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Global News Podcast

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

Aug 04 2026 | 00:28:16

Russia says a Ukrainian drone has killed seven people, including three children, on a beach near the Russian Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik. The regional governor accused Ukraine of a deliberate strike on civilians, while Russia's foreign ministry called it an act of terrorism. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Both countries have always denied deliberately targeting civilians. Also: Iran insists no peace talks are happening, but Donald Trump insists they are; meanwhile another cargo vessel is reportedly struck in the Strait of Hormuz. We have an exclusive BBC report from Pakistani-administered Kashmir, where deadly clashes with protestors have been taking place. How Myanmar's efforts to end its diplomatic isolation could be boosted by the release of photos of the detained former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. At least 18 people are reported to have been killed in attacks by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria. Teachers in Argentina are on strike over pay and job cuts. And we meet the Gazans still working in tech - despite living in tents.

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 Photo: Map showing Russia, Black Sea, Ukraine and Gelendzhik Credit: BBC

Aug 03 2026 | 00:29:09

The English Football Association is set to become the latest governing body to withdraw support for Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election as head of FIFA, increasing the pressure on him to quit. Wales and Finland have already dropped their support. Mr Infantino is under pressure because of his abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments. Also: Japan and the US say they took coordinated action to prop up the yen last week after the Japanese currency fell to a 40-year low. The number of ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo passes 3.600, making it the biggest outbreak of the disease there. The remarkable womb surgery which fixed a miracle baby with intestines outside its body. And the death of the "Horse Whisperer", Monty Roberts, who became friends with the late Queen Elizabeth.

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 Photo: File photo, Gianni Infantino, Washington December 2025 Credit: PA

Aug 03 2026 | 00:30:14

The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack that killed at least 14 people - including six policemen - in the Swat Valley, north of the capital Islamabad.

Also: President Trump says new negotiations will begin on Monday with Iran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Two helicopters collided in Greece while trying to douse the wildfires raging across the mainland and some of the islands. One crew made an emergency landing and survived, but the other crew were killed. We have a special report from Sierra Leone about one of Europe's most wanted drug dealers. Security officials in Russia say an explosion that killed three people at a restaurant in Moscow was an act of terrorism. Seventy-two people drowned when tens of thousands of migrants surged into the Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco last Thursday. The American pop star and actress, Ariana Grande is withdrawing from public appearances and won't appear in an upcoming musical production in London. Scientists say they've found evidence that Ice Age people were more likely to kill female woolly mammoths than male ones. And New Zealander Sophie Woods sets a new record for the Via Alpina, which is one of the world's toughest athletic challenges.

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 Photo: Rescue workers evacuate an injured victim following the suicide bombing in Mingora, Swat, Pakistan. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Aug 02 2026 | 00:28:50

Russian authorities say a bomb blast at a restaurant in central Moscow has killed three people and wounded many more. Reports say a woman tried to bring an improvised explosive device into the restaurant, but was stopped by a security guard. Also: Spain installs a floating barrier in the sea to protect its North African territory of Ceuta. A look back at the life of the well known mountain climber, Nirmal Purja, who's died in an avalanche. We meet the marine biologist who spent 45 years investigating a new seaweed. And we visit a hacker rehab programme hoping to steer teenagers away from cyber-crime.

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

Photo: Law enforcement officers at the site of an explosion at a restaurant in central Moscow, Russia Credit: Reuters/Anastasia Barashkova

Aug 01 2026 | 00:26:30

Kelsey Pfendler has completed a record-breaking journey across the Pacific Ocean, where she became the fastest person to row solo from California to Hawaii -- as well as the youngest and the first American woman to do it alone. She hopes it will inspire more women to take risks.

Plus, the four Welsh grandmothers who met a professional wrestler by chance could have their story told on the big screen. Rose and her friends Lynne, Suzie and Christine met DeReiss on a flight to Las Vegas, where they were going to scatter her husband's ashes. Why people in some major cities are raving in sauna's. The potential breakthrough in the medical condition called 'twin to twin transfusion syndrome' and the seniors in Singapore taking up Parkour.

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

(Image: Kelsey Pfendler on her rowing boat. Credit: Carlos Andina)

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Aug 01 2026 | 00:26:15

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has scrapped the controversial plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup and other football competitions to private investors following global outrage. He said it had become clear the project had "created divisions" that are "no longer in the interest" of its original objective. Also: Hugging Face, the tech company hacked by OpenAI's rogue agent, calls for accountability. The UN warns El Niño will intensify extreme weather in the coming months. A discovery in the Amazon rainforest sheds light on ancient indigenous civilisations. And the unlikely friendships forged in the animal world.

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 Photo: Illustration showing the FIFA logo, the numbers "20%" and a rising stock graph. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Jul 31 2026 | 00:33:51

Spain's interior ministry says more than half of the migrants who arrived in the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta since Thursday morning have now returned to Morocco. Visiting Ceuta, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the influx as an attack, and violation of Spanish sovereignty. He blamed smuggling gangs and promised the state would use all means to protect Ceuta's security. Also: a top advisor to the head of FIFA has resigned over plans to sell private stakes in the World Cup, hours after Asia's Football Confederation added its voice to the growing condemnation. Hamas says it's accepted a peace deal for Gaza which would see it lay down its arms, on condition that Israel withdraws from the territory and ends its attacks. Rescuers in Pakistan have recovered the bodies of several climbers near the site of an avalanche on the world's 12th highest summit, Broad Peak. We meet the man who filmed what is believed to be the first ever drone footage of a humpback whale giving birth. And the history 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

Photo: Migrants swim across to Ceuta from Morocco, Spain Credit: Reduan Dris - EPA/Shutterstock

Jul 31 2026 | 00:31:40

Hamas says it's agreed to a plan put forward by President Trump's Board of Peace to completely disarm in Gaza. The BBC understands that the proposal provides for the inventory and storage of Hamas's remaining heavy weapons under Palestinian oversight. There's been no comment yet from Israel, but Mr Trump said they would eventually withdraw from Gaza. Also, we hear from a settler in the occupied West Bank who says that God chose Jews to live there and not the Palestinians. Uefa votes to boycott the World Cup if Fifa goes ahead with a plan to sell off a stake in the tournament. Thousands of migrants from Morocco overwhelm border controls to get into Spain's African enclave of Ceuta. A team of experienced mountaineers is feared missing on one of the world's highest mountains in Pakistan. And the library book that's returned after being loaned out for 150 years.

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

Photo: Armed fighters from Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Gaza Strip, February 2025. Credit: Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Jul 30 2026 | 00:28:23

The US military says American forces hit dozens of targets across Iran in a two-hour wave of strikes after Iranian missile attacks on US forces in Jordan were intercepted. Iranian state media reported that the islands of Qeshm and Abadan, both central to the oil industry, were among the areas hit. Jordan and Kuwait have come under further attack from Iran in retaliation. Also: More than thirty people are known to have died in Japan's earthquake. An object that violated Polish airspace overnight was 'most likely' a Russian missile, according to the Polish Prime Minister. African migrants forced to leave South Africa after a wave of anti-immigration protests speak about their difficulties in rebuilding their lives. A French teenager falls foul of laws in Singapore over an incident with a straw, and in a world dominated by devices how small moments can help us reconnect with the physical world.

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 Photo: A U.S. military aircraft takes off from an unknown location during what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this screengrab from a handout video released on July 29, 2026 Credit: US Central Command

Jul 30 2026 | 00:29:08

Donald Trump suggests introducing controls on artificial intelligence following OpenAI's admission that it lost control of systems under test. But the US president said any restrictions should not allow China to win the AI race. Also: Germany says deportations to Afghanistan are no longer limited to criminals. A special report from a train journey across Iran. A mystery illness kills elephants in Kenya. BTS decides not to compete in the Grammys - we find out why. And fancy a private tour of Stonehenge? It could be yours.

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 Photo: A mobile phone display showing the icons of artificial intelligence (AI) apps Deepseek, Chatgpt and Gemini. Credit: Hannibal Hanschke/EPA/Shutterstock

Jul 29 2026 | 00:28:44

There's a growing backlash after Fifa announced plans to sell stakes in a $20bn subsidiary to manage its competitions. The EU's sports chief accused Fifa of relentless and corrosive commercialisation of football, while European football's governing body UEFA said the World Cup was not an "asset to trade". Also: after the resumption of fighting between the US and Iran, we hear more about a militia group in Iraq which was targeted in US-Saudi strikes. At least 14 people are now known to have died in the earthquake that struck the Japanese island of Kyushu. Russia's Federal Security Service has charged the ‌Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and issued an international arrest warrant. We speak to one of the people who helped rescue horses from an equestrian centre caught up in the wildfires in France; videos of them galloping through the town have gone viral. The actor and musician Jared Leto is facing allegations of criminal sexual conduct by four women. Nepal says its tiger population is bouncing back... and why raving in a sauna is becoming popular in major cities around the world.

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 Photo: Fifa President Gianni Infantino during World Cup 2026 press conference Credit: Reuters/Henry Romero

Jul 29 2026 | 00:29:52

US targets militant groups in eastern Iraq aligned with Iran, in strikes co-ordinated with Saudi Arabia. It comes after Iran said it targeted a US military base and command centre in Jordan with ballistic missiles. Also: Donald Trump meets Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington for the first time since the conflict with Iran began; the death toll mounts in Japan's earthquake; FIFA boss, Gianni Infantino, criticised for commercialising football; Jewish settler attacks on Palestinians in the Israeli occupied West Bank reach a record high, according to the United Nations; Keiko Fujimori is sworn in as Peru's first elected female president; and a museum in the US makes the most of a terrible online review.

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 Photo: An Iranian woman walks near an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock

Jul 28 2026 | 00:27:53

Japanese firefighters say many people are trapped inside a shopping centre after a powerful earthquake in the southern prefecture of Kumamoto, on Kyushu island. Witnesses say there was an explosion and fire at the mall after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake. Also: French firefighters have likened efforts to contain wildfires there as a David versus Goliath struggle, despite some progress tackling blazes ravaging parts of France and Spain. We report from the front line of Ecuador's war against drugs. The French football star, Zinedine Zidane, has been appointed as the coach of the men's national team. And how to become a Big Ben apprentice. 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 Photo: Aerial view showing the damaged Aeon Mall shopping centre, after the earthquake in Japan's Kumamoto prefecture Credit: Kyodo via Reuters

Jul 28 2026 | 00:26:21

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has promised to commit every available resource to contain the flames from the raging wildfires. In Spain, the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has warned of difficult times ahead with temperatures forecast to hit forty Celsius from Tuesday. Also, the United Nations body which fights AIDS has said the world risks a resurgence of ‌the HIV epidemic due to funding cuts. President Trump has told reporters that the US is in "very deep talks with Iran" but that he would be ready for "strong military action" if diplomacy failed. In Kenya, activists launch a high-profile legal case which claims hazardous pesticides and herbicides that are meant to make farming more efficient have been harming people's health. Gianni Infantino, the head of football's world governing body, FIFA, has told critics of his handling of several high-profile controversies at the recent men's World Cup that they had missed the joy and togetherness experienced by millions of fans. And the UN cultural organisation, UNESCO, has unusually awarded World Heritage status to a battle ground: the Normandy beaches used for the D-Day landings in 1944.

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 Photo: A Military Emergencies Unit (UME) worker carries a hose during a wildfire in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Madrid, Spain, July 26, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Ana Beltran

Jul 27 2026 | 00:28:37

Firefighters have warned they are still not in control of a major wildfire near Bordeaux and fears grow that the situation in France and Spain will worsen as a fresh heatwave arrives. More than 300,000 people have been evacuated. Also: the Sudanese army says it has taken control of a major highway from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces which links the capital Khartoum to the besieged town of el-Obeid. Three people are killed in a shooting at a food festival in Seattle in the United States, despite the city's strict gun laws. The German anatomist, Gunther von Hagens, sometimes called Dr Death, has died; he was known for developing a technique called plastination, allowing him to display and dissect human bodies and animals in detail. A documentary film is being released about how the British pop duo Wham! made history in 1985 by becoming the first western band to perform their music in China. And the curse of County Mayo's Gaelic football team is over as it triumphs in the all-Ireland final after 75 years.

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 Photo: Firefighters battle wildfires in Gironde department, France Credit: REUTERS

Jul 27 2026 | 00:28:22

German police have shot dead the man accused of carrying out a deadly attack at a Pride event in Berlin. Abdul Ballout's death brings a huge manhunt to an end. Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese heritage, had previously tried to join the Islamic State group. Also: Wildfires in south-western France are continuing to close in on the city of Bordeaux. A wave of attacks by Israeli settlers has continued across the occupied West Bank, after four Palestinians and two Israelis were shot dead in a confrontation near Nablus on Friday. We hear about the opening fixtures at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. A protected area for migratory animals becomes South Sudan's first ever UNESCO World Heritage Site. And, the Sicilian capital, Palermo, is among the first Italian cities to say goodbye to horse-drawn tourist carriages.

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 Photo: Police officers secure the area at an allotment garden complex in the Berlin suburb of Spandau after a known Islamist, suspected of ramming a minivan into a crowd near Berlin's annual Christopher Street Day Pride parade on Saturday evening, was shot and killed in a police operation, in Berlin, Germany, July 26, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Christian Mang TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Jul 26 2026 | 00:28:20

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is a mainstay of the US political calendar, a barometer of the Republican party mood, and has become, in recent years, a pro-Trump event, with a big budget and crowds in the thousands. Its first outing to the United Kingdom last week brought less of the bombast, but much the same flavour of politics, as figures from across the hard right assembled for debates on topics including migration, race, British identity and cryptocurrency, under the slogan ‘Save Britain. Save The West’. One of our producers, Hannah Moore, attended the conference to find a conservative movement reckoning with its identity, and divided on whether importing MAGA-style politics can unite the right.

For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Jul 26 2026 | 00:31:02

A vehicle has ploughed into a crowd at a gay pride event in central Berlin, killing one person. At least sixteen others were wounded, some with life-threatening injuries. A search is under way for the driver, who police say is linked to the Islamists in Berlin. Hundreds of thousands of people in the German capital had been attending the annual event. Also: more people in France have been ordered to leave their homes to escape wildfires, bringing the total to about a quarter of a million. Students in India, who have led an unprecedented challenge to Narendra Modi's government, have called off their protests. The Cockroach Janta Party said the administration had accepted all of its demands including the resignation of the education minister. We hear from Palestinian patients from the occupied West Bank who have to go to Israel for desperately needed medical care, and the Israeli volunteers who help them. And Greeks wait anxiously to see if Mount Olympus will be given UNESCO World Heritage status. 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

Photo: People wrapped in security blankets hug each other near the scene where a vehicle drove into crowds celebrating the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, Germany. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Jul 25 2026 | 00:26:37

Dave and Andrea met by chance at work. They got on so well they could complete each other's sentences - which made sense when they discovered they were actually siblings. Dave was Andrea's biological brother, but had been adopted by another family when he was a baby.

Also, grandmother Anita LeBrun wanted to enjoy her favourite glass of wine in the assisted living facility, but she wasn't allowed due to licensing laws. So, she changed the law, and the "Grandparents' Happy Hour" bill has been introduced in Minnesota.

Plus, the walking festival in the Netherlands which is keeping Dutch children happy. The women making waves in the world of Lumberjacking, and the 'Plastic Soup Surfer' tells us about his adventures. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

(Picture: Dave and Andrea. Credit: BBC/PA Wire)

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Jul 25 2026 | 00:30:29

Member states of the International Criminal Court have voted to remove its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, by an overwhelming majority. The court's oversight body concluded in June that he had committed serious misconduct in connection to allegations of sexual abuse. Mr Khan has repeatedly denied all the allegations against him.

Also: Ukraine opens a probe after a deadly Russian ballistic missile attack at a defence event near Kyiv that had been heavily promoted, despite the risks. Israeli settlers attack several Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank following a major confrontation that left six people dead. Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated across France and Spain as intense wildfires continue to burn across Europe. Student protests in India spread beyond Dehli to other cities with thousands marching for education reform in Mumbai and Calcutta. A special report looking at the human cost of South Korea's ultra-convenient overnight deliveries. Canada withdraws invitation of US dignitaries to a joint bridge-opening celebration after Donald Trump's latest tariff threat on Ottawa. And how the book genre "romantasy" went from a niche online interest to one of publishing’s biggest commercial success stories.

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

Photo: An exterior view of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands. Credit: LINA SELG/EPA/Shutterstock

Jul 24 2026 | 00:24:58

Oxford University conducts the first human trial of an Ebola vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain, which has already killed more than 1,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. If successful, immunisations could take place within months. Also: tens of thousands of people flee popular tourist areas in France to escape wildfires. A court rules on what has been called the "divorce of the century" in South Korea. The British prime minister tries a novel way to overcome a north/south divide, and we speak to the children who danced with Shakira during the World Cup final.

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.

Photo: Volunteer vaccinated in the world's first Bundibugyo Ebola virus vaccine trial. Credit: BBC News

Jul 24 2026 | 00:25:11

A month after two devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, the search continues for people still missing in the worst-hit region of La Guaira. At least 5,000 people were killed, and families are demanding answers about why public housing blocks collapsed.

Also: Donald Trump imposes new tariffs on foreign goods, accusing US trading partners of failing to enforce bans on forced labour. US lawmakers propose a new bill to shut down dangerous artificial intelligence systems after an AI model went rogue. Remarkable footage shows orcas smashing huge sunfish apart, with researchers saying the predators might be doing it for fun. Wildfires force tens of thousands from their homes across southern Europe. Sri Lanka battles its worst dengue fever outbreak in nearly a decade. And as Route 66 marks its centenary, we explore the enduring appeal of the classic American diners that regularly feature on the silver screen.

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

Photo: People work together as they search for their loved ones amid debris following the earthquakes in June in Caraballeda, La Guaira, Venezuela. Credit: REUTERS/Gaby Oraa

Jul 23 2026 | 00:29:12

The Houthis in Yemen say they've hit two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, creating a new chokepoint. Oil and gas prices rise following the strikes. In response, President Trump threatens to inflict major military punishment on the Iran-backed group. Also: in Hong Kong, a new slogan of defiance after raids and arrests at two independent bookstores. Albanian police use tear gas and water canon against protesters outside parliament. It's the latest confrontation over a tourism project linked to President Trump's family. Scaled-back Commonwealth Games gets under way in Scotland, with concerns about the cost of hosting the sporting event. And camels across large parts of North Africa are suffering from stress, fatigue and dehydration because of increasing temperatures.

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 Photo: Tanks and oil pipes at Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia. Credit: REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

Jul 23 2026 | 00:30:26

President Donald Trump approves a landmark energy deal that will establish a civilian nuclear programme in Saudi Arabia. US lawmakers and Israel warn that if the agreement allows the Gulf state to enrich its own uranium, it could pave the way for it to build its own nuclear weapons - but the US insists the deal upholds the "highest standards of nuclear safety". Saudi Arabia has long wanted US nuclear technology, while the US gets a leg up in the competition with China and Russia to develop civilian nuclear infrastructure in the region.

Also: A Florida teenager who sued Meta claiming that he was addicted to and harmed by his use of social media platforms, has dropped his lawsuit. Our correspondent in Lebanon travels to the so-called pilot zones in the south, where residents are trying to return home while the army vows to disarm Hezbollah. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo becomes the third largest on record with more than 1,000 people dead. In India, the youth-led 'cockroach' party supporters protesting in Delhi ramp up their demands for education reform. How young Nigerians are using AI tools to learn new languages in pursuit of a life abroad. And Christopher Nolan's Odyssey movie is boosting sales of the book versions.

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 Photo: US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud attend the Keynote Address at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 13 May 2025. Credit: ALI HAIDER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Jul 22 2026 | 00:27:04

OpenAI says some of its most advanced AI models went rogue and hacked a start-up after it lost control of them during a test. The AI agents managed to break out of a restricted testing environment to carry out the cyber-attack on Hugging Face. They stole information they needed to pass an internal evaluation. Aso: US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, says the US needs nearly $70 billion to fight Iran; the head of the UN nuclear watchdog urges Tehran to let his inspectors back in; Washington is reportedly on the verge of a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia; the wreckage from a 1952 Pan Am plane is found near Puerto Rico; men wearing shorts to work in Japan spark controversy, and a new study discovers chimpanzees and bonobos use touch to reassure each other before stressful events.

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 Photo: The ChatGPT app icon on a smartphone. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Jul 22 2026 | 00:26:37

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired his army commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in one of the biggest shake-ups of the country's military leadership since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. General Syrskyi had clashed with the popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, whose own removal from office last week triggered rare mass protests in Ukraine.

Also: France becomes the first country in the EU to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media. A special report from the school in Iran where 156 people, mostly children, were killed at the start of the US-Israeli war. As Venezuela's ousted leader Nicolás Maduro is due back in court in New York, Venezuelans tell the BBC they are too focused on trying to rebuild their lives after the earthquakes to give much thought to the criminal proceedings. The maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, has launched legal action against its rival Eli Lilly, accusing it of false advertising in suggesting its weight-loss drugs perform better. Animal welfare experts in Britain are looking after a marmoset monkey that was found abandoned in a laundry bag on a London bus. And we look at the new developments in sleep health technology focusing on disease prediction.

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

Photo: Ukraine's President Zelensky and now former Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, visit an exhibition of new Ukrainian made drone-missiles Peklo in Kyiv. Credit: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Jul 21 2026 | 00:29:33

In Indonesia, 19 people are convicted of trafficking at least 34 babies. The leader of the group, a 70 year-old woman, was sentenced to seven years in prison. The trafficking ring illegally bought babies in West Java and sold them for adoption in Indonesia and Singapore. Also: a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah faces its first test on the ground. US military says it struck at Iran's ability to launch attacks into the Strait of Hormuz, on the tenth night in a row of US strikes. A mansion in north London, which provided vital intelligence during the Second World War, opens to the public for the first time. The deadly Ebola outbreak continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo, affecting several provinces across the country. Why no Italian tour guides will be taking visitors up Mont Blanc this week. And we look at the rise of live shopping on 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

Photo: Indonesia sentences members of a baby trafficking syndicate up to 7 years in prison, Bandung - 21 Jul 2026 Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Jul 21 2026 | 00:31:06

Houthis in Yemen are seeking to broaden the impact of the US-Iran war with a blockade of Red Sea ports. The Tehran-backed group warned it would impose an "embargo" on the top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, after the two sides traded fire for the first time in years. Disruption to maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb could further compound the turmoil caused by the confrontation between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

Also: Donald Trump announces 50% tariffs on Canadian goods. Italy's struggle with childhood obesity. How 3D-printed batteries could change the ability to store renewable energy from solar and wind. What will the UK's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's foreign policy look like? The social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate appear in court in the US in connection with new British rape and sex-trafficking-related charges. And how fitness trackers can alert women that they are pregnant before they know it themselves.

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 Photo: Aramco tanks and oil pipe at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia Credit: REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

Jul 20 2026 | 00:30:19

In his inaugural speech in Downing Street, the new prime minister Andy Burnham says Britain needs to show the world it can regain stability. He promises a new political and economic model including measures to help people with the cost of living. He indicates his first calls to foreign leaders will include President Trump and President Zelensky. Also: US carries out strikes on Iran for ninth consecutive night, after at least three US soldiers are killed in exchange of fire over the weekend. Iran says it attacked two oil tankers trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Thousands of demonstrators march towards parliament in Delhi, demanding reforms to India's education system. And, a day after their victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final, the Spanish team return home to be greeted by enthusiastic crowds. England finished third, but one Englishman keeps on winning in the US: David Beckham. We look at his enduring appeal to advertisers in the 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 Photo: Andy Burnham with his wife, Marie-France van Heel, outside 10 Downing Street, after he met King Charles III and accepted his invitation to become Britain's prime minister and form a new government. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC

Jul 20 2026 | 00:27:58

Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina stops them winning successive World Cup finals and their captain Lionel Messi from becoming the first to lift the trophy twice. Speculation is rife that, at 39, it may be his last World Cup tournament. Also: We have a special report on how the soaring value of gold has prompted a surge in illegal mining in west Africa. After a ferry sank off the coast of Guyana, 60 passengers are still unaccounted for. The MV Barima was en route from the capital, Georgetown, to Port Kaituma when the disaster happened. British authorities are waiting for US courts to sanction the extradition of the social media influencers, Andrew and Tristan Tate, who were arrested in Miami on new charges in the UK, including rape. They've always denied any wrongdoing. Why going bare is the latest in thing in nail salons, but does this new trend betray class and racial prejudices? And Rikke Dam speaks to the BBC after winning the women's marathon ... at the North Pole.

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

Photo: Spain's Lamine Yamal lifts the World Cup trophy alongside teammates as they celebrate winning the World Cup. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/James Lang