Focus
Kanaal Besonderhede
Focus
Our Focus programme brings you exclusive reports from around the world. Every day at 8:45am Paris time.
Onlangse Episodes
143 episodes
Cold Response 2026: NATO holds Arctic drills to test readiness against Russia
As global attention remains focused on the Middle East, a parallel contest of influence is unfolding in the Far North, where NATO troops have recently...
Hungary's vote: Rising opposition threatens Orban’s grip on power
Hungary's election on Sunday could have repercussions far beyond its borders. Since Prime Minister Viktor Orban came to power in 2010, Hungary has bec...
India hit by Middle East war: Millions face gas shortages
In the weeks leading up to the ceasefire, the impact of the war in the Middle East was felt far beyond the region, reaching countries such as India. T...
Employment fraud in France: The hefty price of undeclared labour
Today's Focus looks into fraud on social contributions in France. There are many ways to bypass the system, including undeclared work, or fake sick le...
DR Congo: Fighting between army and M23 rebels leave civilians at breaking point
In Fizi territory, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, fighting is raging between Congolese soldiers, who are supported by local armed groups, an...
Border clampdown: US-Mexico authorities tighten control
Donald Trump has branded Mexico a narco-state, accusing it of failing to control its border. The US president has escalated his rhetoric, issuing star...
Border town of Tiné caught in the crossfire as Sudan war spills into Chad
The war in Sudan is spilling into Chad with increasing intensity. In mid-March, a drone strike – the fourth and deadliest cross-border attack from Sud...
Wild neighbours: Why animals are moving into our cities?
Wild leopards in the heart of Indian cities, bears roaming the streets in Japan, and foxes wandering through central London. Increasingly, wild animal...
US public media under pressure from White House
Since the start of Donald Trump’s second term, media outlets in the United States have faced an uphill battle. Targeted verbal attacks, attempts to co...
Canada's Ontario bets on greenhouse farming to boost food sovereignty
In the face of growing competition with Donald Trump's United States and the ongoing trade war, Canada is betting big on greenhouse agriculture. In On...
2026 World Cup: Mexico ramps up security amid threat from cartels
With just months to go before the World Cup, Mexico is making headlines for the grip that criminal organisations still hold over parts of the country....
Fifteen years after fall of Gaddafi, Libyan city of Benghazi reborn
Fifteen years after the revolution that deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, our team reports from the eastern city of Benghazi. Although the secu...
In Hungary, some mayors can reject 'undesirable' residents
In Hungary, mayors now have the right to "select" residents of their towns after a new law was passed last summer. The far-right mayor of Pilis, a tow...
War in the Middle East: An opportunity for Iran's minorities?
Shiite Persians make up 51 percent of Iran's population. Yet communities like the Azeris, Kurds, Balochs and Arabs also number in the millions. Histor...
In US, thousands of Cuban migrants who arrived legally fear deportation
Cubans, who have historically received preferential treatment from the US, have not been spared by President Donald Trump's war on immigration. The US...
Red Command: Brazil's most powerful criminal organisation
In October 2025, a police operation left 122 people dead in the favelas of Penha and Alemão, in the north of Rio de Janeiro. Its aim was to weaken the...
With its wind farms, Danish island of Samsø shows path forward during energy crisis
The US-Israeli war against Iran has once again underlined the vulnerability of the world's oil and gas supplies. Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hor...
Millions of children out of school: Yemen's education system on its knees
Since 2015 and the outbreak of war between the Houthis, who control the north of Yemen, and the internationally recognised government in the south, th...
Syrian refugees flee Israeli offensive in Lebanon, returning to a Syria in ruins
At the Joussieh border crossing near the Syrian city of Homs, thousands of Syrian refugees are fleeing the devastating war in Lebanon between Israel a...
Decades of deployment: America's extensive military presence in the Middle East
As yet another war rages in the Middle East, we take a closer look at the United States' military presence across the region. It's a presence that str...
Families of US victims seek justice in landmark social media addiction trial
A verdict is expected soon in the landmark trial against Google and Meta in Los Angeles. At the heart of the case are repeated accusations that online...
Qatar turns to desert farming to boost food security
Since the 2017 embargo, one of Qatar’s greatest nightmares has been that a war or geopolitical crisis would isolate Doha from the rest of the world. I...
Housing crisis at heart of local elections: Residents squeezed in Biarritz
Housing is always a key issue in political campaigns, and it’s no different in these local elections – it may be the top concern on voters’ minds. For...
Humanitarian crisis in Lebanon: Displaced families face despair
A new violent escalation in Lebanon – but in reality, the war that began in 2023 never truly stopped. According to the United Nations, the ceasefire s...
Healthcare on a lifeline: Egypt’s hospitals rely on Ramadan donations to survive
In Egypt, Ramadan is not just a time for religious fasting – it is also a critical financial lifeline for the country’s public and charitable healthca...
Europe’s borders under threat from Russia: Baltic states gear up for war
On Europe’s eastern flank, the Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – fear they could become Vladimir Putin’s next target. After several dron...
Menopause at work: Germany starts breaking the taboo
While Germany faces a persistent shortage of skilled workers, one factor often overlooked is the impact of perimenopause. At this pivotal stage in the...
Six months after Nepal's revolution, Generation Z hopes for change in elections
In Nepal, 18 million people are eligible to vote in this Thursday's parliamentary elections. More than 120 parties are running, over a third of them c...
High amounts of sugar found in Nestlé baby cereal sold in Africa
Swiss food giant Nestlé is facing criticism over the sugar content of Cerelac, its infant cereal brand sold in Africa. An investigation by the NGO Pub...
In Japan, support for the death penalty remains high
Japan is one of the few countries that still use the death penalty. The most recent execution took place in June 2025, when a man was hanged for killi...
Book bans on the rise in Texas public school libraries
Since Donald Trump's return to the White House, the US has seen a significant increase in book censorship. According to PEN America, more than 6,800 b...
Solidarity in the Arctic Circle: Indigenous peoples united against Trump's threats
Spread across eight nation-states, the Arctic Circle is home to a number of Indigenous peoples. US President Donald Trump's ambitions to take control...
When a miracle pill becomes a trap: France's addiction to anti-anxiety medication
France is Europe's second-largest consumer of benzodiazepines – a class of sedatives that includes drugs like Valium and Xanax. Every year, nearly 10...
Winemakers of France's Bordeaux region forced to adapt to survive
Wine is the lifeblood of France's southwestern Bordeaux region, employing 60,000 people both directly and indirectly. But faced with falling consumpti...
No end in sight for displaced Ukrainians after four years of war
This Tuesday, February 24 marks four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, forcing millions to flee their homes. Today there...
In Brussels, volunteers assemble drones to be sent to Ukraine
In undisclosed locations, volunteers meet regularly in the Belgian capital to assemble drones destined for Ukraine. Teachers, European civil servants,...
Kenyans tricked into fighting for Russia in Ukraine
Hundreds of Kenyans have been recruited and sent to the front line in Ukraine as expendable troops for the Russian army. Some were unaware they were b...
Pakistan becomes major drug hub as Afghanistan exports crisis
Long considered a transit route, Pakistan is now emerging as a major hub for both drug production and consumption. This shift follows the upheaval tri...
Indonesia's picture-postcard island of Bali grapples with property frenzy
Bali's picture-postcard image is cracking. On Indonesia's premium tourist resort, the race to build luxury villas and hotels has triggered an unpreced...
Unlocking the secrets of glaciers: Scientists, mountaineers on a climate rescue mission
Glaciers are vital to Earth's water supplies, yet they are being pushed to the brink of collapse. Half of the world's glaciers could disappear by the...