From Our Own Correspondent

The human stories behind the news headlines: dodging bullets while trying to reach Yemen's port of Aden, where the hospital is overwhelmed with casualties. The Africans who moved to South Africa for a better life, and ended up having to seek refuge from violence. In Turkey's south-east, a hundred years after the Armenian minority was massacred, the Kurdish minority has hopes for a stronger presence in national politics. China and Russia are best buddies at the moment, but it hasn't always been thus, as one woman whose life mirrors the relationship between these two countries knows all too well. And what are the chances of getting pneumonia each time you stay in the same, foreign country? That's if you count Russia and the Soviet Union as the same country.

The people behind the news headlines: the migrants risking everything boarding flimsy boats to cross the Mediterranean; the inhabitants of a Russian provincial town and what they think of the country's leadership at a time of economic hardship; the families living in Delhi, alarmed by reports that the Indian capital has the worst air quality in the world; the Venezuelans having to queue at the shops for basic goods; and the Ethiopian volunteers who, by hard graft, are bringing change to a region once known for misery and famine

History rears its head, not for the first time, in this edition of From Our Own Correspondent. Attacks on colonial-era statues in South Africa mean people there are making a fresh assessment of their country's historical legacy; while in the Far East, what's written in the text books is the subject of a fierce row between South Korea and Japan. A farewell may be bid to decades of hostility between the US and Cuba - their leaders are in Panama and historic developments are anticipated. Why do HIV rates remain so high in Russia? We're out with health workers whose efforts seem stymied by ideology and a sense that if it works in the West, then it must be bad for Russia. And a correspondent in Thailand goes to a monastery and tries to bid a temporary farewell to the torrid world of journalism and hunt instead for inner peace. He wasn't entirely successful.

The stories behind the week's news: what's led to this outbreak of fighting in Yemen? Who stands to lose and who to win? Why some are not convinced about the deal reached in Lausanne on Iran's nuclear programme. The Nigerian election: a great moment for democracy but the new president faces a people with high expectations. The steady growth in the wealth of some Chinese - it means consumption is now more important than investment in driving the nation's economic growth. And the mighty money spinner that is coffee -- where on earth can you find the most delicious cup of all?

Insight. Analysis. Colour. In this edition, people in the German town of Montabaur try to come to terms with the fact that one of their neighbours, Andreas Lubitz, deliberately crashed an aircraft into the French Alps killing 149-people; two years of negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme reach a climax in Lausanne -- the implications, if there's agreement, could be far-reaching; the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Argus is on its way home from Sierra Leone -- its airmen and sailors have spent months helping in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus; have you tried organic kosher shazamazam? We're in LA trying to penetrate a sub-culture with a language of its own and in Africa, he's the man presidents, rebels and villagers alike all want to meet. But they'll find it harder to do so in the future. West Africa correspondent Mark Doyle is leaving the BBC.

Colouring in the spaces between the headlines. In this edition: from elected government to Death Row, the change in fortunes of the Muslim Brotherhood is creating ripples throughout the Middle East; livelihoods devastated by a cyclone - Vanuatu is the kind of place that only makes the news when it's bad news; the Cubans and Americans are talking at last, historic announcements seem imminent, but on the ground in Havana, it's clear the process of change is already well underway; 'it's lean, fast and elegant,' not a racing car, but the Danube Salmon, a fish whose very future, we hear, is under threat. And the only grand piano in Gaza has been located. We tell the story of how it was found and how it's being lovingly restored.

Around the world in less than half an hour! In this edition: euphoria in the Nigerian army as successes are notched up in the battle against the jihadis of Boko Haram; a stunning election victory for Benjamin Netanyahou in Israel -- but it means frustration, anger and dismay for the country's Palestinian population; bombs explode in a Christian neighbourhood in Pakistan - we hear how Christians there are regularly targetted by extremists and feel abandoned by their government; how the argument between states and the White House over immigration to the US is raising profound questions about what kind of a country the United States is and a community in China exclusively for those who are short in stature - we're off to find out whether its residents feel exploited or happy with their lot.

News and current affairs story-telling. In this edition, the foreign fighters signing up to join the battle against Islamic State - some British and without military experience; China's political event of the year is coming to an end with most people completely unaware of what's been going on there; could Indian Bollywood inspire Pakistan to lavish more attention on one of its ancient cities, crumbling through neglect? There's a close encounter with the surprisingly flexible tax authorities in Bamako, the capital of Mali and with a horseman who could well be the oldest gaucho in Chilean Patagonia.

Reporters' stories. Obstacles to President Obama's immigration reforms pile up -- it could mean a long wait for those who came looking to become legal US citizens. Will prime minister Modi's plans for investment in India's infrastructure adversely affect the country's longterm development? Sixty thousand Indian troops were killed fighting for the British in World War 1 -- we visit the battlefield in France where they fought their first major engagement. A freak injury in China provides an unexpected opportunity to examine the accident and emergency facilities in a Chinese hospital. And we meet a group of young men in the DRC capital Kinshasa whose outrageous dress sense brings rush hour traffic, even football games, to a standstill.

The best in news and current affairs story-telling. In this edition, the music which once provided the soundtrack to life in eastern and central Europe is fading into history, Nick Thorpe; a despatch by Fergal Keane from the Ukrainian city reduced to rubble by shelling; the Indian tea business hit by scandal and reports that workers face routine abuse, Humphrey Hawksley; Stephen Sackur's been to the Philippines to see how its economy is coping with a rapidly growing population and Heather Simons is on the island of Komodo in Indonesia, getting up close to the world's largest venomous reptile.

Around the world with correspondents' stories. In this edition: executions in Indonesia - the authorities believe they will help counter a national drug emergency. Security forces in Tunisia crack down on Islamist hardliners -- most people there insist they don't want ISIS or other militants gaining a foothold in their country; the president of Mexico has been on a state visit to Britain -- at home he faces continuing anger about the disappearance last year of 43-students; the Indian prime minister has promised a huge cash boost for the railways which are becoming ever more decrepit and dangerous and we hear about the 'marabouts' or holy men of Muslim west Africa. Theirs is an ancient tradition but these days they are quite happy to dispense advice via email, Twitter and Skype.

Around the world in less than half an hour! Today: a four-day trek through the remotest parts of Argentina in search of an old man who might have a story to tell; communal activities finally return to the agenda in Liberia now the fear of Ebola is fading; the Israeli prime minister's about to address the joint Houses of Congress in Washington - the White House is not enthusiastic; a journey underground in the Iranian capital Tehran - it provides a picture of Iranian society most tourists will never see and as American and Cuban representatives resume diplomatic negotiations, there's hope in Havana it might all result in better menus!

Story-telling from around the world. In this edition Charlotte Pritchard travels to Botswana in search of the best nightclub in Africa; Jonah Fisher in Myanmar tells us why the much-criticised military there is enjoying an unlikely surge in support; Rosie Goldsmith meets writers in Colombia convinced their country's in a critical year of its history; Rob Crossan's hunting for even a crumb of good news in Madagascar, one of the poorest nations on earth and Paul Adams, in the east of Ukraine, talks to a man who's travelled five thousand miles to fight in someone else's war

The human lives behind the headlines: a view from the pistachio field after a tense night of talks on the Greek debt crisis; the Argentine president under scrutiny as thousands take to the streets demanding an investigation into the death of state prosecutor Nisman; the government in Bangkok tries to stop foreign couples using Thai women as surrogate mothers; the young foreigners flying into Suriname hoping they'll make their fortunes illegally panning for gold. And it may not be fashionable, but it's Italy's favourite spirit -- we're at the grappa distillery where they do not frown on drinking at work.

The correspondent's trade: memories of the late Ian McDougall who filed for the BBC from more than 40-countries and once told this programme he'd broadcast from the only radio studio in the world equipped with a bidet! Also in this edition: Steve Evans on perceptions of the north/south divide in Korea; Linda Yueh asking if American workers will really countenance a return to the factory floor; James Hassam on a surprise at the dinner table in Ethiopia and Chris Bockman meets 144 new French citizens in Toulouse.

More and more migrants are trying to cross the Mediterranean and there are suggestions the new force charged with rescuing those in danger of drowning isn't up to the job. Emma Jane Kirby's been to Europe's southern shores to see how it's coping. Andrew Harding was in the parliament building in Cape Town when President Zuma's state of the nation speech was interrupted by hecklers. He considers whether the chaos was a sign that democracy's in decline in South Africa. The global crude oil market has collapsed, the price has plummeted. Jon Sopel has been to Texas where the mood is, perhaps surprisingly, not altogether pessimistic. Elections in Nigeria have been postponed. Will Ross says many people there view the decision with deep suspicion. And carnival season's underway in many parts of the world. Dany Mitzman's been witnessing preparations in one Italian town where there were fears this year that this was a party which would never happen.

Questions and answers beyond the headlines. Little urgency apparent as the factions from the bitter war in South Sudan gather in Ethiopia to talk about peace. President Putin's been attending another peace conference, this one in Minsk - we've been considering how his standing at home has been affected by the worsening conflict in eastern Ukraine. Our Middle East Editor has a face to face interview with Bashar al-Assad of Syria -- but was it really the BBC audience the president was hoping to reach with his answers? Three years after the sinking of the cruise ship the Costa Concordia, we return to the Italian island of Giglio to find out what effect the wreck has had on the local economy. And it's one of the windiest regions on earth -- so is China's new bullet train across the Gobi Desert in danger of being blown over?

The news behind the news. In this edition Paul Adams is in Jordan as the country takes the fight to Islamic State. Sian Griffiths in Ottawa talks of the plight of homeless people in an icy winter. Nick Thorpe in Hungary on why a little baby's at the centre of a storm over racism. Chris Bowlby has been trying to find details about the killing of an ancestor in China. And Christine Finn on how a pack of howling dogs helped her appreciate the Northern Lights

Around the world in 28-minutes. Residents of eastern Ukraine fear the war raging around them is set to intensify. A life in hiding -- how the husband of a Pakistani woman accused of committing blasphemy fears for his life and wants the international community to intervene. We visit the heart of the Tata empire in India and, in the wake of the release from an Egyptian prison of the former BBC-correspondent Peter Greste, examine allegations that the justice system there is unfair, unjust and heavy-handed. And in the Malian capital Bamako, some are concerned about what's going to happen to a set of priceless manuscripts. Others, however, seem more concerned about football.

The human stories behind the headlines. Like any war, the one against Ebola is leaving scars which will take generations to heal, as Grainne Harrington has been finding out in Guinea. Mark Rickards on how, at last, the outside world has found a way to infiltrate the hidden Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The Chinese are calling for the UK to return art looted by the British soldiers who destroyed the Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860 - Chris Bowlby's been investigating. After the Syriza victory in Greece, Podemos in Spain reckons it could be next to win an election on left-wing policies; Tom Burridge has been with party activists in Valencia. And how was the poet W.B.Yeats associated with bizarre goings-on at a cemetery near Paris? Hugh Schofield tells a story of the mysterious forces some believe govern the universe. From Our Own Correspondent is produced by Tony Grant.