The Global Story

When Donald Trump began his second term in the White House, many European leaders chose to pursue flattery instead of a fight. Most sought to avoid public confrontation even as Trump instituted tariffs, spoke of annexing Greenland, and went to war with Iran.
But lately more European leaders across the political spectrum - from longtime allies to ideological opponents - are willing to openly contradict and criticise the American president. The White House appears to be retaliating, especially against Germany, from which the Pentagon has announced it will withdraw 5,000 troops.
Has Europe suddenly become more defiant? And what happens next? Asma speaks to the BBC’s Europe editor, Katya Adler.
Producers: Valerio Esposito, Chris Benderev and Hannah Moore
Executive Producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior News Editor: China Collins
Photo: US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a bilateral meeting at the White House, 03 March 2026. Credit: Samuel Corum/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock

In recent months, the Russian government has been restricting access to messaging apps such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, and at points, even shutting down internet access completely.
Russian officials insist that curbs on communication are in the interests of public safety. They claim that mobile internet blackouts disorient Ukrainian attack drones, although such attacks have continued even in areas where the internet has been switched off.
How have these blackouts been affecting peoples’ ability to access news, communicate, even find their way around? And how are people reacting to the restrictions on their freedoms?
BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg joins Asma to discuss.
Producers: Chris Benderev and Hannah Moore
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Passengers use mobile phones aboard a themed metro train honouring the Russian National Guard in Moscow, Russia, March 31, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Ramil Sitdikov

Since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, there has been an ongoing debate over the role played by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in convincing Donald Trump to go to war.
But when it comes to ceasefire announcements, it has been the US President taking the lead - if the Israelis are present at all. So when it comes to ending the wars in Iran and Lebanon, are the Americans leaving Netanyahu out in the cold?
We speak to Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent at The Economist, and author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Producer: Sam Chantarasak and Xandra Ellin
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivering an address from the roof of the Kirya in Tel Aviv, Israel, 1 March 2026. Credit: Avi Ohayon/EPA-EFE)

For the first time in history a country has apparently won a battle using only robots, without a soldier on the ground put at risk. Ukraine claims to have recently taken over a Russian position – forcing Russian soldiers to surrender – using robotic systems alone.
President Zelensky has been asking the world for help to fight Russia since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. But in the years since, Ukraine has revolutionised the technology of warfare with battlefield robots and drones, and now other countries are turning to it for its technology and expertise.
We speak to the journalist and defence expert Mark Urban about how Ukraine went from needy to needed.
Producers: Lucy Pawle and Viv Jones
Executive producer: Richard Fenton-Smith
Mixed by: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: The "ASLAN" unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is tested during a NATO exercise in Germany, February 20, 2026. Photo by: Liesa Johannssen/Reuters

When President Trump talks about his attempts to reach an agreement with Iran, he often mentions a previous deal: the 2015 JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), or Iran nuclear deal.
Trump pulled America out of the Obama-era accord during his first term and has called it, "the worst deal in history". His own deal, he says, "will be FAR BETTER".
Asma speaks to Ambassador Wendy Sherman, the lead US negotiator on the JCPOA, to get the inside story on how the deal was done, and ask what it might take for Trump to get a deal now.
Producers: Viv Jones and Xandra Ellin
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Wendy Sherman. Credit: Michael Reynolds/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock