Global News Podcast

Donald Trump has repeated his desire to control Greenland as a matter of national security, targeting Russian and Chinese interest in the Arctic. Competition is heating up over shipping routes and stores of natural resources.

The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you got this podcast.

The authorities in Los Angeles say the strong winds that have spread wildfires over a wide area are likely to continue for several more days. Also: is A.I. dubbing the future for foreign-language dramas and films?

We meet a Texas woman whose donated breastmilk helped thousands of premature babies. Also: surviving thirteen days alone in Australia's mountains; a chess playing NBA star; and appealing for friends to tackle loneliness.

In Los Angeles, a night-time curfew has been imposed in areas impacted by the devastating wildfires, as police warn against looting. Also: a Stradivarius violin heads to auction with an estimated $18m price tag.

EU scientists say 2024 was the warmest year on record, and the first to exceed the 1.5C global warming limit. Also: Los Angeles residents return to their burnt-out homes, and is time running out for TikTok?

The Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has emerged from hiding to lead anti-Maduro protests. Also: extracting what may be the world’s oldest Antarctic ice, and the etiquette of air kissing.

A crescent of flames looms over Los Angeles as wildfires burn. Firefighters manage to bring under control the blaze that had been threatening Hollywood. Also: the dangerous journey across the Darien Gap jungle.

At least two people have died as wildfires rage uncontrolled in several parts of Los Angeles. President Biden has promised extra help. Also: Egypt hails possibly the greatest find since the discovery of Tutankhamun.

Los Angeles' mayor says windstorms will worsen. Also: European nations warn borders must not be altered by force - after Trump threatens Greenland. And China steps up relief efforts for the earthquake in Tibet.

Donald Trump has threatened to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal. Also: the climber who spent an earthquake up Mount Everest, and the Italian residents who are banned from becoming seriously ill.

A big earthquake has killed more than 100 people in Tibet and wrecked the Buddhist holy city of Shigatse. Also: the French far-right leader Jean Marie Le Pen has died, and the weird and wonderful species under threat.

Canada's PM Justin Trudeau has resigned, citing 'internal battles' in his governing Liberal party. Also: the drink absinthe, once banned by governments and now rehabilitated, and what does silence sound like?

South Korea's political chaos worsens as police refuse to arrest the impeached President. Also: Russia says it has captured a key town in eastern Ukraine, and the wild cat that's come back from the brink of extinction.

A state of emergency is declared across parts of the United States as a major winter storm brings chaos to road, air and train travel. Also: prisoners in a high security jail try to find redemption through singing.

A motorcade carrying the body of the former US president, Jimmy Carter, has arrived in Atlanta -- the capital of his home state, Georgia. He will lie in repose for a few days for the public to pay their respects.

Meet the Buz Stop Boys, a group of volunteers helping to clean the streets of Ghana. Also, the treehouse escape for people with chronic illnesses, and the Hawaiian crow which went extinct in 2002 returns to the wild.

Presenter: Nick Miles. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Trump-backed Mike Johnson has been re-elected as US House Speaker in the first round of voting, after overcoming a Republican revolt. Also: Apple to pay $95m to settle Siri "listening" lawsuit.

South Korean police called off an attempt to arrest the suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol, following a long standoff with his security team. Anti-corruption officers have appealed to the acting president to intervene.

The FBI says the man who carried out a deadly attack in New Orleans was acting alone, and he had declared his support for ISIS militants. Also: do you use traditional maps or an app to find your way around a city?

Details have emerged about some of the 15 people killed in New Orleans on New Year's Day. Also: Syria's new Islamist-led administration outlines changes to education, and huge footprints reveal how dinosaurs got around

US authorities say they do not believe the man who rammed his truck into New Year revellers acted alone. Also: a Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Tower in Las Vegas, and the shipping forecast celebrates 100 years.

Ten killed in New Orleans as a truck drives into crowds in the French Quarter. Also, the flow of gas from Russia to Europe stops as Ukraine refuses to renew a transit deal and trains are 200 years old this year.

A judge in Ecuador orders the detention of sixteen military personnel over the disappearance of four boys whose badly burned bodies have been found outside an air force base.

Six babies in Gaza have died from the cold weather within a two week period according to local health officials.

Russia and Ukraine carry out a major prisoner swap with at least 300 people set free. Also: The UN warns of climate breakdown after a 'decade of deadly heat', and what will make people want to have more children?

Joe Biden leads tributes to former President Jimmy Carter as his humanitarian legacy is celebrated. Also: uncertainty in Ukraine - we hear from the frontline, and 5 charged in connection with popstar Liam Payne's death.

Carter went on to become an international statesman and human rights campaigner. Also: South Korea mourns the victims of its worst-ever air disaster. And incumbent in Croatia elections fails to avoid second round.

179 people were killed when a plane crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea. It burst into flames after skidding off the runway and hitting a wall. The only survivors were two members of the flight crew.

The Russian president apologises over the downing of an Azerbaijani plane in Russian airspace - without directly taking blame. Also: chess champion walks out of tournament over jeans row.

We meet the family who kept their shop open on Christmas Day to help locals feel less lonely. Also, the parents creating visual memories for their children and the restaurant where most of the staff have Down's Syndrome.

Mexico has announced an emergency strategy to protect migrants in the US, after president-elect, Donald Trump, threatened to deport millions of illegal people. Also: the virtual blaze that is an internet success.

Nato steps up efforts to protect cables in the Baltic Sea after a power line is cut between Finland and Estonia. Russia accused of sabotage. Also: Another impeachment in South Korea, and NASA sun probe makes history.

Israeli airstrikes have hit a number of sites in Yemen, after Houthi militants have been targeting Israel and vessels in the Red Sea. Also: Bald eagle officially declared US national bird after nearly 250 years.

Memorial events have been held around the Indian Ocean to mark 20 years since the tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people. Also: Did Russia down an Azerbaijani plane? And the rise of non-alcoholic wine.

The happiest stories of 2024 - from the extraordinary achievement in raising Notre Dame Cathedral from the ashes, to the success of the chopsticks manoeuvre to catch a rocket booster; and the baby hippo who went viral.

Armed men in Haiti kill at least two journalists and a police officer, after opening fire at the reopening of its biggest public hospital. Also: Syria’s rebel factions agree to merge under the defence ministry.

The probe is plunging into the sun's outer atmosphere, amid brutal temperatures. Also; the UN warns that famine is spreading in Sudan, with Darfur among the worst affected regions.

A long-awaited report into Matt Gaetz says the former congressman paid for sex and drugs while in office. Also: marches take place in Magdeburg, and a new government in France after days of political turmoil.

The president switched 37 capital punishment convictions to life in prison without parole. Also: motoring giants Nissan and Honda take their first steps to merge, and tactics taken in South Korea to increase the country’s birth rate.

Turkey says there's no room for Kurdish militias in Syria's future. Also: Germany promises a thorough investigation into the Magdeburg attack.

Donald Trump's return to the White House is seen as a potential threat to European security. Some think he may abandon Nato - but the organisation's new secretary general seems convinced he will be persuaded to stay.

The German city of Magdeburg is in mourning after a Christmas attack killed five. We hear the possible motives of the suspect. Also: Albania shuts down TikTok, and in Guatamala children are rescued from a sect.

A man filmed playing the piano while homeless went viral. Now he's raising money for others and says it's saved his life. Also: showing love with Christmas lights; how a cat saved its owner; and AI spots dolphin accents.

A car has been driven into a crowd at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. There have been a number of fatalities and injuries.

US diplomats are visiting Syria to hold talks with the new de facto leader. Also: a new attempt to find the wreckage of missing flight MH370, and a controversial new TV game show, Beast Games.

Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of fatally shooting a US healthcare insurance executive, has been extradited to New York to face new federal charges. Also: the ground squirrels in California that are hunting voles.

In a major trial in France, Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men are jailed for repeatedly raping his wife Gisèle. Also, Israeli jets attack Houthi targets in Yemen, and Czech experts restore damaged Ukrainian artworks.

Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa told the BBC that Syria is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbours or to the west. Also: listen to the 'earliest known country song' ever recorded.

Russia has detained an Uzbek man suspected of assassinating an army general. Russia says the suspect was recruited by Ukraine. Also: The UN warns Syria is unable to cope with large numbers of refugees returning home.

After months of deadlock, there are new signs that Israel and Hamas could be moving closer to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. Also: repairs are to be carried out on Venice's "slippery" glass bridge.

Igor Kirillov died in the explosion on Tuesday. Also; a powerful earthquake flattens buildings and cuts communications in Vanuatu, and how one letter was delivered to the wrong address thousands of kilometres away.

Syria's new rulers pledge to protect minority Alawite community in Latakia after recent attacks. Also: Germany’s chancellor loses vote of confidence, and hundreds of new species are found in Mekong in south east Asia.

France to provide relief and security to people in Mayotte, after Saturday's destructive cyclone. Also: Western powers step up their engagement with the new rulers of Syria. And Serbia accuses journalists of spying.

Hundreds, possibly thousands, are feared dead in cyclone-hit Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. Also: the previously unheard stories of women inside Iran’s Evin Prison, and the world's biggest iceberg - on the move again.

AI generated influencers are being criticised for creating unrealistic beauty standards and promoting unattainable lifestyle goals. But are their feeds any less 'real' than the enhanced profiles we have been exposed to for years?

South Korea's Parliament impeaches President Yoon over failed martial law bid. The USA says it’s engaging with Islamists who ousted Syria’s President Assad - and cyclone Chido wreaks havoc on French territory Mayotte.

We hear from a cafe in Massachusetts that spreads joy by asking customers to dance as they enter. Also: the toys made from cigarette butts; a community library destroyed by fire reopens; and Italy's festive Krampus Run.

Revelations of how the secret police controlled society under Assad. Also: the mystery of huge drones spotted in the US, and how fidgeting can drive others mad - and what psychologists can do to help.

Streets were packed and revolutionary music blared out across Syria to mark the end of the Assad regime. Also: health misinformation on the Diary of a CEO podcast, and why pets are the big winners this Christmas.

US top diplomat Antony Blinken holds talks with President Erdogan on establishing stability in Syria. Also: an 18-year-old Indian becomes youngest world chess champion, and Kyrgyzstan wants to update its national anthem.

US president commutes around 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people. Also: inside Syria's abandoned presidential palace, recreational use of cannabis banned in Japan, and the secret to being happy at work.

Syrian rebel fighters have destroyed the tomb of late president Hafez al-Assad, father of ousted president Bashar, in the family's home town of Qardaha. Also: "Christmas lights" galaxy reveals how Universe formed.

Security guards at presidential office in Seoul try to stop police from getting martial law documents. Also: new Syrian PM promises to guarantee rights for all religions, and humpback whale makes epic migration.

Israel attacks Syria's naval fleet as part of efforts to neutralise the country's military assets after the fall of the Assad regime. Also: New Zealander wins Spanish Scrabble championship - without speaking Spanish.

Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani has met the outgoing PM to discuss the "transfer of power" - a day after Bashar al-Assad fled the country. Also: Google unveils 'mind-boggling' quantum computing chip.

Civil defence workers in Syria are trying to reach underground cells to release some of the nation's tens of thousands of political prisoners. Also: More than 150 mostly elderly people are killed by gangs in Haiti.

Moscow has given asylum to Syria's former president, Bashar al-Assad. Also: Trump threatens to take the US out of NATO, and Zelensky says 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the conflict with Russia.

Syrian President's grip on power wanes as another strategic city falls to Islamist rebels. Also: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is rededicated in front of world leaders and the conman in India who duped families into thinking he was their long lost son.

Syria's army says it's bolstering defences around the capital, Damascus, as rebels intent on overthrowing President Assad converge on the city.

We're at an Italian film festival with a difference, for actors who become the voice of Hollywood stars and achieve fame in their own right. Also: California's canine mayor; and why diplomacy can work better in a sauna.

Both candidates in Romania's presidential election have denounced a court's decision to quash the results. Also: why it's hard to be a woman in Iceland, and the bid to save handwriting in the age of the computer.

In Syria, Islamist-led rebels continue their rapid advance. The UN says 300,000 have fled their homes as rebels reach the outskirts of Homs. Also: Romania will rerun its election, and how to survive a polar bear attack.

Islamist rebels celebrate the capture of the Syrian city of Hama. Also: US Police search for the gunman who shot dead a health insurance boss on the streets of New York, and a faster way to predict the weather.

The Syrian army says it’s withdrawn from the city of Hama after intense clashes. Also: health workers in Sierra Leone will be among the first to receive an Ebola vaccine, as part of a nationwide campaign.

The French government has collapsed after PM, Michel Barnier, was ousted in a no-confidence vote, after forcing through his budget. Also: Mexican police make their biggest ever seizure of the synthetic drug fentanyl.

South Korean MPs have begun impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol after thwarting his move to impose martial law. Also: jailed Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi is temporarily released.

The president of South Korea has reversed his shock decision to impose martial law. Yoon Suk Yeol had ordered the deployment of troops hours earlier, accusing the opposition of being criminals and anti -state forces.

Female students studying midwifery in Afghanistan have been told to stay away from classes. Also: Joe Biden is in Angola on his first visit to Africa as US president, and Jaguar unveils its new luxury electric car.

Israel said it struck targets in Lebanon after vowing to retaliate for an attack by Hezbollah, with both sides accusing each other of violating last week's ceasefire. Also: protecting the price of pasta dishes in Rome.

The UN's humanitarian chief is calling for action to help people in the Darfur region of Sudan - we have a special report on the horrors of the civil war. Also: President Biden pardons his son Hunter.

The Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, has described help from Iran and Russia as "vital" in the fight against a surprise rebel offensive. Also: did Louis the XV really keep a rhinoceros at the palace of Versailles?

Syria's President Assad has insisted he will defeat the rebels who have attacked Aleppo. Also: Georgia's president vows to remain in post after her term ends, and why killer whales are wearing dead salmon on their heads.

We hear from a Ukrainian refugee who says cold water swimming has helped her tackle depression and keep moving forward. Also: making fuel from washed up seaweed; how a community rescued a pod of whales; and driving rats.

The terminally ill in England and Wales could soon have the right to end their lives as MPs vote in favour of assisted dying. Also: Rebel forces take control of parts of Aleppo in Syria, and a big weekend for Hollywood.

Emmanuel Macron praised workers for restoring Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral, five years after the fire. Ukraine faces blackouts as Russia targets energy facilities, plus an interview with the world's best nurse.

Putin says Russia's attack on Ukraine's power grid was in response to the use of US-made missiles. Also: Syrian rebels launch a major offensive in Aleppo province, and Greenland opens a new international airport.

Hundreds of thousands across Ukraine are without power after Russia launches a massive attack on its energy infrastructure. Also: The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon appears to be holding.

A fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah is holding, but both sides are on alert. In the US, Donald Trump's incoming cabinet have received bomb threats. Also: will Parisians embrace Les Misérables in French?

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is in effect in Lebanon after a deal to end 13 months of fighting. Thousands of Lebanese civilians have started returning to their homes in the south.

President Biden has welcomed a US and French-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. He said the deal showed that peace was possible.

President Biden has announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah to come into effect on Wednesday. He described it as a new start for Lebanon.

Security forces in Islamabad have clashed with thousands of protestors demanding the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. The army has been deployed to central parts of the Pakistani capital.

A US judge has dismissed the criminal case accusing President-elect Donald Trump of attempting to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election. Also: Israel and Hezbollah said to be close to Lebanon ceasefire deal..

A little known candidate, Calin Georgescu, unexpectedly wins first round of Romania's presential election. Also: Italian museum honours the British poet Byron.

The authorities in the United Arab Emirates say three suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, Zvi Kogan, found dead in the country.

At the climate summit in Azerbaijan, richer countries agreed to increase their contribution to $300bn a year by 2035, to help poorer countries most affected. Also: many killed during Israeli air strike in Beirut.

Researchers have found that just as we smile at friends, dolphins change their expression too while interacting. Also: the college baseball star with a prosthetic leg and the first robotic double lung transplant.

President Vladimir Putin said Russia had a stock of powerful new missiles "ready to be launched" and promised to carry out more tests including in "combat conditions".

Satellite images indicate that Russia has supplied North Korea with more than one million barrels of oil. Analysts say the oil is payment for weapons and troops North Korea has sent Moscow to fuel its war in Ukraine.