Introducing World of Secrets S6: The bad guru
New season on World of Secrets. Miranda’s search for inner peace through yoga leads to allegations of grooming, trafficking and exploitation. “You just get sucked in so gradually... that you don't realise,” says her mother Penny. The Bad Guru is season six of World of Secrets, the global investigations podcast from the BBC. Uncovering stories around the world and telling them, episode by episode, with gripping storytelling. Search for World of Secrets, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. You can also hear previous seasons of World of Secrets, Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods and The Abercrombie Guys.
11 Dec 20242min
Assignment: Mining the Pacific – future proofing or fool’s gold?
Climate change is intensifying, sea levels are rising and the very existence of low-lying Pacific Islands is under threat. The Cook Islands, though, has a plan to assure their peoples’ future. Enter deep sea mining, harvesting metallic nodules on the bottom of the sea floor for use in things like electric car batteries and mobile phones. Its supporters say it’s a climate change ‘solution’- a better alternative to mining on land. And one that could make Cook Islanders very rich indeed. Its detractors worry we’re messing with its Moana - or ocean – with no real idea of the impacts. Katy Watson travels to Rarotonga to find out how islanders feel about searching for ‘gold’ on the sea floor.
10 Dec 202426min
Bonus: The Food Chain is 10!
A bonus episode from The Food Chain - as they turn 10!We are celebrating 10 years of The Food Chain with some of our favourite programme moments from the past decade.Fishing to stay alive, chopping onions in remembrance, and tasting people’s names – these stories and more tell us something about our relationship with food and how it helps us connect with one another.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ruth AlexanderThe Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate. For more go to bbcworldservice.com/thefoodchain or search for The Food Chain wherever you got this podcast.
9 Dec 202429min
Morse code: Ready to transmit
The World Morse Code championships are fiendishly competitive. Contestants from many countries travel to Tunisia, where they face each other across tiny tapping machines in a competition hall silent but for the clicking. It is called High Speed Telegraphy - the skill and art of sending and receiving fast and accurately. The best practice three or four hours a day. Belarusians win almost every time, with stiff competition from Russia and Romania. But maybe this year it will be the Japanese or Kuwaiti competitors.
8 Dec 202426min
The Fifth Floor: Javier Milei's first year in power
Argentina's president Javier Milei famously campaigned with a chainsaw, promising he would cut public spending. Has he delivered? Verónica Smink of BBC Mundo will bring us the latest from Buenos Aires. Plus, how thousands of old portrait pictures were found and restored in Uganda, with BBC Africa's Christine Otieno.Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
7 Dec 202423min
BBC OS Conversations: The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire
It is coming up to two weeks since a ceasefire was brokered between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Since then there have been reports of minor violations on both sides. As the fragile truce continues, we hear from residents about their experiences, their fears and their hopes for peace. For one Israeli, after 13 months of conflict, some wartime habits are hard to break. We also hear from two women who decided to remain in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, throughout the war. “The ceasefire feels definitely bittersweet,” says Lea. “On one hand, there’s this sense of relief, knowing that for now the bombing has finally stopped...On the other hand, it doesn’t erase the trauma that we’ve been living...”
7 Dec 202423min
Heart and Soul: Should I change my name?
Personal names have spiritual and religious meanings in the Christian tradition. But what if you carry an inherited surname that you feel is profoundly unchristian? Should you keep it or change it? Robert Beckford is going through this dilemma. His surname is a slave name, a brand of ownership passed down from his enslaved African ancestors in Jamaica. Over time, Robert has grown deeply uncomfortable with the meaning of this name and now wants to find a more spiritual alternative. Robert embarks on a journey of self-discovery, considering whether he should change or keep his inherited name.
6 Dec 202426min
Over the fence: From Turkey into the EU
One way to reach the European Union is via the 'Eastern Mediterranean route' from Turkey into either Bulgaria or Greece. Back in 2015 millions of people reached Europe this way to flee conflicts in the Middle East. Since then, international deals have been struck and border security toughened across Europe to stem the flow of migrants. Yet, whilst other routes to Europe have seen a fall, the numbers travelling via this 'Eastern Mediterranean route' into the EU have increased since 2021. Presenter Nick Robinson hears from refugees in Turkey looking to leave and from those who have successfully made it across the land border into Bulgaria. He explores the success and limits of the Bulgarian border force’s efforts to police its border.
6 Dec 202426min
