Reporters

As France endures its third week of lockdown to fight the spread of COVID-19, solidarity is stepping up a gear. From home-made face masks and protective shields, to the distribution of meals to the most vulnerable, initiatives to help others are springing up throughout the country. In Paris and Normandy, our reporters Clovis Casali and Julie Dungelhoeff went to meet French people who are refusing to sit back and want to help those most affected by this unprecedented crisis.

For the past 15 years, North Macedonia has been a candidate to join the European Union. Its application has recently made sudden progress in Brussels. In this small Balkan state, which went so far as to change its name to meet European criteria, what does the young generation think of the country's EU membership bid? Our reporters went to the capital Skopje to meet young Macedonians, who are torn between hope and disillusion over the European dream.

In the northern Brazilian state of Roraima, more and more illegal gold miners are invading indigenous land. This gold rush comes with the blessing of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro. Our reporters Fanny Lothaire and Laura Damase investigated the illegal activities and met the Yanomami Indians who are fighting to defend their ancestral land in the Amazon rainforest.

On the island of Bangka, in Indonesia, men dig tirelessly at the face of a giant mine. They're searching for tin, a metal worth as much as gold to them. The island supplies a quarter of global production, feeding the needs of computer and mobile phone giants. Located east of Sumatra, Bangka was once an island paradise but has now become a gigantic surface mine. Official mining companies rub shoulders with thousands of illegal miners, risking their lives in the hope of a lucky break. It's also an environmental catastrophe, with lagoons now devoid of marine life. Our team reports.

The government of Bangladesh has declared war against yaba, a cheap synthetic drug that is ravaging Asia. But the police act with impunity: according to eye-witnesses, dealers are killed on sight while the executions look like accidental "crossfire shootings". Our correspondent went to investigate this dirty war on yaba with law enforcement and met with families of the victims.

A symbol of the power of the Neapolitan mafia, the "Vele" buildings in the Scampia neighbourhood are to be demolished. A way for the southern Italian city to put its mafia past behind it, as FRANCE 24's team reports.

Every day, thousands of Ethiopians set off on foot on a desperate 2,000-kilometre trek in the hope of reaching Saudi Arabia. Their route takes them across the Djibouti desert, the Red Sea and Yemen, a country ravaged by civil war. Every year, hundreds die of exhaustion in the desert or drown while crossing the Gulf of Aden. Those who make it to Yemen, often having starved for days on end, are easy prey for the local mafia who kidnap them for ransom. Our reporters followed these migrants on their journey and documented, with exclusive footage, the extent of human trafficking.

In northeastern Syria, the Christian community is more threatened than ever. Last October, it found itself caught in the middle of the battle between Turkish and Kurdish forces. Meanwhile, Islamic State group sleeper cells are active in the region and the Christian minority is one of their targets. Our reporters Chris Huby and Matthieu Delmas went to meet a community living in fear of kidnappings and attacks.

On Wednesday evening, at least seven protesters were shot dead in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf, sparking fresh anti-government rallies across the country. Since the start of the protest movement in October, several hundred people, mostly demonstrators, have been killed in clashes, while tens of thousands more have been injured. Our reporters Cyril Payen and Amar Al Hameedawi travelled to the south of Iraq to get to the heart of the protests.

Donald Trump owes his presidency, at least in part, to America's evangelical Christians. And the US president certainly won’t be able to win a second term on November 3 without their support. Around a quarter of the US population are evangelicals. Our correspondents report.