lara: this is "focus on europe." i'm lara babalola. a warm welcome to the show. it's a powder keg in the balkans that's had the eu on edge for years. just weeks ago, there were fears that an armed conflict between kosovo and serbia could break out. in december, serbian protesters erected roadblocks in northern kosovo. they were calling in part for the release of a serb detained for attacking kosovo police. tensions flared and serbia put its army on high combat alert.

the european union just recently published a peace plan to normalize ties in kosovo. both sides have endorsed the roadmap which includes strengthening the self-managing rights of the serbian minority in kosovo, a group that refuses to recognize kosovo as an independent country. for more than 20 years, the international peacekeeping force kfor has been mediating between the two ethnic groups to maintain stability. a balancing act in a country divided. >> they've been more heavily armed in the past. but for the soldiers of the kfor international peacekeeping force, the pistols are largely symbolic at the moment. for now, the situation is calm in northern kosovo. there's a chance to connect with the locals in the small town of leposavic. >> on one of our local stops at a restaurant, we found out that there had been a power outage. and so we're just trying to get

a feel for how far the power outage spread and how that's like affecting the local population right now. >> at the local hospital, a doctor confirms that there was an outage, but says they have emergency generators. a power outage here can have significance for the military. so, the soldiers gather information whenever they can, before having the obligatory cup of coffee. kosovo just celebrated 15 years of independence, but in leposavic, only serbian flags are on display. the defiant words splashed on the wall read, "this is serbia. have no fear, we are here to protect you." >> we try to keep a very neutral posture. we don't want to look too aggressive or whatnot, because at the end of the day, i mean, we're people too. we understand the issues and concerns that they have as well.

>> we follow the peacekeepers north to the border, where they regularly patrol, and for good reason, too. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: a few weeks ago, there was a flareup at the border, with radical serbs clashing with kosovo albanians. the tension ran higher than it had in a long time, not least because of an unidentified group of masked men. >> [speaking non-english language] >> "they're russians," a serb says in this cell phone footage. there's been speculation that mercenaries from the notorious wagner group were brought in as agitators on russian orders. kfor has observed what's unfolding, without intervening. the soldiers only step in if kosovo and eu police forces fail to get the situation under control. >> my squad in particular, we were responsible for on top of the hill behind us, in that general vicinity.

ensuring that no side traffic was coming through and we had others that belong to our company on standby, just ready to support the kosovo police department. >> nowhere are the divisions in kosovo more evident than in the city of mitrovica, where the south is mostly populated by kosovo albanians and the north by kosovo serbs. eu police guard the bridge that connects the two parts. on the albanian side, people talk about their fear and distrust. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: we don't have any kind of relationship with the people over there. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: i'm afraid to talk. because i go over there often, and they could do something to me. >> in the north, there are serbian flags everywhere.

the only person willing to speak with us is a teenager. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: how to make it better? no idea! maybe by kosovo fully belonging to serbia. we don't go to the other side. we don't have any friends there, so we stay here in the north and in serbia. >> kosovo and serbia have agreed to a proposal aimed at stabilizing relations. and although both sides have yet to sign, it is the first shimmer of hope in a long time. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: whatcountries on serbia.istic you know, serbia is surrounded by the european union and nato. >> where these cars are -- >> on the way back to the base, the kfor soldiers meet a group of serbs protesting the expropriation of property by the kosovo state. >> [speaking non-english language] translator:

if it's in your power and you or your superiors could talk to the leaders and the people in charge in pristina, that would really help us. >> so, it's like the most i can do is relay that. but what i can do for you guys, because i, at first, we didn't think that we were welcomed at the protest, you know what i mean, but we can stop, hang out, and show that we're here, you know what i mean, so it's like a unity kind of thing. like, is that cool? if you want to translate? >> the serbs claim that snipers from the kosovo police are hiding up in the forest. and indeed, there are some patrol cars following the protest from a distance. we are not allowed to film. distrust runs deep in kosovo, on both sides. and there is little to indicate that it will change anytime soon. >> they are treasures of the ocean that have existed for hundreds of millions of years. and it's not only divers and ecologists who are enchanted by these natural treasures but

also jewelers. the red coral from the mediterranean sea is coveted and is found in abundance in italy's torre del greco. but the organisms are under threat not only from climate change, but also from poaching. smugglers are plundering the precious red coral to get a share of the multi-million dollar industry. miko cataldo is a vendor who knows the tricks smugglers use to evade the authorities. >> naples, in southern italy. for centuries, the region has been famous for corals. under the shadow of mount vesuvius lies torre del greco, the unofficial capital of the global coral trade. local business leaders are upbeat. red coral jewelry is once again in demand. international fashion and jewelry brands are flocking to torre del greco.

local entrepreneur maria de simone believes this success is helped by a serious commitment to conservation. she says her business strictly follows environmental protection rules. she's aware of the illegal coral trade, but says that's a different world. >> you have a name, you have a story, you have something to defend. and you don't do these things. there are many factories, i mean also small, which have a name a -- name, a respectful name, and i'm sure they have nothing to do with these people. >> eventually, we find a merchant who's willing to discuss the darker side of the coral trade. miko cataldo says the atmosphere is something akin to a gold rush. he says although authorities are keeping a closer eye on the problem, smugglers continue finding new routes. >> [sighs] say something very, very courageous.

they let pass the "goods," the coral, from in spain, and then from spain, they come to france and italy. they find another way. >> we head to the other side of the mediterranean sea. we're in tabarka, on tunisia's northern mediterranean coast. for centuries, everything here revolved around precious coral. but unlike in italy, business is slow. local residents tell us 90% of the shops have closed because there's no more coral available. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: at some point, there will probably be no more coral left at all. it will die out. the shortage already makes it unaffordable for people here. they have no money. who can afford top quality coral jewelry? maybe artists or business people? >> for years, salah bjaoui worked as a coral diver.

he insists he always stuck to the rules. but now he's grown too old for the job and allows other divers to use his boat instead. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: there's a lot of illegal fishing going on and that stocks and the entirseabed.s beif 10 kilos of coral areral growing on a rock, illegal fishing methods ll destroy all the habitat around it. nine kilos of the coral is lost and only one kilo ends up being caught. >> he says the coral is uggled via tunisia and sent all over the world. demand in southern europe and asia is especially high. he says it's hard for authorities to verify the coral's origins. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: coral is almost like cocaine these days. a while ago, they caught an italian man with a boat who was

transporting coral to italy illegally. everyone knows smuggling is happening here. >> the coast guard regularly conducts searches of boats at the small port of tabarka. three years ago, they uncovered a network of smugglers from algeria, tunisia, and spain whose global trade in coral was worth millions of euros. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: they often store the goods in the city of bizerte or the capital tunis. then they try to export it. the classic route is to italy. from there, the coral is often transported to destinations as far away as india. >> in many asian countries, the underwater species are said to have health benefits and even supernatural powers.

criminal networks go to great lengths to cash in on the precious corals, which often live hundreds of meters below the surface. >> jewelry artisan mourad arfaoui is convinced that all the problems plaguing the coral stem from one thing, humans and their greed. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: just like ny other species, our corals are dying because we no longer give them time, time to grow and develop. we simply don't appreciate the treasures of our oceans anymore. >> back in torre del greco, the problems of the north african traders seem far away. even still, many are realizing if they don't take action to combat the illegal trade, the coral stocks could run out fover. >> for centuries, peat has been used in irish homes for fuel and heating. the country lacks other natural

resources like coal, oil, and gas. peat, also known as turf, is not only found in abundance in ireland, it is also cheap. many people in the countryside build up their own reserves for heating and cooking. noel conroy is one of them, for now at least. he is rattled by the government's plan to ban turf-cutting. peatlands that are intact store vast amounts of co2 and can reduce greenhouse gases. but for people in the irish countryside, the climate-friendly alternative to heat and fuel their homes is an unattractive option. >> liam and his sister phyllis price have a veritable treasure in their garden, their property in the irish midlands includes moorland. and each year, they harvest peat, also known as turf, to heat their house. >> the good part you're looking to burn is from this level. and that's brown turf. that depth right to the end

there would keep one house warm for a year. >> the family has been harvesting peat for generations. the siblings, their children -- all of them burn peat for heating. it's part of the culture, but possibly for not much longer. burning peat is very damaging to the climate. and the irish government wants to put an end to it. >> well, i don't think we're causing that much harm. i mean, look at all the planes up there. and we'd never get anything as cheap as turf. we don't have oil in our house, we just have turf. >> their supply of peat spares them from skyrocketing energy bills. once a year, they use a machine to collect and cut the peat. it's then set aside to dry, and that's it. >> there is 250 euros worth of turf there, and that'll do for over a year. >> there are some 100,000 people in ireland who still

harvest peat from the local moors to heat their homes. many are fighting to keep things as they are. last year, the government tried to implement a partial ban on peat cutting. it triggered anger in the countryside, like here in clara. >> almost certainly 90% of the houses here are burning turf. >> local politicians and lobbyists like seamus boland did all they could to lift the restrictions, saying they'd come too fast. >> when you introduce the law without the supports to implement that law, then you cause enormous trouble and pain. and it's practically and physically not possible for people to make that change. >> that's one side of the story. but tristram whyte says there's

another side and time is of the essence. peatlands can work miracles in the fight against climate change and co2 emissions. he's put great effort into restoring this moor. >> they take the carbon from the air, they then lock it under that water table. and it's saved there for thousands of years. and that was the part of the carbon cycle. they were taking this carbon from the atmosphere and locking it away. and that was what was regulating climate and regulating our temperature. >> about 90% of ireland's wetlands have been destroyed, partly through industrialization. this bog, just opposite, was extracted for a former peat power plant. >> this site is releasing carbon. it's cracking, and it's leaking off in the water as well. it's all carbon and the peat. >> following pressure from residents in rural areas, cutting peat remains allowed for private use. but the commercial sale of peat is banned. under pressure from the eu to meet climate targets, the irish

government is still intent on persuading those who still burn peat for heating to switch to greener methods. >> one of the huge, important things is to put low-cost loans. we need to move to electricity for heating. and we are going to produce huge amounts of renewable electricity in the coming decade here in ireland. >> noel conroy is worried. he needs turf to heat his house, to cook, and to have a hot shower. >> i'd have to spend 100,000 here and now to bring my house up to the modern-day houses. and i just can't afford that. >> he rejects allegations that he doesn't care about the environment. like others, he gave his bog to the state so it could be restored. in return, he received a smaller piece of moorland for his own use. >> we want to play our part. but rather than crucifying us,

we should get help to do that. and if turf wasn't as common, there has to be a solid alternative. >> for now, there's no satisfactory solution. and putting an end to the traditional practice of peat harvesting is hard to imagine without there being some major investments. >> he is a celebrated top chef in france with several michelin stars to his name. thierry marx moves in exclusive circles in the capital paris, but his personal philosophy is quite the opposite. the chef rose from humble beginnings to become a millionaire, all without a high school diploma. he believes wealth is a good thing if it's shared. zmaray from afghanistan is benefiting from his generosity. thierry has founded schools in france that give migrants, school drop-outs, and ex-convicts a chance at a fresh start. >> michelin-starred chef thierry marx is giving the

final touches to the ravioli he is serving in his new paris restaurant. he has a keen eye for detail. his philosophy is that cooking is not only about talent. he says all people can do it if they put their minds to it. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: of course, anyone can reach a very high level. if you're determined and not afraid of certain words, like discipline, rigor, and commitment, you can reach the top. >> those are all attributes that zmaray has. after fleeing afghanistan four years ago, he had to find his way, first in austria, then in france. zmaray says cooking is not just about earning a living, it's a calling. >> [speaking non-english language] translator:

i already had experience because i learned to cook with my mother. here in france, i live with five other afghans and i cook afghan dishes for them. >> thierry marx is passionate about training enthusiastic cooks like zmaray. >> bonjour, bonjour. >> he teaches classes in the cooking school he founded, cuisine mode d'emploi. >> here's a tip. when you make choux pastry, be sure to beat the eggs first. >> every movement must be precise, which can be difficult. the chef pays attention to every detail. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: i would say that there's still some egg missing. >> thierry marx has been criticized for supporting

migrants in his school. detractors have said he'd grant asylum to anyone who wants to cook. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: they have papers, even if there's a time limit. we want to impart knowledge so they have more freedom, more autonomy, and can live their life on french soil in the best conditions possible with a profession. >> more than 6,000 people have trained at the school. not only migrants but also people who spent time in jail or who didn't graduate from school. thierry marx himself didn't graduate from school, and his -- he wants to help people put their problems behind them. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: we're not interested in people's pasts. we ask what they want to do w. if they want to cook, we can help. >> for zmaray, it's the chance of a lifetime, one he doesn't

want to miss. >> because of that, i had a little stress because chef, he was here. but i am happy that i can learn from chef thierry marx. >> those who get through three months of training and pass the exams can usually find a job in high-end paris restaurants. >> [speaking non-english language] translator: we've noticed that it puts people back in an upright position. they can see beyond the horizon and imagine becoming established chefs and crafting their own style. >> zmaray wants to combine afghan and french cuisine. one idea is to serve traditional afghan mantu, or dumplings, with a french-style vegetable broth. >> now i want to after my studies, i want to work, and then i want to open a restaurant in paris. >> with the blessing of thierry marx, who hopes his trainees

will make it as far as he has. >> people flying through the air and bouncing off the walls in a church. it's not a holy miracle, but an unorthodox place of worship. in the northern english city of bradford, wrestling meets religion. while it may seem like an odd pairing to some, for the congregation, it's a match made in heaven. >> in a country where many churches have been turned into restaurants or nightclubs, some clerics decided to turn the tables. they bought a nightclub and converted it into a church. not that it looks like one much at first glance. yes, there's cross and a candle. but there's also a bathtub at the fountains church in bradford, in northern england. and most unusual, a wrestling ring and a monthly show. >> if you read the bible, there are stories in there, cain and

abel, someone got murdered, there are stories of people fighting. the whole book of job is him wrestling with the circumstances he's in. the psalms, david's kind of expressing his feelings, all of that is in the bible and there's worse than wrestling in the bible. >> tt's certainly true. and some may prefer rock guitar to the more traditional church organ. in any case, the atmosphere is electric as the two wrestlers step into the ring. in this choreographed show, metal god alex and jack johnson seem evenly matched. but it's the latter who gets the upper hand, perhaps with a little help from above? >> i just kind of got led down the wrong path, given where i'm from, being quite a rough area and i got involved with like the wrong crowd of people and i feel with wrestling and gtm, stuff like that, i've found the right path and i believe now is the right time to take that step into faith and wash away

all the past negativity. >> "wash away" literally. after the fight, jack johnson is one of a few to be christened. [applause] it's not only the crowd that's in great spirits. so is the bishop of bradford, who thinks it's great to preach from the ring. >> when people are willing to be open about their story, it is a beautiful thing. and it's a beautiful thing, and we hold it very tenderly, sometimes like tonight i feel almost as if i need to take off my shoes because it's holy ground. >> ♪ hallelujah ♪ ♪ >> two wrestling matches, three christenings, and 12 confirmations. all in one evening in this nightclub-turned-church in bradford. >> spandex and sermons, who would have thought. that's all from us this week at "focus on europe."

thanks for watching and bye for now. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

04/06/23 04/06/23 ." [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> in my mind, there is no doubt he is being wrongly detained by russian, which is what i said to foreign minister lavrov when i spoke to him over the weekend and insisted that evan be released immediately. amy: the united states is denounci r