Podcast appearances and mentions of chris bockman

The verdicts have been handed down in the mass rape trial that has truly shocked and appalled people in France and around the world where 51 men stood accused of raping Gisele Pelicot. One of these men is Gisele's now ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, who has been convicted of drugging and raping his wife of 50 years - and inviting dozens of others to rape her over nearly a decade. He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Anita Rani spoke to BBC correspondent Chris Bockman and French feminist campaigner Blandine Deverlanges, both outside the court in Avignon.Venture Capitalist Nell Daly is on a mission to invest in female entrepreneurs. She has launched a £50 million investment fund here in the UK to support those who normally don't get a seat at the finance table. She joins Anita to talk about women in business.Noel Streatfield's classic children's book Ballet Shoes was written in 1936, and had never been staged - until now. The National Theatre's production of Ballet Shoes is directed by Katy Rudd and tells the story of the three Fossil sisters, Pauline, Petrova and Posy, who were given their name because they were all “discovered” as babies on the travels of adventurer Great Uncle Matthew and then abandoned to his Great Niece Sylvia, or Garnie, played by Pearl Mackie. Anita is joined by Katy and Pearl to discuss this children's classic.Have you ever spent Christmas alone by choice? Why did you decide to spend it this way - and what did you do? That's what the best selling author and Daily Mail agony aunt, Jane Green, is doing this year. It's the first Christmas since her divorce and she's spending it alone, several thousand miles away from home. She joins me now. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt

Kate Adie presents dispatches from Serbia, Tunisia, India, France and Ukraine. There has been a wave of protests in Serbia against gun violence following two mass shootings last month that left 17 people dead. Serbia has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe, but people flocked to hand in old weapons after the government announced a gun amnesty following the attacks. Our Balkans correspondent Guy Delauney reveals how many Serbians are now questioning the culture which encourages violence. Tunisia is a hub for migrants hoping to reach Europe. Many people have died trying to make the dangerous sea crossing, but that hasn't deterred thousands more from risking their lives. Bella Saltiel has been to the Tunisian port city of Sfax to try understand what is driving them towards Europe and finds a mix of poverty and prejudice. We hear about a forgotten group of native Americans, from the Osage Nation, left destitute in France in the 19th Century, who found sanctuary in the southern French town of Montauban - forging a connection that is still celebrated today. Chris Bockman traces their story. The south Indian city of Chennai has one of the longest associations with the country's former colonial rulers, Britain, of any city in India. But, as Andrew Whitehead explains, the city is so comfortable with its past that its streets, shops and famous beer still echo the colonial era. In Ukraine, many families still don't know what has happened to their relatives since the Russian invasion over a year ago. Many have been detained or disappeared in Russian-controlled areas. Jen Stout tells the story of one man, a popular children's author and poet, who went missing in the early weeks of the war. Producer: Louise Hidalgo Production coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence, with inflation soaring to the highest rate in Asia. The country's energy minister warned at the weekend that the country would soon run out fuel as long queues formed at petrol stations, with many staying for days at a time. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has even sought help from Russia to help import fuel. Rajini Vaidyanathan has been in Colombo speaking to those most affected. Will Grant reflects on dual tragedies in Texas: the shooting in a primary school in Uvalde in Texas and 53 migrant deaths in a people smuggling operation. In both these horrific events, the correspondent heard stories of thwarted hopes – and life ambitions cut short. In Syria, cities like Damascus and Palmyra were once heralded for their history and architectural grandeur but much of their cultural heritage has been destroyed during the years of civil war. Nick Redmayne travelled to Palmyra on a guided tour, one of a few businesses that are trying to revive their fortunes despite an on-going economic crisis. In Algeria, we hear how people are working to restore the land that was burned in wildfires last year, in the country's northeast. Tens of thousands of hectares were destroyed in the flames and much of the natural landscape has morphed into charred remains. Amy Liptrot visited a project which is involved in restoring some of the land that was destroyed by the fires. And finally, we hear about one French farmer who has come up with a cunning plan to help generate a new source of revenue at his family run farm: it's a cabaret show with a difference, far away from the Folies Bergère. Chris Bockman paid it a visit. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Emma Rippon Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters a third week, hopes are wearing thin of a ceasefire after several rounds of unsuccessful talks. But a potential mediator tried to enter the fray this week: Israel, as Tom Bateman reports from Jerusalem. Russia's foreign minister is due to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday in the southern Turkish resort of Antalya. It's a city that's in other times popular with both Russians and Ukrainian tourists. Mahjooba Nowrouzi visited the coastal town and found opposing narratives about the conflict surfaced in the chatter of the bazaars Russian warships have been circling menacingly in the waters near the Black Sea port city of Odessa in southern Ukraine. The city's residents are braced for a possible assault and many are leaving their homes. For Damien McGuinness, who lived and worked in eastern Europe, their experiences are horribly reminiscent of the traumas suffered a generation ago in Georgia. In 2015, Jamaica passed a law that decriminalised the possession of small amounts of cannabis and authorised a regulated medical cannabis industry. Initially seen as a boon for cannabis farmers, some traditional growers say they can't afford to meet the strict legal requirements for growing the plant. Rachel Wright visited a farm. The medieval village of Lagrasse in south-west France is home to an eight century Abbey which is divided in two parts – one side is occupied by a group of left-leaning intellectuals, the other by a traditional catholic religious order. This arrangement ran relatively smoothly at first until a contretemps over a festival some fifteen years ago. Since then relations have deteriorated. Chris Bockman went to find out more. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Emma Close

Stories from France, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, Austria and Turkey. It's fifty years since the release of “The French Connection,” a fast-moving cops and gangsters thriller, which focused attention on Marseille, and the drug dealers based there. Half a century on, much has changed in this southern French city; some areas have been gentrified, while the port has had a substantial makeover. And yet, the presence of the drug trade remains, and now the French President has stepped in. With a wave of drug related killings in Marseille this year, Emmanuel Macron is paying a high profile visit, promising to help tackle these problems. Chris Bockman explains that many there feel they've heard it all before: He was known as “Africa's Che,” and like Che Guevara, Thomas Sankara died young at the hands of gunmen who apparently took exception to his leftist policies. Yet Sankara was no jungle guerrilla – he was the President of Burkina Faso. And he was killed during a coup in the West African nation. Thirty-four years later, fourteen men have gone on trial, accused of complicity in that assassination. It's hard to overstate what Sankara meant for Burkina Faso, and indeed for supporters across Africa and the wider world. He was credited with vast improvements in literacy, giving land to the poor, and above all, with instilling a pride among his people – he rejected continuing French influence in the region. Yet critics insist that Sankara was an autocrat, one who had his opponents tortured, and sometimes killed. Henry Wilkins has been trying to separate the man from the myth: The fate of Afghanistan continues to be a source of concern round the world. The country is facing financial disaster, with shortages of basic goods like food, and it's also suffered repeated attacks by the militant group which calls itself Islamic State Khorasan. Last week, forty-six people died in a bombing which Islamic State claimed as one of theirs. This week, the United Nations held a special meeting, to try to work out how to give aid to Afghanistan, without it getting into the hands of the Taliban, now in charge of the country. All this instability is of particular concern to the countries bordering Afghanistan, like Russia, Pakistan, and also – to the north, Tajikistan. Tajikistan has had its own battles with Islamic militants. More than that, about a quarter of Afghans are of Tajik ethnicity, so problems in one country have a habit of spilling across the border. It's a border well known to Abdujalil Abdurasulov, who has spent time reporting on both sides of it. He's been thinking about what the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan might mean for its neighbour. There was a time when Austria was seen as a hive of political intrigue. Back when the Hapsburgs ruled an empire, the plotting and manoeuvring at their palace in Vienna could affect half of Europe. Then, after the Second World War, Austria's neutral status between the west and the Soviet bloc made it a base for many a spy and secret agent. Things had appeared to calm down – the country became known for its skiing and strudel more than any Machiavellian goings on. But now, it seems, the intrigue is back. This week, Austria's youthful Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz had to step down, following accusations that he had bribed a tabloid newspaper to get favourable coverage. This came only a few years after Mr Kurz's one-time coalition partner was caught in a sting, apparently prepared to offer government contracts to a woman he thought represented Russian oligarchs. Feeling confused? Bethany Bell has been untangling this web of allegations: Wherever there's mass tourism, you will find the escort industry flourishing, selling very personal services, and Turkey is no different. The‘gigolos' as they're known there offer these services to men and women. And just like other people dependent on tourism, they've been badly hit by the coronavirus lockdown, which saw the number of foreign visitors to Turkey plummet – as Sally Howard explains Producer: Paul Moss

Somaliland claims to be an independent republic, though it is not internationally recognised and Somalia still claims the territory. It issues passports, has its own army, flag and president - and this week it held long-delayed elections. Mary Harper, a regular visitor, explains what the polls meant to Somaliland's people - especially some of its most marginalised. This weekend, Peruvian voters have to choose between two candidates for the Presidency - after a fragmented and confusing first round, the contest is now a neck-and-neck race between Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori. In Lima, Dan Collyns senses the mood polarising - and hears how heated the rhetoric has become. Iraq's Jewish community was once hundreds of thousands strong - but it's been whittled away drastically since the 1940s by persecution, emigration and ageing. Lizzie Porter has witnessed how Jewish sites across the country have changed, and how many are crumbling into disuse and neglect. But there are also people working to preserve this unique heritage. The pandemic meant many Singaporeans haven't been able to travel far for months, so there's been a surge of interest in the city-states last remaining wild spaces - the green areas where birds and tropical plants still flourish. Sharanjit Leyl is a keen birdwatcher herself, and says her fellow twitchers are worried over the future of their forests. And in southwestern France, Chris Bockman recently met a village mayor with unusual powers. Nothing to do with local government guidelines; rather, he's believed by many to be capable of healing illnesses, lifting curses - and even exorcism. Producer: Polly Hope

India now has the second highest number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the world, having overtaken Brazil. This is placing huge demands on hospitals and ambulances. The medical services, particularly in smaller cities and rural areas, can find it hard to cope, sometimes leading to what relatives think were preventable deaths, as Yogita Limaye reports. Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, is retiring. His politically conservative party will elect his successor on Monday. Mr Abe has taken his observers by surprise more than once. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo looks at the effect of those surprises, and at his legacy. In Poland, some politicians’ hostility to gay rights has become a flash-point in a culture war pitting the religious right against the more liberal-minded. Last month the EU denied funding to six Polish towns which had declared themselves “LGBT ideology-free zones”. Lucy Ash has been to one of them, Tuchow. Wildfires have raged through central and northern Argentina for most of the year. Apart from forests and grasslands, about half a million acres of wetlands next to the mighty Parana river have been lost in the worst fires in over a decade. This has endangered livelihoods and sparked concern among environmentalists, as Natalio Cosoy reports. Cap d'Agde on the French Mediterranean coast is home to the biggest nudist resort in Europe. But with France’s recent surge in coronavirus cases, how have the naturists and also the considerable number of swingers there fared with the restrictions? Chris Bockman went to find out. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

In Lebanon, shock is turning to anger at the authorities and political class at large, after the catastrophic blast in the capital Beirut. It was caused by explosive chemicals stored improperly at the city’s port, and caused much loss of life, thousands of injuries, and damaged large swathes of the city. Lizzie Porter asks what impact this will have on the residents. In South Africa coronavirus infections have surpassed half a million cases. That makes it the fifth worst affected country in the world. The nation had been doing well initially - measures to contain the virus were working. But, then, other problems reared their ugly heads, says Andrew Harding in Johannesburg. Around 20,000 people took to the streets of Berlin last weekend to protest against the anti-coronavirus restrictions, even though few of them remain in force. Most of the demonstrators had been bussed in from elsewhere, and as it turns out, their real agenda had relatively little to do with measures to combat the pandemic, as Damien McGuinness reports. In Iran, Covid-19 carries great social stigma, as Jiyar Gol has learned. Some people claim their relatives died of other illnesses, and others fear that no one will marry their daughters if anyone finds out they ever had Covid-19. The state, too, is less than fully transparent. The real number of cases could be three times that of government reports. According to a recent, yet ineffective campaign, France is the European champion for the abandoning of pets. Never more so than at this time of year, when so many people drive to their holiday destinations that the motorways are congested. Why won't they take their cats or dogs along, asks Chris Bockman in the southwest of the country. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

India's commercial capital, Mumbai, is now the city worst-hit by the coronavirus. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the number of patients in need. Even money can't buy you treatment. As a result, many are dying before they can receive medical care, as Yogita Limaye has found. It's a time of re-examining slavery and colonial history. Andrew Harding's grandfather was a young entomologist who moved from England to what was then Tanganyika to study termites to prevent them destroying crops. Have stories like his helped Britain to maintain a nostalgic, unquestioning attitude towards its former Empire? In the former coastal resort of Kep in Cambodia, local people are wary of a tourism development project with a marina and the hope of renovating old villas. The authorities claim the project will bring business and jobs, but many fear their way of life is under threat, as Michelle Jana Chan reports. In southwestern France, rugby is more popular than football, and fans have been feeling bereft since matches were stopped due to Covid-19. Rugby means so much, there's even a chapel called Notre Dame du Rugby, with stained-glass windows featuring Jesus holding a rugby ball. So how have locals been coping without their favourite sport? Chris Bockman has been finding out. The Whanganui River in New Zealand gained the rights, duties and liabilities of a legal person three years ago. This was for environmental protection, but to the Maori people it meant much more. They consider the river sacred, an embodiment of their ancestors, and young Maori travel it from source-to-sea to reconnect with their culture. Ash Bhardwaj paddled along. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

For well over a decade, the Al Qaeda linked group Al Shabab has struck terror in Somalia, Kenya and beyond blowing up shopping malls and hotels. Its senior leaders want to establish a caliphate, where their draconian form of Islam is imposed. But most Al Shabaab foot-soldiers come from deprived backgrounds and now hundreds have defected and are rebuilding their lives. Mary Harper visited a rehabilitation centre in the capital Mogadishu. In Afghanistan too, there are hopes of militants disarming, Taliban prisoners being released and of an end to a long drawn out conflict. But the peace process is overshadowed by a crisis in government. The defeated candidate in the presidential election, Abdullah Abdullah, proclaimed himself as president at the same time as the official inauguration of President Ghani earlier this week. David Loyn was there. There was much praise for the three journalists whose dogged investigations ultimately led to Harvey Weinsteins's conviction. But an important question remains says Kirsty Lang: why was the movie mogul's systematic abuse of women, kept out of the media for so many years? In France schools are closing until further notice as the government battles to stem the spread of the coronavirus. But President Macron said local elections would go ahead as planned. Elderly people, most at risk, may stay away from the polls. But in Pamiers, Chris Bockman met a candidate for mayor, a hardy nonagenarian. Despite its beautiful lakes, forests and hilltop castles Estonia had a hard time attracting tourists in the 1970s. Few Westerners fancied spending their holidays on that side of the Iron Curtain. But then the Soviet authorities built a luxury hotel fitted out with state of the art listening devices says Rob Crossan.

From coca farmer to president, to political exile - Katy Watson shares the story of Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first elected indigenous leader. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world: In Austria, Bethany Bell reveals why the hare with amber eyes has returned to Vienna. Finbarr Anderson is in Lebanon’s second city Tripoli, which is being called the ‘bride of the revolution’ because of its role in protests that have swept the country. Chris Bockman visits a former factory in Southwest France now home to Yazidi families who fled violence in Iraq. And Julia Buckley confesses to a crime in Tinsel Town and has an unsettling experience with the LAPD. Producers: Joe Kent and Lucy Ash

The United States is experiencing a resurgence of far-right extremism. We meet a man trying to challenge the ideology and convert those who have been radicalised. But Aleem Maqbool says he's ploughing a lonely furrow. In Serbia the government has been investing in traditional crafts - carpentry and pottery - in an attempt to sustain rural communities. Nicola Kelly goes to meet the craftsmen and women - and finds offers of the local tipple difficult to refuse. It's not long ago that Zimbabweans were celebrating the political demise of Robert Mugabe, who was president for nearly three decades - during which the country's economy collapsed. But, as Kim Chakanetsa reports after a recent trip to Harare, many there now have an unexpectedly rose-tinted view of the past. Argentina too has had its fair share of economic misery. Results of recent presidential primaries spooked the markets and raised fears of renewed difficulties. Natalio Cosoy hears echoes of the past in Buenos Aires. Petanque, that traditional summer pastime of the French, is undergoing something of a face lift. But the changes - especially the one that outlaws an accompanying glass of pastis - have occasioned more than a few grumbles, as Chris Bockman finds out.

Live at Wimbledon ahead of the Women's final and preview Sunday's Cricket World Cup final. We also head live to the Netball World Cup on it's opening weekend and meet the man who hitchhiked the length of Africa to cheer on his team at the Africa Cup of Nations, and ended up staying in the team hotel! Plus we ride the route of the unusual stage 12 of the Tour De France. The race is famous for being set against the backdrop of impossibly beautiful villages and medieval city centers and picturesque French countryside... In fact it was originally set up to promote France as a vacation destination. So Stage 12 on Wednesday is likely to come as a bit of shock. The race is starting among the crumbling tower blocks of a gritty housing estate in Toulouse - more used to making the headlines for urban violence and stark poverty. Chris Bockman reports from southern France, tour organizers were persuaded by local residents that they deserved to be the limelight too. Photo: The Venus Rosewater Dish trophy for winning the Women's Singles Final at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship. Credit: Getty Image

A visit to an IS women and children's camp in northern Syria where the residents face an uncertain future. Anna Foster visits the Al Hawl camp to talk to those who are trying to salvage some form of life beyond the caliphate The rape and murder of an eight-year old girl last year in Indian-administered Kashmir had reverberations across India. As they awaited the verdict of the trial of the eight accused, Divya Arya went to speak to the nomadic Muslim community trying to come to terms with their loss. The rate of destruction in the Amazon rainforest has increased by 60 percent in the last two months, and the impact of deforestation is being heavily felt by Brazil's indigenous people. David Shukman, the BBC's Science editor, went to visit the Uru-eu-wau-wau people and learned how they were trying to balance their traditional way of life with the pace of change and development in the region. A local village mayor in south-West France has launched a campaign for rural noises, such as the sound of cicadas and roosters, to be awarded national heritage status. Chris Bockman visits the village of Gajac and discovers that the battle lines have been drawn between two very different groups of residents over the issue. The Catalan independence movement has attracted international media to the region, and one journalist, Tim Smith, found himself on assignment in Barcelona for a prolonged stay. He discovered the internet can be a useful resource for forging new and eclectic friendship groups, and finds himself immersed in everything from heated political debates to advanced cycling.

How did it feel to survive the days of near-total blackout in Caracas? The BBC's Will Grant reports on what drove people to loot beloved local shops, or scoop water from filthy canals. Kate Adie introduces this story and others from around the world. Across Europe, relations between Romany Gypsy or Traveller families and their neighbours are often strained. Successive governments in France have cracked down on informal settlements of Roma people from Romania, and left French 'gens de voyage' feeling unwanted and marginalised. But near Carcassonne, Chris Bockman met one man with a plan to improve community relations. Mark Stratton explores a wealth gap in the Indian Ocean: the yawning difference in living standards between the Comoros and the French island of Mayotte, which has driven thousands of Comorans to risk their lives on a dangerous sea crossing in the hope of earning more and maybe gaining entry to the EU. The ancient kingdom of Dahomey, in modern-day Benin, was renowned for its martial prowess - from its fearsome battle banners to its brigades of all-female royal bodyguards, this was a culture well versed in war. Clodagh Kinsella plumbed the mysteries of its modern dynastic politics recently, watching three kings vie to inherit a supreme title. And Claire Bates explores the eerily deserted and well-preserved buffer zone separating Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus - to try and tap into some of her father's childhood memories of growing up on an undivided island.

Rhys Phillips hosts the first edition of English Speakers of Toulouse, a brand new monthly podcast for the English speaking and ex-pat community in Toulouse. In this episode, he talks to David Duggan and David Howard from the Secret Panto Society about their recent production of Little Red Riding Hood in Pibrac. Vanessa C Stone interviews BBC South West France correspondent Chris Bockman about his new book, 'Are you the Fois Gras correspondent?', editor of Haute LIfe magazine Cat Rochefort gives us her round-up of events for the coming month and Arezki Chougar talks about a new English language comedy night launching in Toulouse.

The success of Bayern Munich can be traced all the way back to an almost forgotten figure in German football - their longest serveing president Kurt Landauer. For years Kurt's story, including escaping the Nazi's, was barely known. We talk to historian and screenwriter Dirk Kamper who has helped his story get the recognition it deserves. Former NFL quarterback Marc Bulger has joined forces with three other former gridiron stars to take on Curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Alongside Jared Allen, Keith Bulluck and Michael Roos - Bulger decided to adopt the sport as the result of a bet. The four now have a serious desire to become Olympians. Plus, another athlete switching disciplines - Omar Hasan has been talking to our reporter in Toulouse, Chris Bockman, about his journey from international rugby to opera singing. (Photo: Kurt Landauer. Credit: Christof Stache/AFP)

In parts of the country health workers rely on armoured vehicles and a military escort in order to deliver much-needed vaccines. Olivia Acland reports from Beni where this kind of fieldwork was briefly suspended following a rebel attack in the city. Kate Adie introduces this and other stories from around the world. “Russia is a superpower” was the message Moscow wanted to convey when it deployed around a third of the country’s entire armed forces to a training exercise in Siberia. But “Russia is a country of contrasts” was that message that Steve Rosenberg returned with. Chris Bockman shares the story of the ‘Swiss Maternity’ in South West France – a once abandoned chateau where hundreds of Jewish and Roma women gave birth in secret in the 1940s. Shahzeb Jilani asks how far Pakistan is prepared to go to defeat the monsters it once helped create, after a coordinated attack on schools in the north of the country. And, fifty years after it was first unveiled to the public, Mark Jordan reveals how the jumbo jet very nearly didn’t get off the ground.

It's as if doomsday had arrived early in Raqqa as bats swoop over the remains of the city. Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories and analysis from around the world. In Syria, Quentin Sommerville finds a city which had been occupied and terrorised by the so-called Islamic State and is now being destroyed by a thousand blows from coalition airstrikes. In Colombia, Katy Watson reports from the border bridge which 25,000 Venezuelans cross each day. Most do so in search of food and medicine, but more and more are deciding to stay. In South Africa, Milton Nkosi worries that history is repeating itself with the recent spate of political killings in KwaZulu Natal. In America’s Deep South, Fleur Macdonald joins fellow MacDonalds, Alexanders, Johnsons, MacSweeneys and MacWhannells as they celebrate their Scottish heritage and their allegiance to Clan Donald. And in Spain, Chris Bockman visits what was Europe's second-biggest train station, but was left to rot and rust. Today the terminal in Canfranc attracts more curious visitors than it ever did passengers. Producer: Joe Kent

We travel to Hawai'i, The Gambia, France and India-administered Kashmir this week. The programme begins in Australia where the plans of the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, to hold a national plebiscite on the issue of same-sex marriage have run into difficulties. Phil Mercer explains why, although his opponents agree with the premier's objective, they don't support his approach for achieving it. Chris Simpson is in The Gambia, the smallest country on the African mainland. Elections are due in December and the opposition parties agreed only yesterday to field a single candidate against the sitting president. But what are the prospects of the long-serving head of state losing power? Chris Bockman is in Toulouse following the story of a plane and its erstwhile owner. Colonel Gadaffi of Libya, the fifth anniversary of whose death falls next Thursday, hated flying but nevertheless acquired and fitted out in grand style an Airbus A340. But disagreements between the new Libyan authorities and creditors claiming that bills racked up by the former leader have been left unpaid in France mean the plane is parked at Perpignan airport. What will happen next? Kashmir is one of the most militarised regions of the world with India and Pakistan administering parts of it while both claiming all of it. Melissa van der Klugt journeyed to Attari to meet the station superintendent who manages the daily routine of journeys between Delhi and Lahore under the shadow of nuclear weapons held on both sides. And Simon Parker is fascinated by the active volcanoes on Hawai'i, particularly Kilauea. He decides to get up close and personal with the lava-spewing natural wonder – but will his feet be able to endure the trek

Having reached Greece after often perilous journeys, many migrants now find that their hoped-for route north is blocked. Danny Savage meets some of those who have to live in tents in Athens, and on the Greek-Macedonian border with little hope of reaching their final destinations. Many refugees have come from Syria, where neighbourhoods in some cities have been reduced to rubble. Warda al-Jawahiry visits Homs, parts of which have been completely bombed out. Yet there are those who still live there, and bear emotional scars that are as real as the physical destruction. In the Ethiopian capital Addis Abeba, James Jeffrey goes for his early morning run, and finds he's not alone. For early dawn is the time when hyenas finish their night time scavenging in the city. Chris Bockman is in the Spanish enclave of Llivia - a small town completely surrounded by France, but with surprisingly few French speakers. And in Mongolia many young people are giving up the outdoor life of herding sheep on the steppe, and reading novels by candlelight in a yurt at night, for that of a polluted city. Anthony Denselow meets some of them.

The correspondent's trade: memories of the late Ian McDougall who filed for the BBC from more than 40-countries and once told this programme he'd broadcast from the only radio studio in the world equipped with a bidet! Also in this edition: Steve Evans on perceptions of the north/south divide in Korea; Linda Yueh asking if American workers will really countenance a return to the factory floor; James Hassam on a surprise at the dinner table in Ethiopia and Chris Bockman meets 144 new French citizens in Toulouse.

Foreign correspondents. Nick Thorpe on the Russian speakers in Ukraine who want the future of their country linked to western Europe, not to Moscow; Thomas Fessy examines how the Islamist fighters of Boko Haram are extending their operations out of Nigeria into neighbouring Cameroon; Shaimaa Khalil in Karachi on the difficulties and the dangers health workers face trying to convince people to be immunised against polio; Chris Bockman in Montpellier has been learning what an exiled Syrian billionaire has to do with the local rugby club and what's the correct etiquette for an American woman keen for a swim in Iran? Amy Guttman has been finding out.

Reporters around the world. Misha Glenny says surely it's a national emergency -- but it's one the candidates in Brazil's election campaign have largely ignored. The civil war drags on in South Sudan - Tristan McConnell visits a town that's changed hands, between government troops and rebels, six times and has left its people shattered. Chris Morris was with the sub-hunters on the Stockholm Archipelago. They didn't find a submarine, but it's clear there are security implications. Who do you call when you see little green men in the sky? In France, you can phone the government, as Chris Bockman's been finding out. And Bethany Bell has been visiting a lake which is much-loved in Austria and not just because of its unique rose-scented breezes.

Reporters' despatches from around the world, introduced by Kate Adie. Today, Will Grant on the astonishing prevalence of guns in Central America: Josh Spero in Jerusalem asks how best to teach Israeli children about the Holocaust without traumatising them: Jake Wallis Simons witnesses friendship across the Muslim-Christian divide in Sierra Leone: Lina Sinjab returns to her home city of Damascus, where the once-vibrant cafe society is fast fading away: and in Toulouse, Chris Bockman discovers that the municipal bathhouse has become a virtual community centre. Producer: John Murphy

When Madeleine Morris returned to her native Australia after twelve years in the UK she knew she'd find things different there, but she didn't realise her wallet would take such a battering! Ian Pannell, in northern Syria, finds a group of little boys sheltering in a Roman-era tomb and asking where their mother's got to. Craig Jeffrey's at the Indian college where once students demonstrated for the right to cheat in exams. Sicily looks like being one of the key battlegrounds in the Italian election -Chris Morris is there communing with the dead ahead of the big vote. And as France prepared to take on England in the Six Nations tournament at Twickenham, Chris Bockman finds the congregation deep in prayer at a church they call 'Our Lady of Rugby.'

A rich seam of frustration - over poverty, bad leadership and corruption -- is being mined by the Nigerian militants Boko Haram, according to Andrew Harding.The fall of Colonel Gaddafi, says David Willey in Rome, has given Italy an opportunity to breathe new life into its long relationship with Libya. Chris Bockman meets some of those who worked for the French in what was then Indochina who are now living quietly by the River Lot in south west France. Hamilton Wende took a luxury train through six southern African countries - the passengers soon noted life outside their gilded carriages was a lot less comfortable. And UNESCO reckons the Viennese cafe's worth adding to its list of intangible items of cultural heritage. Bethany Bell explains why there's a lot more than just apple strudel behind the counter.

'I'll Not Do It Again!' That's the verdict of some foreign businessmen, out of pocket after getting involved in the Indian market. Mark Dummett in Delhi examines whether this is really a difficult country in which to do business. Embarrassment for the French state: Chris Bockman on how it's having to pick up the hotel bills of radicals who were once convicted of trying to blow up the Eiffel Tower. Tamasin Ford visits the centre of the diamond trade in Sierra Leone while Michael Bristow meets the members of one of Shanghai's neighbourhood committees - the front line of Chinese government. And with two weeks to go until the Irish go to the polls, Kieran Cooke recalls early encounters with Martin McGuinness, the former IRA man who now wants to be Ireland's next president.