Global News Podcast
BBC World Service
The day's top stories from BBC News, twice a day on weekdays.
Recent episodes
French protesters return to the streets
Oct 25, 2026Protests against poor economic conditions have been held across France. Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested after clashes with riot police in cities including Paris and Marseilles. Also: campaigning intensifies ahead of the US mid-term elections. We have a special report from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. Gianni Infantino claims the "vast majority" supports his bid for re-election as head of world football's governing body, FIFA. Final rallies are held in Brazil ahead of Sunday's pres
27m 50s
The Happy Pod: Lost my ring, found some friends
Oct 24, 2026Patrick Mohr thought his wedding ring was gone after it fell off his hand while he swam in Italy, but it led to an international friendship with three locals who dived to find it. Filippo Palagi, Nicola Malloggi and Edoardo Poggi went on a trip to return it to Patrick in Ireland. Also: the grandmother who competed at Miss Great Britain and made history in the process. Glamour Gran Ann wants other women to see that getting older does not mean disappearing. In Australia, the reporter who ended up
27m 19s
Melania Trump brokers ceasefire for Ukrainian city
Oct 24, 2026The White House says the US first lady, Melania Trump, has brokered a local ceasefire for a frontline city in a Russian-occupied part of Ukraine. The truce in Oleshky, in the Kherson region, is due to begin on October 29. The White House says the city is on "the brink of disaster" without medicine, food and clean water. Residents of the city have resorted to eating garden weeds to survive. Also: Donald Trump files a lawsuit seeking to block Alaska's result in the midterms if the Republican incum
28m 6s
Sudan's hospitals deliberately targeted by RSF fighters
Oct 23, 2026A BBC investigation has found evidence that Sudanese paramilitary fighters systematically destroyed El-Fasher's healthcare system during their long siege and subsequent takeover of the city in Darfur a year ago. UN human rights chief Volker Türk called the findings "deeply disturbing", saying multiple attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, were serious violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes. Also: the
29m 30s
Yemen's humanitarian crisis
Oct 23, 2026Our senior international corrrespondent Orla Guerin reports from Yemen where fighting has intensified between government forces and Houthi rebels. Also: Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong steps into the limelight as rumours swirl over the health of the North Korean leader. Demonstrators stage peaceful protests across Venezuela calling for the safe return of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. President Trump is ordered to answer questions under oath in BBC lawsuit. New York city council votes
25m 51s
Ukraine comes under renewed Russian attack
Oct 22, 2026The Ukrainian president has accused Russia of responding to the latest negotiations about ending the war by launching three waves of ballistic missiles. Nine people were killed and more than 30 injured across Ukraine, as homes, power facilities, shops and a medical centre were hit. The attacks came after Russia had said it was "ready in principle" to resume peace talks, and the US said an end to the war was close. Also: American media reports say the US and Israel are developing plans for renewe
26m 22s
US and European websites go offline over security concerns
Oct 22, 2026A cyber security flaw has prompted governments in Finland and the Netherlands and websites such as Wikipedia and the BBC to go completely dark temporarily. The flaws in a programming language were discovered by AI. PHP is a scripting language that powers 70 per cent of all websites in the world. Also: Three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi next month to try to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. We hear about an Iranian prisoner
27m 21s
Witkoff praises Putin as 'a humanitarian'
Oct 21, 2026Russia has released a retired American teacher who was jailed for allegedly fighting on behalf of Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff. Mr Witkoff praised the decision, calling Mr Putin "a humanitarian", while also thanking him for a diesel deal that has angered Kyiv's allies. The US envoy, who had attended talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway on Tuesday, also asked Mr Putin to consider trilateral peace talks with Ukraine. Also: Hungarian police arrest the
30m 40s
Zelensky says US intelligence sharing is back on
Oct 21, 2026Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says intelligence on early warning systems for Russian strikes "works now", and that he is thankful to the US. After meeting President Zelensky, Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is now in Russia to share peace proposals with President Putin. Also: We report from Kansas ahead of the US midterm elections; Indonesia's worst wildfire season in a decade causes an air pollution crisis across South East Asia; the Egyptian man sentenced to prison for impersonatin
26m 34s
Alberta rejects move towards Canada independence
Oct 20, 2026Canada’s most oil and gas rich province, Alberta, has voted to reject a move towards holding a referendum on independence from Canada. The Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney said they were pleased with the result. More than three quarters of voters said they were against holding a future binding referendum that would have split Alberta from the rest of Canada. The vote took place at a time when Canada is embroiled in a trade war with the US. Also: More civilians have d
25m 21s
France halts protests with curfew crackdown
Oct 20, 2026Overnight curfews are in place in parts of Paris, Lyon, Lille and Nice as the French authorities try to crack down on violence and looting which has scarred the country since Saturday. Demonstrations have been banned in the French capital, which experienced some of the worst unrest that spilled over from massive protests against the cost of living. Also: Japan heads to Mars to make history in space exploration; young Israeli voters speak to the BBC ahead of next week's election; a Bangladesh min
26m 11s
World Food Programme to cut aid to Gaza
Oct 19, 2026Residents of Gaza have described the World Food Programme's decision to drastically reduce lifesaving assistance as "disastrous". The number of people helped by the UN agency will be reduced by around a third to one-point-one million people, as it grapples with a funding shortfall. Also: An Australian lawmaker is in a critical condition after being hit by a car in what the prime minister described as an attack. A Kenyan court delivers its judgement in the trial of a cult leader accused of murder
28m 18s
Special Episode: Decoding US midterms jargon
Oct 19, 2026What happens if Donald Trump loses the midterms, and why do these elections matter for Republicans and Democrats? What is gerrymandering? A stump speech? PACs and Super PACs? Dark money? In this special joint episode, we explain some of the basics of next month's US elections. The Global News Podcast's Celia Hatton is joined by Anthony Zurcher and Sumi Somaskanda from Americast to help decode the weird and wonderful jargon surrounding the midterms. We hear from our listeners about which phrases
31m 53s
How will violent unrest influence France's election?
Oct 19, 2026With President Macron's final months in office set to be marred by the continuing protests and riots, how will the violent unrest influence France's upcoming election? Our reporter says the government's failures could help the far-left and far-right at the polls. Also: four soldiers are killed in a fire at a Canadian military base; Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro butt heads in Brazil's presidential TV debate; we speak to the son of the American journalist attacked by Israeli settl
27m 44s
The Global Story:Was World War Two worth it? Some US conservatives have doubts
Oct 18, 2026Since World War Two ended, most people living in the United States or Europe have generally upheld a consensus about its morality; that it was a just war fought against an evil Nazi regime, and the allies were right to fight it. But in a viral podcast debate with the British conservative Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tucker Carlson seemed to disagree with that narrative, causing deep consternation within the wider conservative movement. The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Newscast’s Adam Flem
27m 42s
President Macron vows to punish French rioters
Oct 18, 2026President Macron has promised that vandals and looters will be punished after a day of rioting saw businesses and public buildings damaged and set on fire across France. The protests - that have turned violent - are part of an ongoing wave of anger over declining public services and the cost of living. Also: The US, France and Belgium condemn Israeli settler attacks on diplomats and a journalist in the occupied West Bank. Donald Trump waives newly announced sanctions on Russia. We look back at t
27m 2s
The Happy Pod: An island of strangers saved our wedding
Oct 17, 2026When a storm washed out the only road connecting North Carolina's Outer Banks, Kimberly and Jayden turned to the locals of Hatteras Island for help. None of their family or wedding suppliers could get there for their big day. But, after a social media appeal, the locals rallied round the couple and their wedding went ahead. The couple estimate between 500 to 800 strangers attended their wedding. Also, a black Labrador has just been named as Animal of the Year. Six year old Sgaith sniffs out an i
28m 2s
Trump fires press secretary Katie Zacharia
Oct 17, 2026The White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has been ousted after just five days, amid criticism of her first media briefing and questions about her legal background. Also: figures released by the Brazilian government indicate that deforestation in the Amazon has hit record lows. Police in the US state of Oregon have described how a teacher and a school parent fought off the gunman who killed four people at a primary school on Thursday. Ukraine says a counteroffensive has liberated more than
29m 17s
Israeli settlers attack Palestinians during olive harvest
Oct 16, 2026The BBC has witnessed Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and set fire to olive trees in the occupied West Bank. Also: President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is "only standing up for Ukraine's interests" after scathing criticism from Donald Trump. There has been a stark rise in anti-government activists deported to Russia from the EU and US, where they'd been seeking sanctuary. Researchers at the University of Maryland in the US have developed a tool to spot whether ideas are AI generated. A
30m 54s
Four killed in school shooting in US state of Oregon
Oct 16, 2026A 16-year-old has shot dead three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, in the US state of Oregon. The gunman was shot dead by a member of the public. Also: Britain's defence secretary says he's been reassured by the US that Starlink satellite services used by Ukraine’s military have been restored. In Yemen, the presidential palace and seat of the government in the port city of Aden has been attacked by Houthi rebels. Venezuela's ousted President Nicolas Maduro pleads
26m 53s
Deadly school disaster in Pakistan
Oct 15, 2026More than 30 people have been killed after a school roof collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, with the majority thought to be children under the age of 13. The owner of the school has been arrested, with police warning the building was extremely dangerous and there was a risk of further collapse. Also: the BBC has identified 254 incidents in which the Israeli military has been accused of killing or injuring people in Gaza, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank and Israel, which it said it would investigat
31m 36s
Zelensky feels 'betrayed' by Trump
Oct 15, 2026Volodymyr Zelensky says he feels "betrayed" by Donald Trump after the US-Russia diesel deal and an apparent decision to curb access to the Starlink network, which has been vital to Ukraine during the war. President Zelensky accused the White House of being on the wrong side of history. Also: student protesters attack government buildings in Albania; Turkish police raid and shut down the opposition station Halk TV; China and North Korea build bridges - metaphorically and literally; the Wildlife P
27m 37s
Russian attacks leave 600,000 Ukrainians without power
Oct 14, 2026Russian missile and drone strikes hit "critical" infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv despite US President Donald Trump's claim on Sunday that an "energy ceasefire" was in place between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine says it received no warning from allies and was hampered by restrictions to the Starlink communications network during another night of intense attacks. Separately, speed restrictions on the key Starlink communications network have disrupted Ukraine's battlefield "missions", President Vo
28m 59s
Pope has surgery for lung cancer
Oct 14, 2026A medical bulletin from the Vatican has announced that Pope Leo has undergone a successful operation to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung. It said the Pope had woken up normally and returned to his room after a brief period of observation. Pope Leo had announced on Sunday that his operation was imminent but the cancer diagnosis only came after the procedure had been carried out. Also: 30 years after the American rapper Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, a fo
28m 58s
IMF upgrades global economy outlook
Oct 13, 2026The International Monetary Fund says in its latest report that global growth has weathered the Middle East conflict better than had been feared, with rerouting of oil supplies and the release of energy stocks helping reduce the negative impact of the Iran war. But the IMF also warns that emergency stocks are now depleted. Also; the authorities in the American state of Tennessee release dramatic phone calls that were made to the emergency services after the botched execution of Christa Pike; Pope
31m 10s
Annual dementia cases could double by 2050
Oct 13, 2026Researchers in Australia say there were 11.4 million new dementia cases in 2023. They expect that number to more than double to 24.7 million by 2050. Women and people from lower- and middle-income countries are most likely to be affected. We speak to Professor Henry Brodaty, co-author of the study, who tells us this is because of "an epidemic of ageing". Also: the BBC reports from the frontline of the conflict in Yemen. US federal agents have raided the home in Washington of the Democratic congr
27m 42s
French supermarkets say fridges targeted in cyberattack
Oct 12, 2026Major French supermarket chains have reported being hit by a cyberattack that caused their refrigerators to defrost. More than 150 Intermarché stores were targeted, along with almost 100 Coopérative U outlets. The hackers may have also hit other major chains in France and neighbouring countries. Also: Saudi airspace remains heavily disrupted, as Yemen's Houthis continue a barrage of missile attacks. President Zelensky says Washington has to make Russia respect the energy ceasefire announced by P
29m 29s
Houthis attack Saudi airport for third time in four days
Oct 12, 2026The main international airport in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, is attacked on consecutive days by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. More than a dozen people have been killed and hundreds injured. The Houthis say they launched the strikes because of the Saudis' support for government forces in Yemen's civil war. Also: a BBC investigation looks into the circumstances surrounding the shooting of mourners in Kenya at a national farewell for a former prime minister. The Pope is to undergo surge
27m 15s
The Global Story: Smart glasses or ‘pervert glasses’?
Oct 11, 2026At a recent Meta product launch, Mark Zuckerberg promised that the company’s smart glasses would give wearers “new superpowers”, but what are they? Amid criticisms of its privacy and child protection policies, Meta is betting big on smart glasses as a way to restyle the company’s image, but they too have caused controversy – dubbed by critics ‘pervert glasses’ because they have been used to film women without their knowledge. So why are Meta and other big tech firms investing billions in this te
27m 35s
Trump calls for Zelensky to be replaced
Oct 11, 2026A major diplomatic row has erupted between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. After Mr Zelensky criticised a decision by Mr Trump to buy Russian diesel, the US president lashed out. He called for a new leader in Ukraine, and said Mr Zelensky was prolonging the war with Moscow. Mr Trump warned the Ukrainian leader not to bomb Russian oil refineries. Also: people in Mexico are bracing themselves for another hurricane. The Indian government stops a protest calling fo
29m 59s