Since a deadly crackdown on protests in 2018, the regime in Nicaragua has sealed the country off from scrutiny. Opponents are driven into exile, local independent media are silenced and no foreign journalists are allowed in. What's left is a media blackout, turning the second-poorest nation in the Americas into a tropical North Korea. FRANCE 24's Laurence Cuvillier and Matthieu Comin attempted to break this silence from Costa Rica, where several hundred thousand Nicaraguans live in exile.

In 2024, 40 of the 50 cities ranked as the most polluted in the world were located in India. Delhi topped the list. Over the past decade, air pollution has become the Indian capital's number one scourge. The situation is getting worse every year, but the authorities seem to be ignoring it, much to the dismay of residents. Our correspondents Alban Alvarez and Lisa Gamonet report.    

Over the past two decades, Turkey has become a major player in Africa. Although more discreet than China or Russia, Ankara has managed to successfully expand its influence on the continent. From drones to scholarship programmes, from construction deals to Islamic humanitarian NGOs, FRANCE 24's Karina Chabour reports on how Turkey is reshuffling the balance of power in Africa.

Egypt is one of the last countries in the world to impose prison sentences for debt. The main victims are "Gharimat": women in financial difficulty who have been forced into debt. Faced with the exploitation of these women – who are often widowed or single mothers – by unscrupulous creditors, associations are trying to help them achieve financial independence.

Across England, a new wave of nationalist activism is reshaping the political landscape. From demonstrations outside asylum-seeker hotels to mass rallies drawing tens of thousands in London, groups draped in Union Jacks and St George's Cross flags are making their presence felt. FRANCE 24's Clovis Casali and Claire Paccalin report.

Since the October 7, 2023 terror attacks, Israel has issued some 217,000 new firearms licences to civilians. Among the new permit holders are a growing proportion of women. Whether religious or secular and living in settlements or affluent villages, they support the extension of the right to bear arms, which they would like to see become widespread in Israeli society. FRANCE 24's Claire Duhamel and Solène Chalvon-Fioriti report.

Some 68 percent of the world's cocaine production comes from Colombia, fuelling all-powerful criminal gangs. European drug trafficking has its roots in Colombia's poor rural areas. From the Pacific coast to the isolated southern areas of Putumayo, this report explores cocaine's decades-long grip on the country. FRANCE 24's Pascale Mariani and Juan Orozco report.

The Golden Triangle takes part of its name from its location on the border of three countries: Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Gold refers to "black gold" – or opium – which has contributed to the wealth of the region since it was first produced there in the 19th century. The CIA popularised the name Golden Triangle in the 1970s, when drug trafficking reached its peak. Nearly 700 tonnes of opium were produced every year in the region and exported worldwide. It was often sold as heroin. But the region has seen a rise in new illicit synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and ketamine. They are manufactured in secret laboratories in Myanmar. The Golden Triangle drug cartels, allied to the powerful Chinese mafia, now produce more methamphetamine than their counterparts in Mexico. It’s a huge illegal industry that helps fund the civil war in Myanmar that began after the military coup in 2021. Constantin Simon, Aruna Popuri, William de Tamaris and Justin McCurry report on this deadly trade.

On November 13, 2015, French journalist Daniel Psenny lived right next to the Bataclan concert hall. That night, as war came to his doorstep, he instinctively filmed the chaos with his mobile phone. Dozens of people were terrified, injured and panicking. When he realised what was happening and rushed out into the street to help, a bullet pierced his arm. Ten years later, Psenny, haunted by the carnage, managed to track down these anonymous victims of the Bataclan. In this powerful 44-minute documentary, five of them remember that tragic night and talk about their lives today. 

As Brazil prepares to preside over the COP30 climate summit, the construction of a major highway is causing controversy. Authorised by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government, the BR-319 cuts through the heart of the Amazon rainforest. FRANCE 24's Fanny Lothaire and Marine Resse report.