From Our Own Correspondent

William Dunbar, journalist on Georgian archaeological digs and a political purge; Laura Bicker, Beijing correspondent on China's cautious Middle East stance; Leila Malana Allen, British–Iranian commentator on muted Nowruz; Carine Torbey, Beirut reporter on renewed Lebanese violence; Will Grant, Havana correspondent on Cuba's blackouts and healthcare strain. They discuss blackouts, wartime trauma, China’s calculations, cultural resistance, and ancient human finds.

Frank Gardner, veteran Middle East security reporter, files on strikes that hit Gulf energy infrastructure. Ione Wells reports from Caracas on life after Nicolás Maduro’s seizure. Jenny Norton, editor of the BBC Russian Service, reflects on reporting in exile. Jake Kwon explores South Korea’s one- to two-minute micro-dramas. Justin Rowlatt, BBC climate editor and cold-water swimmer, recounts competing in Finland’s Winter Swimming Championships.

Sarah Namjoo, BBC Persian correspondent, shares first‑person accounts of life under bombardment in Iran. Barbara Plett Usher, BBC Gulf reporter, describes strikes on Gulf infrastructure and the impact in Doha. James Landale, BBC diplomatic correspondent, explains why Gulf states are turning to Ukrainian drone expertise. Azadeh Moshiri, BBC South Asia correspondent, reports on Nepal’s surprising election and youthful political change.

Lucy Ash, BBC journalist in Berlin who chronicled a symbolic restaurant’s closure. Jessica Parker, reporting from Cyprus on damage at RAF Akrotiri. Hugo Bachega, in Tel Aviv on air‑raid life and political mood. Wyre Davies, in Beirut on displacement after Hezbollah‑Israel exchanges. James Waterhouse, at the Turkey–Iran border on people fleeing across the frontier. They discuss regional spillover, civilian impact, border crossings and rising tensions.

Quentin Sommerville, an on-the-ground correspondent reporting on Mexico’s cartel violence. Ben Steele, a BBC reporter who tracked Russian soldiers fleeing the front line. Sara Wheeler, a travel writer who sailed Benin’s Black River. They discuss Mexico’s deadly cartel feuds and fallout after El Mencho’s death. They also cover frontline desertions in Ukraine and a slow river journey through Benin’s communities.

Sarah Rainsford, a foreign correspondent in Ukraine reporting from near the front line. Lyse Doucet, chief international correspondent bringing rare on-the-ground reporting from Tehran. Lindsay Johns, reporter traveling the US Deep South to explore Black History Month and civil rights sites. Nick Thorpe, BBC correspondent reflecting from northern India in tribute to Mark Tully. They discuss war's human cost, protests in Iran, civil rights memory, and rituals of loss.

Shaimaa Khalil, Tokyo correspondent covering Sanae Takaichi's landslide and youth fandom. Daniela Relph, reporter on Prince of Wales’s sensitive Saudi visit and diplomatic optics. Bel Trew, journalist on aid cuts disrupting HIV treatment in Uganda. John Kampfner, writer on a polarising WWII exhibition in Gdansk. Caroline Davies, correspondent celebrating Lahore’s revived Basant kite festival and safety rules.

Yolande Knell, BBC correspondent at the Gaza-Egypt border, reports on Rafah reopening and its strained humanitarian relief. Guy De Launey profiles Slovenia’s ski-jumping stars chasing Olympic gold. Abdujalil Abdurasulov covers Ukrainians coping with blackouts and cold, even dancing on a frozen river. Azadeh Moshiri reports from Dhaka on a student-led party facing crisis before national polls.

Kate Adie introduces stories from Iran, Myanmar, China, South Africa and Lithuania.The number of Iranian people killed by government forces in the crackdown on recent protests is now estimated to be at least 6000, with thousands more deaths being investigated by human rights groups. BBC Persian’s Parham Ghobadi has been speaking to people in Tehran about their experience of the protests.The final round of elections took place in Myanmar last weekend, five years after a coup returned the military junta to power - though many observers regard the whole affair as a sham. Jonathan Head was given rare permission to report from within Myanmar - though found fear and surveillance at every turn.Sir Keir Starmer’s trip to Beijing was the first by a UK Prime Minister since 2018 and has been seen as a critical moment in the British government’s attempt to reboot its relationship with China. Laura Bicker reflects on what's in it for President Xi - and how he is looking to take advantage of Donald Trump's rocky relationship with the world.Over the last decade South Africa has made steady progress on bringing down the infection and mortality rates of Tuberculosis. However, that progress is now under threat as foreign aid cuts begin to bite. Sandra Kanthal reports from Cape Town.Lithuania's Jewish community numbers just a few thousand, though prior to World War Two the population was around 200,000 - the majority of whom were murdered in the Holocaust. Today Lithuania is home to several memorial sites remembering those who died and Max Eastermann recently visited to trace the homes - and graves - of his recently discovered ancestors.Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Wyre Davies, reporting from Ukraine, shares on-the-ground nuclear safety fears and blackout hardships. Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia editor in Moscow, decodes Kremlin media reactions to Western moves. Carolyn Lamberley, feature reporter, recounts her personal experience with France’s egg-freezing law. Sami Awami, Kampala correspondent, explores youth voting under Museveni. Tim Hartley, football reporter, examines Morocco’s AFCON spending and youth protests.