Podcast appearances and mentions of mark stratton

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Lebanon, Spain, Morocco and GreenlandDonald 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 Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill

As authored by Mark Stratton.

Kate Adie introduces stories from Rwanda, Estonia, St Helena and Puerto Rico.This weekend marks the start of the genocide in Rwanda that led to the death of more than 800,000 people – most from the country's Tutsi minority. Three decades on, Emma Ailes met those who, against the odds, survived the violence – but continue to live with the trauma to this day.Among those who survived the genocide is the BBC's Victoria Uwonkunda, who was just 12 years old at the time. She recently returned for the first time in three decades, where she retraced her journey to sanctuary, and spoke to genocide survivors - and perpetrators - about the difficult path towards reconciliation and forgiveness.As a result of the conflict in Ukraine, NATO countries close to Russia, such as Norway, Latvia and Lithuania, are expanding their military conscription programmes. In Estonia - where military service is already mandatory – our correspondent Nick Beake met some of the country's new recruits.Coffee from Jamaica to Ethiopia to Guatemala is a common sight in high-street cafes, but a more rarified blend comes from the Atlantic Island of St Helena. It's high-quality and short-supply means it fetches a high price – but as Mark Stratton discovered, that doesn't mean locals are reaping the benefits.It's hard to escape the Puerto Rican sound of reggaeton. Now a global phenomenon, it's created superstars in artists like Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee and Vico C. Jane Chambers went to find out how this multi-faceted music reflects both the island's culture – and politics.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

One of the purest, rarest and indeed most expensive coffees in the world comes from the island of St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled to at the end of his life. But why is it so special? Mark Stratton, a travel journalist joined Sean to discuss...

One of the purest, rarest and indeed most expensive coffees in the world comes from the island of St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled to at the end of his life. But why is it so special? Mark Stratton, a travel journalist joined Sean to discuss...

Kate Adie presents stories from Cambodia, Colombia, India, Fiji and Kenya. The Mekong river provides a living for tens of millions of people who live along its banks across five East and South East Asian countries. However, new hydroelectric dams have upended communities which have lived along the river for millennia, with some Cambodian villages flooded to make way for new dam projects. Laura Bicker takes a journey to the heart of the Mekong river system to meet people recently displaced. Four people have been arrested in Colombia in connection with the kidnapping of the father of the Liverpool footballer, Luis Diaz, who was released after two weeks of being held captive. The suspects are said to belong to a gang called Los Primos, with ties to the leftist rebel group, the National Liberation Army or ELN. Will Grant – an ardent Liverpool fan – was in Colombia as the situation unfolded. Delhi's air pollution is a year-round, chronic problem, but the city's toxic smog becomes especially dangerous each winter. This year is no exception and the levels of pollutants in the air have been measuring close to ten times the acceptable limit in recent weeks. Geeta Pandey reports on how her fellow Delhiites are coping. Kava is a psychoactive drink made from the bitter kava plant, and has been enjoyed in by Pacific Islanders for centuries - but in recent years there's been rising international demand for the drink. Mark Stratton travelled to Fiji to see how this is affecting communities there, and to try kava for himself. On Monday, Kenyans were given a special holiday to plant trees as part of the government's ambitious goal to plant 15 billion new trees over the next ten years. Although the national tree planting initiative has proved popular, some have criticised the government for its recent decision to lift a ban on logging, reports Anne Soy. Producer: Viv Jones Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

Kate Adie introduces correspondents' and writers' despatches from Lebanon and Jordan, Ukraine's battle fronts, the Caribbean island of Grenada, the BBC's bureaux abroad and the streets of the South Bronx in New York City. Captagon is a small, amphetamine-like pill which has become one of the most popular illegal drugs in the Middle East. There is increasing evidence that large amounts of it are being manufactured inside Syria in collusion with allies of the ruling Assad family - then brought out into neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan by Bedouin smugglers. Emir Nader joined the soldiers and lawmen trying to choke off the drug supply routes. Despite the Wagner Group's apparent mutiny last weekend, Russia's war in Ukraine has not stopped - or even abated. Along the front line, Andrew Harding saw how Ukrainian soldiers and medics are continuing their fight, eavesdropping on Russian troops, and treating the wounded. It's been nearly 40 years since the US invasion of Grenada - triggered by a chaotic power struggle within the island's avowedly Marxist-Leninist New Jewel Movement. On Grenada's "Bloody Wednesday" 1983, there were more than a dozen firing-squad executions - and there are still enduring questions about the events. Mark Stratton asked why some of the bodies are still missing - including that of the island's widely admired leader Maurice Bishop. Simon Wilson has worked abroad for the BBC for more than twenty years, in some of its most prestigious bureaux, including Jerusalem, Brussels and Washington DC. But his foreign news career started out in much less promising conditions - at the notoriously dismal office in Bonn. He pulls back the curtain on some of the more unexpected features of the BBC's premises overseas. And in the South Bronx, there are signs of creeping gentrification on what used to be some of New York City's meanest streets. Not everyone is a fan of the changes, though. Writer and broadcaster Lindsay Johns has been exploring today's cultural scene in the Boogie Down - including a thriving Black-owned bookshop. Producer: Polly Hope Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross

Kate Adie introduces stories from Myanmar's civil war, Iran, Moldova, Denmark and South Georgia. Since the military overthrow of the democratically elected government in Myanmar in 2021, the country has slid into civil war. When initial, peaceful demonstrations against the military coup failed, civilians took up arms. Now, some of the soldiers they are fighting are deciding to defect - refusing to fight against their own people. Many have fled to Thailand, where Rebecca Henschke spoke to them. When an Iranian former political prisoner goes missing, who should his family turn to for help? The daughter of Ebrahim Babie was rightly reluctant to contact the Iranian authorities who had targeted her father, and instead she called the BBC's Persian Service. Jiyar Gol tells the story of his search for a missing dissident. Moldova shares a large border with its much larger neighbour Ukraine, and since Russia's invasion, Moldovans have been on edge. Disinformation about the war have widened the unease between pro-western and pro-Russian factions in the country. But Moldova's president has big plans for a future in the EU, and was boosted by a recent European summit held in the capital, Chisinau. Stephen McGrath reports. Hidden in a forest in northern Jutland, nearly 250 miles from Copenhagen, the sprawling REGAN Vest complex was built at the height of the Cold War. This huge nuclear bunker is where the Danish government and queen would have sheltered in the event of nuclear attack. Adrienne Murray paid a recent and discovered a remarkable time capsule that continues to resonate. The island of South Georgia, eight hundred miles north of Antarctica, was plundered by Antarctic explorers, with its whales, seals and penguins killed for their oils, furs and meat. But now the island lies within a vast nature reserve, and on a recent visit Mark Stratton found an island restored. Producer: Claire Bowes Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Co-ordinator: Janet Staples

Nikita Dhawan chats with Mark Stratton, co-lead of the campaign to free Bunka, a 15 year old Asian elephant in the Yerevan Zoo (Armenia). Mark shares an update on the campaign: the recent independent inspection of Bunka by experts, the scathing report and the hopes for Bunka's future.

"Visitors to Algeria will discover a majestic cultural mosaic...a country finding its own voice."When writer Mark Stratton decided to visit Algeria, he was unsure what to expect. Africa's largest country is anything but homogenous; from weathered Roman ruins to gleaming Ottoman mosques, wind-whipped sand dunes and vibrant oasis gardens, every corner boasts a blend of history and culture that is entirely unique. Follow Mark as he recounts his travels, winding from the breezy Mediterranean streets of Algiers through the scorching dunes of the Sahara Desert. From sampling sweet dates to marveling at ancient mosaics, he paints a picture of contemporary Algeria, a place that refuses to be defined by anything - or anyone - but itself.  ABOUT MARKRead Mark's article,  "Empires of the Dunes," in April's edition of the magazine, and find his other works on his website, MarkStrattonTravels.com.ABOUT WANDERLUSTWanderlust is the UK's leading independent travel magazine which has been taking the road less travelled since 1993.Become a Wanderlust Club Member to join our community of serious travellers for just £35 a year (or about $50). This will get you six beautiful collectible issues, exclusive member- only competitions and events, access to our entire online archive back to 2010, and heaps of other benefits.This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry.

After a surge in violence over the last week, in which several were killed in a military raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank and a synagogue attack in Israel, Yolande Knell visited the both areas and spoke to friends and relatives of those who died about their fears for the future. Rob Cameron extols the virtue of the old Soviet escalator in his local metro station in Prague, which is now being upgraded. And, as he sits down with pro-EU President-elect Petr Pavel, after recent elections, he reflects on the tensions between the old Soviet links, and modernisation in the country. In Uruguay, Jane Chambers meets a new breed of cattle rancher - investors based in the city who buy cattle to be managed by local ranchers. She visits the farms beyond the capital, and hears how they've been focused on burnishing their environmental credentials to compete with Brazil and Argentina. In the Canadian province of British Colombia, Mark Stratton visits a non-profit group who've teamed up with first nation people to promote bear tourism, as an alternative to bear hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest. And finally, former Brussels Correspondent, Adam Fleming returns to Berlaymont three years after Brexit - for a spot of reminiscing over friends made, sleep lost and screeds of reports written on the twists and turns of the Brexit negotiations. Producers: Serena Tarling, Louise Hidalgo and Arlene Gregorious Editor: China Collins and Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross

Mark Stratton, founder of the baseball program at Drury University, joins the show with a great Albert Pujols story

Stories from Russia, Israel, Thailand, Greece and Somalia, where more than 90% of the country is still enduring extremely dry weather. Since October 2020, four successive rainy seasons have effectively failed. Now human lives are at risk, with more than one and a half million children in the country classified as acutely malnourished. Mercy Juma recently saw just how parched and how hungry the landscape has become. When a car bomb exploded in Moscow last weekend killing Daria Dugina, a Russian TV pundit, the conspiracy theories multiplied. Some suspected perhaps the real target was her father: Alexander Dugin, a prominent conservative philosopher. In the West, some called Mr Dugin “Putin's brain” – or even “Putin's Rasputin”. But that didn't quite ring true, at least not to Gabriel Gatehouse, who has spent many years covering Russia and Ukraine, and who met Alexander Dugin in 2016. The war has also been vexing both Russian and Ukrainian relations with Israel. The Israeli government has spoken out publicly against the war and moved to shelter refugees, while also offering to act as a diplomatic go-between the two sides. Russia's justice ministry is currently seeking to liquidate the Russian branch of the non-profit Jewish Agency, which helps Jews around the world move to Israel. Tim Samuels recently met some of those trying to start again in a new land. The elephant is, famously, a symbol of Thailand – but it's more than symbolic. There are thousands of real live elephants in the country. Around half are kept in captivity as working animals, used either to move earth or timber, or, in a modern twist, to take tourists for rides. As tourism reopens, some Karen communities near the Thai-Myanmar border are trying a new kind of venture, based on a more respectful relationship with the animals. Mark Stratton went to see how it's working out. Many might dream of making a holiday home idyll last longer – perhaps even for good. But staying all year round in a rural village in Europe can be a much more gruelling prospect, if there aren't any local services, shops or even many neighbours to call on. Alba Arikha has been restoring and settling into an old house in a Greek hamlet not far from the town of Kardamyli, on the western coast of the Mani peninsula.

Join award-winning travel writer and broadcaster Mark Stratton on a journey that combines a mind-blowing Antarctic expedition with a bit of citizen science. "As a bristling polar wind shrieks off the bay...I experience an overpowering aura emanating from a headstone, hewn from Edinburg granite, in Grytviken cemetery. Watched by a doe eyed baby fur seal scratching against a tombstone. I feel a synthesis of everything I love about traveling: remoteness, so utterly different to normal life, the power of a journey to transform your senses, and exhortation of achieving a lifelong dream. In my reverie, I fumble inside my jacket pocket and pull out a silver hip flask of whiskey. And as custom dictates, raise a toast under South Georgia's leaden skies. 'To the boss', I mouthed. 'To Sir Ernest Shackleton.'"Wanderlust is the UK's leading independent travel magazine which has been taking the road less travelled since 1993.Learn more at www.wanderlustmagazine.comBecome a Wanderlust Club Member to join our community of serious travellers for just £35 a year (or about $50). This will get you six beautiful collectible issues, exclusive member- only competitions and events, access to our entire online archive back to 2010, plus heaps of other benefits.This series of Wanderlust: Off the Page is brought to you by Cewe, Europe's largest photo company with over 50 years of experience in Photo Services and online printing. Find out more at https://www.cewe.co.uk Follow our guest @MarkofDartmoorThis episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com 

Nikita from Youth for Animals talks with Mark Stratton about his new campaign to free Bunka from the Yerevan zoo in Armenia.

It's one month since Russia first invaded Ukraine, under the pretext of denazifying the country. But Putin's calculation that his troops would be greeted as liberators by Russian-speaking Ukrainians has proved to be wrong. Nick Sturdee has found that the invasion appears to have unified the disparate parts of the Ukrainian population. Romania's Prime Minister pledged “unconditional political support” for Ukraine in February and so far, has welcomed more than half a million refugees. Jen Stout has been to one of the border crossings and finds the arrival of the Ukrainians has helped locals forget their own differences. In Washington, the process of holding those responsible for the storming of the US Capitol last year has reached a new phase, as the first trial - Guy Reffitt, of Texas came to court earlier this month. Tara McKelvey spent time with the defendant's relatives at the federal courthouse and saw the impact of the political divisions on that family and across the US. Ecuador's president this year signed a declaration to expand the boundaries of the Galapagos Marine reserve by more than 23 000 square miles. It's being seen as a victory for wildlife conservation and for local fishing communities, as the area had been vulnerable to overfishing by mainly Chinese trawlers. But, finds Mark Stratton, these were not the only threat to the region's eco-system. The Caribbean island of Martinique is an overseas territory of France. Today it has a semi-autonomous status, but over the last decade, relations have deteriorated with their old colonisers. Lindsay Johns remembers his father, a soldier from Martinique, who fought proudly for the French whilst enduring racial oppression. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling and Polly Hope Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Dr. Mark Stratton, Superintendent at Corinth Central School District outlines the tight knit community that is Corinth, his passion for the District and how the School Business Administrator plays such an important role.Find out more about Corinth Central School District here: https://www.corinthcsd.org/Does this position sound interesting? Apply here: www.olasjobs.org

This year's surprise international television success is the dystopian South Korean series, Squid Game, which imagines people competing in a series of ever more violent contests, hundreds dying along the way. The show is a shameless satire on the cut-throat competitiveness of ordinary South Korean life; some characters explicitly state they are taking part in the tournament because it is no worse than how they were living anyway. When Chloe Hadjimatheou went to South Korea recently, she could see what the programme's creators were getting at. It is not just the death toll in Ethiopia that is so disturbing but also the manner by which many people are dying: civilians have been murdered in ethnically-based violence, while others have starved. Both sides have accused the other of committing atrocities, while denying any carried out by their own people. This war-of-words is being played out on social media with just as much fervour as the physical war on the ground. Our correspondent, Andrew Harding, found himself caught in the middle. Negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme were never going to be easy, but the two sides cannot even agree how to start. China, Russia, the UK and US are among those with teams in Vienna, hoping to persuade Iran to stop what they believe is an attempt to develop nuclear weapons. That would mean they cease enriching uranium towards the level required to make a warhead or bomb. However, the Iranians don't want to discuss this until sanctions imposed on their country are lifted. James Landale warns this presents a serious challenge to the chances of a deal being reached. Nobody is sure who first came up with the suggestion that one could “See Naples and die.” Nor is it even clear whether that counts as a recommendation or a warning. But if the quote caught on, that is perhaps because it sums up the dark associations many have with the biggest city in Italy's deep south: less economically developed than its northern counterparts, and affected by all kinds of travails, from earthquakes to mafia violence. The neighbourhood of Sanita is among the city's most deprived, but locals have used a famous church there as the centre for a whole series of regeneration programmes. Mark Stratton was shown around. There are still question marks over how Christmas will be celebrated this year – whether new restrictions might need to be imposed, because of the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus, or even a lockdown. In some countries though, it was already clear long ago that the Christmas period would provide little opportunity for celebrating. In Venezuela, three quarters of the population are now living in extreme poverty, living on less than two pounds a day. Yet as Katy Watson explains, Venezuelans do really like Christmas, and are making greats effort to mark the festive season, even with their circumstances so straitened.

We talk with award-winning travel journalist Mark Stratton about life, travel, writing and what's next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we watch the climate shift before our eyes, this weekend we focus on the awesomeness of nature and how it humbles us. Travel writer Mark Stratton brings us to a live erupting volcano in La Palma, where “the lava flows like honey on a plate”. Columnist Nilanjana Roy introduces us to the prescient books that warned us of a climate crisis 50 years ago. Plus, 1970s interior design is back, baby! Subeditor Cherish Rufus defines the aesthetic, and defends its revival.Listeners: this is your last chance to send us a recommendation! Email us one cultural thing you're reading/watching/cooking/Googling etc that you can't stop thinking about. We'll use the best in next week's episode. Write to us, or record and send us a voice note at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We're on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. Links from the episode:—Mark Stratton on volcano tourism: https://www.ft.com/content/8c9b8847-2f8d-4a4f-8e07-9abc99b42b1f —Nilanjana Roy on what 1971 climate writing can teach us today: https://www.ft.com/content/6bca430e-c9b6-4997-ae78-ee6f4f5f24f1—Cherish Rufus on 1970s design: https://www.ft.com/content/184c7504-2a7a-4a33-b0a4-ed42679f6e54 —The Love Your Mother poster: http://collections.museumca.org/?q=collection-item/2010543613 For an exclusive 50% online subscription (and a discounted FT Weekend print subscription!), follow this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcastSound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Czech election this week will decide whether embattled billionaire businessman Andrej Babis gets another four-year term as Prime Minister. He's under pressure from new revelations in the Pandora papers – seeming to show that he was involved in the purchase of 16 properties on the French Riviera using offshore companies. Mr Babis has denied any wrongdoing: “I don't own any property in France,” he said. “It's nasty, false accusations that are meant to influence the election.” He has always governed in coalition – but he now faces a tough challenge from the centre-right opposition and also has the far-right nipping at his heels. So which way are the Czechs heading? Rob Cameron reports from Prague. Over the past two months – like many international organisations - the BBC has been busy organising a way out of Afghanistan for many of its staff in the country and trying to get them to places of safety – in the UK and elsewhere. Karim Haidari was one of them. After a nerve-wracking three days spent waiting at Kabul airport, he and his family managed to fly out. They are now safe in Britain – but there's a lot for him to think about as they try to start their lives again. How can we feed the world – on a planet with finite resources and a growing number of people? Moreover, more of those people are eating more meat and fish – and those animals in turn need feeding, and protein, to grow. At the moment, soy and fishmeal are the main sources of protein for animal feed – but the demand for soy has been linked to deforestation in South America, while the fishmeal trade helps drive over-fishing in the oceans. So now manufacturers are looking for alternative sources of protein. The use of insects has been permitted in fish feed for years, but the European Union recently decided to allow them in poultry and pig feed too. Emilie Filou went to visit an ultra-modern bug farm in France where the animals they raise might be tiny, but the plans and the ambition are very big indeed. The Aland Islands in the Baltic Sea have been settled for over seven thousand years –they're full of Neolithic remains, showing how their earliest inhabitants hunted seals and birds there. But the islands have changed hands many times since then over their history – sometimes being treated as little more than bargaining chips by their larger neighbours. These days they enjoy a quirky – and carefully negotiated – sort of independence. Mark Stratton asked some of the islanders who they feel closest to in today's Europe. Smell and taste are the most intimate and evocative of the senses – with a startling power to transport us to other times and places. Reha Kansara recently explored some of her family history in Kenya – and part of her quest centred on a childhood favourite - the delicious potato fritter known as the Maru Bhajia. Would it taste as good in its birthplace in Nairobi? And what else was on the menu during her journeys into Kenya's past?

Not long ago, a wave of unprecedented public protests in Thailand over royal privileges and youth concerns made some Thais feel they were on the brink of change. Now the picture is very different: many of the movement's leading figures are in jail or awaiting trial and their dreams seem to have been deferred. Jonathan Head considers what the youth protest movement has achieved, and what sort of a precedent its fate sets for others in Southeast Asia - most notably for Myanmar. Colombia is currently living through its own wave of street protests - over everything from tax policy to austerity, job opportunities to racism. Demonstrators and police have faced off in cities across the country, sometimes with lethal results. Daniel Pardo reports from Cali, one of the focal points of the the nationwide 'resistance' - and hears worries that the country's sliding back into division. In the Czech Republic, moves to abolish the rules dictating the correct form for women's surnames are gaining ground. From Praque, Rob Cameron explains the grammatical and gender issues at stake - and the social change reflected in the proposed reform. Ferrara, in Italy's Emilia Romagna region, is a famously prosperous and beautiful city with a rich cultural heritage - but whatever its visual splendour, its greatest arts of all might be the culinary ones. Julia Buckley has been getting a taste of its edible history via recipes from a cookbook first put together in the 1540s, by the man who served as master of ceremonies at the palatial court of the Este family. And in Georgia, Mark Stratton delves into the extraordinary qvevri - the giant earthenware jars traditionally used to store and age some of the the country's renowned wines. These immense, amphora-like clay pots encapsulate Georgia's ancient identity and are key to the special flavour of many of its most treasured reds, whites - and ambers - as well as the extremely potent liquor known as chacha. Producer: Polly Hope

This episode is sponsored by Blue Star Families. The Military Family Lifestyle Survey is open until June 6th, 2021. Head over to BlueStarFam.org/survey2021 to take the survey today. You could win one of five $100 gift cards. The stories and information shared become the fuel and information leaders need to help create change that will directly benefit us and our families.Stacie's dad saw a flyer about ROTC and that is how she began her military career. She needed a way to pay for college and ROTC gave her that opportunity. She said it was the best decision she ever made. And she made a lot of great friends. She picked the career field of Pubic Affairs because of her degree in Journalism. She started her career by being a Gold Bar recruiter at the Academy. Telling others about the opportunity to join the military through ROTC.She attended Defense Information School (DINFOS) in Fort Mead, Maryland, and got her first opportunity to learn about the joint environment since all the military branches have their PA training at DINFOS.DeploymentShe deployed multiple times. Serving a year in South Korea, working with NATO in Italy, and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of the interview was focused on her deployment to Afghanistan as part of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). I also deployed as part of a PRT so we talked about the difference between her pre-deployment training and my own.I did a whole series about what a PRT is and have shared my (email) letters home. You can check out the series here. And read my letters here.Losing team membersPanjshir was a relatively safe deployment. They could ride around in regular vehicles, but always wore their protective gear and had weapons. But they would need to make trips back to Bagram (the main base in Northern Afghanistan) to gather supplies, mail, and get people out for R&R. On May 26, 2009, four members of her team were killed when in a suicide bomber attacked the convoy. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Stratton, PRT commander, Army Master Sgt. Blue Rowe, PRT first sergeant, Senior Airman Ashton Goodman, PRT vehicle operator, and Abdul Samad, PRT Afghan legal advisor were killed in the attack.Stacie had worked directly with Ashton both through the Women Affairs missions and helping her to get her work published. She also was the only woman officer on the team and that gave her the responsibility and the honor to pack up her things and send them home to her family. The event has had a major impact on her life and she has started a scholarship in Ashton's name for her high school.The effects of warWe also coved the PTSD caused not only by the PRT deployment but the other deployments. If you are struggling with any mental health issues or need someone to talk to check out Episode 137 with the Cohen Clinic which talks about resources to help those struggling with mental health challenges.Mentioned in this Episode:Girl's Guide to the Military (Free Guide)Girl's Guide to the Military on YouTubeRelated Episodes:Amanda Huffman, Civil Engineer - Episode 2When Public Affairs Changed - Episode 67Civil Engineering in the Air Force - Episode 136 

The German Chancellor is widely respected as good at crisis management, but public confidence in her government's pandemic policies is ebbing away. How will her party, the CDU, campaign during this autumn's general election - is it possible the next Chancellor could be a Green? Jenny Hill reports from Berlin on power struggles and shifting opinions. While the Christian Democrats confront their future, the German state is still carrying on talks with the government of Namibia about its colonial past. Land rights, official apologies and reparations have all been discussed . So has the treatment of the Herero and Nama peoples in the early 1900s, which some historians now consider "the first genocide of the 20th century". Tim Whewell met black and white Namibians still viewing their heritage though very different lenses. In Armenia the public mood is mutinous, in the aftermath of the most recent round of conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. A ceasefire agreement is holding, but there's grief and anger on the streets of Yerevan. Mark Stratton has friends in the disputed territory and hoped to revisit them, to see how they had survived the fighting. Millions of people in Iranian and Kurdish communities around the world recently celebrated Nowruz - the Persian New Year, a joyful festival full of the symbolism of rebirth. But it's enjoyed particularly passionately in the ancient town of Akre in the Zagros mountains in northern Iraq. Leila Molana Allen climbed its stone ramparts and steep hillsides to witness the spectacle. In eastern Romania, there's a village like no other: Tichilesti, home to Europe's last leprosarium - a facility where people with Hansen’s disease, better known as leprosy, were once sent for life. Nick Thorpe shares some of the stories he heard there.

Podcast: From Our Own Correspondent Podcast (LS 59 · TOP 0.5% what is this?)Episode: Brazil's Steady Stream of GriefPub date: 2021-01-30Brazil is going through a deadly second-wave of Covid-19 – and it's precipitated the collapse of the health system in– Manaus, the biggest city in the Amazon. The hospitals are overloaded with patients and oxygen supplies have run perilously low. Local and national leaders are now coming under scrutiny for their management of the outbreak. Katy Watson visited Manaus. We hear from Afghanistan, where there has been a recent surge of targeted killings, blamed on the Taliban. Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled, and the rise in violence is proving a toxic backdrop. Meanwhile, locals are worried that the further US drawdown in troops could herald the Taliban's return, says Yogita Limaye. We have an insight into the cyber world of online extremists. Meet the team who track the outlandish web of conspiracy theories spun by shadowy groups. They watched the emergence of the group now known as QAnon. In a fiercely divided America where facts are often dismissed as fake news, blurring the boundaries of reality and myth has becomes all too easy, finds Alistair Coleman. We visit the small Russian town of Nikel where, until recently, a decades-old smelter produced tonnes of nickel. Nornikel, closed the smelter in December in a move they claim is part of their shift towards a greener future. But for hundreds of employees, their future is less clear, finds Guy Kiddey. In September 2017, a ferocious Category 5 hurricane swept through Dominica, St Croix and Puerto Rico with 160-mile-per hour winds. On the eastern-Caribbean island of Dominica, Hurricane Maria left a trail of devastation and 65 people died.. Mark Stratton went to visit the island recently where efforts continue to rebuild, even as they face a new storm front: Coronavirus. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena TarlingThe podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC Radio 4, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

Brazil is going through a deadly second-wave of Covid-19 – and it’s precipitated the collapse of the health system in– Manaus, the biggest city in the Amazon. The hospitals are overloaded with patients and oxygen supplies have run perilously low. Local and national leaders are now coming under scrutiny for their management of the outbreak. Katy Watson visited Manaus. We hear from Afghanistan, where there has been a recent surge of targeted killings, blamed on the Taliban. Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled, and the rise in violence is proving a toxic backdrop. Meanwhile, locals are worried that the further US drawdown in troops could herald the Taliban’s return, says Yogita Limaye. We have an insight into the cyber world of online extremists. Meet the team who track the outlandish web of conspiracy theories spun by shadowy groups. They watched the emergence of the group now known as QAnon. In a fiercely divided America where facts are often dismissed as fake news, blurring the boundaries of reality and myth has becomes all too easy, finds Alistair Coleman. We visit the small Russian town of Nikel where, until recently, a decades-old smelter produced tonnes of nickel. Nornikel, closed the smelter in December in a move they claim is part of their shift towards a greener future. But for hundreds of employees, their future is less clear, finds Guy Kiddey. In September 2017, a ferocious Category 5 hurricane swept through Dominica, St Croix and Puerto Rico with 160-mile-per hour winds. On the eastern-Caribbean island of Dominica, Hurricane Maria left a trail of devastation and 65 people died.. Mark Stratton went to visit the island recently where efforts continue to rebuild, even as they face a new storm front: Coronavirus. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Serena Tarling

“What is the difference between my books and those of other writers, is that I prefer to describe and perpetuate the best I have known in life." ~Gene Stratton-Porter  As a young girl growing up on a farm in Indiana, Gene had the idyllic life. The youngest of 12 children, Gene was given free-range of her large farm to fall in love with nature - her lifelong passion. Sadly, while she was still in her formative years, tragedy struck when the accidental deaths of her brother and sister were followed closely by the death of her mother. Yet, with the help of a loving, supportive father and siblings, she overcame her heartache and poured her heart into her self-education.  Eventually, as her calling became clear, she determined to use her gifts to glorify God and inspire what is most noble and elevated in human life. Amidst rejection from editors and resistance from publishers, she insisted that her nature books and stories would be accepted and become well-loved by individuals and families around the globe. She was right. Even in her own day she sold over 30 million books worldwide - a very rare accomplishment for any author. Of course today the legacy of her in-depth nature work and enriching, inspiring stories lives on, continuing to bless millions of lives. Join Audrey to hear the amazing true story of Gene Stratton-Porter's hard work and sacrifice to bring beauty and truth to the world.  Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast.  4:18           Laddie - an Autobiography 6:12           Her Parents and Family 17:24         Her Relationship to God 20:53        List of Principles Taught in The Stratton-Porter Home 21:25         Self-Care and Self-Discovery 25:00        A Tribute to Her Father and Family Tragedies 29:33        The Math Paper and an Affirmation of Talent 34:16         Leaving School for Six Months 36:24         A Father Assists in Learning 39:49         Her Own Family and Developing Her Talents 53:20         The Limberlost 58:16          A Commitment to Excellence 1:01:29       A Noble Purpose Quotes from this episode: “All [my father's] ideas were clear cut. No man could influence him against his better judgment. He believed in God, in courtesy, in honor, and cleanliness, in beauty, and in education. ” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “[My father] would often say, "I would rather see my child the author of a book of which I could be proud than on the throne of England," which was the strongest way he knew to express himself.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “[My father's] very first earnings were spent for a book and when other men rested he read. All his life he was a student of extraordinary, tenacious memory.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “ All his life, with no thought of fatigue or inconvenience to himself, Mark Stratton, traveled miles uncounted to share what he had learned with those less fortunately situated by delivering sermons, lectures, and talks on civic improvement and politics. ” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “The most that can be said of what education I have is that it is the very best kind in the world for me. I always had been too thankful for words that circumstances intervened which saved my brain from being run through a groove in company with dozens of others of widely different interests, tastes, and mentalities. What small measure of success I have had has come through preserving my individual point of view, method of expression, and...the spartan regulation of my girlhood home.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “[My father] knew I was boiling and bubbling like a yeast jar in July over some literary work and if I timidly slipped to him with a composition or a faulty poem he saw good in it and he made suggestions for its betterment.” ~Gene Stratton-Porter “It was [my father] who demanded of me, from birth, the finishing of any task I attempted and who taught me to cultivate patience; to watch and wait even years, if necessary,

Five days before the American election, record numbers have cast their ballots already, making use of the expansion in early voting due to the pandemic. Naturalised US citizens make up one in ten eligible voters this year. Among them Laura Trevelyan, who voted in the presidential race as a US citizen for the first time, joining the queues in New York City. For Lebanon, 2020 has been a veritable annus horribilis: the pandemic, an unprecedented economic crisis, and the huge blast that destroyed parts of Beirut, and led to the resignation of the cabinet. Now a former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, has been asked to form a government. If he succeeds, it’ll be his third time in the job. Plus ca change, or last chance for Lebanon, asks Martin Patience. Chile held a referendum on Sunday about replacing the current constitution, which dates from General Pinochet’s military dictatorship. The Yes vote won overwhelmingly. But the poll had been a heated topic of conversation for months, reflecting the deep divisions in society, as Jane Chambers has found. Seychelles in the Indian Ocean looks like a tropical paradise. But there’s a tougher reality in the island state ruled by the same party for over 40 years. And now there’s been a political earthquake: an opposition candidate, a priest, won the presidency for the first time. He'll have more than tourists and tuna to deal with, says Patrick Muirhead. For those still travelling, much has changed with the pandemic - quarantines, wearing masks, producing negative Covid-19 tests before departure. And then there are the other passengers. It all makes for novel experiences, says travel writer Mark Stratton - including good ones, like seeing the Mona Lisa without the crowds. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

Episode 178: Had a great time celebrating the career of Dan Cashel Thank you to my “surprise” guests: Dr. Edsel Matthews, Dr. Nate Quinn, Coach Molly Miller, Ed Beach Amine Boustani, Mark Stratton and Barb Cowherd. Dan gave out gratitude for several years of working with wonderful people and is appreciative of his many experiences. He definitely left a lasting and impressionable mark on the sports world in our area. Missed the show? Tsk. Tsk, but we have you covered! Listen at www.acoachsperspective.com‬‬ Congratulations to Dan Cashel on a tremendous and impactful career at Drury University. Your influence has rippled through Drury and Springfield and beyond! Enjoy your retirement! Next week, we are going to kick off a series learning about some lesser known sports and how they have been growing in popularity. Have one in mind? Email me at acoachsperspective@gmail.com

In the Philippines two journalists, Maria Ressa, the head of an investigative news website called Rappler, and one of their former writers, Reynaldo Santos Jr, have been sentenced to prison for libel, in a case that many see as an attack on freedom of the press, and on critics of the government, as Howard Johnson reports. In Spain, healthcare workers, from doctors and nurses to hospital porters, were badly affected by the coronavirus, making up twenty percent of confirmed cases. Ed Habershon was there during the peak of the crisis. Ten years ago ethnic clashes broke out in the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan, when Kyrgyz residents turned on ethnic Uzbeks. Hundreds were killed, many more injured, around two thousand homes burnt down. The violence took place at a time of deep political instability in the country. For Rayhan Demytrie, an Uzbek herself, these were among the most horrific events of her journalistic career. The island of Bougainville is in Papua New Guinea, but residents have voted overwhelmingly to secede and become independent. Key to its future economy is a former copper and gold mine. Its closure had contributed to civil war, so how do local people see its possible re-opening now, asks Mark Stratton. The murder of the popular prime minister Olof Palme in 1986 shocked Sweden deeply, and left an open wound as the killer was never found despite decades of investigations. Conspiracy theories abounded. And then last week the Swedish authorities announced that they had identified the perpetrator, that he was dead, and that they were therefore closing the case. But how convinced is the Swedish public that the true culprit has been found, asks Maddy Savage. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Arlene Gregorius

Mark Stratton, Glendale Baseball and HOF'er talking some history.

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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.

On this episode, we are joined by future Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famers Mark Stratton and Tim Blasi. Both of these gentlemen have accumulated many accolades over the years, but the most important ones are the influences they have had on their teammates and players. We had some tremendous guests call in and offer their heartfelt and genuine congratulations to them both. My thanks to Mark Bailey, Scott Bailes, Mark Resz, and Neil Chambers. Also, thank you to Christie Blasi and Sara Stratton Kaderly for helping arrange our special guests!

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The President of El Salvador is calling on young men to leave the country’s criminal gangs, or perish with them. He said the gangs have terrorised the country for decades, and would be dismantled. Orla Guerin has been to the capital, San Salvador, to see how the gangs menace the city. Greece has a new Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis of the centre-right party New Democracy, defeating the socialist Alexis Tsipras. Mark Lowen was based in Athens at the height of the financial crisis, which led to Greece experiencing one of the worst peace-time depressions of the last hundred years. He returned to watch the old conservative party being brought back to power. Five years ago, Russian-backed forces seized control of the Crimean peninsula. Ash Bhardwaj gained permission to enter Crimea, to find out what’s changed in five year’s of Russian rule. A hundred years ago, the passing of the Addison Act spurred a huge expansion in council housing across the UK. Austria too has been remembering when it began building social housing around 100 years ago. In Vienna today more than half of its population live in subsidised apartment blocks. Some of these are of vast scale, such as Karl Marx Hof, more than half a mile long. Caroline Davies has been finding out what lessons policy makers can learn from the Viennese approach to housing. The end of the Cricket World Cup is drawing near, and the final match, between England and New Zealand, will be watched by fans from all over the world. But what would they make of how the game is played in the Trobiand Islands, located off the coast of Papua New Guinea? The people there have a passion for cricket that borders on the extreme, as Mark Stratton has discovered. Presenter: Kate Adie Producer: Neil Koenig

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How did it feel to survive the days of near-total blackout in Caracas? The BBC's Will Grant reports on what drove people to loot beloved local shops, or scoop water from filthy canals. Kate Adie introduces this story and others from around the world. Across Europe, relations between Romany Gypsy or Traveller families and their neighbours are often strained. Successive governments in France have cracked down on informal settlements of Roma people from Romania, and left French 'gens de voyage' feeling unwanted and marginalised. But near Carcassonne, Chris Bockman met one man with a plan to improve community relations. Mark Stratton explores a wealth gap in the Indian Ocean: the yawning difference in living standards between the Comoros and the French island of Mayotte, which has driven thousands of Comorans to risk their lives on a dangerous sea crossing in the hope of earning more and maybe gaining entry to the EU. The ancient kingdom of Dahomey, in modern-day Benin, was renowned for its martial prowess - from its fearsome battle banners to its brigades of all-female royal bodyguards, this was a culture well versed in war. Clodagh Kinsella plumbed the mysteries of its modern dynastic politics recently, watching three kings vie to inherit a supreme title. And Claire Bates explores the eerily deserted and well-preserved buffer zone separating Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus - to try and tap into some of her father's childhood memories of growing up on an undivided island.

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Inside the room where the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is picked. A committee spends six months discussing hundreds of nominees before the latest Nobel Laureate is announced. In Norway, Matt Pickles meets one of the five people tasked with making that weighty decision. Caroline Wyatt introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. Samira Shackle travels to the Pakistani city of Kasur which generated headlines around the world after a spate of child abuse cases. There she meets a young man trying to break free of what he calls the “stigma” and “dishonour” that can come from being sexually abused. Martin Vennard spots signs of change in Moscow, where airport arrival and departure boards now alternate between Russian, English, and Mandarin. Mark Stratton finds out why traditional or ‘country’ foods are getting harder to find in Arctic Canada – from blubber to boiled seal. And Louise Cooper takes an economic road trip around post-financial crash Greece.

The Rohingya village elder reduced to rags and the flash youngster who’s become kingpin. Kate Adie introduces stories, insight and analysis from correspondents around the world: Helen Nianias meets two men trying to bring peace to the chaos of Bangladesh’s refugee camps which are home to almost a million Rohingya people many of whom fled a violent crackdown by the Burmese military in neighbouring Myanmar. Guy De Launey reflects on a tale of identity that’s veered from absurd comedy to physical violence as Macedonians prepare to vote on plans to rename their country North Macedonia. Martin Plaut was one of the thousand or so students who staged a ‘sit-in’ at the University of Cape Town, angry at its decision to withdraw the appointment of a black lecturer. Fifty years on, he’s reunited with some of his fellow protestors. Mark Stratton learns about the scarification ceremonies in Papua New Guinea in which boys have their torsos, backs, and shoulders cut with razor blades so their skin will resemble a crocodile's – a mark of their progression to manhood. And Jenny Hill meets a man who’s been trying for decades to rekindle Britain’s taste for Hock – the German wine favoured by Queen Victoria.

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Kenyan widows fighting sexual cleansing and talking to war criminals in the Balkans. Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories from around the world. For some among the Luo tribe in Western Kenya, tradition dictates that widows must have repeated, unprotected sex with a stranger to rid themselves of evil spirits. Theopi Skarlatos meets the women fighting back. Mark Urban talks to convicted war criminals from the former Yugoslavia – some accept their sentences and have moved on, others claim they are the victims. Mark Stratton visits the Buddhist temple that has been at the heart of a long-running (and sometimes bloody) battle between Thailand and Cambodia. Sophie Ribstein embarks on a journey of musical discovery that provides an unexpected insight into the complex rhythms of Apartheid South Africa. And Lucy Williamson flies from Paris to the Gulf to spend seven minutes with the supposedly charming Emanuel Macron. He is a President that likes to talk, but what is he like to talk to?

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Nuclear fears in South Korea, a homeless tour of Athens, and a porcupine hunt in Tanzania. Kate Adie introduces correspondents’ stories from around the world. Talk of war is worrying Steve Evans in the South Korean capital Seoul - he now fears for the future of his home city. In Italy, Nick Sturdee finds plain-clothes policemen following anti-migrant campaigners, while a TV drama is being filmed about the mayor opening up his town to Syrians, Bangladeshis and others. ‘Migrants wanted’ is the message Mark Stratton finds on Pitcairn Island – the British Overseas Territory with a dwindling population in the southern Pacific Ocean. Heidi Fuller-Love takes a tour of the Athens; guided by a former homeless drug addict, she’s introduced to sights of Greece most tourists are oblivious to. And in Tanzania, Dan Saladino joins one of the last remaining groups of hunter-gathers as they search for lunch.

A president pursued, a preacher accused and a social media star. Kate Adie introduces correspondents' stories from Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Germany, and Spain. Amidst calls for the Brazilian President to resign, Katy Watson finds that political slogans have taken on a life of their own – no longer simply scrawled on placards but found in some unusual places. In Indonesia, Rebecca Henschke tries and tries to get a word with the controversial hard-line cleric accused of breaking the anti-pornography laws that he once campaigned for. In Germany, Amol Rajan meets the Syrian selfie fanatic at the heart of the battle against fake news. And in Japan, Mark Stratton finds himself lost for words as he attempts to describe the sights to the partially-sighted.

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Reporters' stories. In this edition: Kevin Connolly goes for an evening stroll in Jerusalem observing that the triumphs and disasters of the past are as real as the tensions of the present if you know where to look. Nick Thorpe's with the migrants on the border between Croatia and Slovenia where everyone seems to have lost someone and the refugee crisis can seem like a football match. Jon Donnison tells us that life doesn't get much tougher than for a Filipino fishermen in typhoon season. Mark Stratton gets to know the extravagant role the dead play in the lives of people on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. And Mary Harper tells us they've got a camera now, but no costumes. And when they want guns, they have to borrow them from the police. This is the world of action film-making -- in Somaliland

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Storytelling and writing. In this edition Gabriel Gatehouse is in Sicily which suffered waves of emigration in the 20th century. Today it's having to get used to being a centre of immigration with the arrival of thousands of mainly African migrants; Orla Guerin's in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The jihadists of Islamic State are only 70-miles away now, but residents seem more concerned about the renewed wave of sectarian killings than about the advance of IS; Mark Stratton's in Micronesia. Some of the islands there, with their immaculate beaches and swaying palms, seem like paradise. Yet people are leaving. Why? Peter Day looks back at the frenzied casino which was the trading floor at the Chicago Board of Trade. With computers now having taken over much of the business, its doors will soon close for the final time. And Tom Holland's in a town in Canada which boasts a replica of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus and where there are plans to fill a ravine with dinosaurs.

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Foreign correspondents. Today, Kevin Connolly on tension in Jerusalem:- a reminder, he says, that the very thing that makes the city one of the glories of human civilisation makes it difficult and dangerous too; a walk through the Menin Gate towards Flanders fields - Chris Haslam on the storm of commercialisation sweeping through the memorial sites of World War One; some of the Russian republics want independence but Mark Stratton, travelling through the Middle Volga lowlands, finds others happy to be part of Moscow's empire; students in India have been talking to Craig Jeffrey about their right to cheat in university exams and as Berlin marks the anniversary of the Wall coming down, Jenny Hill tells us the story of one young couple's 'forbidden journey'.

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Nature: Quest for the World's Largest Butterfly Queen Alexandra's Birdwing has a 30cm wingspan. Mark Stratton visits remote Papua New Guinea to find the butterfly and to meet its dedicated tribal conservationists.