Focus

A recent series of crimes has sparked anger over the presence of US military bases on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. First came the arrest of a former US marine for the rape and murder of a local woman, then, two weeks later, a sailor was arrested for causing a crash while driving under the influence of alcohol. In response, tens of thousands of people took part in a demonstration demanding the closure of the US bases. Our team reports from Japan. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Aline Schmidt and Claire Pryde.

The NSA spying scandal, the Panama Papers, SwissLeaks and LuxLeaks... A recent string of scandals has cast the spotlight on so-called whistleblowers - citizens who put their career, their freedom and sometimes even their lives at risk in order to reveal information that is kept secret from the general public. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look at three such whistleblowers and asks what can be done to protect them. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Laura Burloux and Claire Pryde.

As NATO leaders meet in Warsaw to give the formal go-ahead to the greatest reinforcement of collective alliance defence since the collapse of the Soviet Union, FRANCE 24 reports on growing tensions that risk a return to Cold War rivalries between East and West. The 28 leaders are expected to announce the deployment of four reinforced multinational battalions, headed by the US, Britain, Canada and Germany, to Poland and the Baltic states.

The new units, totalling roughly 4,000 troops, will serve as a reassurance to allies feeling threatened by Moscow that NATO has their back.

"This is a defining moment for our security. The world is a more dangerous place than just a few years ago,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. “And NATO is responding with speed and with determination. We have tripled the size of NATO response force."

Further to the south, a Romanian-led multinational brigade is also planned as the start of an increased NATO presence designed to reassure and protect allies concerned about Moscow’s beefed-up military presence in the Black Sea.

The measures to be ordered in Warsaw, which complement national actions by the US and some other allies, constitute “the most significant accomplishment of alliance deterrence and defence in decades,” Polish NATO Ambassador Jacek Najder told a pre-summit media briefing in Brussels.

Russian officials have already vowed to take unspecified but appropriate countermeasures.

“The Soviet Union is no more; the Warsaw Pact has ceased to exist,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said recently, referring to the now-defunct military alliance between Moscow and its Eastern European satellites that was also formalised in Poland’s capital. “But for some reason, NATO continues to expand its infrastructure and advance toward Russia’s borders.”

A second major set of decisions expected at the Warsaw summit concern what NATO officials call projecting stability beyond the alliance’s borders. Here a priority concern is the Islamic State group, which has exploited the territory it holds in Syria and Iraq to mount devastating suicide attacks in the NATO-member capitals of Paris and Brussels.

The extremist Muslim organisation is also suspected of last week’s attack by three suicide bombers that killed 44 people at Istanbul’s airport.

At Warsaw, NATO leaders are expected to agree “on how we can do more also in the fight against terrorism, including strengthening our sharing of intelligence,” Stoltenberg said.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

In this edition we look at a new and dangerous migrant route by sea into Europe. With the "Balkan route" via Turkey officially closed, and growing instability in Libya, people smugglers have quickly adapted. The new route takes migrants from the Egyptian coast, where many Syrians have temporarily sought refuge, across the Mediterranean. Our team in Cairo and Alexandria have been meeting those who continue to dream of Europe, despite the risks. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Laura Burloux and Claire Pryde.

As Libyan pro-unity government forces closed in on the remaining Islamic State group fighters in Sirte, FRANCE 24 joined troops allied with the country's unity government. Militias loyal to the UN-sponsored government are closing in on the Islamic State (IS) group affiliate in Sirte, which has seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. Their campaign began two months ago to free Sirte from the Islamic State group militants, who took advantage of fighting between rival factions to gain territory and take control of the coastal city last year.

From the Zika outbreak to an ongoing political crisis, it's been a difficult run-up to the Olympic Games in Brazil. And with just 30 days to go until the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, the government has been hit with a last-minute budget crisis. FRANCE 24 reports from Rio de Janeiro. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Laura Burloux and Claire Pryde.

In this programme we look at what used to be a group of friends from the eastern French city of Vesoul. All of them were middle-class French citizens, aged between 20 and 30, who converted to Islam in a short space of time. They found the hardcore and sectarian views they wanted to hear in Islamic State group propaganda videos on the Internet. They soon swapped their peaceful life in France for the Syrian civil war, joining the ranks of the Islamic State group. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Aline Schmidt and Claire Pryde.

Back in January, Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen as its first ever female president. But that result wasn't a complete surprise, as women have been making great strides in the Taiwanese political sphere for years. Both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang have female leaders, while 38% of seats in parliament are held by women. So what's behind this more gender-balanced politics? Our team on the ground went to find out. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Aline Schmidt and Claire Pryde.

Last week, the World Health Organization made a move which will have enormous social implications for the countries hardest hit by the Zika virus. It recommended that millions of people consider delaying pregnancies to avoid the risk of giving birth to a baby with brain damage. The mosquito-borne virus is now present in over 50 countries. Officials on the US territory of Puerto Rico warn that some 20 percent of the island's 3.5 million population could soon be infected with Zika. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Aline Schmidt and Claire Pryde.

One of the poorest South American countries is hoping to raise its fortunes. With the world's largest lithium reserves, Bolivia aims to become a top producer of the precious metal, which is vital for the production of electric car batteries and other high-tech items. But the government wants to keep strict control over the production process and has turned down offers of partnerships from multinational companies. Our correspondent reports. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Aline Schmidt and Claire Pryde.