300 episodes

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

From Our Own Correspondent BBC Podcasts

    • News
    • 4.3 • 925 Ratings

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

    Life after the Lord’s Resistance Army

    Life after the Lord’s Resistance Army

    Kate Adie presents dispatches from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, the United States, Croatia and France.
    The brutality of Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army once made headlines around the world, as #Kony2012 became a global social media cause. While the world soon moved on, the forgotten victims of LRA violence living in the Democratic Republic of Congo are still trying to heal. Hugh Kinsella Cunningham reports from Haut-Uele province.
    The Islamic Revolution in Iran put an end to a once thriving cabaret culture and music scene. But over the years, people have still found ways to party - albeit underground and out of sight of the religious police. Among them was Faranak Amidi, who’s met some of Iran’s women DJs, who dream of playing to clubbers all over the world.
    A controversial court ruling in Alabama has divided Christian conservatives on the issue of reproductive rights, as the state's supreme court ruled that frozen embryos should be considered as children. Nomia Iqbal reports on the schism that has emerged between pro-life Republicans.
    Rab Island off the north coast of Croatia was once home to a lesser-known Italian concentration camp, where some 4,000 people were killed during World War Two. Mary Novakovich visited the island, where she met a woman who began her life in one of the camps.
    And our Paris Correspondent Hugh Schofield takes on the challenge of running the city's half-marathon - with some welcome assistance from The Rolling Stones.
    Producer: Serena Tarling
    Production coordinator: Katie Morrison
    Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

    • 28 min
    Channel migrant deaths on the rise

    Channel migrant deaths on the rise

    Kate Adie presents stories from France, India, the US, Panama and Spain.
    It’s been a year since the UK signed a deal with France to help reduce the number of boats crossing the Channel and break up the smuggling gangs. And whilst the number of crossings is falling, there’s been a sharp rise in migrant deaths, mostly by drowning, as they take ever greater risks to reach the UK. Andrew Harding is in Calais to find out why.
    In the coming days, India will be calling national elections. Voting will take place over several weeks. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, seems unstoppable, with many expecting he will win a third consecutive term in office. Samira Hussain examines his enduring popularity.
    The film Oppenheimer, about the creator of the atomic bomb, dominated the Oscars with seven Academy awards. Much of the film is set in the town of Los Alamos, in New Mexico where physicist J Robert Oppenheimer carried out his research. Emma Vardy reports on its lasting effects on local communities.
    The Panama canal is vital to international trade, providing an essential shipping route and a short cut between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. But, as Michelle Fleury explains, fewer ships are able to use it at the moment, because of a drought.
    And in southern Spain, we join Polly Hope in Seville cathedral, amongst the visitors and the faithful as they mark Lent with a procession through the historic streets of the city.
    Producer: Sally Abrahams
    Production co-ordinator: Sophie Hill
    Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

    • 28 min
    Haiti: ‘There’s nothing but the gangs’

    Haiti: ‘There’s nothing but the gangs’

    Kate Adie presents stories from Haiti, South Korea, the US, Senegal and the Vatican City.
    Haiti's government have declared a state of emergency after armed gangs attacked the country's airport and stormed two of the main prisons. Harold Isaac gives a first-hand account of the chaos that unfolded and how the capital went into full lockdown.
    South Korean women are increasingly shunning the dating scene and choosing not to have children. And the country's birth rate recently fell again, to just 0.72. This poses a serious problem for South Korea's economy and its security, with politicians describing it as a national emergency. But, as Jean MacKenzie finds, they've been unable to reverse the trend.
    Mouse Green travels on the freight trains criss-crossing the US, some of which stretch over two miles long. He meets members of the counter-culture community who call the rail cars home and uncovers a hidden world.
    Senegal has been a beacon of stability in the Sahel region, which has seen a series of coups over recent years. But, as Beverly Ochieng reports, the move by the West African country's outgoing President, Macky Sall, to delay elections sparked outrage. It also follows a clampdown on the opposition over the last year.
    Sara Monetta goes on an exclusive tour of the Sistine Chapel to watch how technology is being used to maintain Michelangelo's famous frescoes, as millions of people visit the museum every year. She describes the painstaking process of identifying any signs of deterioration and meets the experts involved.
    Series Producer: Serena Tarling
    Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
    Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison

    • 28 min
    Nigeria’s growing economic crisis

    Nigeria’s growing economic crisis

    Kate Adie presents stories from Nigeria, Ukraine, Iran, Uzbekistan and Nepal.
    Nigeria is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, with soaring inflation and a depreciating currency, making many basic food items unaffordable for the majority. Mayeni Jones describes the challenges of daily living in a country where inflation is around 30 per cent.
    In the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, several villages have been captured after Russian forces took control of the town of Avdiivka last month. James Waterhouse has been to cities just behind the front-line as they prepare for what might be coming their way
    Turnout in Iran’s parliamentary elections last week was at a record low of 41 per cent - though voters had a limited choice, as only candidates approved by the Supreme Leader’s Guardian Council could stand. Our correspondent, Caroline Davies, was given rare permission to report from the capital Tehran, where young people explained why they chose not to vote.
    We travel to Uzbekistan, a Muslim-majority country – but, as we discover, not all visitors are in tune with the country’s traditional conservative values. Chris Aslan reports on how religious piety is increasingly being embraced in the country.
    And, for those climbing Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, it's not just reaching the summit that's taking their breath away. Our Environment Correspondent, Navin Singh Khadka, finds out what's causing a stink.

    Producer: Sally Abrahams
    Production Co-ordinator: Sophie Hill
    Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

    • 28 min
    Gaza’s Humanitarian Nightmare

    Gaza’s Humanitarian Nightmare

    Kate Adie presents stories from Gaza, Turkey, Somalia, Ecuador and Japan.
    US President Joe Biden raised hopes that a ceasefire deal was close to being reached this week over the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. But these hopes faded after a tragic incident in which more than 100 people were killed as aid was being delivered to Gaza City. Paul Adams says the incident also highlighted wider problems as the war continues.
    Lizzie Porter follows the story of a family who fled Gaza early on in the war, and who fled to Turkey as dual nationals, leaving family, friends and valuables behind. They told her about their new life in Turkey and their fears for those left behind.
    After the militant group, Al Shabaab withdrew from the Somalian capital Mogadishu, the city has become safer. Nonetheless the group remains a potent threat. Yet there is an even greater menace in the country: climate change, after severe droughts, followed by flooding forced farmers off their land. Peter Oborne met some of those who were displaced and who are trying to support themselves in other ways.
    A project in Ecuador is using the Amazon’s “ancestral highways” – rivers – and a fleet of solar-powered boats run by Indigenous communities to provide a sustainable model of transport for the future. Peter Yeung went for a ride and heard how this has been met with a mixed response by some indigenous leaders.
    And we're in Inazawa in Japan, where the Hadaka Matsuri - or Naked Festival - has come up with a solution to flagging numbers of participants: involve women. Shaimaa Khalil met a group of 40 women who took part (in robes) for the first time.
    Series Producer: Serena Tarling
    Editor: Matt Willis
    Production Coordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

    • 28 min
    Trump edges closer to Republican nomination

    Trump edges closer to Republican nomination

    Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Indonesia, Georgia, Thailand and Colombia.
    Donald Trump’s only Republican rival for the US presidency, Nikki Haley, says she’ll fight on, despite roundly losing to him in her home state of South Carolina, where she was governor twice. Our Correspondent, Will Vernon, joined Republican campaigners in South Carolina, as they went door-to-door.

    In Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, a former army general with a questionable past humans rights record, is set to become the country’s next president. Our South East Asia Correspondent, Jonathan Head, remembers first meeting Mr Subianto, when he served under the dictator General Suharto.

    Thousands of babies in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia were stolen from their parents at birth and sold. Our Correspondent, Fay Nurse, meets some mothers who were told their new-borns had died suddenly, but who now wonder if they may still be alive.

    Thailand is moving a step closer to legalising same-sex marriage. In Bangkok, Rebecca Root meets couples who are keen to tie the knot.

    And we’re in Colombia, where a literary festival encourages people to debate divisive issues without turning to violence. Kirsty Lang finds out more.

    Producer: Sally Abrahams
    Production Co-ordinator: Sophie Hill
    Editor: Matt Willis

    • 28 min

Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5
925 Ratings

925 Ratings

Anita Swale ,

terrific range

I used to use this as a way of keeping a sense of perspective & balance with the rest of the world. Recently though I have found some of the reporters somewhat self-absorbed and sometimes voyeuristic, which makes me uncomfortable.

Tommy Frieherr ,

Peerless global journalism

In a format that brings out the best in strong journos. Precise insights

davew80 ,

Always great

I love FOOC and have listened for many years but lately the Kate Adie segues have some very painful sibilance.
Keep up the good work though! Please don’t stop.

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