The Documentary Podcast

The Atemoya Custard Apple is a much sought-after fruit grown only in one county in Taiwan. The Taiwanese are justly proud of it. Meanwhile, the Musang King Durian - grown in Malaysia - is also highly prized for its unique flavour as the ‘Hermes of Durians.’ Every year, fruit lovers across the region look out for these treats and snap them up where they can, often paying high prices. In recent years, farmers have seen opportunities to raise their income by selling these niche, super-luxury fruits on the Chinese market, but the strategy comes with big risks too. Koh Ewe from the BBC’s Singapore Bureau has been tracking the fortunes of these two fruits. A statue of Saint Olga is a much-loved figure in Central Kyiv, Ukraine. So much so, that when Russia invaded Ukraine, the statue was given a flak jacket with the words “she needs armour” written on it. Saint Olga of Kyiv is celebrated by Ukrainians and Russians alike. She’s a saint in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches and her saint’s day is celebrated on 11th July. BBC Ukrainian’s Irena Taranyuk explores her sometimes violent history.The Fifth Floor is at the heart of global storytelling on the BBC World Service, bringing you the best stories from journalists in the BBC's 43 language services. We're here to help you make sense of the stories making headlines around the world; to excite your curiosity and to get to grips with the facts.Recent episodes have investigated Russia’s youth armies and how they make soldiers of Ukrainian children; featured the BBC team who were the first journalists to the site of the Nigerian school kidnappings and reflected the effects of internet blackouts in Iran, Uganda and India.If you want to know more about Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and the legacy of Hugo Chavez; or how Vladimir Putin’s network of deep cover spies operates; or why Donald Trump signed an executive order granting white South Africans asylum in the US, we have all those stories and more.This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world. Presented by Faranak Amidi. Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)

In coastal Japan, Yasuo Takamatsu has spent nearly 15 years diving for the remains of his wife, Yuko, who was swept away in the 2011 tsunami. With on-location recording of Yasuo on his 763rd dive, this Heart and Soul documentary explores his search as an act of devotion shaped by Japanese ideals of grief, memory, and the power of nature. A profound story of love and loss, we reveal how one man’s repeated dives became a ritual of remembrance in a land where disaster is part of life.Presenter: Jake Warren Producer:: Leo Danczak Editor:: Macalister Bexon A Message Heard production for BBC World Service

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, all this week The Global Story is exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.For decades in the US, “Made in China” signified a product that was cheap, poorly made, and, in some cases, produced through exploitative labour. But today, the label signifies something quite different in many American minds - state-of-the-art tech and luxury goods that even rival America, for arguably the first time in US history.Often overlooked is the fact that China’s ascendance as an economic superpower was far from inevitable. Today we speak to historian Elizabeth Ingleson to trace the evolution of the Made in China brand and to explore what responsibility the United States had for awakening its own economic rival.The Global Story tells in-depth stories from where the world and America meet. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.Producer: Xandra Ellin and Sam Chantarasak Executive producer: James Shield Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

From her secluded mountain cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia, USA, best-selling author Karin Slaughter crafts stories which keep millions awake at night. She tells Lucy Collingwood how she works best – at her bespoke ‘cockpit’ desk, a couple of intense weeks at a time, where she juggles the tv-adaptation of her book The Good Daughter and her latest thriller The Secrets We Hide.

When Dr. Mahrang Baloch was a teenager, she joined hundreds of families across Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan to search for her father, who had disappeared. Activists and rights groups say thousands of ethnic Baloch people have disappeared over the past two decades, alleging many were detained by security forces, tortured and killed as part of operations against a long-running separatist movement. After three years of being missing, Mahrang's family received a call telling them that her father's body had been found. This led Mahrang herself becoming a campaigner, leading protests and marches demanding information about missing persons in Balochistan. But last year she was arrested and she has now been sentenced to life in prison. Farhat Javed of BBC Urdu tells her story. As the group stage of the World Cup comes to a close, Cape Verde, a tiny nation off the coast of West Africa, is celebrating a remarkable achievement. It's their first ever time at the tournament, but the Blue Sharks, as their team is known, have made it out of the group stage with a series of strong performances where they have held big teams like Spain and Uruguay to account. Meanwhile, in South Korea, a much more seasoned squad packed with international talent have arrived home in defeat after losing to teams their critics feel they should have beaten. The fallout has been painful. Paul Njie, journalist with BBC West Africa and Jake Kwon, Seoul Correspondent for BBC News, reflect. The Fifth Floor is at the heart of global storytelling on the BBC World Service, bringing you the best stories from journalists in the BBC's 43 language services. We're here to help you make sense of the stories making headlines around the world; to excite your curiosity and to get to grips with the facts.Recent episodes have investigated Russia’s youth armies and how they make soldiers of Ukrainian children; featured the BBC team who were the first journalists to the site of the Nigerian school kidnappings and reflected the effects of internet blackouts in Iran, Uganda and India.If you want to know more about Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and the legacy of Hugo Chavez; or how Vladimir Putin’s network of deep cover spies operates; or why Donald Trump signed an executive order granting white South Africans asylum in the US, we have all those stories and more.This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world. Presented by Irena Taranyuk. Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Once a respected voice in the pulpit, a Nigerian priest was cast out when his sexuality became known, mirroring a broader pattern in which clergy have been dismissed or barred from ministry in Nigeria over allegations of homosexuality. Listening to his intimate testimony and stark reality, Emily Buchanan explores the cost of authenticity in a society where belief, culture, and law intersect - and where being true to oneself can mean losing everything.

Running a restaurant is hard. Long hours, tight margins and constant stress. In this episode of the Food Chain, Rumella Dasgupta travels to Edinburgh, Scotland, to meet Lisa He and her mum Sophie. Lisa has just put her life and acting career on hold, to try and help her mum save the family's restaurant, the China Star. A video she made documenting her attempt has gone viral, with more than fifteen million views. But is a viral video going to be enough to turn a failing business into a success? Lisa's got to fix the sprawling menu, digitise the paper ordering system and cut costs. Lisa and Rumella meet restaurant turnaround expert David Hopkins from the Fifteen Group in Canada, who's on hand to give advice and to explain why restaurants are such difficult businesses to run. Meanwhile the Mand family in Sydney Australia know only too well what Lisa and Sophie are going through. Last year, son Bhav documented his fight to save his dad's failing restaurant. So how's it doing now? And, in such a difficult industry, when is the right time to walk away? Rumella hears from Carleigh Bond, who made the tough decision to close her vegan fast-food restaurant Forked Up in October 2025.The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate. To hear more, search The Food Chain wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

In the Studio enters the creative world of award-winning Irish-language poet Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh as she composes a new poem. We follow its journey from first draft to first public reading. Ailbhe writes exclusively in Irish. She is deeply rooted in the language’s literary tradition yet unmistakably modern in outlook and has become one of the most distinctive literary voices of her generation. Working from the early-morning quiet of her kitchen table in Cork, the documentary centres on a new triptych inspired by her nine-year-old daughter’s fascination with Greek mythology. Ailbhe takes Dualtagh Herr behind the scenes of her new work, reflecting on childhood imagination, motherhood, and the creative process.

Every World Cup has its stand‑out personalities and talking points. This year, fans have been as delighted by Lionel Messi’s performance in the tournament, his sixth World Cup, and by the stand‑out style of DR Congo superfan Lumumba Vea, as they have been sometimes baffled by hydration breaks. But only a handful of moments are remembered throughout the decades. In 1986 in Mexico City, Diego Maradona scored two goals for Argentina in a match against England that will never be forgotten. World Service News editor Lourdes Heredia, it turns out, was there and witnessed what Maradona would go on to call his 'Hand of God' goal. A few weeks ago in Afghanistan, in the western city of Herat, people took to the streets in a rare protest after local Taliban government officials reportedly began arresting women perceived to be “improperly wearing the hijab." Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women’s rights have been restricted more and more. Women are no longer allowed to go to secondary school or university, beauty parlours have been banned, travel restrictions have been put in place dictating how far women can travel from home, and women have been ordered not to speak when out in public. Mahjooba Nowrouzi and Mamoon Durrani of BBC Afghan have been reporting on these protests and looking into Taliban leadership.The Fifth Floor is at the heart of global storytelling on the BBC World Service, bringing you the best stories from journalists in the BBC's 43 language services. We're here to help you make sense of the stories making headlines around the world; to excite your curiosity and to get to grips with the facts. Recent episodes have investigated Russia’s youth armies and how they make soldiers of Ukrainian children; featured the BBC team who were the first journalists to the site of the Nigerian school kidnappings and reflected the effects of internet blackouts in Iran, Uganda and India. If you want to know more about Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and the legacy of Hugo Chavez; or how Vladimir Putin’s network of deep cover spies operates; or why Donald Trump signed an executive order granting white South Africans asylum in the US, we have all those stories and more.Presented by Faranak Amidi. Produced by Laura Thomas and Caroline Ferguson (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Sitting on his grandad’s knee, a young Bhavik Haria was introduced to devotional Hindu music. Since childhood, he’s been hooked on the moving instruments and tales of gods and deities. Fast forward to his late 20s – and it was during the Covid pandemic that Bhavik realised how the landscape was changing in his community. Young people were no longer engaging with these bhajans. The instruments and sound were just not resonating. A trend began in India of bhajan jams – incorporating Western instruments to devotional music that appealed to all ages. We follow Bhavik from London to Ahmedabad, on his mission to keep bhajans alive by appealing to all ages through fusion music. And we find out why bhajan jams are helping the Hindu diaspora feel connected to their cultural and religious roots.

It is 10 years since the UK voted to leave the European Union in the Brexit referendum. In this two-part series, Alex Forsyth, a BBC correspondent who’s covered Brexit from both Brussels and Westminster, looks at what impact the decision to leave the EU has had on various aspects of public and political life, both within Britain and beyond.In this second episode, Alex and guests discuss how leaving the EU impacted UK regulation, science and academia, and fishing and farming, and consider how Brexit has impacted the EU and British internal politics ten years on. Did Brexit allow the UK to free itself from the ‘burdensome bureaucracy’ of the EU and innovate independently, or leave it out of the loop? Did UK fishers and farmers get a better deal post Brexit? Were there fears the UK’s departure would trigger a domino effect amongst other European nations? And has Brexit ultimately made UK politics more European?

Sean Cooney is a powerful voice in British folk music and theatre. Winner of 3 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards with his band the Young'uns, the creator, musical director, lyricist, composer, and book writer has made 9 albums, recorded a number of radio programmes and is behind the acclaimed international theatre show, The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff. His work brings untold working-class stories to life by blending folk song, historical testimony, archival recordings, and spoken word.Tom Raine follows his creative process as he works on a brand new album, this time not inspired by amazing people, but amazing dogs. Having just retired his wife’s guide dog Nessie after 8 and a half years of service, Sean has been inspired to craft a new set of songs about history’s heroic hounds - the dogs that have been more than just companions, but life savers, including the legendary Rollo who saved a baby during the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864. It all culminates in a dog friendly concert in one of the many locations where the stories took place.