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PODCAST

The Documentary Podcast

BBC World Service

The best documentaries from the BBC World Service. Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. From Australia"s relationship with China, to Turkey"s sinkhole problem, to understanding the behaviour of dictators, we go beyond the headlines. Each week, all year round, we bring you the stories shaping our world. From the personal voices behind the headlines to perspectives on faith and spirituality and how work and money

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

26:50

Saving young men from murder: The Homeboy story

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/10/06

British Psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead, who has spent a lifetime working with violence perpetrators, visits Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang rehabilitation in the world. It offers, training, education, therapy and other services, was set up by a Jesuit Priest, Father Gregory Boyle. It was his response to the so-called “decade of death,” in the late 1980s, as his neighbourhood was terrorised by gang violence. Today, 40 years on, it has been called one of the most successful gang

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17:55

Bonds: Heroes or villains?

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/10/05

With the cost of Government debt hitting its highest for many decades across the world, we explore how the world became so dependent on bonds, those IOUs from governments and firms that helped build the modern economy. Bonds are often dismissed as a dull corner of finance, but behind the scenes they have played a central role in major economic dramas around the world. We hear about their history, how they have shaped companies and countries, and why some fear the bond market could trigger the next

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41:57

Syria’s justice in absentia

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/10/04

With perpetrators in exile, closure is out of reach. As Syria’s new authorities seek to hold figures of the former regime accountable, questions remain over the fate of Bashar al-Assad. The former president and members of his inner circle were granted asylum in Russia after a rebel offensive drove him from power in 2024. The transition ushered in a new chapter for Syria, raising hopes for justice, after decades of repression. The Global Jigsaw assesses the obstacles standing in the way of

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24:11

'Renting is such a struggle'

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/10/03

We bring people together from around the world who are struggling to find somewhere affordable to live. We hear from Spain where the eviction of an 87-year-old woman has led to widespread protests, highlighting the country’s housing crisis. Young people in Ireland, Nigeria and India share their experiences of the difficulties they face finding a home, and 26-year-old Adam in the UK tells us about moving back in with his parents. “It leaves you quite dreamless, you haven’t really got anything you’re

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26:38

The miracle doctor of Lourdes

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/10/02

The French town of Lourdes is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics – this year even welcoming the Pope. This shrine in the Pyrenees Mountains is the site of miracles and Christian fervour, where the young shepherdess Bernadette Soubirous saw 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary and where many people believe they have been miraculously healed. The Feast of the Assumption is the most important date in the Lourdes calendar, when tens of thousands travel from all over the world, to drink and wash in the

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26:45

West Africa's Ebola outbreak: 10 years on

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/10/01

Ten years on from the Ebola outbreak which tore through West Africa, journalist Tulip Mazumdar reconnects with survivors, healthcare workers and volunteers she met when reporting extensively from the frontline. The 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak killed over 11,000. The epidemic exposed how unprepared the world was for fast-moving outbreaks - and how quickly they could spiral out of control. Ordinary people took action and managed to contain the virus. In 2026, Ebola is back in the headlines as the

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23:17

The joy of walking

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/30

How something as simple as a walk can improve our wellbeing, sharpen our thinking and bring communities closer together. We try out an innovative walking map of the UK on a journey through London, then head to the United States and Hungary, where doctors are leading walks to build stronger relationships with their patients.

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28:22

Nepal: In the shadow of a glacier

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/29

As Nepal deals with the aftermath of devastating floods, there have been renewed warnings about the impact of climate change on the Himalayas. As temperatures have risen, glaciers across the region have shrunk and the landscape has become more unstable. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent reports from one remote Nepalese mountain community that faces an existential threat from a melting glacier. The ancient village of Halji, near the Tibetan border, is home to a thousand year-old Buddhist monastery, one of the

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19:07

Can Route 66 towns survive on nostalgia?

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/28

We head west along America's famed Route 66. As the road celebrates its 100th birthday, Victoria Craig finds out whether the pull of neon-drenched nostalgia is still attracting visitors and whether new investment can secure the future of the towns that depend on it.

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49:09

Mapping India: The world's largest count

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/27

India is undertaking the biggest population count the world has ever attempted - a digital census designed to capture the lives, identities and realities of more than 1.4 billion people. With three million field staff, self‑enumeration in 16 languages, and real‑time monitoring across cities, forests, floodplains and megacities, the operation is both a national ritual and a vast technological experiment. The census reaches far beyond population totals. It records religion, language, housing,

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23:54

Women in South Africa: 'We just want to be safe'

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/26

Warning: contains description of domestic violence In the last few months, nine women – including a young mother out jogging – have been murdered near Johannesburg. South Africa has one of the highest levels of violent crime against women in the world and the deaths have sparked an outcry across the country that more needs to be done. In our conversations we bring together survivors of domestic abuse and female runners. We also bring together founders of organisations helping to protect women and

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26:36

Mountain spirits of Spiti

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/25

Over the last 10 years, Dr Jane Orton has visited the remote Spiti Valley in the Himalayas to speak to the local Bhoti people about their lore and spiritual beliefs. In the many villages across the valley, stories about the deities are consistent from place to place but also transfigured. She hears about deities like Lhas, powerful beings that have been incorporated into Buddhism. Lhas serve many purposes from protection and curing illnesses to ensuring water security by bringing snow. Jane hears

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26:40

A women's revolt in Germany

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/24

A national debate over sexualised violence online has erupted in Germany, and been seized on by Germany's feminist movement. As AI-generated deepfakes and other forms of online abuse against women become increasingly widespread, young activists are demanding stronger legal protections and putting violence against women at the centre of the political agenda. Reporter Jeanny Wasielewski meets the campaigners leading this movement, alongside survivors, politicians and legal experts, to explore whether

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22:38

Bringing Kashmir’s lakes back to life

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/23

Wular and Dal lakes are among Kashmir's most famous natural treasures, but decades of pollution, encroachment and neglect have taken their toll. Chhavi Sachdev follows conservationists, farmers and local communities as they attempt an ambitious restoration effort. Along the way, she discovers migratory birds returning, lotus flowers reappearing, and a circular economy transforming ecological waste into a valuable resource.

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31:43

Has Poland fallen out of love with Ukraine?

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/22

When President Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland opened its doors and their hearts to Ukrainian refugees. Millions of Ukrainians passed through Poland, getting all kinds of help from local people and from the Polish government. Many stayed. But there has been a dramatic change in feelings towards Ukrainians, particularly in recent months. From over 80% of Poles feeling positive about Ukrainians four years ago, that figure has fallen to 40%, according to opinion polls,

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32:43

Where is Austin Tice? 1. 'We believe he’s alive'

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/21

American journalist Austin Tice, vanished in Syria, but the US president says he’s alive. For more than a decade Austin's mother Debra has been leading the search for her son. As Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat travel to Syria to help Austin’s mother’s search, a source gives Josh information that might unlock where he is.

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18:40

From Mao and Nixon to Xi and Trump: A history of...

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/21

With Presidents Xi and Trump expected to meet in the United States this week, Will Bain looks back on the history of trade between the two great nations. It's always been fraught with controversy but there's also been a need or desire to get along. President Nixon was the first to visit China in 1972 and spoke with passion about the possibilities for the future between them. Trade then grew quickly but it became very one sided as China developed as an industrial nation. There have been several

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26:38

The dictators' survival guide

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/20

Xi Jinping is known to be a ruthless leader. In the last five years alone, China’s richest man, Jack Ma, China’s defence minister and the country’s foreign minister have all abruptly disappeared - some never to be seen in public again. Millions of Communist officials have been purged since Xi came to power. But one man was thought to be untouchable: the head of China’s military forces, Zhang Youxia. A childhood friend of Xi’s, Zhang was allowed to stay in his post, even as other military officials

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23:41

Can we live without our phones?

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/19

For many of us, our phones are the first thing we look at in the morning and the last thing we put down at night. But with growing pressure over screen time and concerns about the impact of social media, tech companies like Meta have agreed to restrictions. In our conversations, we bring together three people who have received treatment for tech addiction. We also hear from those have decided not to use smartphones at all. “To me what’s weird is when a couple go on a date, instead of looking at each

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26:39

How to leave this Earth

The Documentary Podcast ·

2026/09/18

Dalia Mogahed is one of the most prominent Muslim voices in American public life. For three decades, she has researched and defended the experiences of Muslim communities in the United States, advising leaders and challenging misconceptions about Islam, identity and belonging. But after a lifetime speaking for others, Dalia Mogahed is now exploring her own questions of faith and legacy. A cancer diagnosis on the eve of her 50th birthday prompted a period of deep reflection, bringing into focus years

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