301 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
    • 4.6 • 333 Ratings

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

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Surviving 'chemical detention' in Belarus

    Surviving 'chemical detention' in Belarus

    Kate Adie introduces stories from Belarus, Senegal, the US-Mexico border, Cambodia and Brazil.
    Political prisoners in Belarus attract less international attention than those in Russia - but there are far more of them, even in a smaller country. Many are women, held in a kind of house arrest known as 'chemical detention', under stringent rules which control their every move. Monica Whitlock gathered testimony from some living under these conditions.
    After months of political turbulence, Senegal eventually did hold its planned presidential election - and the popular vote brought Africa's youngest leader, 44-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to power. James Copnall reported on the final days of the campaign and reflects on how Senegalese democracy proved itself.
    Controlling migration to the United States will be one of the most contentious issues in this November's American presidential election. Amid talk of a crisis, and after record numbers of apprehensions of undocumented migrants by the US Border Patrol in December, Tim Mansel visited the border between Mexico and Arizona.
    Sand might seem as a cheap and almost inexhaustible resource - but far from it. With the world using up more than 50 billion tonnes of it per year, to make everything from skyscrapers to smartphones, reserves could soon run low. In Cambodia there's now a flourishing black market in illegal sand mining along the banks of the Mekong river, as Robin Markwell has seen.
    And Ione Wells, the BBC's new South America correspondent, explores her new base: the industrial megacity of Sao Paulo. Some people call it 'Rio's ugly sister', but she's found much to appreciate amid its high-rise sprawl.

    • 28 min
    Putin: Russia’s modern-day Tsar

    Putin: Russia’s modern-day Tsar

    Kate Adie introduces stories from Russia, Germany, Timor Leste and Oman
    At a recent gathering in a gilded hall in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin thanked VIP supporters for his re-election. As he commenced his fifth term in office, he has reminded his voters that the annexation of Crimea is just the beginning of Moscow's ambitions. Steve Rosenberg reflects on how this latest election has emboldened the President but there are voices of opposition willing to take a stand in spite of the consequences.
    When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged the country was seeing a paradigm shift, or Zeitenwende, in supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia, he did not foresee how this would divide public opinion over Germany's potential involvement in a military campaign. Damien McGuinness reports on the ongoing political rifts in Berlin.
    Timor Leste has had a troubled history and faces multiple economic and social challenges including malnutrition and rural poverty. But marine scientists are discovering that Timor Leste lies on a vast migration route for a wide range of ocean wildlife, which some hope could fuel a fledgling tourism industry, reports Michelle Jana Chan.
    And we're in Oman, where a journey to the medieval capital of Nizwa leads to a conversation about the changes for women in the country, with a female driving instructor. Women have been legally allowed to drive in the country for more than 2 decades, unlike its neighbour Saudi Arabia, and a rise in the number of women in the workplace means more women are getting behind the wheel, says Sara Wheeler.
    Series Producer: Serena Tarling
    Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
    Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison

    • 28 min
    No escape from Haiti

    No escape from Haiti

    Kate Adie introduces stories from Haiti, Chad, the Netherlands, Palau and Mexico.
    Haiti remains mired in crisis, with the capital in the grip of gang violence - more than 350,000 people have been displaced. Will Grant reports from Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic, where he has witnessed the growing desperation among people flocking to find food and supplies and escape the violence.
    It’s nearly a year since civil war erupted in Sudan between rival military forces - more than a million have fled to neighbouring countries, including Chad. Mercy Jumar covered the refugee crisis there last year and now returns to the border town of Adre.
    Despite his dramatic win in the 2023 elections, Dutch far-right populist Geert Wilders has abandoned his bid to become the next prime minister. After weeks of negotiations to try to form a coalition, he realised he couldn’t convince other parties to serve under him. Anna Holligan explains what happened.
    Western Pacific watchers have continued to warn that China is trying to gain more of a footing with the ocean's island nations that control large swathes of it. Frey Lindsay reports from Palau in the Western Pacific, which has long-standing ties to the US, but is increasingly being courted by China.
    From Parma ham to Cheddar cheese, Darjeeling tea to Islay whiskey, there are many fabulous foods and delicious drinks from around the world that help put towns, cities and regions on the map. But, often these places have a reputation for more than just one thing. As Proinsias O’Coinn discovered when he travelled to a world-famous town in Mexico.

    • 28 min
    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

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
333 Ratings

333 Ratings

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1st October 2023

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So you're for pornography for children

Once again more leftist propaganda Talk about a Disney show not shown Have you watched it? What is banned is telling non-white children they are victims and will never get ahead in life The book are pornographic that have been banded So pornograhic the news can not read aloud during live broadcast So bad at school board meetings with adults parents were stopped from his reading out loud because of the content Tell the truth

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