Podcast
The Global Story
Hosted by BBC World Service · EN
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.
112episodes
Episodes
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Jeffrey Epstein, Howard Lutnick, and the disgraced former prince
2d ago00:26:19Tap to summarizeIn an exclusive investigation, a whistleblower has told the BBC how he unearthed evidence suggesting that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick failed to disclose a business relationship with the paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein.Simon Andriesz was a trader at one of Lutnick’s Wall Street firms, but it wasn’t until the Epstein files were released earlier this year that he says he confirmed a longstanding suspicion that his boss was misrepresenting his relationship with Epstein.BBC financial investigations correspondent Andy Verity joins us to unpack the new investigation. Listen to Andy’s full report on File on 4 Investigates: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002yx47 Read more about Andy’s investigation: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q28dlyxrzo Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Xandra EllinExecutive producer: James ShieldMix: Travis EvansDigital producer: Tom BageSenior news editor: China Collins Photo: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sits to testify before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing to examine a review of broadband deployment funding at the Department of Commerce, February 10, 2026. Credit: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters.
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Are the tech billionaires taking over?
3d ago00:27:27Tap to summarizeAccording to a recent financial disclosure, President Trump made more than $1.4 billion last year from business dealings in cryptocurrency. Though the White House has denied Trump was profiting from the presidency, he has been championing crypto in recent days — describing himself in one news conference as a, "big crypto guy". Trump’s embrace of crypto raises big questions about the future of the technology. But according to the new BBC documentary, 'The Tech Billionaire Takeover', Trump’s support is just a fraction of the story. Presenter Matt Shea shows how cryptocurrency’s wealthiest advocates are steadily growing their power, and in some cases, even advocating for a total overhaul of government and commerce as we know it. Today, Shea joins us to explain what the tech billionaire takeover really is - and whether it is already begun. Audio for this episode was updated on 14 July to correct a factual error. The original audio said that the Trump family receives 75% of net profit every time the USD1 coin is sold. In fact, they receive 75% of net profit from a different crypto coin called $WLFI. (Photo: Reporter Matt Shea with Crypto billionaire Justin Sun in Hong Kong. Credit: BBC)Producers: Xandra Ellin and Aron Keller Executive producer: Bridget Harney Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins
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The air conditioning culture wars
4d ago00:27:06Tap to summarizeA series of record-breaking heatwaves in Europe this summer has led to a surge in demand for air conditioning units. As Europeans search for a way to stay cool, attitudes and policies towards air conditioning have led to a heated political debate in France, which has baffled some Americans Tristan explains to Sumi Somaskanda how air conditioning became part of the culture wars, and we ask Graihagh Jackson, the host of the BBC podcast The Climate Question, how bad AC actually is for the environment. Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Valerio EspositoExecutive producer: China Collins and Bridget HarneySound engineer: Travis EvansSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: People cool off in the Trocadero Fountains by the Eiffel Tower during high temperatures amid a heatwave in Paris. (REUTERS/Tom Nicholson)
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Bonus: Soccer in the USA - from More than the Score
6d ago00:47:33Tap to summarizeWill co-hosting the World Cup take men’s soccer to another level in the United States? From More than the Score - the global sports podcast that follows the stories behind the results. Search for More than the Score wherever you get your BBC podcasts.In many countries, football is the major sporting obsession - but the same can't be said about the US. The NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and NHL have a longer history and dominate media coverage, sponsorship deals and the national conversation. But has this men’s Fifa World Cup changed that - particularly since President Trump got involved?Soccer has made big strides in the US since it first hosted the men's World Cup in 1994 with the women's team now a powerhouse and Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami boosting interest in the men's domestic league, the MLS.We hear from former head of US soccer Alan Rothenberg, the USA international footballers Eric Wynalda and Heather O'Reilly, MLS vice-president Dan Courtemanche, and South Korea captain Son Heung-Min, who made the move to the MLS from the English Premier League.
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Is a long-term peace with Iran possible?
1w ago00:26:57Tap to summarizeThe coffin of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former supreme leader, killed by Israel in February, has been on a procession tour this week of holy sites in Iraq and Iran. Huge crowds gathered wherever it went, the coffin was passed over a sea of hands, and three of Khamenei’s sons wept over the coffin in Tehran.Meanwhile, the US and Iran have launched new strikes throughout the week. The peace between the US and Iran is fragile, at best. At worst, it could be over. We speak to Parham Ghobadi, from the BBC’s Persian Service.(Photo: Burial of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Mashhad. Credit: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters)Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Aron KellerSound engineer: Travis EvansSenior news editor: China Collins
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Citizen Vigilante and Elon Musk’s war on ‘woke’ films
1w ago00:26:38Tap to summarizeCitizen Vigilante is a low-budget action thriller starring actor Armie Hammer as a vigilante who hunts down migrant criminals in Europe. The movie faced a muted reception - until Elon Musk posted it to his hundreds of millions of followers on X.com. We speak to journalist Mike Wendling to understand why this film has become a lightning rod for political and cultural debate, and what its sudden rise reveals about the far-reaching influence of the world’s richest man. Producers: Aron Keller and Hannah Moore Executive producer: Bridget Harney Photo: Elon Musk at the Viva Technology conference, June 16, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo. Mix: Travis Evans Video journalist: Matt Pintus Senior news editor: China Collins
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Is Turkey’s Erdogan Nato’s greatest asset?
1w ago00:26:57Tap to summarizeWorld leaders are gathering in Ankara, Turkey for a Nato summit, despite tensions between Donald Trump and Nato allies over financial contributions and the Iran war. The US president hasn’t hidden his consternation with European leaders, and has suggested he is only attending ‘out of respect to President Erdogan’. Turkey’s leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come under criticism for a crackdown on dissent in the country, which has led to over 200 arrests of activists, journalists and public figures in the lead up to the summit. So how has he taken on such a pivotal role within Nato?We speak to BBC correspondent and presenter, Mark Lowen, who was based in Istanbul for five years, before he was detained and banned from the country while on a reporting trip last year.Producers: Valerio Esposito and Sam ChantarasakExecutive producer: Bridget HarneyMix: Travis EvansDigital producer: Tom BageSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: President Trump shakes hands with Turkish President Erdogan at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 7, 2026. Credit: Emrah Gurel/Pool via Reuters
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Trump, Fifa and the disappearing red card
1w ago00:26:46Tap to summarizeDonald Trump has revealed that he personally called Gianni Infantino, the head of Fifa, to ask him to review the red card given to United States' star player Folarin Balogun. The striker had been given a one-match ban after a hard tackle against Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the punishment was suspended in time for the US to play their final 16 match against Belgium yesterday.The decision has been widely condemned across the football world, with European footballing organisation UEFA, calling it, "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable", and former Fifa president Sepp Blatter writing on X, “Redcards are not overturned by political phone calls… Football must never become a playground for political power.”Infantino has insisted the decision was made independently by Fifa’s “independent judicial bodies”.On today’s show, Tristan is joined by BBC football issues correspondent Dale Johnson and New Yorker staff writer Sam Knight, to explain the scandal, and how Infantino’s governance of Fifa has brought football and politics closer together.Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra EllinMix: Travis EvansVideo journalist: Matt PintusSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: Folarin Balogun of the U.S. looks dejected as he applauds fans after the match following their elimination from the World Cup, July 6, 2026. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Blake Dahlin
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Is Putin on the backfoot in Ukraine and in Russia?
2w ago00:27:15Tap to summarizePresident 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
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Is the American century over? Your questions answered
2w ago00:27:14Tap to summarizeAs the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, this week The Global Story has been exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.Today, we hear from you. Asma and Tristan put your thoughts and questions about America’s impact on the world to the BBC’s international editor, Jeremy Bowen, who has reported from more than 90 countries over the past 40 years, and to Celia Hatton, who hosts the BBC’s Global News Podcast and previously spent 15 years reporting from inside China.Producers: Cat Farnsworth, Aron Keller and Hannah MooreExecutive producer: James ShieldMix: Travis EvansSenior news editor: China CollinsPhoto: An illustration of a megaphone. Credit: BBC
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