At home with Moroccan champions
The El Gaara sisters, who live in Rabat, Morocco, are athletic champions who compete in Paralympics against other athletes with dwarfism. Their story came to the attention of Moroccan filmmaker Reda Fakhar, who used it as a window to explore the life of short people in his country.
Moroccan hip-hop group fuses traditional music with rap
During a reporting trip to Morocco last year, Worldfocus' Hoda Osman, Rebecca Haggerty and Megan Thompson met the members of hip-hop group H-Kayne. In this brief interview, the rap trio discuss their musical influences, including Moroccan traditional music such as Aissawa and Gnawa.
On the road in Mumbai with a Muslim female taxi driver
In "The Taxi Takes on Terror" project, freelance documentary filmmaker Vandana Sood set out last year to report from India's largest city through conversations with cab drivers. She meets a young Mumbai woman whose story is a surprising commentary on faith and fashion.
Air pollution worsens from world’s biggest emitter nation
Worldfocus blogger Hsin-Yin Lee writes about her personal experience with the health consequences of climate change. She explains how the number of Taiwanese people with significant eye irritation has surged by 20-30 percent since mid-March, since the onset of the worst-ever dust storms from mainland China.
Traditions thrive in remote island chain of Tonga
Worldfocus producer Megan Thompson recently completed a series on climate change and small island nations. This report from Tonga explore the origins of tapa, an ornate papery cloth made from pounded tree bark, and the ta’ovala, the traditional woven mat worn around the waist, which is also derived from local plants.
Ethiopian marathon runner fueled by homeland
Long-distance running is not only Ethiopia’s national sport; it is a source of pride for Ethiopians all over the world. Worldfocus contributing blogger Tesfaye Negussie went to Ethiopia and interviewed Derartu Tulu, who won the New York City Marathon in 2009, about what it takes to be one of the best runners in the world.
In Middle East, leaders on religious left offer reconciliation
Religious politicians are usually considered to be on the right of the ideological spectrum. However, we look at three figures -- Iyad Jamal Al-Din in Iraq, Menachem Froman in Israel and Mehdi Karroubi in Iran -- who advocate pacifism and pluralism yet are grounded in traditional spirituality.
Arab world experiences rapid population explosion
Compared to other regions, the Arab world has been experiencing one of the fastest population growth rates -- over 2% per year -- which has led to more than its doubling within the last 30 years. Worldfocus discusses Middle Eastern demographics with Patrick Gerland, a demographer at the United Nations Population Division.
Suicide attacks remain potent tool for Pakistani Taliban
The recent suicide bombings in the heart of Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore demonstrate the continuing ability of the Pakistani Taliban to spread death, destruction and fear amongst soldiers and civilians alike, writes blogger S. Azmat Hassan.
Catholic Church grapples with sex crimes in Germany
In Germany, there are increasing calls by Catholic groups for Pope Benedict to make a statement about a growing scandal involving violence and sexual abuse. The latest chapter involves allegations of such abuse against children in a boys' choir. For more on the sex scandal, Daljit Dhaliwal speaks with Nikolaus Piper, and Deutsche Welle reports.
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