Podcast · 35 episodes
Crossing Continents
by BBC Radio 4 · English
Stories from around the world and the people at the heart of them.
Latest episodes
Nepal: In the shadow of a glacierA visit to Halji in Nepal’s Limi Valley, near the Tibetan border, where melting glaciers and destabilized permafrost are increasing floods, landslides, and glacier-lake outburst risks; the episode…29 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Has Poland fallen out of love with Ukraine?Whether Polish public support for Ukrainian refugees has soured since Russia’s full-scale invasion, and how misinformation, politics, and history (Volhynia) are shaping attitudes.22 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Turkey on Trial: Can Courts Control a Nation?Crossing Continents episode “Turkey on Trial: Can Courts Control a Nation?” investigates how Turkey’s courts are used to control dissent under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.15 Sep 2026 · 30 min
All episodes
Nepal: In the shadow of a glacierA visit to Halji in Nepal’s Limi Valley, near the Tibetan border, where melting glaciers and destabilized permafrost are increasing floods, landslides, and glacier-lake outburst risks; the episode…29 Sep 2026 · 29 min · 10 chapters
Has Poland fallen out of love with Ukraine?Whether Polish public support for Ukrainian refugees has soured since Russia’s full-scale invasion, and how misinformation, politics, and history (Volhynia) are shaping attitudes.22 Sep 2026 · 32 min · 16 chapters
Turkey on Trial: Can Courts Control a Nation?Crossing Continents episode “Turkey on Trial: Can Courts Control a Nation?” investigates how Turkey’s courts are used to control dissent under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.15 Sep 2026 · 30 min · 19 chapters
Ukraine: Fighting Russia, Fighting RussianCrossing Continents visits Odessa during Russia’s full-scale war, focusing on language and identity—whether Ukraine should fight only Russia or also “fight Russian,” and how wartime language laws…8 Sep 2026 · 29 min · 14 chapters
‘Big Surveillance’, Flock and ICE“Big Surveillance” in Houston, Texas, focusing on Flock Safety’s automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and related AI surveillance, how data sharing expands police power, and fears about…1 Sep 2026 · 29 min · 12 chapters
Brazil’s gambling addictionBrazil’s gambling addiction after legalization (2018) and later regulation (end of 2023), focusing on poker, sports betting, and online casino apps; harms, treatment capacity, and prevention.25 Aug 2026 · 28 min · 17 chapters
Raiders of the lost artA mystery over stolen rare John Keats love letters leads to a wider investigation into the illegal antiquities trade and how stolen cultural heritage is traced, seized, and repatriated.18 Aug 2026 · 34 min · 18 chapters
Victoria Falls: Wilderness on the edgeVictoria Falls region in Zambia/Zimbabwe—how to manage tourism and development while protecting UNESCO World Heritage values and enabling coexistence with elephants.11 Aug 2026 · 28 min · 15 chapters
Getting Gaza back onlineGaza’s tech sector trying to “get back online” amid near-daily Israeli strikes, power/internet outages, restrictions on journalists and on importing computers/solar equipment, and banking/payment…4 Aug 2026 · 29 min · 11 chapters
Sierra Leone: the diamond that saved a thousand lives“Sierra Leone: the diamond that saved a thousand lives” follows the 2017 discovery of a “peace diamond” in Kono District, Sierra Leone.26 May 2026 · 31 min · 18 chapters
Victim or Accomplice? The Story of Jeffrey Epstein’s Pilot GirlfriendCrossing Continents investigates Nadia Martzinko (Marcinko/Martinkova), described by US prosecutors as a potential co-conspirator in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network, and debates whether she…19 May 2026 · 45 min · 25 chapters
Return to Khartoum: War, loss and hopeReturn to Khartoum, Sudan, one year after government forces recaptured the city in 2025, focusing on war’s destruction, civilian survival under RSF occupation, looting of infrastructure and culture,…12 May 2026 · 30 min · 14 chapters
Serbia: Under the CanopyThe BBC investigates the impact of the 1 November 2024 Novi Sad railway station canopy disaster in Serbia—16 people killed when the roof collapsed—and how the tragedy fueled nationwide protests,…5 May 2026 · 28 min · 16 chapters
In Iceland's DefenceIceland’s defence and security without a standing military, relying on NATO alliances plus civilian Coast Guard and police capabilities, amid rising hybrid threats and US/NATO uncertainty.21 Apr 2026 · 36 min · 16 chapters
Pakistan: hospitals putting children at risk of HIVA BBC investigation into a March 2025 HIV outbreak among children in Tonsa (central Pakistan), alleging unsafe hospital practices at THQ Hospital that may have exposed hundreds of kids to HIV via…13 Apr 2026 · 29 min · 11 chapters
Albania: Land, Money and the SeaBBC Radio 4 Crossing Continents episode on Albania’s land/ownership conflicts and corruption risks amid luxury tourism plans, focusing on Vlora and the protected Nata Lagoon area near Sazan Island.8 Apr 2026 · 28 min · 9 chapters
India's sportswomen playing to be seenHow sport—especially football and athletics—helps Indian girls resist child marriage and discrimination, and gives them an identity and path to independence.3 Feb 2026 · 29 min · 14 chapters
Nigeria: Killings, Land and CattleThe episode follows BBC Radio 4’s Alex Last in Plateau State, Nigeria, focusing on the April 14, 2025 attack on the Christian Uruguay (Irigwe) village of Zike/ZK near the town of Zike.27 Jan 2026 · 31 min · 6 chapters
Greece: Rescuers on TrialA BBC Crossing Continents episode about the Greek criminal trial of volunteer civilian search-and-rescue workers from Lesbos, accused of belonging to a criminal organisation, money laundering, and…20 Jan 2026 · 29 min · 15 chapters
The Netherlands - ten new cities?The Netherlands’ housing crisis and proposed fixes, including “floating” housing, building new cities, repurposing empty buildings, regulating second homes, and how rent caps affect private…13 Jan 2026 · 29 min · 15 chapters
South Africa and the fight against TBHow South Africa’s TB fight works on the ground and in labs, and how recent cuts to US foreign aid and NIH funding are disrupting TB clinical trials and staffing.6 Jan 2026 · 34 min · 16 chapters
When Christian nationalists come to townA BBC investigation into how Christian nationalists are buying land and building communities in Gainsborough, Tennessee, and how locals and national groups are resisting them.30 Dec 2025 · 29 min · 10 chapters
Argentina's elusive big catsA BBC Crossing Continents report on rewilding jaguars in northern Argentina’s “Forest of Spikes,” where deforestation and hunting nearly wiped them out; it follows efforts to reintroduce jaguars and…23 Dec 2025 · 28 min · 12 chapters
Stolen brides of Kazakhstan: the fightbackBride kidnapping/forced marriage in Kazakhstan (“stolen” brides), how it works socially, and the fightback after a new criminal law.16 Dec 2025 · 28 min · 14 chapters