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We look at what’s behind the coordinated attacks in Mali by the Azawad Liberation Front and JNIM, which are raising fresh questions about how much control the military-led government really has and whether its alliance with Russia’s Africa Corps is making a meaningful difference in tackling insecurity.

At the same time, condom prices could rise by up to 30%, a growing concern for African countries that rely on imports and shrinking aid. Experts warn this could affect HIV prevention across the continent.

Presenter : Charles Gitonga

Producer: Ayuba Iliya and Chiamaka Dike

Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah

Senior Producers: Blessing Aderogba and Keikantse Shumba

Editors: Priyanka Sippy and Maryam Abdalla

On his US state visit, King Charles III will address both houses of congress later. He will be the first British monarch to do so since Queen Elizabeth did the same in 1991. We hear from a congressman about whether the visit could help warm UK-US relations amid tension due to the Iran war.

Also on the programme: The latest on Mali as violence there continues to spread between jihadist militants and separatists; the United Arab Emirates is set to quit the oil cartel Opec on 1st May; and we hear from the parents of Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe - who broke the world record at this weekend’s London Marathon.

(Photo: Britain's King Charles III walks during a state visit to the United States at a Garden Party in the British Embassy in DC, 27th April 2026. Credit: Ian Vogler, Pool via Reuters)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has said it is quitting the Opec and Opec+ groups of major oil producing nations after nearly 60 years.

As people continue to feel the pain at the pumps, energy giant BP has announced massive profits - meanwhile oil prices continue to climb.

And with the World Cup just weeks away there's a race to finish Mexico City's airport and stadium before kick off.

Plus, Alliance reintroduces hunting wild animals with dogs ban proposal.

Sometimes you need to think quickly, like for a job or to answer a question. Thinking on your feet means to do just this! Learn how to use this expression with Feifei and Phil.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in the US to smooth over frayed relations between Washington and London. President Trump hosts afternoon tea at the White House. We'll look at whether the royal visit will make a difference. Also in this podcast: the man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump at a dinner for journalists appears in court. We report on the arrest of a boss of a Mexican drug cartel, how construction work for the men's football World Cup this summer is behind schedule, and the latest efforts to secure peace in the war with Iran. And we hear about one of naturalist David Attenborough's most memorable moments - an encounter with a group of gorillas.

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Is defence of the petrol car and liberated motoring becoming the new battleground for Europe’s populist parties? Chris Bowlby visits one of the homes of German car culture and a populist stronghold, Zwickau, to see how motoring is rising up the German agenda. Is Zwickau a foretaste of something affecting all of Germany – a car-loving, car-manufacturing powerhouse in the past, now wondering anxiously what the future holds against the emergence of Chinese electric cars. And less than a hundred miles from Zwickau, just across the border in the Czech Republic, a new coalition government has recently taken power, including ministers from a populist party called Motorists for Themselves – muscular defenders of the old petrol car.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.

Diamond mines across Sierra Leone are closing, deepening economic uncertainty and raising fears of further conflict. Our presenter Ed Butler travels to the country’s mining region to uncover what’s behind the shutdowns.

In the US, a court case is underway between the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, and the head of OpenAI, Sam Altman.

And amid ongoing LNG export uncertainty, could coal be on the rise again? We find out what this means for countries in Asia and a mining community in America.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have met US President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump at the White House. It's the beginning of their four-day trip and is the first British state visit to the US since Queen Elizabeth II's trip in 2007. We hear from the late Queen's communications secretary on the differences between that trip and this one.

Also on the programme: as US President Trump faces a third attempt on his life, has America entered a new era of political violence?

And a new study says food pinched from another person's plate really does taste better.

A court in Washington DC has charged a Los Angeles man with attempting to assassinate the US president. The White House hit out after what it says was the third attempt on Donald Trump's life in as many years. We hear from one of America's foremost experts on political violence.

Also in the programme: insurgents make dramatic advances in Mali; can a new political party in Israel really unseat Binyamin Netanyahu? And as the naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough approaches his century, we look back at one of his defining moments.

(IMAGE: U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro speaks, flanked by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel during a press conference about the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner where U.S. President Donald Trump was present, at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 27, 2026 / CREDIT: ReutersKylie Cooper)