The Explanation

Decca Aitkenhead is the Chief Interviewer of The Sunday Times and has interviewed countless big names, from Hillary Clinton to Madonna. As she wins yet another award for her writing, she reveals how she does it – and why body language is the key to getting the rich and famous to say things they might later regret. Also in the programme, we meet the creators of two TV formats that have been sold ar...

We look at the nuclear powers and those who want to join their club. Are nuclear weapons a deterrent or a strategic show of strength? We examine what treaties are in place to control the use of nuclear weapons and how they work in practice. Are there enough checks and balances to stop escalation? Claire Graham talks to the BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner.

Drones have reshaped the battlefield in Ukraine - and created new challenges, raising concerns about the nature of future warfare. Drone technology has many iterations from Iran’s Shaheds and Turkey’s Bayraktars to the home-made war drone. We look into the history, the geopolitics and the worrying prospect of this tech teaming up with AI. Producer: Kriszta Satori Presenter: Krassi Twigg

Taylor Swift is a media phenomenon. News outlets now have dedicated “Swift Correspondents”, Disney paid a record sum to stream her Eras tour, and she has a level of control over her music that other artists just don’t. We speak to two journalists who have the job of reporting on “Swiftonomics”” Also in the programme, a development in Hugh Grant’s legal fight with one of Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper...

The New York Stock Exchange is the largest in the world, valued today at over $25 trillion - but does it spread wealth or increase inequality? And what market forces are at play? Claire Graham asks the BBC’s North America business correspondent Erin Delmore the big questions. We also find out what stock market indexes like the Dow Jones actually measure, and which stocks are dubbed the ‘Magnificen...

As it marks a year of war with no end in sight, Sudan faces the largest humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world. There are fears that if not stopped, the conflict could further destabilise an already volatile region. We try to piece together the picture from the few trusted sources that are left on the ground - journalists working in hiding and in constant danger. And a warning - there a...

Donald Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, continues to make headlines with its public listing. Billy Boozer, its former Chief Product Officer, reveals what it was like setting up the company with Trump. We're also joined by Prof Joshua Tucker and Prof Yini Zhang who has investigated how Trump has used Truth Social and X to drive news media attention. The Executive Chairman of the Sky New...

The origins of the Iran-cultivated alliance of like-minded states and groups taking aim at Israel and the US. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Quds, or Jerusalem, force and the Basij militias regularly feature in the news; what are they, how do they operate and how have they become so influential? In this episode, we look at the branding and the ideological blueprint of the Tehran...

Have US diplomats been targeted by Russian sonic weaponry? Unexplained symptoms such as dizziness reported by personnel working around the globe have been dubbed "Havana Syndrome". Now a joint report between The Insider, Der Spiegel and CBS's 60 Minutes, alleges it’s the result of their brains being targeted by "directed energy" weapons operated by a secretive Russian military unit. The Media Show...

Who is behind the Crocus City Hall attack? Within an hour of last week’s deadly attack on a concert hall outside Moscow, a campaign was gathering momentum to blame Kyiv for the atrocity while a parallel storyline claimed it was a Russian false flag operation. We track the blame game: the narratives and the counter-narratives underpinned by generous doses of disinformation. Producer: Kriszta Satori...

The water dispute driving the turbulent relationship between Afghanistan and Iran is in an area faced with worsening climate change. The waters of the Helmand river are a lifeline for border communities, and a live wire that has at times nearly sparked wars. We follow the twists and turns of the row between Kabul and Tehran, and the shifting role of the Taliban within it. Presenter: Krassi Twigg P...

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, examines what’s next for Vladimir Putin after winning re-election, analyses the possibility of civic unrest in the United States as Joe Biden and Donald Trump compete for the Presidency, and looks at the battle between miners and environmentalists over extracting rare metals from the bottom of our deepest oc...

How water is used as a weapon of war following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. An irrigation system, once created at Stalin’s order as a project of grand Soviet social engineering, is now running dry. We dig into the history of the Crimean water dispute - the surprising twists and turns and the narratives constructed by both Russia and Ukraine. Presenter: Krassi Twigg Producer: Kriszta Satori

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses whether Russia has turned the tide in its war in Ukraine, looks at the situation in Haiti in the wake of the gang violence sweeping the country, and examines whether in the future oceans will be navigated by unmanned ships.

Gang violence has turned the small Caribbean nation into a “living nightmare”, with rapes, kidnappings and killings a daily occurrence. More than a decade after a devastating earthquake - and billions of dollars spent on recovery - Haiti is back on its knees. Plans for a new Kenya-led, UN-approved security deployment have stalled amid a debate about how much of a help or hindrance foreign assistan...

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, looks at the humanitarian situation in Gaza, analyses what it would take to bring peace to the conflicts there and in Ukraine, and explores the significance of the meeting of the National People’s Congress in China.

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses the possibility of a ceasefire in Gaza, examines Donald Trump’s legal problems, and looks at the issues behind the widespread protests by European farmers. Produced by Max Horberry and Benedick Watt

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, looks at Vladimir Putin’s position after the death of Alexei Navalny, examines the situation in Ukraine two years after the Russian invasion, and analyses the possibility of a new war in Europe.

John Simpson, talks to Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's international editor, who analyses whether Israel can win its war in Gaza. He examines what is really happening to the Chinese economy with BBC Asia Pacific editor Celia Hatton and looks at what the outcome of Indonesia’s elections might mean for the world’s third largest democracy with Jonathan Head, the BBC's South East Asia correspondent.

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses how the Russian economy has thrived despite Western sanctions, examines the American military’s role in the Middle East, and looks at the developing food crisis in Ethiopia. Produced by Max Horberry and Benedick Watt

This week John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, analyses whether Ukraine can win its war with Russia without the wholehearted support of the West, examines what effect the International Court of Justice’s ruling on Israel might have on the war in Gaza, and looks at the challenges ahead following an expected general election in Britain this year....

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, asks whether the war in Gaza is beginning to slip away from Israel, examines the implications of Iran’s missile strike on Pakistan, and considers what the inauguration of a temple in India means for the forthcoming elections there. Produced by Max Horberry and Benedick Watt

John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, examines the strategy behind the US and UK attacks on the Houthis in Yemen, analyses whether the elections in Taiwan have made an invasion by China more likely, and looks at the implications of Donald Trump’s dominant victory in Iowa. Produced by Max Horberry and Benedick Watt

The World Bank was originally established after World War Two with the goal of eradicating poverty and establishing shared prosperity. With new challenges such as health crises, climate change and the establishment of the Asian Development bank, the World Bank’s purpose is under greater scrutiny than ever before, but has its core mission changed? Michelle Fleury, the BBC’s North America business c...

In recent years, many sports have received huge investment from oil-rich petrostates, and while the term ‘sportswashing’ is relatively new, the idea of using sport as a way to deflect negative publicity has been around for years. The impact of recent huge investment has changed the landscape for football, golf, F1, cricket and boxing and many believe this to be a new form of soft power for those i...