Afghanistan used to produce more than 80% of the world's opium, the key ingredient for the drug heroin. When the Taliban took over, they banned poppy farming completely. 3 years on, how has this measure been implemented and how is it affecting people? Yama Bariz and Mamoon Durrani from the BBC's Afghan service discuss the effectiveness of the Taliban's poppy eradication campaign and explain how the trade is moving to Pakistan. This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world. Presented by Faranak Amidi
Produced by Alice Gioia, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean
This is an EcoAudio certified production. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
FeatureKultur & Gesellschaft
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Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. The best of documentary storytelling from the BBC World Service. From China’s state-backed overseas spending, to on the road with Canada’s Sikh truckers, to the front line of the climate emergency, we go beyond the headlines. Each week we dive into the minds of the world’s most creative people, take personal journeys into spirituality and connect people from across the globe to share how news stories are shaping their lives.
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Folge vom 05.07.2025Is the Taliban’s war on drugs working?
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Folge vom 05.07.2025Undocumented migrants in the USADonald Trump campaigned hard on illegal immigration ahead of the presidential election and promised voters a major crackdown if they backed him. Since he came to power, the president has issued executive orders to fortify the country’s borders and suspend the entry of undocumented migrants. He has also vowed to oversee the largest deportation programme in American history with criminals and gang members prioritised in raids. The three women we talk to came to the US as children and have lived most of their lives in the country but now they fear being arrested by the authorities and deported. In the week where the US government unveiled a new detention centre for holding thousands of migrants, we also hear from Republican voters who support the president’s policies.
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Folge vom 04.07.2025Verses for women: Egypt’s Quran recitersSalma El-Wardany meets young women in Egypt using their voices to amplify their faith – drawing inspiration from the long tradition of female Quran reciters in the country. Following in the footsteps of pioneering women like Sheikha Munira Abdou who was first heard on Egyptian Radio 100 years ago and the renowned singer Umm Kulthum, more Egyptian women are sharing their recitations of the Quran publicly. They’re stepping out of the shadows of a fatwa (an Islamic ruling on a point of Islamic law) that denounced women’s voices something to be covered or not heard, which led to a ban of public recitation on the radio in the 1940s. The ban lasted years but the tradition is being restored thanks to a new generation.
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Folge vom 03.07.2025Diabetes in Pakistan: A nation's struggleBritish-Pakistani pharmacist turned comedian Lubna Kerr hears from doctors, sufferers, and experts as she explores Pakistan’s growing diabetes crisis. With type 2 diabetes rates now the highest in the world, the disease is affecting millions - shaping lives, straining healthcare, and raising questions about prevention. Many sufferers remain undiagnosed, missing crucial early intervention. But for those who do receive a diagnosis, the ability to monitor blood sugar levels regularly is crucial. Lubna hears about patients who struggle to access glucose monitoring kits, essential for adjusting diet and medication. While urban hospitals offer testing, high costs and limited availability mean that many people, especially in rural areas, are left without the tools they need to manage their condition effectively. Lubna explores attitudes toward diabetes and diet - and how myths and stigma prevent people from seeking diagnosis or treatment.