From Our Own Correspondent

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

Kate Adie introduces stories from around the world. Saudi Arabia's investment conference put on quite a show - and unlike many foreign investors scared off by the aftershocks of Jamal Khashoggi's death, Sebastian Usher was there to see it for himself. Lyse Doucet was in Afghanistan to cover its parliamentary elections, and found many changes to the streetscape in Kabul - as the city survives a rising tide of attacks. Airport security measures provided clues of their own to the way life is changing. Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, was sometimes hyped as the "next Dubai" in the 2000s - but Samira Shackle found that many of its building sites, supposed to give rise to four-star opulence, are now abandoned shells occupied by internally displaced people who fled the advance of the so-called Islamic State. Tequila? No, mezcal - a smoother, smokier, and arguably more authentically Mexican product. Graeme Green takes a tipple or two in the state of Oaxaca, to hear how its aficionados and producers are torn between excitem

Kate Adie introduces analysis, wit and experiences from correspondents around the world. The past weekend's elections in Afghanistan were held under threat, and only patchily - but they were held, despite fears to the contrary. Secunder Kermani talked to plenty of young voters in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and heard both impatience and hope for the country's future in their answers. Serbia has a domestic violence problem - as well as uncounted stockpiles of firearms in private hands. As the government brings in measures to try and discourage abuse in relationships, Nicola Kelly hears about the lethal risks of abusers with their own guns. Tim Smith tags along with a group of dissenters on a night-time raid: they're Catalans who are strongly against the idea of Catalonian independence, and claim they're "cleaning up" the streetscape in some small towns by tearing down or removing symbols of the Catalan nationalist cause. In the ritzier parts of Jakarta, you can almost smell the money these days, says Rebecca He

In the latest programme of the monthly series, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers around the United Kingdom. This month we hear Sima Kotecha's triumphant tale of finally managing to pay off her student loans - except debt can prove a stubborn companion. Lesley Curwen visits a part of Lancashire she has long known which finds itself once more at the centre of media attention. The Fylde coastal plain is where the energy company Cuadrilla has just resumed fracking activities amidst much controversy. But away from the site itself what, she wonders, do local people make of all that's happening? From what claims to be the site of the solution to the UK's future energy needs to one that used to argue the same: Sellafield. On his visit, Theo Leggett sees plenty of rust and weeds at the Cumbrian nuclear plant but also discovers that in this part of northern England which has long struggled for economic take-off there are burgeoning hopes for the future... maybe. With BBC Children in N

Fuel shortages are nothing to worry about, says the government in Zimbabwe - just bumps in the road on the way to a better future. Andrew Harding reflects on whether President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF will be able to deliver on their promise of a new dawn for the country. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. John Sweeney is in Malta a year on from the assassination of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia; “if you’re a trouble-making reporter, it’s time to be afraid,” he concludes. Jemima Kelly is in Kaliningrad to learn more about Bitcoin mining – a place she finds very much open for business, whatever that business is. Andrew Whitehead stumbles across the rapidly expanding Korean community of Chennai, which claims to be the biggest concentration of expats in the port city. And Jenny Hill enjoys an evening at the opera, but what can Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde tell us about the fate of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.Producer: Joe Kent

The women who regard their days with the jihadist group as the first time they'd had any kind of female empowerment and the men who saw it as a chance to escape poverty and gain access to money and guns. Colin Freeman reports from Maiduguri in Nigeria. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. Harriet Noble meets the ‘rental sisters’ trying to coax reclusive young Japanese men back into society. There are up to a million ‘hikikomori’ who go for years without speaking to those around them or even leaving their bedrooms. Jane Labous hears of the stigma of childlessness in Senegal – for both men and women. Bob Dickinson explains why plans to make South America’s biggest ski resort even bigger have provoked a backlash amongst some residents of Barciloche in Argentina. And in supposedly liberal Lebanon, Lizzie Porter meets a cleric who was forced from his job for posting videos of himself online playing the piano in his traditional robes.

The Azov Sea off Crimea has become increasingly militarised and seen tense exchanges between Russian and Ukrainian coastguards. Jonah Fisher joins the Ukrainian Navy in these troubled waters. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world. In Colombia, Simon Maybin meets a group of Venezuelan migrants who’ve turned to busking on the streets of Cucuta in the hope of raising enough money to feed their starving families back home. In Hungary, Nick Thorpe visits Mohacs where invading Ottoman forces defeated those of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 16th century. What can it tell us about relations between Turkey and Hungary today? In Spain, Lottie Gross finds herself mesmerised by competing towers of people at the 27th Concurs de Castells in Tarragona. And in Brussels, Adam Fleming takes a break from reporting the negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the EU to play ‘Brexit the board game.’

Thousands of people have been intercepted by the Libyan coastguard as they try to reach Europe and sent to detention centres in the capital Tripoli. Gaining access to them is difficult, but that doesn’t mean those inside them have given up on trying to get their stories out. Sally Hayden hears tales of abandonment, abuse, and slavery. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from journalists and correspondents around the world. Jatinder Sidhu hears from the pro-pot campaigners who won’t be celebrating the legalisation of the drug in Canada but are instead mourning the loss of a counter-culture which they’ve nurtured over decades. James Clayton tries to make sense of why manual scavenging persists in India – the use of human waste removers to clear blocked drains and sewers with their bare hands. Joey D’urso visits some of the beautiful central Italian towns that were partly destroyed by earthquakes in 2016. Have they and their inhabitants recovered? And Phoebe Smith finds herself lost for words as she s

Home-made muskets that often fail to fire and little but lucky charms for protection – what it’s like going into battle for the rebels fighting for independence for English-speaking parts of Cameroon. Colin Freeman meets a former member of the Red Dragons. Caroline Wyatt introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. Joanna Roberson hears why the people of Rome fear the historical heart of their city is being carved up by criminals as mafia seek out cafes and restaurants to launder their money. In China, Robin Brant meets Ian Simpson whose son Michael was murdered last year. Michael was killed by his ex-wife Weiwei Fu but now Ian wants her help to win custody of his grandchildren who are living with Weiwei’s relatives in rural China. Heidi Fuller-Love discovers what life is like on the Namibian island of Impalila. It may be close to the borders of Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, but it can feel a long way from anywhere. And Emma Jane Kirby meets her hero – the French musician Franci

Inside the room where the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is picked. A committee spends six months discussing hundreds of nominees before the latest Nobel Laureate is announced. In Norway, Matt Pickles meets one of the five people tasked with making that weighty decision. Caroline Wyatt introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. Samira Shackle travels to the Pakistani city of Kasur which generated headlines around the world after a spate of child abuse cases. There she meets a young man trying to break free of what he calls the “stigma” and “dishonour” that can come from being sexually abused. Martin Vennard spots signs of change in Moscow, where airport arrival and departure boards now alternate between Russian, English, and Mandarin. Mark Stratton finds out why traditional or ‘country’ foods are getting harder to find in Arctic Canada – from blubber to boiled seal. And Louise Cooper takes an economic road trip around post-financial crash Greece.

Jair Bolsonaro, the front-runner in Brazil’s presidential election, is famously tough on crime and infamous for his unashamedly controversial comments. Katy Watson meets supporters of the man drawing comparisons to Donald Trump.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world.On the shores of Lake Prespa, Maria Margaronis visits Greece’s little-known Macedonian speaking population.In Tehran, Lois Pryce meets Issa Omidvar whose globetrotting adventures were documented in a weekly TV show in the 1960s and is now advising young Iranians on how to satisfy their wanderlustIn India, Laura Dawson meets young women who’ve been abandoned by their families but are finding new hope in a government-backed refuge.And while international courts and tribunals have given hope to victims of atrocities in many parts of the world, Fergal Keane reflect that there has been no justice for the majority of those killed in Uganda’s past conflicts.

In parts of the country health workers rely on armoured vehicles and a military escort in order to deliver much-needed vaccines. Olivia Acland reports from Beni where this kind of fieldwork was briefly suspended following a rebel attack in the city. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world. “Russia is a superpower” was the message Moscow wanted to convey when it deployed around a third of the country’s entire armed forces to a training exercise in Siberia. But “Russia is a country of contrasts” was that message that Steve Rosenberg returned with. Chris Bockman shares the story of the ‘Swiss Maternity’ in South West France – a once abandoned chateau where hundreds of Jewish and Roma women gave birth in secret in the 1940s. Shahzeb Jilani asks how far Pakistan is prepared to go to defeat the monsters it once helped create, after a coordinated attack on schools in the north of the country. And, fifty years after it was first unveiled to the public, Mark Jordan reveals how the jumbo je

. 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. Gabriel Gatehouse offers a personal reflection on the strong feelings of antipathy recently directed at the BBC - and him - by supporters of Tommy Robinson - for many years associated with the far-right organisation, the English Defence League - and what this says about the changing media landscape. Martin Gurdon introduces us to Slasher, the star of his flock of chickens, and explains how her quirks and distinctive character reveal much about the dramas witnessed by Britain's army of amateur hen keepers. Rebecca Ford in the Potteries celebrates the founder of modern circus and reveals how locals there are planning to use his legacy to promote the area as a centre of excellence for this ever-evolving form of entertainment. In the wake of the tense summer Test series between England and India, Mihir Bose regrets t

As investigators continue their trawl for evidence of corruption and state capture during Jacob Zuma’s time in office, others are said to be plotting his return to power. Politics in South Africa is never dull, says Andrew Harding. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. In Israel, Tom Bateman is on the hunt for the finest falafel as he hears what Arab and Jewish Israelis think of the controversial new Nation State law. In Spain, Rachel McCormack suspects that something fishy is going on during her gastronomical visit to Galicia. Chloe Arnolds recounts some of her many tales of mistaken identity; she has received offers of employment for jobs she hadn’t applied for and rejections from companies she had never even heard of. And brutal it may be, but Steve Evans reveals why he has come to admire the directness of Australian politics.

Radio Alwan is an independent radio station that has been entertaining the people of Syria with dramas, phone-ins and their very own version of Woman's Hour since 2014 - as well as providing an independent source of news. Now, as Emma Jane Kirby reveals, its future is in doubt.Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world.In Uganda, Sally Hayden meets a man who says he was forced to work as a babysitter by the child-soldier turned senior commander in the Lord's Resistance Army - Dominic Ongwen. Chris Bowlby finds out what the Harley Davidson riding bikers of Wisconsin think of President Trump.Sian Griffin dances with a ten-metre long puppet shaped like an eel and finds out why the American Eel population is shrinking in Canada.And John Kampfner visits a Cornish town in Mexico where the Union Jack flies proudly alongside the Mexican flag and the staple dish is the pasty.

Some are buried in mass graves; others are still in the hands of Islamic State militants. Kate Adie introduces stories from Iraq, Chile, India, Colombia, and Sweden: Four years since IS swept through northern Iraq and carried out what the UN called a genocidal attack on the Yazidi people who lived there, Lyse Doucet returns to see what remains. Linda Pressly meets a Chilean woman who posed as a young boy online in her quest to get her local priesthood investigated. Vivienne Nunis learns how women and their pink rickshaws are transforming the working world in Jaipur - much to the disapproval of some local men. Nick Thorpe makes the long journey through the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range to reach the Ciudad Perdida – the Lost City which was abandoned by the indigenous people who once lived there when Spanish conquistadors arrived at the Colombian coast in the 16th century. And Gabriel Gatehouse has a mysterious but revealing encounter with a real-life troll in Stockholm.