The Road Through Yemen

Stories from Russia, France, the Philippines, Italy and Yemen's most dangerous road. Yemen has been devastated by a war which began in 2015 between Saudi-backed pro-government forces and the rebel Houthi movement, aligned to Iran. Lyse Doucet was there dodging snipers and meeting overworked doctors. But that's not the whole picture.

This week, the trial opened of three Russians and a Ukrainian for the murder of 298 people aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, shot down over eastern Ukraine. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team says it has proof that the missile used to shoot down the aircraft came from a military base inside Russia. But Moscow rejects the evidence and when questioned accuses Steve Rosenberg of disseminating propaganda.

Protecting human rights and freedom of movement in a changing world is at the heart of President Emmanuel Macron’s commitment to a stronger European Union. But the far-right nationalist party of Marine Le Pen is promising the French a different kind of freedom: protection from the European Union with its open borders and open markets. Lucy Williamson has been on the frontier between France and Italy where, despite appearances, tensions run high.

In the Philippines a recent hostage-taking situation in a shopping centre gripped the nation. Alchie Paray, a former security guard, took around 50 people prisoner with a grenade and a gun. His grievance? Unfair treatment by his former employers. The situation has triggered a national debate about labour rights. Howard Johnson, was outside the shopping mall to watch the nine hour drama unfold.

The Italian government placed the entire country on lockdown on Tuesday in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. Cinemas and theatres and even churches have shut, travel is severely restricted and all schools are closed until April. Dany Mitzman describes life in quarantine.