A Bleak Future For Afghanistan's Women

Available for over a year

Kate Adie presents stories from Afghanistan, China, Iraq, Colombia and Ireland. The Taliban recently announced a ban on women going to parks, swimming pools and gyms this month, while maintaining its ongoing ban on girls attending secondary school. Yogita Limaye spoke to one young woman about life in Kabul, as these once cherished freedoms disappear. The story of Gao Zhisheng, a Chinese human rights lawyer who was repeatedly detained by the Chinese government, is a cautionary tale of Xi Jinping's China - following his last detention, his whereabouts is now unknown. Michael Bristow has followed Gao's story since his initial arrest in 2006. Iraq's two main rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, have seen their water levels drop significantly this year as the country experienced one of its worst droughts. Leila Molana Allen spoke to local farmers about the impact on their livelihoods. Colombia's new leftist president, Gustavo Petro, campaigned on the promise of tackling inequality and switching to a greener economy. But rising inflation and a depreciation of the peso has proved a challenge to introducing his manifesto pledges. Rohan Montgomery went for a ride with motorcyclists in Medellin and heard their views on life under Petro. The story of the Sack of Baltimore, where a village in Ireland's County Cork was ambushed by Barbary pirates, still intrigues visitors to the area - in particular, patrons of the Algiers Inn. The attack in 1631 saw pirates kidnap English settlers who were taken back to North Africa and sold into slavery. Vincent Dowd spoke to locals about their village's rich history. Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith