On Wednesday, the divisive conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on the first stop of his ‘American Comeback Tour’, where he invited students to engage him in political discussion. Kirk was the founder of the conservative nonprofit Turning Points USA and one of Donald Trump’s most powerful advocates, especially among young people. But his impact stretched far beyond the United States, as he leveraged social media to reinvent the right's image around the world. Today, we speak to Semafor political correspondent, David Weigel, about the blueprint Kirk pioneered for winning young minds to the conservative cause. Then, we speak to Daniel Ogoloma, who partnered with Kirk for a debate while he was a student at Oxford University. He tells us about his plan to bring Kirk’s ideas into Nigerian politics. Producers: Viv Jones, Xandra Ellin, Valerio Esposito, Lucy Pawle, Sam Chantarasak
Executive producer: Annie Brown
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins Photo credit: Trent Nelson / The Salt Lake Tribune / Reuters
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Russia and Israel put Steve Witkoff's diplomacy to the test
Donald Trump wants to broker peace in two of the world’s most intractable wars: Gaza and Ukraine. But this week, both crises have escalated – and the man he’s tasked with solving them has no previous diplomatic experience.Steve Witkoff, a real estate mogul and Trump’s closest confidante, is now at the center of American foreign policy as the ‘envoy for everything’.On today’s Global Story, we speak with the BBC’s State Department Correspondent, Tom Bateman, and ask whether Witkoff’s unconventional style is a weakness – or a strength.Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Aron Keller
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins Image: President Donald Trump and Steve Witkoff. Sarah Yenesel/EPA/Shutterstock
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Trump blindsided as Israel strikes Qatar
On Tuesday, Israel carried out a series of unexpected bombings, targeting senior Hamas leaders. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it was a "precise strike" on those responsible for the October 7 attacks, but the Qataris have called the strike a "blatant violation" of international law. Qatar has been mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to end the conflict in Gaza.
In the US, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was notified about plans of the strike ahead of time, but said, “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States [...] does not advance Israel or America’s goals”.
On today's Global Story, we talk to the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, about the impact this could have on future peace talks.
Producers: Hannah Moore and Valerio Esposito
Executive producer: Annie Brown
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China CollinsImage: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sept 8 2025.
Menahem Kahana / AFP via Getty Images.
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Why is the US government deporting people building factories?
Hundreds of workers, most of them South Korean nationals, were detained last week at a Hyundai plant in Georgia after the largest immigration raid of Trump’s second term. The raid puts two of the administration’s key priorities to the test - cracking down on illegal immigration and bringing manufacturing back to America - but has it exposed a conflict between the two policy goals? We speak to BBC Verify US Correspondent Nick Beake who has been to the site, and to Jake Kwon from the BBC Seoul bureau, about whether this has jeopardised relations between the US and one of its major trading partners.Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Xandra Ellin
Executive producers: James Shield and Annie Brown
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China CollinsImage: US immigration raid at Hyundai-LG plant in Georgia. Shutterstock/EPA
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Brazil’s Jan 6: the ‘Trump of the Tropics’ on trial
In Brazil this week an alternate reality is unfolding: a former president, who allegedly tried to incite an insurrection to overturn an election, is on trial. A verdict is expected this week, and he may go to prison for the rest of his life. On January 8th 2023, Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters broke into government buildings, demanding to overturn the result of the election Bolsonaro had lost. In the aftermath of those events, Bolsonaro was accused of masterminding a plot for a military coup. He denies these claims and says the charges are politically motivated. President Trump has called the trial a “witch hunt” and gone to extreme measures to try to influence its outcome. But have his attempts to influence the trial backfired? We speak with Ione Wells, the BBC’s South America correspondent, who has been reporting from inside the trial. Producers: Viv Jones and Valerio Esposito
Executive producer: Annie Brown
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins Image: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia on July 17, 2025. Mateus Bonomi / AFP via Getty Images
Where the world and America meet. Every weekday, this is The Global Story.The world is changing. Decisions made in the US and by the second Trump administration are accelerating that change. But they are also a symptom of it.With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption.
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