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PODCAST

Focus

FRANCE 24 English

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

news & politics

All Episodes

00:04:54

Private French forests become lucrative targets for...

Focus ·

2025/03/28

Private forests in France have become a target for large-scale timber theft, which results in a huge financial loss for property owners and an environmental disaster. But when nearly 300 beautiful oak trees were illegally cut down in the Yvelines department in 2022, local residents took it upon themselves to track down the culprits. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.

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00:04:49

Vietnam aims to become major hub for semiconductors

Focus ·

2025/03/26

Semiconductors can be found in all our electronic devices: mobile phones, computers and surveillance cameras. Still a minor player in this highly strategic sector, Vietnam is rapidly developing its industry. The government is investing in universities to train more engineers specialised in semiconductors, in the hope of eventually competing with China and Taiwan. FRANCE 24's Adam Hancock, William de Tamaris and Mélodie Sforza report.

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00:05:18

Climate change: Peru's melting glaciers contaminate...

Focus ·

2025/03/25

Peru is home to more than 2,000 glaciers. But like elsewhere in the world, they are melting faster and faster due to climate change. The country’s glaciers have lost more than half of their surface area over the past 50 years and this change in the landscape is having catastrophic consequences for many residents of the Andes. The water they drink every day is being contaminated with heavy metals. FRANCE 24's Agathe Fourcade, Martin Chabal report, with Wassim Cornet.

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00:06:08

World Tuberculosis Day: India's endless war against TB

Focus ·

2025/03/24

In 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) in the country by 2025, aiming to set an example globally. Since December 2024, India's health minister has led a "100-day campaign" to eliminate TB, but recent WHO data shows India is far from its goal. It recorded 2.5 to 3 million new cases and over 400,000 deaths in 2023 alone, accounting for a third of global TB cases and deaths. The country faces two major issues: TB treatment shortages and the rise of

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00:03:51

Bird traffickers: Scotland hunts down falcon thieves

Focus ·

2025/03/22

The peregrine falcon, one of Scotland's protected species, is facing a growing threat. Smuggled to the Middle East for falcon racing, these birds can fetch a high price on the black market. As demand grows, conservationists are fighting to protect them from an increasingly sophisticated illegal trade, while police are tracking down the criminals. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Guillaume Gougeon.

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00:06:03

Exclusive: Syria's Latakia province reels after...

Focus ·

2025/03/21

Our Syria correspondents travelled to the country's western coastal province of Latakia, which was the scene of the shocking massacre of civilians from the Alawite minority between March 7 and 9. They bring us this exclusive report.

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00:06:09

In West Bank village of Masafer Yatta, Israelis and...

Focus ·

2025/03/20

Located in the southern West Bank, the village of Masafer Yatta was made famous by the film "No Other Land", which won the 2025 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film. The movie, the joint brainchild of Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra and Israeli director Yuval Abraham, recounts daily life in a region under continuous attack from extremist Israeli settlers. Here, a unique form of activism exists between Israelis and Palestinians. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel reports from Masafer Yatta, with

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00:05:30

To return or not to return? Syrian refugees in...

Focus ·

2025/03/19

Since the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December and an increasingly virulent debate on immigration in Germany, many exiled Syrians there are wondering about their future. Some are already packing their bags to return home, while others are eagerly awaiting the resumption of direct flights between Berlin and Damascus so that they can visit their families, but have no intention of returning to live in Syria. More than a million Syrian refugees call Germany home, with many of

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00:05:51

With 'Make in India' policy, New Delhi seeks to...

Focus ·

2025/03/18

India, the world's second-largest arms importer after Ukraine, now dreams of positioning itself as a country capable of producing and selling its own weapons abroad. New Delhi is now producing bullet-proof vests and helmets, night vision binoculars, drones, helicopters and even missiles. Since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government has been pushing for self-reliance, in particular with its "Make in India" policy. Our correspondents report.

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00:06:12

Long Covid: The lingering effects, five years on

Focus ·

2025/03/17

On March 17, 2020, France, like many other countries around the world, went into lockdown as Covid-19 rapidly spread. Five years on, many infected by the virus still suffer symptoms, a condition known as Long Covid. Complications vary, but often include exhaustion, muscle ache, regular fevers, heart conditions and difficulty concentrating. Some sufferers have seen their lives turned upside down, having had no choice but to give up work and face family members who question if their illness is “real”

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00:04:55

Nightmare in paradise: Canary Islands face wastewater...

Focus ·

2025/03/14

40 Olympic-sized swimming pools. That’s the amount of wastewater that is being discharged every day into the sea around the Canary Islands. There are 400 waste discharge points on the islands and only a quarter of them are legal. There has been no proper planning for wastewater treatment despite the tourist boom and an increased population on the islands over the last few decades. Most of the islands’ wastewater is untreated or barely treated before being ejected into the sea through sometimes

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00:05:02

Foreigners required to pass language test with new...

Focus ·

2025/03/13

With a new immigration law in France, foreigners will now be required to pass a language exam if they wish to remain in the country. Tens of thousands will be affected by this decree, and could even risk being kicked out of the country if they do not meet the requisite level. This comes as in-person language courses have been reduced. For many who hold employment and have been living in the country for years, this new requirement could have a significant impact on their future in France. Report by

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00:06:09

Climate change in Pakistan: The tragedy of monsoon...

Focus ·

2025/03/12

Pakistan, one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, is also the sixth country with the highest number of teenage marriages in the world. A trend that has continued to worsen in recent years, partly due to climate change. In the southern province of Sindh, which is hit every summer by violent monsoon rains and record temperatures, young girls are often married off by their parents following climate disasters for financial gains. Among the surviving families of villages destroyed in the

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00:06:08

Philippines: Authorities look to tackle online child...

Focus ·

2025/03/11

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines has become the epicentre of online child sexual abuse. Clients, mostly Westerners, pay just a few dozen dollars to watch the live rape of a child. The perpetrators of these crimes are often family members – acts of incest monetised by extremely poor Filipinos, who can earn the equivalent of a year’s salary in just a few days. This phenomenon, marked by extreme violence, is fuelled by the country’s endemic poverty and easy internet access. The anonymity of

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00:05:12

Forever pollution: Zwijndrecht, a Belgian town...

Focus ·

2025/03/10

"The worst European hotspot for PFAS" is located in Belgium, in the small town of Zwijndrecht, near Antwerp. There, for 25 years, the American factory 3M manufactured perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), one of the oldest of substances that is highly toxic to health and the environment. In Europe, there are an estimated 2,300 other such "hotspots" and a total of 23,000 polluted sites. A recent collaborative survey estimates the cost of decontamination at 100 billion euros per year. How is this

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00:04:44

International Women's Day: Italy's fight against...

Focus ·

2025/03/08

As part of our coverage for International Women’s Day on the March 8, we are looking into the phenomenon of human trafficking from Africa to Europe. Thousands of women arrive in Italy, victims of sex-trafficking, after a gruelling journey across the Mediterranean. Once in Italy, many of them fall into the hands of prostitution rings. Obliged to reimburse huge debts, they find themselves prisoners of organised crime groups who force them into prostitution. FRANCE 24 correspondent Natalia Mendoza

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00:05:41

Kingdom of falcons: Qatar's lucrative hobby and...

Focus ·

2025/03/06

Falconry is an ancient art recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. In Qatar, where falconry symbolises nobility and prestige, the art is passed down from generation to generation. For Qataris, who invest heavily in the breeding and training of the birds of prey, falcons embody a centuries-old tradition of hunting and respect for nature. Léa Delfolie, Jules Pilorge and Kawther Abderrahmane report.

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00:05:27

Sexual harassment on public transport: Japan tries to...

Focus ·

2025/03/05

Sexual harassment and assault is a big problem on Japan's huge public transport system. One in 10 women aged 16 to 29 say they have been touched inappropriately on trains, according to the government’s first survey on the issue. But the actual number is likely to be much higher, as many women fear the consequences of reporting incidents to police. About 800 people are arrested for groping – known as "chikan" – in Tokyo every year. But many perpetrators get away with their crimes. In response, the

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00:05:57

World Obesity Day: India grapples with growing health...

Focus ·

2025/03/04

After the US and China, India has the third-highest percentage of obese citizens in the world, with over 135 million Indians classed as overweight or obese. In light of this alarming trend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a nationwide anti-obesity campaign. Rising obesity rates are meanwhile adding to diabetes cases, with India counting 212 million diagnosed adults in 2022. Some Indians dealing with obesity are turning to bariatric surgeries that help reduce food consumption by

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00:05:49

Canada beefs up border security amid increasing...

Focus ·

2025/03/03

With US President Donald Trump's tariffs on goods coming from Canada due to come into effect on Tuesday, our reporters take a closer look at the border between the two neighbours. Under pressure from the US, Canada recently pledged C$1.3 billion on increasing security along the shared frontier. Even though US government figures show that less than 1 percent of all illegal migrants and fentanyl intercepted in the United States come from Canada, the changes are nonetheless being made. FRANCE 24's

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