The Global Story

This episode was updated on 12th November following Jensen Huang’s resignation as CEO of Nvidia.

China appears determined to acquire America’s most advanced computing technology – but how far might it go to get it?

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned after publicly acknowledging having an affair, amid reports raising questions about whether the woman involved had links to Chinese intelligence. Nvidia’s board said it has no reason to believe company secrets or national security have been compromised, though it’s launched an independent investigation into the matter. The revelations have also raised broader questions about China’s longstanding efforts to acquire American technology, including through espionage.

On The Global Story, host Asma Khalid speaks to Randy Schriver and Mike Kuiken of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission about the national security implications – and what the Nvidia scandal could mean for America’s approach to selling advanced chips to China. Plus, BBC economics editor Faisal Islam offers a behind-the-scenes look at Jensen Huang, the man at the centre of it all, and his extraordinary influence over the global AI race.

Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: Martine Powers Mix: Travis Evans Studio manager: Philip Bull Digital producer: Charlie Firth Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the "Winning the AI Race" Summit in Washington, D.C, July 23, 2025. Credit: Reuters.

Every day, tens of thousands of hours of pornographic content are uploaded to the internet. At peak times, 10% of internet traffic is people watching porn. But who is making money from it, and how?

Journalist Patricia Nilsson of the Financial Times has spent the past six years absorbed in this industry - chasing down its money men. She speaks with The Global Story’s Tristan Redman about how they’ve changed not just the porn we watch online, but the entire internet.

Producer: Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Technical producers: Stephen Bailey and Ben Andrews

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Neon signs for adult video in Soho, London, United Kingdom. Credit: Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

A week on from the Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections, what might these results mean for the rest of the world? What will Trump’s foreign policy look like now he has lost control of congress?

We take a whistle stop tour of Iran, Israel, Russia and China to look at the reactions to the results and the possible consequences. Will this prompt a shift in relations between the US and its allies?

Producers: Aron Keller and Josephine Casserly

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at a roundtable in Washington DC, 21 Oct 2026. Credit: Shawn Thew/EPA/Shuttershock

Last week saw what could be the biggest heist in history: $6.3bn was stolen from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. North Korean hackers are suspected of being behind the attack, which saw billions of dollars disappear in just 20 minutes.

It’s far from the first time North Korea has been accused of a major cyber-attack. Over the past decade, hackers linked to the country have targeted banks, public institutions and even Sony Pictures.

On The Global Story, Asma Khalid speaks with journalist Geoff White, host of the BBC investigative podcast The Lazarus Heist. He explains how this isolated country become a major player in the world of cyber-crime – and where all that money goes.

(Photo: Lots of metal coins with symbols of cryptocurrencies are seen in this illustration taken 10 September, 2025. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie and Josephine Casserly Executive producer: Martine Powers Digital producer: Charlie Firth Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

Russell Brand’s conviction for rape and sexual assault has brought renewed scrutiny to the actor and comedian, who cultivated an image of provocation and promiscuity before embracing an identity as a right-wing influencer. What does his case say about the promises – and limits – of the MeToo movement?

The BBC’s Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, host of the podcast Fame Under Fire, has been in court throughout the Brand trial. She joins The Global Story’s Asma Khalid to explain what happened – and what the case tells us about the changing culture around sexual misconduct and accountability.

(Photo: British actor and comedian Russell Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court, London. Credit: James Manning/Press Association)

Producer: Cat Farnsworth and Mhairi MacKenzie

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Technical producer: Ben Andrews

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Preppers have long been planning for the worst-case scenario. Are governments now doing the same?

The UK government has launched a national “Be Ready” campaign, urging people to keep enough food, water and medicine at home to prepare for three days of disruption. Other European countries have similar policies.

But for preppers, whose mission it is to ready themselves for a future disaster, this is old news. Have the preppers been vindicated? And what exactly are we prepping for?

(Photo: Prepper Drew Miller inside a well-stocked fortified bunker that is still under construction on 23 August, 2019, Lost City, West Virginia.Credit: Michael S. Williamson/ Getty Images)

Producer: Josephine Casserly and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Can a new crop of Democrats in Congress end the war in Iran?

Democrats have taken control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, dealing a major blow to President Donald Trump. The result could have significant implications for US foreign policy – and for the conflicts unfolding overseas.

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid and Tristan Redman explore what the results mean for America’s role in the world. They hear from Democratic Representative Jason Crow and Damian Murphy of the Center for American Progress about how congressional Democrats plan to challenge Trump’s foreign policy agenda – from the wars in Iran and Ukraine to America’s relationships with its allies and adversaries.

Producers: Hannah Moore, Lucy Pawle and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo:Democratic US Senate candidate and Texas State Representative James Talarico speaks after his victory in the US midterm elections during an Election Night rally in Austin, Texas, US, November 3, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, many Russians who opposed the war – or feared being sent to fight in it – fled the country. In much of the West, they were welcomed as courageous dissidents. But four years on, the number of Russians being forcibly returned from the US to Russia is rising.

Is the tougher stance on Russian asylum seekers evidence of the Trump administration seeking closer ties with Moscow? Or is it part of a wider immigration crackdown, driven by domestic politics?

In this episode, Tristan Redman speaks to the BBC’s Will Vernon about the Russian refugees he has met who face persecution if they are forced to return home.

(Photo: The FSB arrests someone in 2025. Credit: Reuters)

Producers Cat Farnsworth and Aron Keller

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

The AI juggernaut Anthropic could "pose catastrophic or existential risks to humanity,” its owners warned last week, “if not developed, deployed, and operated with appropriate safeguards, oversight, and security measures.”

It’s one of many similarly dire predictions AI companies have made about their own products in recent months, but this one is distinct, because it is part of the company’s pitch to future shareholders. Anthropic will be the first fully AI-focused company to list on the US stock market, with what is expected to be a record-breaking valuation. Launching its IPO means revealing truths about its finances and its ethics to the public.

So what’s in that public filing? And why does Anthropic’s leadership want investors to believe AI might destroy the world? The BBC’s AI correspondent Marc Cieslak joins Asma Khalid to explain.

(Photo: CEO and co-founder of Anthropic Dario Amodei looks on during the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 2026. Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Producer: Xandra Ellin

Executive producers: Hannah Moore

Mix: Travis Evans

Studio manager: Ben Andrews

Digital producer: Tom Bage

Senior news editor: China Collins

Londoners can now travel in autonomous cars for the first time, after Uber was granted a licence to operate a test fleet of self-driving vehicles. Each vehicle must have a safety driver behind the wheel, but the UK government says fully self-driving cars will be available in late 2027.

Driverless cars are the latest threat facing London’s iconic black cabs, over a decade after the introduction of ride-sharing apps revolutionised transport in the city.

Tristan Redman meets Tom Scullion, who has been a cabbie for over 30 years, and asks whether one of the world’s hardest memory tests – the Knowledge – can compete with AI.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Black cab driver Tom Scullion. Credit: BBC

Latino voters in Florida — including 68% of Cuban-Americans in Miami-Dade County — helped fuel Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential victory.

But now, ahead of next week’s midterm elections, some of those voters are questioning their loyalty to Trump, and to the Republican party. Many are focused on the administration’s immigration crackdown — thousands of people arrested and deported by ICE — and also on questions about Trump’s influence in Latin America and his plans for the future of Venezuela and Cuba.

What have Trump’s policies meant for the people living on both sides of the Florida Straits? The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks with Sumi Somaskanda, a chief anchor at BBC News in Washington, and BBC Cuba correspondent Will Grant.

Producer: Hannah Moore

Spanish voice over: Laura Plitt

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Richard Kenny

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A woman and a man walk past graffiti with the colours of the Cuban flag in Havana, Cuba, October 4, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Ricardo Arduengo

A ceasefire has come into effect in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, on the front line of the war with Russia. Thousands of residents have been trapped there, cut off from food, water and electricity.

The ceasefire has been brokered by an unexpected figure: the US First Lady Melania Trump. But the Vatican is also claiming credit for the truce, raising questions about who helped bring it about – and what it might mean for the people caught up in the fighting.

After years of war and worsening conditions for civilians, a pause in the fighting could offer some relief. But how much protection will it really provide? And can this ceasefire hold?

(Photo: US first lady Melania Trump, 24 September, 2026. Credit: Finn Gomez/Reuters)

Producer: Josephine Casserly and Xandra Ellin

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Brazil has just come through a fierce electoral campaign that saw left-wing incumbent Lula face Flavio Bolsonaro, son of Jair Bolsonaro, the former president convicted of plotting a coup.

Election night brought a series of unexpected turns before incumbent Lula Da Silva was declared the winner. Flavio Bolsonaro refused to accept the result and has called for the election to be annulled. But the result is significant: Brazil, Latin America’s largest democracy, has broken a trend that has seen right-wing candidates, many aligned with Donald Trump, win elections across the region.

So what does a Lula victory mean for Latin America? In this episode, we speak to Nathalia Passarinho, an editor at BBC Brazil and BBC Mundo.

Producers: Valerio Esposito and Aron Keller

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after his victory in the presidential runoff election, October 26, 2026. Credit: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters.

The polls suggest a tight race in Israel’s upcoming election. Candidates are doing all they can to win the approval of young and first-time voters, who are set to play an influential role.

Israel’s security is front and centre in the campaign, as are the events of the Hamas-led October 7 attacks. And polls suggest that young Israelis are increasingly supporting right-wing and far-right parties. In an outcome that will likely be determined by fine margins, that’s important.

In this episode we speak to the BBC’s Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson, who has been following the candidates on the campaign trail and speaking to young voters.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Lucy Pawle

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the Likud party, wave flags and cheer at Mahane Yehuda market, ahead of Israel's national election, in Jerusalem, October 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs

The American journalist and former marine, Austin Tice, disappeared 14 years ago while covering the civil war in Syria. Despite the best efforts of US officials and Austin’s family, what happened to Austin has remained a mystery.

In a new podcast for the BBC and NPR’s Embedded, our colleague Josh Baker, along with his reporting partner Sara Obeidat, spend three years searching for answers - and discover information that provides the clearest account of what really happened.

(Photo: A poster of missing journalist Austin Tice at the National Press Club, May 2023. Credit: Getty Images)

Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie

Executive Producer: Cat Farnsworth

Digital Producer: Charlie Firth

Studio Engineer: Jonathan Greer

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

“They've surrendered their country to vandals,” claimed Donald Trump this week, as videos of protests and looting across France spread across social media and TV news bulletins. The US president has framed the unrest in France – and similar protests across Europe, as a migration problem. “They’re losing Europe”, he said, at a campaign rally in Kansas this week. But what is actually getting people out on the streets in their thousands? The BBC’s Europe editor, Katya Adler, joins us to explain how years of discontent and disenfranchisement among young people have coalesced in this period of fiery protest. (Photo: A protester kicks a tear gas canister during clashes with police at a demonstration against rising living costs and cuts to public services in Paris, France, 17 October 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock) Producer: Hannah Moore, Aron Keller, Lucy Pawle and Jo Casserly Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

Can Ukraine still rely on America?

More than 80 years after the Yalta conference reshaped post-war Europe, some observers fear a new era of great-power diplomacy could once again shape the continent's future. Reports of a possible meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have prompted questions about what role Ukraine would play in any discussion about ending the war. 

The speculation comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Washington and Kyiv. From disputes over Starlink access to growing concerns about Trump's outreach to Moscow, Ukrainian officials worry they are losing influence with their most powerful ally. 

At the centre of the debate is a simple question: does Trump see Ukraine as an indispensable partner, or an obstacle to broader deals with Russia? 

The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to Simon Shuster of The Atlantic about the state of the war, the future of US support and why Kyiv is increasingly worried about being left out of the room. 

(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at diplomatic talks in Norway, 20 October 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

Producers: Valerio Esposito, Josephine Casserly and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Studio engineer: James Piper

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Midterm elections in the United States are normally about domestic issues such as the economy and the cost of living. They’re often a pulse check on voter sentiment towards the party in power, or a reflection of local political battles and regional trends.

Midterms are rarely impassioned referendums on a specific foreign policy issue. But this year in Michigan, for some voters, the Senate race is shaping up to be just that.

Today on the show, The Global Story’s Asma Khalid shares her reporting from Michigan, where a debate among Democrats over the conflict in the Middle East has become a touchstone issue, especially among the state’s large Arab American and Jewish communities.

Producer: Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Technical producer: Ricardo McCarthy and Mike Regard

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Credit: Rebecca Cook/Reuters.

America’s pain at the pump could have major implications for the future of the war in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump wants to bring down fuel prices for Americans. One way he’s trying to do it is by reopening the door to Russian energy, reversing a policy designed to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of money for his war in Ukraine.

The shift comes as relations between Trump and Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky have deteriorated dramatically. Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for contributing to the global diesel shortage, while Ukraine says those refineries are a crucial source of revenue for Russia’s war machine.

So is American angst about fuel prices changing Trump’s approach to the war? And would importing Russian diesel even make a meaningful difference to US prices?

The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Verify’s Ben Chu about the fuel crisis drawing together Trump, Putin, Zelensky and the American midterm elections.

Producers: Aron Keller, Jo Casserly and Cat Farnsworth

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a press conference in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

A diplomat’s job is traditionally to represent their country’s interests while maintaining good relations with their host nation. But some of Donald Trump’s ambassadors are taking a different approach. On Tuesday, Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned from her ambassadorship in Greece after serious allegations were raised about her conduct. According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, the former fiancée of Donald Trump Jr. allegedly asked a Trump donor to pay off her $100,000 Amex bill — allegations she denies. Guilfoyle is not the only ambassador to have caused a stir. US envoys around the world have sparked diplomatic rows, controversy and, in some cases, appeared to step beyond the traditional boundaries of their role. What do Donald Trump’s ambassador picks, and their conduct, tell us about the new way that America does diplomacy? Reuters’ senior White House correspondent, Humeyra Pamuk, breaks down how Trump’s ambassadors are breaking with tradition. Producers: Valerio Esposito and Kateryna Pavlyuk Mix: Travis Evans Executive producer: Martine Powers Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle speak during a dedication ceremony at the chancery of the US Embassy, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Athens, Greece. Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS

Is Washington leaving Saudi Arabia to fend for itself? Last week, Houthi rebels launched a series of missile strikes on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Surveillance footage showed a fireball erupting as airport passengers ran for cover. At least 14 people have been killed and hundreds were injured.

The attack is the latest escalation in a decade-long war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in neighbouring Yemen. The Saudis have long relied on financial, military and intelligence support from the United States, particularly in their fight against the Houthis. But Washington so far has shown little appetite for direct involvement in the fighting.

So why is the United States holding back? And what does that mean for the people caught in the middle?

The BBC’s chief international investigations correspondent, Nawal al-Maghafi, recently reported from inside Yemen and joins The Global Story’s Asma Khalid to discuss why this conflict is escalating and what might happen next.

(Photo: Houthi supporters rally against Saudi Arabia in Sanaa, Yemen, 9 October 2026. Credit:Yahya Arhab / EPA / Shutterstock)

Producer: Cat Farnsworth and Mhairi MacKenzie

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

This week tens of thousands of young people have taken to the streets of Delhi, India’s capital, demanding changes to the electoral system and the resignation of the country’s electoral commissioner. Thousands have been detained by police in the process.

They represent the ‘cockroach’ movement, a grassroots campaign group started by a Boston University graduate in protest at government policies and high youth unemployment. How did a movement that started as a meme capture the minds of India’s young people, and start to pose a challenge to its long-serving prime minister, Narendra Modi?

The BBC’s South Asia correspondent, Azadeh Moshiri, explains.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Lucy Pawle

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producer: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A protester gestures while being detained by security personnel during a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) seeking the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, near the protest site in New Delhi, India, October 10, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Adnan Abidi

Since World War Two ended, most people living in the United States or Europe have generally upheld a consensus about its morality; that it was a just war fought against an evil Nazi regime, and the allies were right to fight it.

But in a viral podcast debate with the British conservative Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tucker Carlson seemed to disagree with that narrative, causing deep consternation within the wider conservative movement.

The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Newscast’s Adam Fleming about Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and the strand of British conservatism he represents. We also hear from the Conservative politician and Times of London columnist Lord Daniel Finkelstein - whose parents were survivors of a Nazi concentration camps and a Russian gulag - about why he thinks one of America’s most influential right-wing voices is casting doubt on World War Two history.

(Photo: Tucker Carlson speaks at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, 18 July, 2024. He has short brown hair with side parting. He gestures with both arms outstretched to the side as he speaks into a mic. He wears a dark blue jacket, a blue and white gingham shirt and a dark blue tie with yellow, diagonal stripes. Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters)

Producer: Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: James Shield

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Politicians and commentators keep telling us we are living through unprecedented times. But how unusual is the world we are living in, really?

John Simpson has spent 60 years reporting for the BBC, witnessing some of the most consequential moments in modern history. He was on the plane that brought Ayatollah Khomeini back to Iran during the 1979 revolution. He watched the Berlin Wall come down. And he reported from Beijing during the protests in Tiananmen Square.

Those experiences have left Simpson with a perspective that is not entirely pessimistic. Having lived through the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of apartheid, Simpson has seen seemingly entrenched systems change in ways few thought possible.

Now, as wars rage and the global order shifts again, he joins The Global Story’s Asma Khalid to reflect on what those moments can tell us about the present and whether today’s conflicts are repeating familiar patterns.

(Photo: John Simpson enters Kabul, 2001)

Producer: Xandra Ellin and Mhairi MacKenzie

Executive producer: James Shield and Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

A plague scare in Siberia has become a Rorschach test for public health fears in a post-Covid world.

Russian officials are investigating the death of a worker at a plague research laboratory. They say she died of pneumonia. But speculation online has suggested she may have died from pneumonic plague.

Russian authorities deny this and say there is no risk of an outbreak. So why has the story sparked so much alarm? And how has the legacy of the Covid pandemic played into people's fears of another global health crisis?

The BBC’s health reporter, Jim Reed, joins The Global Story’s Tristan Redman to explain what we know about the case in Russia – and whether the world is prepared for a potential outbreak.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Technical producer: Mike Regaard

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Plague bacteria (Yersinia pestis), computer illustration. The bacterium causes bubonic plague. Credit: Getty Images.

What began as a revolt over public school funding has spilled into a much bigger fight over the future of France.

Now, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets, and clashes with police have left teenagers and officers injured. More than 6,000 people have been arrested, most of them minors.

But what sparked these demonstrations? How could they shape next year’s election in France? And why have they become a conservative political talking point in the US?

The Global Story’s own Tristan Redman — a Paris resident himself — speaks with co-host Asma Khalid about the history of Parisian street protests, what he’s heard from students on the ground, and what this movement could mean for France’s future.

Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: Martine Powers Digital producer: Mel Stewart-Smith Technical producer: Mike Regaard Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A student holds up a French national flag while demonstrating outside the Carmes campus of the Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP), in Paris, France. (Firas Altoukhi/EPA/Shutterstock)

Israel is marking three years since the 7 October attacks, in which around 1,200 people were killed by Hamas-led attackers and a further 251 hostages were taken back to Gaza.

The commemorations come in the final weeks of a pivotal election campaign. Benjamin Netanyahu’s record on national security is coming under immense scrutiny, amid reports that the government failed to act on warnings in the months leading up to the 2023 attacks – allegations that the prime minister has strongly denied.

Tristan Redman speaks to BBC correspondent Jon Donnison, who is in East Jerusalem.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a memorial ceremony for the three year anniversary of the October 7 attack. Credit: Debbie Hill/Reuters)

At a recent Meta product launch, Mark Zuckerberg promised that the company’s smart glasses would give wearers “new superpowers”, but what are they?

Amid criticisms of its privacy and child protection policies, Meta is betting big on smart glasses as a way to restyle the company’s image, but they too have caused controversy – dubbed by critics ‘pervert glasses’ because they have been used to film women without their knowledge.

So why are Meta and other big tech firms investing billions in this tech? Who is it for? Lily Jamali, the BBC’s North America technology correspondent, joins us to explain.

Producer: Hannah Moore

Executive producers: James Shield and Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wears the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses during the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in California. Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria/File Photo.

Why do executions in the United States keep going wrong?

Last week, Tennessee attempted to carry out the execution of Christa Pike, a convicted murderer who had spent three decades on death row. But the execution did not go as planned: After she was injected with two lethal doses of pentobarbital, Pike remained alive. She was then taken to hospital by ambulance.

This isn’t the first time an American execution hasn’t gone as planned. One reason is that the drugs needed for lethal injection have become increasingly difficult for US prison officials to obtain. Pharmaceutical companies don’t want their medicines used in executions — particularly manufacturers in Europe, where governments have opposed the death penalty for decades.

So, without access to regulated drugs, American prisons have had to improvise — sometimes with horrifying results.

The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks with investigative reporter Livvy Haydock about the consequences when the pharmaceutical supply chain refuses to feed the machinery of American executions.

Listen to Livvy’s podcast, Killing Death Row: bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001rjdp

Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Christa Pike entering a Knox County Criminal Court in Knoxville, Tennessee in December 2007. Credit: J. Miles Cary/Reuters

In the last year, the US has admitted just 13,000 refugees — a fraction of the number it has accepted in previous years. And almost all of those new arrivals have been white South Africans.

The Trump administration says Afrikaners are fleeing persecution in South Africa. But there is little evidence of attacks specifically targeting the country’s white Afrikaner minority. South Africa’s new ambassador to the US has told the BBC that the idea of a mass attack against white Afrikaners simply does not exist.

So why have Afrikaners been given preferential access to the US refugee programme? And what has life in America been like for those who have made the journey?

Today on The Global Story, the BBC’s North America correspondent Ione Wells and Africa producer Ed Habershon share their conversations with the Afrikaners who are using new refugee policies to immigrate to the US — and the South African officials who say the Trump administration is overlooking the full picture.

Producer: Cat Farnsworth, Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo:US President Donald Trump meets with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 21 May 2025. Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Shutterstock

How did the passengers of Flydubai's flight FZ1073 prevent a catastrophe after a cockpit attack? And what does this incident mean for Israel at a politically charged moment?

On Wednesday, a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other. The aircraft entered a 17,000ft plunge before passengers and crew forced their way into the cockpit, overpowered the alleged attacker and helped bring the plane back under control. The injured pilot, identified as Indian national Capt Smit Machchhar, was taken to hospital after the flight landed and later called a "hero" by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Now, Israeli officials are investigating whether the stabbing was an act of terrorism – and whether any warning signs were missed.

On The Global Story, Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell, who explains what we know so far about the Flydubai flight and the significance of a suspected security incident so close to pivotal elections in Israel.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Valerio Esposito

Executive producers: James Shield and Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A plane, carrying passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Fifteen years ago, the film The Social Network told the story of Facebook’s rise to global prominence. As Meta faces growing scrutiny from regulators and pours billions into AI, a new movie examines what the company allegedly knew about the harms linked to Facebook.

Jeff Horwitz is the journalist whose reporting inspired the new film, The Social Reckoning, which hits cinemas next week. Horwitz helped expose internal debates at Meta over misinformation, teenage well-being, political polarisation and the tension between keeping users safe and growing the business.

After a turbulent year for the company and amid declining public trust, The Global Story’s Tristan Redman talks to Horwitz about whether Meta can reinvent itself while remaining one of the world’s most powerful tech giants.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Valerio Esposito

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Image: CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg (Annabelle Gordon/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

In the early hours of Sunday morning, three vans were spotted near a British military base used by the United States for its bombing operations in Iran. A huge police operation followed, bomb disposal teams were spotted on the scene, and five men were arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences. Donald Trump said the men were “looking to do big damage to our fort” and that “we had them under investigation”.

The suspects – all British nationals – were released on police bail on Monday afternoon, leaving questions about how dangerous a plot this was alleged to be.

What is going on? We speak to Nick Aldworth, a former Detective Chief Superintendent in UK Counter Terrorism Policing.

Producers: Aron Keller, Mhairi MacKenzie, Lucy Pawle and Valerio Esposito

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Executive producer: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: B‑1B Lancer bomber is parked at the RAF Fairford airbase, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, September 27, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Toby Shepheard

Climate scientists have put out a dire warning about this year’s El Niño; that it will likely be the worst in recorded history. And if previous ‘super’ El Niños are anything to go by, that means that this cycle will bring extreme weather - flooding, drought, wildfires, and hunger- across the world.

But how do scientists know what the effects of an El Niño will be? And how do they communicate that information to governments and the public in a way that causes calm preparedness instead of panic?

Tom Di Liberto is a former climate scientist for the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a science communicator, who specialises in monitoring El Niño phenomena. He joins us on today’s show.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Mhairi MacKenzie

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A man wades through water in northern Peru, in 2017, during that year’s El Niño. Credit: Ernesto Benavides/AFP.

What happens when K-pop’s gruelling formula meets the American music industry?

The global girl group Katseye has gone from a reality-show experiment to a global phenomenon. With chart-topping hits, a viral Gap campaign and a sold-out international tour, the group has become one of the biggest success stories in pop.

But as Katseye breaks through in America, it is also bringing new attention to the intense training, fierce competition and relentless scrutiny that helped fuel its rise. Has the group’s success shown that the K-pop model can work outside South Korea, or exposed the costs of trying to recreate it?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid and Tristan Redman speak with BBC music correspondent Mark Savage about whether the discipline, pressure and perfectionism that drive K-pop’s success can translate to an American audience.

(Photo: Katseye performs in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Credit: Paul Bergan/ EPA/ Shutterstock)

Clips: Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE | Official Trailer | Netflix

Producer: Sam Chantarasak and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Last week, President Donald Trump barred CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House, accusing them of spreading "fake news". After their reporters had their press passes revoked and were denied access to the building, the three outlets launched a joint legal challenge, arguing that the move was unconstitutional.

How unprecedented is this decision? And how does it compare with the treatment of journalists in other countries around the world?

Jason Rezaian, host of the Washington Post podcast Freedom Desk and the paper's former Tehran bureau chief, has a unique perspective on these questions. While reporting from Iran, he experienced restrictions on press freedom and was ultimately imprisoned by the regime. Since his release, he has become a prominent advocate for press freedom around the world.

He joins The Global Story’s Tristan Redman to discuss where President Trump's decision fits into a broader pattern in the relationship between political leaders and the media over recent decades.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Cat Farnsworth.

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Senior news editor: China Collins.

Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio points as members of the media raise their hands during a press briefing at the White House in Washington DC, May 5, 2026. Credit: Kylie Cooper/Reuters.

China’s President Xi returns to the White House on Thursday for the first time in over a decade. A priority for both leaders will be to discuss AI. The two countries are currently locked in a fierce competition for AI dominance, amid dire warnings from US tech executives in recent weeks that the speed of AI development needs to be slowed, as the risks to humanity are too great.

President Trump has rejected those calls for a slowdown or suggestions of regulation, in part because of his concerns that China will overtake the US in AI development.

In this episode we speak to the BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker who tells us what China’s AI revolution looks from inside the country. And we ask how this issue is changing the power dynamics between the US and China. Credit: Reuters/Tingshu Wang

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A child speaks to a UBTech AI Wukong Robot for sale, during the 2026 World Robot Conference, in Beijing, China August 21, 2026.

The United States is one of the few wealthy countries where commercial surrogacy remains legal.

Bans elsewhere in the world, combined with a largely free-market approach at home, have made the US an international destination for would-be parents from around the globe – fuelling the industry’s rapid expansion. But could it all come to an end?

Today on The Global Story, we speak to fertility technology reporter Emi Nietfeld about how the US became a global hub for surrogacy – and why a series of high-profile cases is raising difficult questions about the industry.

Producer: Valerio Esposito

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Sound Engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A pregnant woman holding her stomach. Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

While Russia’s president continues to insist that his, “special military operation” in Ukraine is succeeding, the estimated number of Russian soldiers killed and wounded in this war tells another story; 1.4 million casualties since February 2022. For that loss, Russia has gained just 2% of Ukraine’s land.

This is the story Vladimir Putin is not telling Russians. Amid parliamentary elections this past weekend, the Kremlin has claimed that most Russians back the president and the war, and it has promoted the political careers of thousands of soldiers back from Ukraine.

But what of their fallen comrades? The BBC’s Olga Ivshina has dedicated the last four years of her career to not just counting Russia’s true death toll, but building a picture of who these lost men were. She joins us on today’s show.

Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie and Hannah Moore

Executive producers: Martine Powers and Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Russian soldiers who were involved in the country's military campaign in Ukraine march during a military parade on Victory Day in central Moscow, Russia, May 2026. Credit: Sputnik/Dmitry Astakhov/Pool via Reuters

As the midterm elections in America approach, the economy is one of the deciding factors for how people will vote.

Before his second term started, President Trump promised to tackle the so-called affordabilty crisis. But since then, the war in Iran has led to soaring gas prices and a range of tariffs have made some goods more expensive.

How do global events impact people’s finances and in turn how they vote in elections? The talk show host and financial expert Dave Ramsey joins us to discuss.

(Photo: Talk show host Dave Ramsey sitting in front of a microphone smiling, wearing a black shirt, black jacket. He has a grey beard and behind him is a blue background)

Producer: Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

One of the most successful songwriters of all time is facing the biggest controversy of his nearly two decades in the public eye. Where does pop star Ed Sheeran go from here?

On Tuesday, every support act for Sheeran withdrew from his US stadium tour, following a decision to drop rapper Macklemore from the tour for his on-stage pro-Palestinian comments. In a statement, Sheeran declined to take a political stance on Macklemore’s comments, and stressed that he was not responsible for the decision to remove the rapper from the roster.

Is it possible for pop stars to stay out of the political fray? We speak to BBC music correspondent Mark Savage about the controversy, and what it reveals about the conversion of pop culture and politics.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

PHOTO: Singer Ed Sheeran exits the Manhattan federal court for his copyright trial in New York City, U.S., April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Over the last week, the Houthis - an Iran-backed militant group in Yemen - have captured two strategic islands along the Red Sea coast, consolidating its control of a key international shipping route known as the Bab al-Mandab strait.

Saudi Arabia has relied on access to the strait for exporting it oil to customers in Asia. With the Strait of Hormuz already closed due to the Iran war, the Houthis’ control of this vital waterway threatens to deepen the global oil supply crisis.

Tristan Redman is joined by the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner to unpack who the Houthis are, what they want, and how they have come to hold so much influence on the world’s economy.

Producers: Aron Keller and Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Houthi fighters in Sana'a, Yemen, 10 September 2026. Credit: EPA/ Shutterstock / Yahya Arhab

As Canada continues to wage a trade war with the US, an internal battle is being fought over the country’s identity. Next month, voters in Alberta, the country’s wealthiest province, face a referendum on whether they want the opportunity to explore a separation from Canada.

Supporters say Alberta would thrive on its own, because of its rich reserves of oil and natural gas. Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that independence would lead to years of economic and political turmoil, “right at a time the world is fundamentally uncertain.”

How might the Trump administration leverage this Canadian identity crisis? And how is the Alberta separatist movement complicating Carney’s “Canada Strong” messaging? Nadine Yousif, the BBC’s senior Canada reporter, explains.

(Photo: Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with the news media after he suspended trade negotiations with the United States, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada August 22, 2026. Credit: Chris Tanouye/Reuters)

Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: Martine Powers Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

China’s President Xi Jinping will meet Donald Trump later this month with the issue of AI governance high on the agenda. In recent weeks there has been increasing concern around the risks that AI might pose to humanity, after a safety researcher at Anthropic suggested the technology could, "kill all humans” within the next decade.

Washington has long framed the United States’ development of AI as a race against China – one that it considers vital to its national security. But does China see it the same way? And if so, what are the chances of these rival superpowers cooperating to reign in the risks of AI?

Asma Khalid is joined by Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings Institute and an expert on Chinese tech development, to understand how China's AI ambitions differ from the US, and what‘s really at stake if these two countries fail to find common ground on this era-defining technology.

Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Mix: Travis Evans

Editor: James Shield and Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool

Why can’t America quit the Middle East?

September 11 marked a shift in the American psyche, and altered the way the United States saw its place in the world. Shortly after the attacks, President George W Bush announced the ‘war on terror’, a policy that would implicate the United States in multiple wars, on multiple fronts, in the Middle East over the next 25 years.

But was this the US reaction that al-Qaeda had planned for? And as the US entered into more wars, in Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, are the unintended consequences of the ‘war on terror’ still threatening the US today?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks to Frank Gardner, the BBC’s security correspondent, about the event that still dominates US foreign policy today.

Producers: Mhairi Mackenzie and Lucy Pawle Digital producer: Charlie Firth Mix: Travis Evans Editor: Martine Powers Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: U.S. President George W. Bush speaks to Vice President Dick Cheney by phone aboard Air Force One after departing Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, in this September 11, 2001. Credit: Eric Draper / White House Handout

For the first time since World War Two, a far-right party has made a significant win in Germany – taking almost 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has been labelled as “right-wing extremist” by domestic intelligence, is leading the national polls.

Among its pledges at a state level are to defund “anti-German" art and teach children less about Hitler, as part of a “patriotism” agenda. This idea challenges the deeply held and decades-long German memory culture that insists people must never forget the Nazis’ crimes. The AfD describes German memory culture in its manifesto as a "guilt complex".

BBC Berlin correspondent Jessica Parker talks us through the complexities of remembering Germany’s past, and the controversial ways in which the AfD wants to shape its future.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producers: James Shield and Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and parliamentary group co-chairwoman Alice Weidel looks on during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, 07 September 2026. EPA/Shutterstock.

On Tuesday, the government of the United Kingdom announced sweeping sanctions against Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and accused settlers of ‘ethnic cleansing.’ Soon after, 11 other countries, including Canada, France, Spain and Poland, announced a ban on goods imported from illegal settlements.

In response, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there would "without a doubt" be a reaction from the US, adding that the move could have a “huge economic impact on British businesses." What do the sanctions suggest about the US’s complex relationship with its western allies?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks with BBC State Department correspondent Tom Bateman about the diplomatic consequences of US allies sanctioning the West Bank.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Technical producer: Philip Bull

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A man looks on at the damage as Palestinians inspect the site of a demolished house after an Israeli army raid, in the village of Aqraba near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 8, 2026. Credit: Mohammed Torokman/Reuters.

As the summer holiday season draws to a close, foreigners travelling to and from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates are facing delays, cancellations and severe travel warnings. The disruption comes as a result of the UAE’s position in the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. Throughout the conflict, Iran has attacked the UAE more times than any other country, including Israel.

Until the war with Iran began, Dubai was a major tourist destination, famous for its modern skyscrapers, luxurious beaches and low crime rate. For decades, the Gulf city has promised residents and tourists alike safety, security and stability – so has that promise fallen apart? And what could that mean for the city’s future?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks to Sameer Hashmi, an independent journalist based in Dubai, about how Brand Dubai is weathering a major regional war.

Producer: Xandra Ellin

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Editor: Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Jebel Ali Port after one of the berths caught fire because of debris from an intercepted missile, March 1, 2026. Credit: Planet Labs PBC/Reuters

Twenty-five years on from the deadliest terror attack in history, thousands of grieving families are still fighting for answers. In early 2000, two young Saudis arrived in San Diego. They had never been to America, spoke almost no English, and had no idea how to open a bank account or rent a flat. Within weeks they had done all of it. Twenty months later they hijacked a plane and crashed it into the Pentagon. The BBC’s Jane McMullen has been investigating a man who helped two of the hijackers – and has revealed a story that the US and Saudi governments have fought to keep secret. Producers: Mhairi Mackenzie and Xandra Ellin

Digital producer: Tom Bage

Mix: Travis Evans

Editor for The Global Story: James Shield

Editor for Intrigue: A 9/11 Story: Matt Willis

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: New York City skyline with Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground and the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the background.

Lindsay Clancy faces first-degree murder charges over the deaths of her three young children. But if her case had happened elsewhere, the charges might have looked very different.

Clancy’s trial in Massachusetts has captured international attention. It has divided public opinion and ignited debate over how the US prosecutes cases involving mothers who kill their children — and the charges brought against them.

Other countries, including the UK, Canada and Australia, have specific statutes that allow mothers to be charged with infanticide — a conviction that’s more lenient than murder and often results in mental health treatment rather than prison time. So why is US law different?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks with Dr Karen Brennan, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Essex, to discuss what the Lindsay Clancy case reveals about how American law understands motherhood, mental illness and criminal responsibility.

(Photo: Lindsay Clancy, with long straight dark brown hair, looks to her lawyer Kevin Reddington, on the day the jury in her murder trial determined that they cannot reach a verdict, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, US, 1 September, 2026. Credit: Greg Derr/Reuters)

Producer: Xandra Ellin, Cat Farnsworth and Aron Keller

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Editor: Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Accusations of foreign interference have been making headlines this week.

Elon Musk’s X alleges that China has been stirring up a backlash against American data centres.

Israel and Russia have denied allegations from Spain’s prime minister that they’re partly to blame for the migrant crisis in Ceuta.

And Germany has accused Russia of being behind a spate of drone attacks at a German airport. Vladimir Putin has dismissed those claims and accused Germany of a ‘false flag’ operation.

We speak to the BBC’s social media investigations correspondent, Marianna Spring, to examine the evidence – and ask whether foreign interference is really to blame in every case, or if it is just a convenient scapegoat.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Mix: Travis Evans

Editor: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A drone view shows construction underway on Microsoft's ATL11 data center in Union City, Georgia, US. Credit: Brian Snyder/Reuters.

America’s national debt recently hit a new milestone of $40 trillion. It is estimated that interest payments on the national debt are now the second largest expense in the US government budget, trailing only social security. How was the US able to borrow so much and for so long? One answer, according Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff, is the US dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency.

In this episode, Rogoff, former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, explains how the US dollar came to enjoy this hegemonic status, what being the world’s reserve currency actually means in practice, and why he believes the dollar is now in decline.

(Photo: An Asian-American man passes by the passes by the National Debt Clock in New York City, US, 19 August, 2026. It is a digital display screen that shows the National Debt figures 39, 393, 882, 535, 284 against a background of dollar notes. Credit: Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Producer: Valerio Esposito, Aron Keller and Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

As the world watches the aftermath of devastating floods in Nepal, journalist Anup Kaphle has been asking a difficult question: When does coverage of a natural disaster cross from rightful global concern into spectacle?

Kaphle is the group editorial director of Kantipur Media Group, Nepal’s largest media organisation. He’s also a native of Nepal. After more than two decades working for American newsrooms, he returned to his home country with a mission to help tell Nepal’s story for the people who live there. Now, he finds himself confronting one of the greatest challenges of his career: helping Nepalis understand the full scale of the flooding and its impact on their lives, at a moment when international attention is focused on the most dramatic accounts.

Asma Khalid, co-host of The Global Story, speaks with Kaphle about the ongoing humanitarian efforts, the potential long-term impact of the disaster on Nepalis, and why he worries that the international community will soon turn its attention away from Nepal.

Producer: Xandra Ellin

Mix: Travis Evans

Editor: Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Police officers carry a survivor after a flash flood at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal, August 26, 2026. Credit: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters.

Five years after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban’s near-total crackdown on the rights of women and girls has made the country ‘a global outlier with no parallel in the modern world’, according to the United Nations.

The Taliban governed for five years in the late 1990s before the US invasion. Now, as Afghanistan reaches the same milestone with the Taliban’s second stint in power, how is the international community engaging with them this time around?

We speak to the BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, who has reported on the country for decades. She recounts her recent trip to Afghanistan and her conversations with senior Taliban ministers, as well as women and girls trying to challenge their repression.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: An Afghan burqa-clad woman walks along a road at Kolcha Abad village in the Dand district of Kandahar on June 16, 2026. Credit: Sanaullah Seiam/AFP via Getty Images.

The Netflix show Emily in Paris has been lauded by French President Emmanuel Macron, who presented its creator, Darren Star, with the prestigious Légion d’Honneur last year. “You make France shine across the world,” Macron said.

Many critics disagree. The programme, about a hapless American marketing executive living a glamorous and romantic fantasy in the French capital, is due to return for its sixth and final season later this year. Some Parisians have complained that the series is full of cliches. And they worry that the tourism boost created by the show is changing the city they live in.

How do blockbuster TV series and iconic films reshape our cities, for better or worse? Host Tristan Redman heads to the fifth arrondissement, while producers Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin get the picture in London and New York.

Producer: Hannah Moore

Executive Producer: James Shield

Mix: David Crackles

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Lily Collins at the ‘Emily in Paris’ Season 4, Part 1 Premiere held at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on August 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images.

There have been a lot of sanctions programmes against Iran. But this week US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Operation Economic Outcast, which promises to go further than ever before. It will punish not just Iran but any country helping Iran - including China.

It is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to end the war. Will it work?

We speak to Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University, and ask whether in trying to end one war, President Trump risks starting a global trade conflict.

(Photo: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference to outline further sanctions against Iran, at the Treasury Department in Washington, DC, 24 August, 2026. He has short, mousy-grey hair and is wearing glasses, with the American flag behind him. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie and Lucy Pawle

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Editor: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

What are the costs of standing up to your biggest trading partner?

Canada recently walked away from trade talks with the US hours before Trump's deadline to impose major tariffs on Canadian goods. Prime Minister Mark Carney struck a defiant tone, acknowledging that Canada was now locked in a trade war with the US. "You're at war when you're attacked,” Carney told reporters, “we got attacked". He also announced retaliatory tariffs, pledging to match US tariffs, "dollar for dollar". Carney's tough stance is popular at home, but will it come at a price?

We speak to Jayme Poisson, host of the CBC podcast Front Burner, about whether Carney is taking a big political gamble by standing up to Trump’s tariffs – and why many Canadians feel confident they can withstand a trade war with their southern neighbour.

(Photo: Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks holds press conference after suspending trade negotiations with the US, in Ottawa, Canada August 22, 2026. Credit: Chris Tanouye/Reuters)

Listen to Front Burner: link.mgln.ai/jvyxQW

Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

A new personalised vaccine given in combination with a drug has stopped skin cancer returning in patients during a trial, representing a potentially watershed moment in cancer treatment. Scientists used mRNA technology, which was used for some Covid-19 vaccines.

But that technology - and vaccines more generally - have become increasingly controversial in the United States since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, is a vaccine sceptic.

In August 2025 cancelled $500m (£376m) in funding for mRNA vaccine research. The move impacted 22 projects being led by major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, for vaccines against bird flu and other viruses, according to Kennedy’s department.

We speak to Tom Whipple, host of the BBC’s Inside Science programme, about the science of this new vaccine. And we ask how funding cuts for vaccine research could impact health outcomes not just for Americans, but for the world.

Producers: Lucy Pawle and Sam Chantarasak

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Mix: Travis Evans

Editor: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during the Senate Finance Committee's hearing on The President's Health Care Agenda on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, USA, 04 September 2025. Credit: Shawn Thew/EPA/Shutterstock

Last week Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for wartime elections, in what is widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Zelensky, whose five-year presidential term ended in May 2024, has been under pressure from both Washington and Moscow to hold new elections, but they have been suspended until after the war is over. Fedorov says that corruption is depriving the military of weapons and making it harder for Kyiv to win the war, and that, "democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia”, although he tells the BBC that he had not himself seen the president engage in any corrupt activity.

We speak to Vitaly Shevchenko from BBC Monitoring about where all this could lead.

Producers: Mhairi Mackenzie, Xandra Ellin and Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Tom Bage

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Ukrainians protest against dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Kyiv, Ukraine,24 July, 2026. EPA/Sergey Dolzhenko

The Duke of Sussex told the BBC last year that he, “can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back.” So what’s changed?

Prince Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, plan to move back to the UK later this month. Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are due to start at a British school in September. They are not expected to resume their roles as working Royals.

Prince Harry and Meghan left the UK in 2020, and in the years since have had various achievements and controversies, including high-profile legal battles with the UK press and the government.

We ask the journalist and royal commentator Sarah Hewson about the successes and failures of brand Sussex in the US, Prince Harry’s ongoing concerns about security, and whether he can repair relationships with his family.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Sam Chantarasak

Executive producers: Martine Powers and James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend a World Health Organisation roundtable in Amman, Jordan, February 25, 2026. Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

How did a prominent Cambridge professor come to embody the fault lines around DEI in higher education?

Three years ago, Jason Arday was celebrated as the youngest black professor ever appointed at the University of Cambridge. But recent questions about his academic work and his life story became the subject of fierce media scrutiny — scrutiny that only intensified after Arday was found dead at his South London home last week. Police have said his death was unexpected, but not believed to be suspicious.

Now, Arday’s personal narrative is raising broader questions about the responsibility of universities to vet high-profile hires, the media’s role in amplifying a firestorm of controversy, and the deepening cultural divide over diversity and inclusion in liberal institutions.

Asma Khalid of The Global Story speaks with BBC Education Editor Branwen Jeffreys and Tyler Austin Harper of The Atlantic about Arday’s story — and what it reveals about the limits of inclusion in higher education.

Producers: Lucy Pawle and Hannah Moore

Digital producer: Matt Pintus

Mix: Travis Evans

Editor: Martine Powers

Senior News Editor: China Collins

Photo: Jason Arday - a guest on the panel of BBC show Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg in 2025. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC

President Trump took to Truth Social last weekend to announce that the US will "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea. He cited his "very good relationship" with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, but he also accused South Korea of failing to help the US in its war with Iran – comments that suggest major new cracks in the US’s relationship with a key ally.

To understand the reaction from South Korea, we speak to the BBC’s Seoul Correspondent Jake Kwon about whether Trump’s sidelining of South Korea is a major foreign policy shift for the US.

Producers: Aron Keller and Mhairi MacKenzie

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A South Korean soldier stands next to a TV broadcasting a news report on a possible summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, October 22, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji

Two Palestinian families in the village of Qusra in the West Bank have been under siege by Israeli settlers for over a week. The Palestinian-American owner of one of the homes traveled to the West Bank from Ohio on Monday, after asking for protection from the US embassy.

His visit comes after the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called those involved “Israeli terrorists”, amid mounting international pressure on Israel’s government to deal with the situation.

We speak to the BBC’s Jon Donnison, who has been reporting from Qusra, and ask whether the West Bank is at a tipping point. Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Palestinian-American Loui Ridi, whose home in the occupied West Bank has been encircled by militant settlers for more than a week, hangs a U.S. flag after gaining access to his besieged home in Qusra. August 17, 2026. Credit: Ammar Awad TPX/Reuters.

Benjamin Netanyahu has been a major figure in Israeli politics for a long time. You could have just turned 30 years old and never known a time when he wasn’t either prime minister or somewhere near the top of Israeli politics. But could that be about to change?

With less than three months until the Israeli general election, Netanyahu is struggling in some polls. His rival is a man who is little known outside of Israel – former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot. In some international media, Eisenkot is being dubbed the ‘anti-Netanyahu’. But is that accurate?

We speak to David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, who has spent time with Eisenkot for a major profile piece.

Producer: Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Digital producer: Tom Bage Senior news editor: China Collins

Image: Israeli opposition leader and former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot speaks on a phone outside a conference for his campaign ahead of Israeli elections, in Dimona, Israel, July 6, 2026. Reuters/Amir Cohen

Wearing loose cotton boxer shorts. Icing your testicles. Doing blood transfusions to ‘clean’ your body of microplastics. Eating raw garlic. These are all unproven methods to boost sperm count being promoted by wellness influencers.

On TikTok and Instagram, hashtags such as #malefertility, #semenanalysis and #sperm attract hundreds of millions of views, while, in the White House, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has claimed that men’s fertility is in drastic decline, partially due to unhealthy diets.

What scientific evidence is there to claims that the average sperm count and quality is falling? And how do these claims play into men’s anxieties about their masculinity? On today’s show, the BBC’s global health reporter, Jacqui Wakefield, speaks to men across the world concerned about their fertility, and to reproductive experts who help explain what’s really going on.

Read Jacqui’s article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8921982pgzo

Producers: Hannah Moore and Mhairi MacKenzie

Executive producer: Sam Bonham

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Simon from Miami, who is trying to boost his sperm count by wearing ice packs in the sauna. Credit: BBC.

Last month, President Trump secretly swapped planes via a catering truck as he left a Nato summit in Turkey. The elaborate ruse, first reported by the Washington Post, was in response to a possible threat from Iran.

But how serious were the US administration’s fears of an assassination attempt? And does the Iranian regime have the capability to carry out such an operation beyond its borders?

We speak to Parham Ghobadi, a senior reporter at the BBC’s Persian Service, and Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post, to understand more about what transpired on Air Force One, the history of Iran’s alleged assassination plots, and why the Iranian regime’s prime target might be its own citizens.

Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie, Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin

Executive producers: Martine Powers and James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Studio manager: Mike Regaard

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A catering truck is parked on the other side of Air Force One, before U.S. President Donald Trump's departure from Ankara en route to Washington after his participation in the NATO leaders' summit, at Ankara Esenboga Airport in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. Credit: Reuters/ABC-TV/Pool/File Photo

The Trump administration is embroiled in a diplomatic standoff after Brazilian President Lula da Silva accused the US of sending officials to “meddle in Brazil’s elections”, an allegation the US called, "baseless".

Throughout its history, the US has been accused of trying to influence political events outside its borders – from offering subtle incentives for its preferred political outcome to secretly sponsoring coups against foreign governments. In recent years, President Trump has pursued a more overt strategy, publicly endorsing candidates who align with his politics. So are we seeing a new blueprint for US foreign policy?

We speak to BBC Brazil correspondent Leandro Prazeres about the US-Brazil fallout. We also hear from Politico correspondent Nahal Toosi about the long history of US interference in foreign elections, and how the Trump administration compares.

Producers: Xandra Ellin, Sam Chantarasak and Aron Keller

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 26, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein

For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has had a distinct economic bargain with its people — obedience in exchange for economic prosperity. China continues to lead the world in sectors like green technology and robotics, but in recent years, economic growth has slowed. Signs of unrest and unease have appeared. So what happens when the government struggles to hold up its end of the bargain?

The BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker speaks with Asma Khalid about the Chinese citizens who feel they are being left behind.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Employees work on a production line at a garment factory in Guangzhou, China, July 27, 2026. Credit: Go Nakamura/Reuters

In the last few weeks, three separate tech companies - OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta - have all disclosed that their AI models went rogue and hacked into another company during controlled cyber-security tests.

The revelations have raised big questions about whether artificial intelligence is becoming more autonomous and unpredictable. We’re joined by Marc Cieslak, the BBC’s first ever AI correspondent, to unpack how these breaches were possible and how worried we should be.

Producer: Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Sound engineer: Tom Bage Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Open’s AI, ChatGPT. Filip Singer/EPA/Shutterstock)

Ariana Grande’s appearance in a new music video has sparked speculation, commentary and intense debate over the question of when — if ever — the public should weigh in on a woman's body.

The pop star and Wicked actor is not the first woman in the public eye to come under intense scrutiny, so how has the way we talk about celebrities’ bodies changed over time?

We ask Monica Hesse, screens critic for The Washington Post, and Sarah Ditum, journalist and author of Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s, whether it’s ever OK to talk about a woman’s appearance.

(Photo: Ariana Grande at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes in January 2026. Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie and Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

It has been a week since President Trump announced that the Board of Peace had reached an, "historic agreement” in Gaza for the, “complete disarmament” of Hamas.

But in the days since, the situation has become more uncertain. Hamas has said that it will only disarm when Israel withdraws its forces from Gaza, but Israeli officials insist they will not withdraw until the weapons are handed over. On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had not agreed to the plan.

To explain what comes next, we turn to the BBC’s international editor, Jeremy Bowen, and the BBC's Gaza correspondent, Rushdi Abualouf.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A Palestinian fighter from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, gestures inside an underground tunnel in Gaza. Credit: Reuters/Mohammed Salem/File Photo

A group of prominent, controversial influencers made a visit to Russia this summer. They included Andrew Tate, Candace Owens and British far-right anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson. They argue that Russia is upholding the traditional conservative values they fear are in decline at home.

It is certainly an image Vladimir Putin is keen to project. Two years ago Russia set up a special “shared values” visa, which makes it easier for Westerners to move to the country if they align with its supposed ‘traditional spiritual and moral beliefs’. Russia claims thousands of Westerners have applied.

We speak to the BBC’s Dan Hardoon, whose documentary ‘The Russian Dream’ follows Westerners who have moved to Russia, and to Russia expert Mark Galeotti, host of the podcast In Moscow's Shadows.

Listen to Dan Hardoon’s BBC documentary, The Russian Dream: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0ns9jp8

Producer: Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: Bridget Harney and James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin winks during his annual televised year-end press conference. Credit: Gavriil Grigorov/Reuters

Why did tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco suddenly attempt to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by sea last week? In the days since the sudden border crisis left at least 72 people dead, a variety of theories have circulated.

The Trump administration blamed the incident on “radical left-wing globalist policies”, and many European leaders condemned what they say is Spain’s lax immigration policy. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez denied those claims and blamed trafficking gangs. Others have blamed Morocco, and accused it of ‘weaponising’ migrants for political purposes.

We speak to the BBC’s Southern and Eastern Europe correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, to find out how and why the Ceuta crisis happened.

(Photo: Hundreds of migrants swim across to Ceuta, Spain from Morocco. Credit: Reduan Dris/EPA/Shutterstock)

Producer: Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

On February 28th, in the opening hours of the first day of the US-Israel war against Iran, an attack on a school in the southern city of Minab killed 156 people, including 120 children. To date, it is the deadliest single incident for civilians during the Iran war.

Experts say the school was hit by a precision guided Tomahawk missile - a weapon that neither Israel nor Iran are known to possess. Yet five months on, the US government has not formally accepted responsibility.

We speak to the BBC’s senior international investigations correspondent, Nawal Al-Maghafi, who recently returned from Iran where she visited Minab and met with survivors of the strike and the families of those who were killed. We also hear from the BBC’s State Department correspondent, Tom Bateman, about his attempts to get answers from US officials.

Producers: Xandra Ellin, Cat Farnsworth, Lucy Pawle and Aron Keller. Executive Producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior News Editor: China Collins

Photo: The Minab school damaged by a strike on February 28, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters.

IVF is responsible for about 2% of all births in the United States each year. The revolutionary technology has not only reshaped society's beliefs about fertility, but enabled geneticists and expectant parents to screen for certain genetic conditions and to select and implant the healthiest possible embryos. Prenatal genetic testing has been championed as a scientific marvel, allowing parents to spare their offspring from certain debilitating, untreatable, and sometimes fatal genetic conditions. But some critics warn that the selecting for genetic characteristics bears a resemblance to eugenics – a discriminatory pseudoscience popularized in the early twentieth century, focused on maximising particular characteristics in the human population. Geneticist Adam Rutherford from University College London joins us to consider the ethical complexities of genetic screening.

Producer: Xandra Ellin Executive producers: Bridget Harney and James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Digital producer: Matt Pintus Studio manager: Mike Regaard Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: File photo dated 19/05/08 of a woman looking through a microscope. Credit: David Davies/PA Wire

Senator Lindsey Graham spent decades as one of Washington’s most prominent foreign policy hawks - a fierce opponent of Russia, relentless advocate for Israel and supporter of Iranian regime change.

Graham’s funeral this week drew the likes of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and both men took the opportunity to meet with Donald Trump in an effort to keep the president invested in the wars that both their countries are fighting.

On today's episode, we speak to the BBC’s Washington Correspondent Daniel Bush and documentary filmmaker Alex Holder, who has rare access to Lindsey Graham to unpack how the late senator helped shape Trump’s foreign policy approach.

Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Sam Bonham

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Guests stand for during the funeral for US Senator Lindsey Graham at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC USA, 28 July 2026. Credit: Will Oliver / EPA/Shutterstock

This episode contains details of alleged sexual offences and misconduct.

In an exclusive BBC investigation, four women have accused Oscar-winning actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct. The woman say the alleged offences took place when they were teenagers.

Despite repeated attempts to contact Jared Leto before publication, he did not respond to the allegations put to him by the BBC. After this episode was published, Leto said in a statement released by his representatives to the BBC: “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false”.

Alice McShane, the director of the BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, tells us the stories of three of the women.

Read the full investigation: bbc.com/news/articles/cd7lg2nz2x2o

Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Clip: Requiem For A Dream/Artisan Entertainment/Thousand Words/Protozoa Pictures/Darren Aronofsky

Photo: Jared Leto attends the “Tron: Ares” premiere on September 30, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. Credit: Gerald Matzka/Getty Images.

When the Trump administration announced last week that it had signed a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, the agreement was held up by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright as evidence that ”the American nuclear renaissance is underway”. Although the text of the deal has not yet been made public, US media report that it could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium in the future.

But shortly after the announcement, President Trump took to Truth Social to qualify the news – saying that the deal hinges on Saudi Arabia’s willingness to recognise the state of Israel.

Is that likely? And could the deal derail ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran? We speak to BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner.

Producers: Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Studio manager: Mike Regaard

Digital producer: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House in Washington. Credit: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

“Cuba’s assault on the United States was never, at root, a quarrel over economic policy or sovereignty or even ownership of a particular territory,” reads the US Department of State’s new report on the communist state 90 miles from the Florida coast. “It was a revolution against Western civilization itself”.

Over the course of 100 pages, Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism draws lines between Cuba and the Black Panthers, the Pan-African movement, radical feminism, Antifa and more, concluding that international sympathy for the island’s dire humanitarian crisis overlooks a sinister reality; that, “its power was always ideological, subversive, and parasitic.” The Cuban government has dismissed the report as, “a mediocre propaganda pamphlet.”

How much validity is there to its arguments, and why release it now? Michael Bustamante, a professor of history at the University of Miami, joins Asma to discuss.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Valerio Esposito

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, July 23, 2026. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/ Pool via Reuters.

Venezuelans are still searching through the rubble a month after two devastating earthquakes, which left thousands dead and tens of thousands more still missing.

The disaster came at a moment of acute political and economic uncertainty, following the toppling of president Nicolas Maduro. The new government is led by Delcy Rodriguez, with US oversight, and the Trump administration has taken control of Venezuela’s lucrative oil industry – to the tune of billions of dollars. But where is that money now?

The BBC’s Will Grant reports from Venezuela, and has spoken to survivors, grieving families, and government officials leading the response.

Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Aron Keller

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Workers use a jackhammer on debris from a collapsed building, in Caraballeda, La Guaira, Venezuela. Credit: Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria.

President Trump has announced a new round of tariffs against a range of Canadian goods, including hockey sticks and cement. Trump says the tariffs are in retaliation for what he called Canada’s “unequal treatment” of US cars, dairy and alcohol. But earlier in the week he also threatened retaliatory tariffs over Canada’s wildfire smoke which has been drifting into US cities.

We speak to Jayme Poisson - host of the CBC podcast Frontburner - about what Trump actually wants from Canada, and whether Canadians are bracing for a world in which the US is no longer their closest ally.

Listen to Frontburner: link.mgln.ai/FBxGlobalStory

Producers: Aron Keller, Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: U.S. President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and FIFA dignitaries at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium. Credit: Reuters/ Evan Vucci.

The US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth faced senators on Tuesday as the White House asked for tens of billions of dollars more to help fund the Iran war.

It comes after over a week of consecutive US strikes, the deaths of several US service members, and the Iran-backed Houthis announcing a ‘maritime blockade’ in the region.

We speak to BBC world news correspondent Joe Inwood about the trouble brewing on three fronts for the US.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Valerio Esposito

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A projectile is fired during what the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said was a round of strikes against Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 11, 2026. Credit: U.S. Central Command/Handout/Reuters.

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is a mainstay of the US political calendar, a barometer of the Republican party mood, and has become, in recent years, a pro-Trump event, with a big budget and crowds in the thousands.

Its first outing to the United Kingdom last week brought less of the bombast, but much the same flavour of politics, as figures from across the hard right assembled for debates on topics including migration, race, British identity and cryptocurrency, under the slogan ‘Save Britain. Save The West’.

One of our producers, Hannah Moore, attended the conference to find a conservative movement reckoning with its identity, and divided on whether importing MAGA-style politics can unite the right.

Producers: Aron Keller and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks at the CPAC GB conference in London, Britain, 17 July 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Marco Rubio’s State Department has unveiled plans to dismantle the International Criminal Court, a tribunal that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In a video, Rubio calls the ICC, "a global tribunal staffed by unelected globalist bureaucrats who claim their power is almost unlimited.”

The United States is not, nor has it ever been, a party to the ICC, which was established during the presidency of Democrat Bill Clinton. But could the ICC investigate and indict Americans anyway? Today, we hear the view from within the world of international criminal law, with human rights lawyer, writer, and international law professor Philippe Sands.

Producer: Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Digital producer: Matt Pintus Studio manager: Mike Regaard Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

This episode was updated on Monday 20 July to reflect new comments from the mayor of New York City.

Spain or Argentina? These two teams will face each other in the 2026 World Cup final. Only one team can emerge eternal. For the rest, it’s over.

But this tournament’s not just been about victory.

For this special episode, we’ve been speaking with people across the US to hear about their tournament experiences, and asking what trace the World Cup will leave behind.

We hear from: Roger Bennett, founder of the Men in Blazers media company; from the BBC’s sports editor Dan Roan; from the co-host of Morning Joe on MS NOW Jonathan Lemire; from Ruth DeWitt, director of community relations at Lawrence’s tourism bureau in Kansas; and from life long US soccer fan Marcus Cranston.

Producers: Lucy Pawle and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: USA fans cheer ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match Turkey against USA, in Los Angeles, 25 June 2026. Credit: Christopher Torres/EPA/Shutterstock

On Thursday in Washington DC, Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, will host an international summit on the threat posed by "the resurgence of transnational far-left terrorism.” There will be a particular focus on the loosely composed group the Trump administration calls Antifa. What is this group? Is it a significant threat? Or is there something motivating the DC summit? BBC journalist Mike Wendling joins us to discuss whether the Trump administration is right to worry about far-left groups like Antifa.

(Photo: Anti-fascist demonstrators wave an Antifa flag, which is green and has an orange, green and white circular logo in the middle, in the UK, 2016. Credit: Gareth Fuller/Press Association)

Producers: Cat Farnsworth, Aron Keller and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

In an exclusive investigation, a whistleblower has told the BBC how he unearthed evidence suggesting that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick failed to disclose a business relationship with the paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein.

Simon Andriesz was a trader at one of Lutnick’s Wall Street firms, but it wasn’t until the Epstein files were released earlier this year that he says he confirmed a longstanding suspicion that his boss was misrepresenting his relationship with Epstein.

BBC financial investigations correspondent Andy Verity joins us to unpack the new investigation.

Listen to Andy’s full report on File on 4 Investigates: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002yx47 Read more about Andy’s investigation: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q28dlyxrzo

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Tom Bage

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sits to testify before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing to examine a review of broadband deployment funding at the Department of Commerce, February 10, 2026. Credit: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters.

According to a recent financial disclosure, President Trump made more than $1.4 billion last year from business dealings in cryptocurrency. Though the White House has denied Trump was profiting from the presidency, he has been championing crypto in recent days — describing himself in one news conference as a, "big crypto guy". Trump’s embrace of crypto raises big questions about the future of the technology. But according to the new BBC documentary, 'The Tech Billionaire Takeover', Trump’s support is just a fraction of the story. Presenter Matt Shea shows how cryptocurrency’s wealthiest advocates are steadily growing their power, and in some cases, even advocating for a total overhaul of government and commerce as we know it. Today, Shea joins us to explain what the tech billionaire takeover really is - and whether it is already begun.

Audio for this episode was updated on 14 July to correct a factual error. The original audio said that the Trump family receives 75% of net profit every time the USD1 coin is sold. In fact, they receive 75% of net profit from a different crypto coin called $WLFI. (Photo: Reporter Matt Shea with Crypto billionaire Justin Sun in Hong Kong. Credit: BBC)

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Aron Keller Executive producer: Bridget Harney Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

A series of record-breaking heatwaves in Europe this summer has led to a surge in demand for air conditioning units. As Europeans search for a way to stay cool, attitudes and policies towards air conditioning have led to a heated political debate in France, which has baffled some Americans

Tristan explains to Sumi Somaskanda how air conditioning became part of the culture wars, and we ask Graihagh Jackson, the host of the BBC podcast The Climate Question, how bad AC actually is for the environment.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Valerio Esposito

Executive producer: China Collins and Bridget Harney

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: People cool off in the Trocadero Fountains by the Eiffel Tower during high temperatures amid a heatwave in Paris. (REUTERS/Tom Nicholson)

Will co-hosting the World Cup take men’s soccer to another level in the United States? From More than the Score - the global sports podcast that follows the stories behind the results. Search for More than the Score wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

In many countries, football is the major sporting obsession - but the same can't be said about the US. The NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and NHL have a longer history and dominate media coverage, sponsorship deals and the national conversation. But has this men’s Fifa World Cup changed that - particularly since President Trump got involved?

Soccer has made big strides in the US since it first hosted the men's World Cup in 1994 with the women's team now a powerhouse and Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami boosting interest in the men's domestic league, the MLS.

We hear from former head of US soccer Alan Rothenberg, the USA international footballers Eric Wynalda and Heather O'Reilly, MLS vice-president Dan Courtemanche, and South Korea captain Son Heung-Min, who made the move to the MLS from the English Premier League.

The coffin of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former supreme leader, killed by Israel in February, has been on a procession tour this week of holy sites in Iraq and Iran. Huge crowds gathered wherever it went, the coffin was passed over a sea of hands, and three of Khamenei’s sons wept over the coffin in Tehran.

Meanwhile, the US and Iran have launched new strikes throughout the week. The peace between the US and Iran is fragile, at best. At worst, it could be over. We speak to Parham Ghobadi, from the BBC’s Persian Service.

(Photo: Burial of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Mashhad. Credit: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters)

Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Aron Keller

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Citizen Vigilante is a low-budget action thriller starring actor Armie Hammer as a vigilante who hunts down migrant criminals in Europe. The movie faced a muted reception - until Elon Musk posted it to his hundreds of millions of followers on X.com.

We speak to journalist Mike Wendling to understand why this film has become a lightning rod for political and cultural debate, and what its sudden rise reveals about the far-reaching influence of the world’s richest man.

Producers: Aron Keller and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Photo: Elon Musk at the Viva Technology conference, June 16, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo.

Mix: Travis Evans

Video journalist: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

World leaders are gathering in Ankara, Turkey for a Nato summit, despite tensions between Donald Trump and Nato allies over financial contributions and the Iran war. The US president hasn’t hidden his consternation with European leaders, and has suggested he is only attending ‘out of respect to President Erdogan’.

Turkey’s leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come under criticism for a crackdown on dissent in the country, which has led to over 200 arrests of activists, journalists and public figures in the lead up to the summit. So how has he taken on such a pivotal role within Nato?

We speak to BBC correspondent and presenter, Mark Lowen, who was based in Istanbul for five years, before he was detained and banned from the country while on a reporting trip last year.

Producers: Valerio Esposito and Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Tom Bage

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: President Trump shakes hands with Turkish President Erdogan at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 7, 2026. Credit: Emrah Gurel/Pool via Reuters

Donald Trump has revealed that he personally called Gianni Infantino, the head of Fifa, to ask him to review the red card given to United States' star player Folarin Balogun. The striker had been given a one-match ban after a hard tackle against Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the punishment was suspended in time for the US to play their final 16 match against Belgium yesterday.

The decision has been widely condemned across the football world, with European footballing organisation UEFA, calling it, "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable", and former Fifa president Sepp Blatter writing on X, “Redcards are not overturned by political phone calls… Football must never become a playground for political power.”Infantino has insisted the decision was made independently by Fifa’s “independent judicial bodies”.

On today’s show, Tristan is joined by BBC football issues correspondent Dale Johnson and New Yorker staff writer Sam Knight, to explain the scandal, and how Infantino’s governance of Fifa has brought football and politics closer together.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin

Mix: Travis Evans

Video journalist: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Folarin Balogun of the U.S. looks dejected as he applauds fans after the match following their elimination from the World Cup, July 6, 2026. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Blake Dahlin

President Trump will be attending a NATO summit in Turkey this week, where he’s likely to hear one consistent message from European leaders: the tide is shifting against Russia in its war with Ukraine. And not just on the battlefield.

Russian cities are being pounded by Ukrainian drones in ever increasing numbers. Fuel shortages have become widespread as key infrastructure has been targeted, with long lines seen at gas stations and trucks abandoned by the side of the road. Vladimir Putin recently made a rare admission; that his country is actually facing problems caused by the conflict, amid growing disquiet about Russia’s enormous economic problems.

In today’s episode we speak to Simon Shuster, staff writer at The Atlantic, and veteran reporter of Russia and Ukraine. And with the war starting to hit home, we ask if Putin is now on the backfoot?

Producers: Lucy Pawle and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Video producer: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Russia's President Putin meets with service members in Moscow, June 12, 2026. Photo Credit: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via Reuters

As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, this week The Global Story has been exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.

Today, we hear from you. Asma and Tristan put your thoughts and questions about America’s impact on the world to the BBC’s international editor, Jeremy Bowen, who has reported from more than 90 countries over the past 40 years, and to Celia Hatton, who hosts the BBC’s Global News Podcast and previously spent 15 years reporting from inside China.

Producers: Cat Farnsworth, Aron Keller and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: An illustration of a megaphone. Credit: BBC

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, all this week The Global Story is exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.

For decades in the US, “Made in China” signified a product that was cheap, poorly made, and, in some cases, produced through exploitative labour. But today, the label signifies something quite different in many American minds - state-of-the-art tech and luxury goods that even rival America, for arguably the first time in US history.

Often overlooked is the fact that China’s ascendance as an economic superpower was far from inevitable. Today we speak to historian Elizabeth Ingleson to trace the evolution of the Made in China brand and to explore what responsibility the United States had for awakening its own economic rival.

Producer: Xandra Ellin and Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, The Global Story is this week exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.

President Donald Trump’s attempts at regime change in Iran and Venezuela, controversial as they are, reflect the US’s long history of using both military and covert operations to achieve its goals abroad.

One of the forefathers of this approach to foreign intervention was Allen Dulles, the first civilian head of the Central Intelligence Agency, who used undercover – and often morally dubious – tactics to topple global leaders deemed unfriendly to America’s interests.

On today’s show, Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA and The Mission: the CIA in the 21st Century, joins Tristan and Asma to explain how Dulles' legacy played out through the ‘War on Terror’ and how it has helped shaped today’s US foreign policy.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Aron Keller

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive Producer: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: An illustration similar to the CIA seal. Credit: BBC

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, all this week The Global Story is exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.

One of the most powerful and enduring American ideas is that of the American Dream. Today, we hear the story of one extraordinary American Dream seeker.

The BBC first spoke to Abdi Nor Iftin in 2014, when he was living in one of Kenya's toughest neighbourhoods after fleeing conflict in Somalia. When he won the US green card lottery his problems seemed to be solved – but it turned out to be the start of a whole new struggle.

Producer: Viv Jones, Aron Keller

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Matt Pintus

Senior news editor: China Collins

Image: An illustration of the Statue of Liberty. Credit: BBC