The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
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The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Israel's attacks on Lebanon violate the ceasefire agreement with the United States, and warns that upcoming negotiations will be meaningless if strikes continue. In Beirut, rescue workers are searching through rubble for people missing after Wednesday's bombardments. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to keep attacking the Iran-backed group Hezbollah "wherever necessary". Where does this leave peace talks, currently planned for ...
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard says it will deliver a "regret-inducing response" if Israeli strikes on Lebanon don't stop immediately, according to state media. Lebanese officials say Israel has killed more than 250 people in a wave of attacks targeting Hezbollah that brought down several buildings in Beirut. The US and Israel say Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire deal. Despite the internet blackout in most of Iran, we look at how Iranians have been reacting to the two-week ceasefire. An...
As a fragile ceasefire begins, both the United States and Iran claim victory. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says Iran will no longer enrich uranium, and that Operation Epic Fury has destroyed Tehran's ability to build missiles or other sophisticated weaponry. Iran has broadcast triumphant messages of victory on state TV, warning that "the slightest mistake by the enemy will be met with full force". Despite statements from Iran and mediators Pakistan that fighting will cease on all fronts, Is...
A temporary two-week ceasefire has been agreed between the US, Israel, and Iran, leading to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a drop in oil prices, though conditions and interpretations of the deal remain contentious. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe faces major divisions over proposed constitutional amendments to extend the president's term, and a 14-year-old is making political history by running for governor in Vermont.
President Trump has warned that "a whole civilisation will die tonight", as his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have said they'll retaliate beyond the Middle East, and deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas if Washington crosses 'red lines'. Also, the US Vice-President, JD Vance, is in Hungary, trying to bolster the campaign of Prime Minister Victor Orban's party in advance of Sunday's parliamentary elections; the organisers of the B...
The Artemis II astronauts have travelled farther from Earth than any human in history and successfully looped around the far side of the Moon. The NASA crew is now on its way back home after taking photographs of the lunar surface and witnessing a solar eclipse. Also: Donald Trump dismisses concerns that the US targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran could be a war crime; the BBC gets special access to a siezed scam compound in Myanmar; Albanian environmentalists protest against Ivanka Trump's...
This episode delves into several pressing global issues, starting with the assassination of Iran's Revolutionary Guards intelligence chief and the resulting regional tensions. It also provides an update on the Ukraine war, highlighting both civilian impacts and a unique theatre program aiding veteran recovery. The podcast further explores rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, NASA's Artemis II mission around the Moon, India's unconventional border security measures, and the potential for island nations to leverage offshore wind power for energy independence.
Donald Trump has changed the deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to Tuesday, and threatened to bomb Iran's bridges and power plants if his demands are ignored. Tehran has dismissed the warnings as "nonsense". And US forces have rescued the missing American aviator whose fighter jet was shot down in southern Iran. Also: The challenges that autistic children and their parents face in Malawi. Sponsors pull out of Britain's Wireless music festival because Kanye West is headlining. And...
President Trump has given Iran 48 hours to make a deal or open up the Strait of Hormuz - an ultimatum Tehran has rejected. Both countries are trading threats to unleash "hell" as the search continues for a missing American aviator. The diplomatic fallout has also seen the US revoke the green cards of two women thought to be related to the late Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. We'll get analysis from our correspondents on the ground and a military expert. Also: Bangladesh launches an emergency...
We now know the 48 nations that will be competing in the summer's FIFA World Cup. The final two sides to qualify - Iraq and the DRC - have each waited decades to return to the competition. We hear from jubilant fans of both teams. Also, a small rural village in South Korea, which is at risk of extinction, is celebrating the birth of a baby for the first time 17 years. A community in Washington DC has come together to rebuild a bookshop that was destroyed in a fire. An ancient abbey in the north ...
Iran says it has shot down a US fighter jet over the west of the country. Iranian state media has published pictures and videos purporting to show parts of the downed plane and one of the ejector seats. American aircraft and reconnaissance drones are said to be involved in the search, but there has been no official confirmation from the Pentagon or the White House. Also: Despite President Trump's claims that Iran's military capacity has been decimated by almost five weeks of US-Israeli strikes, ...
Representatives from more than 40 countries took part in a virtual summit on Thursday to discuss the Strait of Hormuz crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron says using force to open the vital shipping lane is "unrealistic", and criticises the US for its mixed messages on the war. Also: a 200-year old discovery off the coast of Denmark, the latest on the Artemis II Moon mission. Plus: the blind man running a marathon with the help of strangers talking through his glasses.
The podcast delves into the successful launch of NASA's Artemis II mission, aiming for future sustainable space exploration beyond the Moon. It also provides an update on President Trump's confusing statements regarding the war with Iran and discusses the safety and transparency concerns surrounding self-driving cars in China. Further segments cover the contentious US Supreme Court debate on birthright citizenship, a landmark ruling against social media companies for mental health harm, the historical significance of Mao's secretary's diaries, and a firsthand account of walking on the Moon from an Apollo astronaut.
The Global News Podcast explores President Trump's claim of ending the Iran war in weeks, despite ongoing conflict and mixed public opinion, alongside the diplomatic debate over King Charles's controversial state visit to the US. It also examines Australia's economic measures against rising fuel costs, the legal halt to Trump's White House ballroom expansion, and an ambitious carbon capture project in the North Sea. Further reports reveal distressing fertility treatment errors in Northern Cyprus and the final preparations for NASA's historic Artemis II Moon mission.
US Defence Secretary says President Trump is willing to make a deal to end the fighting, but if Iran doesn't accept the terms, the war will continue. Also: Israel's defence minister says his country's forces will destroy all homes in Lebanese villages adjacent to the Israeli border. The medical charity MSF says rape and sexual violence remain part of everyday life in parts of Sudan. Eurovision - the world's longest-running international music competition - is heading to Asia. And the organisers ...
The White House has downplayed concerns that Donald Trump's threat to hit Iran's civilian infrastructure could lead to the US potentially carrying out war crimes. President Trump said the US military would destroy Iran's electricity plants, Kharg island and desalination plants if Iran did not make a deal. Also: The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting after two more UN peackeepers were killed in southern Lebanon. Australia's internet regulator is investigating tech gia...
President Trump says the US is in serious discussions with what he described as a new and more reasonable regime to end military operations in Iran. Also: Russia comes to the aid of Cuba by sending more than 700,000 barrels of oil to the communist island. Thieves in Italy make off with paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse - worth millions of dollars - after breaking into a museum near the city of Parma in a matter of minutes. As General Min Aung Hlaing is set to become Myanmar's next preside...
President Trump has said he could "take the oil in Iran" and possibly seize Kharg Island through which most Iranian oil is exported. He spoke to the Financial Times, as thousands of US ground troops arrived in the Middle East. But Mr Trump later told reporters a deal could be reached with Iran "very soon". The Israeli military says it has struck targets across the Iranian capital, where there are reports of heavy explosions and large scale power cuts. Also: a giant NASA rocket has arrived back o...
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...
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. Th...
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 tod...
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 nat...
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...
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 earthqua...
Steve Rosenberg, the BBC's Russia editor, reflects on over 25 years of reporting from Moscow, detailing the drastic changes from the hopeful post-Soviet 1990s to the intensified crackdown on freedom of speech under Vladimir Putin. He shares personal experiences of navigating accusations, new repressive laws after the Ukraine invasion, and the unique challenges of questioning Putin directly. Rosenberg also explores the complex, often contradictory, nature of Russia and why he remains committed to charting its dramatic story.
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 thre...
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 scand...
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 men...
Investigative journalist Josh Baker discusses ISIS's enduring presence in Syria, challenging claims of its defeat. The episode delves into the crisis of over 70,000 ISIS-affiliated detainees held in insecure camps and prisons, highlighting the challenges of de-radicalization and repatriation for dozens of nations. It also examines the implications of shifting power in Syria, including the role of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the US, for camp security and the group's potential to restrengthen its insurgency both regionally and globally.
Weeks into Vladimir Putin's first premiership, a series of apartment bombings killed hundreds, plunging Russia into fear. While the government blamed Chechen militants, whispers of FSB involvement, including Putin's hand, persisted. This episode delves into the mystery of these unresolved attacks and how they helped solidify Putin's power, revealing a pattern of narrative control that defines his rule today.
