The Global Story

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What happened to missing journalist Austin Tice? Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

The American journalist and former marine, Austin Tice, disappeared 14 years ago while covering the civil war in Syria. Despite the best efforts of US officials and Austin’s family, what happened to Austin has remained a mystery.

In a new podcast for the BBC and NPR’s Embedded, our colleague Josh Baker, along with his reporting partner Sara Obeidat, spend three years searching for answers - and discover information that provides the clearest account of what really happened.

(Photo: A poster of missing journalist Austin Tice at the National Press Club, May 2023. Credit: Getty Images)

Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie

Executive Producer: Cat Farnsworth

Digital Producer: Charlie Firth

Studio Engineer: Jonathan Greer

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Europe protests: A continent in crisis? Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

“They've surrendered their country to vandals,” claimed Donald Trump this week, as videos of protests and looting across France spread across social media and TV news bulletins. The US president has framed the unrest in France – and similar protests across Europe, as a migration problem. “They’re losing Europe”, he said, at a campaign rally in Kansas this week. But what is actually getting people out on the streets in their thousands? The BBC’s Europe editor, Katya Adler, joins us to explain how years of discontent and disenfranchisement among young people have coalesced in this period of fiery protest. (Photo: A protester kicks a tear gas canister during clashes with police at a demonstration against rising living costs and cuts to public services in Paris, France, 17 October 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock) Producer: Hannah Moore, Aron Keller, Lucy Pawle and Jo Casserly Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

Who gets to decide Ukraine's future? Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

Can Ukraine still rely on America?

More than 80 years after the Yalta conference reshaped post-war Europe, some observers fear a new era of great-power diplomacy could once again shape the continent's future. Reports of a possible meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have prompted questions about what role Ukraine would play in any discussion about ending the war.

The speculation comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Washington and Kyiv. From disputes over Starlink access to growing concerns about Trump's outreach to Moscow, Ukrainian officials worry they are losing influence with their most powerful ally.

At the centre of the debate is a simple question: does Trump see Ukraine as an indispensable partner, or an obstacle to broader deals with Russia?

The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to Simon Shuster of The Atlantic about the state of the war, the future of US support and why Kyiv is increasingly worried about being left out of the room.

(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at diplomatic talks in Norway, 20 October 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

Producers: Valerio Esposito, Josephine Casserly and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Studio engineer: James Piper

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

They were loyal Democrats. Then came Gaza Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Midterm elections in the United States are normally about domestic issues such as the economy and the cost of living. They’re often a pulse check on voter sentiment towards the party in power, or a reflection of local political battles and regional trends.

Midterms are rarely impassioned referendums on a specific foreign policy issue. But this year in Michigan, for some voters, the Senate race is shaping up to be just that.

Today on the show, The Global Story’s Asma Khalid shares her reporting from Michigan, where a debate among Democrats over the conflict in the Middle East has become a touchstone issue, especially among the state’s large Arab American and Jewish communities.

Producer: Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Technical producer: Ricardo McCarthy and Mike Regard

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Credit: Rebecca Cook/Reuters.

Is Trump sacrificing Ukraine for cheaper diesel? Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

America’s pain at the pump could have major implications for the future of the war in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump wants to bring down fuel prices for Americans. One way he’s trying to do it is by reopening the door to Russian energy, reversing a policy designed to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of money for his war in Ukraine.

The shift comes as relations between Trump and Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky have deteriorated dramatically. Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for contributing to the global diesel shortage, while Ukraine says those refineries are a crucial source of revenue for Russia’s war machine.

So is American angst about fuel prices changing Trump’s approach to the war? And would importing Russian diesel even make a meaningful difference to US prices?

The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Verify’s Ben Chu about the fuel crisis drawing together Trump, Putin, Zelensky and the American midterm elections.

Producers: Aron Keller, Jo Casserly and Cat Farnsworth

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a press conference in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

America’s rogue ambassadors Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

A diplomat’s job is traditionally to represent their country’s interests while maintaining good relations with their host nation. But some of Donald Trump’s ambassadors are taking a different approach. On Tuesday, Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned from her ambassadorship in Greece after serious allegations were raised about her conduct. According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, the former fiancée of Donald Trump Jr. allegedly asked a Trump donor to pay off her $100,000 Amex bill — allegations she denies. Guilfoyle is not the only ambassador to have caused a stir. US envoys around the world have sparked diplomatic rows, controversy and, in some cases, appeared to step beyond the traditional boundaries of their role. What do Donald Trump’s ambassador picks, and their conduct, tell us about the new way that America does diplomacy? Reuters’ senior White House correspondent, Humeyra Pamuk, breaks down how Trump’s ambassadors are breaking with tradition. Producers: Valerio Esposito and Kateryna Pavlyuk Mix: Travis Evans Executive producer: Martine Powers Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle speak during a dedication ceremony at the chancery of the US Embassy, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Athens, Greece. Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS

Why Trump is not going to war with the Houthis Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Is Washington leaving Saudi Arabia to fend for itself? Last week, Houthi rebels launched a series of missile strikes on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Surveillance footage showed a fireball erupting as airport passengers ran for cover. At least 14 people have been killed and hundreds were injured.

The attack is the latest escalation in a decade-long war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in neighbouring Yemen. The Saudis have long relied on financial, military and intelligence support from the United States, particularly in their fight against the Houthis. But Washington so far has shown little appetite for direct involvement in the fighting.

So why is the United States holding back? And what does that mean for the people caught in the middle?

The BBC’s chief international investigations correspondent, Nawal al-Maghafi, recently reported from inside Yemen and joins The Global Story’s Asma Khalid to discuss why this conflict is escalating and what might happen next.

(Photo: Houthi supporters rally against Saudi Arabia in Sanaa, Yemen, 9 October 2026. Credit:Yahya Arhab / EPA / Shutterstock)

Producer: Cat Farnsworth and Mhairi MacKenzie

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Could Gen Z bring down India’s Modi? Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

This week tens of thousands of young people have taken to the streets of Delhi, India’s capital, demanding changes to the electoral system and the resignation of the country’s electoral commissioner. Thousands have been detained by police in the process.

They represent the ‘cockroach’ movement, a grassroots campaign group started by a Boston University graduate in protest at government policies and high youth unemployment. How did a movement that started as a meme capture the minds of India’s young people, and start to pose a challenge to its long-serving prime minister, Narendra Modi?

The BBC’s South Asia correspondent, Azadeh Moshiri, explains.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Lucy Pawle

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producer: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A protester gestures while being detained by security personnel during a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) seeking the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, near the protest site in New Delhi, India, October 10, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Adnan Abidi

Was World War Two worth it? Some US conservatives have doubts Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Since World War Two ended, most people living in the United States or Europe have generally upheld a consensus about its morality; that it was a just war fought against an evil Nazi regime, and the allies were right to fight it.

But in a viral podcast debate with the British conservative Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tucker Carlson seemed to disagree with that narrative, causing deep consternation within the wider conservative movement.

The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Newscast’s Adam Fleming about Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and the strand of British conservatism he represents. We also hear from the Conservative politician and Times of London columnist Lord Daniel Finkelstein - whose parents were survivors of a Nazi concentration camps and a Russian gulag - about why he thinks one of America’s most influential right-wing voices is casting doubt on World War Two history.

(Photo: Tucker Carlson speaks at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, 18 July, 2024. He has short brown hair with side parting. He gestures with both arms outstretched to the side as he speaks into a mic. He wears a dark blue jacket, a blue and white gingham shirt and a dark blue tie with yellow, diagonal stripes. Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters)

Producer: Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: James Shield

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Are we really living in unprecedented times? Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

Politicians and commentators keep telling us we are living through unprecedented times. But how unusual is the world we are living in, really?

John Simpson has spent 60 years reporting for the BBC, witnessing some of the most consequential moments in modern history. He was on the plane that brought Ayatollah Khomeini back to Iran during the 1979 revolution. He watched the Berlin Wall come down. And he reported from Beijing during the protests in Tiananmen Square.

Those experiences have left Simpson with a perspective that is not entirely pessimistic. Having lived through the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of apartheid, Simpson has seen seemingly entrenched systems change in ways few thought possible.

Now, as wars rage and the global order shifts again, he joins The Global Story’s Asma Khalid to reflect on what those moments can tell us about the present and whether today’s conflicts are repeating familiar patterns.

(Photo: John Simpson enters Kabul, 2001)

Producer: Xandra Ellin and Mhairi MacKenzie

Executive producer: James Shield and Martine Powers

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins