The Global Story

The Republican and Democratic presidential candidates traded claims over key election issues including the economy, immigration and abortion. They discussed policy but personal attacks also dominated their first debate. So, who had a good night, and to what extent will this debate sway voters, with less than two months to go before polling day?

Sumi Somaskanda hosts this episode from Philadelphia, where the debate took place. She’s joined by Courtney Subramanian and Bernd Debusmann, from the BBC’s North America digital team.

Producers: Richard Moran and Tom Kavanagh.

Sound Engineer: Hannah Montgomery.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Brazil’s Supreme Court has banned the social media platform X - formerly known as Twitter. It was one of the platform’s biggest markets, with millions of Brazilians using it. The boss of X, Elon Musk, has complained that the move is destroying free speech but the country's top judge says it is necessary to stop the spread of disinformation.

Katya Adler speaks with Daniel Gallas and Leandro Prazeres from BBC Brazil about the battle between free speech and disinformation in Brazil. And if other countries could follow Brazil’s lead in blocking access to X.

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: Tom Kavanagh, Alice Aylett Roberts and Tse Yin Lee.

Sound Engineer: Philip Bull.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Democrats and Republicans are donating billions to back candidates in November’s election.

Katya Adler speaks to the BBC’s correspondent in Washington DC, Anthony Zurcher, and Matt Foster from American University, also in the capital.

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: Richard Moran and Alix Pickles.

Sound Engineer: Hannah Montgomery.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Israel has been rocked by huge protests after six hostages being held in Gaza were shot and killed last weekend. Fury at the Netanyahu government’s handling of negotiations with Hamas has prompted a wave of public indignation which has spilled into the streets. We examine whether or not the demonstrations and rising international pressure over the number of Palestinians being killed in Gaza, will force Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to change its position.

BBC analysis has identified almost 200 settler outposts in the West Bank, which are illegal under both international and Israeli law. Experts say these outposts are able to seize large swathes of land more rapidly than settlements, and are increasingly linked to violence and harassment towards Palestinian communities. And the BBC World Service has seen documents showing that organisations with close ties to the Israeli government have provided money and land used to establish them.

On today's episode, Sumi Somaskanda is joined by Matthew Cassel, who shot and directed the new film 'Settlements Above the Law' from BBC Eye Investigations. He talks about the Palestinians he met who have been forced from their homes, and the settlers they say are responsible. He also discusses calls for the international community to target powerful organisations inside Israel, as critics question the impact of sanctions against individual settlers.

You can see the full investigation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxLDYkX7l9A

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 Tom Kavanagh.

Sound Engineers: Hannah Montgomery, Mike Regaard, and Phil Bull.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

The Hungarian prime minister has become a hero to many US conservatives. So how has Mr Orban changed Hungary throughout his 14 years in power? And why is he such an appealing figure to right-wing politicians around the world?

In this episode, Sumi Somaskanda speaks to the BBC’s Central Europe correspondent Nick Thorpe, who has been covering Mr Orban’s career since the 1980s.

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, Eleanor Sly and Alix Pickles.

Studio Engineers: Mike Regaard and Jeremy Morgan.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Nearly a decade ago, China promised to provide 10,000 remote villages in Africa with free digital TV access. It was a sign of warm relations between Bejing and the continent - as well as being another step in China’s plan to spread its influence across the globe.

Caitriona Perry speaks with Shawn Yuan and Ankur Shah from the BBC's Global China unit about whether China really managed to expand its power in Africa by giving away free satellite TV.

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: Alice Aylett Roberts and Beth Timmins.

Sound Engineers: Jeremy Morgan, Stephen Bailey and Hannah Montgomery.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Two Nasa astronauts are stuck in space after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft suffered technical problems.

It’s the latest in a long line of crises facing the company, which is one of the largest and most important in the United States. So, is this one failure too far for Boeing?

Sumi Somaskanda speaks to the BBC’s business correspondent Theo Leggett and climate and science reporter Georgina Rannard about the problems facing Boeing and if its Starliner space programme is in trouble.

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: Alice Aylett Roberts, Beth Timmins and Tom Kavanagh.

Sound Engineers: Ben Andrews and Mike Regaard.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov, is under investigation over criminal activity on the messaging app. He spent four days in detention after being arrested when arriving in France and is now barred from leaving the country.

Sumi Somaskanda speaks to the BBC's Cyber Correspondent, Joe Tidy about what Durov's arrest means for Telegram. And what it signals about future moderation on social media platforms... and the limits of free speech.

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: Richard Moran and Alix Pickles.

Sound Engineer: Stephen Bailey.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Almost 2,000 Ukrainians have been convicted of collaborating with Moscow since Russia's invasion of their country in 2022. But, the UN and others say the legislation under which they were sentenced is being applied too broadly, and fails to show empathy towards those living under occupation. As Kyiv focusses on a new front in the ground war inside Russia, we hear from eastern Ukraine, where some feel they have been unfairly targeted by their government.

The BBC's Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, joins Caitríona Perry to recount the testimonies of those accused of collaboration, and discuss how the Kursk incursion could be impacting the ongoing defence effort inside Ukraine.

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 Tom Kavanagh.

Sound Engineers: Phil Bull and Mike Regaard.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.