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From Our Own Correspondent

A Tumultuous Week in US Politics

From Our Own Correspondent

BBC

News, News Commentary

4.41.3K Ratings

🗓️ 7 October 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Slovakia, Turkey, Greece and Democratic Republic of Congo. In a break with history, a right-wing faction of the US Republican party moved to oust the speaker of the lower chamber of Congress, Kevin McCarthy. The party must now begin the task of uniting behind another candidate. And as Donald Trump appeared at his civil fraud trial in New York, Gary O'Donoghue reflects on an extraordinary week in Washington. We visit the Slovakian capital, Bratislava where coalition talks are underway in earnest after Robert Fico, the pro-Russian leftist, won the biggest share of the vote in elections last weekend. Fico's former deputy, Peter Pelligrini of the social democratic party is now the kingmaker to form a government which could have major ramifications for the country, and Europe, says Rob Cameron. Turkey's long war on Kurdish armed rebel groups seemed to have faded into the background after the huge earthquake there this year, along with President Erdogan's victory in the general election. But the conflict still goes on and an attack in Ankara on the day of Turkey's opening of parliament has raised tensions once more. Emily Wither reports on the impact. Thessaly in Greece was one of the regions that was hit hardest by Storm Daniel last month, with much farmland still submerged under water. The region provides much of Greece's agricultural produce and livestock. Maria Margaronis spoke to farmers whose lives were upended. And in Democratic Republic of Congo, Hugh Kinsella-Cunningham camps with heavily armed rangers as they await the arrival on a jungle airstrip of two white rhinoceros as part of conservation efforts in the region. Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: China Collins Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts

0:05.1

Today a brazen attack outside Turkey's interior ministry raises hackles, but residents

0:11.6

of the country are sanguine about the security threat.

0:15.4

In Slovakia we take a stroll through the streets of the capital as the future direction

0:20.3

of the country hangs in the balance.

0:23.4

One month on from the catastrophic flooding caused by storm Daniel, we hear from farmers

0:28.8

and Greece's Thessaly region on how ordinary life has been upended.

0:34.7

And rhino conservation with a difference, we camp with heavily armed rangers in the Democratic

0:40.7

Republic of Congo in an exercise that's not for the faint hearted.

0:47.0

But first it's been a dramatic week in US politics even by normal standards.

0:52.7

The week began with the ousting of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy,

0:57.7

for the first time in US history.

1:00.4

The move marked the culmination of a past struggle in the Republican Party between Mr. McCarthy

1:06.3

and members of a faction who tried to block his bid for the speakership nearly ten months

1:11.7

ago.

1:12.7

It's left the House in a state of limbo, as the Herculean task of uniting Republicans

1:18.6

behind one candidate begins.

1:21.8

Meanwhile in New York, Donald Trump appeared at a civil fraud trial and was quickly issued

1:27.2

with a gagging order after disparaging remarks about the court clerk.

1:32.4

Gary O'Donohue reflects on an extraordinary few days date side.

1:38.0

When the temporary speaker Patrick McKenry brought down the gavel on Tuesday evening, putting

1:42.9

the House of Representatives in recess for a week, he hit the desk he was standing at

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