Mapping the World Essentials

Sonu, Aman, Sajid and Tenu are part of the 20,000 foreign fighters fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

For four years, Russia has struck at Ukraine's vital infrastructure with the aim of demoralising the population. 

With endless air raids and drone strikes, the Ukrainian people are getting used to having to shelter in the metro and basements.

In Ukrainian Mariupol, occupied by Russia for four years, people pay in roubles and their passports are now Russian.

Life on the frontline with a Ukrainian drone division feels like a strange and deadly video game.

Restored wetlands would slow down tanks and infantry while also protecting the climate.

Harsher conditions for accessing social aid for Ukranian refugees is the aim of a bill that's being discussed in Warsaw.

A look at the daily struggle to survive amid a war that seems without end.

Despite the war, the summer vacation season is starting again this year in Odessa, albeit under strict rules.

They risk their lives working in the fields: farmers near Kherson are being targeted by Russian drone pilots.

Putin has agreed to talks with Ukraine to take place in Turkey. But why there?

The Dnieper is one of Europe’s longest rivers and has been at the centre of the Ukraine war since the Russian invasion.

Strict sanctions are  imposed on Russia by Europe.So how is it that a Russian car dealer manages to import Porches from Germany with impunity?

Artist Émeric Lhuisset's reinterpretation of a famous 1891 painting is part of a media war between Russia and Ukraine.

As the war continues, tens of thousands of Ukrainian women have lost their husbands in the fighting, a difficult situation in this war-weary country.

In Kharkiv children rehearse a play to forget the war for a few hours.

Since the start of the war, private delivery service; Nova Poshta has maintained its services throughout the country, as close as possible to the front lines.

Two years of war has taken its toll on Ukraine, and the psychological wounds are becoming ever more apparent.

The outcome of the war in Ukraine is far from certain. But the Ukrainians are convinced that they will eventually retake the Crimean Peninsula. 

Many in Ukraine no longer want to share Christmas with the Russian enemy. The Christmas war has been declared, and Ukraine now celebrates Christmas on 25 December instead of 7 January.

The UN is in crisis as its Special Rapporteur accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. Will Palestine be its downfall?

The Donut Daddy makes a doughnut on TikTok. Is this pornography or a cooking lesson?

Libya is split in two: In the west is the internationally-recognised government while the east is held by the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army.

A look back at the Jeffrey Epstein's life and how the Epstein Files are exposing corruption at the highest level.

Mapping the World takes us to the African Great Lakes, a region of the continent long plagued with conflict and unrest. 

Kumbh Mela is the largest pilgrimage of the Hindu religion and serves Prime Minister Modi's Hindu nationalist discourse.

Morocco has big ambitions to become a bridge between Europe and Africa and a key player on the African continent.

Qatar has long relied on football to increase its prestige, from buying French club Paris-Saint-Germain to sponsoring Barcelona. With TV rights selling for astronomical amounts, football is much more than just a sport.

With India signing an historic trade agreement with the EU, how close are ties between the two economic powers?

How can we have more fulfilling sex? Ronja von Rönne meets couples and singles who have reinvented their sexuality.

Schumann, Prokofiev and Mozart are on the programme with pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja as soloist, conducted by Iván Fischer.

Was everything better in the past? Twist meets nostalgia enthusiasts to find out.

To speed up deportations, the EU is set to authorise detention centres beyond its borders.

Opened in 1932, the art deco cinema is a major venue for film premieres with its huge auditorium.

In the 17th century, many Dutch women painters excelled at depicting the natural world in their art.

Using the latest technology, researchers are discovering the bright colours of ancient Greek art and architecture.  

A performance by pianist Yuja Wang as part of an exhibition devoted to David Hockney at Lightroom in London.

The UN is in crisis as its Special Rapporteur accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. Will Palestine be its downfall?

Black market Botox clinics and DIY injections are putting people’s health at risk.