The Global Story

With the world’s attention on the war in Iran, Vladimir Putin appears to be stepping up Russia’s war in Ukraine. Last week saw the biggest Russian drone attack since the beginning of the war.
Some Ukrainians believe Putin is doing this precisely because the world is looking the other way. Russia also appears to be benefiting from the Iran war in other ways – oil prices have skyrocketed at the same time as Trump has loosened sanctions on Russian oil. On the other hand, it’s been a difficult few months for Russian allies in Tehran, Caracas and Havana.
The author, academic and Russia analyst Mark Galeotti joins us to examine the ways in which the war in Iran could help or hinder Putin.
Apply for Castfest tickets: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/castfest-2026
Email us: [email protected]
Producers: Xandra Ellin and Cat Farnsworth
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Russia, March 27. Credit: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock.

In a bellwether case, a jury in Los Angeles found on Wednesday that Meta and YouTube are responsible for a young woman’s childhood addiction to social media, and intentionally built addictive platforms that harmed her health.
The companies say they intend to appeal against the verdict, which could set a legal precedent and have far-reaching consequences.
Marianna Spring, the BBC’s social media investigations correspondent, has spent the past year speaking to whistleblowers and insiders from social media companies, revealing how algorithms designed to connect people have been helping to tear them apart. We ask if this week’s verdict is just the start of something much bigger.
Apply for Castfest tickets: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/castfest-2026
Producers: Valerio Esposito and Cat Farnsworth
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves the court at the case accusing Meta and Google's YouTube of harming kids' mental health through addictive platforms, February 18, 2026. Mike Blake/Reuters.

With the world’s attention on the war in Iran, Vladimir Putin appears to be stepping up Russia’s war in Ukraine. Last week saw the biggest Russian drone attack since the beginning of the war.
Some Ukrainians believe Putin is doing this precisely because the world is looking the other way. Russia also appears to be benefiting from the Iran war in other ways – oil prices have skyrocketed at the same time as Trump has loosened sanctions on Russian oil. On the other hand, it’s been a difficult few months for Russian allies in Tehran, Caracas and Havana.
The author, academic and Russia analyst Mark Galeotti joins us to examine the ways in which the war in Iran could help or hinder Putin.
Apply for Castfest tickets: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/castfest-2026
Email us: [email protected]
Producers: Xandra Ellin and Cat Farnsworth
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Russia, March 27. Credit: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock.

Humans are returning to the Moon - hear all about it on the BBC’s space podcast. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is following Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon, with a new episode every day. Starts on Monday 30 March 2026. Search for 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Follow or subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode.
Nasa plans to return to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. Its Artemis II mission aims to send four astronauts to loop around the Moon. They are planning to go further from Earth than any human in history.
The story of Artemis II will be told by space scientist, Maggie Aderin and British astronaut, Tim Peake, with regular guest, US space journalist Kristin Fisher.
13 Minutes is the BBC’s space podcast, telling epic space stories, including the first Moon landing, Apollo 13 and the space shuttle. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Have you ever received a call from a stranger regarding student loans you don’t owe? An Amazon order you never placed? An unpaid parking ticket for a car you don’t own? If so, it’s possible that you’ve been the target of a scam orchestrated by a criminal syndicate thousands of miles away.
The so-called “scam centres” of Southeast Asia bring in billions of dollars a year, expertly swindling unsuspecting foreigners out of their savings. Today, BBC Southeast Asia correspondent Jonathan Head offers an inside look at these formidable hubs of corruption and human trafficking, and explains how governments around the world are working to intervene.
Producers: Xandra Ellin and Viv Jones
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: New high rises in the city of Shwe Kokko, Myanmar, visible from Thailand's border. Credit: Jonathan Head/BBC.