John Tusa presents memories and archive about the BBC World Service in Bush House, from 1941 to leaving Bush House in 2012.

China's economy depends on a system regulating workers from around China and beyond. In Guangzhou, the migrant metropolis, Mukul Devichand hears stories of anger and reform.

John Tusa presents memories and archive about the BBC World Service in Bush House, from 1941 to leaving Bush House in 2012.

Allan Little investigates allegations of NGO inefficiency, political bias and lack of transparency in India. Who really benefits from the work of NGOs?

The Children's Choir of the USSR sang to their leaders, they sang to their people, and through their songs projected a bright, happy dream of the Soviet Union to the furthest reaches of the Red Empire. Then, in 1991, the world they had sung about ceased to exist and the Soviet Union passed into memory. Monica Whitlock goes in search of The Children's Choir of the USSR.

France has long been a country with a reputation for some of the best food in the world. But in recent years, many critics have argued that French cuisine has lost its way. Now there's a new generation of food-lovers hoping to change that. But what do the traditionalists make of it all? Robyn Bresnahan reports.

The BBC's Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen looks back over a momentous year in the Middle East and hears from those who witnessed events at first hand.

The BBC's Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen looks back over a momentous year in the Middle East and hears from those who witnessed events at first hand.

Allan Little investigates allegations of NGO inefficiency, political bias and lack of transparency in Haiti, Malawi and India.

The BBC's Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen looks back over a momentous year in the Middle East and hears from those who witnessed events at first hand.

Shahzeb Jillani explains how the 1971 war over Bangladesh shaped modern Pakistan.

A hard hitting Assignment from Mark Doyle who reports on the massive cholera outbreak in Haiti and the controversy that surrounds it.

Shahzeb Jillani explains how the 1971 war over Bangladesh shaped modern Pakistan.

In Assignment Ed Butler investigates reports that some orphanages in Bali are being run as commercial rackets and that children there are being exploited for the owners' benefit.

Richard Coles confronts accusations that the West is attempting to force gay rights on Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Knitting in Tripoli tells an intimate story of life during the Libyan war through the eyes of people who battled their own fears to step out of Gaddafi's dark shadow. Rana Jawad became the BBC website's Tripoli Witness and took up knitting and baking to cope with the strains of living in hiding and secretly gathering information.

Was the economic crisis caused by fundamental problems with the system rather than a mere failure of policy? This two-part series investigates two schools of economics with radical solutions. In part two Paul Mason asks whether the expansion of credit created a new form of worker exploitation.

A dark secret lies beneath the earth in Indian Kashmir. Bodies - thousands of them. Who are they and how did they die? Jill McGivering reports for Assignment.

Richard Coles confronts accusations that the West is attempting to force gay rights on Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Around one million people around the world are infected with a sexually transmitted disease every single day. Yet even those with easy access to condoms often choose not to use them. Paul Bakibinga sets out to discover why.

Was the economic crisis caused by fundamental problems with the system rather than a mere failure of policy? This two-part series investigates two schools of economics with radical solutions. In part one, Jamie Whyte looks at the free market Austrian School of F.A. Hayek.

A Dagestani billionaire, Suleiman Kerimov is bankrolling a football club and building new sports facilities across the country in the hope of encouraging the young to turn away from militant Islam. Lucy Ash reports.

Martin Wolf, Chief Economic Commentator of The Financial Times, examines how the world has changed since the beginning of the financial crisis four years ago, and asks if the pre-2007 era might be the high point for free market capitalism.

The BBC's Priyath Liyanage searches for a boy who was carrying a violin case when he was used as a human shield by the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.

Mark Gregory examines the legacy of Steve Jobs. How will he be compared to the great American entrepreneurs of the past, such as Rockefeller, Ford and Carnegie?Did he invent a new way of doing business?

Rupa Jha reports for Assignment on India's whistleblowers - the people who find themselves on the frontline of the country's anti-corruption struggle.

Noah Richler traces the development of storytelling from the earliest creation myths through to today's online gaming and the recording of our personal lives by way of social media.

Diplomacy is often presented as an artform, the peak of civilisation in a barren political world. But what happens when it is conducted with torturers, murderers and serial human rights abusers? Lyse Doucet asks diplomats, politicians and activists how we should engage with brutal regimes.

Tim Franks reports from Israel for Assignment on how the country now sees itself as political upheaval in neighbouring countries continues to change long held perceptions and alliances.

Noah Richler traces the development of storytelling from the earliest creation myths through to today's online gaming and the recording of our personal lives by way of social media.

Katya meets the heartbroken families in Spain searching for their children and the trafficked babies, now grown up, searching for their biological relatives and their true identities.

Diplomacy is often presented as an artform, the peak of civilisation in a barren political world. But what happens when it is conducted with torturers, murderers and serial human rights abusers? Lyse Doucet asks diplomats, politicians and activists how we should engage with brutal regimes.

As Libyans absorb the impact of the death of Gaddafi, Owen Bennett-Jones presents a special programme exploring what happens after dictators leave power.

Meet Yusuf Mahmoud, who swapped Cheltenham for Zanzibar because of his love of African music.

For Assignment, Bill Law paints a portrait of one day in the Syrian revolution, talking via the internet and phone to people across the country.

Why does Britain's narrow and elite establishment keep stumbling from crisis to crisis?

Portraits of people who relocated to other lands, influenced by music. In part two, Jesse Lee Jones explains how his love of country music took him from Brazil to Nashville.

Portraits of people who relocated to other lands, influenced by music. In part one Pedro Carrillo from Venezuela fell in love with Italian opera and moved to Milan.

Robyn Bresnahan reports on how politics is dividing families in Ivory Coast.

Michael Goldfarb looks at why Britain's narrow and elite establishment keeps stumbling from crisis to crisis.

Alan Dein explores the impact of last summer's riots on a London man and his friends in the immediate aftermath of the rioting.

In Lebanon many people fear that another war between Hezbollah and Israel is just over the horizon. But what exactly is Hezbollah and why do people support it? For Assignment Owen Bennett Jones reports from southern Lebanon on the nature and structure of the Shia movement that is so difficult to define.

The story of modern population control, and why it didn't work. Matthew Connelly on a campaign that began with the best ideals.

Some 80 years after George Orwell chronicled the lives of the hard-up and destitute in his book Down and Out in Paris and London, what has changed? Retracing the writer's footsteps, Emma Jane Kirby finds the hallmarks of poverty identified by Orwell - addiction, exhaustion and, often, a quiet dignity - are as apparent now as they were then.

Facing old age presents its challenges where ever you come from. Nina Robinson travels to Wales in the United Kingdom to talk to members of an all male choir as their numbers decline and their voices fade.

The story of modern population control, and why it didn't work. Matthew Connelly on a campaign that began with the best ideals.

A series that invites close, unhurried listening to the stories of individuals. In part two, we hear the story of 84 year-old Sybil Phoenix, who 50 years ago started fostering. She has cared for countless children and was awarded an MBE in 1973 for her involvement in community relations - making her the first black female recipient.

Fenerbahce fans are angry. Their club is at the centre of a match fixing scandal and they've suffered the humiliation of being banned from the first game of the season. Tim Mansel went to meet them.

The story of modern population control, and why it didn't work. Matthew Connelly on a campaign that began with the best ideals.

A series that invites close, unhurried listening to the stories of individuals. In part one we hear the story of Yusef Shakur, who in 1992 at 19 was about to start a prison sentence of five to 15 years. Now almost two decades on, he has managed to turn his life around.

Strong views and language from the fans of Scotland's top football clubs - Rangers and Celtic. But how sectarian is their rivalry? Rob Walker reports for Assignment.

Matthew Bannister tells the story of Amnesty International at 50, and discusses its future on the world stage.

How Cambodia's contemporary music scene is creating a new golden era for a country recovering from the dark years of Pol Pot's rule.

Mukul Devichand goes on the road with young children travelling alone on a journey of desperation, danger and hope - south from Zimbabwe and across the border to South Africa.

Matthew Bannister tells the story of Amnesty International at 50, and discusses its future on the world stage.

eading structural engineer and designer Cecil Balmond goes beyond the well known histories of three celebrated monuments: Stonehenge, the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramid, to reveal the hidden geometry at their cores.

As the Greek government struggles to tackle it's massive debt crisis, Ed Butler travels to Athens for Assignment to investigate the so-called Indignants - the popular protest movement gathering pace across the country.

The Secret War On Terror reveals the astonishing inside story of the intelligence war which has been fought against al-Qaeda over the last decade since 9/11.

Leading structural engineer and designer Cecil Balmond goes beyond the well known histories of three celebrated monuments: Stonehenge, the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramid, to reveal the hidden geometry at their cores.

Gabriel Gatehouse investigates the mysterious disappearance of Dirar Abu Sisi. He vanished from a train in Ukraine in February and turned up in an Israeli prison nine days later. Is he really the brains behind Hamas' missile programme, as Israel claims?

The Secret War On Terror reveals the astonishing inside story of the intelligence war which has been fought against al-Qaeda over the last decade since 9/11.

Leading structural engineer and designer Cecil Balmond goes beyond the well known histories of three celebrated monuments: Stonehenge, the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramid, to reveal the hidden geometry at their cores.

Events in Libya have reached a dramatic conclusion. After a six month uprising, rebel forces have swept into the capital Tripoli. The Leader Colonel Gaddafi, after almost 42 years in power, has been forced from power. James Reynolds reports how this happened and what were the key turning points in Libya's conflict.

On the Berlin Wall's 50th anniversary, Gerry Northam looks at its political context and its human consequences.

Warning: This documentary contains conversations about sexual experience. Disabled people are rarely touched in a loving way or thought of as sexually desirable yet they have the same need for a sex life as everyone else. John Blades, who has a major disability himself, takes a look at the importance of touch to every human being.

Linda Pressly follows the migrants heading north through Guatemala into Mexico – despite the dangers of kidnap by the notorious Zetas gang.

On the Berlin Wall's 50th anniversary, Gerry Northam looks at its political context and its human consequences.

Can a young Canadian man with Down's Syndrome get a university degree? Alisa Siegal follows the story of Ashif Jaffer who wants to fulfil his dream for a university education and the degree that goes with it.

Have you bought a diamond recently? Would you really know where it came from? Assignment goes into Zimbabwe's Marange diamond fields and uncovers evidence of torture camps and wide-scale killings.

BBC Security correspondent Gordon Corera tells the untold tale of how the Americans hunted their most wanted man - from the caves of Tora Bora in Afghanistan through to his stronghold in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.

Nina Robinson reports from India where the booming economy has fuelled a demand for cheap domestic labour. She finds that children are filling the gaps, with evidence of trafficking and youngsters being set to work in households, where they are open to abuse with little hope of ever going to school.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is Iran's Supreme Leader, a position he has held since 1989. Ayatollah Khamenei is the most powerful man in Iran, though one of the country's least scrutinised politicians. So who is this man? And how has he consolidated the Revolution? The BBC's Iran correspondent, James Reynolds, charts the Ayatollah’s reign and, through a number of interviews with relatives, biographers and politicians, builds a profile of Iran's most powerful man.

Ten years after foreign forces invaded Afghanistan, they've begun to hand full responsibility back to Afghans. Lyse Doucet, who's been covering Afghanistan for more than 20 years, travels around Afghanistan to meet the Afghans in charge.

To mark ten years since the invasion of Afghanistan, key decision-makers reveal the inside story of how the West was drawn ever deeper into the Afghan war. John Ware charts the history of a decade of fighting and looks at when the conflict may end.

A medium tells Colette Kinsella what it's like to have a life like the film, The Sixth Sense, how bored spirits play havoc with her love life, and why grocery shopping is a challenge.

Cuba and Venezuela describe Luis Posada Carriles as the Bin Laden of the Americas. Rob Walker goes on the trail of the man who for 50 years has opposed Cuba’s Fidel Castro and who leaves in his wake intrigue, alleged terrorist plots and assassination attempts.

BBC Environment Correspondent Richard Black explores the history and likely future of the nuclear energy industry. In part two, Richard compares how the world's nations are having very different approaches to the nuclear landscape in the wake of Fukushima.

Is outsourcing pregnancy to India exploitative or mutually beneficial? Over the course of nine months, we follow two women, who in each other seek solutions to the problems of poverty and infertility.

In this week's Assignment the BBC's State Department correspondent Kim Ghattas has gained rare "behind-the-scenes" access to one of Hillary Clinton's recent overseas trips. Join her on "special air mission 883" as it heads from the U.S. to the Middle East and Africa.

BBC Environment Correspondent Richard Black explores the history and likely future of the nuclear energy industry. Did the first atomic nations develop the best and safest technologies possible, or have they left the world with a ticking bomb?

Sharon Mascall follows 18 young Aboriginal men through a new rehabilitation programme at Port Augusta prison in South Australia.

Defecting from North Korea is a dangerous business. It comes at a high price and there's no guarantee of success. Many make the journey to South Korea with the help of brokers who smuggle people along the illegal overland route known as the "Underground Railroad". For Assignment Lucy Williamson meets the brokers who make a living helping people escape North Korea.

BBC Washington Correspondent Jonny Dymond, investigates why America is facing a resurgent threat from violent right-wing groups.

Sharon Mascall follows 18 young Aboriginal men through a new rehabilitation programme at Port Augusta prison in South Australia.

Who was Rafiq Hariri and who might have wanted to kill him. Owen Bennett Jones reports on the life of the man they once called Mr Lebanon.

BBC Washington Correspondent Jonny Dymond, examines why some native born American Muslims are becoming radicalised, and turning their sights on their own country.

This year Russia is marking the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the USSR. Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg took a walk down his favourite street to find out how Russians view the past and to hear their hopes for the future.

An extended family in Colombia struck by hereditary and very early onset Alzheimer's is taking part in a new drugs trial that doctors hope will lead to a cure for sufferers worldwide. Bill Law reports.

Will Taiwan's new rapprochement with China bring opportunity, or hand Beijing control over what it sees as a renegade province? Chris Hogg reports.

Ruth Evans reports on a unique dot.com venture providing jobs for the poor.

Emma Joseph reports for Assignment from Antigua on how people are rebuilding their lives two years on from the collapse of Allen Stanford's business empire.

Will Taiwan's new rapprochement with China bring opportunity, or hand Beijing control over what it sees as a renegade province? Chris Hogg reports.

Soldiers who have killed in war at close quarters talk about how it affects them today. They talk frankly about their feelings before, during and after. And they reflect on whether humans are "natural" killers or whether they have to be trained to go against their instinctive repulsion.

Shaken baby syndrome - the sudden and violent shaking of an infant which often results in death - was once believed to be virtually a medical diagnosis of murder. But as Linda Pressley reports from the United States for Assignment, there's now growing disquiet about miscarriages of justice after such deaths.

Across the world the cost of basic commodities is soaring. Endless demand from China is blamed for the record price of copper; flood, fire and drought for boosting the cost of food; and political tension in the Middle East for the sharply-rising price of oil. But are such fundamental forces the whole story? Michael Robinson asks whether investors and speculators are making prices more volatile and examines the role of the giant traders, banks and companies which now increasingly dominate the world's commodity markets.

Soldiers who have killed in war at close quarters talk about how it affects them today. They talk frankly about their feelings before, during and after. And they reflect on whether humans are "natural" killers or whether they have to be trained to go against their instinctive repulsion.

California is the world's largest producer of commercial pornographic movies. But, as Ed Butler reports for Assignment, the billion dollar industry is in trouble. The programme begins on the film set of a porn movie in Los Angeles.

David Goldblatt tells the turbulent story of Fifa, international football's governing body.

Across the world the cost of basic commodities is soaring. Endless demand from China is blamed for the record price of copper; flood, fire and drought for boosting the cost of food; and political tension in the Middle East for the sharply-rising price of oil. But are such fundamental forces the whole story? Michael Robinson asks whether investors and speculators are making prices more volatile and examines the role of the giant traders, banks and companies which now increasingly dominate the world's commodity markets.

The pressure on Lesego Mangwanyane - a South African journalist - to become a sangoma, or traditional healer. Does she have a choice?

Twenty years on from the collapse of the Soviet Union the toxic legacy of its industries still lives on. For Assignment Angus Crawford travels to a remote valley in Georgia where research has shown that there are dangerous levels of arsenic in the soil and water and yet the local community remains unaware of the health risks.

Across the world the cost of basic commodities is soaring. Endless demand from China is blamed for the record price of copper; flood, fire and drought for boosting the cost of food; and political tension in the Middle East for the sharply-rising price of oil. But are such fundamental forces the whole story? Michael Robinson asks whether investors and speculators are making prices more volatile and examines the role of the giant traders, banks and companies which now increasingly dominate the world's commodity markets.

For months Yemen has been the scene of widespread unrest and anti-government protests. President Ali Abdullah Saleh has warned that if he stands down the country risks falling into the hands of extremists groups like al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. For Assignment, Natalia Antelava reports from the capital Sana'a, on how warnings like these feed into the very fear that shapes US counter-terrorism policy in Yemen.

In the space of just over ten days in March 2011, the United Nations Security Council passed two of its most significant, emphatic and far-reaching resolutions in decades. Claire Bolderson looks at how the world body used a new-found strength to intervene militarily in Libya and Ivory Coast and assesses how the decisions have changed the course of these two brutal conflicts.

The killing of Osama bin Laden has stirred deep suspicions about whether the Pakistani authorities knew the world's most wanted man was living quietly in Abbotabad. For Assignment, Owen Bennett-Jones explores allegations of a web of links between Pakistan's security forces and militant jihadists. Does Pakistan consider some extremists to be useful allies? And does it turn a blind eye when the courts allow notorious killers to walk free?

In the space of just over ten days in March 2011, the United Nations Security Council passed two of its most significant, emphatic and far-reaching resolutions in decades. Claire Bolderson looks at how the world body used a new-found strength to intervene militarily in Libya and Ivory Coast and assesses how the decisions have changed the course of these two brutal conflicts.

Jonathan Glancey looks at whether Dubai has a sustainable policy towards building in one of the harshest environments on earth. How does the city compare to neighbouring Doha?

On a moonless night on Sunday May 1st, four American military helicopters descended on a compound in the quiet town of Abbottabad in north-west Pakistan. Their mission to capture and if need be, kill, United States Enemy Number One - Osama Bin Laden. They succeeded and America's most exasperating manhunt was over. But how did the risky operation unfold both in Washington and in Pakistan? Rob Walker reports for Assignment.

On the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl power plant, presenter Olga Betko travels to Chernobyl - in her native Ukraine - to find the people who are living in what is known as the "dead zone".

Jonathan Glancey looks at whether Dubai has a sustainable policy towards building in one of the harshest environments on earth.

Jill McGivering reports from Pakistan where calls for debate about the country's controversial blasphemy laws have been almost silenced by death threats and violence. The laws stipulate the death penalty if blasphemy is proven but critics say the laws are frequently being used to target innocent people. For Assignment Jill goes in search of the accused and their accusers.

On the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl power plant, presenter Olga Betko travels to Chernobyl - in her native Ukraine - to find the people who are living in what is known as the "dead zone".

On the anniversary of the Smolensk air crash, writer and historian Adam Zamoyski examines how Polish politics and society have been affected by the events of 10 April 2010, a day on which Poland lost its President and 95 others, which included many talented public servants and dignitaries. For Part Two, Zamoyski travels to Warsaw to examine how the legacy of the crash has impacted on a year of Polish politics.

Anna Cavell tells the extraordinary story of a rescue of a group of Ugandan women who were trafficked into Iraq. They were told they would get decent jobs but instead found themselves working as slaves and subject to violence and even rape. They were saved by an unlikely pair of heroes – a Ugandan security guard and an American military officer.

Restrictions on commercial fishing in Europe were put in place to aid sustainability, but are they still appropriate? Charlotte Smith reports on the British perspective from the northen English town of Scarborough.

One year on from the Smolensk air crash, writer and historian Adam Zamoyski examines how Polish politics and society have been affected by loss of its President and other dignitaries.

A year ago, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico creating a huge oil spill. In the aftermath, the BBC's Robyn Bresnahan spent a month in the American state of Louisiana with fishing families to see how they were affected. She found many communities on the brink, with fishermen fearing they would never fish again. One year on, she has returned to meet with some of the same families.

From the news coverage of the 1923 wedding of the future King George VI to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, to the moment Lady Diana Spencer stepped out of the glass coach, we look back to the glamour and gossip, the spectacle and romance of British Royal weddings.

In dense blocks of flats and social housing, just 10 minutes away from the Olympics Park, young people with nothing much else to do, are at risk of getting involved with gangs. The BBC's Nina Robinson explores the problem of crime for those affected.

Assignment reports on the shocking sectarian violence in the Nigerian city of Jos. But Rob Walker finds one neighbourhood where Christians and Muslims have come together to prevent the violence. This programme contains graphic descriptions of violence.

A committed republican and ardent monarchist examine the case for and against monarchy as a form of government. Part two looks at America - whose very creation involved rejecting kingship - and those who prefer a crown to a republican constitution.

Great Expectations follows the lives of people who live in the diverse ethnic mix of east London, on the doorstep of the 2012 Olympic Games. It looks at their view of the changes and money being spent around them from where they live - in a deprived part of the inner city, in dense blocks of flats and social housing - known as an estate in the UK. The BBC's Nina Robinson reports in the first of two programmes on the incidence of poverty in the area and how this is reflected in the lives of residents.

In this week's Assignment Sue Lloyd Roberts reports from Saudi Arabia where custom and religion are keeping women covered up and largely hidden. But behind the scenes Sue finds women pushing for change.

A committed republican and ardent monarchist examine the case for and against monarchy as a form of government. Part one looks at Sweden - home to one of the world's oldest and yet most modernised courts. Why is it that opposition to keeping the king as head of state is growing?

"It just takes 26 letters to create the universe, the word is dismantled and then reassembled through the lens of a pen and verse." The South African poet Lebo Mashile contemplates the role of poetry in her country.

It’s twenty years since Somaliland declared itself independent but it still remains unrecognised as a nation state. For Assignment, Mary Harper reports from Hargeisa, the capital, where she finds many people happy to be going it alone.

In a society where the sexes are strictly segregated, it is common for boys to dance for men in Afghanistan at weddings and traditional gatherings. But the tradition exposes the boys to sexual abuse.

Lucy Williamson reports on why Mexico, a developing Catholic nation, is the latest country to turn away from marriage.

"I was sentenced to 12 years for writing poetry." Russian poet and dissident, Irina Ratushinskaya contemplates the role of poetry in her country.

Albania's paranoid Cold War dictator stockpiled vast amounts of ammunition to threaten potential invaders. Albania now wants to get rid of the old ammunition -- and quickly. It's even willing to give it away. For Assignment Neal Razzell meets those trying to shift what the government calls "the heavy burden of the past."

Throughout history donkeys, pigs, dogs, rats, even insects have been put on trial and some convicted and sentenced. Frances Fyfield, looks at these extraordinary cases of animals in court.

Why is the nuclear family model so successful across the developing world? Lucy Williamson reports from Nepal - currently experiencing one of the fastest-ever shifts from extended families to nuclear ones. Who are the winners and losers in that process?

From Italy to India, David Goldblatt examines the ever changing face of Formula One. Can Europe financially support the sport and does it matter that a country like India has been chosen to host the event?

What happens when you take a run down African city and introduce a brand new oil industry worth billions of dollars? For Assignment Rob Walker reports from port city of Takoradi on the impact oil is having.

The government behind the economic powerhouse that is Singapore guards its reputation for stability to the point of authoritarianism and censorship. What happens when journalists challenge the status quo?

Why has India's north-east insurgency lasted so long, and is there any hope of a peaceful resolution? The BBC's Rupa Jha investigates and asks if special powers granted to the military are prolonging the problems.

From Italy to India, David Goldblatt examines the ever changing face of Formula One. Can Europe financially support the sport and does it matter that a country like India has been chosen to host the event?

John Mohammed Butt travelled to Kabul in the 1960s. Rather than finding drugs and hedonism, he discovered a tribal culture that transfixed him. Now a trained Imam and Muslim, he has dedicated his life to spreading peace in South Asia. But as reporter Nadene Ghouri discovers in this week's Assignment, that message has made him a target for militants.

In Thailand, what part have - illegal - community radio stations had to play in the demonstrations by activists - redshirt or yellowshirt - that occupy opposite ends of the political spectrum?

How does the spread of ideas impact individual lives, shape millions of minds, fuel revolutions and alter world opinion? The BBC's Afshin Dehkordi is on a quest to find out in the context of both Iran's recent media revolution and the overthrow of the Shah in 1979.

Dancehall singer Sean Paul, Hip hop star Missy Elliot and Malian singer Habib Koite all use a deceptively simple but hypnotic beat from the heart of Africa in some of their biggest hits. But what is it? Music journalist Rita Ray journeys to Ghana to find out.

Nina Robinson goes to Detroit where police have killed a seven-year-old girl while conducting a raid filmed for a reality TV programme. She finds a city asking deep questions about the way the media cover crime.

In this four-part documentary, Gary Bryson travels across South East Asia to explore freedom of speech and democracy. In part two he goes to Cambodia. How is the country's fledging media dealing with a nation still scarred by widespread murder and violence?

After allegations of torture and targeted killings, how can the CIA hope to repair its damaged reputation? The Spy Cruise has been set up for the public to sail around the Caribbean with ex-CIA chiefs and discuss global security - but who really gains?

The BBC's Magdi Abdelhadi - himself Egyptian-born - relives the drama on the final days of Mubarak's 30 year rule and talks to Egyptians about their hopes for the future.

In part two of Europe's New Politics, the BBC's Chris Bowlby travels to Austria and Germany to investigate the rise of populist politics there.

In this four-part documentary, Gary Bryson travels across South East Asia to explore freedom of speech and democracy. In part one he goes to Indonesia. How is independent media faring since the fall of Suharto's dictatorship?

This series has shown how China is barrelling ahead with new infrastructure and new strategies to import the latest industrial technologies But China's leaders want Chinese ideas and innovation to drive their economy. This programme follows people at the leading edge of that effort, in the arts and sciences and for some, it's a time of unparalleled freedom.

"Mosquito one, mosquito two, mosquito jump in a hot callaloo." What are the world's most popular number rhymes and how do they overlap between different cultures? Kim Normanton looks at the different approaches to counting around the world.

Chris Bowlby investigates for Assignment how the far right is influencing mainstream European politics. He travels to Scandinavia where anti-immigration parties are increasingly powerful. The Danish People's Party has cleverly used its hold on the balance of power to introduce harsh measures. And the Sweden Democrats have rapidly increased their share of the vote, claiming that public services are being swamped by immigrants.

Michael Goldfarb traces the iconic neighbourhood's story by telling the history of a single street in Harlem from 1910 to the present day.

Michael Robinson examines the social tensions within China that threaten the growth upon which much of the rest of the world now relies. This programme examines China's leaders attempts to manage growing conflicts and calls for political change - not for multi-party democracy, as some in the West advocate, but for a shift from a system of absolute Communist Party rule to one where individual rights are protected under law.

Mukul Devichand tells the story of Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Laureate and former Chief Weapons Inspector who some want to see as the next president of Egypt. Could he now unite a fragmented opposition and ride the wave of protest to the very top?

As part of the BBC's Extreme World coverage Linda Pressly reports from India on palliative care - medical provision for those nearing the end of life.

Michael Goldfarb traces the iconic neighbourhood's story by telling the history of a single street in Harlem from 1910 to the present day.

As China's role has become the world's banker, Michael Robinson looks at the potentially world-shaking clash of cultures between non-democratic, state-planned China and the American-centred world of democracy and free market ideology.

Would you still walk down the aisle if you found out that you're prospective in-laws, the best man and congregation were fake? Roland Buerk investigates Japan's growing 'rent a friend' service and why social standing is driving excluded people to extremes.

Why is there a crisis in India's microcredit industry? For Assignment Madeleine Morris travels to the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to investigate.

Why are racial tensions increasing in one of the most progressive countries in Europe? Joseph Rodriguez goes to a region of Sweden that is symbolic of the divide between the Muslim population and indigenous Swedes.

This documentary series examines the political, economic and cultural mechanisms of China's growing global influence. Michael Robinson, who documented China's awakening for the BBC almost 20 years ago, returns to assess the prospects and problems of the unrelenting shift of power from West to East.

"My mind is unhinged and I'm sick of the smell of blood / it's hard to stay human in such a morass / to avoid prejudice and bigotry/ to keep your hands clean." Through words and verse, Afghan civilians reflect on decades of war. Listen to their poetry.

A snapshot of Iraq as seen through the prism of its main airport. For Assignment, Gabriel Gatehouse talks to the travellers and workers who pass through Baghdad international airport each day.

What sort of relationships do photojournalists form with the people that are the subject of their pictures? Photographer Dalia Khamissy has been documenting the story of the thousands of people who disappeared during Lebanon's civil war.

In the past two years the International Monetary Fund has come out of the shadows to play a key role in efforts deal with global financial crisis. Governments say they want it to fix the global economy as well. But what do those working inside the IMF in Washington really think about their role? And are they up to the job? The BBC Economics Editor, Stephanie Flanders has had an exclusive opportunity to interview staff including the Managing Director of the IMF, Dominique Strauss Kahn.

As it enters its tenth year, we look at the history and evolution of Wikipedia, which by allowing people from opposite sides of the world to contribute, has grown into one of the most popular websites on the internet. What does the future hold for the site? Will it simply be replaced by another way of sharing knowledge on a mass level? Or will Wikipedia one day contain the sum of human knowledge? And are there any downsides to this democratisation of information?

For Assignment, Nina Robinson reports on how teenagers are navigating their online lives in a virtual world, where they face the very real risk of being cyber bullied.

Peter White is blind, but travels all over the world for his job. By listening to the sounds of his surroundings, he gets to know a place. What does he discover about the city of Istanbul?

In the past two years the International Monetary Fund has come out of the shadows to play a key role in efforts deal with global financial crisis. Governments say they want it to fix the global economy as well. But what do those working inside the IMF in Washington really think about their role? And are they up to the job? The BBC Economics Editor, Stephanie Flanders has had an exclusive opportunity to interview staff including the Managing Director of the IMF, Dominique Strauss Kahn.

The world’s disappearing food tribes and how their traditional food production may offer the world a sustainable model.

The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, is currently in England fighting extradition to Sweden. Despite this he remains defiant that his whistle blowing website will continue to publish sensitive material. Simon Cox investigates the rise of Wikileaks and asks if it can recover from its recent troubles.

Peter White is blind, but travels all over the world for his job. Though listening to the sounds of a city, he gets to know a place. What does he discover about San Franciso?

In this two-part series, the BBC’s Paulo Cabral looks at Brazil’s investment fever and asks if the massive state-led development programmes during Lula’s reign have put the country in the global economic super league.