The Global Story

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization.
The latest outbreak involves a rare species of Ebola for which there is no vaccine, and the epicentre is in an area affected by conflict. The WHO says the outbreak may be spreading faster than originally thought.
James Gallagher, the BBC’s health and science correspondent, explains why this outbreak is in some ways more worrying than previous ones, and discusses what it might reveal about global preparedness for international health emergencies.
Producers: Viv Jones, Xandra Ellin, Sam Chantarasak
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Red Cross workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubia has said Cuba poses a "national security threat" to the US and the likelihood of a peaceful agreement is "not high". His comments come days after the US announced criminal charges against Cuba’s former president Raul Castro, the brother of Fidel Castro.
The charges relate to his alleged role in the shooting down of two planes in 1996, which killed four people, including three Americans. The Cuban government say the move is “a political manoeuvre, devoid of any legal foundation.”
The indictment has drawn comparisons to the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and whether the US has set the stage for military intervention.
Asma speaks to Cecilia Barria, a journalist based in Miami for BBC Mundo, and Will Grant, the BBC’s Mexico, Central America and Cuba correspondent, about the story behind the charges — and why three decades on, the indictment is only happening now.
Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Aron Keller
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Raul Castro attend the International Labor Day commemoration in Havana, Cuba, 01 May 2026. Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA/Shutterstock

At the inaugural Enhanced Games this weekend, something unprecedented is taking place; professional athletes from around the world will be encouraged to swim, lift, and sprint with the aid of performance enhancing drugs.
The competition — nicknamed the 'Doping Olympics' — has provoked enormous controversy in the world of sport. Enhanced runs counter to the many athletic organisations who have spent decades prioritising a crackdown on performance enhancing drugs. Many in the sporting world say that a competition that endorses doping will normalise unfair and possibly dangerous drug use. But supporters argue that the competition will facilitate the safe, open use of drugs that are often taken unsafely and without medical supervision at competitions elsewhere.
BBC sports editor Dan Roan joins us to break down all things Enhanced Games. His documentary, Enhanced Games: A Sporting Revolution or Dangerous Doping?, is available now on YouTube.
Producers: Xandra Ellin and Valerio Esposito
Executive producers: James Shield and China Collins
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Olympic swimming medallist Ben Proud has become the first British athlete to join the Enhanced Games, an event which allows athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs. Credit: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire.

In the decade since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the country has cycled through six prime ministers, victims of both their own decisions, and global pressures.
Now, Sir Keir Starmer, the current prime minister and leader of the left-leaning Labour party, could be the seventh leader to fall, under pressure from members of his own party who feel he has failed to tackle key issues like the cost of living, immigration, and sluggish economic growth.
To top it off, recent local elections across the country proved disastrous for Labour as it lost ground to populist parties on both the left and right, and only two years after a landslide victory some of Sir Keir’s own party members are calling for him to step down.
How did British politics become so volatile? BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale joins us to explain.
Producers: Hannah Moore and Aron Keller
Executive producer: Richard Fenton-Smith
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo:Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer makes a statement in number 10 Downing Street, Westminster. Credit: Jack Taylor/PA Wire

President Donald Trump has warned Iran the "clock is ticking" as talks to bring their war to an end have stalled. "They better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
There are multiple thorny issues to be resolved between the US and Iran, but one of them concerns another country altogether: Lebanon. Iran has reportedly insisted on an end to the war in Lebanon before talks can continue with the US.
A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced back in April, but Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire since then and hundreds have been killed.
Hugo Bachega, Middle East Correspondent, discusses why the war in Lebanon is so hard to end, and what that means for the chances of a deal between the US and Iran.
Producer: Viv Jones and Aron Keller
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Choukine, Lebanon (Reuters)