Episodes
Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
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19-03-2024 | 20230328 | 20240319 (WS) | |
A Better Start | 20240827 | 20240901 (WS) 20240902 (WS) | For every 10 babies born across the world one will be preterm, and the fate of these tiny babies is often very uncertain. They are kept alive by science, care, and luck. Time in a neonatal unit can be a stressful and unpredictable time. We meet the people who are creating equipment and aids to create a kinder experience for both parents and babies alike to give them a better start in life. People like the founder of the Danish Octo Project, which kickstarted a movement across the world crocheting tiny Octopus toys to emulate the umbilical cord for premature babies, the engineer who kept her baby alive when the neonatal unit housing her son lost power in a devastating storm, leading to a remarkable invention. Finally, the foundation bringing purple butterflies to NICUs across the UK to help identify surviving children of multiple births. Journalist Becky Green, whose twin boys were born eight weeks early, explores the love and care she received with her babies in two neonatal units. Bobby and Jesse were both devastatingly poorly, and only Bobby came home. Producer:: Ailsa Rochester Executive producer: Jo Meek Sound: Rob Green An Audio Always production for BBC World Service The people finding solutions to improve the odds for premature babies Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. For every 10 babies born across the world, one will be preterm. A Better Start explores the people creating the solutions to improve the odds for premature babies. For every 10 babies born across the world 1 will be preterm, and the fate of these tiny babies is often very uncertain. They are kept alive by science, care, and luck. Time in a neonatal unit can be a stressful and unpredictable time. In A Better Start, we meet the people who are creating equipment and aids to create a kinder experience for both parents and babies alike to give them a better start in life. We'll meet the founder of the Danish Octo Project which kickstarted a movement across the world crocheting tiny Octopus toys to emulate the umbilical cord for premature babies, the engineer who kept her baby alive when the neonatal unit housing her son lost power in a devastating storm, leading to a remarkable invention. Finally, the foundation bringing purple butterflies to NICUs across the UK to help identify surviving children of multiple births. Presenting the programme is journalist Becky Green, who's twin boys were born eight weeks early - Bobby and Jesse were both devastatingly poorly, and only Bobby came home. Becky explores the love and care she received with her babies in two neonatal units. A Better Start is an Audio Always production, produced by Ailsa Rochester, executive producer is Jo Meek and sound design from Rob Green. A Better Start explores the solutions to improve the odds for premature babies. |
A Man Without Bees | 20231121 | 20231126 (WS) | Why are all the bees dying? Simon Mitambo, an expert from Kenya's so-called 'Land of Bees', travels from his own affected community to huge industrial farms in search of answers. It is a journey both planetary and personal: without bees, can Simon's world survive? A Smoke Trail production for BBC World Service (Photo: A bumblebee feeding on lavender. Credit: BBC) Why are the world's bee populations declining? Simon Mitambo searches for answers Why are bees dying? An elder from the 'Land of Bees' seeks answers, wherever it leads. |
A Reckoning With Drugs In Oregon | 20240326 | 20240331 (WS) | On election day 2020, the people of Portland, Oregon - famed city of progressives and counterculture - voted to pass Measure 110, the USA's boldest drug policy reform yet. It came after years of campaigning and was aimed at inverting the thinking of the war on drugs.. Measure 110 decriminalised possession of all illicit substances, including Heroin, Methamphetamine and Oxycodone. The campaigners accurately predicted that the new law would ease tensions around racial disparities within policing; but the new law coincided with the spread of the deadly and addictive drug Fentanyl and a tidal wave of homelessness. Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and is now the drug of choice for nearly all heroin users. It's also more deadly - activists and the police now regularly carry the opioid-blocking drug Narcan to treat people overdosing on the streets. Homelessness also continues to rise as the cheap and available fentanyl spreads -creating an epidemic on two fronts. In A Reckoning with Drugs in Oregon, local journalist Winston Ross explores the complex issues behind Portland's fentanyl crisis, speaking across the political divide and to many of those in the eye of the storm. How has Oregon's radical drug decriminalisation policy changed lives? |
Africa's Urban Future: Ghana | 20231010 | 20231015 (WS) | If, as has been projected, Africa could be home to 40% of humanity by the end of the century, will its already highly pressurised cities be able to provide decent living conditions for all their inhabitants? Mike Wooldridge and Ghanaian architect Ruth-Anne Richardson report on the opportunities and challenges this rapid urbanisation brings in West Africa. The stretch of nearly 1,000 km between Abidjan and Lagos, is by 2100 projected to be the largest zone of continuous, dense habitation on earth - and home to about half a billion people. In Ghana alone, the population which was around six million at the time of independence could – according to some estimates – exceed 50 million by 2050. There has been unprecedented migration into Accra and other cities from rural areas, straining the city's ability to provide basic housing and services to people, and exacerbating existing inequalities. Presenter: Mike Wooldridge Producer: Ruth Evans A Ruth Evans Productions series for BBC World Service (Photo: A street hawker sells Ghana flags in Accra. Credit: Getty Images) The opportunities and challenges of Africa's rapid urbanisation |
Africa's Urban Future: South Africa | 20231024 | 20231029 (WS) | Mike Wooldridge, who reported from South Africa as apartheid collapsed and Nelson Mandela was released, joins forces with South African journalist Milton Nkosi to see whether the high hopes of that watershed political period have been fulfilled. Thirty years on, have living conditions for all in one of Africa's most urbanised nations improved? Apartheid may now be long buried politically but in and around South Africa's main cities it has left a visible legacy. Those entrenched historical problems could be about to get worse as cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town continue to grow rapidly, as a result of both migration and the natural population growth. Persistent power cuts and creaking infrastructure are major challenges to the ever-quickening pace of urbanisation. Can an ambitious new plan for Stellenbosch, the place where apartheid was reportedly conceived, help to break down the post-apartheid legacy of urban planning? Presenter: Mike Wooldridge and Milton Nkosi Producer: Ruth Evans A Ruth Evans Productions series for BBC World Service The opportunities and challenges of Africa's rapid urbanisation |
Africa's Urban Future: Tanzania | 20231017 | 20231022 (WS) | Mike Wooldridge and Tanzanian development worker Mary Ndaro report on the opportunities and challenges for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial centre, and one of Africa's fastest growing cities. Some six million people currently call Dar es Salaam home, but the city's population has grown by a whopping 40% in just a decade. By the 2030s it is projected to become a megacity with a population of more than 10 million. Getting around cities like Dar es Salaam can be not only stressful but expensive, negotiating roads clogged with cars and choked with fumes. The city is now investing in transport infrastructure to keep people moving. Presenter: Mike Wooldridge and Mary Ndaro Producer: Ruth Evans A Ruth Evans production for BBC World Service (Photo: Mary Ndaro. Credit: Ruth Evans) The opportunities and challenges of Africa's rapid urbanisation |
Africa's Urban Future: What Next? | 20231031 | 20231105 (WS) | Faced with the ever-quickening pace of urbanisation, what is the future for Africa's swelling cities? Experts predict that Africa could be home to 40% of humanity by the end of this century, and that the twenty fastest-growing cities in the world will be in sub-Saharan Africa. Will the continent have the potential for a brilliant urban future – or for an increasingly bleak one? Much will depend, in large part, on how it's managed. How can already highly pressurised African cities provide better opportunities for all their inhabitants? Mike Wooldridge considers the future - and nothing is more pressing than the combination of this rapid urbanisation and accelerating climate change. In many cities, climate change will only add to the challenges. How the continent manages this, will not only affect the daily lives of the millions of Africans, but shape everything from migration and global economic prosperity to the future of the African nation state and the prospects for limiting climate crisis. Presenter: Mike Wooldridge Producer: Ruth Evans A Ruth Evans production for BBC World Service (Photo: Commuters wait to board a bus outside Nyanga during an ongoing strike by taxi operators in Cape Town, 10 August, 2023. Credit: Esa Alexander/Reuters) The opportunities and challenges of Africa's rapid urbanisation The opportunities and challenges of Africa's rapid urbanisation. |
Alvin Hall's Other America | 20240629 | 20240630 (WS) 20240703 (WS) | Writer Alvin Hall returns to Wakulla County, Florida, where he grew up to shed light on the political present and share a portrait of a disappearing way of life. it is an America most people do not know. it has long been deeply rural, a place of unspoilt wilderness and incredible natural beauty. But it has also been a place with a violent history of racial segregation and oppression. The security Alvin experienced as a child growing up in one of the county's self-sufficient Black “village ? communities contrasts with the horrific racial violence he has only gained knowledge of as an adult. But change is coming. Since Alvin's last visit almost 10 years ago unprecedented development has swept the county and it seems as if decades of racial division might really be starting to wear away. Is this really the beginning of the end? Writer/presenter: Alvin Hall Producer: Michael Umney Executive producer: Susan Marling Piano: Edmund May Sound engineer: Chris O'Shaughnessy (Photo: Alvin Hall in front of his childhood home. Credit: Kendall Messick) Alvin Hall reflects on the racial past and the divided present of Wakulla County, Florida In his hometown of Wakulla County, Florida, writer Alvin Hall reflects on the racial tensions of rural America's past and its divided present. As America prepares itself for a historic presidential election, writer Alvin Hall returns to the world he grew up in, to shed light on the political present and share a haunting portrait of a disappearing way of life. This is Wakulla County, Florida and it's an America most people don't know. Only a short drive from the state capital it has long been deeply rural, a place of unspoilt wilderness and incredible natural beauty. A paradise. But it has also been a place with a violent history of racial segregation and oppression. The security Alvin experienced as a child growing up in one of the county's self-sufficient Black “village ? communities contrasts with horrific racial violence he has only gained knowledge of as an adult. Many of Alvin's friends and neighbours in New York express shock and confusion at the upheavals engulfing the United States. But for a Black man born and raised in the Deep South the emerging division and prejudice seemed all too predictable. Now, Alvin explores how the unaddressed legacies of slavery and civil war have remained present in people's everyday lives into the Twenty First Century and lovingly documents a Black, rural way of life which has endured for more than a hundred years. But change is coming. Since Alvin's last visit almost ten years ago unprecedented development has swept the county and it seems as if decades of racial division might really be starting to wear away. Is this really the beginning of the end? In his hometown Alvin Hall considers America's past and its divided present. |
Amapiano: The Sound Of South Africa | 20241128 | 20241130 (WS) 20241201 (WS) | South African DJ Legendary Crisp charts the rise of the homegrown dance music genre Amapiano. She finds out where the hypnotising, jazzy soulful sound emerged from, what it means culturally, and how it became South Africa's signature music genre of the 2020s. Radio Producer Tim Moorhouse travels to Johannesburg to meet Legendary Crisp and becomes part of the conversation around Amapiano's cultural important. Featuring contributions from Boohle, Josiah De Disciple, Lula Obiba, Madzadza Miya, Nimrod Pitso, Tman Xpress, Felo Le Tee, Chr B, Nkosazana Daughter, Rosey Gold and O.L. Shabba. South African DJ Legendary Crisp charts the rise of the Amapiano musical genre. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
An End To Aids? | 20241019 | 20241020 (WS) 20241023 (WS) | Over the four decades since the pandemic took off, we've seen around 40 million people worldwide killed by HIV. Today, around the same number of people are living with the virus, and many of them are long-term survivors. In 2015, an end to the pandemic by 2030 was adopted as one of the ambitious UN Sustainable Development Goals and signed up to by all member states. Sue Armstrong and Noerine Kaleeba report on the impressive progress made in controlling the spread of HIV and ask whether the goal of an end to the Aids pandemic by 2030 is really possible. A Ruth Evans production for BBC World Service (Photo: Ugandan citizens march for World Aids Day in Kampala, Uganda, 1 December, 2022. Credit: Nicholas Kajoba/Getty Images) Is the goal of an end to the HIV/Aids pandemic by 2030 really possible? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. " Over the four decades since the pandemic took off, we've seen around 40 million people worldwide killed by HIV. Today, around the same number of people are living with the virus, and many of them are long-term survivors. In 2015, an end to the pandemic by 2030 was adopted as one of the ambitious UN Sustainable Development Goals and signed up to by all member states. Sue Armstrong and Noerine Kaleeba report on the impressive progress made in controlling the spread of HIV and ask whether the goal of an end to the Aids pandemic by 2030 is really possible. A Ruth Evans production for BBC World Service (Photo: Ugandan citizens march for World Aids Day in Kampala, Uganda, 1 December, 2022. Credit: Nicholas Kajoba/Getty Images) Is the goal of an end to the HIV/Aids pandemic by 2030 really possible? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. A Ruth Evans Production. |
An Octopus's Garden | 20240102 | 20240108 (WS) | The octopus is prized as the most intelligent of all marine species – immortalised in stories, poems and songs worldwide. In Madagascar it is also a vital source of income. Hazel Healy takes a journey into a pioneering Madagascan closure system, which is enabling one particular species of octopus to flourish and protecting incomes for the most vulnerable. She learns how the system was first developed, and how it is inspiring other coastal communities in Kenya and Indonesia. Hazel talks to conservationists, fisher folk and community leaders, and learns how the exceptional rapid growth and short life span of one shallow-dwelling reef octopus species means that it can be fished heavily if the fishing is carefully managed and monitored. The system works by periodically closing a portion of a village's octopus gleaning grounds so that the octopus is free to reproduce. At any communally agreed time, up to a quarter of a community's fishing area may be closed for three months. During this time, the area is carefully patrolled against poachers. The result is a dramatic increase in octopus landings and improved fishing incomes when those areas are reopened. ‘Fish less, earn more,' is the mantra of people locally who support the system. But this is also challenging for those who rely on fishing to survive from day to day. How are communities managing these different needs and finding alternative incomes during the closure periods? What are the key factors which might mean the system will succeed or fail? And how has the system had similar impacts in other parts of the world? Finally, Hazel learns how the success of the system has sparked greater support for ambitious marine management efforts more widely, including the creation of permanent marine reserves in Madagascar. Producer: Sarah Cuddon Music by The Enchanted Cinema A Falling Tree production for BBC World Service (Photo: A local resident in Madagascar. Credit: Madagascar Film and Photography) A pioneering closure system is enabling octopus to flourish in Madagascar A pioneering closure system is enabling octopus to flourish in Madagascar. The octopus is prized as the most intelligent of all marine species – immortalised in stories, poems and songs worldwide. In Madagascar it's also a vital source of income. Hazel Healy takes a journey into a pioneering Madagascan closure system which is enabling one particular species of octopus to flourish and protecting incomes for the most vulnerable. She learns how the system was first developed and how it's inspiring other coastal communities in Kenya and Indonesia. The people of Madagascar are some of the hungriest in the world and the country is in the grip of the most intense drought for decades. Hazel talks to conservationists, fishers and community leaders and learns how the exceptional rapid growth and short life span of one shallow dwelling reef octopus species means that it can be fished heavily if the fishing is carefully managed and monitored. She learns how the system works by periodically closing a portion of a village's octopus gleaning grounds so that the octopus is free to reproduce. At any communally agreed time, up to a quarter of a community's fishing area may be closed for three months. During this time the area is carefully patrolled against poachers. The result is a dramatic increase in octopus landings and improved fisher incomes when those areas are reopened. ‘Fish less, earn more,' is the mantra of people locally who support the system. But this is also challenging for those who rely on fishing to survive from day to day. How are communities managing these different needs and finding alternative incomes during the closure periods? What are the key factors which might mean the system will succeed or fail? And how has the system had similar impacts in other parts of the world? |
Azovstal: The 80 Day Siege | 20240404 | 20240406 (WS) 20240407 (WS) | Imagine for a moment what it would be like to live in darkness underground for 80 days, while bombs and missile strikes rain down from above and rations are so tight you can only eat once a day. Next, imagine having to choose between feeding yourself and feeding your baby. This was the reality for those trapped in Azovstal steelworks in the Spring of 2022. Every day was a gamble with death. Senior journalist for the BBC's Ukraine Service, Diana Kuryshko, meets the Ukrainian citizens and soldiers who survived to tell the tale. With special thanks to the Museum of Civilian Voices by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. Presenter: Diana Kuryshko Producer: Sarah Shebbeare (Photo: Members of the Ukrainian armed forces seen inside the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works complex in Mariupol, 10 May, 2022. Credit: Dmytro Orest Kozatskyi/Azov regiment press service/Reuters) Ukrainian citizens and soldiers who survived the siege of Azovstal recount their ordeal Ukrainian citizens and soldiers who survived the siege of Azovstal recount their ordeal. Imagine for a moment what it would be like to live in darkness underground for 80 days, while bombs and missile strikes rain down from above and rations are so tight you can only eat once a day. Next, imagine having to choose between feeding yourself and feeding your baby. This was the reality for those trapped in Azovstal steelworks in the Spring of 2022. Every day was a gamble with death. We meet the Ukrainian citizens and soldiers who survived to tell the tale. Ukrainian survivors of the siege of Azovstal tell their story. |
Building A Future For Cyclone Hit Mozambique | 20240109 | 20240115 (WS) | Five years after reporting on one of Mozambique's worst ever cyclones, the BBC's Nomsa Maseko returns to Sofala province to meet the people at the forefront of the fight against climate change. With scientists predicting that such storms will become more powerful because of global warming, work is underway to build resilience amongst communities to withstand this extreme weather. The future of life and livelihoods in this region hangs in the balance, but the people we'll meet in this documentary want to play their part in making it brighter. Fighting climate change in Mozambique |
Building A Future For Cyclone-hit Mozambique | 20240109 | 20240115 (WS) | Five years after reporting on one of Mozambique's worst cyclones, the BBC's Nomsa Maseko returns to the city of Beira to meet the people on the frontline of climate change. With scientists predicting that such storms will become more powerful and dangerous because of global warming, work is underway to build the resilience to extreme weather, from builders learning techniques to construct stronger houses, to volunteers educating people in how to evacuate safely. The future of life and livelihoods in this region hangs in the balance, but these people want to help their communities adapt. Presenter: Nomsa Maseko Producer: Rob Wilson Editor: Tara McDermott (Photo: Jose at a finished house) Meet the scientists and local communities of Beira trying to fight against climate change Five years after one of Mozambique's worst ever cyclones, Nomsa Maseko returns to the city of Beira to meet people at the forefront of the fight against climate change. |
Cairo In Comics | 20240206 | 20240211 (WS) | Modern Cairo is a crowded metropolis. The city's ‘thousand minarets' are now dwarfed by a new skyline of slick tower blocks. Modern highways fly over bustling kiosks where residents gather to smoke and buy soda drinks. Inspired by the lives of their neighbours, playing out among mosques, high rise buildings and on busy streets, Egyptian writers and graphic artists, including Deena Mohamed, Shennawy and Mohamed Wahba bring their thousand-year-old capital to life. They tell the stories behind their own books and comics - Tok Tok, Shubeik Lubeik, and A Bird's Eye View over Cairo. And how today, the city's dedicated festival Cairo Comix has become an annual destination for artists and fans from around the world. Producer: Clare Salisbury Extra production by Nadeen Shaker (Illustration: A Cairo street scene with cars and vendors. Credit: Deena Mohamed) Cairo's young graphic novelists tell the modern story of their city Cairo's young graphic novelists tell the modern story of their city. Cairo's young graphic novelists tell the modern story of their city, post revolution and the comic book scene it has created. This is a crowded metropolis, a city of 20 million people, where traditional neighbourhoods are being demolished and rebuilt with slick tower blocks. For The Documentary, a new generation of Egyptian cartoonists, comic book writers and graphic novelists bring their thousand-year old capital to life. |
Caught At The Helm | 20241024 | 20241026 (WS) 20241027 (WS) | 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 Afghan man compensated for wrongful imprisonment after spending almost three years behind bars. Amid Europe-wide efforts to clamp down on irregular migration, are tough people-smuggling policies seeing the wrong people pay a heavy price? (Photo: Migrants sit in a dinghy as they are towed by rescue teams off the coast of Greece. Credti: Reuters) Are Greece's tough people smuggling policies seeing the wrong people pay the price? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. " 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 Afghan man compensated for wrongful imprisonment after spending almost three years behind bars. Amid Europe-wide efforts to clamp down on irregular migration, are tough people-smuggling policies seeing the wrong people pay a heavy price? (Photo: Migrants sit in a dinghy as they are towed by rescue teams off the coast of Greece. Credti: Reuters) Are Greece's tough people smuggling policies seeing the wrong people pay the price? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. 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 Afghan man compensated for wrongful imprisonment after spending almost three years behind bars. Amidst Europe-wide efforts to clamp down on irregular migration, are tough people smuggling policies seeing the wrong people pay a heavy price? |
Courting Success, A Journey To Paris 2024 | 20240829 | 20240831 (WS) 20240901 (WS) | One of the highlights of the Paralympics Wheelchair tennis is truly exciting, capturing the imaginations of many. One of its true champions is Kgothatso Montjane. KG, as she likes to be known, was born with amniotic band syndrome, a condition that prevents limbs from developing properly. It didn't stop her from pursuing her dreams. An inspiration to many in 2021 KG became the first black South African to compete at Wimbledon. In this programme she tells the story of her life and career, the big successes and the challenges faced. The roots of wheelchair tennis go back to the 1970's. Brad Parks, who co invented the game, describes initial negativity towards it with concern over damage to the courts. Legendary wheelchair tennis players talk about their love for the game including Shingo Kuneida, regarded to be the best male player of all time, former champion Jordanne Wiley, and KG's hero Esther Vergeer. Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic committee gives his thoughts on why wheelchair tennis and the Paralympics are so special. An event that KG is very much looking forward to. A Play it By Ear production. Kogothatso Montjane talks about her life as a wheelchair tennis champion. |
Courting Success: A Journey To Paris 2024 | 20240829 | 20240831 (WS) 20240901 (WS) | One of the highlights of the Paralympics is wheelchair tennis and one of its true champions is Kgothatso Montjane. KG, as she likes to be known, was born with amniotic band syndrome, a condition that prevents limbs from developing properly. It did not stop her from pursuing her dreams. An inspiration to many, in 2021 KG became the first black South African to compete at Wimbledon. She tells the story of her life and career, the big successes and the challenges she faced. The roots of wheelchair tennis go back to the 1970s. Brad Parks, who co-invented the game, describes initial negativity towards it with concern over damage to the courts. Legendary wheelchair tennis players talk about their love for the game including Shingo Kunieda, regarded to be the best male player of all time, former champion Jordanne Whiley, and KG's hero Esther Vergeer. Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic committee gives his thoughts on why wheelchair tennis and the Paralympics are so special. An event that KG is very much looking forward to. Presenter: Kgothatso Montjane Producer: Martin Buchanan A Play it By Ear production for BBC World Service (Photo: Kgothatso Montjane at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton. Credit: Martin and Katie Buchanan) Kgothatso Montjane talks about her life as a wheelchair tennis champion Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Kgothatso Montjane talks about her life as a wheelchair tennis champion. |
Crime And Punishment In South Africa | 20240516 | 20240518 (WS) 20240519 (WS) | Outside of a war zone, South Africa is one of the most dangerous places in the world. The country's murder rate is now at a 20-year high. With trust in the police falling, communities say they have no option but to defend themselves. BBC Africa Eye's Ayanda Charlie joins two volunteer units, a team of farmers near Pretoria, and a group in Diepsloot, a poor township near Johannesburg. We see the risks they take, and ask who holds patrols accountable. With trust in police falling, volunteer groups have begun patrolling the streets Outside of a war zone, South Africa is one of the most dangerous places in the world. With trust in police falling, communities say they have no option but to defend themselves. Crime and Punishment in South Africa: The country's murder rate is now at a twenty-year high. Outside of a war zone South Africa is one of the most dangerous places in the world. With trust in the police falling, communities say they have no option but to defend themselves. BBC Africa Eye's Ayanda Charlie joins two volunteer units, a team of farmers near Pretoria, and a group in Diepsloot, a poor township near Johannesburg. We see the risks they take and ask who holds patrols accountable? |
Denmark's Esports Revolution | 20240523 | 20240525 (WS) 20240526 (WS) | From FIFA players to strategy games, the world of esports is a wide and varied domain which has captured audiences around the world. OJ Borg explores how Denmark is leading the way in embracing the sport by becoming the first country to have a national strategy in place. Speaking to star players, schools that have embraced it in their curriculum and the fans pushing it forward, he discovers how esports are bringing both income and interest to . An Audio Always production Image: Esports students at a high school and adult education centre in Copenhagen (Credit: Sean Allsop) Why a European country has put competitive gaming on the school curriculum OJ Borg investigates why Denmark has developed a national esports strategy, and put competitive gaming on the school curriculum. |
Diving With A Purpose | 20240312 | 20240317 (WS) | Diving With a Purpose is a collective of Black scuba divers who search for long-lost slave wrecks. They are on a mission to raise the silent voices of the captive Africans who went down with those vessels and bring them back into our collective memory. We join their youth diving program - YDWP - in Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys, as they head out onto the ocean in search of the Guerrero. With them is poet and professor Jason Vasser-Elong who has designed a creative writing course to help them articulate their feelings about the Atlantic slave trade as they uncover its legacy. The Guerrero was a pirate ship being chased by a British ship HMS Nimble when it ran aground in 1827. It had 561 captive Africans on board, of which 41 drowned. The programme is the brainchild of Mr Kenneth Stewart who was named Sea Hero of the Year by Scuba Diving Magazine in 2018. We follow the group's first attempt at “anomaly hopping ?. Producer: Victoria Ferran A Just Radio production for BBC World Service (Photo: Young black diver underwater. Credit: Vando Rogers) Meet the young scuba divers of colour who are searching for sunken slave ships Meet the young scuba divers of colour who are searching for sunken slave ships. Diving With A Purpose is a collective of Black scuba divers who search for long-lost slave wrecks. They are on a mission to raise the silent voices of the captive Africans who went down with those vessels and bring them back into our collective memory. We join their youth diving program - YDWP - in Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys, as they head out onto the ocean in search of the Guerrero. With them is poet and professor Jason Vasser-Elong who has designed a creative writing course to help them articulate their feelings about the Atlantic slave trade as they uncover its legacy. The Guerrero was a pirate ship being chased by a British ship HMS Nimble when it ran aground in 1827. It had 561 captive Africans on board, of which 41 drowned. Since 2016 YDWP have held diving summer camps in Florida Keys for young people of colour from across the USA, Costa Rica, South America and the Caribbean. Learning the basics of maritime archeology and marine biology. It's not only about conservation but connecting to ancestral history. The programme is the brainchild of Mr Kenneth Stewart who was named Sea Hero of the Year by Scuba Diving Magazine in 2018. We follow the group's first attempt at “anomaly hopping ?. The National Park Service swept the ocean floor with a sonar scanner and picked up hundreds of anomalies. Each one has to be checked to determine whether it's modern-day debris or a clue to finding the Guerrero. |
Dolphin Release | 20240530 | 20240601 (WS) 20240602 (WS) | The extraordinary journey of Johnny, Rocky and Rambo and the fight to end of the world's last travelling dolphin circus. The story of how the world's most famous captive dolphin trainer, who trained Flipper the TV dolphin star teamed by with a Dutch- Indonesian rights activist to end the world's last travelling dolphin circus and release the surviving dolphins back into the ocean. And how they set up the world's first ocean dolphin sanctuary. Johnny, Rocky and Rambo journey back to the ocean. |
Eight Numbers To Understand China | 20240210 | 20240211 (WS) | Eight numbers that shed light on modern China. |
El Salvador's Missing Children - Part 1 | 20240411 | 20240413 (WS) 20240414 (WS) | During El Salvador's brutal civil war hundreds of children were separated from their families. Some were seized by soldiers during military operations against left-wing rebels, and later found living with new families in Europe and North America. Others were given up for adoption by mothers forced into poverty or displaced by the conflict. Now, three decades on, some of those adopted are trying to piece together their lives and find their birth relatives. Former BBC correspondent in Central America, Mike Lanchin, follows the dramatic stories of two women who were adopted from El Salvador as young children during the war, which ended in 1992. Mike meets Jazmin, raised in France, who wonders why her adoptive parents never explained the circumstances of her adoption. Jazmin asks: could she be one of the war-time missing children? With the help of Salvadoran investigators using DNA testing, Jazmin is hoping to find a living birth relative. But will she succeed? Meanwhile in San Salvador, Mike speaks to two sisters who managed to locate the son of one of their younger siblings who was killed during the war. The son has been living in the US, totally unaware of his Salvadoran family's long search for him. Producers: Mike Lanchin and Philippa Goodrich Editor: Kristine Pommert A CTVC production for BBC World Service (Photo: Families of missing children hold up placards bearing their photos. Credit: Yuri Cortez/Getty Images) Children separated from their parents by civil war now want to find their birth families Children separated from their parents by El Salvador's civil war now want to find their birth families. |
El Salvador's Missing Children 1-2 | 20240411 | 20240413 (WS) 20240414 (WS) | During El Salvador's brutal civil war hundreds of children were separated from their families. Some were seized by soldiers during military operations against left-wing rebels, and later found living with new families in Europe and North America. Others were given up for adoption by mothers forced into poverty or displaced by the conflict. Now, three decades on, some of those adopted are trying to piece together their lives and find their birth relatives. Former BBC correspondent in Central America, Mike Lanchin, follows the dramatic stories of two women who were adopted from El Salvador as young children during the war which ended in 1992. In the first episode, Mike meets Jazmin, raised in France, who wonders why her adoptive parents never explained the circumstances of her adoption. Jazmin asks: could she be one of the war-time missing children? With the help of Salvadoran investigators using DNA testing, Jazmin is hoping to find a living birth relative. But will she succeed? Meanwhile in San Salvador, Mike speaks to two sisters who managed to locate the son of one of their younger siblings who was killed during the war. The son has been living in the US, totally unaware of his Salvadoran family's long search for him. Producers: Mike Lanchin and Philippa Goodrich Editor: Kristine Pommert A CTVC production for BBC World Service Children separated from their parents by civil war now in search of their birth families |
El Salvador's Missing Children 2-2 | 20240418 | 20240420 (WS) 20240421 (WS) | Mike Lanchin, former BBC correspondent in Central America, continues to unfold the dramatic stories of children who were separated from their families and adopted abroad during El Salvador's brutal civil war which ended in 1992. Some were seized by soldiers during military operations against left-wing rebels, and later found living with new families in Europe and North America. Others were given up in adoption by mothers forced into poverty or displaced by the conflict. Now, more than three decades on, some of those adopted are trying to piece together their lives and find their birth relatives. In the second and final part of the series, Mike Lanchin speaks to Flor who's long struggled to understand why her birth mother gave her up to an American couple in the first years of the civil war. Is the scar from a bullet wound that Flor still carries on her stomach anything to do with her adoption? As Flor edges close to finding some answers, Mike hears again from Jazmin in France, whom he met in episode one, and who is now finding her search for a Salvadoran family member increasingly distressing. Mike tracks down the Salvadoran lawyer involved in her adoption back in the early 1980s. Can he provide the missing pieces of the jigsaw for Jazmin? Producers: Mike Lanchin and Philippa Goodrich A CTVC production for BBC World Service (Photo: Flor and family. Credit: CTVC) Can Salvadoran children adopted during the country's civil war find their birth families? |
El Salvador's Missing Children: Part One | 20240411 | 20240413 (WS) 20240414 (WS) | During El Salvador's brutal civil war, hundreds of children were separated from their families. Some were seized by soldiers during military operations against left-wing rebels, and later found living with new families in Europe and North America. Others were given up for adoption by mothers forced into poverty or displaced by the conflict. Now, three decades on, some of those adopted are trying to piece together their lives and find their birth relatives. Former BBC correspondent in Central America, Mike Lanchin, follows the dramatic stories of two women who were adopted from El Salvador as young children during the war, which ended in 1992. Mike meets Jazmin, raised in France, who wonders why her adoptive parents never explained the circumstances of her adoption. Jazmin asks: could she be one of the war-time missing children? With the help of Salvadoran investigators using DNA testing, Jazmin is hoping to find a living birth relative. But will she succeed? Meanwhile in San Salvador, Mike speaks to two sisters who managed to locate the son of one of their younger siblings who was killed during the war. The son has been living in the US, totally unaware of his Salvadoran family's long search for him. Producers: Mike Lanchin and Philippa Goodrich Editor: Kristine Pommert A CTVC production for BBC World Service (Photo: Families of missing children hold up placards bearing their photos. Credit: Yuri Cortez/Getty Images) Children separated from their parents by civil war now want to find their birth families Children separated from their parents by El Salvador's civil war now want to find their birth families. |
El Salvador's Missing Children: Part Two | 20240418 | 20240420 (WS) 20240421 (WS) | Mike Lanchin, former BBC correspondent in Central America, continues to unfold the dramatic stories of children who were separated from their families and adopted abroad during El Salvador's brutal civil war which ended in 1992. Some were seized by soldiers during military operations against left-wing rebels, and later found living with new families in Europe and North America. Others were given up in adoption by mothers forced into poverty or displaced by the conflict. Now, more than three decades on, some of those adopted are trying to piece together their lives and find their birth relatives. In the second and final part of the series, Mike Lanchin speaks to Flor who's long struggled to understand why her birth mother gave her up to an American couple in the first years of the civil war. Is the scar from a bullet wound that Flor still carries on her stomach anything to do with her adoption? As Flor edges close to finding some answers, Mike hears again from Jazmin in France, whom he met in episode one, and who is now finding her search for a Salvadoran family member increasingly distressing. Mike tracks down the Salvadoran lawyer involved in her adoption back in the early 1980s. Can he provide the missing pieces of the jigsaw for Jazmin? Producers: Mike Lanchin and Philippa Goodrich A CTVC production for BBC World Service (Photo: Flor and family. Credit: CTVC) Can Salvadoran children adopted during the country's civil war find their birth families? |
Ending Homelessness The Finnish Way | 20240116 | 20240122 (WS) | What happens if you give a homeless person a house, with no strings attached? In 2007 Finland decided to switch to a radical new approach to homelessness called ‘housing first', in which homeless people are simply offered their own apartment, with no expectations of them except paying the rent (usually covered by their benefits); alongside this they are given whatever support they need to remain housed, for as long as they need it. Proponents of 'housing first' argue that it is much easier for homeless people to sort out issues such as addiction or poor mental health when they have a secure home. The results so far seem to bear this out: around 90% of people offered an apartment remain housed, a much higher rate than under the previous system. However, critics argue that the approach could be much harder to implement in countries without Finland's extensive social welfare system or good stock of affordable housing. Erika Benke visits the Väinölä Housing Unit outside Helsinki, an emergency shelter which was converted into 35 individual flats for formerly homeless people. What difference has having their own place made to the residents? And are they off the streets for good? Producer: Olivia Humphreys An Overcoat Media production for BBC World Service (Photo: The Väinölä Housing Unit outside Helsinki. Credit: Jouni Törmänen) How Finland eliminated street homelessness by turning housing policy on its head In 2007 Finland revolutionised its approach to homelessness, with remarkable results. What is the secret to its success, and what could other countries learn? |
Eng23 The Israeli Hostages (tue Doc) 1 | 20240130 | 20240204 (WS) | Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages, including children and babies, women, and elderly people. The exact numbers are still changing. Some of the hostages have been released under a deal brokered by Qatar. Anna Foster talks to people who were there when the attacks happened, at the kibbutz and at the festival. They share the pain of hiding or trying to escape, as their loved ones were killed or taken away from them. This is their story. Anna Foster talks to people who survived the 7 October attacks in Israel by Hamas. |
Erasing Hong Kong | 20240808 | 20240810 (WS) 20240811 (WS) | Hong Kong's history is being revised and erased - it's early origins, colonial legacy, post 1997 handover period and the crucial years since the mass 2019 democracy protests are being uprooted, overturned and rewritten by a government guided by the ruling Communist Party in Beijing. This 'rewriting' of history is being enforced in schools, universities, libraries, the local media and online. This process has seen library shelves raided, museums closed for 'review', art galleries censored, media archives wiped, commemorations and memorials banned. Every department of government seems affected - library users asked to scour the shelves for 'banned' books, the arts sector to purge itself of 'anti-China elements', the annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre shut down. Democracy activists, authors of children's books, students, and newspaper owners have been jailed for holding contradictory views, telling alternative narratives. All in the few years since 2019 and Covid-19. Hong Kong is a changed place - a place where memory wars are being fought, where history and your interpretation of it can lead to long prison sentences or exile. A Soundscape Production (Photo: Attendees wave Chinese and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) flags during celebrations of the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China on the Tsim Sha Tsui water front in Hong Kong. Credit: Leung Man Hei/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock) Paul French explores how Hong Kong's history is being revised and erased Paul French explores how Hong Kong's history is being revised and erased. Paul French explores how Hong Kong's history is being revised and erased - its early origins, colonial legacy, post 1997 handover period and the crucial years since the mass 2019 democracy protests is being uprooted & rewritten by a government guided by the ruling Communist Party in Beijing. Hong Kong is a changed place - a place where memory wars are being fought, where history and your interpretation of it can lead to prison or exile. A Soundscape Production. |
Eye Investigations | 20241121 | 20241124 (WS) | Investigations from our award-winning team across the globe. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
Faith On The Fly: The Airport Chaplains | 20241121 | 20241123 (WS) 20241124 (WS) | You can spend hours in an airport and never learn anything about the people around you. But follow the chaplains of London Heathrow, and you might start to see things - and people - differently. Headed up by Reverend Ruth Bottoms, a team of 20 multi-faith chaplains offer sanctuary and support to passengers and staff in the unpredictable environment of a mega airport. Counselling nervous fliers, responding to crises, leading daily masses in Heathrow's own chapel - these chaplains respond to whatever comes their way. Jude Shapiro spends a week with the chaplains and those they encounter to see what happens when faith, flight and the stresses of Europe's busiest airport combine. With thanks to the Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy and Heathrow Airport. Presenter/producer: Jude Shapiro Executive producer: Jack Howson Sound engineer: Arlie Adlington A Peanut and Crumb production for BBC World Service (Photo: Two airport chaplains wearing high-vis check flight updates in a departure hall at Heathrow Airport in London. Credit: Jude Shapiro) Spend a week with the chaplains of Heathrow Airport supporting passengers and staff Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Spend a week with the chaplains of Heathrow Airport, supporting passengers and staff, from nervous fliers to leading daily mass for the masses. In many ways, St George's is what you'd expect from a local chapel: friendly dedicated staff, weekly mass, an open door every day of the year. But being in the heart of Heathrow Airport makes its mission unique. With more than 20 multi-faith chaplains representing the major world religions, it offers sanctuary and support to 90 million-plus people annually in the unpredictable environment of a mega airport. We spend a week with the chaplains, and the passengers and airport staff they encounter. Can faith and connection soar in this most transitory, stressful, and ethereal of spaces? Producer/Presenter: Jude Shapiro Exec Producer: Jack Howson A Peanut & Crumb production for BBC World Service Spend a week in and around Heathrow Airport's chapel. |
Flying High | 20240912 | 20240914 (WS) 20240915 (WS) | The Peregrine Falcon is not only the fastest animal on our planet, but also the most widely distributed bird of prey, found on every continent apart from Antarctica. In the 1960s Falco Peregrinus was close to extinction, but it has since made a remarkable comeback, hailed as a global success story of conservation. Recent decades have also seen the trend of this speedy raptor notably settling, nesting and flourishing alongside us, in man-made environments around the globe. Broadcaster, naturalist and writer David Lindo, a.k.a. ‘The Urban Birder' travels from a hospital in London to a museum in Madrid and a power station in Kentucky, to explore how an iconic, apex predator is bouncing back from the brink, thriving in cities and towns across the world. Along the way David highlights their incredible hunting ability and how both our responsibility for the decline of the Peregrine and our pervading fondness for it, have helped to contribute to its astounding recovery. The fastest animal on earth - the Peregrine Falcon - is thriving alongside us. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. The fastest animal on earth – the Peregrine Falcon – is thriving alongside us. |
Flying High: The Return Of The Peregrine Falcon | 20240912 | 20240914 (WS) 20240915 (WS) | The peregrine falcon is not only the fastest animal on our planet, but also the most widely distributed bird of prey, found on every continent apart from Antarctica. In the 1960s Falco peregrinus was close to extinction, but it has since made a remarkable comeback and is hailed as a global success story of conservation. Recent decades have also seen the trend of this speedy raptor notably settling, nesting and flourishing alongside us, in man-made environments around the globe. Broadcaster, naturalist and writer David Lindo, aka 'The Urban Birder' travels from a hospital in London to a museum in Madrid and a power station in Kentucky, to explore how an iconic, apex predator is bouncing back from the brink, thriving in cities and towns across the world. Along the way David highlights their incredible hunting ability and how both our responsibility for the decline of the peregrine and our pervading fondness for it, have helped to contribute to its astounding recovery. Producer: Neil Kanwal Executive producer: Pete Shevlin (Photo: A peregrine falcon in flight. Credit: Getty images) The fastest animal on earth, the peregrine falcon, was nearly extinct but is now thriving Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. The fastest animal on earth, the Peregrine Falcon, was close to extinction but is now thriving alongside us. |
Football And Faith | 20231225 | Mani Djazmi presents a special programme as Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward and the former Portsmouth player Linvoy Primus discuss their Christian faith. We also hear from former USA international Jaelene Daniels, whose religious beliefs led her to turn down the chance to continue playing for her country. Mani Djazmi talks to current and former footballers about their faith. Image: Joel Ward playing for Crystal Palace (Credit: Russell Cheyne/Reuters) | |
Forward Thinking 1-4 | 20240406 | 20240407 (WS) | The Nobel prize winning scientist Venki Ramakrishnan considers both why we might live longer and also the dilemmas this raises. In the last few years medical advance had led to treatments that really do offer the potential to reverse life threatening cancers and debilitating diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. As well as lifting the lid on how these work, in discussion with Nuala McGovern, Venki also explores the questions such treatments raise. Initially they will be expensive, we already have a global society in which there is a direct link between life expectancy and affluence, will access to these treatments or lack of it, increase that disparity? And although your incurable disease may now be cured, what about the rest of your quality of life? Can the planet support an increasingly needy older and older generation? Does trying to live longer become a selfish act? Nobel prize-winning molecular biologist Professor Sir Venki Ramakrishnan heads the Ramakrishnan Lab at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge. This is the first in a series of four programmes from the Oxford Literary Festival, Presented by Nuala McGovern Recorded in front of an audience at Worcester College Oxford. Is it ethical to live longer? |
Forward Thinking 2-4 | 20240413 | 20240414 (WS) | Like many areas of science, space research is male dominated. Astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell is advocating for change. In 1967 Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered a previously unknown kind of star, the Pulsar. A Nobel prize followed – but not for Jocelyn - her male boss took the honour. Jocelyn has never been bitter about the award, but says that today things really should have moved much further than they have. Yes more women are working in space research, but is it enough? In conversation with Nuala McGovern she argues that different perspectives are essential for moving the science forward. One of these is a more global inclusive vision to exploring the cosmos. India and China have prestigious space programmes, and the low key space missions of Japan and South Africa collaborate with international partners from around the world. We discuss how global enthusiasm for space research can be used to propel change. Jocelyn Bell Burnell is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford. This is the second of a series of four programmes from the Oxford Literary Festival, Presented by Nuala McGovern Recorded in front of an audience at Worcester College Oxford. Searching for equality in Space This is the second of a series of four programmes from the Oxford Literary Festival, presented by Nuala McGovern, produced by Julian Siddle. |
Forward Thinking 3-4 | 20240420 | 20240421 (WS) | Could going vegan, help feed the world and save the planet? While industry and power production are often singled out as the main drivers of climate change, the global meat production industry is a bigger polluter. In the US preventable heart disease is the largest cause of death, eating too much meat is a major contributing factor. And worldwide agricultural lands are sown with enough crops that no one need go hungry – but much of this is fed to animals rather than people. Veganism advocate Gary Francione and Nutritionist Ron Weiss join Nuala McGovern to discuss the pros and cons of veganism. While it might make sense from an ethical and climate change perspective, it's a massive cultural leap for many. We ask whether veganism could really be useful in places where food might not be readily available. And answer concerns over whether a non meat diet can provide adequate nutrition. This is the third in a series of four programmes from the Oxford Literary Festival, presented by Nuala McGovern. The Producer is Julian Siddle. Recorded in front of an audience at Worcester College Oxford. Gary Francione is a writer on animal rights and professor of law at Rutgers University. Dr Ron Weiss is a physician, farmer and founder of Ethos Primary Care, a farm-based healthcare system. What would it take for you to give up meat? |
Forward Thinking: Can Feminism Fix The Internet? | 20240427 | 20240428 (WS) | From deepfakes to the fear of AI taking jobs, to the social media giants making money from abusive content, our technology dominated world is in a crisis – what are the solutions? AI researcher Kerry McInerney applies a feminist perspective to data, algorithms and intelligent machines. AI-powered tech, and generative AI in particular, pose new challenges for cybersecurity. Kerry proposes a new take on AI, looking at how it can be used on a small scale, acknowledging culture and gender, tailoring the technology for local applications rather than trying to push for global, one size fits all strategies. And in addressing corporate responsibility for Big Tech, Kerry discusses how tackling harassment online requires an understanding of the social, political and psychological dimensions of harassment, particularly of women in the wider world, as opposed to seeing this as a technical problem. Dr Kerry McInerney is a research fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, and the AI Now Institute. This is the last of four programmes from the Oxford Literary Festival, presented by Nuala McGovern, produced by Julian Siddle. Recorded in front of an audience at Worcester College Oxford. Our technology dominated world is in a crisis - what are the solutions? From deepfakes to the fear of AI taking jobs, our technology dominated world is in a crisis – what are the solutions? AI researcher Kerry McInerney talks to Nuala McGovern. AI-powered tech and generative AI in particular pose new challenges for cybersecurity. Kerry proposes a new take on AI, looking at how it can be used on a small scale, acknowledging culture and gender, tailoring the technology for local applications rather than trying to push for global one size fits all strategies. And in addressing corporate responsibility for Big Tech, Kerry discusses how tackling harassment online requires an understanding of the social, political and psychological dimensions of harassment particularly of women in the wider world, as opposed to seeing this as a technical problem. Dr Kerry McInerney is a Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge and the AI Now Institute Can Feminism fix the internet ? |
Forward Thinking: Can Going Vegan Feed The World? | 20240420 | 20240421 (WS) | Could going vegan help feed the world and save the planet? While industry and power production are often singled out as the main drivers of climate change, the global meat production industry is a bigger polluter. Preventable heart disease is the largest cause of death in the US, and eating too much meat is a major contributing factor. And worldwide, agricultural lands are sown with enough crops that no one need go hungry – but much of this is fed to animals rather than people. Veganism advocate Gary Francione and nutritionist Ron Weiss join Nuala McGovern to discuss the pros and cons of veganism. While it might make sense from an ethical and climate change perspective, it's a massive cultural leap for many. We ask whether veganism could really be useful in places where food might not be readily available, and answer concerns over whether a non-meat diet can provide adequate nutrition. This is the third in a series of four programmes from the Oxford Literary Festival, presented by Nuala McGovern. The Producer is Julian Siddle. Recorded in front of an audience at Worcester College Oxford. Gary Francione is a writer on animal rights and professor of law at Rutgers University, and Dr Ron Weiss is a physician, farmer and founder of Ethos Primary Care, a farm-based healthcare system. What would it take for you to give up meat? What would it take for you to give up meat? Veganism advocate Gary Francione and nutritionist Ron Weiss join Nuala McGovern to discuss the pros and cons of going vegan. |
Forward Thinking: Is It Ethical To Live Longer? | 20240406 | 20240407 (WS) | Nobel Prize-winning scientist Venki Ramakrishnan considers both why we might live longer, and the dilemmas this raises. In the last few years, medical advances have led to treatments that really do offer the potential to tackle life-threatening cancers and debilitating diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. In discussion with Nuala McGovern, Venki also explores the questions such treatments raise. Initially, they will be expensive, and we already have a global society in which there is a direct link between life expectancy and affluence; will access to these treatments, or lack of it, increase that disparity? And although your incurable disease may now be cured, what about the rest of your quality of life? Can the planet support an increasingly needy older and older generation? Does trying to live longer become a selfish act? Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist Venki Ramakrishnan heads a research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. This is the first in a series of four programmes from the Oxford Literary Festival, presented by Nuala McGovern and produced by Julian Siddle. Recorded in front of an audience at Worcester College, Oxford. The dilemmas caused by treatments that could tackle some of our most serious illnesses |
Forward Thinking: Jocelyn Bell Burnell | 20240413 | 20240414 (WS) | In 1967, Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered a previously unknown kind of star, the Pulsar. A Nobel prize followed, but not for Jocelyn; her male boss took the honour. Jocelyn has never been bitter about the award, but says that today things should have moved much further than they have. More women are working in space research, but is it enough? In conversation with Nuala McGovern, she argues that different perspectives are essential for moving the science forward. One of these is a more global, inclusive vision to exploring the cosmos. India and China have prestigious space programmes, and the low-key space missions of Japan and South Africa collaborate with international partners from around the world. We discuss how global enthusiasm for space research can be used to propel change. Jocelyn Bell Burnell is professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford. This is the second of a series of four programmes from the Oxford Literary Festival, presented by Nuala McGovern, produced by Julian Siddle. Recorded in front of an audience at Worcester College Oxford. Why a celebrated astrophysicist believes space research needs a new approach One of the world's most celebrated astrophysicists, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, argues space research needs a new approach. |
Gaming Africa | 20240516 | 20240606 (WS) 20240608 (WS) 20240609 (WS) | Kobby Spiky explores both the challenges and opportunities everyday gamers and developers run into on the African continent; from a lack of native servers to a boom in mobile gaming. As with every part of the world, gaming as a pastime has increased in popularity in Africa but are gamers being left behind by big name companies from Europe, Japan and the United States? And how do African developers plan to fill these gaps in the market. Presenter: Kobby Spiky Producer: Kurt Brookes and David Nuttall A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service (Photo: Kobby Spiky. Credit: IKON Photography GH) Kobby Spiky explores the challenges for gamers and developers in Africa Kobby Spiky explores the challenges for gamers and developers in Africa. In this documentary, host Kobby Spiky Nkrumah explores both the challenges and opportunities everyday gamers and developers run into on the African continent; from a lack of native servers to a boom in mobile gaming. As with every part of the world, gaming as a pastime has increased in popularity in Africa but are gamers being left behind by big name companies from Europe, Japan and the United States? And how do African developers plan to fill these gaps in the market. Kobby Spiky Nkrumah explores the challenges for gamers and developers in Africa. |
Gaza Diaries | 20231129 | English teacher Farida and Khalid, a medical supplier, document through intimate voice messages their struggle to survive the war in Gaza. They tell a story of immense loss and resilience in a worsening humanitarian crisis. The Gaza diaries was produced by Haya Al Badarneh, Lara Elgebaly, Mamdouh Akbiek Mohammad Shalaby and Mary O'Reilly. The editors were Rebecca Henschke and Simon Cox and it was mixed by Graham Puddifoot. A BBC Arabic investigations production for the BBC World Service. Telling a story of immense loss and resilience in a worsening humanitarian crisis | |
Global Dancefloor: Tbilisi | 20240905 | 20240907 (WS) 20240908 (WS) | Frank McWeeny heads to Georgia's capital Tbilisi, to meet the underground music community leading protests against government clampdown on freedom of expression and civil society groups. How vital is dancing in a country going through the biggest political and social crisis of its generation? We hear from the city most important techno club Bassiani, militant radio station and event space Mutant Radio, and members of the nightlife scene. Presenter/producer: Frank McWeeny A Just Radio production for BBC World Service (Photo: Bassiani club main room. Credit: She Raptor) The underground music scene fighting against a clampdown in Georgia's capital Tbilisi Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. The underground music scene fighting against a clampdown in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. In Georgia's capital Tbilisi, the underground music scene is fighting against a clampdown. |
Going Bananas | 20240813 | 20240818 (WS) 20240819 (WS) | The world's most popular banana is under threat. A killer fungus is ravaging plantations of the Cavendish banana worldwide. It travels through the soil at lightning speed and chokes the banana plant so its leaves shrivel up and die. The disease is known as Tropical Race 4, or TR4 for short, and it has spread across the globe from Australia, to the Philippines, Pakistan and Mozambique. In Colombia, where 30,000 people are employed in banana plantations, the government declared a state of national emergency when the fungus first arrived on farms in 2019. But there is hope. An international community of scientists is experimenting with different techniques to try to halt the spread of TR4 whether that's through gene-editing, selective breeding or injecting microbes into the soil. Presenter Harry Wallop travels to Austria where nuclear scientists are blasting banana plants with radiation to try and create disease-resistant strains of the Cavendish banana. He also samples alternative varieties of banana that might replace it. Presenter: Harry Wallop Producer: Robin Markwell (Photo: Banana counter in supermarket) A killer fungus known as Tropical Race 4 is ravaging banana plantations worldwide A killer fungus known as Tropical Race 4, or TR4, is ravaging banana plantations worldwide. What can be done to save this much-loved fruit? The world's most popular banana is under threat. A killer fungus is ravaging plantations of the Cavendish banana worldwide. It travels through the soil at lightning speed and chokes the banana plant so its leaves shrivel up and die. The disease is known as Tropical Race 4, or TR4 for short, and it has spread across the globe from Australia, to the Philippines, Pakistan and Mozambique. Now TR4 is widespread across Latin America. In Colombia, where 30,000 people are employed in banana plantations, the government declared a state of national emergency when the fungus first arrived on farms in 2019. Some experts predict that the Cavendish banana may cease to exist as early as 2050. The world's most popular banana is under threat. A killer fungus is ravaging plantations of the Cavendish banana worldwide. It travels through the soil at lightning speed and chokes the banana plant so its leaves shrivel up and die. The disease is known as Tropical Race 4 – or TR4 for short - and it has spread across the globe from Australia, to the Philippines, Pakistan and Mozambique. Now TR4 is widespread across Latin America. In Colombia – where thirty thousand people are employed in banana plantations – the government declared a state of national emergency when the fungus first arrived on farms in 2019. Some experts have predicted that the Cavendish banana may cease to exist as early as 2050. In Going Bananas we visit towns that have become deserted after plantations were forced to close and hear from some of the Colombian banana producers whose lives have been turned upside down. But there is hope. An international community of scientists is experimenting with different techniques to try to halt the spread of TR4 whether that's through gene-editing, selective breeding or injecting microbes into the soil. Presenter Harry Wallop travels to Austria where nuclear scientists are blasting banana plants with radiation to try and create and disease-resistant strains of the Cavendish banana. But should the much-loved Cavendish banana cease to be – he'll also sample alternative varieties of banana that might replace it. Many look very different to the classic, curvy, yellow Cavendish. Harry will unpeel the truth facing one of the world's most popular fruits. A killer fungus is ravaging banana plantations worldwide. So can the banana be saved? |
Greening The Hajj | 20240613 | 20240615 (WS) 20240616 (WS) | The Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj, attracted no fewer than two million pilgrims in 2023. But this pilgrim boom has an environmental downside: climate scientists are warning that the five-day Hajj alone, with its bargain flights, hotels, catering and local transport, produces over 1.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, roughly the amount New York City emits every two weeks. Yet the Saudi government has plans to go much bigger still: by 2030, they want 30 million pilgrims a year to take part in the Hajj and Umrah, an optional version of the pilgrimage at other times of year. That's a full 10 million more than before the pandemic. In this documentary, Zubeida Malik asks what the Saudi authorities, local groups and campaigners, religious scholars and the pilgrims themselves can do to reduce the environmental footprint of one of the largest religious gatherings on the planet. She hears from people on the ground in Mecca how the government's environmental aims for the Hajj are being put into practice. And she talks to stakeholders around globe: considering that it's incumbent upon every Muslim who is physically and financially able to do the Hajj once in their lifetime, what role can Muslim pressure groups and even individuals play in greening the Hajj? And in the age of virtual reality, could there be an even more radical solution? What can Muslims do to reduce the enormous carbon footprint of the pilgrimage to Mecca? |
His And Hers Medicine | 20240420 | 20240421 (WS) 20240424 (WS) | Dr Zoe Williams talks to researchers and clinicians around the world as she investigates how and why the care of women has been so neglected, and what moves are afoot to change that. She examines the historical inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of women, particularly in the area of heart disease. There is an abiding myth that men are much more likely to suffer heart attacks than women, but heart disease is the number one killer of women in the US, and the British Heart Foundation estimates that nearly 10,000 British women would still be alive over the last decade alone had they received the same quality of care as men. This is a global problem. Dr Zoe Williams is a general practitioner in the NHS. She's also the resident doctor on ITV's This Morning and a regular expert on the BBC's The One Show. Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith Executive producer: Susan Marling Dr Zoe Williams examines historical inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of women Dr Zoe Williams talks to medical experts around the world as she investigates how and why the care of women has been so neglected, and what moves are afoot to change that. Women's bodies have historically been treated as if they were the same as men's. But there's an increasing awareness that women's bodies are very different from those of men, even down to a cellular level. Drugs are tested primarily on men, diagnostic tools refer most often to men and even after diagnosis, women are treated by the medical profession very differently. As a result women are suffering and even dying unnecessarily. His and Hers Medicine examines the historical inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of women particularly in the area of heart disease. One of the abiding myths is that men are much more likely to suffer heart attacks than women. In fact heart disease is the number one killer of women in the US and the British Heart Foundation estimates that had they received the same quality of care as men, nearly 10,000 British women would still be alive over the last decade alone. And this is a global problem. Dr Zoe Williams talks to researchers and clinicians around the world as she investigates how and why the care of women has been so neglected and what moves are afoot to change that. Producer : Alison Vernon-Smith Women are dying because the medical profession treats them like men. With Dr Zoe Williams |
India's Fight Against Tb | 20240822 | 20240824 (WS) 20240825 (WS) | It is estimated tuberculosis kills someone every 90 seconds in India. In 2015 the United Nations and the World Health Organisation set out a blueprint to eradicate TB by 2030 but the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a more ambitious target - to rid his country of the disease by 2025. With the deadline looming how likely is it that India will succeed? Assam based film-maker Brishbhanu Baruah assesses how much progress is being made as he meets those who have survived TB, people treating patients, policymakers and campaigners determined to end the stigma associated with having the disease, one of the main roadblocks to eradication. Producer: Kurt Brookes A Made In Manchester production for BBC World Service (Photo: Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha and BJP MP Anurag Thakur during a cricket match at the TB (tuberculosis) Free India Summit-2019. Credit: Manoj Verma/Getty Images) In 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a target to eradicate TB by 2025 Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. In 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set an ambitious target - to rid his country of tuberculosis (TB) by 2025. Will he succeed? In 2018, India set itself a target to eradicate Tuberculosis (TB), a potentially deadly infectious respiratory disease, by 2025. A year before their self-imposed deadline, Bhakti Jain investigates how and if a country with nearly 1.5 billion citizens and the world's highest number of TB sufferers can make this a reality. |
India's Wrestling School For Girls | 20240725 | 20240727 (WS) 20240728 (WS) | In the industrial town of Haryana in Northern India, young girls are breaking barriers training hard to become the next generation of gold medal winning wrestlers, following their idols who have tasted Olympic glory abroad and made a stand against attitudes to women at home. But their success has come at a price. BBC Journalist Divya Arya looks at what it takes for these girls to become an Indian wrestling heroine We look at what it takes for girls in Northern India to become wrestling heroines |
'indocumentados', America's Undocumented Migrants | 20240815 | 20240817 (WS) 20240818 (WS) | The US is home to around seven million undocumented migrants from central and south America. Many have been in the US for years, providing a vital workforce for many sectors of the US economy. But they have no health cover, or workplace benefits and many live under the constant threat of deportation back home. As Americans prepare for another presidential race where immigration is likely to figure high again on the agenda, Mike Lanchin travels to the state of Maryland, to hear about the lives of some of its large undocumented Latino population. Maria is a single mother from El Salvador, who gets up at 5am for work, but has no holiday or sick pay, and never knows from one day to the next if she will have a job. Her younger sister, Delmi, tells Mike how she has been using false papers to get work since arriving last year. She worries that she, her partner and their four-year-old son will have to move constantly to avoid deportation. And we hear from Toño who came to the US as an unaccompanied minor but now has a temporary work permit, although his wife is still classed as undocumented despite working and paying US taxes for almost two decades. Presenter/producer: Mike Lanchin Editor: Kristine Pommert A CTVC production for BBC World Service (Photo: Men looking for work at the US-Mexican border Credit: Getty Images) First-hand accounts of the precarious lives of America's undocumented Latinos Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. First-hand accounts of the precarious lives of America's undocumented Latinos. ‘Maria' is a single mother from El Salvador, who gets up at 5am for work, but has no holiday or sick pay, and never knows from one day to the next if she will have a job. Her younger sister, ‘Delmi', tells Mike how she's been using false papers to get work since arriving last year. She worries that she, her partner and their four-year-old son will have to move constantly to avoid deportation. And we hear from ‘Toño' who came to the US as an unaccompanied minor but now has a temporary work permit, although his wife is still classed as undocumented despite working and paying US taxes for almost two decades. Presenter & producer: Mike Lanchin Photo: Migrants Cross Into U.S. From Mexico Through Abandoned Railroad (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images) |
Inside The Myanmar Military | 20240919 | The Myanmar military is being pushing into retreat by a people's armed uprising. | |
Instagram's Fake Guru | 20240718 | 20240720 (WS) | Former Brazilian model, wellness influencer and spiritual life coach Kat Torres was an inspiration and a lifeline to women all over the world. More than a million people on Instagram followed her extraordinary career trajectory from extreme poverty in Brazil, to a European modelling career and a life of luxury in the US. But behind the perfectly curated posts is a story of witchcraft, sexual exploitation and human trafficking; a dark and secretive sorority that led to missing women and sent their families and the FBI on a desperate search to find them. After months of investigations, a team from BBC Eye and BBC News Brasil uncover a wellness empire built on half-truths and lies. For the documentary Hannah Price tells the story of her enslaved followers and the heavy price they paid. And for the first time - in a surreal confrontation behind the walls of a Brazilian prison - we hear from the self-proclaimed “guru” who exerted absolute control. How former Brazilian model and wellness influencer Kat Torres enslaved her followers Former Brazilian model, wellness influencer and spiritual life coach Kat Torres and her story of witchcraft, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. |
Invisible Souls | 20240822 | 20240825 (WS) | Fishermen from the Philippines, Ghana and Sri Lanka speak out about how badly, they say, they were treated by a Scottish fishing company that hired them. Most of the fishermen have been waiting in the UK for more than 10 years for their case to be heard. Despite two extensive police investigations, no convictions have been secured for human trafficking or modern slavery. This is the first time the fishermen have spoken out. Reporter/producer: Monica Whitlock Sound: Tom Brignell Music: Jon Nicholls The fishermen who say they were mistreated by a Scottish fishing company speak out Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Fishermen from the Philippines, Ghana and Sri Lanka speak out for the first time about how badly, they say, they were treated by a Scottish fishing company. |
Iraq's Secret Women's Shelters | 20241031 | 20241102 (WS) 20241103 (WS) | 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. “For the first time ever, I now feel I have a real family,” Miriam says of life in the refuge. Iraqi feminist Yanar Mohammed, who set up the first known women's safe house in Baghdad in 2003, tells Rebecca how her work has led to death threats and law suits, forcing her into hiding. Rebecca also speaks to a former member of the Iraqi parliament who has tried in vain to force a change in the law to criminalise domestic violence, and to a policewoman who is struggling on a daily basis to contain the rising violence in the home. Presenter/producer: Rebecca Kesby Editor: Mike Lanchin CTVC production for BBC World Service (Photo: An artwork of stitched clothes from women who survived domestic violence by artist Tara Abdallah stretches over 5km on a major street in Sulaimaniyah, in Iraq's northern Kurdish region, 26 October 2020. Credit: Shwan Mohammed/AFP/Getty Images) The dangerous and secretive work of the Iraqi women helping victims of domestic violence Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. The dangerous and secretive work of the Iraqi women helping victims of domestic violence. The BBC's Rebecca Kesby has been given unprecedented access to some of the women running these clandestine refuges in major Iraqi cities, as well as to some of the survivors now able to live in a safer environment. From inside one of the secret shelters, 22-year-old ‘Mariam' tells Rebecca about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband and his relatives. “For the first time ever, I now feel I have a real family” Miriam says of life in the refuge. “I was told that if I don't stop this work, I will be killed right away.” Presenter and producer: Rebecca Kesby |
Kissinger's Legacy | 20231202 | 20231203 (WS) | Henry Kissinger was one of the most important diplomatic figures of the last 50 years |
Labelling The World | 20240518 | 20240519 (WS) 20240522 (WS) | Many modern mental health classifications have been created or influenced by a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM is the official classification handbook for psychiatrists in the United States, and is widely considered the principal bible for psychiatry worldwide, even in countries which don't officially use DSM labels to define certain conditions. This programme examines the way the manual's authors came to their decisions, and looks at how different labels have been used to classify types of mental illness since the manual was first published in 1952. Controversially, homosexuality was classed as a mental illness by the DSM until the 1970s. Advocates of DSM say labels help people take ownership of their situation and provide them with answers they've been looking for, treatments and social support. Critics think it creates stigma, medicalises normality, and leads to a glut of unnecessary and harmful drug prescriptions. Psychiatrist and former DSM IV author Professor Allen Frances talks of an 'epidemic' of over-diagnosis. The programme looks at how attitudes to the DSM differ around the world, and how the manual has a powerful influence on research, pharmaceutical companies, insurance firms and legal systems. Producer: Ashley Byrne A Made in Manchester Production for the BBC World Service. How one manual has had a huge influence on the diagnosis of mental health conditions The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is a manual used globally when diagnosing mental health conditions. How does it work, and how profound is its influence? |
Las Patronas | 20240801 | 20240803 (WS) 20240804 (WS) | We visit the Las Patronas women 30 years on from when the young Romero Vazquez sisters first threw a loaf of bread onto the infamously dangerous La Bestia train. A train meant only for cargo, but which by brutal necessity has become an extraordinarily dangerous mode of transport for more than 400,000 migrants every year. It begins from near the border of Guatemala, and along its 2000 mile journey migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico itself cling to its roof, heading north to America. Norma Romero Vazquez guides us through the last 30 years since her and her sister first made the decision to help the passing migrants. Four generations of women work to cook implausible amounts of food in the kitchen of Las Patronas every day, and amid the sound of cooking and layers of female voices we unpack what this endeavour means to them. We share the stories of those who are receiving the help. The migrants attempting to make the dangerous journey right now and find out what this oasis of calm and kindness in the midst of what can be a traumatic journey, truly means to them. Producer: Mansi Vithlani and Becky Green Executive producer: Ailsa Rochester Sound designer: Craig Edmondson An Audio Always production for BBC World Service (Photo: The leader of Las Patronas, Norma Romero Vázquez, poses for a picture in Las Patronas town, Veracruz State, Mexico, 9 August, 2018. Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images) The women helping those clinging to the train that thunders through their Mexican village In Las Patronas we hear the stories of the tight knit community of women who saw the rise of desperate humans clinging to the train that thunders through their village in Mexico, and instead of turning away gathered together to help. 30 years on from when they first threw a loaf of bread onto the infamously dangerous La Bestia train, we hear how a small act of kindness became a way of life. In this important election year, hearing from them how the world has changed from their perspective. |
Life At 50\u00b0c: South Sudan's Toxic Oil | 20241114 | 20241117 (WS) | A historic trial is underway in Sweden: two European executives of a Swedish oil company are standing trial for aiding and abetting war crimes in South Sudan. In this programme, BBC Eye investigates how oil has transformed South Sudan: from violence to pollution, and now as climate change. George Tai is a South Sudanese human-rights lawyer who lost his family in the country's so-called “oil war,” and who is speaking out on the toxic legacy oil exploration has left. He's had to flee the country after receiving death threats, but those who remain speak of other horrors. They say that present-day oil extraction is destroying the environment and causing babies to be born with birth defects. BBC Eye investigates the legacy of oil in the northern states of South Sudan. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
Losing Attar | 20240620 | 20240622 (WS) 20240623 (WS) | Jigyasa Mishra travels to Kannauj to explore how our changing world has decimated the city's centuries old attar industry. Kannauj has been distilling flowers to make attar since the time of the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1605. But its popularity is waning, as consumers move toward cheaper synthetic fragrances. Climate change is also having significant effects on the flowers that go into making attar . A Whistledown Production. How our changing world has decimated Kannuaj's centuries old attar industry |
Me And My Digital Twin | 20241130 | 20241201 (WS) 20241204 (WS) 20241205 (WS) | Professor Ghislaine Boddington aspires to be interconnected with an AI digital companion that advises and supports her, keeps her healthy and represents her around the world. A twin that could live on after her death, or for as long as someone pays the subscription. This is not some private fantasy but, as technologies converge, a potential near-future for many of us - or at least those of us who can afford it. Researchers and companies are already experimenting with ways of combining virtual worlds, gaming avatars, fitness sensors, health apps and AI. In practical terms, a digital bio-twin is made up of continuously measured multiple biological signals from your body. These might include your heartbeat, breath, temperature and muscle tension, as well as food intake, exercise and mental health - all fed into an avatar body. By combining AI and, for example, scanning our bodies and faces, cloning our voice and mannerisms, our virtual twin will become more and more like us. In a journey that involves an MRI heart scan, dancing in a Belgium basement and a discussion about digital death, Ghislaine explores how existing technology is making a digital human twin possible. She hears from cardiologists, engineers, performance artists and tech entrepreneurs as she learns how to build her own digital twin. How to build a digital you - Professor Ghislaine Boddington investigates. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. How to build a digital you – Professor Ghislaine Boddington investigates. |
My Forgotten War | 20231114 | 20231119 (WS) | Turkey hosts the largest population of refugees and asylum seekers in the world. These include around 3.6 million Syrians, who fled there during the war in their country. Now many of those Syrian refugees feel forgotten and unsafe once more, while tensions with locals are higher than ever. Seven years ago, the EU handed Turkey six billion euros in a deal to stop Syrians heading to Europe. Since then, many Turks say their welcome has worn thin. And now, the Turkish government is deporting Syrians it says are in Turkey illegally, back to the warzone. Karam was 19 when the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, had security forces fire on peaceful protesters and arrest hundreds of citizens. Karam was one of those arrested, and after being released he eventually paid a people smuggler to take him to Turkey. He believes that he will be arrested and tortured if he returns to Syria. But he is also afraid to stay in Turkey, saying that local Police ask for his papers around five times a day. Hannah Lucinda Smith is in Esenyurt, a predominantly Syrian district around an hour's drive from the centre of Istanbul, speaking to both Syrians and Turks about why tensions have escalated. What is next for Syrians living there? Presenter: Hannah Lucinda Smith Producer: Matt Wareham A Depictar Ltd production for BBC World Service (Photo: Syrians raise the flags of the revolution and chant in demonstrations to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Syrian revolution against the Assad regime, in the city of Jenders, Aleppo, 18 March, 2023. Credit: Rami Alsayed/Getty Images) Why is the situation for Syrian refugees in Turkey becoming increasingly hostile? |
New Germans | 20240921 | 20240922 (WS) 20240925 (WS) | In 2015, more than a million refugees were taken in by Germany, mostly from the middle east; in 2024, many are now in the process of becoming citizens. A new citizenship law passed this year also means that many more recent arrivals are officially becoming German, against a backdrop of the sudden political rise of Germany's anti-immigration far right. Damien McGuinness meets 'New Germans' across the country to see how their experience reflects the ways Germany is changing. A Whistledown production. In 2015 over a million refugees were taken in by Germany, we meet these 'New Germans Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
On The Front Page Frontline | 20241010 | Gary O'Donoghue meets newspaper editors during the US Presidential election campaign. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. | |
Other People's Children | 20231021 | 20231022 (WS) 20231025 (WS) | Mothers from all over the world leave their families in search of economic opportunities elsewhere – and they often end up working as nannies, which means they spend their days with children while their own are far away. How does it feel to nurture other people's children while someone else takes care of yours? How does it shape a family when the mother works abroad? What's the impact on the children, and their relationship with their parents? Namulanta Kombo - host of the multi-award-winning World Service podcast Dear Daughter – explores the personal stories behind this “global care chain. ? She speaks to women all over the world who've been in this situation, from the Philippines to Romania to Nairobi to Dubai. They tell her what led them to leave, and what it's been like for them - the birthdays missed and late night phone calls. They talk about the thrill of watching someone else's child take their first steps, and the challenges of keeping your family together when you're thousands of miles apart. And she speaks to some of the people who stayed behind about the lasting impact on their families. (Image: Adult and child holding hands. Credit: Getty/damircudic) What's it like to care for other people's children while someone else looks after yours? The rarely heard voices of the domestic workers who spend years away from their homes and families, caring for other people's children. |
Our House: Stories Of The Holocaust | 20240123 | 20240128 (WS) | Jo Glanville meets Berliners who have researched the stories of the Jewish families who once lived in their homes. Marie, Hugh, Anke and Matthias all became fascinated by the history of the families who lived in their flats before them when the Nazis were in power and wanted to find out what happened to them. Their discoveries are an intimate portrait of how lives were turned upside down and offer a new way of honouring the memory of Berliners who lost everything in the Holocaust. Jo Glanville visits one of the surviving residents - 95-year-old Ruth, now living in the UK, who vividly remembers what it was like to grow up in Nazi Germany - and tracks down the house in Berlin where her own mother spent part of her childhood. It's a revelatory journey, uncovering the past through forgotten family stories and revealing the little known history of how the Nazis deprived Jews of the right to live in their homes. The past isn't dead - it has come to life again through the extraordinary research of ordinary Berliners. Berliners reveal the stories of the Jewish families who once lived in their homes. Jo Glanville meets Berliners who are unearthing the stories of the Jewish families who once lived in their homes. Marie, Hugh, Anke and Matthias all became fascinated by the history of the families who lived in their flats before them when the Nazis were in power and wanted to find out what happened to them. Their discoveries are an intimate portrait of how lives were turned upside down and offer a new way of honouring the memory of Berliners who lost everything in the Holocaust. Jo visits one of the surviving residents - 95-year-old Ruth, now living in the UK, who vividly remembers what it was like to grow up in Nazi Germany. She tracks down the house in Berlin where her own mother spent part of her childhood. It is a revelatory journey, uncovering forgotten family stories and revealing how the Nazis deprived Jews of the right to live in their homes. The Berliners unearthing the plight of the Jewish families who once lived in their homes Meet the Berliners who are unearthing the plight of the Jewish families who once lived in their homes. |
Paris: Football's Greatest Talent Factory | 20240120 | 20240121 (WS) 20240124 (WS) 20240125 (WS) | Some call it the City of Love and others the City of Lights - but would a more accurate nickname for Paris be the City of Football? After all, not only were there 11 Parisians in the France World Cup squad - but there were also players born in the city's suburbs playing for Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Qatar, Cameroon, Ghana, Portugal and Germany. So what is it about the Banlieue that helps create such amazing football talent? BBC World Service goes inside the clubs that created Kylian Mbappe, Thierry Henry, and N'Golo Kante, we speak to the coaches who helped launch incredible careers and we meet some of the street footballers who turned into international stars. Some call it the 'City of Love' and others the 'City of Lights', but would a more accurate nickname for Paris be the 'City of Football'? After all, not only were there 11 Parisians in the France World Cup squad - but there were also players born in the city's suburbs representing Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Qatar, Cameroon, Ghana, Portugal and Germany. So what is it about the city's banlieues that helps create such amazing football talent? BBC World Service goes inside the clubs that created Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba and Moussa Diaby, and speaks to the coaches who helped launch their incredible careers. We also meet some of the street footballers who turned into international stars. We investigate why Paris Saint-Germain has often missed out on the talented players on its doorstep and hear about the dangers posed by agents, scouts and pushy parents eager to profit from the riches available to those who make it to the very top. Presenter: John Bennett Producer: Sam Sheringham (Photo: Kingsley Coman celebrates his first goal with Kylian Mbappe during the game between France and Scotland, Decathlon Arena, 17 October, 2023. Credit: Xavier Laine/Getty Images) What is it about Paris's banlieues that helps create such amazing football talent? |
Perfume's Dark Secret | 20240420 | 20240421 (WS) | Top perfume brands - Louis Vuitton, Aerin Beauty, Lancome and Giorgio Armani - may have “worst form of child labour ? in their supply chain, a BBC investigation has revealed. BBC Eye investigations takes you to the heart of the jasmine trade in Egypt, to reveal the dark secrets behind the perfume industry. Children are working in dangerous conditions throughout the night, and families are often earning as little as a dollar a day, while huge profits are made by the giants in the perfume industry. Over half of the world's supply of jasmine is produced in Egypt and this story explores the true human cost of this precious flower, considered to be one of the most valuable ingredients used in some of the world's most iconic perfumes. Billion dollar global brands, such as Louis Vuitton and Giorgio Armani, who use Egyptian jasmine in their perfumes, claim to have zero tolerance on child labour throughout their supply chains. But the BBC has gathered evidence that a significant number of jasmine flower pickers in Egypt are children - some as young as 5 years-old - working in the jasmine fields putting their health and education at risk. The UN Special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery reviewed the BBC's evidence independently and concluded that due to the detrimental impact that this work has on the children's health and education, it “may have the worst form of child labour. ? Top perfume brands may have \u201cworst form of child labour\u201d a BBC Eye investigation reveals Top perfume brands may have “worst form of child labour ? in their jasmine supplies, the most valuable ingredients in some of the world's perfumes, a BBC Eye investigation reveals. |
Perfume's Dark Secret | 20240530 | 20240601 (WS) 20240602 (WS) | The global perfume industry is worth billions. Some luxury brands sell for hundreds of dollars a bottle. But BBC Eye Investigations has discovered that when the sun goes down in Egypt, there is a hidden human cost to this industry. In the summer of 2023, the BBC visited four different locations in Egypt's main jasmine-growing area in the Gharbia region, and found children - some as young as five - working at night to pick the jasmine that was supplied to some of the world's leading perfume brands through factories in Egypt. The UN's special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery tells the BBC what it has uncovered 'may constitute the worst form of child labour'. We hear the story of one family who say they have no choice but to take their children into the jasmine fields to work, in order to earn enough money to live. Reporter: Natasha Cox Producers: Ahmed El Shamy and Louise Hidalgo Editors: Rebecca Henschke and Rosie Garthwaite Sound engineer: Neil Churchill and James Beard Children as young as five are picking jasmine, an ingredient used in leading perfumes Children as young as five are picking jasmine, an ingredient used in some of the world's leading perfume brands, a BBC investigation finds. |
President Macron In Conversation With Katya Adler | 20231110 | 20231111 (WS) | With war in Ukraine and in the Middle East, it is a moment of conflict in countries neighbouring Europe. In France, trouble abroad and tensions at home have led to protests on the streets. Despite this moment of crisis, President Macron still wants to push world leaders to engage with some of the biggest challenges of our time - from climate change to the role of artificial intelligence. He talks to the BBC's Europe editor, Katya Adler, at the Élysée Palace in Paris. (Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, Paris, 3 November, 2023. Credit: Claudia Greco/Reuters) Why President Macron still wants to push world leaders to engage with global challenges Why President Macron still wants to push world leaders to engage with global challenges, including climate change and AI. |
Reducing Risks In A Risky World | 20240123 | 20240129 (WS) | A programme looking at Japan's transformative risk reduction solutions since the devastating 2011 tsunami. Approximately 96% of the world's Official Development Assistance is currently allocated to disaster-related activities is for post-disaster recovery, while only 4% is allocated to disaster risk reduction. That urgently needs to change in the face of climate change. How do you reduce risks in an increasingly risky world? Since the devastating 2011 tsunami Japan has been piloting transformative risk reduction solutions in areas prone to severe damage from earthquakes and tsunamis. Better communication is key to these efforts - 35% of people living in flooded areas in 2011 apparently did not hear the radio announcements. Sendai City is working to solve the challenge of reliable communications through the development of an emergency announcement system that uses fully automated drones. These can quickly be dispatched to tell people to evacuate when tsunami alerts are issued. This new system uses a dedicated private wireless communication network and an infrared camera mounted on a drone transmits pictures of affected areas affected to the city's disaster response headquarters in real-time. Ruth Evans talks to people affected by the tsunami and disaster mitigation experts and scientists trying to ensure they never have to face such devastation again. A Ruth Evans production for BBC World Service (Photo: An automated drone standing on its docking station. Credit: Ruth Evans) In Japan, automated drones are being developed to mitigate the risks from tsunamis In Japan, automated drones are being developed to mitigate the risks and devastation posed by tsunamis and earthquakes. |
Reporting Greece | 20240213 | 20240218 (WS) | Greece is the birthplace of democracy. But how free is Greece's media? Nikos Papanikolaou travels to his home town, Athens, to speak to journalists who have had their phones hacked by an advanced new spyware, been sued for defamation, and been under surveillance by the Greek national intelligence agency. In the south of the city he visits the widow of the an investigative journalist murdered just outside their family home. Nikos also hears from Members of the European Parliament, those who want the EU to withhold funds until Greece improves the position for journalists, and those outraged by the idea that Greece does not already have a free media. Presenter: Nikos Papanikolaou Producer: Giles Edwards This programme was edited after it was published (Photo: A woman reads newspaper's headlines referring to the killing of a Greek journalist in Athens on 10 April, 2021. Giorgos Karaivaz, who worked for private TV station Star, was shot several times outside his home on 9 April. Credit: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images) Greek journalist say intimidation and surveillance is restricting their ability to report Greek journalist say intimidation and surveillance is restricting their ability to report freely. We investigate the increasing threats to journalists' ability to report freely in Europe. |
Rewilding The Orphaned Elephants | 20231226 | 20231231 (WS) | Deep in Northern Kenya, former Samburu warriors who have turned their skills to caring for baby elephants, are determined to carry on their work rescuing orphaned elephants. But as the region struggles with the worst drought for decades, can they still rewild them? Traditionally Samburu warriors are not only charged with protecting their community, but with caring for their livestock. Now they have turned their attention to raising elephants. At Reteti Elephant Sanctuary they rescue baby elephants that have been injured, orphaned or abandoned. They look after them, rehabilitate them and release them back to the wild. It's transforming the way local communities relate to elephants, in a way that benefits both humans and animals. But drought has meant their rewilding programme has been put on hold until the rains come. They're also learning lessons from the experiences of the elephants they released into the bush before the drought. This is helping them to adapt their plans to give the elephants under their care the best chance to survive and prosper once they can rewild them. Local communities are herders and pastoralists, who used to see elephants as a threat. In times of drought there is also the potential for human wildlife conflict, with competition for scarce resources. But the sanctuary has brought employment, revenue and a sense of pride to people living in the area. Reteti is on community owned land and it's managed by community members. The local people are now invested in protecting the animals they live alongside. This is a story of mutual need; the local people have come to realise they need the elephants as much as the elephants need them. Presenter: Michael Kaloki Former Samburu warriors rescue baby elephants, but can they rewild them during drought? In a remote corner of Northern Kenya, former Samburu warriors continue to rescue orphaned and abandoned baby elephants, even as drought has put on hold plans to release them back into the wild. Traditionally Samburu warriors are not only charged with protecting their community, but with caring for their livestock. Now they have turned their attention to raising elephants. At Reteti Elephant Sanctuary they rescue baby elephants that have been injured, orphaned or abandoned. They look after them, rehabilitate them and release them back to the wild. It's transforming the way local communities relate to elephants, in a way that benefits both humans and animals. But drought has meant their rewilding programme has been put on hold until the rains come. Producer: Jo Dwyer A Loftus Media production for BBC World Service (Photo: Feeding the baby elephants at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. Credit: Michael Kaloki) Former Samburu warriors rescue baby elephants, but as the region struggles with the worst drought for decades, can they still rewild them? |
Running Out Of Sand | 20240316 | 20240317 (WS) 20240320 (WS) 20240321 (WS) | It's hard to believe but the world is running out of sand. Our insatiable appetite for the substance that makes everything from skyscrapers to smartphones has led to environmental destruction in countries like Cambodia, where experts warn all the usable sand will have been dredged from the river Mekong within 10 years. We are in the rapidly developing city of Phnom Penh to hear from the people whose lives and livelihoods have been threatened by the struggle for sand. Those who have fished the river for decades are finding that their nets are empty as the sand miners move in. People living alongside the Mekong have seen their houses crumble into the water as the riverbanks collapse. Meanwhile Cambodia's capital is changing rapidly as the city's lakes are filled in with sand to make more land for the construction boom. We examine the environmental impact and meet those left behind as the drive to develop Cambodia accelerates. Presenter: Robin Markwell With extra production by Andy Ball, University of Southampton (Photo: Sand in Phnom Penh. Credit: Andy Ball) Sand mining is fuelling Cambodia's construction boom but at what cost to the environment? Sand mining is fuelling Cambodia's construction boom but how damaging is it to the environment? It's hard to believe but the world is running out of sand. Our insatiable appetite for the substance that makes everything from skyscrapers to smartphones has led to environmental destruction in countries like Cambodia, where there has been a long history of illegal sand mining along the Mekong river. We're in the rapidly developing city of Phnom Penh to hear from the people whose lives and livelihoods have been threatened by the struggle for sand. Those who have fished the river for decades are finding that their nets are empty as the sand miners move in. People living alongside the Mekong have seen their houses crumble into the water as the riverbanks collapse. Meanwhile Cambodia's capital is changing rapidly as the city's lakes are filled in with sand to make more land for the construction boom. We examine the environmental impact and meet those left behind as the drive to develop Cambodia accelerates. Presenter: Robin Markwell. Sand mining to fuel Cambodia's construction boom is damaging the environment. |
Russia After Ukraine | 20240220 | 20240225 (WS) | As the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches, Oleg Boldyrev reports on how ordinary Russians are dealing with life in a country at war with its close neighbour. Are there new economic and social challenges, and what do we know of attitudes to the invasion? We talk to Russians across the country to gauge the mood. Oleg Boldyrev on how ordinary Russians are dealing with life in a country at war. |
Rwanda 30 Years On | 20240330 | 20240331 (WS) 20240403 (WS) | Victoria Uwonkunda makes an emotional journey back to Rwanda, where she grew up. It is the first time she has visited since the age of 12, when she fled the 1994 genocide with her family. Victoria retraces her journey to safety out of the capital Kigali, to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Along the way Victoria speaks to survivors of the violence – both victims and perpetrators - to find out how the country is healing, through reconciliation and forgiveness. Victoria meets Evariste and Narcisse, who work together on a reconciliation project called Cows for Peace. Evariste killed Narcisse's mother during the 1994 genocide. Cows are important in the Rwandan culture. Evariste and Narcisse explain their own journeys to forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. And Victoria meets Claudette, who suffered unimaginable horrors at the hands of a man, Jean Claude, sitting next to her as she tells her story. There are those who say that the steps Rwanda has taken do not go far enough and question freedom of expression in Rwanda. But Victoria finds hope in the country, a desire to move on for a younger generation – and she finds her own peace with the country that she was born in. (Photo: Photographs of victims on display at the Kigali Memorial for Victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Rwanda's journey towards healing and reconciliation after the 1994 genocide BBC journalist Victoria Uwonkunda returns to Rwanda for the first time after fleeing the genocide in 1994, to find out how the country, and its people, are healing. BBC Newsday presenter Victoria Uwonkunda makes an emotional journey back to Rwanda, where she grew up. It's the first time she's visited since the age of 12, when she fled the 1994 genocide with her family. Victoria retraces the harrowing journey they made out of the capital Kigali, to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Along the way she speaks to survivors of the violence – both victims and perpetrators – and tries to understand how - and if - the country has tackled the bitter social divisions that triggered it. Reporter Victoria Uwonkunda returns to Rwanda where she fled the genocide as a child. |
Saving A Sinking City: Jakarta | 20241003 | 20241005 (WS) 20241006 (WS) | Jakarta is facing all sorts of problems - deadly floods, land subsidence, extreme pollution, notorious traffic and overcrowding. Indonesia's outgoing president has come up with an extreme solution: moving the country's capital a thousand kilometres away, to the middle of the rainforest. Will the new city be a futuristic utopia and a model for sustainable urbanisation - or an eye-wateringly expensive, ecologically disastrous ghost town? BBC Indonesia reporter Astudestra Ajengrastri travels to the island of Borneo to find out if the ambitious plans will live up to reality. Presenter: Astudestra Ajengrastri Producer: Olivia Humphreys A Reduced Listening production for BBC World Service (Photo: Workers dredging mud using heavy machinery from the riverbed that divides downtown Jakarta before the rainy season to avoid regular flooding, 30 September, 2021. Credit: Bay Ismoyo/AFP) Indonesia's capital Jakarta is sinking but how easy is it build a new capital city? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Indonesia's capital Jakarta is sinking but how easy is it build a new one from scratch? " Jakarta is facing all sorts of problems - deadly floods, land subsidence, extreme pollution, notorious traffic and overcrowding. Indonesia's outgoing president has come up with an extreme solution: moving the country's capital a thousand kilometres away, to the middle of the rainforest. Will the new city be a futuristic utopia and a model for sustainable urbanisation - or an eye-wateringly expensive, ecologically disastrous ghost town? BBC Indonesia reporter Astudestra Ajengrastri travels to the island of Borneo to find out if the ambitious plans will live up to reality. Presenter: Astudestra Ajengrastri Producer: Olivia Humphreys A Reduced Listening production for BBC World Service (Photo: Workers dredging mud using heavy machinery from the riverbed that divides downtown Jakarta before the rainy season to avoid regular flooding, 30 September, 2021. Credit: Bay Ismoyo/AFP) Indonesia's capital Jakarta is sinking but how easy is it build a new capital city? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Indonesia's capital Jakarta is sinking but how easy is it build a new one from scratch? (Photo: Workers dredging mud using heavy machinery from the riverbed that divides downtown Jakarta before the rainy season to avoid regular flooding, 30 September, 2021. Credit: Bay Ismoyo/ AFP) Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is one of the world's fastest-sinking cities. The solution: to relocate and build a new capital city from scratch. Will it work? Could it be a model for other countries grappling with the detrimental impacts of climate change? Our reporter on the ground in Indonesia sees whether Indonesia make it to the grand unveiling scheduled for summer 2024. Jakarta is sinking - can Indonesia build a new capital city from scratch? |
Shadow Wars: China And The West | 20240525 | 20240526 (WS) | With the growing assertiveness of China, and amid concerns over spying, surveillance and political interference, are Beijing and the West on a collision course? The BBC's security correspondent, Gordon Corera, delves into the worlds of espionage, surveillance, technology, the theft of commercial secrets, free speech at universities and political interference to explore the points of friction. In this documentary, he speaks to spy chiefs, former prime ministers and dissidents as well as those on the frontline of this shadow war. Gordon Corera asks what approach Western powers should take to a defining challenge |
Shaken Goalposts | 20240718 | 20240720 (WS) 20240721 (WS) | Football rarely stops in Turkey, but when two earthquakes causes tens of thousands to die in the south-east region of the country early in 2023, even the passionately followed Super Lig top division is suspended. Hatayspor - a team from the league - loses its star player Christian Atsu to the rubble of a collapsed building. Its home city of Antakya is all but wiped from the map. A year later, football writer James Montague travels to his home nation of Turkey to tell the story of Hatayspor FC's improbable, and symbolic fight to survive in the aftermath of the disaster. James meets female ‘ultra' fan, Songul, who follows her team despite the obstacles of life living in converted-shipping container emergency accommodation. He talks to football icon Volkan Demirel, as the coach battles to keep his side in the league despite their lack of training facilities or a home stadium. Can the team that emerged from the rubble avoid relegation, too? Presenter: James Montague Executive producer/writer: Ben Wyatt A Comuniqué production for BBC World Service (Photo: Hatayspor players wear shirts with image of Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu on his birthday, commemorating his life lost in the Feb Kahramanmaras earthquake, Mersin Stadium, Turkey, 10 January, 2024. Credit: Mustafa Unal Uysal/Anadolu/Getty Images) Hatayspor football club's fight to survive the aftermath of Turkey's tragic earthquake Hatayspor football club's fight to survive the aftermath of Turkey's tragic earthquake. Football rarely stops in Turkey, but when two earthquakes causes tens of thousands to die in the south east region of the country early in 2023, even the passionately followed Super Lig top division is suspended. Hatayspor - a team from the league - loses its star player Christian Atsu to the rubble of a collapsed building. Its home city of Antakya is all but wiped from the map. A year later, football writer James Montague travels his home nation of Turkey to tell the story of the indomitable club's improbable, and symbolic fight to survive in the aftermath of the disaster. Shaken Goalposts' presenter James Montague meets female ‘ultra' fan, Songul, who follows her team despite the obstacles of life living in converted-shipping container emergency accommodation. He talks to football icon Volkan Demirel, as the coach battles to keep his side in the league despite their lack of training facilities or a home stadium. Can the team that emerged from the rubble avoid relegation, too? One football club's fight to survive the aftermath of Turkey's tragic earthquake. |
Sir Frank Worrell | 20240704 | 20240706 (WS) 20240707 (WS) | The brilliant cricketer Frank Worrell became the first permanent Black captain of the West Indies team in 1960 – but he had to wait for a decade to get the job, denied by the elitism, insularity and racism of Caribbean cricket's rulers. Simon Lister finds out how Worrell's upbringing in Barbados, his cricketing adventures and his determination not to be cowed by the powers that ran island cricket, shaped a man who changed the West Indian game for ever. Frank Worrell became the first Black captain of the West Indies cricket team in 1960. |
Solutions Journalism | 20240903 | Bonaventure Dossou, a young computer scientist from Benin is trying to solve one of the biggest problems for his home region. African languages such as his mother's language of Fon are hardly available online, so during the pandemic Bona started preliminary work on an AI translation model for Fon and other languages in Benin. Since then, he's expanded it to 200+ African languages, using his passion for programming to help Africans communicate in the modern world and keep their languages alive. A Whistledown production. | |
Special: Young Leaders Trying To Change The World | 20241013 | Meet the young people explaining how they would change the world. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Meet the young people explaining how they would change the world. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. | |
Stories From The New Silk Road: Iceland | 20231219 | 20231224 (WS) | In 2013 Iceland wrote history by becoming the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with the People's Republic of China. It was aimed at increasing exports from Iceland to China as well as opening up Iceland to cheaper Chinese consumer goods. Geothermal energy has meant that Iceland is in-effect carbon neutral. Its expertise in this area has led to collaboration with China and its Geothermal model is changing China's energy mix. One man behind this collaboration is Atli Jonnsson, CEO of Arctic Green Energy. Anna asks him how will geothermal help shape the future needs of China's energy consumption? And how does geothermal put Iceland on the Silk Road map for more collaboration with China? Iceland and China have steadily increased their scientific cooperation in the Arctic. In October 2018, the China-Iceland Arctic Science Observatory was officially opened in the city of Karholl in northern Iceland. Set up to monitor climate and environmental change in the Arctic, the observatory is managed by the Polar Research Institute of China and Iceland's Institute of Research Centres. Anna travels to this remote outpost, 440 km north of Reykjavík, to ask station manager Halldor Johannsson about the impact this collaboration has on Iceland. How is information shared with the second biggest economy in the world? And what could this eventually mean in terms of trade and transport across the Arctic region? Given the current geopolitical climate, Anna asks if there is a grander strategy, that points towards increased shipping, discovering untapped resources and exciting new opportunities? Stories from the New Silk Road is a C60Media production for BBC World Service. How is China's Polar Silk Road impacting Iceland? As the Earth warms, there are new frontiers to be explored; from geothermal energy to scientific research, Anna Holligan asks what does China's Polar Silk Road mean for Iceland? In 2013 Iceland made history by becoming the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with China. It was aimed at increasing exports from Iceland to China as well as opening up Iceland to cheaper Chinese consumer goods. Geothermal energy has meant that Iceland is effectively carbon neutral. Its expertise in this area has led to collaboration with China and its geothermal model is changing China's energy mix. One man behind this collaboration is Sigurdur Atli Jonsson, CEO of Arctic Green Energy. Anna asks him how will geothermal help shape the future needs of China's energy consumption? Iceland and China have steadily increased their scientific co-operation in the Arctic. In October 2018, the China-Iceland Arctic Science Observatory was officially opened in the city of Karholl, 440 km north of Reykjavík. Set up to monitor climate and environmental change in the Arctic, the observatory is managed by the Polar Research Institute of China and Iceland's Institute of Research Centres. Station manager Halldor Johannsson explains the impact this collaboration has on Iceland. How is information shared with the second biggest economy in the world? And what could this eventually mean in terms of trade and transport across the Arctic region? Presenter: Anna Holligan Producer: Peter Shevlin Editor: Alan Hall (Photo: The aurora borealis or Northern Lights, is seen over Godafoss waterfall, east of Akureyri, northern Iceland. Credit: Mariana Suarez/AFP) |
Stories From The New Silk Road: Norway | 20231212 | 20231217 (WS) | In the ‘High North' of Norway, in a town called Kirkenes, set on the coast, and inside the Arctic Circle, Anna Holligan is on the edge of what the Chinese refer to as the Polar Silk Road. The Northern Sea Route or North East Passage is an increasingly valuable shipping route for both Russia and China, heading east from this region, hugging the Russian coastline to Eastern Siberia. On the Barrents Safari with guide Hans Hatle, Anna discovers how the Polar Silk Road could potentially change the fortunes for this most northerly Norwegian town. Port Director Terje Jørgensen wants to open up to Chinese shipping and is in talks with operators to increase the capabilities of the port. Terje's point is simple, Kirkenes is geographically closer to Beijing via sea, than any other port in Europe. In 2010 a ship departed from Kirkenes bound for China with 41,500 tons of iron ore concentrate, arriving 22 days later. Via the Suez canal, the same journey would have taken over 40 days. It was the first time that a non-Russian ship had been along the Northern Sea Route along Russia's Northern coastline, showing that this was possible and paving the way for China's Arctic policy. Here, Anna shines a light on China's wider ambitions in the Arctic. The region is rich in minerals, wildlife, fish, and other natural resources. So what does China's Polar Silk Road mean for Norway and when the sea ice melts, who is set to benefit most? Presenter: Anna Holligan Producer: Peter Shevlin Editor: Alan Hall A C60 Media production for BBC World Service. (Photo: A man holds giant crabs or king crabs in each hand, in the Barents sea, Kirkenes, Norway. Credit: Eric Beracassat/Getty Images) From King Crab to shipping routes, how is China's Polar Silk Road impacting Norway? As the Earth warms, there are new frontiers to be explored and traversed. From King Crab to shipping routes, Anna Holligan asks what does China's Polar Silk Road mean for Norway? |
Stories From The New Silk Road: Space | 20240926 | 20240928 (WS) 20240929 (WS) | China's Belt and Road Initiative stretches physically with infrastructure projects across the globe, but there is one initiative that is the most ambitious yet - the Space Silk Road. The space race is heating up with new entrants like India and private companies like SpaceX, but it is the Chinese who are set to dominate by 2045. Central to the Space Silk Road is a controversial station in Patagonia, Argentina. The Espacio Lejano Ground Station has a powerful 16-story antenna, with an 8ft barbed wire fence that surrounds the entire compound. With other facilities in countries from Bolivia to Peru, do China's space ambitions aim for intergalactic exploration, rare mineral discovery and potential domination in space? With plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 and build a research base on its south pole, China's ambitions in our solar system have been gaining momentum. Katy Watson asks astronomers, space engineers and Argentinian residents, how President Xi's Space Silk Road is impacting their universe. Producer: Pete Shevlin Executive producer: Monica Whitlock A C60 Media production for BBC World Service (Photo: Espacio Lejano Ground Station. Credit: Pete Shevlin) Can China's space exploration programme keep it ahead of the space race? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Can China's space exploration programme break new ground and potential domination in space? China's Belt and Road Initiative stretches physically with infrastructure projects across the globe, but there is one initiative that is the most ambitious yet; The Space Silk Road is beginning to carve out a unique position for China. The space race is heating up with new entrants like India and private companies like SpaceX, but it's the Chinese who are set to dominate by 2045. And central to the Space Silk Road? A controversial station in Patagonia, Argentina. The Espacio Lejano Ground Station has a powerful 16-story antenna, with an 8-foot barbed wire fence that surrounds the entire compound. With other facilities in countries from Bolivia to Peru, do China's space ambitions cross the known world and aim for intergalactic exploration, rare mineral discovery and potential domination in space? Landing on the far side of the moon in 2019 and again in 2024 have marked a key milestone in China's push to become a dominant space power. And with plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 and build a research base on its south pole, China's ambitions in our solar system have been gaining momentum. Katy Watson asks astronomers, space engineers and Argentinian residents, how is President Xi's Space Silk Road impacting their universe? A C60 Media production for the BBC World Service. The Space Silk Road is helping China break new ground in space exploration |
Stories From The New Silk Road: The Arctic | 20231212 | 20231217 (WS) | How China's Polar Silk Road may affect trade routes and exploration in the region |
Stories From The New Silk Road: The Arctic | 20231219 | How China's Polar Silk Road may affect trade routes and exploration in the region | |
Storm Over A Teacup | 20240227 | 20240303 (WS) | In the mountainous east of Nepal many communities are dependent on tea. The nitrogen-rich soil of the high-elevation estates allow tea bushes to produce a unique flavour, but the picking has to be done by hand. Phanindra Dahal talks to farmers, factory managers, tea estate supervisors and leaders in the business to find out how this small nation is looking to compete globally and the challenges they are up against. One challenge is a complex relationship with its neighbour. Many tea estates share similar climactic and growing conditions as Darjeeling, just over the Indian border, and it also shares expertise and workers. The vast majority of Nepalese tea exports go to India, where most of it is blended and resold, an arrangement which worked for both countries, until recently. India wants to protect the Darjeeling brand, and its own industry. Now a new generation is looking to strengthen the identity of Nepali tea in its own right, and improve the livelihoods of its farmers, to make the industry sustainable. The story of tea in Nepal has been one of growth for decades and Phanindra meets those working to secure its future. Presenter: Phanindra Dahal Producer: Megan Jones (Photo: Nepali tea plantation workers. Credit: Phanindra Dahal) The farmers and industry leaders working to secure the identity and future of Nepali tea The farmers and industry leaders working to secure the identity and future of Nepali tea in the shadow of its powerful neighbour, India. Phanindra Dahal meets tea farmers in the mountains of Nepal as the country's tea industry looks to strengthen its identity in the shadow of a powerful neighbour. In Eastern Nepal, the centre of the country's tea industry, production has been ramping up over the past decade. Communities here are totally dependent on tea. The area shares the same climate and growing conditions as Darjeeling, just over the Indian border, and for decades it also shared expertise and workers, who moved between the tea estates. The vast majority of Nepalese tea exports go to India, where most of it is blended and resold. Because it's grown in an area that's so similar climactically, it's almost indistinguishable from Darjeeling, an arrangement which worked for both countries, until recently. Now a rivalry has grown up, with India wanting to protect the Darjeeling brand, and Nepalese growers hurt by the suggestion that their tea is of lower quality than their neighbours. A new generation is looking to strengthen the brand of Nepali tea in its own right, and improve the livelihoods of its farmers, to make the industry sustainable. The story of tea in Nepal has been one of growth for decades. This programme meets those working to secure its future. Meeting the farmers depending on tea in the mountains of Nepal. |
Suicide's Silent Sufferers | 20240711 | 20240713 (WS) 20240714 (WS) | Suicide and attempted suicide is still illegal in around 20 countries across the globe. In some nations people face lengthy prison sentences at a time when they are at their most vulnerable. In Suicide's Silent Sufferers we look at why so many countries still criminalise suicide and examine what impact this has on mental health in those countries. We also look at how campaigners in some countries are trying to change entrenched attitudes often influenced by religion and ancient cultures in a bid to eventually change the law. Many countries still criminalise suicide, what impacts does this have on mental health? |
Suicide's Silent Survivors | 20240711 | 20240713 (WS) 20240714 (WS) | In many countries around the world trying to take your own life is still a criminal offence. Journalist and broadcaster Ashley Byrne investigates why so many places still put people who have attempted suicide in prison - and discovers how deep-rooted religious beliefs and cultural attitudes are often behind the criminalisation laws. Among other places, Ashley looks into Kenya, Bangladesh and Malawi where people face jail sentences of up to two years. He talks to people who have been arrested, beaten up and faced problems rebuilding their lives. Stigma and prejudice is rife in many countries where even speaking about suicide can result in a backlash. Ashley (whose partner tried to take his own life twice) also speaks to mental health specialists in countries which have recently changed the law like Pakistan, Ghana and Guyana. He hears how despite decriminalisation stigma around suicide continues. Producer: Ashley Byrne A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service (Photo: Aokigahara forest, Japan. Credit:Getty Images) A look at the countries where it's still a criminal offence to attempt suicide Why do many countries still put people in jail for attempted suicide? Here Ashley Byrne finds deep rooted religious and cultural beliefs and traditions are often behind the laws. |
Super-rich Swedes | 20240502 | 20240504 (WS) 20240505 (WS) | Sweden has a global reputation for championing high taxes and social equality, but it has more dollar billionaires, relative to its population size, than almost anywhere else on the planet. Stockholm-based journalist Maddy Savage untangles the rise of the super rich, from the country's booming tech sector to wealth and taxation policy shifts. She also delves into the deep-rooted cultural norms which can discourage Swedes from celebrating money, and investigates the rise in impact investing, as some of Sweden's richest business leaders plough their cash into new startups prioritizing social and environmental sustainability. A Podlit AB production. Why is Sweden home to so many dollar billionaires? Maddy Savage asks why Sweden has more dollar billionaires, relative to its population size, than almost anywhere else in the world. Sweden has a global reputation for championing high taxes and social equality, but it has more dollar billionaires in relation to its population size, than almost anywhere else on the planet. Stockholm-based journalist Maddy Savage untangles the rise of the super rich, from the country's booming tech sector, to wealth and taxation policy shifts. She also delves into the deep-rooted cultural norms which can discourage Swedes from celebrating money, and investigates the rise in impact investing, as some of Sw Maddy Savage investigates the rise of Sweden's super rich |
Sweden: Living With Guns And Gangs | 20231205 | 20231210 (WS) | Sweden has become a European hotspot for deadly shootings, rocking its reputation as a safe and peaceful nation. Last year, a record 62 people were killed in gun violence in the Nordic nation, which has a population of just ten million. There has been a fresh wave of shootings and explosions in 2023, many of them linked to a split within one criminal gang. But police say violent, unlawful networks are active across the country. They are especially worried about gang leaders recruiting growing numbers of children, who are murdering other young people and their families in disputes about drugs and weapons. Stockholm-based broadcaster Maddy Savage and Nikoi Djane – an ex-gang member turned criminologist – explore what is behind Sweden's trend for shoot-to-kill murders, which crime researchers say is unique in Europe. They speak to teenagers in the capital about what it's like to grow up around drugs, guns and gangs, and explore what is being done to tackle the problem. Many gang members were born in Sweden to immigrant parents, and the recent violence has reignited intense political debates about integration. A right-wing government elected in 2022 has already introduced tougher punishments for offences linked to criminal networks and enlisted help from the Swedish military. Meanwhile the families of teenagers killed in recent violence have taken matters into their own hands, patrolling the streets in areas where people have been shot. We also visit Framtidens Hus, a community centre that is inspiring teenagers to study, find work, and develop new interests, instead of turning to crime. Presenters: Maddy Savage and Nikoi Djane Producer: Maddy Savage Researcher: Josephine Frans A Bespoken Media production for BBC World Service How Sweden became a European hotspot for gangs, drugs and deadly violence Sweden has become a European hotspot for deadly shootings, rocking its reputation as a safe and peaceful nation. Last year, a record 62 people were killed in gun violence in the Nordic nation, which has a population of just 10 million. Stockholm-based broadcaster Maddy Savage and Nikoi Djane – an ex-gang member turned criminologist - speak to teenagers in the capital about what it is like to grow up around drugs, guns and gangs, and explore what is being done to tackle the problem. (Photo: Parents Libaan Warsame (lL) and Ida Kriisa (R) out on a night walk street patrol in Rinkeby, Stockholm. Credit: Benoit Derrier) How Sweden became a European hotspot for gangs, drugs and deadly violence, rocking its reputation as a safe and peaceful nation. |
Taiwan's Balancing Act | 20231216 | 20231217 (WS) 20231220 (WS) 20231221 (WS) | Former BBC Taiwan correspondent Cindy Sui meets to young Taiwanese voters, Shirley Lin and Dennis, who have very different views about the island, its future and its relationship with Mainland China. While one is a committed peace campaigner and seeks to reduce antagonism between Taiwan and China, the other has signed up to train with a citizen's army, to be ready for Chinese aggression. We follow them in their work, with their friends and hear their differing reflections on a place and an electorate being watched by a global audience. Two young Taiwanese share their lives and views in the run up to the election. Former BBC Taiwan correspondent Cindy Sui meets two young Taiwanese voters, Shirley Lin and Dennis, who have very different views about the island, its future and its relationship with mainland China. While one is a committed peace campaigner and seeks to reduce antagonism between Taiwan and China, the other has signed up to train with a citizen's army,to be ready for Chinese aggression. We follow them in their work and with their friends, and hear their differing reflections on an an island and an electorate being watched by a global audience. |
Tanni's Lifetime Road To Disabled Equality | 20231118 | 20231119 (WS) 20231122 (WS) 20231123 (WS) | Multi gold-medal-winning Paralympic wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson examines 50 years of changing attitudes to disability around the world. When Tanni was a child in the 1970s in Wales becoming an athlete with spina bifida was far from guaranteed. There was no support for her parents bringing up a disabled child and education for children with disabilities was minimal. Over the years Tanni has suffered discrimination including when she was pregnant being offered a termination. She meets others who have had similar journeys in India, Pakistan, Ghana, Nigeria, Brazil and New Zealand. In India she meets Abha Khetarpal, and both reflect on several shared experiences. They both had scoliosis and use a wheelchair and faced early challenges at school - Abha having to be home schooled. Meanwhile Lois Auta in Nigeria also uses a wheelchair. She was born in 1980 and tells Tanni how she managed to challenge the status quo and stand for parliament. ‘Disability is seen in our country as something that happens through witch craft,' she says. Lois, who now acts as an advocate for women with disabilities says those prejudices still exist. She meets BBC war correspondent Frank Gardner who tells her how he adapted to becoming disabled after being injured during his work in a war zone in the Middle East. Producer: Ashley Byrne A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service (Photo: Britain's paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson holds up her gold medals. Credit: Carl de Souza/AFP) Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson looks at changes in attitudes to disability the world over Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson looks at changes in attitudes to disability the world over. |
The 10 Years That's Changed Women's Football | 20241116 | 20241117 (WS) | Back in 2015 BBC World Service launched the first BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award, to raise the profile of the women's game but also highlight key issues within the sport. It's been an historic 10 years which has seen the popularity of the game transform to one of, if not the fastest growing sport in the world. It's incredible to think back in 2015 the current Champions League winners Barcelona and the Women's Super League in England still weren't professional, the Women's World Cup was about to kick off in Canada using artificial pitches much to the dismay of players and coaches – something which has never been repeated! To mark an historic 10th year of the award, the past winners including Norway's Ada Hegerberg, Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala and England's Lucy Bronze will reflect on winning the trophy and along with previous nominees discuss key moments in the last ten years and the challenges still ahead for the women's game. BBC Women's Footballer of the Year celebrates 10 years and the decade of change. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
The African 'babel Fish' | 20240903 | 20240908 (WS) 20240909 (WS) | Africa is home to around one-third of the world's languages, but only a smattering of them are available online and in translation software. So when young Beninese computer scientist Bonaventure Dossou, who was fluent in French, experienced difficulties communicating with his mother, who spoke the local language Fon, he came up with an idea. Bonaventure and a friend developed a French to Fon translation app, with speech recognition functionality, using an old missionary bible and volunteer questionnaires as the source data. Although rudimentary, they put the code online as open-source to be used by others. Bonaventure has since joined with other young African computer scientists and language activists called Masakane to use this code and share knowledge to increase digital accessibility for African and other lower-resourced languages. They want to be able to communicate across the African continent using translation software, with the ultimate goal being an 'African Babel Fish', a simultaneous speech-to-speech translation for African languages. James Jackson explores what role their ground-breaking software could play for societies in Africa disrupted by language barriers. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service How Bonaventure Dossou's translation app is increasing accessibility to African dialects Beninese computer scientist Bonaventure Dossou's translation app is increasing accessibility to Africa's local languages. |
The African 'babelfish' | 20240903 | 20240908 (WS) 20240909 (WS) | Africa is home to around one-third of the world's languages, but only a smattering of them are available online and in translation software. So when young Beninese computer scientist Bonaventure Dossou, who was fluent in French, experienced difficulties communicating with his mother, who spoke the local language Fon, he came up with an idea. Bonaventure and a friend developed a French to Fon translation app, with speech recognition functionality, using an old missionary bible and volunteer questionnaires as the source data. Although rudimentary, they put the code online as open-source to be used by others. Bonaventure has since joined with other young African computer scientists and language activists called Masakane to use this code and share knowledge to increase digital accessibility for African and other lower-resourced languages. They want to be able to communicate across the African continent using translation software, with the ultimate goal being an 'African Babel Fish', a simultaneous speech-to-speech translation for African languages. James Jackson explores what role their ground-breaking software could play for societies in Africa disrupted by language barriers. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service Photo: A woman using a mobile phone Credit: Getty Images How Bonaventure Dossou's translation app is increasing accessibility to African dialects Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Beninese computer scientist Bonaventure Dossou's translation app is increasing accessibility to Africa's local languages. |
The Approach | 20240109 | 20240114 (WS) | Adriana Brownlee is a mountaineering pioneer. The British woman became the youngest female to summit K2 - the second-highest mountain on Earth - in 2022. But mountains are changing and becoming more unpredictable because of climate change. High mountain areas are warming faster than the rest of the planet, meaning glaciers are shrinking and permafrost holding mountain faces together are disappearing. How are mountaineers like Adriana adapting and what implications are there for communities living in the foothills of these mountains? Adriana investigates by visiting Chamonix in France, the mountaineering capital of Europe and home to Mont Blanc. She learns that the disappearing glacier there is an inescapable symbol of our warming planet. After speaking to other mountaineers, glaciologists and meteorologists, she asks herself if she is doing enough as a mountaineer to prevent the planet from warming further. Image: Adriana Brownlee (Credit: Adriana Brownlee) Can mountaineering survive in an age of rapidly warming mountains? |
The Art Of Air Pollution | 20240820 | 20240825 (WS) 20240826 (WS) | Air Pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths every year. Governments around the world have been trying to tackle it with a variety of measures. But now, the fight against air pollution is increasingly catching the imagination of artists and designers. In Al Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi, a 7m high installation - Smog Free Tower - by Dutch Studio Roosegaarde, bills itself as 'the world's first smog vacuum cleaner.' It purifies 30,000 cubic metres of air per hour and the dirt filtered from this urban smog is compressed into jewellery, which is sold to finance the project. We speak to environmental and health experts about the benefits this will bring. In Delhi and Bangalore, Air-Ink is 'turning air pollution into ink solution' by capturing the black particles that float in the atmosphere and turning them into ink. Founder Anirudh Sharma and his co-founder, Nikhil Kaushik, say taking something as pervasive as air pollution and turning it into something as common as ink means the more Air-Ink on your page, the less pollution in your lungs. We hear how pollution impacts locals in Delhi and how community art projects there are helping to fight climate issues, while Dutch artist Nouch tells us why she so crazy about Air-Ink. Presenter: Harriet Robinson Producer: Louise Orchard (Photo: A Smog Free ring is held up towards the sky. Credit: Studio Roosegaarde) Meet the creatives that are turning deadly air pollution into art, ink and jewellery Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Meet the creatives that are turning deadly air pollution into art, ink and jewellery. Air Pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths every year. Governments around the world have been trying to tackle it with a variety of measures such as ultra-low emission zones, driving bans and industrial emission standards. But now, the fight against air pollution is increasingly catching the imagination of artists and designers. We head to Al Hudayriyat Island in hazy Abu Dhabi, where the 7m high installation, Smog Free Tower by Dutch Studio Roosegaarde, bills itself as 'the world's first smog vacuum cleaner.' It purifies 30,000 cubic metres of air per hour and the dirt filtered from this urban smog is compressed into jewellery, a tangible souvenir, sold to finance the project. We speak to environmental and health experts about the benefits this will bring, as well as the happily married recipients of a Smog Free Ring. Meanwhile, in Delhi and Bangalore, AIR INK is 'turning air pollution into ink solution' by capturing the black particles that float in the atmosphere and turning them into ink. Founder Anirudh Sharma drew inspiration from architect, philosopher and futurist, R. Buckminster Fuller when he said, 'Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value.' His Co-founder, Nikhil Kaushik, says taking something as pervasive as air pollution and turning it into something as common as ink means the more AIR INK on your page, the less pollution in your lungs. Plus they've kickstarted a public art movement spanning cities from Hong Kong to London and New York to Mumbai. We hear how pollution impacts locals in Delhi and how community art projects there are helping to fight climate issues, while Dutch artist Nouch tells us why she so crazy about AIR INK. We meet the creatives that are turning deadly air pollution into art, ink and jewellery. |
The Children Of Paradise | 20231206 | Three decades after the momentous transition from Apartheid to a democratic South Africa, Fergal Keane returns to see what happened to the hopes and promises of a better nation. In a famous speech thirty years ago, as he collected the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela spoke of a “common humanity ? in which all South Africans would live “like the children of paradise. ? As the BBC's South Africa correspondent at the time, Fergal Keane, along with his colleague and friend Milton Nkosi, lived through some of the country's most desperate times. It was a period of extreme violence and loss, but also of great hope. Now Fergal and Milton travel through the country, re-visiting some of the places and people they encountered in the lead up to the end of Apartheid. Through this series they will explore how and why paradise was lost. 30 years after South Africa's momentous changes what's happened to the hope and promises? In a famous speech 30 years ago, as he collected the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela spoke of a “common humanity ? in which all South Africans would live “like the children of paradise. ? As the BBC's South Africa correspondent at the time, Fergal Keane, along with his colleague and friend Milton Nkosi, lived through some of the country's most desperate times. It was a period of extreme violence and loss, but also of great hope. Now Fergal and Milton travel through the country, revisiting some of the places and people they encountered in the lead up to the end of apartheid. They explore how and why paradise was lost. (Photo: Young boy dressed as a superhero in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Credit: RichVintage/Getty Images) What's happened to the hope and promises of a better nation since apartheid South Africa? Thirty years after South Africa's momentous change from apartheid to democracy, what has happened to the hope and promises for a better nation? | |
The Children Of Paradise | 20231213 | Three decades after the momentous transition from Apartheid to a democratic South Africa, Fergal Keane returns to see what happened to the hopes and promises of a better nation. In a famous speech thirty years ago, as he collected the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela spoke of a “common humanity ? in which all South Africans would live “like the children of paradise. ? As the BBC's South Africa correspondent at the time, Fergal Keane, along with his colleague and friend Milton Nkosi, lived through some of the country's most desperate times. It was a period of extreme violence and loss, but also of great hope. Now Fergal and Milton travel through the country, re-visiting some of the places and people they encountered in the lead up to the end of Apartheid. Through this series they will explore how and why paradise was lost. 30 years after South Africa's momentous changes what's happened to the hope and promises? In a famous speech 30 years ago, as he collected the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela spoke of a “common humanity ? in which all South Africans would live “like the children of paradise. ? As the BBC's South Africa correspondent at the time, Fergal Keane, along with his colleague and friend Milton Nkosi, lived through some of the country's most desperate times. It was a period of extreme violence and loss, but also of great hope. Now Fergal and Milton travel through the country, revisiting some of the places and people they encountered in the lead up to the end of Apartheid. They will explore how and why paradise was lost. (Photo: Young boy dressed as a superhero in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Credit: RichVintage/Getty Images) What's happened to South Africa's hope and promises of a better nation since apartheid? Thirty years after South Africa's transition from apartheid to a democracy, what has happened to the hope and promises of a better nation? | |
The Children Of Paradise | 20231220 | Three decades after the momentous transition from Apartheid to a democratic South Africa, Fergal Keane returns to see what happened to the hopes and promises of a better nation. In a famous speech thirty years ago, as he collected the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela spoke of a “common humanity ? in which all South Africans would live “like the children of paradise. ? As the BBC's South Africa correspondent at the time, Fergal Keane, along with his colleague and friend Milton Nkosi, lived through some of the country's most desperate times. It was a period of extreme violence and loss, but also of great hope. Now Fergal and Milton travel through the country, re-visiting some of the places and people they encountered in the lead up to the end of Apartheid. Through this series they will explore how and why paradise was lost. 30 years after South Africa's momentous changes what's happened to the hope and promises? (Image: Young boy dressed as a superhero in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Credit: RichVintage/Getty) | |
The Children's Hospital Of Entebbe | 20241017 | 20241019 (WS) 20241020 (WS) | Until 2021, Uganda had only four paediatric surgeons and just a few children's hospital beds for the entire country. In 2020, the mortality rate for children under five was 43 per 1,000 births, compared to three per 1,000 in the UK. The Children's Hospital of Entebbe, funded by the Italian NGO Emergency and designed by world famous architect Renzo Piano, was established in 2021 to change the situation. Ugandan journalist Lulu Jemimah visits the hospital, on the shore of Lake Victoria, to ask whether one hospital is enough to reset the future for Uganda's children. Lulu meets children and young people who would have died, or had their lives severely limited, without intervention at this hospital The hospital also aims to be a pathfinder, to demonstrate to governments across Africa how a future with better healthcare is possible. The plan is for Emergency to eventually hand over the hospital to Ugandan staff and authorities, but taking over the running costs will be a huge challenge for the government. Presenter: Lulu Jemimah Producer: Amanda Hargreaves Sound engineer: Joel Cox A Bespoken Media production for BBC World Service (Photo: The Children's Hospital of Entebbe - child post-op check-up. Credit: Laura Salvinelli/Emergency) A new free-to-access children's hospital is revolutionising paediatric care in Uganda Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. A free, state-of-the-art children's hospital is transforming paediatric care in Uganda. But is one hospital enough to reset the future for Uganda's children? " Until 2021, Uganda had only four paediatric surgeons and just a few children's hospital beds for the entire country. In 2020, the mortality rate for children under five was 43 per 1,000 births, compared to three per 1,000 in the UK. The Children's Hospital of Entebbe, funded by the Italian NGO Emergency and designed by world famous architect Renzo Piano, was established in 2021 to change the situation. Ugandan journalist Lulu Jemimah visits the hospital, on the shore of Lake Victoria, to ask whether one hospital is enough to reset the future for Uganda's children. Lulu meets children and young people who would have died, or had their lives severely limited, without intervention at this hospital The hospital also aims to be a pathfinder, to demonstrate to governments across Africa how a future with better healthcare is possible. The plan is for Emergency to eventually hand over the hospital to Ugandan staff and authorities, but taking over the running costs will be a huge challenge for the government. Presenter: Lulu Jemimah Producer: Amanda Hargreaves Sound engineer: Joel Cox A Bespoken Media production for BBC World Service (Photo: The Children's Hospital of Entebbe - child post-op check-up. Credit: Laura Salvinelli/Emergency) A new free-to-access children's hospital is revolutionising paediatric care in Uganda Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. A free, state-of-the-art children's hospital is transforming paediatric care in Uganda. But is one hospital enough to reset the future for Uganda's children? A new, free children's hospital has transformed paediatric healthcare in Uganda, where half the population is under 15. Before 2021, Uganda had only four paediatric surgeons and few children's hospital beds. Journalist Lulu Jemimah visits the hospital in Entebbe to ask if it can change the future for Uganda's children. Can the new, free hospital in Entebbe change the future of Uganda's children? |
The Conflict: Israel And Gaza One Year On | 20241006 | One year on from the start of the war, we analyse what's going on in Israel and Gaza Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. One year on from the start of the war, we analyse what's going on in Israel and Gaza Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. | |
The Conflict: Middle East | 20241123 | 20241124 (WS) | What can history teach us about the conflict in the Middle East? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
The Engineers: Intelligent Machines | 20240810 | 20240811 (WS) 20240814 (WS) | Intelligent machines are remaking our world. The speed of their improvement is accelerating fast and every day there are more things they can do better than us. There are risks, but the opportunities for human society are enormous. ‘Machine Learning AI' is the technological revolution of our era. Three engineers at the forefront of that revolution come to London to join Caroline Steel and a public audience at the Great Hall of Imperial College. Regina Barzilay from MIT created a major breakthrough in detecting early stage breast cancer. She also led the team that used machine learning to discover Halicin, the first new antibiotic in 30 years. David Silver is Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind. He led the AlphaGo team that built the AI to defeat the world's best human player of Go. Paolo Pirjanian founded Embodied, and is a pioneer in developing emotionally intelligent robots to aid child development. Producer: Charlie Taylor (Image: 3D hologram AI brain displayed by digital circuit and semiconductor. Credit: Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images) We speak to three engineers at the forefront of the 'Machine Learning: AI' revolution We speak to three engineers at the forefront of the 'Machine Learning: AI' revolution. ‘Machine Learning: AI' is the technological revolution of our era. Three engineers at the forefront of that revolution come to London to join Caroline Steel and a public audience at the Great Hall of Imperial College: Paolo Pirjinian founded Embodied, and is a pioneer in developing emotionally intelligent robots to aid child development. |
The First Digital Nation? | 20241114 | 20241116 (WS) 20241117 (WS) | 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're already doing to celebrate and pass on the country's heritage and customs. When rising sea levels threaten a country's existence, how can its culture be preserved? Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
The Forgotten People Of The Ravi River | 20240615 | 20240616 (WS) 20240619 (WS) | The global problems that demand a new approach to critical thinking For the hundreds of people who live in a cluster of villages in the 'no man's land' between India and Pakistan, a map drawn up long ago still causes daily struggles. Punjab - the land of the five rivers - was carved up to create Pakistan during The Partition of 1947 when India gained its independence from colonial rule. Two rivers went to Pakistan, two stayed with India and one - the Ravi - crosses both countries. For 72 years, communities who live by the Ravi on the Indian side have been asking for a permanent bridge, so they can access hospitals, schools, shops, banks. What they have is a makeshift pontoon bridge, which has to be dismantled for the monsoon season. To get even the smallest thing from the mainland involves a difficult commute that has to be planned in advance. From June through September, the only way across is on a boat and a prayer. If the waters are too high, nobody can get across. Journalist Chhavi Sachdev travels to the remote area in the western part of India to meet the Indian people whose lives are shaped by the Ravi. Producer: Penny Dale We meet the people in western India cut off from the mainland by a bridgeless river We meet the people in western India cut off from the mainland by a bridgeless river. For the thousands of people who live in a cluster of villages in the 'no man's land' between India and Pakistan, a map drawn up long ago still causes daily struggles. For 72 years, communities who live by the Ravi on the Indian side have been asking for a permanent bridge, so they can access hospitals, schools, shops, banks – the very basics of life. What they've got is a makeshift pontoon bridge, which has to be dismantled for the monsoon season. To get even the smallest thing from the mainland involves a difficult commute that has to be planned in advance. |
The Gay Activists Who Won An Olympic-sized Battle | 20240725 | 20240728 (WS) | This documentary contains discriminatory and homophobic language that some listeners may find offensive. In 1993 the legislators in Cobb County, Georgia passed a resolution stating that “lifestyles advocated by the gay community are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes'. Cobb County was due to welcome the Olympics in 1996 hosting the volleyball competition as part of the Atlanta Games. Narrated by Wanda Guenette, a member of the 1996 Canadian volleyball team who identifies as gay, and who faced the prospect of having her Olympic dream turned into a nightmare, forced to compete in a place that had made it clear she and other gay athletes were not welcome. This is the inspiring story of a small campaign group who took on one of the most powerful organisations in the world and forced change. With the help of an Olympic legend and after months of high-profile peaceful protests, the Atlanta organising committee finally stripped Cobb County as a host venue and diverted the torch relay away from its streets. Photo Credit: Carol Brown/Georgia State University Library How a small campaign group took on the all powerful Olympic organisation to force change The Olympic ideals of excellence, respect and friendship had been replaced by hate, discrimination and bigotry in the lead up to the Atlanta Games until a small group took a stand Photo Credit: Carole Brown/Georgia State University Library |
The Great Dolphin Release | 20240919 | 20240921 (WS) 20240922 (WS) | Johnny, Rocky and Rambo were performers in the world's last travelling dolphin circus and inside a Bali hotel swimming pool. This is the story of the fight to shut the circus down and the long journey to try to return the performing dolphins to the ocean. We hear why the world's most famous dolphin trainer changed sides - playing a role instead in the fight for their freedom. It is the story of how Femke Den Haas, the Indonesian campaign director of the Dolphin Project, teamed up with former trainer Ric O'Barry. Presenter: Rebecca Henschke Producer: Dave Arnold (Photo: Johnny through the gate. Credit: The Dolphin Project) Freeing Johnny, Rocky and Rambo, the dolphins of the world's last travelling circus Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Freeing Johnny, Rocky and Rambo, the dolphins of the world's last travelling dolphin circus. Johnny, Rocky and Rambo were performers in the world's last travelling dolphin circus and inside a Bali hotel swimmingpool This the story of the fight to shut the circus down and the long journey to try to return the performing dolphins to the ocean. And we hear why the world's most famous dolphin trainer changed sides - playing a role instead in the fight for their freedom. It's the story of how Femke Den Haas the Indonesian Campaign Director of the Dolphin project teamed up with former trainer Ric O'Barry. Other ex-travelling dolphins remain in captivity and inside a Bali hotel swimming pool. Freeing the dolphins of the world's travelling circus |
The Israeli Hostages | 20240130 | 20240204 (WS) | Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages, including children and babies, women, and elderly people. The exact numbers are still changing. Some of the hostages have been released under a deal brokered by Qatar, but many remain in captivity inside Gaza. Anna Foster talks to people who were there when the attacks happened at the kibbutzim and the Nova music festival. They share the pain of hiding and trying to escape, as their loved ones were killed or taken away from them. This is their story. Presenter: Anna Foster Producer: Louise Clarke Editor: Clare Fordham Technical producer: Richard Hannaford (Photo: Israel-Palestinian conflict hostages. Credit: John MacDougall/AFP) People who survived the 7 October attacks in Israel by Hamas describe how events unfolded On 7 October Hamas invaded Israel killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. This is the story of how events unfolded, according to those who were there and survived. |
The Jaguar's Last Stand | 20241107 | 20241109 (WS) 20241110 (WS) | In the Pantanal, a vast tropical wetland in west Brazil, the Jaguar has long thrived as a mighty predator. But its habitats are now under threat, and the Jaguars may fall victim to a drive to develop the region economically. James Harper goes in search of the big cats, and explores a battle between business and conservation. A Whistledown production. James Harper explores a battle between business and conservation Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
The Midwife's Confession: Eye Investigates | 20240914 | 20240915 (WS) | For the last thirty years Indian journalist Amitabh Parashar has been investigating why a group of midwives in his home state of Bihar were routinely forced to kill baby girls. In a series of shocking interviews, the midwives explain what happened and how a remarkable social worker brought change. Together they began to save baby girls destined to be killed. Decades later BBC Eye finds a woman, who was possibly one of the girls. What will happen when she returns to meet the only surviving midwife? A warning, this program includes upsetting content. The Midwife's Confession was produced by Anubha Bhonsle, Purnima Mehta, Debangshu Roy, Neha Tara Mehta, Annabel Deas, Rob Wilson and Ahmen Khawaja. The editors were Daniel Adamson and Rebecca Henschke. It was mixed by Neva Missirian. Image credit: BBC Eye Now another girl has been born, kill her' - Indian midwives make a shocking confession. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. For the last thirty years Amitabh Parashar has been investigating why a group of midwives routinely murdered new-born baby girls— until they were persuaded to start saving lives. |
The New Germans | 20240921 | 20240922 (WS) 20240925 (WS) | Amid the 2015 migrant crisis, when millions of refugees were seeking safety in Europe, Germany's then Chancellor Angela Merkel took an extraordinary step. While many other European countries were trying to limit the numbers seeking entry, she unilaterally decided that Germany would take in more than a million asylum seekers, mostly from the Middle East. She famously declared, “Wir Schaffen Das” - We can do it. Now, almost 10 years on, many from this generation of refugees are living settled lives in Germany. Between the length of their stay, and a recent liberalisation in German citizenship law, they are now overwhelmingly eligible for citizenship; giving them both a more permanent feeling of safety, and a vote in where Germany goes from here. But it is a fraught time to become German. The AfD, a far right party harshly opposed to immigration of all kinds, is rising in popularity, especially in the former East. German identity has never been straightforward, with many Germans associating it with the nationalist legacy of Nazism and Hitler. Damien McGuinness heads out across Germany, meeting former refugees now on a path to citizenship, and finds out what this piece of paper means to them. Presenter: Damien McGuinness Producer: Jeanny Gering A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service (Photo: Refugees (immigrants, migrants) wait in front of the State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LaGeSO) in Berlin, Germany, 2 December 2015, to register for support services. Credit: Kay Nietfeld/EPA) Damien McGuinness talks to a generation of refugees in Germany now becoming citizens Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Damien McGuinness talks to a generation of refugees in Germany who are now eligible for citizenship due to a recent liberalisation of German citizenship law. |
The Next Paralympians | 20240824 | 20240825 (WS) 20240828 (WS) | Deepthi Jeevanji grew up in a rural Indian village where she was bullied and mocked for being different. In Paris this summer, she will become India's first ever Paralympian with an intellectual impairment. After winning 400m gold at this year's World Para Athletics Championships, she may also come home with a medal. What took India, the world's most populous country, so long to have a Paralympian with an intellectual disability? Why do fewer than a quarter of the countries competing in the Paralympics send athletes with an intellectual impairment? Dan Pepper, a British ex-Paralympic swimmer who has an intellectual disability, travels to India to meet Deepthi, her parents, and the team around her, as well as speaking to others across the world about the challenges facing athletes with an intellectual impairment. Dan Pepper was the presenter of the World Service's award-winning series The Fake Paralympians, in which he investigated the cheating scandal at the 2000 Paralympics that shocked the world and how it led to a ban on athletes like him from the Paralympic Games, ruining his sporting career. Presenter: Dan Pepper Producer: Simon Maybin (Photo: Deepthi Jeevanji, India's first ever Paralympian with an intellectual impairment. Credit: Simon Maybin) The trailblazing sports stars with a learning disability - and the barriers they face Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. The trailblazing sports stars with an intellectual impairment - and the barriers they face. The trailblazing sports stars with a learning disability - and the barriers they face. |
The Poker Parent | 20240425 | 20240427 (WS) 20240428 (WS) | An eight-year-old girl holds two cards in her hand. She places several plastic poker chips into the middle of the dining room table and makes a bet. Science writer Alex O'Brien has been teaching her daughter how to play poker for three years. She believes that the game - enjoyed by one hundred million people worldwide - will give her daughter important life lessons in the future. These lessons range from critical thinking skills, empowerment and emotional control to understanding psychology, probability and risk. But when the game is associated with casinos, gambling and men (95% of players are male), understandably not every one agrees with her decision - including poker players. Alex explores the benefits of the game for her child with professional poker players who are also parents, as well as experts in psychology and gambling. Guests include India's female poker champion Nikita Luther; US chess champion and poker player Jennifer Shahade; Irish poker champion David Lappin; psychologist and poker player Dr Maria Konnikova; Professor Avi Rubin, who teaches students poker; and Sally Gainsbury, a professor of psychology and director of the Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic at the University of Sydney in Australia, the country with the largest gambling losses per adult in the world. We also hear from Alex's daughter in her own words. Producer: Sue Nelson, Boffin Media Presenter: Alex O'Brien Image: Alex and her daughter playing poker (Credit: Sue Nelson) Can teaching a child to raise, call and bluff help them learn lessons about life? Alex O'Brien believes teaching her daughter to play poker can help her learn important life lessons. What could the benefits be, and how serious are the risks? An eight year old girl holds two cards in her hand. She places several plastic poker chips into the middle of the dining room table and makes a bet. Alex explores the benefits of the game for her child with professional pokers players who are also parents as well as experts in psychology and gambling. Producer: Sue Nelson, Boffin Media. Why teaching a child how to call, raise and bluff can impart important life lessons. |
The Raspberry Visa | 20231107 | 20231112 (WS) | The ‘Raspberry Visa' is the colloquial name given to the Portuguese passport that workers picking berries in Western Portugal can apply for after seven years of work. Bhrikuti Rai and Fabian Federl visit Odemira, where the raspberries are grown, to find out what life is like for the workers here and whether their dream of earning an EU passport is worth the toil. Is this system the answer to the lack of workers in the West or simply another means for the unscrupulous to exploit the hopes of migrants with dreams of a better life? (Photo: Bhrikuti Rai inside a raspberry tunnel. Credit: Helen Lennard) In Portugal, foreign workers picking berries can apply for a visa after seven years work In Portugal, foreign workers picking berries can apply for a visa after seven years of work. Is this the answer to the West's lack of workers? |
The Return | 20240116 | 20240121 (WS) | To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first recorded enslaved Africans in Virginia, America, in 2019, Ghana launched the Year of Return, an initiative to encourage the African diaspora to invest, settle and visit. After a positive response, a 10-year follow-up initiative called Beyond the Return was launched in 2020 to further promote investment, migration and tourism. As a result there has been an increase in visitor numbers, particularly from the United States with thousands of African-Americans making the trip across the Atlantic. Some have decided to stay. At least 1500 people have since moved to the West African country from the US and there are over 5000 African-Americans currently living in Ghana. Dr Ashley Milton is one of them. An environmental science and policy expert and entrepreneur, Dr Milton relocated from Washington DC to Ghana's capital Accra just as the Year of Return was being launched. Dr Milton travels from Cape Coast to Tema, meeting African-Americans who now call Ghana home. From a Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Los Angeles to a single mother from Atlanta, through varying stories of assimilation, hope, identity and migration, Ashley highlights the personal experiences of those who have moved to Ghana. Producer: Neil Kanwal A C60 Media production for BBC World Service (Photo: The former slave fort of Cape Coast Castle of the 16th Century, now a Unesco World Heritage site. Credit: Markus Matzel/Getty Images) The African-Americans who have moved to Ghana through the Year of Return initiative The African-Americans who have moved to Ghana through the government's Year of Return initiative. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first recorded enslaved Africans in Virginia, America, in 2019 Ghana launched the ‘Year of Return', an initiative to encourage the African diaspora to invest, settle and visit. After a positive response a 10-year follow-up initiative called ‘Beyond the Return' was launched in 2020 to further promote investment, migration and tourism. As a result there has been an increase in visitor numbers, particularly from the United States with thousands of African-Americans making the trip across the Atlantic. Some have decided to stay. At least 1500 people have since moved to the West African country from the U.S and there are over 5000 African Americans currently living in Ghana. Dr Ashley Milton is one of them. An environmental science and policy expert and entrepreneur, Dr Milton relocated from Washington D.C. to Ghana's capital Accra just as the Year Of Return was being launched. In this documentary Dr Milton travels from Cape Coast to Tema, meeting a variety of African-Americans who now call Ghana home along the way. From a Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Los Angeles to a single mother from Atlanta, through varying stories of assimilation, hope, identity and migration, Ashley highlights the personal experiences of those like herself who have moved to Ghana, whilst reflecting on the significant historical connection between both countries for the BBC World Service. Promoted by the Ghanaian government, African-Americans are investing and settling in Ghana |
The Romani Holocaust: An Unfinished History | 20240720 | 20240721 (WS) 20240724 (WS) | The destruction of the Roma by the Nazi state and allies and their post war fate |
The Vietnam War Soundtrack | 20231230 | 20231231 (WS) 20240103 (WS) 20240104 (WS) | Beatriz De La Pava researches the ways in which pivotal real-life events are reflected in the lyrics of popular songs, and shows how music paints a vivid picture of the social, political, economic and cultural landscape. From the feeling of young people when they started being drafted reflected in “Please Mr. Kennedy ? by The Goldcoast Singers, to the Operation Frequent Wind marked by Bing Crosby's “White Christmas ?. Beatriz will also reflect on the racial issues that traversed the conflict sparking the draft resistance movement and the appalling consequences of using chemicals during the war immortalized in “Agent Orange ? by Country Joe McDonald. She plays the music that chronicles the history of the Vietnam War, and speaks to the people who experienced it, suffered it, fought it, and campaigned against it. All through song lyrics that fed into a myriad of social changes and upheavals that motivated artistic expression. Music as the alternative, visceral and captivating historical source, that resonates with listeners from across generations and cultures. Beatriz De La Pava shines a light on the soundtrack that narrates The Vietnam war. Beatriz De La Pava plays the music that chronicled the Vietnam War, and speaks to the people who experienced it, suffered it, fought it, and campaigned against it. She researches the ways in which pivotal real-life events are reflected in the lyrics of popular songs, and shows how music paints a vivid picture of the social, political, economic and cultural landscape. She also reflects on the racial issues that traversed the conflict, sparking the draft resistance movement, and the appalling consequences of using chemicals during the war. Image: Armoured personnel carriers of the U.S. 25th Infantry Division seal off an area of Cholon, Saigon, where heavy fighting erupted, 8 May 1968 (Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images) |
The West Indies' First Black Captain: Sir Frank Worrell | 20240704 | 20240706 (WS) 20240707 (WS) | The brilliant cricketer Frank Worrell became the first permanent black captain of the West Indies team in 1960 – but he had to wait for a decade to get the job, denied by the elitism, insularity and racism of Caribbean cricket's rulers. Simon Lister finds out how Worrell's upbringing in Barbados, his cricketing adventures and his determination not to be cowed by the powers that ran island cricket, shaped a man who changed the West Indian game for ever. ***This programme contains outdated and discriminatory language*** Producer/presenter: Simon Lister with Ebony Rainford-Brent MBE, former England cricketer and World Cup winner (Photo: Frank Worrell, West Indian cricket team captain during their tour of England April 1963. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Frank Worrell became the first full-time black captain of the West Indies cricket team Frank Worrell became the first full-time black captain of the West Indies cricket team in 1960. |
Three Million: 6. Silk Scarves | 20240613 | 20240616 (WS) | 80 years ago at least 3 million Indians, who were British subjects, died in the Bengal Famine. But today different generations in Britain are coming to terms with this difficult past. Kavita meets the granddaughter of a senior colonial figure, who is only just learning about her grandfather's role in the famine. Initially she feels shame, but discoveries in her family archive change her perspective. What will she do with this new understanding of her family's history? A 97 year-old British man makes a surprising revelation about his role in the Bengal famine. And three generations on, British Bengalis mark the famine in Britain, in an unexpected way. How the legacy of the Bengal Famine of 1943 lives on in Britain today How the legacy of the Bengal Famine of 1943 lives on in Britain today. |
Three Million: 7. Live Show | 20240706 | 20240707 (WS) | A special episode of Three Million that was recorded with an audience at the India International Centre in New Delhi. The BBC's Yogita Limaye speaks to Kavita Puri, the creator and presenter of Three Million, to explore how the series was made, and how she went about tracking down eye-witnesses to the Bengal Famine of 1943. They are joined by author and historian Srimanjari and ‘memory collector' Sailen Sarkar, who recorded testimonies of the very last survivors of the famine. Together they explore the legacy of the Bengal famine, and why its memory is still so fraught today. Kavita Puri, the creator and presenter of Three Million, on how the series was made Kavita Puri, the creator and presenter of Three Million, on how the series was made, and how she tracked down eye-witnesses to the Bengal Famine of 1943. |
Three Million: 8. Road To The Past | 20240831 | 20240901 (WS) | Kavita Puri goes to India to meet the last survivors of the 1943 Bengal famine. She looks for traces of how war and famine impacted Kolkata and then travels from the city along the road to where the story of famine begins. Kavita goes deep into the countryside and the jungle in West Bengal to find people who lived through that devastating time more than 80 years ago. These are voices that are almost never recorded and have never been broadcast before. For the past year and a half Kavita has been asking why there is no memorial to the three million people who died. But then in the Bengal jungle she finally finds it – and it's not what she expected. Presenter : Kavita Puri Series Producer: Ant Adeane Editor: Emma Rippon Sound: Eloise Whitmore Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Kavita Puri goes to India to meet some of the last survivors of the 1943 Bengal famine Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Kavita Puri goes to India to meet some of the last survivors of the 1943 Bengal famine. Kavita Puri goes to India to meet some of the last survivors of the 1943 Bengal famine. She looks for traces of how war and famine impacted Kolkata and then travels from the city along the road to where the story of famine begins. Kavita goes deep into the countryside and the jungle in West Bengal to find people who lived through that devastating time more than 80 years ago. These are voices that are almost never recorded and have never been broadcast before. How does the memory of the famine endure today in the places it most affected? Sound design and mix: Eloise Whitmore Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown With thanks to Manoshi Barua for her translation work and to her, Bhasker Patel, Moazzem Hossain and Jesmin Ahmed for voicing up the Bengali-language interviews. |
Three Million: Live Show | 20240706 | 20240707 (WS) | A special episode of Three Million that was recorded with an audience at the India International Centre in New Delhi. The BBC's Yogita Limaye speaks to Kavita Puri, the creator and presenter of Three Million, to explore how the series was made, and how she went about tracking down eye-witnesses to the Bengal Famine of 1943. They are joined by author and historian Srimanjari and ‘memory collector' Sailen Sarkar, who recorded testimonies of the very last survivors of the famine. Together they explore the legacy of the Bengal famine, and why its memory is still so fraught today. Kavita Puri, the creator and presenter of Three Million, on how the series was made Kavita Puri, the creator and presenter of Three Million, on how the series was made, and how she tracked down eye-witnesses to the Bengal Famine of 1943. |
Three Million: The Last Survivors | 20240831 | 20240901 (WS) | Kavita Puri goes to India to meet the rural survivors of the 1943 Bengal famine. She looks for traces of what happened in Kolkata and then heads into the Sundarbans in West Bengal to find people who lived through it all more than 80 years ago. How does the memory of the famine endure in rural Bengal today? |
Tongue And Talk: Keeping Language Alive In Africa | 20241109 | 20241110 (WS) 20241113 (WS) 20241114 (WS) | In “Tongue and Talk: Keeping Language Alive in Africa,” our presenter Justice Baidoo explores endangered languages like Twi and Ashanti across different African countries. In Ghana, Justice shows how he's teaching these languages to his children and meets others across Africa who are also working to preserve their linguistic heritage. Hundreds of languages in small communities are under threat due to the dominance of French, English, and increasingly American English. A Made in Manchester production Justice Baidoo explores endangered languages like Twi and Ashanti across Africa Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
Trapped In Oman | 20240319 | 20240324 (WS) | BBC Africa Eye investigates the trafficking of Malawian women to Oman. Enticed by offers of domestic work, many find themselves trapped in servitude. Through WhatsApp voice notes, videos, and texts, the documentary reveals their abusive ordeal, as well as exposing the tactics used by agents to lure women to the Middle East. We also follow a group of extraordinary women who, working across three continents, fight to bring the women home, often against impossible odds. BBC Africa Eye investigates the trafficking of Malawian women to Oman often enticed by the promise of domestic work. A story of humanity in the face of inhumanity. It starts with women from Malawi who travel to Oman in the hope of improving their lives. Instead, they find themselves trapped in servitude as domestic workers. BBC Africa Eye has spent months uncovering evidence of physical and sexual abuse through voice notes, videos, and texts. But as reporter Florence Phiri reveals, there's a network of women working across continents, fighting to try to bring them home. Warning: Some people may find details in this story distressing. Presenter: Florence Phiri Producers: Nicky Milne and Rob Wilson Editors: Tom Watson and Rebecca Henschke Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar The fight to bring home a group of Malawian domestic workers trapped in servitude When domestic workers from Malawi find themselves trapped and abused in Oman, a network of women fights to bring them home. It's a story of humanity in the face of inhumanity. |
Tumaini | 20240102 | 20240305 (WS) 20240310 (WS) | Tumaini (‘hope' in Swahili) Festival is a unique refugee-led celebration of music, culture and solidarity in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi. Founded by Tresor Mpauni, who lived in the camp after being forced to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo, it uses arts and culture to build connections between refugees and the host community in Malawi. Each year it welcomes musicians and artists from all over Africa, and hosts guests from all over the world within the camp; providing a space to celebrate the artistic skills and organisational talents of an increasingly marginalised refugee community. Against considerable odds, they've created the largest festival in Malawi with over 50,000 people attending and over 115 artists performing in 2023. It is the refugee camp's largest source of commercial income. Self-organised refugee initiatives like Tumaini allow people seeking refuge to re-define how they see themselves, and create an opportunity for self-sufficiency in a community that is so often stripped of autonomy. Presenter: Ben Arogundade (Photo: Musician Beanca onstage. Credit: Tumaini Festival) Tumaini Festival - a unique music and arts celebration in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi Tumaini Festival - a unique music and arts celebration in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi. Tumaini (‘hope' in Swahili) Festival is an inspiring expression of creativity in Dzaleka Refugee Camp and a vital link between refugees and the host community in Malawi. Founded by Tresor Mpauni, who lived in the camp after being forced to leave DRC, it uses arts and culture to promote and support the cultural, social and economic inclusion of refugees in Malawi. It provides a space to celebrate the artistic skills and organisational talents of an increasingly marginalised refugee community, helping to change the narrative around how refugees are portrayed. Each year it welcomes musicians from all over Africa, making connections to the wider world and building community - and an alternative economy - within the camp and surrounding area. Musicians Maggie Kadrum, Jay Extra and Code Sangala describe why they love performing at Tumaini, and festival goers and Dzaleka residents share why this festival is so unique. Over fifty organisers from Dzaleka work to produce Tumaini, and they explain what they learn from this process, and why it's important to keep working together to change things. Recently, thousands were arrested and sent back to the camp under Malawi's encampment policy, which denies refugees the right to live and work outside the camp. But as Tresor Mpauni observes: ‘Refugees don't just carry their luggage when they are going looking for safety. They carry so much in their heads and in their being. People travel with dreams, with ideas, with experience, with knowledge that could benefit any space that hosts them. |
Twin Towns | 20240502 | 20240509 (WS) 20240511 (WS) 20240512 (WS) | The small rural town of Igbo-Ora, in southwestern Nigeria, proclaims itself to be the “twin capital of the world'. It has an astonishingly high twin birthrate. Everyone here wants to have twins, because in Yoruba culture they are believed to bring good fortune and are celebrated almost as deities. And yet, in another part of Nigeria, near the capital Abuja, a different community once viewed twins as the manifestations of evil spirits. There were even reports that some twins were killed as infants. For the past 30 years, a local Nigerian orphanage has been rescuing unwanted babies, while working with local people to change their minds. Peter Macjob visits both communities to hear about the lives of twins and explore the power of traditional beliefs in these “twin towns ?. Photo: A woman in Igbo-Ora carries wooden carved figurines representing twin deities, known as Ibeji Reporter: Peter Macjob Producer: Alex Last Editor: Penny Murphy Sound mix: Rod Farquhar Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Why being a twin in Nigeria could mean life or death The Nigerian town that celebrates the birth of twins, and the villages that fear them. |
Two Years Of War: Voices From Russia | 20240220 | 20240225 (WS) | As the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches, Oleg Boldyrev reports on how ordinary Russians are dealing with life in a country at war with its close neighbour. Are there new economic and social challenges, and what do we know of attitudes to the invasion? We talk to Russians across the country to gauge the mood. (Image credit: Photo by ANATOLY MALTSEV/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock) Oleg Boldyrev on how ordinary Russians are dealing with life in a country at war. |
Ukraine To Korea | 20240627 | 20240629 (WS) 20240630 (WS) | Over 800 ethnic-Korean refugees fled Ukraine for Koryo Village in South Korea's Gwangju province following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They are descendants of Koreans who fled to the Soviet Union during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Some have secured legal status and jobs, while others await document processing. Journalist So Jeong Lee visits the village, observing new arrivals and a school where children learn Korean. Jo-Ya Shin, a bilingual volunteer, takes charge and assists others with job hunting and paperwork. Many Koryoin are women and children who escaped Ukraine when male family members were drafted. Some left professional careers behind in Ukraine and now work in factories in Korea. They and their children face a choice between building a new life in Korea or waiting to return to Ukraine. Most do not speak Korean. The South Korean government views the Koryoin as an opportunity to introduce South Koreans to cultural and ethnic diversity, offering support through cultural events, language programmes, and start-up grants. But recent elections have led to new government policies which impact the Koryoin. Presenter: So Jeong Lee Producer: Amanda Hargreaves A Bespoken Media production for BBC World Service How ethnic-Korean Ukrainian refugees returning to Korea are receiving a mixed welcome How ethnic-Korean Ukrainian refugees returning to Korea because of the Russian-Ukrainian war are receiving a mixed welcome. Over 800 ethnically-Korean refugees fled Ukraine for Koryo Village in South Korea's Gwangju province following Russia's invasion. Some have secured legal status and jobs, while others await document processing. They are descendants of Koreans who fled to the Soviet Union during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Journalist So Jeong Lee visits the village, observing new arrivals and a school where children learn Korean. Jo-Ya Shin, a bilingual volunteer, takes charge and assists others with job hunting and paperwork. Many Koryoin are women and children who escaped Ukraine when male family members were drafted. Some left professional careers behind in Ukraine and now work in factories in Korea. They and their children face a choice between building a new life in Korea or waiting to return to Ukraine. Most don't speak Korean. Their grandparents fled to Russia and unintentionally raised Russian or Ukrainian children. The South Korean government views the Koryoin as an opportunity to introduce South Koreans to cultural and ethnic diversity, offering support through cultural events, language programmes, and start-up grants. But recent elections have led to new government policies which will impact the Koryoin. Ethnically-Korean Ukrainian refugees returning to Korea are receiving a mixed welcome. |
Ukraine Two Years On: Your Questions Answered | 20240224 | For two years, the Russian president Vladimir Putin has been waging a brutal conflict in Ukraine - the bloodiest in Europe since World War Two. But after tens of thousands of deaths on both sides who has the upper hand? What is life like in Ukraine, and Russia, today? And when will the killing end? The Global News Podcast and Ukrainecast have come together to answer your questions. | |
Ukraine: Two Years On | 20240224 | On the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we put listeners' questions to BBC correspondents who've been covering the conflict since the beginning. What is the current situation on the ground? Is there really a stalemate? How long can the Ukrainians continue to put up a fight? Will Western aid run out? Can a peaceful solution be found? Oliver Conway from the Global News Podcast is joining forces with Vitaly Shevchenko from Ukrainecast in a joint special edition. We answer listeners' questions on the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. | |
Under Ash: Uncovering Maui's Past | 20240817 | 20240818 (WS) 20240821 (WS) | In August of 2023, the tourist epicentre of the Hawaiian island of Maui caught fire and the blaze engulfed 2,000 houses, 800 businesses and took the lives of at least 115 people. But the history of the town of Lahaina means it did not go from being the lush and prosperous capital of Hawai'i it once was to disappearing through flames overnight. Born and raised on the island of Maui, Pūlama Kaufman returns there and, with cultural leader Hokulani Holt, they ask questions about the hidden stories of mistreatment, illegal ownership and cultural stripping that may have contributed to seeing Lahaina hidden under ash. An Audio Always production. How historic mistreatment contributed to the 2023 deadly Hawaiian wildfires In August of 2023, the tourist epicentre of the Hawaiian island of Maui caught fire and the blaze engulfed 2,000 houses, 800 businesses and took the lives of at least 115 people. Born and raised on the island of Maui, Pūlama Kaufman returns there and, with cultural leader Hokulani Holt. They ask questions about the hidden stories of mistreatment, illegal ownership and cultural stripping that may have contributed to seeing Lahaina hidden under ash. (Photo: Terraced taro fields in Waikapu on Maui show what Lahaina would have looked like 300 years ago. Credit: Audio Always) An Audio Always production for BBC World Service How historic mistreatment contributed to the 2023 deadly Hawaiian wildfires. Born and raised on the island of Maui, Pūlama Kaufman returns there with cultural leader Hokulani Holt. They ask questions about the hidden stories of mistreatment, illegal ownership and cultural stripping that may have contributed to seeing Lahaina hidden under ash. Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. |
Us Local News 2024: On The Front Page Frontline | 20241010 | 20241012 (WS) 20241013 (WS) | Gary O'Donoghue meets local newspaper editors in America to hear about the challenge of reporting during a divisive presidential election campaign. In Kansas, Gary visits Eric Meyer, the owner and editor of the Marion County Record. In August 2023 the paper's offices, and the home of its 90-year-old owner, Eric's mother Joan, were raided by the town's five person police department. The following day Joan died. Such a raid on a newspaper is rare in America, and this was picked up nationally. A year later, the police chief Gideon Cody has been charged with interference with judicial process. Gary hears how local media has become part of the culture wars. Local papers find themselves reporting on, and caught up in, divisive political battles over local institutions such as the school, police, municipality. A "good old fashioned newspaper war" has been playing out in Westcliffe, Colorado, where Gary meets Jordan Hedberg, editor of the Wet Mountain Tribune. In the same town, the Sangre de Cristo Sentinel, promises “a different view from the same mountains”. Gary also hears about how trust in local news, which has traditionally played a big part in local politics, is being eroded. According to recent analysis from Pew Research trust in local newspapers is at its lowest in recent years and there is a clear party divide, with Democrats 16 points more likely than Republicans to have at least some trust in the information they get from local news outlets (79% versus 63%). (Photo: The first edition of the Marion County Record since its newsroom in central Kansas was raided by police. Credit: Getty Images) Gary O'Donoghue meets newspaper editors during the US presidential election campaign Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Gary O'Donoghue meets newspaper editors during the US presidential election campaign. " Gary O'Donoghue meets local newspaper editors in America to hear about the challenge of reporting during a divisive presidential election campaign. In Kansas, Gary visits Eric Meyer, the owner and editor of the Marion County Record. In August 2023 the paper's offices, and the home of its 90-year-old owner, Eric's mother Joan, were raided by the town's five person police department. The following day Joan died. Such a raid on a newspaper is rare in America, and this was picked up nationally. A year later, the police chief Gideon Cody has been charged with interference with judicial process. Gary hears how local media has become part of the culture wars. Local papers find themselves reporting on, and caught up in, divisive political battles over local institutions such as the school, police, municipality. A 'good old fashioned newspaper war' has been playing out in Westcliffe, Colorado, where Gary meets Jordan Hedberg, editor of the Wet Mountain Tribune. In the same town, the Sangre de Cristo Sentinel, promises “a different view from the same mountains”. Gary also hears about how trust in local news, which has traditionally played a big part in local politics, is being eroded. According to recent analysis from Pew Research trust in local newspapers is at its lowest in recent years and there is a clear party divide, with Democrats 16 points more likely than Republicans to have at least some trust in the information they get from local news outlets (79% versus 63%). (Photo: The first edition of the Marion County Record since its newsroom in central Kansas was raided by police. Credit: Getty Images) Gary O'Donoghue meets newspaper editors during the US presidential election campaign Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Gary O'Donoghue meets newspaper editors during the US presidential election campaign. Presenter: Gary O'Donoghue Producer: Philip Reevell A Communicorp production for BBC World Service |
We The People Are Barbados | 20231128 | 20231203 (WS) | In September 2020, on the brink of a global pandemic and financial crisis, Barbados announced its decision to become a republic, removing the British monarchy as head of state. November 30th, 2021 marked not only the 57th anniversary of the nation's independence but a new beginning as a republic. Award-winning author and presenter, Candice Brathwaite, explores Barbados' transition to a republic two years after the official declaration. How much practical change has taken place two years on? And what does the future of Barbados look like without the British monarchy as head of state? Through interviews with Poet Laureate Esther Phillips, historian Dr Pedro Welch, artist Oneka Small, journalist Krystal-Penny Bowen and socio-economics expert Prof Don Marshall, Candice gains insights from the people of Barbados about the Island's evolving identity. With thanks to Barbados Today and Barbados' Prime Minister's Office. Producer: Chloe Williams A 7digital Production for BBC World Service (Photo: President of Barbados, Dame Sandra Mason, speaks at the presidential inauguration ceremony at Heroes Square, 30 November, 202, Bridgetown, Barbados. Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Candice Brathwaite revisits Barbados two years after it transitioned to a republic Candice Brathwaite revisits Barbados two years after it transitioned to a republic. Through interviews with Poet Laureate Esther Phillips, historian Dr. Pedro Welch, artist Oneka Small, journalist Krystal-Penny Bowen and Socio-economics expert Profession Don Marshall, we gain firsthand insights from the people of Barbados about the Island's evolving identity. Picture credit: Unsplash A 7digital Production for BBC World Service. |
West Bank: Settlers, Guns And Sanctions | 20240829 | 20240905 (WS) 20240908 (WS) | For more than six months, a BBC Eye team has been investigating extremist settlers establishing a new type of illegal settlement known as a “herding outpost”. Some have been sanctioned by the UK and US governments for forcing Palestinians from their homes as part of a “campaign of violence and intimidation”. In this documentary we tell the story of the Palestinian communities living on the frontline of their outposts. We expose how some of these herding outposts are being supported by two powerful organisations in Israel, one which describes itself as “an arm of the Israeli state”. Image credit: BBC Eye Extremist settlers are supported by \u201cstate-linked\u201d organisations, BBC Eye reveals Investigating global developments, issues and affairs. Extremist settlers are supported by “state-linked” organisations, BBC Eye reveals. |
Whose Truth?: Online Women Haters | 20240706 | Attacked on social media - how Nobel Prize laureate Maria Ressa came under fire for doing her job as a journalist in the Philippines, covering the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. She talks to Babita Sharma about the fight to stop social media being used to spread lies and hate against powerful women. Babita also speaks to two female digital pioneers. Lucina Di Meco is the co-founder of the California-based group She Persisted, which addresses the digital threat faced by women in politics. Audrey Pe is founder of the non-profit organisation WiTech, which aims to inspire young people to use technology to bring positive change. This content was created as a co-production between Nobel Prize Outreach and the BBC. | |
Will The Unicorns Of The Sea Fall Silent? | 20231003 | 20240102 (WS) 20240107 (WS) | The term “narwhal ? derives from the old Nordic for “nár + hvalr ?, meaning corpse + whale, which, for these animals, is quickly becoming prophetic. Climate change, with its accompanying increase in human marine activity, has led to the Arctic Ocean becoming noisier. As narwhal rely on sound to communicate and navigate their surroundings, this could result in the extinction of populations like East Greenland's narwhal by as soon as 2025. This is the canary in the coalmine moment for the deep-sea mammals, along with the people who rely on them. Mary-Ann Ochota investigates how this issue is at once political, cultural, and environmental by talking to the scientists, traditional hunters, and activists, who are all seeking a solution. Music by Siobhan McDonald, Chris Bean and Jonathan Nangle Nunavut hunters voiced by Francis Quinn Producer: Jacob Dabb (Image: A male and female narwhal, Monodon monoceros, have been digitally created and added to this underwater image of the oceans surface. Credit: David Fleetham/Getty Images) Can narwhals, which rely on echolocation, survive in an increasingly noisy Arctic? Can narwhals, a deep-sea mammal which rely on echolocation, survive in an increasingly noisy Arctic? |
World Wide Waves '24 | 20240217 | 20240218 (WS) 20240221 (WS) 20240222 (WS) | Radio can be a lifeline for women: a place to speak out in safety; a place to find their voices. We hear from women taking to the air and making waves in the cracks left by the Taliban in Afghanistan; in Fiji's scattered archipelago threatened by climate change; in the migrant farmworker community of the Yakima Valley in North America's Pacific north-west; and in the Ecuadorean Amazon, where indigenous women are coming together to save their land from pollution and destruction by oil companies. A feast of women's voices from around the world: open, brave, joyful, and full of life and music. Special thanks to Mark Wilden for additional rainforest sound and to Siegmund Thies for permission to use sound excerpts from his film Radio Women from the Rain Forest. (Photo: Women in Canoe Credit: Siegmund Thies) For this year's World Radio Day, we celebrate women in community radio Around the world, small radio stations give a voice to their communities, play a dazzling array of music, speak truth to power, challenge, educate and entertain. For World Radio Day, we hear from far-flung community broadcasters operating on a shoe-string to bring people together, often against the odds. Tuning in to some of their output, we celebrate the power of the airwaves to uplift and transform. Around the world, small radio stations give a voice to their communities. |
Your Questions Answered: Israel And Gaza | 20231014 | We put listeners' questions, on the war in Israel and Gaza, to our experts in the region. | |
Your Questions Answered: Israel And Gaza | 20231021 | Global News Podcast looks at the conflict in Israel and Gaza. | |
Your Questions Answered: Israel And Gaza | 20231028 | Global News Podcast looks at the conflict in Israel and Gaza. |