From Our Own Correspondent

The migrants clinging to hope, NATO military manoeuvres and a jungle prince. Kate Adie introduces some memorable moments correspondents have shared on the programme in 2017. Benjamin Zand encounters 'lies, lies and yet more lies" as he follows the treacherous migrant route that hundreds of thousands of people have followed in the hope of reaching Europe from Africa. Shaimaa Khalil recalls growing up in Egypt and her first experience of sexual harassment aged 11 #metoo. Emily Unia watches a NATO display of military might in Romania, but can't escape noticing that some members of the press pack don't seem to be taking it seriously. Tim Whewell tries to talk his way into Abkhazia - a country which most of the world refuses to recognise. And Justin Rowlatt has the tale of the lonely death of an Indian prince reduced to living in abject poverty in a hunting lodge in a forest in Delhi. Producer: Joe Kent.

In a festive edition for Christmas Eve, Mishal Husain presents pieces by: Ian McMillan on the special pleasures of Christmas Eve; Sarah Oliver on advice for those daunted by the seasonal food extravaganza; Padraig O Tuama on what happened when Bethlehem came to Belfast; Datshiane Navanayagam on the make-or-break power of customer service departments at this time of year; and Jonnie Bayfield on how he fared in devising out-of-the-ordinary gift options.

Killing time on election day in Catalonia and the bitter experience of applying for a visa. Correspondents share their stories, insights, and complaints. Introduced by Kate Adie.Reporting restrictions on polling day prompt Kevin Connolly to explore Barcelona and take a bit of a gamble. Yolande Knell tries to ignore the tempting local delicacies in Jerusalem and sample public opinion instead. Linda Pressly meets the people hoping the river the Pilcomayo will once again flow through the Chaco – one of the most arid and unforgiving regions of South America situated along the border between Paraguay and Argentina. Chris Bowlby remembers New Year’s Eve 1992 and the moment when Czechoslovakia became the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. And of the many challenges that foreign reporting presents, the one Colin Freeman dreads most is applying for a visa.

What next for the ANC as its chuckling, charismatic and divisive leader Jacob Zuma departs? Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories and insights from around the world. In South Africa, Andrew Harding looks back on President Zuma's time at the top of his party and his country. Joanna Robertson soaks up the seasonal spirit in Rome amid complaints about corruption, mafia collusion, a mangy municipal Christmas tree and a Christmas market with no stalls. Tim Hartley reports from Hong Kong as Beijing tries to blow the final whistle on protesting football fans who dare to disrespect the national anthem. Alexa Dvorson explores why all is not well in Bhutan, land of Gross National Happiness. And at an art gallery in Budapest, Nick Thorpe is reminded of both the censorship imposed by Hungary's former Communist rulers and the paradoxical freedoms granted to its people.

Hindu nationalism in India, making money in war-torn Yemen and family drama in Uzbekistan. Kate Adie introduces correspondents’ stories from around the world. It’s 25 years since Hindu mobs destroyed the Babri mosque in Ayodhya; Mark Tully was there and asks whether it really did mark the end of secularism in India, as was claimed at the time. Bethan McKernan finds that business is booming in Yemen for the tribal leaders, arms traders and khat dealers who know where to look. Peter Robertson dissects the rise and fall of Gulnara Karimova who was once seen as her father's favoured successor as president of Uzbekistan. Katy Watson explores the complex history and geography of the word ‘America’ – should it be used to refer to a country, a continent, two continents? And Hannah King joins the British soldiers training the Somali National Army.

Stoicism, good humour and palpable tension as Rohingya Muslims flee Myanmar to Bangladesh. Kate Adie introduces stories from correspondents around the world. Justin Rowlatt finds mixed emotions among Bangladeshis about the refugees arriving from across the border. Tim Whewell reports on the women and children left behind as the so called Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate crumbles. Sally Hayden explores how an outbreak of fake news and misinformation is making it harder to stop the spread of the plague in Madagascar. Jonah Fisher tours the tented camp that has reappeared in the centre of Kiev – last seen before the revolution in 2014. And Bill Law tries his best not to talk politics as Canadians gather for the annual Grey Cup football match or Canada’s Grand National Drunk as it’s often known.

Mishal Husain presents pieces on a Devon pub admired by Prince Harry, why the future for local papers matters, executive pay and a moment of truth for a woman with breast cancer.

Is this the end of the Mugabe era? Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories from around the world. “Which version of reality would you like to read today?” Andrew Harding is asked as he’s offered a selection of newspapers in Zimbabwe. Gabriel Gatehouse has been reporting on conflict for more than a decade but the plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar has affected him like no other.Caroline Bayley finds a surprising splash of red in a grey Moscow suburb – a strawberry firm turning a profit, not from harvesting fruit but producing houses.Bethany Bell hears memories of the largest forced migration in European history – of the ethnic Germans made to leave their homes following the Second World War. Their stories have often received little international attention - overshadowed by the crimes of the Nazis.And Clive Myrie has fulfilled a childhood dream – that of visiting Yemen. But the architectural wonders he longed to see have been disfigured by bullets and bombs.

Kenyan widows fighting sexual cleansing and talking to war criminals in the Balkans. Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories from around the world. For some among the Luo tribe in Western Kenya, tradition dictates that widows must have repeated, unprotected sex with a stranger to rid themselves of evil spirits. Theopi Skarlatos meets the women fighting back. Mark Urban talks to convicted war criminals from the former Yugoslavia – some accept their sentences and have moved on, others claim they are the victims. Mark Stratton visits the Buddhist temple that has been at the heart of a long-running (and sometimes bloody) battle between Thailand and Cambodia. Sophie Ribstein embarks on a journey of musical discovery that provides an unexpected insight into the complex rhythms of Apartheid South Africa. And Lucy Williamson flies from Paris to the Gulf to spend seven minutes with the supposedly charming Emanuel Macron. He is a President that likes to talk, but what is he like to talk to?

The Prince’s purge: Mohammed Bin Salman’s moves to reform Saudi Arabia. Kate Adie introduces stories, wit, and analysis from correspondents around the world.Frank Gardner chronicles the meteoric rise of the Crown Prince reshaping Saudi Arabia.Kate Lamble meets the campaigners struggling to convince Muscovites that Alexei Navalny should be the next Russian President. They complain of political apathy and hostile media.Xavier Zapata mingles with the young Catalonians newly energised and politically engaged by the independence debate but struggling to get their voices heard. Andrew Hosken is in Albania where new attempts are underway to investigate the crimes of Enver Hoxha’s brutal dictatorship. Thousands of people were ‘disappeared’ - many ended up in mass graves. And Juliet Rix reports from the Inuit region of Nunavut – the newest, northernmost and largest territory in Canada.

Life in cash-strapped Venezuela and a return to war-ravaged Damascus. Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories and insights from around the world. Katy Watson examines the staying power of Venezuela's ruling party. Despite ongoing shortages of food, medicine, and cash, Nicola Maduro's government has tightened its grip on the country. Simon Parker hears renewed talk of independence on the Faroe Islands, an autonomous region of Denmark, but struggles to decipher what independence would actually mean. Angellica Bell assesses the damage wrought by Hurricane Maria on the land of her grandfather – Dominica. And the travel writer Colin Thubron returns to Damascus fifty years after the publication of his homage to the city. He is surprised to find old friends still there, to stumble through an Old City largely intact, and to be taken in for questioning by the intelligence service. “We can’t see an end to it,” people tell him of the civil war.

A president in exile? The Brussels' press pack is in pursuit of Carles Puigdemont. Kate Adie introduces stories, wit, and analysis from correspondents around the world.It’s been a busy week for Adam Fleming in Belgium, as he tried to track down the sacked Catalan leader and figure out what is really going on.Colin Freeman reported from Liberia at the height of the Ebola crisis and has been back to see what has changed. Shaking hands is once again permitted, he finds, and the nation’s health service has been transformed. Justin Rowlatt has a tale of prince and poverty from the ridge forest in Delhi, India. And Amy Guttman is in Okinawa, Japan, home to thousands of American soldiers. And Stephen Smith has the story behind Dr Zhivago - one of the best-known love stories of the 20th century.

The Nigerian militants who rely on drugs to fight their fears and the displaced people taking them to forget the violence. Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories. Sally Hayden reports from Madhugiri where the battle against Boko Haram is creating a growing problem with drug abuse. Tom Stevenson is in Diyarbakir, the Turkish city which has for decades, been at the heart of the conflict between Kurdish rebels and the state. Caroline Eden explores the Brodsky synagogue in Odessa and sifts through its archive which tells of controversies old and new. Rahul Tandon finds out that what you wear, what you drive and how you speak can affect which shops and restaurants are willing to take your money in India. It is, he says, one of the most class-conscious societies in the world. And David Chazan once owned a work of art worth tens of thousands of pounds – not that he knew it – opting instead to replace it with a coat of blanc cassé on the walls of his Paris flat.

With a political crisis, a push for freedom and talk of vegetables, Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories from across the world. Guy Hedgecoe is with the unionist Catalans, opposed to independence from Spain of their region. In Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince has called for a return to moderate Islam in the Kingdom. Kirsty Lang sees some noticeable changes for women in the country. In the mountains of Nicaragua, Margaret Ward goes off grid but also sees the progress has made in using renewable energy. 500 years ago Europe was torn apart by the Reformation. One of the leading actors in it was Martin Luther, and he used a new technology, the printing press to get his message out. Jenny Hill follows in his footsteps. The we talk vegetables - tubers, to be precise - with Christine Finn, who reveals which one the people of Vermont voted for.

Why women must walk fast and certainly not answer back in Egypt. Shaimaa Khalil remembers a childhood episode which impacts her even now when she visits her home city. James Coomarasamy is in the Russian countryside, where having links to President Putin can stave off the poverty affecting many other areas. Canada's healthcare system is often touted as one of the best, but Sian Griffiths finds that even here they're struggling to cope with an opioid crisis. Cricket isn't usually associated with Francophone countries. Yet in Rwanda, it's giving the country something else to be remembered for, as Jake Warren hears. And Jack Garland visits the Florida high school with a special connection to American football, to see if they're taking a knee during the national anthem.

Mishal Husain presents more reflections on life in Britain today, including diesel car dilemmas, a mother remembers her army son and picking up the pieces after devastating floods

Twisted metal, smashed concrete and anger on the streets of Mogadishu. Bridget Kendall introduces stories, analysis, and insight from correspondents around the world. After decades of war and years of terror attacks Somalia has seen a lot of violence, but this time it’s different says Alistair Leithead following the truck bomb which killed hundreds of people in the capital. As the Chinese Communist Party meets for its five-yearly congress, Carrie Gracie goes underground on the Beijing subway to gauge the mood in the city. John Sweeney is in Malta where the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, has raised questions about corruption and organised crime. Linda Pressly reports from Sweden where hundreds of migrant children appear to have switched off from the world around them – refusing to talk, eat or get out of bed. How can 'Resignation Syndrome' be cured? And on the Faroe Islands, Tim Ecott joins the annual gannet hunt – the young birds are a prized local delicacy.

Continued confusion has taken its toll on Catalonia since the disputed referendum. Bridget Kendall introduces correspondents’ stories from around the world. On the streets and at the school gates the question of independence is dividing the people of Barcelona. It is also disrupting their lives finds Pascale Harter. Owen Bennett-Jones hears tales of abandoned babies in Pakistan; unwanted infants hurled into ice-cold rivers and others saved from disaster by caring strangers. Mike Wendling meets masked Antifa activists in America. Who are these left-wing activists? And what do they really want? Lucy Ash explores an often forgotten chapter in the history of WW1 – the invasion of Russia by Britain, Canada and the US. And Leon McCarron has a shave in a barbers on the West Bank and gets a lesson in the history of the Samaritans.

Election day was peaceful in Liberia, but are sinister forces at play? Kate Adie introduces analysis, wit, and story-telling from correspondents around the world.

The spiritualists selling costly ‘cures’ and offering exorcisms for mental health problems. Kate Adie introduces stories, wit, and analysis from correspondents around the world. Nicola Kelly is in Zanzibar where spiritual healers are getting rich as the country struggles to deal with rising demand for mental health services. Mark Lowen ponders what the future may hold for Iraqi Kurdistan. Zeinab Badawi explores Charleston in America’s Deep South. The carefully maintained Georgina houses are impressive, but look closely and the marks of the child slaves’ hands that built them are still visible. Phoebe Smith visits a restaurant for vultures in Nepal. And Hugh Schofield has become a dad again. He’s discovering that a lot has changed in France since his last child was born 18 years ago.