The Explanation
The Explanation is a snackable audio guide giving you the backstory behind the headlines. In each episode, presenter Claire Graham meets a BBC News correspondent who has lived and breathed these stories. She’ll hear clear analysis along with powerful archive. The Explanation will go back in time to unpack complex chains of events and will make the stories in question easier to understand.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 24 minutes
- Episodes
- 222
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Unspun World: Is Ukraine's counter-offensive a turning point?
Unspun World provides an unvarnished version of the week's major global news stories, with the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson and the BBC's unparalleled range of experts.
This week John explo…
Introducing The Explanation
On a mission to make sense of the world. A new podcast, with hosts John Simpson and Claire Graham. Episodes released weekly from 20 May 2023.
How the Good Friday Agreement helped bring peace to Northern Ireland
This year marks 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, signed by politicians from Northern Ireland and the British and Irish governments in an attempt to bring peace to Northern Ireland. Over his …
Ethiopia, Eritrea and border wars
Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have historically been difficult. Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year war. A bitter border war between the two countries began a few …
Sudan’s journey from independence to revolution
A military coup in 1989 brought Omar al-Bashir to power, until being overthrown by the military in the face of mass protests in 2019. During this time, war has raged in Darfur, South Sudan has gained…
How Yemen has been engulfed by civil war
After almost a decade of fighting, civil war in Yemen has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Nawal Al-Maghafi is a Special Correspondent with the BBC who has been reporting on the M…
Who are the Uyghurs and why are they being persecuted?
China has been accused of the mistreatment of the Uyghur people in the north-western region of Xinjiang for a number of years. This Muslim ethnic group are distinct with different culture, language a…
Cuba–United States relations
Cuba and the United States share a long, complex history. From the Spanish-American War of 1898 to Fidel Castro's Cuba, these neighbours have often had an uneasy relationship. Claire Graham speaks wi…
Roe v Wade and abortion in America
Fifty years ago, Jane Roe found herself at the centre of a ruling that would fuel US politics for the following decades. The Roe V Wade case gave women the constitutional right to abortion, until 202…
How Syria's peaceful uprising became a civil war
Inspired by the Arab Spring, peaceful protests began in Syria in early 2011. However, a complex civil war followed which has lasted over a decade and involved many other countries. Lina Sinjab, a B…
Understanding the long history between Russia and Ukraine
Claire Graham talks to former BBC foreign correspondent Kevin Connolly about what has historically bound Russia and Ukraine together, and what has pulled them apart.
Understanding South Africa’s continuing quest for equality
Claire Graham talks to the former BBC News Africa Bureaux Chief, Milton Nkosi, to get a better understanding of why the post-apartheid dream of a ‘Rainbow Nation’ has still not materialised.
The Expl…
Understanding the power that Saudi Arabia wields
Claire Graham and guests explain the important, long-running stories that are in the newsClaire Graham talks to the BBC’s Middle East correspondent, Anna Foster, to get a better understanding of how …
Understanding relations between Taiwan and China
Claire Graham talks to the BBC’s Taiwan correspondent, Cindy Sui, to get a better understanding of China’s reluctance to accept Taiwan’s strengthening independence, and why reunification is so import…
Understanding the rise of Boko Haram
Claire Graham talks to the BBC’s West Africa correspondent, Mayeni Jones, to get a better understanding of how Boko Haram, the militant Islamic group, took hold in northern Nigeria.
Understanding North Korea and the Kim dynasty
Claire Graham talks to the BBC’s Correspondent in Seoul, Laura Bicker, to get a better understanding of North Korea, one of the world’s most secretive countries.
Understanding the Islamic State group
Anu Anand talks to Quentin Sommerville about the rise, fall and potential re-emergence of the Islamic State group.
Understanding how Russia has changed under Putin
Anu Anand talks to Sarah Rainsford about how everyday life in Russia has changed under Vladimir Putin.
Afghanistan: Women, girls and their rights
Anu Anand talks to Yogita Limaye about the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. They reveal how a turbulent history dictates the ever-shifting attitudes towards women and girls in the country.
Pr…
Understanding Iran: Reconciling religion and democracy
Anu Anand talks to Rana Rahimpour about how decades of turbulence have shaped Iran, and why religion, democracy and ideals all combine to explain Iran today.