Tracks East

With music banned by the Taliban, Afghan refugees in Pakistan want to keep their musical traditions alive.

18 years after American troops first arrived in Afghanistan, the United States has announced their withdrawal. Can the Afghan forces keep the Taliban at bay without help from NATO?

Since the Taliban retook Kabul in August 2021, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated considerably. Afghanistan remains the world's largest producer of opium and the country also has high rates of addiction. The Taliban is trying to rid the country of heroin addicts, with particularly brutal methods.

Since the Taliban's return to power, Fawzia Koofi has been forced to continue her fight for women’s rights in exile.

The last foreign troops are leaving Afghanistan, leading to fears of a Taliban resurgence

 Whilst the Afghan government negotiates with the Taliban, babies seem to have become targets in a never-ending war.

Masha Borzunova meets a Russian deserter who tells how he went from being a war hero to an ostracised traitor of his country.

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

They are reclaiming their bodies and freely expressing their sexuality: A focus on sex positive popstars in contemporary culture.

How can we communicate without internet and 5G? Tracks meets fans of off grid communication in London, Barcelona, and Bologna.

Gothic aliens on platform heels, demonic mermaids and giant insects... Could the monstrous become the new beauty standard?

Ancient Greek statues are white, pure and classical, just like the marble they are carved from. False. These statues were painted in fabulous bright colours. Archaeologists and art academics have known this for centuries so why does the white myth endure?

To compete with the glamourous cities of the West, Warsaw commissioned inventive neon lighting across the city. 

Not all nipples are the same. On Instagram or Facebook female breasts are censured whereas the bare male torso is not. Some artists are challenging this double standard. 

The story of a wealthy man saving a ‘fallen’ woman has become a cliché (Pretty Woman, Anora), far from the reality of prostitution. But what if sex workers told their own stories through art?

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.

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

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

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

Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band perform at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.

A performance of Khatchaturian’s virtuosic violin concerto and Stravinsky’s ground-breaking The Rite of Spring.

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

Hybrid warfare and new technologies are putting intelligence services under serious pressure worldwide.

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