Best BBC Asian Network Podcasts (2025)

1
The Fifth Floor: Education against the odds 26:33

25m ago26:33

26:33

At least 30 million children are out of school in the Middle East and North Africa, with many displaced by conflict in Sudan and Gaza. Today we’ll hear from Hanan Razek and Georgina Pearce, who are part of the team behind Dars Arabic, the BBC show that aims to connect these children with learning tools. Plus, BBC Arabic Xtra's Saif Rebai tells us a…

1
BBC OS Conversations: Protecting children from online harm 27:33

36m ago27:33

27:33

***Contains upsetting content about suicide*** Hundreds of parents who believe social media played a part in the death of their children gathered in New York recently. Standing outside the offices of Meta, owners of Facebook and Instagram, they had a simple demand. Protect our children. Showing incredible bravery, three mothers who have lost their …

1
Heart and Soul: After Francis, what do Catholics want next? 26:30

12h ago26:30

26:30

Following the death of Pope Francis, Catholics around the world look to Rome and the Vatican as the Church prepares to elect its next leader. But what do Catholics around the world hope to see in their future pontiff? Colm Flynn is in Rome to speak to Catholics gathered from different corners of the globe. From pilgrims in St Peter's Square to othe…

1
BBC Trending: From a suspected smuggler’s TikTok to tragedy 21:20

2d ago21:20

21:20

In January a boat carrying migrants across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe was miraculously rescued by a fishing trawler after two weeks lost at sea. At least 20 people died from starvation, dehydration and hypothermia. Many of those on the boat - Pakistani men - were promised safe, legal routes to Europe by the smugglers but that was far from their r…

1
Assignment: Leaving Israel for Cyprus 26:35

3d ago26:35

26:35

Increasing numbers of Israeli people are moving to the nearby island of Cyprus. Sky high property prices, disillusion with domestic politics and security concerns following the Hamas attacks of 7th October have led several thousand families to leave. They’re building on a rich history of Cypriot hospitality towards Jews. But in Turkish-controlled n…

1
In the Studio: Madeleine Thien 25:35

5d ago25:35

25:35

In 2020, the Canadian writer Madeleine Thien was working on her next novel, the follow-up to her prize-winning 2016 book Do Not Say We Have Nothing. But it was difficult to find the internal peace and privacy to begin again, especially after being catapulted into the public eye by the previous novel’s success. Paul Kobrak followed her over several …

1
Bonus: Good Bad Billionaire: Minecraft’s maker 47:27

6d ago47:27

47:27

A bonus episode from Good Bad Billionaire - the award-winning podcast from the BBC World Service. You can find more episodes by searching for ‘Good Bad Billionaire’ wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Minecraft is the most successful computer game ever. It's sold 300 million copies, built an active community of fans and there's now even a Minecraft…

1
The Fifth Floor: Tackling Nigeria's skin bleaching problem 24:11

6d ago24:11

24:11

According to the World Health Organisation, 77% of Nigerian women have used skin-lightening creams. When BBC Hausa’s Madina Maishanu decided to look into this, she uncovered an even more worrying trend: mothers using potentially harmful products on their babies. Madina spoke to the campaigners trying to stop these practices. Plus, how human activit…

1
BBC OS Conversations: Remembering the life of Pope Francis 24:53

7d ago24:53

24:53

Mark Lowen in Rome brings people together to share their memories of the Pope, who died on Easter Monday. In our conversations, Mark hears from Catholics in Argentina, including one of Pope Francis’ friends who knew him when he was a priest in Buenos Aires. We also bring together three people from Northern Ireland who had a private audience with th…

1
Bonus: Bridgerton actor’s interview on Dear Daughter 26:43

8d ago26:43

26:43

A bonus episode from Dear Daughter - the award-winning podcast from the BBC World Service. You can find more episodes by searching for ‘Dear Daughter’ wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh joins Namulanta in the studio to share the letter she’s written to her three children. She tells them the importance of trusting their…

1
The call of Anastasia 26:29

9d ago26:29

26:29

Members of the new age Anastasia movement espouse strong family values, farm small plots of land and try to educate their own children outside the public school system. Originating in Russia, the quasi-religious group has now spread to Germany, where there are more than a dozen Anastasia rural settlements. But are they more than just a harmless fri…

1
Witness History: The Environment Movement 52:14

10d ago52:14

52:14

To mark Earth Day, we bring you remarkable stories of the history of the environmental movement, told by the people who were there. Selected from the BBC’s Witness History program, we hear about the major moments that changed our understanding of the planet we live on.By BBC World Service

1
Francis, the rebel Pope 49:22

10d ago49:22

49:22

Following the death of Pope Francis, Edward Stourton looks at the life and legacy of the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide. He was elected at a time of crisis for his Church, but quickly transformed its reputation. He urged Christians to be less judgemental and more welcoming of gay and divorced people. And as the first Po…

1
Assignment: Dicing with democracy? Romania’s cancelled election 33:10

11d ago33:10

33:10

A cancelled election, a cancelled candidate and a divided country – is Romania’s democracy under threat? Last December the country’s Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential election two days before the final vote, citing outside interference, with the nationalist pro-Putin candidate, Calin Georgescu, riding high in the polls. TikTok sensati…

1
In the Studio: Amin Gulgee - Heavy metal 27:21

12d ago27:21

27:21

Amin Gulgee defies easy categorisation: he’s a metal sculptor, a curator, and one of Pakistan’s most innovative and cherished artists, the beating heart of his home city of Karachi’s creative scene. His metalwork is as dramatic and eccentric as Amin is. He’s in your face, uncompromising, a living and breathing performance piece. Amin also comes fro…

1
Make me perfect: Manufacturing beauty in China 26:21

13d ago26:21

26:21

In China today, looking good is seen as key to career success. With beauty videos promoting extreme weight-loss flooding social media, beauty apps making booking surgery click of a button away, China’s cosmetic surgery industry is booming. But the surge in demand has led to a shortage of qualified practitioners and licensed clinics. Hundreds of acc…

1
The Fifth Floor: Inside the Taliban's surveillance network 26:36

14d ago26:36

26:36

There are over 90,000 hi-definition CCTV cameras in Kabul, watching everyone’s movements. What are the Taliban using this footage for? BBC Afghan Services' journalist Mahjooba Nowrouzi was granted exclusive access into the country’s top security control room. Plus, BBC Mundo's William Márquez on the history of Charles Darwin's house, and Mayuresh K…

1
BBC OS Conversations: Colourism 23:48

14d ago23:48

23:48

The issue of colourism was highlighted in a recent BBC news report about a Nigerian woman who bleached the skin of her six young children leaving them with discoloured skin, burns and scars. It is a form of racism where light skin is more highly valued than dark skin amongst people of the same ethnic group. In our conversations, we hear from women …

1
Heart and Soul: Our Sacred Harp 26:29

15d ago26:29

26:29

Sacred Harp pioneer and former punk frontman, Tim Eriksen, takes us into the hair-raising sound of shape note singing, an American choral tradition experiencing a resurgence across the US and in Europe. All people and all faiths are welcome. As a new edition of the songbook approaches publication, Tim explores why this music is drawing more singers…

1
Braille and me 26:34

16d ago26:34

26:34

Built around a game of braille Scrabble, Emma Tracey presents a celebration of braille, 200 years after it was invented. Emma, who’s been blind since birth, talks to others who love the six tiny dots: Geerat Vermeij, one of the world’s leading experts in molluscs; Yetnebersh Nigussie, an Ethiopian lawyer, who describes her blindness as "a lottery I…

1
Olympique Lyonnais: The Champions League trailblazers 49:20

17d ago49:20

49:20

Olympique Lyonnais is the most successful club in women’s football, dominating Europe over the last 15 years winning eight Champions League titles. Only Barcelona have recently been able to compete. Lyon's success is the vision of club president Jean-Michel Aulas who wanted to create an iconic team, with the best players, but in the case of Aulas h…

1
Assignment: New Zealand - what counts as Māori equality 27:22

18d ago27:22

27:22

Māori in New Zealand have been resisting moves by the current right-of-centre government to abolish certain indigenous-specific rights aimed at combatting disadvantage. In a 9-day hikoi or march of defiance they walked from the top of New Zealand down to the capital Wellington, joined by non-Māori supporters - all opposed to the changes. A separate…

1
In the Studio: Steve Reich 26:29

19d ago26:29

26:29

For 60 years, New York composer Steve Reich has been one of classical music’s most celebrated revolutionaries. Pioneering minimalism in the 1960s, a musical style based on repetition and shifting rhythms, his strange experiments with cassette tape led to orchestral masterpieces – now performed around the world. His career has not only helped define…

1
Defeated: How ordinary Germans experienced the end of World War Two 49:27

20d ago49:27

49:27

On 8 May 1945 Britain, the US and many other countries were rejoicing. Germany had surrendered, and World War Two was over, at least in Europe. Yet it was not a day of celebration for everyone - for the vanquished Germans, it marked the end of bombings and of Nazi rule. But it was also a time of deprivation and chaos, fear and soul-searching. Milli…

1
The Fifth Floor: Stranded in Panama 20:08

20d ago20:08

20:08

On his first day as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order shutting down the asylum system at the US-Mexico border. He also promised huge changes to the US immigration system, including arrests and mass deportations of undocumented migrants. Santiago Vanegas from BBC Mundo has been following a group of Venezuelans who are trying to go ba…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

BBC Asian Network Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Bloodlines

BBC Sounds & CBC Podcasts

1
Raj and Pablo: The Podcast

BBC Asian Network

1
Bats, Bails & Biryani

BBC Asian Network

1
The Documentary Podcast

BBC World Service

1
A Change of Heart

Atif Rashid & Sabah Ahmedi

1
Musings of a King

Musings of a King

1
The Fifth Floor: Education against the odds 26:33

1
BBC OS Conversations: Protecting children from online harm 27:33

1
Heart and Soul: After Francis, what do Catholics want next? 26:30

1
BBC Trending: From a suspected smuggler’s TikTok to tragedy 21:20

1
Assignment: Leaving Israel for Cyprus 26:35

1
In the Studio: Madeleine Thien 25:35

1
Bonus: Good Bad Billionaire: Minecraft’s maker 47:27

1
The Fifth Floor: Tackling Nigeria's skin bleaching problem 24:11

1
BBC OS Conversations: Remembering the life of Pope Francis 24:53

1
Bonus: Bridgerton actor’s interview on Dear Daughter 26:43

1
The call of Anastasia 26:29

1
Witness History: The Environment Movement 52:14

1
Francis, the rebel Pope 49:22

1
Assignment: Dicing with democracy? Romania’s cancelled election 33:10

1
In the Studio: Amin Gulgee - Heavy metal 27:21

1
Make me perfect: Manufacturing beauty in China 26:21

1
The Fifth Floor: Inside the Taliban's surveillance network 26:36

1
BBC OS Conversations: Colourism 23:48

1
Heart and Soul: Our Sacred Harp 26:29

1
Braille and me 26:34

1
Olympique Lyonnais: The Champions League trailblazers 49:20

1
Assignment: New Zealand - what counts as Māori equality 27:22

1
In the Studio: Steve Reich 26:29

1
Defeated: How ordinary Germans experienced the end of World War Two 49:27

1
The Fifth Floor: Stranded in Panama 20:08