The Global Story

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What ‘looksmaxxing’ tells us about modern masculinity Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

***This episode contains discussions of body dysmorphia, self-harm, sex and drug use, and references to language that may cause offence***

A controversial internet streamer who goes by the name Clavicular has taken the internet by storm, going to extreme lengths to try to enhance his looks – from using steroids and testosterone to hitting his face with a hammer.

Clavicular has become the poster boy for an online movement called ‘looksmaxxing’, centred on maximising physical attractiveness. Like many subcultures, it has given rise to a whole new lexicon which is gradually migrating from the margins of the internet to the mainstream.

In today’s episode, we turn to journalist and documentary filmmaker Matt Shea to explain whether Clavicular – and the movement he champions – is just another viral curiosity, or a strange symptom of modern masculinity.

Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: A hand holding a mobile phone showing an influencer holding a hammer to his face on screen. Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

The tightrope of reporting in Putin’s Russia Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

Next week marks four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In that time, there’s been an intense crackdown on freedom of speech and dissent in Russia, which has led to many western media organisations leaving the country. Today, we speak to Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia editor, on the tightrope of reporting from Moscow under Vladimir Putin. Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow. Credit: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool/Reuters.

Gisèle Pelicot on confronting shame and finding hope Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

***This episode contains distressing details of rape and sexual assault***

Gisèle Pelicot earned international recognition after waiving her anonymity at her mass-rape trial in 2024, in which her former husband, Dominique, was sentenced to 20 years in jail for drugging her and inviting dozens of other men to their home in the south of France to rape her while she was unconscious.

In court, Gisèle Pelicot bravely faced her abusers, and in public, she stood stoically in defence of sexual assault survivors, saying that, “shame must change sides”.

The BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire talks through her recent interview with Gisèle Pelicot, as her memoir, A Hymn to Life, is published.

If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at befrienders.org. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Producer: Hannah Moore

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Gisèle Pelicot in Paris, France. Credit: Dmitry Kostyukov/BBC Newsnight)

Is social media having its Big Tobacco moment? Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

**This episode contains discussion of bullying, abuse and suicide** A landmark trial is underway in Los Angeles where tech giants Instagram and YouTube will face a jury for the first time over claims that their platforms are deliberately designed to be addictive for children. Lawyers for the plaintiff – a 20 year-old woman – say she developed mental health issues after becoming addicted to the social media at an early age. They argue these companies built “addiction machines” with algorithms that learn what users want and keep feeding it to them. Instagram and YouTube deny the allegations, saying that they have no incentive to turn children into addicts and have introduced various safety measures. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify later this week. We speak to the BBC’s North America Technology Correspondent Lily Jamali, who has been following the case, to ask whether social media is having a generational reckoning – its Big Tobacco moment. Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Vigil outside the courthouse ahead of a social media addiction trial in Los Angeles. Credit: Reuters/ Jill Connelly.

Epstein’s global network: What the files reveal Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

Two weeks after the latest release of the Epstein files, the headlines keep pouring in.

In just the past few days, revelations in the documents have nearly brought down a British prime minister, and implicated politicians and royals from around the world. The files are even fueling speculation about whether the late sex offender could have been a spy.

We speak to Nomia Iqbal, BBC World Affairs Correspondent, about what we’ve learned this week about the international fallout of the Epstein scandal.

Producers: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Epstein files. Credit: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA/Shutterstock

With Jimmy Lai in jail, have Trump and the West abandoned Hong Kong? Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

On Monday, Hong Kong's pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law. The family of the 78-year-old, who is a British citizen, have appealed to foreign governments to call for Lai’s release. Lai’s sentence, which is the harshest yet under this law, has caused global concern over whether this is an attempt by Beijing to crackdown on dissent and democracy in the Chinese territory. We speak to Danny Vincent, the BBC’s Hong Kong reporter, who was the last journalist to interview Jimmy Lai. Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Chris Benderev Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Jimmy Lai is escorted out of a Correctional Services Department vehicle and into the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong, China, 09 February 2021. Credit: Tyrone Sui/Reuters

The ‘weight loss revolution’ changing the world Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

During Sunday's Super Bowl in California, a flurry of ads from drug manufacturers and telehealth companies implored viewers at home to "ask their doctor” about a class of weight loss drugs, known as GLP-1s.

These medications — like Mounjaro and Wegovy — have become ubiquitous. In just a few short years, they’ve transformed the way we live, move, and eat, whether we take them or not. And access and demand are only increasing, as pill forms of the drugs come onto the market.

But where did they come from? And how are they reshaping our world? Today, we speak to Giles Yeo, a professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge, about the so-called weight loss revolution.

Producer: Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Someone using a set of weighing scales. Chris Radburn/PA)

The origins of ICE Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

The top official from ICE – US Immigration and Customs Enforcement – will testify in front of Congress this week, for the first time since two people were shot and killed in Minneapolis. Democrats are demanding changes to the way ICE operates, including banning face masks and requiring agents to have warrants signed by a judge before they can enter private properties. Republicans say these measures could make officers less safe. Meanwhile, the controversy over ICE has spread to other countries. A protest broke out in Milan in response to the presence of ICE agents in Italy, who say they are helping with American security operations during the Winter Olympics. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, immigration reporter for CBS News, has been covering ICE operations across multiple US cities. He tells us the history of how this previously little-known law enforcement agency was created, and how it has become so internationally controversial. Producers: Viv Jones, Aron Keller and Chris Benderev

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Anti-ICE protests in Milan. Credit: Reuters/ Alkis Konstantinidis

Live in Washington DC Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

2026 has already been a huge year for international news, from Venezuela to Greenland to Iran.

We wanted to get our heads around what other seismic changes we can expect in the rest of 2026: from Europe’s new dynamic with Washington, to President Trump’s meeting with President Xi of China, to the rebuilding of Gaza.

So we sat down with two foreign policy experts: Tom Bateman, the BBC’s State Department Correspondent, and Emma Ashford, a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center and author of First Among Equals: US Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World.

We were joined in the heart of Washington DC by a live audience at Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.

Recorded Monday 2 February.

Producers: Chris Benderev and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A live taping of The Global Story in Washington DC on 2 February 2026. Credit:Emma Carroll Hudson/Syracuse University

Could the Epstein scandal topple the British Prime Minister? Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Warning: this episode contains themes of sexual abuse.

Following the release of the latest tranche of Epstein files, renewed scrutiny has fallen on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s links to powerful figures in the United States. In the UK, attention has shifted to a related controversy that is now sending tremors through Westminster.

Newly surfaced email exchanges between Epstein and former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson - also known as Britain’s “Prince of Darkness”, have raised questions about the nature of their relationship and its political ramifications, triggering a police investigation and threatening the position of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

George Parker, the Financial Times Political Editor and BBC Radio Presenter, has known the man in question for over three decades. He talks about the seismic implications the Epstein files are having on British politics.

Producers: Samantha Chantarasak, Valerio Esposito and Cat Farnsworth

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Peter Mandelson and Keir Starmer. Credit: Carl Court/PA Wire