蜜芽传媒

Pascale Harter introduces correspondents' and writers' stories from Ukraine, Madagascar, Bolivia and Uzbekistan.

What is the toll of breaking the worst possible news to soldiers' families, time after time? We follow a Ukrainian army officer in the western city of Lviv who has one of the toughest jobs in the military. Richard Pendry witnesses the heartbreak and anger that Major Serhiy Laziuk has faced every day for the past three years.

Madagascar is in turmoil. Its President replaced the entire government last week - and appointed and new Prime Minister - after Gen Z-led protests erupted on the streets. What began as demonstrations against persistent power and water cuts have evolved into demands for full-scale political change. Luke Freeman reports from the capital, Antananarivo.

With their pleated skirts, fringed shawls and bowler hats, the 'Cholitas' of Bolivia - women of mixed European and Indigenous descent - have become visual symbols of the country. But in education and employment, they've often been discriminated against. Jane Chambers finds that many women from this background are reclaiming their heritage - and increasingly proud of it.

The ancient city of Bukhara, in Uzbekistan, has been a place of master crafts workers and artists for centuries - and more recently it's served as a striking exhibition space for contemporary art. Kirsty Lang visited the Bukhara Biennial to hear about the country's plans to remake its image through contemporary culture.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production co-ordinator: Rose Strawbridge