From Our Own Correspondent Folgen

In Afghanistan, there’s growing concern over a wave of attacks against human rights activists, moderate clerics, aid workers and others. For a young educated generation of Afghans, one death in particular has sparked anguish and anxiety over where their country is heading, despite imminent peace talks, as Lyse Doucet reports. In Russia, a controversial national vote on constitutional reform this week has given President Putin the right to run for two more terms when the current one runs out. He's been in power for twenty years already, and could now rule till 2036. What do voters make of this? Sarah Rainsford has been following the election. In Spain, much of life is returning to normal after the coronavirus lockdown, but not yet in the world of bullfighting. Matadors languish at home, bulls chew the cud, and the future of bullfighting hangs in the balance, not just because of social distancing, but politics too. as Guy Hedgecoe reports from Madrid. In the US July 4th is Independence Day, marking the moment when the country broke free from Britain in 1776. But for African Americans, final liberation from slavery only came on the 19th June 1865, in Texas, two and a half years after slavery was abolished in the rest of the country. And now Juneteenth is a celebration rivalling that of the Fourth of July, for African Americans like Emma Sapong. The Democratic Republic of Congo marked the 60th anniversary of its independence from Belgium this week. And the Belgian king Philippe took the opportunity to offer his “deepest regrets” for his country’s colonial abuses, when millions of Africans died. The most brutal period was under King Leopold the Second, Kevin Connolly has been taking a closer look at this history. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

Japan has some very densely populated cities and the world’s highest proportion of elderly citizens. A disaster waiting to happen in the coronavirus pandemic? But the country has had a low death rate, despite only imposing a mild lockdown. What's the secret, or was it just luck, asks Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo. The George Floyd anti-racism protests have been supported in Asia too, but the conversation around race and colour is very loaded for South Asians themselves – where the criticism has been that the deep divides within South Asian society itself aren't scrutinised enough. There can even be discrimination in the same family, if siblings have different skin tones, as Karishma Vaswani has found. In Italy, lockdown was imposed in February, and Italian children haven’t been to school since, nor are there plans for them to return before September. And the lockdown was so strict, that most children couldn't see their friends even in a socially-distanced way. But then a mayor had an idea, as Dany Mitzman reports. Fancy a walk in the fresh mountain air? How about Northern Iraq? Iraqi Kurdistan may be better known for armed conflict, but has now become a location for outdoor pursuits with a long-distance hiking trail. There's still the risk of mines or drone strikes, but the reward of beautiful scenery and greater social freedoms than in the cities, as Leon McCarran found. A plant that grows across much of Africa - Artemisia Afra, a species of wormwood – was recently touted as a cure for Covid-19 by the President of Madagascar. But in the family of Nomsa Maseko in South Africa, the herb has always been used as a remedy for colds and chest complaints. Until the shrubs were stolen from the front garden... Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

Italy's northern region of Lombardy became the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in February. Death rates soared. In Bergamo, six thousand people died in March. Mark Lowen returns to Lombardy to meet some of the bereaved and finds that politicians are passing the buck as to why cities locked down too late. Colombia had a thriving economy before the pandemic, and has been host to almost two million Venezuelans who fled their country due to its economic and political crisis. Now, their dreams of a better life have turned to despair. Lockdown stops them earning a living, landlords evict them, and they're reduced to begging for food to survive, as Mat Charles has been finding. Travel restrictions are gradually being lifted across the world, allowing more people to take airplanes again. But what is it actually like to fly now? Jean Mackenzie reports for the BBC from Brussels, and has been on numerous flights to cover the pandemic. She found the usual bustle of check-in queues, airport cafes, and departure lounges has given way to something more dystopian. The United States has been going through tempestuous times, and New York City in particular. The city suffered around 22,000 Covid-19 deaths. And the fall-out of the killing of George Floyd led to street protests against police racism. Amidst the deaths, there was also new life. Nick Bryant’s daughter Honor was born. Becoming a father again at such a turbulent time prompted him to him to re-evaluate his relationship with this adopted homeland, and to write a letter to Honor. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius