Episodes
This week on Brazen Presents, reporter Neha Wadekar interviews Mohsin Mohi Ud Din, leader of Me We International, an organisation that uses art to help refugees around the world heal from trauma, reframe their narratives, and author their futures. To follow Me We International and learn more about their work, please visit www.meweintl.org. You can find them online at @meweinternational on Instagram and @meweintl on Twitter. For ad-free listening, exclusive bonus content and early access to...
Published 02/16/23
Reporter Georgia Gee speaks with Peter Pomerantsev, a Kyiv-born expert in propaganda and disinformation. His books Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible and This is Not Propaganda outline how Russia and others have weaponized the perception of truth. Today, Russia is waging two wars against Ukraine. One is on the ground. The other is being fought online, on the internet and television. Even before launching its full-scale invasion last February, the Kremlin spent years propagating...
Published 02/14/23
An exclusive preview of The Closer, a new podcast from Project Brazen that takes you inside the deals that changed the world. To hear the rest of this episode, search for The Closer wherever you listen to podcasts. Landmark deals can change everything. They can transform how we live. They can alter the course of the economy. The Closer asks: Who made these deals, and why? This is a preview of episode one, which goes behind the scenes of the 2013 merger between American Airlines and US...
Published 02/07/23
This week on Brazen Presents, we’re sharing perspectives on abortion and reproductive rights from the Middle East via the People Like Us podcast. Fifty years ago, the US Supreme Court made a landmark decision in the case of Roe v. Wade, which enshrined abortion as a constitutional right. Last June, the court overturned that decision. In this episode of People Like Us, host Kim Ghattas asks her guests: How do the new restrictions on abortion in the US impact the battle for reproductive rights...
Published 01/30/23
This is a preview of Project Brazen's latest investigative podcast, The Sound: Mystery of Havana Syndrome. To listen to the rest of this episode, search for THE SOUND: Mystery of Havana Syndrome, wherever you get your podcasts. In December 2016, a US official in Havana reported a debilitating and confounding  illness. The symptoms included headaches; nausea; hearing loss; problems with memory and vision. Soon, a second official came down with the same symptoms. Then a third. Then a fourth....
Published 01/24/23
Journalist Nicky Woolf speaks with Project Brazen co-founder Tom Wright about his upcoming investigative podcast, THE SOUND: Mystery of Havana Syndrome. Nicky shares his experience following the unexplained phenomenon from Havana to Washington DC, Miami, London, and beyond. He talks about meeting victims of the devastating illness, efforts to understand the science that could have caused it — even building his own device — and how new cases of the syndrome continue to appear to this...
Published 01/13/23
This week on Brazen Presents, we’re excited to share a bonus episode from our latest show, Corinna and The King. The podcast tells the story of the explosive love affair between King Juan Carlos I of Spain and businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, and the fraud, espionage, and mysterious €65 million gift that came with it.  The series was produced by Project Brazen in two languages, hosted by actors Mishel Prada (“Vida,” “Riverdale”) in English, and Laura Gómez (“Orange is the New...
Published 01/09/23
The saga of Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of FTX, is unfolding every day like a TV drama. After his crypto company imploded in November, the 30-year-old was arrested in the Bahamas on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, and could face up to 115 years in prison. SBF, as he’s often called, was denied bail and is now awaiting extradition in Fox Hill, the only prison on the Bahamas. It’s a short drive from his $30 million penthouse on the island, but a long way from the life of luxury he...
Published 12/21/22
This week on Brazen Presents, Project Brazen co-founders Bradley Hope and Tom Wright share the first audio instalment of ‘Where Is Jho Low’, the live investigation to track down the Malaysian fugitive at the heart of the 1MDB scandal. In this episode, they recap on Jho Low’s crimes and his time on the run, as well as sharing new evidence indicating he may still be doing business out of Taiwan. If you’re interested in the hidden worlds of wealth and power, this is a story for you. Not only is...
Published 12/14/22
A Ukrainian refugee shares the story of his fraught escape from Russian-occupied Kherson. ~ A strategically important port in the south of Ukraine near the Black Sea, Kherson was the first major city to fall into Russian hands in the early days of the war. But last week, after more than eight months of occupation, Russia withdrew its forces and Ukrainian soldiers entered the city, greeted by cheering locals. It’s a triumphant moment for Ukraine, but along with the celebrations, there’s a...
Published 11/15/22
This week on Brazen Presents, we share an exclusive listen to episode one of Corinna and the King, a new eight-part series from Project Brazen and PRX. You can find the full series by searching for Corinna and The King, wherever you get your podcasts.  It’s February 2004, and 39-year-old businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein attends an aristocratic hunting party in the Spanish countryside. The host? Juan Carlos I, the king of Spain. An expert in guns, Corinna catches the king’s...
Published 11/07/22
This week on Brazen Presents, we share the trailer for Corinna and the King, a new eight-part series from Project Brazen and PRX. When Corinna, a worldly and well-connected businesswoman, fell in love with Juan Carlos I, the King of Spain, he seemed too big to fail. Their secret romance stretched across continents, but its unraveling would open a window into a dangerous world of greed, corruption, and crime. Vast pools of hidden wealth; international espionage and conspiracy; scandal,...
Published 11/02/22
Reporter Susie Armitage speaks to Ukrainian journalist Bogdan Logvynenko, founder of Ukrainer.net, a multilingual publication covering the war and all things Ukraine. In this episode, Bogdan shares stories from his travels around the country interviewing Ukrainians in recently liberated areas, plus two music videos his team created with Ukrainian rappers Alyona Alyona and Palindrom celebrating the resilience of cities still occupied by Russia. Thanks for listening. You can find...
Published 10/27/22
How did an Ivy League activist become a global fugitive? In this bonus audio episode, Bradley Hope, co-founder of Project Brazen, recounts his first encounter with Adrian Hong, who led an underground organization to undermine the Kim Jong-un regime by helping top North Korean diplomats defect. After a fake kidnapping of a top North Korean diplomat in Madrid went awry, a wanted poster for Adrian was circulated by the U.S. Marshals, sending him into hiding. This episode of BRAZEN PRESENTS...
Published 10/24/22
The reporting team behind “RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine” shares updates on the changing face of war in Ukraine and what they see for the future of the conflict. ~ Nicholas Brennan, Executive Producer of “RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine”, sits down for an interview with Laurel Chor and Arman Dzidzovic, the host and producers of the series. Laurel and Arman talk about how the situation in Ukraine has changed since RESISTANCE first aired, and share an update on some of the stories...
Published 10/18/22
Original reporting you’ve come to expect from Project Brazen—extraordinary stories from around the world, told without fear or favor Project Brazen is a global journalism studio based in London and Singapore investigating some of the biggest scandals and stories of our time. Stay subscribed. Learn more: https://projectbrazen.com/
Published 10/14/22
Lucy Woods, Managing Producer of Kabul Falling – Project Brazen’s series following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan – interviews an Afghan family torn apart by the chaos. Hakim Shakib was separated from his wife Paimana, and his young daughters Neyo and Seto, in July 2021. In this bonus interview, the family charts the anxiety of their separation as Kabul fell to the Taliban – trapping Hakim, an employee at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs – in the city. The Shakibs describe...
Published 09/26/22
Siddhartha Mahanta sits down with composer Arson Fahim to chat about his soundtrack for Kabul Falling, the latest podcast from Project Brazen. In this exclusive audio interview, recorded live at the PRX Podcast Garage in Boston, Arson talks about what drew him to the project, and what makes his connection to it—as an Afghan-born composer and musician—so personal and important. He shares his own experiences of leaving Afghanistan just two weeks before the Taliban takeover last year, and how...
Published 09/18/22
In this episode, we catch up with Afghan refugees to hear about life after evacuation. How is the fall of Kabul still impacting them? Who do they feel is responsible for the Taliban takeover? What could have been done differently? You’ll hear how many Afghans feel abandoned as the world’s attention moves to Ukraine and the ensuing refugee crisis in Europe. Famine grips Afghanistan and the Taliban’s harsh reign faces little international scrutiny. But Afghans continue to fight: for their...
Published 09/12/22
A young Taliban member, radicalized by the US invasion of Afghanistan, shares why he left social work and NGO employment to join the militant group. Obaidullah Baheer, a lecturer in transitional justice at the American University of Afghanistan and the grandson of a feared warlord, reflects on the possibility of reconciliation with the Taliban. We want to hear from you. Please get in touch via our website, kabulfalling.com, where you can send a voice message, or tweet using hashtag...
Published 09/05/22
With the US Army and allied forces gone, Taliban fighters are consolidating control over Afghanistan. The regime’s leaders make assurances that there will be no retribution for their enemies, but the reality on the ground is different. With the help of journalist Danna Harman, Muhammad Javed Khan, who had worked for the Afghan government, reaches the Tajik border but must then turn around and make a last-minute journey back to Kunduz to retrieve a batch of passports. In order to escape, he...
Published 08/29/22
With security now on high alert at the Kabul airport, it is nearly impossible for Afghans to fly out of the country to escape the Taliban takeover. Danna Harman, the journalist who profiled Rodaba Noori and her all-girls robotics team, comes up with a wild plan to evacuate the women to Tajikistan by bus, along with a group of female cyclists. Tajik journalist Anahita Saymidinova is waiting on the other side to receive them. But they have to work with the Taliban to bring the women out of...
Published 08/21/22
With the evacuation deadline looming, Afghans race to Kabul airport in hopes of getting on a flight and escaping the Taliban regime. With help from Jake, an ex-Marine Corps officer, Tariq and his family manage to get in and board their plane for evacuation, after spending a harrowing night outside in a desolate yard. Abdul and his family also make it out — just hours before a suicide bomber detonates his explosive belt, killing at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the United States...
Published 08/15/22
As the US and NATO prepare to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan by the deadline of August 31, the evacuation of Afghan allies and partners quickly spins out of the control of Western governments. There is chaos as desperate crowds try to enter the airport in Kabul, where final evacuation flights are departing. Those lucky enough to make it over the high cement walls wait for hours on the tarmac under the hot sun with no food or water. This includes Fatima Faizi, an Afghan journalist...
Published 08/08/22
With the Taliban back in power, Kabul’s streets were mobbed with traffic as thousands rushed to escape, many heading towards the capital’s airport. At particular risk of retribution were Afghans who had worked with the US Army or the international community, those who'd served in Afghanistan’s government and women who had pursued full lives outside the home. In this episode, you’ll hear how quick thinking — and chance — helps former CIA interpreter Abdul and TV journalist Ogai Wardak evade...
Published 08/01/22