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.

In the Czech Republic, climate change is threatening poppy growing, with yields steadily falling.

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.

In the West Bank the brutal reality of the Israeli occupation is clear: Dozens of Palestinian children are gunned down each year by the Israeli army and police.

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

Turkey is a pivotal country at the crossroads of Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.

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

Is the Russian president losing influence? Whether it be with his Iranian ally, his Chinese partner or on the battlefield in Ukraine, the Kremlin strongman no longer seems invincible.

As the world heats up, cities around the world are responding to the challenges of climate change with fresh ideas.

Cancer patients are campaigning to draw attention to the impact of political decisions on cancer rates.

Marking the opening of the 60th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival, RAYE invites a host of international pop stars to join her on stage for an evening of music.

An odyssey through Iran in search of a lost father for one Tehrani teenager and her friends.

Legendary Berlin duo Modeselektor return to Sónar Festival with a new live set of eclectic rave sounds.

Ukrainian phenomenon Carpetman brings his swaying electro to the ESNS festival.

Despite its shift toward authoritarianism, Turkey is a strategic partner for the EU.

The calming voice of Amie Blu in an intimate session.

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

An old man swims in the sea. As he moves through the water, memories resurface... 

Spain has seen a surge in visa applications from Americans who want to leave Trump's America.

After years of moving towards a cashfree society, Europe is weighing up the risks.