From Our Own Correspondent

In Afghanistan, there’s growing concern over a wave of attacks against human rights activists, moderate clerics, aid workers and others. For a young educated generation of Afghans, one death in particular has sparked anguish and anxiety over where their country is heading, despite imminent peace talks, as Lyse Doucet reports. In Russia, a controversial national vote on constitutional reform this week has given President Putin the right to run for two more terms when the current one runs out. He's been in power for twenty years already, and could now rule till 2036. What do voters make of this? Sarah Rainsford has been following the election. In Spain, much of life is returning to normal after the coronavirus lockdown, but not yet in the world of bullfighting. Matadors languish at home, bulls chew the cud, and the future of bullfighting hangs in the balance, not just because of social distancing, but politics too. as Guy Hedgecoe reports from Madrid. In the US July 4th is Independence Day, marking the moment w

Japan has some very densely populated cities and the world’s highest proportion of elderly citizens. A disaster waiting to happen in the coronavirus pandemic? But the country has had a low death rate, despite only imposing a mild lockdown. What's the secret, or was it just luck, asks Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo. The George Floyd anti-racism protests have been supported in Asia too, but the conversation around race and colour is very loaded for South Asians themselves – where the criticism has been that the deep divides within South Asian society itself aren't scrutinised enough. There can even be discrimination in the same family, if siblings have different skin tones, as Karishma Vaswani has found. In Italy, lockdown was imposed in February, and Italian children haven’t been to school since, nor are there plans for them to return before September. And the lockdown was so strict, that most children couldn't see their friends even in a socially-distanced way. But then a mayor had an idea, as Dany Mitzman r

Italy's northern region of Lombardy became the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in February. Death rates soared. In Bergamo, six thousand people died in March. Mark Lowen returns to Lombardy to meet some of the bereaved and finds that politicians are passing the buck as to why cities locked down too late. Colombia had a thriving economy before the pandemic, and has been host to almost two million Venezuelans who fled their country due to its economic and political crisis. Now, their dreams of a better life have turned to despair. Lockdown stops them earning a living, landlords evict them, and they're reduced to begging for food to survive, as Mat Charles has been finding. Travel restrictions are gradually being lifted across the world, allowing more people to take airplanes again. But what is it actually like to fly now? Jean Mackenzie reports for the BBC from Brussels, and has been on numerous flights to cover the pandemic. She found the usual bustle of check-in queues, airport cafes, and departure loun

Germany had eased its lockdown, but after a spike in cases at a meat-packing factory the authorities have re-imposed lockdown restrictions in two districts, affecting over half a million people. Is this the start of a second wave or just something to be expected asks Damien McGuinness? The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has operated in north-east Nigeria for years, despite the Nigerian army's efforts to defeat them. Recently there has been a new spate of attacks, in the garrison town of Monguno, and two more nearby. And now, they are targeting aid workers, as Colin Freeman reports. There was a deadly clash in Ladakh’s Galway valley last week, where India borders China. Both sides accused each other of crossing into their respective territory. Against this turbulent backdrop, the region is also known for its snow leopards. Michelle Jana Chan went in search of them. A Chechen blogger living in exile in a secret location in Sweden. says he was the victim of an assassination attempt, carried out with a hammer

In Australia, the killing of George Floyd in the US has resonated strongly with indigenous Australians, who often face prejudicial policing, and make up a disproportionate number of Australia's prison population. Shaimaa Khalil met members of the Aboriginal community in Sydney. Turkey has so far had relatively few deaths from coronavirus, for the size of its population. That's according to the official data. But in the past week numbers of new infections have surged, following the easing of restrictions in early June. Could there be a second wave? Orla Guerin has been following events in Istanbul. The vast container ships that travel the oceans to supply us with food and other goods have not been left untouched by the pandemic. Fear of the virus means the crews are no longer welcome in many ports, and they have seen their employment rights eroded, Horatio Clare reports. Around a quarter of the world's population already eat insects as part of their diet, but many still recoil from the idea. And yet insects ma

In the Philippines two journalists, Maria Ressa, the head of an investigative news website called Rappler, and one of their former writers, Reynaldo Santos Jr, have been sentenced to prison for libel, in a case that many see as an attack on freedom of the press, and on critics of the government, as Howard Johnson reports. In Spain, healthcare workers, from doctors and nurses to hospital porters, were badly affected by the coronavirus, making up twenty percent of confirmed cases. Ed Habershon was there during the peak of the crisis. Ten years ago ethnic clashes broke out in the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan, when Kyrgyz residents turned on ethnic Uzbeks. Hundreds were killed, many more injured, around two thousand homes burnt down. The violence took place at a time of deep political instability in the country. For Rayhan Demytrie, an Uzbek herself, these were among the most horrific events of her journalistic career. The island of Bougainville is in Papua New Guinea, but residents have voted overwhelmingly to sece

In the latest programme of the monthly series, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers which reflect the range of contemporary life in the UK.Emir Nader of BBC Arabic tells the story of the family of Dr Adil El Tayar, who was originally from Sudan and himself an early casualty of Covid-19. With two doctors among his children, how do they all come to terms with the enormity of the tragedy that has befallen them and the professional dilemmas they face?With most people in the UK now required to wear face coverings on public transport, many are learning to reach for them alongside keys and bags before leaving home. But it's not much of an adjustment for Vincent Ni, who's long seen how masks are commonplace in East Asia and has consequently been ahead of the game.Has your lockdown involved a clear-out? It's been part of Gillian Powell's experience as she finally decided to tackle a vast photo collection accumulated in boxes over decades. Some tough choices over what to keep have needed to

India's commercial capital, Mumbai, is now the city worst-hit by the coronavirus. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the number of patients in need. Even money can't buy you treatment. As a result, many are dying before they can receive medical care, as Yogita Limaye has found. It's a time of re-examining slavery and colonial history. Andrew Harding's grandfather was a young entomologist who moved from England to what was then Tanganyika to study termites to prevent them destroying crops. Have stories like his helped Britain to maintain a nostalgic, unquestioning attitude towards its former Empire? In the former coastal resort of Kep in Cambodia, local people are wary of a tourism development project with a marina and the hope of renovating old villas. The authorities claim the project will bring business and jobs, but many fear their way of life is under threat, as Michelle Jana Chan reports. In southwestern France, rugby is more popular than football, and fans have been feeling bereft since matches were

In the US, authorities all over the country are working on police reform. Jo Erickson is a black journalist working in Minneapolis, and has been stopped by armed police herself. She recounts her experience.Yemen has the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, following years of civil war. And now, on top of malnourishment and a decimated healthcare system, comes Covid-19. Iona Craig was in the worst-hit city, Aden, when the virus started to spread.South-East Asian countries have been easing their lockdowns, with manufacturing and construction starting up again in Singapore this week. But not all companies made it through lockdown. Karishma Vaswani has been hearing the stories of a pizza restaurant in Singapore, and a garment factory in Indonesia.Mali used to be a destination for travellers drawn by the music, the allure of Timbuktu, or backpacking in the Dogon valley. This gave many local youngsters jobs as tourist guides. But all that came to a halt with a jihadi insurrection and extremist violence. Mali is

When President Emmerson Mnangagwa came to power in Zimbabwe after the end of Robert Mugabe’s decades-long rule, there was hope that the country could turn a corner. It was supposed to be a fresh start, with better economic management, and fairer politics. But that is not at all how it is turning out, says Andrew Harding who is in neighbouring South Africa. New York City has been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus, with 20,000 deaths in the city alone. As Laura Trevelyan reports from Brooklyn, they even needed mobile morgues to cope. Barely had these morgues moved away, when the streets erupted with demonstrations against racism and police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. It all makes for anxious times, particularly for people of colour. China was the country where the coronavirus first emerged, and the authorities reacted with strict lockdowns, restricting residents to their homes. But now, as Stephen McDonell reports from Beijing, the worst is behind them, and he was able to return

The killing of African American George Floyd by a white policeman in Minnesota led to both peaceful demonstrations and violence across the United States. Emma Sapong is an African American journalist from Minnesota and reports on the yawning gap between the lives of white Minnesotans and their black counterparts. It's exactly one hundred years since Greater Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory in the Trianon Treaty after the First World War. This loss has left a gaping wound in Hungary, and, together with its violent aftermath, it has been influencing the country to this day, as Nick Thorpe reveals. The coronavirus epidemic has not hit the Democratic Republic of Congo as hard as it has some other countries, due to measures like the closure of borders. But, as Olivia Acland reports, these have disrupted food imports, and have led to more cases of hunger instead. The far-eastern Russian island of Sakhalin was part-Japanese during the Second World War, when the Japanese brought in Korean labourers. After the

The streets of Hong Kong have erupted into protests after mainland China proposed new security legislation, to outlaw the undermining of Beijing's authority in the territory. This comes after last year's demonstrations and pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. Danny Vincent reports. The Lake Turkana area in Kenya's Rift valley is considered the cradle of mankind. On the surface, life in this semi-arid remote land appears to have changed little in centuries. But now with locusts swarms and fears about Covid-19, suddenly everything has changed, as Horatio Clare has been finding. In Papua New Guinea's central highlands region, two tribal communities have been fighting each other over ownership of a large coffee plantation. Violence has flared up, and some have committed atrocities. There is only one policeman for the whole region. And now he has handed in his notice, as Charlie Walker reports. We have all been told to wash our hands to avoid infection with the coronavirus. But as Bethany Bell reports, when hand-w

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had his day in court at the start of his corruption trial this week. He denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The trial could last months or even years. Israelis are wondering what it means for their future, as Tom Bateman reports from Jerusalem.In Zimbabwe, and in many other African countries, the numbers of confirmed Covid-19 cases are still low, not least due to swift lockdowns. But the coronavirus is not the worst threat the population faces, says Charlotte Ashton in Harare. Apart from TB, malaria and HIV, there's now hunger because the lockdown makes it hard to earn a living.Sweden did not opt for a lockdown, deciding instead to trust residents to make their own judgements about social distancing. Shops, pubs and restaurants have been allowed to remain open, but as Maddy Savage is finding, it's quite a minefield to negotiate all the dilemmas that throws up.Capoeira, a martial art with elements of dance and acrobatics, originated among enslaved

In the latest programme, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers reflecting the range of life across the UK.She begins and ends in Edinburgh. First, the BBC's Social Affairs Correspondent, Michael Buchanan, reveals how a renowned city centre doctor is using one public health emergency - Covid-19 - to tackle another - drug-related deaths among the homeless. Could a notoriously difficult medical and social problem prove amenable to new approaches?Cabin fever is a literal risk for those living aboard narrow boats at the moment. And while self-sufficiency is a characteristic of those who live afloat, as Lois Pryce has been discovering among users on the Grand Union Canal, their ingenuity is being tested by the relatively prosaic requirements for water and fuel.It's once again possible for those in England who are looking to move house to visit potential new homes in person. What, though, of those who are already part of a chain with buyers and sellers ready to go ahead? Lesley Curwen, a b

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 has surged in Brazil. And yet there are many Brazilians who fail to observe social distancing or to wear masks. Some people blame President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the crisis. He has criticised state governors for imposing quarantines. And as Katy Watson reports from Sao Paulo, the pandemic is turning into a political issue as much as a health one. It's been Ramadan in the Muslim world, and this year mosques around the world have been shut under lockdown. Not so in Pakistan, where, as Secunder Kermani has found, the politicians chose not to oppose the clerics who wanted to keep them open for prayer. Policemen stood by powerlessly as the faithful flocked in. Fancy returning to the theatre or ballet? You're not alone. Performers too, have been longing to get back to the stage. That's not possible yet, but in Germany they can now rehearse in studios again rather than their kitchens. Jenny Hill went to watch the Dortmund ballet dust off their tutus and stretch their

For weeks President Donald Trump downplayed the threat of the coronavirus. The White House carried on with business as usual. But then a few members of staff tested positive for the virus. Anthony Zurcher reports on the impact this has had on both the White House, and on the Trump administration more widely. In Ukraine, it's a year since the new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, came to office. Before he was elected Mr Zelensky had been a comedian and actor, playing a popular fictional president fighting corruption in a TV series. And then he got the job for real. Jonah Fisher reports on how the actor-turned-politician has been getting on. The Dutch have been having “an intelligent lockdown” - to minimise the impact on society and the economy. Only shops such as hairdressers or beauticians had to close. As the lockdown eases Anna Holligan reports on innovative solutions to enable restaurants to open and care home residents to see their families again. In Chile's capital Santiago a very strict lockdown was only i

France had one of the toughest lockdowns but now people can go shopping again in outlets that had been shut for the last two months. Lucy Williamson joins customers in Paris as they queue outside, to ask them how they have been faring. Sudan can't spend much money on healthcare. But as Mark Weston reports, the young activists from the revolutionary committees that helped to oust President Omar al-Bashir last year, are battling against the coronavirus, armed with hand sanitiser and food for the vulnerable. The Roma are a minority that has often been blamed for social ills wherever they live, and now they're being scapegoated for the arrival of Covid-19 in some parts of Spain, as Guy Hedgecoe has found. In Bangladesh, garment workers had been enjoying better conditions since the Rana Plaza factory collapsed seven years ago. But now there's a new worry about the coronavirus, and how to get good healthcare. Christine Stewart meets doctors and patients at a charitable hospital where even the poorest patients get

Videos and images of Africans being evicted from their apartments, forced into quarantine, blocked from hotels and even being barred from a local McDonald’s in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou recently went viral on social media. Danny Vincent looks at the way the coronavirus has amplified existing tensions and says the injustices faced by Africans in China are a by-product of authoritarian rule.Millions of Italians are enjoying their first taste of freedom, meeting loved ones after a two month long separation now that the lockdown rules have eased. But the shutdown inflicted deep wounds in a country which already had serious economic problems and the south is the hardest hit says Mark Lowen in Naples. In Lebanon anger over a failing economy and unaffordable food has pushed protesters into the streets despite fears of infection says Abbie Cheeseman. They are calling it The Hunger Revolution. Katie Arnold detects a rebellious mood in South Africa where a film star turned squatter is highlighting shocking

At the height of the Covid-19 outbreak in April, a New Yorker was dying almost every two minutes — more than 800 a day - four times the city’s normal death rate. The pandemic appears to have passed its peak and a gradual reopening is planned after more than 40 days of lockdown. Nick Bryant describes the impact of the virus on the city he loves and on his own family. Ever since Kim Jong-un failed to show up in mid-April for the festivities marking his grandfather's birth the rumour mill has gone into overdrive. The sheer number of theories about the North Korean leader's whereabouts and state of health reflects the dearth of information about how things work inside the Hermit Kingdom says Laura Bicker.As the coronavirus pandemic forces countries everywhere to keep people indoors, those who live with abusive partners are even more vulnerable. In Jordan, social media is providing one outlet for those unable to step outside says Charlie Faulkner. So far Ukraine seems to be weathering the Covid-19 outbreak better

In the latest programme of the monthly series, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers around the United Kingdom that reflect the range of contemporary life in the country. From Dorset, Jane Labous reflects on how she coped with early isolation with her young daughter in response to Covid-19 and the lessons she is drawing as a single parent as the experience continues and develops. Culloden remains a significant moment in Scottish - and British - history which today, BBC News Special Correspondent James Naughtie has been discovering, has a life all of its own. For although, 274 years on, even the commemorations marking this epic historical event have to take account of current realities, for some there are eternal verities. Parks have become the exercise refuge for many urban dwellers in recent weeks. But this has not been without contention and controversy, with some councils temporarily closing their spaces and others setting strict conditions for their use. This hasn't surprised th