The People’s Republic of The Future

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in the heart of Beni territory, plagued by extreme violence from Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, employees of the Virunga National Park are battling to keep a chocolate factory running. Their aim is to process cocoa locally to prevent it being smuggled to neighbouring Uganda and to create jobs to combat enrolment in illegal armed groups.

Tensions over licensing rules for European Union fishing boats are rising as France has vowed to block access to its ports and the United Kingdom has threatened a "calibrated response.''

The two countries have feuded intensely over fishing rights since the UK's decision to leave the EU. The move comes after France seized a British boat in French waters.

The French prosecutor says the captain of the Cornelis Gert Jan faces a possible €75,000 fine for "non-authorized fishing in French waters" by a non-EU boat. The scallop dredger was seized Thursday off Le Havre.

The French president said other nations were watching as the UK clashed with France following its departure from the EU. Tit-for-tat measures are now threatened in the row over post-Brexit access to fishing waters.

An explosion rocked the southern outskirts of Belgrade sending a plume of cloud into the sky. At least two people were killed and over a dozen more were injured.

Overfishing is a growing problem along Tunisia's coast, especially due to trawlers. Their nets pick up sharks, rays and other endangered species. The Med Bycatch Project wants to encourage more sustainable fishing.

More than 1,100 people were killed when the Rana Plaza textile factory collapsed in 2013. The tragedy drew attention to poor safety standards in Bangladesh's lucrative garment industry.

Moderna has announced that its first mRNA vaccine facility in Africa will be located in Kenya with an aim of producing 500 million doses a year.

Belgian authorities shut down a Ferrero production site and ordered the company to greatly expand its recent recall of contaminated sweets. Health officials said the company was not forthcoming with investigators.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will not be joining the board of directors at Twitter as announced last week. Musk remains Twitter's largest shareholder.

Just 10 days ahead of a runoff that will determine who will lead the European Union's second-largest economy for the next five years, opinion polls show incumbent President Emmanuel Macron is slightly ahead of his far-right rival Marine Le Pen. FRANCE 24's reporters Julia Kim and Florence Villeminot attended their latest rallies. Plus, our Campaign Commentator Angela Diffley delves into the latest referendum frenzy among the candidates.