The Story of Abdelrahman and the Oud

From Our Own Correspondent

BBC

News, News Commentary

4.4 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 22 November 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kate Adie introduces stories from Jordan, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Spain and the Black Sea.

11-year-old Abdelrahman was injured during an Israeli attack in Gaza, which led to the loss of one of his legs. He was selected to travel to Jordan for hospital treatment, to be fitted with a new prosthetic leg. Fergal Keane met him while he was undergoing treatment - and learning to play the traditional Middle Eastern musical instrument, the oud.

The former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was sentenced to death this week for crimes against humanity. Prosecutors accused the former leader of being behind hundreds of killings during anti-government protests last year. Arunoday Mukharji was in the capital, Dhaka, when the verdict was announced.

Russian attacks on Ukraine' energy infrastructure have increased. Among the targets are the country’s nuclear power plants – with Europe’s largest located in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. Vitaliy Shevchenko recounts a recent discovery he made about his childhood home there.

Spain has marked the 50th anniversary of the death of Francisco Franco, whose legacy still divides the country. Linda Pressly recently met the dictator’s great-grandson in Madrid.

And in our age of mass tourism, travel has, for some, gone from being an adventure of self-discovery to a selfie-checklist, with even the most secluded places on full display across social media. But there are still ways to immerse yourself in other cultures through less well-trodden routes. Caroline Eden recently embarked on a new adventure of her own, on a slow boat across the Black Sea.

Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:05.5	Hello, today we're watching Ukraine from afar as our correspondent tracks the fate of his
0:12.4	childhood home, as his town came under Russian occupation. Spain reflects on the legacy of
0:18.9	General Franco, 50 years after his death. In Bangladesh, there's still tension on the legacy of General Franco, 50 years after his death.
0:22.6	In Bangladesh, there's still tension on the streets after the country's former leader was sentenced to death.
0:29.3	And we're sailing on a cargo ship across the Black Sea.
0:33.3	The Wi-Fi may be pricey, but the journey is made all the more lively thanks to an array of travelling companions, cows included.
0:41.9	But first, this week the UN Security Council voted in favour of a US-drafted resolution that endorses Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza.
0:51.8	This includes the establishment of an international stabilization
0:55.5	force and an increase in humanitarian aid. Hamas rejected the plan, saying it fails to meet
1:02.7	Palestinian rights and demands. The UN has said only a fraction of the aid needed has so far
1:08.8	been allowed into Gaza, with the equivalent of 6,000
1:12.4	trucks worth of supplies currently being stored in Jordan and Egypt. Meanwhile, Jordan has
1:19.0	continued to provide medical care for Gazans injured during the conflict. Our correspondent
1:24.8	Fergal Keene has been following the story of one young boy who travelled for treatment.
1:30.7	The first time I saw him, Abdul Rahman was smiling. He looked excited. There was so much noise,
1:37.2	relentless activity. Helicopters carrying other sick and wounded children were still coming into
1:43.1	land. A fleet of ambulances was drawn up
1:45.6	on the edge of the airstrip. The boy, 11 years old, moved towards the ambulances with the aid
1:51.6	of crutches. He told the Jordanian nurse who traveled with him he'd come to get a new leg.
1:57.1	He would return to Gaza to run with his friends again.
2:04.0	There were perhaps 20 or so journalists there.
	...

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