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Much of El Salvador is gripped by gang violence. Turf is divvied up between two warring gangs. Children as young as eight are recruited. Many see no choice in life but to join and take up a life of crime. But some ex-gang members and youth find refuge with a volunteer ambulance corps called the ‘Rescue Commandos’. To save lives, these dauntless paramedics brave neighbourhoods where even the police won’t go.

Moldova holds the European 'champion' title for depopulation, experiencing an annual population decrease of 45,000 to 50,000 people. Inflation and unemployment are forcing thousands of young Moldovans to leave their homeland in order to support their families. Those who are compelled to stay have to come up with strategies for surviving on a modest $44 pension. To assist these individuals and help them make ends meet, local activists, led by Ilan Shor, a politician and entrepreneur, have been establishing social supermarkets across the country since 2015. This retail chain operates without profits, aiming to help pensioners save money. However, the Moldovan authorities have accused Ilan and his ȘOR party of engaging in activities labelled as 'bringing war and robbery to Moldova.' Are there valid grounds for such accusations? The documentary takes a closer look at the country's situation to answer this question.

Six Bomb is a Korean K-pop girl band with a twist. In a crowded and demure field, the performers aim to get noticed thanks to their sex appeal. To get the desired look, the young girls have had all kinds of cosmetic surgery procedures. Band members open up to RTD about the dedication required for their chosen career and how they feel about their appearance, while their manager unveils the group's surprising marketing strategy.

Growing coca leaf is the only way to put food on the table for many in rural Colombia. Coca, which is the base substance for making cocaine, is the only livelihood they can rely upon. Most Colombia’s coca growers say they only do it because they have no alternative options and distance themselves from rapacious drug traffickers In 2016, the government signed a peace deal with the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), putting a decades-long civil war to an end. The landmark agreement was also intended to give Colombia’s coca farmers living on rebel-held territories an opportunity to give up illegal cultivation by providing them with subsidy and technical aid. In exchange, farmers were to voluntary destroy their coca plants and switch to legal ways of earning money. However, they have been unable to leave coca production entirely behind. The crop substitution payments don’t reach them, while the army forcefully uproot their coca plants. With the government failing to put their words into action, Colombia’s coca growers gather to resist law enforcement and demand authorities to fulfill its end of the bargain. In Colombia, RTD’s Artyom Somov hears from farmers, who are still involved in the coca production and those who partially switched to legal crops. He also meets President Ivan Duque’s advisor, Emilio Archila, to find out why the programme isn’t working for everyone

For centuries, a very unusual tradition has been practiced in Albania; women who choose to become burrneshas, or sworn virgins. They become virtual men to represent their families in this deeply patriarchal society. The ancient practice was established under a medieval code of laws known as the ‘Kanun’, which among other things set out the legal framework of everyday life, such as the rules for conducting a blood feud and the roles and responsibilities of men and women. Related: In Afghan families where men are in short supply, daughters are appointed to play the male role By becoming a burrnesha, a woman gains rights normally reserved only for men, such as the ability to trade and manage property. She would undertake a man’s work and be expected to take part in blood feuds when needed. To complete the transformation, a woman had to be a virgin and take an oath of celibacy, making her head of the family but at the same time depriving her of the chance to marry and have her own children. The oath was considered irreversible and breaking it was punishable by death. Related: An Egyptian woman pretended to be a man for 43 years to get a job and make ends meet The tradition is fading away these days, with only a few dozen burrneshas remaining in Albania, predominantly in the remote highlands. Each one has a similar story: most had no option but to take the oath at a young age following the death of their brothers. They rejected femininity with their dress and how they presented themselves and were, in return, granted the social status of men. RT Doc travelled to remote Albanian villages to meet the last of burrneshas and ask how living someone else’s life worked out but finding sworn virgins willing to talk became an adventure in itself.

For decades, Arctic explorers and scientists have been stockpiling litter and waste on the Northern shores. Researchers worked in extreme conditions and bitter cold: they didn't want to spend extra resources to properly dispose of the waste, so they dumped barrels and other equipment on the unseen side of the slope. To prevent further contamination of the soil and sea waters from century-old litter, volunteers teamed up to clean the Arctic and help local animals. This time they traveled to Heiss Island on Franz Josef Land, one of the northernmost territories on our planet, about a thousand kilometres from the North Pole. ‘Clean Arctic’ project participants spent 6 weeks away from their responsibilities and loved ones to restore natural beauty of Arctic shores and preserve its pristine beauty for future generations. Tune in to see challenges volunteers had to overcome and the result they’ve achieved.

Sexual harassment and abuse are a common occurrence in Congo. Girls face it daily on the streets, from their contemporaries, relatives, and friends. Abuse is not seen as a crime itself, and when it has gone too far, the victim is blamed. Congo has no support system for victims of sexual abuse; police and authorities can’t do much about it, either. With no official measures to stop the violence, people seek alternatives. To make girls look less feminine, parents in Congo often take them to witches and healers. They expect sorcery to reduce breast growth, protecting their daughters from aggressive male attention. Rituals include slapping girls’ breasts with a fufu stick and cutting them with a razor blade. Feminist activists in Congo see the solution in sexual education for boys and changing culture, which tolerates violence. However, they haven’t had much luck defeating the superstitions. What does it feel like to be a girl in Congo — caught between being threatened with rape and enduring questionable and painful rituals?

In early 2015, a small Egyptian village was dealt a cruel blow. ISIS killed 20 men from Al-Ur because they were Christian. Now their families take comfort from their faith as they to come to terms with the loss. The whole community honours the dead as martyrs, Christian and Muslim neighbours alike mourn their deaths and condemn the killers. A few survived and are torn between survivor’s guilt and admiration for the courage shown by their fallen friends. However hard times may be for this village, the community finds solace and pride in how the martyrs’ faith remained strong to the very end.

Since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, thousands of volunteer activists have headed to the combat zone to assist the defenders of Donbass and the civilian population. Volunteers from the NGO Russkiy Mir and Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation, whilst risking their own lives, come to the aid of those who need help the most. "We are children of war, we have experienced it ourselves. And in this misfortune, to stay on the sidelines, knowing that someone needs your little help, the foundation's leadership and our leader could not turn a blind eye," says Hava Isaeva, Vice President of the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation. Volunteer Boris Gurkin also gained invaluable experience as a trauma surgeon during the first Chechen War. That experience drove him to use his own vacation to travel to Donbass, where he dedicated himself to saving the wounded, both on the frontlines and in residential areas. There are days when he has to perform up to 20 complex surgeries, and most times, he barely even has time to catch his breath before the next working day, as those in dire need of his help are brought in daily. This documentary will tell his story and the stories of those willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of peace and giving care to those who need it most.

The Amazon is the world's largest river not only in terms of basin area but also in terms of drug trafficking, which is estimated at 10 billion dollars a year. As cocaine moves along the river its price rises 150 times. In some places the Amazon can be as much as 80 km wide, making it impossible for the police to control the area. Drug dealers fight over this lucrative territory and push locals living on the river shores to flee their homes. Abandoned houses are then used as cocaine storage facilities. The area has Brazil's second-highest homicide rate; people and whole families are killed there every day. A fisherman named Mateus has a farm near the Amazon where he lives with his family and raises pigs and chickens. Criminals want to seize his land and tear down his house to store drugs there. They threaten Mateus, but his family has no other place to go. The fisherman hoped that the police would protect his farm but the police sided with the drug dealers claiming that Mateus and his farm had no right to be there. How can Mateus and those who have faced such threats protect themselves from drug cartels?

Universal Dostoevsky by RT Documentary looks at views from across the world to see how the philosophy of Russia’s most recognised writer is still on point two centuries later. Even today, Dostoevsky has become a global brand who people go to because he “makes you face your true self” and his books assure that “you can better yourself”. Moreover, Dostoevsky’s ability to change a reader, transforming them as they read, makes him truly universal, and no matter what language the reader speaks, they get the message. Duke University in North Carolina has one of the strongest Russian language departments. Students are enthralled by the depths of Dostoevsky’s work and how this man, from a different time and country, could be in sync with the current problems they are facing. Patrick Wise was a prizewinner at the annual Dostoevsky Games, a contest for students from the leading universities in North Carolina, which is among the main centres in the US for studying Dostoevsky. During the Games, Dostoevsky’s novels are given new, modern interpretations: rap, allusions and video. ‘Crime and Punishment’ might be his most famous, even ‘mainstream’ novel: murder, money lending, blood and redemption fit nicely into a modern music video. In Europe, Asia, and America, artists inspired by Dostoevsky make his novels into plays, pieces of art and performances. Watch our documentary and learn about the creative ways the artistic community perceives Dostoevsky.

In the summer of 2022, Italy, along with the other NATO member states, approved a military assistance package for Kiev. However, many Italians opposed the decision. Their sentiments was expressed by the Italian journalist Giorgio Bianchi who said that “Getting involved in the war, Europe is losing its true self, becoming NATO’s dumb little brother.” People in Italy doubt that NATO’s policies benefit the country. For many, it remains unclear why the Italian government supplies Ukraine with weapons and “there are more American soldiers in Italy now than during the war against the Nazis”, according to Patrick Boylan, an American, who has lived in Italy for over 40 years. Jorit, a famous artist, represents the voice of the community through his street arts. In Naples, he painted the portrait of Dostoyevsky with a crying baby depicted inside his eye to remind people that the Donbass war started eight years ago. His art tries to give a voice to alternative opinion since it’s banned in the media. “Public opinion in the West is now very clear. Almost everyone adheres to the idea that Russia is absolute evil, and that the West is absolute good. I'm trying to break this one-sided narrative.” Will the voice of Italians be heard by the Italian government?

On the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, elderly women walk in constant fear, as they increasingly fall victim to rape. However, some are now fighting back thanks to self-defence classes designed especially for them. Related: Meet Bolivia's female wrestlers in national costume Most people in Korogocho, one of Nairobi’s biggest slum neighbourhoods, live on less than a dollar a day. Many eke out a living in this crime ridden area by scavenging in the local dump or reselling produce bought from the local market. HIV has decimated the community, depriving many children of one or both parents. Moreover, rape is rampant, especially against older women who are preyed upon by young men in the belief that sex with a ‘shushu’ cures AIDS and lifts curses. Related: Karachi's first female boxing club challenges stereotypes Things are changing though; join 40-year-old Naomi Wanjiro, a local NGO officer, as she teaches some extraordinary ladies to use both their fists and voices to say “NO!”. The program is clearly making a difference to many women’s lives, whether they are 55, 85, or even 105 years old, many say they have been empowered to live their lives in safety and with confidence.

Shaolin Epo Wushu College in the Shaolin Mountains is among China’s top martial art schools. Nearby is the famous monastery, where monks have practiced the ancient martial art of wushu (also known as kung fu) for centuries. The school now gives children the chance to learn too. There are around 8,000 students, some as young as three. Related:Wudang Wushu: Chinese monks perfect the ancient martial art Although the boarding school only accepted boys at first, it now welcomes girls as well. Shaolin Epo schoolgirls have no time to play with dolls. Instead, they train with fists, knives, swords, and other weapons every day. The girls practice just as hard as the boys and live under the same Spartan conditions. With several people assigned to a room, very modest dinners, and only one day a week for parental visits, the girls have to toughen up and learn to focus on their goal of becoming skilled warriors. Related: Karachi’s first female boxing club challenges gender stereotypes Life at the school can be hard. In order to stay, the girls must pass every exam with flying colours, so they try their hardest to meet the required standard. The bar is set high and there are no allowances for those who fall behind. Despite the hurdles along the way and the unrelenting schedule, every girl soldiers on, determined to make her parents, teachers, and country proud.

“We, women, always suffer. The army comes; they rape us. Guerillas come, they rape us, other militarised groups come, they do the same,” says an internally displaced woman from Colombia, Maritza Esther. She tells of seven armed men breaking into her house, raping her 16-year-old daughter and shooting her husband in the face at point-blank range.

Marijuana has become as popular, regular and easily accessible as ever. But as more Americans are using cannabis, numerous studies and evidence confirm that consuming marijuana can be dangerous. In 2012, Colorado became one of the first states to legalise marijuana for recreational use. Unfortunately, it led to more cannabis use and addiction, particularly among young people. Johnny Stack from Colorado was one of them. He was only 19 when he committed suicide. His parents are convinced marijuana killed him. Johnny was using cannabis wax with high levels of THC, the primary psychoactive compound of marijuana. THC is responsible for giving you high. In the 1970s, marijuana contained 2% THC, modern marijuana has 20-25% THC. The long-lasting adverse effects of cannabis include addiction and mental illness. Johnny developed psychosis. ‘He just couldn’t stop’, his mother says. RT Documentary’s reporter goes to Colorado to see how marijuana legalisation has affected the lives of local people. He meets heartbroken parents whose children died because of marijuana and talks to young people fighting addiction.

A pile of chainsaws tower in the backyard of an environmental group’s centre on the Philippines island of Palawan. The activists fight Philippines deforestation. They have confiscated the chainsaws from illegal loggers plaguing the island, which has become known as the country’s ‘last ecological frontier.’ In spite of a logging ban and UNESCO biosphere reserve status, chunks of old-growth forest are being cut down to make way for mines or plantations. Thousands of hectares of trees have been lost on Palawan since 2001, spelling danger for many depending on the forest. To save the island from ecological disaster, environmental campaigners and organisations like the Palawan NGO Network Inc., or PNNI, directly address the issue. They capture loggers and their equipment, storm businesses without permits to operate and expose corporations and corrupt politicians. Their job is dangerous, as the Philippines is the second deadliest country for green activists. Despite risking their lives and careers, environmentalists keep struggling for Palawan and its inhabitants. RTD visits the Philippines to meet prominent advocates, including former environment secretary of the Philippines Gina Lopez, ousted from office for her anti-mining stance, and Brooke’s Point Mayor Mary Jean Feliciano, who is waging a campaign against a nickel corporation. RTD also follows Palawan’s indigenous tribes, Tau’t Bato, Domadoay and Tagbanwa, all affected by the corporate onslaught and illegal activities

In his peaceful everyday life, Vadim Kolganov is a theatre and film actor. But after the beginning of the special military operation, he realised that he can’t just live as if nothing is happening. After his young cousin Konstantin was killed in action near Lugansk, Vadim packed his bags and went to Donbass, where he went door to door, distributing food and aid to those who were affected the most by the conflict. He doesn’t consider himself a hero, but without selfless volunteers like him, life for Donbass residents would be much harder.

Ivan Dodosov, a tank battalion commander, recently awarded the title of Hero of Russia, has been fighting to protect the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics since February 2022. But it was the creative thinking and level-headedness his group demonstrated during the tank duel near the town of Popasnaya, that covered his unit in glory. They achieved the impossible, breaking through the enemy’s defences that had been considered impenetrable.

More than 45,000 people died and 300,000 lost their homes after a powerful earthquake hit Türkiye in February. As thousands of buildings were destroyed, locals blamed the government for ignoring building codes. Several months before the tragedy over 7,000,000 buildings in Türkiye were given a building amnesty that allowed for the registration and legalization of all illicit constructions. Only now it is evident how disastrous the decision was. What can be done to prevent such catastrophes in the future?

Africa, a continent with enormous wealth and a fast-growing population, is struggling with the economic and social consequences of its colonial past. Having lost some 100 million people during the slave trade era, it’s still suffering from exploitation inflicted by foreign governments and wealthy corporations. Recently, Russia has shown a keen interest in re-establishing a once-close relationship with its African friends. Over the past few years, cooperation in the field of education, healthcare and security has gained traction in the Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and other countries. The West, whose influence is noticeably waning, can’t help but blame Russia for the shifting tide of cooperation with Africa. Anna Chapman travels to Africa to shed some light on the history of Russian-African relations that dates back to the 19th century, and find out why Russia’s renewed interest in the continent is triggering concerns, both in Europe and the United States. Unlike European monarchies, the Russian Empire was never part of the so-called “scramble for Africa” or made any attempt to establish colonies there. On the contrary, it helped Emperor Menelik’s army to fight off Italian invaders, ensuring Ethiopia’s independence. Subsequently, in the 20th century, when many African nations fought for their independence, the USSR acted as a staunch supporter of decolonization. Why has the struggle for influence over Africa intensified now? That’s because Africa will clearly assume a greater role and importance in the multipolar world of the future, with only 20 percent of its resources explored and its population projected to double by 2050. These days, African countries are trying to build new alliances in the hope of escaping the vicious cycles of violence, poverty and social unrest. And Russia is there to help them achieve their goals.

Survivalism has a long history in the United States. For decades, concerned citizens have believed some large-scale catastrophe is coming and have been preparing to survive that eventuality. These survivalists, also known as “doomsday preppers”, argue YOYO: “You’re On Your Own”. In other words, they would rather rely on their own skills and preparations than on the government’s contingency plans

For its 70th anniversary celebrations, the country invited an unprecedented number of foreign journalists and allowed them to keep their smartphones. Setting aside horror stories of famine and labour camps relayed by agencies with their own agendas, RT vlogger Anna Knichenko vows only to report on what she sees, and to film what she can

A Brazilian prison has come up with an original way to prepare its prisoners before re-entering society after incarceration – by holding an inmate beauty pageant. Brazil is a major smuggling hub for narcotics. The wealth generated by the drug trade tempts many Brazilian girls into a world of dealing and prostitution