From Our Own Correspondent

Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, Ukraine, the USA, China and Germany.Syrians took to the streets to celebrate one year since the fall of the Assad regime, but in the background post-war reconstruction has been slow and sectarian violence is on the rise. Lina Sinjab has been travelling the country and reflects on the challenges ahead.Despite the constant threat of drones and missiles, many Ukrainians are finding ways to carry on with their lives - including the country's artists and musicians. Marcel Theroux recently visited Chernivtsi in western Ukraine, to attend the opening night of an unexpected musical gem.Just a few years ago, the city of El Paso in Texas declared a state of emergency as local shelters struggled to cope with the influx of migrants crossing the border from Mexico. Today, the picture is very different with the flow of migrants now a trickle. Bernd Debusmann looks at the impact of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.China's mighty Yangtze river is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, but the wildlife living in the river is struggling for survival with many native species already extinct. Stephen McDonell met a team of scientists trying to save the endangered finless porpoise.The German city of Chemnitz is currently a European Capital of Culture, and among the celebrations is an exhibition of a cultural icon - the Trabant. Adrian Bridge explores the history of East Germany's car culture - and how it provided some welcome respite from the spying eyes of the Stasi.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Lucy Williamson, a BBC correspondent, delves into the conscription crisis in Israel's ultra-Orthodox community, revealing rising tensions and the potential political fallout. Will Grant discusses the surprising pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández and the mixed reactions in Tegucigalpa. Aleem Maqbool shares insights from the Pope's inaugural overseas trip, focusing on themes of interfaith dialogue. Rayhan Demytrie highlights ongoing protests in Georgia against government actions, reflecting public desires for EU integration amid fears of Russian influence.

Anna Foster and some of the BBC’s best-known foreign correspondents are joined by an audience of Radio 4 listeners to celebrate 70 years of ‘From Our Own Correspondent’. Since the first episode was broadcast on 25th September 1955, FOOC – as it’s affectionately known – has reported from almost every country in the world. Anna’s guests for the event, recorded in the Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House in London, are Kate Adie, the presenter of FOOC and a former BBC Chief News Correspondent, Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor, Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, and Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia Editor. They discuss what the job of a foreign correspondent is these days when anyone can get on a plane, take a mobile phone and broadcast to the world. They reflect on how to report on a more hostile world. Together, they offer insights into the world of the foreign correspondent - including the time Jeremy Bowen once told the Mujahideen in Afghanistan that he was Lyse Doucet - and Steve Rosenberg takes to the piano to explain why his hopes for Russia rest with a newspaper vendor in Moscow. Producers: Adele Armstrong, Serena Tarling and Polly Hope. Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie introduces stories from Nigeria, Ukraine, the United States, Sweden and France.Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, has declared a nationwide security emergency amidst a spate of kidnappings in the country’s north. More than 250 children abducted from a Catholic school last week are still missing, according to authorities. Mayeni Jones reports from Minna, in Niger state.Moscow, Abu Dhabi, Kyiv and Geneva have all hosted peace negotiations this week, but despite the distances travelled, is an end to the war in Ukraine any closer? BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse has been watching the latest efforts to end the war, as nightly assaults continue in many Ukrainian cities.When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, he was quick to repeal a range of policies introduced by the previous administration. Among them, a moratorium on Federal Executions. Hilary Andersson was recently selected as a media witness for an execution in Oklahoma.The longest strike in the modern history of Sweden recently passed its second anniversary. It’s a simple argument: whether or not to recognize the right of the union to negotiate on behalf of its members. Tim Mansel meets the mechanics taking on one of the world's richest companies, Tesla.And finally, we head to the Loire Valley in central France, where over centuries the steady flow of the Allier River has shaped the distinctive setting for a small village. While the ebb and flow of the river has long influenced life in the region, the effects of climate change mean its future is now less certain. Sara Wheeler reflects on its unusual evolution.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie introduces stories from Jordan, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Spain and the Black Sea.11-year-old Abdelrahman was injured during an Israeli attack in Gaza, which led to the loss of one of his legs. He was selected to travel to Jordan for hospital treatment, to be fitted with a new prosthetic leg. Fergal Keane met him while he was undergoing treatment - and learning to play the traditional Middle Eastern musical instrument, the oud.The former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was sentenced to death this week for crimes against humanity. Prosecutors accused the former leader of being behind hundreds of killings during anti-government protests last year. Arunoday Mukharji was in the capital, Dhaka, when the verdict was announced.Russian attacks on Ukraine' energy infrastructure have increased. Among the targets are the country’s nuclear power plants – with Europe’s largest located in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. Vitaliy Shevchenko recounts a recent discovery he made about his childhood home there.Spain has marked the 50th anniversary of the death of Francisco Franco, whose legacy still divides the country. Linda Pressly recently met the dictator’s great-grandson in Madrid.And in our age of mass tourism, travel has, for some, gone from being an adventure of self-discovery to a selfie-checklist, with even the most secluded places on full display across social media. But there are still ways to immerse yourself in other cultures through less well-trodden routes. Caroline Eden recently embarked on a new adventure of her own, on a slow boat across the Black Sea.Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, the Philippines, Tanzania and Brazil.During his visit to Washington this week, Syria’s interim president Ahmed Al Sharaa announced that Syria will join the coalition of 90 countries trying to eliminate the remnants of the Islamic State group. The threat of IS is increasing on Syrian soil, where 8,000 suspected IS fighters remain in jails, and 34,000 of their family members are held in camps. Orla Guerin reports on the new generation growing up in the camps.Last week the Philippines was hit by Typhoon Fung-wong - the twenty first big tropical storm to hit the country this year. Jonathan Head reflects on how the country copes with its vulnerability to natural disasters - and the growing anger over misappropriation of millions of dollars designated for improving flood defences.Tanzania recently experienced its worst post-election violence in decades. The newly elected president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, was inaugurated after the country’s electoral commission declared she had won 98 per cent of the vote. In her speech she insisted the election was free and fair - though critics accuse the government of eliminating any credible political competition. Victor Kenani has been following the story on Tanzania’s border with Kenya.Global leaders met this week in the Brazilian city of Belem for the latest COP climate summit, though it was off to a rocky start when it was not entirely clear what new - and renewed - pledges would be up for discussion. Watching on was our Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt.Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie presents stories from the USA, Jamaica, Uganda, Kazakhstan and Germany.Zohran Mamdani won New York City's race for mayor in a contest that rallied young voters and sparked debate about the future direction of the US Democratic Party. BBC North America editor Sarah Smith considers the political choices and challenges ahead.The world watched last week as Hurricane Melissa slowly crashed into Jamaica, causing extensive damage across the island – and killing at least 75 people across the region. Nada Tawfik witnessed the damage caused on Jamaica’s West coast.The glaciers in Uganda's Rwenzori mountains sustain unique ecosystems, but are rapidly reaching the point of no return as they continue to shrink. Hugh Kinsella Cunningham joined local community groups trying to mitigate the effects of climate changes in the region's foothills.Kazakhstan's economy is very much on the up, as it forges closer ties with China. Tim Hartley recently returned to the country after a hiatus of some two decades – as he followed the Wales football team, which was playing there - and saw up-close how the country has changed.The Berlin Wall became a concrete manifestation of the Cold War division between East and West – but it was by no means the only barrier built during this era. John Kampfner travelled to a small village in south Germany that was once divided by a wall of its own, which radically changed the lives of locals living there.Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie introduces stories from Argentina, South Korea, Japan, Ireland and the Occupied West Bank.For decades, Argentina's cycle of boom and bust seemed endless, but two years ago, a chainsaw-wielding, self-styled 'anarcho capitalist' called Javier Milei promised a way out of all that. Since elected as president he’s shown some signs of being able to shrink the state – but are voters happy? Ione Wells watched on at the recent mid-term elections.The meeting between China’s President, Xi Jinping and US President, Donald Trump this week in South Korea was analysed intently for any signs of a breakthrough on the two countries trade stand-off. Our China correspondent Laura Bicker followed the encounter.Earlier on his East Asia tour Donald Trump met with Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. The president lavished praise on Ms Takaichi whose politics many have compared to Margaret Thatcher. Shaimaa Khalil examines what Donald Trump called 'a beautiful friendship'.Ireland has for a long time been known for its more stable, centrist politics – avoiding the polarisation seen in the US and parts of Europe. But last weekend’s presidential election suggests that is now changing. Chris Page followed the election from Dublin.The annual olive harvest is a major cultural event for Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank – but farmers there have come under increased attack by Jewish settlers this year. Tom Bennett travelled to the village of Turmus Ayya.Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinator: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie introduces stories from Sudan, France, India, the USA and Mauritius.Sudan's civil conflict has left millions of people displaced and at risk of hunger and famine. In the capital Khartoum, Nawal Al-maghafi witnesses the toll the violence has taken on families, and meets children whose young lives have been forever shaped by the war.France has been reeling this week from the fallout of last weekend’s theft of priceless crown jewels from the Louvre in Paris. Andrew Harding has been watching the disbelief and shame that has dented French national pride - but has seen humour too.India has been making textiles and clothing for the world for centuries – but its goods are now less competitive for American buyers, due to Donald Trump's heavy tariffs. In the run-up to the recent Diwali festivities, Archana Shukla saw how shoppers are feeling the pinch.Drugs like fentanyl have killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in recent years, and in the city of Las Vegas, a particularly vulnerable substance-using population are the homeless people who live in the city’s underground tunnels. Linda Pressly joined a local charity as they ventured underground, with the offer of help.And finally, we head to Mauritius to tell the story of a daring rescue mission to save some rare resident geckos from the effects of a giant oil spill. Lorraine Mallinder reveals how an international effort involving private jets helped save an endangered species.Producer: Adele Armstrong Production coordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Kate Adie presents stories from Israel and Egypt, Haiti, Italy and Ireland.President Trump received a hero’s welcome when he landed in Israel this week, following his central role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. He also flew into the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, where he declared ‘an historical turning point’ to the gathered world leaders. Tom Bateman travelled with the president on Air Force One.Mr Trump was short on detail when it came to how peace will proceed over the coming weeks, months - and years. That leaves the question: what happens next? Jeremy Bowen reflects on this moment in the region's long history – and wonders if there will ever be reconciliation.In Haiti, armed criminal gangs still have a firm grip on the capital's impoverished neighbourhoods. On a recent visit, Jasmin Dyer saw the ruined communities the gangs have left in their wake, and met some of the young victims of their brutality.Last month a London-born boy became the first millennial saint. Carlo Acutis died of leukaemia aged 15, but in his short life he built websites documenting miracles as a means of spreading Catholic teaching – and became known as 'God’s influencer'. Isabella Redmayne met pilgrims in the hilltop town of Assisi.And it’s perhaps a bit of a cliché when travelling to the US for locals to boast of their ancestry – part English, part German, part Scots and, more often than not, part Irish. On a recent visit to Ireland’s south coast, James Helm bumped into some trans-Atlantic travellers and learned more about the country’s enduring international appeal.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Rosie Strawbridge Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith