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BBC World Service

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.

The Global Story

One of the most successful songwriters of all time is facing the biggest controversy of his nearly two decades in the public eye. Where does pop star Ed Sheeran go from here?

On Tuesday, every support act for Sheeran withdrew from his US stadium tour, following a decision to drop rapper Macklemore from the tour for his on-stage pro-Palestinian comments. In a statement, Sheeran declined to take a political stance on Macklemore’s comments, and stressed that he was not responsible for the decision to remove the rapper from the roster.

Is it possible for pop stars to stay out of the political fray? We speak to BBC music correspondent Mark Savage about the controversy, and what it reveals about the conversion of pop culture and politics.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Digital producer: Sam Gruet

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

PHOTO: Singer Ed Sheeran exits the Manhattan federal court for his copyright trial in New York City, U.S., April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, and the politics of staying silent

Over the last week, the Houthis - an Iran-backed militant group in Yemen - have captured two strategic islands along the Red Sea coast, consolidating its control of a key international shipping route known as the Bab al-Mandab strait. 

Saudi Arabia has relied on access to the strait for exporting it oil to customers in Asia. With the Strait of Hormuz already closed due to the Iran war, the Houthis’ control of this vital waterway threatens to deepen the global oil supply crisis. 

Tristan Redman is joined by the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner to unpack who the Houthis are, what they want, and how they have come to hold so much influence on the world’s economy. 

Producers: Aron Keller and Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: Bridget Harney 

Digital producer: Charlie Firth 

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Houthi fighters in Sana'a, Yemen, 10 September 2026. Credit: EPA/ Shutterstock / Yahya Arhab

Will the Houthis tank the global economy?

As Canada continues to wage a trade war with the US, an internal battle is being fought over the country’s identity. Next month, voters in Alberta, the country’s wealthiest province, face a referendum on whether they want the opportunity to explore a separation from Canada. 

Supporters say Alberta would thrive on its own, because of its rich reserves of oil and natural gas. Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that independence would lead to years of economic and political turmoil, “right at a time the world is fundamentally uncertain.” 

How might the Trump administration leverage this Canadian identity crisis? And how is the Alberta separatist movement complicating Carney’s “Canada Strong” messaging? Nadine Yousif, the BBC’s senior Canada reporter, explains. 

(Photo: Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with the news media after he suspended trade negotiations with the United States, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada August 22, 2026. Credit: Chris Tanouye/Reuters)

Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin 
Executive producer: Martine Powers 
Sound engineer: Travis Evans 
Senior news editor: China Collins

The Canadians who want out of Canada

China’s President Xi Jinping will meet Donald Trump later this month with the issue of AI governance high on the agenda. In recent weeks there has been increasing concern around the risks that AI might pose to humanity, after a safety researcher at Anthropic suggested the technology could, "kill all humans” within the next decade.

Washington has long framed the United States’ development of AI as a race against China – one that it considers vital to its national security. But does China see it the same way? And if so, what are the chances of these rival superpowers cooperating to reign in the risks of AI?

Asma Khalid is joined by Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings Institute and an expert on Chinese tech development, to understand how China's AI ambitions differ from the US, and what‘s really at stake if these two countries fail to find common ground on this era-defining technology. 

Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin 

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Mix: Travis Evans

Editor: James Shield and Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool

Can the US and China stop AI from killing us all?

Why can’t America quit the Middle East?

September 11 marked a shift in the American psyche, and altered the way the United States saw its place in the world. Shortly after the attacks, President George W Bush announced the ‘war on terror’, a policy that would implicate the United States in multiple wars, on multiple fronts, in the Middle East over the next 25 years. 

But was this the US reaction that al-Qaeda had planned for? And as the US entered into more wars, in Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, are the unintended consequences of the ‘war on terror’ still threatening the US today? 

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks to Frank Gardner, the BBC’s security correspondent, about the event that still dominates US foreign policy today. 

Producers: Mhairi Mackenzie and Lucy Pawle
Digital producer: Charlie Firth 
Mix: Travis Evans 
Editor: Martine Powers
Senior news editor: China Collins 

Photo: U.S. President George W. Bush speaks to Vice President Dick Cheney by phone aboard Air Force One after departing Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, in this September 11, 2001. Credit: Eric Draper / White House Handout

Did America win the ‘war on terror’?

For the first time since World War Two, a far-right party has made a significant win in Germany – taking almost 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has been labelled as “right-wing extremist” by domestic intelligence, is leading the national polls. 

Among its pledges at a state level are to defund “anti-German" art and teach children less about Hitler, as part of a “patriotism” agenda. This idea challenges the deeply held and decades-long German memory culture that insists people must never forget the Nazis’ crimes. The AfD describes German memory culture in its manifesto as a "guilt complex". 

BBC Berlin correspondent Jessica Parker talks us through the complexities of remembering Germany’s past, and the controversial ways in which the AfD wants to shape its future. 

 
Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin 

Mix: Travis Evans 

Executive producers: James Shield and Martine Powers 

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and parliamentary group co-chairwoman Alice Weidel looks on during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, 07 September 2026. EPA/Shutterstock.

How the AfD is rewriting German history

On Tuesday, the government of the United Kingdom announced sweeping sanctions against Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and accused settlers of ‘ethnic cleansing.’ Soon after, 11 other countries, including Canada, France, Spain and Poland, announced a ban on goods imported from illegal settlements.

In response, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there would "without a doubt" be a reaction from the US, adding that the move could have a “huge economic impact on British businesses." What do the sanctions suggest about the US’s complex relationship with its western allies?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks with BBC State Department correspondent Tom Bateman about the diplomatic consequences of US allies sanctioning the West Bank. 

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Mix: Travis Evans

Technical producer: Philip Bull

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: A man looks on at the damage as Palestinians inspect the site of a demolished house after an Israeli army raid, in the village of Aqraba near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 8, 2026. Credit: Mohammed Torokman/Reuters.

Why America's allies are sanctioning West Bank settlers

As the summer holiday season draws to a close, foreigners travelling to and from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates are facing delays, cancellations and severe travel warnings. The disruption comes as a result of the UAE’s position in the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. Throughout the conflict, Iran has attacked the UAE more times than any other country, including Israel.

Until the war with Iran began, Dubai was a major tourist destination, famous for its modern skyscrapers, luxurious beaches and low crime rate. For decades, the Gulf city has promised residents and tourists alike safety, security and stability – so has that promise fallen apart? And what could that mean for the city’s future?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks to Sameer Hashmi, an independent journalist based in Dubai, about how Brand Dubai is weathering a major regional war.

Producer: Xandra Ellin

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Editor: Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Jebel Ali Port after one of the berths caught fire because of debris from an intercepted missile, March 1, 2026. Credit: Planet Labs PBC/Reuters

Can Dubai’s luxe image survive the war with Iran?

Twenty-five years on from the deadliest terror attack in history, thousands of grieving families are still fighting for answers. 
 
In early 2000, two young Saudis arrived in San Diego. They had never been to America, spoke almost no English, and had no idea how to open a bank account or rent a flat. Within weeks they had done all of it. Twenty months later they hijacked a plane and crashed it into the Pentagon. 
 
The BBC’s Jane McMullen has been investigating a man who helped two of the hijackers – and has revealed a story that the US and Saudi governments have fought to keep secret. 
 
Producers: Mhairi Mackenzie and Xandra Ellin 

Digital producer: Tom Bage 

Mix: Travis Evans 

Editor for The Global Story: James Shield 

Editor for Intrigue: A 9/11 Story: Matt Willis 

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: New York City skyline with Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground and the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the background.

Was Saudi Arabia involved in 9/11?

Lindsay Clancy faces first-degree murder charges over the deaths of her three young children. But if her case had happened elsewhere, the charges might have looked very different.

Clancy’s trial in Massachusetts has captured international attention. It has divided public opinion and ignited debate over how the US prosecutes cases involving mothers who kill their children — and the charges brought against them.

Other countries, including the UK, Canada and Australia, have specific statutes that allow mothers to be charged with infanticide — a conviction that’s more lenient than murder and often results in mental health treatment rather than prison time. So why is US law different?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks with Dr Karen Brennan, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Essex, to discuss what the Lindsay Clancy case reveals about how American law understands motherhood, mental illness and criminal responsibility. 

(Photo: Lindsay Clancy, with long straight dark brown hair, looks to her lawyer Kevin Reddington, on the day the jury in her murder trial determined that they cannot reach a verdict, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, US, 1 September, 2026. Credit: Greg Derr/Reuters)

Producer: Xandra Ellin, Cat Farnsworth and Aron Keller 

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Editor: Martine Powers

Senior news editor: China Collins

How the world sees Lindsay Clancy

Citizen 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

Citizen Vigilante and Elon Musk’s war on ‘woke’ films

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