Global News Podcast

Friedrich Merz says the decisive win in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt by the far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD, signals the need for a major reckoning. The AfD's national co-leader, Alice Weidel, says it's aiming to win at least forty per cent in the next general election. Also: the funeral of the Bosnian Serb war criminal, General Ratko Mladić, has gone ahead in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, where some people consider him a national hero. The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, has warned of a "dangerous escalation" by Israel after women and children were killed in an air strike on a residential building in southern Lebanon. A new film about the most important weather forecast in British history, which gave the go-ahead for D-Day on the sixth June 1944, is released in the UK. And the BBC speaks to the 13-year-old who has written a symphony warning about the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the

Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is heading for a dramatic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Although it is projected to fall short of a majority, the AfD says it has won a mandate to govern. Commentators and political opponents speak of the outcome as a watershed and break with the past. No far-right party has won control of a German state since World War Two.Also: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he expects the war with Russia to continue into the winter, following talks with Donald Trump's top envoys in Kyiv. The BBC investigates the claim that individuals working for the Saudi government may have been involved in the 9/11 attacks. Iran warns of "a faster, heavier, and more painful response" to US attacks, as hostilities between the two sides escalate. At least five people have been killed and five others injured after a cargo plane sped off a runway at Miami International Airport. Portugal gives festival-goers wristbands that can ins

The US is bringing a "proposal to end the war" to Russia and Ukraine - but hopes for progress towards peace are not high. President Trump's top envoys are visiting Kyiv after a "constructive" meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Also: evidence grows of Sudanese army using chemical weapons in civil war against RSF; the US ambassador to Israel visits Palestinian-Americans in the occupied West Bank; the White House releases retro arcade games with MAGA agenda; how habitat loss forces animals into our homes instead; Oman's bagpipers showcase their musical heritage; and gravediggers dig deep for world championship. 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 b

After a week of deliberation, jurors have failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three young children. The 12-person jury was made up of nine women and three men and was reportedly split 11 to one. Ms Clancy doesn’t deny killing her children but says she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time. The court will reconvene at the end of the month to decide what happens next. Also: a Russian drone has struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, in central Kyiv; OpenAI hijacks a German website, raising questions around AI safety; the UN General Assembly passes a resolution to replace the traditional world map with one that more accurately reflects the size of Africa; Houthi fighters and pro-government forces in Yemen battle each other in some of the worst clashes in years; Naomi Osaka has urged social media influencers attending the US Open to respect tennis "etiquette"; and as Giorgia Meloni celebrates he

A man in the US has survived for a record nine months with a kidney from a genetically modified pig, bringing hope to transplant patients across the world. 66-year-old Tim Andrews went on to receive a human donor kidney and is doing well. We hear from Dr Leonardo Riella who led the team. Plus, the rare flightless parrot that's been brought back from the brink of extinction. The kakapo are the world's heaviest parrot. Also in this edition, meet Ari Miller, the DJ making music with strangers on the streets of New York. The new display showing the world famous Bayeux Tapestry as it's never been seen before and the composer turning the world's underground trains into melodies. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Picture: Patient Tim Andrews (centre) with Dr Tatsuo Kawai (left) and Dr Leonardo Riella (right). Credit: Kate Flock/Massachusetts General Hospital.Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Rescue crews in Nepal have freed two workers from a blocked hydropower tunnel, nine days after they were trapped by debris from flash floods that devastated an area on the border with Tibet. Shortly after the two survivors were lifted out of the tunnel, the body of a third person was found. About forty people are still thought to be inside the tunnel. Across Nepal thousands remain missing and in Tibet, tightly controlled by China, the official death toll remains low at 20 with around 500 missing. Also, New Zealand becomes the second country, after Australia, to treat trauma patients with the active ingredient used in ecstasy. Britain's anti-immigration party faces another funding scandal. VW cuts a further 50,000 jobs, and the Scottish eagle called Kinky, because of a crooked wing, flies high against the odds.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,

Funerals have been held for two Palestinian teenagers killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the village of Al-Mughayyir in the occupied West Bank. Israel's military said its forces had fired at instigators of a "violent riot". The deaths come amid a recent surge in settler violence and mounting criticism of the IDF's role in attacks. Also: Argentina's President Milei threatens sanctions against oil companies working off the Falkland Islands or Las Malvinas. The UN warns of immense challenges reaching isolated Himalayan communties devastated by the Nepal-Tibet flash floods. A US jury is deadlocked in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. The success of a genetically modified pig kidney transplant offers new hope to those on dialysis. And Amelia Dimoldenberg ends "Chicken Shop Date".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 i

Gloria Steinem, a leader of the women's liberation movement in the US, has died at the age of 92. During the 1960s and 1970s, she campaigned for women’s reproductive rights and equal pay laws. She also co-founded the Ms. magazine - one of the first feminist publications in the US - and advocated for the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Steinem died peacefully at her home in New York. Also: the United Nations warns of a "supersized" El Niño as countries prepare for the impact of the severe weather event. Britain's Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, meets President Emmanuel Macron in London, with irregular migration high on the agenda. France is deploying a new team of police officers to its western beaches to try to stop migrants on large, overcrowded vessels from crossing the English Channel. Are we one step closer to discovering dark matter - the substance that binds galaxies together? And women's tennis world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, hits back at suggestions she had been attending 'lots of parties' in the

The United States and Venezuela have welcomed a big energy deal which they have formally signed in Caracas, along with a series of agreements involving international oil firms. The US Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, said the deal would unlock tens of billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs. He said oil production would double in a decade. Critics say the deal hands Washington control of a fifth of Venezuela’s oil reserves and entrenches the current authoritarian government. Also, New York's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has announced an unprecedented one-year ban on students using artificial intelligence in public elementary and middle schools; Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated against the Spanish government's handling of the migrant crisis in the north African territory of Ceuta. They have been calling for the socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, to resign; More than six decades on from the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa, survivors and relatives of those killed are challenging

The heads of Nato and the European Commission have warned that Russia is growing increasingly reckless and vowed to respond to a "new normal". Moscow has accused Germany of planting evidence, after German authorities said Russia was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport. The Nato and EU chiefs said their support for Ukraine was unwavering amid rising hybrid threats, calling the Leipzig incident "part of a broader pattern of increasingly dangerous incidents".Also: Iran and the US exchange air strikes as Tehran calls deaths at wedding celebration a war crime. Washington denies targeting civilians. The man accused of murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk pleads not guilty, as judge clears way for death penalty trial. A simple at-home urine test can detect more than nine in 10 cases of bladder cancer, potentially sparing thousands of patients from invasive exams. American service members on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrive in Thailand after a record 250 days without a port stop

The Iranian Red Crescent says four people including a child were killed by US strikes on a wedding in southern Iran as fighting escalates. It said over 50 people were wounded when shrapnel hit a residence in Sirik county, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said it was aware of the reports but that it never targeted civilians. Iran launched retaliatory attacks at US bases in the region, with strikes reported in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. Also, President Putin accuses Germany's leader of trying to shore up his position by blaming Russia for a series of hybrid attacks on infrastructure. A new law in Austria that bans girls under the age of 14 from wearing an Islamic headscarf in schools comes into force. Why Chinese electric vehicles are so cheap. And the drone technology being used to save people from shark attacks.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,

Afghans in Pakistan and Iran face an uncertain future under the Taliban amid a huge deportation drive. We have a report from the Torkham crossing, known as "zero point". Millions of Afghans have fled across the borders to Pakistan for decades. Also, we hear from the Taliban foreign minister who has called on western countries to develop closer diplomatic and economic ties with Afghanistan. Israel says it's captured a senior member of Hamas in Gaza - as Palestinian medics say two children and a woman were killed. Norway's King Haakon pledges an oath of allegiance to the constitution as his father lies in state. A Russian drone and missile barrage kills at least 12 in the capital of Ukraine. Researchers say cancer treatment in mornings could double survival time.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 ana

A former gang boss is facing potentially life in prison after being found guilty of murdering Tupac Shakur in 1996. Duane 'Keffe D' Davis masterminded the plan and supplied the gun that killed the rapper. Also, the families of more than 600 workers believed to be trapped in a vast network of mud-filled tunnels along Nepal's Trishuli River are clinging to hope their loved ones can be found alive. In the US, there is pushback about how quickly car licence plate readers made by one company, Flock, are spreading across the country. Argentina great Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has accused Israel and Russia of spreading disinformation related to the mass influx of migrants. John Galliano has cancelled an upcoming major exhibition celebrating his work as a fashion designer after it prompted criticism due to his previous conviction for making antisemitic and anti-Asian remarks. A team of conservationists in Chile has designed a heali

Iran and the US exchange fire for the first time in a month. The US said it destroyed two Iranian launchers on a small island in the Strait of Hormuz as they were preparing to deploy sea-mine rockets. Iranian state media later said Iran had responded with ballistic missile strikes on two US-operated airbases in Jordan. Also: As teams from Nepal, India and China work to reach people trapped by Wednesday's flash floods in the Himalayas, Chinese police say they've taken action against ten people for allegedly exaggerating the numbers of dead. In Korea the leader of the controversial Unification Church, otherwise known as The Moonies, has been sentenced to two years in prison. Han Hak-ja was found guilty of bribing South Korea's former first lady - the wife of the now ousted Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol - by giving her two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace worth nearly $60,000. And, scientists at a university in Australia are rearing an echidna hoping that the rare, egg laying mammal will help them answer fund

The US has bombed Iranian launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz - the first known attack in weeks. Tehran has launched retaliatory strikes against American bases in Jordan. Also: rescue efforts intensify after Nepal-Tibet flood; Russia is accused of targeting cultural sites in Ukraine; NASA launches its space telescope; a zoo reopens in Gaza's Khan Younis; and the best movies of the summer. 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: [email protected]: Ships and boats on the Strait of Hormuz, Oman, 29th April 2026 Credit: Reuters

A new personalised vaccine given in combination with a drug has stopped skin cancer returning in patients during a trial, representing a potentially watershed moment in cancer treatment. Scientists used mRNA technology, which was used for some Covid-19 vaccines.But that technology - and vaccines more generally - have become increasingly controversial in the United States since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, is a vaccine sceptic. In August 2025 cancelled $500m (£376m) in funding for mRNA vaccine research. The move impacted 22 projects being led by major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, for vaccines against bird flu and other viruses, according to Kennedy’s department. We speak to Tom Whipple, host of the BBC’s Inside Science programme, about the science of this new vaccine. And we ask how funding cuts for vaccine research could impact health outcomes not just for Americans, but for the world.For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you

The Israeli prime minister has condemned Jewish settlers who attacked two Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank including Qusra where an earlier siege by settlers sparked an international outcry. Benjamin Netanyahu called the settlers rioters who violated the law and harmed Israel's standing in the world. Also: A Russian drone strike on an ammunition store in Ukraine kills 37 civilians in a residential area of Kyiv. Lake Ontario gets a new sign - the latest salvo in the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States. The world's number one cyclist Tadej Pogačar requires surgery after crashing out of La Vuelta in Spain, and why the Japanese custom of removing and tidying shoes is causing problems for emergency services.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 th

Jessica Fletcher wanted to find a way to communicate with her autistic non-speaking son, Hunter, which could be used everywhere. So, she got a keyboard tattooed on her arm. Now they can communicate anywhere they go.Plus, meet the Plurabelle Paddlers. They are just one group of women competing in a dragon boat race where all the participants are survivors of breast cancer. Also on this podcast, would you eat a cookie which contains recycled plastic? Researchers are finding a way to make it possible. We go to the north of England, where a nursery is set inside a retirement home in the hope of bonding the two generations. In a world first, a patient has had brain surgery assisted by artificial intelligence, and meet Synergy, the mini-pig being used in a campaign to try to help the homeless in Washington DC. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.(Image: Jessica Fletcher's son, Hunter, pointing at her keyboard tattoo. Credit: Jessica Fletcher)Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Mu

Washington and Caracas have agreed a "historic" deal, which will more than double US oil reserves and provide investment for Venezuela's energy industry. Also: Emergency aid efforts are stepped up in Nepal and Tibet as nearly 2000 people are feared missing after the floods. Sudan lifts a two-year-old curfew and state of emergency in Khartoum. Experts say Denmark's forced contraception of Indigenous women in Greenland didn't meet the legal definition of genocide. British far-right commentator and MAGA supporter, Milo Yiannopoulos, is detained by ICE. And the surprise hit film about the French wartime leader Charles de Gaulle.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

Two days after massive floods and landslides in the Himalayas, authorities in Tibet have resumed search and rescue operations despite the ongoing threat that a debris-filled lake could collapse. The Chinese government has offered to send aid to Nepal to help survivors of the disaster. Also: King Haakon the Eighth has acceded to the throne in Norway after the death of his father, Harald the Fifth, at the age of 89. A group of more than 80 actors are calling on the British government to give every person in the UK a legal right to own their voice in response to the rise in the use of AI ‘voice cloning’. And Apple prepares to shake up the tech industry with its first foldable iPhone expected to be unveiled next month. 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