Global Focus
A weekly programme looking at issues challenging our assumptions and way of life across all the continents. This as the world is going through deep and rapid changes.
Read moreListen to the last episode
All episodes
-
Seychelles, blazing a trail in marine conservation
As the world grapples with the climate emergency, Seychelles is leading the way in marine conservation – ten years ahead of United Nations deadlines. A marine expedition into its deep waters has analysed a huge swathe of unchartered Indian Ocean territory, providing invaluable research.13/09/201911:07 -
Pain of Yazidi genocide remembered in France
Yazidis gathered in the north of Paris to commemorate the genocide which began on 3 August 2014. The survivors and their children are refugees in France. They all have a vivid memory of that day when they left a part of themselves in the Sinjar mountains.08/08/201908:21 -
Building tolerance towards elephants through empowering local communities
Elephants are at the centre of debates in which southern African countries demand control over their wildlife resources and want the ban on ivory trade to be lifted. Strategies are being devised to encourage tolerance and overcome human-elephant conflict as both species compete for natural resources.09/05/201910:36 -
18th century manuscripts reveal life in Louisiana under French rule
Eighteenth century documents in French and Spanish retracing life in Louisiana have been made available online, free of charge. The Colonial Documents Collection provides a unique window into the daily life of the people – free and enslaved – who then lived in Louisiana, and brings history closer, three centuries later.10/01/201905:49 -
2018 in retrospect: Science in France
2018 saw France host a landmark event in the history of science: the redefining of the kilogram. There were also Nobel-winning advances in laser technology, and we'll soon be getting a feel for Martian vibrations, as scientists land a seismometer on the red planet.30/12/201814:20 -
2018 in retrospect: France
France's year of blue and yellow - blue football jerseys in summer as the world's football champions. Yellow vests in winter for violent protests against government policy. Here is a look at the main events that marked French politics and society in 2018.29/12/201813:48 -
2018 in retrospect: Africa
2018 was a bustling year on the African continent filled with elections and inaugurations that marked shifts in power from Liberia to Zimbabwe but also on a more grassroot level like in Tunisia where the capital elected its first female mayor.28/12/201816:49 -
2018 in retrospect: International News
2018 saw a thawing in relations between the two Koreas, women in Ireland being granted legal access to abortion and those in Saudi Arabia, the right to drive. Meanwhile in India, homosexuality was decriminalised.27/12/201814:10 -
2018 in retrospect: Sport
France’s second World Cup triumph, exactly two decades after the first, leads the list of sporting highs of the past twelve months. Their victory in Moscow also saw Didier Deschamps become the third man in history to win international football's greatest prize as both player and manager.26/12/2018 -
French chef Lucas Felzine chases umami across continents
Chef Lucas Felzine has twinkling eyes and a kind smile. He's a chef that uses words like soul, emotions and feelings when talking about how he cooks, a cook who is constantly after the elusive umami taste and takes pleasure in mixing the unexpected to bring new sensations to his customers14/10/201824:09 -
Zambian gemstone jeweller looks to dazzle the Chinese market
Lusaka-based gemstone company Jewel of Africa is taking aim at the Chinese market after establishing exports to the US, pushing their “home-grown” precious stones. The family-run business runs its own mines, cuts and polishes gems and runs retail outlets, employing around 100 locals. The Zambian jeweller is looking to further its expansion into the lucrative Chinese market.18/09/201810:39 -
Djibouti emerges as arms trafficking hub for Horn of Africa
The rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea has repercussions that go beyond diplomacy on the Horn of Africa. A recent investigation shows that while Eritrea is no longer isolated, Djibouti is emerging as the new regional arms trafficking hub.16/09/201810:02 -
The funny yet serious world of black comedian Daliso Chaponda
Malawian comic Daliso Chaponda says his way of coping with the world is through humour. He does so with much irreverence while getting laughs out of sensitive and complex issues. Chaponda is convinced laughter has a better chance of shifting views.10/09/201815:32 -
Overcoming personal struggles, refugee students in eastern Chad hit the books
Adam Barka University in Abéché, the fourth largest city in Chad, is teeming with students, including a few non-Chadian undergraduates. These are refugees from Darfur, Sudan, and from the Central African Republic, who have been given scholarships by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, with contributions by the German government. RFI's Laura Angela Bagnetto sat down with three students to find out about their lives as refugees, and university students.09/07/201811:56
Global Focus
A weekly programme looking at issues challenging our assumptions and way of life across all the continents. This as the world is going through deep and rapid changes.