Focus

Dec 11 2024 24 ep. 5 mins 165

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Our Focus programme brings you exclusive reports from around the world. Every day at 8:45am Paris time.

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Struggling to cope with horrors of war, Israeli soldiers turn to equine therapy

Dec 11 2024 6 mins

Since the October 7 Hamas attack last year, some 350,000 Israeli reservists have been called up to fight. The ongoing fighting, now entering its 14-month mark, has left its mark on Israel troops as more and more suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Struggling to cope with the horrors of war, some soldiers are seeking out equine therapy to help heal from their trauma. Claire

'Baby gangs' of Italy: Naples police clamp down on youth violence

Dec 10 2024 4 mins

Since the end of the pandemic, Naples, in the South of Italy, has seen a worrying increase in youth violence. Groups of adolescents, known as “baby gangs”, are getting involved in illegal activities that are becoming more and more violent. The city, which has been plagued for decades by organised crime, is now having to combat a new generation of criminals. Natalia Mendoza and

Monterroso: The Spanish village welcoming migrants with open arms

Dec 06 2024 5 mins

With the Canary Islands struggling to cope with the number of migrants arriving on their shores, the Spanish state is asking other parts of Spain to accept them. In the summer, several hundred migrants were sent to Galicia, north of Spain. With anti-immigrant discourse on the rise, the residents of the village of Monterroso stand out because they are receiving foreigners with open

New Delhi suffocates from air pollution in winter

Dec 05 2024 6 mins

For almost 6 months every year, residents of New Delhi suffocate under a blanket of pollution. The Indian capital is among the most polluted cities in the world, and new records are set each November. The fine particles in New Delhi’s air are 60 times that of levels recommended by the WHO, which can cost an average of 12 years in life expectancy for a lifetime spent in the city.

Climate change: Villages in Pakistan under threat of melting glaciers

Dec 04 2024 5 mins

Pakistan is home to thousands of climate refugees. While the country contributes less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas, it is heavily impacted by the warming climate. One of the most affected areas is the autonomous province of Gilgit-Baltistan, located in northern Pakistan. It is known for its breath-taking landscapes made up of the majestic peaks of the Karakoram, the Hima

Valencia floods: Human tragedy and environmental disaster

Dec 03 2024 5 mins

With at least 222 people dead, the torrential rain and floods in Valencia – on the eastern coast of Spain – have devastated many families and the cleanup of the region continues, more than a month after the disaster struck. But until now, there has been little focus on the devastating effect of the floods on the environment. The water carried kilograms of fragments of plastic,

Poaching in Indonesia: Government cracks down on wildlife trafficking

Dec 02 2024 5 mins

Indonesia is the Asian capital of wildlife trafficking, a market estimated at $20 billion according to Interpol. The archipelago is one of the world’s biggest reservoirs of biodiversity. Wild animals are already the victims of massive deforestation, but they now face another. On the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, poachers capture wild animals in their natural habitats and s

Thiaroye massacre: Honouring Senegal's slain soldiers, 80 years on

Dec 01 2024 5 mins

On December 1, Senegal marks the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre. On that day in 1944, at least 35 Tirailleurs – members of a colonial infantry unit from Senegal who served in the French army – were gunned down by French forces for demanding their pay after returning from World War II. For decades, the French army justified the killings, claiming the carnage was in re

Immigration and housing take centre stage in Irish election

Nov 29 2024 5 mins

The Irish are heading to the polls this Friday to elect a new government. The left-wing nationalist opposition Sinn Féin party, which is hoping to finally take power, is facing competition from an emerging populist right that's focusing on the issue of immigration, against the backdrop of a major housing crisis in the country.

Sikhs caught in middle of diplomatic spat between Canada and India

Nov 28 2024 5 mins

Since the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside his Vancouver temple in June 2023, diplomatic tensions between Canada and India have soared. Canada accuses New Delhi of ordering the killing and has expelled several Indian diplomats, while India claims Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is allowing Sikh separatist "terrorism" to flourish on its soi