From Our Own Correspondent

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East or West? Nov 30, 2013

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Correspondents with stories from the news. Today, Steve Rosenberg on how Ukraine's caught in a tug-of-war between Russia and the European Union; a huge refugee camp by the Sahara Desert is hit by drought - Chris Terrill says it's difficult for the inmates and the aid agencies trying to help them. But it's a boon for the Islamic militant groups looking for recruits; freak weather has killed thirty thousand cattle in the American state, South Dakota - Sybil Ruscoe's been there to see how the ranchers are coping; James Menendez has been travelling in Burma, also known as Myanmar. The place is fast modernising, but transformation has yet to arrive on its railways. And Robin Lustig goes hiking through Peru's Andean foothills looking for coca growers and finding out why they're dubious about their government's anti-drugs initiative. From Our Own Correspondent is produced by Tony Grant.

Heroes of Baghdad Nov 23, 2013

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Reporters' despatches: already this year more than seven thousand people have been killed in the upsurge of violence in Iraq. Andrew Hosken explores a country full of widows, orphans and frightened people mourning the loss of loved ones. In America, two significant anniversaries - Allan Little has been to the locations involved, Gettysburg and Dallas, and uncovers surprising revelations about the state of the USA today. The president of Bulgaria's talking of 'emergency' as demonstrations against the government show no sign of letting up - Emma Jane Kirby's been talking to the protestors in the capital, Sofia. Peter Day visits a Chinese village where they haven't yet turned their backs on the 'Great Helmsman' Mao tse Tung. And as the big Thanksgiving Day American football matches approach, Mike Wendling reflects on a sport facing difficult questions about the safety of its players. The producer of From Our Own Correspondent is Tony Grant

The Noise of the Typhoon Nov 16, 2013

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The noise and devastation of Hurricane Haiyan: Andrew Harding on the first town in the Philippines to feel the force of the storm; Charles Haviland on how the furore surrounding the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka has pushed the Tamil north of the country into the news spotlight; Nicholas Wade travels to Jerusalem to hear people's views about the latest attempts to reach a Middle East peace settlement; Moldova and other former Soviet satellites are due to sign a trade deal with the EU and Tessa Dunlop's been finding out that not everyone there feels it's a good idea to turn their backs on Russia and Will Ross has been taking time off from the hard news of Nigeria to take a look at its thriving arts scene -- and a novel use for the xylophone! From Our Own Correspondent is produced by Tony Grant

The Lost Orchards Nov 14, 2013

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Correspondents' despatches: Jeremy Bowen on the talks, restarting in Geneva next week, about Iran's nuclear ambitions; the Colombian authorities are trying to rehabilitate child soldiers who have fought for leftist armed groups like the FARC - Tom Esslemont's been along to take a look; Steve Vickers finds out why people no longer want to live among the thousands of islands off the coast of Sweden; an atheist goes to church: Andrew Whitehead visits Martin Luther King's Baptist church in Alabama and finds himself caught up in a service. And is there any trace left of the apple orchards which once covered the island of Jersey? The answer to that one comes from Christine Finn. From Our Own Correspondent is produced by Tony Grant

Fraying at the Edges Nov 09, 2013

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Correspondents worldwide: Kevin Connolly talks of unfinished business in the Middle East finally being attended to after one hundred years. Historical and continuing allegations of rape and torture in Sri Lanka are investigated by Frances Harrison. For India, its mission to Mars is an opportunity to come out top of a new Asian space race -- Justin Rowlatt examines the question: couldn't the cash instead have been used to lift many Indians out of poverty? Kieran Cooke boards a train in the west of Ireland to see if passengers feel optimistic now their prime minister has decreed the country's well on the way to seeing off an economic crisis. And David Mazower on stories of remembrance and loss which emerge in the wake of that extraordinary discovery of a huge cache of looted artwork in Germany. From Our Own Correspondent is produced by Tony Grant.

The Midnight Bus to Damascus Nov 07, 2013

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Reporters worldwide: while refugees continue to stream out of Syria in their thousands, there are people who need to go INTO the country. Nigel Wilson's been talking to a group of them at the bus station in the Jordanian capital, Amman. Lyse Doucet, meanwhile, is in the Syrian capital Damascus where life for some, but not others, is becoming increasingly hard. Thomas Fessy talks of the shock in Francophone Africa at the killing of two French radio journalists in Mali. In Malaysia, elephants are losing their habitat as development continues apace. Bob Walker takes a look at a controversial plan to give the animals a new home. And Indian women over the centuries have been wearing the elegant sari -- Anu Anand has been hearing of a campaign to boost its popularity in the face of competition from more contemporary, if less stylish, clothing. From Our Own Correspondent is produced by Tony Grant.

Cities on Edge Nov 02, 2013

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Correspondents' stories: Jeremy Bowen on the effect in Egypt of the upcoming trials of senior figures from the Muslim Brotherhood; you could write the history of the South Pacific as a succession of arrivals of powerful, foreign vessels in palm-fringed lagoons, according to John Pickford in Tonga; the Sudanese capital Khartoum 'changed forever' after the recent riots in the capital - that's what James Copnall's been hearing in Khartoum; Linda Pressly's been to the Spanish city of Melilla, on the north coast of Morocco, to meet the so-called 'mule women' and find out why they're prepared to shoulder such heavy loads and Russians have never been famous for their smiles, but Jamie Coomarasamy's wondering if times have changed and they're now no longer trying to keep a straight face! The programme is produced by Tony Grant.

A Night Out in Greenland Oct 31, 2013

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Correspondents' stories: once the cradle of the Arab Spring, Tunisia's now battling an Islamist insurgency and an huge influx of refugees from neighbouring Libya - Andrew Hosken has been investigating; Andreas Gebauer finds parallels between Israel's security barrier and the Berlin wall which he first saw as a young boy; Emilie Filou is in the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean meeting people desperate to start a new life in nearby French territory; Vincent Dowd's visiting a corner of south west Ireland he describes as paradise and Rob Crossan creates a stir among drinkers at the only pub in a remote town in Greenland. The programme's producer is Tony Grant

The Ruin of Rome Oct 26, 2013

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The financial crash has devastated the historic centre of Rome - Joanna Robertson talks of a favourite city now drained of community life; the perils of newsgathering in Sri Lanka: Fergal Keane meets journalists there determined to carry on reporting despite the risk of intimidation, assault and even murder. Jon Donnison's in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales where the wildfires are still raging and there's a heated debate about how much climate change is to blame; Steve Evans, on the row surrounding the bugging of Chancellor Merkel's 'phone, wonders what information the Americans have gleaned. And a travelling correspondent may carry a lap-top, a digital recorder, a camera but a two-month-old baby? Madeleine Morris has the story of what happened when a toddler came too.

Don't Mention the War! Oct 24, 2013

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As one of the last heroes of the Vietnam War is laid to rest, Rajan Datar hears young people there keen to move on from those years of conflict, to celebrate instead a land rich in culture and economic opportunity; Jonah Fisher talks of the debate in swiftly-changing Myanmar about what exactly makes a detainee a political prisoner; as Greece continues its punishing austerity programme, Alexa Dvorson has been finding out how they are coping out in the countryside, away from the main cities; 'let there be light' seems to be the message in Lagos: Neal Razzell has been to see a state government initiative in Nigeria's biggest city introduce street lighting to many formerly-dark and threatening streets and the BBC's bureau in Moscow has been celebrating fifty years of existence. Steve Rosenberg has been looking at news reporting there then and now. The producer is Tony Grant

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