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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

00:06:35

Hype for the hoops: Village basketball gains traction...

Focus ·

2025/02/28

China is estimated to have some 500 million basketball fans, more than 1 million basketball courts and 43 million NBA followers on the social media platform Weibo. But increasingly, grassroots basketball is gaining popularity in rural China. Amateur leagues from small towns have become viral sensations and have been dubbed the "VBA", the Village Basketball Association. Local authorities are eager to profit from the phenomenon and use it to promote rural revitalisation. FRANCE 24's Yena Lee, Yorben

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00:06:04

After fall of Assad, Syrian Kurds in Iraqi refugee...

Focus ·

2025/02/27

On December 8, the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime was widely celebrated across Syria, but also in neighbouring countries that have been home to millions of Syrian refugees for more than a decade. Although Assad's departure has revived hopes of a return from Iraqi Kurdistan, where almost 300,000 Syrian Kurds still live mostly in camps, the question of the Kurds' place in the new Syria is not yet clear. They have high expectations of the negotiations with Damascus, at a time when a union is taking

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00:05:12

In Kampala slums, Uganda's action-packed film studio...

Focus ·

2025/02/26

In the slums of Wakaliga, on the outskirts of Uganda's capital Kampala, an independent film studio has been defying norms for 20 years. With shoestring budgets, Wakaliwood produces action and martial arts films that are viewed by millions of Ugandans on YouTube every year. This cult film studio, blending ultra-violence, comedy and tributes to Bruce Lee classics, made waves in 2010 with "Who Killed Captain Alex?", a viral hit amassing 10 million views. Today, after years of financial struggles, the

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00:06:02

Child labour in Bangladesh: The dark side of the...

Focus ·

2025/02/24

Bangladesh is the world's second-largest leather-exporting country. A quarter of the country's leather workers are children, according to a study by the University of Sussex. These youngsters are paid just €35 a month, come into contact with chemicals and work leather with sharp tools, unprotected, for 10 hours a day. Many of them have lost one or both parents and are forced to accept these working conditions to survive or help their families. This despite it being illegal in Bangladesh for children

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00:05:17

Immigration in Germany and the challenge of integration

Focus ·

2025/02/21

As Germans head to the polls on Sunday to vote in pivotal legislative elections, immigration will be a key issue on their minds. It's nearly 10 years since Angela Merkel's famous phrase "Wir schaffen das" (We can manage this), when images of German citizens welcoming asylum seekers made headlines the world over. Since then, the tide has turned and the far-right AfD party has become Germany's second political force. Our correspondents report.

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00:05:02

Unveiling Iran's resistance: Meet those taking a...

Focus ·

2025/02/20

More than two years have gone by since mass "Woman, Life, Freedom" demonstrations erupted in Iran following the death of Kurdish student Mahsa Amini. She was killed by the Iranian morality police for a few strands of hair escaping from her veil. Recently, the death of a 19-year-old University of Tehran student sparked protests and sit-ins at the campus. Our reporter Mortaza Behboudi has been meeting Iranians who are carrying out everyday acts of resistance against the regime. From playing and

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00:06:07

Bereaved US mother sues Meta and TikTok over...

Focus ·

2025/02/19

Young people in New York City are climbing on top of trains for thrills. The dangerous phenomenon, known as subway surfing, has been around for decades but is seeing a revival that sometimes ends in tragedy. There were six subway surfing deaths in New York in 2024. These tragedies are part of a global trend of deaths from social-media related challenges, as addictive app algorithms enthrall children and encourage users to make increasingly extreme content in a bid to rack up "likes". Our

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00:05:56

Syrian refugees in Egypt prepare to return home after...

Focus ·

2025/02/18

Since 2011, some 1.5 million Syrians have found refuge in Egypt, where they have succeeded in creating new lives for themselves. But two months after the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, many are ready to return to their largely destroyed country. FRANCE 24's Nuria Tesón and Edouard Dropsy report.

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00:04:23

Panama Canal caught in power struggle as US and China...

Focus ·

2025/02/16

The Panama Canal is one of several territories that US President Donald Trump says he wants the US to take control of, amid concerns about China's influence over the waterway. What worries the US is a Hong Kong-based company that manages the two ports of entrance. Back in 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping integrated the canal into his Belt and Road Initiative. But under US pressure, Panama's government has now backed out of that project. The canal finds itself caught in a struggle between two major

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00:05:49

In South Africa, poor governance leads to collapse of...

Focus ·

2025/02/14

The centre of Johannesburg was once an economic hub with abundant green spaces. But over the last two decades, the South African city centre has become known for crime, dumped waste, broken infrastructure and restrictions on water and electricity. A surging population has played its part. But so-called musical chairs of 10 mayors over five years and corruption during the tender process for service delivery has led to the downfall of the city's infrastructure, with buildings in the Central Business

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00:06:05

Surgical castration: Madagascar tackles child sexual...

Focus ·

2025/02/12

In Madagascar, 673 rape cases involving minors were recorded in 2023. In January 2024 alone, at least 4 rapes were reported daily according to the Ministry of Justice ... figures that are likely underestimated. Madagascar is also one of the top 10 countries in the world for online child pornography. To tackle this problem, Madagascar has legalised surgical castration against child rapists. But the measure has sparked outrage among several organisations, who denounce the punishment as cruel and an

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00:05:23

Thailand becomes safe haven for same-sex unions in...

Focus ·

2025/02/11

On January 23, Thailand officially authorised marriage for all – a historic decision that made the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex unions. Within hours of the law’s enactment, hundreds of couples said “yes” to tie the knot. Today, the kingdom is known as a safe haven for LGBTQ communities across the region where other countries such as Myanmar or Malaysia still consider same-sex relationships a crime. But despite homosexual couples’ newly acquired right to marry, not

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00:06:08

Paris AI Summit: India fosters AI startups and...

Focus ·

2025/02/10

Co-hosted by India and France, the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit kicks off Monday in Paris with PM Narendra Modi scheduled to attend alongside President Emmanuel Macron. As global powers vie for dominance in the field of AI, India, which ranks 10th globally in terms of private investments, is determined to establish itself as a leading force. The Indian government has launched multiple platforms and initiatives to foster local AI startups in various sectors such as translation, robotics, and

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00:05:36

One month after Los Angeles wildfires, residents...

Focus ·

2025/02/07

This Friday marks one month since the start of the wildfires that ravaged the US city of Los Angeles, leaving neighbourhoods in a state of utter devastation. Fires are nothing new in California, but the ones that tore through Los Angeles last month are raising serious concerns about how the disaster was handled.

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00:05:22

French hauliers hit by heavy fines as migrants seek...

Focus ·

2025/02/05

Five years after Brexit came into force, tensions are mounting in Calais between French lorry drivers and the British authorities. Some companies are threatening to stop delivering to the other side of the border, while others fear they'll soon be out of business. Every day, stowaways try to sneak onto trucks in an attempt to reach the UK. For each migrant stopped, the hauliers have to pay a fine, but these have become astronomical. Since last year, the amounts have increased five-fold to reach up

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00:06:00

Civilians caught in crossfire of Israeli military...

Focus ·

2025/02/04

On January 21, less than 48 hours after a ceasefire came into effect in Gaza, the Israeli military launched an operation dubbed "Iron Wall" in Jenin, in the north of the occupied West Bank. Its stated aim is to destroy armed Palestinian groups operating there. Civilians have been asked to evacuate, but have nevertheless found themselves at the centre of a new warzone. FRANCE 24's Claire Duhamel and Luke Shrago report from Jenin, where they met some of those affected by the conflict.

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00:05:15

Kenya's Sengwer community refuses to leave Embobut...

Focus ·

2025/02/03

Kenya's Sengwer community is one of the last to live in the Embobut Forest, in the North Rift Valley. But the government accuses this Indigenous people of damaging the forest and has asked them to leave. Hundreds of families have been forcibly evicted. The Sengwer, whose ancestral way of life is under threat, accuse the authorities of deliberately burning down their homes and are refusing to leave. Our correspondents Olivia Bizot and Bastien Renouil report.

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00:05:22

Ivory Coast seeks to protect endangered pygmy hippos

Focus ·

2025/01/31

He's small, cute and viral: the baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng, housed in a Thai zoo, has become the star of millions of posts, memes and videos around the world. But in the wild, the pygmy hippopotamus is on the brink of extinction. Of the 2,500 remaining specimens, the majority live in Taï National Park in Ivory Coast, the largest – and one of the last – primary forests in West Africa. A diverse reserve stretching over 4,500 kilometres, its territory is endangered by numerous threats, including illegal

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00:05:26

South Korea's webtoon comics have readers hooked

Focus ·

2025/01/30

South Korea is seeing a boom in webtoons – short episodic comics that are designed to be read on smartphones. They are hugely popular in the country, where some 35 million people read at least one episode of a webtoon every week. Amid this success at home, webtoon creators are now turning their attention to international markets, including English-speaking countries and France. FRANCE 24's Chloé Borgnon and Justin McCurry report.

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00:06:03

With organic cotton, India bets on textile industry's...

Focus ·

2025/01/29

India is the world's leading organic cotton producer, controlling 51 percent of global production. The country has set its sights on becoming a major player in the textile industry's green transition – a market that's projected to grow 10 percent by 2026. However, to succeed in making a long-term commitment to sustainable fashion, the country must overcome logistical challenges and ensure effective control over organic certifications. Currently, only 2 percent of the country's cotton production is

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