A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and uncovering true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and global issues.
From Syria after Assad to rebuilding Ukraine, to how AI changed our lives, The Documentary investigates major global stories.
We delve into social media, take you into the minds of the world’s most creative people and explore personal approaches to spirituality. Every week, we also bring together people from around the globe to discuss how news stories are affecting their lives.
A new episode most days, all year round. From our BBC World Service teams at: Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio, OS Conversations, The Fifth Floor and Trending.
A historic trial is underway in Sweden. Two European executives of a Swedish oil company are accused of aiding and abetting war crimes in South Sudan. George Tai, whose family was killed in the so-called “oil wars”, hopes the case will set a legal precedent. BBC Eye investigates the legacy of oil in South Sudan: from violence to pollution and asks who should be held responsible?
Sydney has one of the most recognisable opera house in the world, but some of the most innovative opera-making is happening at the other end of town, in the building where they used to build train carriages. Sydney Chamber Opera, led by o Jack Symonds, is a young, experimental collective of opera makers, collaborating with the established national company Opera Australia to bring Jack's epic Gilgamesh to the stage. Directed by Kip Williams, it is a new opera based on a very old story of queer de...
Why are people protesting on the streets of Tbilisi, in Georgia, and how did people vote in Indian-administered Kashmir? With correspondents Nina Akhmeteli and Raghvendra Rao. Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
On 20 January, Republican Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. His domestic pledges include promises to bring down prices, tackle immigration, introduce tariffs on imports, and cut tax. Throughout the election campaign, we have been hearing from people from across the US - Republicans, Democrats and those who were undecided – about the issues that matter to them. In the lead up to the election, we heard from American voters from across the political spectrum ...
Twenty years ago, one man took it into his hands to educate Arab-Israelis about the Holocaust and its ongoing psychological effects. Khaled Kasab Mahameed, a lawyer from Nazareth, opened what is believed to be the first ever Arab-led Holocaust museum. His aim: to open the eyes of his fellow Arabs to the trauma of the Holocaust while at the same time reminding Jewish Israelis of the suffering of his own Palestinian people. Mike Wooldridge hears Khaled’s story and discovers why, despite his enormo...
When rising sea levels threaten a country’s very existence, how can its culture be preserved? Tuvalu wants to create an online replica of its landscape and an archive of its language, music and important artefacts. Prianka Srinivasan finds out how the government’s “digital nation” plan is developing, and speaks to Tuvaluans about what they are already doing to celebrate and pass on the country’s heritage and customs.
A bonus episode from the People Fixing the World podcast. 2024 has been called a record breaking year for elections, with billions of people eligible to take part in all types of votes. But how can we make sure people can vote safely and securely? We visit Australia's Northern Territory to see how voting takes place in incredibly remote communities. We also find out how a group of eminent women in Uganda is combating violence and intimidation during elections. And we hear how Estonia operates on...
Ghanaian journalist Justice Baidoo is teaching his two young boys how to speak the ancient African language of Ahanta. He home schools them with lessons several times a week in an effort to keep the indigenous language alive in a continent where many are disappearing due to the over dominance of English and French, and in recent years the added power of American culture through mass media, online and through mobile phones. He hears how locals are trying to revive Ahanta by setting up a radio sta...
Formed by guitarist and vocalist Shayan, TRIVAX was formed in 2009, in the underground music scene of his home city, Tehran. The capital of a country where freedom of expression is severely restricted, resulting in tough censorship laws. The Iranian government tightly controls musical content, prohibiting lyrics or themes deemed critical of the regime, or inconsistent with Islamic values, and heavy metal tends to fall under this category. Escaping to the UK, Shayan found a like-minded ally in ba...
The Danish town of Kalundborg should be a boom town, as the main manufacturing site for the weight loss drug Wegovy. The pharmaceutical company which makes it, Novo Nordisk, is the most valuable in Europe and has invested $8.5 billion dollars in a new plant there. Despite this economic bounty, Kalundborg’s schools are underperforming and entertainment opportunities are limited. Many young keen people say it’s peaceful but dull and can’t wait to get out to study and work in bigger cities like the...
How are the popular Ikat designs made? BBC journalist Ibrat Safo explores Uzbekistan's love story with textiles. Plus, Sanjaya Dhakal of BBC Nepali explains why a group of Kathmandu artists launched an inventive campaign to repatriate their country's stolen art. 'Silk Roads' is at the British Museum in London until February 2025. Produced by Alice Gioia, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
Throughout the presidential election campaign, we have been hearing from voters across the political spectrum. One issue keeps coming up: how much it costs to live, to feed the family, to fuel a car, or to pay the rent or mortgage. Surveys have consistently indicated the economy is a top concern for Americans – transcending age and political affiliation. Since the pandemic, most people in the country have experienced steep price rises of many essentials like housing, groceries and fuel. But the ...
Vanessa’s Fridays saw her dancing the night away in the night clubs of Liverpool, having drinks with friends, sometimes staying out all night. But now Fridays are times of prayer with new friends at the mosque. She took her vows – shahada – to become a Muslim within a month of Hamas attacking Israel and the resulting military campaign in Gaza and says the unshakeable faith of Palestinian Muslims then was the catalyst for her conversion. Now, wearing a full hijab, she has made it clear to all aro...
The Pantanal, in western Brazil, is the world’s largest tropical wetland, and home to tens of thousands of animal species. But expansion of shipping and development is causing an increase in wildfires, and the loss of unique habitats. The Jaguar is the apex predator in the Pantanal, roaming over vast hunting grounds, but the changing environment means that they are now under threat too. Reporter James Harper travels down the rivers of the Pantanal, talking to activists, conservation experts and ...
They call it the Big Game. Somali influencers are taking part in clan-based battles on TikTok. A US college student who spent $4000 in just four minutes tells the BBC she regrets ever getting involved. She felt addicted to the draw of defending her clan and says she was later harassed by an influencer. The trend is taking Somali social media by storm but many are worried these games go beyond entertainment and are contributing to a toxic environment online.
'I didn’t know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black,' said Donald Trump, recently. When the former US president called into question Kamala Harris's racial identity, it sparked an angry backlash. The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, responded by saying 'no-one has any right to tell someone who they are [or] how they identify.' Mr Trump's words hit a nerve in the American psyche, tapping into a centuries-old debate about ethnicity and authentic...
Ishmael Reed is one of America's greatest and most prolific living writers - but aged 86 he is writing his first music. Lindsay Johns travels to his home in Oakland, California, to join his first recording session, and find out what motivates him to keep writing. Between his home, his local bookstore, the city's downtown, restaurants and historical waterfront, Lindsay understands how much this city, and the West Coast spirit continues to animate Reed's writing, and his literary activism.
A bonus episode from The Climate Question podcast - Is the climate on the ballot at the US election? The southern US state of Georgia has received billions of dollars in investment in clean technology, creating tens of thousands of jobs at solar power factories and electric vehicle factories. It is also on the front-line of extreme weather - facing the threat of hurricanes, heatwaves and drought. So will voters in this swing state be considering climate change when they cast their ballots for th...
Commonly associated with Count Dracula, the blood-sucking character in Bram Stoker’s quintessential novel, vampires continue to seduce. But where exactly did the vampire myth originate from? BBC Serbian’s Milica Radenković Jeremić has been researching the cultural history of vampirism. Plus, BBC Africa's Njoroge Muigai talks about the spirits and monsters that terrified him as a child growing up in Kenya. Produced by Caroline Ferguson, Hannah Dean and Alice Gioia. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: ...
In less than two weeks, Americans will elect their new president. When it comes to voters, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris know that getting black and Latino men on their side could be vital. There are question marks over whether Kamala Harris will get the levels of support from those voters that she might hope for. It has led to much discussion about whether she has a so-called “man problem”, especially as there are suggestions that Donald Trump is increasing his appeal in this respect. For...
Opus Dei is a controversial Catholic organisation with schools and conference centres across the globe. Close links to the Vatican mean members are highly influential within the Catholic church. Opus Dei is Latin for “Work of God” and their aim is to help people to achieve holiness through their everyday work. The vast majority of members are lay people. Within Opus Dei, “assistant numeraries” are women responsible for cooking and cleaning in Opus Dei centres. They appear to have mainly been rec...
There is virtually no state provision for victims of domestic abuse in Iraq. As a result, Iraqi women have been left to protect and support each other, organising secret shelters for survivors and trying to assemble health and legal support for victims. From inside one of the secret shelters, 22-year-old ‘Mariam’ tells the BBC’s Rebecca Kesby about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband and his relatives. Iraqi feminist Yanar Mohammed, who set up the first known women’s safe house in...
In many parts of the world there is still a fear of witches and witchcraft. Those accused are often vulnerable, yet they are blamed for a variety of afflictions, from disease to infertility and poverty. They often face persecution, abuse and lynching. From his base in Nigeria Dr Leo Igwe, after receiving tip-offs on social media, intervenes and protects those accused of witchcraft across the African continent from being attacked. He also lobbies local authorities to prevent witch-hunting drives ...
Amid the rubble, in makeshift tents, children in Gaza are singing - and practising the violin, guitar and traditional instruments such as the ‘oud. The sessions are organised by the local branch of the Palestinian national music conservatory, which still operates, outside its damaged premises, despite the destruction of teachers’ and students’ homes. Why - and how - do they go on singing? And what does music mean to them now? Tim Whewell reported from Gaza in 2015 on the rescue of the territory’...
Sports Banger is a fashion house, rave organisation, and London community centre run by Jonny Banger. The cornerstone of their work is bootleg T-shirts which mix satire and humour with a sportswear aesthetic. One of Sports Banger’s best-known t-shirts features two very different and well-known brands - the Nike and the UK’s National Health Service. In 2020, this simple T-shirt became highly-coveted. Selling out in minutes on limited runs during the height of the UK’s Covid lockdowns, Jonny Bange...
Katy Fallon tells the story of the refugees and other migrants ensnared in Greece’s legal crossfire. Greek authorities routinely prosecute those found near the controls of boats carrying people trying to reach Europe, but human rights monitors assert that it is vulnerable passengers, not real smugglers, who are ending up behind bars. Katy reveals a system where chaotic trials last a matter of minutes but can result in prison sentences of hundreds of years. And she meets Akif Rasuli, a young Afgh...
What do a graffiti festival, a first aid training and a football match have in common? These are all events set up by African Initiative, a Russian media organisation which defines itself as 'an information bridge between Russia and Africa'. Olaronke Alo and Maria Korenyuk from the BBC Disinformation Unit have been investigating this organisation and its activities in the Sahel region in Africa. Produced by Alice Gioia, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia You...
When she was sworn in as Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to tackle the country’s drug gangs. In the past couple of months, local civilian groups have reported hundreds of deaths and disappearances due to them. Hosts Mark Lowen and Krupa Padhy hear from those who just want to go about their lives and jobs in safety, but are being caught in the crossfire and sometimes even targeted. Rosa is a 15-year-old student and would like to leave it all behind but feels for now she must coe...
A bonus episode for The Documentary from the What in the World podcast. The death of One Direction star Liam Payne has shocked the world, and there’s been a huge outpouring of grief. Many details about the British singer's death still remain unclear, but information from emergency services and other authorities has started to build a picture of the events. We know that he was in Buenos Aires, in Argentina, and died after falling from a hotel balcony. Liam rose to fame after competing in the sing...
In certain cultures in Uganda and across Africa, a belief exists where departed husbands return as ethereal entities to engage in intimate encounters with their living partners. To ward off this phenomenon, women are required to perform Enkumbi. Ugandan presenter Daniel Leinhardt sets out to investigate this belief and its impact, including the role it may play in subjugating women. He from couples who see the Enkumbi rituals as something they still must perform, and women who think it's old fas...
