What is the India-France Rafale fighter jet deal all about?

People residing in and around the Sundarbans — the world's largest mangrove forest — are being forced to spend their meager incomes on buying drinking water as climate change and local policies exhaust their options.

France's government decided to bypass the lower house of parliament with contested pension reforms. The snap decision came moments before a planned vote, sparking fury inside and outside of parliament.

India and Pakistan traditionally have hostile relations, but there is hope on one front, at least. In order to enable the Sikhs from India to make a pilgrimage to one of their holiest shrines, a "peace corridor" has been opened between the two countries.

Indian authorities are carrying out a massive manhunt for Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh. As he evades the police, his popularity haunts Punjab as a reminder of once deadly tensions.

Thousands of Myanmar's nationals, caught in the crossfire between the army and pro-democracy rebel forces, have crossed the border and entered the northeast Indian state of Mizoram.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he expected the pension reform bill to be enacted by the end of the year. The pension fight has brought him to the lowest point of his presidency's second term.

Protests erupted in several cities a day after President Emmanuel Macron doubled down on raising the pension age. Worker strikes shut down transport, while protesters blocked highways and other infrastructure.

In this special history episode of French Connections Plus, we take a deep dive into "la Belle Époque" or "The Beautiful Era", a period in France history straddling the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It was a moment of peace and prosperity, technological progress, bubbling creativity and hope in the future.

We look at reactions in the international papers as France's pensions reform protests turn violent and chaotic. Elsewhere, India continues its search for the leader of a Sikh separatist movement who has been on the run for nearly a week and whose supporters defaced the Indian embassy in London this week. Finally, we end with a stunning photo from the animal kingdom!

France, Germany face off on EU's 2035 internal combustion car ban. In this edition: Germany seeks an "e-fuels" exemption to the EU's ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars after 2035, while France pushes for an all-electric transport future.

In the world's highest mountain range, global warming threatens thousands of glaciers, resulting in increasingly frequent natural disasters: landslides, avalanches and glacier collapses.

Continued mass strikes and protest action have forced King Charles to postpone his planned visit to France on Sunday. It would have been his first official trip as king.