The Global Story
BBC World Service
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.Come and join us our live event. You can register for Castfest tickets here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/castfest-2026
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 27, 2026 • 28min
Meta and YouTube lost in a landmark trial. Is this just the tip of the iceberg?
Marianna Spring, BBC social media investigations correspondent who probes whistleblower accounts and algorithmic harms. She walks through a landmark trial blaming platform design for teen addiction. Short dives cover autoplay, infinite scroll, product choices that prioritized engagement, whistleblower revelations about recommendation systems, and the possible ripple effects for law and regulation.
10 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 27min
The cities built on scamming us all
Jonathan Head, BBC Southeast Asia correspondent and investigative reporter, gives on-the-ground reporting about scam centres, human trafficking and organized crime. He describes surreal fortified developments, how syndicates recruit and coerce workers, the vast money flows and laundering methods, and how regional politics and international pressure shape these illicit hubs.
9 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 28min
Are we heading for World War Three?
Margaret MacMillan, Emeritus professor of international history known for her work on 19th and 20th century conflicts, discusses how world wars begin and spread. She outlines scenarios for wider Middle East escalation and the accidents and miscalculations that can trigger global conflict. She explores why wars are hard to end and what diplomatic paths and confidence-building measures might prevent wider catastrophe.
8 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 27min
The Venezuela model for regime change
Ione Wells, BBC South America correspondent who reported from Caracas, gives on-the-ground perspective. She sketches rallies and who attends them. She outlines Delcy Rodríguez’s balancing act with the US and the three-phase US plan. She describes oil and mining deal dynamics and early signs of freed prisoners alongside lingering economic challenges.
35 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 27min
Trump's Iran options
Ghoncheh Habibiazad, a BBC Persian media monitor with on-the-ground insight into Iranian public reactions. Joe Inwood, a BBC world affairs correspondent who explains Middle East developments. They examine recent missile strikes and where they fell, US troop moves and threats to Iranian energy, Iranian public fears about infrastructure damage, and the political and regional risks of escalation.
Mar 20, 2026 • 27min
Netanyahu is not dead. So why did the internet think he was?
Peter Pomerantsev, analyst of propaganda and disinformation, and Thomas Copeland, BBC Verify image and video investigator, unpack how AI-generated photos and clips falsely claimed Netanyahu was dead. They trace the viral six-finger misread, show how attention economies and monetization fuel churned fakes, and argue AI magnifies age-old wartime deception tactics while testing platform detection and moderation.
Mar 19, 2026 • 27min
The war in Lebanon, explained
Hugo Bachega, BBC Middle East correspondent reporting from Beirut since Oct 2023, gives on-the-ground perspective. He describes Beirut under air strikes and mass displacement. He traces how Lebanon became a front in the Iran war and why Hezbollah evolved into a political and military force. He outlines Israeli ground operations, fears of occupation, and why the conflict could persist.
17 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 27min
Listener Q&A on Iran
John Simpson, veteran BBC world affairs editor with decades covering the Middle East, offers historical perspective and analysis. He discusses the current balance of military aims and limits. He explains how the conflict could spread across the region. He traces deep roots of Iranian distrust of the US. He weighs the prospects of Gulf states intervening and the risk of extremist groups exploiting regime collapse.
8 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 27min
How does war affect a child’s brain?
Fergal Keane, veteran BBC war correspondent known for reflective reporting on trauma and PTSD, shares frontline memories and personal struggles. He discusses witnessing genocides, ethical ways of interviewing children in conflict, recognizing his own PTSD, recovery steps like therapy and love, and the global scale of children living amid war.
32 snips
Mar 16, 2026 • 28min
Was the air strike on an Iranian school a war crime?
Merlyn Thomas, a BBC Verify reporter who uses open-source intelligence and satellite imagery, gives forensic reconstruction of the Minab school strike. Oona Hathaway, an international law scholar and former Defense Department counsel, explains legal frameworks and accountability. They discuss geolocation and satellite evidence, weapon identification, targeting procedures, AI in targeting, and when civilian deaths may meet legal thresholds.
