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1 DAY AGO

What does it mean to be African?

May 25 is Africa Day, observed annually to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity - now known as the African Union (AU). We spoke to three Africans, a generation X, a millennial and a Gen Z about the dreams and aspirations Africans today. And South African activists on the Gaza bound Global Sumud Flotilla have returned home. The activists were on board the flotilla taking aid to Gaza before being intercepted and detailed by Israeli soldiers. We heard from some of them, who claimed that Israeli security forces subjected them to torture but Israel denies this. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Basma El Atti and Blessing Aderogba Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Technical producer: Jonathan Mwangi Editors: Priya Sippy and Maryam Abdalla

1 day ago

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23 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 5

Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 4. The Poisoning

Two men challenging the FSB’s story flee to London seeking safety, only to end up dead. Years after the apartment bombings shook Russia a press conference is held in London, led by exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky. Once a kingmaker who helped propel Putin to power, Berezovsky now claims the bombs were an inside job. And in the room sits another man, Alexander Litvinenko, whose own investigation into the bombings will set him on a perilous collision course with the Kremlin. As the danger moves across borders, one question lingers: how high is the price for speaking out? In this episode, Helena speaks to Jeremy Vine and Gordon Corera, two journalists who followed the story from the UK. In Season 1 of The History Bureau, presenter Helena Merriman returns to one of the most contested - and consequential - stories in modern Russia. In September 1999, just weeks after Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia. The bombs exploded in the middle of the night, killing hundreds of people while they slept. In this season, Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? Presenter: Helena Merriman Series Producer: Sarah Shebbeare Executive Editor: Annie Brown

S1, E5

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33 min
2 DAYS AGO

Can the global economy go plastic free?

It is an invaluable material that has enabled global trade and modern medicine, but experts say our reliance on plastic has created a problem the planet is struggling to manage. With plastic waste threatening landscapes and our health, we meet innovators from the UK, Ecuador and India who are trying to get the global economy off its reliance on plastic. Presenter: Sam Gruet Producer: Megan Lawton You can email us on businessdaily@bbc.co.uk (Picture: A view of the sewage line covered with plastic waste and other litter in Mumbai, India, 22 April 2026. Credit: Photo by DIVYAKANT SOLANKI/EPA/Shutterstock)

2 days ago

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17 min
SEASON 12, EPISODE 2

To Catch a King: 2. The Bullet Train

A journalist and an ex-soldier search for the identity of a people smuggler believed to be responsible for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK by small boats and lorries. They start with a false name: Kardo Ranya. A man who has evaded arrest for several years by keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret. It makes it near impossible for law enforcement agencies to issue and international arrest warrant. Sue and Rob know what he looks like from social media posts advertising his crossings and lifestyle. Their search takes them across Europe and to the Middle East, where they discover a network of powerful smugglers operating from a town in Northern Iraq. It’s two years since Sue and Rob located a gang leader in their podcast Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and the illegal business of migrant journeys is more dangerous and ruthless than before. Their investigation reveals the inner mechanics of the smuggling trade and shows in close focus the people who currently control it as they search for a kingpin behind dangerous crossings to the UK by boat and lorry. A secret meeting, a missing person and a worried family. Who is the man connecting them? The series is recorded and presented by Sue Mitchell It’s produced by Joel Moors Original music is by Mom Tudie and sound design and mix is by Tom Brignell

S12, E2

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34 min
3 DAYS AGO

Trump: Iran ‘a lot closer’ to agreement

US President Donald Trump has indicated that his country and Iran is getting ‘closer’ to achieving a peace deal. He told CBS News that despite seeing a ceasefire draft with Iran, however, he would only sign off on a deal where the US gets ‘everything’ it wants. The BBC’s State Department correspondent breaks these developments down with us. Also in the programme: As the Ebola crisis in the DRC worsens, we hear the experience of one Sierra Leonean woman who contracted the virus back in 2014; and who's won the Palme d'Or award at this year's Cannes Film Festival? (Photo: US President Donald Trump. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

3 days ago

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48 min
1 DAY AGO

Sierra Leone: The Diamond that saved a thousand lives

In 2017, five men digging in an open pit found the third largest diamond ever unearthed in West Africa. It was dubbed the Peace Diamond, in memory of the brutal civil war that had ravaged large parts of the region in the 1990s – a war driven in part by factions competing for control of the diamond trade. When the Peace Diamond sold for $6.5 million at auction in New York, the government pledged some of the profits would provide solar power, a clinic, a school and a road connection for the Sierra Leonean village where it was found. Each of the diggers and the pit’s owner also got a small share of the spoils. Nine years on, Ed Butler returns to Sierra Leone to see how much the government kept their promise and to what extent the discovery really did transform the lives for those involved for better, or for worse. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Assignment.

1 day ago

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31 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 7

Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 6. The Trial

A trial of two suspected bombers seems to offer closure – but is this really case closed? As Mikhael Trepashkin prepares to present evidence that might shed light on what really happened in 1999, he's thrown into prison. And as the verdict looms for two suspected bombers, so does an unsettling truth about how the Kremlin uses moments of crisis to tighten its grip. In this episode, Helena speaks to Steven Lee Myers, the former New York Times Moscow Bureau Chief who watched Putin consolidate his power in the years after the bombings. In Season 1 of The History Bureau, presenter Helena Merriman returns to one of the most contested - and consequential - stories in modern Russia. In September 1999, just weeks after Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia. The bombs exploded in the middle of the night, killing hundreds of people while they slept. In this season, Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? Presenter: Helena Merriman Series Producer: Sarah Shebbeare Executive Editor: Annie Brown

S1, E7

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29 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 8

Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 7. Hindsight

Who bombed the four apartment buildings? The reporters who covered this story look back with over 25 years of distance to answer a one question: who do they think bombed those four apartment buildings back in September 1999? Was it the Chechen militants the government blamed? Or was it an FSB plot - to create a climate of fear so that one of their own - Vladimir Putin - could step in as the hard man the country needed - and become President? Or is that nothing more than a wild conspiracy theory? In Season 1 of The History Bureau, presenter Helena Merriman returns to one of the most contested - and consequential - stories in modern Russia. In September 1999, just weeks after Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia. The bombs exploded in the middle of the night, killing hundreds of people while they slept. In this season, Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? Presenter: Helena Merriman Series Producer: Sarah Shebbeare Executive Editor: Annie Brown

S1, E8

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33 min
19 MAY

Why did a former Google CEO get booed?

The former Google CEO got heckled at a graduation ceremony at the University of Arizona. The editor-in-chief of their student paper The Daily Wildcat tells us why. We also discuss fuel price hikes in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi concludes his European visit in Norway. And with data centres springing up all over the world, the communities living near them share how they cope with the disruptions they can bring. Plus, Kenya's government has cut diesel prices after people took to the streets to protest rising costs. An Uber driver and farmer tell us about the impact it's had on them.

19 May

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26 min
SEASON 12, EPISODE 5

Searching for Soldier Dad: 5. Answers

Cathy and Peter are now speaking with their dads. But are the new relationships all they hoped for? Lawyer James Netto has a “day in court like no other” when a father makes a shock appearance. And we travel to a barracks in the South of England to ask pressing questions of the British Army. Please note, the image being used is for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model. World of Secrets will be back soon with gripping new investigations. Presenter: Ivana Davidovic Series producer: Josephine Casserly Sound design: Tom Brignell Executive producer: Matt Willis Commissioning senior producers: Katy Davis and Anne Dixey Commissioning editor: Jon Manel

S12, E5

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42 min

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

4.0 (3)

DAILY NEWS
NEW in The History Bureau - Putin and the Apartment Bombs In September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The attacks plunged the country into panic. Families fled their homes. Residents patrolled their blocks around the clock. An entire nation paralyzed by fear. But who did it? It's a mystery that has fuelled some chilling theories. The government blamed Chechen militants. Many reporters agreed. But then the whispers started. Was something even more sinister going on? Over 25 years later, journalists who covered the bombings still can't agree on who planted the explosives or why. Presenter Helena Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? The History Bureau revisits the defining stories of our times with the reporters who first covered them.

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HISTORY
Two 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 Nkechi Ogbonna. Five days a week, ready by late afternoon, Monday to Friday.

4.0 (3)

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

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DAILY NEWS
Next on Intrigue: To Catch a King. A new people-smuggling boss is running routes into the UK. Who is he, and can his true identity be revealed? To Catch a Scorpion duo Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie investigate. Intrigue: 'Jaw-dropping', 'gripping', 'bingeable,' 'thrilling' - dramatic true stories and investigations that reveal how the world really works.

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TRUE CRIME
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.

4.7 (3)

GOVERNMENT

The BBC offers a curated selection of the BBC’s best podcasts, ranging across global news, true crime, pop culture, science, history and sports. The BBC has been producing award-winning audio for a century, and our trusted global news has made us a household name for just as long. Now, the BBC allows listeners to connect with whatever audio content their ears desire. Stay up to date with what’s happening across the world with The Global Story and Global News Podcast. Immerse yourself in thrilling true-crime investigations such as World of Secrets, Stalked, Believe in Magic and The Missing Cryptoqueen. There are podcasts for history, science, and culture fans with series such as In Our Time, You’re Dead to Me and The Infinite Monkey Cage. If you're outside the UK, you can subscribe to BBC Podcasts Premium for ad-free listening and new exclusives every month.

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What does it mean to be African?

Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 4. The Poisoning

Can the global economy go plastic free?

To Catch a King: 2. The Bullet Train

Trump: Iran ‘a lot closer’ to agreement

Sierra Leone: The Diamond that saved a thousand lives

Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 6. The Trial

Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 7. Hindsight

Why did a former Google CEO get booed?

Searching for Soldier Dad: 5. Answers

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Remembering Gianluca Vialli

All About Lewandowski

Champions League Debrief: Man City at risk & Saka stars

72+: The EFL Podcast

My Mate's A Footballer – Patrick Bamford’s 5 a side Clinic

INTRODUCING My Mate's A Footballer – How much impact can a new manager really have?

In Focus with Riccardo Calafiori & Roman Kemp

Champions League Debrief: Bend it like Declan - Arsenal rampant against Real Madrid

Champions League Debrief: PSG silence Arsenal

You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker - The Icebreaker Part 2

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