Podcast · 286 episodes
The Global Story
by BBC World Service · English
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.
Latest episodes
Is Meta dying?Whether Meta (Facebook) is “dying,” framed by youth decline, legal/ethical scrutiny over teen harm, and Meta’s repeated bets that fail (Metaverse) or shift to new tech (generative AI).30 Sep 2026 · 27 min
Did a farmer foil a plot to attack a UK military base?A suspected plot involving five men was disrupted near RAF Fairford, a major US-operated UK airbase in Gloucestershire, after reports of three suspicious vans.29 Sep 2026 · 27 min
The Super El Nino: what happens when it hits us?The BBC Global Story episode explains what a “Super El Niño” is, why it’s happening in the Pacific, and the likely global knock-on effects (drought, floods, wildfires, hurricane shifts) plus how…28 Sep 2026 · 27 min
All episodes
Is Meta dying?Whether Meta (Facebook) is “dying,” framed by youth decline, legal/ethical scrutiny over teen harm, and Meta’s repeated bets that fail (Metaverse) or shift to new tech (generative AI).30 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 8 chapters
Did a farmer foil a plot to attack a UK military base?A suspected plot involving five men was disrupted near RAF Fairford, a major US-operated UK airbase in Gloucestershire, after reports of three suspicious vans.29 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 13 chapters
The Super El Nino: what happens when it hits us?The BBC Global Story episode explains what a “Super El Niño” is, why it’s happening in the Pacific, and the likely global knock-on effects (drought, floods, wildfires, hurricane shifts) plus how…28 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Katseye, America and the dark side of K-pop perfectionThe BBC Global Story episode examines whether K-pop can be replicated outside South Korea through HYBE/Geffen’s global girl group Katseye, while also exploring the “dark side” of K-pop perfection:…25 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 15 chapters
Is a free press at serious risk in Trump’s America?The BBC Global Story episode examines whether the Trump administration is putting U.S.24 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 10 chapters
Inside China’s push to become the world’s AI superpowerThe BBC Global Story episode examines how China is trying to become the world’s AI superpower ahead of Xi Jinping’s White House meeting with Donald Trump, amid U.S.-China AI rivalry, trade tensions,…23 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 8 chapters
Why the world wants American surrogatesWhy the U.S. became the world’s commercial surrogacy hub, and how legal/ethical backlash could change it.22 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Searching for Russia’s missing soldiersThe episode investigates how many Russian soldiers Russia has lost in the Ukraine war, challenging Western casualty estimates and explaining how those numbers are compiled and disputed.21 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 15 chapters
Dave Ramsey: Iran, tariffs and affordabilityHow cost-of-living pressures and foreign-policy shocks (Iran, tariffs, energy prices) may affect US elections, and why Dave Ramsey argues politicians can’t fix affordability—individual budgeting and…18 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 13 chapters
Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, and the politics of staying silentThe episode discusses controversy over Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian remarks during Ed Sheeran’s U.S. stadium tour, and how “staying silent” becomes political.17 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 9 chapters
Will the Houthis tank the global economy?The episode explains how the Houthi advance in Yemen could disrupt Red Sea shipping at the Bab al-Mandeb choke point, raising oil and broader commodity prices and pressuring the global economy and US…16 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 10 chapters
The Canadians who want out of CanadaA BBC Global Story episode about Alberta’s October 19 referendum on whether the province should separate from Canada, and how U.S. politics and the Trump administration could influence the moment.15 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 8 chapters
Can the US and China stop AI from killing us all?The episode discusses whether the US and China can slow AI development to reduce existential risks, amid fears of “superintelligence” and growing geopolitical competition.14 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Did America win the ‘war on terror’?25 years after 9/11, whether the “war on terror” is over, and what the U.S. response changed—especially Afghanistan, the 2003 Iraq invasion, Iran, and today’s threats.11 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 14 chapters
How the AfD is rewriting German historyHow Germany’s far-right AfD is gaining power and pushing to “rewrite” German history by challenging “memory culture” focused on the Holocaust, including calls to teach less about Nazis and cut…10 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 8 chapters
Why America's allies are sanctioning West Bank settlersThe UK and other European allies have sanctioned Israeli West Bank settlements, calling some settler actions “ethnic cleansing,” and the episode examines why and the diplomatic fallout—especially the…9 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 9 chapters
Can Dubai’s luxe image survive the war with Iran?How the Iran-UAE war has damaged “Brand Dubai” (global perceptions of safety and luxury), including impacts on daily life, media control, and tourism.8 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 10 chapters
Was Saudi Arabia involved in 9/11?A BBC investigation into whether Saudi Arabia was involved in the 9/11 attacks, focusing on Omar al-Bayoumi’s alleged role in helping two hijackers (Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Midah) rent an…7 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 12 chapters
How the world sees Lindsay ClancyThe Massachusetts trial of Lindsay Clancy—an American mother accused of murdering her three children—and how the case would be treated differently under UK/Canada “infanticide” laws, revealing…4 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Is the AI backlash actually a Chinese psy-op?The BBC’s Global Story examines whether foreign states are behind political misinformation, focusing on (1) Elon Musk/X alleging China-linked “slopaganda” about AI data centres, (2) Spain’s Ceuta…3 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 10 chapters
Is the world giving up on the US dollar?Whether the U.S. dollar’s dominance is ending, prompted by the U.S. federal debt crossing $40 trillion and rising interest costs.2 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 13 chapters
Nepal: Covering a disaster in your own countryThe BBC’s “The Global Story” examines the Aug. 26 Nepal floods/glacial collapse in the Himalayas and how international coverage can shift from information to spectacle.1 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 13 chapters
Inside Afghanistan’s secret schools for girlsFive years after the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul, the episode examines Taliban rule over Afghan girls’ education and women’s rights, focusing on “secret schools” and the Taliban’s public claims versus…31 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Did Emily ruin Paris?Whether TV/film tourism from Emily in Paris (and other shows) helps or harms the real cities they depict, focusing on Parisians’ complaints about stereotypes, crowding, and “fetishized” neighborhoods.28 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 12 chapters