UN biodiversity chief: ‘Without biodiversity, there would be no life’

The world has not yet been able to safeguard ecosystems that are key to the well-being of humanity, the United Nations biodiversity chief has said.

US real estate scion Robert Durst was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with no possibility of parole for the killing of his best friend.

Taking aim at the press and those who peddle it, “Lost Illusions” sees Honoré de Balzac settling scores within his sprawling multi-volume epic Comédie Humaine.Director Xavier Giannoli has brought 19th century Paris to life for his film adaptation of the novels, with celebrity, advertising and journalism in the crosshairs. Critic Lisa Nesselson tells us why the movie is as topical as it is entertaining.

In Iraq's vast western desert, some 200 families live in a hamlet largely cut off from the rest of the world, their only neighbour one of the country's biggest military bases. Lost in rocky ochre hills and surrounded by humble palm groves, Al-Sahl’s only education facility is a primary school, and residents rely on livestock and farming to survive.

Since the end of the 18th century, the French-style gardens of the Château de Chambord, in France's Loire Valley, had disappeared. But months of hard work have brought these 6.5 hectares back to life. From lawns to flowerbeds and rows of trees, FRANCE 24 takes you behind the scenes of a model of perfection where there is no room for approximation.

Before the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan, Kabul was a city with a vibrant nightlife and arts scene. But since then, there has been a radical transformation. Thousands of longtime Taliban fighters have poured into the capital, now working in round-the-clock security patrols. Meanwhile, financial disputes and quarrels between neighbours are being settled by Islamic judges. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris-Trent and Roméo Langlois report from Kabul.

Judge Ladoris Cordell was the first lawyer to open a private practice in east Paolo Alto, California and also the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court in northern California. In her memoir, "Her Honor: My Life on the Bench," she offers a deeply intimate and informative account of navigating the flaws of the American justice system, as well as 10 suggestions on how to fix it. She joined Erin Ogunkeye for Perspective.

Every year in France, thousands of heritage sites are put up for sale and get a second life thanks to slightly eccentric owners. We meet some of the people who have decided to make these monuments their home, from an abandoned lighthouse to a deconsecrated chapel.

The Catholic Church imposes drastic restrictions on those who serve it. Unlike monks, priests do not take a vow of chastity but are bound to celibacy and therefore total abstinence. Yet many priests have active sex lives and are in loving heterosexual or homosexual relationships. For this special full-length documentary, French priests and their partners agreed to speak out about their double lives.

Legendary Nigerian comic actor, Babatunde Omidina, fondly called Baba Suwe, passed on at age of 63. His death was confirmed by his son, Adesola Omidina, who took to his Instagram page to announce his father's demise.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

Every two-and-a-half days a woman in Germany dies at the hands of her partner or former partner, according to figures presented on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The Turkish lira is in free fall — with devastating consequences for people in the Syrian region of Idlib. 46-year-old Khadija needs two jobs to provide for her family.