The Global Story

The Global Story: Where the world meets America

World Service,576 episodes

Episodes

ListGrid

Listener Q&A on Iran
BBC world affairs editor John Simpson answers your questions on the US-Israel war on Iran
18 Mar 2026,26 mins
How does war affect a child’s brain?
Veteran war reporter Fergal Keane on PTSD among children in conflicts worldwide.
17 Mar 2026,26 mins
Was the air strike on an Iranian school a war crime?
What we know so far about the strike - and what the legal consequences could be.
16 Mar 2026,28 mins
Jeremy Bowen: Trump has called for an Iran uprising. The lessons from Iraq in 1991 loom large
A special essay from our international editor, Jeremy Bowen.
14 Mar 2026,14 mins
How the Oscars went international
The Academy Awards are increasingly nominating films made outside of America.
13 Mar 2026,26 mins
Why is Donald Trump obsessed with the Chagos Islands?
Trump, Starmer, and the mysterious islands fracturing the 'special relationship'.
12 Mar 2026,26 mins
Iran: Is diplomacy dead?
A former State Department official on the chances of a negotiated peace with Iran
11 Mar 2026,27 mins
Are oil prices determining the course of the Iran war?
How the oil crises of the 1970s might help us make sense of the current moment
10 Mar 2026,26 mins
Spain stands up to Trump
Pedro Sanchez’s anti-war and pro-immigration views have caused clashes with the US leader.
09 Mar 2026,27 mins
Do Trump and Netanyahu have conflicting end goals on Iran?
Israel and the United States are currently aligned. Will it last?
06 Mar 2026,27 mins
Could Iran be the next ‘forever war’?
We compare this week to previous US interventions in the Middle East.
05 Mar 2026,27 mins
Iran under attack: The view from inside
As the bombing continues, Iranians contemplate an uncertain future
04 Mar 2026,27 mins
Iran war: Chaos engulfs the Gulf
How the US-Israel war with Iran is disrupting the region
03 Mar 2026,26 mins
What next for Iran?
Iran’s supreme leader has been killed in joint US-Israeli airstrikes
02 Mar 2026,26 mins
Mexico’s most wanted cartel boss is dead. Is it enough for Trump?
Our correspondent in Mexico on the fallout of the killing of “El Mencho”.
27 Feb 2026,27 mins
Is a peace deal with Putin possible?
Top Putin expert Fiona Hill on the chances of a Ukraine peace deal
26 Feb 2026,26 mins
Ukraine’s defiance, four years on
Perspectives on the war from those living on Ukraine’s front line
25 Feb 2026,27 mins
Inside Iran after the crackdown
A rare look inside the country reckoning with a brutal crackdown and the prospect of war.
24 Feb 2026,27 mins
The new race to the Moon
Nasa's Artemis II launch this spring marks the beginning of a new space race.
23 Feb 2026,26 mins
What the former prince Andrew’s arrest means for the Royal Family
Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He denies wrongdoing
20 Feb 2026,27 mins
What ‘looksmaxxing’ tells us about modern masculinity
Inside the ‘looksmaxxing’ trend, which could be reshaping male beauty standards.
19 Feb 2026,26 mins
The tightrope of reporting in Putin’s Russia
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to an intense crackdown on dissent.
18 Feb 2026,26 mins
Gisèle Pelicot on confronting shame and finding hope
Gisèle Pelicot’s bravery during the rape trial of her husband and 50 men made her an icon
17 Feb 2026,26 mins
Is social media having its Big Tobacco moment?
A landmark trial on social media addiction is putting tech giants in the dock.
16 Feb 2026,26 mins
Epstein’s global network: What the files reveal
The latest tranche of Epstein files shed new light on the scandal’s global implications
13 Feb 2026,27 mins
With Jimmy Lai in jail, have Trump and the West abandoned Hong Kong?
The media mogul’s case has caused global concern that Beijing is cracking down on dissent
12 Feb 2026,27 mins
The ‘weight loss revolution’ changing the world
GLP-1s are changing the way you live, move, and eat — whether you take them or not.
11 Feb 2026,26 mins
The origins of ICE
How ICE went from a little-known US law enforcement agency to international controversy.
10 Feb 2026,26 mins
Live in Washington DC
We preview how the US may further reshuffle the world order, in front of a live audience.
09 Feb 2026,31 mins
Could the Epstein scandal topple the British Prime Minister?
Epstein revelations fuel UK political storm shaking Westminster
06 Feb 2026,26 mins