Our Focus programme brings you exclusive reports from around the world, followed by comment and analysis from our newsroom in Paris. Monday to Friday at 7.15 am and 11.15 pm.
Tuesday 12th June marks World Day Against Child Labour. Despite efforts by the International Labour Organisation to ban the worst practices, it is still a common sight in many countries - even those where there are laws against it. In India, education has been made compulsory to age 14 in a bid to crack down on child labour, but crippling poverty means many families have no choice but to send their offspring out to do what is often difficult and dangerous work.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has long felt shielded from the threat of radical Islamists. But the July attacks in Jakarta and a recent shootout with suspected terrorists have dispelled this feeling of safety.
The recent suicide bombing near the French embassy in Mauritania's capital has once again highlighted terrorist activity in the country, something that newly elected president Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz has promised to fight against.
Since the beginning of this year, an estimated 200 people have been kidnapped in in Kenya. The police suspect the Mungiki sect to be behind this new worrying phenomenon, but others say the group is a convenient scapegoat.
Sri Lanka organised Saturday the first vote since the government forces defeated the Tigers three months ago. However, the situation is still unsecured and the country still ethnically divided with 300 000 Tamils detained in refugee camps.
On August 7 2008, Georgia and Russia went to war over the small breakaway province of South Ossetia. One year on, tensions on the ground remain high, to the point that there are even fears in some quarters of another war.
React to the article
(0) Reactions