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Feb 2024
28m 53s

French Farmers and the 'Siege of Paris

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Kate Adie presents stories from France, Turkey, Cambodia, Canada and Chile.

French farmers have staged nationwide protests this week, blocking roads to vent their anger over falling incomes, rising bureaucracy, and competition from imports. Andrew Harding reflects on how these latest protests are a sign of a broader social and political schism that has been emerging in France.

Next week marks a year since Turkey and Syria were hit by a devastating earthquake, which killed more than 60,000 people and displaced millions more. Victoria Craig travelled to Antakya in southern Turkey, one of the worst-hit regions, and spoke to people trying to rebuild their lives while still dealing with the grief of losing loved ones.

Brick kiln workers in Cambodia work in some of the hottest and harshest conditions in the world. The factories often use a mix of fabric, plastic and rubber to fuel the kiln fires, which emit toxic fumes and trigger health conditions. Laura Bicker went to visit workers on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh.

Louis Harnett O'Meara takes to the road in British Columbia, Canada, to see some of the region's iconic redwoods. He hears how efforts to protect these centuries-old trees, along with the wider biodiversity of the region, are being met with opposition from communities dependent on logging for their livelihoods.

In Chilean Patagonia, Kirsty Lang explores a remote region which has been converted into national parkland. encountering sea lions and a lone penguin along the way. It's now one of the world's most protected areas of wilderness, thanks to the work of two American philanthropists.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

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