Global News Podcast

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 American TV channel Hallmark celebrates its 25th anniversary.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 b

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 catering truck after a possible Iran threat. And: What is behind Australia's first autonomous AI hack?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

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, 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

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 confederations representing more than half of FIFA members issue statement criticising the president, Gianni Infantino. The trial of a former gang leader accused of involvement in the death of the rapper, Tupac Shakur, gets underway in Las Vegas. The actor, Michael Sheen, speaks about his documentary on the historic burying of toxic chemicals. And a zoo in Florida hires a full time acupuncture therapist to treat animals. The G

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 evacuated, including the 12000 residents of Summerland. The suspected Irish crime boss, Daniel Kinahan, is in custody in Ireland after appearing in court, following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates. He denies any wrongdoing. The Nigerian army says its soldiers have rescued 33 people who were kidnapped in the northwest of the country following an upsurge in abductions. Why the authorities in the UK are spending hun

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 and met with survivors of the strike and the families of those who killed. We also hear from the BBC’s State Department Correspondent Tom Bateman about his attempts to get answers from US officials about the school strike. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

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 Trump's former lawyer in charge of the justice department. Thousands of people flee their homes in the Canadian province of British Colombia as a raging wildfire doubles in size. Figures show for the first time more than half of Japanese men are taking paternity leave. And the growing concern over old literature being bought, scanned and destroyed to improve AI. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need t

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 and friendship by taking up boxing. Adam Solan's now fighting for the sport to be added to the Paralympics.Plus - the museum that's turned a bad review into a marketing campaign; the city showing how tourism can have a positive impact on the local environment; and the play celebrating the little-known story of Zambia's part in the space race.Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the wor

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 years ago was "not good" for America. And how one country has come up with a new strategy to make tourism more sustainable. 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, del

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 people in pubs from drinking while standing - but will this kill British pub culture? Residents in Italy hunt for a giant lizard with razor-sharp teeth and claws that's been spotted in Lombardy.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 cove

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 evidence, in connection with the disappearance of 43 students in 2014. A BBC investigation has found that animal dewormer and a drug used to treat scabies are being sold and promoted as unproven cancer treatments. The sister of Meredith Kercher criticises a comedy show by Amanda Knox, who was convicted and later acquitted of her murder. And UEFA, which governs European football, says a boycott of competitions may still go

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 temperature have been successfully trialled in patients for the first time. A University of Cambridge professor at the centre of a plagiarism row resigns. And how against all the odds, Afghanistan's women footballers are back on the pitch.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, b

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 written by AI.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking s

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

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.

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

In an exclusive investigation, a whistleblower has told the BBC how he unearthed evidence suggesting that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick failed to disclose a business relationship with the paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein.Simon Andriesz was a trader at one of Lutnick’s Wall Street firms, but it wasn’t until the Epstein files were released earlier this year that he says he confirmed a longstanding suspicion that his boss was misrepresenting his relationship with Epstein.BBC financial investigations correspondent Andy Verity joins us to unpack the new investigation. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

For 40 years, an elephant named Julie performed as part of the Victor Hugo Cardinali circus in Portugal.But after a law change banning wild animals for entertainment, Julie has now been given a new life in a dedicated sanctuary.She is the first elephant to begin her retirement at the 400-hectare site in Alentejo in southern Portugal, run by the UK-based charity Pangea Trust.Staff say Julie has adjusted very well to her new home, and is enjoying splashing around in the mud.Also: A mysterious monkey with orange lips discovered deep in the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is confirmed as a new species. A look back at the heartwarming moments of the FIFA World Cup that resonated with both fans and those not so keen on football.We meet Kenya's ''Eco Mammas'', a group of women leading vital marine conservation efforts.Plus the teenage pianist Freya Terris who made history by passing a highly technical piano exam using only her left hand.Presenter: Chantal Hartle Music: Iona Hampson(Photo:Julie the Af

Citizen Vigilante is a low-budget action thriller starring actor Armie Hammer as a vigilante who hunts down migrant criminals in Europe. The movie faced a muted reception - until Elon Musk posted it to his hundreds of millions of followers on X.com. We speak to journalist Mike Wendling to understand why this film has become a lightning rod for political and cultural debate, and what its sudden rise reveals about the far-reaching influence of the world’s richest man.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.

When Nidhi and Vik moved to Northern Ireland, they came up with an unusual way to make new friends - hosting dinner parties made up of strangers. Now the couple, originally from India, have connected with 60 people and counting. Vik says he wants to make the whole world his friends.Plus, the Iranian father helping his blind son experience the football World Cup. He uses a makeshift football pitch to mimic what's going on. Also, a listener tells us about their chance encounter with a teacher they hadn't seen for 12 years. We go to a picnic where the only thing on the menu is unlimited cake, and the payphone in Washington DC that tells jokes. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson(Photo: Nidhi and Vik preparing for their Masala Talkies. Credit: Your Pal Moments.)