Â鶹Éç

Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, Tajikistan, Brazil and Mexico

Over recent weeks, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has battled in vain to ensure further US funding for the war in Ukraine. Just one year ago, he received a standing ovation in Congress, such was the strength of support to see Ukraine victorious. Now, the reality is very different. James Waterhouse has been following events in Washington and in Kyiv and says why this is a defining moment for Ukraine in the war.

In Dnipro, away from the frontline in central-eastern Ukraine, Tim Whewell encounters a group of men who have not yet been called up to fight. He hears about everyday life in the country's economic hub and how young men are making a living by any means as they live under the looming threat of conscription.

When you’re based full-time in a country the stories you cover as a correspondent, from political strikes to a pandemic, are often also the stories you live yourself – and that certainly has been the case for the Â鶹Éç's South America correspondent Katy Watson. As she prepares to move on to a posting in Australia, she reflects on the past decade she’s spent living in Brazil and Mexico.

In the mountains of Tajikistan, in the region of Gorno-Badakshan, locals decorate their homes, light up trees and celebrate the life of a saviour - but it's not Christmas. This is home to more than 200,000 Ismaili Muslims, whose spiritual leader is the Aga Khan, whose life is the focus of the festivities. Chris Aslan joined in on the fun.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinators: Gemma Ashman and Janet Staples