From Our Own Correspondent - podcast cover

From Our Own Correspondent

BBC Radio 4www.bbc.co.uk

Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories beyond the news headlines. Presented by Kate Adie.

Episodes

Ukraine's 'Operation Spider's Web'

Kate Adie introduces stories from Ukraine, Chile, Indonesia, and France. Ukraine’s audacious drone raid on Russian airbases was met with disbelief that such an attack was even possible. Operation ‘Spider’s Web’ was 18 months in the planning, and caused huge damage to Russia's bomber fleet. But as Paul Adams discovered, civilians in Kyiv are uneasy about celebrating this success, fearful of how Russia might respond. Approximately one fifth of Ukraine is currently under Russian occupation. Russia ...

Jun 07, 202529 min

America’s Russian Orthodox converts

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Canada, Mexico, Myanmar and the Netherlands An increasing number of Americans - especially young men - are converting to the Russian Orthodox Church, enticed by its embrace of unabashed masculinity and traditional family values. Lucy Ash met some recent converts in Texas. The diplomatic fallout between the US and Canada continues over Donald Trump's repeated desire to make Canada the 51st state. The issue was forefront in Canadian minds as King Charles vis...

May 31, 202528 min

Turkey’s chance for peace

Kate Adie presents stories from Turkey, the South China Sea, Ukraine, the US and Angola. Outlawed Kurdish group the PKK, which has waged a 40-year insurgency against Turkey, has announced it's disbanding. More than 40,000 people were killed during its fight for an independent Kurdish state - now the group says the Kurdish issue 'can be resolved through democratic politics’. Orla Guerin reports from Diyarbakir, in the Kurdish heartland. In the South China Sea, the tiny island of Pagasa is at the ...

May 24, 202529 min

Evacuation from Gaza

Kate Adie presents stories from Gaza, Indian-administered Kashmir, Pakistan, Eswatini and Italy. Amid a deteriorating situation in Gaza, as Israel continues its bombardment and the blockade of aid, some Palestinian children are being evacuated to Jordan for medical treatment. As Fergal Keane travelled with two young cancer patients, he reflects on a week of haunting images and words. A recent attack by militants in Indian-administered Kashmir saw direct military action between India and Pakistan...

May 17, 202529 min

Fear and mistrust in Syria

Kate Adie presents stories from Syria, the US-Mexico border, Poland and Germany. As Syria tries to rebuild after the fall of Assad, a wave of sectarian violence is fuelling suspicion between communities, and long-held grievances are proving a thorny issue for the country's new leadership. Lucy Williamson travelled to Syria's coastal region, where minority Alawite communities recently came under attack. In Texas, many Hispanic voters came out in support for Donald Trump in last year's election. N...

May 10, 202529 min

Protests in Gaza and Israel

Kate Adie presents stories from Israel and Gaza, China, Romania, Bolivia and the Vatican City. In Gaza and Israel people have been taking to the streets to demand an end to the war. The protests have taken different forms, and as Paul Adams notes, also involve very different risks. Amid the on-going trade war between China and the US, Laura Bicker speaks to Chinese traders at one of the world's biggest wholesale markets in Yiwu, to find out how Donald Trump's tariffs are affecting business. Afte...

May 03, 202529 min

Pope Francis’ Latin American Legacy

Kate Adie introduces stories from Mexico, Canada, Kenya, the USA and Syria. As the first pope to come from Latin America, Pope Francis was hugely popular in the region, standing in solidarity with local priests who often have to walk a delicate line in communities under the control of drug cartels. Will Grant reflects on the late pope's legacy in Mexico. Canada goes to the polls on Monday, in a race that has become increasingly tight over the past few months. Reporting from Vancouver Island, Nea...

Apr 26, 202529 min

Ukraine’s uncertain future

Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, Ecuador, the US, Ghana and Italy Donald Trump's pre-election promise to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours failed to materialise, and this week the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was willing to walk away from talks if a Russia-Urkraine ceasefire deal is not agreed soon. James Waterhouse reports from Sumy, where at least 35 people were killed last weekend, and reflects on how Ukraine is now more vulnerable than ever. Ecuador's President Dani...

Apr 19, 202529 min

Trump, Tariffs and the  Rust Belt

Kate Adie presents stories from the USA, Myanmar, The Dominican Republic, Afghanistan and the Greek island of Syros President Trump’s decision to impose huge tariffs across the world drew ire from Wall Street financiers this week - and even members of his own Republican party. But what do his supporters in small-town America think? Mike Wendling travelled to Delta, Ohio, in America's rust belt, where locals have other things on their mind. In Myanmar the military junta has restricted foreign res...

Apr 12, 202528 min

Taking back Khartoum

Kate Adie introduces stories from Sudan, Greenland, Lebanon, the Vatican and France. An estimated 3.5 million people have fled Khartoum since RSF rebels took control of the Sudanese capital two years ago - but it is now back under the control of the army. Barbara Plett-Usher joined a military convoy, travelling deep into a city devastated by war, but found relief among remaining residents who say they are 'learning to live again'. The eyes of the world have turned to Greenland this year as Donal...

Apr 05, 202528 min

Turkey’s clampdown

Kate Adie presents stories from Turkey, the US, El Salvador, and Georgia.

Mar 29, 202529 min

Ukraine’s fading hopes

Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, Serbia, Guatemala, Kenya and the Philippines. Diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine are continuing after initial attempts to secure a ceasefire stalled. Russia has refused to support a US-led plan for a 30-day ceasefire and demanded talks about its red lines first. James Landale has been in Kyiv where he says hopes are fading for any meaningful victory. Serbia saw its largest ever protest last weekend in the capital, Belgrade. Demonstrators bl...

Mar 22, 202529 min

Inside Mexico’s drug cartels

Kate Adie introduces dispatches from Mexico and the USA, Bangladesh, Syria and the Faroe Islands. Donald Trump has threatened Mexico with sanctions if it does not do more to halt the flow of deadly fentanyl into the US. Quentin Sommerville gained rare access to a Mexican drug smuggling operation, meeting the foot-soldiers of a prominent cartel as it prepares to send fentanyl north of the border. Bangladesh is homes to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people, who have been living in refugee camp...

Mar 15, 202528 min

Gaza’s future

Kate Adie introduces dispatches from Egypt, Poland, the USA, Malaysia, and 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 tumultuous history. Increased uncertainty about the future of Ukraine is fueling a sense of unease in neighboring Pol...

Mar 08, 202529 min

Trump, Putin and the new global order

Kate Adie presents stories from Russia, the occupied West Bank, Bangladesh, South Africa and India US relations with its Western allies have been upended recently amid a rapprochement between Washington and Moscow. The BBC’s Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg reveals how the warming of relations has been feted in the pro-Putin press, while ordinary Russians are seemingly more cautious. As the first stage of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel comes to an end, Israel's defence forces are in the mid...

Mar 01, 202529 min

Disappeared in Ukraine

Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, the United States, The Gambia and Uzbekistan. Its three years since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, during which time hundreds of thousands of people have been killed or injured - though others have simply disappeared without trace. Sarah Rainsford travelled to Ukraine, where she met one woman trying to find out what happened to her parents after they were detained during Russia's occupation of her home town. US President Donald Trump has...

Feb 22, 202528 min

Germany's young people and the far right

In Saxony, our correspondent hears why young voters are increasingly supporting the AfD. The party is polling consistently in second place ahead of a snap election next Sunday LONG: Kate Adie presents stories from Germany, the US, Afghanistan, Spain and Morocco. Germany goes to the polls on 23rd February, with the conservative CDU party showing a strong lead. But the far right AfD is consistently polling in second place. The biggest rise in support for the party has been among young voters, and ...

Feb 15, 202529 min

Rebuilding lives in DR Congo

Kate Adie introduces stories from DR Congo, Israel, Ecuador, Malaysia and Germany. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in the DR Congo. Amid the violence, a clinic in Goma is helping civilian casualties recover and rehabilitate. Hugh Kinsella-Cunnigham met some of the people trying to rebuild their lives. Regional leaders in the Middle East are focusing their attention on the second stage of the ceasefire – and the continuation of the hostage and prisoner ...

Feb 08, 202529 min

Donald Trump’s Rapid Start

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Mexico, Bangladesh, Guatemala and Malaysia Donald Trump marked his return to the White House with a deluge of executive orders and announcements, which included an immigration crackdown, ending federal diversity programmes and withdrawing the US from the WHO. Anthony Zurcher travelled with the president on board Air Force One. In cities across the US, the Immigration Enforcement Agency has been conducting raids and arresting thousands of undocumented migra...

Feb 01, 202529 min

Israel, Gaza and the ceasefire

Kate Adie present stories from Israel and Gaza, Syria, Denmark, Spain and Poland. After a faltering start, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect last Sunday. Fergal Keane has been reporting on the conflict from the outset and was on Israel's border with Gaza last weekend – here he reflects on the human cost of the war and what the future might hold. Syrians have been embracing their new found freedoms since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime last year. But, at the same time, ...

Jan 25, 202529 min

Escaping the LA Fires

Kate Adie introduces stories from Los Angeles, Cambodia, Argentina, Nigeria and Washington DC. The Los Angeles wild fires have left thousands of people homeless, and caused damage costing billions of dollars. Among those Angelenos who narrowly escaped disaster there is an overwhelming sense of relief - and, for some, a sense of guilt. BBC LA correspondent David Willis tells the story of his own close call. Cambodia’s 12th Century temple complex, Angkor Wat, is the world’s biggest religious site ...

Jan 18, 202529 min

The Israeli and Palestinian schism

Kate Adie presents stories from Israel and the Palestinian territories, South Korea, Canada and Finland. If and when a ceasefire deal is agreed between Israel and Hamas, it is likely to do little to mend the deepening mistrust between many Israeli and Palestinian communities. Jon Donnison has lived and worked in the region for many years, and he reflects on the challenges he faces as a journalist, navigating relationships with friends and contacts who hold starkly different views of the conflict...

Jan 11, 202529 min

Mexico prepares for Trump 2.0

Kate Adie introduces stories from Mexico, Lebanon, Liberia and Tanzania. Mexico's first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is preparing for a potentially bumpy year, as Donald Trump returns to the White House with threats of tariffs and mass deportations. Will Grant looks at the challenges ahead in 2025. On Saturday 4th January 1975, Jim Muir pulled up in Beirut, marking the beginning of a decades-long career reporting for the BBC from the Middle East. He recalls what the 'Switzerland of the Mi...

Jan 04, 202529 min

A Song for Valentina

Kate Adie presents stories from Russia, Mayotte, Liechtenstein and France. BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg is regarded as a 'propagandist' by some Russians, but a song he wrote about a Russian friend seemed to thaw the ice, and unexpectedly struck a chord with fellow Muscovites. France held a day of national mourning this week in tribute to those who died after Cyclone Chido devasted the Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte earlier this month, bringing winds of up to 160 miles per hour. Mayotte w...

Dec 28, 202428 min

Searching for Syria's missing

Kate Adie introduces stories on Syria, Myanmar, Ivory Coast, the Russian Orthodox church and Tunisia. The threat of being 'disappeared' was central to Bashar al Assad's system of repression and intimidation. Now he is gone, Syrian families want to know what happened to their loved ones. Yogita Limaye met people who've been searching for relatives for years – and who have discovered likely clues at a hospital morgue. BBC Eye has been investigating the role of moles in Myanmar's military - soldier...

Dec 21, 202429 min

Returning home to Syria

Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, Ukraine, France, Ghana and Saudi Arabia. The speed at which President Assad was deposed was a shock to many, including the BBC's Lina Sinjab. She had been forced to leave her home country in 2013, after being detained and threatened by Syrian security forces. This week, she finally returned home, without the looming fear of arrest, to find a changed country. Paul Adams was in Kyiv on the first-day of Russia's full-scale invasion, and reported from the cou...

Dec 14, 202429 min

Sudan and the story of Mama Nour

Kate Adie presents stories from Sudan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, South Africa and Ireland. Lyse Doucet recently gained rare access to Sudan, where she met the remarkable Mama Nour. A steely woman, orphaned in childhood, she now provides refuge for other women and children amid Sudan's ongoing civil war, which the UN has called 'the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world'. South Korea's president sent shockwaves across the world when he declared martial law earlier this week. Jake Kwon describes...

Dec 07, 202429 min

The story of a Russian deserter

Kate Adie introduces dispatches on Russia, Germany, Hong Kong, India and Sweden. A Russian soldier who once responsible for guarding Russia's nuclear weapons reveals why he fled the army. In a secret meeting, at an undisclosed location, he tells Will Vernon what he makes of President Vladimir Putin's threats towards the West. Earlier this month German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s argumentative three-way governing coalition collapsed, triggering snap elections in February. Damien McGuinness ponders w...

Nov 30, 202429 min

Life in the shadow of a melting glacier

Kate Adie presents stories from Pakistan-administered Gilgit Balistan, Brazil, the United States, the Faroe Islands and Austria The remote mountain villages of Pakistan-administered Gilgit Baltistan are on the frontline of climate change. Some have already been wiped out by landslides caused by melting glaciers. Caroline Davies met locals in the picturesque Hunza Valley preparing for the next disaster. World leaders gathered in Brazil this week for the G20 summit. James Landale observed how worl...

Nov 23, 202429 min

North Korea and Russia's flourishing friendship

Kate Adie presents stories from China, Ukraine, Australia, Panama and Lithuania. Reports of North Korean troops being deployed to join the Russian offensive in Ukraine has compounded fears in Kyiv about its ability to win the war. And it’s proving a headache for Beijing too, which is an ally to both Russia and North Korea. Laura Bicker travelled to Fangchuan, where the borders of all three countries meet. In Ukraine, the use of drones has become integral to the war strategy for both sides. But s...

Nov 16, 202429 min
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