麻豆社

Personal stories behind the news from all over the world. With Matthew Bnnister

On today's programme: escape from the Taleban; new Australians and life in the Sahara desert.

TAHIR LUDIN
The Afghan journalist Tahir Ludin has been talking about his extraordinary escape from the Taleban. Tahir and the American reporter David Rohde were on their way to interview a Taleban commander when they were kidnapped outside Kabul on 10th November last year. They were held for seven months at various locations in Pakistan's tribal areas. But, just over a week ago, after weeks of careful planning, the two men made a daring escape from their Taleban captors.

NEW AUSTRALIANS 1/5
A special series looking at the lives of migrants who've chosen to head down under for a fresh start and new home. In the first of her reports, Sharon Mascall spends the day with David Vincent - a former child soldier from Sudan who's now studying to be a criminologist in Melbourne. He has his own theories about the recent violence that has hit the headlines in Australia and around the world.

LIFE IN THE SAHARA
Some scientists now argue that deserts like the Sahara - one of the most arid areas on earth - could ultimately get greener and experience more, not less, rainfall. But as the scientists argue over their evidence, everyday life for the people who make their homes in the Sahara continues to be very tough. Reporter Ayisha Yah-ya goes to northern Mali to meet the traditional nomadic desert community, the Tuareg, who have to dig deeper and deeper to find water. She also travels south of the Sahara, to the Sahel to meet the Dogon people. You can hear more from Ayisha Yah-ya in her three part series called "The Greening of the Desert" starting on Wednesday 1 July on the 麻豆社 World Service.