Reporters

Encouraged by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and local authorities who want to see the development of agribusiness, an "agricultural mafia" is taking over the Amazon rainforest. In the Brazilian state of Rondonia, organised groups set up camps for small farmers – sometimes the size of a city – within national forest parks that are supposed to be protected by law or on land stolen from indigenous peoples. Our reporters investigated this "agricultural mafia", from the small farmer who is promised a patch of land and a future, to the politicians pulling the strings.

Designed to boost the economy and reduce traffic accidents, Montenegro’s first motorway has deepened national debt, damaged the environment, fuelled accusations of corruption and currently comes to an abrupt stop in a tiny village. It was supposed to be finished in May 2019 but at the end of 2021, the road was still not open to the public. So what’s gone wrong and has anyone benefited from the motorway’s construction? FRANCE 24 investigates.

FRANCE 24's reporter Bastien Renouil was in the Sudanese capital Khartoum when the military staged a coup on October 25. The power grab came as a surprise to few Sudanese. Many had suspected that the military did not intend to truly relinquish power, after having ruled the country for decades. Today, protesters in Sudan are continuing to demand a return to civilian rule, despite facing a brutal crackdown from security forces. FRANCE 24 brings you an inside look at this peaceful protest movement.

The Catholic Church imposes drastic restrictions on those who serve it. Unlike monks, priests do not take a vow of chastity but are bound to celibacy and therefore total abstinence. Yet many priests have active sex lives and are in loving heterosexual or homosexual relationships. For this special full-length documentary, French priests and their partners agreed to speak out about their double lives.

Women represent half the population in Iraq, but are almost invisible in the public sphere. In this ultra-conservative society, a woman's place is neither at school nor at work, but out of sight at home. Yet some brave women have decided to fight against these traditions, despite the danger. Our reporters went to meet them.

In the space of just a few years, the small Central American nation of Costa Rica has become a global laboratory for decarbonisation. Costa Rica is the world's only tropical country that has managed to reverse the process of deforestation: forests now cover more than half its surface. It’s also one of the few countries to get almost all its electricity (99 percent) from renewable sources. Costa Rica's inspiring and bold example reflects badly on major world powers, which have considerably more resources available to achieve their climate goals. Our regional correspondents Laurence Cuvillier and Matthieu Comin report.

Since the beginning of 2021, illegal entries into the United States through its border with Mexico have multiplied. This coincides with the inauguration of President Joe Biden, who promised to undo a restrictive immigration policy put in place by his predecessor Donald Trump. Those who have come to try their luck are mostly single men, but unaccompanied minors and families are also attempting the crossing. FRANCE 24’s Fanny Allard and Kethevane Gorjestani report.

Last year in Spain, some 50,000 children were in state care – a high number that is largely a consequence of failures in the care system. In Spain, children can be taken into care as a precautionary measure, a step that is five times more frequent than in neighbouring France. The decision in Spain to remove children from their parents is made not by a judge but by social workers. However, it often becomes irreversible, meaning that those parents face a long battle to get their children back. Our correspondents investigate.

In the autumn of 2019, an unprecedented protest movement engulfed the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite south of the country. Demonstrators were angry at the widespread corruption and incompetence of the political class, but also the influence of neighbouring Iran and its militias. An extremely violent crackdown left at least 600 dead and 21,000 injured in just a few months. Meanwhile, the leaders of the protest movement became the target of assassinations. As Iraq prepares to hold parliamentary elections, more and more voices are accusing pro-Iranian armed groups of being behind a campaign of systematic violence. FRANCE 24's Jonathan Walsh and Amar Al Hameedawi report.

In Sudan’s West Kordofan state, which contains one of the country's largest oil reserves, oil production has led to a serious health crisis. Due to a lack of environmental standards, local villagers have absorbed oil residue, especially from the water. A surge in diseases has been observed, as well as miscarriages and birth defects. Locals have long been unaware of the dangers of oil production in Sudan, which is often carried out by Chinese companies. FRANCE 24's Mohamed Farhat reports on the dark side of Sudan's oil industry.