Scientists warn that a “super” El Niño could be on its way which, combined with the effects of human-caused climate change, could result in 2027 being the warmest year on record. Yet El Niño is not just a climate story - throughout history, this recurring weather pattern has helped shape global events, triggering everything from famines and revolutions to impacting the Cold War. In this episode, we speak to historian Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford, to discuss what histori...
Jun 05, 2026•27 min
Casting is finally underway for a new James Bond. But why has it taken five years to even begin the search? Since Daniel Craig retired as Bond in 2021, there have been reports of a behind-the-scenes David and Goliath battle between the family business which has held creative control of the franchise since the 1960s and its new owners, Amazon. It is now up to Jeff Bezos’s tech giant to decide who will play 007 – and how to run the series. In an era when Hollywood studios are desperate to eke out ...
Jun 04, 2026•29 min
On Sunday, two prominent left-wing political commentators in the US — Hasan Piker and his uncle, Cenk Uygur – said they had been barred from visiting the UK. Both men were due to appear at the SXSW London festival, but say the British government blocked them from entering the country because of their criticism of Israel. The British government confirmed that it had denied them entry on the grounds that their presence in the UK “may not be conducive to the public good” but did not elaborate furth...
Jun 03, 2026•27 min
***This episode includes details of alleged sexual offences and misconduct and includes descriptions which some listeners might find distressing*** Married at First Sight UK is one of the UK’s biggest reality TV shows. The dating format sees complete strangers marry in a mock-wedding, before moving in together and sharing a bed. Cameras follow what happens next. The BBC has uncovered allegations that raise serious concerns that welfare procedures on the reality show have failed contributors, lea...
Jun 02, 2026•27 min
On prediction markets such as Polymarket people are placing sometimes huge wagers on questions ranging from the sublime (‘will Jesus Christ return by the end of the year?’) to the very serious (‘will the US invade Iran?’). Gambling is restricted across many US states but prediction markets are not classified as gambling. Their rapid rise over recent years speaks – some say – to an increasing nihilism among young men in particular, who feel they may as well try to profit from world events they ca...
Jun 01, 2026•26 min
At the Vatican on Monday, Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical, a letter issued to the world’s bishops. In it, he criticised artificial intelligence and what he called the “culture of power” fuelling its rise, urging world leaders to regulate the technology more forcefully. The Pope’s scepticism towards AI does not exist in a vacuum. It comes after several weeks in which numerous commencement speakers championing artificial intelligence on US college campuses were booed by Gen Z graduates. I...
May 29, 2026•27 min
Politics, power and money have always been part of international sporting competitions, and football (or soccer) is no exception. However, this year’s World Cup faces new challenges. The United States is co-hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico, and its relationship with its neighbours has at times been rocky. Two countries at war with each other – the US and Iran – have never played in the same competition before. Some fans are anxious about travelling to games at a time of high tension...
May 28, 2026•29 min
This week President Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said negotiations with Iran are going well and suggested a deal could be days away. Iran has disputed this. Donald Trump says he wants “a great deal for all or no deal at all” but leaked details of a possible plan have some wondering if one side might be coming out on top. We speak to the BBC’s International Editor, Jeremy Bowen, and ask if this might be the week Donald Trump loses the art of the deal – and the perhaps the whol...
May 27, 2026•27 min
In 2025, the Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s biggest seller of electric vehicles. As conflict in the Middle East pushes up fuel prices and boosts demand for EVs, Chinese carmakers are seizing the opportunity. Driven by years of state-backed investment and industrial policy, China has quietly become the global powerhouse of EV production, leading the industry in technology, innovation and affordability, while the US struggles to keep up. In today’s episode, we spe...
May 26, 2026•29 min
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. The latest outbreak involves a rare species of Ebola for which there is no vaccine, and the epicentre is in an area affected by conflict. The WHO says the outbreak may be spreading faster than originally thought. James Gallagher, the BBC’s health and science correspondent, explains why this outbreak is in some ways more worrying t...
May 25, 2026•27 min
US Secretary of State Marco Rubia has said Cuba poses a "national security threat" to the US and the likelihood of a peaceful agreement is "not high". His comments come days after the US announced criminal charges against Cuba’s former president Raul Castro, the brother of Fidel Castro. The charges relate to his alleged role in the shooting down of two planes in 1996, which killed four people, including three Americans. The Cuban government say the move is “a political manoeuvre, devoid of any l...
May 22, 2026•27 min
At the inaugural Enhanced Games this weekend, something unprecedented is taking place; professional athletes from around the world will be encouraged to swim, lift, and sprint with the aid of performance enhancing drugs. The competition — nicknamed the 'Doping Olympics' — has provoked enormous controversy in the world of sport. Enhanced runs counter to the many athletic organisations who have spent decades prioritising a crackdown on performance enhancing drugs. Many in the sporting world say th...
May 21, 2026•27 min
In the decade since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the country has cycled through six prime ministers, victims of both their own decisions, and global pressures. Now, Sir Keir Starmer, the current prime minister and leader of the left-leaning Labour party, could be the seventh leader to fall, under pressure from members of his own party who feel he has failed to tackle key issues like the cost of living, immigration, and sluggish economic growth. To top it off, recent local elections...
May 20, 2026•27 min
President Donald Trump has warned Iran the "clock is ticking" as talks to bring their war to an end have stalled. "They better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” There are multiple thorny issues to be resolved between the US and Iran, but one of them concerns another country altogether: Lebanon. Iran has reportedly insisted on an end to the war in Lebanon before talks can continue with the US. A ceasefire i...
May 19, 2026•27 min
The mayor of the Californian city of Arcadia has agreed to plead guilty to charges she acted as an illegal agent for China. Prosecutors say Eileen Wang was directly co-ordinating with a Chinese official to disseminate news stories downplaying human rights concerns in China, with the aim of trying to influence US government and public opinion. US authorities say the extent of China’s covert activity and espionage in the United States goes well beyond this case. According to the FBI, Chinese count...
May 18, 2026•27 min
Donald Trump has concluded his final round of talks with Xi Jinping and wrapped up his state visit to Beijing. Trade, oil, Iran and Taiwan were among the topics discussed over two days of meetings. The US president said the meeting was ‘’successful” and “unforgettable” – and said he expects the relationship will be better than ever. Does Xi Jinping see things the same way? We speak to the BBC’s senior China correspondent, Laura Bicker. Producers: Hannah Moore and Valerio Esposito Executive produ...
May 15, 2026•26 min
This Saturday, the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest final takes place in Vienna, and this year’s competition is again mired in controversy. A boycott over Israel’s participation by several countries, including Spain and Ireland, threatens to put the competition’s stance of political neutrality to the test. And it is part of a wider debate over which countries should be allowed to compete in prestigious international arts and sports competitions. We speak to William Lee Adams, a cultur...
May 14, 2026•27 min
For the first time in nearly a decade a sitting American President is travelling to China. While tensions between the US and China have been simmering for a while now, over everything from tariffs to Taiwan, Donald Trump has expressed admiration for his powerful Chinese counterpart. Meanwhile in China, President Xi has been conducting a years long “purge” on the military elite. The BBC’s Celia Hatton joins us to discuss whether this should be seen as a weakness… or a strength. Producers: Cat Far...
May 13, 2026•28 min
The British comedian Russell Brand is due to stand trial in the UK this year on charges of rape and sexual assault, to which he pleads not guilty. Over the course of his decades-long career, he has had many guises; Hollywood actor, MTV presenter, radio host, author, religious sceptic, and political agitator among them, moving between mainstream and ‘alternative’ media platforms. His latest appearances, on podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan, have gone viral for his ad...
May 12, 2026•27 min
At the outset of the war in Iran, US President Donald Trump suggested that regime change was one of its goals. He later said it had been had achieved, a claim that is disputed by critics who point out that the same repressive forces in Iran still hold power. American attempts at regime change in Iran have a long history. In 1953 the CIA, assisted by British intelligence, led a deadly coup that toppled Iran’s last democratically elected leader. It’s a moment in history that poisoned US-Iranian re...
May 11, 2026•28 min
**Warning: this episode includes discussions of sexual abuse, suicide and upsetting scenes** In just the last few years, AI chatbots have become routine aspects of many people’s everyday lives. They are being used as search engines, agony aunts, and sources of companionship. In rare cases though, AI chatbots have sent users down a dark path. In a new BBC investigation, population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty speaks to people who have experienced delusions after talking to chatbots – including...
May 08, 2026•27 min
It’s been a year since billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk left his informal position in President Trump’s White House in May 2025. But behind the scenes, Musk has been busy. Musk has spent the last few weeks in a California courtroom, where he is suing his former business partner, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In January, Musk applied for permission with the US government to launch a million satellites into orbit, some of which he says will serve as solar AI data centres. And he is preparing to ta...
May 07, 2026•27 min
Iranians living in Tehran tell us what they think of the war and reveal how the conflict has affected their day to day lives. In recent days, attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz has raised fears that an already fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran could collapse. Donald Trump's "Project Freedom", which began on Monday, aims to use the US military to escort cargo ships out of Strait of Hormuz. Iran, however, insists that it controls the key waterway and has warned that it is “just getti...
May 06, 2026•27 min
When Donald Trump began his second term in the White House, many European leaders chose to pursue flattery instead of a fight. Most sought to avoid public confrontation even as Trump instituted tariffs, spoke of annexing Greenland, and went to war with Iran. But lately more European leaders across the political spectrum - from longtime allies to ideological opponents - are willing to openly contradict and criticise the American president. The White House appears to be retaliating, especially aga...
May 05, 2026•27 min
In recent months, the Russian government has been restricting access to messaging apps such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, and at points, even shutting down internet access completely. Russian officials insist that curbs on communication are in the interests of public safety. They claim that mobile internet blackouts disorient Ukrainian attack drones, although such attacks have continued even in areas where the internet has been switched off. How have these blackouts been affecting peoples...
May 04, 2026•27 min
Since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, there has been an ongoing debate over the role played by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in convincing Donald Trump to go to war. But when it comes to ceasefire announcements, it has been the US President taking the lead - if the Israelis are present at all. So when it comes to ending the wars in Iran and Lebanon, are the Americans leaving Netanyahu out in the cold? We speak to Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent at The Economist, and ...
May 01, 2026•27 min
For the first time in history a country has apparently won a battle using only robots, without a soldier on the ground put at risk. Ukraine claims to have recently taken over a Russian position – forcing Russian soldiers to surrender – using robotic systems alone. President Zelensky has been asking the world for help to fight Russia since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. But in the years since, Ukraine has revolutionised the technology of warfare with battlefield robots and drones, and now...
Apr 30, 2026•27 min
When President Trump talks about his attempts to reach an agreement with Iran, he often mentions a previous deal: the 2015 JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), or Iran nuclear deal. Trump pulled America out of the Obama-era accord during his first term and has called it, "the worst deal in history". His own deal, he says, "will be FAR BETTER". Asma speaks to Ambassador Wendy Sherman, the lead US negotiator on the JCPOA, to get the inside story on how the deal was done, and ask what it mig...
Apr 29, 2026•27 min
As the US-Israel war with Iran reaches a diplomatic stalemate - one idea seems to be taking hold: that China is the real winner. Some have argued that the US’s biggest rival is quietly boosting its international standing, leverage and reputation as a reliable partner. Yet beneath the surface the economic situation in China looks far less triumphant. We speak to the BBC China Correspondent Laura Bicker who has been reporting from inside China’s factories and trading hubs to explore whether the po...
Apr 28, 2026•27 min
King Charles is visiting America at a tense moment for the ’special relationship' between the United States and the United Kingdom. Can he help turn things around? In a special live recording at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios in London, Asma and Tristan speak to the former British ambassador to the United States, Lord Kim Darroch. Recorded on Saturday 25 April as part of Castfest, a one-day celebration of BBC podcasts. Producers: Sam Chantarasak and James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news edito...
Apr 27, 2026•27 min
