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Pascale Harter introduces reports from Nigeria, Cuba, India and Tajikistan.

Nigeria is counting the cost of its worst flooding for a decade. Across the country, nearly one and a half million people have been displaced and at least 600 people have been killed by the rising waters. Mayeni Jones was the first foreign journalist to visit the state of Kogi in central Nigeria, one of the worst affected areas, since the floods began. The Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s West Africa correspondent reflects on the response to the emergency.

Cuba has been through particularly tough times these past few years. Its economy had already been brought to its knees by years of government mismanagement, and the longstanding US economic embargo. The Covid pandemic hit and the island’s tourism sector dried up. Then there was a deadly accident at Cuba’s largest fuel storage facility, followed by Hurricane Ian in September. In Havana, Will Grant heard what effect this series of unfortunate events is having on the Cuban people.

In Udupi, Karnataka, we talk to a young man who’s part of a subculture causing widespread offence online. He’s a 'trad' - short for traditionalist – one of a new breed of hardcore Hindu nationalists who make a point of ridiculing women and targeting other parts of Indian society. Their abrasive style and outspoken rhetoric share many of the hallmarks of America’s alt-right movement. Reha Kansara wanted to find out what the trads were like offline – so she arranged a meeting.

And in the beautiful landscapes of Tajikistan, Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent finds out how the returning tradition of beekeeping might help restore a wider ecosystem. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, some once-treasured lands have been neglected and many native species threatened by hunting. Now, a community-minded conservation initiative is trying to revive some rural skills, and restore the natural balance.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Bridget Harney
Production Co-Ordinator: Iona Hammond