The Explanation Podcast
Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin.
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.
Episodes to download
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Unspun World: What's it like reporting on the war from inside Russia?
Sat 10 Jun 2023
Steve Rosenberg on the challenges for journalists still in Russia
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Unspun World: Can the US transform the world's economy?
Sat 3 Jun 2023
President Biden puts America first. So will he succeed in reshaping the global economy?
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Unspun World: Could AI outsmart humanity?
Sat 27 May 2023
Reporting from Ukraine's battlefields. Plus, how worried should we be about AI?
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Unspun World: Is Ukraine's counter-offensive a turning point?
Sat 20 May 2023
Ukraine prepares a renewed offensive. Plus, what is a pangenome and how will it help us?
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How the Good Friday Agreement helped bring peace to Northern Ireland
Sat 4 Mar 2023
Denis Murray reflects on the legacy of the 1998 agreement
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Ethiopia, Eritrea and border wars
Sat 25 Feb 2023
Kalkidan Yibeltal explains the complex history between the two countries
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Sudan鈥檚 journey from independence to revolution
Sat 18 Feb 2023
Mohanad Hashim explains some of the complex history of the country he grew up in
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How Yemen has been engulfed by civil war
Sat 11 Feb 2023
Nawal Al-Maghafi explains how war has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises
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Who are the Uyghurs and why are they being persecuted?
Sat 4 Feb 2023
John Sudworth tells the story behind China's treatment of its Uyghur minority
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Cuba鈥揢nited States relations
Sat 28 Jan 2023
How a long, complex history between neighbours led to such an uneasy relationship
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Roe v Wade and abortion in America
Sat 21 Jan 2023
Katty Kay explains how abortion became central to American politics
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How Syria's peaceful uprising became a civil war
Sat 14 Jan 2023
Lina Sinjab tells Claire Graham about the conflict in her native country
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Understanding the long history between Russia and Ukraine
Sat 16 Apr 2022
What has bound Russia and Ukraine together, and what has pulled them apart?
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Understanding South Africa鈥檚 continuing quest for equality
Sat 9 Apr 2022
Why has the post-apartheid dream of a 鈥楻ainbow Nation鈥� not been easy to realise?
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Understanding the power that Saudi Arabia wields
Sat 2 Apr 2022
How has the Saudi royal family maintained strong worldwide influence in spite of critics?
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Understanding relations between Taiwan and China
Sat 26 Mar 2022
Why is Taiwanese reunification so important to China?
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Understanding the rise of Boko Haram
Sat 19 Mar 2022
How the militant Islamic group took hold in northern Nigeria
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Understanding North Korea and the Kim dynasty
Sat 12 Mar 2022
How the Kim family shaped one of the world鈥檚 most secretive countries
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Understanding the Islamic State group
Christmas Day 2021
Quentin Sommerville on the rise, fall and potential re-emergence of IS
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Understanding how Russia has changed under Putin
Sat 18 Dec 2021
Sarah Rainsford on how everyday life in Russia has changed under Putin
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Afghanistan: Women, girls and their rights
Sat 11 Dec 2021
How a turbulent history dictates the ever-shifting attitudes towards women and girls
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Understanding Iran: Reconciling religion and democracy
Sat 4 Dec 2021
Rana Rahimpour explains how religion, democracy and ideals combine in Iran
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Israeli-Palestinian relations
Sat 27 Nov 2021
In 2021, Jeremy Bowen discussed the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
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