses. Almost 10 years on, how have views changed on the practice? Has it become more accepted among doctors? And has assisted dying been resorted to unnecessarily, as many critics feared? FRANCE 24's Pierrick Leurent reports, with Wassim Cornet.

India, home to 1.45 billion people, recently overtook China as the world’s most populous country. Yet, behind this demographic milestone lies an unexpected challenge. While national leaders once warned that a large population could hinder development, several southern states are now facing the opposite problem – falling fertility rates. This decline is more than just a demographic issue. A shrinking birth rate could reduce the future workforce, strain healthcare and social services, and weaken political influence, since parliamentary representation and federal funding are tied to population size.

Researchers, professors, and scientists are leaving Donald Trump’s America in increasing numbers, choosing to settle in Canada. Their reasons are often the same: concern over the country’s authoritarian drift and the freezing or cancellation of thousands of scientific research grants. The US brain drain is real. In response, Canadian cities are launching targeted recruitment drives and programmes for international students to attract fresh talent. François Rihouay and Joanne Profeta bring this report.

Miners in Kenya risk their lives every day to extract gold 30 meters below the Earth's surface. With the recent gold rush in the country, artisanal mining is raising concerns over negative environmental consequences and poor labor conditions. Our colleagues at France Télévisions Lucile Chaussoy, Fabien Fougère, and Joseph Bohbot and France 24's Florent Marchais have this report.

It’s one of the biggest corruption scandals the Philippines has seen since the final years of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The government has admitted that 70 percent of the funds allocated for flood control measures have been embezzled since 2023, including a staggering eight billion euros in 2025 alone. Chloe Borgnon, Constantin Simon, Justin McCurry, and Aruna Popuri report from Manila Bay.

The first round of local elections in Kosovo are taking place on Sunday, October 12. Kosovo still lacks a functioning government since its legislative elections back in February. The outgoing government of nationalist Prime Minister Albin Kurti continues to pursue policies that some believe are "subjugating" the Serbian community in Kosovo. FRANCE 24's Laurent Rouy and Edward Godsell report on how the city of Gračanica could be led by a new Albanian mayor.

Afghanistan is enduring its worst drought in 30 years, having recorded less than half of its usual rainfall this past winter. As the sixth most vulnerable country to climate change globally, Afghanistan's drought poses a direct threat to farming and food security. More than 80 percent of Afghans depend on agriculture for their livelihood. FRANCE 24's Oriane Zerah and Shahzaib Wahlah report.

Between June and September, Israeli authorities approved the construction of more than 20,000 housing units in the occupied West Bank, according to a UN report. They also ordered the demolition of 455 structures during the same period. In the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, tensions between Palestinians and Israeli settlers are a daily occurrence. Our France 2 colleagues report.

Two years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave is now a shadow of its former self. Months of Israeli bombings and blockading of the Gaza Strip have plunged the Palestinian population into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The UN has officially declared a famine and accused Israel of committing genocide. Meanwhile, the Israeli government's two main objectives – freeing all the hostages and completely eliminating Hamas – have not been achieved. FRANCE 24's Olivier Faissolle and Luke Shrago look back at two years of devastating war.

One year after her landslide election victory, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum remains remarkably popular, with around 80 percent of Mexicans backing her policies. The left-wing politician has rolled out nationwide many of the measures she first introduced as mayor of Mexico City. But while the "Sheinbaum formula" appears to be working for now, major challenges lie ahead: from tackling insecurity to managing a delicate trade relationship with the United States of Donald Trump. FRANCE 24's Quentin Duval and Laurence Cuvillier report.