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New York - The City Which Couldn't Sleep May 02, 2020

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At the height of the Covid-19 outbreak in April, a New Yorker was dying almost every two minutes — more than 800 a day - four times the city’s normal death rate. The pandemic appears to have passed its peak and a gradual reopening is planned after more than 40 days of lockdown. Nick Bryant describes the impact of the virus on the city he loves and on his own family.

Ever since Kim Jong-un failed to show up in mid-April for the festivities marking his grandfather's birth the rumour mill has gone into overdrive. The sheer number of theories about the North Korean leader's whereabouts and state of health reflects the dearth of information about how things work inside the Hermit Kingdom says Laura Bicker.

As the coronavirus pandemic forces countries everywhere to keep people indoors, those who live with abusive partners are even more vulnerable. In Jordan, social media is providing one outlet for those unable to step outside says Charlie Faulkner.

So far Ukraine seems to be weathering the Covid-19 outbreak better than many other parts of Europe. But with an antiquated health system and an economy battered by a six year old conflict with Russian backed separatists in the east, the outlook is far from bright. Ukraine’s best known contemporary novelist , Andrei Kurkov, focuses on people living near the frontline in the war ravaged Donbas region in his latest book, which is called The Grey Bees.

From Our Home Correspondent 27/04/2020 Apr 27, 2020

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In the latest programme of the monthly series, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers around the United Kingdom that reflect the range of contemporary life in the country. From Dorset, Jane Labous reflects on how she coped with early isolation with her young daughter in response to Covid-19 and the lessons she is drawing as a single parent as the experience continues and develops. Culloden remains a significant moment in Scottish - and British - history which today, BBC News Special Correspondent James Naughtie has been discovering, has a life all of its own. For although, 274 years on, even the commemorations marking this epic historical event have to take account of current realities, for some there are eternal verities. Parks have become the exercise refuge for many urban dwellers in recent weeks. But this has not been without contention and controversy, with some councils temporarily closing their spaces and others setting strict conditions for their use. This hasn't surprised the leading historian of parks, Travis Elborough, who reflects on how rows and disputes have been a central part of their history. Charlotte Bailey, recently in New Malden, reveals how North Korean exiles there reflect on the irony of being in lockdown in the UK. But she also discovers how those she speaks to are getting on with the much more numerous population there originating from South Korea - and hears what the future may hold. And Adam Shaw tells the story of the leaky dam, newspaper manor, chicken of the woods and the sword of Egbedene - all of which sound like they belong to a lost chapter from Harry Potter, but in fact tell us about Bolton's environs.

Producer: Simon Coates

Angela Merkel’s reversal of fortune Apr 25, 2020

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Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel and her CDU party have been in the political doldrums in recent years. But as Jenny Hill reports, polls suggest Angela Merkel has risen in popularity thanks to her calm, scientific approach to the coronavirus. The same is true of Bavaria's regional Prime Minister, who has a good chance of succeeding Mrs Merkel.

Singapore had been hailed for how it dealt with the coronavirus, but now there is a significant new surge in cases. Karishma Vaswani reveals that the virus has been rapidly spreading in the crowded, government-run dormitories for the thousands of migrant workers the country relies on.

Ireland is still trying to form a government after the surprising general election result in February in which Sinn Fein got most first-preference votes. In part this was due to its stance on the country's housing crisis. Chris Bowlby ponders whether reunification with Northern Ireland is now more likely.

The most radioactive area near the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant has become a forest wilderness. Monica Whitlock visits two scientists at a research station there, and hears that while there are no other humans, there are nosy wolves and helpful elks.

The Naga people of remote northwestern Myanmar live as if forgotten by the outside world. But they have been sent a young teacher by the government. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent is taken in by his happy and optimistic nature. He even rigged up a karaoke set with a monk.

Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

Sri Lanka After the Bombings Apr 18, 2020

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Sri Lanka's economy was improving and tourism flourishing after three decades of civil war but last Easter, a group of Muslims youths, inspired by Islamic State group, murdered more than 250 people in a series of bomb attacks. Jane Corbin has been gauging the lasting effect on the island, one year on.

In Georgia, the country's powerful Orthodox Church is at loggerheads with the government over Easter celebrations. Despite restrictions on gatherings of more than three people to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic, churches across the country remain defiantly open and offer holy communion with a shared spoon. It is a case of church versus state, faith versus science says Rayhan Demetriye.

Richard Dimbleby's report from the Bergen Belsen concentration camp, liberated by British troops seventy-five years ago, remains one of the most remarkable broadcasts ever. It was a revelation as he carefully detailed the horrific reality of the Nazi’s ‘final solution’. His son Jonathan recently returned to the camp with film maker Simon Broughton and one of the survivors.

In Paris another survivor from the Nazi era tells David Chazan what he thinks about President Emmanuel Macron’s approach to the pandemic - will he succeed in uniting the French behind him as the country fights what he calls "a kinetic war"?

“Patient zero” may be the present day term for the original carrier of a disease but it is not a new concept. Cholera, HIV/AIDS, the bubonic plague and now Covid 19 all had major stories of detection around them and the one which looms largest in folk memory says Kevin Connolly is that of the Irish cook, Typhoid Mary, once dubbed "the most dangerous woman in America".

New Orleans - From Katrina to Corona Apr 11, 2020

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Fifteen years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is facing another lethal storm. The city on Louisiana’s coast has become one of the worst-hit areas in the US. Some have blamed the high death toll on the decision to allow the annual Mardi Gras parade to go ahead. But musician and actor Harry Shearer, famous, among other things for voicing characters in The Simpsons, says don’t victim blame and don't reproach the revellers.

South Africa's president has extended the lockdown until the end of the month as the country braces for a surge in infections. But enforcing social distancing in the poorest, most crowded South African townships remains a struggle says Andrew Harding.

This weekend the World Health Organization is set to officially declare the end of the Ebola epidemic that has killed thousands in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Peter Yeung was one of the few journalists to visit health workers in the epidemic’s former epicentre of Beni amidst the global lockdown. But with the coronavirus on the way, there is no cause for celebration.

In Jerusalem, Yolande Knell has been talking to local religious leaders about how to mark Easter, Passover and Ramadan when prayers at holy sites are forbidden.

Every ten years the small Bavarian village of Oberammergau puts on a passion play – a huge pageant about the life and death of Christ. The tradition dates back to the seventeenth century when people believed that the plays would protect them from the plague. But this year’s performance has been postponed and it’s a huge blow to tourists and locals alike says Jenny Hill.

India's Forgotten Migrant Workers Apr 04, 2020

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India’s prime minister imposed a three week lockdown with four hours notice. It was an attempt to prevent the coronavirus spreading. But the nationwide order has caused confusion and anger, especially for millions of migrant workers trying to return home says Rahul Tandon.

The United Nations is concerned about Africa's chronically underfunded health services and their ability to cope with Covid-19. Millions are made more vulnerable because of HIV or malnutrition. But so far the continent has been less badly hit than Europe and many Africans are worrying about people in Britain says Mary Harper.

Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has been granted extraordinary powers by a Parliament dominated by his Fidesz party. The opposition faced a difficult choice: : extend the current state of emergency and grant an already authoritarian government almost unlimited power. Or oppose it, and be portrayed as enemies of the nation says Nick Thorpe.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has so far refused to declare a state of emergency. But, amidst the springtime cherry blossoms, there are fears that Tokyo, the world’s largest metropolis, is on the brink of a massive coronavirus outbreak. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes feels anxious about what lies ahead.

Guinea’s leader, Alpha Condé, held a referendum last month to change the constitution and bring in social reforms. But his opponents fear the real motive is to allow the 82-year-old president to rule until he is 94. Many Guineans recall the one party rule of a previous strongman, Ahmed Sékou Touré, who broke ties with the former colonial power, France. Fleur Macdonald met his daughter Aminata.

Singapore's Virus Detectives Mar 28, 2020

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Stories from Singapore, the US, Britain, Germany and Antarctica on battling COVID-19.

From Our Home Correspondent 22/03/2020 Mar 23, 2020

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Mishal Husain presents pieces by writers and journalists across the UK presenting portraits of life today. Garry Owen of BBC Radio Cymru visits Llanelli and Hospital Notes - an amateur choir there comprising hospital and care workers and members of the emergency services. He discovers how its members de-compress at times of stress - when social distancing restrictions permit it - and what benefits they derive from singing together. The writer, Damian Barr, author of the Radio 4 Books of the Week, "Maggie & Me" and "You Will Be Safe Here", takes us to north Lanarkshire and the South Downs in his quest for glow worms. His search is part journey of discovery and part self-revelation. Along the way, he explains the enduring appeal of these elusive insects at this - or, indeed - any time. Andrew Green has journeyed around England in search of the special memorials which are stained glass windows in parish churches commemorating the Fallen of the Great War. From Cornwall to Suffolk, Leicestershire to Devon, he has been speaking with those entrusted with the care of both old and new windows and has heard why they matter so much to local communities. The Edwardian bandstand in the West Yorkshire town of Todmorden is sadly neglected. But, as Andy Kershaw has been discovering, there are plans afoot from local campaigners to restore it. Might they, though, be defeated by local bureaucracy or will this rare structure come to enjoy a new lease of life over a hundred years after it first came into use? And the poet and broadcaster, Ian McMillan, considers how we mark out our lives. For him, it's the regular visit to the same place for a ritual that’s barely altered over the decades. But if the location hasn’t changed the people certainly have…

Producer: Simon Coates

Italy's Invisible Enemy Mar 21, 2020

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Italy marked a grim milestone at the end of this week as its number of deaths from the coronavirus exceeded those in China. Yet most Italians are supportive of the country's struggling authorities says Mark Lowen who has covered the crisis from its outset.

Across the world ten of millions of people are having to adapt their way of life to avoid infection. Fergal Keane has spent decades reporting on conflicts and natural disasters across the globe. He reflects on what it means to be caught up in the universal war against a potentially fatal disease.

In New York all non-essential businesses have been ordered to close. For the army of low paid workers and small business owners in particular, this is an exceptionally difficult time says Laura Trevelyan.

Young men and women looking for love often turn to their phone and swipe through a gallery of faces. But the leaders of the Indonesia's anti-dating movement say casual relationships are expensive, get in the way of study, and go against religious teaching. Josephine Casserly met a pair of newly weds who have made not dating cool.

In these days of self-isolation and working from home, many turn to the comforting familiarity of favourite books – and memories of where we first encountered them. Forty years ago Kevin Connolly fell for a largely forgotten thriller. His love was rekindled by a recent trip to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

Mixed Messages in Bolsonaro's Brazil. Mar 19, 2020

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While Europe seals its borders, Latin America, which has far fewer confirmed Coronavirus cases, has started to do the same to stop the disease spreading. But not all leaders are taking the threats seriously says Katy Watson.

All over the world Coronavirus is spreading, unseen. Paul Adams found himself in Beirut as it approached. He watched as the city shut down and found himself reflecting on this hidden enemy.

Aung San Suu Kyi was once a much admired recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. But her repeated denials over the persecution of the Rohingya, the country’s Muslim minority, have earned her global opprobrium. As Nick Beake bids farewell to his life in Yangon and to Myanmar, he reflects on its elusive first lady.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah which is backed by Iran has lost at least one thousand two hundred men in Syria. But by no means all Syrians are grateful for these sacrifices says Lizzie Porter.

Living in an online world makes tracking down something or someone infinitely easier. Rob Cameron spotted a face in a film from the Prague Spring, and was so besotted with the man that he set out to find him – 50 years later.

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