France investigates return of adult website linked to Pelicot mass-rape trial


French prosecutors are investigating the reopening of the adult website Coco, now renamed Cocoland, on which sex criminal Dominique Pelicot used a chatroom to find dozens of strangers to rape his sedated wife Gisèle Pelicot. The platform has also been linked to crimes including the sexual abuse of children and murder.


Issued on: 29/04/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

The logo for the website "Cocoland", formerly "Coco", displayed on a smartphone in Paris on April 28, 2026. © Simon Wolhlfahrt, AFP

France has launched a probe into the reappearance of a website that enabled sex criminal Dominique Pelicot to recruit dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Authorities say the French-language platform Coco has been linked to crimes, including the sexual abuse of children, rape and murder. The website, which was registered abroad, was shut down in June 2024.

"The Paris public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the website's reopening," it told AFP.

The website, now operating under the name Cocoland and featuring a coconut-themed backdrop, was accessible on Tuesday.

France's commissioner for children, Sarah el Hairy, raised the alarm in mid-April.

"The reopening of the Coco site is a real slap in the face to the promise of protection we've made," she told broadcaster RMC at the time.

Such websites "exploit every loophole, they seek out prey, and that prey is children"? she said.

READ MOREFrance probes online platform for possible 'paedophile content'

"We will track them down, we will hound them, we will give them no respite."

Prior to the platform's re-emergence, the investigation into the Coco platform was "well advanced", according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

Isaac Steidl, the founder and manager of the Coco website, was in January 2025 charged with complicity in drug trafficking, possession and distribution of child pornography, corruption of a minor via the internet, and criminal conspiracy. He denies the charges.

His lawyer Julien Zanatta said Steidl had "nothing to do" with the new website.

The platform has been at the centre of several criminal cases, including the high-profile Pelicot trial.

Pelicot was sentenced in 2024 to 20 years in prison for aggravated rape, after he recruited dozens of strangers to rape his then-wife Gisele after drugging her in their home between 2011 and 2020.

He spoke to potential attackers on the website's chatroom called "A son insu" (literally, "Without his/her knowledge").

Two French women's rights groups called Tuesday for the authorities to launch a broader probe into other, similar websites and platforms.

The appeal came after a report by US news network CNN in March on so-called "Rape Academy" platforms, where men around the world exchange tips on drugging and raping their partners while filming the scenes.

"Given recent cases such as that of Gisele Pelicot, it is highly likely that French users are participating (on such sites) and that victims in France are involved," the Women's Foundation and the group M'endors pas (Don't Put Me to Sleep) said in a joint statement.

The latter group was co-founded by Gisele Pelicot's daughter, Caroline Darian.

"These are not isolated episodes but organised crimes by fully fledged communities that encourage and structure such violence," the groups said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Abuse at French after-school programmes: Parents sound the alarm

Issued on: 29/04/2026 - 

Play (12:15 min) From the show

In Paris, parents are now dropping their children off at school in a climate of anxiety. For several months, reports of physical and sexual abuse involving nursery school children have been mounting. These cases are said to have taken place during after-school care and lunch breaks, when the children are supervised by non-teaching staff. In 2026 alone, 78 youth workers were suspended in Paris, 31 of them on suspicion of sexual abuse. Warning: viewers may find this report disturbing.

While much media attention has focused on the scandal in Parisian schools, the abuse is a nationwide issue. Amid a culture of silence, denial, inadequate training for employees and flawed recruitment practices, how can such serious failures be explained?

Parents' warnings ignored

In April 2026, several dozen parents gathered for a demonstration in front of Paris's City Hall. Shaken by reports of the physical and sexual abuse of children during lunchtimes and after-school care, they were calling for decisive action from their representatives. "What we'd like is to restore trust as soon as possible so we can all get back to normal," said Lyna, a concerned mother who decided to withdraw her children from the after-school programme.

Since this scandal came to light, Nathalie has been plagued by guilt. Her son, now eight years old, attended one of the dozens of schools involved. "At the time, he was having very violent outbursts. We couldn't understand why. He wasn't well. He was always saying, 'I hate them. I don't like it. I don't want to go to the after-school club.'" Like other parents, she had tried to raise the alarm. But her concerns fell on deaf ears.

Olivier knew nothing about the situation at the school when his children started there last September. Soon, his daughter began having serious trouble sleeping, and his son would regularly come home with bruises and scratches.

In January, Olivier and his wife recognised their children's school in video clips circulating from a report on violence in after-school care. When the children returned from school, they questioned them. The family's life was turned upside down. "They obviously told us about the violence and the shouting, but they also told us about the sexual abuse, the behaviour, the inappropriate touching," says Olivier, who is devastated.

Several months after coming forward, the two children are still suffering from severe psychological after-effects, typical of victims of abuse.

Children's accounts often doubted

That trauma has been revisited and triggered by the inefficiencies of the justice system: the children had to repeat their accounts several times due to a lack of appropriate procedures.

In France, doubt is still too often cast over children's accounts. "These opinions go against the scientific data. Numerous studies show that in less than 1 percent of cases, the child is lying," explains Luis Alvarez, a child psychiatrist.

Overwhelming accounts of violence in after-school care have been flooding into the founders of the 'Afterschool programmes in crisis' association. Created by Anne and Elisabeth, this collective put out a call for testimonies in 2021. "We received over 80 testimonies in 10 days. That's when we realised it was systemic," explains Elisabeth.
Inadequate training and flawed recruitment processes

The majority of accounts reveal physical and psychological abuse, often downplayed by the adults in charge of the children. The whistleblowers point to a deeply flawed system. Inadequate recruitment, unsuitable training, precarious working conditions and the absence of a clear national framework: these are the main issues that, in their view, explain the violations.

Given the scale of these revelations, the City of Paris has launched a €20 million action plan to better protect children in after-school care. Measures include improving reporting procedures, training staff and setting up support groups for children who have been victims of abuse.

Initiatives to raise awareness of consent are also emerging, in order to better equip children to deal with violence.

More broadly, this scandal highlights the urgent need to listen to children more carefully, to protect them and take their accounts seriously.

BY:

Noémie ROCHE

Elodie RADENAC

Stéphanie CHEVAL

Olivia SALAZAR-WINSPEAR

Yes, Trump's portrait will soon feature in some US passports

Issued on: 29/04/2026 

TRUTH OR FAKE © FRANCE 24


04:30 min From the show

Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has plastered his name, likeness and signature across a series of US government buildings and documents. The US State Department has now announced that to mark the US's 250th birthday, it is unveiling a limited-edition "patriot passport" featuring Trump's portrait. The announcement has sparked criticism of "megalomania" and "vanity" from US lawmakers and average Americans alike.

These special edition passports are to be issued only in Washington, featuring Trump's portrait on the inside cover, surrounded by the text of the Declaration of Independence and the US flag, with his signature – rendered in gold – underneath.

There are few precedents worldwide – let alone in a democracy – of having the sitting leader's portrait in its citizens' passports.

Currently, US passports depict historical scenes such as the Moon landing, or famous American symbols like the Liberty Bell or Statue of Liberty. Trump would be the first sitting president to have his image inside Americans' travel documents.

The launch is expected to coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence on July 4, and it's not clear whether Americans will be able to opt out of this special edition.


How have Americans reacted to these commemorative passports?

The announcement sparked heavy criticism from US lawmakers and average Americans alike. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said Trump is "too busy trying to slap his face on everything to lower costs for working people or end his war in Iran."

California Representative Mike Levin blasted this as "not patriotism, it is vanity" and multiple lawmakers slammed the move as "megalomania".

California Governor Gavin Newsom – who often spars with Trump – went a step further in his criticism, with his press office sharing a parody California driving license featuring Newsom's own face, as well as an AI-generated passport design featuring Donald Trump and disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

American citizens also slammed the move and compared Trump to a dictator, saying that not "even Castro, Peron, Mussolini or Hitler did such a thing" and pointing out that even North Korea's passport doesn't feature longtime leader Kim Jong Il.
Latest in Trump's efforts to plaster his portrait on institutions and documents

Since his return to office last January, banners of Trump already grace multiple government buildings in the capital, as well as the Kennedy Center and US Institute for Peace both being renamed to feature him. The US Treasury announced last month that his signature will soon appear on paper currency, with Trump-class battleships also announced.

Vedika Bahl goes through what we know about these new passports in Truth or Fake.

Powell to remain on Fed board after term ends, preventing Trump appointment

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday urged central bank independence as he nears the end of his term on May 15. He said he would remain a Fed governor, drawing criticism from President Donald Trump, who mocked the decision.


Issued on: 30/04/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24

© FRANCE 24

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made a fervent appeal Wednesday for central bank independence, as he prepares to cap an eight-year term at its helm marked by insults and legal action under the Trump administration.

Powell's chairman term ends on May 15, and at his last policy press conference as chief, he announced that he would continue serving as a Fed governor for some time – even after vacating the top job.

The decision swiftly drew ire from President Donald Trump, who charged that he was only staying as he "can't get a job anywhere else".

At his press briefing, Powell gave a lengthy explanation of why central bank independence was key to the economy and the general public.

"We just work directly for the American people," he said.

"We don't think, oh, I want to do this because the president says it's a good idea, or because there's an election coming up and I want to speed up or slow down the economy," Powell added.

"This isn't bipartisan. This is nonpartisan," he said.

The briefing, where Powell appeared more relaxed than previous news conferences, concluded with some applause.

"You want people to make monetary policy and set interest rates to benefit the general public, and try to achieve economic goals, which are maximum employment and price stability, and focus only on that, and ignore political considerations – completely ignore them," he said.

The Fed has come under sharp pressure from Trump during Powell's term, sparking concerns that its cherished independence could be eroded.

Trump has called Powell a "numbskull" and "moron", lashing out at the Fed chief for not slashing interest rates more aggressively.

His Justice Department also launched an investigation into the Fed and Powell over renovation cost overruns at the central bank's headquarters.

But the department said last Friday that it would drop the probe for now.

Powell noted Wednesday that the Justice Department has provided assurances that it would not reopen the probe without a criminal referral from the Fed's inspector general.

He stressed the need to keep the Fed insulated from politics.

Otherwise, he added, "we'd have no credibility".

"Markets would lose faith in us and our ability to control inflation and have any respect would be gone," he said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

TotalEnergies profits surge amid Iran war, sparking calls for windfall tax


TotalEnergies on Wednesday said its first quarter net profit rose 51 percent, boosted by a sharp spike in energy costs linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. The announcement drew war-profiteering criticisms from climate groups and a call by France's opposition Socialist Party for a law on imposing a tax on crisis-related windfall profits.


Issued on: 29/04/2026 - 
By: FRANCE 24

TotalEnergies reported a Q1 profit surge of more than 50 percent. 

© Christophe Archambault, AFP (File


French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies said Wednesday net profit had risen 51 percent in the first quarter to $5.8 billion, boosted by higher oil prices linked to the war in the Middle East, drawing criticism from climate groups.

Growth in its oil and gas production in Brazil, Libya and Australia allowed the group to offset losses in the Gulf region, which is normally equivalent to 15 percent of its total oil and gas business, the company said in a statement.

It also highlighted its "ability to capitalise on rising prices".

The company's oil and gas production rose four percent in the quarter, with the amount of liquefied natural gas transported by sea gaining 12 percent.


TotalEnergies also said its trading arm had produced "a very strong performance".

In early April, the Financial Times reported that TotalEnergies had earned more than one billion dollars by buying almost all of the exportable oil cargoes in the Middle East, at a time when US-Israeli attacks on Iran had closed the key Strait of Hormuz and sent oil prices soaring.

"TotalEnergies' war profits highlight our persistent dependence on fossil fuels, whose soaring prices once again benefit shareholders at the expense of consumers," Antoine Bouhey, campaign coordinator at Reclaim Finance said in response.

Greenpeace France denounced a "cynical logic" while "households pay the high price at the pump".
New windfall profit tax proposed

Soaring gas prices have revived a political debate in Europe on taxing windfall profits made on high oil prices, an idea to which French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in early April that he had "no objection in principle".

On Wednesday, Lecornu called on TotalEnergies to commit to redistributing windfall profits "one way or another".

"Exceptional ⁠results raise the question of an exceptional, proportionate redistribution ... one option being through fiscal means. No doors are closed," Lecornu told senators on Wednesday after the opposition Socialist Party proposed a law imposing a minimum 20% tax on crisis-related windfall profits.

Last year Total paid no ​French tax, as its trading profits are booked mostly in Switzerland while its French refineries were loss-making.

It has voluntarily capped prices ‌at the pump at its French service stations since the crisis began.

The company said it was already doing so by limiting the increase in prices at the pump.

"That's how we redistribute our profits," TotalEnergies told AFP.

TotalEnergies also said it had partially restarted its Satorp refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia in mid-April, after it had shut the facility following air strikes in early April.

The group increased its dividend to 0.90 euros a share from 0.85 euros.

Shares in TotalEnergies were up 0.2 percent in late afternoon trading in Paris, where the bluechip CAC40 index was down 0.5 percent.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Europe air quality improves but falls short of 2030 targets, European Environment Agency warns


Air quality in Europe is improving but further action is needed to meet the European Union’s 2030 targets, the European Environment Agency said on Thursday, noting pollution still exceeds limits at up to 20% of monitoring stations across 39 countries.


Issued on: 30/04/2026 - 
By: FRANCE 24

Paris on December 28, 2016, during a period of increased air pollution

 © Lionel Bonaventure, AFP


Air quality in Europe is improving but more effort is needed to reach the European Union's 2030 targets, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in its annual report on Thursday.

"EU standards were mostly met in most regions across Europe for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and for nitrogen dioxide (NO2)," the EEA said in a statement.

However, in up to 20 percent of monitoring stations, "air pollution is still above current EU air quality standards, especially for smaller particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns (µm) or less (PM10), ground level ozone (O3) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)", it said.

The EEA report covers 39 European countries, comprising the 27 EU member states and 12 countries associated to the agency, including Switzerland, Norway and Turkey.

EU moves to tighten rules on harmful pollutants: The invisible danger of 'forever chemicals'

According to the EEA, EU member states will have to implement their roadmaps if they are to meet the 2030 air quality limits, set in 2024.

"For most pollutants the distance to the 2030 target is significant and will likely require additional measures," the report said, stressing the need for efforts on fine particulate matter.

It can be politically difficult to gain acceptance for such efforts, as illustrated by France's recent rollback of low-emission zones (LEZs) targeting polluting vehicles.

Moreover, the EU's 2030 targets still fall well short of the World Health Organisation's recommendations, updated in 2021.

The European agency also emphasised the lack of significant progress on ground-level ozone levels, which "have not decreased significantly", and which caused 63,000 premature deaths in the EU in 2023.

"Climate change is expected to worsen ozone pollution in Europe because of increased frequency and intensity of heat-related meteorological conditions that enhance ozone formation," the EEA said.

It warned that action at local and national levels "may not be sufficient", since ozone and its precursors can travel over long distances.

"Effective mitigation also depends on stronger European and international cooperation to tackle transboundary air pollution," the agency said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

GEMOLOGY

New York's Mamdani calls on King Charles to 'return' Koh-i-Noor diamond taken from India


New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday called on King Charles III to "return" the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a 105.6 carat gem that was mined in India and is now the star of Britain's crown jewels. The diamond has been in British hands since 1849 but its ownership is contested with several countries laying claim.


Issued on: 30/04/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

King Charles III and Queen Camilla met with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a state visit. © Getty Images North America, pool via AFP

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for King Charles to "return" the prized Koh-i-Noor diamond, which the British Empire took from the Indian subcontinent in the 1800s, on the third day of the monarch's state visit on Wednesday.

Before greeting Charles and Queen Camilla at a 9/11 memorial event, Mamdani was asked what he would discuss with the king if he had the chance.

"If I was to speak to the king, separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond," the leftist mayor said, adding that his focus would be honoring those killed in the terror attacks.

It's unclear whether Mamdani followed through and brought up the contentious subject with Charles when the two met.

The monarch was seen laughing with Mamdani and having a brief conversation after they shook hands.

Housed in the Tower of London, the massive 106 carat stone is the star of Britain's crown jewels, adorning the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

The Koh-i-noor, or "mountain of light," diamond, set in the Maltese Cross at the front of the crown made for Britain's late Queen Mother Elizabeth, is seen on her coffin on April 5, 2002. © Alastair Grant, AP

The ownership of the jewel has been contested over the centuries, passing through the hands of Mughal emperors, Iranian shahs and Sikh maharajas before the Kingdom of Punjab gave it to Queen Victoria in 1849 as part of a peace treaty.

India has repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought the return of the priceless jewel.

While there is little doubt it was mined in India, its history thereafter is a mixture of myth and fact, with several countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan also laying claim to the gem.

A politician from the anti-immigration Reform UK party was quick to slam the comments as an "insult to our King."

"This beautiful diamond is currently on display in the Tower of London," the party's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said in an X post. "That is where it will stay."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

gutenberghttps://www.gutenberg.org  › files  › 155  › 155-h  › 155-h.htm

The Moonstone | Project Gutenberg

The generations succeeded each other; the warrior who had committed the sacrilege perished miserably; the Moonstone passed (carrying its curse with it) from...

European rocket blasts off with Amazon internet satellites

Kourou (AFP) – Europe's most powerful rocket Ariane 6 launched on Thursday carrying a second batch of 32 satellites into space for Amazon's internet constellation, which is bidding to rival Elon Musk's giant Starlink.


Issued on: 30/04/2026 - FRANCE24

The rocket blasted off into overcast skies at 5.57 am local time (0857 GMT) from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America, an AFP correspondent said.

It was the second Ariane 6 launch carrying 32 satellites for Amazon Leo, the internet constellation of the giant US company founded by US billionaire Jeff Bezos.

The launch also marked the second Ariane 6 mission using four boosters, its most powerful configuration.

The satellites are scheduled to separate an hour and 54 minutes after launch. They will be released into low-Earth orbit in small batches of twos and threes.

Amazon Leo plans to intially deploy 3,200 satellites into space that will form a network to provide internet back on Earth.

However after delays there are currently just 239 in orbit, including some launched by the rival SpaceX company of fellow billionaire Musk, according to data provided to AFP on Wednesday by Look Up, a French startup specialising in space surveillance.

In March, Musk's Starlink internet constellation crossed the symbolic threshold of 10,000 satellites -- and now has 10,162 in orbit, the startup added.

The French company Arianespace, which operates the rocket, will carry out a total of 18 launches for Amazon Leo, its main commercial customer.

Amazon Leo has become crucial for keeping Europe's relatively new Ariane 6 rocket competitive, because many European commercial customers have opted to rely on SpaceX for launches.

© 2026 AFP

Global press freedom falls to lowest level in 25 years, RSF warns

Freedom of the press has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, NGO Reporters without Borders (RSF) warned Thursday as it released its annual global ranking. The group reported a worldwide decline in media freedom, citing factors ranging from US President Donald Trump’s “systematic” attacks on the press to actions in Saudi Arabia, where a journalist was executed in 2025.


Issued on: 30/04/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he hosts the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 6, 2026, in Washington, DC. © Brendan Smialowski, AFP

The NGO's annual ranking, which was established in 2002, uses a five-point scale to asses the level of press freedom in a country, ranging from "very serious" to "good".

This year's index reveals a global trend towards restricting press freedoms.

"For the first time in the index’s 25-year history, more than half the world’s countries now fall into the 'difficult' or 'very serious' categories for press freedom," RSF said.

The proportion of the population living in a country where the press freedom situation is "good" has plummeted, falling from 20% to "less than 1%", it said.


Only seven countries in northern Europe are ranked "good", with Norway receiving the highest rating. France ranks 25th, with a ‘"satisfactory" score.

“In 25 years, the average score for all the countries studied has never been so low,” the NGO said.

The United States, received a "problematic" rating and has dropped seven places to 64th, between Botswana and Panama.

The organisation said US President Donald Trump's attacks on the press had become “systematic” resulting in such incidents as the the detention and subsequent deportation of the Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara, who was reporting on the arrests of migrants in the United States.

Trump has also overseen a drastic reduction in funding for US international broadcasting.

Judge orders Trump admin to restore 1,000 Voice of America jobs and resume broadcasts

RSF also highlighted the dramatic falls of El Salvador (143rd), which has dropped 105 places since 2014 following the launch of a war against the Maras criminal gangs, and Georgia(135th), which has fallen 75 places since 2020 due to an “escalation of repression”.

The sharpest decline in 2026 is attributed to Niger (120th, down 37 places) due to the “the deterioration of press freedom in the Sahel over several years”, amid “attacks by armed groups and (the) ruling juntas”, RSF said.

Saudi Arabia (176th, down 14 places), where the columnist Turki al-Jasser was executed by the state in June – “a unique occurrence in the world” – sits alongside Russia, Iran and China at the very bottom of the ranking, which is rounded out by Eritrea (180th).

By contrast, Syria (141st) has leapt 36 places following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Reporters Without Borders head on group's list of 'press freedom predators'


Issued on: 03/11/2025 - FRANCE24

09:30 min
From the show


The director general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the "series of crises" affecting journalism. Thibaut Bruttin hit out at the "return of violence against journalists" and the "erosion of support" for the protection of journalism. Bruttin was speaking to us to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. This year, his organisation is unveiling what it calls a list of 34 "press freedom predators" who attacked journalists and the right to information in 2025.

BY:  Stuart Norval

World press freedom hits new low as authoritarianism rise

Rodrigo Menegat Schuinski

DW

29/04/2026 

With three in four countries "problematic" or worse, the 2026 World Press Freedom Index offers a bleak picture for global media. The conditions for press freedom are rated "satisfactory" in only a few dozen countries.

All data, methodology and code behind this story can be found in this github repository.

DATA GRAPHICS World press freedom hits new low as authoritarianism rises

In many countries around the world, working as a journalist has become increasingly dangerous

Image: Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto/picture alliance

The ability of journalists to work safely and independently is under threat globally, according to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The NGO, which has reported on the state of worldwide journalism annually since 2002, defines press freedom as "the ability of journalists as individuals and collectives to select, produce, and disseminate news in the public interest independent of political, economic, legal, and social interference and in the absence of threats to their physical and mental safety."

RSF now classifies the press freedom environment as "problematic" or worse in about three-fourths of the 180 countries evaluated. Conditions for media are classified as "difficult" to "very serious" in over half of the countries, RSF found.

In 2013, conditions in fewer than one-third of countries were classified as "difficult" to "very serious." The press freedom environment in seven-tenths was classified as "problematic" or worse.


Though there's a global downward trend, press freedom varies by region. Generally, the freest countries — including the top four: Norway, Estonia, the Netherlands and Denmark — can be found in Europe, while journalists in parts of Africa and Asia face the harshest conditions.


Discrepancies within regions can also be pronounced. In Europe, for example, there's a strong divide between the Southern and Eastern regions, where challenges to press freedom are higher, and the Northern and Western regions, where countries are generally ranked as "satisfactory" to "good." Similarly, journalists in North Africa are, in general, less free than their counterparts in the Southern region of the continent.

Poland and Slovakia take different paths

One example of an interregional divide can be found in the heart of Europe: The press in Poland has become freer, while hostility toward the media is growing in Slovakia. Both countries are classified as "satisfactory," but they are trending in different directions

According to RSF, the turning point for Poland was a change in government. After the Law and Justice party (PiS), which opposed abortion and LGBTQ+ rights and pushed anti-migration policies, was ousted from power in late 2023, the new government toned down verbal attacks and judicial actions against the press.

An election that year also served as a turning point in Slovakia, where, after years in the opposition, Robert Fico began his fourth term as prime minister in 2023.

"He has a long career behind him, and it was always his narrative that journalists are his enemy," said Lukas Diko, the editor-in-chief of the Investigative Center of Jan Kuciak (ICJK), an independent news organization named after a journalist murdered during Fico's third term.

Kuciak had been investigating connections between organized crime groups and businesses in Slovakia that were linked to members of Fico's ruling party. Though Kuciak's killing led to a wave of anti-corruption protests that helped bring down Fico's government in 2018, Diko said attacks on the press had escalated since the prime minister returned to office.

"It's really without any rules," he said.

Diko said the fear caused by the murder of a young journalist and the hostile official rhetoric had discouraged people from careers in reporting.

"Not many young people want to become journalists anymore," he said. "The murder of Kuciak is still something that tells them not to do it — but they also don't want to be verbally attacked on a daily basis."

Attacks on press as a political strategy

Argentina is another country that has sharply dropped in the index. Media advocates say anti-press smear campaigns waged by President Javier Milei, whose hard-right policies favor financial freedoms above all others, have created a hostile climate for journalists. He often uses social media to attack critics, and claims that journalists are "not hated enough."

"When Milei insults a journalist, he is not doing that as Milei, the economist, or Milei, an ordinary citizen," said Fernando Stanich, the president of the Argentine press forum FOPEA, an organization that defends freedom of expression and promotes quality journalism. "He is doing that as the main representative of the Argentinian state. "

Stanich said previous Argentine governments had been hostile to the press — the Peronist Cristina Kirchner had frequently sparred with the media as president from 2007 to 2015 — but, according to FOPEA's monitoring, the current level of verbal attacks on journalists is unprecedented.

Like Argentina's Milei and Slovakia's Fico, US President Donald Trump has insulted and threatened the press since his first campaign for office in 2016. Coincidentally, the United States has also seen a significant drop in its standing in the World Press Freedom Ranking, along with other countries where leaders follow the same playbook — such as El Salvador.


Argentina, Slovakia and the United States show how quickly countries considered relatively stable and democratic can become hostile to journalists. The press has never been free in Eritrea, China, North Korea and Iran, which have long been ruled by authoritarian regimes that silence independent reporting.

According to the RSF report, "armed conflict is the primary reason for [the] decline in press freedom" in countries such as Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen. Since Israel launched its war in Gaza following the Hamas-led terror attacks on October 7, 2023, more than 220 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army, including at least 70 while working, the report states.

Networks fight threats to press freedom

Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova, a professor in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Liverpool, said societal threats to press freedom fell into three main categories. The use of political structures to intimidate or harm journalists, including verbal attacks by public officials and threats of violence and incarceration, is the most obvious indicator of press freedom in decline. But societal and economic factors, such as the targeting of journalists for their gender, race or sexual orientation and the pressures of a precarious media labor market, can also curtail press freedoms.

Slavtcheva-Petkova said journalists could fight such challenges by banding together, as well as by collaborating with organizations that share their values, including rights activists and academics.

"Knowing that there is somebody you can rely on for support is very important," Slavtcheva-Petkova said. "When journalists don't have that, when they don't know whom to turn to for help ... then they feel that what they're experiencing might even be their own fault."

With most journalists worldwide now working in conditions that are problematic at best, as the 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index demonstrates, such networks are likely to take on increased importance in the coming years — both within countries and internationally. Only 17 countries improved their press freedom scores from 2013 to 2026; conditions in 163 got worse.

South Africa is one example of a country with robust networks to fight for press freedom. The country has maintained its "satisfactory" rating since 2013, resulting in a steady climb in the rankings as other nations' scores have slipped.

Glenda Daniels, a journalist and professor of media studies at Wits University in Johannesburg, said a strong civil society had helped South Africa maintain its status as press freedom declines globally. Despite challenges common to journalists across the world — including biases against and threats to women in the media and a shrinking labor market — Daniels said strong networks had helped preserve press freedom in South Africa.

Daniels herself serves as secretary-general of the South African National Editors’ Forum, which defends journalists' right to conduct their work. "SANEF is loud and noisy," she said. "It makes a difference to have a strong civil society approach, advocacy and activism."

Edited by: Gianna Grün and Milan Gagnon

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Rodrigo Menegat Schuinski Data journalist

Indian Muslims say they're being targeted as millions of voters deleted from rolls

Issued on: 29/04/2026 - FRANCE24
06:20 min From the show

Last year, the Election Commission of India launched a "Special Intensive Revision", or SIR, describing it as an exercise to eliminate duplicate or deceased voters. So far, 13 states and federally administered territories have completed the task, leading to the deletion of over 55 million voters from the electoral rolls. But this exercise has become a political flashpoint in West Bengal, where 9 million voters have been deleted ahead of a crucial state election.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, the BJP, is hoping to win that state election. Opposition leaders and former officials argue the scale and timing of deletions could undermine democratic fairness and tilt the election result.

The controversy has become one of the defining issues of the West Bengal election, exposing deeper fault lines in voter rights and the integrity of India's electoral system.

FRANCE 24's Navodita Kumari, Zubair Dar and Mohammad Sartaj Alam report.

BY: Navodita KUMARI

 LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Hinduism Is Fascism