

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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 29, 2023 • 41min
The Global Jigsaw: Wagner after Prigozhin
What next for the notorious Wagner group after the plane crash that wiped out its leadership? The Russian private military group that’s left boot prints in Europe, the Middle East and Africa is facing an uncertain future. We look at official movements and narratives - in Russia and abroad - to lift the deliberate veil of murkiness and find the clues. Get in touch: theglobaljigsaw@bbc.co.ukProducer: Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Twigg

Sep 23, 2023 • 27min
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. World Service correspondent Faranak Amidi speaks to the BBC’s world affairs editor, John Simpson, about the fight for equality. They also discuss what has changed since Mahsa Amini's death in police custody. We also ask BBC Ukrainian editor Marta Shokalo what life is like now in Ukraine, with the war showing no sign of ending anytime soon. And how much of a threat are Chinese spies to the West? The BBC’s security correspondent, Gordon Corera, reveals how today’s espionage works.

Sep 9, 2023 • 27min
The Global Jigsaw: Grain deal special
Russia and Turkey failed to reach an agreement to bring Ukrainian grain to countries that desperately need it, at a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. What are the obstacles - and the implications for global food security? The Global Jigsaw team brings together Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Middle East and Africa experts to assess what could happen next.

Aug 23, 2023 • 18min
Could Puerto Rico become America's 51st state?
As a US territory, Puerto Rico uses the dollar, its people are US citizens and they can move freely back and forth. However, it isn’t a US state, and its residents can’t vote in presidential elections or for members of Congress.The country has a deep debt crisis, high unemployment and has experienced devastating hurricanes and earthquakes. As a result, migration to the US is common, with almost a million more Puerto Ricans in the US than on the island. In 2020, a non-binding referendum resulted in Puerto Rico voting again to become a US state. But will it ever happen?BBC Mundo’s Ronald Avila-Claudio tells us more about his homeland and what the future might hold.Presented by Claire Graham and produced by Owen McFadden for the BBC World Service.

Aug 16, 2023 • 19min
Kosovo–Serbia relations
After unilaterally declaring independence in 2008, Kosovo has been recognised by many countries, but not Serbia, which still claims it as one of its provinces. After the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Serbia cracked down on Kosovo separatists, resulting in a NATO military intervention in 1999. Tensions have remained high and have begun to flare up again in recent years.The majority Albanian population mostly supports independence, but in the northern areas of Kosovo, Serbs are the majority, and many refuse to recognise Kosovan institutions.
BBC Serbian reporter Aleksandar Miladinović explains these divisions, and considers if relations between the two countries can ever be normalised.

Aug 9, 2023 • 19min
What is Nato?
Nato members agree to support each other if they come under attack. That’s the fundamental purpose of Nato, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, formed in the wake of World War II. But how has its remit changed in the seven decades since its foundation? Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more states have sought to join Nato, but its expansion is perceived as a threat by President Putin.James Landale, the BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent, explains how Nato works and what challenges lie ahead for the organisation.

Aug 2, 2023 • 19min
Venezuela crisis
How has Venezuela, home to the world's largest oil reserves, become crippled with food and medicine shortages, hyper-inflation, violence and corruption?
Hugo Chavez promised a socialist revolution in the 1990s, using high oil prices to fund his economic developments. However, during his time in power, he became increasingly autocratic and the economy slumped. Following Chavez’s death, Nicolas Maduro, also from the socialist PSUV party, became President but global oil prices began to plummet. The economy went into freefall and controversial elections in 2018 have led to ongoing political unrest.
Jorge Pérez, a BBC Mundo journalist, explains how Venezuela descended into chaos.

Jul 26, 2023 • 19min
The EU
With its foundations in the ashes of World War II, the European Union was initially formed to avoid further wars and remove trade barriers. It grew from a six-nation club as the ECC in 1957, to today’s 27 members that covers much of the continent and has evolved to tackle contemporary issues such as mass migration, a global pandemic and the war in Ukraine. In recent years, it survived a wave of Euroscepticism that led to Britain leaving (Brexit), but other member states have looked to reform from within, preferring to stay part of the larger bloc during uncertain times. Katya Adler, the BBC’s Europe Editor, shares insights into the EU from its foundation to its contemporary challenges.

Jul 19, 2023 • 19min
Who are the Rohingyas?
In 2017, a deadly crackdown by Myanmar's army resulted in the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims across the border into Bangladesh. Years later, many of those who fled are still in refugee camps.But why have the Rohingya people become stateless? And will they ever return to Myanmar, which is now run by a military junta after a coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and her government in 2021.The BBC’s Burmese Editor, Soe Win Than, explains how tensions grew in the Rakhine State and explores if the Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists could ever live side by side again.Presenter: Claire Graham
Producer: Owen McFadden

Jul 12, 2023 • 18min
What is a war crime?
What is the difference between a war crime, a crime against humanity and genocide? And who holds those responsible to account?Anna Holligan, the BBC's correspondent in The Hague, gives an insight into how the International Criminal Court works. She shares some of the cases of those who have been charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, from Congolese warlord Thomas Lubang to Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak.Presenter: Claire Graham
Producer: Owen McFadden


