Latest from Nathalie Bertrams
What Remains of South Africa’s Industrial Dream
Once built on steel, cheap electricity and state planning, South Africa’s Vaal Triangle symbolized the country’s industrial ambition. Today, much of that industry is shrinking or closing, and communities are left struggling to survive.
Belgium’s Broken Prisons
Belgium’s prisons are in crisis. Hard-line policies, crumbling infrastructure and staff shortages have made them overcrowded holding pens — not just for criminals but for the poor, the undocumented and the mentally ill. The crisis continues despite civil society efforts, guards-turned-whistleblowers, extreme violence exposed on TikTok and government promises.
In Albania, Keeping Big Cats Is the Latest Fad for Organized Crime
Though private ownership of big cats is illegal in the Balkans, activists and veterinarians struggle to intervene because powerful criminal networks protect those involved in this lucrative trade. Wildlife experts now worry that the exotic animal black market could spiral out of control and spread across Europe.