Focus

Focus

FRANCE 24 English
Țara Franța
Genuri Știri
Limba EN
Episoade 24
Ultimul 09.10.2026

Focus is a daily news programme from FRANCE 24 English that brings exclusive reports from around the world. Each episode airs at 8:45am Paris time, covering international current events and in-depth analysis.

Episoade

  • Residents of Ukraine's Kramatorsk forced to flee as drone strikes intensify 09.10.2026 5min
    The city of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, is increasingly coming under Russian attack. For those who have stayed behind, the threat from drones and shelling has become a daily reality. Many have resisted leaving their homes, despite the growing danger – but now, more and more residents are being forced to flee. Our colleagues at France 2 followed an evacuation from the city and witnessed first-hand the dangers that residents face.
  • Strait of Hormuz crisis fuels Cairo's plastic recycling business 08.10.2026 4min
    In the heart of the Egyptian capital Cairo, within the labyrinthine streets of the Manshiyet Nasser district, nearly 120,000 residents process a third of the megacity's waste every day. Long marginalised, these informal recycling specialists are now undergoing a dramatic transformation due to geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which polyethylene from the Gulf usually passes.
  • China's evolving funeral practices: From traditional burials to cremation 07.10.2026 5min
    This year, China released new rules for funeral practices. The government is putting an emphasis on affordable and environmentally friendly funeral services. It's part of a decades-long reform to promote cremation. But in a country where burials are deeply rooted in local traditions, how are these attempts to modernise funerals being perceived? FRANCE 24's Yena Lee reports.
  • Mexico makes push for fracking despite environmental concerns 06.10.2026 4min
    Following months of consultations with energy experts, Mexico is preparing to tap its shale oil and gas reserves using one of the world's most controversial extraction techniques: fracking. The process is already used to extract oil in the southeastern state of Veracruz, where local communities have long complained of pollution and environmental damage. But the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum is seeking to reduce Mexico's reliance on the United States and – eventually – achieve energy self-sufficiency. FRANCE 24's Quentin Duval and Laurence Cuvillier report. 
  • What's real and what's fake? How AI is impacting Brazil's election race 02.10.2026 6min
    With just two days to go before the first round of Brazil's presidential election, artificial intelligence is taking centre stage, whether it's a deepfake avatar of former president Jair Bolsonaro to support his son's candidacy, or an AI-generated working-class female voter criticising President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to the Brazilian intelligence agency, disinformation will be one of the main challenges of this election. Our correspondents report.
  • A blessing or a curse? New Caledonia's dwindling nickel industry 01.10.2026 6min
    This Thursday October 1, the French government is holding a summit aimed at attracting investors and revitalising wealth creation in France's overseas territories. Among the assets Paris wants to highlight is New Caledonian nickel. But the industry has been severely weakened by the political deadlock and tensions that have rocked the archipelago in recent years.
  • Ethiopia's last Jews dream of visa for Israel 30.09.2026 5min
    Ethiopia has one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, rumoured to be the descendants of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon in 950 BC. From the 1970s to 1990s, this community known as Beta Israel was persecuted under the Communist regime, and Israel evacuated more than 20,000 Ethiopian Jews in dramatic airlifts known as Operation Solomon and Operation Moses. But a few thousand were left behind.
  • Fatalities on Indian roads: One death reported every three minutes 25.09.2026 6min
    India has the second-largest road network in the world, spanning over 6 million kilometres. But these roads are silent killers, with one death reported every three minutes. Every day, headlines are filled with horror stories: drunk drivers mowing people down, school buses hit by speeding trucks killing children, buses with dozens of passengers plunging into gorges.
  • Taiwan: Home of semiconductor giants at the centre of AI race 24.09.2026 3min
    The topic of artificial intelligence looms large as Chinese President Xi Jinping begins his highly anticipated state visit to Washington. The fate of Taiwan – coveted by its larger neighbour, China – will also be on the table. It's the global leader in superconductor research and development. These powerful chips can be found in smartphones, computers, and above all in AI development. Our France 2 colleagues take a rare look inside one of Taiwan's state-of-the-art laboratories. 
  • China cracks down on scam centres in neighbouring Myanmar 23.09.2026 5min
    In Southeast Asia, hundreds of thousands of people working in fraud centres are scamming people across the world. US authorities suggest the fraudsters are responsible for scams worth almost $10 billion a year against US nationals alone. Victims in Europe, the UK and China have also been targeted. Human rights groups further warn that those working in the centres are often themselves victims of human trafficking – forced to work as slaves.
  • Lake Chad, a region under threat from climate change 22.09.2026 6min
    People living in Chad’s Lake Province are bearing the brunt of climate change. The region and the communities that have developed there have historically depended on this vast body of water. Fishing, first and foremost, but also farming, are the pillars of local livelihoods. Yet both are increasingly disrupted by erratic weather patterns: dwindling fish stocks, damaged farmland and a rising cost of living.
  • Rapid data center expansion incites backlash in Republican stronghold 15.09.2026 5min
    With just a couple months to go until the US midterm election, a new political fault line is emerging in Republican strongholds across Texas driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. According to an analysis by the Texas Tribune, nearly 60 percent of planned new data centers are set to be built in congressional districts that voted for Donald Trump in 2024. But the AI boom is now sparking a backlash from some of the voters who helped put him back in office. Pierrick Leurent and Valérie Defert have this report.
  • Climate catastrophe leaves Nepal mourning while the search for the missing continues 14.09.2026 5min
    The himalayan flash flood that devastated northern Nepal on August 26 was an unprecedented disaster. The death toll continues to rise, with nearly 1,400 people now confirmed dead and 5,130 still missing, including around 600 foreign nationals from 35 countries.  
  • Montserrat: The 'Pompeii' of the Caribbean 10.09.2026 4min
    Part of the island of Montserrat, a UK Overseas Territory, was buried by a volcanic eruption in 1995. Today, caution is essential for those venturing on the mysterious island that is full of spectacular Caribbean landscapes. Our colleagues at France Télévisions and FRANCE 24's Florent Marchais report.
  • The world's third global aerospace market: India's civil aviation sector takes off 09.09.2026 5min
    The aviation sector is one of the India's strongest-performing industries. More than 70 airports have been built over the past decade, and the country counts over 400 million air passengers annually. In just ten years, India has become the world's third-largest aviation market, behind China and the United States.
  • UNIFIL peacekeepers patrol south Lebanon, caught between Israel and Hezbollah 02.09.2026 5min
    Since this spring, about 6 percent of Lebanon has been occupied by the Israeli army. On the ground, around 600 French soldiers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continue to patrol the zone. The delicate peacekeeping mission documents violations of UN resolutions by both Israel and Hezbollah, with its own future highly uncertain. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Florent Marchais.
  • In Nepal, residents learn how to live alongside wild animals 14.08.2026 4min
    Over the past five decades, Nepal has established itself as a model for wildlife conservation. Nearly 20 percent of the country’s territory has been designated as protected areas. An effective anti-poaching policy has helped save iconic species such as the one-horned rhinoceros and the gharial crocodile, which were once on the brink of extinction. But this success also comes with tragic consequences.
  • Rebuilding Aleppo: Syria's war-torn economic capital enjoys gradual rebirth 13.08.2026 5min
    Syria's economic capital Aleppo was left largely in ruins by the fighting that raged there between regime and rebel forces from 2012 to 2016. A 2023 earthquake also caused severe damage to the old city. But reconstruction is now well underway, in particular of Aleppo's treasured historic monuments.
  • Faced with ageing population, Vietnam seeks to curb falling birthrate 12.08.2026 5min
    Vietnam, a country of more than 100 million people, is facing a sharp decline in its birthrate. Once known for large families, the nation's fertility rate has fallen to just 1.9 children per woman. This figure worries the government, which for decades was obsessed with controlling population growth. For more than 40 years, a two-child policy was the norm in Vietnam – a restriction that was only lifted in June 2025.
  • Pakistan's emerging DJ scene: The women behind the turntables 11.08.2026 5min
    Pakistan, a country known for its conservative values, rarely makes waves in the music and entertainment industry. Yet in major cities like Karachi and Lahore, a quiet but thriving DJ scene is beginning to make itself heard, with emerging talents and artists transforming the music industry. At the heart of this evolution, more and more women are asserting themselves in a field largely dominated by men.

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