for its waters connect people of many cultures have almost 4 and to do career drift along with exploring modern more styles and mediterranean where it has a history left its traces hearing their dreams ready to journey. stuart's august 14th on w. ah, ah. hello and welcome to focus on europe. i'm you are a bipolar. thanks for your company. it's been a year since the taliban seized power in afghanistan. the chaos that followed sent

shock waves across the world. cobbles airport was crowded with people trying to escape life under the militant, some even clung to evacuation planes and acts of desperation. the window to flee was narrow as international rescue flights, including ones from germany, brought refugees out of the country. since international troops withdrew from afghanistan and the taliban has ruled with an iron fist life for many afghans is now a fight for survival. poverty is rampant, and the medical system is on the brink of collapse. of things are especially bad for sick and injured children. like abdul, the 11 year old lost both of his hands and now he is receiving help from the aid organization piece village international. the agency brings children in need of urgent medical care to over housing in germany. we accompanied abdul on his trip.

oh, they're hoping for medical treatment in germany. hundreds of afghan parents have brought their children to cobble. among them is 11 year old abdulla and his father abdulla both hands and a bomb attack and he's nearly blind and his left eye the german 8 organization piece village international is his only chance for receiving proper medical treatment. oh oh yeah. i know i visited other hospitals, but didn't recover. i sat cool. that's why i'm here. oh, because i need help with my hands. glad that delish want to listen to the whole again to the social worker claudia pepper. marla has been flying to afghan. a stand for years. she and her team bring severely injured children like abdulla back to germany for treatment. the woman who actually presented the taliban seized power in august 2021. she is in conditions in the country. take a dramatic turn for the worse. for as long as the hadn't in all our time here,

we've never had so many families come to us and go over 2200 came from me again. that telling one child you can come. and another you can only come later is really hard, because you don't know if the child will survive half a year, especially with bone infections and hide me after like no, afghans economy has collapsed. numerous people are starving. many qualified doctors have left the country as have many aid organizations. we can now come in session without children have started coming to us again without any dressing on their wounds or pain killers. good. yeah. we've seen seriously injured children would be an intensive care in germany without any pain medication or bandages. just lying at home like that. good. i'm thoughtful. how was the leading that you've also had before being able to help the children? claudia pepper mueller and her colleagues need the taliban swapper ation,

and really without their permission and valid passports, the children aren't allowed to leave the country as it italian bonnen was at this point. the taliban or men belonging to that organization or in every department is our organization. we've had some really positive experiences for the tea, the f o. actually we were amazed when they requested our honda. for about 40 years, the 8 organization has been transporting seriously ill and injured children to germany on charter flights to a foreign land far away from their parents and brothers and sisters. and i got your and i guess and he she what's her name, mama, that my oh, a few months later we meet abdulla again in the peace village and obama with him.

he's been living here with other gravely injured children from crisis and war zones from around the world. it's a community thrown together by dire need for as long as the surgery and rehab lasts oh, a medical nurse checks of dose progress and explains his treatment. i said so once, comp, i mean when he came to us a few months ago, he still had a wound here in the chest area class. we managed to remove several little pieces of metal capsules locked in while they were out, the wound closed up quite nicely. around yeah, abdul still has an operation coming up all. it's to separate the not from the radius but still have a pincer like forearm fan on. so i have that stuff or. yeah. and that way it'll be possible for him to grasp a pen or fit something. mucus card and shift to parker and order. another thing out to fix young with abdul knows the operation will bring him new possibilities

as ha, i'm not scared. i'm happy that they're operating on me on the left and i'm not scared at all. that's. that's that, ah, yeah, playing helps the children at peace milch international, momentarily forget about their pain war and being away from their homes and families. here every one becomes one team, at least for a while, and they all contribute their own experience. in this course, amazing how each day these children show me how much life is worth living. they show me use the day to live in the moment later. that's also what they learn in their countries. it's not like us, and we tend to think everything through right up to retirement event. so they'll tell you, you can think about today or tomorrow at the most loiter but enjoy the life you've got laughing when i want to miss the fleet. hulu

doesn't yet know when he'll be able to return to afghanistan. but he's already looking forward to showing his father all the things he can do again. oh, europe is experiencing another extremely hot and dry summer. the situation looks apocalyptic, especially in the continent. south forests are burning, and droughts are drying up rivers. the greek capital of athens is one of the hottest places on the continent, but efforts are underway to cool down the ancient city. athens now has its very own chief heat officer, the 1st ever in europe. her task to keep the residents comfortable despite record temperatures. ah, in high summer the sun beats down on athens, temperatures of 40 degrees celsius or more,

are becoming commonplace. and that's hard on tourists and locals alike. aline, mit easily always keeps her water bottle handy. she knows all about summer in the city, in the risks it poses, because she's athens chief heat officer, the greek capitals 1st, and the 1st and all of europe. it's her job to prepare the city for climate change . here she's descending into the city's historical underground, together with an employee of the athens waterworks, it's home to hadrian aqueduct, an underground tunnel, almost 20 kilometers long built by roman emperor hadrian, in the 2nd century ab aline. muddy valley, once water to flow here again, soon, engineers have already drawn up plans and so that they are planning to create 20 specific points where the,

where they tap into the water into the green new parks. the idea is to create a green belt running straight through the city. the creation of parts should produce a cooling effect. the cheap heat officer is particularly proud of this small part, which was inspired by japanese gardens. that we have to choose plants that both have a lot of leaves and thick canopies that would loser their leaves in the winter. but also can, can do not need the enormous amounts of water and can survive in difficult conditions for several years. now. extreme heat waves increase have almost always been accompanied by forest fires, which are increasingly becoming a threat to the capital. in mid july, there was a wild fire on the northern outskirts of athens. dozens of homes were destroyed. illini moody volley knows that time is running out in a few decades,

large parts of this city of close to $4000000.00 people could become uninhabitable . already athens is often the hottest city in europe during the summer and we don't have a lot of barks and, and green spaces. and we have a lot of old people. the fact that the, the surfaces are we have a lot of surfaces that then to heat up. we have a lot of cars that produce even more heat and air conditioning produces even more heat. so it's actually a pretty deadly makes enough. studies have shown that older people in particular are at risk of dying during heat waves. so elaine moody valley is also seeking advice from the red cross. here colleagues from the australian red cross explain how they devised a system to help vulnerable groups cope with temperatures of up to 50 degrees celsius. they started out in response to

a big the way that killed many people at the request of the local authorities. there we are preparing people to be able to help and people before they get really sick so that we can tell them what to do. and if they start having symptoms, somebody's there that can answer a phone or can be mixed with them to help them. so they don't end up in the hospital yet, few athenians take heat that seriously or perceive it as life threatening. my son almost if i got dizzy or feel like i'm going to throw up, i just stick my feet and cold water. oh, can you on at all? but it doesn't. this is increasingly burbling summer. no rivers and most of the surrounding a countryside is burned up. another another here that the heat is an issue for a geese emanuel. and not just because he likes to run long distances. he's an actor and one of the most famous climate activists in greece to promote climate protection. the athenian ran 2500 kilometers from here to the world climate

conference in glasgow. scotland last year. he thinks, having a heat officer like a leaning buddy valley isn't a bad idea, but that for athens, it's likely too little too late. my babble and of you at 3 o'clock your time. it'd be nice to have a new park in my neighbourhood with a fountain i can cool off in on hot days. i'm available to store, but to be honest, it seems like giving a cancer patient and aspirin, alamahood, emily, rush, speeding. i get the impression that we've already surrendered, no misery unless you come up of iffy or the blue nicky magic. i mean accepted the climate crisis from up and now about we're trying to somehow live with it. the bottom blog. i'll actually written up a shuttle of stories after illini moody delete doesn't want to give up on her home city. but she can see why young athenians might choose to leave. my daughter is currently studying in norway. and to tell you the truth i, i'm kind of happy, sad being in norway. i because i think it's going to get it's gone. i'm

afraid i'm worried that is going to get to really hard in the south. do elaine, you medievalist says young athenians should also be able to have a future here. after all, this ancient city has survived many, a crisis in its almost 4000 year long history or italy has also been suffering under extreme heat and drought. water supplies are running low and in places like the island of julio tourism is making the situation worse. while the revenue, the holiday makers generate as welcome, but the vast amounts of water they consume is creating a problem. the most obvious solution is the see. a desalination plant on julio produces millions of leaders of fresh water daily. but it's a plan that comes at a high price bird. if only sea water were possible on the italian island, julio se of alba, there's plenty of sea water. and for centuries,

there was also enough spring water, but booming tourism led to the water demand exploding. and summer, julio's population increases tenfold, which is why this desalination plant was needed. 2000000 liters of fresh water are made here from sea water every day. a lot, a lot quack of uniquely water is pumped out of the sea and into these 2 tanks. but i think with the, the i said a battery, the stock agile. we need to shop. then these cylinders bacteria and other micro organisms are filtered out. am 5, they didn't but equal lactose hallie, doctor, my, she saw an otherwise they could cause problems later in the treatment process. i see stem, i did that, i mean don't. the filtered salt water is then forced under high pressure through these white pipes and a membrane silence cannot pass through. so what comes out is fresh water

and one, it's good. it's really good. the process sounds simple enough because the solution be broadly applied. biologist, andrea belushi says desalination has drawbacks. he and his team have been studying the sea floor off of julio for more than 10 years, including around the plenty diving manage it thought a member there before with the blind from the plant comes back into the sea, will about of just air behind the rocks where the foam is with us humor the other with the, with his go you. this brian is a 3 times a salty as normal sea water. the biologists have found that all plants within a radius of about a 30 meters have died. including neptune grass, which is crucial for the water balance to compare, this is a healthy c bed off julia, the piano tubs, up as you go 9 aqua, i lost this victim. grass is as vital as a forest on land of yen to the restaurant. but who e stabilizes?

the seabed today produces oxygen, make it go, and it provides refuge for food as well as other sea creature clinical. therefore, you said we're off that media zeroes in raids are proper ecosystems sort of be dotted up issue. but who is what i'm get, the ability to you see me near the outflow from the plant. most animals have also disappeared. and the dissemination plant comes with other problems. it uses as much power as $503.00 person households lapidary. so now the electricity is produced on the island of over on the other side. so should i leave that in order to meet there? with the help of generator is electric i grammy division, and i thought this is the power generation plant every day around 1000 liters of diesel or burned just to power the desalination plant. but finding a greener alternative isn't straightforward. the mayor explains that many of the

houses are historic and not suited to solar panels. and as most of the island is a nature preserve wind turbines aren't allowed to either pull drop or via regular transport thought the mall. did he look down fortunately, lottie, many tons of diesel are brought here for power production. projectile buckley, that was thoughtful. that feliciano d stood, the italian state has a project to connect the island to the mainland with a power cable electric. i've been missile. i've gone through that project launch date is unclear cash or now the island is carrying on with oil as there is no good alternative to desalination. and for hotels like eva marys desalination is desperately needed. but he and marcela in the, in the past water was brought over by tankers. last, when that was used, that my grandparents had to go down to the harbor to collect water from wells cellar. with these jug it dropped. can domino. i live oh,

fun to and then some with the desalination plant, we've had no more yamato problem, problem me cool aqua but having a constant supply, fresh water carries a hidden risk, says biologist, andrea belushi, or this, or what i thought that was really thought about it had thought that with a desalination plant, egg, people, waste water. gotcha. a shower after swimming mile than a 2nd. and a 3rd shot, the hose down ships in the harbor with fresh water in a board though. the dissemination plant is soon to be upgraded to produce even more fresh water. but that also means more brine and even more fuel use. i time people re learned to treat fresh water as a precious commodity. imagine not knowing whether your child is alive or dead. afghani and alexander. good cabbage know this agony all too well. their son maxime took up arms when russia invaded ukraine. of the war

has been raging for almost 6 months, and reports of ukrainian prisoners of war being abused have emerged. maxime, is it one of the estimated 7000 ukrainian soldiers believe to have been captured by russian forces or his parents? the days are filled with hearted and uncertainty. every morning eugenio would give it takes a few minutes. she's holding a photo of her son maxime. she hasn't had any sign of life from him since he was taken prisoner by the russian military, 2 months earlier. she's terrified he's being tortured or that he's no longer alive . you know, so then the court and i sit and cry while my husband still a slave inches when he gets out i wash my face so yeah, it's and try to be strong for the day. so you're brita. i only allow myself to cry like that early in the morning. you

kenya and alexander would cubic invited us in to hear about their son who lives there. maxime would cubic volunteered for military service. for years he'd worked as a ukrainian journalist and stood up for refugees and human rights. when russia invaded ukraine, they tell us maxime decided to fight for his country. when unfamiliar is 13, but sushi is a pacifist at food and an anti militarist has been allah's life. yes. cuz she told me what he told me. i have to join the army d. she'll have to defend the values i fought for my whole life. says yeah, those were your vulnerable them a lot if we'd been younger we'd have joined to you. but we're to all the lord maxim's, parents only found out he'd been taken prisoner from a video shown on russian state media. it showed their son being interrogated in

a cell or somewhere. you well you said boucher it was terrible. leticia. the 1st thing i felt was pure horror. yet the willis i saw my only child and thought this can't be true. over the following weeks. social media channels close to the kremlin, labeled maxime, a nazi and ultra nationalist. and even a british spy over and over again. simply because in 2003, he worked as a producer for the bbc. his parents went to the ukrainian military ukraine, security service, and aid organizations. but no one could tell them anything. this is in the book with gospel, my biggest worry she is that they won't treat our son voice as a p o w a dog. but as a criminal m e survey, they have been doing with many others zip will beach. i'm worried that they'll put him on trial. if this using all these lies and trumped up evidence ships. yes. will

you free? according to ukraine security service over 7000 ukrainians have now been taken as prisoners of war by russian forces. the security service is collecting as much information as possible, but its work is highly confidential. so it turned down our interview requests. however, an attorney representing 50 families of p o w's was prepared to talk to us bloody slough. ignore tiff works closely with the security service trying to bring the p. o. w is back home. i see, he thinks russia will be accusing more and more ukrainian soldiers of being nazis or committing other invented crimes. i saying this is, sir, this is done mostly for the political purposes. when you create such an, you know, importance of the person like usa, gray, nazis, you know, you may use it to, in their political, you know, trade wisdom,

max seems parents are determined not to let that happen. so they have filed an emergency appeal with the european court of human rights, hoping it will put pressure on russia to allow international organizations access to their son. and i see what you were doing this so we can find out how maxine was doing my stick. you will really have just one goal, them one way that maxime and his comrades be set free to see me until then, eugenia and alexander put cubic are trying to remain strong and fight back the panic and fear they feel for their son. and finally, in italy, cycling as a sport normally associated with professional athletes. but change is afoot in the home of ferrari and vesta. the bicycle as a means of transport is picking up pace, and the city of ferrara is the head of the curve. ferrara is

a cycling city, a quarter of residence cycle regularly, which is unusual in italy where few got around by bike before the pandemic. ferrara's love of bicycles can be seen in reaching glitter. instead of throwing away old, broken bicycles, they donate piles of them to the project to be refurbished and resold a wagner that a, when a man all in place of art are social project by donating bikes that were left in yards or seller, cd contina, shambles. from or maybe recycle $300.00 to $350.00 bikes per year, bit of paranoid or not because i mean on the beach. i could tell jordan that's like rescuing one from the junkyard every day. sullivan, the potential d. b damage. richie glitter is both good for the environment and the local community. the project employs people seeking to re enter the workforce and as hired to men and demand for the bikes is high. the city has been working to become

even more bicycle friendly for decades. this also attracts cycle tourists for whom new ideas are being developed, such as bed and bike were bicycles can be taken into the room. oh, well shall beveled on the la satirist and know where to store their bicycles. none of that and they have expensive biases. it's more that they need to know that they'll be say, a jewel focus on october. the bennett, in ferrara, people have been alex cyclists for over 150 years. the highlight of the year is the historic bike race where everyone has to ride vintage racing bikes. i like all of this is my 2nd time promises that i'm writing, my grand does bike it's. he's really happy about it. and then will the content up on the movie, the same frequency of arrival for kids learn to cycle before they can walk. i'm yeah, you are that gotta have been cycling since i was 14. now i am 80, i wrote 25 kilometers to come here today. i'm a little late to love to read her throat at the bottom. that of an they're off

the rudest, 61 kilometers, but that's more pleasure than competition for all those and ferrara. passionate about cycling as they say, it's the journey, not the destination, and that brings us to the end of our program. thank you so much for watching. ah ah, ah, with

who conflict zone with parish banner g. russia and ukraine are taking heavy casualties in the don bus, but has ukraine already lost the east? my guess this week believes that is likely the case in burma is a political scientist, founder of the you're very sure group. i'm going to happen and believe the russians

with said will at all this and more on this week. conflicts own with 30 minutes on d. w. you great with a journey across the entire continent with a variety of i miss so well, it's okay. so the move and shake is visionaries and majors when binding the meaning of modern africa is an egg. and d, w. sometimes a seed is all you need to allow big ideas to grow. we're bringing environmental conservation to life with learning facts,

like global ideas. we will show you how climate change and environmental conservation is taking shape around the world and how we can all make a difference. knowledge grows through sherry and download it now for, for niko, is in germany to learn german pollution pinnacle. why not learn with him online, on your mobile and free chef. c w e learning course, eco's vague. mm hm.

ah ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin. ukrainian force is a dig in before the push toward her son. as troops get ready for a counter offensive against russian forces in the south, our correspondent takes us into the trenches to witness life on the front lines. also coming up on the show, a tight vote count in kenya.