The Superlinguists: Monolingual societies

Farmers' protests have been erupting across Europe, and on 20 February one image from a protest in Poland went viral. It showed a tractor carrying a soviet flag and bearing a slogan calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to ‘bring order to Ukraine, Brussels and our rulers’. The man driving the tractor was arrested and is currently awaiting trial. After the image was released Poland’s foreign ministry spokesperson released a statement warning of attempts to take over the country’s agricultural protest movement by extreme and irresponsible groups ‘possibly under the influence of Russian agents.’ We attempt to track down the man behind the banner. Who is he? And what is the evidence for Russian involvement in, or amplification of, farmers’ protests in Poland and beyond?

5 Kesä 202419min

El Salvador used to be known as one of the most dangerous places in the world. The central American country was dominated by rival gangs who terrorised the population. President Bukele declared a State of Emergency in 2022 and since then more than 76,000 people have been arrested – around 1% of the population. Two years on Jane Chambers travels to El Salvador to find out how people’s lives have changed – for better and for worse - since the crack down on crime.

4 Kesä 202426min

Andy Riley is an Emmy-winning scriptwriter and a million-selling author and cartoonist published in more than 20 countries, notably with the Bunny Suicides book series. Antonia Quirke follows him as he begins to write and draw the third book in his graphic novel series for children. The series is called Action Dude.  That's the name of the main character, too; he lives for danger, he lives for excitement, he lives with his Mum because he's eight years old. Antonia also follows Andy as he performs a semi-improvised, hour-long stand up show with live drawing.

3 Kesä 202426min

How many soldiers are fighting - and dying - for Russia in Ukraine? Who are they, and what do their stories tell us about Russia's frontline tactics? We'll ask Olga Ivshina, who has been monitoring Russian losses in Ukraine from day one. Plus, Anne McAlpine from BBC Alba dives into the history of Gaelic proverbs. Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)

1 Kesä 202426min

Anyone seeking election as a politician can expect to have to argue their case with the electorate, and deal with opposition and criticism. But what happens when that democratic debate turns toxic and politicians face personal abuse, intimidation and threats of violence? With election campaigns being fought in several countries around the world, we bring together politicians in Canada, France and the UK to discuss some of their experiences of public office. Heather Williams, a councillor in the east of England tells presenter Luke Jones how she was threatened with being shot and Catherine McKenna who served in the Canadian government, and her son Matt share the challenges they faced living life under the political spotlight.

1 Kesä 202423min

Anna Holligan spends time with Dutch Muslim Nora Akachar, whose world was turned upside down with the traditional progressive country voted for right-wing politician Geert Wilders. Nora is left questioning her identity and what it means for her to be Muslim in the Netherlands today.

31 Touko 202426min

Ghanaian gamer and broadcaster Kobby Spiky explores the video game landscape across Africa. He speaks to everyday gamers and developers about their experiences of playing and creating them. While Asia and North America are seen as the hubs of the video game industry - the homes of the three major console manufacturers and some of the largest publishers in the world, countries like Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria are paving the way for Africa to emerge as the next big thing in gaming. As smartphones and tablets become more accessible, mobile gaming has taken hold across the continent, and African developers are standing out from their foreign competitors.

30 Touko 202426min

In a viral thread posted on X in January this year, a 23-year-old Russian man claims he used ChatGPT to filter through and chat thousands of women on Tinder, eventually proposing to one that was selected by the algorithm. The scale and success of his experiment sparked scepticism. Some raised doubts about the technical plausibility of it, while others voiced concerns about the ethical implications of such an endeavour. In an attempt to better understand his experiment, BBC Trending interviewed the Russian man and asked experts what they made of it. As AI becomes more advanced and accessible, the story also highlights broader concerns about the future of this technology in online dating. How will AI reshape the landscape of online dating in the coming years? What biases may be inherent in its algorithms? Is using AI in this manner a form of catfishing?

29 Touko 202419min