The Documentary Podcast

Built around a game of braille Scrabble, Emma Tracey presents a celebration of braille, 200 years after it was invented. Emma, who’s been blind since birth, talks to others who love the six tiny dots: Geerat Vermeij, one of the world’s leading experts in molluscs; Yetnebersh Nigussie, an Ethiopian lawyer, who describes her blindness as "a lottery I won at the age of five"; Sheri Wells-Jensen, a linguistics professor who’s been a linguistic consultant on Star Trek and is on the US advisory board for messaging extra-terrestrial intelligence; Japanese concert pianist, Nobuyuki Tsujii, who learnt to play using braille music; and Emma's friend and Scrabble partner, Ellie. And there’s a chance encounter with the most famous braille user of them all, Stevie Wonder. But can braille survive with the ever-increasing supply of tech that allows blind people to listen to, rather than feel, information? Presenter: Emma Tracey Producer: Adele Armstrong Sound design: Steve Brooke Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

Olympique Lyonnais is the most successful club in women’s football, dominating Europe over the last 15 years winning eight Champions League titles. Only Barcelona have recently been able to compete. Lyon's success is the vision of club president Jean-Michel Aulas who wanted to create an iconic team, with the best players, but in the case of Aulas he also promised to ensure both male and female players were treated equally. This included the first mixed football training academy. In Olympique Lyonnais: The Champions League trailblazers we find out the story of how the French club raised the standard of women’s football, going behind the scenes with striker and Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg, Chelsea and England defender Lucy Bronze and France and Lyon captain Wendie Renard who have all witnessed huge success and then change with Europe’s elite catching up. Now South Korean born businesswoman Michele Kang has taken over the the French giants, with big ambitions for the club. Photo: Players of Olympique Lyonnais celebrate after winning during the UEFA Women's Champions League final match between FC Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais at Juventus Stadium on May 21, 2022 in Turin, Italy. (Credit: Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2025

Maori have been protesting in large numbers, in a 9-day hikoi or march of defiance, walking from the top of New Zealand down to the capital Wellington, joined by non-Maori supporters too. They’re demonstrating against the current right-of-centre New Zealand government’s moves to abolish certain Maori-specific rights and privileges, that the previous centre-left government had set up to help combat Maori disadvantage. For example, a Maori Health Authority had tried to tackle health inequalities that mean Maori live seven years less than other New Zealanders. Maori also come bottom in statistics for employment, housing and education, but are overrepresented in prison.Now a law proposal about the principles of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document, would do away with what has been a form of affirmative action, and instead treat everyone the same, regardless of heritage.Some feel this is necessary to achieve proper equality. Others feel that Maori progress will be undone and inequality entrenched.

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

Māori in New Zealand have been resisting moves by the current right-of-centre government to abolish certain indigenous-specific rights aimed at combatting disadvantage.In a 9-day hikoi or march of defiance they walked from the top of New Zealand down to the capital Wellington, joined by non-Māori supporters - all opposed to the changes. A separate Māori Health Authority has been dismantled, for example. It was set up by the previous centre-left government to tackle health inequalities that mean indigenous people live seven years less than other New Zealanders. Māori also come bottom in statistics for employment, housing and education, and are highly overrepresented in prison.Most divisive though, a new law proposal about the principles of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi - New Zealand’s founding document, sought to do away with what has been a form of affirmative action, and instead treat everyone the same, regardless of heritage.Some feel this is all necessary to achieve proper equality. Others feel that Māori progress will be undone and inequality or inequity entrenched.

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

For 60 years, New York composer Steve Reich has been one of classical music’s most celebrated revolutionaries. Pioneering minimalism in the 1960s, a musical style based on repetition and shifting rhythms, his strange experiments with cassette tape led to orchestral masterpieces – now performed around the world. His career has not only helped define the latest era of classical music, but had an enormous influence on pop, rock and electronica. He has helped shape 20th Century music in a way few can claim to match. To mark 60 years since his first major piece,1965’s It’s Gonna Rain, he takes Alastair Shuttleworth through the process and stories behind some of his greatest works, including Clapping Music, Different Trains and City Life. He also reflects on his legacy, his plans for the future and what, at the age of 88, still inspires him to compose

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

On 8 May 1945 Britain, the US and many other countries were rejoicing. Germany had surrendered, and World War Two was over, at least in Europe. Yet it was not a day of celebration for everyone - for the vanquished Germans, it marked the end of bombings and of Nazi rule. But it was also a time of deprivation and chaos, fear and soul-searching. Millions of ethnic Germans had fled their homes to escape the approaching Red Army. Lore Wolfson Windemuth, whose own father grew up under Nazi rule, unearths the stories of six ordinary Germans who lived through that extraordinary time.

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2025

On 8 May 1945 Britain, the US and many other countries were rejoicing. Germany had surrendered, and World War Two was over, at least in Europe. Yet it was not a day of celebration for everyone - for the vanquished Germans, it marked the end of bombings and of Nazi rule. But it was also a time of deprivation and chaos, fear and soul-searching. Millions of ethnic Germans had fled their homes to escape the approaching Red Army. Lore Wolfson Windemuth, whose own father grew up under Nazi rule, unearths the stories of six ordinary Germans who lived through that extraordinary time.

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2025

On his first day as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order shutting down the asylum system at the US-Mexico border. He also promised huge changes to the US immigration system, including arrests and mass deportations of undocumented migrants. Santiago Vanegas from BBC Mundo has been following a group of Venezuelans who are trying to go back to their home country, undertaking a dangerous journey through Central America. Plus, Gopal Kateshiya visits some Kutchi bhungas, traditional mud houses that not only help people stay cool, they can also save lives during an earthquake. His piece was published on BBC Gujarati. Presented by Faranak Amidi Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2025

Donald Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on global trade has sent the world reeling. Stock markets have tanked. Gloomy economists have hit the airwaves. Governments, their backs against the wall, have responded with either stoic resignation or threats of revenge. But it’s business owners who find themselves at the centre of the storm. Steve in Boston, USA, runs a company whose flagship product contains three Chinese parts. He’s concerned about the effect tariffs will have on his business and others at home. We also hear from business owners in Lesotho, India, Italy and Germany covering industries ranging from steel and spices to cheese and beer.

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2025

On 4 September 2024, the town of Winder in the US state of Georgia became the latest scene of a school mass shooting. Two students and two teachers were killed. The suspect was 14 years old. The deadly attack at Apalachee High School left a community torn apart by guns and brought together in grief. In each of the previous four years there have been more than 600 mass shootings in the United States - almost two a day on average. Edward Stourton has been to Georgia to visit the church community attached to the high school, as they try to make sense of the violence in their hometown. He meets Pastor Frank Burnat and his pastoral team, who are ministering to a community in which both God and guns are a part of everyday life.

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

***This programme contains descriptions of genocide and violence against children*** Fifty years ago the fall of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, to the Khmer Rouge sparked a modern-day genocide that saw millions murdered in just four years. Today, a group that was almost entirely destroyed in the bloodshed is working both in person and online to heal the wounds that are still keenly felt. Religious practice was effectively outlawed under the Khmer Rouge and Buddhist monks were viciously targeted by the regime. By the time the genocide came to an end all but 3,000, of the country's 60,000 monks had been murdered. Now, still seen as the heart of Cambodian society, they re being mobilised to spread a message of non-violence across the country.

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2025

In South East Asia, cinema attendances are growing, thanks to a renewed interest in local product. For instance, the Thai movie How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, broke box office records this year. We hear from director Pat Boonnitipat about the reasons why he believes his film touched the hearts of so many people. The same is true in Vietnam. Last year the country produced its biggest national and international hit Mai, which also became a social media sensation. Historian Tuyet Van Huynh explains why the film’s star and director Tran Thanh is a phenomenon in his own right. Indonesian director Eugene Panji reveals why his country’s movie industry is also booming, so much so that they are running out of studio space to keep up with the demand. This edition of The Cultural Frontline was recorded before the Myanmar earthquake that also affected parts of Thailand.

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2025

When mysterious orb-like lights were recorded in the sky above Koge, a small port town in Denmark, the UFO scene took notice. But it wasn't just believers who wanted to know what these unidentified flying objects were.Danish police and the Danish security services describe the objects as large drones - similar to the ones seen on the USA's East Coast before Christmas. But no-one can say who is flying them, or why. Could it be the Russians?Lucy Proctor meets the people involved in Denmark's unique UFO scene and tries to find out what these drone sightings mean.

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2025

Contemporary classical music composer Anna Clyne is one of the most performed and in demand composers in the world.For her next commission, she is working on a new concerto for the St Louis Symphony Orchestra in Missouri, US. The piece is called PALETTE, and will feature seven movements related to seven colours: plum, amber, lava, ebony, teal, tangerine and emerald green.Anna will be working with her Grammy-winning audio engineer, sound artist and designer husband Jody Elff on the composition, using their Augmented Orchestra to electronically manipulate the sound of the orchestra in real time during live performances. It's part of their challenge to expand the sound of the acoustic orchestral world while pushing the boundaries of contemporary classical music. Anna will also be painting seven pictures as part of the creative process, inspired by her music, to add to the audience's experience of the work.

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

President Trump has upended the international order to promote his “America First” agenda. He has thrown countries and their leaders around the world off balance with his radical departure from decades-old United States foreign policy. With so many changes going in different and sometimes seemingly opposing directions, Jamie Coomarasamy tries to get behind what’s driving the President’s agenda, and looks at how the world is adjusting to a new reality.

Transcribed - Published: 6 April 2025

Delhi correspondent Divya Arya recently met a woman who claims to perform miracles. She’s called Radhe Maa and her devotees see her as a God. She’s not the only person in India who claims to have god-like powers, but she is unusual as mostly these people are men. Divya got rare access to the lavish home in which the 'godwoman' lives, to better understand this world of unquestioning faith. Presented by Faranak Amidi Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Transcribed - Published: 5 April 2025

The hit Netflix show, Adolescence, has prompted a global conversation on toxic masculinity. The series is based in the north of England and centres on a 13-year-old boy, Jamie, accused of murdering a teenage girl. In our conversations we explore some of the issues the series has raised, including the role of social media in promoting online misogyny and bullying. We hear from a group of boys who tell us what they have been viewing online, one girl we speak to wonders if she would be better off not being friends with boys at all, and we bring together teenagers and their parents.

Transcribed - Published: 5 April 2025

The hit Netflix show, Adolescence, has prompted a global conversation on toxic masculinity. The series is based in the north of England and centres on a 13-year-old boy, Jamie, accused of murdering a teenage girl. In our conversations we explore some of the issues the series has raised, including the role of social media in promoting online misogyny and bullying. We hear from a group of boys who tell us what they have been viewing online, one girl we speak to wonders if she would be better off not being friends with boys at all, and we bring together teenagers and their parents.

Transcribed - Published: 5 April 2025

School shootings in the USA continue to be a far too common tragedy. In January 2017, 16-year-old Logan Cole, who lives in a small town in the American mid-west was shot in the bathroom of his high school by a fellow student. His injuries were extensive. Afraid for their own lives, other students jumped out of school windows, running shoeless across snowy fields in the freezing Ohio winter. As the news rippled around the small neighbourhood, there was an overwhelming sense of shock, despair and disbelief. Sam Walker travels to Ohio to see first-hand the effects that Logan’s own faith had on his actions and how his attitude of love and forgiveness towards the young man who shot him had an extraordinary effect on the people of his community.

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

The 'accidental' severing of undersea cables or pipelines seem an almost daily occurrence these days but how reliant are we on this infrastructure, how much of it is there, and what steps are being taken to protect it? Business and economics editor Douglas Fraser investigates who might be behind these thinly veiled acts of sabotage and what their motivation might be. With much of the activity happening in the North and Baltic seas Douglas travels to Norway to see how the Navy there have long anticipated this risk and have partnered with the oil and gas industry to create a 'total defence' concept that extends deep beneath the waves.

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2025

Headphones and earbuds have experienced a phenomenal rise in popularity worldwide, transforming how people consume audio content and impacting on various aspects of daily life. Per Sennström, one of the creators of Swedish company Earin, shares insights into how wireless earbuds first came about and how the revolution in listening took hold so quickly. The allure of high-quality sound, sleek designs, and wireless connectivity has led to their status as fashion accessories, often seen as a statement of personal style. But this surge in headphone use comes with its downsides. Social interactions and personal relationships are affected. Meanwhile, there are safety concerns - from accidents in the street and transport to worries over the impact on our hearing.

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2025

Hezbollah, the militia and political movement in Lebanon, has been battered by the war with Israel. Its leaders were assassinated, hundreds of fighters killed, and many of its communities now lie in ruins. Until recently a formidable power with the ability to paralyse the country, the group now appears a shadow of its former self. For the first time in decades, even some supporters are questioning its purpose. Is this a turning point? The BBC’s Hugo Bachega travels to Hezbollah’s strongholds to find out.

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

Lindy Lee’s Ouroboros is the most expensive single artwork commission in Australian history. A $14 million, three-tonne, 10-metre wide freestanding shell of mirror-polished stainless steel with 48,000 individually cut plasma-cut perforations: Lindy calls the Ouroboros “her”. Mia Hull talks to artist Lindy Lee, NGA Director Nick Mitzevich, foundry director Eve Willems, haulage “megatrucker” Jon Kelly and legendary pilot driver Nick.

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

Five years on from the global lockdown we catch up with the "Covid Generation", the class of 2020 - school leavers and graduates from around the world, to find out how the coronavirus pandemic affected their lives and studies as well as employment prospects. Did they have to change plans, were their careers put on hold, did they spot a new opportunity? We hear about the ongoing effect of the coronavirus pandemic on young people's prospects and what advice the class of 2020 has for today's school leavers and graduates.

Transcribed - Published: 30 March 2025

Faranak Amidi visits three places in Tbilisi, Georgia to find out more about its history and what's behind the current political turmoil in the country. The Parliament building has been the site of the recent protests, where people have been gathering for more than 100 days. The ‘Dezerter bazar’ was said to be founded by deserters from the Czar’s army, who came there to sell their equipment over 100 years ago. Now it’s the biggest farmers market in Tbilisi. The history of the sulphur baths date back to the 5th century and Georgians have been coming here for generations to relax. With Nina Akhmeteli, Rayhan Demytrie and Maka Dzneladze. Presented by Faranak Amidi Produced by Hannah Dean and Caroline Ferguson(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Transcribed - Published: 29 March 2025

Across Turkey, hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets after the arrest of President Erdogan’s main political rival, the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu. It is the worst unrest for more than a decade and police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors and arrested hundreds of people. Presenter Mark Lowen was in Turkey earlier this week and meets two university students, who say they are protesting to protect democracy. He also brings together three Turkish journalists who share their experiences of being targeted by government security forces.

Transcribed - Published: 29 March 2025

In a cinema in south-west Germany, an audience is gathered to watch an Oscar-winning film, The Zone of Interest, about the life of Rudolf Höss, commandant of Auschwitz. Those present comprise Jewish people from around the world, and the special guest is Rudolf’s grandson, Kai.The topic was rarely visited during Kai's childhood. It was only after a school history lesson that he began to comprehend Rudolf’s role as head of the largest mass murder site in history.Reporter Shiroma Silva travels to his home in Germany to interrogate Kai on his personal struggle. She tracks Kai’s outlook today through Christianity, in which he uses his past to look forward and understand the particular place of Jewish people in the Bible. He questions how antisemitism thrived in Christian societies and his grandfather’s early life in a devout Catholic family.Awaiting execution at Nuremberg in 1947, Rudolf Höss returned to Catholicism, regretting his unquestioning pursuit of Nazi ideology and crimes against humanity. But little was said about the Jewish prisoners who made up the majority of the dead at Auschwitz.Today his grandson speaks to Jewish communities globally, and Shiroma Silva talks to Pastor Kai Höss as he seeks to disabuse congregations of the thinking that has all too often blamed Jewish people for all the world’s ills, and describes himself as a Gentile who’s been saved by Jewish leaders.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

In a cinema in south-west Germany, an audience is gathered to watch an Oscar-winning film, The Zone of Interest, about the life of Rudolf Höss, commandant of Auschwitz. Those present comprise Jewish people from around the world, and the special guest is Rudolf’s grandson, Kai.The topic was rarely visited during Kai's childhood. It was only after a school history lesson that he began to comprehend Rudolf’s role as head of the largest mass murder site in history. Journalist Shiroma Silva talks to Pastor Kai Höss as he seeks to disabuse congregations of the thinking that has all too often blamed Jewish people for all the world’s ills, and describes himself as a Gentile who has been saved by Jewish leaders.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

The fires that devastated parts of Los Angeles in January this year killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Angelino Laura Hubber talks to those affected by the fires and looks at the ongoing impact on the artistic and cultural life of the city. She explores how LA is dealing with loss, and how it will rebuild, both physically and artistically. We hear from artist Alec Egan, who lost his home and studio, along with his paintings that were due to be shown at international exhibitions; photographer Everard Williams Jr reflects on losing his home and photography archive in Altadena; Carl Gordon and Camille Kirk from the Getty Museum explain how they saved their art works from fire; architect Michael Kovac on creating new homes for the future of the city; and cinematographer Stefanos Kafato, who lost his home and equipment, discusses the state of the LA film industry with Pat Saperstein, deputy film editor at Variety.

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2025

Life expectancy in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, increased by 19 years (from 46 to 65) from 2000 to 2019 - mostly due to reductions in mortality from HIV, TB and malaria, and declines in childhood diseases. What does this very rapid demographic change mean for governments, policy planners and ordinary people now living so much longer? Will overstretched health and social protection services be able to cope with the demands that come with longer lives - rapidly increasing non-communicable diseases and dementia, and caring for a growing elderly population? Leah Malekano and Ruth Evans ask how we can ensure there is 'life' in those additional years in one of the most aid-dependent countries in the world.

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2025

The global online scamming industry is said to be worth some $500 billion a year. It operates in secret, in complexes hidden behind high fences in countries all over the world. It is a particular problem in the Philippines, where much of the industry is run by Chinese criminal organisations.The scammers, whose job it is to persuade their victims to part with their hard-earned money, are often themselves the victims of crime, people trafficked across borders by gangsters and held prisoner in these “scam hubs”, forced to work.It is a particular problem in the Philippines, where, in March 2024 the police raided a compound in a small town north of the capital, Manila. There they found several hundred people working. The spotlight immediately turned on the mayor of the town, Alice Guo, a colourful and energetic 32-year-old, who owned some of the land on which the compound was built.We investigate the allegations against the former mayor who has now been charged with people trafficking, money laundering and tax evasion. There is a further, more lurid, and unproven allegation that she is a spy for China. We ask what effect this affair has had on an already tense relationship between the Philippines and China.

Transcribed - Published: 25 March 2025

Education is a hot topic in the United States. President Donald Trump recently began taking steps to dismantle the Department of Education, saying it’s a waste of money and it had failed students. However, in the US, it’s the individual states, not the federal government, that really decide education policy. The states run schools, set the curriculum – and largely fund them too.The so-called ‘parents’ revolution’ is happening in America - and it’s a revolt against the public education system. School choice campaigns are gaining ground across the country, fighting for tax-funded vouchers giving parents the opportunity to select their preferred school. More and more families are ditching institutions altogether, with home-schooling reportedly the fastest growing form of education in the US. Why are families turning away from traditional schooling, and what does this mean for the future of America’s education system? In 2024, reporter Alex Last, went to Arizona to look at a revolution in its education system – backed by so-called ‘School Choice’ advocates.Produced by Ellie House for BBC World Service. (Image: Beth Lewis, teacher and executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona. Credit: Ellie House/BBC)

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

Education is a hot topic in the United States. President Donald Trump recently began taking steps to dismantle the Department of Education, saying it’s a waste of money and it had failed students. However, in the US, it’s the individual states, not the federal government, that really decide education policy. The states run schools, set the curriculum – and largely fund them too.The so-called ‘parents’ revolution’ is happening in America - and it’s a revolt against the public education system. School choice campaigns are gaining ground across the country, fighting for tax-funded vouchers giving parents the opportunity to select their preferred school. More and more families are ditching institutions altogether, with home-schooling reportedly the fastest growing form of education in the US. Why are families turning away from traditional schooling, and what does this mean for the future of America’s education system? In 2024, reporter Alex Last, went to Arizona to look at a revolution in its education system – backed by so-called ‘School Choice’ advocates.Produced by Ellie House for BBC World Service. (Image: Beth Lewis, teacher and executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona. Credit: Ellie House/BBC)

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

In our time of looming ecological disaster, radical minds are needed to rethink the way we live. In Saudi Arabia, NEOM are building a futuristic new city: The Line. The Line will consist of two gigantic, unbroken rows of skyscrapers, with living space in-between. Nicknamed 'the groundscraper', The Line is planned to be taller than any building in Europe, Africa or Latin America - and 10 times denser than Manhattan, with nine million people expected to live inside. We meet the architects behind The Line, and take a journey to the city of the future.

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

European leaders have had cause to rethink their roles within Nato recently, in light of statements coming from the US Government. The Trump administration’s dealings with Russia to try and broker a peace deal in Ukraine, have called into question America’s support for the alliance. But whilst the Trump administration say they are not pulling out of Nato and remain committed to the defence partnership with Europe, they have warned that they will "no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency". Nato currently asks member states to spend at least 2% on defence, but US President Donald Trump has consistently told European allies to spend much more than that target.

Transcribed - Published: 23 March 2025

Georgia finds itself in political turmoil. For decades many Georgians have longed to be a part of the EU, feeling that their values align more closely than they do with neighbours such as Russia and Turkey. But the goverment, led by the conservative Georgian Dream party, has suspended talks to join the EU, in a move that critics say is kowtowing to Russia. Protests have been going on every day since November 2024. Journalists are left to navigate this complex picture as the country finds itself at a crucial moment, reckoning with its past relationship with Russia and its potential future relationship with Europe. BBC's Nina Akhmeteli, Rayhan Demytrie and Maka Dzneladze all live and work in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. They discuss the current political situation and its cultural and historical backdrop.Presented by Feranak Amidi. Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Transcribed - Published: 22 March 2025

For the first time in three years, there’s talk of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Negotiations are ongoing, but at the time of recording this programme, the conflict continues. We’ve heard many times from Ukrainians expressing their thoughts on the war – most recently in February in our episode Ukraine: Three Years of War. It’s been harder to find Russians who are happy to speak to Western journalists. But we’ve brought together three groups of ordinary Russian citizens to share their views and experiences.

Transcribed - Published: 22 March 2025

In Bangladesh, hijras - once a revered community - have long lived on the margins. Also known as the third gender, hijras form a diverse group, including those born intersex - meaning their physical traits don’t fit neatly into ‘male’ or ‘female’ categories - and transgender individuals. Traditionally seen as spiritual figures with the power to bless or curse, they are now outcasts, denied homes, jobs, and opportunities. But in a quiet village in Mymensingh, a spiritual revolution is taking place.Reporter Sahar Zand has gained rare access to this community, spending time with its leader, Tanu - a transgender woman and practising Muslim - who has built a sanctuary where hijras can reconnect with faith. At the heart of this transformation is a Quran study group, offering hijras the religious education they were long denied, and a newly built mosque - the first in Bangladesh to welcome them as equals, after they were expelled from others. With the help of an imam who risked everything to stand by them, they are reclaiming their right to Islam.But as religious conservatism rises, so do the threats against them. Their village is no longer just a refuge; it is the frontline of a battle for acceptance. Can faith be the key to breaking barriers, or will they be forced back into the shadows?

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

In November 2024, six people died after visiting a bar in Vang Vieng, Laos. Authorities in the country said it was a suspected mass poisoning - the culprit, methanol. It made headlines around the world, but it was not an isolated incident. It is happening across South East Asia, Central America and the Middle East, often in countries where drinking alcohol is frowned upon, taboo, or even illegal. Matthew Hill investigates a devastating story of a rising death-toll, and travels to Bangladesh to meet the people on the ground urgently working to treat those affected.

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

Daily protests across the country have continued in Georgia since disputed elections in October, particularly since the ruling Georgian Dream party announced it would suspend discussions about joining the EU. Outside election observers identified a number of shortcomings and violations in the voting process. Critics of Georgian Dream say it is cosying up to Moscow and using underhand and increasingly authoritarian tactics, mimicking Russia, to stay in power. New laws against protesting have been introduced by the government and the number of arrests of protestors, opposition political figures and journalists has been rising. Some are asking is this a piece-by-piece dismantling of Georgia’s democracy? And how, with little sign of the government backing down, can the protests be maintained?

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2025

Artists Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser explore the complex weave of histories and myths around Britain’s imperial salt monopoly in India. Paul Waters joins them as they create an open-air installation at the Somerset House gallery in London, paired with a poignant indoor exhibition occupying spaces formerly used to administer Britain’s colonial-era salt tax. The 80 metre long fabric installation is to replicate the Inland Customs Line, a monumental 2,500 mile long hedge across India, created by Britain in the 1800s, to enforce salt taxation. This reinterpretation draws on cotton printed with botanical dyes from the hedge's original plants, to highlight the human and ecological cost of colonial extraction. Himali and David aren’t just creating one exhibition in one location. They are also creating a parallel installation further along the river Thames, at the Tate Britain art gallery and we’ll be following them as they work across both sites.

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

BBC health correspondent James Gallagher investigates how our noisy world is damaging our health. He finds out why noise increases our risk of health problems, like heart attacks, sleep problems and anxiety, and can even affect how long we live. James spends two days in Barcelona – one of the noisiest cities in Europe – to meet the people whose health is being ruined by noise and the scientists and doctors trying to solve the problem. He also visits London to be experimented on in a lab to find out how noise changes the body, and hears from Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, one of the loudest places on the planet.

Transcribed - Published: 16 March 2025

According to Kenya’s Health Ministry, between 2020 and 2023, about 16,000 women in Kenya decided to undergo a sterilisation procedure known as tubal ligation. While some of them already had children and didn’t want any more, others were saying no to motherhood altogether: they’re women who define themselves as child-free, meaning they have consciously decided never to have children. BBC Africa's Danai Nesta Kupemba has been looking into the this movement and has spoken to two Kenyan women who have recently committed to a child-free life.Also on the show: stories about people celebrating Ramadan around the world, with BBC Urdu's Aliya Nazki, BBC Indonesia's Silvano Hajid and BBC Arabic's Khitam Amer; cricket enthusiast Janhavee Moole reporting for BBC Marathi on India's recent success at the ICC Champions Trophy; and the ship fixing Africa's internet blackouts with Daniel Dadzie in Ghana. Presented by Faranak Amidi. Produced by Hannah Dean, Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Transcribed - Published: 15 March 2025

On his first day in office, Donald Trump froze foreign aid funding, ordering an immediate review into USAID, the government agency which was running programmes in around 120 countries. The review was swift and the cuts severe. President Trump’s team concluded that tens of billions of dollars were being spent in ways which “did not serve” or “harmed" US interests. We hear from USAID employees who describe the shock of suddenly losing their own jobs, and the grim anticipation of the impact the cuts will have on people around the world. We also hear from people running treatment centres around the world, and about the impact on HIV provision in Africa.

Transcribed - Published: 15 March 2025

For centuries, ayahuasca has been a sacred plant for the Shipibo-Konibo peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. Part medicine, part spiritual ceremony, ayahuasca and other plant medicines are revered practices. But in recent years, a boom in Western interest in psychedelics has started to reshape ayahuasca ceremonies and practise. Fuelled by celebrity endorsements, a new wave of tourists are heading to purpose-built resorts in the Peruvian jungle to take ayahuasca, guided by shamans from the Shipibo-Konibo tribes. In this episode of Heart and Soul, reporter Janak Rogers travels to the Peruvian Amazon to explore this so-called ‘psychedelic renaissance’. From candlelit jungle ceremonies to bustling tourist strips, Rogers uncovers the allure of ayahuasca for Westerners seeking help and healing. But as the ayahuasca boom transforms local communities, challenges arise: the rise of unscrupulous shamans, the commercialisation of Indigenous knowledge, and risks faced by vulnerable travellers.

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

Set among endless sugar-cane fields in a remote part of southern Florida, Restoration Destination is a community made up of registered sex offenders. Created by a Christian ministry as a response to state laws which ban them from living close to where children gather, it is now home to more than 100 men who have been placed on Florida’s sex offenders register for life. Through therapy, counselling and support, Restoration Destination aims to reduce their likelihood of reoffending and help them reintegrate into society. Journalist Conor Garrett goes to Restoration Destination to ask if the men who live there deserve a second chance. ***This programme contains interviews with convicted sex offenders, references to sex crimes and other scenes which listeners may find upsetting***

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2025

Guatemala’s been going through huge political upheavals. Protestors brought the country to a standstill with roadblocks and national strikes which lasted more than one hundred days, until they got the government they had voted for. Many of the protestors came from different indigenous communities, descended from the Mayans, who have their own language and culture and make up more than half of the 18 million population.Now there’s talk of an ‘Indigenous Spring’ after years of racism and discrimination. But is life really improving for these communities and is it possible to turn the Central American country around after years of corruption? Jane Chambers travels around the highlands and lowlands of Guatemala talking to the people who are trying to make changes and hearing from others whether they think it’s really working.

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2025

Ghanaian fashion innovator Kwaku Bediako is redefining luxury with sustainability at its heart. We step inside his world as he transforms second-hand garments into bold, high-fashion pieces, worn by global stars such as Stevie Wonder and Ian Wright. It was when he noticed how much material was being thrown away, that he decided to create a new brand, Cacao, where discarded fabrics can become the material for garments worn to red carpet events across the world. Kwaku has been commissioned by music producer GuiltyBeatz to make him a bespoke outfit ahead of this year's Grammy awards in LA and Daniel Dadzie goes with Kwaku as he hunts for second hand clothes at Kantamanto, Accra's largest thrift market. It's a place where the past fashions of Europe meet their future in Africa.

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2025

Extraordinary stories from global women's history, as told by the people who were there. We hear about the Jewish feminists who demanded to pray as freely as men, the fight for transgender women rights in Indonesia, and the career of legendary American painter Georgia O'Keeffe.

Transcribed - Published: 9 March 2025

The head of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation has recently fallen from glory. Irina Viner has been the most powerful person in the sport for nearly 20 years, and has produced multiple world champions. But her reign is finally over, as the Ministry of Sport recently dissolved the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation to create a new gymnastics body in which Irina Viner has no part. Meanwhile, another name in Russian rhythmic gymnastics is back in the spotlight. A previous student of Irina Viner, Alina Kabaeva won the Olympic gold for rhythmic gymnastics in 2004. She is one of the most successful gymnasts in Russia but has always avoided the media gaze. This seems to have changed since creating her own rhythmic gymnastics school, ‘Heavenly Grace’. Alina Kabaeva has long been reported to be the partner of Vladimir Putin and it seems her gymnastics school enjoys a special status. Presented by Faranak Amidi. Produced by Caroline Ferguson, Hannah Dean and Alice Gioia.(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Transcribed - Published: 8 March 2025