The Real Story

By BBC World Service

What's The Real Story about?

Global experts and decision makers discuss, debate and analyse a key news story.

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The Real Story episodes:

03.29.2024
Bonus: Evan Gershkovich - a year since my friend was jailed in Russia
The Wall Street Journal reporter, who is the first US journalist charged with spying in Russia since the Cold War, has now been imprisoned for a year. His detention has been repeatedly extended and he is yet to face trial....
03.29.2024
Is the future of journalism in crisis?
Over the past year thousands of journalists have lost their jobs as mass media news organisations struggle to make ends meet. Ad revenue is down, many publishers are struggling to gain subscribers, and social media has resulted in plummeting traffic...
03.28.2024
Bonus: Hidden reality of frontline combat through the eyes of Ukraine's soldiers
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. In a new BBC documentary, a single Ukrainian infantry company find themselves in a life or death battle to defend the eastern front against intense Russian attacks. Jamie Roberts tells us how...
03.27.2024
Bonus: Sam Bankman-Fried's multibillion dollar FTX fraud
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. Sam Bankman-Fried was the golden boy of cryptocurrency. He was dubbed the king and saviour of the industry. But this week he will be sentenced to possibly decades in prison for fraud...
03.26.2024
Bonus: The curse of the world's fastest growing economy
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. When Guyana discovered huge offshore oil reserves in 2015, it transformed the prospects of a country which had a been an economic and political backwater. But, as one of the countries most...
03.25.2024
Bonus: Insight on Islamic State Group + Miami stops the party
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. On this episode, we’re covering two very different stories. After the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert hall in Moscow, we’re revisiting a previous episode asking...
03.22.2024
How can Boeing win back trust?
The plane maker’s safety record is in the spotlight after a series of incidents. In January an unused door blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines shortly after take-off. An initial report from the US National...
03.15.2024
Should we be afraid of TikTok?
The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that could see TikTok effectively banned. It would give the social media giant's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, six months to sell its controlling stake or the app would face blocks...
03.08.2024
Can Haiti break free from its history?
The Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday. It follows the storming at the weekend by gangs of two prisons, with some 3,700 inmates escaping. The gang leaders want the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, with...
03.01.2024
What's fuelling the war in Sudan?
At the Munich Security Conference in February a senior UN official described the war in Sudan as “not a forgotten crisis, but a wholly ignored crisis”. And yet the impact of 10 months of fighting is huge - nearly eight...
02.23.2024
Getting ready for an older population
The population of the world has been rising for over 200 years but some time later this century it’s predicted to peak. Demographers don’t know exactly when that will happen but they do know that we are already experiencing a...
02.16.2024
Is Senegal’s democracy under attack?
President Macky Sall of Senegal is facing mounting pressure after the decision to postpone the scheduled 25 February presidential election to December. The opposition says the move is a “constitutional coup” but the president says more time is needed to...
02.09.2024
Do green policies and farmers have to clash?
Europe has been swept by a wave of protests by farmers, many of whom blame environmental policies for increasing their hardship. In Germany, farmers are angry about the phasing out of tax breaks on agricultural diesel. A policy aimed at...
02.02.2024
China’s economy: How worried should we be?
China has tightened financial industry rules as it tries to halt a deepening sell-off in the world's second largest economy. Nearly $6tn has been wiped off Chinese and Hong Kong stocks over the past three years. Meanwhile a court in...
01.26.2024
Will artificial intelligence erode our rights?
Artificial intelligence is increasingly impacting all of our lives. Proponents say the technology has the potential to cure diseases, reduce hunger and free up leisure time by improving productivity. But others worry it will destroy our privacy, undermine our democracies...
01.19.2024
The changing face of Taiwan
Taiwan’s voters have chosen pro-sovereignty candidate William Lai as their next president, a result which has angered China. It means Mr Lai’s party has secured an unprecedented third consecutive presidential term at a time when the Taiwanese people are debating...
01.12.2024
What will decide the 2024 US election?
On Monday voters in Iowa begin the nationwide process of deciding which candidates will be on the ballot in November’s US presidential election. Most expect it to once again be a competition between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Control of...
01.05.2024
Is the world losing faith in democracy?
2024 will be the world’s biggest election year ever. From the United States to the UK, Taiwan to India, South Africa to Mexico, it’s estimated countries representing nearly half the world’s population will head to the polls in some form...
12.15.2023
Is time running out for Ukraine?
This week is crucial for the future of Ukraine. After promises of open-ended support, the US and the EU are now struggling to agree on new funding for the war effort. President Zelensky says Ukraine risks losing the war if...
12.08.2023
Is COP failing?
The Paris climate agreement in 2015 aimed to limit global warming to 1.5C. But have politics and lobbying got in the way of urgently needed progress? Is it too late for some nations? There has been much scepticism among delegates...
12.01.2023
What is driving right-wing populism in Europe?
Geert Wilders has been described as the Dutch Donald Trump. Earlier this month his far-right Freedom Party pulled off a surprise election victory in the Netherlands. Following Mr Wilder's win, we look at what is driving right-wing populism in Europe....
11.24.2023
Do any paths to peace still exist in the Middle East?
As the war in Gaza continues, it may seem the worst possible time to revisit the idea of a permanent political resolution to the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. US President Joe Biden however, says a two-state solution is still possible. So...
11.16.2023
How should we tackle the global obesity epidemic?
Over 1 billion people worldwide are obese, according to the World Health Organization. If current trends continue, half the world could be obese or overweight by 2035. The WHO refers to it as an epidemic. Recent data shows that over...
11.10.2023
The future of work
The prospect of a world without work - that was the vision offered up by Elon Musk this month. The US tech billionaire has predicted that artificial intelligence will eventually mean that no one will have to work. Mr Musk...
11.03.2023
Why world leaders fear an escalation of Israel-Gaza war
The Israel-Gaza war has caused reverberations around the world and diplomatic efforts are intensifying to stop the conflict from escalating. Iran has warned Israel that the Middle East could spiral out of control if it does not stop strikes on...
10.27.2023
Argentina at a crossroads
Argentina’s economy minister has won more than 36% of the vote in Sunday’s presidential elections, defying expectations. The election has been shaken by the emergence of anti-establishment populist and self-styled "libertarian" Javier Milei. Mr Milei is an outspoken right-wing economist...
10.20.2023
Is Indian democracy being undermined?
Earlier this month police in Delhi raided the homes of several prominent journalists in connection with an investigation into the funding of news website NewsClick. Officials are reportedly investigating allegations that NewsClick got illegal funds from China - a charge...
10.13.2023
China’s BRI: Development or Debt?
It has been a decade since Chinese President Xi Jinping's launched the Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious plan to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through a series of land and sea networks via investments in local infrastructure. But...
10.06.2023
How do we stop rapid insect decline?
As human activities rapidly transform the planet, the global insect population is declining at an unprecedented rate. In the UK, a recent survey suggested the number of flying insects have fallen by almost 60% in less than 20 years. Some...
09.29.2023
How a flood exposed Libya’s broken state
Earlier this month two dams collapsed after torrential rain in eastern Libya. Whole neighbourhoods in the city of Derna were swept into the sea. More than 15,000 Libyans are dead or missing and the full death toll may never been...
09.22.2023
Is Biden too old to run in 2024?
The top brass of the Democrat party in the US have all rallied behind Joe Biden with their eyes on the 2024 presidential election. But they have a problem. Repeated polls suggest support for the incumbent president is stagnant at...
09.15.2023
Ukraine’s offensive: Too slow to triumph?
America's top general has warned that Ukraine’s counter offensive is running out of time. Speaking to the BBC, Mark Milley admitted the offensive had gone more slowly than expected. With just one month of fighting before winter weather sets in,...
09.08.2023
Iran, a year on from the death of Mahsa Amini
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by Iran's so-called ‘morality police’ - enforcers of Iran’s Islamic dress code - sparked widespread anti-government protests across the country. Thousands of mostly young Iranians took to the streets. Women...
09.01.2023
Why is it still so hard for whistleblowers?
Lucy Letby worked on a neonatal unit in England. Dr Stephen Brearey - the lead consultant on the unit - raised concerns in October 2015. Whilst no one knew she was killing some of the babies in her care, Dr...
08.25.2023
Ecuador's spiralling drug violence
Ecuador has until recently been a relatively peaceful country. But in the course of a few years it has become a place dominated by violence and drug trafficking. After Colombia struck a peace deal in 2016, Ecuador’s role in...
08.18.2023
How should the world engage with the Taliban?
Two years ago the Taliban swept into Kabul and took control of Afghanistan, almost exactly twenty years after they were ousted by the US-led invasion after 9/11. The West has since deployed sanctions to put pressure on the regime -...
08.11.2023
China, US and the fight for Taiwan
China has released a new documentary about its army’s preparations to attack Taiwan - the film includes interviews with Chinese soldiers who swear they'll give up their lives if needed in a potential invasion of the island. Tensions have...
08.04.2023
The coup in Niger: Why does it matter?
Soldiers in the West African country of Niger announced a coup on national TV last week, saying they had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions and closed all borders. The coup was widely condemned, including by France, the UN and...
07.28.2023
How close are we to ending Alzheimer's?
A new drug, Donanemab, has been hailed as a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer's after a global trial confirms it slows cognitive decline. One trial was shown to have “significantly slowed” the progression of the disease—by 35%. Earlier...
07.21.2023
Surviving extreme heat
Heatwaves are growing in frequency and intensity around the world due to climate change. Extreme heat is now gripping three continents - Europe, the US and Asia - and there is more to come. Temperatures are breaking records, driving wildfires...
07.14.2023
Deep-sea mining: Curse or cure?
The deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean have been largely unexplored for centuries. But now the ecosystem thousands of metres beneath the surface is under threat - from companies wanting to mine the seabed for rare metals and minerals. The...
07.07.2023
Understanding the unrest in France
French cities have been engulfed by almost a week of intense riots, following the death of a teenager. Nahel M was shot at point blank range by police after he refused to stop for a traffic check in his hometown...
06.30.2023
Wagner's 24-hour mutiny
Wagner is a private military company of mercenaries that has been fighting alongside the regular Russian army in Ukraine. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has for months been involved in a feud with the Russian defence ministry, but he denies trying...
06.23.2023
Saudi Arabia’s thirst for sporting success
A surprise deal between golf’s two main tours and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund sent shockwaves through the world of men’s professional golf at the start of June. It came as increasing numbers of players move to Saudi Arabia's football...
06.16.2023
What do Trump’s legal challenges mean for the 2024 US election?
This week Donald Trump appeared at a federal court in Miami and pleaded not guilty to historic charges relating to his alleged mishandling of sensitive documents. Trump is the most high-profile person ever to face criminal charges under the Espionage...
06.09.2023
Why have tensions flared in Kosovo?
NATO reinforcements started arriving in Kosovo this week, following violent clashes in majority-Serb north Kosovo in late May. Outbreaks of violence erupted following disputed local elections, which Kosovo Serbs boycotted, allowing ethnic Albanians to take control of councils in northern...
06.02.2023
Do we want to live without plastic?
Plastic is the dominant material of modern life, used in everything from furniture to cars to packaging to medical equipment. In most parts of the world it’s hard to live a single day without coming into contact with plastic. But...
05.26.2023
Bola Tinubu: Can Nigeria’s new president unite his country?
The winner of Nigeria’s presidential election, Bola Tinubu is due to be inaugurated on 29 May but the opposition are challenging the results. Only 27 percent of voters participated in the election, the lowest turnout in the country’s history. And...
05.19.2023
Why can’t America contain the fentanyl crisis?
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid which is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin, is now the main driver of drug overdose deaths in America. The US Drug Enforcement Administration says 67% of the 107,375 US deaths from drug overdoses...
05.12.2023
What's gone wrong in Haiti?
In recent weeks, vigilante groups in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince have beaten and burned to death gang members. The country has been plunged into increasing lawlessness following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Haiti has been led by...

What's The Real Story about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Real Story episodes:

Bonus: Evan Gershkovich - a year since my friend was jailed in Russia

Is the future of journalism in crisis?

Bonus: Hidden reality of frontline combat through the eyes of Ukraine's soldiers

Bonus: Sam Bankman-Fried's multibillion dollar FTX fraud

Bonus: The curse of the world's fastest growing economy

Bonus: Insight on Islamic State Group + Miami stops the party

How can Boeing win back trust?

Should we be afraid of TikTok?

Can Haiti break free from its history?

What's fuelling the war in Sudan?

Getting ready for an older population

Is Senegal’s democracy under attack?

Do green policies and farmers have to clash?

China’s economy: How worried should we be?

Will artificial intelligence erode our rights?

The changing face of Taiwan

What will decide the 2024 US election?

Is the world losing faith in democracy?

Is time running out for Ukraine?

Is COP failing?

What is driving right-wing populism in Europe?

Do any paths to peace still exist in the Middle East?

How should we tackle the global obesity epidemic?

The future of work

Why world leaders fear an escalation of Israel-Gaza war

Argentina at a crossroads

Is Indian democracy being undermined?

China’s BRI: Development or Debt?

How do we stop rapid insect decline?

How a flood exposed Libya’s broken state

Is Biden too old to run in 2024?

Ukraine’s offensive: Too slow to triumph?

Iran, a year on from the death of Mahsa Amini

Why is it still so hard for whistleblowers?

Ecuador's spiralling drug violence

How should the world engage with the Taliban?

China, US and the fight for Taiwan

The coup in Niger: Why does it matter?

How close are we to ending Alzheimer's?

Surviving extreme heat

Deep-sea mining: Curse or cure?

Understanding the unrest in France

Wagner's 24-hour mutiny

Saudi Arabia’s thirst for sporting success

What do Trump’s legal challenges mean for the 2024 US election?

Why have tensions flared in Kosovo?

Do we want to live without plastic?

Bola Tinubu: Can Nigeria’s new president unite his country?

Why can’t America contain the fentanyl crisis?

What's gone wrong in Haiti?