Best David Burnell Podcasts (2024)

1
Assignment: Armenia's lost garden 27:17

1h ago27:17

27:17

For three decades Armenians ruled Karabakh – literally “Black Garden” – an unrecognised statelet inside neighbouring Azerbaijan. Many saw it as the cradle of their civilisation. But as Azerbaijan retook control last autumn, the entire population fled in just a few days. It was a historic catastrophe for Armenia. But the world barely noticed. How is…

1
In the Studio: David Haig and Max Webster 26:29

20m ago26:29

26:29

Philip K. Dick's novella The Minority Report was famously adapted into a science fiction blockbuster by director Steven Spielberg in 2002. More than 20 years later, it is now being adapted for the stage by writer David Haig and director Max Webster. Mark Burman goes behind the scenes of this bold adaptation, as the clock ticks down to opening night…

1
Bonus: What in the World: South Korea’s shamans are now online 15:56

1d ago15:56

15:56

A bonus episode from the What in the World podcast. Korean shamans hold significant cultural importance in Korean society. They are often portrayed in Korean dramas and films, adorned in shiny and colourful traditional attire, dancing on sharp knives, summoning spirits, and banishing demons. They offer fortune telling services and perform rituals t…

1
The Fifth Floor: My emergency kit list 26:29

3m ago26:29

26:29

How do you prepare for the worst-case scenario? Juna Moon has been talking to young people in South Korea about how they perceive the threat of war in the region and how they’re planning for it. Growing up in Taiwan after the 1999 Jiji earthquake, Joy Chang has been trained on what to do in case another quake hit. So when the ground started to shak…

1
BBC OS Conversations: Living in Israel 23:07

5m ago23:07

23:07

The situation in the Middle East is being described as uncharted territory following strikes involving Iran and Israel. This is framed around the war between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh month. Three people in Israel share their experiences with host James Reynolds. Avi, Lianne and Liah describe what it was like when Iran launched drones an…

1
Heart and Soul: Should I change my name? 26:30

1d ago26:30

26:30

What if you carry an inherited surname that you feel is profoundly un-Christian? 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 …

1
The poker parent 27:18

1d ago27:18

27:18

An eight-year-old girl holds two cards in her hand. She places several plastic poker chips into the middle of the dining room table and makes a bet. Science writer Alex O’Brien has been teaching her daughter how to play poker for three years. She believes that the game will give her daughter important life lessons for the future - critical thinking…

1
Forward Thinking: Can going vegan feed the world? 49:36

2d ago49:36

49:36

Could going vegan help feed the world and save the planet? While industry and energy production are often singled out as the main drivers of climate change, the global meat production industry is a bigger polluter. Veganism advocate Gary Francione and nutritionist Dr Ron Weiss join Nuala McGovern to discuss the pros and cons of veganism. While it m…

1
Assignment: Reggaeton - the pride of Puerto Rico? 27:10

3d ago27:10

27:10

Reggaeton’s the soundtrack to Puerto Rico. The globally popular music reflects what’s going on in the cultural and political scene of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean Island. It started out as underground music in marginalised communities but was criticised for allegedly promoting violence and being too sexually explicit. Reggaeton has since been use…

1
Bonus: The Global Story on Iran-Israel attacks 24:33

7d ago24:33

24:33

A special bonus episode on the Iran-Israel attacks from The Global Story podcast.Israel says 99% of the missiles and drones fired by Iran on Saturday night were intercepted without hitting their targets. Iran said the assault was in response to a deadly attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria two weeks ago. Now all eyes are on how Israel …

101
In the Studio: Helle Nebelong 26:28

4d ago26:28

26:28

Danish landscape architect Helle Nebelong is a pioneer of the natural playground movement. Natural playgrounds are made of natural materials, rather than plastics, but they also encourage creativity and independence rather than rule-based games.In The Studio follows Helle as she faces her biggest challenge yet - designing one of America's largest n…

1
His and hers medicine 49:28

5d ago49:28

49:28

Dr Zoe Williams talks to researchers and clinicians around the world as she investigates how and why the care of women has been so neglected, and what moves are afoot to change that. She examines the historical inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of women, particularly in the area of heart disease. There is an abiding myth that men are much…

1
The Fifth Floor: A journalist's life in Israel 26:32

5d ago26:32

26:32

What is it like to work in Jerusalem right now? BBC journalist Shaina Oppenheimer shares her experience of living in Israel and monitoring the conflicting narratives published on Israeli and Palestinian media. Plus, BBC Mundo's Alicia Hernandez explains why Equatorial Guinea is the only African country which has Spanish as one of its official langu…

1
BBC OS Conversations: Sudan's war - One year on 23:20

6d ago23:20

23:20

Sudan has experienced a year of civil war. It’s been described by the United Nations as “one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history”. Over the past 12 months, we’ve heard from people in Sudan living through the violence and destruction. More than 14,000 people have died and more than 8 million people have been driven from their home…

151
Bonus: The Global Story 26:55

6d ago26:55

26:55

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast: Washington’s antitrust cases against Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta The US government is suing some of the biggest tech companies on the planet – Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta – in antitrust cases. The face of Washington’s crackdown is Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, the youngest person ever…

1
From the Archive: Heart and Soul - Faith, terrorists and mercy at Guantanamo 26:49

7d ago26:49

26:49

An episode of Heart and Soul from our Archive. Dr Jennifer Bryson interrogated suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists at the infamous Guantanamo Bay. She worked at the detention centre in Cuba for two years and says that some of the inmates bragged openly about helping to organise the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that killed 3,000 people. Bryson was the first …

201
Bonus: What in the World 16:01

8d ago16:01

16:01

A bonus episode from the What in the World podcast. When it comes to elephant conservation, Botswana is the world leader. It is now home to more than 130,000 elephants — or around a third of the world's elephant population. But this growing number poses major problems for humans: the animals destroy homes and crops, and even injure and kill people.…

1
Forward Thinking: Jocelyn Bell Burnell 49:25

9d ago49:25

49:25

In 1967, Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered a previously unknown kind of star, the Pulsar. A Nobel prize followed, but not for Jocelyn; her male boss took the honour. Jocelyn has never been bitter about the award, but says that today things should have moved much further than they have. More women are working in space research, but is it enough? In co…

1
Assignment: New Caledonia - new agreement needed 26:56

10d ago26:56

26:56

New Caledonia is an island archipelago in the south Pacific. It has an incredible diversity of birds and plants. Its history includes a period serving as a 19th Century penal colony for the French colonisers and being an allied naval base during World War Two. An agreement signed 26 years ago about how the islands are run is expiring. But talks to …

1
In the Studio: Ellie Simmonds 26:31

11d ago26:31

26:31

Public swimming pools are more than just concrete and water. Often, they are the heart of a community, a place to exercise, to meet people and connect. Paralympic gold medallist Ellie Simmonds explores what it takes to design and build a swimming pool, and asks why they are so important in a post-pandemic era. She joins award-winning Dutch architec…

1
El Salvador's missing children 52:58

12d ago52:58

52:58

During El Salvador’s brutal civil war hundreds of children were separated from their families. Some were seized by soldiers during military operations against left-wing rebels, and later found living with new families in Europe and North America. Others were given up for adoption by mothers forced into poverty or displaced by the conflict. Three de…

1
The Fifth Floor: My Ramadan 26:31

15d ago26:31

26:31

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It’s a period of prayer, celebrations and community gatherings and Muslims worldwide observe it by fasting from dawn to sunset. As this year’s Ramadan draws to a close, Faranak Amidi is joined by three BBC World Service colleagues who share their personal experiences and the stories that made head…

1
BBC OS Conversations: Living with cancer 23:15

13d ago23:15

23:15

The world was shocked to hear the news that the Princess of Wales is being treated for cancer. In her video message, Catherine encouraged everyone facing the disease not to lose hope. Presenter James Reynolds, speaks to young women around the world who talk candidly about their diagnosis; how it has affected them, their families and their approach …

1
Heart and Soul: The caste faultlines in Modi’s India 26:30

14d ago26:30

26:30

As India completes 10 years of being governed by the Hindu nationalist BJP, Divya Arya explores the divergent political and religious views of different castes in modern day India. Despite government-led programmes to increase job opportunities and reduced caste based discrimination, inequalities still exist particularly in smaller towns and villag…

1
Azovstal: The 80 day siege 26:37

16d ago26:37

26:37

Imagine for a moment what it would be like to live in darkness underground for 80 days, while bombs and missile strikes rain down from above and rations are so tight you can only eat once a day. Next, imagine having to choose between feeding yourself and feeding your baby. This was the reality for those trapped in Azovstal steelworks in the Spring …

1
Forward Thinking: Is it ethical to live longer? 49:10

16d ago49:10

49:10

Nobel Prize-winning scientist Venki Ramakrishnan considers both why we might live longer, and the dilemmas this raises. In the last few years, medical advances have led to treatments that really do offer the potential to tackle life-threatening cancers and debilitating diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. In discussion with Nuala McGovern,…

1
Assignment: Secret Sisters. Political prisoners in Belarus 28:40

17d ago28:40

28:40

Belarus has huge numbers of political prisoners - around three times as many as in Russia, in a far smaller country. Almost industrial scale arrests began after huge, peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations swept the country in 2020 after Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in presidential elections. Mr Lukashenko has been in power for 3…

1
In the Studio: Maria Grachvogel 26:29

21d ago26:29

26:29

Maria Grachvogel’s design have been worn by many famous names including actors Emma Thompson and Angelina Jolie, as well as Spice Girl and now designer Victoria Beckham. As she celebrates 30 years in the fashion business, the BBC’s Rachel Royce follows Maria as she creates her new collection for her autumn-winter season 2024. From design sketches a…

1
Bonus: Lives Less Ordinary 43:58

21d ago43:58

43:58

A bonus episode from the Lives Less Ordinary podcast. The Jordanian coach who started a refugee kids’ football team in the US after being rejected by her own family. For more extraordinary personal stories from around the world, go to bbcworldservice.com/liveslessordinary or search for Live Less Ordinary wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Presente…

1
Bonus: The Global Jigsaw: Moscow attack: disinfo wars 32:15

20d ago32:15

32:15

A bonus episode from the Global Jigsaw podcast.Who is behind the Crocus City Hall attack? Within an hour of last week’s deadly attack on a concert hall outside Moscow, a campaign was gathering momentum to blame Kyiv for the atrocity while a parallel storyline claimed it was a Russian false flag operation. We track the blame game: the narratives and…

1
BBC OS Conversations: Messages from Gaza 30:08

23d ago30:08

30:08

BBC OS producer Kristina Völk has been following the lives of several people in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in October last year. They have been in contact with her via voice messages, text updates or chats whenever they are able. Kristina shares the experiences across a timeline of six months of four women: Batool, Sanabel, As…

1
Heart and Soul: An ‘Encore’ for Jesus 27:34

23d ago27:34

27:34

The Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour is a Catholic order of nuns made up of mature women called to a religious life in their later years. It was founded by Mother Antonia Brenner – a twice-divorced, former Hollywood socialite and mother of seven, who ministered to the incarcerated for three decades in the notorious La Mesa prison in Tijuana, Me…

1
Bonus: HARDtalk 24:47

23d ago24:47

24:47

A bonus episode from HARDtalk, in-depth, hard-hitting interviews with newsworthy personalities. Stephen Sackur is on the road in Guyana, South America, home to globally significant ecosystems and now one of the world's biggest offshore oil and gas reserves. As Guyana experiences record economic growth, will its people feel the benefit?…

1
Assignment: Choking in Chiang Mai 27:53

24d ago27:53

27:53

For a period earlier this month, the historic city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand had the worst air of any city in the world. The city gained the same unwanted accolade last year. The practice of agricultural burning in the hills around Chiang Mai renders the air so toxic from February to April that it becomes unsafe to breathe. Respiratory pro…

1
Rwanda 30 years on 50:17

26d ago50:17

50:17

Victoria Uwonkunda makes an emotional journey back to Rwanda, where she grew up. It is the first time she has visited since the age of 12, when she fled the 1994 genocide with her family. Victoria retraces her journey to safety out of the capital Kigali, to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Along the way she speaks to survivors of t…

1
Bonus: The Black 14 33:13

27d ago33:13

33:13

A bonus episode from the Amazing Sport Stories podcast - The Black 14. Sport, racism and protests are about to change the lives of “the Black 14” American footballers. It’s 1969 in the United States. They’ve arrived on scholarships at the University of Wyoming to play for its Cowboys American football team. It was a predominantly white college. The…

1
In the Studio: Helmut Deutsch and Michael Volle - Staging Winterreise 27:50

25d ago27:50

27:50

Michael Volle is a baritone singer who has made his name with magisterial operatic performances, particularly Wagner. Helmut Deutsch has been playing the piano alongside the great and the good of the classical world for five decades, including the soprano Ileana Cotrubas and the tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Performing the 24-song cycle that Franz Schubert…

1
Bonus: The Global Story 28:02

29d ago28:02

28:02

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. Rare access inside Sudan's forgotten war. The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC, with Katya Adler. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever …

1
The Cultural Frontline: Bjarke Ingels 27:20

29d ago27:20

27:20

Bjarke Ingels is the Danish architect who is responsible for creating the flood defence project for Manhattan. In 2012 Hurricane Sandy saw flood water rise up to 2.4 metres. Lives were lost, the city’s transportation system was brought to a stand-still and the New York Stock exchange was closed for two days. As a child, Bjarke wanted to draw comic …

1
BBC OS Conversations: Protesting farmers 24:09

30d ago24:09

24:09

Long lines of tractors have become an increasingly common site in recent months on the streets of many European cities. In Poland, farmers blocked roads this week in protest at rising costs and competition from cheaper imports from Ukraine. Farmers have also been protesting in the UK, Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Greece and Italy on a range of issues f…

1
Heart and Soul: How the Church’s role in Argentina’s dictatorship shook the nation’s faith 27:19

1M ago27:19

27:19

Next Year will mark 50 years since the start of a seven-year violent military dictatorship in Argentina. During this period, many who opposed the fascist regime were detained, kidnapped, tortured – and in some cases they disappeared never to be seen again. The Catholic church has always been very powerful in Argentina, and closely linked to the sta…

1
Assignment: Border Stories, part 2 - Coyotes and Kidnap 28:12

1M ago28:12

28:12

Thousands of people every day are on the move across Mexico towards the border with the US. But for migrants, this is one of the most perilous journeys in the world: land routes are dominated by powerful drug cartels and organised crime groups. In this episode of Border Stories, Linda Pressly hears terrifying stories of kidnap and extortion from th…

1
Bonus: What in the World 23:38

1M ago23:38

23:38

The Philippines is one of the most at risk countries in the world from the effects of climate change, with typhoons becoming more severe. At the same time, it has some of the most expensive energy in Southeast Asia. The country currently relies heavily on imported coal. But a recent report by the NGO Climate Analytics found that, by 2050, the Phili…

1
A reckoning with drugs in Oregon 27:21

1M ago27:21

27:21

In 2020, the people of Portland, Oregon - a famed city of progressives and counterculture - voted to pass Measure 110, the USA’s boldest drug policy reform yet. It came after years of campaigning, and was aimed at inverting the thinking of the war on drugs. Measure 110 decriminalised possession of all illicit substances, including heroin, methamphe…

1
Trapped in Oman 27:21

1M ago27:21

27:21

A story of humanity in the face of inhumanity. It starts with women from Malawi who travel to Oman in the hope of improving their lives. Instead, they find themselves trapped in servitude as domestic workers. BBC Africa Eye has spent months uncovering evidence of physical and sexual abuse through voice notes, videos, and texts. But as reporter Flor…

1
In the Studio: Colm Tóibín 24:14

1M ago24:14

24:14

Irish author Colm Tóibín is among the world’s most celebrated contemporary writers. His works includes novels such as Nora Webster and The Blackwater Lightship, but also journalism, criticism, drama and more. His book Brooklyn was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Saoirse Ronan, and his writing has been translated into over 30 languages…

1
Bonus: The Global Story 25:17

1M ago25:17

25:17

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. Panama Canal: It's running dry and it's going to cost us. The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC, with Katya Adler. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global…

1
BBC OS Conversations: Haiti gangs and stray bullets 23:50

1M ago23:50

23:50

Haiti is facing its most most acute humanitarian crisis for more than a decade. There’s been a surge in violence with armed gangs in control of most of the capital. The prime minister has resigned, there’s a month long state of emergency and a curfew has been extended. The gangs have destroyed police buildings and, after storming a prison in the ca…

1
Heart and Soul: Not even water? 27:33

1M ago27:33

27:33

They are the top questions asked to anyone who is fasting for Ramadan: no food or water? But what is Ramadan? Why Fast? And how do young Muslims manage Ramadan in their respective lives and work? Former teacher turned journalist Mehreen Baig goes in search of the answers by speaking to Muslims from different cultural backgrounds. She explores all a…

1
Assignment: Border Stories, part one - Zero Tolerance 27:48

1M ago27:48

27:48

In 2018 the US government under President Trump introduced a policy of “Zero Tolerance” at its border with Mexico. Anyone attempting to enter the US without documentation would be prosecuted, even if it was a first offence. If they were travelling with children, their children would be taken from them. The policy was cancelled within weeks but not …

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