Unspun World with John Simpson

The BBC's world affairs editor, John Simpson, uses his experience and expertise to examine the most important international stories.

World Service,117 episodes

Episodes

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Will the UK's election change its place in the world?
Plus, can Iran's governing elite win back popular support?
30 May 2024,26 mins
How has the Russia-China relationship changed?
Plus, what an assassination attempt tells us about Europe's politics
23 May 2024,26 mins
Why are US-Israel relations at an historic low?
Plus, Georgia's mass protests and China's influence on Western countries
16 May 2024,26 mins
What is Israel's plan for Gaza?
Plus, the mood on the Ukrainian frontline and South Africa's general election
09 May 2024,26 mins
What's next for President Putin after winning re-election?
Plus, as Biden and Trump compete for the presidency, is the US close to civic unrest?
23 Mar 2024,26 mins
Has Russia turned the tide in its war in Ukraine?
Plus, gang violence in Haiti, and the possibility of unmanned ships on the oceans
16 Mar 2024,26 mins
What's life like on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank?
What will it take to bring peace to both Gaza and Ukraine?
09 Mar 2024,26 mins
Is a ceasefire in Gaza within reach?
Plus, Donald Trump's legal problems, and European farmers protest
02 Mar 2024,26 mins
What Alexei Navalny's death means for Vladimir Putin's grip on Russia
Two years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, can Putin keep control?
24 Feb 2024,26 mins
Can Israel win its war in Gaza?
John Simpson analyses Israel offensive in Gaza, China's economy and Indonesia's election
17 Feb 2024,26 mins
How Russia's economy has survived despite sanctions
Plus, examining the US military's role in the Middle East
10 Feb 2024,26 mins
Is Ukraine losing Western support?
Plus, how might the International Court of Justice’s ruling affect the war in Gaza?
03 Feb 2024,26 mins
Is the war in Gaza slipping away from Israel?
Plus, the implications of Iran’s missile strike on Pakistan
27 Jan 2024,26 mins
What's the West's strategy for the Houthis?
Have US and UK-led attacks on the Houthis in Yemen backfired?
20 Jan 2024,26 mins
Can anything break the stalemate in the Ukraine war?
Stories from the frontline as tensions rise from Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse
09 Dec 2023,26 mins
How migration is changing European politics
Migration is topping Europe's political agenda. Europe editor, Katya Adler, explains why.
02 Dec 2023,26 mins
A pause in fighting in Gaza
A pause in fighting in Gaza but what’s it like for those living there?
25 Nov 2023,26 mins
The US and China: a new era?
Biden and Xi's meeting builds bridges.
18 Nov 2023,26 mins
What's Israel's endgame in Gaza?
What's Israel's endgame in Gaza? Security correspondent, Frank Gardener, gives his take.
11 Nov 2023,26 mins
Tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border
What are the chances that Lebanon will get involved in the Israel-Gaza conflict?
04 Nov 2023,26 mins
Will Israel invade Gaza?
Will Israel launch a ground assault in Gaza and, if they do, what's at stake?
28 Oct 2023,26 mins
Israel-Gaza conflict: Will the war spread?
Tensions rise in the Middle East as the Israel-Gaza conflict escalates
21 Oct 2023,26 mins
Israel declares war on Hamas after deadly attack
Israel starts 'a prolonged and powerful campaign' in Gaza. What will be the consequences?
14 Oct 2023,26 mins
Are democracies hindering the fight against climate change?
Short-term politics gets in the way of dealing with an ever-warming planet
07 Oct 2023,26 mins
Can anyone in Russia challenge Putin now?
Now Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead, can anyone in Russia challenge the president’s power?
30 Sep 2023,26 mins
What has changed for women in Iran, a year after Mahsa Amini's death?
Iranian women are still fighting for freedom, despite government crackdowns
23 Sep 2023,26 mins
Is it time to return looted art?
What should we done with stolen treasures? Katie Razzall confronts colonialism's legacy
08 Jul 2023,26 mins
Is Putin's time up?
Is Putin’s time up? Analysis with editor of the BBC’s Russian service, Famil Ismailov
01 Jul 2023,26 mins
Xi Jinping: President or emperor?
What do the growing ambitions of China's leader mean for the rest of the world?
24 Jun 2023,26 mins
Who can challenge Trump?
The race for the 2024 Republican White House nomination is about to heat up
17 Jun 2023,26 mins