Death in Dubai: 1. The real Mona Kizz

Monic dreams of leaving her home in rural Uganda for a different life. So when a “friend” promises her a job in Dubai, it feels like the chance she’s been waiting for. Monic is elated, she is the first of her 11 siblings to travel abroad. But just a few months later she is dead. Her family is left searching for answers. What happened in Dubai? A warning that this podcast includes disturbing scenes, including discussion of sexual abuse and suicide. Some episodes also contain strong language. Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service.Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a heath professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://youtu.be/OboT09uRw6M If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg

A woman falls from a tower block. It's caught on camera and the clip goes viral. Within hours, Mona Kizz’s name is trending worldwide. In death, the beautiful 23-year-old Ugandan is accused of being a #DubaiPortaPotty. With over 450 million views on TikTok, the hashtag leads to parodies and speculative exposés of women suspected of being paid by men to be their human toilet. But behind the online rumours lies an even darker reality.Released from 15th September.This podcast includes disturbing scenes, including discussion of sexual abuse and suicide. Some episodes also contain strong language. Please note, the show image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.

The biggest heist yet - $1.5 billion disappears in minutes. But what follows reveals North Korea’s expanding reach — from elite hackers to soldiers on the battlefield. Listen to this special episode from The Lazarus Heist right here. The audacious attack was on the ByBit crypto exchange in February 2025. Investigators say North Korean hackers, the Lazarus Group, are responsible – the biggest heist in the history of crypto. With hosts Jean Lee and Geoff White, we uncover how they pulled it off.But as Pyongyang’s cyber army is striking targets all over the world, North Korean soldiers have also been fighting on more traditional battlegrounds – siding with Russia in its war on Ukraine. We meet the South Korean correspondent who secured a world-exclusive interview with a North Korean POW. Does this all signify a turning point for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as his cyber operatives pull off increasingly daring heists and his military gain real-world combat experience fighting with the Russians against Ukraine? As Kim continues to ally with Vladimir Putin — a leader whose country possesses exactly the kind of nuclear expertise North Korea has long sought – is he more dangerous than ever? Meanwhile North Korea says it has nothing to do with the cybercrimes the Lazarus Group is accused of, saying the United States is making these allegations to try and tarnish its image.To hear more about the hackers, search for The Lazarus Heist, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Sidhu predicted he would die young and by the bullet. Sidhu’s song The Last Ride plays like a premonition. In his final days the death threats intensify and Sidhu is increasingly isolated. We find out who benefited from his murder and how it’s changed Punjab - making it a more dangerous place. Can we finally get answers to why Sidhu was killed? Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur.Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Archive audio credits: First India News, India Today, CBC, CPAC, Al Jazeera, WION, Republic World.Here’s a link to the BBC Eye two-part documentary films, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/thekillingcall If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002f18y

Back home, Sidhu starts delving into Punjab’s violent past and singing about its place in modern India. He joins mass demonstrations which rock Delhi and writes a protest anthem for the movement. The death threats continue. And we find out that Sidhu is making friends with dangerous people. Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur.Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Archive audio credits: Sidhu Moose Wala, Jhonty Dhillon, Ritesh Lakhi, Times Now.Here’s a link to the BBC Eye two-part documentary films, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/thekillingcall If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002f18y

Thousands from across India crowd the streets for Sidhu Moose Wala’s funeral, to grieve one of Punjab’s famous sons. Millions more watch. Flowers are thrown at the coffin, pulled by his favourite tractor. Amongst the grief are anger and unanswered questions– why was he not better protected? And we find out more about the world he was caught up in. Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur.Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Archive audio credits: NDTV, India Today, Pun Yaab, Lovepreet Waraich, BritAsiaTV, CBC, CTV, WIONHere’s a link to the BBC Eye two-part documentary films, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/thekillingcall If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002f18y

Have you heard? Sidhu Moose Wala is dead. Social media is on fire across India – fans feel like they have lost a family member, the grief is overwhelming. The lyrics of his song The Last Ride sound like a deadly prophecy. Did Sidhu know danger was closing in? Then just hours after the killing there’s a shocking claim. Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur.Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Archive audio credits: India Today, Times Now, Dunya News, NDTV, CTV, Bijender SharmaHere’s a link to the BBC Eye two-part documentary films, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/thekillingcall If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002f18y

Sidhu Moose Wala explodes onto the Canadian music scene. His sound is a fusion of two worlds - hip-hop with the poetic language of rural Punjab, where he is from. After years of struggle he’s making it. But with the spotlight comes a dark side. As his fame grows, so do the threats. "We will kill you." Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur.Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Archive audio credits: Lovepreet Waraich, Malwa TV, BritAsia TV, MPHONE Canteeni Mandeer, GK Digital, Thakur Media, Capital Extra, Famous Punjab TV, ModernSings, Dheeth.jeha, RealRohitBlogs, Mirror Now, India Today.Here’s a link to the BBC Eye two-part documentary films, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/thekillingcall If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002f18y

Indian music star Sidhu Moose Wala died in a hail of bullets. Who wanted him dead and why? He was one of India’s biggest stars — a voice millions followed. Then Sidhu Moose Wala was gunned down. This is the hunt for answers over a murder that won’t be forgotten. A two-year long investigation that exposes a tangled web of fame, power and vengeance and uncovers a criminal underworld that reaches far beyond India's borders. Presented by broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction and investigative journalist Ishleen Kaur.Season 8 of World of Secrets, The Killing Call, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Available now.Archive audio credits: BritAsia TV, India Today, Times Now.Here’s a link to the BBC Eye two-part documentary films, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/thekillingcall If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002f18y

Our latest investigation is on the way. Now you have finished listening to The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam, soon you will have another season to binge. Follow or subscribe now, so you get all future seasons and episodes. World of Secrets is the global investigations podcast from the BBC: Uncovering stories around the world and telling them, episode by episode, with gripping storytelling.