Spain on strike over housing crisis

Kate Adie introduces stories from Spain, the G7 foreign ministers' summit, the South of France, Pakistan and Italy.

Protests took place across Spain this week for the first general strike in 14 years, in response to the country's housing crisis and the high cost of living. Despite the rain, tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets to make their voices heard. Nick Beake reports from Madrid.

This week saw a fresh round of diplomacy in President Trump’s attempt to end the war in Ukraine, with talks taking place in the Middle East. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in France for a gathering of G7 foreign ministers, to discuss ongoing global security challenges. Tom Bateman reports from Paris.

In the Belle Epoque city of Marseille is a dark underworld of criminal gangs intent on luring teenagers into the drug trade. James Waterhouse reveals the stark reality of the violence this brings to the city's deprived neighbourhoods, where gangs have been bolstered by the growing demand for illegal drugs.

A solar-powered revolution is gathering pace in Pakistan – it now accounts for around a fifth of the country’s electricity generation. Households and businesses are covering their rooftops with increasingly cheap solar panels, keen to mitigate against the ongoing high cost of fuel. Caroline Davies has been finding out more.

And high up in the Val Gardena in the Italian Dolomites there’s a traditional autumn market set among cobblestone streets in a region especially known for its woodcarving and fresh produce. Katja Gaskell discovers how the humble pear has inspired a time-honoured declaration of love.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling

Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie Hill

Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith