The star-studded town of Montecito was also ordered to evacuate. This storm marks the fifth anniversary of a deadly mudslide that killed 23.

A weekly news show produced with photos, videos and personal accounts from France 24 Observers around the world - all checked by our staff here in Paris.

US President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in storm-battered California as more bad weather is expected. Extreme storms have battered the West Coast state for weeks.

This week, the US state of California was rocked by two mass shootings just two days apart. The massacres are just the latest in a long line of shootings that have made the US the world's number one country in gun ownership and gun deaths. The carnage pushed President Joe Biden to renew calls for Congress to act quickly on a ban on assault weapons.

After 20 years working for a big IT firm and spending his vacations connecting with the natural world, Gautum Shah decided to quit his job and use his skills to do something he truly cared about: preserving wildlife. His production company Internet of Elephants makes games using real conservation data. The idea is to boost preservation efforts by helping people feel closer to wild animals.

NBA legend Lamar Odom has vowed to save lives after investing in three different drug treatment centers in California. He has teamed up with former skateboarder Dennis Martinez to acquire facilities in San Diego, El Cajon, and Lemon Grove.

The Taiwanese leader's visit is officially a stopover following a tour of Latin America. China said the visit "seriously violates the One-China principle," its inistence that none of its trade partners recognize Taiwan.

Lawyers representing more than 13,000 Nigerians argued at London's High Court on Tuesday (April 4) that Shell is attempting to shield itself from scrutiny over pollution in Nigeria.

On the Italian coast, in the central region of Tuscany, the seaside resort of Rosignano looks like a picture-postcard paradise with turquoise sea and shimmering white sand. But this landscape is a result of its close proximity to a large factory producing soda ash. For over a century, the Belgian chemical company Solvay has managed the site, with the authorisation to discharge up to 250,000 tons of waste – pumped directly onto the beach.

A new report says the oil giants should foot a $12 billion bill for the pollution in Nigeria's Bayelsa state — but they deny wrongdoing. Instead, Shell and Eni attribute the oil spill to illegal refineries and oil theft.

We take a look at how the press is covering the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day as well as the first anniversary of a brutal killing in the Amazon, and how, on this anniversary of China's Tiananmen Square uprising, Hong Kong’s tributes were silent. We take a look at two breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer. Finally, two stories about ‘indecency’ – involving the Bible and nude beaches – are making headlines.

The number of wild mountain gorillas, who are at risk from humans, is increasing for the first time in years. This is thanks to the efforts of conservationists like Uganda's first-ever wildlife veterinarian, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, who says they are truly gentle giants. There are just over a thousand mountain gorillas left, mostly high in the mountains in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kalema-Zikusoka has also written a book, "Walking with Gorillas", charting her life from young enthusiast to wildlife campaigner.