Podcast Summary: From Our Own Correspondent — "Syria: a year after the fall of Assad"

BBC Radio 4 | Presented by Kate Adie | December 13, 2025

Overview

This episode of From Our Own Correspondent opens with a powerful reflection on Syria, one year after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime and the ascent of Ahmad Al Shara as interim leader. BBC correspondents then deliver vivid dispatches from Ukraine, the US–Mexico border, the Yangtze River in China, and Chemnitz, Germany. Through first-hand observations and interviews, the episode explores how communities adapt in the aftermath of upheaval and change—from political revolution and war to ecological crisis and cultural commemoration.

Key Segments and Insights

1. Syria: A Year Without Assad

Lena Sinjab reports (02:58–08:12)

• A Breath of Freedom and Lingering Divisions

  • The initial euphoria of Assad’s departure remains palpable (“There is oxygen in the air now.... we can now breathe freely.” – Local, 02:58).
  • Massive streets celebrations in Damascus, with Syrians waving the green revolutionary flag, now a new national symbol (03:28–03:50).

• Complex New Leadership

  • Ahmad Al Shara, former HTS leader, installed as interim president. Though he’s secured US and Saudi backing, skepticism remains due to his jihadist past and links to hardline Islamists.
  • “There were also other flags in the square, like the white flag of Hay ‘at Tahrir Al Sham... With its Quranic verses, it resembles that of Islamic State, except that one was black. It is a reminder to many Syrians of the atrocities conducted by IS and by members of this new Islamist-led government...” (03:51–04:16).

• Religious and Political Fractures

  • The emergence of a new political schism—supporters versus opponents of Al Shara—replaces the previous Assad-versus-opposition divide.
  • “Almost everyone is united in celebrating the end of the old dictatorship.” (04:34)
  • Worrying signs of rising sectarianism, with violence and hate speech directed at Alawites and Druze communities.
  • Heartbreaking stories of bereaved mothers both from Assad-era disappearance and recent revenge killings:
    • “Just this week, a 25-year-old delivery man in Latakia was killed after he was asked about his religion. ‘I’m Alawite,’ he said before being shot dead. At his funeral, his mother cried, ‘Close the door of death, my son. Enough shedding blood in this country.’” (07:37–08:08)

• Challenges of Reconstruction

  • Efforts to clean up the capital, but devastated suburbs (Jobar, Douma) and northern towns (Aleppo, Idlib) remain in ruins or face new social controls.
  • “Aleppo’s streets are again bustling, but they lie in darkness at night because of power cuts.... In Idlib... you can buy goods you can't find elsewhere in Syria. This place isn't short of money, but unlike the capital, it feels disorganized and chaotic.” (06:04–06:27)
  • Strict religious norms enforced in Idlib by foreign fighters and local hardliners:
    • “A man approached me and asked me to cover my hair. His accent was clearly not Syrian. ‘This is Idlib, and here no woman goes out without hijab.’ I was stunned.” (06:43–07:02)

2. Cultural Defiance in War: Ukraine’s Opera Premiere

Marcel Theroux reports (08:55–13:16)

• Opera as Resistance

  • In war-torn Ukraine, the premiere of a rediscovered 18th-century opera (“Crayant” by Ukrainian composer Bortniansky) stands as cultural assertion against Russian claims.
  • Parallels drawn between the opera's tyrant Creon and Vladimir Putin; Antigone as Ukraine:
    • “It’s clear to tonight’s audience that Crayant represents Putin and Antigone, Ukraine, resisting a tyrant fighting for justice and freedom.” (10:36–10:49)

• Reality Intrudes

  • Air raid sirens disrupt the performance; audience calmly evacuates and then returns.
    • “Five minutes into the second act... an air raid warning goes off, the music stops, the curtain descends and the theatre is evacuated. Everyone seems rather unfazed.” (11:06–11:22)
  • The opera’s revised ending sees citizens overthrow the tyrant—a hopeful metaphor:
    • “Bortniansky has adjusted the story’s ending... The citizens rise up and overthrow the tyrant. A frisson goes through the theatre as the chorus liberates Antigone.” (12:18–12:36)

• Art as Endurance

  • “The mere fact that a 250-year-old masterpiece has been resurrected in the independent homeland of its creator is a victory. Tonight, at least, the audience goes home believing that a happy ending might still be possible.” (13:05–13:15)

3. Border Stillness: After Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Bent de Westman reports (14:03–18:28)

• From Crisis to Silence

  • Former chaotic scenes of migrant encampments in El Paso have been replaced by calm and emptiness, attributed to dramatic reductions in border crossings and detentions under Trump’s policies.
  • “Now, in 2025, the migrants have vanished from the streets of El Paso.... The church that previously offered help to thousands was now nearly deserted...” (14:41–15:05)

• Community Unease and Division

  • Mixed feelings among residents: many welcome order, some decry the fate of long-term undocumented immigrants being deported.
  • “It bothers people that the lady who's been here 20 years is getting deported, or the dad who's been here 40 years is getting deported.” – Ross, Republican and former army colonel (17:30–17:37)
  • Activist Jesse Fuentes describes a climate of fear in expressing criticism of Trump within Latino communities.

4. Yangtze’s Last Giant: The Fight to Save the Finless Porpoise

Stephen McDonnell reports (20:07–24:59)

• A Conservation Battle with High Stakes

  • The Yangtze’s finless porpoise—rare, playful, and an indicator species for river health—is critically endangered yet surviving due to determined scientific and government intervention.
  • "Now that those [dolphins, paddlefish] have become extinct, we're going to save the Yangtze river porpoise. It's become the most important animal here." – Prof. Wang Shi (21:24–21:35)

• Mixed Impact of Development

  • The Three Gorges Dam has helped with floods but destroyed the migration patterns of vital river species.
  • Overfishing and industrial pollution led to species declines but recent fishing bans and factory closures have helped porpoise numbers recover slightly.
  • “Porpoise numbers have gone up by nearly a quarter. When the scientists talk about these numbers, they're proud. This time, they don't want to lose.” (24:39–24:58)

5. East German Garages: Memories, Community, and Reinvention

Adrian Bridge reports (25:30–30:23)

• Unexpected Cultural Spaces

  • Chemnitz’s “lock-up garages,” built for Trabant cars during the GDR, are now celebrated as sites of creativity, communal life, and hidden memories.
  • “We made do with what we could get and we worked together to create these little houses for our cars.” – Uwe Werkner, garage owner since 1977 (25:54–26:05)
  • The garages, once havens from state surveillance, now host art, music, and theatre, reclaiming pride for people whose lives were upended by reunification job losses.

• Recognition and Identity

  • “For years, so many of these people... were made to feel that their lives were worthless, their achievements negligible. Now, beside their much-loved little garages, they are standing tall, free at last to take pride in their heritage and to share it with the wider world.” (30:00–30:23)

Memorable Quotes

• “There is oxygen in the air now. Now everyone you talk to here says we can now breathe freely.”
  — Local in Damascus (Lena Sinjab, 02:58)

• “But elsewhere there are mothers grieving for children killed more recently simply because they are Alawite.”
  — Lena Sinjab (07:12)

• “Close the door of death, my son. Enough shedding blood in this country.”
  — Mother of murdered Alawite man in Latakia (Lena Sinjab, 08:08)

• “For years, so many of these people... were made to feel that their lives were worthless, their achievements negligible. Now, beside their much-loved little garages, they are standing tall, free at last to take pride in their heritage.”
  — Adrian Bridge (29:55–30:23)

• “It bothers people that the lady who's been here 20 years is getting deported, or the dad who's been here 40 years is getting deported.”
  — Ross, Texas border resident (17:30)

• “Porpoise numbers have gone up by nearly a quarter. When the scientists talk about these numbers, they're proud. This time, they don't want to lose.”
  — Stephen McDonnell (24:39–24:58)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [02:58–08:12] – Syria after Assad: Reflections, divisions, and challenges
• [08:55–13:16] – Ukraine: Culture endures amid war through opera
• [14:03–18:28] – US–Mexico Border: Migration crackdown and local impacts
• [20:07–24:59] – China: The campaign to save the Yangtze finless porpoise
• [25:30–30:23] – Germany: East German garage culture revisited and celebrated

Tone and Storytelling

Vivid, immersive, and often deeply personal reportage typifies this episode. Each segment weaves together historical perspective, on-the-ground observation, and individual voice, offering listeners nuanced insights into major geopolitical and cultural shifts shaping our contemporary world.