300 episodes

Original BBC documentary storytelling, bringing award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and “unputdownable” audio.
New episodes every week from The Documentary, Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio and OS Conversations.

The Documentary Podcast BBC World Service

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.1 • 219 Ratings

Original BBC documentary storytelling, bringing award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and “unputdownable” audio.
New episodes every week from The Documentary, Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio and OS Conversations.

    Trapped in Oman

    Trapped in Oman

    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

    • 27 min
    In the Studio: Colm Tóibín

    In the Studio: Colm Tóibín

    Irish author Colm Tóibín is among the world’s most celebrated contemporary writers. His works includes novels such as Nora Webster and The Blackwater Lightship, but also journalism, criticism, drama and more. His book Brooklyn was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Saoirse Ronan, and his writing has been translated into over 30 languages. Alongside the release of his debut collection of poems, Vinegar Hill, Colm gives fellow Irish writer Helen Cullen an insight into how he works, taking her through his writing process, how he gathers his ideas and his approach to refining his work.

    • 24 min
    Bonus: The Global Story

    Bonus: The Global Story

    A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. Panama Canal: It's running dry and it's going to cost us. The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC, with Katya Adler. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

    • 25 min
    BBC OS Conversations: Haiti gangs and stray bullets

    BBC OS Conversations: Haiti gangs and stray bullets

    Haiti is facing its most most acute humanitarian crisis for more than a decade. There’s been a surge in violence with armed gangs in control of most of the capital. The prime minister has resigned, there’s a month long state of emergency and a curfew has been extended. The gangs have destroyed police buildings and, after storming a prison in the capital Port-au-Prince, thousands of escaped prisoners are back on the streets. Hosted by Lukwesa Burak and Luke Jones, they hear from Haitians caught up in this latest violence

    • 23 min
    Heart and Soul: Not even water?

    Heart and Soul: Not even water?

    They are the top questions asked to anyone who is fasting for Ramadan: no food or water? But what is Ramadan? Why Fast? And how do young Muslims manage Ramadan in their respective lives and work? Former teacher turned journalist Mehreen Baig goes in search of the answers by speaking to Muslims from different cultural backgrounds. She explores all aspects of fasting like abstaining from food, sex, music and of course…water.
    this edition was first published in 2022

    • 27 min
    Assignment: Border Stories, part one - Zero Tolerance

    Assignment: Border Stories, part one - Zero Tolerance

    In 2018 the US government under President Trump introduced a policy of “Zero Tolerance” at its border with Mexico. Anyone attempting to enter the US without documentation would be prosecuted, even if it was a first offence. If they were travelling with children, their children would be taken from them. The policy was cancelled within weeks but not before thousands of families had been separated. Six years on, several hundred are still to be reunited.

    Migration is perhaps the most important battleground in this year’s presidential election. Both President Biden and his challenger, Donald Trump, have made recent visits to the border. And Zero Tolerance still resonates.
    Linda Pressly hears about the pain of separation as experienced by a man from Guatemala; speaks to the people still trying to put families back together; and asks if a new administration might turn again to Zero Tolerance in an attempt to deter would-be migrants to the United States.

    • 27 min

Customer Reviews

4.1 out of 5
219 Ratings

219 Ratings

janehene ,

Where insomnia is an absolute asset when

Podcasts are this good, in the deep of night my ability to cast into the podcast story is greatly enhanced. A very standard thank you.

Simon Drought ,

Simon Drought

A window onto the world. We love this in NZ.

User 016 ,

Podcasts are good

Podcasts also support AirPods 3rd generation this give me a lot of information
Like the Kenya’s vote. Again thanks for the podcasts

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