The Global Story

Social media platforms this week have been flooded with a wild rumour: that Benjamin Netanyahu was dead (which he is not). Fake photos and videos of his body, coated with dust and debris, seemed to show that the Israeli prime minister had been killed in an Iranian air strike.
The rumour was false – Netanyahu had not died, nor been involved in a strike. The photos and videos were AI-generated. But when Netanyahu posted several videos of himself, debunking and mocking the rumour, some people on social media still refused to believe these were really him.
Today on the show, Thomas Copeland from BBC Verify explains how the economics of social media drive the creation of AI-generated fake videos – sometimes by people with no strong feelings about the war itself. And we speak to Peter Pomerantsev, author of Nothing Is True and Everything is Possible, who says the essential strategy behind wartime disinformation remains unchanged since ancient times.
Producers: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin
Executive producer: James Shield
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
(Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows his hand as he speaks at a cafe Credit: Benjamin Netanyahu/Reuters)

Shortly after the US-Israeli war with Iran began, a second war broke out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities say that more than 900 people, including at least 111 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks since 2 March. More than a million others have been forced to leave their homes.
On Wednesday, Israel widened its air strikes from the southern suburbs of Beirut into the city centre. And there are fears that what Israel has called a “limited” ground operation could lead to an occupation of the south. Israel says it is targeting not only Hezbollah fighters and leaders, but also businesses it claims are linked to the group and help finance its military operations.

From his post in Beirut, BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega explains the long history of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, and we ask what could come next.
Producers: Chris Benderev and Aron Keller
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo Credit: Smoke rises after an Israeli strike in central Beirut's Bachoura neighbourhood, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, 12 March, 2026. Creit: Claudia Greco/Reuters

Since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, The Global Story listeners have been contacting us with questions: about the causes of the war, the legality of it, and how other countries are responding. As Gulf states get drawn further into the conflict, might they send military reinforcement? And if the Iranian regime were to fall, could islamist groups such as Isis seize an opportunity to claim more power?
In today’s episode, we answer all of these and more, with BBC world affairs editor, John Simpson.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin
Sound engineer: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: A woman marches with an Iranian monarchy flag during a 'Freedom for Iran' protest in New York, New York, USA, 15 March 2026. Credit: Olga Fedorova/Shutterstock

For nearly forty years, Fergal Keane has reported for the BBC from some of the world’s most brutal conflicts – in Gaza, Iraq, Rwanda, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond – and in that time interviewed scores of children who are the innocent victims of adult wars.
As he came to understand the impacts of trauma on young minds, Keane began too to experience his own mental breakdowns – the result of a troubled childhood and a career spent running towards danger – and was eventually diagnosed with PTSD.
In today’s episode, he reflects on what he has learned from his own experiences and reporting about how childhood traumas can be treated, and the hope for those living through today’s wars.

Producer: Hannah Moore
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Displaced children play in Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Haitham Imad/ EPA/ Shutterstock.

WARNING: This episode contains some graphic descriptions of violence.
Since an air strike on a school in Iran two weeks ago, the Pentagon has faced mounting questions over the possible involvement of the US military. Iranian officials say the strike killed 168 people, including about 110 children.
US media have reported that military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible for hitting the school unintentionally – but that they have not reached a final conclusion.
Today, Merlyn Thomas from BBC Verify explains what we know so far about the strike. And we speak to Oona Hathaway, a professor of international law at Yale University who previously worked at the US Department of Defence, about the potential legal consequences.
Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Aron Keller
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Studio manager: Mike Regaard
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: People attend the funeral of the victims following a reported strike on a school in Minab, Iran, March 3, 2026. Credit: Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/WANA via Reuters.