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Pascale Harter introduces dispatches from Egypt, Malaysia, the USA and the border areas of the Mekong River.

Arab leaders convened in Egypt this week to draw up a post-war plan for Gaza - and to counter Donald Trump's proposal to turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East'. Lyse Doucet travelled to Cairo to report on the new Arab resolve, but found herself being pulled back into the city's own recent, tumultuous history.

Malaysia has become a global hub for recycling, importing an estimated five million tonnes of plastic each year - but does it really make a difference? Leanna Hosea went to find out what happens to the world's waste once it arrives.

In order to tackle the country's opioid crisis, some US states are focussing less on prosecution, and more on treatment. The first state to decriminalise the personal possession of hard drugs was Oregon back in 2020 – a decision it would come to reverse in 2024. Martin Vennard has been to the famously progressive state to find out what’s been happening.

Finally, we head to the banks of the Mekong River, where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet. Matthew Gwyther travelled through the region and reflects on how its past and present have being shaped by external powers.

People gather by the rubble of destroyed buildings for iftar fast-breaking meal on the second day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the area of al-Dahduh in Gaza City's Tal al-Hawa district. (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)