Hello this is the from our own correspondent office at Bush House in London.

You can check out what we're up to by signing up to our Twitter feed.

But here's a download of our latest program on BBC Radio 4, introduced as ever by Kate Adi.

Today escalating violence in northern Nigeria, our correspondence in the city under siege, its

people scared of what may be coming next.

Austerities biting in Rome, the Dolcevita's a distant memory.

Now it's a struggle just to get by.

We hear from the Middle Eastern nation with a policy of being nice to everyone.

And just in case it's been worrying you, we try to answer the question, why do the French

always jog in an anti-lockwise direction.

Gun battles between police and militants in Northern Nigeria have left up to 30 people dead this week.

Security's been tightened, but so far military crackdowns and states of emergency

have done little to stop the spread of violence. Much of it is blamed on the

Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which is said to be responsible for more

than a thousand deaths since 2009. The president, Good Luck Jonathan, who's been

heavily criticized for failing to restore order, has now sacked his national security

advisor and defense minister. The president says the militants who had

been attacking local rivals and government institutions were now turning on places of worship.

Will Ross, who's in Northern Nigeria, tells us both churches and mosques are being targeted.

Within minutes of checking into my hotel room in the city of Joss, I received a text.

It was the sort of message that focuses the mind, and as a journalist, makes you check all your

equipments charged up and ready to go. It suggested around 100 Islamist militants from the group

...