Mike Wooldridge

BBC world affairs correspondent

Mike Wooldridge has been a world affairs correspondent for the BBC since 2001.

He has spent lengthy periods in Afghanistan and Pakistan and has travelled to Guantanamo Bay with the United States military and to Bali for the nightclub bombing.

Mike joined BBC News in April 1970 and over the next eight years he moved from sub-editor to duty editor, covering the 1972 United Nations General Assembly and General Franco's death in 1975.

Mike became a news reporter in 1978 and within the same year covered the earthquake in Tabas, Iran, in which more than 20,000 died.

In 1982 Mike became the BBC's East Africa correspondent, before moving to Johannesburg in 1989 as South Africa correspondent.

1997: Life 50 years after Indian independence

During this period he reported on some of the biggest events Africa has faced in recent times, such as the Ethiopian famine of the mid 1980s, civil wars and refugee crises in Sudan, Somalia, Angola and Mozambique.

At the end of 1990 he become religious affairs correspondent reporting on the influence of religion in modern society, in particular exploring religion and conflict.

In 1996 he went to Delhi to become South Asia correspondent where he covered the 50th anniversary of India and Pakistan's independence, the two countries carrying out nuclear testing and their conflict in Kashmir's Kargil district.

He received an OBE in the 2002 Birthday Honours for 'services to broadcasting in developing countries'.