From Our Own Correspondent

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Synopsis

Insight, wit and analysis as BBC correspondents, journalists and writers take a closer look at the stories behind the headlines. Presented by Kate Adie and Pascale Harter.

Episodes

  • Southern Turkey: The Earthquake's Epicentre

    11/02/2023 Duration: 27min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Turkey, the USA, Myanmar, Italy and Ukraine. Anna Foster has been in Kahramanmaras, the epicentre of the recent earthquake, where diggers work to remove the debris, revealing small personal items that tell of so many lives lost. Even after the rescue teams have left for the day, relatives continue the search for loved ones through the night. President Joe Biden has switched to campaign mode in both his State of the Union speech to Congress and on his recent visit to Florida - celebrating the achievements of his presidency. But a fight looms with Republicans who now control the House, and there are potential trip wires on the road ahead, says Anthony Zurcher. A journalist from Myanmar shares his story of how hope turned to despair when the military seized power in a coup in 2021 - and how he was forced to flee with his family. The regime has used intimidation and harassment to shut down the media, says Rebecca Henschke. In Italy, Daniel Gordon tells the story of a man who ma

  • Voices from Syria’s North-West

    09/02/2023 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Syria, Nigeria, Romania, Armenia and Pakistan Leila Molana-Allen has spoken to anxious friends and relatives in the Syrian diaspora who are preparing for the worst as roads are blocked and airports closed. Many relief workers are running low on supplies as they battle to reach those stranded. Mayeni Jones has been in the midst of the chaotic fall-out from the Nigerian Central Bank's decision to replace the high denomination bank notes, which led to fights breaking out in banks and long queues forming as the new notes became scarce to find. Paul Kenyon visits the Romanian home of former championship boxer and social media influencer Andrew Tate, who's been detained in the country due to allegations of people trafficking and rape. He finds the house wasn't quite what he expected for someone who boasts about a glamour lifestyle - and went to hear what the locals make of him. A group of teenagers got stranded on the Armenian border after they travelled to Yerevan from Nagorno-K

  • Grief and Grievances in Israel and the Occupied West Bank

    04/02/2023 Duration: 28min

    After a surge in violence over the last week, in which several were killed in a military raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank and a synagogue attack in Israel, Yolande Knell visited the both areas and spoke to friends and relatives of those who died about their fears for the future. Rob Cameron extols the virtue of the old Soviet escalator in his local metro station in Prague, which is now being upgraded. And, as he sits down with pro-EU President-elect Petr Pavel, after recent elections, he reflects on the tensions between the old Soviet links, and modernisation in the country. In Uruguay, Jane Chambers meets a new breed of cattle rancher - investors based in the city who buy cattle to be managed by local ranchers. She visits the farms beyond the capital, and hears how they've been focused on burnishing their environmental credentials to compete with Brazil and Argentina. In the Canadian province of British Colombia, Mark Stratton visits a non-profit group who've teamed up with first nation pe

  • A Mosque Attack in Peshawar

    02/02/2023 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Pakistan Ukraine, Gibraltar, Uzbekistan and Namibia More than 100 people were killed in an attack targeting police in a high security mosque in the northern city of Peshawar in Pakistan earlier this week. An investigation is now underway as to how the bomber managed to enter the high-security zone. Caroline Davies went to the city and met some of the survivors. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky has launched a anti-corruption drive, which led to the resignation of several government and regional ministers. James Waterhouse was in Kyiv and said the upheaval marked a shift in the government’s narrative, with a new focus on accountability. Gibraltar, the British territory which borders Spain, remains deeply patriotic despite its geographical location. Joe Inwood met the chief minister there and discovered how a simple mispronunciation opened up deeper cultural differences. We visit Samarkand in Uzbekistan, for centuries a major trading hub on the Silk Road. But under the

  • A Bitter Winter in Afghanistan

    28/01/2023 Duration: 27min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Afghanistan, Peru, Russia, the US and Spain As Afghanistan experiences its harshest winter in a decade, Lyse Doucet travels to Salang, the world's highest road tunnel. After roadside service comes to her team's rescue, she visits a struggling family who are cut off from aid and battling to keep warm. Peru is seeing some of its worst clashes since the return of democracy, with protesters demanding that interim president, Dina Boluarte, resign and make way for a general election and a new constitution. Many of the biggest protests were in southern Peru but Mitra Taj spoke to those who took their grievances to the capital, Lima. We meet a drag queen in Saint Petersburg who says Russia's new anti-LGBT law is crushing gay nightlife in the city. Our correspondent Will Vernon discovers this increased censorship also extends to bookshops, streaming services and high street shops -all part of Vladimir Putin's battle against Western values. Barbara Plett Usher was in Washington for

  • Ukraine Dreams Of A Different Future

    21/01/2023 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, Nepal, Iraq, Norway and the US Andrew Harding is at the frontline in Eastern Donbas, close to Russian lines, where soldiers share their dreams of the future after the war, as artillery fire rains down on them. The Yeti airlines crash into a gorge in Nepal last Sunday was the worst in 30 years. Rajini Vaidyanathan saw the grim reality of the crash site and spoke to mourners as they prepared to bury their loved ones. From chocolate biscuits, to porcelain to air-conditioning units, Iranian produce lines the shelves of Baghdad's stores. But despite the strong commercial ties and shared cultural influences, political tensions are flaring in the Kurdistan region of Iraq after the death of Mahsa Amini, writes Lizzie Porter. In Arctic Norway, cod fisherman rely on Russian cooperation to share fish stocks in the Barents Sea equally. Hugh Francis Anderson was in Tromso where he spoke to fisherman increasingly wary that souring relations with Russia could impact their livelih

  • China’s Great Reopening

    14/01/2023 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from China, Brazil, Sri Lanka, the US and Portugal. China has opened up its borders again ahead of the New Year festival. Late las year, Xi Jinping eased Covid restrictions after anti-Zero Covid protests, which has led to a surge in cases across major cities and provinces. Many in the country are divided about whether to savour their new found freedoms and travel, or stay put to protect elderly relatives, says Stephen McDonnell. The storming of Brazil's congress, presidential palace and supreme court by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro has led many to draw parallels with the attack on the Capitol building in Washington in 2021. Katy Watson looks at who the protestors are and who might be behind them. Zeinab Badawi is in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, where she meets Sinhalese artist, Jagath, whose work mainly focuses on the country's brutal history. She hears the story of how one of his monuments to commemorate those who died in the conflict was destroyed in favour of a new buildin

  • Brazil: United In Grief, Divided By Politics

    07/01/2023 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Brazil, Russia, the US, South Korea and Italy Brazilians this week mourned the loss of one of their greatest footballers, Pele, with hundreds of thousands going to view his open casket in Santos. Meanwhile, the politics continue to divide the nation as Lula Da Silva returned to power. Katy Watson was in Brasilia for his inauguration and reflects on the challenges ahead. Vladimir Putin used his New Year address this year to rally the nation once more for war, as festive ice sculptures even depicted military figures. The announcement of a ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas appeared incongruous with Putin's rhetoric and was dismissed by Ukrainians as a plot to stay their advances. Steve Rosenberg was in Moscow as Russians were once more put on a war footing. Linda Pressly has a dispatch from Tucson in Arizona where she met a group of committed Christians helping migrants who've crossed from Mexico into the harsh landscape of the Sonoran desert, and lost their way. This comes as P

  • A Year in Ukraine

    31/12/2022 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents a selection of stories from correspondents who have covered the war, from the invasion of Kyiv to the present day. Fergal Keane remembers the beekeepers of the Donbas who he met in 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea. As he witnessed the throngs of Ukrainians fleeing war in February of this year, he wonders if he will meet his friends again. Quentin Sommerville reported close to Russian lines in Kharkiv as it came under attack. He reflects on the realities of war and the decision to show dead bodies in his television reporting - to not show them would be a lie, he says. Yogita Limaye writes on the atrocities which emerged in Bucha after Russian forces withdrew, and her encounter with Irina - a woman trying to rebuild her life after she lost her home, and her husband. In July, Orla Guerin reported on the effects of Russia's propaganda machine, and its influence within Russian-speaking communities in Ukraine. Suspicion and mistrust left some locals wondering on whose side their neig

  • Friendship, Fury and a French Suit

    24/12/2022 Duration: 29min

    Kate Adie presents highlights from 2022, beginning in Moscow, where we hear the story of the friendship between BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg and Valentina, a vendor at a newspaper kiosk. Earlier this year, Ryanair introduced a compulsory nationality test - in Afrikaans - for South African travellers coming into the UK. Audrey Brown describes what the language means to her as a Black South African and for so many others who grew up under apartheid. Protesters took to the streets in Sri Lanka this year, as the country spiralled into an economic crisis which saw Sri Lankans facing shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Rajini Vaidyanathan was in Colombo. And finally, Emmanuel Macron has been criticised for being out of touch with regular voters, so in the French elections this year he tried a more casual approach - in both manner and attire. Our Paris correspondent, Hugh Schofield, decided upon a makeover of his own, and went in search of a new suit - from the President's own tailor. Series Producer: Seren

  • Haiti: A Gangster’s Paradise

    17/12/2022 Duration: 29min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Haiti, Germany, Sri Lanka, Morocco and Sweden. Orla Guerin reports from Haiti where gangs now control 60 per cent of the capital and surrounding areas. Hundreds of people have been killed amid reports of kidnapping, gang rape and torture. After a far-right coup on the German government was foiled in recent weeks, Jenny Hill visits one of the 'German kingdoms' which espouses the same conspiracy theories as those who were arrested. 56, 000 children in Sri Lanka are suffering from severe malnutrition, according to the UN. Archana Shukla visits a tea plantation in central Sri Lanka where several families are having to cut back on food amid inflation and shortages. Morocco's World Cup performances have surprised many and led to euphoria on the streets of Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech. And, despite France beating them in the semi-finals, the team's earlier successes have changed how Moroccans are seen - and how they see themselves, says James Copnall. And finally, Maddy Savage

  • ‘Everything that is good has been taken’

    10/12/2022 Duration: 29min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, Iran, Niger, Bhutan and Lithuania. Russian troops captured Irpin, north-west of Kyiv, early on in the invasion. When the satellite town was liberated, the atrocities of Russian soldiers were laid bare. Nick Redmayne spoke to the residents who returned home about how they are trying to rebuild their lives. Following the protests which began in mid-September, after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, news of the first public execution of a protestor in Iran drew international condemnation this week - though protests show no sign of abating. Azadeh Moaveni was in Tehran when the protests began and found the desire for change runs deep in Iranian society. Michela Wrong visits a safe house in Niamey, Niger, where eight elderly Rwandan men are being detained, having been prosecuted for their role in the Rwandan genocide. Four have now been acquitted, and four have served their prison sentences. She hears what happened to them since their trial- and the challenges posed b

  • From Our Own Correspondent

    03/12/2022 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from China, Ukraine, Moldova, Zimbabwe and the US. Protests have taken place across China, from Shanghai, to Guangdong to Beijing after a fire in Urumqi killed ten people who were thought to have been under Covid restrictions. Celia Hatton asks whether this is a watershed moment for Xi Jinping and his Zero Covid policy. In Ukraine, a bloody war is being fought in towns and cities in Donetsk, such as Bakhmut and Avdiivka, with high numbers of casualties on both sides. Abdujalil Abdurasulov went to Avdiivka and spoke to some of the 2000 residents who've decided to stay amid intensive shelling, in bombed-out buildings. Joe Inwood goes to neighbouring Moldova where local businesses, including a winery, are trying to switch to renewable energy to avoid the power outages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Moldova and Ukraine's power infrastructure are intrinsically interlinked, so cities across the country are affected by Russian attacks. In Zimbabwe, despite initial hopes that P

  • A Bleak Future For Afghanistan’s Young Women

    26/11/2022 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Afghanistan, China, Iraq, Colombia and Ireland. The Taliban announced a ban on women going to parks, swimming pools and gyms this month, following one on girls attending secondary schools. Yogita Limaye spoke to one young woman about what life is like in Kabul as these once cherished freedoms disappear. The story of Gao Zhisheng, a Chinese human rights lawyer, who was repeatedly detained for his work defending members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement and Christians, is a cautionary tale of Xi Jinping's China. Michael Bristow followed his story from his initial arrest in 2006. The UN has said Iraq is the world's fifth most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The country's two main rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris have seen their water levels drop significantly this year as the country experienced one of its worst droughts. Leila Molana Allen spoke to locals about the impact on their livelihoods. Colombia's new leftist president, Gustavo Petro, campaigned on

  • Letters from Russia

    19/11/2022 Duration: 29min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Russia, the Netherlands, France, Tunisia and the US. A vocal critic of Putin's invasion of Ukraine writes to Sarah Rainsford from Detention Centre no 5 in Moscow. In those letters, he speaks frankly about the damage wrought by the war and his hopes for a better future after Vladimir Putin. The verdict in the trial of three Russians and one Ukrainian suspected of involvement in the shooting down of passenger jet MH17 disaster in 2014 over Eastern Ukraine, was passed down on Friday. Anna Holligan spoke to families of the victims about whether they felt justice had been done. Lucy Williamson has been on patrol with French border police in Calais and Dunkerque, after a migrant deal was struck between the UK and France this week. Despite the media storm in the UK, she found the view looked very different from the French end. Rob Crossan visits the small Tunisian island of Djerba, where Jews and Muslims co-exist peacefully - something of a rareity in the Arab world - and murals i

  • Kherson: After the Russian Retreat

    17/11/2022 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, the West Bank, Pakistan, the US and the Faroe Islands. Jeremy Bowen was in Kherson in Ukraine shortly after the Russians retreated, but he found that occupation and liberation can lead to suspicion and division. There is unease among Palestinians living in the hamlets of Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank as the new Israeli government takes shape. Yolande Knell spoke to villagers there, who found out earlier this year about the Israeli Supreme Court decision to recognise a military training zone around their homes. Samira Hussain attends one of the rallies of former PM Imran Khan on his March to Islamabad and meets him again after an assassination attempt a fortnight later - wounded but determined to continue his political fight. In New York, there's a population explosion - of rats. The mayor has a plan to tackle the problem but requiring residents to put their refuse out after 8pm each night. But there's more to the expanding rat population than meets the ey

  • The Red Wave That Wasn’t

    12/11/2022 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents dispatches from the US, Australia, Egypt, Portugal and Slovenia The predicted “giant red wave” of Republican support did not materialise in this week’s midterm elections – though they are still poised to regain control of the House of Representatives and could still seize full control of Congress. John Sudworth weighs what the outcome means for Donald Trump's Republicans The death of a 15-year-old Aboriginal boy in Western Australia has triggered a public outcry. Last month, Cassius Turvey was walking home from school with friends, when they were allegedly attacked. Cassius was beaten up and later died in hospital. His death has posed hard questions, about pervasive racism in the country, says Shaimaa Khalil The Egyptian beach resort of Sharm El-Sheikh is this week hosting the UN Climate Change summit. The gathering is often criticised for its lack of progress on climate change targets and its heavy carbon footprint. But Justin Rowlatt says there’s a new proposal, which is gain

  • Surviving Mariupol

    10/11/2022 Duration: 28min

    Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, Nigeria, the US, Mexico and an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. News this week of the discovery of another mass grave in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol has left families with missing relatives, fearing for their plight. And as media access has grown increasingly limited, understanding what really happened in Mariupol has become less clear. Hillary Anderson has spent much of the year trying to find out. In Nigeria, the case of Mubarak Bala, who was sentenced to 24 years in prison for blasphemy, has thrown into the spotlight the limits on freedom of expression. Across the country, atheists, face discrimination at work and even violence. Yemisi Adegoke followed Mubarak's case and learned what can happen to those who decide to live openly without faith. Residents of Jackson, Mississippi have long complained about their failing water system. And this summer, the crisis came to a head. Jackson’s residents were faced with dirty brown water coming from their taps,

  • Albania’s Young Migrants

    05/11/2022 Duration: 28min

    Albania’s Prime Minister this week has accused the UK of scapegoating his country's citizens to excuse its ‘failed policies’ on migration. This comes amid a deepening crisis over the UK’s handling of asylum seekers. Sara Monetta spoke to people in the suburbs of Tirana about why many of Albania’s young people are choosing to leave. Last weekend, young people gathered in the district of Itaewon, in the South Korean capital Seoul, to celebrate Halloween in far greater numbers than usual. The subsequent crush killed more than 150 people. Laila Shahrokhshahi experienced first-hand the force of the crowds before tragedy struck. Voters in Israel chose to return Benjamin Netanyahu to power in this week's election. The big story of his dramatic comeback has been about the rise of Israel’s far-right, which he helped cultivate as a parliamentary alliance to boost the numbers for his right-wing bloc in the Knesset. Tom Bateman looks at the emergence of a new kingmaker, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ahead of the midterm elections,

  • The return of Lula

    03/11/2022 Duration: 29min

    Brazil's left-wing Presidential candidate Lula da Silva made a political comeback this week, narrowly beating the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro. In Lula’s victory speech, he promised to tackle hunger, which is affecting more than 33 million people there. Sofia Bettiza travelled to Northeastern Brazil, where many people voted for Lula. This week, Lebanon entered unchartered territory with no president, a caretaker cabinet and deeply divided parliament. And with the Lebanese currency losing around 90 per cent of its value, the country’s citizens have been taken matters into their own hands. More than a dozen banks have been raided this year by customers demanding to take out their own money rather than see their savings diminish further. Leila Molana-Allen spoke to several of those affected by the rapidly falling exchange rate. In September, clashes erupted along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The hostilities marked the most serious escalation since 2020, when they fought a bloody war over the disputed

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