Blood spilled in Sudan's el-Fasher massacre is visible from space. What led to the latest dark turn of events that took place after the Rapid Support Forces seized the city in Northern Darfur from the Sudanese Armed Forces? In this episode, first recorded in 2024, we dig into the prehistory of Sudan’s civil war. We focus on the power struggle between two men: Hemedti, in charge of the RAF, and Burkhan, the general leading the SAF. We ask who are the foreign powers aiding them, and why. Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov
Presenter: Krassi Twigg
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37:03
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37:03
Jihadists and AI
How Jihadists wrestle with the question: to use or not to use AI. The allure of this powerful tool and the damage they fear it could inflict on their image and reputation. Supporters of the Islamic State group tend to be early adopters of new tech, and some have already experimented with generative Artificial Intelligence. But that has exposed deep divisions in jihadist circles. We explore this debate to understand what “responsible AI” means for them.
Contributors: Mina al-Lami, Steven Humphry
Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham
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30:19
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30:19
Nuclear tensions in the Middle East
The narratives and the doctrines built on ever-growing suspicions and fears that are once again stirring the Middle East. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hasn’t just threatened to redraw the map of Europe - it has transformed the global security landscape. The ripple effects have been felt way beyond the continent, reigniting fears not felt since the Cold War - of a new nuclear arms race. In this episode we go back to the beginnings of nuclear ambitions in the Middle East to weigh up the consequences for the world today.Contributors: Barry Sadid, Shaina Oppenheimer, Florence Dixon, Nihan Kale
Producer: Kriszta Satori, Barry Sadid
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham
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49:41
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49:41
Decoding China’s doublespeak
How the Chinese Communist Party gets lost in translation and whether it’s accidental or intentional. “The Belt and Road Initiative”, “community with a shared future for humankind”, “socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era” - the slogans and proclamations coming out of Beijing can sound abstract and bewildering. We examine the complex character of the language and how it’s put to use by the CCP to understand why its message can get lost on the outside world.Contributor: Tom Lam
Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham
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27:13
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27:13
Life under JNIM
The al-Qaeda offshoot JNIM is one of the deadliest Jihadist groups in the world. It exploits a security vacuum in Africa’s Sahel region to impose its Salafist version of Islam. In part one of this miniseries we explored the structure and ideology of JNIM. In this episode we’ll try to understand its impact on local life and on the region’s complex geopolitics which increasingly looks like a proxy war - on both the information and physical battlefields. Contributors: Collins Nabiswa, Jacob Boswall, Barry Marston
Producer: Kriszta Satori
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Looking at the world through the lens of its media. Think of us as your media detectives, helping you get past the propaganda and misinformation. The Global Jigsaw comes from BBC Monitoring, which tracks, deciphers and analyses news media in 100 languages.We reach across multiple time zones, from China and India, to Iran, Africa and Latin America. We watch Russian state TV around the clock, giving unrivalled insight into the evolution of Kremlin propaganda. But propaganda is just part of the information space we inhabit. In its more extreme form, we focus on disinformation that aims to defame enemies, sway elections, and undermine democracy.We have been monitoring jihadist media for nearly two decades, following the chatter from al-Qaeda and Islamic State group, gaining extraordinary knowledge about their aims, their ideological differences and allegiances. We watch the behaviour of Russia’s Putin, Iran’s Khamenei, Turkey’s Erdogan, China’s Xi Jinping, Hungary’s Orban and anyone else who might be challenging the established order, seeking to expand their global footprint or export their brand of ideology. At BBC Monitoring, we don’t just speak the language, we understand the narrative. So we can help you untangle the context and single out rhetoric from reality, deception from truth.
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