Iran's Unlikely Opera Star

Ramtin Ghazavi grew up under Iran's strict Islamist government. One day, an Italian tourist overheard him singing in his father's shop and helped launch his international career. He now sings at the world-renowned La Scala Opera House in Milan.

Children from some of South Africa's most deprived townships are having their lives transformed - by learning to surf. It all happens on the Muizenberg beach in Cape Town, where an organisation called Waves for Change has set up shop.

Talinn Airport in Estonia has just introduced a new style of security announcement. Instead of speaking, the announcements are performed by a team of three singers. The idea came from the organiser of Estonia's 2015 "Year of Music". Estonian singer and composer, Kadri Voorand was invited to take part.

In the Indian state of Gujurat there's an all-women unit of forest rangers with a remarkable record in animal rescues. 627 animals were saved last year including wounded lions, monkeys, pythons and leopards. One of the first recruits to the unit was Rasila Vadher who patrols the vast Gir National Park on foot and by motorbike.

The latest novel by the Jamaican writer Marlon James is called A Brief History of Seven Killings. It tells the story of the attempted murder of the reggae star Bob Marley in 1976, when Marlon himself was still a child. The author is the first Jamaican to win the internationally-famous Man Booker Prize.

Picture: Ramtin Ghazavi
Picture credit: Diaspora Arts Connection