From Our Own Correspondent

Kate Adie presents stories from Niger, Syria, Portugal, Costa Rica and the US.French President, Emmanuel Macron announced he is withdrawing French troops from Niger, once seen as a key ally in the fight against jihadists in the Sahel, and withdrew his ambassador. Meanwhile in Niamey, people are adjusting to life under military rule after the coup in July. Mayeni Jones recounts her recent visit there.Thousands of people have gone missing or been detained since the Syrian protests began in 2011, which escalated into a brutal civil war. Lina Sinjab spoke to people in Lebanon and Istanbul about their attempts to find out information about their relatives, often involving vast sums of money.Portugal has for the last twenty years taken a softer approach to narcotics than other countries across the world, which impose tough penalties for the production, distribution and the consumption of substances such as heroin and cocaine. It's no longer a crime to possess drugs there for personal use. James Cook visits the city of Porto to find out what this means in practice.Costa Rica is known for its high-quality coffee, which is grown in the mountainous regions of the central American country. But its traditionally been a male-dominated industry there. Matilda Welin visited a farm to meet one of the emerging group of female growers to hear how things are changing.And as Republican debates get into full swing for the presidential candidacy, and an imminent US budget shutdown looms, Gary O'Donoghue reports on another flashpoint which has diverted attention from other matters of state: the Senate's dress code.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: China Collins

Kate Adie presents stories from Nagorno-Karabakh, Canada, South Africa, Peru and Germany.Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians have fled the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in the last week. Rayhan Demytrie spoke to some on the Armenian border about the devastating impact of the recent Azeri blockade. And now they face the loss of their homeland, with distrust between both communities running deep.Canada's assertion that India appears to have been involved in the murder of a Canadian Sikh has sparked outrage in New Delhi and beyond. The Indian government has strongly denied the allegation. In Vancouver, Neal Razzell visits the Sikh temple where the dead man, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was leader, and found out more about what happened on the fateful day.A fire in Johannesburg at the end of August threw into sharp relief the terrible conditions in some affordable housing, which is often taken over by gangs who illegally rent out the buildings. Samantha Granville spoke to residents of the site that burned down, along with others in similarly precarious accommodation.In Peru's capital Lima, around 2 million residents living in the poorer suburbs have no access to running water and have to pay high prices for it to be delivered to them. Peter Yeung met someone who has come up with an innovative solution: an improvised canal system which collects water from the clouds - known as 'fog-catchers'.And finally, in Germany, a campaign is being launched to change a law that sees thousands of people sent to prison every year for travelling on public transport without a ticket. Tim Mansel meets one man helping to get people released because they haven't paid their fine.

Kate Adie presents stories from Libya, Ukraine, Australia and the USAnna Foster visits the flood-affected region of Derna, in Libya's east, where she speaks to survivors of the storm surge after two dams collapsed in the hills above the city.In the Russian-controlled areas of Donbass in Ukraine's east, Nick Sturdee hears from residents there who have lived through nearly a decade of fighting. In an area which is hard to reach for Western journalists, he gains an insight into how the conflict is seen and understood there.Australians are poised to vote in a referendum in October which would create a formal body for its indigenous people to give advice on laws. But the battle between the Yes and the No campaigns is reaching fever pitch - which some have described as Australia's Brexit moment. Nick Bryant has followed the storyAnd in the US, Maryam Ahmed talks to New Yorkers about their latest obsession: the battle against the spotted lanternfly. She learns a few techniques from locals and hears how the insects have achieved cult status.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: China Collins Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

Stories from Morocco, Gabon, Pakistan, Norway and CanadaA community in the High Atlas Mountains grapples with the devastation wrought by the strongest earthquake to hit Morocco in more than one hundred years. James Copnall visited Amizmiz where several lives were lost and homes destroyed and a harsh winter lies ahead.The West African country of Gabon has become the latest in the region to witness a military coup, overthrowing the government of President Ali Bongo, scion of the Bongo dynasty. Catherine Norris-Trent encountered jubilation on the streets of Libraville - but asks whether pledges of democratic elections will be fulfilled.In Pakistan, we followed the search in the country for three relatives of Sara Sharif, the ten-year old who was found dead in Woking. Her father, step-mother and Uncle have now been charged with her murder since they returned to the UK. Caroline Davies visited Sara's grandfather in his village in Punjab.On the Norway-Russian border, there used to be a steady stream of visitors, but the war in Ukraine changed that. It remains open but Norwegians have introduced more checks on those coming over. John Murphy found a more active border in the waters of a river nearby where locals are battling to keep out a different kind of visitor.As he returns from paternity leave, our Rome correspondent, Mark Lowen, recounts his experience of becoming a father using a surrogate in Canada, even as Italy moves to ban its nationals from engaging a surrogate abroad.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Bridget Harney

Kate Adie introduces stories from The Gambia, Iran, the USA, Chile and Hungary.Dozens of bereaved families in the Gambia are taking legal action against an Indian drug manufacturer and Gambian health authorities, after more than 70 infants died after taking apparently toxic cough remedies. Sam Bradpiece heard their stories and traces how these medicines came to market.As Iran approaches the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, the authorities are already cracking down on signs of public dissent. She was a young woman arrested for "incorrect hijab", whose fate triggered a wave of protest across Iran. Lois Pryce speaks to some of the generation of young women who took to the streets a year ago, and now say they're ready to do so again.The Capitol riot on the 6th of January 2021 is still roiling American politics - as some high-profile Republican politicians say the people who were involved were patriots who shouldn't be punished. But the courts have issued verdict after verdict against the architects of the disorder. Mike Wendling reports from Washington DC on the sentencing of a leading figure in the chaos - Enrique Tarrio, former leader of activist group the Proud Boys.In Chile there's been heated debate over how best to mark the fifty years since General Pinochet's military takeover. These days few people deny the killings, torture and disappearances were committed during his dictatorship - but up to a third of Chileans are willing to say the coup was necessary. Jane Chambers considers the nuances of a country torn between left and right.It's been a terrible year for fruit in Hungary - so Nick Thorpe was prepared to go without his usual annual ritual of making his pear crop into homemade brandy. But as it turned out, an unexpected windfall of 200kilos of sour cherries would fuel an even more potent brew...Producer: Polly HopeEditor: Bridget HarneyProduction Co-Ordinator: Gemma Ashman

Press freedom under threat in Kashmir; difficulties of verifying news in Russia; trade disruptions and worries in Nigeria due to Niger coup; upcoming Slovakian election and corruption concerns; efforts to revitalize indigenous language in Paraguay.

Drug cartel violence spreads through Ecuador; Challenges faced by banana farmers; Decarbonization challenges in Denmark; The complacency and challenges of South Africa

This podcast explores the struggles of Sudanese refugees seeking shelter in Chad, the aftermath of a devastating wildfire in Maui, the challenges faced by Belize in protecting its marine resources, and the revival of Mugam music in Azerbaijan.

Discover the daily struggles of civilians in the besieged city of Taiz, Yemen, where war survivors seek both medical treatment and cosmetic procedures. Explore the efforts to protect the Amazon region and improve the lives of its inhabitants. Get an insight into the political climate in Zimbabwe before their general election. Learn about the impact of earthquakes in the cosmopolitan city of Antakya, Turkey.

Kate Adie introduces stories about Cambodia's outgoing Prime Minister, and from Pakistan, Romania, New Zealand and Germany.Cambodia has suffered more tragedy than most, including civil wars, American bombing, and the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. For the last 38 years, the country has been ruled by one, increasingly autocratic man, Prime Minister Hun Sen. He is now handing power to a new Prime Minister next week – his own son. Jonathan Head has just been to Cambodia, and reflects on Hun Sen’s remarkable longevity in office.Three hundred young Pakistani men are still missing, feared drowned, in the Mediterranean after the Greek shipping disaster in June. Why did they want to leave their country, at the mercy of people smugglers? Caroline Davies has been finding out, and asks what the police are doing to stop the human trafficking. She also meets a family whose teenage sons died in the Greek shipwreck.In Romania on the other hand, the economy is booming, and people are moving to it, rather than away from it. That includes many Romanian emigrants who are now returning home, armed with new skills and attracted back by improved salaries. Tessa Dunlop detects a new confidence in the country. She also finds that this new Romanian tiger, has teeth, and claws.New Zealand is trying to eradicate all rats, possums and stoats. These are not native to New Zealand but were brought there by humans in recent centuries. They have been decimating the local wildlife, like flightless and ground-nesting birds that evolved without those predators. Killing all individuals of several species across a whole country is a tall order however. And what about ethical qualms? Henri Astier joins a rat-catching expedition in Wellington to find out more.Culture wars are raging in many countries, about different issues. In Germany, it's sausages, motorway speeds, and grammar. German is a gendered language, with male and female forms of nouns that denote people, like actor/actress. In German however, the -ess applies to everything. Doctoress. Prime Ministeress. But in the plural, the male form is used no matter the gender of the individuals. This makes some feel that women don't count. The answer? Doctor*esses or Prime Minister:esses, using * or : to indicate that a group does or could include both genders. Damien McGuinness carefully wades into the debate.Producer: Arlene Gregorius Editor: Bridget Harney Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar(Image: Outgoing Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Credit: Kith Serey/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)