The Documentary Podcast

Sweden, once a global poster child for digital education, is changing course. The Nordic nation previously championed a screen-first approach; laptops and tablets have been the norm in classrooms since the early 2010s. Now, the country is pivoting back to basics, reintroducing physical textbooks, limiting screen time, and investing heavily in school libraries. Stockholm-based reporter Maddy Savage explores why one of the world’s most tech-savvy countries is embracing analog learning once again. Driving the shift are falling international test scores and growing anxiety over the potential impact of heavy screen use on pupils' concentration, and how children process information. n an era of rapid AI integration, critics worry that reducing classroom technology could dent digital literacy and widen the inequality gap. We hear from the teachers, parents, pupils and researchers at the heart of this transition.

When 19-year-old Ann from Florida, US, was shot by her boyfriend in 2010, her family were thrust into a nightmare, one that meant taking the agonising decision to withdraw her life support. In this intensely moving account of violence and loss, Ann’s mother, Kate, tells the Dear Daughter podcast that instead of pursuing the traditional court process, she chose something almost unheard of at the time - restorative justice. Sitting face to face with the man who killed her daughter she entered a process that allowed her to shape his sentence and speak openly about the impact of Ann’s death. In her highly emotional letter to Ann, Kate reveals an extraordinary decision - one that will stay with you long after her story ends.To find out more about Dear Daughter, to take part, or read our privacy notice, please go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter. Or you can contact the team via WhatsApp on +44 800 030 4404.

Outbreaks of HIV have become regular occurrences in Pakistan. And too frequently it is the children who suffer. In the city of Taunsa, for example, children have tested positive for HIV while their parents have not. So what has been going on? Ghazal Abbasi investigates what and who is to blame. With the help of a staff insider and undercover recording in the city’s main hospital, the BBC finds shocking lapses in medical protocol. Medicine vials and syringes are often reused for different children. Cross-contamination seems inevitable. But the local authorities deny the hospital is at the centre of the problem. This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.

An innovative scheme in Scotland is helping dads in prison become better parents. Myra Anubi visits Barlinnie jail in Glasgow to meet the prisoners taking part. First they are taught parenting skills and then their children are brought into the jail for sessions of active physical play. Supporters of the programme say it is not just about benefits for prisoners - it is helping to create strong family bonds which might then reduce rates of reoffending. It is based on a successful scheme in Australia called Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids. This was set up to get people fit and tackle high levels of obesity in the wider population. We talk to the founder who explains how it has improved the lives of hundreds of fathers and their families.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Annie Gardinerif you would like to hear more programmes like this then search People fixing the world wherever you get your BBC Podcacsts.(Image: Prisoners and their children at Barlinnie prison in Scotland, Scottish Prison Service)

The late Queen Elizabeth II often wore the colours of Commonwealth countries she visited - helping to spread "soft power". Outfits from each of her 10 decades are featured in a new exhibition at London's Kings Gallery.

In India, official figures suggest that one in three women experience domestic violence. In 2023, police registered over 130,000 cases of marital abuse and more than 6,000 women were killed in disputes relating to dowries. Despite these high numbers, societal attitudes to domestic abuse are changing only very slowly in the country, with families often reluctant to be seen to be interfering in a daughter's marriage. Now a new short film, Band Baaja Bitiya (Hindi for "a wedding band and a daughter") is setting out to push the pace of change. Geeta Pandey, Women and Social Affairs Editor for BBC India, looked into thetrue story that inspired the film. In February this year, a Kenyan woman called Joy, who was a 19-year-old student at the time, discovered that she was at the center of a viral video circulating on the  social media platform, TikTok. In it, she's approached  by a man who says he's from Russia and their interaction is secretly filmed by him. Several other similar clips of women were shared widely online. The creator of the videos had been promoting himself online as a so-called pickup coach and his content has proved extremely popular. But for many of the women, these videos have had real life consequences. Mungai Ngige from the BBC's Disinformation Unit investigated. 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.Presenter: Faranak Amidi. Producer: Laura Thomas and Caroline FergusonPresented by Faranak Amidi. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

The week began with a threat from US President Donald Trump that a ‘whole civilisation would die’, and it ended with peace talks. We bring together people from across the Middle East to share their experiences of the past few days. We hear from Iranians in the UK tracking explosions near their family homes in Iran, and Israelis divided by the latest ceasefire. With peace talks due to get underway this weekend in Pakistan, the US Vice President, JD Vance, described the ceasefire as a ‘fragile truce’. Meanwhile, as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there is ‘no ceasefire in Lebanon’ we hear from people in the country where air strikes have intensified.

Four astronauts have travelled further from Earth than anyone ever before. It is part of the Artemis II mission, which saw humans go to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. Listeners have been sending us questions and in this episode of What in the World we put them to two former Nasa astronauts, Steve Swanson and Nicole Stott.

Freddie was once signed to a major record label. He appeared in high-production music videos and looked set for fame. But the pressure and pace of that life left him feeling hollow. In one of the world’s busiest cities, he now follows a very different path - one built on silence, discipline, and spiritual growth. Freddie reflects on his decision to leave the music industry behind and embrace Buddhism. He now works as a nail technician and shares how his beliefs shape his daily life. Alongside him is Carl, his partner, who offers moving insights into how their shared values deepen their relationship. The episode captures striking contrasts: the buzz of the city versus the calm of local temples; a nail salon’s chatter against the resonance of monastery chanting. Through honest conversations and ambient recordings, we step into Freddie and Carl’s world, where Buddhist practice offers an anchor amid chaos. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Heart and Soul, exploring personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

Viktor Orban faces a high-stakes showdown as Peter Magyar takes him on in one of Europe’s most consequential elections in years. A former ally-turned-rival Peter Magyar has built a remarkable momentum in a short time, with polls placing him ahead of the incumbent. Yet victory may still prove elusive within a power structure designed to protect the status quo. In this episode we examine the unequal playing field that is the election machine. We cut through the exuberance of the campaign to distil the messages of the rival camps, Fidesz and Tisza, and explore how the outcome could redefine Hungary’s role in the region. We speak to Amitis Sedghi, Rita Palfi and Zsofia Paulikovics.

***Contains descriptions of scenes which some may find upsetting*** Hilik Magnus is Israel’s foremost search and rescue specialist. He has performed missions, public and private, for over 30 years across six continents. He has worked under the radar during disasters such as 2004’s tsunami and 2008’s Mumbai attacks. He has worked with everyone, from grieving families to cartels and the Taliban, all for the simple purpose of returning people to where they belong. The start, in the 1990s, was simple. His operating base was an abandoned train carriage in the southern desert of Israel with three telephones and a dial-up connection. Hilik did not know what awaited him. All he knew was that he felt a ‘shlichut’ – ‘higher purpose’ in Hebrew – to help save lives, to return the unburied to their grieving families. Now, he opens up about this secretive world, and talks frankly about his origins and values.

Albania has had many different faces over the last hundred years. Once ruled by the Ottomans, it became a kingdom before turning into a totalitarian communist state after the Second World War. During this time, no one was allowed in or out; all private property became state-owned, and bunkers sprang up across the country. After the fall of the communist regime, Albania descended into chaos. In 1996, a pyramid scheme that three quarters of the population had paid into, collapsed. People lost everything, and the country, especially the south, erupted into violence.These days, Albania is aiming to shake off its past and transform its reputation from a country marked by corruption to one known for luxury tourism. With its miles of unspoilt beaches, snow capped mountains, and olive groves that could rival anything Greece has to offer, it’s unsurprising that it’s quickly attracting investors. Among them are Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who are hoping to build a resort on an island off the coast of Vlorë. They have visited the secluded beaches of Zvërnec and Nartë; currently home only to endangered monk seals, sea turtles, and a few sheep. They, like others, hope to benefit from new government incentives to build luxury 5 star plus resorts.However, ghosts of Albania’s communist past remain. Land disputes, allegations of corruption, and a lack of infrastructure could derail these resorts before they’ve even broken ground. For Assignment, Emily Wither travels to Albania to find out whether it will be able to re-brand itself, and whether its dream of luxury escapism will become a reality.This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.

Pink tomato ice cream decorated with edible poppy flowers feature on the summer menu created by chef Rodolfo Guzman for his celebrated Santiago restaurant Borago. Jane Chambers hears how the menu celebrates native Chilean plants like wild mountain coconuts.

M People star Andrew Lovell’s home life hid a terrible – yet beautiful – secret. It would take him decades to find out the truth. At the height of his fame, drummer Andrew ‘Shovell’ Lovell had everything he’d dreamed of: sex, drugs and regular appearances at the top of the charts with the dance music band M People. But sell-out shows, first-class travel and five-star hotels couldn’t stop the questions gnawing away at him. As a mixed-race kid growing up in a white family in south London he wanted to know: who were his birth parents? Why had they given him up?

The global activities of the Islamic State group are now believed to be run from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in the north-east of Somalia, where IS fighters are entrenched in the caves and harsh mountainous terrain of the area. But many locals there do not support IS and are committed to fighting back against the group. For BBC News Somali, Sahnun Ahmed spent time embedded with the Puntland Defence Force, one of the groups resisting the militants, and witnessed the operations of their fighters, including one female fighter determined her children will not grow up in the shadow of IS.  Israel is home to around a quarter of a million Iranian Jews, who first began arriving in the country in 1948 and then came in bigger numbers following Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979. Many in the community (including younger generations born in Israel) remain closely connected to their Iranian heritage, while embracing both cultures. The US and Israel's war with Iran, however, has left Iranian Jews in a difficult position, caught between homeland and adopted home. BBC Arabic's Michael Shuval has been talking to Iranian Jews in Israel.

Shark attacks on humans are rare, but they are slowly on the rise in Australia where all our guests are from. In this episode, they share the terrifying moment when they realised they were under attack. For Brett Connellan in New South Wales, it was an encounter with a Great White. “Out of nowhere I get hit with this immense force from my right side and this force was so strong it threw me off my surf board,” he says. “I landed in the water and before I could even look around and figure out what had happened I look down and see this shark biting into my right leg. This for me is that distinct moment when time just stops.” Brett is joined by fellow survivors Justine Barwick and Dave Pearson. Together the share their stories and discuss life, death and why they ultimately feel lucky. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from BBC OS Conversations, bringing together people from around the world to discuss how major news stories are affecting their lives.

When Megan Garcia travelled to Rome, she carried with her a mother’s grief. At the Vatican she met the Pope and asked him to pray for her son Sewell, who died last year at the age of 14. In the months after his death, Megan discovered Sewell had been spending hours talking to an artificial-intelligence chatbot, which he believed was a real person for more than a year. He formed a deep emotional attachment to it, confiding in it about his life and feelings. Megan believes that relationship played a part in her son’s death. She is now pursuing legal action against the company behind the chatbot, arguing that safeguards for young users were inadequate. The company disputes the claims. But rather than losing her belief, Megan turned to prayer and devotion to the Virgin Mary, finding comfort in the idea of a mother who also knew the pain of losing a child. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Heart and Soul, exploring personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

In India's Gujarat state lies the Little Rann of Kutch, a sprawling salt marsh desert where temperatures soar to 50 degrees Celsius. This harsh landscape is home to the Agariyas, nomadic tribal families who have harvested salt here since the 16th Century. For eight months of every year, they migrate to this harsh environment, living in temporary shacks and pumping briny groundwater into vast pans where it evaporates into gleaming, sturdy crystals. This traditional practice, responsible for 75% of India's salt production, is now under a grave existential threat. Seasonal cycles, predictable for centuries, have become erratic. Unexpected rains and sudden cyclones frequently wash away months of intensive labour, leaving families in mounting debt. Despite providing an essential global commodity, these workers earn three percent of the salt's final value, living without running water or basic sanitation.Hope emerges through innovation and activism. Scientists at the Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute are introducing new types of pan linings and solar-powered pumps to reduce costs and increase yields. Activists like Pankti Jog fight for land rights, healthcare and education, establishing mobile schools in old buses for the next generation. Yet, the future remains a gamble. While some children dream of becoming teachers or police officers, many feel tethered to the salt by heritage and lack of choice.

In 2017, the heir to South Korea’s biggest company is facing jail, leaving it with an uncertain future. After 80 years of business, how did Samsung get here? And how did a deal meant to secure family control of the company go so wrong? We take you behind closed doors inside the billion-dollar deals and the family power struggles that shape global empires. When your relatives are also your business partners, every decision is personal. In these dynasties, the boardroom is not just about profit - it is about survival. A new 10-part series from the BBC World Service.

Stephanie was brought up in France in a French family, but her birth parents are Indian – she’s an intercountry adoptee. In the 1980s and 1990s thousands of babies, like Stephanie, were adopted from India into white, western families. Now, inter-country adoption is more regulated, and there’s a recognition that this is a practice open to abuse – several countries have banned it altogether. In France, Stephanie grew up very happily with her adoptive mum and dad. But after they both died, she began to think more about her origins. And she experienced a desire to re-connect with her motherland. In this edition of Assignment, Stephanie journeys into rural India in the state of Maharashtra with journalist, Tanya Datta. Together they attempt to find Stephanie’s birth mother. Along the way, Stephanie discovers she isn’t an ‘absolutely abandoned and destitute child’ found on the roadside as she’s been led to believe her whole life, but was born to an unmarried teenager. Nearly 40 years later, will she find that 50-something woman?This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.