大象传媒

Pascale Harter introduces stories from Afghanistan, Canada, Cuba, Ukraine, Bhutan and Thailand

After the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, life for women with careers - especially those working with foreign organisations - became drastically harder. For those who come from ethnic and religious minorities, harder yet. Some saw no option but to flee the country - no matter what it took to get out. John Kampfner recently met a young woman in Toronto whose journey to Canada had taken many weeks, thousands of dollars and spanned continents.

As Ukraine continues to fight Russia's invasion of its territory, both sides face challenges in replenishing their ranks of fighting men. Russia's armed forces have absorbed young conscripts and signed up prisoners - but they've also turned to recruiting foreign fighters, from as far afield as Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Vitaly Shevchenko has been investigating the digital trail left by Cubans who signed contracts with the Russian Army.

High in the Himalayas in the kingdom of Bhutan, earning a good living can be tough. Farming and yak herding aren't easy in remote high-altitude areas. But there's one opportunity to make serious money: gathering a bizarre fungus which infests moth caterpillars, and sells for huge sums on the market for Chinese traditional medicine. Sara Wheeler talked to a yak herder and renowned forager about making ends meet.

The city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is famous for glittering temples, lush forests and piquant food - and it's also notorious for its serious air pollution problem. William Kremer examines the root causes of the choking fumes which cloak it every spring - and the effects on local people's health.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Bridget Harney
Production Co-Ordinator: Janet Staples

Image: 鈥淎 woman and child from Afghanistan enter Canada, 2023 - 漏 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada鈥�