Global News Podcast

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in custody over his links to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Police have been looking into allegations he shared documents with Epstein when he was a British trade envoy. Officers have also carried out searches at two addresses in England, including the former prince's residence at Sandringham. Also: a UN fact-finding mission in Sudan has determined that atrocities carried out against non-Arabs by the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur point to genocide. As the Board of Peace meets for the first time in Washington, is Hamas regaining control of Gaza? The paradox of China - the world's biggest polluter has installed more solar and wind projects than the rest of the world. A British couple are sentenced to ten years in prison in Iran. And as the celebrated conservationist David Attenborough approaches 100, we look back at his most memorable broadcast. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to h

A senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, has told a meeting of the Security Council that Israel's plans for greater controls in the occupied West Bank amount to de facto annexation. Since last week, Israel has approved a series of reforms to property laws, making it easier for Jewish settlements to expand in the West Bank. Also, the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates has pulled out of a keynote address to a major AI summit in India after growing scrutiny over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The tech billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg, has defended his Instagram site in a landmark legal case over social media addiction in LA. The Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp owner said he regretted Meta's slow progress in identifying under-age users, in the face of a barrage of criticism. Fiji's former military leader, Frank Bainimarama and a former police commissioner have both been arrested and charged with inciting mutiny. A climber in Austria is going on trial after leaving his girlfriend to die on Austria's

Kyiv's chief negotiator describes US-mediated negotiations with Russia as difficult and complex, but says there has been progress. Also: European football authorities investigate claims of racism in the Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica. Investigators looking into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie say they believe she is being held somewhere close to her home in Arizona. Researchers in Britain assess the threat from the Chikungunya virus in the Asian tiger mosquito, saying it could spread across Europe. The internet page showing the first ever YouTube video is saved for posterity by London's Victoria and Albert Museum. And excitement builds ahead of the debut of Skimo at the Winter Olympics in Italy. 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 ma

Iran's foreign minister said the two sides agreed on a set of principles that could pave the way for a possible deal. But the US vice president, JD Vance, gave a cautious assessment telling Fox News that Iran had not agreed to "red lines" set by President Trump. Also, Peru has been plunged into renewed political chaos after congress removed the seventh president in a decade on corruption allegations, there are growing fears that a major regional conflict could be about to break out between the Ethiopian federal government and forces in Tigray in the north of the country. NASA warns that there's no known protection against thousands of asteroids which space chiefs say they can't track down and, the Grammy-winning American songwriter, Billy Steinberg, has died at the age of 75.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

The American civil rights leader, Jesse Jackson, who twice ran for the Democratic nomination for president, has died aged 84. Tributes have been flowing in, with President Trump describing him as a good man and a force of nature. In a statement, Reverend Jackson's family called him a "servant leader to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world". Also: Iran says the latest indirect talks on its nuclear programme with the US in Geneva have been more constructive than previous discussions, but warns that more work is needed; one of the world's biggest AI summits is beginning in India this week, with up to 50,000 people gathering in Delhi; and China and other Asian countries are celebrating the Lunar New Year - the start of the Year of the Fire Horse.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

Hillary Clinton, the former US secretary of state, and her husband, the former president Bill Clinton, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. She said the government's behaviour indicated it had something to hide. President Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and says he broke off contact with the convicted sex offender many years ago. Also: Australia's Prime Minister has refused to repatriate a group of Australians in Syria associated with the Islamic State group, saying they could face prosecution if they went back. Ahead of the resumption of indirect talks, President Trump says he believes the Iranians want to make a deal over its nuclear programme, while the foreign ministry in Tehran says the US is moving towards a "more realistic position". Italy laments the loss of one of the Adriatic's most famous landmarks, the rock structure "Lovers' Arch", which collapsed on Valentine's day following days of bad weather. And, the American actor, Robert Duvall, has died ag

The UK is considering significant increases to its military spending, to three per cent of the public national income within the next three years. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, made the announcement at the Munich Security Conference at the weekend. This would mean additional spending of up to $19bn a year. Also: Supporters of the late Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, have laid flowers at his grave in Moscow while five European countries say they have evidence that Russia poisoned Mr Navalny with a rare toxin linked to the poison dart frog. And why the former US president Barack Obama thinks that aliens exist.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 t

Israel's prime minister has demanded the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran as part of any deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking as Iran's foreign minister travelled to Switzerland for the latest round of indirect talks with the US. Also: In a new Instagram video the American celebrity news host, Savannah Guthrie, has addressed the kidnappers of her eighty- four year old mother, Nancy. She said she and her family still had hope their mother would be returned safely. The alleged gunman of the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia, has appeared via video link at a Sydney court for the first time. Nigerians welcome the return of the celebrated Argungu fishing festival. And how artificial intelligence is changing agriculture. 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

Two weeks after the latest release of the Epstein files, the headlines keep pouring in.In just the past few days, revelations in the documents have nearly brought down a British prime minister, and implicated politicians and royals from around the world. The files are even fuelling speculation about whether the late sex offender could have been a spy.We speak to Nomia Iqbal, BBC World Affairs Correspondent, about what we’ve learned this week about the international fallout of the Epstein scandal.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, Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Epstein files. Credit: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA/Shutterstock

European countries say tests show Russia's Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a substance developed from a toxin found in Ecuadorian dart frogs. But the Kremlin denies killing the opposition leader. Also: Marco Rubio delivers a softer line to America's European allies at the Munich Security Conference; there are more global protests against the Iranian government; families of Venezuelan political prisoners go on hunger strike; the "Trump slump" affects US tourism; Cuba's cigar festival is snuffed out; palaeontologists discover giant sloth and elephant-like mastodon fossils; and we visit the British inmates learning how to garden. 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 reac

We meet a Ghanaian woman who is challenging stereotypes of beauty and disability by modelling with her prosthetic leg wrapped in colourful kente fabric. Abena Christine Jon'el had her leg amputated when she was just two years old because of an aggressive form of cancer. She says she's fought through so much to survive that she's determined to fight for anyone who's ever felt defeated by life.Also: A mobile gaming app that's helping teenagers in Brazil learn how to support their friends with mental health issues. A scheme teaching gardening skills to prisoners in the UK to help cut the numbers who reoffend after their release.The Washington museum curator who's adopted Gen Z slang to get younger people interested in its works of art. Alison Luchs has attracted over nine million views with two social media posts, and is challenging others to submit similar videos about other exhibits.Plus big baby elephant news, some unusual guard animals, and how one new family helped bring an entire community together, just b

The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, and opposition leaders have laid flowers at a memorial in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, to the eight victims of a teenage killer. The estranged father of the suspect has offered his condolences. Also: the leaders of France and Germany have urged the continent to be more assertive in President Trump's new world order. The UN calls on Israel to reverse plans to give itself new powers in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, saying it jeopardises the prospect for a two-state solution. With inflation at around sixty per cent in Iran and the local currency in free-fall against the dollar, we talk to locals in a market in the capital, Tehran. Gisèle Pelicot, the woman at the centre of the largest rape trial in French history, tells the BBC she was "crushed by the horror" of her ordeal - but describes herself as a "survivor". And as couples across the world mark Valentine's Day, we look at why people are increasingly drawn to romantic historical dramas?The Global News Podca

A crucial security conference in Munich has heard the German chancellor stating that the rules- based world order no longer exists and Europeans must be ready to make sacrifices for their freedom in an era of big power politics. Friedrich Merz acknowledged that a rift had opened between Europe and Donald Trump's America. It's the first major global event since President Trump threatened Denmark's sovereignty with a pledge to annex Greenland. Also: a landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist party in the first election since a mass student uprising in 2024. Britain's High Court rules that a Government decision to ban the protest group, Palestine Action, under anti-terrorism legislation was unlawful. Mozambique is bracing itself as cyclone Gezani heads its way; heavy rain has been reported in some coastal areas. And the designer behind the global brand, Hello Kitty - one of Japan's most famous cultural exports - is stepping down. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as i

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is claiming a "sweeping victory" after indications that it's heading for a landslide election win. It's the first poll since an uprising in 2024 that toppled the authoritarian leader, Sheikh Hasina. Also: President Trump has revoked an Obama-era law that underpinned US regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Trump said the move was the biggest act of deregulation in the country's history. The CIA has released a video designed to recruit disaffected Chinese military personnel, scientists, and other professionals as spies for the US. Jim Ratcliffe, who co-owns Manchester United Football Club, has apologised if his "choice of language" caused offence. He suggested the UK had been "colonised" by immigrants. And at the Berlin Film Festival, the world premiere of No Good Men, a romantic comedy set in a newsroom in Afghanistan.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 w

China may still be the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, but CO2 levels have been falling due to a push for clean energy. New data suggests 2025 was the first full year to show a decline. The reported drop in emissions is estimated to be around 0.3%, but campaigners say it could represent a milestone. Also: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned Vladyslav Heraskevych for continuing to wear a helmet featuring images of athletes killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Heraskevych, a skeleton pilot, posted "This is the price of our dignity" on social media after being banned. Russia says it is blocking the messaging service Whatsapp. The BBC speaks to Juliette Bryant - a former model from South Africa who was groomed and abused by Jeffrey Epstein. Why spy agencies think North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is handing power over to his teenage daughter. Dozens of people have died in Madagascar, after a tropical cyclone hit the island nation... and we look at the life of Dawson's Creek actor

Voters cast their ballots in Bangladesh for the first time since authoritarian leader Sheikh Hasina was forced from office in 2024. They'll be choosing a new government and deciding on constitutional reforms. Also: our correspondent reports from inside Iran. We have the latest on the deadly shooting in Canada. The US attorney general gets a grilling at a congressional committee meeting. New figures suggest China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell in 2025. We'll hear about the European robin that made it all the way to Canada. And the student who had a good excuse for not handing in her homework on time - she was taking part in the Olympics.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 epis

The Canadian prime minister Mark Carney says the entire country is in mourning after nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a school and nearby home in the province of British Columbia. The presumed attacker was also found dead. Also: police in Arizona release a suspect in the disappearance of the mother of the US news anchor, Samantha Guthrie; how noise linked to humans is negatively affecting birds; and a new film adaptation of Wuthering Heights featuring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi is making headlines for its steamy approach to a British classic. 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 mis

The BBC gains access to Iran for the first time since anti-government protests were brutally crushed. The country is marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in the shadow of last month's deadly crackdown and looming threats of US military action. Also: nine people are killed in a school shooting in Canada; Russia limits access to Telegram; England returns some of the bronzes looted from Benin; how to train your brain to reduce the risk of getting dementia; and what to watch at the Berlin Film Festival.

The head of New South Wales police says officers "did what they needed to do" at a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney. Video shows police punching protestors at the event, held to oppose a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in the wake of the antisemitic Bondi Beach attack. Also, the watchdog Transparency International says public sector corruption is worsening around the world, with the US and UK getting their worst-ever ratings in the group's annual Corruption Perceptions Index. Nairobi condemns Russia for recruiting Kenyan citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine. And the British Museum pays $4.8m for a piece of jewellery from the reign of Henry VIII, found by a metal detectorist. 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 weekda

Members of Congress in Washington DC can now view the millions of documents from the investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files, without the extensive redactions made by the Justice Department. According to a letter sent to lawmakers they can take notes of the documents, but not make electronic copies. Also: lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, say she will speak fully and honestly about her relationship with the late sex offender, but only if President Trump grants her clemency. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has told his MPs that he will not quit after the leader of his party in Scotland called on him to resign. A lawyer at a landmark trial in California has accused the technology giants, Meta and Google, of deliberately making their platforms addictive to children. Australia's prime minister has defended a visit by the Israeli president, after clashes in Sydney between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Officials at the Winter Olympics in Italy ar