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Kate Adie introduces insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents and writers.

Kate Adie introduces insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories from around the world.

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From Our Own Correspondent: Valentina's Kiosk

23/07/2022

Valentina's Kiosk

BBC Radio 4 - From Our Own Correspondent, Valentina's Kiosk

Steve Rosenberg tells the story of how he became friends with a newspaper vendor in Moscow

Steve Rosenberg tells the story of how he became friends with a newspaper vendor in Moscow called Valentina. Plus stories from Ukraine, Lebanon and South Africa.

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is now entering its sixth month and there are no signs of a resolution or ceasefire. Russian citizens continue to be fed a daily diet of propaganda on State TV, with fewer sources of independent news. To keep abreast of the Russian point of view, Steve Rosenberg has a daily ritual: buying his newspapers from his local newspaper kiosk, run by a woman called Valentina. He tells the story of how they became friends. 

In Ukraine, a recent missile attack in the city of Vinnytsia, in the central-west of the country, has served as a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of Russia's military onslaught. Everyday routines have become fraught with hazard, from a trip to the shops to a walk to school, even in cities considered to be 'safe'. Sarah Rainsford has been in Vinnytsia and Mykolaiv.

The Lebanese economy is in a state of collapse, but the government hopes that the summer tourist season, when many Lebanese living abroad return for a holiday, will provide a much-needed boost. But any visitor must navigate a tangled web of erratic exchange rates, as Angelica Jopson has found.

And finally, to South Africa’s West Coast, the site of a large saltwater lagoon situated in a National Park, around 55 miles north of Cape Town. The area, which is also a marine reserve, attracts numerous water birds and sea life, as the Atlantic waves pound its edge. Antonia Quirke went to explore the lagoon and its local history.

Presenter: Kate Adie
Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

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