The Global Story

India will host the world's biggest election this year when nearly one billion people will vote. Organisers have vowed to set up polling stations within 2km of every citizen, but India's vast size means this will be a challenge. The country's 15 million election officials must travel to coastal towns, mountain villages, remote islands and dense jungles to reach every voter.

Katya speaks with BBC journalist and presenter Devina Gupta and India correspondent Soutik Biswas to break down the big numbers and discuss how it is possible to organise an election on this scale.

We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at [email protected]. Or, message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. #TheGlobalStory.

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Alice Aylett Roberts and Devina Gupta. The technical producers were Hannah Montgomery and Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Israel says 99% of the missiles and drones fired by Iran on Saturday night were intercepted without hitting their targets. Iran said the assault was in response to a deadly attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria two weeks ago. Now all eyes are on how Israel will respond to Iran's unprecedented move. James Reynolds talks to the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, who says the attack marks “a whole new chapter” in the relations between Iran and Israel. James is also joined by the BBC’s security correspondent Gordon Corera, and Siavash Ardalan from BBC Persian, to discuss how the players at the centre of this confrontation might decide their next move.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We’re keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. 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.

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Richard Moran. The technical producer was Annie Smith. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

This weekend marks a decade since 276 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram militants in Chibok, northern Nigeria. The world united in rage, with millions sharing the #bringbackourgirls campaign.

Two BBC journalists - Yemisi Adegoke and Azeezat Olaoluwa - have recently visited Chibok, a town guarded on all sides by the military. They bring us the stories of the girls who escaped, the families still missing their daughters and the men repenting for their role in abduction.

We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at [email protected]. Or, message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. #TheGlobalStory.

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Richard Moran and Rachel Hagan. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

There’s no playbook for when a ship the size of the Eiffel Tower knocks over a bridge spanning more than two kilometres. The BBC’s Bernd Debusmann Jr has been on the water with the divers picking through the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. BBC News chief presenter Sumi Somaskanda has been talking to Maryland’s key political players.

The two tell Adam Fleming about the jeopardy – for Baltimore and President Biden’s leadership. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We’re keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world.

We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at [email protected]. Or, message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. #TheGlobalStory.

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Neal Razzell and Rachel Hagan. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The US government is suing some of the biggest tech companies on the planet – Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta – in antitrust cases. The face of Washington’s crackdown is Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, the youngest person ever to hold the post.

So, who is the woman taking on Silicon Valley? And can she succeed? To answer these questions, host Adam Fleming speaks the BBC's North America business correspondent Michelle Fleury and former North America tech reporter James Clayton.

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

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Peter Goffin, Alice Aylett Roberts and Beth Timmins. The technical producer was Matt Hewitt. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

It’s two years since occupying Russian troops departed the Ukrainian town of Bucha. The trail of death and destruction they left behind has been widely condemned, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky among those who have alleged Russia committed war crimes there.

On today’s episode Katya speaks with BBC Eastern Europe Correspondent Sarah Rainsford, who recently returned to Bucha to hear from survivors. They’re also joined by the BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen, who was among the first journalists to arrive on the scene in Bucha in 2022. They consider whether international law is sufficiently equipped to prosecute allegations of war crimes, and if tangible justice is possible.

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

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Peter Goffin, Laurie Kalus, Beth Timmins and Rachel Hagan. The technical producers were Hannah Montgomery and Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

It's 30 years since the genocide in Rwanda took the lives of an estimated 800,000 people. The anniversary also marks three decades since Victoria Uwonkunda fled the country with her family. Now a BBC journalist, she has returned for the first time to confront those awful days and see how the country has worked toward forgiveness, reconciliation and brighter future.

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

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Richard Moran. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Jo Floto – who’s covered conflict for more than two decades - takes us back to the first text he received from Gaza on Oct 7th. It simply said: “They’ve started a war.” In the six months since, he and his team have been working flat out in what he calls the toughest assignment of his life. He tells his old friend, Katya, where he thinks the war could go next.

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]. Or, leave a voice note or message via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. We make several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts, too. Find them on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was produced by Neal Razzell, Peter Goffin, Alix Pickles and Rachel Hagan. The technical producer was Phil Bull. The assistant editor was Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

For decades the Japanese entertainment industry ignored allegations that Johnny Kitagawa – a powerful music mogul who died in 2019 – had sexually abused young men and boys who he’d promised to turn into stars. Last year, the BBC aired a documentary by journalist Mobeen Azhar which shed new light on the accusations, and led to a reckoning across Japanese pop music. Azhar has been following up on the scandal and its aftermath in a new documentary. He joins Katya Adler and BBC presenter Mariko Oi, who grew up in Japan idolising J-pop stars.

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] or leave a voice note or message via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Alice Aylett Roberts, Peter Goffin and Beth Timmins. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor was Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Mixed-sex raves are illegal in Iran. Partygoers risk fines, prison or lashes from the morality police. But that doesn’t stop invite-only, clandestine clubs from thriving. Now more and more Iranian female DJs are joining the illegal dance floors of Iran and some are even touring the world. The BBC’s Faranak Amidi tells Katya about a new generation of culture warriors.

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]. Or, leave a voice note or message via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

The Global Story is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, then we think that you will enjoy some of our other podcasts too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was produced by Laurie Kalus and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Sam Dickinson. The assistant editor was Sergi Forcada Freixas and the editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.