The Global Story

President Trump will be attending a NATO summit in Turkey this week, where he’s likely to hear one consistent message from European leaders: the tide is shifting against Russia in its war with Ukraine. And not just on the battlefield. Russian cities are being pounded by Ukrainian drones in ever increasing numbers. Fuel shortages have become widespread as key infrastructure has been targeted, with long lines seen at gas stations and trucks abandoned by the side of the road. Vladimir Putin recently made a rare admission; that his country is actually facing problems caused by the conflict, amid growing disquiet about Russia’s enormous economic problems. In today’s episode we speak to Simon Shuster, staff writer at The Atlantic, and veteran reporter of Russia and Ukraine. And with the war starting to hit home, we ask if Putin is now on the backfoot?Producers: Lucy Pawle and Hannah MooreExecutive producer: Bridget HarneyMix: Travis EvansVideo producer: Matt PintusSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: Russia's President Putin meets with service members in Moscow, June 12, 2026. Photo Credit: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via Reuters

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, all this week The Global Story is exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.One of the most powerful and enduring American ideas is that of the American Dream. Today, we hear the story of one extraordinary American Dream seeker.The BBC first spoke to Abdi Nor Iftin in 2014, when he was living in one of Kenya's toughest neighbourhoods after fleeing conflict in Somalia. When he won the US green card lottery his problems seemed to be solved – but it turned out to be the start of a whole new struggle.Producer: Viv Jones, Aron KellerExecutive producer: James ShieldMix: Travis EvansDigital producer: Matt PintusSenior news editor: China CollinsImage: An illustration of the Statue of Liberty. Credit: BBC

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, all this week The Global Story is exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.Today, we are joined by Roman Mars – the host of 99% Invisible and the new BBC series A History of the United States in 100 Objects – who sets out his theory of how the US used design to shape the world in its image.Producer: Sam ChantarasakExecutive producer: James ShieldSound engineer: Travis EvansSenior news editor: China Collins(Image: An illustration of a US city rising high above the world’s surface)

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, The Global Story is launching a landmark series exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the United States has shaped the modern world.

Britain has had six prime ministers in the past decade. It’s about to get a seventh after Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday. The country used to be seen as a bastion of political stability. But this latest resignation comes ten years - almost to the day - that Britain voted to leave the European Union. In this episode we speak to The BBC’s Adam Fleming, Brexit expert, and host of the BBC podcast Newscast. And we ask if Britain is still experiencing the same political forces that produced Brexit.Why Britain keeps losing prime ministers: bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct8mksProducer: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle Sound engineer: Travis EvansEditor: James ShieldSenior news editor: China Collins(Photo: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces his resignation outside 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, June 22, 2026. Credit: Jaimi Joy/Reuters)

At the inaugural Enhanced Games this weekend, something unprecedented is taking place; professional athletes from around the world will be encouraged to swim, lift, and sprint with the aid of performance enhancing drugs.The competition — nicknamed the 'Doping Olympics' — has provoked enormous controversy in the world of sport. Enhanced runs counter to the many athletic organisations who have spent decades prioritising a crackdown on performance enhancing drugs. Many in the sporting world say that a competition that endorses doping will normalise unfair and possibly dangerous drug use. But supporters argue that the competition will facilitate the safe, open use of drugs that are often taken unsafely and without medical supervision at competitions elsewhere.BBC sports editor Dan Roan joins us to break down all things Enhanced Games. His documentary, Enhanced Games: A Sporting Revolution or Dangerous Doping?, is available now on YouTube.Producers: Xandra Ellin and Valerio EspositoExecutive producers: James Shield and China CollinsMix: Travis EvansSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: Olympic swimming medallist Ben Proud has become the first British athlete to join the Enhanced Games, an event which allows athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs. Credit: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire.

In the decade since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the country has cycled through six prime ministers, victims of both their own decisions, and global pressures.Now, Sir Keir Starmer, the current prime minister and leader of the left-leaning Labour party, could be the seventh leader to fall, under pressure from members of his own party who feel he has failed to tackle key issues like the cost of living, immigration, and sluggish economic growth.To top it off, recent local elections across the country proved disastrous for Labour as it lost ground to populist parties on both the left and right, and only two years after a landslide victory some of Sir Keir’s own party members are calling for him to step down.How did British politics become so volatile? BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale joins us to explain. Producers: Hannah Moore and Aron Keller Executive producer: Richard Fenton-Smith Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo:Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer makes a statement in number 10 Downing Street, Westminster. Credit: Jack Taylor/PA Wire

President Donald Trump has warned Iran the "clock is ticking" as talks to bring their war to an end have stalled. "They better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”There are multiple thorny issues to be resolved between the US and Iran, but one of them concerns another country altogether: Lebanon. Iran has reportedly insisted on an end to the war in Lebanon before talks can continue with the US. A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced back in April, but Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire since then and hundreds have been killed. Hugo Bachega, Middle East Correspondent, discusses why the war in Lebanon is so hard to end, and what that means for the chances of a deal between the US and Iran.Producer: Viv Jones and Aron KellerExecutive producer: Bridget Harney Sound engineer: Travis EvansSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Choukine, Lebanon (Reuters)

The mayor of the Californian city of Arcadia has agreed to plead guilty to charges she acted as an illegal agent for China. Prosecutors say Eileen Wang was directly co-ordinating with a Chinese official to disseminate news stories downplaying human rights concerns in China, with the aim of trying to influence US government and public opinion.US authorities say the extent of China’s covert activity and espionage in the United States goes well beyond this case. According to the FBI, Chinese counterintelligence and espionage efforts are a “grave threat to the economic well-being and democratic values of the United States”. We speak to Andrew Badger, former CIA case officer and co-author of The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign to Steal America's Secrets. Producer: Viv Jones and Lucy Pawle Executive producer: James Shield Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins(Photo: Eileen Wang. Credit: City of Arcadia City Hall/ Reuters)

Donald Trump has concluded his final round of talks with Xi Jinping and wrapped up his state visit to Beijing.Trade, oil, Iran and Taiwan were among the topics discussed over two days of meetings. The US president said the meeting was ‘’successful” and “unforgettable” – and said he expects the relationship will be better than ever. Does Xi Jinping see things the same way? We speak to the BBC’s senior China correspondent, Laura Bicker.Producers: Hannah Moore and Valerio Esposito Executive producer: James Shield Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Trump and Xi. Reuters/Evan Vucci/Pool

The British comedian Russell Brand is due to stand trial in the UK this year on charges of rape and sexual assault, to which he pleads not guilty. Over the course of his decades-long career, he has had many guises; Hollywood actor, MTV presenter, radio host, author, religious sceptic, and political agitator among them, moving between mainstream and ‘alternative’ media platforms. His latest appearances, on podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan, have gone viral for his admissions about his past behaviour, and his conversion to Christianity. With BBC media editor Katie Razzall. Producer: Hannah Moore Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: British actor and comedian Russell Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court, February 24, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville.

**Warning: this episode includes discussions of sexual abuse, suicide and upsetting scenes**In just the last few years, AI chatbots have become routine aspects of many people’s everyday lives. They are being used as search engines, agony aunts, and sources of companionship.In rare cases though, AI chatbots have sent users down a dark path. In a new BBC investigation, population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty speaks to people who have experienced delusions after talking to chatbots – including one man who grabbed a hammer and prepared for war after his chatbot told him it was sentient.Producers: Valerio Esposito, Viv Jones and Xandra EllinExecutive producer: James ShieldMix: Travis EvansStudio manager: Jonathan GreerSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: Adam Hourican. Credit: BBC.

It’s been a year since billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk left his informal position in President Trump’s White House in May 2025. But behind the scenes, Musk has been busy. Musk has spent the last few weeks in a California courtroom, where he is suing his former business partner, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In January, Musk applied for permission with the US government to launch a million satellites into orbit, some of which he says will serve as solar AI data centres. And he is preparing to take his company SpaceX public, with an estimated valuation of over $1 trillion.Though his political presence has waned, is it possible that Elon Musk is more powerful than ever? We speak to the BBC’s North America technology correspondent Lily Jamali about what the world’s richest man has been up to since leaving the White House.Producers: Xandra Ellin and Valerio Esposito Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: Elon Musk appears in the courthouse during the OpenAI trial. Credit: Reuters/Manuel Orbegozo

When President Trump talks about his attempts to reach an agreement with Iran, he often mentions a previous deal: the 2015 JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), or Iran nuclear deal. Trump pulled America out of the Obama-era accord during his first term and has called it, "the worst deal in history". His own deal, he says, "will be FAR BETTER". Asma speaks to Ambassador Wendy Sherman, the lead US negotiator on the JCPOA, to get the inside story on how the deal was done, and ask what it might take for Trump to get a deal now.Producers: Viv Jones and Xandra EllinSound engineer: Travis EvansSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: Wendy Sherman. Credit: Michael Reynolds/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

As the US-Israel war with Iran reaches a diplomatic stalemate - one idea seems to be taking hold: that China is the real winner. Some have argued that the US’s biggest rival is quietly boosting its international standing, leverage and reputation as a reliable partner. Yet beneath the surface the economic situation in China looks far less triumphant. We speak to the BBC China Correspondent Laura Bicker who has been reporting from inside China’s factories and trading hubs to explore whether the potential political gains China may be accruing from the Iran war are being offset by the acute economic cost - and what this means for China’s long-term geopolitical ambitions. Producers: Aron Keller and Sam Chantarasak Digital producer: Matt Pintus Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins (Photo: Former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, 14 February, 2023. Credit: WANA/Reuters)

King Charles is visiting America at a tense moment for the ’special relationship' between the United States and the United Kingdom. Can he help turn things around?In a special live recording at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios in London, Asma and Tristan speak to the former British ambassador to the United States, Lord Kim Darroch.Recorded on Saturday 25 April as part of Castfest, a one-day celebration of BBC podcasts.Producers: Sam Chantarasak and James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: BBC. Kim Darroch talked to Asma Khalid and Tristan Redman at BBC Maida Vale Studios.