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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

00:05:37

Should ultra-Orthodox Jews have to do military...

Focus ·

2025/11/27

Israeli society is split over the issue of compulsory military service for the ultra-Orthodox community. Ultra-Orthodox Jews, who represent 15 percent of the population, have historically been exempt from service. But a bill has now been proposed to lift this exemption, in response to growing needs within the army after two years of war in Gaza. Since the summer, around 100 young people who refused their conscription orders have been arrested. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel reports, with Josh

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00:06:39

British voters divided over immigration as Reform UK...

Focus ·

2025/11/26

In the UK, one of the key architects of the campaign to leave the EU is currently the favourite to become the next prime minister. Nigel Farage and his right-wing populist party, Reform UK, are soaring in the polls. For years, Farage has argued that immigration is the cause of Britain's problems, from the rising cost of living to long hospital waiting lists. FRANCE 24's Clovis Casali and Claire Paccalin travelled around the UK to find out what impact this message is having on British people.

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00:06:11

Gender-based violence in Pakistan: Female influencers...

Focus ·

2025/11/25

In Pakistan, some women are murdered simply for having a TikTok account, one of the most popular social media platforms in the country. On July 11, in Rawalpindi, a 16-year-old girl was shot dead by her father because she refused to delete her profile. A month earlier, Sana Yousaf, aged 17 and with nearly a million followers, was murdered in her Islamabad home by a man whose advances she had rejected. Female influencers in Pakistan are frowned upon and become targets. FRANCE 24's Shahzaib Wahlah and

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00:05:35

Violence in eastern DR Congo: Ituri plagued by ethnic...

Focus ·

2025/11/24

The province of Ituri, in eastern DR Congo, has been devastated by decades of ethnic conflict. Violence has exploded since the 1990s, with the Hema and Lendu communities clashing over access to land and mining resources. According to the United Nations, over 1,000 people have been killed since January and more than a million inhabitants have been driven from their homes. Our correspondents Aurélie Bazzara-Kibangula and Emmet Livingstone spoke to residents traumatised by the atrocities. Warning: this

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00:05:12

Egyptian students in Russia pressured to join army or...

Focus ·

2025/11/21

Russia has long been a preferred destination for students from across Africa seeking affordable higher education. In 2023, Russia estimated that 32,000 students from the Middle East were living in the country — nearly half of them Egyptian. But in recent months, controversy has erupted in Egypt following the publication of a YouTube video that showed a Ukrainian-held prisoner of war. The young man, Amar Mohamed, was an Egyptian student in Russia who had been persuaded by Moscow’s propaganda machine

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00:05:08

Germany's LGBT+ community worried at rise in hate crimes

Focus ·

2025/11/19

In recent months, Germany has seen a sharp rise in hate crimes targeting the queer community. Figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior recorded 1,765 criminal offences in 2024 under the subcategory "sexual orientation" – an increase of around 18 percent compared to the previous year. The surge in attacks is largely attributed to the far right and is causing deep concern within the LGBT+ community, in a country long regarded as tolerant toward sexual

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00:04:25

Electric vehicles in China: Beijing expands battery...

Focus ·

2025/11/18

China has some 36 million EVs (electric vehicles) on its roads. But their batteries don’t last forever. With the first generation of EVs coming to the end of their lifespans, Beijing now faces a new problem: how to recycle and reuse the thousands of EV batteries that are spread across the country? Our correspondents Jan Camenzind Broomby and Eudeline Boishult report.

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00:05:02

Vietnam's Mekong Delta threatened by rising sea levels

Focus ·

2025/11/14

Vietnam's Mekong Delta is under serious threat from climate change. The agricultural region, which produces half of the country’s food supply, is being hit hard by rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion, which devastate rice crops. The landscape is changing, and with it, the delicate balance of an entire ecosystem. FRANCE 24's William de Tamaris, Aruna Popuri, Melodie Sforza and Justin McCurry report.

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00:06:23

French police better prepared for terror attacks...

Focus ·

2025/11/13

After emergency services received the first distress calls during the November 13, 2015 Paris terror attacks, police officers from the anti-crime brigade were the first to arrive at the Bataclan concert hall. Outside, they came under fire from automatic assault rifles. Inside, they only had their handguns to stop the carnage. Ten years on, the police have learned lessons. These everyday police officers, who are the first responders in the event of a terror attack, are now better equipped thanks to

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00:06:15

Period poverty: The fight for menstrual hygiene in...

Focus ·

2025/11/12

Pakistan is one of the worst affected countries by period poverty. According to UNICEF, nearly 44 percent of girls lack access to the minimum resources needed to manage their periods, whether at home, at school or at work. Limited access to menstrual hygiene products, clean water and sanitation facilities, coupled with a lack of information, has serious consequences, preventing many girls and women from attending school or work. Our correspondents report.

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00:05:30

Baghdad gets a makeover: Iraqi capital undergoes...

Focus ·

2025/11/11

Since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's government came to power three years ago following a serious political crisis, Iraq has been experiencing one of the calmest and most stable periods of the last two decades. The capital Baghdad is currently undergoing major renovation work. FRANCE 24's Marie-Charlotte Roupie reports, with Josh Vardey.

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00:05:26

Oil drilling to begin in part of Brazil's Amazon...

Focus ·

2025/11/10

As the COP30 climate summit opens in the Brazilian Amazon city of Belem, Brazil is stepping up its race for oil. The government agency in charge of environmental protection recently authorised oil giant Petrobras to drill several oil wells at the mouth of the Amazon River. Environmental protection groups predict the move will lead to an ecological and social disaster. But on the border with French Guiana, many in the town of Oiapoque are eagerly awaiting the oil. FRANCE 24's Marine Resse, Fanny

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00:06:14

Making it rain: Inside the United Arab Emirates'...

Focus ·

2025/11/07

With the COP30 climate summit under way in Brazil, we take you to the United Arab Emirates, one of the most arid countries in the world. There, the government has implemented a cloud-seeding programme to increase rainfall. While the UAE mainly uses seawater desalination to obtain water, it has also employed this cutting-edge technology as drought continues to worsen in the Middle East. It's therefore a necessity, but also a soft power tool for the Gulf monarchy, which plans to become a global leader

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00:06:05

Gold mining in Peru: The not-so-glittery side of your...

Focus ·

2025/11/06

The COP30 climate summit will open on November 10 in Belem, a city in Brazil's Amazon, as the rainforest continues to be threatened by deforestation. One reason is the mining of gold – essential for smartphones and computers. Peru is South America's leading producer of the precious metal. With prices reaching record highs, artisanal mines are operating at full capacity, polluting the rainforest in the process. In response, some are now trying to reduce the environmental impact of their activities

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00:05:52

Ukrainian youth orchestra recreates sounds of Russian...

Focus ·

2025/11/05

In the Ukrainian village of Kivshovata, south of Kyiv, air raid sirens have become part of everyday life. Although far from the front line, Kivshovata lies on the flight path for Russian drones and missiles. It is also home to a unique youth orchestra that has become famous in Ukraine for its piece the "Shahed Overture", which reproduces the sounds of a night of war. Our correspondent Gulliver Cragg reports.

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00:04:36

Spain bets on migration to drive economic growth,...

Focus ·

2025/11/04

As Europe tightens up its borders and makes migration policy stricter, Spain has surprised with a welcoming approach to migrants. Between January and June of this year, 77,000 asylum seekers arrived in Spain. The Socialist-led government sees immigration as an economic asset and has rolled out measures to legalise and integrate new arrivals. FRANCE 24's Sarah Morris, Maude Petit-Jové and Mathilde Lopinski report.

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00:05:42

New York mayoral race: On the campaign trail with...

Focus ·

2025/11/03

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate in New York City's mayoral race, is shaking up US politics. The 34-year-old could make history on Tuesday by becoming the city's first Muslim and South Asian mayor. His Socialist policies have electrified younger voters, while frightening conservatives and the old guard of the Democratic Party. Can a socialist stand up to US President Donald Trump and win? Our correspondents Jessica Le Masurier and Yves Schaeffner followed Mamdani on the campaign trail.

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00:06:53

Inside the mega farms growing cheap Moroccan tomatoes

Focus ·

2025/10/30

French tomato producers are seeing red, angry at what they believe is unfair competition from Morocco. In one of the most arid parts of the North African country, thousands of workers pick tomatoes that will eventually be sold to French supermarkets for just 99 cents a basket – that's two to three times cheaper than French tomatoes. But at what price? The Franco-Moroccan company Azura faces accusations of exploiting migrant workers on its ultra-modern farms. It opened its doors to our France 2

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00:05:53

Three years of Meloni: Assessing the track record of...

Focus ·

2025/10/29

Three years after her arrival at the Palazzo Chigi, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni still enjoys high approval ratings. The strict budget policies of her government have paid off: credit rating agencies have upgraded Italy's sovereign debt rating.

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00:05:08

In the Netherlands, immigration dominates election...

Focus ·

2025/10/28

Dutch voters head to the polls on October 29 and far-right parties have made immigration the central issue of the campaign. This hardline rhetoric led to anti-immigrant riots in September in The Hague and violent protests in towns where asylum centres are set to open. Geert Wilders' anti-immigration PVV is expected to become the largest party in parliament after the elections, but other parties are also adopting his anti-immigrant narrative and rising in the polls, notably the far-right party JA21

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