BBC OS Conversations: Hajj pilgrims

Vanessa’s Fridays saw her dancing the night away in the night clubs of Liverpool, having drinks with friends, sometimes staying out all night. But now Fridays are times of prayer with new friends at the mosque. She took her vows – shahada – to become a Muslim within a month of Hamas attacking Israel and the resulting military campaign in Gaza and says the unshakeable faith of Palestinian Muslims then was the catalyst for her conversion. Now, wearing a full hijab, she has made it clear to all around her, her life has totally changed. She no longer sees the friends she used to spend so much time with. But that loss has partly been made up through the support of her new friends, many of whom are also converts to Islam. In Liverpool where she lives, the South African born Vanessa, plans to change her name to Amina, after the prophet Mohammed’s mother, further marking herself out as Muslim and identifying with the global Muslim community – or Ummah.

1 Nov 202426min

The Pantanal, in western Brazil, is the world’s largest tropical wetland, and home to tens of thousands of animal species. But expansion of shipping and development is causing an increase in wildfires, and the loss of unique habitats. The Jaguar is the apex predator in the Pantanal, roaming over vast hunting grounds, but the changing environment means that they are now under threat too. Reporter James Harper travels down the rivers of the Pantanal, talking to activists, conservation experts and local businessmen to explore the future of the Pantanal and its famous big cats.

31 Okt 202426min

They call it the Big Game. Somali influencers are taking part in clan-based battles on TikTok. A US college student who spent $4000 in just four minutes tells the BBC she regrets ever getting involved. She felt addicted to the draw of defending her clan and says she was later harassed by an influencer. The trend is taking Somali social media by storm but many are worried these games go beyond entertainment and are contributing to a toxic environment online.

30 Okt 202418min

'I didn’t know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black,' said Donald Trump, recently.When the former US president called into question Kamala Harris's racial identity, it sparked an angry backlash. The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, responded by saying 'no-one has any right to tell someone who they are [or] how they identify.'Mr Trump's words hit a nerve in the American psyche, tapping into a centuries-old debate about ethnicity and authenticity, power and privilege.But in an age where it is said that race is a social construct, how fluid is racial identity?For Assignment, Ellie House travels around the US, meeting people fighting to claim their racial identity - as well those looking to police it. From an organisation that seeks to expose fake Native Americans in North Carolina, to the Ohio town where people with red hair and green eyes still identify as black, due to the racist history of their town's authorities.‘Please note, this episode contains some outdated racial language that could cause offence.’

29 Okt 202426min

Ishmael Reed is one of America's greatest and most prolific living writers - but aged 86 he is writing his first music. Lindsay Johns travels to his home in Oakland, California, to join his first recording session, and find out what motivates him to keep writing. Between his home, his local bookstore, the city's downtown, restaurants and historical waterfront, Lindsay understands how much this city, and the West Coast spirit continues to animate Reed's writing, and his literary activism.

28 Okt 202426min

A bonus episode from The Climate Question podcast - Is the climate on the ballot at the US election? The southern US state of Georgia has received billions of dollars in investment in clean technology, creating tens of thousands of jobs at solar power factories and electric vehicle factories. It is also on the front-line of extreme weather - facing the threat of hurricanes, heatwaves and drought. So will voters in this swing state be considering climate change when they cast their ballots for the US presidential election in November? And how are politicians in Georgia talking about the issue. Jordan Dunbar takes a road trip across the state to find out. Weekly, The Climate Question looks at why we find it so hard to save our own planet, and how we might change that. For more episodes just search for 'The Climate Question' wherever you got his podcast. Got a question you’d like answered? Email: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721 Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Producer: Beth Timmins Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

27 Okt 202426min

Commonly associated with Count Dracula, the blood-sucking character in Bram Stoker’s quintessential novel, vampires continue to seduce. But where exactly did the vampire myth originate from? BBC Serbian’s Milica Radenković Jeremić has been researching the cultural history of vampirism. Plus, BBC Africa's Njoroge Muigai talks about the spirits and monsters that terrified him as a child growing up in Kenya.Produced by Caroline Ferguson, Hannah Dean and Alice Gioia. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

26 Okt 202423min

In less than two weeks, Americans will elect their new president. When it comes to voters, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris know that getting black and Latino men on their side could be vital. There are question marks over whether Kamala Harris will get the levels of support from those voters that she might hope for. It has led to much discussion about whether she has a so-called “man problem”, especially as there are suggestions that Donald Trump is increasing his appeal in this respect. Former president Barack Obama also recently asked if some of those men might have an issue seeing a woman as the country’s leader. In this edition, black and Latino men across the United States discuss the issues that matter to them and who they want to see as the next president.

26 Okt 202423min