Schedule

Naida had to fight callous and prejudiced medical staff in Dagestan to get help for her daughter Faya. Now the family is in Moscow she has the support of other mothers and staff at the Downside Up Centre. Vasya’s father Denis has found support in other ways. Since his son was born, he has become more religious, and takes Vasya to church so everyone can meet his own ‘angel’.

In Basra, acute water shortages are making people ill. To get to the root of the water crisis in Iraq, RTD surveys the damage to Basra’s historic canals and to the beautiful Mesopotamian Marshes. Dr Azzam Alwash, founder of Nature Iraq, an environmental NGO, is fighting to save his country’s water supply. Will he succeed in time?

For three decades, the picturesque and fertile land in the foothills of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius has been contaminated by toxic waste, illegally buried and burnt here by mafia gangs. The resulting pollution caused a dramatic increase in cancer among the local population, including children.

Where can you take to the snowy slopes in a bikini? Welcome to Russia! RT Doc’s Peter Scott explores some of the craziest things to do in Russia: from festivals on snowy mountains to a smash room ready to be destroyed. Nothing gets in the way of his madcap fun, not even a broken leg!

Three years after Jacobo Arbenz was resoundingly elected president of Guatemala, he was forced to resign by armed intervention. He was just one of many leaders to suffer a similar fate after falling foul of the US. In this film, author and academic Stephen Kinzer explores the motives, formula, and justification America uses to topple governments it doesn’t like, as illustrated in Guatemala, Libya, and Hawaii.

After two years, it’s time Evgeny revealed his ballroom dancing secret to girlfriend Ekaterina. Dmitry clears the air about his feelings for Irina during a romantic dinner. Far from being jealous Ekaterina is proud of Evgeny’s new sport, even though he has a dancing partner. And to seal their relationship Irina and Dmitry dance in the restaurant, and leave holding hands.

Modern China is a unique mix of cutting-edge technology and centuries-old tradition. It takes pride in its booming economy and rich cultural heritage. In many ways, China owes its complexity and versatility to the Silk Road, an ancient trade route established in the 2^nd century BC that for hundreds of years initiated cross-cultural interaction between Eurasian civilisations.

Naida had to fight callous and prejudiced medical staff in Dagestan to get help for her daughter Faya. Now the family is in Moscow she has the support of other mothers and staff at the Downside Up Centre. Vasya’s father Denis has found support in other ways. Since his son was born, he has become more religious, and takes Vasya to church so everyone can meet his own ‘angel’.

In Russia and the CIS, World War II is known by a different name, the Great Patriotic War. In that conflict more Soviet people died than from any other nation. There were hardly any families in the USSR that had not lost loved ones. Today, the stories of the many who gave their lives in defence of their motherland are retold, using their own letters from the front. They don’t just talk of love, bravery and sacrifice but shed light on the scale of human tragedy suffered during WWII.

Some call it, “The Mine”, to others, it’s “the beast”, an infamous rubbish dump in Guatemala City, Central America’s biggest capital. For thousands of poor people it provides a livelihood. Raw sewage flows through the massive landfill and twice a year, floods cause deadly landslides.

Jurij Kofner is an investigative journalist.  As a German, he’s worried about how relations have developed between his homeland and the US. His goal now is to reveal the extent to which his country is influenced by America’s global agenda. 

A Brazilian prison has come up with an original way to prepare female prisoners re-entering society after incarceration – by holding an inmate beauty pageant. Many of the contestants are serving lengthy sentences after being tempted into a world of drug dealing and prostitution. Looking like models in front of their cheering parents and kids helps them rebuild their self-worth and gives them a determination not to repeat past mistakes.

Every day, dozens of elephants are killed by poachers seeking for their ivory, meat and other body parts. Elephant calves left without their mothers are sure to die as they lack survival skills and source of food. In Zimbabwe, there is a place where orphaned baby elephants can have a second chance at life. The Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery founded by Roxy Danckwerts on her family farm rescues helpless infants, providing them with care and love 24/7 in a bid to reintegrate mighty animals back to the wild.

In Tanzania, the tradition of child brides is still prevalent. Despite strict laws against this practice, promising harsh punishment for grooms and parents, young girls are still married off to much older men. In exchange, the family of the bride receives cows that it considers more useful than their daughter.

Known as hikikomori, the phenomenon of social withdrawal has become increasingly commonplace in Japan. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese shut themselves away, spending months and years in isolation. But as time goes by, the hikikomori are forced to face the harsh realities of life. Luckily, people are helping to draw them out. RTD meets the hikikomori and a doctor getting the recluses back on their feet.

In Israel, where serving in the army is compulsory, there is a special military unit whose sole task is to inform relatives when a soldier is killed in action. RT Doc meets some of the officers who knock on doors to deliver the most devastating news any parent can hear. They have come to be known as, Angels of Death.

Mahmoud is an elementary school music teacher, Marei a bank software engineer. Both share the same dangerous pastime – defusing hidden explosives in their home town, Benghazi. ISIS left many Libyan cities littered with mines, bombs, and other improvised explosive devices. In Mine Country on RTD, these heroes risk life and limb to make the city safe for the children again.

Where can you take to the snowy slopes in a bikini? Welcome to Russia! RT Doc’s Peter Scott explores some of the craziest things to do in Russia: from festivals on snowy mountains to a smash room ready to be destroyed. Nothing gets in the way of his madcap fun, not even a broken leg!

Three years after Jacobo Arbenz was resoundingly elected president of Guatemala, he was forced to resign by armed intervention. He was just one of many leaders to suffer a similar fate after falling foul of the US. In this film, author and academic Stephen Kinzer explores the motives, formula, and justification America uses to topple governments it doesn’t like, as illustrated in Guatemala, Libya, and Hawaii.

After two years, it’s time Evgeny revealed his ballroom dancing secret to girlfriend Ekaterina. Dmitry clears the air about his feelings for Irina during a romantic dinner. Far from being jealous Ekaterina is proud of Evgeny’s new sport, even though he has a dancing partner. And to seal their relationship Irina and Dmitry dance in the restaurant, and leave holding hands.

As a child, Aisha Bakari Gombi used to join her father hunting in northeast Nigeria’s forests. Now animals no longer roam there, and Aisha chases a different prey – Islamist insurgents from Boko Haram who have plagued her country for almost a decade. She leads a vigilante group that helps government troops fight terrorists using their keen hunting skills and vast knowledge of remote areas used as Boko Haram hideouts.

Naida had to fight callous and prejudiced medical staff in Dagestan to get help for her daughter Faya. Now the family is in Moscow she has the support of other mothers and staff at the Downside Up Centre. Vasya’s father Denis has found support in other ways. Since his son was born, he has become more religious, and takes Vasya to church so everyone can meet his own ‘angel’.

Modern China is a unique mix of cutting-edge technology and centuries-old tradition. It takes pride in its booming economy and rich cultural heritage. In many ways, China owes its complexity and versatility to the Silk Road, an ancient trade route established in the 2^nd century BC that for hundreds of years initiated cross-cultural interaction between Eurasian civilisations.

Some call it, “The Mine”, to others, it’s “the beast”, an infamous rubbish dump in Guatemala City, Central America’s biggest capital. For thousands of poor people it provides a livelihood. Raw sewage flows through the massive landfill and twice a year, floods cause deadly landslides.

A Brazilian prison has come up with an original way to prepare female prisoners re-entering society after incarceration – by holding an inmate beauty pageant. Many of the contestants are serving lengthy sentences after being tempted into a world of drug dealing and prostitution. Looking like models in front of their cheering parents and kids helps them rebuild their self-worth and gives them a determination not to repeat past mistakes.

According to a World Health Organisation report, a 1/3 of the world’s population lives without access to proper toilets. This causes natural water reserves to become contaminated with human waste, which in turn causes disease. India is just one of many countries in which rural populations suffer acutely as a direct result of poor, or no sanitation.

More than 4,000 people with haemophilia in the UK have contracted HIV or hepatitis C, and in some cases both, from contaminated blood products imported from the US in the 1970s and 1980s. Patients who already lived with a rare and severe disorder received the infected drug derived from blood donations of up to 40,000 people, including prisoners and drug users. Only decades later, after hundreds had died as a direct result of contamination, were victims and their families given a chance to find the truth behind the contaminated blood scandal. In April 2019, a Public Inquiry opened, hearing victim testimonies around the country. RTD travels to the UK to hear from infected blood victims and campaigners seeking answers and desperate to know why, and how, the tragedy was allowed to happen.

In Basra, acute water shortages are making people ill. To get to the root of the water crisis in Iraq, RTD surveys the damage to Basra’s historic canals and to the beautiful Mesopotamian Marshes. Dr Azzam Alwash, founder of Nature Iraq, an environmental NGO, is fighting to save his country’s water supply. Will he succeed in time?

Every day, dozens of elephants are killed by poachers seeking for their ivory, meat and other body parts. Elephant calves left without their mothers are sure to die as they lack survival skills and source of food. In Zimbabwe, there is a place where orphaned baby elephants can have a second chance at life. The Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery founded by Roxy Danckwerts on her family farm rescues helpless infants, providing them with care and love 24/7 in a bid to reintegrate mighty animals back to the wild.

They joined the army driven by a desire to serve their country and its people. However, the wars they were sent to made them re-evaluate everything they believed in. Now, US veterans are trying to come to terms with their past and learn how to live among civilians again.  It turns out, they’ve no one to rely on but each other.

In Tanzania, the tradition of child brides is still prevalent. Despite strict laws against this practice, promising harsh punishment for grooms and parents, young girls are still married off to much older men. In exchange, the family of the bride receives cows that it considers more useful than their daughter.

Five years into the devastating Syrian war, the country’s capital, Damascus is a shelter for the civilians who refuse to flee their motherland. Yet, even here no one is really safe as shells hit the streets and buildings regularly. Sameer is a local cameraman who continues his work despite its dangers. Through his lens, he shows us the everyday life of ordinary Syrians. 

Known as hikikomori, the phenomenon of social withdrawal has become increasingly commonplace in Japan. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese shut themselves away, spending months and years in isolation. But as time goes by, the hikikomori are forced to face the harsh realities of life. Luckily, people are helping to draw them out. RTD meets the hikikomori and a doctor getting the recluses back on their feet.

After two years, it’s time Evgeny revealed his ballroom dancing secret to girlfriend Ekaterina. Dmitry clears the air about his feelings for Irina during a romantic dinner. Far from being jealous Ekaterina is proud of Evgeny’s new sport, even though he has a dancing partner. And to seal their relationship Irina and Dmitry dance in the restaurant, and leave holding hands.

Mahmoud is an elementary school music teacher, Marei a bank software engineer. Both share the same dangerous pastime – defusing hidden explosives in their home town, Benghazi. ISIS left many Libyan cities littered with mines, bombs, and other improvised explosive devices. In Mine Country on RTD, these heroes risk life and limb to make the city safe for the children again.

Naida had to fight callous and prejudiced medical staff in Dagestan to get help for her daughter Faya. Now the family is in Moscow she has the support of other mothers and staff at the Downside Up Centre. Vasya’s father Denis has found support in other ways. Since his son was born, he has become more religious, and takes Vasya to church so everyone can meet his own ‘angel’.

North Koreans say they’re the happiest people in the world. Their great leader is like a father who takes care of them and all their needs. They’re told that he’s made their country the most powerful and economically developed on the planet. A quick look at the World Wide Web or any international media might lead to a different conclusion but in North Korea, they’re banned. 

More than 400 applicants are competing for just eight places in a cosmonaut recruitment campaign by Roscosmos. The Russian space agency is looking for future crews to take new-generation spaceships to the moon. Civilians Irina, Konstantin and Andrey are among the hopefuls going through a rigorous selection process, that includes thorough medical checks and intense interviews. For almost two years, RTD follows the contenders to see how hard they are willing to work and which ends up with their dream job.

The wheelchair dancing club holds a demonstration and Masterclass to show off their skills. A precocious child starts asking awkward questions of the wheelchair-bound dancers. As the Masterclass gets underway, a debate begins between Dmitry and Evgeny on which style of dancing the audience likes best, and which is the most expressive. As the day ends, all are pleased with the show.

More than 4,000 people with haemophilia in the UK have contracted HIV or hepatitis C, and in some cases both, from contaminated blood products imported from the US in the 1970s and 1980s. Patients who already lived with a rare and severe disorder received the infected drug derived from blood donations of up to 40,000 people, including prisoners and drug users. Only decades later, after hundreds had died as a direct result of contamination, were victims and their families given a chance to find the truth behind the contaminated blood scandal. In April 2019, a Public Inquiry opened, hearing victim testimonies around the country. RTD travels to the UK to hear from infected blood victims and campaigners seeking answers and desperate to know why, and how, the tragedy was allowed to happen.