The Global Story

China’s President Xi returns to the White House on Thursday for the first time in over a decade. A priority for both leaders will be to discuss AI. The two countries are currently locked in a fierce competition for AI dominance, amid dire warnings from US tech executives in recent weeks that the speed of AI development needs to be slowed, as the risks to humanity are too great.
President Trump has rejected those calls for a slowdown or suggestions of regulation, in part because of his concerns that China will overtake the US in AI development.
In this episode we speak to the BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker who tells us what China’s AI revolution looks from inside the country. And we ask how this issue is changing the power dynamics between the US and China. Credit: Reuters/Tingshu Wang
Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Digital producer: Sam Gruet
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: A child speaks to a UBTech AI Wukong Robot for sale, during the 2026 World Robot Conference, in Beijing, China August 21, 2026.

The United States is one of the few wealthy countries where commercial surrogacy remains legal.
Bans elsewhere in the world, combined with a largely free-market approach at home, have made the US an international destination for would-be parents from around the globe – fuelling the industry’s rapid expansion. But could it all come to an end?
Today on The Global Story, we speak to fertility technology reporter Emi Nietfeld about how the US became a global hub for surrogacy – and why a series of high-profile cases is raising difficult questions about the industry.
Producer: Valerio Esposito
Executive producer: Martine Powers
Digital producer: Charlie Firth
Sound Engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: A pregnant woman holding her stomach. Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

While Russia’s president continues to insist that his, “special military operation” in Ukraine is succeeding, the estimated number of Russian soldiers killed and wounded in this war tells another story; 1.4 million casualties since February 2022. For that loss, Russia has gained just 2% of Ukraine’s land.
This is the story Vladimir Putin is not telling Russians. Amid parliamentary elections this past weekend, the Kremlin has claimed that most Russians back the president and the war, and it has promoted the political careers of thousands of soldiers back from Ukraine.
But what of their fallen comrades? The BBC’s Olga Ivshina has dedicated the last four years of her career to not just counting Russia’s true death toll, but building a picture of who these lost men were. She joins us on today’s show.
Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie and Hannah Moore
Executive producers: Martine Powers and Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Russian soldiers who were involved in the country's military campaign in Ukraine march during a military parade on Victory Day in central Moscow, Russia, May 2026. Credit: Sputnik/Dmitry Astakhov/Pool via Reuters

As the midterm elections in America approach, the economy is one of the deciding factors for how people will vote.
Before his second term started, President Trump promised to tackle the so-called affordabilty crisis. But since then, the war in Iran has led to soaring gas prices and a range of tariffs have made some goods more expensive.
How do global events impact people’s finances and in turn how they vote in elections? The talk show host and financial expert Dave Ramsey joins us to discuss.
(Photo: Talk show host Dave Ramsey sitting in front of a microphone smiling, wearing a black shirt, black jacket. He has a grey beard and behind him is a blue background)
Producer: Cat Farnsworth
Executive producer: Martine Powers
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins

One of the most successful songwriters of all time is facing the biggest controversy of his nearly two decades in the public eye. Where does pop star Ed Sheeran go from here?
On Tuesday, every support act for Sheeran withdrew from his US stadium tour, following a decision to drop rapper Macklemore from the tour for his on-stage pro-Palestinian comments. In a statement, Sheeran declined to take a political stance on Macklemore’s comments, and stressed that he was not responsible for the decision to remove the rapper from the roster.
Is it possible for pop stars to stay out of the political fray? We speak to BBC music correspondent Mark Savage about the controversy, and what it reveals about the conversion of pop culture and politics.
Producers: Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore
Executive producer: Martine Powers
Digital producer: Sam Gruet
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
PHOTO: Singer Ed Sheeran exits the Manhattan federal court for his copyright trial in New York City, U.S., April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz