The Explanation

The BBC's world affairs editor, John Simpson, asks defence correspondent Jonny Beale where the war in Ukraine is heading and what victory might look like; finds out from North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher if any of the Republican presidential candidates will give Donald Trump a run for his money; analyses a new era in relations in the Middle East with Baran Abbasi from BBC Persian; and explores why South Africa is in so much trouble, and what can be done about it, with South Africa correspondent Nomsa Maseko.Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Benedick Watt.

The BBC's world affairs editor, John Simpson, asks Russia editor Steve Rosenberg what the mood is like in Russia as the war gets closer to home; finds out from South Asia editor Rebecca Henschke why no one is taking any notice of the brutal civil war in Myanmar; and asks Balkans correspondent Guy Delauney why tensions are flaring up again in Kosovo. John also speaks to former Beijing correspondent John Sudworth, to find out if Covid really originated from a lab in Wuhan after all.Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Benedick Watt

Can the US transform the world's economy? We get the detail - and why it matters for the rest of us - from economics editor Faisal Islam. And our host, the BBC’s world affairs editor John Simpson, asks Olga Robinson from BBC Verify how the new team goes about sorting fact from fiction in Russia's war with Ukraine. BBC Urdu's Farhat Javad examines what's next for cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan in Pakistan. And environment correspondent Helen Briggs marvels at thousands of newly discovered ocean creatures already at risk from deep sea mining.Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Benedick Watt

Unspun World provides an unvarnished version of the week's major global news stories with the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson and the BBC's unparalleled range of experts.This week, John finds out what it's like to report from the battlefield with Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse; Asia Pacific editor Celia Hatton on President Xi's gameplan; how worried should we be about artificial intelligence, with technology editor, Zoe Kleinman, and what is fuelling the political, economic and social turmoil in Ecuador, with BBC's Mundo's Ana Maria Roura.

Unspun World provides an unvarnished version of the week's major global news stories, with the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson and the BBC's unparalleled range of experts.This week John explores the ongoing war effort in Ukraine with BBC Monitoring's Vitaliy Shevchenko; the future of Turkey with international correspondent Orla Guerin; what President Assad of Syria's rehabilitation will mean for Syrians, with Middle-East correspondent Lina Sinjab, and he speaks to the BBC's science correspondent, Pallab Ghosh, about the pangenome. What is it, and how can it help humanity?Producers: Pandita Lorenz and Benedick Watt

On a mission to make sense of the world. A new podcast, with hosts John Simpson and Claire Graham. Episodes released weekly from 20 May 2023.

This year marks 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, signed by politicians from Northern Ireland and the British and Irish governments in an attempt to bring peace to Northern Ireland. Over his 26 years at the BBC, Denis Murray reported extensively on the peace process, including this pivotal moment. He explains to Claire Graham how it came about, its legacy and how it's still discussed in today's political battles.Producer: Owen McFadden Presenter: Claire Graham

Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have historically been difficult. Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year war. A bitter border war between the two countries began a few years later. But by 2020, Eritrea sent troops to fight alongside the Ethiopian government against rebel forces in its northern Tigray region.Kalkidan Yibeltal is a BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa. He explains the complex history between the two countries, and looks at the tentative peace now emerging in Tigray.Presenter: Claire Graham Producer: Owen McFadden

A military coup in 1989 brought Omar al-Bashir to power, until being overthrown by the military in the face of mass protests in 2019. During this time, war has raged in Darfur, South Sudan has gained independence and the Sudanese people demanded a return to civil government. BBC journalist Mohanad Hashim grew up in Khartoum and has reported extensively on the Middle East and Africa. He speaks to Claire Graham about Sudan’s journey from independence to revolution.Producer: Owen McFadden Presenter: Claire Graham

After almost a decade of fighting, civil war in Yemen has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Nawal Al-Maghafi is a Special Correspondent with the BBC who has been reporting on the Middle East since 2012. She explains to Claire Graham how this complex war began between government backed forces and the Houthi rebels.Presenter: Claire Graham Producer: Owen McFadden