BBC World Service

Global News Podcast
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Newshour
Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.

The Documentary Podcast
A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and uncovering true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and global issues. From Trump's new world order, to war in Sudan, to the legacy of football icon Mo Salah, The Documentary investigates major global stories. We delve into social media, take you into the minds of the world's most creative people and explore personal approaches to spirituality. Every week, we also bring together people from around the globe to discuss how news stories are affecting their lives. A new episode most days, all year round. From our BBC World Service teams at: Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio, OS Conversations, The Fifth Floor and Trending.

World Book Club
The world's great authors discuss their best-known novel.

Over to You
Talk back to the BBC and challenge the programme makers.

Sporting Witness
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded. Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

The History Hour
A compilation of the latest Witness History programmes.

Business Matters
Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

World Business Report
The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

CrowdScience
We take your questions about life, Earth and the universe to researchers hunting for answers at the frontiers of knowledge.

The Arts Hour
The best global arts coverage from across the BBC.

Africa Daily
Africa Daily has now come to an end. But do listen to Focus on Africa for all the big stories and for the African perspective on major global news. Hosted by Audrey Brown and ready by late afternoon every weekday. Search for Focus on Africa, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Focus on Africa
Three essential stories to round off your working day. Explaining the big topics and news from Africa, the people behind them, plus an African perspective on global stories. Hosted by Audrey Brown. Five days a week, ready by late afternoon, Monday to Friday.

Not by the Playbook
Inspirational stories from around the world. Interviews with people defying the odds. Discover Not by the Playbook - the podcast which seeks out the most incredible stories from sportspeople and athletes. We bring you interviews with the sporting heroes who have achieved success in the face of seemingly impossible challenges. Formerly known as Sportshour, Not by the Playbook is brought to you by the BBC, the world's most trusted international news provider. Tune in to hear from some of the most famous names in sport on subjects you've never heard them discuss before. You don't have to be an Olympic gold champion to have an extraordinary story – we also scour the globe for inspiring individuals who make a difference through sport. Whether you’re a football or soccer fan, tennis lover, golf aficionado or cricket addict, or even if you're not a sports fan at all, you’ll find inspiration in the stories of resilience, determination, and discipline. Expect insightful, honest, and thought-provoking conversations from people who live and breathe sport. Listen to Not by the Playbook on the BBC World Service every Saturday at 0900 GMT, or find it as a podcast wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

What in the World
Helping you make sense of what’s happening in your world. Big stories, small stories and everything in between. Understand more, feel better. Five days a week, Monday to Friday.

The Explanation
The Explanation is a snackable audio guide giving you the backstory behind the headlines. In each episode, presenter Claire Graham meets a BBC News correspondent who has lived and breathed these stories. She’ll hear clear analysis along with powerful archive. The Explanation will go back in time to unpack complex chains of events and will make the stories in question easier to understand.

The Global Story
Where the world and America meet. Every weekday, this is The Global Story. The world is changing. Decisions made in the US and by the second Trump administration are accelerating that change. But they are also a symptom of it. With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption.

Unexpected Elements
The news you know, the science you don’t. Unexpected Elements looks beyond everyday narratives to discover a goldmine of scientific stories and connections from around the globe. From Afronauts, to why we argue, to a deep dive on animal lifespans: see the world in a new way.

Witness History
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest, the disastrous D-Day rehearsal, and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

Business Daily
The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.

Science In Action
The BBC brings you all the week's science news.

Stumped
The weekly cricket show from BBC Sport in association with ABC and Akashvani.

Sportsworld
Live sport from around the world, with news, interviews and analysis.

The Food Chain
The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

The Interview
Conversations with people shaping our world, from all around the globe. Listen to The Interview for the best conversations from the BBC, the world's most trusted international news provider. We hear from titans of business, politics, finance, sport and culture. Global leaders, decision-makers and cultural icons. Politicians, activists and CEOs. Each interview is around 20-minutes, packed full of insight and analysis, covering some of the biggest issues of our time. How does it work? Well, at the BBC, our journalists interview amazing people every single day. And on The Interview, we bring them to you. It’s your one-stop-shop to the best conversations coming out of the BBC, with the people shaping our world, from all over the world. Get in touch with us on emailTheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

Health Check
Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

The Inquiry
The Inquiry gets beyond the headlines to explore the trends, forces and ideas shaping the world.

Tech Life
Tech Life discovers and explains the ways technology is changing our lives, wherever we are in the world. We meet the people with bright ideas for rethinking the way we work, learn and play, and get hands-on with the products they dream up. We hold tech giants to account for their huge power to affect our lives, and ask who wins, and who loses, in the technology transformation. Tech Life is your guide to a future being made, and remade, at lightning speed in front of our eyes.

People Fixing the World
Brilliant solutions to the world’s problems. We meet people with ideas to make the world a better place and investigate whether they work.

Discovery
Explorations in the world of science.

The Climate Question
Why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.

The Conversation
Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle
Epic space stories. From the first Moon landing, to Apollo 13, to the Space Shuttle. Told by the people who made them happen. NEW: Season 3: The Space Shuttle. A sci-fi dream that changed spaceflight forever. From the boldest test flight in history to one of Nasa’s darkest days – the Challenger disaster. Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock tells the awe-inspiring story of the programme that brought triumph and tragedy. Some scenes in this series use recreated sound effects. Season 2: Apollo 13. Apollo 13 should have been the third Moon landing, but after an explosion, it almost ended in tragedy. Told by the people who flew it and saved it. Presented and co-written by Kevin Fong. Season 1: 13 Minutes to the Moon. The first Moon landing. In the final dramatic 13-minute descent to the Moon, the Apollo 11 mission came close to going badly wrong. Communication was breaking down, technology was failing and fuel was running out. This is the story of how the first Moon landing was saved. Presented by Kevin Fong. 13 Minutes is produced by the BBC Audio Science Unit for the BBC World Service. Season 3 theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Lives Less Ordinary
Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Our guests come from every corner of the globe: from Burundi to Beverly Hills, New Zealand to North Korea, Rajasthan to Rio. And their stories can be about anything: tales of survival, humour, resilience and intrigue. From the mind-blowing account of the Japanese man trapped in his own reality TV show, to the Swedish women rescued from lions by a tin of spam. It’s life’s wild side, in stereo. Lives Less Ordinary is brought to you by the team behind Outlook, the home of true life storytelling on BBC World Service radio for nearly 60 years. Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784 You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

World Football
Original football stories and interviews from around the globe.

Good Bad Billionaire
How did the richest people on the planet make their billions? From Selena Gomez to Jeff Bezos, and now we find out about five dead billionaires. Meet pioneers who helped build the United States of America: the world’s first billionaire John D Rockefeller, motor magnate Henry Ford, the aviator and filmmaker Howard Hughes, Walmart founder Sam Walton, and Hetty Green - once dubbed “The Witch of Wall Street”. These iconic billionaires may be long dead, but their fingerprints are all over modern industry - in business trusts, IPOs, and mass production. They did it all first, but how did they make their billions? Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that analyses the minds, motives and money of some of the world's wealthiest individuals. Simon and Zing explore the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. From iconic celebrities and secretive CEOs to sporting legends and titans of technology, Simon and Zing find out how they made their money, and then it’s over to you to decide whether they’re good, bad, or just another billionaire. Ever wondered how Taylor Swift went from country singer to money-spinner? How Amazon boss Jeff Bezos came to launch one of the biggest corporations of the internet age? And how six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan made his fortune with Nike? Trawl through the archives to find out how Selena Gomez went from a child Disney star to a mega-magnate of makeup and how Martha Stewart, the “original lifestyle influencer” became one of the most successful women in business. We explore the life of British inventor James Dyson and learn about some of the big names behind Minecraft, Marvel, WWE and the ultimate reality TV show – Big Brother. Join us on a global journey, discovering all we can about some of the richest people on the planet. In the United States, there are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. Hear about billionaires in Russia, China, New Zealand, India, Nigeria and the UK. Exploring the lives of Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, El Chapo, Narayana Murthy and Kim Kardashian, this podcast paints a vivid picture of business, entrepreneurship, capitalism and how our world really works. Discover how the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Peter Jackson, Doris Fisher and George Soros came to join the billionaires' club. Learn how Tiger Woods went from a child golfing prodigy to the world’s highest paid athlete, how a communist mime artist became the boss of fashion house Prada and how Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich came to buy an English football club. Find out how Mukesh Ambani became Asia’s richest person, and how Patrice Motsepe became the first black billionaire in a post-apartheid South Africa. Plus, we examine some of the biggest names behind the technology shaping our world – the founders of TikTok, Google, ChatGPT, Alibaba and Bumble. But it's not just how these billionaires made their money; it's what they did with it next. Ultimately, Simon and Zing will help you decide whether they’re a force for good, bad, or somewhere in between. Join Simon Jack, the business editor for BBC News, and journalist and author Zing Tsjeng as this podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility, ultimately inviting you to make up your own mind: are they good, bad, or just another billionaire? We’d love to hear your feedback. Email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or drop us a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. To find out more about the show and read our privacy notice, visit www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire

The Lazarus Heist
“Almost a perfect crime.” The hacking ring and an attempt to steal a billion dollars. Investigators blame North Korea. Pyongyang denies involvement. The story begins in Hollywood.

The Forum
The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.

The Global Jigsaw
Looking at the world through the lens of its media. Think of us as your media detectives, helping you get past the propaganda and misinformation. The Global Jigsaw comes from BBC Monitoring, which tracks, deciphers and analyses news media in 100 languages. We reach across multiple time zones, from China and India, to Iran, Africa and Latin America. We watch Russian state TV around the clock, giving unrivalled insight into the evolution of Kremlin propaganda. But propaganda is just part of the information space we inhabit. In its more extreme form, we focus on disinformation that aims to defame enemies, sway elections, and undermine democracy. We have been monitoring jihadist media for nearly two decades, following the chatter from al-Qaeda and Islamic State group, gaining extraordinary knowledge about their aims, their ideological differences and allegiances. We watch the behaviour of Russia’s Putin, Iran’s Khamenei, Turkey’s Erdogan, China’s Xi Jinping, Hungary’s Orban and anyone else who might be challenging the established order, seeking to expand their global footprint or export their brand of ideology. At BBC Monitoring, we don’t just speak the language, we understand the narrative. So we can help you untangle the context and single out rhetoric from reality, deception from truth.

Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr
What makes someone a “true legend”? Untold Legends gives legendary status to those who deserve it – and tells their story. NEW season: You may well have heard of the Austrian-born US actress Hedy Lamarr - a Jewish refugee who escaped the Nazis to become a Hollywood star. However, for most of her life, she didn’t receive proper recognition for her role as an inventor. She was known for starring in dozens of films, including Algiers, Samson and Delilah, Ecstasy, Boom Town and My Favourite Spy. But few people knew Hedy was also a gifted inventor. One of the technologies she co-invented laid a key foundation for future communication systems, including GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi. Presented by inventor and model Andini, and featuring special guest, Hollywood actor, AnnaSophia Robb, Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr, explores the life of a woman whose intellect was often overshadowed by her image. Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr is an 8-part series. The final two episodes will be released in September. Previously, from Untold Legends: Ora Washington was the champion the world ignored. You might know this tennis and basketball star, were it not for the colour of her skin. Former US basketball star and vice president of Atlanta Dream, Renee Montgomery, investigates Ora’s story. Ora dominated black women’s tennis, which was segregated in the 1920s and 1930s. Untold Legends is from the BBC World Service, Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

On the Podium
The stories behind the medals. As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, comedian Eliza Skinner and athletics commentator Ed Harry interview remarkable athletes about the journeys they took to the Games. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while John McFall, Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

World Questions
The public's questions about issues affecting their country, recorded in a different global location each month

Dear Daughter
Extraordinary letters written from parents to their children with Namulanta Kombo. Sharing parenting advice, family stories and life lessons. Dear Daughter is an award-winning podcast from the BBC World Service about love, life, family, and raising children. It is the brainchild of Namulanta Kombo, a mother on a quest to create a ‘handbook to life’ for her daughter, through the advice of parents from all over the world. Each episode, a guest reads a letter they’ve written to their children (or their future children, or the children they never had) with the advice, life lessons, and personal stories they’d like to pass on. Expect unbelievable true stories, inspirational advice for parents, and moving accounts of families, relationships and raising daughters. Share your letter! What do you want to say to your kids? Or the next generation? Do you have thoughts on motherhood, fatherhood, or parenthood to share? Whether you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son or just want to write a letter, send us a Whatsapp message on +44 800 030 4404 or visit bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter. You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZFHNV8v7qgTm1zbKbkwsvR/dear-daughter-privacy-notice

Witness History: Black history
Listen to and download our programmes

Witness History: World War Two history
D Day, traitors and evacuees

Amazing Sport Stories
NEW SEASON: Bill Walton’s The Grateful Team. Basketball, the Cold War, and rock band The Grateful Dead collide in this incredible true story. Presented by the late NBA star Bill Walton. Starts19 May. Unbelievable stories from the world of sport. Amazing Sport Stories brings you the greatest twists and personal journeys from sport history. Listen for inspiring tales of courage, drama, myths and legends from all over the globe. From minor-league underdogs to Olympic champions. These are sporting heroes you’ll wish you’d known about and now probably won’t forget. Previous seasons include The Legend of Takhti, about the Iran wrestling hero who died under mysterious circumstances. Or The Black 14, about the group of Black American football players who took a stand against racism in the game. And Chasing Mountains, the story of five female mountaineers battling to make climbing history. All told in mini seasons and one-off documentary episodes. #AmazingSportStories

The Mangione Trial
Accused of murder, Luigi Mangione went viral. We explore why, and will bring you news updates on major developments in the case, from our BBC reporters. Mangione has been charged with killing health insurance chief executive Brian Thompson. He was shot in New York in December 2024, leaving behind a grieving family. He was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Luigi Mangione was eventually arrested at a McDonald's in the town of Altoona in Pennsylvania, kickstarting countless conspiracy theories online. The Mangione Trial podcast from the BBC World Service is taking a step back to unpick the conspiracies and examine the facts. BBC reporters will explain and analyse major developments in the case. You can watch this podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4dqQA7wr_EnhoqLNVKsFBtE We explore how this shocking case set social media alight. Why was there such a reaction to Mangione on TikTok and Reddit? Why is there fascination with people who are accused of such serious crimes? We also consider the US health industry and wider attitudes to capitalism and corporations. Presented by Jordan Dunbar. Got a claim you want us to fact check? Email: themangionetrial@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: +44 330 678 33 63

Kalki Presents: My Indian Life
Life for young Indian adults in the 21st Century explored by Bollywood actor Kalki Koechlin. Real stories from India - sometimes raw, often uplifting.

Dramas
Immersive storytelling from the BBC World Service. The home of original drama. The latest season is Purple Heart Warriors, a time-travelling drama about the Japanese American soldiers who became legends of US military history. Inspired by real events, it’s the little-known story of the 442nd Regiment, decorated for their bravery fighting the Nazi German army in World War Two. Narrated by Will Sharpe and written by Oscar nominee Iris Yamashita, it is told in six-parts. Also listen to our previous season: Fukushima. This seven-part nuclear drama tells the story of the tsunami which hit in 2011. It follows the heroes who fight to contain the disaster and those whose mistakes led Japan to catastrophe.

The Bomb
The spy who changed history. And a great-aunt's double life. In season one of The Bomb, we met the scientist who might have stopped the atomic bomb from ever being built. In season two, we meet the man who stole it. Klaus Fuchs was a brilliant young physicist, and the world’s most dangerous spy. Rosa Ellis finds out how he crossed paths with her great-aunt, and how their partnership changed the course of history.

Trending
In-depth reporting on the world of social media.

Where To Be A Woman
Where can women live their best lives? Scaachi Koul and Sophia Smith Galer are pushing past the latest wellness fads to search the globe for the best wellbeing ideas. Each episode hears from two countries about something they are doing well and Scaachi and Sophia choose what they like for their imaginary fantasy land - because we can’t build what we can’t imagine. Topics up for discussion include where women are most likely to have the best body image, do the most equal share of the housework, get the best maternity leave or even where they’re most likely to be celebrated by having a statue made of them. Let us know what you think - send us a Whatsapp voice note on +44330 123 9459. You can read our full the privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2pj25vkld7tZ2Lq2d0Z3YjT/where-to-be-a-woman-privacy-notice

Fifth Floor
Faranak Amidi takes a fresh look at the stories of the week with journalists from our 40 language sections.

The Real Story
Global experts and decision makers discuss, debate and analyse a key news story.

Music Life
Where music stars discuss how they make their music.

U.Me: The Complete Musical
Stephen Fry narrates a new musical romance, a love story between two people who connect online across the world’s time zones. Sung by Anoushka Lucas and Martin Sarreal, composed by Theo Jamieson and performed by the BBC Philharmonic.

Match of the Day Africa: Top 10
Yaya Touré, Efan Ekoku and Gabriel Zakuani draw up their top 10s and debate all things African football, from the best goalscorers to the biggest moments.

Witness History: Witness Archive 2016
History as told by the people who were there. All the programmes from 2016.

Digital Planet
Technological and digital news from around the world.

Heart and Soul
Heart and Soul is a weekly half-hour programme that has the scope and understanding to explore different experiences of spirituality from around the world. Whether examining religious faith or any other belief-system, the programme talks to believers and non-believers, and tries to get beyond superficial notions of spirituality and religion.

The Cultural Frontline
The Cultural Frontline: where arts and news collide.

The Comb
Combing Africa for stories about the unseen forces that bind us together and tear us apart. A single story, every week. Hosted by Kim Chakanetsa. #thecomb

The Compass
Surprising stories from unusual places. With ideas too big for a single episode, The Compass presents mini-series about the environment and politics, culture and society.

The Dark Is Rising
A young boy’s time-travelling fight against ancient evil. When the Dark comes rising, who will hold it back? This dramatisation of Susan Cooper’s cult novel is a magical journey into the supernatural.

WorklifeIndia
Live from Delhi, WorklifeIndia reflects on money, work, family, business and finance.

Comedians vs. the News
Comedians with the funny take on global headlines. NYC comedy couple Jess Salomon and Eman El-Husseini serve-up the news as you’ve never heard it before.

The Outlook Podcast Archive
Extraordinary first-person stories from around the world. An archive of Outlook podcasts from 2016-2022. For new episodes from the team, subscribe to Lives Less Ordinary.

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter
Amazing things humans have learnt from the animal kingdom. Inspiring, fascinating, bingeable. Please note, we are no longer able to receive emails for this series.

A Wish for Afghanistan
The speed of the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan in August 2021 took the world by surprise. Now there is uncertainty and fear among many Afghans - what will Taliban rule look like? What will become of their country? The Taliban took control of Kabul just weeks before the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the event that led to the US invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001 and the Taliban’s fall. It was hoped this would be a new beginning, bringing peace to a country that had known nothing but war since the Soviets invaded 20 years earlier. After 2001, there was a new constitution and elections; women returned to parliament, girls returned to school and civil society flourished. But there was also a resurgence in violence. And now, with the last American soldier gone and the Taliban back in power, many Afghans are fearful for the future. The BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet has followed every twist and turn of the Afghan story. In this landmark series of interviews for the BBC World Service, she hears from Afghans how the last 20 years have shaped them: their dreams for a new future and their fears that the cycle of violence will never stop. Afghans have a word which seems to capture this moment: kashke. It's a word that conveys sadness, regret and hope, roughly translating as "if only", which is why we've called this series A Wish for Afghanistan.

Bad Cops
In Baltimore, Maryland, an elite group of plainclothes officers called the Gun Trace Task Force gets hundreds of illegal guns off the streets every year. Secretly, however, these detectives are also robbing people, selling drugs, planting evidence and framing innocent people. When some of the officers go too far, it triggers an FBI investigation that reveals the Gun Trace Task Force as one of the most corrupt police squads in American policing history. Jessica Lussenhop tells the story of the rise and fall of this once-powerful unit of officers, and its leader Sergeant Wayne Jenkins. And she asks: why do good cops go bad?

50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Tim Harford tells the fascinating stories of inventions, ideas and innovations which have helped create the economic world.

Death in Ice Valley
An unidentified body. Who was she? Why hasn’t she been missed? A BBC World Service and NRK original podcast, investigating a mystery unsolved for almost half a century.

Project 17
Seventeen 17-year-olds tell us what they want from the UN Sustainable Development Goals

When Katty Met Carlos
A BBC World Service and OZY Media co-production, presented by the BBC’s Katty Kay from World News America, and journalist and OZY co-founder Carlos Watson. When Katty Met Carlos looks at the issues and themes reshaping America’s future and the deep undercurrents that lie beneath American society – from Covid-19 to race, the economy, and more. These are issues that will change America and the world, from how we are governed to how we live together. Katty and Carlos are looking for answers to their questions; discovering solutions to the problems, and reflecting the widest possible range of opinion and thought.

Witness History: Witness Archive 2015
History as told by the people who were there. All the programmes from 2015.

Goodbye to All This
“I still love him and I miss him.” Losing the thing you are most sure of and coming out the other side - a story about life, love and loss. A 12-part memoir by Sophie Townsend.

The Big Idea
What are the big ideas shaping our world now?

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2008
The BBC World Service's wide range of documentaries from 2008.

Spitfire: The People’s Plane
Before a plane could save a country, the people had to build it. This is the story of a beautiful and deadly icon of resistance, built and flown against extraordinary odds.

Boston Calling
How the world looks through American eyes, and the myriad and unexpected ways that the world influences the United States.

Parentland
Parentlanders – welcome to your podcast. You ask the questions; we’ll ask the experts. Get past all those bumps in the road. The podcast for every parent in the world! Please note, we are no longer able to receive emails for this series.

World Wise Web
Teenagers from the around the world talk to the technology pioneers who have shaped their lives. Each episode is introduced by seventeen year old Anna Zanelli, a budding designer from London. Young people get the chance to ask leading innovators the questions they want answered. We find out about the inspiration behind some of the most important digital inventions, what their creators needed to do to make them a reality, and hear words of wisdom from brilliant minds.

The Why Factor
The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

In the Balance
The biggest financial stories and why they matter to us all.

Space
A collection of radio documentary programmes broadcast on the BBC World Service, with one thing in common – space.

The Hurricane Tapes
A triple murder. 40 hours of tape recordings. Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter. Bob Dylan wrote a song about him. Hollywood made a movie. This is the full story.

World Service Music Documentaries
All the BBC World Service music podcasts gathered into one place. New documentaries will be added intermittently. Only available in the UK.

Neighbourhood
Introduced by Robert Redford: Where do you live? How does it feel? Did you choose to move there, or is it simply where you are? Five tales from around the world – a collaboration between the BBC World Service and the Sundance Institute. Originally broadcast in The Documentary.

The Thought Show
Brings together in a single hour The Why Factor; More or Less and Trending.

The Assassination
The award-winning inside story. An investigation into the death of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Includes interviews with those accused of her murder.

Witness History: Witness Archive 2017
History as told by the people who were there. All the programmes from 2017.

100 Women
Looking at the lives of women around the world

World Update: Daily Commute
World Update Daily Commute is no longer available to download but you can hear the best of World Update and all our BBC World Service news coverage in our Global News Podcast.

The Truth About...
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Sopel's Soapbox
Follow this year’s extraordinary US presidential race with the BBC’s Jon Sopel in Washington.

Inside America
The issues shaping the US today: identity, race, migration, the economy, faith, and guns.

Understanding Brexit
The effect of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. What does the decision to Leave mean for Britain, for relations between EU countries and for the world?

Elements
A close look at chemical elements, the basic building blocks of the universe. Where do we get them, what do we use them for and how do they fit into our economy?

Forum - Sixty Second Idea to Improve the World
An imaginative, quirky solution to a challenge of our age. Podcast weekly on Mondays.

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2015
The BBC World Service's wide range of documentaries from 2015.

WW2: War and Words
The story of the 20 momentous years from 1936 to 1956 that changed the course of history, as told by Jonathan Dimbleby and through the words of remarkable BBC correspondents.

Six Routes To A Richer World
How can you make it in the global economy? Meet those who have made it & those trying.

Witness History: Archive 2014
The story of our times told by the people who were there.

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2014
The BBC World Service's wide range of documentaries from 2014.

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2013
The BBC World Services wide range of documentaries from 2013.

Witness History: Archive 2013
The story of our times told by the people who were there.

Witness History: Archive 2011
The story of our times told by the people who were there.

Witness History: Archive 2010
The story of our times told by the people who were there.

Witness History: Archive 2012
The story of our times told by the people who were there.

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2012
The BBC World Services wide range of documentaries from 2012.

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2011
The BBC World Service's wide range of documentaries from 2011.

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2010
BBC World Service's wide range of documentaries from 2010.

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2009
The BBC World Service's wide range of documentaries from 2009.

The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2007
The BBC World Service's wide range of documentaries from 2007.