History Uncensored

Across Europe, migration is increasingly becoming a source of geopolitical tension and in some cases: a tool of state power.

In recent weeks, Europe’s borders have produced extraordinary scenes: around 72,000 people crossed from Morocco illegally into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, while a record 230 people reached Britain in a single inflatable boat.

Meanwhile, tunnels have been discovered beneath the borders between Belarus and its EU neighbours, amid accusations that Russia and its allies are exploiting migration as part of a wider hybrid strategy.

But how much of this is deliberate and how much is simply the result of conflict, economic pressure, criminal smuggling networks and misinformation?

Bianca Nobilo is joined by historian Peter Frankopan to dissect how migration is being used as a weapon in Europe.

(00:00:00) Ceuta, Russia and migration as a weapon
(00:02:17) An unprecedented era? - with Peter Frankopan
(00:04:02) Migration as a tool - what history tells us
(00:05:53) How unique is what's happening today?
(00:09:12) When do attitudes start to change?
(00:12:30) Age of information
(00:15:22) Why Ceuta? History and geography combine
(00:18:42) Attempts to destabilise Europe?
(00:21:31) Are liberal democracies more vulnerable?
(00:23:42) Key lessons from history
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For decades, Israel and Iran have been portrayed as bitter enemies - but their history tells a far more complicated story.

Long before today’s war, Iran and Israel were strategic partners, trading oil, weapons, intelligence and military technology - even after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Their relationship stretches back much further, through the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great and centuries of Jewish life under Persian rule.

So how did two countries that once secretly armed and relied on each other become existential enemies?

Bianca Nobilo traces the unlikely history of Iran and Israel; from the ancient world to the secret alliance of the 20th century, the Iranian Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War and the geopolitical upheavals that ultimately transformed cooperation into confrontation.

Joining Bianca to discuss all of this and more is Iranian-Swedish writer and political analyst Trita Parsi.

(00:00:00) Israel and Iran - allies to enemies
(00:00:43) A relationship millennia in the making
(00:06:47) Uncensoring the history with Trita Parsi
(00:10:17) Corrupting history "for their own purposes"
(00:12:23) What changed? Soviet Union & Saddam Hussein
(00:14:48) State of Israel is formed
(00:17:53) Cooperation and collaboration
(00:21:43) What changed after the Islamic Revolution
(00:24:59) Iran-Contra affair
(00:27:45) U.S. role in today's hostile relationship
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Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the most consequential - and controversial - political leaders of the 21st century.

To supporters, he is "King Bibi," the leader who has kept Israel secure through decades of war and regional instability. To critics, he is responsible for prolonging conflict and undermining the prospects for peace. He also faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity - allegations he rejects, and which Israel disputes.

No leader has shaped modern Israel for longer. Born just 17 months after the creation of the State of Israel, Netanyahu has governed the country for nearly 19 years - almost a quarter of its history.

But to understand the decisions he is making today in Gaza, Iran, the United States and on Israel's future, you first have to understand the history that shaped him.

Bianca Nobilo is joined by Israel Correspondent for The Economist Anshel Pfeffer to uncover the Israeli Prime Minister's past.

00:00 Netanyahu 'wants to write his own history'

00:38 Bibi, "King of Israel", "Butcher of Gaza"

02:52 Netanyahu's upbringing - with Anshel Pfeffer

04:46 Death of his brother Yoni

08:48 Made in America?

11:33 Views on Palestinians and Palestine

15:53 Churchillian complex - "A really severe case"

19:09 Iran - the external enemy

26:08 Does ego shape his global role?

30:18 Will history remember him kindly?
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Opus Dei presents itself as a Catholic movement dedicated to finding holiness in everyday life. Critics and former members, however, allege a far darker reality.

Bianca Nobilo is joined by investigative journalist Gareth Gore, author of Opus, who traces the organisation's rise from its founding in Spain in 1928 to its influence in politics, finance and the Catholic Church.

He examines allegations of psychological manipulation, labour exploitation, human trafficking and abuse - claims Opus Dei strongly denies - and explores the controversial legacy of founder Josemaría Escrivá, the movement's culture of secrecy, and its global reach.

Gore also explains how he had a meeting with Pope Leo XIV, where he called for an independent Vatican investigation, Opus Dei's detailed rebuttal to his book, and questioned whether one of the world's most influential Catholic organisations is facing reform or renewed growth.

Opus Dei rejects Gareth Gore's characterisation of the organisation and denies allegations of human trafficking and other wrongdoing discussed in this conversation.

00:00 Opus Dei's troubling history
02:03 Alleged abuses - investigative journalist Gareth Gore
03:42 Controversial traditions & corporal mortification
07:35 Children as alleged targets
11:35 Opus Dei cracks America
14:56 Opus Dei & Spain's civil war
17:13 Allegations: human trafficking & sexual misconduct
20:29 Opus Dei response
22:35 An audience with Pope Leo
28:30 What should people know?
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As attention remains focused on the of years. Strait of Hormuz, another strategic waterway is emerging as a critical geopolitical flashpoint: Bab el-Mandeb, the ancient "Gate of Tears."

Why has this narrow passage between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean has become one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints?

From ancient trade routes and imperial rivalries to the Houthis' attacks on commercial shipping and the risk of wider regional escalation, Bab el-Mandeb has shaped global commerce for thousands of years.

The expansion of the Iran conflict into the Red Sea has created a new threat to global energy markets, raising concerns over the security of one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

Nearly two weeks after the latest escalation between the United States and Iran, tensions intensified when the Iran-backed Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime gateway at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

This week, Bianca Nobilo is joined by journalist and author Tim Marshall to see how consequential unfolding events could be...

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