Global News Podcast

The country music singer Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, after “bravely facing a brief battle with cancer”. She was being treated at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Her team said “Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion and resilience”. Also, the boss of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has been giving evidence in the high-profile trial of the tech giant, Meta, in California. A Chinese court has sentenced an internationally known artist, Gao Zhen, to three years in prison. A warning from the UN that we're "dangerously close" to having fully autonomous weapons that can kill humans.

China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, says it opposes "illegal" unilateral sanctions after the US warned that countries that continued to do business with Iran would face consequences. A foreign ministry spokesman said economic warfare and maximum pressure tactics did not help resolve problems but would only fuel further conflict. Also: At least 47 people are killed in a gang raid on a hillside community in Haiti. A new report predicts extreme rainfall and flooding in east Africa caused by El Nino that could leave up to three million people displaced. Why China is spending hundreds of billi

The US promises to squeeze Iran by targeting anyone who does business with Tehran - but Washington has so far announced only limited sanctions. Our correspondent says the US wants to put even more economic pressure on Iran. Also: fire crews in Nevada say they've brought under control about a quarter of the wildfire outside Reno. Health workers helping to tackle the Ebola outbreak are attacked in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There's been an explosion of gambling in Brazil. Retired international cricketers are trying to help the former Pakistan captain - and ex-prime minister - Imran Khan,

Britain's Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, on a visit to Kyiv, has promised to continue support for Ukraine despite what he called "outrageous threats" from Russia. He was speaking at an event marking Ukraine's independence day. Mr Burnham said that the UK and its allies would help Ukraine develop new technologies and support efforts to destroy Russian missiles before they are launched. He confirmed that the UK will provide blueprints so Ukraine can manufacture more long-range cruise missiles. Also: Pakistan's representative is visiting Iran to push for the reopening of talks between Washington a

Rescue operations are continuing in the Guinean capital, Conakry, where 30 people are known to have died following the collapse of a mountain of waste. Witnesses say the landfill has buried an apartment building along with informal dwellings. Also: Ukraine's sacked defence minister, Mikhailo Fedorov, has told the BBC he stands by his call for nationwide elections, even though the country is at war. More than 90,000 people have now been told to evacuate their homes in the US state of Nevada due to a fast-moving wildfire. Iran's currency, the Rial, has hit a record low. Washington DC has hosted

Benjamin Netanyahu has been a major figure in Israeli politics for a long time. You could have just turned 30 years old and never known a time when he wasn’t either prime minister or somewhere near the top of Israeli politics. But could that be about to change? With less than three months until the Israeli general election, Netanyahu is struggling in some polls. His rival is a man who is little known outside of Israel – former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot. In some international media, Eisenkot is being dubbed the ‘anti-Netanyahu’. But is that accurate? We speak to David Remnick, the ed

The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has said the trade war with the United States isn't Canada's choice, but his country is ready to retaliate. Talks between the neighbours collapsed late on Friday, with each accusing the other of seeking last-minute changes to a proposed trade deal. Also, the editor-in-chief of the US military newspaper, Stars and Stripes, raises concerns over censorship after he was dismissed by the Department of Defense for "insubordination". South Korea is sending a commercial vessel on a trial voyage to Europe via the Arctic in an effort to find alternative shipping

Avtar Singh, who was born in India and is now 66 years old, grew up not knowing his Kenyan-born mother, because his father had separated from her and not told him anything about her. One day he typed the few details he had into AI, and found a blog by someone called Nicci Dhamu, who turned out to be his half-sister. Also, viral baby Milani has become the first giraffe to survive a C-section birth. The team at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas gave her round-the-clock care to make sure she stayed alive. Plus, 88-year-old Mick Wadge has gained hundreds of thousands of views on social media fo

Search and rescue efforts continue in Ukraine after Russian drone attacks kill at least 16 in a shopping centre in the city of Kryvyi Rih. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack on his home town cynical and despicable. Also: Donald Trump wins the latest round in an ongoing legal battle over his plans to rebuild the entire east wing of the White House; Uber is fined a huge sum under Europe's technology privacy rules; FIFA punishes Argentina for breaches of discipline; the United Nations says the ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now growing exponentially; handwritte

Scientists warn the El Niño event developing in the Pacific could be the strongest in living memory, pushing up global temperatures and increasing the risk of extreme weather. Effects are already being felt around the world - the Indian government is having to import sugar to bolster local supplies. We visit the West Bank town of Kadim to see how the Israeli government is expanding settlements ahead of October elections. The former Pakistani President Imran Khan is taken to hospital and then returned to prison, confusing his family and followers. And what is Meghan going to do in the UK when s

Britain, Canada, Germany and others call on Israel to stop bids from construction firms to build homes in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank that would, in the words of an Israeli minister, "bury the idea of a Palestinian state". Also, Pakistan's former prime minister, Imran Khan, returns to prison after a short visit to hospital which was allowed following a ruling by the country's Supreme Court. The World Health Organisation is sending 70,000 doses of an Ebola vaccine to try to contain the outbreak. New economic sanctions are being imposed on Cuba by the United States. And a trial

Russia launched a big attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, striking blocks of flats, a school and a children's hospital. Ukraine has appealed to its allies for more ballistic missile interceptors. The Ukrainian air force implied that none of the missiles was shot down. Also: captured Ukrainian-born soldiers tell the BBC why they fought for Russia. Disgraced property tycoon Hui Ka Yan - who was once Asia's richest man - is sentenced to life in prison in China and fined billions. We hear about the efforts to preserve Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland by removing coins that tourist

Israel's military has confirmed for the first time that its troops opened fire on a car carrying Hind Rajab, the five-year old Palestinian child who was killed alongside six of her relatives in Gaza in 2024. The IDF is opening a criminal investigation into the deaths, as well as those of two paramedics sent to rescue her. A separate inquiry will examine the killing of fifteen emergency and aid workers in Rafah last year. Also: after six years in the US state of California, Prince Harry and his family are moving back to the UK, but will not be undertaking royal duties. At least five people ha

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has fired one of his top aides, who is reported to be the target of a corruption investigation. Iryna Mudra, the president's deputy chief of staff, was sacked after Ukraine's anti-corruption agency said it had raided the homes of a senior official on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile the former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov - whose removal last month prompted widespread street protests - has called for elections. Also: Israel opens up bids for construction of more than 1,000 new homes east of Jerusalem, that would contravene international law. We hear

The technology giant Meta has gone on trial in California over allegations its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, are deliberately designed to keep young people hooked. Nearly thirty US states are seeking changes to the platforms and financial penalties amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars. California's prosecutor told the court Meta had put profits over safety and deliberately misled the public. Meta strongly denies the accusations. Also: the United States announces sanctions against the president and a senior lawyer of the International Criminal Court; the head of the WHO warns that

Ukraine says at least 17 people were killed in overnight Russian attacks, with most of the deaths in the north-eastern Kharkiv region. In one attack in the city of Kharkiv at least 10 people - including children - were killed and several others injured after a Russian air strike hit an apartment block. Moscow has threatened the UK with "consequences" after it was confirmed that Ukraine used British-made drones in recent attacks. Also: a court in Syria has issued a death sentence to a cousin of the ousted leader, Bashar al-Assad, after convicting him of crimes including murder and torture durin

A six week jury trial is about to get underway in California, which could pose the biggest threat yet to Meta's operations. A coalition of US states have accused the parent company of Facebook and Instagram of putting profits ahead of children's safety, by deliberately designing platforms to be addictive to young users. A Meta spokesperson said the claims were "unsubstantiated", and the company stood by its record of creating strong protection for teenagers. The states are seeking upwards of $1 trillion from Meta. Also: President Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has failed to overt

President Trump's Middle East envoy, Jared Kushner, meets Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for Gaza peace talks. It comes a day after he held negotiations with Hamas officials in Cairo. Also, China's leader, Xi Jinping, makes a rare reference to the killing of protesters in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in 1989. We look back at the life of the US actress Hayden Panettiere, who has died aged 36. We hear about the British prime minister, Andy Burnham, who thought he was messaging a senior White House official, but wasn't, and about a Ferrari car which no longer has the traditional engin

Donald Trump has ordered a substantial reduction in joint US-South Korea military exercises, saying they are "too expensive" and risk damaging his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In a post on Truth Social, he also noted that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in the "denuclearisation" of Iran. Also: Russia and Ukraine trade deadly attacks, with a well-known book market in Kyiv among the targets; Brazil’s presidential campaign gets under way; a 60-day US-Iran agreement expires without resolving key disputes; four paintings by Renaissance master Anton

Last month, President Trump secretly swapped planes via a catering truck as he left a Nato summit in Turkey. The elaborate ruse, first reported by the Washington Post, was in response to a possible threat from Iran. But how serious were the US administration’s fears of an assassination attempt? And does the Iranian regime have the capability to carry out such an operation beyond its borders? We speak to Parham Ghobadi, a senior reporter at the BBC’s Persian Service, and Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post, to understand more about what transpired on Air Force One, the history of Iran’s alleged

Rescue workers have been attempting to reach suvivors of a powerful earthquake that hit the Indonesian island of Flores in the early hours of Saturday morning. Around fifty people have died and some five thousand have been evacuated from their homes. Also: Israel has carried out its deadliest strikes in Lebanon for months killing eleven people. Moroccan police stopped hundreds of people from illegally crossing into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta, two weeks after tens of thousands entered the exclave. International observers of Zambia's election have told political parties to tone dow

Neil the Seal has captured the hearts - and laughs - of people across the world with his mischievous antics. The elephant seal keeps returning to the Australian island of Tasmania to chew traffic cones, attack street signs, and block traffic with his 1,000 kg body. His hijinks have made him a local icon and an internet celebrity. We find out why Neil keeps venturing to Tasmania's suburban streets to cause a ruckus. Also: How a group of Afghan women defied the odds to return to international football. Despite opposition from the Taliban, the players -- now scattered across the globe -- reunited

The man accused of killing an American health insurance executive has confessed to the crime in court. Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to two federal counts of stalking resulting in death. He shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York street in 2024. Mangione will be sentenced in December; prosecutors say they will seek life in prison. Also: Jason Arday - the Cambridge University professor who resigned over accusations of plagiarism - has been found dead at his home in London. President Trump says he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory. The founder of Amazon, Je

The spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has defended his reference to the UK as an 'Islamic Republic'. In a podcast with Israeli Army Radio, Mr Netanyahu recalled meeting the grandson of Winston Churchill, describing him as a 'lover of Israel' and then adding that you won't find that kind of attitude in the UK now, which he said was known as 'The Islamic Republic of Britain'. The UK and Israel are long-standing allies, but relations have become notably more tense since the war in Gaza. Also: At least eight people have died and several more have been injured in eastern

Our chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet meets Afghan women and girls who face severe restrictions. Girls can only attend school until grade six - around the age of 12 - and women are barred from university and many jobs. There are even rules over visiting public parks and gyms. But many women and girls are still determined to keep learning and working, despite what some call "gender apartheid". Also: Democratic lawmakers in the US are calling for an investigation into allegations of suicide attempts, food shortages and deteriorating conditions on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, which

The army said it was acting to protect residents in Qusra and that it had demolished two illegal settler outposts. The mayor of Qusra says the village in the occupied West Bank has been declared a closed military zone. Also: Russia's president Vladimir Putin visits an island claimed by Japan - causing sharp criticism from Tokyo; Romania shuts down its only nuclear power plant because of low water levels in the Danube; why vultures are becoming endangered in West Africa; and Cameroon and Malawi make the final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, as the hosts Morocco crash out. The Global New

Russian journalist, television presenter and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 talks exclusively to the BBC. The former editor-in-chief of the now banned independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta tells our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg about life under Vladimir Putin. Also: US Vice-President JD Vance reportedly intervenes to halt Ukrainian strikes on oil tankers using Russian port of Novorossiysk. Karoline Leavitt to step down as White House Press Secretary but will retain role as adviser to President Trump. Millions of people across Europe wowed by once-in-a-generation solar eclipse. Immigrat

Two Palestinian families remain trapped in their homes by settlers who moved into their village in the occupied West Bank on Sunday. The first Israeli soldiers who arrived at the scene were filmed praying with the extremist settlers. But after clashes they left and the settlers have returned. The Palestinian families say their water and power have been cut and they have dwindling food supplies. Also, has the war in Iran eroded Donald Trump's support in one of his key strongholds? Zhu Rongji, the former Chinese premier who championed free market reforms, has died at the age of 97. And we hear

People across the world are eagerly awaiting a solar eclipse, with the Moon set to block out our view of the Sun. The BBC's science correspondent reports from northern Spain - one of the areas expecting a rare total eclipse. Also: rescue efforts continue after the earthquake in Colombia; a Syrian court sentences the ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, to death for crimes against humanity; Donald Trump defends swapping planes due to a reported security threat, despite anger from journalists left on Air Force One; the Winter Olympics sport of curling finds new fans in sunny Italy; and the America

The number of people known to have been killed by an earthquake in Colombia has risen to more than 200. The quake with a magnitude of 7.4 hit the west of the country on Monday. Rescuers worked through the night looking for survivors trapped under dozens of collapsed buildings. The cities of Cali and Pereira were among the places worst hit. Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has declared a state of emergency. Also: Medecins Sans Frontieres warns that children in southwest Somalia are facing alarming food shortages. President Trump was smuggled out of Air Force One in an airport

More than 130 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia. Rescuers are searching for those trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings. Also: Turkey approves a law aimed at ending conflict with the Kurdish militant PKK group; we investigate China's "flash marriage" scams targeting lonely men; how tourism is impacting wildlife, especially elephants, in Zambia; Harry Potter fans get an undersea power cable rerouted to protect Dobby's fictional grave; and why we should smile at our dogs. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, a

Scientists at EU's climate change monitoring programme warn the world's oceans were hotter last month than in any other July on record. Sea temperatures outside the polar regions reached nearly 21 degrees Celsius. Ukrainian armed forces launch a long range drone attack on a Russian oil refinery about 1,000 kilometres east of Moscow. A BBC investigation uncovers evidence suggesting South African special forces could have been involved in the death of a police detective. Police in India use water cannon to disperse thousands of people protesting about civil service examinations. Football confed

In a rare public spat, Israel firmly rejects the US president's Gaza peace plan saying troops will only withdraw from the territory once Hamas has handed over all its weapons. The high representative for Gaza for Donald Trump's Board of Peace insists that the US-backed peace plan for the territory is the only way forward. Nickolay Mladenov said further talks were under way that he hoped would lead to a positive outcome. Also: In Canada, the vast western province of British Columbia is under a state of emergency, with more than 100 wildfires burning. Tens of thousands of people have been evacu

On February 28th, in the opening hours of the first day of the US-Israel war against Iran, an attack on a school vin the southern city of Minab killed over 120 children. To date, its the deadliest civilian attack during the Iran war. Experts say the school was hit by a precision guided Tomahawk missile - a weapon that neither Israel nor Iran are known to possess. Yet five months on, the US government has not formally accepted responsibility. We speak to the to the BBC’s Senior International Investigations Correspondent Nawal Al Maghafi, who recently returned from Iran where she visited Minab

Iran's security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr has warned the Strait of Hormuz will not open until the United States agrees to six conditions. These include easing economic sanctions, paying war reparations and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports. The foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier that Iran and Oman were "very close" to an agreement on a new shipping route through the Strait. Also: Ukraine's President Zelensky pleads for more European support on a visit to Serbia, a traditional Russian ally. The US Senate confirms Todd Blanche as the new attorney general, putting Donald Trum

We hear about the pioneering operation that fixed a baby's life-threatening condition while he was still in the womb. Theo and his mum Maisie underwent the surgery in Texas when she was 26 weeks pregnant. It was only the third operation of its kind in the world but doctors hope the technique could go on to help many more families. Also: we join those jumping into a lake in Germany to help tackle the high number of children who can't swim. The ongoing heatwave in Europe has highlighted the importance of water safety skills for young people. We meet a young blind man who's found self-confidence

Colombia's new right-wing president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has been sworn in, pledging to "relentlessly defeat narco-terrorism". Also: A US appeals court orders the Trump administration to halt construction of a new ballroom at the White House. The BBC tracks down the spy chief of Syria's former dictator Bashar al-Assad. Spain is bringing in border controls for travellers arriving from Italy, as a bilateral row over immigration grows. Hunter Biden, the son of the former US president Joe Biden, acknowledges that his father's decision to pardon him just before leaving the White House two yea

Teachers are among those killed and injured by a 14-year-old boy at a Bangkok school. He also took his own life. Earlier, he had killed his grandparents. Also: Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign a mutual defence agreement, saying an attack on one of them would be seen as an attack on all three. The Africa Centres for Disease Control says local communities must play a greater role in combating the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo. A BBC investigation finds that Russia is seizing tens of thousands of homes across four regions of Ukraine it captured during its invasion. Moves in London to stop

Scientists from Stanford University call the creation of new viruses by Artificial Intelligence a "significant turning point" which could revolutionise medicine with new drugs and treatments. It is the first time whole genomes have been successfully designed by AI. Critics worry that the new technology might cause harm. Also: A US court has fined Meta more than half-a-billion dollars and deemed it a public nuisance over child safety. The White House denies the US has a shortage of some weapons because of the Iran war. A former Governor in Mexico has been arrested, accused of tampering with evi

The BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent, Paul Adams, has been given rare access to a Ukrainian naval ship and a visit to one of the main ports in the Black Sea. He reports on the naval battle taking place at sea, as Russian attacks on Ukrainian vessels are increasing. Also: a warm welcome in Bangkok for the Myanmar military ruler seen elsewhere as an international pariah. David Owori, the captain of one of Uganda's biggest football teams has died after being attacked near his home in the capital, Kampala. As wildfires continue to rage, a new study highlights how they can cause migraine headaches. A

Gianni Infantino has apologised for "mistakes" made in the process of his controversial proposal to sell shares in football's World Cup to private investors, but will remain Fifa president after receiving the backing of senior executives in a meeting in Morocco. Also: officials in Nigeria say more than 300 people abducted over the past few months have been freed in a security operation. In a vote with implications for the future direction of the US Democratic Party, a left-winger has defeated a centrist candidate to contest a Senate seat in Michigan. Vaccines that can be stored at room tempera

Scientists believe the upper section of a SpaceX rocket has crashed into the surface of the Moon at seven times the speed of sound. Also: police in Mexico are investigating why a social media influencer was shot dead during a live stream. The World Food Programme warns that the current El Niño weather phenomenon could leave nearly 50 million more people at risk of severe hunger. We hear from the 23 year old Moroccan man who crossed into the Spanish territory of Ceuta last week. Women cyclists using padded bras to get ahead in the Tour de France. And new research finds people prefer stories wri

Russia has again attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with ballistic missiles, killing at least one person and injuring more than 20. Earlier President Zelensky shared video on social media of a drone hunting down a man in the southern city of Kherson, saying it showed an instance of a "safari" attack against civilians. Also: while diplomatic efforts continue to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, an Indian merchant ship is sunk in the Red Sea after being hit by a projectile. Conservationists in Kenya cast doubt on official explanations that 15 dead elephants were accidentally poisoned by farmers' pe

EU interior ministers express strong solidarity with Spain over its handling of the Ceuta migrant crisis. In a video conference, they commended the swift reaction of the authorities in Madrid to the influx of more than 70,000 Moroccans into the Spanish territory last week. The surge was blamed on disinformation and people smugglers. Also: The world's biggest oil producer, Saudi Arabia's Saudi Aramco, posts record profits as the Iran war sends prices surging, and despite Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. A mass funeral has taken place in Gaza for over 100 people whose bodies have been re

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

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

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 E

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

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.

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 forge