Global News Podcast

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how hope and perseverance prevailed in the rescue of 41 workers trapped in a tunnel in India. Also: a set of earbuds that could revolutionise wheelchair mobility. And celebrating 100 years of Scottish dancing.

The Israeli military says it has struck hundreds of "terror targets" in Gaza. Also: George Santos expelled from US Congress in historic vote, and Putin's favourite conductor is to run the Bolshoi theatre.

The IDF said the fighting resumed after it intercepted a rocket from inside the Gaza strip, while Hamas say Israel refused to accept offers to release other hostages. Also: world leaders address climate change at COP28, and author Omid Scobie denies naming two senior royals in controversial book.

The US secretary of state says damage to hospitals and water supplies seen in the north of Gaza must not be repeated in the south. Also: surprise climate cash win for poor at COP28, and Russian court bans "LGBT movement".

Three people were killed by Hamas gunmen in Jerusalem hours after the ceasefire in Gaza was extended into a seventh day. Also on the programme: the UN climate summit begins in Dubai, and the former top US diplomat Henry Kissinger dies aged 100.

Thirty Palestinian prisoners are also due to be freed from Israeli jails. Also: US says it has foiled alleged plot to kill Sikh activist, and astronomers discover "the perfect solar system".

The IDF says it has killed two Palestinian militant commanders. Also: An EU report lists who experiences the most online hate, and why there's a new dress code in Kenya's Parliament.

Amid scenes of jubilation, the operation was finally completed despite numerous problems and setbacks. Also: Hamas releases 12 more hostages and Israel hands over 30 more Palestinian prisoners on day 5 of a temporary truce, and the wolf spider that decided to lay its eggs in a cruise ship passenger's toe.

An evacuation pipe has been inserted into the collapsed tunnel, where the men had been trapped for more than two weeks. Also: the truce in Gaza appears to be holding for a fifth day - after a swap deal between Israel and Hamas was extended, and the first transatlantic flight powered by an alternative fuel has taken off from London.

The Israeli army says that eleven hostages released by Hamas from Gaza are now in Israeli territory. In return, thirty-three Palestinian prisoners are being freed. Also: The government of Sierra Leone blames renegade soldiers for a series of attacks in Freetown on Sunday that left twenty people dead, and the festive video by a family-run pub in Northern Ireland that's getting rave reviews and giving big retailers a run for their money.

Israel's allies and neighbours are hopeful that the pause in fighting can be extended beyond the fourth exchange of hostages and prisoners. Also, environmental activists say they're shocked at claims the United Arab Emirates has used its role as host of UN climate talks to make oil and gas deals. And six former pupils at a school in France go on trial over their alleged links to the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty in 2020.

Hamas and US President Joe Biden say they'd like an extension of the current four-day truce that's seen dozens released, but Israel's Prime Minister says that after the truce, his country will return to war. Also: The government of Sierra Leone says it's back in control, after gunmen attacked a barracks and several prisons in the capital, and The Irish writer Paul Lynch wins this year's Booker prize.

Our climate editor Justin Rowlatt and The Climate Question presenter Graihagh Jackson address issues including whether the oil-producing UAE is the right host for the meeting, what one thing we can all do to save the planet, and is a plant-based diet on the agenda?

Hamas has handed back thirteen Israeli and four Thai nationals, and Israel is returning thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners. Also: Tens of thousands of Italians protest against gender based violence, and the BBC's Doctor Who marks its sixtieth anniversary with a special TV series.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the war veteran from Texas who's graduated from high school 60 years after he left. Also: the comic book that is educating girls all over the world about periods and menstruation. And: the cat meowing her way to a Christmas hit.

Israel says the hostages, who were held in Gaza, are all in good health. In exchange for their freedom, thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners have been released. Also: A fishing vessel has been seized by suspected Somali pirates, and the French government urges shoppers to think twice before spending money on Black Friday.

They have been handed over to the Red Cross and are on their way to the Egypt border. Also: the convicted murderer and South African former athlete Oscar Pistorius is to be released on parole; and the singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading on writing her first classical symphony.

Qatar says it hopes the pause in fighting it's helped arrange can be turned into a longer-term ceasefire. Also: Riot police in the Irish capital, Dublin, clash with crowds of protesters near the scene of a multiple stabbing, and parts of the state of Queensland in Australia have been over-run with a plague of rats.

Qatar says it's continuing work to finalise a pause in the fighting in Gaza. Also, Ukraine's stolen children, the return of the blue whales and Doctor Who at 60.

Exit polls from the parliamentary election put the Freedom party well ahead of its rivals. Also: Relatives of the hostages held in Gaza wait to see who could be freed, and rescue workers close in on more than 40 workers trapped under a collapsed tunnel in India.

Hamas will free 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners. Israel is continuing military operations against Hamas in Gaza ahead of a planned pause in the conflict. Also: OpenAI announces Sam Altman to return as CEO, and it's kimchi day in South Korea. How has the fermented vegetable dish become such a global phenomenon?

The PM discusses with top officials a deal that could see at least 50 hostages freed from Gaza and a temporary pause in fighting. Also: the CEO of the world's largest crypto-exchange, Binance, pleads guilty to money laundering charges, and the venomous two metre long green mamba - on the loose in a Dutch city.

A deal to release hostages taken from Israel during Hamas attacks last month is "closer than ever before", according to a senior US official. Also : The first images have emerged of 41 men trapped for more than a week in a highway tunnel in the Indian Himalayas and a lost BBC interview with street artist Banksy is unearthed

In a letter they demand the reinstatement of Sam Altman who was sacked on Friday. Also: The United Nations says the world is on course for a catastrophic warming -- even if countries meet their current pledges to cut emissions, and the global rise in the number of young sharing a bed to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Mr Milei promises huge change for the country. Also: as 28 babies evacuated from a hospital in Gaza arrive in Egypt- another hospital has become embroiled in the conflict, and the Colombian pop star Shakira has reached a deal with Spanish prosecutors to settle a multi-million-dollar tax fraud case.

The Israeli military has released footage which it says shows captives being taken into Al-Shifa after the deadly Hamas attacks on 7 October. Also: the former US first lady, Rosalynn Carter, has died at 96, and Napoleon's hat has sold for almost two million euros.

Hundreds of people including patients left Al Shifa Hospital on Saturday. The Hamas-run health authorities say 80 people were killed in two airstrikes on Jabaliya refugee camp. Also: Elon Musk has hailed the latest launch of his giant Starship rocket as a success, even though it blew up, and what's in the etiquette guide on the correct way to use mobile phones.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, Kenya hands out 100 million saplings and calls a public holiday to plant them. Also: a new drug to treat two rare blood disorders, and a woman from Scotland who walked across Europe and met the Pope.

The UN relief agency for Palestinians reiterates that the humanitarian situation in the territory is overwhelming. Also: The White House criticises Elon Musk after the head of Tesla appeared to promote an antisemitic post on his X platform. And, why some sailors are playing thrash metal music to fend off attacks on their boats by killer whales.

The move comes as the UN says the aid operation is 'impossible'. Also: A cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe triggers a state of emergency, and Amazon announces it will sell cars on its US site.

Israeli forces say Yehudit Weiss was abducted by Hamas on 7 October. Also, Kenya approves a plan to send a thousand troops to Haiti to help deal with gang violence, and Britain's foreign secretary, the former prime minister David Cameron, visits Ukraine on his first official trip.

Our correspondent is taken inside the Gaza hospital raided by Israel's soldiers. Also: German police carry out countrywide raids on suspected Islamists with links to Hezbollah; and - in a world first - UK authorities approve gene therapy treatment to cure blood disorders.

IDF releases video of what it says are arms and ammunition discovered at Al Shifa hospital. Also,the leaders of the two most powerful nations in the world meet in California, and how a heatwave is damaging Brazil's economy.

A doctor has spoken of fear among medics and patients as soldiers go room to room interrogating people. Also: Britain's Supreme Court rules the government's flagship policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, and a New Zealand competition to find its bird of the century ends with a grunting, puking creature with a colourful mullet.

Pentagon says Hamas has stored weapons in tunnels at the Al Shifa hospital. Palestinian civilians are at risk as Israel attacks Gaza's biggest hospital. Also, the town kept awake by humming.

The director of the Al-Shifa medical facility says there have been dozens of bodies. Also: flights are suspended in South Korea to help students with their exams, and the extraordinary relationship between a stuntman and the actor who plays Harry Potter.

Israel says Hamas is using the hospitals to hide its command centres. Also: Donald Trump's son returns to the witness stand in the family fraud trial; and the book that's so difficult to understand, it can take decades to read

Suella Braverman is sacked as home secretary in a surprise reshuffle and the former prime minister returns - but as foreign secretary. Also, Hamas reports babies dying in Gaza, and why Kenyans are planting millions of trees.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the situation at Al-Shifa is dire and perilous. The International Committee of the Red Cross says Gaza is rapidly approaching a humanitarian disaster. Also: The French Prime Minister leads a march in support of the Jewish community, which was boycotted by the far-left purportedly for being pro-Israel. And, the ongoing mystery surrounding the Loch Ness monster in Scotland.

Israeli forces battle Hamas nearby. They say they've left a corridor open for people to flee, and will help evacuate babies on Sunday. Also: A key bridge in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has been destroyed, and remembering Frank Borman, the man who commanded the first manned mission to circle the Moon, who has died at the age of 95.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the biologist who's dedicated his life to protecting penguins in South America. Also: the award-winning Frenchman they call the Michelangelo of tattooists. And Peanut, the world’s oldest chicken

Israel says it does not fire on hospitals but will do what it needs to if Hamas fires from them. Also: The White House says President Biden will meet the Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week to try to stabilise relations, and the Turkish President says he is prepared to change the constitution to resolve a judicial dispute.

Hamas-run health ministry says Israeli strikes have killed at least 13 people, while Israel accuses Hamas of hiding under healthcare facilities. Also: Jewish communities in Germany express concern over a rise in antisemitism, and researchers discover a mammal they believed to be extinct is still alive.

Israel says they will be observed in areas of the north to allow civilians out and humanitarian aid in, but there will be no ceasefire. Also: A Palestinian armed faction releases a video of another two Israeli hostages -- a teenage boy and a woman in her seventies -- and Colombian rebels free the father of the Liverpool football star, Luis Diaz, nearly two weeks after he was abducted.

Delegates have made repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as thousands more flee to the southern part of the territory. Also, Spain grants amnesty to Catalan separatists, and scientists find a new species of toad in Kenya.

Our international editor Jeremy Bowen travelled into the enclave with the Israel Defense Forces. Also: Ivanka Trump testifies she can't recall loan details, and who found Mowgli, the missing cat stuck in a mineshaft?

America's top diplomat, Antony Blinken, lays out his vision for Gaza's future, and Hezbollah's deputy chief, Sheikh Naim Qassem, has been speaking to the BBC. Also: this year looks set to be the hottest on record, and the chef who's broken the record for non-stop cooking.

The defence minister says troops "stormed" the city from the north and south, to target Hamas. Also: first images revealed from "dark universe" mission, and global wine production falls to 62-year low.

Prime minister Netanyahu also continues to reject a ceasefire as long as hostages are not freed. Also: Charles the Third delivers the first King's Speech to parliament in more than seven decades, and the lost love letters of French sailors from more than two centuries ago.

The Hamas-run health ministry says over 4,000 children have been killed; Israel says its air strikes target only Hamas sites. Also: Trump clashes repeatedly with judge in New York testimony, and Colombia is planning to recover a shipwreck said to contain $20bn of treasure.

Israeli airstrikes overnight reported to be some of the heaviest in the latest violence. Also: air pollution in India affects cricket, and a new memoir by Barbra Streisand.

Israel's military says it has reached the coast in the south of Gaza City, dividing the Strip into "north and south". Also: military chiefs in Ukraine under pressure over deadly Russian strike in the Zaporizhzhia region, and is the Grok chatbot really sarcastic?

The US Secretary of State held talks in Jordan, while the UN said its school in Gaza had been hit by an air strike. Also: the bed bug anxiety sweeping Europe, and the mission to rescue Britain's loneliest sheep.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the Ukrainian musician whose bee-inspired song captured the hearts of millions. Also: the band pushing sustainability by walking 1400 kilometres between gigs. And, a new type of seal discovered in Greenland.

Netanyahu rules out pause in fighting until hostages are released. Also: The leader of the Lebanese Islamist militant group, Hezbollah, says Israel must stop attacking Gaza in order to avoid a regional war, Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, proposes big changes to the country's political system, and how a spider caused a pile up in America's Death Valley.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Israel to protect Palestinian civilians. Also, the leader of Hezbollah has been making his first public statement about the Hamas attacks of October the seventh, and the UN says more than twenty-five thousand people have been displaced by the upsurge in fighting in Myanmar.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, we meet Finland's happiest person, a giant tortoise is on the loose in Canada. And the pigeon set to fly off on a world book tour.

We've teamed up with The Conflict podcast to answer your questions. These include Russia's role, the reaction from Israel, and what we can all do to be part of the solution.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, why are whales wearing seaweed on their heads? We celebrate 100 years of Disney. And a listener shares her children's orchestra in Colombia.

These include why Hamas attacked Israel, the fate of the hostages, Israel's response so far, and whether both sides can overcome the trauma of their past.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how tech giant Bill Gates stays optimistic when it comes to climate change, what goes into growing the world's biggest pumpkin. And, what makes Alaska's perfect bear.

The build up to the Hamas attack, why now and what happens next? Is there any hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians?

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the extraordinary comeback of US gymnast Simone Biles, an author who proves there is no age-limit on learning to read. And, solving the mystery of how cats purr.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, will asteroid dust give clues to the origins of the universe? Jubilation in East Africa as the 2027 Cup of Nations is awarded to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. And, celebrating words of hope and joy from around the world.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the extraordinary growth of women's football in Saudi Arabia, ambitious plans to rewild southern rhinos in Africa, and the fierce competition to be crowned Montenegro's "laziest citizen".

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the superhero hero dog who saved a family from a fire finds a forever home, the international effort to rescue a man from a cave in Turkey. And the electronic bra that can spot signs of breast cancer.

What is AI? What can it do and what are its current limitations? A tool for good - or should we be worried? Will we lose our jobs? Are we ready to be cared for by machines? Our Tech Editor, Zoe Kleinman, and a panel of international experts explore AI's impact on healthcare, the environment, the law and the arts in a special edition recorded at Science Gallery London.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the blind schoolboy who helped rebuild his school in Yemen, a new app teaching people literacy skills in the Horn of Africa. And, how Tilos has become the world's first zero-waste island.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the extraordinary difference a pioneering stem cell treatment has made to one of its patients, the man who saved a toddler as she fell from an apartment block in Italy. And, a chance to hear our politics correspondent, Rob Watson, like you've never heard him before.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, huge relief in Pakistan after the rescue of two adults and six schoolboys after a cable car line snapped, the volunteers in Switzerland protecting livestock from wolves and therefore wolves from people, and some of the very best things about this year's Women's football world cup.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, Jordan Hogg and his campaign to get more disabled people working in the film and TV industry, the Ukrainian soldier who became a ballet star after losing both legs in the war, and the surfers rescued after 36 hours adrift off Indonesia.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, Afraa, the newborn rescued from the debris of Syria’s earthquake, is a symbol of hope, the mother and daughter who won the lottery to travel to space, and the dog who surfed to victory at the world championships.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, smashing the record for climbing the world's fourteen highest peaks, the remarkable musician who plays the French horn with his toes, and an eight-year-old chess prodigy from Nigeria - sharing her passion for the game.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the deal to get Colombian coffee growers and bears living in harmony, the power of sound in restoring Australian coral reefs, and how sending a fax can win you a fortune in Taiwan.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, a "breakthrough" drug that could slow down Alzheimer's, and the men remaking trees. Plus, solving a puzzle that stumped mathematicians for over 50 years.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the portable incubator saving lives in Ukraine, a tale of heroics on the streets of Taiwan. And, how putty might help to preserve Australia's coral reefs.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how sharing life stories is helping elderly patients connect with their carers. Also, the baby born onboard an express train in Kenya, and China’s “butterfly father” dedicating his life to protecting the beautiful insects.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, 100,000 Sri Lankan monkeys saved from export to China. Also: an Australian man born in a taxi seeks the driver, and the 16-year-old fulfilling a dream by playing Glastonbury.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, an old cassette tape brings a mother's voice back to life, researchers find that napping is good for your brain. And: The mission to bring light to bombed houses in Ukraine. Presented by Jackie Leonard and music produced by Iona Hampson.

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, thanks for the eagle eyed doctor in Australia who spotted a serious medical problem on a TV interview and issued a very timely warning.  Praise in Colombia for the big sister who kept her little siblings alive in the jungle after their plane crashed. And the Mongolian women re-invigorating an old art-form for the twenty-first century.

Presented by Jackie Leonard. Music produced by Iona Hampson.

Around 300 children and babies rescued from an orphanage in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Also: We hear from one of the researchers helping a paralysed man to walk again, and why some people in Japan are relearning how to smile.

Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, educating girls in Afghanistan, the Finnish octogenarian mastering Taekwondo, and dogs enjoying art in Greece. Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.

Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how an amateur digger in Australia hit the jackpot, the boy who spent three years camping out for charity, and could the secret to happiness lie in our sweat?

Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.

Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, an unusual cow brings joy to Australia, the happiest places in the world are revealed and how shrimps are saving lives.

Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.

Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how a computer data centre could heat pools around the globe, Paris Opera appoints its first black star ballet dancer, and a robotic elephant helping to improve animal rights in India.

Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.

Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, sharing the things about your home country that make you happy, NASA's new head of science on how her dad gave her a love of space, and how bees can not only solve puzzles, but teach each other how to do it.

Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.

Our new weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world along with the sounds that bring joy to our listeners. This week, the naughty Finnish huskies who've found a new home, the Caribbean sailor who survived 24 days at sea on ketchup, and the crafty octogenarian who knits for Hollywood. Presented by Andrew Peach. Music produced by Iona Hampson.

In June, the US Supreme Court overruled Roe v Wade and ended the constitutional right to abortion in America. In a special episode, we investigate the changing dynamic of abortion rights globally in countries like Colombia, China and Ireland. We'll also be examining the restrictions still faced by women in Africa and places like Malta and El Salvador.

Audio for this episode was updated on 4 July 2022, due to a factual error in an earlier version.

Is the nuclear threat real? What does Putin want? Who is winning the war in Ukraine? We took questions on the invasion from young people around the world and looked for answers from BBC correspondents.

Jackie Leonard speaks to Martin Forster, a senior child psychologist with the healthcare company, Kry, in Sweden. Listeners' questions are tackled by Vitaliy Shevchenko, Paul Adams, Theo Leggett, Lyse Doucet and Mark Lowen.

A month since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are collaborating with Ukrainecast again. We answer more of your questions.

Jackie Leonard, presenter of the Global News Podcast, alongside Gabriel Gatehouse and Vitaliy Shevchenko from Ukrainecast, guide us through questions about civilian life in the country, military tactics, and the international response to the invasion.

BBC chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, joins us from Kyiv to talk through what is happening on the ground there, and BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, tells us the latest on the physical and information war.

This episode was made by Chris Flynn. The studio director was Ash Taylor. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Our experts in Moscow, Kyiv and London answer your questions about the crisis.

As the Omicron variant spreads around the world and cases surge, BBC correspondents tell us how Covid-19 is impacting our lives, our businesses and our economies.

BBC correspondents answer your questions about the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. We ask how did the Taliban overthrow the Afghan government so quickly? What now for human rights, the economy and international relations?

Photo:People on board an evacuation flight out of Kabul airport, August 21, 2021 Credit:MoD/PA Wire

We team up with the award-winning Brexitcast team to bring you a special update on what Britain leaving the EU means for you. You’ve sent us questions from around the world and Jackie Leonard puts them to the experts from the podcast that’s all about Brexit. There’s also cake, phew. Spread the word! #GlobalNewsPod #Brexitcast Find the Brexitcast podcast here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/brexitcast