The Global Story

Israel’s Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu visits the White House later today, as details from the Trump administration’s 21-point plan to end the war were revealed over the weekend. As Israel continues its offensive in Gaza City, Netanyahu has vowed to ‘finish the job’ against Hamas and shows little sign of making concessions to end the war. Netanyahu has a proven history of getting what he wants from US presidents – so will the same happen at Monday's meeting?

Today we speak to the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet who has reported on Netanyahu for three decades.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak, Xandra Ellin, Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth.

Image: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

On Monday President Trump and the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a press conference in which they made extraordinary new claims about autism. They suggested a potential link between the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and the development of autism. They also advocated spacing out childhood vaccinations.

The two men's interest in the link between vaccines and autism goes back decades but these claims did not originate in the US. They trace back to the UK in 1998, when disgraced former doctor Andrew Wakefield first published his now-debunked theory linking MMR vaccines to autism cases in children.

Today on the Global Story science journalist Adam Rutherford explains how the Wakefield vaccine conspiracy became the biggest medical disinformation disaster in recent history, and how these ideas found fertile ground in the Trump administration.

Producers: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito

Image: President Donald Trump, in front of U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., delivers remarks linking autism to childhood vaccines and to the use of popular pain medication Tylenol for pregnant women and children, claims which are not backed by decades of science, at the White House. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

On Tuesday night, Donald Trump signalled a drastic U-turn in his position on Ukraine, claiming in a Truth Social post that Kyiv could win the war against Russia, and take back all the land it has lost. The Kremlin was quick to dismiss his assertion, saying it has, “no alternative” but to continue its offensive.

So, is this just another rhetorical turn from the US president, or has something materially changed in Ukraine’s favour? Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor for BBC Monitoring, joins us to discuss.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Valerio Esposito

Heads of state and high-level diplomats have descended on New York to attend the 80th annual United Nations General Assembly. During a meandering address, President Trump railed against immigration and green energy, claimed credit for a spate of recent diplomatic victories, and questioned the legitimacy of the UN as an institution. How right is the president about the diminishing power of the UN? And what is his vision for a path forward?

Today, Asma reports from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where she speaks to BBC Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale and BBC New York Correspondent for the United Nations Nada Tawfik.

Producers: Samantha Chantarasak and Xandra Ellin

(Photo: Donald Trump speaks during the general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Credit: Sarah Yenesel/EPA/Shutterstock)

Apple is promising to make more products in the US, backed by a $600bn investment over the next four years. But after decades of relying on Chinese manufacturing that promise is going to be tough to keep.

World leaders are currently gathered at the United Nations in New York for the annual General Assembly. This year, the future of the Palestinian territories hangs in the balance: several nations like the UK, France, Canada, and Australia are formally recognising the state of Palestine for the first time. The Trump administration strongly opposes the move, warning that it could embolden Hamas and provoke Israel into annexing the West Bank.

How did some of Israel and America’s staunchest allies decide that the time is right to recognise a Palestinian state? We speak to BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams who has spent years reporting from the Middle East.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Viv Jones

Image: Members of the U.N. Security Council vote on a draft resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 18, 2025. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

At the height of the cold war in the 1970s, the Soviet Union set up an international song contest to rival Eurovision. It was called Intervision, and like its western counterpart, featured a bevy of cheesy songs, sequins and highly flammable outfits – albeit with a different political message.

Intervision burned bright and fast – disappearing long before the fall of the Berlin Wall. But this weekend, with Russia still exiled from the Eurovision Song Contest because of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is reviving the competition, and the USA is due to compete.

In today’s episode, BBC Moscow correspondent and Eurovision superfan Steve Rosenberg explores the intertwined histories of Eurovision and Intervision, and the politics behind Putin’s decision.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Valerio Esposito

(Photo: The international music contest Intervision at Zaryadye Park in Moscow. Credit: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA/Shutterstock)

President Trump is in the UK on a State visit, where he’s been hosted by the royal family and is set to meet with Prime Minister Starmer.

The two leaders appear to have a strong relationship. But there's one big issue that’s become a sticking point between them.

Increasingly, free speech in the United Kingdom is a hot button rallying cry among the conservatives in the United States. Why have Republicans in America become so obsessed with free speech across the Atlantic? Especially when a crackdown on speech is kicking off at home.

This programme includes language which some listeners find offensive.

Producers: Cat Farnsworth, Viv Jones and Xandra Ellin

Image: US President Donald Trump on second State Visit to the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA

Credit: Father Ted/Hat Trick Productions/Channel 4

On Tuesday, as Israel launched its long-anticipated ground invasion of Gaza City, a United Nations commission of inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel's foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the report, denouncing it as "distorted and false".

The report is a major moment in the ongoing debate over whether the situation in Gaza meets the legal definition of a genocide. We speak with BBC Geneva correspondent Imogen Foulkes about the evidence.

Producers: Viv Jones, Xandra Ellin

Image: Displaced Palestinians evacuate Gaza City. Mahmoud Issa/ Reuters

The assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk shocked America and exposed the depth of its political divides. Since a suspect has been arrested, the search for clear motive has only become more complicated.

In today’s episode, the BBC’s Social Media investigations correspondent Marianna Spring examines the meaning of the inscriptions on the bullet casings associated with the murder. The markings take us into the dark corners of the internet, but what do they tell us about why Charlie Kirk was killed?

Producers: Cat Farnsworth, Aron Keller and Lucy Pawle

Image: Utah Governor Spencer Cox. Cheney Orr/Reuters