The Global Story

We are away for Christmas, so this is a repeat of a previous episode. Mistrust in science has never been higher. Fewer people are getting vaccinated, a known vaccine skeptic is leading the most powerful health agency in America and an outbreak of measels in Texas this year led to the first fatalities in almost a decade. Then, in August, a gunman opened fire on the headquarters of the Centre for Disease Control with many speculating he was fuelled by misinformation about health. Increasingly this misinformation is being exported around the world. Marianna Spring is the BBC’s Social Media Investigations Correspondent and tells the story of how suspicion of science in America helped radicalise a British mom with devastating consequences. Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Lucy Pawle Executive producer: Annie Brown Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Kate Shemirani. Martin Pope / Getty

<p>On prediction markets such as Polymarket people are placing sometimes huge wagers on questions ranging from the sublime (‘will Jesus Christ return by the end of the year?’) to the very serious (‘will the US invade Iran?’). </p><p>Gambling is restricted across many US states but prediction markets are not classified as gambling. Their rapid rise over recent years speaks – some say – to an increasing nihilism among young men in particular, who feel they may as well try to profit from world events they cannot control. </p><p>Supporters say prediction markets are a smart way to make money. Critics say they are enabling insider trading. So what is the truth behind their rise? We speak to senior business journalist at the BBC, Mitch Labiak. </p><p>Producer: Hannah Moore </p><p>Mix: Travis Evans </p><p>Executive producers: Richard Fenton-Smith and James Shield </p><p>Senior news editor: China Collins </p><p>Photo: Polymarket logo appears in this illustration. Credit: Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo</p>

<p>***This episode includes details of alleged sexual offences and misconduct and includes descriptions which some listeners might find distressing*** Married at First Sight UK is one of the UK’s biggest reality TV shows. The dating format sees complete strangers marry in a mock-wedding, before moving in together and sharing a bed. Cameras follow what happens next. </p><p>The BBC has uncovered allegations that raise serious concerns that welfare procedures on the reality show have failed contributors, leaving them at risk. Three women have told the BBC they were victims of sexual assault, and misconduct, by their former on-screen husbands. </p><p>The men deny all the allegations against them, and both Channel 4 and CPL - the independent production company that makes the series - say the welfare protocols are robust and comprehensive.</p><p>Following this investigation, Channel 4 has announced an external review into contributor welfare and has removed all previous seasons of MAFS UK.</p><p>Noor Nanji, BBC culture correspondent, tells the story behind her investigation which has shaken the reality TV industry. And she discusses whether a scandal like this could provoke a new reckoning in the genre.</p><p>(Photo: Shona Manderson, a ‘bride’ on Married at First Sight UK)</p>

<p>On Sunday, two prominent left-wing political commentators in the US — Hasan Piker and his uncle, Cenk Uygur – said they had been barred from visiting the UK.</p><p>Both men were due to appear at the SXSW London festival, but say the British government blocked them from entering the country because of their criticism of Israel. The British government confirmed that it had denied them entry on the grounds that their presence in the UK “may not be conducive to the public good” but did not elaborate further. Their cases have sparked renewed debate about the limits of free speech in the UK.</p><p>We speak to American political activist Shabbos Kestenbaum – who was due to debate Cenk Uygur in London – and to the legal academic and host of the BBC’s The Law Show, Joelle Grogan. </p><p>Producers: Sam Chantarasak, Lucy Pawle and Aron Keller</p><p>Executive producer: James Shield</p><p>Mix: Travis Evans</p><p>Senior news editor: China Collins</p><p>Photo: Hasan Piker speaks to members of the media at the venue for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani's election night rally in Brooklyn, New York, November 4, 2025. Credit: Jeenah Moon/Reuters</p>

<p>Casting is finally underway for a new James Bond. But why has it taken five years to even begin the search? </p><p>Since Daniel Craig retired as Bond in 2021, there have been reports of a behind-the-scenes David and Goliath battle between the family business which has held creative control of the franchise since the 1960s and its new owners, Amazon. It is now up to Jeff Bezos’s tech giant to decide who will play 007 – and how to run the series.</p><p>In an era when Hollywood studios are desperate to eke out every last dollar from movie franchises, can James Bond retain its mystique and appeal to a new generation of cinema goers? </p><p>We speak to Wall Street Journal enterprise reporter Erich Schwartzel.</p><p>Producer: Lucy Pawle and Xandra Ellin</p><p>Sound engineer: Travis Evans</p><p>Executive producer: James Shield</p><p>Senior news editor: China Collins</p><p>(Photo: Daniel Craig at the world premiere of the Bond film, No Time to Die, London, 28 September, 2021 Credit: Neil Hall/European Pressphoto Agency)</p>