GLOBAL NEWS PODCAST

Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, is widely expected to award Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize on Friday, at the draw for the 2026 World Cup in Washington DC. The prize has led to scrutiny over Infantino’s close relationship with Trump, along with concerns that Trump might move matches from host cities and fears over visa delays or refusals for travelling fans and officials.

We speak to Dan Roan, the BBC’s sports editor, about why Infantino is cozying up to Trump, and what it means for football and global diplomacy.

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 and Aron Keller

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Fifa President Gianni Infantino shows US President Donald Trump the World Cup Trophy in the Oval Office. Chip Somodevilla

More than 20 people have been killed in a fire at a nightclub in the Indian state of Goa. Also: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the US will "keep killing" alleged drug smugglers in the waters off Latin America. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he had "very substantive" talks with Washington about a possible ceasefire. We look at the logistical worries facing the 2026 men's football World Cup. And some early Oscar favourites are already racking up film awards in New York and London.

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

We hear about an extraordinary story of love, friendship and a teenage promise fulfilled over a decade later. When Georgia Barrington was told, at the age of 15, that she'd been born without a womb, she thought her dreams of having a baby were over. So her best friend, Daisy Hope, promised she would one day act as her surrogate. Years later, after having her daughter, she reminded her friend of that offer -- and a few weeks ago gave birth to Georgia's baby girl. The women say it's given them a bond like no other. Also: how the traditionally male world of yodelling is being given a modern, feminist twist. Switzerland's new yodel choirs aim to bring people from all backgrounds together and connect them through song. The world-famous Chinese pianist, Lang Lang, talks about the healing power of music. His charitable foundation runs concerts and creative workshops for children struggling with physical or mental health issues or grief. We find out about how one winner of this year's Earthshot prizes is bringing education to women living on some of Bangladesh's most fragile islands. Plus: a statue honouring the true impact of pregnancy and childbirth on women's bodies; the man bringing the stress-busting sights and sounds of nature to tens of thousands of people around the world; and the young owl rescued from a cement mixer.

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

Presenter: Ankur Desai. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Fifa President Gianni Infantino awarded Donald Trump with the football federation's first-ever peace prize, at a lavish ceremony to select the groups for the 2026 men's World Cup. The tournament will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. But why does President Trump care about football? Also: Colombia signs a peace deal with the criminal drugs gang Clan del Golfo. Violent clashes jeopardise a ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan. And the celebrity architect Frank Gehry has died at the age of 96.

Netflix to take over Warner Bros Discovery's film and streaming businesses in 72 billion dollar deal, giving it ownership of Harry Potter and Game of Thrones franchises. The acquisition could face resistance from regulators. Also: President Putin says Russia is ready to provide uninterrupted fuel supplies to India, which is facing heavy US pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow. Elon Musk's social media network, X, has been fined nearly a hundred and forty million dollars for breaching EU digital content rules. The largest study of the impact of deep sea mining has found that it causes significant damage to animal life on the ocean floor. Students across Germany are striking in protest at the government's decision to introduce a new voluntary military service. And people in Denmark are sending their last Christmas cards before the postal service ends its letter delivery service. (Credit: Reuters)

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

The Eurovision Song Contest has been thrown into turmoil after four nations said they would boycott next year's event. Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia had wanted Israel to be excluded because of the war in Gaza, but a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union said it could take part. Other countries, including Germany, had threatened to walk out if Israel could not participate. Also: A prominent Palestinian militia leader and Hamas opponent has been killed in Gaza. The US military says it conducted another deadly strike on a boat suspected of carrying illegal narcotics as questions mount over the legality of previous attacks. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo sign a peace deal in Washington. A British inquiry has found that Vladimir Putin bears "moral responsibility" for the poisoning of a woman in England with the nerve agent Novichok in 2018. And how a volcanic eruption may have helped spread the Black Death in the 1300s.

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

Russia's leader visits India for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. India's prime minister is under pressure to stop buying Russian oil over accusations the trade is financing the war. Also: The New York Times is suing the Pentagon over its attempt to make journalists sign a pledge to only report authorised information. A study by the Gates Foundation has found that the number of preventable child deaths is due to rise this year for the first time this century. We go to New Orleans to examine the controversy surrounding an operation to arrest undocumented immigrants. A US senator gives us his view on President Trump's comments in which he describes America's Somali community as "garbage". The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest debate whether Israel should be allowed to continue in the competition.

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

US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to meet Ukrainian negotiators in Florida following talks with President Putin in Moscow. Mr Putin - who's visiting India - has already said some of the proposals for peace in Ukraine are unacceptable. The war is also on the agenda in Beijing, where the French President, Emmanuel Macron, is meeting the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. Also: the family of Colombian fisherman killed in a US "drug boat" strike files a legal complaint, alleging he was murdered. An LA doctor who supplied ketamine to Matthew Perry, the late star of the TV show Friends, is sent to jail for 30 months. And in Scotland, the remains of a deep-water creature have washed up on a beach -- and, no, it's not the Loch Ness monster.

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

Despite their support for Ukraine, European countries have been a significant market for Russian energy. But an agreement has now been reached between the European Council and the European Parliament to phase out imports of Russian gas. The announcement came as it emerged peace talks between the US and Russia had failed, once again, to produce a breakthrough. Also in this episode - France's President, Emmanuel Macron, has arrived in Beijing for an official visit that will also take him to the city of Chengdu. The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH-370 will resume this month. A new draft law on conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews has sparked uproar in Israel. The American city of San Francisco is to file the nation’s first government lawsuit against manufacturers of ultra-processed food. The BBC investigates the dramatic rise in online abuse towards football players and managers in the Premier League and Women's Super League. And a man in New Zealand is being questioned after allegedly swallowing a Faberge diamond pendant, in an attempt to smuggle it out of a jewellery store.

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

Talks in Moscow between President Putin and the US envoy, Steve Witkoff, about a peace plan for Ukraine have ended without a breakthrough. Russian negotiators described the meeting as productive and useful, but the Kremlin aide, Yuri Ushakov, said no compromise had been reached over Ukrainian territory. Also: on the first anniversary of an attempted coup in South Korea, the president praises civilians who defended democracy; Wikipedia's most read pages of 2025 are revealed, from Charlie Kirk to Ozzy Osbourne; we hear from a working mother in Japan, where the country's first female prime minister has made "work" a national slogan; and the Fabergé egg, commissioned by Russia's last Tsar, which has sold at auction for a record $30 million.

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

Special envoy, Steve Witkoff, meets President Putin at the Kremlin with the latest US plan to end war in Ukraine. President Zelensky says Ukraine is committed to achieving a "real and secure peace". Also: The number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra in Indonesia has risen to more than seven-hundred. Hundreds more are feared buried in mud; the Sri Lankan authorities say the flash flooding and landslides have also killed hundreds there. 150,000 people have attended a mass held by Pope Leo in Beirut. A special BBC report on a dam collapse at a Chinese copper mine in Zambia leading to toxic waste, including heavy metals, pouring into the surrounding waterways and farmland.

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

After months of fighting, the Kremlin says Russian forces have seized the frontline city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. It links several other key cities in the Donetsk region. Last month, Ukraine sent reinforcements to try to fend off the Russian attack. Kyiv has not acknowledged the loss of the city. Also: the White House defends Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over US military action off the coast of Venezuela; the presidential election result in Honduras is too close to call; the World Health Organization calls for weight loss jabs to be more widely available; what Australian teenagers make of an up-coming social media ban; the 85km long traffic jam in Siberia; and an interview with the Taiwanese director who shot a critically-acclaimed film on iPhones.

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

Floods in Indonesia have killed more than 600 people and left 500 unaccounted for. They were caused by a rare cyclone that formed over the Malacca Strait. It has hit three provinces and affected around 1.4m people. Also: the young African men being lured to Russia on the promise of well-paid jobs, but finding themselves sent to fight in Ukraine; the "forever chemicals" in our bodies, and what we can do about them; a new podcast that discusses the bomb that changed the world; HIV prevention in South Africa; the former Bangladeshi prime minister's niece is found guilty of corruption charges; South Korea's largest data breach; and a hairy new world record.

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

The BBC has visited a camp where people are taking refuge after the fall of Sudan's El Fasher - one of the most brutal chapters of the civil war. People fleeing the besieged city described witnessing atrocities by RSF fighters. Also: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asks to be pardoned; an investigation into Georgia's potential use of chemical weapons against anti-government protesters; the US hosts "productive" peace talks to end Ukraine-Russia war; Dignitas founder dies through assisted suicide; the testimony of a woman held captive in Iraq; an update on the rescue operations in flood-hit Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand; the latest from Pope Leo's Lebanon trip; and rage bait is Oxford's word of the year.

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

Miss Universe 2025 has been rocked by controversies and chaos, from stage falls and contestants storming out, to judges quitting and allegations of vote rigging – which the organisers deny.

The pageant – styled as a celebration of women of all backgrounds and nationalities – has suffered waning international attention in recent years, with many questioning the ideals of femininity it seems to espouse.

Could the drama of this year’s competition get people watching again?

BBC journalist and Miss Universe expert, William Lee Adams, joins us to discuss.

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: Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch is crowned as Miss Universe 2025. Rungroj Yongrit/EPA

Armed gangs now control much of Port-au-Prince and more than a million people have been forced from their homes. In this Global News Podcast special, Nick Miles and Nawal Al-Maghafi hear from Haitians on the front line, including a pro-democracy activist, a feminist campaigner supporting survivors of sexual violence, and a medic trying to keep emergency services going in a city under siege. They tell us how people are resisting, what real change would look like, and why so many people still believe Haiti has a future worth fighting for.

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

Venezuela has condemned as a "colonialist threat" President Trump's warning that its airspace should be considered closed. The US does not have the authority to shut another country's airspace and the foreign ministry described his social media post as an illegal and unjustified aggression. Also: the number of people killed as a result of Israel's military offensive in Gaza in the past two years has risen above 70,000 according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian territory; rescue operations are continuing in Indonesia after floods and landslides killed more than 300 people in Sumatra; and King Charles leads tributes to the British playwright and Oscar winning screenwriter, Tom Stoppard, who has died at the age of 88.

In this special episode we're marking Diabetes Awareness Month with a range of stories about innovation, advocacy and education -- including a book helping children newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It began as a university project for Lea Leleta Sümer, who's from Bosnia-Herzegovina and has lived with the condition since she was two years old. She wanted to help children like her come to terms with their condition, as well as educate others.

Also: The Barbie Doll with Type 1 diabetes - a collaboration from Mattel and the international diabetes charity, Breakthrough T1D. We meet the women who inspired the doll.

We speak to Sally TM, of RuPaul's Drag Race UK fame, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes around the age of 10. Sally uses her art and platform to advocate for people living with the condition.

As Italy becomes the first country to implement a nationwide screening programme, we hear from the man who has pioneered it.

Plus a teacher who's broken the world record for the fastest marathon by a male with type 1 diabetes. And we find out how recent advances in technology have made the daily management of the condition easier and safer, and consider what's to come.

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

Presenters: Harry Bligh and Alex Ritson. Music composed by Sarah Warren

Airbus has grounded thousands of its planes to fix a technical problem. Airlines are working to install a software update but flight delays and cancellations are expected over the coming days. Also: Donald Trump says he will cancel every order Joe Biden signed with an autopen and pardon a Honduran ex-president convicted of drug-trafficking; the WHO issues guidelines on infertility and how it could be treated; President Zelensky's top aide Andriy Yermak resigns amid Ukraine's corruption scandal; the link between tattoos and skin cancer; and Russia eyes up remote-controlled spy pigeons in the drone age.

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

The authorities in Hong Kong say fire alarms weren't working properly in the tower blocks where a blaze killed more than 100 people. The buildings were being renovated, and police say they've found materials that are believed not to be fireproof. Also: rescue services tackling heavy floods in South East Asia say they're struggling to cope as roads and communication infrastructure have been severely damaged; how 70 species of sharks and rays are to receive better international protection; and a stand-off between three nuns and their convent in Austria may have reached a resolution.

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

President Trump says that one of the US National Guard soldiers who was shot on Wednesday in Washington has died. Sarah Beckstrom was twenty. Mr Trump said the other soldier, Andrew Wolfe, was in a serious condition, as was the suspected gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He's an Afghan national who'd worked with the CIA in Afghanistan. Also: Video has emerged showing Israeli security forces shooting dead two Palestinians who appeared to have surrendered in the occupied West Bank. More than ninety people are now known to have died in Hong Kong's worst fire in decades. Surprising and rather gruesome new evidence has been found about how cats became domesticated; and we hear about a church in the US where worshippers are encouraged to hold poisonous snakes.

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

Pope Leo has called for peace on the first day of his visit to Turkey, and urged Ankara to embrace the role of mediator in the world's conflicts. His host, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said he doesn't believe the differences between people, including religion, should be a source of conflict. Also: US officials issue an update on the two National Guard officers shot in Washington DC. The suspect is an Afghan immigrant who worked with US forces in Afghanistan. Two Chinese teenagers are arrested in South Korea, accused of spying on a military air base. A lawyer critical of the government is freed from detention in Tunisia. And the Japanese brewing giant Asahi says beer production has been disrupted by a cyber attack.

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

More than forty people have died and hundreds are missing after a fire engulfed high-rise apartment blocks in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. Firefighters have been battling to contain the blaze for nearly 24 hours. Also: a "targeted shooting" near the White House critically injures two National Guard troops; Nigeria declares a nationwide security emergency; the military in Guinea-Bissau stages a coup; a special report from Lebanon on the anniversary of Israel's ceasefire with Hezbollah; a warning about ocean noise; the latest scandal from the Miss Universe beauty pageant; and what Warner's partnership with Suno means for the future of AI in music.

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

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te says China is stepping up military preparations to take the island by force. He's announced a $40 billion supplementary defence budget that underscores Taiwan's determination to protect itself, with a focus on drones and missile systems. President Lai said giving up and making compromises to aggression would only bring war. Also: the US-Palestinian teenager who's been in detention since February for stone throwing -- with no trial in sight. The joy of discovering a rare flower in Indonesia. Two Australian teenagers go to court to challenge their government's up-coming ban on social media for under-16s. And an elderly couple enjoy a last, surprise dance on the ballroom floor.

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

The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has been ordered to begin his 27 year prison sentence for plotting a coup after the last election. The Supreme Court said he'd exhausted all appeals and will serve his time behind bars at the federal police headquarters in Brasilia.

Also: Italy makes femicide – the murder of a woman, motivated by gender – a crime to be punished with a life sentence. Refugees who've fled Mali tell the BBC about alleged atrocities committed by Russia's Wagner group. New Zealand's "suitcase murders" trial comes to an end. The Popemobile is converted into a medical clinic in Gaza. LGBT campaigners celebrate the top EU court's ruling on same-sex marriage in case brought by Polish couple, and how children's author Roald Dahl's secret life as a spy inspired his script for a Bond movie.

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

The Ukrainian authorities say Kyiv has reached a common understanding with the United States on the key terms of a peace agreement with Russia. Moscow says it has yet to see the amended version of an earlier draft, which included many of the Kremlin's demands. Also: there's been heavy criticism of the Nigerian authorities after hundreds of students were abducted from a school last week. The US Government tells holidaymakers to dress properly at airports. And what's more important? A billion dollars' worth of shipwreck treasure or the preservation of an important underwater archaeological site?

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

A federal US judge has dismissed the criminal cases against the former FBI director James Comey and the New York Attorney General Letitia James, who've both led high-profile investigations into Donald Trump. The judge found that the prosecutor overseeing both cases, Lindsey Halligan, had been hired unlawfully. The White House has said the Justice Department will appeal against the ruling. President Trump has denied accusations that he uses the criminal justice sytem to target his enemies.

Also: Mexican police arrest a man accused of recruiting people involved in the murder of a popular mayor, Carlos Manzo. We look back at the life of the singer Jimmy Cliff who helped popularise reggae around the world. Meanwhile, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads tributes to the Bollywood actor Dharmendra who has died at the age of 89. A new location feature on the social media platform X raises questions about the origins of politically provocative content. And a woman in Thailand has been found alive in her coffin moments before she was due to be cremated.

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

The Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria says 265 people are still missing after a mass kidnapping from a school in Niger state on Friday. Among those unaccounted for are dozens of nursery and primary school children and 12 members of staff. The Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu, ordered the recruitment of an extra thirty thousand police officers in the latest attempt by the federal authorities to bring an end to the chronic insecurity in the north of the country. Also: American-led hopes of a breakthrough in the Ukraine peace talks have been tempered by European leaders who have stressed that Russia must come to the table. A suicide bombing attack kills several people in Pakistan at a paramilitary headquarters in Peshawar. Police said the bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the compound and two other attackers were shot dead. The US designation of the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation comes into force as Washington ramps up its pressure on the president Nicolas Maduro. South Korea's most prolific online sex criminal is sentenced to life in prison, after being convicted of exploiting dozens of people by spreading thousands of sexual abuse materials using an encrypted messaging app. And how conservation efforts in Kenya are starting to revive the fortunes of endangered Black rhinos.

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

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has given an upbeat assessment of talks with Ukrainian officials about how to end the war with Russia. Mr Rubio said sticking points which remained were "not insurmountable". US, Ukrainian and European officials have been meeting in Geneva in Switzerland to discuss a peace plan that US negotiators devised with their Russian counterparts. It has been widely criticised as sympathetic to Moscow's aims.

Also: a BBC investigation has exposed people in Sierra Leone who claim to supply human body parts for ritual ceremonies. More than 50 of the 300 pupils abducted by gunmen in Nigeria have escaped their captors, but parents are voicing their frustration over the lack of security at schools. Hezbollah confirms its chief of staff has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. A three-year-old boy from California has astounded doctors with his progress after becoming the first person in the world with Hunter syndrome to receive a ground-breaking gene therapy. A daughter of the former South African President Jacob Zuma is accused of recruiting citizens to fight in Ukraine. And an Argentinian writer recalls the moment she learned her childhood nanny was actually a KGB agent.

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

The American lawyer, oil lobbyist and master strategist Don Pearlman is said to have chain-smoked his way through almost every UN climate gathering from the early 1990s until his death in 2005. Some of those who saw Pearlman operate in Kyoto, where the first legally binding international agreement on climate change was agreed in 1997, say he created the playbook for stalling climate talks. The Kyoto protocol was never ratified by the United States, and Pearlman is now the subject of a major play, Kyoto, which has just transferred from London to the Lincoln Center in New York. As the COP30 climate summit takes place in Brazil, we speak to BBC climate journalist Jordan Dunbar, who’s been trying to piece together the true story of the man once nicknamed ‘the high priest of the carbon club’.

With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, 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: Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Don Pearlman at the Kyoto summit / BBC.

The UN climate summit in Brazil has closed with a commitment to triple adaptation funding for developing countries, but there was no explicit mention of the fossil fuels that drive climate change. A bitter row at COP30 saw oil-rich nations led by Saudi Arabia overcome more than 80 countries that wanted a deal advancing previous commitments to transition away from oil, coal, and gas.

Also: President Trump says his plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war is "not his final offer" as Kyiv and its allies push back on proposals they see as too favourable to Moscow. Several airlines suspend flights to Venezuela after the US warned of dangers from heightened military activity. Princess Diana's personal designer Paul Costelloe dies aged 80. How new technology, the size of a grain of rice, is tracking the migration of Monarch butterflies across North America. And a watch worn by Titanic passenger Isidor Straus as the ship sank fetches a record price at auction. 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

We hear about a rare meeting between a living organ donor and the child whose life was transformed by receiving her kidney. Aly Coyle says she was delighted to see 5-year-old Xavier happy and healthy after the transplant. His parents tracked her down through social media to say thank you, and describe her as an angel who's now part of their family. Also: how a new machine could dramatically increase the number of liver transplants, by improving the way the organs are stored outside the body. A media company run for and by young disabled people that's hoping to challenge stereotypes and promote discussion. A grand prix with a difference - why cows, and their riders, race through a small Swiss village. Plus: the newly rediscovered works of Bach that have been performed for the first time in over three hundred years. And why more men are taking up knitting. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has said she's leaving office after clashing with President Donald Trump over the release of the Epstein files. Also: The US president sets next Thursday as a deadline for Ukraine to accept an American plan for a peace deal with Russia, which appears to give Moscow much of what it wants; bitter disagreements at the COP 30 climate summit in Brazil continue as the talks run overtime; scientists reveal what triggered the Santorini earthquake swarm earlier this year; and a Superman comic becomes the most expensive ever sold.

The US has handed Ukraine a draft peace plan which reportedly reflects many of Moscow's demands, like giving up land. Ukraine's president has held a call with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain. Berlin says the three leaders welcomed US efforts but stressed the need to safeguard European and Ukrainian interests. Also: officials in Nigeria say dozens of pupils and staff have been abducted from a Catholic school - the third mass kidnapping in a week; The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, says almost seventy children in Gaza have been killed in conflict-related incidents since Israel's US-brokered ceasefire with Hamas took effect last month; A growing number of women in South Africa learn to use guns to protect themselves against gender-based violence; The UN climate summit in Brazil is heading for a showdown over a draft text proposed by the hosts that fails to refer to the phasing out of fossil fuels; In a dramatic development - Mexico's Fatima Bosch, who walked out on organisers after she was publicly berated, is crowned Miss Universe; And how artificial intelligence is helping scientists differentiate between different lion roars.

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

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will speak to Donald Trump in the coming days about the new peace deal put forward by the US. Mr Trump's plan includes significant concessions to be made by Kyiv. What is his strategy with this provocative proposal? Also: Schools have been closed in parts of Nigeria after a new wave of attacks and abductions. Spain's attorney general has been found guilty of leaking confidential information about the boyfriend of a leading politician. And the old VCR gathering dust in your basement could be worth good money at auction.

As the US is reported to have drafted a deal with Russia on Ukraine, we look at the impact the war has had on Ukrainian children. Also: Facebook and Instagram start closing Australian teenager's accounts ahead of the social media ban next month. A court in the Philippines has found a former mayor, Alice Guo, guilty of human trafficking linked to a scam centre in her town. As fears mount of a Chinese invasion, Taiwan issues instructions to its citizens of what to do if war breaks out. We hear from the son of one of the Nazi war criminals sentenced to death in the Nuremberg trials, 80 years after they began. And a new exhibition explores the quirky, stylised world of the American film director, Wes Anderson.

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

President Trump has signed a bill that gives the US Justice Department thirty days to release its files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Some of the documents could be withheld or heavily redacted. Also: Silicon Valley's Nvidia sees record earnings amid AI boom; Israel conducts major airstrikes in Gaza despite ceasefire; FBI intensifies search for "modern day Pablo Escobar"; Colombia pushes ahead with controversial airstrikes on rebel groups; Ukrainian suspect faces extradition in Nord Stream investigation; the philanthropists filling the gap left by USAID withdrawal; and Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer goes under the hammer.

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

Russian missile and drone strikes in western Ukraine have killed at least twenty-five people and injured more than seventy in the city of Ternopil. Two apartment blocks were hit, leaving upper floors destroyed, buildings on fire and rescuers searching through rubble for survivors. Also: Britain reports that a Russian ship operating on the edge of the UK's territorial waters has directed lasers at air force pilots sent to monitor its activities; a major global study links ultra-processed foods to higher risks of cancer, diabetes and heart disease; we look ahead to the men’s FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as the Caribbean island of Curacao becomes the smallest nation ever to qualify; relations between China and Japan deteriorate further after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggests Tokyo could respond militarily if China attacks Taiwan; the global chief of Hyundai says the White House personally apologised after a major immigration raid at one of its factories in the US state of Georgia; and scientists trace the evolutionary origins of kissing.

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

Both houses of Congress in the US have passed a bill that aims to force the publication of files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Once President Trump signs it into law, the Justice Department will have a thirty day deadline to release the documents. Also: Donald Trump defends the Saudi Crown Prince on his first White House visit since Jamal Khashoggi's murder; violence rises between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank; five hikers die in Chile's Patagonia; a report from the front line of Europe's standoff with Russia's shadow fleet; Meta wins a five year legal battle; we look at the future of test cricket; and Australian prisoners fight for their right to Vegemite.

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

British politicians have been warned by the security services that they face a significant risk of espionage from the Chinese state, after an MI5 alert identified two LinkedIn profiles it says have been operating on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security. The UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis has warned that the government won't tolerate covert attempts by China to interfere in the UK's sovereign affairs.

In the Philippines, prosecutors have charged several people in connection with an ongoing corruption scandal linked to inadequate or non-existent flood defences. Also: the global vaccine alliance GAVI says it has prevented nearly one and a half million deaths from cervical cancer through a three-year vaccination campaign in low-income countries. How AI could help speed up research into ways of stopping anti microbial resistance. A human rights group accuses the French oil giant, Total, of complicity in war crimes at one of its gas sites in Mozambique. Cambridge Dictionary names ‘parasocial’ as its Word of the Year for 2025 - and should there be a universal scale to measure spice levels?

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

The UN Security Council has approved a US-drafted resolution to move to the next stage of Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan. It aims to set up a transitional administration and international stabilisation force, but the details remain vague. Israel has taken issue with parts of the resolution and Hamas has rejected it. Also: Israeli settlers continue to attack Palestinians in the occupied West Bank; students are kidnapped from a girls' boarding school in Nigeria; an explosion in Poland fuels fears of hybrid war; the latest from COP30; an exclusive interview with Google's boss about AI; how to stop ticket resellers ripping off fans; Netflix confirms Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua boxing fight, and what's the word of the year?

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

Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death. A tribunal in Dhaka found she had ordered security forces to kill protesters during student-led anti-government demonstrations in 2024. The UN estimates up to 1,400 people died during the uprising, most by gunfire. Sheikh Hasina was tried in her absence and has been living in exile in India since being forced from power. She has dismissed the court's verdict as politically motivated.

Also: a plea from the UN aid chief to stop the supply of weapons to the rival armies in Sudan. A BBC investigation has uncovered evidence raising doubts about the trial of US marines over the killings of Iraqi civilians in 2005. Researchers look to artificial intelligence to treat a type of brain cancer, by detecting early signs that tumours are returning. And we drop in on a knitting session in Denmark to find out why young people are driving a boom in traditional crafts.

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

Ecuador's Los Lobos drug cartel leader, Wilmer "Pipo" Chavarria, has been captured in Spain. He'd been hiding in Europe after faking his own death. The arrest came as Ecuadorians voted not to allow foreign military bases in their country. Also: President Trump calls for the release of the Epstein files; violence erupts in Bangladesh ahead of the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's trial verdict; an auction of items from Nazi concentration camps is cancelled; Chile's election results; we visit the Amazon rainforest as COP30 debates soya beans; and Sky Sports ditches its "patronising and sexist" new TikTok.

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

Donald Trump has spent this year trying to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine. So far, Vladimir Putin doesn’t seem interested in the US’s proposals. One man who has successfully negotiated with Russia – and with many of America’s adversaries – is Roger Carstens, former Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. From 2020 to 2025 he worked to free dozens of US citizens taken hostage and wrongfully detained around the world, including in Russia. Securing their release often required complex deals that took years to put together. What does it take to successfully negotiate with Putin’s Russia?

With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, 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: Lucy Pawle Executive producer: James Shield Senior news editor: China Collins Mix: Travis Evans Photo: Roger Carstens. Credit: BBC

Thousands of indigenous people and activists demonstrate against global warming in the Amazonian city of Belém, where COP30 is taking place. It's the first time since 2021 that people have been allowed to protest outside the UN climate talks. Also: Palestinian families suffer, as heavy rains destroy camps in Gaza; Pakistan's Balochistan province bans child marriage; Mexican cities see protests over growing violence and insecurity; Ecuadorians are set to vote on allowing foreign military bases back into their country; and Pope Leo hosts some of Hollywood's biggest stars, describing them as "pilgrims of the imagination".

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

We speak to a woman who saved the life of a kayaker, after spotting him floating face down in Idaho's Snake River. Rachelle Ruffing says knowing CPR allowed her to 'make a miracle' which has changed her, and everyone should learn how to do it. She says she still finds it hard to believe that the man made a full recovery and that attending his recent wedding was a privilege.

Also: the Afghan women's football team returns to the international stage, four years after the players fled the Taliban. FIFA changed the venue of the tournament to allow them to take part. Conservationists find a way to save a rare albatross by getting birds from another species to act as foster parents for their eggs. We hear how old home movies are being rescued so people can relive precious family moments decades later. Plus, after the fat bears of Alaska, we find out about the squirrels bulking up for winter in Texas; and we meet the man who can charm animals with his music, even stopping a herd of rhinos in their tracks.

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

The US President has said he will begin legal action against the BBC within the next few days after receiving an apology but no financial compensation over a misleading edit in a documentary about him. Lawyers representing Donald Trump had asked for a retraction, an apology and a payout after it was revealed that his speech at a rally on 6th January 2021, the day of the Capitol riots, was edited to give the impression he'd made a direct call for violence. Meanwhile, leading Democrats have accused President Trump of trying to deflect attention from questions about his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after he announced he was asking the attorney general and FBI to investigate prominent Democrats who he claims "spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his island". Also: the BBC speaks to Palestinian farmers who have been attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank; the AI company that claims its chatbot has been used by Chinese spies to hack organisations around the world; the mining giant BHP is found responsible for the collapse of the Mariana dam in Brazil ten years ago; and film tourism is a multi-million dollar global business, but is it always a good thing?

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

Russian drones and missiles hit an apartment block in eastern Kyiv, killing at least six people. President Zelensky has accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians. Also: The UN approves a formal investigation into allegations that the Rapid Support Forces massacred 2,000 people in the Sudanese city of El Fasher; Japan summons the Chinese ambassador, as a row over Taiwan escalates; high blood pressure in children has doubled in 20 years; and the Japanese woman who 'married' her AI boyfriend.

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

The BBC has sent a letter of apology to Donald Trump, saying it regrets the way a programme spliced together parts of his speech from the day of the Capitol riots. But the corporation's lawyers have rejected Mr Trump's demand for compensation. The president has threatened to sue the BBC for $1bn over the edited clip. Also: The former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has denied committing crimes against humanity. New analysis from COP30 has shown that 1,600 delegates from the fossil fuel industry are in attendance. Germany has announced plans for military conscription, in the shadow of the war in Ukraine. And a rocket owned by Jeff Bezos has been launched carrying NASA satellites bound for Mars.

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

A series of events are being held in Paris to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the worst attacks on French soil in modern history. The Islamist terror attacks, in which 130 people died, began at the Stade de France with three explosions caused by suicide bombers. They then spread to restaurants, cafes and bars, and to the Bataclan theatre where 90 concertgoers were killed. Also: new figures show that the world's burning of fossil fuels is this year set to release more carbon dioxide than ever before. Climate scientists say that efforts to cut emissions are moving too slowly to meet international targets. But a growth in renewables is giving hope that the world's warming trend can still be curbed. What new DNA analysis tells us about Adolf Hitler. A swatch of fabric with the Nazi leader's blood was taken from the sofa on which he killed himself and apparently reveals that he suffered from a genetic disorder that stunts normal puberty. And the new drug raising hope in the fight against malaria.

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

President Donald Trump said the country has "never been in better shape" as he signed a funding bill re-opening the government. Democrats had said they would not support the bill unless Republicans restored healthcare subsidies for lower-income Americans. But this week a handful of Democrat lawmakers crossed the aisle, voting to end the shutdown. Also: the White House accuses Democrats of creating a "fake narrative" after parts of the Epstein files are leaked. The documents include emails in which the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein says President Trump "knew about the girls". We look at the lucrative business of building drones in Ukraine. And we find out why the Northern and Southern Lights are easier to see this week.

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

Democrats in the US Congress release three emails by the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein mentioning Donald Trump. One of the emails says the president spent several hours with a woman described as a victim of Epstein's sex trafficking. The Democrats say the communications raise serious questions about what the president knew at the time about Epstein's behaviour. The White House says the emails represent a "false narrative" and their release is an attempt to smear the president. Also: another corruption scandal shakes the Ukrainian government, with the justice minister being suspended; and how the Royal Shakespeare Company is trying to sell Britain's most famous playwright to young people. 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

One of the world's most advanced aircraft carriers has arrived in the waters off Latin America as President Donald Trump ramps up the US naval presence in the Caribbean Sea. He says the US military is firing on drug traffickers. So why does Venezuela say he's trying to bring down its government? Also: California Governor Gavin Newsom is at COP30, to present his own vision of US climate policy. The mayor of Istanbul faces 2,000 years in prison over charges that his supporters say are politically motivated. And we look at the Israeli bill which would impose the death penalty on people convicted of terrorism.

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

Pakistan's interior minister says a suicide attack has killed 12 people and injured many more near a crowded courthouse in the capital, Islamabad. Mohsin Naqvi says the authorities were not treating this as "just another bombing". Also: India hunts those involved in Monday's car explosion in a crowded street in the capital Delhi which killed eight people. COP30 looks at how to help poorer countries adapt to the impact of climate change as extreme weather takes an ever bigger toll. Evidence that speaking more than one language can delay the ageing process. Britain aims to phase out animal testing in medical and scientific research. And the Portuguese football superstar, Ronaldo, says next year's World Cup will be his last.

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

The US says Syria is joining the international coalition to combat the Islamic State group, and Damascus is resuming diplomatic relations with Washington. The announcement came hours after Donald Trump met the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the White House, describing him as a strong leader. President Trump said he wanted Syria to be a "big part" of his plan for a wider Middle East peace. Also: the Indian capital, Delhi, is on high alert after a deadly explosion. The woman known as the "Chinese Cryptoqueen" is due to be sentenced for stealing billions of dollars from investors. And the novel "Flesh", by David Szalay wins the Booker Prize, Britain's most prestigious award for literary fiction.

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

The BBC says it will respond in due course to a threat of legal action over a documentary which misrepresented a speech made by President Trump. The BBC chairman apologised for an "error of judgement" over an edit of comments Mr Trump made to his supporters who stormed the Capitol building in January 2021. Also: the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is in the US to hold talks with President Trump. The BBC has been speaking to minority groups in Syria who say he's failing to protect them. A court in Paris has granted the former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, early release from jail, just weeks after he started a five-year sentence. The Cop30 summit opens in Brazil, as the host insists the summit must lead to implementation of critical climate change measures. The former South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol,is facing new charges, related to his decision to declare emergency martial law in December, 2024. And: A cyber-criminal who spent almost 10 years on the FBI's most wanted list has been speaking to the BBC, in an exclusive interview from prison.

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

The longest-ever government shutdown in the United States looks to be coming to an end after a vote in the Senate. Several Democrats decided to join their Republican rivals to re-open federal services. Also: Donald Trump has welcomed the resignation of the BBC's director general and head of news following claims viewers were misled by the editing of a speech by the US president. Another typhoon hits the Philippines - but this time the damage isn't as bad as expected. Red Kite chicks are sent from Britain to help the survival of the species in Spain. And a new kind of holiday in Sweden - where you have to stay very quiet.

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

After getting the red-carpet treatment at the UN in New York last week, the former al-Qaeda fighter who now leads Syria is about to hold an election. But is Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, really about to transition the country into democracy? Or does he have other plans? The BBC's senior international correspondent Orla Guerin joins us from Damascus, where she’s been speaking to Syrians about the country’s future.

With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, 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: Cat Farnsworth and Valerio Esposito Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior News Editor: China Collins

Iran says water supplies in Tehran will suffer scheduled cuts, as the country struggles with severe shortages. The announcement came after President Masoud Pezeshkian warned of rationing and suggested the capital might have to be evacuated if there's no rainfall in the next two weeks. Also: Bolivia and the United States agree to restore diplomatic relations - at ambassador level - after a 17-year break; a storm bearing down on the Philippines has intensified to a super typhoon; and Saudi Arabia's plans to attract 150 million tourists a year.

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

In this Happy Pod special we're in Munich, Germany for One Young World. We speak to survivors of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and their families as they turn their painful memories into a call for peace and the end of nuclear weapons. They're part of a group that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024. Also: The young Argentine harnessing Artifical Intelligence to spot wildfires; Zaynab Mohamed - the first Muslim woman elected to Minnesota's Senate at just 25; the 'TikTok Mayor' using social media to show life in charge of a tiny Spanish village; and the England football star, Georgia Stanway, who's using Euros success to change the game for the next generation of female players. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson