International report

The second episode of our series on Germany’s colonial history takes us to the streets of Berlin.

To date, nationwide, no monument commemorates Germany’s dark past in Africa.

Yet, for anyone who cares to look, colonialism is very much present on the streets of the German capital.

Some signs are well hidden, while others lie in plain sight as Emmanuelle Chaze reports.

German colonialism part 3

The German presence in Africa is often overlooked when one thinks about colonisation.

Today this long-forgotten episode of German and African history is being re-examined as new efforts are driven by scholars, institutions and governments alike.

At a time of growing awareness of global inequalities, colonial history gives key explanations about contemporary international dynamics.

To understand the relationship between Germany and Africa, you have to dive into the past.

In the first of a five-part series, Emmanuelle Chaze looks at Germany's relatively short colonial history.

German colonialism part 2

As old buildings in New York City are torn down or refurbished, Rick Kelly sees a chance to keep their memory alive. The legendary guitar maker uses reclaimed wood from the city's buildings to create stunning electric and acoustic guitars.

The big cities of India, especially the commercial capital Mumbai, continue to be a major attraction for runaway kids.

Many factors such as domestic abuse, a cruel stepmother, failed examinations or just the appeal of the metropolis have been the lure for kids to take the risky journey after fleeing home, mostly from the rural outback.

For most runaway kids, railway stations are the first stop.

If they are lucky, some are traced and reunited with their families.

But many fall into bad company and are forced into bonded labor, sometimes into drug-trafficking, or other perilous activities since they are vulnerable and need to survive.

In the first of a two-part series, correspondent Murali Krishnan travels to Mumbai to look at how these kids cope.

Railway stations in India, as places of transit, source and destination, are breeding grounds for child labor and child trafficking and exploitation.

Every year, thousands of children run away from their homes for a variety of reasons that include an abusive environment, poverty or failed examinations.

A safe and secure environment for runaway children is the best solution and several organizations have come forward to reunite runaway kids with their parents.

A child-friendly society may still be a way off but efforts are being made.

In the second and last part of this series RFI correspondent Murali Krishnan examines the rehabilitation initiative for runaway children.

The partial government shutdown in the United States is now in its fourth week, and there is no end in sight.

US President Donald Trump wants to be given enough money by Congress to build his promised wall on the border between the United States and Mexico.

Democrats in Congress refuse to bow to the demands of the White House.

Hundreds of thousands of government employees have been furloughed and are not being paid. Museums in Washington remain closed to tourists.

Our correspondent Philip Crowther met those who are suffering from the government shutdown for this report.

The big cities of India, especially the commercial capital Mumbai, continue to be a major attraction for runaway kids.

Many factors such as domestic abuse, a cruel stepmother, failed examinations or just the appeal of the metropolis have been the lure for kids to take the risky journey after fleeing home, mostly from the rural outback.

For most runaway kids, railway stations are the first stop.

If they are lucky, some are traced and reunited with their families.

But many fall into bad company and are forced into bonded labor, sometimes into drug-trafficking, or other perilous activities since they are vulnerable and need to survive.

In the first of a two-part series, correspondent Murali Krishnan travels to Mumbai to look at how these kids cope.

In Guinea Conakry, a group of farmers and traders have called for a ban on imports of Irish potatoes, first introduced by Europeans, saying those produced in Guinea are of high quality and easier to store than those that are imported.

RFI correspondent Karim Kamara caught up with one of the farmers on his Irish potato farm about 270km from Conakry.

Click on "Play" above to hear his report.

World War I ended 100 years ago. But its effects linger on in north-eastern France, in the form of environmental pollution.

Several years ago, researchers discovered that ammunition destruction operations, carried out near Verdun after the war, have left the topsoil contaminated.

A discovery that’s particularly affected farmers.

Claire Rush has this second report from the rural village of Houdelaucourt-sur-Othain

France’s northern and north-eastern regions were devastated by World War I. So much so, that after the armistice the government declared large swathes of it a “red zone” – off-limits for habitation and agriculture.

The former battlefield of Verdun is part of this zone.

It was there that some 300,000 soldiers were killed in just 10 months in 1916.

And a century later, it is still littered with unexploded ammunition. A public safety issue that brings regional mine-clearing experts and forest rangers to the site every day.

Correspondent Claire Rush has this first report from the Red Zone near Verdun.