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 the war in Gaza slipping away from Israel?
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, asks whether the war in Gaza is beginning to slip away from Israel, examines the implications of Iran’s miss…
Unspun World: What's the West's strategy for the Houthis?
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC's unparalleled range of experts across the world, examines the strategy behind the US and UK attacks on the Houthis in Yemen, analyses whether the elections i…
What does the World Bank do?
The World Bank was originally established after World War Two with the goal of eradicating poverty and establishing shared prosperity. With new challenges such as health crises, climate change and th…
What is sportswashing?
In recent years, many sports have received huge investment from oil-rich petrostates, and while the term ‘sportswashing’ is relatively new, the idea of using sport as a way to deflect negative public…
What is BRICS?
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa make up what is currently called BRICS, a group of emerging economies which is challenging the Western-dominated order and institutions through its colle…
How does the World Health Organization work?
Many global health experts believe we should brace ourselves for more epidemics and pandemics in the future. But deadly diseases are not exactly new. Since 1948, the World Health Organization’s aim h…
Unspun World: Can anything break the stalemate in the Ukraine war?
Can anything break the stalemate in the Ukraine war? Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, tells the BBC's world affairs editor, John Simpson, about growing tensions for President Zelensky as so l…
What is Five Eyes?
A secret intelligence pact between the UK and US began during the Second World War, focused on intercepting communications and breaking codes. Expanding to what is now known as Five Eyes, with the ad…
Unspun World: How migration is changing European politics
Wilders’ Dutch victory sends tremors around Europe so why is migration now top of the European political agenda? Europe editor, Katya Adler, gives world affairs editor, John Simpson, her analysis. Al…
Unspun World: A pause in fighting in Gaza
A ceasefire in Gaza but BBC world affairs editor John Simpson, asks Yogita Limaye - who has been gathering material from the area - what it is like for those living there? Also Russia editor, Steve R…
The Global Jigsaw: Global perspectives on the Israel Gaza war
The Israel Gaza conflict has commanded attention in every corner of the globe and has created what media present as unprecedented polarisation. Leaders seeking a bigger role on the world stage have u…
Unspun World: Can the US and China get along?
China and the US make deals on the military and fentanyl trafficking. The BBC's World Service's Asia Pacific editor, Celia Hatton, explains why the two superpowers need each other now more than ever.…
The Global Jigsaw: Israel and Gaza special
The war of narratives reflecting power tilts in the Middle East. Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October, which is said to have killed an estimated 1,300 people, triggered a war in Gaza t…
Unspun World: What's Israel's endgame in Gaza?
Security correspondent, Frank Gardener, gives his take on the future of the region. The BBC's World Affairs editor, John Simpson, also asks Mini Al-Lami from BBC Monitoring what jihadi groups make of…
Unspun World: Tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border
BBC World Affairs editor, John Simpson, is in Lebanon - a country deeply nervous it might get sucked into yet another war with Israel. So what are the chances it will? Analysis from Middle East corre…
Unspun World: Will Israel invade Gaza?
Will Israel launch a ground assault in Gaza and, if they do, what is at stake? BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson gets the latest from Middle East correspondent Tom Bateman.
Plus, World Service Mid…
The Global Jigsaw: Who’ll be Argentina’s next president?
After a shock primary win, far-right libertarian economist Javier Milei is leading polls ahead of Argentina's presidential election. He's vowing to upend the status quo. With poverty rising, inflatio…
Unspun World: Israel declares war on Hamas after deadly attack
Israel starts 'a prolonged and powerful campaign' in Gaza. What might be the consequences? BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson analyses the fallout.
Also in the programme: diplomatic correspondent …
Unspun World: Are democracies hindering the fight against climate change?
Short-term politics gets in the way of dealing with an ever-warming planet. The BBC's climate editor, Justin Rowlatt, discusses the problems with how democracies tackle climate change with the BBC's …
Unspun World: Can anyone in Russia challenge Putin now?
Now Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead, can anyone in Russia challenge President Putin’s power? BBC Russian news editor Famil Ismailov gives us his vision of the future for Ukraine.
Machismo in Mexico is alive…