The Latest Podcasts from BBC World Service

The Global Story

The one big story. Making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, Monday to Friday, from the BBC. Episodes will be ready by 10:30 GMT. Host Katya Adler and our BBC teams guide you through one major global news story each episode. From Beijing to Boston, Baghdad to Bangalore, our unrivalled reach will take you beyond the headlines to help understand and explore what’s happening. The Global News Podcast brings you the latest updates and, on The Global Story, we will drill deep into a single story. From the climate emergency, to the burning questions around Artificial Intelligence, to the movements of money and markets, and the power of the ballot and the bullet. Katya Adler has been a BBC correspondent and editor for more than 25 years, covering conflicts in the Middle East, political and economic crises in Europe, and drug cartels in Mexico. The Global Story team would like to hear your stories and experiences on the issues that we’re covering on the podcast. Please get in touch: theglobalstory@bbc.com #TheGlobalStory and tell us your thoughts on what you would like us to talk about.

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

History as told by the people who were there.

HARDtalk

In-depth, hard-hitting interviews with newsworthy personalities.

Business Matters

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

Africa Daily

One question to wake up to every weekday morning. One story from Africa, for Africa. Alan Kasujja takes a deep dive into the news shaping the continent. Ready by early morning, five days a week, Monday to Friday.

Dear Daughter

Our award winning podcast is back for season three, as Namulanta Kombo builds her “handbook to life”. Sharing your stories, wisdom and letters to daughters, honorary daughters or the daughters you never had - all around the world. Visit bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter to send us your letter. #DearDaughter

The Documentary Podcast

A window into our world. 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, BBC OS Conversations and The Fifth Floor.

Global News Podcast

The day’s top stories from BBC News. Delivered twice a day on weekdays, daily at weekends. Including the latest news from the Middle East, about Israel and Iran.

World Business Report

The latest business and finance news from around the world from the BBC

Newshour

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

Science In Action

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

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.

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.

Stumped

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

The Explanation

Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin. Exploring the important questions about long-running stories and the latest global news. An honest, unvarnished, explanation of the world. Episodes from The Explanation, Unspun World, The Global Jigsaw and The Media Show.

The Inquiry

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

Business Daily

The daily drama of money and work from the BBC.

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.

Health Check

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around 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.

The Climate Question

A global programme that reflects the variety of takes on climate change, how best to understand it and the world’s attempts to avert it, temper it or adapt to it. It is not about questioning whether climate change is happening, it’s about finding the best ways to respond to it. This is sharp-edged, analytical inquiry. Hard scrutiny, touched with a sense of adventure and discovery, and where we can find it, hope. It includes stories from across the world on why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that.

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 Conversation

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

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

Amazing Sport Stories, including Chasing Mountains

Sport but not as you know it. Our latest Amazing Sport Story: Chasing Mountains. Five of the world’s top female climbers are thrown into a race. But who will make history by becoming the first woman to summit the fourteen highest peaks in the world? Forget the champions. Amazing Sport Stories is about courage, underdogs, drama and myths and legends. These are global stories you’ll wish you’d known about and now probably won’t forget. There are other podcasts about gold medals and millionaire superstars. Expect the unexpected. Tales from around the world, all told in mini-seasons and one-off episodes. #AmazingSportStories Previous Amazing Sport Stories include: The Black 14: Sport, racism and protests are about to change the lives of 14 American footballers. It’s 1969 in the United States. They’ve arrived on scholarships at the University of Wyoming to play for the “Cowboys”. It was a predominantly white college. The team is treated like a second religion. Then, the players make a decision to take a stand against racism in a game against another university. BA Parker takes us back to America’s turbulent 1960s to explore the injustice suffered by the “Black 14”. The Curse of County Mayo: Is one of Ireland’s Gaelic football teams cursed? Sports reporter Dave McKenna investigates this curious case to find out if a 70 year old hex is behind Mayo’s recent failures. Frozen Out: Twelve year old Justine just wants to play ice hockey… with the boys. When she’s told she can’t, she writes a letter which will change everything. Double Olympic gold medallist and former Canadian team captain Cassie Campbell-Pascall tells the story of Justine Blainey.

Lives Less Ordinary

Have you ever locked eyes with a stranger and wondered, "What’s their story?" Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Extraordinary stories from around the world.

World Questions

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

Fifth Floor

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

Sporting Witness

The inside and personal story of the key moments from sporting history

Sportshour

Live Saturday morning global sports show with reports, debate and humour.

Over to You

Talk back to the BBC and challenge the programme makers.

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.

The History Hour

A compilation of the latest Witness History programmes.

CrowdScience

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

The Bomb

After Oppenheimer’s success at the Oscars, delve into the wider story of the atomic bomb. Told through the scientists and spies who changed history. Season 1 follows the scientist who discovers the destructive possibilities of harnessing nuclear power. It leads to the race to beat the Nazis to the first atomic bomb. Season 2 tells of a brilliant scientist who lives a double life, stealing atomic secrets for the Soviet Union. Season 3 is coming soon.

Untold Legends

Ora Washington: The champion the world ignored. You might know this tennis and basketball star, were it not for the colour of her skin. Renee Montgomery investigates Ora’s story.

World Book Club

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

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.

Sportsworld

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

Witness History: World War Two

Listen to and download our programmes

The Forum

The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.

Fukushima

Season 1: Fall of the Shah A tale of power, betrayal and fear. Taking you back to the 1970s, when the Iranian Revolution would change the world forever. A nine-part drama. Season 2: Fukushima A tsunami hits the Japanese nuclear plant. The disaster told in a seven-part drama. As the energy company and politicians in Tokyo lose control, the reactors become unstable and a “suicide squad” of older workers is sent inside. This drama follows the heroes who fight to contain the disaster and those whose mistakes led Japan to catastrophe. Years later, some seek atonement. Fukushima Cast: Suto: Togo Igawa Akiko: Ami Okumura Jones Yoshida: Eiji Mahara Saito: Sadao Ueda Ito: Matt McCooey Shimada: Akira Koieyama Narrator: Romola Garai Reporter: Kevin Shen Reporter: Naoko Mori Worker: Nino Furuhata Written by Adrian Penketh Sound design is by Peter Ringrose Produced by Toby Swift and Sasha Yevtushenko Commissioned by Simon Pitts for BBC World Service.

13 Minutes to the Moon

Epic space stories. Season 1: the first Moon landing, Apollo 11. Season 2: the near disaster of Apollo 13. Coming soon: Season 3, the space shuttle. Theme music: Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg for Bleeding Fingers 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.

World Football

Original football stories and interviews from around the globe.

Witness History: Black history

Listen to and download our programmes

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.

On the Podium

The stories behind the medals. Paralympian Scout Bassett, comedian Eliza Skinner and athletics commentator Ed Harry interview remarkable athletes about the journeys they took to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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.

The Lazarus Heist

Hackers, North Korea and billions of dollars. Lazarus returns – in fact, the criminals never went away. Season 2 begins at an ATM, possibly near you. With Jean Lee and Geoff White. Investigators claim a secretive, elite North Korean hacking ring, nicknamed the Lazarus Group, is responsible for the theft of billions of dollars around the globe. Pyongyang denies having anything to do with cybercrimes, saying the United States is making these allegations to try to tarnish its image. Season 1 told the stories of the Lazarus Group's alleged hacks on Sony Pictures Entertainment and Bangladesh Bank and the WannaCry ransomware attack.

Digital Planet

Technological and digital news from around the world.

In the Studio

In the Studio is the new podcast which takes you into the minds of the world’s most creative people, with unprecedented access. Famous artists, writers, sports stars, musicians, DJs and designers invite you behind the scenes. We explore the creative process like never before.

Heart and Soul

Personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

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.

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.

Miriam and Youssef

A 10-part drama about the founding of Israel. Miriam is a Jewish immigrant to Palestine, and Youssef is an Arab inhabitant driven into exile. At the heart of it all is the city of Jerusalem.

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!

The World This Week

What's been happening around the world and why it matters

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.

Witness History: Witness Archive 2016

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

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.