The Global Story
- Episodes
- 691
- Released
- daily
- Latest episode
- Nov 13, 2026
About the podcast
Where the world and America meet, with episodes each weekday. The world is changing. Decisions made in the US and by the second Trump administration are accelerating that change. But they are also a symptom of it. With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption.
Episodes 691
GTA 6: A mirror of America?
“This is the biggest entertainment release ever”, says the BBC’s technology reporter, Laura Cress. Like the 10 million people who have pre-ordered Grand Theft Auto 6 ahead of its launch on 19 November, Laura is …
Show notes
“This is the biggest entertainment release ever”, says the BBC’s technology reporter, Laura Cress. Like the 10 million people who have pre-ordered Grand Theft Auto 6 ahead of its launch on 19 November, Laura is excited to experience the ground-breaking graphics and new features - including the first female protagonist - of gaming’s biggest franchise. Laura tells The Global Story’s Tristan Redman about GTA’s surprising roots - in a small studio in Dundee, Scotland - and explains how its nihilistic eye on the US cities the game is modelled on has courted controversy and raised political debate.
Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie
Executive producers: Hannah Moore and Martine Powers
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: A large banner promoting Grand Theft Auto 6 in Hong Kong. Credit: Vernon Yuen/Nexpher Images via Getty Images.
Why the Nvidia scandal is bigger than one tech CEO’s affair
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 …
Show notes
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.
How porn changed the internet - and everything else
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 …
Show notes
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
Will Trump’s foreign policy change following the midterms?
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 …
Show notes
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
How North Korea pulled off a $6bn heist
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 …
Show notes
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 and the unfinished MeToo reckoning
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 …
Show notes
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
Are governments preparing for the apocalypse?
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 …
Show notes
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
What a ‘blue tsunami’ means for US foreign policy
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 …
Show notes
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
They fled Russia. The US sent them back
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 …
Show notes
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
Anthropic warns its AI could be dangerous. So why do people want to invest?
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 …
Show notes
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
Can London’s black cabs survive driverless cars?
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 …
Show notes
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
How Trump’s Cuba policy is shaping Miami’s midterms
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 …
Show notes
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
Did Melania Trump broker a ceasefire in Ukraine?
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 …
Show notes
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
How Lula held on to Brazil
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 …
Show notes
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.
Why young Israelis are more conservative than their parents
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 …
Show notes
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
What happened to missing journalist Austin Tice?
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 …
Show notes
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
Europe protests: A continent in crisis?
“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 …
Show notes
“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
Who gets to decide Ukraine's future?
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 …
Show notes
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
They were loyal Democrats. Then came Gaza
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 …
Show notes
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.
Is Trump sacrificing Ukraine for cheaper diesel?
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 …
Show notes
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
America’s rogue ambassadors
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 …
Show notes
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
Why Trump is not going to war with the Houthis
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 …
Show notes
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
Could Gen Z bring down India’s Modi?
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 …
Show notes
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
Was World War Two worth it? Some US conservatives have doubts
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 …
Show notes
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
Are we really living in unprecedented times?
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 …
Show notes
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
What’s really happening with plague in Russia?
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 …
Show notes
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.
Why French teenagers are fighting for their education
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 …
Show notes
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)
The warnings before 7 October
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 …
Show notes
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)
Smart glasses or ‘pervert glasses’?
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 …
Show notes
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.
America’s global hunt for execution drugs
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 …
Show notes
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
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