DW Documentary

Lars used to be a police officer. Together with his wife Sandy and their young son, he moved from Germany to a remote Scottish island in the Atlantic. Colonsay has only 120 inhabitants, a shop and a café - and not much else. Lars was keen to escape big city life and pitched the idea to his Scottish wife, Sandy. She agreed to relocate their family and move to Colonsay. The remote island is where she grew up; she and Lars even got married there a few years ago. Lars is a lively, sociable type. Will the solitude and almost eerie tranquility on the island in winter suit him? Lars’ father-in-law runs an oyster farm on Colonsay. He’d been looking for someone to take over the business and now Lars is there to help. It’s a tough business. In summer, life feels like a holiday. But in winter, ‘the demons come’, as the islanders say. Lars, too, is struggling with his past. It’s only light for a few hours a day in winter, and the island is often battered by

Afro-Caribbean sailor Lionel Romney survived eleven months in a concentration camp. His story illustrates how Black people were systematically persecuted under the Nazi regime. Lionel Romney was born in Santo Domingo in 1912 and raised on Sint Maarten. As a young man, he signed on to a cargo ship to see the world. But his longing for freedom turned into a tragic odyssey. Caught up in the turmoil of World War II, his ship came under fire and sunk. The crew survived. But Lionel was taken prisoner by the Italians. After years in various camps, he was eventually deported to the Mauthausen concentration camp. He survived there for eleven months, before American troops liberated the camp. Decades after the war, Lionel Romney entrusted his memories to his daughter, Mary. Her journey from the Caribbean through Italy to Austria forms the framework of the film, which shines a light on a chapter of European history that has been suppressed to this day: the reality of life for Black people under National Socialism. This reality was marked by colonial continuities, racism, forced

Planting more trees is often seen as a simple solution to problems like climate change and species loss. But how effective is this practice really? Deforestation is increasing, and CO2 emissions are reaching record levels. In the fight against environmental catastrophe, planting trees is often presented as a silver bullet. Politicians, NGOs, and multinational corporations are turning to this simple and affordable solution. But could excessive tree planting actually exacerbate the ecological imbalance we are trying to combat? This documentary examines the real-life impacts of global tree-planting campaigns, featuring interviews with researchers in France, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

Around 44,000 men and women are incarcerated in Germany's approximately 170 prisons. About 1,800 are serving time for murder, while most are incarcerated for assault, robbery, theft or drug-related offenses. One of them is Marcel M., serving time in Berlin's Plötzensee Prison. A repeat offender, he calls it "Stealing, stealing, stealing — all for the addiction." Marcel was living with a drug addiction, it's landed him in prison several times. He's already spent a third of his life behind bars. He wants this to be the last time. Marcel is finishing up his training in the prison's car workshop. After he's released, he wants to find a steady job. Plötzensee Prison in Berlin has space for around 650 places for male inmates. Some 250 correctional officers look after the prisoners in shifts. Helena Emisch has worked there for eight years now. She knows the prison inside and out and aims each day to strike a balance between professional distance and connecting with the inmates. Locking and unlocking cells, head counts, distributing packages, administering medication and supervising the yard before recreational

Every year, the Italian town of Viterbo honors its patron saint, Santa Rosa, with a unique procession. A 30-metre-high sculpture has traditionally been carried through the town by more than 100 men. Now, women are challenging that exclusionary custom. Viterbo is an Italian town with a centuries-old tradition. Every year, on 3 September, more than a hundred men carry the huge Macchina di Santa Rosa sculpture - standing almost 30 meters tall - through the old town. For many, this ritual is a defining part of their identity. But Viterbo is changing, and a new generation is questioning why this tradition is reserved for men. At the heart of this development is 13-year-old Stella. She was the first girl to be accepted into the Mini-Macchina club - the first step for children hoping to one day become fully-fledged Macchina bearers. Now she's preparing for her most important challenge. For the first time, she's allowed to take part in what's known as the steep stage to the Santuario di Santa Rosa, a symbolic highlight of the ritual. One of the bearers

Before the Taliban’s return, a brief hope was ignited. Could Afghanistan become a more just country? A group of Afghan women sat at the negotiating table. But after the Taliban took power in 2021, those dreams were dashed. Four women were part of an Afghan negotiating team that included representatives of the former government. They wrestled with the Taliban over the future of Afghanistan. Although it was life-threatening for them to raise their voices against the Taliban's misogynistic regime, they never gave up hope of preserving the women of Afghanistan’s hard-won rights. The team's intelligence, perseverance and bravery in the face of a hopeless situation are characteristic, when it comes to women around the world who fight for both peace and equality. But the Taliban were not interested in a democratic, free society in which girls and women have basic rights and can go to school, study or work. After decades of war and chaos, Afghanistan has become safer under the Taliban. But the price for women is high: they have paid with their freedom. ______ DW Documentary gives you

For decades, many families in India and China did not want daughters. Girls were often aborted, killed as infants, abandoned, or sold. But in recent years, things have started to change. Political decisions aimed at curbing rapid population growth in India and China, together with a widespread preference for boys for economic reasons, have led to a situation where both countries now have more men than women. Again and again, the preference for sons over daughters caused families to resort to radical measures, ranging from sex-selective abortions to infanticide, the abandonment of girls, and, in China, the sale of girls after birth. As early as 1990, Indian economist Amartya Sen, who would later win the Nobel Prize in Economics, warned that more than 100 million women were "missing" in the developing world, and especially in India and China, in the ratio to men. Today, many men in China and India are unable to find wives due to the shortage of women. That is one of the factors that has led to a shift in thinking in both countries—both in politics

More and more men are dreaming of a career as a top model. But the competition is fierce. At places like the Hamburg Model Academy, which offers a sort of crash course for aspiring models, men learn the basics. Those who really make it can earn daily rates in the four-digit range — and see themselves on giant billboards. At the Model Academy, run by Hamburg modeling agency Modelwerk, young men learn how to pose, work the camera, and stride elegantly down the runway. It's a ruthless business: Many agencies quickly weed out models who don't make an immediate impression. The industry is looking for fresh faces, preferably with experience. "We send guys who are serious about it abroad for several months first," explains Claudia Midolo, founder and head of the Modelwerk agency. In places like Turkey, Vietnam, or Mexico, they gain practical experience, earn money, and yet remain fresh for the western market. A models' reach on social media is also becoming increasingly important. Having many followers is a clear advantage when it comes to landing good jobs. ______

Over the past 10 years, climate change has displaced an average of 70,000 people, every day. This, according to figures from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. Poorer countries are particularly hard hit. There is no universal legal framework that would offer these people protection. Climate-induced displacement is not recognised as a valid ground for asylum under the Geneva Convention. Now, three countries in Latin America, the Pacific and Asia are responding to an emergency that directly affects each of them. One of these countries is Bangladesh. It is one of the places most severely affected by climate change. In 2024, around 2.4 million people in Bangladesh became internally displaced. Most of them lost their homes due to a natural disaster. Cyclones and tropical storms cause devastating damage, while rising sea levels are flooding mangrove forests and agricultural land. Melting glaciers in the Himalayas are causing flooding along the rivers. In new model villages, communities displaced by soil erosion and salinization are being provided with accommodation and land. In Colombia, pressure from lawyers led to the legal recognition of the first

For some he's a hero. For others, he’s public enemy number one. Certainly, his revelations challenged US power. This film follows the WikiLeaks founder’s extraordinary life story. With the publication of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in 2010, WikiLeaks ushered in a new information age. Suddenly, thanks to founder Julian Assange, state secrets were out in the open — and under scrutiny. For many journalists and activists, Assange was a pioneer who used new technologies to evade both censorship and reprisals. For others, he symbolized an openness that could bring both nation states and multinational corporations to their knees. For seven years, Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. After that, he spent five years in a British high-security prison facing US charges of espionage carrying a potential sentence of 175 years. Following a deal with the US Department of Justice, he was finally released in the summer of 2024. The film tells the story of Julian Assange and asks the question: in a world of radical change, what remains of the fight for truth?

The picturesque Bavarian Alps, beloved by mountaineers and hiking enthusiasts. But overconfidence or sudden weather changes can create emergencies. Then, mountain rescuers are the last hope. On the Blaueis ("blue ice") Glacier, a young mountaineer is in distress. Alone when a thick fog rolls in, he's unable to continue. A team from the Ramsau Mountain Rescue Service sets out immediately, but the fog becomes a problem for them as well. The mountain rescuers' keen sense of direction is put to the test: Two teams search from different directions for the man, who is likely already severely hypothermic. A hiker has fallen 40 meters in the Bavarian Alps. The air rescue team prepares to fly to the accident site using a helicopter. There's no information yet on the condition of the victim. But experience dictates that in a fall from this height, the rescuers should prepare for the worst. Both missions end well. But that is not always the case. The memory of Peter Hildebrandt, former head of operations in Ramsau, is ever-present. He fell to his death during a mission.

For over three years, Sudan has been caught up in a devastating civil war. Both the Sudanese Armed Forces and their opponents, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been accused of committing war crimes in their struggle for power. It's the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Millions of Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes; hundreds of thousands have lost their lives. The RSF's capture of the city of El-Fasher in the Darfur region in October 2025 marked one of the bloodiest chapters in this ongoing conflict. In just a few weeks, the militias are believed to have massacred over 60-thousand residents. A few of the survivors that managed to flee tell their stories in this documentary. They recount the atrocities: rapes, murders, bombardments, hunger and the death march to the displacement camp. Sudan's civil war would likely have ended already if both sides weren't being backed by foreign powers. The RSF has the support of the United Arab Emirates, who are thought to be providing its fighters with military assistance. Meanwhile, Egypt is supplying the Sudanese army with

No other sector in Germany employs as few women as the construction industry. The few female construction workers face many challenges—including sexism. This report follows four of them. Julia, Frieda, Sally and Anna. Four women who work as bricklayers, carpenters, and construction workers. All four women share a love for their profession—although it can be physically demanding. And all of them have experienced sexism. How do they stand their ground against the macho men on the building sites? And why are women like them still the exception in this line of work? ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

As the war on Ukraine rages on, drone technology is advancing rapidly — and fundamentally changing the battlefield. What happens when machines gain power over life and death? How close are we to the ultimate "killer drone"—an autonomous weapon that can select and destroy a target without human intervention? Does it matter whether death is caused by human hands or by a machine? Can we limit this technology to the front lines, or will it seep into everyday life? The film explores how tech drones are changing war. ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

Three men, a hydrogen balloon, and a shared dream of reaching the North Pole. In 1897, the Andrée expedition vanished without a trace. It wasn’t until 1930 that their preserved bodies, diaries, and photographs were discovered on Kvitøya. At the end of the 19th century, the North Pole was a blank spot on the map — a symbol of adventure, glory, and scientific progress. On July 11, 1897, Swedish nationals August Salomon Andrée, Nils Strindberg, and Knut Frænkel began their expedition to the North Pole. Starting from the Svalbard archipelago, north of Norway, the three set out in a hydrogen balloon. The whole world was watching; their homeland held its breath. After carrier pigeons delivered some optimistic messages, contact was suddenly lost. Thirty-three years of radio silence followed. In early August 1930, following a summer of significant ice retreat, seal hunters on the island of Kvitøya, the "White Island" in the far north of the Svalbard archipelago, stumbled upon the expedition's remains. In the snow lay well-preserved bodies, as well the group's equipment: hundreds of items, including morphine and opium

Kyrgyzstan is eroding democratic freedoms, while moving closer to Russia politically. With a feeling of dread, Jama Bekten is organizing what may be the last women's protest to defend their rights. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan was long considered a democratic outlier in Central Asia. Free elections, a vibrant civil society and independent media set the country apart from its authoritarian neighbors. But since President Sadyr Japarov came to power in 2021, press freedom and political opposition have been increasingly restricted. Critics are being prosecuted, independent media outlets are under pressure and civil society groups are being squeezed by new laws. At the same time, Kyrgyzstan is experiencing an economic boom. The government touts the country's strong growth and a doubling of the gross domestic product. But part of this boom is linked to shifting flows of trade since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia continues to expand its influence in Kyrgyzstan — including through the Kremlin-aligned Evrazia, also known as the Eurasia Organization, educational projects and the broadcaster Nomad TV. This documentary follows activists, journalists and scholars

The digital book club BookTok got its start during the pandemic in 2020. Today, it is a big success, used primarily by young women who are fans of a particular literary genre - so-called "New Adult,” or romance novels for young adults. The new books have striking, glossy covers, their language is easy to follow, the stories are romantic, exciting and full of eroticism from a female perspective. But young women aren't just engaging in online discussions about their favorite books. Book blogger Jess 'miss.Nerdstagram' also meets her followers in person at events like the Book Ball at Namedy Castle in Germany. Author Kim Leopold from the German town of Rheine also frequently takes to the road to be close to her fans. She's an 'own voice' author writing about her own personal experience, in stories that satisfy the hunger for authentic narratives. Topics such as mental health, body positivity and ADHD are close to her heart. Kim is nervously awaiting the release of her latest book, which ventures into new territory: the focus is no longer on a single

From hillbilly to the White House: J. D. Vance’s rise to become Trump’s vice-president is seen by many as symbolic of a worrying trend in the US that’s further polarizing society. J. D. Vance’s story is the story of an America that has long felt overlooked. An America of the white working class, marked by economic decline, the opioid crisis and the aftermath of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. An America that fears losing even the little that it still holds on to, through migration and social upheaval. J. D. Vance has undergone a remarkable transformation: from a fierce critic of Donald Trump to a loyal supporter of the MAGA movement and, ultimately, Trump’s vice-president. As far as his supporters are concerned, it is a career trajectory that gives him credibility. Critics, on the other hand, see in his politics a dynamic that could upset the political balance in the US and endanger democracy. Some already regard him as a potential contender for the presidency. ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German

An integration experiment, in the heart of Germany: Refugees move into a vacant hotel, where they receive targeted support. The aim is for them to find work or a training placement, ultimately fostering a successful integration. An empty hotel in downtown Düsseldorf is ready for a new idea. Karin Jungjohann has one - and isn’t afraid to experiment. "What do people need most, no matter where they come from? A sense of hope for the future," said Karin Jungjohann, one of the founders of the Düsseldorf language school "Hispi". For years, she had observed how refugees in accommodation centers struggle to progress in their lives. At the same time, she was being approached by restaurateurs in Düsseldorf looking for people to fill jobs in the catering industry. This gave rise to the idea for a project designed to rethink the accommodation, support and integration of refugees: the House of Friends. A film crew follows the initiator of the integration experiment from the initial selection of participants, through to their successful integration into the labor market and society. ______ DW Documentary

Women who become doctors choose their profession to heal people. But in hospitals, they often become victims of sexual harassment. This film features case studies from Switzerland. From obscene jokes by powerful bosses in the operating room to sexual blackmail and assaults during training: in this film, female students, doctors, and surgeons recount what they have had to endure. In an environment still marked by a culture of silence, harassers are rarely punished by their superiors. Often, victims are reluctant to file a complaint for fear of jeopardizing their careers. Some take the risk and report the incidents to human resources, but these complaints are seldom followed up. Although hospitals claim to have a zero-tolerance policy, harassers rarely experience any negative consequences. ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

As Apple turns 50, this film tells the story of the tech company that revolutionized our world, along with its opportunities and downsides. Has this tool of liberation become an instrument of control? Founded 50 years ago, Apple grew from a counterculture movement into a global corporation. The film looks back at the breathtaking rise of headstrong visionary Steve Jobs, who never gave up on his dream despite fierce competition, his destructive perfectionism and even his ousting from his own company. Colleagues and companions shine light on the expertise behind Apple: designer Hartmut Esslinger created Apple's legendary 'Snow White' design language, and typographer Erik Spiekermann developed groundbreaking typefaces. People like Daniel Kottke, a former flat mate of Steve Jobs and one of the first Apple employees, share insights into the inner workings of the legendary team. Andy Cunningham, who was sacked by Jobs a total of five times, also weighs in. ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look

Ebola, COVID-19 and mpox - some of the illnesses caused by germs that jump from animals to humans. In the Central African Republic, researchers are searching for the origins of these zoonotic diseases. Frédéric Singa is a WWF veterinarian working in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas in the Central African Republic. He captures bats, collects samples from gorilla droppings, and talks to people with diseases to better understand which pathogens are circulating in the forest. As part of his research, Singa also plans to regularly test bushmeat sold in local markets, but to do so he needs the community to be on his side. Will he manage to convince skeptical hunters and market vendors to support his project? The samples Singa collects are analyzed in a field laboratory in the rainforest and sent abroad, including to Germany, for further testing. Professor Fabian Leendertz at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health in Greifswald, Germany researches the emergence of new infectious diseases and maps global risk areas. The connection between the rainforests of Central Africa and the health of people in Europe is

Heart disease, ADHD, mental health: When it comes to medicine, men and women often need different treatments. Yet general medicine is based on the male body. The risk of dying after a heart attack is twice as high for women as for men. ADHD often goes undiagnosed in girls. For men, mental health issues are still often considered a taboo subject: The suicide rate among men is nearly three times higher than it is among women. Yet in medical education, drug research, and everyday clinical practice, the standard patient is still imagined as male. In Frankfurt am Main, doctors want to change that. Germany’s first university-affiliated Women’s Heart Center was established there. Research and teaching on cardiovascular diseases are focused on women, and personalized therapies and preventive screenings are offered specifically for them. ADHD, on the other hand, often goes undetected in girls—and thus untreated. Author and influencer Angelina Boerger experienced this firsthand. She wasn’t diagnosed until she was 29. More than 150,000 people now follow her accounts of her daily life on her Instagram channel. Through her social media

On 4 August 2020, some 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate destroyed the Port of Beirut. The explosion killed over 200 people and devastated large parts of the capital city. It was one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history. To this day, the causes of this disaster remain unclear, and the official investigation has stalled. That's why citizens have launched their own inquiries. They seek to reconstruct a tragedy that may have also been a crime. Examining opaque procedures and warnings that were ignored, they attempt to break the silence. The investigation traces the path of a ticking time bomb that should never have made its way to Lebanon. ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

The Amazon rainforest in Brazil is at the mercy of political interests and global greed. Arson, illegal deforestation, and organized environmental crimes have been tolerated for decades. Every year, at the end of the dry season, the Amazon is ablaze. This has not stopped under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Even though the 2025 wildfire season was less dramatic, in 2024, there were more fires than at any time in the past 20 years. The main driver behind these fires is money. The soy, gold, and beef industries generate billions — including for mayors, members of Congress, and banks. Indigenous people fighting for their homeland are threatened, while politicians stand idly by. This is a film about fire and drought, crime and responsibility. The filmmakers travel to the fire-affected areas of Porto Velho, into the heart of the rainforest. They speak with Indigenous activists fighting for their rights and with courageous scientists under police protection. The documentary shows why even protected areas are burning, and how high-ranking government officials have helped defraud the country of hundreds of millions of

Neele Buchholz is an actress and dancer. She has Down syndrome and regularly encounters barriers in the entertainment industry. Even so, she is determined to work as an independent artist. Neele Buchholz has found success in her career. She has appeared in numerous television productions, feature films, and stage performances. At an early age, she decided not to work in one of Germany's sheltered workshops for people with disabilities — the path often expected of people with Down syndrome. "I said, 'No, I don’t want that because it’s boring,'" Neele recalls. Her parents strongly supported her decision to pursue a career in dance and acting. After nine years in a permanent position with a dance theater company in Bremen, she landed a role in a successful TV series. She then took the step into freelance work. However, she does face certain challenges at castings or when learning scripts. "I need time, but they always want things done quickly, quickly, quickly," Neele says. The pressure to secure steady work and earn enough money is high. At the same time, the acting

The sensational abuse trial involving Gisèle Pelicot, as seen through her daughter’s eyes. A documentary about the harrowing reality of drug-induced sexual violence and the courage of the victims to speak out. Over a period of ten years, Gisèle Pelicot was systematically drugged by her then-husband in Mazan, in the south of France. On numerous occasions he invited men from the area to sexually assault her. Central to the film is the personal perspective of their daughter, Caroline Darian, who speaks at length for the first time about her mother’s story and her own experiences during the trial. Darian has become an important voice for victims in recent years. As a whistleblower, she draws attention to the hitherto overlooked role of substances in sexual violence - an aspect that is often neglected in criminal proceedings. Gisèle Pelicot made the decision to waive her anonymity and insist that proceedings be open to the public rather than behind closed doors, as is common for rape cases in France. This sent a major signal to society. Thanks to the close relationship of trust

Morocco's legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes was welcomed by growers in the country. The promise of a better future, however, has yet to materialize for many small-scale farmers. Cannabis farmers in northern Morocco are under pressure from changing climate conditions, with water shortages intensifying the already fierce competition in the sector. In Azila, a village that depends entirely on the drug trade for its livelihood, farmers are allowed to cultivate cannabis but are not authorized to trade it. Here in the Rif Mountains, thousands of families rely on cannabis cultivation, but most live under precarious conditions. The most productive land, where the plants grow best, belongs to a handful of large operators who are increasingly taking control of the business. Anyone who continues to sell the crop illegally risks imprisonment. Many farmers support legalization because they hope it will enable them to live without a constant fear of prosecution. The government's legalization program, however, is progressing more slowly than expected, with fewer farmers than anticipated taking part. The push for legalization was driven by the medical uses of cannabis.

Wine consumption is declining in Europe. This poses a threat to European wine-growing regions. Winemakers in Spain and Germany are seeking a way out of the crisis by producing alcohol-free wine. Many people want to live healthier lives. As a result, alcohol consumption in Europe has declined: by a good 20 percent, over the past 20 years. It’s a trend that also impacts wine: Experts warn that nearly a third of Germany’s vineyard acreage could disappear in the coming years. Particularly affected are the labor-intensive steep slopes. These slopes produce distinctive wines, shape the cultural landscape and attract tourists. Jürgen and Luca Dahms share their love of wine. Yet their perspectives also diverge. Father Jürgen, a winemaker, stands for classic, traditional wine enjoyment, while Luca, who works in the insurance industry, has found surprising success marketing alcohol-free wines. Both see an opportunity to preserve threatened vineyards by de-alcoholizing wines. In Spain, in the historic wine region of Toro, winemaker Iván Alonso Gil is undertaking a bold experiment. His full-bodied red wines come from ancient vines. Can they still taste great

For decades, Pakistan has grappled with one crisis after another. The Kashmir conflict with India repeatedly escalates into military exchanges of fire. Economic stagnation is fueling social frustration. For decades, India and Pakistan, two South Asian nuclear-armed neighbors, have been locked in a bitter struggle over the Himalayan region of Kashmir. The Line of Control, the ceasefire line between the two powers, is considered one of the most dangerous borders in the world. But Pakistan's challenges do not come only from outside: radical Islamists in parts of the country continue to launch attacks on security forces and civilians. Some Islamist clerics even call on their followers to oppose the Pakistani state. The Pakistani military has launched several operations to quell the unrest. Of Pakistan's 240 million people, 47 percent are under the age of 18. Yet, economic stagnation and a weak education system are fueling frustration among the country’s young and rapidly growing population. Against this backdrop, the military has considerably expanded its influence in what political analysts say is a "hybrid" system of governance with elected civilian representatives. The

For almost 120 years, the "Circumetnea” narrow-gauge railway has been circling Europe’s highest volcano. The train travels through impressive lava landscapes and vegetation zones, as well as two nature parks, with the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mount Etna always in view. At the foot of Mount Etna, amidst black rocks and prickly pears, the narrow-gauge railway winds its way through rocky wastelands, wooded areas and lush green hills. Lava eruptions have meant the railway line has had to be rebuilt many times over the years, most recently in 1981. Mount Etna, standing at 3,352 meters, is Europe’s most active volcano. Most eruptions affect mainly the immediate vicinity of the crater; they rarely pose a threat to people or animals. However, violent eruptions do occur from time to time. Then, volcano spews clouds of ash and chunks of rock kilometers into the atmosphere, and lava flows make their way down into the valley. Following the closure of the railway network in Sicily, the Circumetnea Railway is the island’s last remaining narrow-gauge railway. The journey from Catania to the terminus at