The Panama Canal is one of several territories that US President Donald Trump says he wants the US to take control of, amid concerns about China's influence over the waterway. What worries the US is a Hong Kong-based company that manages the two ports of entrance. Back in 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping integrated the canal into his Belt and Road Initiative. But under US pressure, Panama's government has now backed out of that project. The canal finds itself caught in a struggle between two major world powers. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain. 

The centre of Johannesburg was once an economic hub with abundant green spaces. But over the last two decades, the South African city centre has become known for crime, dumped waste, broken infrastructure and restrictions on water and electricity. A surging population has played its part. But so-called musical chairs of 10 mayors over five years and corruption during the tender process for service delivery has led to the downfall of the city's infrastructure, with buildings in the Central Business District often occupied by squatters and gangs. FRANCE 24's Tom Canetti, Caroline Dumay and Graham Walsh report.

In Madagascar, 673 rape cases involving minors were recorded in 2023. In January 2024 alone, at least 4 rapes were reported daily according to the Ministry of Justice ... figures that are likely underestimated. Madagascar is also one of the top 10 countries in the world for online child pornography. To tackle this problem, Madagascar has legalised surgical castration against child rapists. But the measure has sparked outrage among several organisations, who denounce the punishment as cruel and an affront to human dignity. Until now, no castrations have yet been carried out, and medical professionals refuse to speak publicly on the subject. Gaëlle Borgia reports.

On January 23, Thailand officially authorised marriage for all – a historic decision that made the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex unions. Within hours of the law’s enactment, hundreds of couples said “yes” to tie the knot. Today, the kingdom is known as a safe haven for LGBTQ communities across the region where other countries such as Myanmar or Malaysia still consider same-sex relationships a crime. But despite homosexual couples’ newly acquired right to marry, not everything is rosy in the "Land of Smiles". William de Tamaris, Mélodie Sforza and Justin McCurry report.

Co-hosted by India and France, the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit kicks off Monday in Paris with PM Narendra Modi scheduled to attend alongside President Emmanuel Macron. As global powers vie for dominance in the field of AI, India, which ranks 10th globally in terms of private investments, is determined to establish itself as a leading force. The Indian government has launched multiple platforms and initiatives to foster local AI startups in various sectors such as translation, robotics, and healthcare. Meanwhile Indian universities are offering AI courses aimed at driving growth in the cutting-edge industry.  

This Friday marks one month since the start of the wildfires that ravaged the US city of Los Angeles, leaving neighbourhoods in a state of utter devastation. Fires are nothing new in California, but the ones that tore through Los Angeles last month are raising serious concerns about how the disaster was handled.
 

Five years after Brexit came into force, tensions are mounting in Calais between French lorry drivers and the British authorities. Some companies are threatening to stop delivering to the other side of the border, while others fear they'll soon be out of business. Every day, stowaways try to sneak onto trucks in an attempt to reach the UK. For each migrant stopped, the hauliers have to pay a fine, but these have become astronomical. Since last year, the amounts have increased five-fold to reach up to €12,000. At a time when hauliers are being squeezed for cash, the fines represent a substantial windfall for the British authorities. Last year, they collected almost €12 million from them. FRANCE 24's Cécile Khindria, Juliette Lacharnay and Lauren Bain report.

On January 21, less than 48 hours after a ceasefire came into effect in Gaza, the Israeli military launched an operation dubbed "Iron Wall" in Jenin, in the north of the occupied West Bank. Its stated aim is to destroy armed Palestinian groups operating there. Civilians have been asked to evacuate, but have nevertheless found themselves at the centre of a new warzone. FRANCE 24's Claire Duhamel and Luke Shrago report from Jenin, where they met some of those affected by the conflict.

Kenya's Sengwer community is one of the last to live in the Embobut Forest, in the North Rift Valley. But the government accuses this Indigenous people of damaging the forest and has asked them to leave. Hundreds of families have been forcibly evicted. The Sengwer, whose ancestral way of life is under threat, accuse the authorities of deliberately burning down their homes and are refusing to leave. Our correspondents Olivia Bizot and Bastien Renouil report.

He's small, cute and viral: the baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng, housed in a Thai zoo, has become the star of millions of posts, memes and videos around the world. But in the wild, the pygmy hippopotamus is on the brink of extinction. Of the 2,500 remaining specimens, the majority live in Taï National Park in Ivory Coast, the largest – and one of the last – primary forests in West Africa. A diverse reserve stretching over 4,500 kilometres, its territory is endangered by numerous threats, including illegal gold panning. FRANCE 24's Julia Guggenheim, Damien Koffi and Tom Canetti report.