GLOBAL NEWS PODCAST

Pope Leo has said he has "no intention to debate" Donald Trump, after the US leader criticised the pontiff's comments about the war in the Middle East. The American born Pope said he had no fear of the Trump administration. He said his message remained one of peace. Also, the US military has reportedly sent a note to seafarers saying that it will enforce a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that will apply to all vessels whatever flag they are sailing under. The note from the US Central Command says that any ship entering or leaving the blockaded area without authorisation will be subject to interception, diversion and capture. Hungary's incoming prime minister, Peter Magyar, has promised to usher in a new era for the country which he said became the poorest and most corrupt in Europe under his predecessor, Viktor Orban. And, how a toy designed by an eight year old boy became part of Nasa's Artemis mission.

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

Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, has promised closer ties with the European Union - and an anti-corruption drive - after winning the Hungarian election. The 45-year-old defeated Viktor Orbán, of the Fidesz party, who had ruled the country for 16 years. Also, Iran has said it won't submit to threats from the US after President Trump said the American military would start blockading the Strait of Hormuz from Monday afternoon. Peru's election authority says it will be reopening some polls after tens of thousands of people were unable to vote in Sunday's Presidential election. We hear how a lack of basic sanitation in Zambia is putting mothers at high risk of maternal sepsis. French film director, Francois Ozon, talks about adapting the work of philosopher Albert Camus. And, in golf, Rory McIlroy has become only the fourth man ever to win successive Masters titles.

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 BBC investigation has heard from hundreds of people who say they developed sex and gambling addictions after taking a category of prescription drugs called dopamine agonists. Millions of people in the US and around the world have been prescribed these medications, which are used to treat various illnesses, from Parkinson’s to depression. But they have well-established side effects: around 1 in 6 people who take them develop impulse control disorders. Noel Titheradge, investigations correspondent, shares the story of one American woman who developed hypersexuality after she took a dopamine agonist drug. Like many of the patients Noel has spoken to, she says she was not warned that her medication could dramatically change her personality. Noel’s investigation is also a BBC podcast series. Search for ‘Shadow World: Impulsive’. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor.

For further information on the issues raised in the programme, contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

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: A mixture of pills. Credit: Lauren Hurley/PA Wire

Marathon talks between senior US and Iranian officials on ending the Middle East conflict have ended in failure. Speaking after the negotiations in Pakistan, US Vice President, JD Vance, said they could not reach an agreement, and he was leaving after putting forward a 'final and best offer'. Iran said the talks were 'intensive' but the US made 'unreasonable demands'. Meanwhile, Israel has continued to attack the Iranian proxy militia, Hezbollah in Lebanon with more than 20 people reported to have been killed on Saturday. Also: parties in Hungary have held their final rallies, ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election, concluding what has been an acrimonious campaign with Prime Minister Viktor Orban trailing in the polls; NASA welcomes home the four astronauts of the Artemis mission, at a rapturous reception in Houston, after they made it safely back to Earth from the far side of the Moon. And, the new book shedding fresh light on the infamous five British intellectuals who were recruited at Cambridge University to spy for Russia in the 1930s.

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 mayor of Ingersoll beams with pride at the Canadian town being represented on Artemis II. Ingersoll is home to 15,000 people, including the astronaut Jeremy Hansen - who is the mission specialist. Also, we speak to two former NASA astronauts about why the Artemis II mission has gripped people around the world.

Plus, the garden designed to support people with Parkinson's disease. It will go on display in May at the British Chelsea Flower Show, and then find its roots at a specialist hospital. The woman who has a memorial bench in honour of her survival. The couple who held a sustainable wedding in Utrecht Central Station and, the rescue operation in New Zealand which reunited Molly the dog with her owner Jessica, one week after they were separated.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

Nasa's four Artemis astronauts: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen have safely returned to Earth, after a nine-day mission around the Moon. Officials say the crew are "feeling great" and will now undergo full medical checks. The Orion module carrying the team back to Earth splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on schedule after a six-minute communications blackout. Nasa officials say teams in the Houston control room monitoring the crew's re-entry were elated and that the mission exceeded expectations, describing it as a "gift to the world".

Also: Final preparations are being made in Pakistan for talks between the US and Iran, which could pave the way for a lasting peace deal. We get the latest from our team in Islamabad and look at what the Trump administration will want from the talks, as Donald Trump says the Strait of Hormuz will be opened up "with or without" the Iranians. Iran's delegates have arrived in Pakistan ahead of the meeting, saying there would be no negotiation unless there was a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Hungarians are getting ready to go to the polls in a crucial parliamentary election with veteran Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party facing a powerful challenge from the opposition Tisza party. New research suggest that packs of chimpanzees take part in 'civil war' like conflicts... and Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, takes a break from politics to hang out with British rock band Deep Purple.

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

Islamabad warns that the gap between the negotiating positions of the US and Iran remains wide. Each has accused the other of breaking the terms of the tentative ceasefire agreed this week.

Also: on the first visit by a Taiwanese opposition leader to China in a decade, Cheng Li-Wun meets the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Her trip has provoked fierce debate back home in Taiwan with many accusing her of cosying up to the communist party on the mainland. As we've previously reported, US First Lady Melania Trump gave a surprise address at the White House, denying any links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein - we hear how survivors of his abuse have reacted. We look ahead to the polls in Hungary on Sunday, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban facing one of his toughest electoral challenges yet, after 16 years in power. A man in his sixties is going on trial in Sweden - suspected of having forced his wife to sell sex to more than 120 men. And the crew of the Artemis II mission make their final preparations to come home.

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

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructs his cabinet to begin direct talks with Lebanon, but states "there is no ceasefire" and Israel will "continue to strike Hezbollah with force". Also: the US warns Iran against placing a toll on the Strait of Hormuz; Melania Trump denies having a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein; Cuba's doctor diplomacy is under threat; and Pope Leo is heading to Africa.

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 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 Saturday in Pakistan?

Also: millions of people are voting in India's state elections, seen as a test for the Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress in Argentina passes a bill allowing mining in areas where glaciers had been protected. We hear from the family of one of Nasa's Artemis II astronauts, as they prepare their return to Earth. A 300 million year old fossil, described as the remains of the world's oldest octopus, turns out not to be an octopus. And outfits belonging to the late British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II - including her wedding and coronation gown - go on display at Buckingham Palace.

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 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. And we look ahead to negotiations to end the war due to be held in Pakistan on Saturday.

Also: The challenges facing low-income households across South Africa due to the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran on oil prices. An architect in New York who led a secret life as a serial killer has pleaded guilty to a string of unsolved crimes known as the Gilgo Beach killings. A drug dealer dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection with Matthew Perry's ​death in 2023.... and the latest from the Artemis II crew as they prepare to re-enter Earth's atmosphere after travelling further into space than anyone before.

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

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, Israel says Lebanon is not included in the two-week truce, and has announced its "biggest strikes" since the start of its ground operation there. Our correspondent reports from Beirut, where the government says Israeli strikes have killed dozens and wounded hundreds across the country.

As both parties prepare for negotiations, scheduled for Friday in Pakistan, will they be able to find a long-term agreement to end the war?

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

Iran and the US have announced a two-week ceasefire which includes the reoping of the Strait of Hormuz and safe passage for ships. Peace talks will continue between the US and Iran in Islamabad on Friday. We have reaction and analysis from the US and Iran. Israel has issued a statement pointing out that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement. Also: Major divisions surface in Zimbabwe over attempts to amend the constitution and extend the Presidency of Emmerson Mnangagwa. And, the fourteen-year-old set to become the first American under the age of eighteen to appear on the ballot in a US state gubernatorial election.

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 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 British music festival, Wireless, have cancelled the event following a row over its headline act, the US rapper, Kanye West, who has now been banned from entering the country; and why Australia's most distinguished living war hero has been arrested.

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 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 plans for a luxury island resort; and fancy a curling match for a night out?

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 intelligence chief of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps, general Majid Khademi, has been killed in a US-Israeli air strike. An Iranian statement said he'd been "martyred" in an attack at dawn. His unit had been accused by the United States of violently suppressing anti-government protests in January. Israel has claimed responsibility for the strike, and defence Minister Israel Katz says general Khademi was a key target. Also, NASA's Artemis Two mission has crossed a key threshold in space on its journey to slingshot around the Moon - the lunar "sphere of influence". It means the Moon's gravitational pull now takes over the trajectory of the Orion spacecraft. And India's Border Security Force has asked security officials on the border with Bangladesh to look at the feasibility of deploying crocodiles and snakes to prevent illegal migration and smuggling.

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 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 how one 77-year-old museum curator is trying to get Gen Z into the arts.

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 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 measles vaccination programme; the Ukrainian project creating dishes from demined fields; how the manosphere is poisoning the atmosphere in British classrooms; and the Artemis II astronauts catch their first glimpse of the far side of the Moon.

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 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 of England is experiencing a tourism boost thanks to a Taiwanese pop star. A British schoolgirl has invented a pair of glasses designed to help people with dyslexia. In Japan, people have been taking part in a Grand Prix like no other: an office chair race.

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

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

American forces are searching for a missing crew member after a US fighter jet was downed in Iran. Iranian state media says Iran's security forces are also looking for the aviator. Iran is also claiming to have shot down a second US warplane over the Gulf. US media says the A-10 combat plane was shot at near the Strait of Hormuz during a search-and-rescue mission for the first downed aircraft. The pilot ejected and was rescued. Also in the podcast, Cuba begins releasing more than 2,000 prisoners as US pressure mounts. We'll hear about the Oscar winning documentary focusing on the empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. Why the recent Winter Olympic Games in Italy are being called the cleanest on record - but could this change? And the crew of Artemis II take "spectacular" image of Earth.

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

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, Iranian missiles and drones damaged oil, natural gas and water desalination facilities in Gulf nations on Friday. The UN says food prices have risen to their highest level in six months and could increase further if the war in the Middle East continues. A French court has overturned an attempt by the government to ban a Muslim event which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people over the weekend. Burkina Faso's leader has told the people there they can forget about democracy in an interview on national TV. South Sudan is facing a rapidly worsening security and humanitarian crisis. We look at how Easter festivities are going ahead in Jerusalem, despite challenges... and scientists answer a long standing mystery of how octopuses mate.

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 Artemis II mission has completed a critical engine burn that's propelling the Orion spacecraft and its four astronauts on a journey to the far side of the Moon. It's the first time in over 50 years that humans have left Earth's orbit. Also in this podcast: Iranians describe mounting desperation after a month of war. The military general behind Myanmar's coup five years ago becomes the country's president. President Trump fires US Attorney General Pam Bondi. And the tortoise that the world thought was dead - but it turned out to be fake news.

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

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.

Nasa has said it's back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon, after the Artemis II mission successfully blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It said there had been a temporary loss of communications but all was now well, and the four astronauts on board were safe, secure and in great spirits. The spacecraft is expected to circle the far side of the Moon and eventually return to Earth. In other news, in a TV address President Trump has said the US is close to meeting its objectives in the war against Iran. And police in the Chinese city of Wuhan are investigating a malfunction which led to at least 100 self-driving cars stopping in the middle of the road.

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

Countries outline measures to try to reduce the impact of rising energy prices, as stock markets rise on President Trump's statement that the war may end in as little as two weeks. We also hear the views of people living inside Iran. India's census of its population of 1.4 billion gets under way; Russia steps up attempts to block the messaging app Telegram seen in a drive to further isolate Russians from the outside world; South Africa deploys more than two thousand soldiers to help police combat crime; Tech giant apple is celebrating its 50th anniversary; and joy and sorrow in the final qualifying matches for the men's football World Cup. Iraq gets through for the first time in forty years and Italy miss out for the third time in a row.

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 the US will end its war against Iran in the next "2 or 3 weeks" - but it will be up to other countries to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz. We'll look at how Australia is dealing with rising fuel costs, and whether it's a good idea for Britain's King Charles to visit Washington at this moment. Also: Donald Trump's White House ballroom project is halted; a special report from the North Sea on a plan to capture carbon dioxide; shocking news for families who had fertility treatment in Northern Cyprus; and we check in with our reporter at Cape Canaveral ahead of NASA's first Moon mission in five decades.

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 of a Barbie-themed festival in Florida agree to issue refunds after customers complained that the event was not as advertised.

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 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 giants over suspected breaches of its new under-16s social media ban. And Celine Dion has announced her long-awaited return to the stage with a ten night residency in Paris.

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 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 president, we ask if it will be business as usual? One of the biggest manhunts in Australian history comes to an end as the man wanted for killing two police is shot dead. Researchers in Italy find that those who stay up late at night are more likely to be depressed, anxious and irritable. And an incredibly rare bronze-age shield is returned to Scotland for the first time in more than 230 years.

Humans are returning to the Moon - hear all about it on the BBC’s space podcast. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is following Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon, with a new episode every day. Starts on Monday 30 March 2026. Search for 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Follow or subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode. Nasa plans to return to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. Its Artemis II mission aims to send four astronauts to loop around the Moon. They are planning to go further from Earth than any human in history. The story of Artemis II will be told by space scientist, Maggie Aderin and British astronaut, Tim Peake, with regular guest, US space journalist Kristin Fisher. 13 Minutes is the BBC’s space podcast, telling epic space stories, including the first Moon landing, Apollo 13 and the space shuttle. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music.

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 on its launchpad after earlier technical problems, ahead of the Artemis mission to the far side of the moon; the English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur parts company with another manager, Igor Tudor, who left the club by mutual consent; a woman born to British parents has become the first British mayor in France. And, governments attending a UN wildlife summit have approved a list of 40 new species for international protection -- including giant otters and striped hyenas.

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

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

The Houthis in Yemen have carried out a second missile and drone attack on Israel, and have warned they'll keep conducting strikes in the coming days. Earlier on Saturday the Iranian-backed group launched its first attack since the US and Israel began their war on Iran a month ago. Also, thousands of protests against the Trump administration have been taking place in every major city in the US, including New York, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. The organisers said the marches were a call to action against the war on Iran and President Trump’s immigration policies. There have also been large protests against far-right movements in cities across Europe. In Ethiopia some non-essential government workers have been put on leave as the country struggles with a fuel shortage, linked to supply disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East. An investigation is launched into the multinational beauty retailer Sephora and the US company Benefit Cosmetics, amid claims they promoted skincare products, including anti-ageing creams to girls as young as ten, using online influencers to reach them. And, the Swiss food giant Nestle, says a truck carrying more than 400,000 Kit Kat bars has gone missing.

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 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.

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers meeting in France that the war on Iran could continue for another few weeks, and that Washington was ahead of schedule in many of its war objectives. Also: the UN warns there are now no safe spaces left for civilians in Lebanon as Israel continues its attacks; Ukraine fears the conflict in the Middle East is making the world forget Kyiv's conflict with Russia; Germany warns that the threat from Russia has never been more urgent; the US golfing star, Tiger Woods, has been arrested on charges of driving under the influence after rolling his car in a crash in Florida; US officials say the personal email account of the FBI director Kash Patel has been breached by hackers; the specialist equipment helping Slovenia's world class ski-jumpers; and the pros and cons of taking life advice from AI.

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

Data examined by the BBC shows the devastating impact of the attacks on Iran's capital, Tehran, since the start of the US-Israel war. According to the findings, Israel has dropped 3,600 munitions on the city in the last four weeks. Almost 40 police stations and bases for the paramilitary Basij force have been hit, many in residential areas. BBC Eye has gathered eyewitness testimony, filmed the aftermath of strikes and analysed footage from social media and satellite imagery. In other news, scientists have managed to film a group of sperm whales supporting a female from their pod giving birth. A former rapper is sworn in as the prime minister of Nepal. And a mother tells us of her struggle to limit the screen time of her young son.

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 International Olympic Committee says women's events at the 2028 Los Angeles Games will be restricted to biological females, after years of controversy over transgender participation. Also: President Trump has again pushed back his threat to start bombing Iranian energy plants, giving Tehran ten more days to open the Strait of Hormuz. An initial deadline was supposed to expire on Friday. Lawyers for the former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores argue they should be allowed to use Venezuelan state funds to pay for their defence against drug trafficking-related charges; Paul McCartney announces his first new album in more than five years; and the Manchester City striker Erling Haaland donates a rare Viking book to the town in Norway where he grew up.

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 military says an Israeli airstrike that killed the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's naval commander, Alireza Tangsiri, "makes the region safer". Israel's defence minister says he was directly responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has not confirmed his death. We look at how the Middle East conflict is affecting daily lives in countries as far apart as Kenya and the Philippines. In other news, a lavish welcome for the leader of Belarus in North Korea. And a sunscreen scandal in Australia prompts a rethink.

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 jury in California has concluded that Meta and Google intentionally built addictive social media platforms, in a case brought by a 20-year-old woman who said her compulsive use of social media as a child led to mental health problems. The woman, known as Kaley, has been awarded $6m in damages. The outcome of this trial is likely to have implications for hundreds of similar cases now winding their way through US courts. Parents who say their children were also harmed by social media algorithms celebrated the result outside the court. Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, alongside Google, the owner of YouTube, have both said they will appeal.

Also: President Trump has claimed Iran is ''afraid'' to admit it is negotiating with the US, as Tehran continues to deny reports of dialogue with Washington. The boss of AirCanada is facing calls to resign, after he released a condolence message for the recent deaths of two pilots in English, but not in French. More than 350 years after the death of the legendary French musketeer d'Artagnan, his remains may have been found under the floor of a Dutch church. And scientists now believe dogs became man's best friend much earlier than previously thought.

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

Iran's state broadcaster says that Tehran has responded "negatively" to a US peace plan. A senior, unnamed official said Iran would end the war when it decided to do so - and when "its own conditions are met". The details of the 15-point plan were never made public, but it's reported to have demanded major concessions from Tehran. Also, after declaring an energy emergency, the Philippines said it was seeking new sources of oil from sanctioned countries, including Russia. The CEO of investment firm Blackrock said that if the war led to long-term high oil prices, there would be a global recession. We also hear from some of the survivors of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the impact of a smartphone ban in Dutch schools, and how an Australian dog that was used to rescue koalas is getting a well-earned retirement.

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 and Israeli media outlets are reporting that the Trump administration - with the help of Pakistan- has handed Iran a 15-point ceasefire plan. President Trump insists his administration is talking to the "right people" in Iran, and that they "badly" want a deal to end the four week conflict. On Tuesday he hinted at a "very significant prize" gifted to the US by Iranian negotiators relating to oil and gas, and the Strait of Hormuz. Just hours later, Iran told the United Nations that "non-hostile vessels" will be allowed to pass through the Strait. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is expected to deploy ground forces to the Middle East, according to the BBC's US partner, CBS News.

Also: the social media giant Meta is ordered to pay $375 million dollars in damages for misleading users over child safety; Russia launches one its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine since the war began, hitting cities across the country with nearly one thousand drones; Denmark's governing Social Democratic Party comes top in Tuesday's parliamentary election, but with its worst showing in more than a century. And, joy as a second gorilla gives birth to twins in a national park in Congo in the space of a few months.

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

Image credit: Graeme Sloan

Israel and Iran continue to strike each other after the US says plans for talks with Tehran remain "fluid". We also hear how President Trump's vague peace plan gives only temporary relief to unstable markets, and about life in Iran under constant bombardment. In other news, the United States pays a French energy company $1 billion not to build a wind farm. Danes go to the polls: will they re-elect their prime minister for a third term? The plight of some of Cuba's most vulnerable people under a US oil embargo. And, the BBC follows an illegal trade as valuable as cocaine - in baby eels.

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 speaker of Iran's parliament has said no negotiations have taken place with the United States, contradicting President Trump's announcement that talks were ongoing. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said ''fake news'' was being used to manipulate the financial and oil markets.

Also: a special report on the increase in Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank. At least 60 people have been killed after a Colombian Air Force plane crashed shortly after takeoff. Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of the online platform OnlyFans has died aged 43. Drone footage has captured sperm whales headbutting each other, something scientists had only speculated about until now. And we delve into the long history of human-animal companionship, and examine what our relationship with our pets reveals about us.

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 said that the United States and Iran are in discussions aimed at ending current hostilities after he called off American strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. He claimed that Iran had made contact with the US and had agreed to not pursue nuclear weapons, adding that the US would continue its bombing if talks failed. Iran has denied there is any dialogue with the US. Also: two pilots have died in a plane crash at an airport in New York; the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, condemns an attack on the Jewish community in London; the earth's climate is more out of balance than any time in recorded history, according to the United Nations; never before seen turquoise pit vipers, flying snakes and microsnails are found deep in limestone caves in Cambodia; and could artificial intelligence help people with dementia?

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

Israel’s defence minister has announced that his country is expanding its ground campaign in Lebanon. Israel Katz warned of a prolonged operation against the Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, after the Israeli government ordered the destruction of all crossings over the Litani River. The Israeli military also says it expects several more weeks of fighting against Iran. Meanwhile, Tehran has warned it will fully close the Strait of Hormuz if Washington follows through with President Trump's threat to "obliterate" power plants in Iran. Also: in France's local elections, the Socialist candidate, Emmanuel Grégoire, claims victory in Paris, while in a boost for the nationalist right, an ally of Marine Le Pen is set to become mayor of Nice; hundreds of Syrians protest in Damascus against strict new alcohol laws; the new AI robots that can repair themselves and adapt to their environment; and a critic's view of Saturday Night Live UK's debut.

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

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.

President Trump has threatened to attack Iran's power plants, if Tehran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days. Iran has said it will target energy infrastructure in the region belonging to the US if that happens. Iranian missiles have hit the southern Israeli towns of Arad and Dimona, injuring at least 100 people. Dimona is near a key nuclear facility. Also: Robert Mueller, the man who led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election, has died; how Islamophobia has risen in Australia in the wake of the Bondi attacks last year that killed 15 people; and the popular boy band, BTS, return to the stage after taking a four-year break to do their mandatory national military service.

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 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

President Trump posted on social media that the US was getting very close to meeting its objectives in Iran. Earlier he told reporters he didn't want a ceasefire. The BBC's US partner, CBS, has reported that US military officials are making detailed preparations for the possibility of deploying ground troops in Iran. Also: we hear from the journalist in Israel who's been pressured by online gamblers to change a story; why social media is awash with chat about how thin everyone was at the Oscars - and it's not just about the women; and the new research which calls into question the march south by English troops, ordered by King Harold, to face the Norman invasion in the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066.

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

Tehran has fired missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours causing blazes at a Kuwait refinery and a Bahrain warehouse. Israel has launched more air attacks against Iran. Powerful explosions were reported in the capital. Iranian media said sixteen of its cargo ships anchored in the Gulf had been burnt out after being targeted there. There's been a warning that the world faces its greatest ever energy threat from the Iran war. Also, weight loss drugs are set to become much cheaper as patents expire in India and elewhere. A cyclone has hit Australia's northeastern coast bringing fierce winds, heavy rain and floods. An international aid convoy arrives in Cuba. Actor and martial artist Chuck Norris dies at 86. And Mission to the Moon, NASA’s huge rocket - now repaired - heads back to the launchpad at Cape Canaveral in Florida in preparation for the first crewed flight in more than half a century.

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 Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said Israel will hold off future attacks on Iranian gas fields after being asked to do so by President Trump. An Israeli attack on Iran's South Pars gas field on Wednesday, followed by Iranian attacks on Qatari gas installations caused steep rises in the price of gas and oil. Also, we get the view from Iran from our BBC Persian correspondent. We hear how life has changed in Jerusalem's Old City now that its most sacred Christian, Muslim and Jewish sites are closed to the public. And we talk to the scientist behind a new documentary about microplastics - and fertility.

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

Energy prices have surged after strikes on key gas facilities in Qatar and Iran, as the Middle East war continues to escalate. Iran has targeted Qatar's Ras Laffan complex in response to the bombing of Iranian facilities on South Pars gas field by Israel. The US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the war is on track as the White House asks Congress for an extra $200 billion dollars. There are indications the US and Israel are diverging on their war aims. Meanwhile Iran continues to carry out the executions of Iranians who demonstrated against the regime in January. In South Africa, criminal gangs have infiltrated the water industry charging people for water that should be free. Also, the Nigerian President makes a state visit to the UK for the first time in 37 years, and are doodle dogs a problem?

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

Qatar's state-owned petroleum company says an Iranian ballistic missile attack on its main gas complex at Ras Laffan has caused widespread destruction. Several Gulf states were attacked by Iran after its largest gas field South Pars was hit in an Israeli strike. President Trump has warned Iran not to launch further attacks on Qatar, or face a "massive" response from the US. He said Iran's gas field had been attacked by Israel - not the United States. But he said the US would "blow" it up if Tehran continued to retaliate.

Also: America's top spies tell a Senate committee that after almost three weeks of war, the Iranian leadership remains largely intact - contradicting President Trump's framing of the war as a success. Five members of Iran's women's football team return home after their silent protest in Australia. How Artificial Intelligence is changing the recruitment process for jobs. And the maths behind why some clothes keep coming back into fashion.

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

Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed in an overnight Israeli strike. It comes just a day after Israel assasinated Ali Larijani and another senior Iranian commander, and as thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran for their funerals. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the latest killing as ''cowardly".

Also: an Iranian petrochemical complex on the world's largest natural gas field is hit by Israeli airstrikes - a significant escalation against Iran's energy infastructure. Retaliatory strikes by Iran and its allied militia groups continue across the region. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky tells the BBC he has a "very bad feeling" about the impact of the Middle East conflict on the situation in Ukraine.

Elsewhere, the death toll in Monday's deadly Pakistani strike on Kabul is confirmed at more than 140. Also: Disney has a new chief executive - we find out what might be in his inbox. Our correspondent in Havana reports on how Cubans are continuing to struggle amid a three-month fuel blockade by the Trump administration. And how Venezuela defeated the US to win the World Baseball Classic in a thrilling final in Miami.

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

Israel has launched a series of deadly strikes in central Beirut and ordered mass evacuations in southern Lebanon, as it ramps up its air and ground offensive against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. About a million people are estimated to have been forced from their homes in Lebanon since war resumed two weeks ago. The BBC speaks to citizens in a Lebanese border town who have refused to evacuate, as the offensive fuels fears of a prolonged occupation.

Also: Iran vows to avenge the death of its security chief, Ali Larijani, who was killed in an Israeli strike. We hear from people in Iran, living in fear of both US-Israeli strikes and the Islamic regime. Senegal's AFCON victory is handed to Morocco after a review of the football team's behaviour in January's final. A US judge has ordered the Trump administration reinstate the jobs of more than a thousand employees of Voice of America and allow the government-funded outlet to resume global broadcasting. We look back at the life of Shigeaki Mori, a prominent survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Sri Lanka introduces a four day work week amid fuel shortages. And just how lonely are sharks - researchers say bull sharks in Fiji have "best friends".

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

Israel's foreign minister said Iranians were "safer" without Ali Larijani and Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani, after the Israeli military said it had killed both of them in strikes. Hours after the Israeli announcement, there has still been no response from Tehran to the claims. The defence minister, Israel Katz, said he had instructed the military to “continue hunting down” Iran’s leadership. Also: In the US, a top counter-terrorism official has resigned over the war against Iran, saying President Trump had been pushed into the conflict by Israeli pressure. And: Medical sources in Afghanistan say more than 100 bodies have been recovered after a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre. We hear from our correspondent in Kabul, who went to the scene shortly after the strike. We find out why a US artificial intelligence firm wants to hire a chemical weapons expert; plus we look back at the life of best-selling spy thriller author Len Deighton, who's died. And we hear what is believed to be the earliest recording of whale song, from 1949.

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 President has repeated his call for other nations, particularly Nato allies, to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump says he has been surprised more world leaders were not "eager" to be involved in securing the key oil shipping route. Meanwhile, India has secured the safe passage of tankers carrying liquified petroleum gas, or LPG. Street vendors and biryani restaurant owners in Kolkata tell us how the current fuel shortages are threatening their livelihoods. And the Israeli military has now confirmed it has begun what it calls "limited ground operations" in Lebanon, as 800 000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

Also: amidst a near total fuel blockade by the US, Cuba has experienced an electricity grid collapse. New figures from Interpol show that AI-enhanced scams are now almost five times more profitable than traditional methods. Researchers in Scotland have developed a way to turn discarded plastic bottles into a key medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease. Chelsea Football Club has been fined more than $14m, the Premier League's biggest ever fine, for breaking financial rules. Margareta Magnusson, who popularised the Swedish practice of Death Cleaning, has died at the age of 92.

Germany and Britain say the war against Iran has nothing to do with Nato and the alliance won't be taking part in any effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said London was working with individual allies on a plan to secure the vital waterway, which has been largely closed by Iran. President Trump has said it will be very bad for Nato if it doesn't get involved, though the alliance is only a defensive partnership. He also called on China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz - saying it gets "90% of its oil" from there and hinting he might delay his summit with the Chinese president Xi Jinping if he doesn't get what he wants. Also: Russia launched a rare daytime attack in Kyiv on Monday morning - using drones that Ukrainian officials say appear "upgraded"; Whistleblowers have told the BBC that social media giants allowed more harmful content on people's feeds, after research showed how outrage fuelled engagement. TikTok and Meta have denied the claims; BBC Talking Movies presenter Tom Brook on this year's Oscar winners and what they say about the future of the film industry; and new research reveals babies younger than one practise deceit such as pretending not to hear parents or hiding toys.

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 Battle After Another wins best picture at the 98th Oscars, while Jessie Buckley wins best actress for her role in Hamnet, and Michael B. Jordan best actor for Sinners. Other winners include Frankenstein and Sentimental Value, while Amy Madigan takes home an Academy Award for best supporting actress and KPop Demon Hunters wins best Animated Feature Film.

Also: Donald Trump widens his calls for other countries to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine tells the BBC he's left the country. Ukraine's president accuses Hungary of trying to force Kyiv to re-open a Russian pipeline transporting oil. Thousands gather in Mexico to attempt a new Guinness World Record for the largest-ever football lesson, and we look at the revival of the Dull Men's Club.

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 President Trump said Iran seemed ready to make a deal to end the war but the terms weren't good enough, Tehran has been carrying out further missile and drone strikes on US allies across the Middle East. The Iranian foreign minister has denied that Iran has targeted civilian or residential areas in the Middle East - only US military targets. And he said the war would end when Iran was "certain" it could not be repeated. We hear from our Persian service correspondent about what she makes of these claims, and what people inside Iran are worrying about. Also: Iran warns the United Arab Emirates to begin evacuating the port zones in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah. So are people heeding these warnings? We hear from our correspondent in Dubai. Tehran continues to fire missiles towards Israel, most of which were intercepted by air defences. But at least one got through, as we hear from our correspondent in Tel Aviv. And how the war is impacting the oil industry and pushing up prices - we hear how increased use of wind and solar energy could give consumers more predictability in terms of cost. 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.

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Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

President Trump calls on other nations to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz which Iran has largely blocked, driving up global energy prices. Mr Trump has told a US television channel that while Tehran appears ready to make a deal to end the war, its "terms aren’t good enough yet". The head of the United Nations calls for an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah as Israeli strikes continue in the Lebanese capital. Also: in Cuba, peaceful anti-government protesters turned violent as a Communist Party Office in the centre of the country was attacked; and we hear about the Razzies, the awards actors and film makers would much rather they hadn't won. 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