Amerigo Vespucci sets foot for the first time on the American continent. He collects all manner of plants and animals, only to drop them into the Amazon River.

The rock group La Jarry has set to music a text written by Florence Cassez, a French woman who was imprisoned in Mexico in 2005 for her alleged involvement with a Mexican kidnapping ring. Cassez's case has provoked diplomatic tensions between Mexico and France in the years following her arrest.

Amerigo Vespucci sails for the New World to explore new territories discovered by Columbus, draw accurate maps, and find the true route to the Indies. As his ship approaches "Little Venice," or Venezuela, the crew comes into contact with some local natives.

It's back to the past, with the Once Upon a Time series. How did America get its name? Take a trip back to Renaissance Italy in this first episode of The Explorers to find out.

The actress Aïssa Maïga talks about her work for UNESCO, which has partnered with Always to promote literacy among women and girls in Senegal and other countries.

Over sixty musicians have come together as part of UNICEF's Paris-Africa project, which provides support to victims of the recent drought in East Africa. Their efforts have culminated in this beautiful single, Des Ricochets (Skipping Stones).

This news report documents a trek by UNIFIL into Hezbollah territory in Lebanon for a mission of observation.

Two students from Gabon were expelled from a French University and deported back to their home country for having low grades in school. One was even forced to leave behind his wife and young daughter (a French citizen). The government of Gabon is not pleased and may take measures to retaliate in kind.

Mauritius has taken preventative measures to stop the Chikungunya virus from spreading, unlike nearby island Réunion. Tourists are more likely to feel safe thanks to strict controls at the airport and continued observation from health officials.

We’re all a part of this big, happy family that is humanity. Now if only we could get our “universal citizen” passports…

Lazare Ponticelli was the last of the “Poilus” — French infantry soldiers who served in World War I. Ponticelli, who was actually an Italian immigrant to France, first served in the French Foreign Legion and then eventually, the Italian army. He died in 2008 at the age of 110.

At the Paris Salon du Livre this year, in response to the visit of the Israeli president, six Arab nations decided to exclude themselves from the event. Some attendees were puzzled by the boycott, especially considering that many Israeli writers are known to advocate the creation of a Palestinian state. With all that pressure, no wonder the roof collapsed!

Immigrants who travel clandestinely from Turkey to Great Britain often pay a far steeper price than the five hundred euros demanded by traffickers.

Don’t confuse Noah’s Ark with Zoé’s Ark. The first is said to have saved Noah, his family, and two representatives of each living creature, and the second claims it tried to save children. The members involved in this child abduction scheme have been found guilty, but who should pay the restitution?

Buddhist monks and other Tibetans protest against Chinese rule while their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, continues his exile in India. The topic of Tibet was a sore point for China as it prepared to host the Summer Olympics.