the mediterranean, ah, it's waters connect people of many cultures. seen it almost rock enter far. do korean drift along with exploring modern lifestyles and mediterranean youth. where has history left its traces reading, legal hearing their dreams of mediterranean journey intended starts august 14th on d. w. ah ah hello and welcome to focus on europe. i'm you are babble, ola, 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. cabals airport was crowded with people trying to escape life under the militants. 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. well, 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. peace village international. the agency brings children in need of urgent medical care to over housing in germany. we accompanied abdul on his trip

or happening for medical treatment in germany. hundreds of afghan parents have brought their children to cobble among them is 11 year old abdul and his father. abdulla both hands and a bomb attack and he's nearly blind and his left eye the german 8 organizational piece village international is his only chance for receiving proper medical treatment. oh, oh yeah, i love it. i visited other hospitals but didn't recover. second, that's why i'm here. oh, because i need help with my hands. glad that delish one visit to the whole another social worker, claudia pepper mula, has been flying to afghanistan for years. she and her team bring severely injured children like abdulla back to germany for treatment. the woman who actually present the taliban seized power in august 2021. she has seen conditions in the country.

take a dramatic turn for the worse. for as long as the way the hadn't in all our time here, we've never had so many families come to us in over 2200 came from you 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 m, jaime, after life. no afghan stanz economy has collapsed. numerous people are starving, many qualified doctors have left the country as have many aid organizations. we can now call them and fish and 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 who would be in intensive care in germany without any pain medication or bandages. just lying at home like that. good. i'm thoughtful how the leading that you've also had before being able to help the children. claudia pep,

lula and her colleagues need the taliban cooperation and really without their permission and valid passports. the children aren't allowed to leave the country as it. italian bonham was at this point. the taliban or men belonging to that organization or an free department is our organization. we've had some really positive experiences with poor the t, the f i actually, we were amazed when they requested our honda. for about 40 years, the aid organization has been transporting seriously ill and injured children to germany, unchartered flights to a foreign land. far away from their parents and brothers and sisters. oh my god, you're in august and he she what's her name? mama. oh that my. oh is it in? oh, a few months later we meet until again in the peace village and will bells and 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 as 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 the once 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, so we'll have a tensor 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 shift to parker and order. another thing out to

fix young abdul knows the operation will bring him new possibilities as emma let. i'm not scared. i'm happy that they're operating on me. i'm elected. i'm not scared at all and that's that ah yeah. playing helps the children at piecemeal which 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 for rent, but they'll tell you you can think about today or tomorrow at the most likely. but enjoy the life you've got. but laughing when i was asking

oh, adult 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 wow. 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 great 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. in high summer, the sun beat down on athens. temperatures of 40 degrees celsius were 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 app and 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 cities 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, moody valley, once water to flow here again, soon, engineers have already drawn up plans and also 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 street 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 glance that are both to have a lot of leaves and thick canopy that without 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, 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 and 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 the vote 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 it all the units hit on this is increasingly unbearable in summer. i have no rivers and most the surrounding countryside is burned up another you're not 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. now, my babble and of you at 3 o'clock your time. um it'd be nice to have a new park in my neighborhood with a fountain i can cool off in on hot days upon the restore. but to be honest, it seems like giving a cancer patient and aspirin, and i'm always looking really guar speed. i get the impression that we've already surrendered, no misery unless you come up of iffy or the blue nikki might mean accepted the climate crisis in from with and now about we're trying to somehow live with it to the bottom blog or locksmith drip level shadow stores after illini moody really 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 studying in norway. i because i think it's going to

get it's gone. i'm afraid them worried that this going to get really hard in the south. do only anybody believe 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 is welcome, but the vast amounts of water they consume is creating a problem. the most obvious solution is the sea desalination plant on julio, produces millions of leaders of fresh water daily. but it's a plan that comes at a high price if only sea water were possible on the italian

island, julio se of elva, there's plenty of sea water. and for centuries there was also enough spring water. but booming tourism led to the water demand exploding. in 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 kwok if anybody water is pumped out of the sea and into these 2 tanks, what i think was the do i said a battery the still cadjew when the dish i'm of in these cylinders, bacteria and other micro organisms are filtered out and by that they didn't, but i think we're lactose hallie, doctor, my, she saw otherwise they could cause problems later in the treatment process. i see stem id throw them into the filtered salt. water is then forced under high pressure through these white pipes, and a membrane salt cannot pass through. so what comes out is fresh water

at more, it's good, really good. the process sounds simple enough, but come the solution, be broadly applied. biologist, andrea blue shoe 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 thought they manage it, thought a member there of all the brine from the plant comes back into the sea will about us just air behind the rocks where the foam is with us humor the other with the, with his fog. this brian is 3 times a salty as normal sea water. the biologists have found that all plants within a radius of about a 30 meters of tide, including neptune grass, which is crucial for the water balance. to compare, this is a healthy c bed off julia la p. anthem's apple. she go 9 aqua alo, fish,

water grass is as vital as a forest on land, yet that wester, but gruel stabilizes the sea bed today, produces oxygen, make it into provis refuge for fish, as well as other sea creature clinic on that as before. yes, i will have that bid is yours in raids are proper ecosystems, so it'll be dotted up if she bit who is what i'm get the ability to you see me nerdy out flow 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 lap, and it still on a, 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, select the guy that i meet the vision at. i thought it this is the power generation plant every day around 1000 liters of diesel, a burned just to power the desalination plant. but finding a greener alternative isn't straightforward. busy the mer 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 around fortune and my lot in many tons of diesel are brought here for power production project. but the little start to that civilian or the he stood, the italian state has a project to connect the island to the mainland with a power cable electric. i've been missoula. i couldn't see that the projects launch date is unclear. so for now, the island is carrying on with oil as there is no good alternative to desalination . and for hoteliers, like eva marys, desalination is desperately needed. but he, emma charla, in the past water was brought over by tanker loss when that was used and my grandparents had to go down to the harbor to collect water from wells along with

these jug. was it rock and i know i live in front and then some with the desalination plant, we've had no more yamato problem, problem me call aqua. but having a constant supply, fresh water carries a hidden risk, says biologist, andrea pollution are there. so if i thought that bush decided water should bumped out with a desalination plant, egg people waste water. gotcha. a shower after swimming bad than a 2nd. and a 3rd truck, they 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, while 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 believed to have been captured by russian forces for his parents. the days are filled with heartache and uncertainty . every morning you, again, you would give it takes a few minutes. she is 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 in cry while my husband still asleep, the chest. when he gets out, i wash my face so your presence and try to be strong for the day. so you're better

. i only allow myself to cry like that early in the morning. you kenya and alexander would kabbage 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. curtis 30 pacific is a pacifist issue and an anti militarist has been all his life. yes, cousin, 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 rose. we have been level them a lot if we'd been younger, we'd have joined to you. but we're to all the lord. maxine 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 cellar somewhere. well i dish, said boucher. it was terrible latisha. 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. they dishes in the book with chris fuller, my biggest worry she is that they won't treat our son voice as a p o w at all. but as a criminal m e survey, they have been doing with many others zip. will you think?

i'm worried that they'll put him on trial. it is using all these lies and from top 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 's back home. i see, he thinks russia will be accusing more and more ukrainian soldiers of being nazis or committing other invented crimes. i think this is so this is done mostly for their political purposes. when you create such an, you know, importance of the person, usa, great nazis, you know,

you can use it to in their political, you know, trait. maxine 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. now, so what you were doing this so we can find out how maxime was doing my stick. you are, we really have just one goal. been one way that maxime and his comrades be set free to see me until then. you again. yeah. and alexander. but kevin, 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 login of the day when a man all in place of art, our social project by donating bikes that were left in yards or seller, cd and fina shambles. from the made we recycle $300.00 to $350.00 bikes per year, a bit of annoying, or nobody. i mean on a beach, i could tell jordan, that's like rescuing one from the junkyard every day. salva potential, the b damage. we collector is both good for the environment and the local community. the project employees, 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, or bicycles can be taken into the room. so i'll help eval on the left side tourist and know where to store their bicycles. none of that, and they have expensive bias, it's more to they need to know that therapy, say a jewel focus on october. the bennett in ferrara, people have been added cyclists for over 150 years. the highlight of the year is the historic bike race where everyone has to ride vintage racing bikes, biological. but this is my 2nd time promises that i'm writing. my grand does bike is really unhappy battle and then will the content up on the move in the same frequency of arrival for kids learn to cycle before they can walk. i'm yeah, you are that gotta be cycling since i was 14. now i am 80. i wrote 25 kilometers to come here today. i'm a little dated. i'm to rare. huh. taught at the body,

dad. and 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 is the end of the pandemic in site. we show what he could look like. will return to normal and we visit those who are finding it difficult

with success in our weekly coping 19 special in 30 minutes on d w. conflict zone with the rush banner d, 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 and founder of the your race, your group thing going to happen and believe the russians that said it was all this and more on this week with he minutes on ready w ukraine. oh and what secrets lie behind these walls?

discover new adventures in 360 degrees. and explore fascinating world heritage sites. d w world heritage 360. get the app now. law has no limits. love is for everybody. love is live with love matters and that's my new podcast. i'm evelyn sharma. and i really think we need to talk about all the topics that more survive and deny that this. i have invited many deer and well known guests. and i would like to invite you to an end or can that i think that's hard and in the end is a me, you are not a lot of to you anymore. we will send you back. are you familiar with this

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