From Our Own Correspondent

'My smile should tell you everything' one victim of an army rampage explains in Zimbabwe. In a society where you never know who’s listening, and who can be trusted, people smile to protect themselves, says Andrew Harding. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world:Lyse Doucet is in Timbuktu where the threat of terrorism and a changing climate are making life harder for the people who live there and are deterring others from visiting the ancient, storied city. Krupa Padhy explores shifting family structures in Denmark where around 5% of babies are now born thanks to IVF. She meets solomurs - single women who’ve had IVF treatment, and diblings – children produced from the same sperm donor. Alexa Dvorson is in Iceland where an influx of tourists is making some locals angry - but not in the way you might expect.And Tom Colls spends an evening watching 'Integrity Idol' - a talent show for local government officials in Nepal.

The impact of Venezuela's economic crisis is being felt far beyond its shores; Colin Freeman hears how some former Venezuelan fisherman have turned to kidnap and smuggling guns and drugs into Trinidad to make money.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world: How will the Trump administration judge its allies in the Middle East, wonders Barbara Plett Usher. She joined the US Secretary of State on part of his rapid round of diplomacy in the region where one word kept cropping up – Iran.63,000 jobs and 19 million applicants – Rahul Tandon joins some of the people hoping to work on India’s railways.Juliet Rix joins the celebrations to mark 100 years since the Bauhaus school of art and design was founded.And Bethany Bell struggles through the snow in Austria to report on record falls in the Alps.

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. James Naughtie considers the contemporary legacy of Scotland's national bard as preparations for Burns Suppers reach their climax. Sima Kotecha wears a saree for the first time and looks at the place of the garment in her family's life. Chris Haslam sets sail off the Norfolk coast with firkins of beer: could this be a sustainable - and viable - way of transporting cargoes in our emissions-conscious age? Carly Appleby reveals the highs and lows of the treatment she is receiving after her breast cancer diagnosis. And Tom Edwards in the English Lakeland discovers if the boom in cold water swimming can transform the fortunes of a derelict lido overlooking Morecambe Bay. Producer Simon Coates

“As I approached the Dusit there was a strange smell in the air; a combination of smoke, petrol, and explosives. I’d smelt it before - the last time was in Northern Syria.” Joe Inwood reflects on the Al Shabaab terror attack on a luxury hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. Stephanie Hegarty meets an 11-year-old social media star in Mexico who is using her online videos to come to terms with the death of her mother.Charlotte McDonald is in Toulouse with a French veteran of the Algerian War of Independence who’s still making peace with the atrocities committed by his own side. Karen Allen mingles with South Africa's growing Korean community, some of whom are making good money selling synthetic hair. And Justin Rowlatt explains why he took his wife on a romantic getaway to Chernobyl.

The Saudi teenager Rahaf al-Qunun was spared deportation after details of her plight were spread on social media while she barricaded herself in a hotel room in Thailand. She feared being killed by her family if she was forced to return to Kuwait. She was saved not by her passport but by her phone, observes Jonathan Head.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world:Olivia Acland reflects on why the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo may have to wait a little longer than expected to celebrate their country’s first ever democratic transfer of power. Nick Sturdee examines the split between the Ukrainian and Russian branches of the Orthodox church and has a strange encounter involving a black-robed priest, alleged KGB stooges and a mysterious man in a white car. Jane Wakefield has a glimpse of what may turn out to be the future – drones delivering much-needed medicines and other supplies to remote African villages. And Rob Cameron uncovers a disturbing secret about Prag

“Something once whole, broken into so many pieces,” Anna Foster reflects on the toll conflict in the Central African Republic is having on its people. In the capital Bangui, she visits PK5 a Muslim enclave in the mainly Christian city and scene of regular violence. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. As a proudly homophobic, far-right president assumes office in Brazil, Simon Maybin meets some of the country’s gay footballers. Chris Bowlby visits a bastion of loyal Protestantism in the Republic of Ireland. The Orange Order hall may have been refurbished with money from Dublin but it is proudly British. Peter Robertson heads to the hills in Uzbekistan to try and get a clear view of what’s changed there under Shavkat Mirziyoyev who became President following Islam Karimov's death. And Vivienne Nunis encounters a scarlet snouted, goblin-like spirit as she examines the damage caused by a recent typhoon in Japan.

Winter’s majestic carpet may transform Karabash into a fairytale land that seems sprinkled with icing sugar, says Steve Rosenberg, but the reality is far from magical. There he meets a man who might just be a Russian spy. Kate Adie introduces some of the many memorable meetings our correspondents have shared in 2018.Mathew Charles spends a twitchy night out in the company of a drug cartel killer and dealer who explains how Colombia’s narco trade is changing. Helen Nianias has coffee with a man who left Kosovo to fight jihad in Syria, but who was back less than two weeks later - before his mum even realised he'd gone.Aisha Gani stumbles across a rave in a refugee camp in Bangladesh – home to some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who’ve fled violence in neighbouring Myanmar.And Gabriel Gatehouse has a strange and mysterious encounter with a troll in Sweden.

In the Christmas edition, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers around the United Kingdom which reflect the range of contemporary life in the country. Ian McMillan tells a story known with subtle variations across the country - the Christmas card that's received each year but which can't be acknowledged because you've lost the address of the people who send it. They aren't relatives, they're not friends and they're not really acquaintances. But their card says something profound beyond the sentiments it contains. Meanwhile, Jane Labous joins the Special Constables on Christmas patrol. They're part of the police force in England, Scotland and Wales and yet not for they are volunteers who have the power to detain and fine those who break the law. At a time of tight police budgets in Dorset, the regular police tell Jane, without the Specials there would be many fewer arrests. But who are the Specials and what is the essential job they perform for no salary? Those who are single at Ch

A controversial law in Hungary will allow employers to demand 400 hours of overtime from their workers and defer payment for three years. Nick Thorpe examines the rationale behind it, and watches as more than ten thousand people take to the streets in protest.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world:Lorraine Mallinder shares a story of survival and escape from Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, where hundreds of thousands of people have tried to flee violence between local separatists and the military. Jonah Fisher has the tale of a Ukrainian woman who thought her son had finally been found in Afghanistan. He went missing more than 30 years ago when serving in the Soviet military there. Jeremy Bristow meets a man trying to preserve the language spoken by Jesus and his followers as he visits some of the shrinking communities of Syriac Christians who still live in Turkey. And it’s the same procedure as every year for Joanna Robertson in Germany where New Year’s Eve is celebrated with

Before the contested referendum on independence, Carme Forcadell was the speaker of the Catalan parliament but since March she has been awaiting trial in a Spanish jail accused of rebellion. Niall O'Gallagher meets the ever defiant separatist politician.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world.Sarah Rainsford is surprised at the warm welcome she receives in the frozen Siberian city of Irkutsk - where, unlike in Moscow, people seem willing to criticise their President and are happy to speak to a Western journalist.Alastair Leithead discovers the vast size of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - as well as its dense forests, potholes, bureaucracy and corruption – make it a difficult place to get around as well as to govern.Rayhan Demytrie finds that the inauguration of Georgia’s first female President may not mean much for gender equality in the country.And Lucy Ash discovers that DIY DNA testing kits that help your trace your ancestors are revealing far more than some Americans barga

At 13 Basma was forced to marry an older man and then repeatedly abused by him and his family. At 16 she was kidnapped and sent to work in a brothel. Then her own family decided to kill her. Now she lives and works in one of Iraq’s secret shelters for survivors of domestic abuse and shares her story with Shaimaa Kahlil.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. As South Africa marks the fifth anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s death, Andrew Harding reflects on the role that racial power and politics still plays there. Bethany Bell is in South Tyrol where Italian nationalism is proving surprisingly popular among German speakers in the north of the country. Fleur MacDonald attends a cinema screening in a Tunisian prison to see how films are being used to challenge the way inmates see the world.And in Canada, John Kampfner spends an evening in a cold, cavernous warehouse throwing axes at a dart-board like target – for fun.

'Orwellian' may have become an overused political term, but in Xinjiang, it has never been more appropriate says John Sudworth. The region’s ten million Uighur people are under constant surveillance by the Chinese state.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world. David Willis explains how a pimp turned politician won a seat on the Nevada state legislature despite being dead. Peter Oborne visits a Syrian school which has only recently re-opened after jihadi militants were driven out of town.Charles Haviland discovers that the conflict in the east of Ukraine is also leaving its mark on the west of the country.And Joanna Robertson explores the competing plans to deal Paris’s rat infestation – from total extermination to blanket non-intervention.

The “gilets jaunes” (yellow vest) protestors trying to bring France to a standstill. Hugh Schofield, says they're angry at having to pay the price for Parisians to live more comfortably and feel they are treated with contempt and condescension by the French elite. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. Nick Higham is on the Rock to find out what Gibraltarians think of the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.Devina Gupta explains what it is like to report from Delhi, where the polluted air makes her eyes water and her throat burn.Will Grant examines some of the many challenges Mexico’s new President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, will face; from economic stagnation to the violent drug cartels. And Melissa Van Der Klugt visits a pioneering “wildlife corridor” in East Africa and discovers that simply moving fences has made a big impact on Kenya’s wildlife.

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 politics to pastimes, from hallowed traditions to emerging trends, from the curious to the ridiculous, the programme presents a tableau of Britain today.Pieces this month include reflections on the very young and the very old playing together, how people on Lewis in the Western Isles are remembering a century-old tragedy that affected all families there, the special attraction of North Yorkshire for Goths and why a carol service takes us down to Strawberry Field.** as "From Our Home Correspondent" is a topical programme, pieces are subject to change at short notice.

The Brexit Withdrawal Agreement has prompted some very different and very passionate reactions. Adam Fleming reveals how, after an agonising wait which included taking the draft agreement on holiday with him - twice, its publication this week almost brought him to tears.

In 1918 Poland regained its sovereignty after 123 years of occupation by Austria, Prussia and Russia. This year Poles celebrated its centenary with a state organised march through the capital, Warsaw, which an estimated quarter of a million people attended. The parade, and the headlines, were overshadowed by the government’s last-minute decision to march together with far-right groups. Adam Easton was in Warsaw marching among the nationalists and the patriots. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world.David Baillie is with NATO in Norway where some of the companies singing really takes the cake. Humera Iqbal talks to a young Pakistani DJ who uses Electronic Dance Music to save traditional instruments from extinction. Adam Jones finds out how the idea of moderation works in the land of excess And Dany Mitzman is in Italy where the graffiti is surprisingly educational.

The risks some Indian women are prepared to take to try and have baby boys and how the battle to make them think again seems to be working. Sophie Cousins is in the state of Haryana where there are signs the gender imbalance is slowing improving. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world. Guy Hedgecoe explores why Spain still can’t decide what to do with the body of its former dictator General Franco, even as it prepares to celebrate 40 years since its transition to democracy.Rebecca Ford tells the story of the last French soldier to die during World War One – but when exactly did he die?Richard Dove takes a coach along the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge but fails to find much enthusiasm from his fellow passengers between the Chinese mainland, Hong King and Macau. And Ash Bhardwaj has pizza with a rapper in a town called New York not far from the frontline in Eastern Ukraine.

Change is coming to South Africa, says Cyril Ramphosa, but we must be patient. As the President plots his next move, and investigations into allegations of corruption under his predecessor Jacob Zuma continue, Andrew Harding reflects on the very different fortunes of the two very different leaders. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world.Allis Moss is in Norway – one of the greenest countries in the world but also one of the richest in oil and gas. Jai Jethwa investigates why so many Indian men, including his own father, have moustaches. From Bollywood stars to upper-caste martial warriors, this particular type of facial hair has long been associated with masculinity and power.Jessica Bateman explores attempts to breathe new life into some of Greece’s increasingly empty villages.And Tim Mansel meets a woman who once slapped the German Chancellor; it was 1968 and Beate Klarsfeld wanted to draw attention to Kurt-Georg Kiesinger’s Nazi past.

Keep America Great’ has replaced ‘Make America Great’ as the favoured slogan among some Donald Trump supporters. Ahead of the US mid-term elections, James Cook meets those who think the President is winning and can’t wait to vote for him again.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world.In Mexico, Will Grant has been traveling with the caravan made up of the thousands of Central American migrants hoping to reach the US.From Damascus, Diana Darke reflects on what her own family’s experience after World War One reveals about what life might be like in Syria when the conflict there finally ends. John Murphy is in Tunisia, once held up as one of the Arab Springs greatest successes but where people now have little to celebrate.And Pip Stewart reveals why a flesh-eating parasite from Guyana has made a quiet mark on her.

Recruiting more female peacekeepers is seen as essential to defeating jihadists groups in the Sahel, but the UN's Mali mission is the deadliest active peacekeeping deployment in the world. Jennifer O’Mahony met some of the women trying to bring stability to the region - as well as fighting for equality within their own ranks.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world.Nichols Walton is in Genoa to find out how the Italian city is coping after a motorway bridge collapse killed more than forty people in August; “Genoa is wounded not stupid” one poster declares.Olivia Acland travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo to meet Dr Denis Mukwege – a winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize and a man known to many simply as Dr. Miracle. Mary Novakovich visits the recently reopened National Museum of Serbia, which was shut for 15 years, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, which remained closed for 10 years. Was it worth the wait?And from a cemetery in Chennai, Southern Ind