The Global Story

The Russian leader has been mulling a 30-day ceasefire proposal put forward by the US, ahead of talks with Donald Trump on Tuesday. Will Vladimir Putin accept a temporary pause in fighting, let alone a long-term deal? What are the pressures that could sway him toward peace, or cause him to drag out the war in Ukraine?

On this episode, presenter Jonny Dymond speaks to journalist Owen Matthews, author of the book “Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin’s War”.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Peter Goffin and Tom Kavanagh

Sound engineers: James Piper and Mike Regaard

Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

Argentina’s football star Diego Maradona is once again back in the spotlight as a long-delayed trial examining the circumstances around his death gets underway in Buenos Aires. When Diego Maradona died in 2020, Argentinians took to the streets, united in both grief and in the celebration of a soccer legend. But it didn’t take long before suspicions around his death started to circulate. In today’s episode, we look at the trial involving his medical team and ask why Maradona’s legacy is still so strong.

Lucy Hockings is joined by Marcela Mora y Araujo. She’s a journalist based in Buenos Aires who translated Diego Maradona’s autobiography.

Producers: Laurie Kalus and Alice Aylett Roberts

Sound engineers: Mike Regaard and Jonny Hall

Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

This week President Trump's promises of tariffs became a reality, with universal levies on aluminium and steel imports becoming a reality. The EU responded with their own tariffs on items from bourbon to jeans and the mayor of Ontario threatened to turn of electricity supplies to the US.

Caitríona Perry, Sumi Somaskanda and Bernd Debusmann offer insight and analysis on another whirlwind week in Washington DC.

Producer: Aisling Taylor

Over the past decade fentanyl use has spiked, leading to tens of thousands of deaths in the United States. Most of the deadly drug enters the US via its border with Mexico, concealed deep within vehicles and even hidden inside food packages. The Trump administration has previously accused the Mexican government of colluding with the drug cartels. He’s now hoping that the threat of import tariffs on Mexico will stem the flow of the deadly drug into the US.

Jonny Dymond is joined by the BBC’s special correspondent Quentin Sommerville, who has been on the ground at the US-Mexico border and has visited one of the drug cartels’ operations. He also speaks to the BBC's Mexico and Central America correspondent Will Grant.

Producers: Richard Moran, Alice Aylett Roberts and Eleanor Sly

Sound engineer: James Piper

Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

How did Saudi Arabia come to host leaders from the US, Russia and Ukraine for peace talks? Just a few years ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was publicly identified as the man who ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. As a result, he was referred to as a pariah by former President Joe Biden. So, how did MBS go from pariah to peacemaker?

Jonny Dymond speaks to journalist Jonathan Rugman, producer of the BBC documentary 'The Kingdom' about the life of Mohammed bin Salman.

Producers: Richard Moran, Tom Kavanagh, Mhairi MacKenzie and Eleanor Sly

Sound engineer: Mike Regaard

Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

The former president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity. Duterte oversaw a bloody war on drugs that left tens of thousands of people dead, but he remains extremely popular with many in the Philippines, who say he cleaned up their country.

On this episode, presenter Jonny Dymond speaks to the BBC's Southeast Asia correspondent Jonathan Head about Duterte’s years in power, and why the current government in Manila has turned him over to the ICC.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Peter Goffin and Tom Kavanagh

Sound engineers: Mike Regaard and Jonny Baker

Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

When Syria's Bashar al-Assad was toppled in a lightning offensive in December, his successor Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to unite a broken country. Barely three months on, a surge in fighting between pro-Assad gunmen and transitional government security forces has reportedly left hundreds of civilians dead and exposed the enduring divides in Syrian society. As al-Sharaa vows a national dialogue will continue, has his grand vision for Syria already fallen at the first hurdle?

Jonny Dymond is joined by the BBC's Middle East correspondent, Lina Sinjab, and BBC Monitoring's MENA expert, Hesham Shawish.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experience to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via Whatsapp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Laurie Kalus, Tom Kavanagh and Mhairi MacKenzie

Sound engineers: Mike Regaard and Dafydd Evans

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

The people of Greenland go to the polls for an election this week at a time when Donald Trump says he wants to take over the autonomous Danish territory. The US President hasn’t ruled out using military force, arguing that America needs the world’s biggest island for Arctic security. A majority of Greenlanders say they don’t want to be owned by the US, but many are asking serious questions about whether it should seek independence.

Jonny Dymond speaks with the BBC's Europe correspondent Nick Beake and Ulrik Pram Gad, a Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, about the Danish view of the potential US land-grab and the likelihood of an independent Greenland.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Peter Goffin, Tom Kavanagh and Alice Aylett Roberts

Sound engineers: Dafydd Evans and Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

JD Vance has enjoyed increased prominence over the past week, as his headline-grabbing speech at the Munich Security Conference was followed by a starring role in the Oval Office blow-up between Presidents Trump and Zelensky. We look at how the VP’s central role compares to that played by Mike Pence during the first Trump administration, and how the current arrangement may be beneficial to the president.

Plus, why President Trump is struggling to get a handle on food price inflation despite having made tackling it a key election campaign pledge, and how that may help the Democrats, as the party plots its next move following November’s humbling election result.

Caitríona Perry, Sumi Somaskanda and Bernd Debusmann offer insight and analysis on another whirlwind week in Washington DC.

Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Aisling Taylor

Sound engineer: Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

In February, hackers launched what is being considered the biggest heist of all time, when they stole almost $1.5bn from the cryptocurrency trading platform, Bybit. The record theft reportedly went down in just two minutes, and it set in motion a race against time to freeze some of the funds before the culprits could cash out. Soon, evidence began to point to Lazarus, an elite hacking group widely linked to the North Korean intelligence agency. So with analysis suggesting the country's malicious activity is on the rise, how are international governments fighting back, and are we more vulnerable to sophisticated cyber threats than ever before?

Lucy Hockings is joined by the BBC's cyber correspondent, Joe Tidy. They examine how the hack was carried out, and consider what it means for the wider crypto landscape, as Donald Trump announces his plans for a US cryptocurrency reserve.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Laurie Kalus and Eleanor Sly

Sound engineers: Dafydd Evans and Jonny Baker

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins