From Italy to Japan: The life and crimes of mafia groups around the world
30 January 2021 |
11:00 am
Earlier this month, a mega-trial got underway in Italy with more than 300 defendants and 900 witnesses, the biggest mafia trial of its kind in decades. The main crime family in question has allegiances with gangs in South America and Albania. We speak to Federico Varese, a professor of criminology and the author of a number of works on the Russian mafia, Soviet criminal history and the globalisation of mafia groups. He shares his perspective on the trial in his homeland and on mafia groups around the world.
Related
17 Dec
The new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Austria's Volker Türk, granted a wide-ranging interview to FRANCE 24 from Geneva. This week, the High Commissioner travelled to Ukraine to observe first-hand the consequences of Russia's invasion on the Ukrainian people.
17 Dec
Lionel Messi is still at the World Cup after Argentina cruised, collapsed and finally conquered in the face of Dutch resistance. Support for the Albiceleste is felt around the world and, at least for Messi, even beyond.
15 Dec
The Japanese government is planning to offer couples extra money for having children, but with costs rising steeply and wages static, that is unlikely to be an adequate incentive, say experts.
15 Dec
Clashes erupted in France and Belgium as dejected Morocco fans resorted to violence after the country's defeat in the World Cup semi-finals last night. France defeated Morocco by 2-0 to set up the final battle with Argentina.
16 Dec
In 2019, Otache Sunday Emmanuel survived a building collapse, but his pregnant wife and three children were not so lucky. The Benue State native who lives in Lagos and is still grieving the loss of his family shares his story and life after the accident.
18 Dec
The World Cup final takes place on Sunday. For the hosts Qatar, much has already been said about the tournament's economic legacy. But what about the winners?
25 Dec
A very rare edition of "The Philosopher's Stone" won by a competition winner sold for £8,000 at auction following a year of record sales for first edition copies.
18 Dec
The controversial Qatar World Cup was a unique spectacle that divided opinion in the West. But Asian, Arab and Latin American fans gave the tournament the soul it sorely lacked.
18 Dec
Excitement builds outside Lusail Stadium ahead of highly-anticipated World Cup final between Argentina and France.
18 Dec
Argentinians burst with joy after a thrilling World Cup victory against France
19 Dec
Argentina won the World Cup on Sunday (December 18), defeating defending champions France 4-2 on penalties, following a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time.
24 Dec
Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma offered several Jewish people refuge from the Nazis in German-occupied Poland before being caught and killed. The Vatican now plans to beatify the pair before possible sainthood.
Latest
26 mins ago
In the last couple of months, tsunamis of layoffs have hit the tech ecosystem. From Twitter to Meta, and then Amazon, the once glittering ecosystem where most young people desire to work is now facing a new threat.
1 day ago
France has received a request from the Burkinabe military junta to withdraw its troops from the Sahel country and will do so within a month. The success of the counterterrorism operation has been limited, experts say.
1 day ago
New Delhi has banned sharing links and clips to a BBC film about Prime Minister Modi. Now universities are cracking down on students trying to screen it.
1 day ago
Thousands turn out to opposition-organised protests in South Africa to express deepening frustration over the country's power crisis. Also, in a rare trial of a former president, ex-Mauritanian leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz appears in court on corruption charges. Finally, faced with about 15,000 tonnes of "e-waste" dumped in landfills every year, Rwanda is focusing more resources on recycling old smartphones.
1 day ago
The former US president had been blocked from the social media platforms since the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Meta said it was taking measures to prevent "repeat offenders" from violating its rules.
1 day ago
The Rwandan government says it had to take "defensive measures" after a Congolese combat plane violated its airspace. The Democratic Republic of Congo says the incident amounts to an "act of war."