Emily Thomas

It's not exactly barren wasteland. There's still people living there who are too old or too frail to leave. And in fact I was speaking to a volunteer based in London who's been delivering aid to Drushkivka. And he told me that the security situation was gradually deteriorating there, because that town is right on the edge of Ukrainian-controlled territory in Donbass. So it looks like an attack like this was just a matter of time.

With neither side prepared to budge, is there any room for manoeuvre in these talks over the next two days? I think, Alex, it's a question of how long Ukraine can withstand Russia's military pressure and diplomatic pressure from both Russia and the United States, because we've seen an increasing convergence of their positions.

And if that pressure mounts and if Ukraine doesn't get enough assistance to keep pushing back, well, it doesn't really have much choice but to, well, give up territory and hope for the best.

Vitali Shevchenko. To Nigeria next, where dozens of people are feared to have been killed by armed gangs in a remote village in the country's central Kwara state. The government has pledged to do more to crack down on the recent surge in violence in the region. My colleague Lucy Hocking spoke to the BBC's Makwachi Okafo in Lagos to learn more about this latest attack.

Iran on tehty järjestelmää naisille motosyklisteille, jotta he voivat saada liikennettä. Ihmiset ovat olleet motosyklisteilla vuosia, mutta liiketoimintatapahtumat olivat väkeä, onko tämä legaalia. Ei ole selvää, onko tämä tapahtumatapahtuma tehty yhdessä monimutkaisissa valtionkysymyksissä viime vuonna, jotka olivat vahvasti pysyneet alueilla. Tensiaatuisia ihmisiä on ajateltu olevan tullut.

Gonche Habibi Azad on BBC Persian Service.

siksi, että sen jälkeen lainsäädäntö järjestettiin lainsäädäntöjen ja lainsäädäntöjen lainsäädäntöjen lainsäädäntöjen lainsäädäntöjen lainsäädäntöjen lainsäädäntöjen lainsäädäntöjen lainsäädäntöjen lainsäädäntöjen

We have seen a rise in female riders in recent years. We could spot them in videos and photos coming out of Tehran and other cities in Iran. But I have to say this, that the Instagram account of a female motorcyclist was blocked back in October last year after she posted a video criticizing the authorities for failing to issue the licenses to women.

So why now? So the decision is following widespread public discontent and a deadly crackdown on protesters that rights groups say left thousands dead. And the protest started in late December over Iran's worsening economic conditions and the conditions have not improved yet.

BBC-Persiassa on nähty, että Tehran ja ihmiset kirjoittavat tekstit, joissa heidän on uusi laki, jossa naiset voivat saada liikennettä motosyklista. Se tulee silloin, kun seuraa protesteja. Se on vain se aika, kun näyttää, että jäsenet eivät ole onnellisia. Iranissa on edelleen todella vaikeaa olla naisessa, eikö niin?

I was born and raised in the capital Teheran and living there as a young woman for me was not easy. I faced many restrictions and like the first one when stepping out of the house I had to observe mandatory hijab. Although we are now seeing more women coming out and going out without a mandatory hijab, but they're still breaking the rule.

And in 2022 a woman was killed in Morality Police's custody over not observing mandatory hijab. That led to a widespread protest called Women Live Freedom. And whenever in Iran I went to mixed gender parties or drank alcohol in these parties, which is also illegal, but there is a moonshot market for alcohol, I always had this fear that what if the police decides to raid the party and arrest us all. Goncha Habibi Azad.

Now, an inspiring story about two former child refugees who settled in the UK. They've just completed a marathon walk along the length of the British mainland to draw attention to the war in South Sudan. Giel Malual and John Quay originally fled the violence there after a civil war broke out in 2013. During their epic journey, they raised money to build new schools in refugee camps for children displaced by the war. Patricia Whitehorn caught up with them as they finished.

In the howling wind greeted by supporters, Giel Maluwal and John Quegg arrive at their final destination, the Duncan's Behead Lighthouse in the Scottish Highlands. It really feels great to finish this event. It's a wonderful achievement. They have just completed their grueling walk, which began mid-December, when they set off from Dungeness Beach on the southeast coast, heading to the northernmost tip of Britain.

Kuunnellaan erittäin hyvää kappaletta lähellä John O'Groatsin kafeissa, Giel ja John kertovat minulle, miten he ovat eläneet konflikin itseään. He ovat Norjan suomalaisuudessa Suomessa, maailman toisen suurin etninen ryhmä, ja he olivat kohtuneet hakemaan, ennen kuin tuli Yhdysvaltojen kouluun. Giel sanoo, että lapsen kokemukset ovat vaikuttaneet hänet rahoittamiseen.

Olen joutunut Jubaan ja joutunut UN-kampuun. Olin siellä viiden vuoden aikana ja rakastan, että olen työskennellyt. Se oli unelma, jonka minulla oli kun olin lapsi. Mutta joutuminen niissä kampuissa tuntuu, että se unelma ei ole koskaan saavutettavaa, koska koulutukset, joita olemme saaneet, eivät ole oikeita, eivät ole tarpeeksi. Ne eivät saa meille parhaista.

As Gil and John began their journey, many people told them they were crazy for walking during the cold and icy winter months. But Gil says that was a deliberate decision, to show solidarity with the suffering of the Sudanese people. John Kwe says he was daunted by the task, but agreed to join Gil on his mission because of the cause. We always used to motivate each other when you feel like you are tired and you are exhausted. Now we made it so far with commitment.

You are doing something because of the pain that you have of the other children. So we made it here. I don't think if could be another thing. I will not do it to be honest with you. Gail and John's original fundraising target was just under $50,000. But the two men have raised three times that amount. Gail says this will enable them to open up more than one school.

We are going to build them around all the neighbouring countries that the Sudanese children have fled into, like Chad, like Uganda, like Egypt, and support them as these children go along to discover the best version of themselves. Former child refugee Giel Maluel ending that report by Patricia Whitehorn.

Still to come in this podcast. My favourite moment was doing a Royal Variety performance. Prince Charles walking along the line-up and him saying, are there any women in the Muppets? And I leapt at him. Prince, prince, prince! Muppets, to mark the TV programme's 50th anniversary, an insider looks back.