Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories beyond the news headlines. Presented by Kate Adie.
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By BBC Radio 4
Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories beyond the news headlines. Presented by Kate Adie.
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The podcast currently has 1,138 episodes available.
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 world leaders took the opportunity to recalibrate their relationships in advance of Donald Trump returning to the White House - including China's President Xi.
Donald Trump has been masterminding nominations for his new cabinet from his Mar a Lago resort in Florida's Palm Beach. It was the nerve-centre of operations during his campaign, and has become the place to be seen for West Wing hopefuls. Jessica Parker found out what locals make of the political circus.
In the Faroe Islands, the annual round up of 70,000 sheep is underway. On one tiny island, on a farm only accessible by helicopter – one couple manage a herd of some five hundred sheep. Tim Ecott tried his best to lend a hand on the steep, slippery slopes.
The Austrian spa town of Bad Ischl is where the Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef signed the declaration of war on Serbia that triggered the First World War. Over recent decades, Bad Ischl has increasingly traded on its history – with an annual festival to mark the birthday of the emperor. But as Gareth Jones discovered, the question of what people choose to remember is acquiring a new urgency.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
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 since the Summer, there has been signs that Russia may be deliberately targeting civilians with unmanned drones – killing dozens. Yogita Limaye travelled to Kherson, where locals described the terror they face every day.
Youth crime has become a big talking point in Australia, but critics warn tougher punishment may not improve the outcome for locals or young offenders, as Katy Watson heard in Northern Territory.
In Panama, the rainy season lasts around eight months of the year, and yet hundreds of thousands of people struggle to access regular running water. Jane Chambers went to meet some people who've come up with their own solution.
Lithuania became the last country in Europe to convert to Christianity back in the 1300s. But over the last century, many Lithuanians began exploring their pagan past once more, to build a sense of national identity. Simon Broughton went to one of the country’s biggest folk festivals to find out more.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Lebanon, Spain, Morocco and Greenland
Donald Trump won a resounding victory in the US election, heralding an imminent return to the White House. This was achieved through a new coalition of support - especially among African-American and Hispanic voters. Anthony Zurcher has followed the campaign from the outset, and reflects on how, despite a well-funded Harris campaign, Donald Trump pulled off a decisive win.
Israel's invasion of Lebanon has continued, sparked by almost a year of cross-border hostilities. This latest conflict began with Hezbollah firing rockets across the border into Israel last October, in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza. Orla Guerin has been there since the conflict intensified six weeks ago.
In Spain, thousands of troops, civil guards and police helped with the relief effort following flash floods in Valencia that killed more than 200 people. Amid a febrile atmosphere of blame and recrimination, Nick Beake has been building a picture of how events unfolded - and heard how tragedy hit one family.
Morocco is a launch pad for many Africans trying to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean into Europe. Now, it's coming under increased pressure due to political instability in the Sahel. Richard Hamilton was in Tangier.
In Greenland, an Inuit community living in the island's most remote settlement is facing profound changes to their traditional way of life amid melting sea ice. Mark Stratton went to hear about the challenges facing the community, such as climate change, tourism and polar bears.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Kate Adie presents stories from Georgia, the US, Benin and Egypt.
In Georgia, tens of thousands of people took to the streets this week amid claims of election violations, highlighting the rift between voters hoping for closer ties to Europe and those wishing to retain relations with Russia. Rayhan Demytrie reports from the capital Tbilisi.
Immigration is one of the leading issues for voters in the US Presidential election. James Menendez travelled to both Mexico and the Southern US to meet people affected, in different ways, by the border crisis.
More than 12 months on since the October 7th attacks by Hamas, and the onset of Israel’s retaliation, foreign journalists have still been unable to report directly from Gaza. As a result, news organisations have often turned to Gazan citizens to relay what they see on a daily basis. Lara Elgabaly reports on some of the virtual relationships she has built in reporting on Gaza - and what it was like when she finally met a family that had been sharing their story with her.
Voodoo is an often misunderstood and maligned religion, says its followers, but the government in Benin wants to correct that - and even use the country's traditional belief system and culture to appeal to tourists, as Sam Bradpiece discovered.
And finally, returning to the US election. With the polls neck and neck, America is likely to remain a deeply divided nation no matter who wins the White House next week – but where does the 2024 race sit in the long arc of America’s political history? Nick Bryant has reported from the campaign trail since the 90s and reflects on what next week’s vote could mean for the country.
Producers: Emma Close and Polly Hope.
Kate Adie presents stories from Moldova, Russia, the US, Cuba and Indonesia.
In Moldova, a knife-edge victory for the Yes vote in the country's referendum on EU membership came as a shock to many. Chisinau and the EU have accused Russia and its proxies of ‘unprecedented’ interference. Alongside the referendum, the country’s pro-Europe president was also running for re-election. Sarah Rainsford was on the border with Transnistria.
Moscow’s push into the Donbas in eastern Ukraine is intensifying, as Russian troops seek to gain control of the whole region. Earlier this year, Ukraine made its own incursion into the Russian border regions. Nick Sturdee has followed the story of some Russian-speaking Ukrainian fighters who are now in Kursk.
Mike Wendling paid a visit to the swing state of Wisconsin as Halloween preparations were underway and found people are not just spooked by scary masks and ghoulish stories – there’s a deeper, palpable anxiety among voters in Wisconsin about dirty campaign tactics, and even the fate of US democracy itself.
In Cuba, the electricity supply often fails when the fuel runs short. They have regular, planned black-outs, but last weekend, the whole of Cuba suffered a complete blackout, as it dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Oscar. Will Grant has been to one village, where living without electricity has become the norm.
Mini the Macaque was taken from the forest in Indonesia, when she was just days old, and sold on to criminals in a global animal torture ring. Mini - and the monkey who was held captive with her - were eventually rescued after a BBC Eye investigation. Rebecca Henschke went along to see them being freed.
Series producer: Serena Tarling
Katie Adie presents stories from Israel and Gaza, the USA, Ivory Coast and Bolivia.
At a UN school in Gaza, a teenage girl passed a handwritten note to BBC journalists listing her hopes for a more peaceful future. More than a decade on, Jeremy Bowen remembers that brief encounter - and whether her wishes will ever become reality. Speaking to young Israelis and Palestinians today, he discovers that mistrust between communities is as deep as it's ever been.
The US swing state of Georgia is undergoing a green energy boom, which is generating thousands of new 'green' jobs - but the issue of climate change remains a controversial one. Jordan Dunbar discovers how evangelical Christians are finding new ways to discuss the environment with sceptical Republicans, by focusing on a religious duty to protect the planet.
Abidjan in Ivory Coast is being transformed by a massive programme of road-building and infrastructure improvements - but tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes and businesses in the process. This phenomenon is becoming increasingly common across Africa as cities modernise and expand at unprecedented rates - but at what cost? Sira Thierij reports.
In the town of Copacabana in Bolivia, dozens of vehicles arrive almost every morning outside one of the oldest churches in South America. The Blessing of the Automobiles has been held here since the 1950s. Rebecca Root joined the daily procession
Series producer: Serena Tarling
Kate Adie introduces stories from Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Singapore, Oman and Vietnam.
The Amazon rain forest in Brazil has suffered its worst fires in two decades, with most started illegally by humans looking to exploit the land for its resources. The world relies on the Amazon to absorb a lot of its carbon, but these fires mean it is now emitting record amounts itself. Ione Wells has been in Brazil’s west.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, though decades of war and deforestation have led to the degradation of the environment. But a group of scientists is trying to revitalise a forgotten reserve in Haut-Katanga province. Hugh Kinsella Cunningham travelled with them to the Upemba National Park.
Singapore has a zero-tolerance policy on illegal drugs, and is one of only a few countries that continues to execute people convicted of drug trafficking. For those caught using illicit narcotics, the punishments can also be severe. Linda Pressly met recovering addicts undergoing compulsory treatment in a state-run rehab centre.
Oman is growing in popularity as a tourist destination, though the oil-rich sultanate is focusing on its ancient heritage, rather than the hi-tech desert cities of its neighbours. This travel boom is also providing opportunities for women entrepreneurs hoping to break cultural barriers, as Sophia Smith Galer discovered in the Salalah region.
And we travel to Vietnam where William Lee Adams embarked on a personal mission while filming a travel documentary - to lay his elder brother's ashes to rest at his family's temple in Ho Chi Minh City.
Series producer: Serena Tarling
Kate Adie presents stories from Israel, Sudan, the US, Bali and Canada
It’s nearly a year since the Hamas launched its attacks in southern Israel, to which Israel responded with a major aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza. This fifth Gaza war is the longest ever, and shortly after it began, Lyse Doucet had a prescient encounter that presaged Israel's response over the past 12 months.
Sudan’s civil war has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises – with nine million people forced from their homes. Barbara Plett Usher reflects on a powerful encounter with one woman, whose torment reflects that of the entire country.
In this week’s VP debate in the US, one issue continued to provoke strong responses – that of abortion rights. And in some parts of the country, the future of access to IVF is also polarising communities, especially among evangelical Christians, after an Alabama court ruling this year. Ellie House was in the swing state of Michigan.
The town of Canggu in Bali has seen radical transformation, evolving from a low-key fishing town to a haven for digital nomads. For locals, it's brought fast-paced change and new jobs - but it's compounded existing problems with infrastructure, as Michelle Jana Chan discovered.
This week Dutch PM, Mark Rutte, took over as NATO secretary general. He travelled to Ukraine, just as Kyiv suffered a heavy blow with the fall of Vuhledar in the east. NATO meanwhile has to continue to prepare for a wider conflict of any kind. Hannah King witnessed a recent training exercise in Canada.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Kate Adie presents stories from Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Cuba and Somalia.
Israel says it has killed the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as it continued its air offensive against Lebanon. It says this week’s airstrikes are in response to rocket attacks across the northern border into Israel by Hezbollah. According to the UN, more than 90,000 Lebanese have been displaced over the past week. Hugo Bachega spoke to residents who were forced to flee their homes.
Sri Lanka has elected left-wing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who's seen something of a meteoric rise. His election heralds a paradigm shift in the country, which has had a history of right-wing administrations - but his rise is perhaps best understood through the prism of the country's dire economic crisis says Samira Hussain in Colombo.
Vlodymyr Zelensky travelled to the US this week as he continues to seek approval for the use of long-range Western missiles, and to set out his 'victory plan' to President Biden. Back in Ukraine, the threat of Russian forces is ever-present, as Abdujalil Abdurasulov found on a recent trip to the eastern front.
Cuba has become known among tourists for its low crime rate - though reputation has been tarnished in the eyes of many Cubans, who say they now are genuinely worried about rising crime, especially with the emergence of a cheap new drug on the island, reports Will Grant.
Somalia has been torn apart by more than 30 years of overlapping conflicts and now faces a further threat: climate change. But even as a warming world is turbo-charging Somalia’s problems, Justin Rowlatt discovered that it's also inspiring entrepreneurs to find solutions that could prove transformative.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Kate Adie introduces dispatches from Lebanon, Poland, The Gambia, Panama and Cyprus.
Lebanon is reeling from this week’s wave of exploding pager attacks, which killed more than 35 people, and injured hundreds more. Edmund Bower was in capital as the first news of the explosions began to spread, and reveals how the attacks has compounded the unease that already permeates Beiruti society.
Flooding has devastated parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria this week leaving more than 20 people dead. Sarah Rainsford reports from Poland on the country's worst flooding in two decades.
Female Genital Mutilation is classified as a human rights abuse by the UN, but a recent bill in The Gambia sought to overturn a ban on the practice. Reporting with The Pulitizer Foundation, Sira Thierij visited a community where activists were working hard to change the minds of locals hanging on to long-held cultural beliefs.
Panama’s weather is hot, sticky and tropical – and it's causing a stink among the country's unattended rubbish piles. It was a particular problem for prisoners and prison guards at a local jail - until one inmate came up with an innovative solution. Jane Chambers went to find out more.
And it's 50 years since the war which divided Cyprus and the subsequent negotiations to reunify the island have ended in stalemate. Meanwhile the landscape of this popular holiday island is being remade by developers – though Maria Margaronis met one woman with a different vision for its future.
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