Eritrea is one of the most closed countries in the world, with no independent media or political opposition and a widely criticised human rights record. Each year thousands of young people leave the country to escape the harsh national service regime that for most means a lifetime of service to the state. Few foreign broadcasters get access to the country but in this final year of the UN Millenium Development Goals, Eritrea has given the BBC rare access to report. The BBC’s Yalda Hakim finds that in areas such as child mortality, maternal health and HIV/Aids and malaria, the country has reached its MDG target early.

(Photo: Street scene in Asmara, capital of Eritrea. BBC copyright)

The beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians on a Libyan beach has exposed the lawlessness of the country ruled by Colonel Gaddafi until 2011. The internationally-recognised government is trying, without much success, to run the country from the eastern city of Tobruk. In Tripoli, another body claims to be the legitimate government. But is the real power struggle between the militias associated with each group – and where does the so-called Islamic State fit in? With neighbours near and far getting involved to push their own agendas, we investigates the forces operating in Libya and what they want.

(Image: A Libyan man waves his national flag. Credit: Abdullah Doma/AFP/Getty Images)

This week, various authors remember a significant swimming experience:

1. Novelist Christopher Hope describes a Pretoria swimming pool of his youth, where, if things got too much, he'd happily sink to the bottom and stay there a while. Letting things pass over him...

Producer Duncan Minshull.

February's edition of Global Beats comes from the Sauti Za Busara festival in Zanzibar.

Now in its twelfth year, Sauti Za Busara has gained a reputation as one of Africa's best and most respected music events.

All the music is live, and, as Global Beats presenter Rita Ray found out, artists are keen to be chosen to perform: they see it is a badge of honour and proof of their musicianship.

This year's line-up includes Tcheka from Cape Verde, Liza Kamikazi from Rwanda, Djmawi Africa from Algeria and The Brother Moves On from South Africa.

Tanzanian Bongo Flava man of the moment, Alikiba, also headlines, and a music festival in Zanzibar wouldn't be complete without Taarab master Mohamed Ilyas.

(Photo: Rita Ray and Thais Diarra, an afro-soul singer from Switzerland, Mali and Senegal)

In the 1960s, the Ghanaian football team dominated Africa, winning tournament after tournament. Known as the Black Stars, they were an exciting attacking force which President Kwame Nkrumah hoped would help promote African unity. But in 1965, the Ghanaians faced an uphill struggle in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunis.Their star striker, Osei Kofi, remembers the match for Witness.

(Photo: Osei Kofi speaking to the BBC)

Over the last year tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Egypt – many of them for belonging to the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood - but some for simply protesting in the streets. The courts are now bursting at the seams. Human rights activists have accused the judicial system itself of breaking the law.

Claire Read has spent the last six months following the case of Yara, a young woman who works for a respected human rights organization. Yara was arrested by plain clothed policemen who accused her of taking part in an illegal protest. She denied this, saying she just happened to be in the vicinity, buying water from a kiosk.

As Claire follows Yara’s sometimes chaotic and confusing case, she tries to get to grips with how Egypt’s justice system operates under the new government of President Sisi.

Producer: John Murphy

Hamza Namira – Tesmahy Youssra El Hawary – Fil Sharea

(Photo: Egyptians protest on anniversary of 2011 uprising. Credit: European Photopress Agency)

Most of the nearly 300 girls kidnapped from a school in northern Nigeria last year are still missing. Their plight temporarily brought global focus to a hideous insurgency that seems to produce new horrors every day.

More than 17,000 people have died and a million have been displaced in the Nigerian army’s six-year fight with Boko Haram. The army has been rocked by mutinies – including in the division created to fight the militants - and soldiers in other parts of the country have been dismissed for refusing orders to fight in the north. Meanwhile, human rights groups say the army can be nearly as brutal to civilians as the militants are. And in a sign of apparent growing impatience, Nigeria's neighbours have begun sending their own armies against Boko Haram. So this week we ask, Is the Nigerian Army Failing?

(Photo: Some of the 59 Nigerian soldiers facing trial on charges of mutiny and conspiracy to commit mutiny over claims that they refused to fight Boko Haram militants sit handcuffed on October 15, 2014 in the military courtroom in Abuja. The soldiers, all members of the 111th Special Forces Battalion, all pleaded not guilty in court. They are also accused of refusing to deploy in August to recapture the towns of Yelwa, Bellabulini and Dambo in Borno state from Boko Haram, according to the charge sheet. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

World renowned DJ and BBC 1Xtra presenter DJ Edu is on a journey to find the best nightclub in Africa. He speaks to DJs across the continent about the biggest club tunes in their country and what these say about clubbing and people getting richer in Africa.

DJ Edu hears from the first female DJ in Ethiopia, DJ Yemi, from Uganda’s DJ Rachael, Morocco’s DJ Van, Angola’s Djeff Afrozila, Egyptian DJ Fadi - from duo Aly & Fila - DJ T-Man from Botswana, DJ Creejay from Zambia and Kenya’s biggest band at the moment - Sauti Sol. Hear the tracks that are getting Africans on their feet in clubs. And, tell us what you are dancing to, using the hashtag #ClubAfricaBBC.

This programme is part of the BBC’s Richer World season.

TRACKS PLAYED ON THIS PROGRAMME

Tufike Apa – Gazza (Namibia)

Patoranking – Girlie O (Nigeria)

DJ Van featuring O.B. - This is Marrakesh (Morocco)

DJ Van - INASS INASS (Morocco)

DJ Gouveia - Ambuye (Botswana)

Teddy Afro - Be 70Derega (Ethiopia)

Silvastone feat. Yemi Alade – Loving My Baby (Sierra Leone / Ghana)

Madtraxx ft Kora & Ndegz - Skamaress (Kenya)

Sauti Sol - Sura Yako (Kenya)

Sauti Sol - Mbinguni (Kenya)

Amro Diab - Habibi Ya Nour-Al-Ain (Egypt)

Aly & Fila - Altitude Compensation - (Egypt)

TLDREAMZ featuring Djeff Afrozila - Undi Da Ki Panha (Angola)

DJ Malvado e Kadu - Atchu Tchutcha (Angola)

Irene Ntale - Stay With Me (Uganda)

Davido & Olamide - Shoki (Nigeria)

Santuri Safari, featuring Joel Sebunjo and Esa Williams -“Kanekasi” (Uganda)

Dr Chameleone - Wale Wale (Uganda)

Zone Fam - Contolola (Zambia)

Roberto -Ama-Rulah (Zambia)

DJ Clock ft Beatenberg - Pluto (Remember You) -- (South Africa)

In 1996, South Africa won the Africa Cup of Nations, bringing sporting joy to a country still recovering from apartheid. For the Bafana Bafana team, it was their first - and so far only - victory at an international football tournament. Sporting Witness speaks to two members of the multi-racial side, Phil Masinga and Mark Fish.

Photo: South Africa captain, Neil Tovey, lifting the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 (Getty Images)

The Conservatives' plans to achieve a budget surplus by 2019-20 have led to near universal acknowledgment that big reductions in spending would be required. However, David Cameron said government spending would only need to be reduced by 1% per year. So, how big are the cuts? Tim Harford asks Gemma Tetlow of the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

In the wake of the Paris killings, an imam in Paris told the BBC that 95% of terrorism victims around the world are Muslim. Is that true? More or Less speaks to Erin Miller of the Global Terrorism Database.

The reported death toll of the Boko Haram attack in Baga, Nigeria, this month has ranged from 150 to more than 2000 people. More or Less speaks to Julian Rademeyer of Africa Check, who's been trying to get to the truth.

Which are the world's worst boardgames? Oliver Roeder, a senior writer for the website FiveThirtyEight, has done a statistical analysis of player reviews to answer this question. He's also been looking at which are considered to be the best. Tim Harford challenges Oliver to a transatlantic game of Snakes and Ladders.

And the coverage of the Living Planet Index and its claim that species populations have dropped 50% in the last 40 years aroused much suspicion among More or Less listeners. The team looks at what the figure means and how it was calculated.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Ruth Alexander.

Each year, the US government does a strange and slightly surprising thing: it gives away 50,000 green cards (permanent resident visas) to people chosen at random via a lottery.

But becoming an American is not easy, even if you do win a golden ticket.

For Crossing Continents, Leo Hornak follows the story of Abdi Nor, a young Somali lottery winner living in one of the toughest slums in Kenya, as he prepares for his final US embassy interview and the chance of a new life in the States.

But as Abdi's interview date approaches, the obstacles to him achieving his American dream appear to grow ever greater.

Grace Mugabe has been an almost silent figure at her husband, Robert Mugabe's side for almost two decades. Now she is starting to flex her own political muscles, which some are interpreting as a bid for the Presidency. But does she have the skill and the support to secure the top job and a Mugabe dynasty? In December she will head Zanu-PF's Women's League which will make her one of the most powerful people in Zimbabwe's governing party. Jo Fidgen questions how much 'soft' power she already has over her husband and whether she makes a credible political leader?

We are joined by the highly creative wordsmiths M.Anifest from Ghana and Tumi from South Africa, whose conscious rap uses lyrics to challenge and delight. Both seek out superb musicians to work with and to learn from. Plus, two artists from the Sahara - Aziza Brahim from western Sahara performs a song from her latest album, Soutak, which has been highly acclaimed by critics. We are also joined by Songhai Blues whose members fled northern Mali when the area was overrun by extremist rebels and music was banned. They have subsequently been discovered by the British musician and impresario Damon Albarn and have been pleasing audiences in the UK with their bluesy desert rock. Lala Njava from Madagascar whose deep and highly distinctive vocal technique derives from the traditional music from the south of her country. Now she lives in Brussels, and her sound is rich with jazz and other contemporary and international influences.

We hear from Omawumi, a Nigerian pop diva with a difference. Not only does she have a fantastic voice, but she is a witty and bold critic of her society. The song she performs for Global Beats is an irresistibly packaged appeal for honesty and action on incest. Also from Nigeria, Villy, is a very new talent doing exciting things with Afrobeat. And, in Rwanda we hear the simple acoustic charm of The Good Ones. The musicians, who play whatever they can find - including a pair of boots - are winning fans with songs that feel fresh and from the heart. Their success means they may soon need to give up their day jobs, which include farming, driving and teaching.

(Photo: From left to right, Nigerian pop diva Omawumi, Ghanaian rapper M.Anisfest and Aziza Brahim from western Sahara. BBC copyright)

Tim Whewell is one of the few foreign reporters who have made it to Tobruk, the last toehold of Libya’s elected authorities. Now Islamist-led militias have taken over much of the country. He reports for Assignment on why Libya’s on the verge of becoming a failed state, three years after an international campaign of airstrikes helped rebels overthrow Col Gaddafi.

Now, the conflict in Libya is becoming in part a proxy war between competing powers in the Middle East – and militant jihadis are taking advantage of the chaos to spread their influence. In Benghazi, there are daily assassinations of officials, journalists and activists – and in Derna, an hour’s drive from Tobruk, one jihadi group says the town has become part of the 'caliphate' declared by Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Peace talks between the elected parliament in Tobruk and the Islamist-dominated rival authorities in the capital Tripoli, have so far made little progress – and there are now fears that in the long run extremists in Libya could pose an even greater threat to the rest of the world than those in Syria and Iraq.

Produced by Phil Kemp

(Photo: The Libyan Navy controls one section of the coast, but other parts are in the hands of Jihadis. BBC copyright)

Adventurer Simon Reeve travels from source to sea along the world's longest river, the Nile. His journey will take him from the holy source of the Blue Nile in the Ethiopian highlands, through the desert of Sudan and onwards through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. The life-giving river has forged some of our earliest civilisations and influenced some of our greatest religions. But with populations along its banks rising fast, Nile countries are demanding an ever-greater share of the sacred waters, threatening the stability of the entire region.

The chance of a successful kidney match between two unrelated people has increased significantly in the past ten years - why? Tim Harford speaks to Professor Anthony Warrens, president of the British Transplantation Society.

Donations to the Manchester Dogs' Home have exceeded £1m in the wake of a fire, which killed more than 50 dogs. The large sum raised caused Today presenter Justin Webb to comment that it often seems easier to raise money for animals than humans who are in need. Is it true that we give more generously to animals? Ben Carter reports.

Is Britain poorer than every US state, except for Mississippi? Journalist Fraser Nelson calculates that's the case. Tim Harford speaks to economist Chris Dillow about why he's right.

An edition of BBC Four's Wonder of Animals states that there are 14,000 ants to every person on earth, and that were we to weigh all of these ants they would weigh the same as all the people. Can this be true? Tim Harford and Hannah Moore investigate with the help of Francis Ratnieks, professor of at the University of Sussex.

Friday, September 19 is Huntrodds' Day - a chance to celebrate coincidence and the extraordinary tale of Mr and Mrs Huntrodds. As Michael Blastland explains, they shared their birthday and day of death.

A complaint has been held up against a BBC programme for calling Eritrea 'tiny'. Can any country rightly be described this way?

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Ruth Alexander.

In one remote district in Ivory Coast, men are going back to school. Their studies are part of a UN-backed project dubbed 'the school for husbands' and designed to save the lives of women and children.

The idea is to teach decision makers – the men – about the importance of family planning, check-ups, and pre-natal care for their wives. The aim is to help women and also improve general welfare in farming villages where food is scarce and incomes are dependent on the weather and good fortune.

Lucy Ash hears stories from the schools for husbands and finds out why Ivory Coast's health system is struggling to recover from the post-election crisis three years ago, even as the country's economy roars ahead.

Producer: Mike Wendling

(Image: Pupils from the School for Husbands in Sakassou – a village in the Savannah region of the Ivory Coast. They have just voted to clean their houses and to create a fund to send pregnant wives to hospital to give birth. BBC Copyright)

In one remote district in Ivory Coast, men are going back to school. Their studies are part of a UN-backed project dubbed 'the school for husbands' and designed to save the lives of women and children. The idea is to teach decision makers - the men - about the importance of family planning, check-ups, and pre-natal care for their wives. The aim is to help women and also improve general welfare in farming villages where food is scarce and incomes are dependent on the weather and good fortune. Lucy Ash hears stories from the schools for husbands and finds out why Ivory Coast's health system is struggling to recover from the post-election crisis three years ago, even as the country's economy roars ahead.

Producer: Mike Wendling.