Focus

The Venetian lagoon is home to "barene" – salt marshes made of vegetation and mud, which play an important role against the effects of climate breakdown. They absorb CO2 and can store it long term in the soil, even more efficiently than land forests. But erosion and rising sea levels are threatening these natural ramparts. Today, scientists and environmental associations are trying to save these unique ecosystems. Our Italy correspondent Natalia Mendoza reports.

Fed up with hours of power cuts, the residents of Pakistan's economic hub Karachi took to the streets in recent days and blocked several major roads. The outburst of anger highlights the daily problems faced by a megacity of over 21 million people, which has once again been ranked among the world's least liveable cities. 

Since his return to power, US President Donald Trump has been intent on reshaping the nation's capital Washington, seeking to leave his name and mark on it. After his involvement with the Kennedy Center, the White House ballroom and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump is now particularly keen on building a 250-foot (79-metre) "Triumphal Arch" – a project he claims is intended to honour the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Back in August, France's Constitutional Council overturned a social media ban for children under 15. Some students, though, are now banned from using their smartphones at school. In South Korea, where an estimated 40 percent of young children and teens are addicted to their mobile devices, authorities are trying to find ways to drastically reduce their screen time – a huge challenge in such a hyper-connected society. FRANCE 24's Chloé Borgnon, Aruna Popuri and Justin McCurry report.

Arizona, a battleground state in the US midterm elections, is at the centre of a sweeping overhaul of America's social safety net. Since US President Donald Trump's tax and spending law passed last year, about half of the state's food stamp recipients have lost their benefits – the steepest drop in the country. State officials now admit that some of them are probably still eligible, but the errors have caused food insecurity to spike. The fallout has become a key issue on the campaign trail.