Podcast · 286 episodes
The Global Story, page 9
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.
All episodes, page 9
Will Gen Z protests around the world continue in 2026?Gen Z-led protests in 2025 (and their “blueprint” origins) and whether they’ll spread or intensify in 2026, focusing on how social media accelerates organization and visibility.9 Jan 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Will Trump take control of Greenland?Whether Donald Trump will try to take or annex Greenland, and the international consequences for Denmark, NATO, and the EU.8 Jan 2026 · 27 min · 13 chapters
The US ran a war game on the aftermath of Maduro’s fall – it predicted chaosThe episode examines U.S. “war games” and contingency planning around Venezuela after Nicolas Maduro’s potential ouster, arguing they repeatedly predicted “disaster” and chaos—especially mass…7 Jan 2026 · 28 min · 18 chapters
People who could change the world in 2026The episode of BBC’s The Global Story speculates about “people who could change the world in 2026,” focusing on power and influence rather than heads of state.6 Jan 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
What’s next for Venezuela?The episode examines what happens next after a Trump administration–described “sophisticated military raid” captured Venezuela’s deposed president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, with Maduro expected to…5 Jan 2026 · 31 min · 15 chapters
Are conspiracy theories America’s biggest export?How U.S.-origin conspiracy and anti-medicine narratives spread to the UK and can have lethal real-world consequences, using the case of British conspiracy influencer Kate Shemarani and her daughter…2 Jan 2026 · 28 min · 14 chapters
The death of readingWhether society is becoming “post-literate” as people stop reading for pleasure, and how that shift could affect concentration, education, and democracy.1 Jan 2026 · 28 min · 11 chapters
The hostage negotiator’s guide to making deals with Putin’s RussiaRoger Carstens, former U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPIHA), explains how the U.S.31 Dec 2025 · 28 min · 15 chapters
Is the AI boom actually a bubble?Whether the AI boom is a bubble, comparing it to the late-1990s dot-com boom and bust; how to spot “frothy” overexcitement, what could happen if it bursts, and whether AI productivity gains are…30 Dec 2025 · 28 min · 14 chapters
Nukes for nothing: The deal that broke Ukraine's trustThe 1994 Budapest Memorandum—how the US and Russia persuaded Ukraine to give up its Soviet nuclear arsenal, and why Ukraine later came to see it as a betrayal that still shapes distrust and makes…29 Dec 2025 · 28 min · 11 chapters
Can Apple cut ties with China?Whether Apple can “cut ties” with China amid US-China tensions, and what Apple’s China supply-chain dependence means for both countries.26 Dec 2025 · 28 min · 16 chapters
Is social media dead?Whether social media is “dead” or transforming into something else—shifting from social connection to algorithmic, corporate, broadcast-style platforms, with AI and “dead internet” concerns.25 Dec 2025 · 28 min · 10 chapters
The disgraced UK doctor behind autism misinformationHow autism misinformation about vaccines—especially the MMR “separate shots” idea—traces back to disgraced UK doctor Andrew Wakefield and later reappears in US political claims about…24 Dec 2025 · 28 min · 11 chapters
Meeting settlers and Palestinians in the West BankBBC “The Global Story” reports on rising settler violence and harassment in the occupied West Bank, amid Israel’s approval of 19 new settlements.23 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Is Trump looking for war with Venezuela?The episode examines whether President Trump is building toward war or regime change in Venezuela amid escalating U.S.-Venezuela tensions. It traces events from September onward: U.S.22 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 16 chapters
Why K-beauty is everywhereHow K-beauty became a global, government-backed soft-power export, and what it means for beauty standards and self-worth.19 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Why Australia’s gun laws aren’t as strong as you might thinkAfter the Bondi Beach anti-Semitic massacre, the episode examines why Australia’s gun laws—often cited as a “gold standard”—may not be as strong as assumed, focusing on legal frameworks, rising…18 Dec 2025 · 26 min · 8 chapters
What would it take for Putin to stop fighting in Ukraine?Whether Vladimir Putin would accept a peace deal to stop fighting in Ukraine, and what Russia’s negotiating red lines and domestic pressures look like.17 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 16 chapters
The Bondi Beach massacre and the rise of antisemitic violenceThe Bondi Beach massacre during a Hanukkah celebration and the broader rise of antisemitic violence worldwide since Oct 7, 2023, including claims about government protection and drivers of the…16 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Why Trump’s Thailand-Cambodia peace deal unravelledThe BBC Global Story episode explains why a Trump-brokered ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia unraveled, despite claims it would “solve” the conflict.15 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 10 chapters
The murders that moved a nation: Italy’s new femicide lawItaly’s new “femicide” law, passed unanimously, defining the gender-motivated murder of a woman as a standalone crime; debate over whether it’s symbolic versus effective, and calls for education and…12 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 13 chapters
Why the US says Europe is facing ‘civilisational erasure’The BBC “The Global Story” episode examines how the Trump administration’s new national security strategy has alarmed Europe, including its claim that Europe faces “civilizational erasure.” It argues…11 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 12 chapters
How Syria is rebuilding after the fall of a dictatorOne year after Bashar al-Assad fled in Dec 2024, Syria’s rebuilding is examined through celebrations in Damascus, ongoing poverty and rubble, sanctions and unexploded ordnance, and continued external…10 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 13 chapters
Will a social media ban for Australian teens work?Australia’s “delay” (effectively a ban) starting 10 December: teens under 16 can’t open or continue accounts on 10 major platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch,…9 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 10 chapters