Every weekend, a special train offering various cultural programs runs between Berlin and Wroclaw. It is meant to peak German interest in Poland and vice versa while encouraging people to travel more consciously.

The 'Culture Train' connecting Germany and Poland

Wildfires are on the rise in Spain due to heat and drought. Prevention teams are trying to head off fires in risky locations by clearing brush and digging ditches.

Wildfires in Spain

Musicians in Finland are keeping tradition alive. Their fiddling has put their music onto the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

Traditional Music in Finland

EU-Hungarian relations are tense. Cohesion fund payments to Hungary have been frozen in a dispute about the government’s right-wing populist stance.

Hungary and Billions from the EU

Europe's first rare earths’ magnet factory is going up on the Estonian-Russian border. The project is aimed at integrating Estonia’s ethnic Russians.

Rare earths in Estonia create jobs

Brussels is a city of contrasts. Affluent EU districts border on neighborhoods marked by poverty. Yet change is in the offing.

Brussels — A divided city

The island of Tilos is the first and only island in the entire Mediterranean to be powered solely with wind and solar energy. How does it work?

Greece — The green island

Residents of a small street in East London want to power their community with solar panels installed on the roofs of their homes. Local artists are raising funds for those who can't afford the investment.

London’s first solar street

Luxury yachts of oligarchs and wealthy Russians are moored in Montenegro's exclusive Adriatic ports. But the area is also attracting ordinary Russians escaping the war, not always to the delight of the local population.

Montenegro: Refuge for Russia's elite

Gen Y and Z prefer ecofriendly clothing and Italy's textile industry has responded. Prato is considered the Paris of sustainable fashion, with 150 textile companies processing used clothing from all over Europe.

Italy: Pioneer in sustainable fashion

What drives people in Europe? How do Europeans lead their lives? What are their views, hopes and fears? Fokus Europa provides the answers: up close, exciting and balanced.

Informative podcasts. Sounds corny, but we like to watch it as a family.  It&#39;s good to see &amp; understand snippets of life from other places in the world.

Euro mag

As a European , I defiantly suggest to everyone to watch this program ..... Amazing

The best

Focus on Europe | Video Podcast | Deutsche Welle

Authorities on the island of Mallorca have had enough of cheap mass tourism. They want to rid themselves of their rowdy drinking and partying clientele with new regulations.	Tourists to Mallorca know the Playa de Palma in its capital as a place to party. The strip of beach a few minutes' drive east of Palma has declined over the years, largely due to its masses of mainly German and British binge-drinking visitors. The Spanish authorities are now trying to use new regulations to stem the excesses and give the island a new image.

Authorities on the island of Mallorca have had enough of cheap mass tourism. They want to rid themselves of their rowdy drinking and partying clientele with new regulations. 	Tourists to Mallorca know the Playa de Palma in its capital as a place to party. The strip of beach a few minutes' drive east of Palma has declined over the years, largely due to its masses of mainly German and British binge-drinking visitors. The Spanish authorities are now trying to use new regulations to stem the excesses and give the island a new image.

Spain: Curbing Mass Tourism

The countdown is on. There's just two-and-a-half months left until Scots cast their ballots on whether to stay in the UK or become an independent country.	Recent polls indicate that around 30 percent of Scots are still undecided about how they'll vote. Brussels has already made it clear that should Scotland choose to become independent it wouldn't automatically qualify to stay in the EU. But other practical issues remain unclear and are dividing the Scottish people.

The countdown is on. There's just two-and-a-half months left until Scots cast their ballots on whether to stay in the UK or become an independent country. 	Recent polls indicate that around 30 percent of Scots are still undecided about how they'll vote. Brussels has already made it clear that should Scotland choose to become independent it wouldn't automatically qualify to stay in the EU. But other practical issues remain unclear and are dividing the Scottish people.

Scotland: A Nation Divided

An estimated 6,000 homeless people live in the network of sewers and tunnels beneath the streets of Bucharest. Many were born underground and are now having children themselves.	It's a world of its own, a world full of drugs, disease and poverty that's developed beneath the capital. The sewer dwellers live in the tunnels, canals, and sometimes in caves they've dug themselves, because they have nowhere else to go. Many have tuberculosis, hepatitis or are HIV positive, and live in tightly organized groups. Children in particular sniff paint to escape their misery -- at least for a while.

An estimated 6,000 homeless people live in the network of sewers and tunnels beneath the streets of Bucharest. Many were born underground and are now having children themselves. 	It's a world of its own, a world full of drugs, disease and poverty that's developed beneath the capital. The sewer dwellers live in the tunnels, canals, and sometimes in caves they've dug themselves, because they have nowhere else to go. Many have tuberculosis, hepatitis or are HIV positive, and live in tightly organized groups. Children in particular sniff paint to escape their misery -- at least for a while.

Romania: The Sewer Dwellers of Bucharest

Every year tens of thousands of baby deer are inadvertently killed by harvesting equipment while they're hiding in tall grass. A project in Germany is now saving many animals from an early death.	We usually associate aerial drones with surveillance and destruction. It's less well known that they can also save lives. Just such a deployment is being tried at present in the Fichtel Mountains. A team of electronic engineers is using a drone to search meadows and fields where deer are suspected. The device has two eyes in the form of one infrared and one color camera. The infrared camera locates the animals by detecting their body heat. The color camera then ascertains whether they actually are deer. So far, it's been a striking success.

Every year tens of thousands of baby deer are inadvertently killed by harvesting equipment while they're hiding in tall grass. A project in Germany is now saving many animals from an early death. 	We usually associate aerial drones with surveillance and destruction. It's less well known that they can also save lives. Just such a deployment is being tried at present in the Fichtel Mountains. A team of electronic engineers is using a drone to search meadows and fields where deer are suspected. The device has two eyes in the form of one infrared and one color camera. The infrared camera locates the animals by detecting their body heat. The color camera then ascertains whether they actually are deer. So far, it's been a striking success.

Germany: Rescuing the Fawns

Smoking among teens and young people is a major problem in Austria. A current study shows that the country tops the OECD for young smokers.	About 25 percent of Austrian teens under age 15 smoke at least once a week. The high smoking rate is exacerbated by the country’s inconsistent non-smoker protection legislation, which allows for numerous exceptions. However, one Austrian citizen has set out to change that by making sure that the laws that do exist are enforced properly. He’s already reported about 7,000 violations to the authorities.

Smoking among teens and young people is a major problem in Austria. A current study shows that the country tops the OECD for young smokers. 	About 25 percent of Austrian teens under age 15 smoke at least once a week. The high smoking rate is exacerbated by the country’s inconsistent non-smoker protection legislation, which allows for numerous exceptions. However, one Austrian citizen has set out to change that by making sure that the laws that do exist are enforced properly. He’s already reported about 7,000 violations to the authorities.

Austria: A smokers’ paradise

Britain has become a pioneer in what is called altruistic kidney donation - when a healthy person donates a kidney to a stranger.	Altruistic kidney donations in Britain are organized through a program that matches anonymous donors with recipients. Many other countries, Germany included, restrict kidney donation to relatives and others who can demonstrate a close personal connection to the recipient. In Britain, however, non-directed altruistic donation became more common after 2006, when a new authority was set up to regulate organ transplantation. Since then, the number of altruistic kidney donations has risen each year.

Britain has become a pioneer in what is called altruistic kidney donation - when a healthy person donates a kidney to a stranger. 	Altruistic kidney donations in Britain are organized through a program that matches anonymous donors with recipients. Many other countries, Germany included, restrict kidney donation to relatives and others who can demonstrate a close personal connection to the recipient. In Britain, however, non-directed altruistic donation became more common after 2006, when a new authority was set up to regulate organ transplantation. Since then, the number of altruistic kidney donations has risen each year.

Britain: "Good Samaritan” organ donation

They're demanding the independence of the Veneto region from the rest of Italy, and increasingly using violence: the radical separatists from the group known as "The Alliance."	The Veneto is one of Italy's wealthiest regions. But since the economic crisis, many people there are angry that their money is being spent to help the poorer south of the country. That's grist to the mill for the separatists, who are becoming increasingly radical. Recently the Italian police broke up a group which had acquired weapons from the Albanian mafia and planned to declare Venetian independence on St. Mark's Square.

They're demanding the independence of the Veneto region from the rest of Italy, and increasingly using violence: the radical separatists from the group known as "The Alliance." 	The Veneto is one of Italy's wealthiest regions. But since the economic crisis, many people there are angry that their money is being spent to help the poorer south of the country. That's grist to the mill for the separatists, who are becoming increasingly radical. Recently the Italian police broke up a group which had acquired weapons from the Albanian mafia and planned to declare Venetian independence on St. Mark's Square.

Italy: Venetian Separatists

After the political and military upheaval over Crimea, the peninsula's cultural heritage is also at stake. The first bone of contention is an exhibition in the Netherlands.	It's called the Golden Peninsula in the Black Sea. Viewed historically, Crimea is a fascinating place. For millennia, it was home to nomadic tribes such as the Scythians. They left behind valuable gold artefacts, which are currently on show in a large exhibition in Amsterdam. The gold treasure actually belongs to four Crimean museums, but since the peninsula's annexation by Russia, the question has arisen: to whom should the gold artefacts be returned - Ukraine or Crimea - or should they remain in Amsterdam?

After the political and military upheaval over Crimea, the peninsula's cultural heritage is also at stake. The first bone of contention is an exhibition in the Netherlands. 	It's called the Golden Peninsula in the Black Sea. Viewed historically, Crimea is a fascinating place. For millennia, it was home to nomadic tribes such as the Scythians. They left behind valuable gold artefacts, which are currently on show in a large exhibition in Amsterdam. The gold treasure actually belongs to four Crimean museums, but since the peninsula's annexation by Russia, the question has arisen: to whom should the gold artefacts be returned - Ukraine or Crimea - or should they remain in Amsterdam?

Ukraine/Netherlands: Dispute over Ancient Gold

More than 14,000 children have disappeared in Turkey in the last five years alone. A special police unit has been formed to look for those still missing.	The General Command of the Turkish Gendarmerie says human trafficking is involved in most cases, and that children are being kidnapped as laborers, child soldiers and even for the illegal organ trade. Although most have since been found, 834 children who disappeared within the last five years remain missing. Currently the police are looking for almost 1500 children.

More than 14,000 children have disappeared in Turkey in the last five years alone. A special police unit has been formed to look for those still missing. 	The General Command of the Turkish Gendarmerie says human trafficking is involved in most cases, and that children are being kidnapped as laborers, child soldiers and even for the illegal organ trade. Although most have since been found, 834 children who disappeared within the last five years remain missing. Currently the police are looking for almost 1500 children.

Turkey: The Missing Children

The Portuguese have a dubious claim to fame - their country is known as the "plastic bag" capital of Europe. Every minute, thousands of plastic bags are toted out of shopping centers.	Portugal adopted western European consumption habits and the throw-away mentality when it joined the European Union. Now every Portuguese uses around 500 plastic tote bags a year, adding their contribution to the EU total of eight billion. That was reason enough for a video maker to poke fun at this aspect of Portuguese lifestyle.

The Portuguese have a dubious claim to fame - their country is known as the "plastic bag" capital of Europe. Every minute, thousands of plastic bags are toted out of shopping centers. 	Portugal adopted western European consumption habits and the throw-away mentality when it joined the European Union. Now every Portuguese uses around 500 plastic tote bags a year, adding their contribution to the EU total of eight billion. That was reason enough for a video maker to poke fun at this aspect of Portuguese lifestyle.

Portugal: Plagued by Plastic

LEAD

Most hunters in Germany cling stubbornly to their lead ammunition even though studies show the toxic heavy metal harms predator and prey alike.	In other European countries with a hunting tradition, such as Britain or Sweden, using lead ammunition has long been illegal. In Germany, however, it's estimated that as tons of lead are fired in German forests annually. Each year environmentalists say that birds of prey in particular are threatened with lead poisoning when they consume the remains of animals that have been shot. And people are said to be at risk from lead a well.

Most hunters in Germany cling stubbornly to their lead ammunition even though studies show the toxic heavy metal harms predator and prey alike. 	In other European countries with a hunting tradition, such as Britain or Sweden, using lead ammunition has long been illegal. In Germany, however, it's estimated that as tons of lead are fired in German forests annually. Each year environmentalists say that birds of prey in particular are threatened with lead poisoning when they consume the remains of animals that have been shot. And people are said to be at risk from lead a well.

Germany: Lead in Game

Tens of thousands of Chinese laborers supported Allied forces in World War One. A cemetery in northern France is a memorial to their fates.	The French and British armies recruited millions during World War One. Among those recruits were around 140 thousand Chinese. They were laborers who helped build railway lines or worked in ports and munitions factories in France and Belgium. Conditions were miserable and many died. The largest Chinese cemetery has 841 graves. It is located in Noyelles-sur-Mer, not far from Abbeville. Once a year, Chinese from all over Paris visit the site.

Tens of thousands of Chinese laborers supported Allied forces in World War One. A cemetery in northern France is a memorial to their fates. 	The French and British armies recruited millions during World War One. Among those recruits were around 140 thousand Chinese. They were laborers who helped build railway lines or worked in ports and munitions factories in France and Belgium. Conditions were miserable and many died. The largest Chinese cemetery has 841 graves. It is located in Noyelles-sur-Mer, not far from Abbeville. Once a year, Chinese from all over Paris visit the site.

France: The Chinese Cemetery

Monte dei Paschi di Siena is the world’s oldest bank, and it is on the verge of collapse. This development has plunged Siena into crisis.For more than 500 years, Monte dei Paschi presided over the city. For generations, the venerable bank helped fund charities and civic works, including the famed Palio horse races. In 2012 it was revealed that the bank had strained its finances past their limit and had been concealing major losses. Now the city, which had a major stake in the foundation that was the bank’s main shareholder, is facing possible bankruptcy. And it fears that the scandal may harm Siena’s chances to be a 2019 European Capital of Culture.

Italy: The Fallen Bank

Recent polls show that parties on the left are likely to double their support in the upcoming European parliamentary elections. Greece is a forerunner in this trend.	The leftist Syriza alliance is leading the polls for the upcoming European election in Greece. Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras is also the Party of the European Left’s candidate for president of the European Commission. Tsipras opposes neoliberal policies at the EU level and favors greater social expenditures. At home in Greece, Alexis Tsipras and his party are also staking their claim.

Recent polls show that parties on the left are likely to double their support in the upcoming European parliamentary elections. Greece is a forerunner in this trend. 	The leftist Syriza alliance is leading the polls for the upcoming European election in Greece. Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras is also the Party of the European Left’s candidate for president of the European Commission. Tsipras opposes neoliberal policies at the EU level and favors greater social expenditures. At home in Greece, Alexis Tsipras and his party are also staking their claim.

Greece: Europe Moves to the Left

Euroscepticism has a long tradition in Britain, particularly among conservatives. But the Fresh Start parliamentary group is bucking that trend.	Fresh Start sees itself as a counterweight to the eurosceptic wing of the Tory party. The parliamentary group has about 100 members, among them Julian Smith from North Yorkshire. While Smith believes Europe needs reform, he staunchly defends Britain remaining in the EU. Smith has been facing criticism in his district, where the UK Independence Party has been gaining ground. But he enjoys support from industry and business.

Euroscepticism has a long tradition in Britain, particularly among conservatives. But the Fresh Start parliamentary group is bucking that trend. 	Fresh Start sees itself as a counterweight to the eurosceptic wing of the Tory party. The parliamentary group has about 100 members, among them Julian Smith from North Yorkshire. While Smith believes Europe needs reform, he staunchly defends Britain remaining in the EU. Smith has been facing criticism in his district, where the UK Independence Party has been gaining ground. But he enjoys support from industry and business.

Britain: Taking on the Eurosceptics

It’s not just veteran politicians who are standing for European elections. The younger generation also wants to play a role in shaping Europe’s future.	Amelia Andersdotter is the chair of the European Pirate Party and has been serving as a Member of European Parliament since 2011. Now the internet expert from Sweden is campaigning for a second term in the European Parliament. Another young candidate is Nezika Pavlic from Slovenia. She has no experience in Strasbourg and Brussels, but is hoping to represent the conservative Slovenian People’s Party.

It’s not just veteran politicians who are standing for European elections. The younger generation also wants to play a role in shaping Europe’s future. 	Amelia Andersdotter is the chair of the European Pirate Party and has been serving as a Member of European Parliament since 2011. Now the internet expert from Sweden is campaigning for a second term in the European Parliament. Another young candidate is Nezika Pavlic from Slovenia. She has no experience in Strasbourg and Brussels, but is hoping to represent the conservative Slovenian People’s Party.

Sweden/Slovenia: The young candidates

The far-right Front National has its sights set on the European elections this month. The party's anti-immigration platform is finding favor with many voters.	The Front National is hoping to capitalize on its recent success in municipal elections, when it won the mayoral vote in a number of cities, including the town of Hayange in eastern France. In response, the municipality's sister cities of Arlon in Belgium and Diekirch in Luxembourg have cut official ties with Hayange. The new mayor isn’t bothered, though. His party isn’t just opposed to immigration and in favor of leaving the euro - it also condemns freedom of movement within the EU.

The far-right Front National has its sights set on the European elections this month. The party's anti-immigration platform is finding favor with many voters. 	The Front National is hoping to capitalize on its recent success in municipal elections, when it won the mayoral vote in a number of cities, including the town of Hayange in eastern France. In response, the municipality's sister cities of Arlon in Belgium and Diekirch in Luxembourg have cut official ties with Hayange. The new mayor isn’t bothered, though. His party isn’t just opposed to immigration and in favor of leaving the euro - it also condemns freedom of movement within the EU.

France: right-wing extremism in the east

In Romania the agricultural industry is conforming to EU norms. Factory farms are favored, while small-scale farmers lose out.	Most farmers in Romania are small-scale producers with a small patch of land. Their production methods are inefficient, and EU law caters to intensive farming, so family farms lose out. Now they also have to adhere to EU-wide hygiene standards, which are proving too expensive for many. As a result, some traditional foods -- including certain varieties of tomatoes and cheese -- could vanish from supermarket shelves.

In Romania the agricultural industry is conforming to EU norms. Factory farms are favored, while small-scale farmers lose out. 	Most farmers in Romania are small-scale producers with a small patch of land. Their production methods are inefficient, and EU law caters to intensive farming, so family farms lose out. Now they also have to adhere to EU-wide hygiene standards, which are proving too expensive for many. As a result, some traditional foods -- including certain varieties of tomatoes and cheese -- could vanish from supermarket shelves.

Romania: Small Farmers Feeling the Squeeze

On May 25, Ukraine will go to the polls to choose a new president. With eastern Ukraine on the brink of civil war, it’s a difficult time to hold an election.	Until recently, the eastern city of Kharkiv was taking a back seat to the crisis-torn region of Donetsk. But Kharkiv has moved into the spotlight since it hosted the second in a series of round table talks. Our reporter paid a visit to the city to find out how residents view the upcoming presidential election. How is Petro Poroshenko - the billionaire industrialist who stands a good chance of winning - faring there? How is the election commission preparing for the vote and what’s the mood on the street? Our reporter also pays a visit to the embattled eastern city of Sloviansk, where the ballot may be derailed entirely.

On May 25, Ukraine will go to the polls to choose a new president. With eastern Ukraine on the brink of civil war, it’s a difficult time to hold an election. 	Until recently, the eastern city of Kharkiv was taking a back seat to the crisis-torn region of Donetsk. But Kharkiv has moved into the spotlight since it hosted the second in a series of round table talks. Our reporter paid a visit to the city to find out how residents view the upcoming presidential election. How is Petro Poroshenko - the billionaire industrialist who stands a good chance of winning - faring there? How is the election commission preparing for the vote and what’s the mood on the street? Our reporter also pays a visit to the embattled eastern city of Sloviansk, where the ballot may be derailed entirely.

Ukraine: A difficult vote

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