The mountains of kurdistan they are full of dark memories for me. I was nine in 1991. The Kurdish People rebelled after the first gulf war, hoping to free themselves from iraqi control. My family and millions of others had to flee saddam husseins hands. We were saved by the intervention of international forces. My father died five years later. He had fought against saddam and i saw the terrible price he had paid for his dream of a free kurdistan. For me, this camp seemed the only option. I set out for britain, arriving as a refugee, eventually making films for the bbc. I never lost my bond with my homeland, now called iraqi kurdistan. Under kurdish control, it is become a Refuge For Young Kurds fleeing danger from neighboring iran. I have returned to rediscover their stories and learn why they are giving up everything in their bid to be free, just like i did 20 years ago. Iran close to the border with iraqi kurdistan. These kurdish guerrilla forces, known as the peshmerga, are on a sec
Tensions between moscow and prague have escalated russia has expelled 20 diplomats, a day after the Czech Republic announced they were expelling 18 Russian Diplomats identified as secret agents. This includes two men suspected of involvement in a deadly explosion at a Czech Arms Depot Seven years ago. Britain claims theyre the same two men who tried to kill a former spy with a nerve agent three years ago. Our security correspondent Gordon Corera has the story. The aftermath of a deadly explosion. In october 2014, this arms depot in the Czech Countryside blew up. It took a month to find the remains of two men who worked there. It was widely assumed to have been an accident, until now. A key piece of evidence came when investigators found an e mail requesting permission for two men to inspect the site. Attached were scans of the mens passports, a copy of which the bbc has obtained. If you recognise them, this is why. Theyre the same two men wanted in connection with the salisbury poisoni
Hello again, and welcome to the week in parliament, a week that saw the worlds of money and politics collide. Dodgy contracts, privileged access, jobs for their mates this is the return of tory sleaze. The Prime Minister promises an independent review of lobbying, and acknowledges theres a problem. I, indeed, share the widespread concern about some of the stuff that were reading at the moment, mr speaker. An mp sanctioned by china takes the campaign against Human Rights Abuses to her own government. And its shameful that the governments compromised, i, indeed, share the widespread concern about some of the stuff that were reading at the moment, mr speaker. An mp sanctioned by china takes the campaign against Human Rights Abuses to her own government. And its shameful that the governments compromised, even though it was good that it tackled genocide, excluded the uighur. Also in this programme, memories of Prince Philip and the advice he offered politicians. When it came to the length o
Hello, im shaun ley. Welcome to the programme that brings together bbc specialists with foreign correspondents who file their stories to audiences back home from the dateline london. This week america draws its troops down and out of afghanistan. Russia builds them up, but would it go into ukraine . And the changing of havanas revolutionary guard this weekend after six decades in charge. With me is the american henry chu of the los angeles times, italian writer and film maker annalisa piras, whojoins us from italy, and here in the studio at a safe social distance, the bbc s chief International Correspondent lyse doucet. Good to have you, lyse, and good to have both of you with us on dateline. Now, it was the 9 11 attacks on the United States in 2001 which led to the invasion of afghanistan. Presidentjoe biden announced this week that September The 11th 2021 will mark the end of its Military Presence there. 20 years ago vladimir putin, already running the kremlin, was one of the first t