Russia: Power Play - First President, then prime Minister, now President again. Vladimir Putin has been in a position of power in Russia for more than a decade now. After the civil conflict in Ukraine and a referendum that took place in the Crimean Peninsula, western nations are more divided on a proper response than ever before. Putin's critics say the former KGB officer has fundamental problems with democracy, but his Russian support base loves him for making Russia more stable and respected on the international stage. But is Vladimir Putin obsessed with the belief that he has a historic mission? After Russia's illegal intervention in the Crimean Peninsula, the US and the EU have imposed sanctions, and have issued travel restrictions and barred bank accounts for some of the President's closest advisors. Turkey: Child Marriages - Forced marriage involving minors is on the rise in the southeast of Turkey. Since the outbreak of civil war in neighboring Syria, desperate families fleeing the conflict have been selling their daughters to Turkish men. The reported suicide of a 15-year-old girl and a high-ratings TV series on the issue have opened up a controversial debate. In some regions, one in two girls have become child brides. Since the minimum age for getting married in Turkey is 18, such marriages (even where performed by an imam), are illegal and punishable with a jail sentence. Outraged human rights activists point out that many of the girls end up at the mercy of pedophiles and rapists. Italy: Confessions of a Murderer - According to ex-Mafioso Carmine Schiavone, the area around Naples is home to millions of tons of highly toxic waste that has been dumped illegally. Doctors are reporting growing cancer rates in the region, and the police have begun seizing contaminated produce. The former Mafia boss confirmed to the police that his clan dumped toxic waste over vast tracts of land, with fatal consequences. More than 20 years have passed since the practice began in the Campania region, which is a big producer of fruit and vegetables. According to the informant, the Mafia still contaminate soil by disposing of hazardous refuse in the countryside. He also claims that a large proportion of the waste comes from Germany. Germany: Light Guerillas - If you get into their sights, you're suddenly in the limelight; a group of German light artists and activists hunt down controversial buildings and forgotten memorials at night. The light guerrillas find subjects all over Europe: television towers that are set to be privatized, industrial buildings that face ruin, and building projects that swallow millions in tax money. As soon as it gets dark, they arrange a meeting and light up a building with mobile floodlights for five to ten minutes. Before the owners can react, the light guerrillas have disappeared into the night.
