The Explanation

Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin.

World Service,329 episodes

Episodes

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Unspun World: Is Putin's time up?
The editor of the BBC’s Russian service, Famil Ismailov, analyses Vladimir Putin's future
30 Jun 2023,27 mins
Unspun World: Xi Jinping: President or emperor?
What do the growing ambitions of China's leader mean for the rest of the world?
24 Jun 2023,27 mins
What is the Wagner Group?
The mercenary organisation's operations have extended to many nations, but who are they?
24 Jun 2023,19 mins
Unspun World: Who can challenge Trump?
The race for the 2024 Republican White House nomination is about to heat up
17 Jun 2023,27 mins
Unspun World: What's it like reporting on the war from inside Russia?
Steve Rosenberg on the challenges for journalists still in Russia
10 Jun 2023,27 mins
Unspun World: Can the US transform the world's economy?
President Biden puts America first. So will he succeed in reshaping the global economy?
03 Jun 2023,27 mins
Unspun World: Could AI outsmart humanity?
Reporting from Ukraine's battlefields. Plus, how worried should we be about AI?
27 May 2023,27 mins
Unspun World: Is Ukraine's counter-offensive a turning point?
Ukraine prepares a renewed offensive. Plus, what is a pangenome and how will it help us?
20 May 2023,27 mins
Introducing The Explanation
On a mission to make sense of the world
17 May 2023,1 min
How the Good Friday Agreement helped bring peace to Northern Ireland
Denis Murray reflects on the legacy of the 1998 agreement
04 Mar 2023,17 mins
Ethiopia, Eritrea and border wars
Kalkidan Yibeltal explains the complex history between the two countries
25 Feb 2023,17 mins
Sudan’s journey from independence to revolution
Mohanad Hashim explains some of the complex history of the country he grew up in
18 Feb 2023,17 mins
How Yemen has been engulfed by civil war
Nawal Al-Maghafi explains how war has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises
11 Feb 2023,17 mins
Who are the Uyghurs and why are they being persecuted?
John Sudworth tells the story behind China's treatment of its Uyghur minority
04 Feb 2023,17 mins
Cuba–United States relations
How a long, complex history between neighbours led to such an uneasy relationship
28 Jan 2023,17 mins
Roe v Wade and abortion in America
Katty Kay explains how abortion became central to American politics
21 Jan 2023,17 mins
How Syria's peaceful uprising became a civil war
Lina Sinjab tells Claire Graham about the conflict in her native country
14 Jan 2023,17 mins
Understanding the long history between Russia and Ukraine
What has bound Russia and Ukraine together, and what has pulled them apart?
16 Apr 2022,17 mins
Understanding South Africa’s continuing quest for equality
Why has the post-apartheid dream of a ‘Rainbow Nation’ not been easy to realise?
09 Apr 2022,17 mins
Understanding the power that Saudi Arabia wields
How has the Saudi royal family maintained strong worldwide influence in spite of critics?
02 Apr 2022,17 mins
Understanding relations between Taiwan and China
Why is Taiwanese reunification so important to China?
26 Mar 2022,17 mins
Understanding the rise of Boko Haram
How the militant Islamic group took hold in northern Nigeria
19 Mar 2022,17 mins
Understanding North Korea and the Kim dynasty
How the Kim family shaped one of the world’s most secretive countries
12 Mar 2022,17 mins
Understanding the Islamic State group
Quentin Sommerville on the rise, fall and potential re-emergence of IS
25 Dec 2021,20 mins
Understanding how Russia has changed under Putin
Sarah Rainsford on how everyday life in Russia has changed under Putin
18 Dec 2021,17 mins
Afghanistan: Women, girls and their rights
How a turbulent history dictates the ever-shifting attitudes towards women and girls
11 Dec 2021,17 mins
Understanding Iran: Reconciling religion and democracy
Rana Rahimpour explains how religion, democracy and ideals combine in Iran
04 Dec 2021,18 mins
Israeli-Palestinian relations
In 2021, Jeremy Bowen discussed the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
27 Nov 2021,18 mins
Understanding democracy in Hong Kong
Why are there democracy protests in Hong Kong?
20 Nov 2021,18 mins