Birth of French 'saviour sibling' raises bioethics questions

A very special baby was born on January 26th at the Antoine Béclère hospital near Paris. As an embryo, Umut Talha (Turkish for "our hope") was screened so that his parents knew he would not suffer the same genetic disorder that has afflicted his siblings. Not only that, but cells from his umbilical cord can also be used to treat his sister, an idea that's raising questions about bioethics in France.

FOCUS

PAKISTAN

Swat: a real battle against the Taliban?

The Pakistani army says the insurgency in the Swat valley has been quashed. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now returning to their valley. But did the army really win this battle against the Taliban?

06/10/2009 - EGYPT

Christian-Muslim tension in Egypt

The relationship between Coptic Christians and the rest of Egyptian society is taking a turn for the worse. After violence perpetrated by Muslims, some Christians accuse authorities of treating them as second-class citizens.

GUINEA

Amid the bloodbath, harrowing tales of rape

Around 30 women have alleged they were brutally raped by soldiers during the September 28 massacre in Guinea that the UN says left at least 150 dead. FRANCE 24's Tatiana Mossot heard some of their harrowing testimonies.

2016 OLYMPICS

Rio de Janeiro wins bid to be host city

Rio de Janeiro has been selected by the International Olympic Committee Friday to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Focus takes a look at the reaction in Brazil and in the other cities that were competing.

LISBON TREATY

Document's fate lies in Ireland's hands

The Irish go to the polls in a referendum on Friday to give their verdict on the Lisbon Treaty, after 53.4% of voters rejected it in 2008. Since then, what have been the main issues that may persuade the population to change its mind?