Worldfocus  

Following two recent attacks by Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter groups, Northern Ireland is on edge, fearing a return to the “Troubles” — the decades of violence that killed more than 3,300 people until the 1998 Good Friday peace accord. In the first attack, the Real IRA gunned down two British soldiers — the first British troops killed in Northern Ireland in 12 years. The following day, the Continuity IRA killed a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Both groups have vowed to continue their operations until Northern Ireland is no longer part of the United Kingdom. The attacks shook the province’s coalition government of Protestants and Catholics, many of whom disagree on who should rule Northern Ireland — Ireland or the United Kingdom. In the wake of the attacks, thousands have gathered for peace rallies across the country. Worldfocus.org’s weekly radio show on Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. EDT will explore the history of violence in Northern Ireland and the current political and security situation there, examining life in the conflict-torn province and prospects for the future.

Iran arrested seven leaders of the religious Baha’i community last year, charging them with espionage and alleging that the five men and two women are spies for Israel. Baha’i headquarters are located in Israel. Iranian leaders view the religion as heresy and it has been banned since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Many followers of the Baha’i faith in Iran have been arrested, imprisoned or executed. The Baha’i faith is a monotheistic religion with origins in 19th-century Iran. Baha’is are considered Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, with about 300,000 members. The U.S. has condemned Iran for its persecution of the Baha’is, calling the detainment of religious leaders “baseless.” Worldfocus.org’s weekly radio show on Tuesday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. EDT will explore the background and history of the Baha’i faith, religious persecution in Iran and the arrest and forthcoming trial of the seven Baha’i leaders.

During the last year, more than 6,000 people have been murdered in Mexico’s drug wars. It's estimated that the drug violence in Mexico is even deadlier than the war in Afghanistan. The show will focus on the U.S.-Mexican drug war, widen to narco and gang culture and explore the prospects for U.S.-Mexican relations.

Worldfocus will explore Canada's role in the war in Afghanistan. We'll look at Canada's eight-year commitment to U.S. efforts in Afghanistan and the dilemma in which the world's peacekeeper currently finds itself.