Tom Bateman
Tom Bateman reports on how US foreign policy and international security decisions play out in real time, tracking the consequences of Washington’s choices for wars, alliances and domestic politics. He is the BBC’s state department correspondent, covering foreign policy and international relations with a close focus on the US administration and its global reach. His reporting combines access to senior officials with clear explanations of complex conflicts, often following a story from the briefing room to the battlefield and back.
US wars, security crises and military strategy
Bateman’s recent coverage centres on the ongoing war between the US and Iran, and what the administration has and has not achieved after months of fighting.
He breaks down the state of the conflict at key moments, asking what has been accomplished six months in and how presidential promises compare with the situation on the ground. In his reporting on leaked photos showing extensive damage at US bases, he walks through what the images reveal and what they suggest about the cost and risks of the campaign.
He also looks beyond a single theatre of war, examining warnings of a space arms race as the US confirms the development and deployment of new weapons in orbit. Across these pieces he treats military decisions as political acts, drawing out the strategic logic, the human impact and the implications for US power.
Trump-era politics, behaviour and economic fallout
Bateman spends significant time on the Trump presidency, treating the president’s words and actions as a lens on both foreign policy and domestic politics. He has reported on Trump’s unusually sharp public criticism of Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu after strikes on Lebanon, showing how personal anger at an ally can unsettle a long-standing relationship and complicate US strategy in the region.
In his coverage of Trump’s remarks linking the Iran war to the anniversary of 9/11, he scrutinises how the president frames conflict for political effect and how that framing lands at home and abroad.
He analyses economic consequences as well, asking whether Republicans blame Trump for high oil prices and exploring how foreign policy decisions ripple through domestic debates over the cost of living. Bateman also studies the president’s relationship with the press, detailing the kinds of questions that tend to trigger public insults and shutdowns and what those exchanges reveal about the administration’s tolerance for scrutiny.
His work on Trump and Greenland, including answering questions from younger audiences, shows his ability to strip back a complicated story to its core motivations and stakes.
Alliances, diplomacy and ambassadorships
Diplomatic relationships and personnel changes are another thread in Bateman’s reporting. He covers moments when alliances strain or shift, such as Trump’s evolving stance on North and South Korea and what that means for security on the peninsula and for US influence in the region.
He reports on senior US officials flying into Moscow under unclear motives, using these trips to examine how rival powers test and probe each other even when intentions are opaque.
His portfolio includes coverage of abrupt moves in the diplomatic corps, such as the sudden departure of deputy British ambassador to the US James Roscoe, which he uses to illuminate tensions, priorities and the political context surrounding key posts. In audio work, he adds a foreign policy dimension to European political debates, offering analysis of how Trump’s latest strategies feed into migration politics and party positioning in Europe.
Taken together, his diplomacy coverage connects personnel and protocol to larger questions about alliances and the balance of power.
Explaining foreign policy for broad audiences
Bateman’s role extends beyond daily reports into explanatory and discussion formats across television, radio and podcasts.
He appears on programmes such as Americast and other flagship BBC shows, providing state department context and unpacking the foreign policy angles behind major political stories. His segments often involve answering audience questions, whether about Trump’s interest in Greenland or broader issues of international politics, and translating insider debates into clear language for listeners who are not specialists.
Earlier in his career he reported as a Middle East correspondent, and that experience with long-running conflicts and contested narratives informs the way he now approaches US foreign policy. His work is characterised by sustained attention to cause and effect: how a decision or remark in Washington connects to a strike on Beirut, a base under attack, a summit in Korea or a vote in Europe.
For stories that touch diplomacy, war or the presidency, Bateman offers coverage that combines access, clarity and a consistent focus on the wider consequences.
4 more politics journalists.
Aaron D'Andrea
Aaron D’Andrea is a supervising online journalist at Global News who treats politics as part of a wider news ecosystem, combining breaking-news speed with close attention to how decisions and incidents shape public life. He focuses on high-impact politics and breaking stories for a national audience, especially where provincial power struggles and national politics collide, and how premiers, opposition parties and activist groups can turn local moves into national questions. He reports on digital deception and politics, including deepfake scams targeting public figures, and covers crime and public safety when cases rise to national significance. His background includes covering the 2018 Toronto van attack, local reporting for Metroland Media with award-winning coverage, and earlier work in television production. He now also oversees online content from journalists across the country while still contributing fast, visually driven, fact-first stories.
Abhishek De
Abhishek De is a senior journalist at India Today who turns complex political and security developments into clear, accessible stories. He covers foreign affairs, geopolitics, defence and politics, with a focus on strategy, alliances, military doctrine, domestic power struggles and party accountability. His reporting on Trinamool civic battles and Abhishek Banerjee puts internal party dynamics, civic governance and institutional power at the centre of the story. He has also worked on news desks in print and digital media and has filed on politics, health and sports. His style is direct and controlled, with clean structure, tight language and strong explanation.
Adam MacVicar
Adam MacVicar focuses on how local government decisions become budgets, transparency fights and changes for residents. He is Global Calgary’s city hall reporter, covering municipal governance and politics, Alberta’s referendum on its place in Canada, independence campaigns, investigations and party politics. His beat also includes major civic projects, transit, public spaces, redevelopment and housing affordability. He has reported on leaked budget documents, property tax pressures, closed-door meetings, a proposed lobbyist registry, the RCMP corruption probe into city hall and allegations of voter fraud in a provincial party leadership race. He has covered the Olympic Plaza transformation, the Green Line LRT route, the Symons Valley Centre library and housing supply. His work uses leaked documents, economic analysis and reporting from council chambers and project sites. He has worked with Global Calgary since 2017, after earlier radio and television news roles.
Aishwarya Dudha
Aishwarya Dudha reports on how politics, justice and public decisions affect vulnerable people. She works for CBC News, covering immigrants, Indigenous communities, people with disabilities and families facing loss. Her beat includes crime, policing, courts, housing, homelessness, climate policy, economic decisions, local development, sport, health and disability. She has previously worked for CBC News Network and Global News. Dudha connects official decisions and events to lived experience. She centres under-represented voices and examines the human stakes of homicides, trials, institutional failures, public infrastructure, industrial projects and community safety. Her reporting combines timelines, policy and public response with family perspectives, testimony, workplace details and local context. She also profiles athletes and community efforts, keeping personal stories central while showing how law, economics and public systems shape daily life.