The Explanation

BBC World Service

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.

Featuring new episodes of The President's Path, Unspun World with John Simpson, and The Media Show.

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346 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes346

Newest first

Oct 20, 2023 · 23 min
The Global Jigsaw: Who’ll be Argentina’s next president?
After a shock primary win, a far-right libertarian economist is in pole position
Oct 14, 2023 · 27 min
Unspun World: Israel declares war on Hamas after deadly attack
Israel starts 'a prolonged and powerful campaign' in Gaza. What will be the consequences?
Oct 7, 2023 · 27 min
Unspun World: Are democracies hindering the fight against climate change?
Short-term politics gets in the way of dealing with an ever-warming planet
Sep 30, 2023 · 27 min
Unspun World: Can anyone in Russia challenge Putin now?
Now Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead, can anyone in Russia challenge the president’s power?
Sep 29, 2023 · 40 min
The Global Jigsaw: Wagner after Prigozhin
What next for the notorious group after the plane crash that wiped out its leadership?
Sep 23, 2023 · 27 min
Unspun World: What has changed for women in Iran, a year after Mahsa Amini's death?
Iranian women are still fighting for freedom, despite government crackdowns
Sep 9, 2023 · 27 min
The Global Jigsaw: Grain deal special
Russia and Turkey failed to reach an agreement to bring Ukrainian grain to the world
Aug 23, 2023 · 18 min
Could Puerto Rico become America's 51st state?
BBC Mundo’s Ronald Avila-Claudio discusses what the future might hold for his homeland
Aug 16, 2023 · 18 min
Kosovo–Serbia relations
Will Serbia ever recognise Kosovo?
Aug 9, 2023 · 18 min
What is Nato?
Will Nato continue to expand?
Aug 2, 2023 · 18 min
Venezuela crisis
With more oil reserves than Saudi Arabia, how is Venezuela so poor?
Jul 26, 2023 · 18 min
The EU
How the European Union evolved from a six-nation club to a major global player
Jul 19, 2023 · 18 min
Who are the Rohingyas?
How the Rohingyas fled Myanmar to become the world’s largest stateless population
Jul 12, 2023 · 18 min
What is a war crime?
Even war has rules, so what happens when they are broken?
Jul 8, 2023 · 27 min
Unspun World: Is it time to return looted art?
What should we done with stolen treasures? Katie Razzall confronts colonialism's legacy
Jul 5, 2023 · 18 min
Haiti's gang crisis
How competing gangs are carving up Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince
Jun 30, 2023 · 27 min
Unspun World: Is Putin's time up?
The editor of the BBC’s Russian service, Famil Ismailov, analyses Vladimir Putin's future
Jun 28, 2023 · 18 min
How Lebanon’s economy collapsed
Protests, the port explosion and power cuts – what’s next for Lebanon?
Jun 24, 2023 · 27 min
Unspun World: Xi Jinping: President or emperor?
What do the growing ambitions of China's leader mean for the rest of the world?
Jun 21, 2023 · 19 min
What is the Wagner Group?
The mercenary organisation's operations have extended to many nations, but who are they?