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Collecting Bodies from Ukraine Battlesites

Former businessman Yaroslav Zhilkin leads a team of volunteers to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers.

An estimated 6,000 soldiers have died in the conflict in Ukraine. It's difficult for representatives of the Ukrainian government to go into rebel-held territory like Donetsk to retrieve the bodies of their fallen soldiers. So the two sides have agreed that volunteers can do it for them. The group is made up of mechanics, doctors, labourers, economists - and it's led by former businessman Yaroslav Zhilkin. He tells Jo Fidgen about the difficult and distressing task of retrieving the dead.

Since the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, female singers have been banned from putting on solo performances for the general public. They're allowed to sing for other women - but there can't be any men in the audience. That irritated Sara Najafi, a composer, so she decided to test the ban. Her efforts to put on a concert were documented by her film-maker brother, Ayat - and the result is the award-winning 'No Land's Song'.

Retired engineer Gangadhara Tilak Katnam from Hyderabad, India has an unusual obsession - he fills potholes. More than 1100 of them in just five years. He explains what started this personal campaign to improve India's roads.

Pooneh Ghoddoosi meets Romanian author Petru Popescu whose book "Amazon Beaming" has been turned into a play called "The Encounter" which is attracting a lot of attention at the Edinburgh Festivals.

(Photo: Yaroslav Zhilkin)

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55 minutes

Last on

Thu 13 Aug 201506:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Wed 12 Aug 201511:06GMT
  • Wed 12 Aug 201519:06GMT
  • Thu 13 Aug 201501:06GMT
  • Thu 13 Aug 201504:06GMT
  • Thu 13 Aug 201505:06GMT
  • Thu 13 Aug 201506:06GMT

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