Mapping the World Essentials

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

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

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

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

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.

A trip to one of Germany’s most disreputable neighbourhoods which is also a place of hope and community.

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

The Haitian capital has become a warzone as gangs control larges swathes of the city.

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

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

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

Focus on Latin America, a world region often the plaything of larger powers.

Mongolia has built a stabile democracy in the shadow of two authoritarian neighbours.

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

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

From queer cake sitting to sex positive tasting evenings, Tracks finds out about food and sexuality.

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

Political pressure and dwindling public funding mean that Europe’s museums are struggling to stay afloat.

Pornographic deepfakes are among the most unsavoury aspects of AI. Data Sources investigates a worrying trend.

How can you feed yourself self-sufficiently in the desert? An ancient superfood could hold the answer.

How can we age well? Ronja von Rönne trys to find out by talking to chimney sweep Norbert Skrobek, who is close to retirement and Monika Gutte who defies age with a zest for life

Topographers have been trying to survey Romania's land for years. However, the public register is still one of the most incomplete in the EU.

A trip to one of Germany’s most disreputable neighbourhoods which is also a place of hope and community.

With seduction and declarations of love, young men emotionally manipulate their ‘girlfriends’ to use them as prostitutes.