The Global Story

Episodes

• What’s really happening with plague in Russia?A plague scare in Siberia has become a Rorschach test for public health fears in a post-Covid world. Russian officials are investigating the death of a worker at a plague research laboratory. They say she died of pneumonia. But speculation online has suggested she may have died from pneumonic plague. Russian authorities deny this and say there is no risk of an outbreak. So why has the story sparked so much alarm? And how has the legacy of the Covid pandemic played into people's fears of another global health crisis? The BBC’s health reporter, Jim Reed, joins The Global Story’s Tristan Redman to explain what we know about the case in Russia – and whether the world is prepared for a potential outbreak. Producers: Hannah Moore and Cat Farnsworth Executive producer: Martine Powers Digital producer: Charlie Firth Technical producer: Mike Regaard Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Plague bacteria (Yersinia pestis), computer illustration. The bacterium causes bubonic plague. Credit: Getty Images.

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• Why French teenagers are fighting for their educationWhat began as a revolt over public school funding has spilled into a much bigger fight over the future of France. Now, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets, and clashes with police have left teenagers and officers injured. More than 6,000 people have been arrested, most of them minors. But what sparked these demonstrations? How could they shape next year’s election in France? And why have they become a conservative political talking point in the US? The Global Story’s own Tristan Redman — a Paris resident himself — speaks with co-host Asma Khalid about the history of Parisian street protests, what he’s heard from students on the ground, and what this movement could mean for France’s future. Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: Martine Powers Digital producer: Mel Stewart-Smith Technical producer: Mike Regaard Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: A student holds up a French national flag while demonstrating outside the Carmes campus of the Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP), in Paris, France. (Firas Altoukhi/EPA/Shutterstock)

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• The warnings before 7 OctoberIsrael is marking three years since the 7 October attacks, in which around 1,200 people were killed by Hamas-led attackers and a further 251 hostages were taken back to Gaza. The commemorations come in the final weeks of a pivotal election campaign. Benjamin Netanyahu’s record on national security is coming under immense scrutiny, amid reports that the government failed to act on warnings in the months leading up to the 2023 attacks – allegations that the prime minister has strongly denied. Tristan Redman speaks to BBC correspondent Jon Donnison, who is in East Jerusalem. Producer: Sam Chantarasak Executive producer: James Shield Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins (Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a memorial ceremony for the three year anniversary of the October 7 attack. Credit: Debbie Hill/Reuters)

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• Smart glasses or ‘pervert glasses’?At a recent Meta product launch, Mark Zuckerberg promised that the company’s smart glasses would give wearers “new superpowers”, but what are they? Amid criticisms of its privacy and child protection policies, Meta is betting big on smart glasses as a way to restyle the company’s image, but they too have caused controversy – dubbed by critics ‘pervert glasses’ because they have been used to film women without their knowledge. So why are Meta and other big tech firms investing billions in this tech? Who is it for? Lily Jamali, the BBC’s North America technology correspondent, joins us to explain. Producer: Hannah Moore Executive producers: James Shield and Martine Powers Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wears the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses during the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in California. Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria/File Photo.

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• America’s global hunt for execution drugsWhy do executions in the United States keep going wrong? Last week, Tennessee attempted to carry out the execution of Christa Pike, a convicted murderer who had spent three decades on death row. But the execution did not go as planned: After she was injected with two lethal doses of pentobarbital, Pike remained alive. She was then taken to hospital by ambulance. This isn’t the first time an American execution hasn’t gone as planned. One reason is that the drugs needed for lethal injection have become increasingly difficult for US prison officials to obtain. Pharmaceutical companies don’t want their medicines used in executions — particularly manufacturers in Europe, where governments have opposed the death penalty for decades. So, without access to regulated drugs, American prisons have had to improvise — sometimes with horrifying results. The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks with investigative reporter Livvy Haydock about the consequences when the pharmaceutical supply chain refuses to feed the machinery of American executions. Listen to Livvy’s podcast, Killing Death Row: bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001rjdp Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie and Cat Farnsworth Executive producer: Martine Powers Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Christa Pike entering a Knox County Criminal Court in Knoxville, Tennessee in December 2007. Credit: J. Miles Cary/Reuters

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• How white South Africans became the face of Trump’s refugee policyIn the last year, the US has admitted just 13,000 refugees — a fraction of the number it has accepted in previous years. And almost all of those new arrivals have been white South Africans. The Trump administration says Afrikaners are fleeing persecution in South Africa. But there is little evidence of attacks specifically targeting the country’s white Afrikaner minority. South Africa’s new ambassador to the US has told the BBC that the idea of a mass attack against white Afrikaners simply does not exist. So why have Afrikaners been given preferential access to the US refugee programme? And what has life in America been like for those who have made the journey? Today on The Global Story, the BBC’s North America correspondent Ione Wells and Africa producer Ed Habershon share their conversations with the Afrikaners who are using new refugee policies to immigrate to the US — and the South African officials who say the Trump administration is overlooking the full picture. Producer: Cat Farnsworth, Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: Martine Powers Mix: Travis Evans Digital producer: Charlie Firth Senior news editor: China Collins Photo:US President Donald Trump meets with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 21 May 2025. Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Shutterstock

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• Inside the Flydubai attack that could upend Israeli electionsHow did the passengers of Flydubai's flight FZ1073 prevent a catastrophe after a cockpit attack? And what does this incident mean for Israel at a politically charged moment? On Wednesday, a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other. The aircraft entered a 17,000ft plunge before passengers and crew forced their way into the cockpit, overpowered the alleged attacker and helped bring the plane back under control. The injured pilot, identified as Indian national Capt Smit Machchhar, was taken to hospital after the flight landed and later called a "hero" by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Now, Israeli officials are investigating whether the stabbing was an act of terrorism – and whether any warning signs were missed. On The Global Story, Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell, who explains what we know so far about the Flydubai flight and the significance of a suspected security incident so close to pivotal elections in Israel. Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Valerio Esposito Executive producers: James Shield and Martine Powers Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: A plane, carrying passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

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• Is Meta dying?Fifteen years ago, the film The Social Network told the story of Facebook’s rise to global prominence. As Meta faces growing scrutiny from regulators and pours billions into AI, a new movie examines what the company allegedly knew about the harms linked to Facebook. Jeff Horwitz is the journalist whose reporting inspired the new film, The Social Reckoning, which hits cinemas next week. Horwitz helped expose internal debates at Meta over misinformation, teenage well-being, political polarisation and the tension between keeping users safe and growing the business. After a turbulent year for the company and amid declining public trust, The Global Story’s Tristan Redman talks to Horwitz about whether Meta can reinvent itself while remaining one of the world’s most powerful tech giants. Producers: Xandra Ellin and Valerio Esposito Executive producer: Martine Powers Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Image: CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg (Annabelle Gordon/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

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• Did a farmer foil a plot to attack a UK military base?In the early hours of Sunday morning, three vans were spotted near a British military base used by the United States for its bombing operations in Iran. A huge police operation followed, bomb disposal teams were spotted on the scene, and five men were arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences. Donald Trump said the men were “looking to do big damage to our fort” and that “we had them under investigation”. The suspects – all British nationals – were released on police bail on Monday afternoon, leaving questions about how dangerous a plot this was alleged to be. What is going on? We speak to Nick Aldworth, a former Detective Chief Superintendent in UK Counter Terrorism Policing. Producers: Aron Keller, Mhairi MacKenzie, Lucy Pawle and Valerio Esposito Mix: Travis Evans Digital producer: Charlie Firth Executive producer: James Shield Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: B‑1B Lancer bomber is parked at the RAF Fairford airbase, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, September 27, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Toby Shepheard

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• The Super El Nino: what happens when it hits us?Climate scientists have put out a dire warning about this year’s El Niño; that it will likely be the worst in recorded history. And if previous ‘super’ El Niños are anything to go by, that means that this cycle will bring extreme weather - flooding, drought, wildfires, and hunger- across the world. But how do scientists know what the effects of an El Niño will be? And how do they communicate that information to governments and the public in a way that causes calm preparedness instead of panic? Tom Di Liberto is a former climate scientist for the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a science communicator, who specialises in monitoring El Niño phenomena. He joins us on today’s show. Producers: Hannah Moore and Mhairi MacKenzie Executive producer: Bridget Harney Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: A man wades through water in northern Peru, in 2017, during that year’s El Niño. Credit: Ernesto Benavides/AFP.

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