Kate Adie introduces stories on Vladimir Putin's declining popularity, peace protests in Japan, Serbia's anti-corruption anger, and how Canadian robots are patrolling the Arctic. The Kremlin has recently increased security measures around President Vladimir Putin after a string of assassinations of top Russian military figures. This comes as the president has retreated from public view, as the economic impact of Russia's war in Ukraine continues to bite. Steve Rosenberg observes the shift in the...
May 09, 2026•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories on the King and Queen's visit to Washington, the current mood inside Iran, elections in Gaza and the West Bank, and why fish are front and centre in the politics of West Bengal. King Charles and Queen Camilla's state visit to Washington came at a fragile moment in the UK-US relationship. A gulf has opened up between the two nations over issues such as Ukraine, defence spending, tariffs, and the Iran War. Sarah Smith reflects on how far the visit has helped restore th...
May 02, 2026•28 min
Kate Adie introduces dispatches from Pakistan, the Turkey-Iran border, Kenya, Ukraine, and Paraguay. Why was Pakistan chosen as the host of peace talks between the US and Iran? It's a question some in Islamabad have been asking themselves - and has fired-up a sense of national pride. Caroline Davies has watched on as the country gets ready for another round of negotiations. When the war in Iran began, there was a sense of jubilation among some Iranians, who had long-dreamed of the regime falling...
Apr 25, 2026•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories on Lebanon's deadliest day, life in an Israeli under-siege border town, Hungary's victorious new leader, fuel protests in Ireland, and the secrets of a long life in Japan. President Trump’s announcement of a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon comes after Lebanon experienced its deadliest day of the conflict so far - what's become known as 'Black Wednesday'. More than 2,100 people have been killed since the conflict began, with more than a million displaced....
Apr 18, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories on President Trump's threats towards Iran, how the war in Ukraine has reshaped Kyiv, why the Trump family sees potential in Albania, Indonesia's plastic waste problem, and the dawn of the year 2976 in Morocco. Citizens of Iran and nearby gulf countries held their breath this week after Donald Trump threatened 'a whole civilisation would die' if a ceasefire wasn’t agreed. The BBC’s State Department correspondent Tom Bateman has been following the proclamations of an u...
Apr 11, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories on the Hungarian elections, the Kurdish fighters readying to fight Iran, the Nigerian farmers working under armed guard, the Philippines fuel crisis, and how tourists are staying away from Jerusalem's holy sites. Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban is facing a tough reelection battle, with the opposition centre right Tisza party ahead in the polls. During the campaign, Orban's Fidesz party has stoked fears about the malign influence of Ukraine and the EU. Nick Thor...
Apr 04, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories on Cuba's multiple crises from blackouts to food shortages, what it's like living under another war in Lebanon, how Persian new year festivities were muted this year, what China thinks about the war in the Middle East, and how an archaeological dig in Georgia led to a political purge. More than ten million people were left in the dark this week in Cuba, as the third major blackout in a month hit the island. The US fuel blockade is taking its toll, but locals are now ...
Mar 28, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie presents stories from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Latvia, South Korea and Finland The US-Israeli war with Iran saw a marked escalation this week with strikes on some of the world’s biggest gas fields. Israel’s attack on Iran’s south Pars gas field triggered a swift response from Tehran, who launched strikes on the Ras Laffan terminal – the world’s largest liquefied natural gas facility, and other gulf countries. The attacks caused oil and gas prices to spike. Frank Gardner has b...
Mar 21, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie presents stories from Iran, Qatar, Ukraine, the US and Nepal For people living in cities under bombardment, it’s not clear how the US Israeli war with Iran will end. More than 1200 have so far been killed, amid attacks across the country. Iranians tell BBC Persian's Sarah Namjoo they are struggling to lead a normal life. Qatar is among several Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes on military and civilian sites since the war began. As a major oil and gas exporter, it’s reliant on...
Mar 14, 2026•29 min
After the US-Israel attacks on Iran, surrounding countries have quickly been drawn into the war following retaliatory strikes by Iran. We hear from Turkey, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus. The US-Israel attacks on Iran hit major cities across the country, destroying civilian buildings in Tehran, as well as military sites in Natanz and Isfahan. Many Iranians are now trying to flee the ongoing attacks by crossing into neighbouring countries. James Waterhouse reports from the Turkey-Iran border. There's...
Mar 07, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories on Mexico's cartel war, President Trump's State of the Union address, the Russian soldiers escaping the front-line, and a slow boat journey in Benin. Mexico was rocked by a violent rampage this week, after the drug lord, El Mencho, died following a fire-fight between his bodyguards and Mexican military commandos. It’s stark evidence of the challenges facing President Claudia Sheinbaum as she vows to take on the country’s criminal gangs. Quentin Sommerville reports on...
Feb 28, 2026•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Ukraine, Iran, the United States and India. February marks four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Around 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in that time and a large number are considered officially missing. Sarah Rainsford has witnessed the war since the beginning, and on her latest visit to Ukraine she met soldiers and civilians who shared stories of grief, resistance and a desire for peace. The Iranian government recentl...
Feb 21, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Japan, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Poland and Pakistan. A snap election has given Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi the strongest majority for a Japanese government in more than 70 years, thanks to a growing fan-base among young voters. Shaimaa Khalil reports from Tokyo on growing cult around the country's first woman leader. The visit by the Prince of Wales to Saudi Arabia was among the most diplomatically sensitive of his official trips to date. While the focus was ener...
Feb 16, 2026•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from the Gaza-Egypt border, Cuba, Bangladesh, Ukraine and Slovenia. The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt reopened this week after being mainly kept shut since Israel captured the Gazan side in 2024. It’s opening has brought relief to many Palestinians who see it as a lifeline to the world. However, there has been frustration over delays and the small number of people being allowed through each day. Yolande Knell has been following developments. ...
Feb 07, 2026•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Iran, Myanmar, China, South Africa and Lithuania. The number of Iranian people killed by government forces in the crackdown on recent protests is now estimated to be at least 6000, with thousands more deaths being investigated by human rights groups. BBC Persian’s Parham Ghobadi has been speaking to people in Tehran about their experience of the protests. The final round of elections took place in Myanmar last weekend, five years after a coup returned the milita...
Jan 31, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Ukraine, Russia, France, Uganda and Morocco. As temperatures plummet in Ukraine, Russia is aggressively attacking the country's energy grid. Ukraine is heavily reliant on its nuclear power plants, which are also being targeted. There are concerns that without proper maintenance, it could trigger another nuclear disaster. Wyre Davies spoke to the head of Ukraine's nuclear authority. President Trump has claimed the threat posed by Russia and China is one of the re...
Jan 24, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Greenland, Colombia and Greece. President Trump has said the US needs to 'own' Greenland, to prevent Russia and China from taking it. Katya Adler has been in the capital Nuuk, speaks to Inuit women about the island's painful history of colonisation - and its now uncertain future. Colombia has also been attracting attention from Mr Trump, following the recent US operation in Venezuela. This schism is out of step with decades of US foreign policy, but an on-going ...
Jan 17, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Venezuela, the United States, Iran, India and Germany. The capture of Nicolas Maduro following America’s night-time military operation in Venezuela caught the world off-guard. Quickly transported to New York, Mr Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will now face trial. Will Grant reflects on his own encounters with Maduro and his legacy in Venezuela. Miami is home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States, and hundreds of people took to the streets ...
Jan 10, 2026•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, China, the USA, Greece and Brazil. In the devastated Syrian district of Ghouta, a man calls out from the ruins to our correspondent Lyse Doucet and tells the story of how he is rebuilding his home - and his life - after the fall of the Assad regime. Chinese ambition continues to strive for pole position in the global pecking order as it makes advances in green energy, artificial intelligence, and military might – but what could be its Achilles heel? Laura...
Jan 03, 2026•28 min
Kate Adie presents stories from Iran, Norway, France, Ireland and Switzerland. A recent marathon race in Iran caused controversy after many of the 2000 women runners ignored the country's mandatory hijab law, and ran without a head covering. Years after deadly protests rocked the country, Faranak Amidi charts how women in Iran today are continuing to defy the religious authorities on a daily basis. Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean is home to an array of wildlife, including Polar Bears. With their su...
Dec 27, 2025•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Ukraine, Hong Kong, Australia, the USA and Laos. Russian forces have tried to capture the city of Pokrovsk for nearly two years as it seeks to control Eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces have continued to resist the advance, helped by Ukraine's innovative arms industry. Jonathan Beale met battle-scarred troops at a command centre and visited a secret missile factory. The Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been convicted of ‘colluding with foreign forces’ und...
Dec 20, 2025•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, Ukraine, the USA, China and Germany. Syrians took to the streets to celebrate one year since the fall of the Assad regime, but in the background post-war reconstruction has been slow and sectarian violence is on the rise. Lina Sinjab has been travelling the country and reflects on the challenges ahead. Despite the constant threat of drones and missiles, many Ukrainians are finding ways to carry on with their lives - including the country's artists and mus...
Dec 13, 2025•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Israel, Honduras, Turkey and Lebanon, Georgia and Russia. Israel is facing an impending crisis over conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli army, and the issue is threatening to undermine Israel's government and split the country. Lucy Williamson reports from the city of Bnei Brak. Donald Trump surprised many in his own Republican party this week when he signed a pardon releasing the former president of Honduras from a West Virginia prison. Juan Orland...
Dec 06, 2025•28 min
Anna Foster and some of the BBC’s best-known foreign correspondents are joined by an audience of Radio 4 listeners to celebrate 70 years of ‘From Our Own Correspondent’. Since the first episode was broadcast on 25th September 1955, FOOC – as it’s affectionately known – has reported from almost every country in the world. Anna’s guests for the event, recorded in the Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House in London, are Kate Adie, the presenter of FOOC and a former BBC Chief News Correspondent, Jerem...
Dec 06, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Nigeria, Ukraine, the United States, Sweden and France. Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, has declared a nationwide security emergency amidst a spate of kidnappings in the country’s north. More than 250 children abducted from a Catholic school last week are still missing, according to authorities. Mayeni Jones reports from Minna, in Niger state. Moscow, Abu Dhabi, Kyiv and Geneva have all hosted peace negotiations this week, but despite the distances travelled, ...
Nov 29, 2025•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Jordan, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Spain and the Black Sea. 11-year-old Abdelrahman was injured during an Israeli attack in Gaza, which led to the loss of one of his legs. He was selected to travel to Jordan for hospital treatment, to be fitted with a new prosthetic leg. Fergal Keane met him while he was undergoing treatment - and learning to play the traditional Middle Eastern musical instrument, the oud. The former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was se...
Nov 22, 2025•28 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, the Philippines, Tanzania and Brazil. During his visit to Washington this week, Syria’s interim president Ahmed Al Sharaa announced that Syria will join the coalition of 90 countries trying to eliminate the remnants of the Islamic State group. The threat of IS is increasing on Syrian soil, where 8,000 suspected IS fighters remain in jails, and 34,000 of their family members are held in camps. Orla Guerin reports on the new generation growing up in the cam...
Nov 15, 2025•29 min
Kate Adie presents stories from the USA, Jamaica, Uganda, Kazakhstan and Germany. Zohran Mamdani won New York City's race for mayor in a contest that rallied young voters and sparked debate about the future direction of the US Democratic Party. BBC North America editor Sarah Smith considers the political choices and challenges ahead. The world watched last week as Hurricane Melissa slowly crashed into Jamaica, causing extensive damage across the island – and killing at least 75 people across the...
Nov 08, 2025•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Argentina, South Korea, Japan, Ireland and the Occupied West Bank. For decades, Argentina's cycle of boom and bust seemed endless, but two years ago, a chainsaw-wielding, self-styled 'anarcho capitalist' called Javier Milei promised a way out of all that. Since elected as president he’s shown some signs of being able to shrink the state – but are voters happy? Ione Wells watched on at the recent mid-term elections. The meeting between China’s President, Xi Jinpi...
Nov 01, 2025•29 min
Kate Adie introduces stories from Sudan, France, India, the USA and Mauritius. Sudan's civil conflict has left millions of people displaced and at risk of hunger and famine. In the capital Khartoum, Nawal Al-maghafi witnesses the toll the violence has taken on families, and meets children whose young lives have been forever shaped by the war. France has been reeling this week from the fallout of last weekend’s theft of priceless crown jewels from the Louvre in Paris. Andrew Harding has been watc...
Oct 27, 2025•28 min
