It’s been almost a month since Israel and the US launched their war against Iran, and already there have been strikes in more than a dozen countries, with reports of over 2,000 people killed across the region. As the war drags on and more countries get involved, there are concerns this conflict could escalate into something truly global.

We speak to Emeritus Professor of International History at the University of Oxford, Margaret MacMillan, and explore how world wars start, how they end and what can be done to avoid them.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Producers: Chris Benderev and Lucy Pawle

Executive producer: James Shield

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: U.S. Military aircraft perform 4th of July flyover past New York City and New Jersey, 4 July 2020. Photo: credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

A patient who stopped a bomb attack at a hospital has revealed he hugged the would-be-attacker to calm him down. Nathan Newby spent two hours talking to the armed man and persuaded him to abandon his plan. He received the George Medal for bravery from King Charles this week.

Also: how a viral video of pack of dogs has captured the attention of animal lovers across China and beyond.

England's Football Association has apologised to a women's team who defied its fifty year ban on female players. The sport's governing body praised the Manchester Corinthians as trailblazers.

And: Millions of people are flocking to see Washington DC's beloved cherry trees in full bloom. The National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates international friendship, as the trees were a gift from Tokyo over a hundred years ago.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

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.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

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.

We meet the men on a mission to help fellow Dads connect with their daughters, through a movement called 'pints and ponytails'. It's a chance to learn how to do a range of girls' hairstyles, over a couple of beers. But organisers say they leave with more than just salon skills - as the shared experience encourages men to open up about other parenting challenges.

Also: an unexpected solution that could help in the fight againt both plastic pollution and Parkinson's disease.

Rhinos return to a national park in Uganda for the first time in more than forty years. It's hoped they'll help establish a thriving population -- improving the ecosystem, creating jobs and attracting tourists.

Plus - aging well: Researchers found that around a third of people over the age of 65 saw improvements in their physical and mental abilities.

And how a holiday souvenir from Morocco turned out to be a previously unknown type of rock.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Stephen Spencer has set his daughter's stories to music. What started as something he posted for his few followers has turned into a social media sensation, with fans around the world left smiling, laughing or even crying by the catchy tunes and often bizarre lyrics.

Also: how a chance conversation between two women on a train led to one donating her eggs so the other could have a baby. When Anita revealed her fertility issues, Ginny instantly offered to help.

A surgeon who successfully operated on a patient hundreds of kilometres away says it opens up new possibilities for people around the world. He was able to remotely control a surgical robot in real time, thanks to advances in technology.

In Singapore, medical students are learning to be more compassionate doctors by studying poetry. Those behind the course say it helps the students to understand nuance in how patients are feeling.

Plus are dogs that howl along to music actually singing, and how a sly fox accidentally made a transatlantic voyage.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

Lois, 14, and her classmates used a 3D printer to create her new hand as part of a school project. Now they want to make prosthetic limbs for other people who need them, using the same method.

Also: We find out how a new drug is transforming the lives of children with a severe form of epilepsy. A trial found it significantly reduced their seizures and also helped with overall development and movement.

We meet two Turkish students using AI to help locate people trapped under rubble after earthquakes. They hope their invention will help rescuers reach survivors more quickly.

Plus the teams working to save seagrass meadows, which are vital in tackling climate change. And the Harajuku dog walking man - who's become famous for leading dozens of small dogs around Tokyo.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Photo: Nature School

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Next week marks four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In that time, there’s been an intense crackdown on freedom of speech and dissent in Russia, which has led to many western media organisations leaving the country. Today, we speak to Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia editor, on the tightrope of reporting from Moscow under Vladimir Putin. The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak Executive producer: Bridget Harney Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow. Credit: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool/Reuters.

After identifying a new species of ancient crocodile for his PhD, Ewan Bodenham honoured his favourite physics teacher who inspired him many years before. Galahadosuchus jonesi has been named after Rhys Jones - who says it is a privilege. Plus, the school in Brazil that many gave up on a decade ago wins a prestigious international award. A woman has been reunited with her prosthetic leg ten months after she lost it in the sea. We hear about the dog that led police in Louisville to a missing three year old and the Mosque that went viral for sharing videos of a pilates class for men over the age of 50. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Oliver Conway. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

Two weeks after the latest release of the Epstein files, the headlines keep pouring in.

In just the past few days, revelations in the documents have nearly brought down a British prime minister, and implicated politicians and royals from around the world. The files are even fuelling speculation about whether the late sex offender could have been a spy.

We speak to Nomia Iqbal, BBC World Affairs Correspondent, about what we’ve learned this week about the international fallout of the Epstein scandal.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Producers: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Epstein files. Credit: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA/Shutterstock

We meet a Ghanaian woman who is challenging stereotypes of beauty and disability by modelling with her prosthetic leg wrapped in colourful kente fabric. Abena Christine Jon'el had her leg amputated when she was just two years old because of an aggressive form of cancer. She says she's fought through so much to survive that she's determined to fight for anyone who's ever felt defeated by life.

Also: A mobile gaming app that's helping teenagers in Brazil learn how to support their friends with mental health issues.

A scheme teaching gardening skills to prisoners in the UK to help cut the numbers who reoffend after their release.

The Washington museum curator who's adopted Gen Z slang to get younger people interested in its works of art. Alison Luchs has attracted over nine million views with two social media posts, and is challenging others to submit similar videos about other exhibits.

Plus big baby elephant news, some unusual guard animals, and how one new family helped bring an entire community together, just by showing they cared.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

(Photo: Abena Christine Jon'el on the catwalk in Ghana. Credit: Vino Studio / Nineteen57 Events)

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

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

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

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.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Producers: Viv Jones Executive producer: Bridget Harney Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Moscow apartment buildings in the 1990s. (Credit: BBC)