Podcast Summary: From Our Own Correspondent – "Gaza: Rafah border crossing reopens"

Host: Kate Adie, BBC Radio 4
Date: February 7, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode offers first-hand stories and analysis from BBC correspondents around the world, focusing on major current events from a ground-level perspective. The lead topic is the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, followed by reports from Cuba, Bangladesh, Ukraine, and Slovenia.

Key Segments and Timestamps

1. Gaza: Rafah Border Crossing Reopens

[01:06 – 07:14]
Reported by Yoland Nell

Main Points:

• The Rafah crossing was reopened as part of a US-brokered ceasefire plan, after months of closure following Israel's capture of its Gazan side in 2024.
• Only a handful of patients and their relatives were able to leave Gaza for vital medical treatment, far fewer than hoped, amid complex and slow-clearance procedures involving Israeli and Egyptian authorities.
• The area around Rafah has become a wasteland of rubble, reflecting the devastation from ongoing conflict and Israel’s military operations.
• The reopening raised hopes but also highlighted logistical, medical, and security frustrations, with thousands still waiting for exit or re-entry.
• Israel maintains strict control over the crossing, citing the need to prevent Hamas from rearming, and currently limits humanitarian aid flow and returnees.

Notable Quotes:

• "In Gaza, there's no treatment and no life." – Mahmoud, a leukemia patient ([02:58])
• “My cancer patients don't have time. That's the problem.” – Dr. Mohammed Abu Nada, Gaza Cancer Center ([04:17])
• “Two years of my life have been lost.” – Maha Ali, unable to take up a foreign scholarship ([05:09])
• “We used to say the Rafah crossing would never reopen, and now it has.” – Dr. Mohammed, cancer specialist ([06:54])

Memorable Moment:

• Accounts from two women who managed to return to Gaza underline their ordeal: confusion over belongings, confiscations, blindfolding, handcuffing, and interrogation ([06:10]).

2. Cuba: Revolution in Crisis After Venezuela Military Defeat

[07:14 – 13:07]
Reported by Will Grant

Main Points:

• Cuba faces blackouts up to 18 hours a day, food spoilage, mounting rubbish, and a public health crisis following Venezuela’s loss of power and the end of subsidized oil.
• The US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the helm, is intensifying pressure on Havana, aiming for regime change, though not by military strikes but economic isolation.
• 32 Cuban soldiers’ remains returned from Venezuela after a US operation, publicly acknowledging years of Cuba’s military involvement in Venezuela.
• The incident marks Cuba’s biggest single loss of troops to the US since the Bay of Pigs.
• Despite revolutionary rhetoric, there's a mass exodus (25% of population in 4 years), hunger, and visible despair.
• Some Cubans cling to hope for back-channel dialogue with the US.

Notable Quotes:

• “If the US tries to invade, they'll stir up a hornet's nest... Out here things will be very different.” – Victor Dreke, 88-year-old Bay of Pigs veteran ([10:23])
• "Whatever's coming, it's better than this." – Disgruntled Cuban woman on the misery of blackouts ([12:56])

Memorable Moment:

• The public funeral procession for Cuban soldiers lost in Venezuela, with national leaders in attendance, lays bare a bitter loss and the end of an era ([11:45]).

3. Bangladesh: Elections After Student Uprising

[13:07 – 18:41]
Reported by Azadeh Mushiri

Main Points:

• The first election since a revolutionary student uprising ousted long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, but new youth-led political forces are struggling.
• Rahad Hussain, survivor of the protests, now supports Jamaat-e-Islami over the splintered National Citizen Party (NCP), reflecting a turn towards experienced, if controversial, parties.
• The NCP is fractured after forming an alliance with Jamaat, with senior resignations and skepticism over their readiness to govern.
• History of Jamaat's collaboration with Pakistan during the 1971 war is acknowledged but does not deter pragmatic voters.
• Only 30 NCP candidates are contesting, against hundreds from traditional parties.
• Young revolutionaries recognize change is slow and the "old guard" remain strong.

Notable Quotes:

• “I'm voting for Jamaat... the student-led National Citizen Party is too inexperienced.” – Rahad Hussain, protest survivor ([15:53]).
• "One cannot expect mangoes from a tamarind tree." – Asif Mahmoud, NCP election chief, on slow progress for reform ([18:37])

Memorable Moment:

• Rahad describing the trauma of saving his friend Tayym, killed during the protests, recalling the viral footage and reliving the violence ([14:21]).

4. Ukraine: Enduring Cold and Blackouts with Resilience

[19:56 – 25:01]
Reported by Abdu Jalil Abdurasulov

Main Points:

• Massive Russian airstrikes have destroyed energy infrastructure, leaving Kyiv cold and periodically without power.
• Despite the adversity, Ukrainians find uplifting ways to cope: public "invincibility points" provide warmth and power, and locals organize an open-air disco on the frozen Dnipro river to boost morale.
• Personal stories highlight ingenious survival tactics and unwavering spirit, like heating bricks on a gas stove and icy river swims.

Notable Quotes:

• “It’s warmer inside the fridge than in my flat.” – Kyiv resident ([21:09])
• “We just need to look fear in the eye. Then it won’t eat up our soul.” – Svetlana, river swimmer ([22:38])
• “We have neither electricity nor heating at home, so this is how we are trying to warm up.” – Young woman at the river dance party ([23:55])

Memorable Moment:

• An impromptu dance party on a frozen river in -19°C, blaring 1980s classics—“This was the most uplifting story I have covered in Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion." ([24:45])

5. Slovenia: Ski Jumping Siblings Chase Olympic Gold

[25:01 – 29:48]
Reported by Guy Delaunay

Main Points:

• Siblings Nika and Domen Preyet are national heroes in Slovenia, holding women’s and men’s world records in ski flying.
• As the Winter Olympics open in Milan-Cortina, Slovenia's expectation is sky-high for their champions.
• The Preyets are humble but fiercely competitive, motivated by national pride and athletic drive.
• Ski jumping is integral to Slovenian culture, with dedicated schools and widespread public interest.

Notable Quotes:

• “I have this fire inside... it brings out the best of me in competition because I know lots of people are cheering for me.” – Domen Preyet ([27:49])
• “It’s not scary at all. I really enjoy every moment in ski jumping.” – Nika Preyet ([29:20])

Memorable Moment:

• The contrast between Nika Vodan’s fear of fog and Nika Preyet’s steely resolve embodies the sport's unique blend of adrenaline and focus ([29:10]).

Episode Tone and Style

The episode balances personal, on-the-ground accounts with analysis, providing vivid snapshots from the world’s hotspots. The reporting style is human-centric and sometimes grim, but threaded with humor, resilience, hope, and occasional national pride. The tone is generally sober, direct, and empathetic.

Summary Table of Key Timestamps

| Segment | Start | Reporter | Notable Moments | |----------------------------------------|----------|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | Gaza: Rafah crossing | 01:06 | Yoland Nell | Patient stories, hope and frustration | | Cuba: Fallout after Venezuela loss | 07:14 | Will Grant | Funeral for soldiers, impact of blackouts | | Bangladesh: Post-uprising election | 13:07 | Azadeh Mushiri | Voter disillusionment, student movement's struggle | | Ukraine: Surviving winter and war | 19:56 | Abdu Jalil Abdurasulov | Fridge-warmer flats, frozen-river disco | | Slovenia: Ski-jumping siblings | 25:01 | Guy Delaunay | Olympic aspirations, national expectations |

For new listeners:
This episode brings the world’s headlines alive with personal tales and local color, from the slow, fraught relief of Rafah’s opening, to revolutionary Cuba under new duress, to Bangladesh’s uncertain democracy, Ukraine’s cold endurance, and a tiny country’s soaring hopes on the ski slopes.