From Our Own Correspondent

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Trump in Trouble? Oct 12, 2019

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President Trump and his supporters remain defiant in the face of the impeachment inquiry against him. But many of Mr Trump's political allies are troubled by another issue: the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, which has allowed Turkey to attack Kurdish targets in Syria. Jon Sopel says Syria may turn into Mr Trump's bigger problem.

The Kalash are a mountain people who live in a series of valleys in the Hindu Kush in northern Pakistan. They number only a few thousand today and there are concerns that there's increasing pressure upon them to convert to Islam. Emma Thomson has been to visit.

There's a fuel crisis in Cuba at the moment and if you want to fill up you'd better be prepared to wait for several hours. As Will Grant reports, the government is taking other measures to save money, such as asking civil servants to work from home.

China's economic influence spreads far and wide. It has reached the city of Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia where billions have been invested in industrial infrastructure. But Vincent Ni encounters ambivalent attitudes there to people of Chinese origin.

Earlier this year the British government imposed a temporary export ban on one of JMW Turner's masterpieces, The Dark Rigi, the Lake of Lucerne. Lucy Daltroff has been to the source of his inspiration.

A Hong Kong Wedding Oct 10, 2019

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The wedding banquet put on hold by protests and emergency legislation in Hong Kong. Helier Cheung describes how she had to tell 300 guests the party was off.

It's 250 years since Captain Cook first set foot in New Zealand and the first time the Maori encountered Europeans. That anniversary is being marked this month and this week a replica of Cook's ship, the Endeavour, docked in the small city of Gisborne. But the anniversary has not been universally welcomed, as Colin Peacock reports.

Uganda has had the same man in charge, Yoweri Museveni, since 1986. Challengers for the office of president have come and gone and Mr Museveni has twice changed the rules - on the number of presidential terms and on the maximum presidential age - to ensure his longevity. But now a new challenger has appeared, in the form of a former pop star. Sally Hayden has been on the road with Bobi Wine.

Bear Island - some 250 miles off the northern coast of Norway - is home to a few hardy souls who staff the weather station there. Legend says it got its name from a polar bear spotted swimming nearby in the Barents Sea. But David Baillie says these majestic creatures are few and far between now.

More than 14,000 people in Britain have reached the grand age of 100. One of the perks of this achievement is the traditional message of congratulation from the Queen. In France there are even more centenarians but no similar tradition, no message from the president. Well, not until Nicola Carslaw stepped in.

The Prosecutor General Oct 05, 2019

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Viktor Shokin was forced out as Prosecutor General of Ukraine in 2016. Since then he's been variously portrayed as a hapless bumbler or a fearless investigator of corruption. Jonah Fisher in Kiev has been trying to track him down.

In Vanuatu, an archipelago in the Pacific, they've come up with a new way of raising government revenue - selling passports for a princely sum. But Sarah Treanor says very few of those who take up the offer are likely to set foot there.

Italy is well known for its love of cycling. The Giro d'Italia, more than 100 years old, is one of the three great European races, demanding strength and stamina. But there's another race taking place this weekend. As Dany Mitzman finds out, appetite as much as stamina is what's needed.

The former BBC correspondent Robert Elphick died recently. He reported on many historic stories none more perhaps than the crushing of the Prague Spring in 1968. We hear one of his despatches from the time.

There was bad news this week in the State of Nature report about wildlife species in Britain that are threatened with extinction. It's not purely a British problem. Phoebe Smith has been following one particular conservation project on the Arabian peninsula.

No Love Lost Oct 03, 2019

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Relations between Japan and South Korea have often been delicate. But they may now have reached their lowest ebb since they established diplomatic relations in 1965. Peter Hadfield reports from Tokyo on the background to the dispute and how it's playing out in Japan.

The European migrant crisis has receded from its peak of 2015, but large numbers of people are still seeking refuge in Europe, their first stop often being the Greek islands. But the camps are overcrowded and the people living there close to despair, as Charlie Faulkner finds out on Lesbos.

It's now 30 years since the first partly-free elections in Poland as it began to emerge from the Soviet shadow. Kevin Connolly, who reported on those elections in the city of Gdansk, has just returned. He notices distinct similarities in the restaurant menus then and now but a significant difference in what is actually served up.

In southern Chad, as the rainy season begins to recede, the grass is lush, the grazing is good and the nomadic Wodaabe people are gathering for the annual Gerewol festival - a week of what you might call speed-dating under the stars. Mark Stratton has been to watch.

There are a few basic rules if you're planning to drive your car into the Australian Outback: take lots of water, tell someone where you're going and make sure the car has enough fuel. Christine Finn says it's easy to forget.

Can Afghanistan find peace? Sep 28, 2019

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As Afghanistan goes to the polls this weekend, Lyse Doucet reflects on the country's paused peace talks.

Frank Gardner finds service with a smile in Saudi Arabia, but wonders if conflict could interrupt the kingdom’s economic reforms.

There's a birthday parade in Beijing next week, as the People's Republic of China celebrates its 70th anniversary. In that time China has been transformed beyond recognition, and next week's events are more than just a commemoration says John Sudworth.

Could you be convinced to swap a steak for a plate of tasty crickets? Emilie Filou visits a noisy farm in Madagascar, to find out how one company wants to put 'cricket powder' in everyone's kitchen cabinet.

And in the North Atlantic ocean, on the Faroe Island of Stóra Dímun, Tim Ecott lends a hand on what's been described as the 'loneliest farmhouse in the world'.

Who Will Lead Israel? Sep 26, 2019

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After the second indecisive general election in Israel this year, Benjamin Netanyahu has been asked to form a new government - but can he make it work?

Some observers said last week's election would mark the end of the Netanyahu era, but Jeremy Bowen warns that premature political obituaries for Mr Netanyahu have proved wrong before.

Plus: Hugo Bachega reports on a controversial crackdown on street gangs in the favelas of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, which has led to the death of a number of innocent casualties this year.

President Trump has frequently castigated Iran, calling it a 'repressive regime' - but what do US voters think about this constant sabre-rattling? The USA is home to a sizeable Iranian diaspora, and Lois Pryce travelled to California to test the political temperature in LA's Iranian quarter, 'Tehrangeles'.

Pre-packaged adventures into the wilds to spy on the wonders of nature are big business, but on a trip to Uganda, Lottie Gross experienced a creeping sense of unease, as the intrusive nature of her luxury adventure began to unfold.

The Rugby World Cup is currently underway in Japan and for one of the host cities - the coastal city of Kamaishi - the competition marks a remarkable recovery. Ash Bhardwaj has been exploring what rugby means for the city, as it recovers from the devastation caused by a Tsunami in 2011.

From Our Home Correspondent 22/09/2019 Sep 22, 2019

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In the latest programme of the monthly series, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers around the United Kingdom that reflect the range of contemporary life in the country.

Tom Edwards meets two people counting the cost – literally – of a delayed major infrastructure project and discovers whether they will be able to survive until it is finally finished. Hannah Moore ruminates on her twelfth move before she has even reached her thirtieth birthday and the contrast between her parents’ long settled East Midlands’ life and her own constantly changing one. After a heart-stopping moment on the cricket field of her son's school - and an emergency operation - Geeta Guru-Murthy considers the domestic costs of intense competitiveness. Richard Vadon takes his teenage son and his friends to a covers band gig - only to find that most of the others there are his age rather than his son’s. But the reason why says much, he says, about the contemporary music scene. And while nothing quite prepared Francesca Segal for her experience of a neonatal intensive care unit, she reflects what it has taught her about motherhood and family life.

Producer: Simon Coates

Will Myanmar's Rohingya Return? Sep 21, 2019

Show notes

Myanmar’s government wants Rohingya refugees to return, but can it guarantee their safety and way of life? Jonathan Head takes a rare trip to Rakhine state to see the government’s resettlement plans.

In Assam state in India, another migrant crisis is on the rise, following a drive to identify and deport illegal immigrants. This has left nearly 2 million people without Indian citizenship. Rajini Vaidyanathan meets some of the people now left stateless.

Spain’s northern Basque region has been largely at peace thanks to the end of a four-decade campaign of violence by the separatist group Eta. Guy Hedgecoe reports from a small town where a rowdy bar fight aroused suspicion that Eta’s influence has not entirely disappeared.

Yemen is one of the Arab world’s poorest countries, and has been devastated by civil war. Nawal Al-Maghafi, who was born in Yemen, has witnessed the deterioration of her homeland first hand.

Since starting in a Seattle garage 25 year ago, Amazon has changed the way many of us shop – but the company has its critics too, especially when it comes to the working conditions in its warehouses. This has led to a PR counter-offensive, and Amazon decided to open its doors to the public. Dave Lee accepted the invitation to take a tour of one of the company’s warehouses in California.

Cash, Credit and Control in China Sep 14, 2019

Show notes

Paper money is going out of fashion in China, but is the rise of mobile payments about convenience or control, asks Celia Hatton?

Mark Lowen reflects on the 5 years he has spent reporting from Istanbul and beyond.

Juliet Rix travels to the far east of Russia, where she finds a community trying to reconcile tradition with modern-life.

'Gravity biking' involves hurtling down precipitous mountain roads on specially-modified bikes. Simon Maybin meets a group of 'gravitosos' in Colombia and finds they have a complicated relationship with death.

Presented by Caroline Wyatt.

Mugabe Remembered Sep 07, 2019

Show notes

Robert Mugabe has died. How do you sum up such a complex and contradictory figure? Andrew Harding recalls his final encounter with Mr Mugabe and reflects on the perils of living too long.

In Germany the far-right populist Alternative für Deutschland is celebrating after doing well in two regional elections. Damien McGuinness has been meeting some of their supporters and says that their electoral success has led to a wider debate about why east Germans have not felt the benefits of unification.

Malaria is a constant threat to life in Burkina Faso. A newer threat comes from an Islamist-led insurgency that has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. But the cutting-edge research into tackling mosquitoes continues undisturbed, for now, as Jennifer O'Mahony reports.

The Romanian national football team is no great shakes at the moment and is unlikely to qualify for the European Championship finals in 2020. But another game, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time, is gaining popularity. Emma Levine has been to watch it being played in the town of Frasin.

In Papua New Guinea it’s estimated that 40 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, despite the country’s enormous mineral wealth. Charlie Walker says there’s one particular mineral that people are interested in.

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