The Global Story

The US military has begun to transfer up to 7000 Islamic State (IS) group detainees held in prisons in Syria to Iraq, which officials say is to prevent prisoners breaking out and regrouping. The transfer comes weeks after the US led large-scale strikes on IS group targets in Syria.
The move comes after clashes between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which last week ended in a deal that would see the gradual integration of Kurdish forces and institutions into the state, and transfer control of the prisons to Damascus.

Today we talk to Josh Baker, investigative journalist and host of the BBC podcast I Am Not A Monster, about the state of the IS group, and whether the country’s instability could lead to a resurgence in Syria
Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle
Senior news editor: China Collins
Mix: Travis Evans
Photo: A member of the Syrian security forces stands in front of the gate of the Al-Hol camp, which houses families of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Credit: Mohammed al-Rifai/EPA/Shutterstock

Palantir isn’t just another tech firm - it’s reach cuts across almost every aspect of modern life, from AI to healthcare to Formula 1 racing.
Founded in 2003 to support US counter-terrorism efforts, the company has since grown into a global powerhouse and is central to the Trump administration's policies, from its military to immigration enforcement.
At the centre of it all is billionaire co-founder Alex Karp – the philosopher turned tech-CEO who built the company from the ground up.
So how did this software company built for bad times become indispensable to governments across the globe, and what does its rise reveal about the future of politics?
We speak to journalist Michael Steinberger whose book The Philosopher in the Valley charts Karp’s life and Palantir’s rise.
Producer: Aron Keller
Mix: Travis Evans
Executive producer: China Collins
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Palantir co-founder & CEO Alex Karp. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters.

Over the weekend, some TikTok users in the United States claimed the social media platform was censoring content critical of the Trump administration. Users reported that they couldn’t upload or view videos related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, otherwise known as ICE. But TikTok disputes that functionality issues were political, attributing them instead to data center outages.
The criticism has come to a head after federal agents shot and killed intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, a US citizen in Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security says the agents fired in self-defence.
Though the facts remain muddy, the controversy has exposed how a divided America is reacting to the shooting. For the latest, we speak to BBC Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent Marianna Spring.
Producers: Xandra Ellin, Samantha Chantarasak, and Viv Jones
Executive producer: China Collins
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Teenagers holding smartphones in front of a TikTok logo. September 11, 2025. Credit:Dado Ruvic/Reuters

When US Special Forces captured Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro several weeks ago, many wondered whether his ouster would bring about further changes to the country. So, what has changed in Venezuela?
And while President Trump has made it clear he sees oil as a very important priority for the United States’s future relationship with Venezuela and increased American involvement in the country’s oil operations, how do Venezuelans feel about this prospect?
Our guest today, reporting from inside Venezuela, is BBC correspondent Norberto Paredes. How do Venezuelans feel about their country since Maduro’s departure?
Producers: Lucy Pawle, Sam Chantarasak and Hannah Moore
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
(Photo: People walk past a painting of an oil pump on Venezuela's national flag, in Caracas. Credit: Gaby Oráa/Reuters)

In September 1999, just weeks into Vladimir Putin’s first premiership, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings, over a period of twelve days, killing hundreds and plunging the entire nation into fear.
The government blamed Chechen militants, a conclusion corroborated by many journalists at the time. But whispers of a darker conspiracy persist to this day.
A new BBC podcast, The History Bureau: Putin and the Apartment Bombs, tells the story of those bombings and re-examines how these tragic events helped propel Vladimir Putin to power. Asma talks to the host of the series, Helena Merriman.
Producers: Viv Jones
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Moscow apartment buildings in the 1990s. Credit: BBC.