Global News Podcast

European countries say tests show Russia's Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a substance developed from a toxin found in Ecuadorian dart frogs. But the Kremlin denies killing the opposition leader. Also: Marco Rubio delivers a softer line to America's European allies at the Munich Security Conference; there are more global protests against the Iranian government; families of Venezuelan political prisoners go on hunger strike; the "Trump slump" affects US tourism; Cuba's cigar festival is snuffed out; palaeontologists discover giant sloth and elephant-like mastodon fossils; and we visit the British inmates learning how to garden.

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@bbc.co.uk

We meet a Ghanaian woman who is challenging stereotypes of beauty and disability by modelling with her prosthetic leg wrapped in colourful kente fabric. Abena Christine Jon'el had her leg amputated when she was just two years old because of an aggressive form of cancer. She says she's fought through so much to survive that she's determined to fight for anyone who's ever felt defeated by life.

Also: A mobile gaming app that's helping teenagers in Brazil learn how to support their friends with mental health issues.

A scheme teaching gardening skills to prisoners in the UK to help cut the numbers who reoffend after their release.

The Washington museum curator who's adopted Gen Z slang to get younger people interested in its works of art. Alison Luchs has attracted over nine million views with two social media posts, and is challenging others to submit similar videos about other exhibits.

Plus big baby elephant news, some unusual guard animals, and how one new family helped bring an entire community together, just by showing they cared.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

(Photo: Abena Christine Jon'el on the catwalk in Ghana. Credit: Vino Studio / Nineteen57 Events)

The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, and opposition leaders have laid flowers at a memorial in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, to the eight victims of a teenage killer. The estranged father of the suspect has offered his condolences. Also: the leaders of France and Germany have urged the continent to be more assertive in President Trump's new world order. The UN calls on Israel to reverse plans to give itself new powers in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, saying it jeopardises the prospect for a two-state solution. With inflation at around sixty per cent in Iran and the local currency in free-fall against the dollar, we talk to locals in a market in the capital, Tehran. Gisèle Pelicot, the woman at the centre of the largest rape trial in French history, tells the BBC she was "crushed by the horror" of her ordeal - but describes herself as a "survivor". And as couples across the world mark Valentine's Day, we look at why people are increasingly drawn to romantic historical dramas?

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@bbc.co.uk

A crucial security conference in Munich has heard the German chancellor stating that the rules- based world order no longer exists and Europeans must be ready to make sacrifices for their freedom in an era of big power politics. Friedrich Merz acknowledged that a rift had opened between Europe and Donald Trump's America. It's the first major global event since President Trump threatened Denmark's sovereignty with a pledge to annex Greenland. Also: a landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist party in the first election since a mass student uprising in 2024. Britain's High Court rules that a Government decision to ban the protest group, Palestine Action, under anti-terrorism legislation was unlawful. Mozambique is bracing itself as cyclone Gezani heads its way; heavy rain has been reported in some coastal areas. And the designer behind the global brand, Hello Kitty - one of Japan's most famous cultural exports - is stepping down.

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@bbc.co.uk

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is claiming a "sweeping victory" after indications that it's heading for a landslide election win. It's the first poll since an uprising in 2024 that toppled the authoritarian leader, Sheikh Hasina. Also: President Trump has revoked an Obama-era law that underpinned US regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Trump said the move was the biggest act of deregulation in the country's history. The CIA has released a video designed to recruit disaffected Chinese military personnel, scientists, and other professionals as spies for the US. Jim Ratcliffe, who co-owns Manchester United Football Club, has apologised if his "choice of language" caused offence. He suggested the UK had been "colonised" by immigrants. And at the Berlin Film Festival, the world premiere of No Good Men, a romantic comedy set in a newsroom in Afghanistan.

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@bbc.co.uk

China may still be the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, but CO2 levels have been falling due to a push for clean energy. New data suggests 2025 was the first full year to show a decline. The reported drop in emissions is estimated to be around 0.3%, but campaigners say it could represent a milestone. Also: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned Vladyslav Heraskevych for continuing to wear a helmet featuring images of athletes killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Heraskevych, a skeleton pilot, posted "This is the price of our dignity" on social media after being banned. Russia says it is blocking the messaging service Whatsapp. The BBC speaks to Juliette Bryant - a former model from South Africa who was groomed and abused by Jeffrey Epstein. Why spy agencies think North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is handing power over to his teenage daughter. Dozens of people have died in Madagascar, after a tropical cyclone hit the island nation... and we look at the life of Dawson's Creek actor James Van Der Beek, who's died aged 48.

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@bbc.co.uk

Voters cast their ballots in Bangladesh for the first time since authoritarian leader Sheikh Hasina was forced from office in 2024. They'll be choosing a new government and deciding on constitutional reforms. Also: our correspondent reports from inside Iran. We have the latest on the deadly shooting in Canada. The US attorney general gets a grilling at a congressional committee meeting. New figures suggest China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell in 2025. We'll hear about the European robin that made it all the way to Canada. And the student who had a good excuse for not handing in her homework on time - she was taking part in the Olympics.

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@bbc.co.uk

The Canadian prime minister Mark Carney says the entire country is in mourning after nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a school and nearby home in the province of British Columbia. The presumed attacker was also found dead. Also: police in Arizona release a suspect in the disappearance of the mother of the US news anchor, Samantha Guthrie; how noise linked to humans is negatively affecting birds; and a new film adaptation of Wuthering Heights featuring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi is making headlines for its steamy approach to a British classic.

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@bbc.co.uk

The BBC gains access to Iran for the first time since anti-government protests were brutally crushed. The country is marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in the shadow of last month's deadly crackdown and looming threats of US military action. Also: nine people are killed in a school shooting in Canada; Russia limits access to Telegram; England returns some of the bronzes looted from Benin; how to train your brain to reduce the risk of getting dementia; and what to watch at the Berlin Film Festival.

The head of New South Wales police says officers "did what they needed to do" at a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney. Video shows police punching protestors at the event, held to oppose a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in the wake of the antisemitic Bondi Beach attack. Also, the watchdog Transparency International says public sector corruption is worsening around the world, with the US and UK getting their worst-ever ratings in the group's annual Corruption Perceptions Index. Nairobi condemns Russia for recruiting Kenyan citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine. And the British Museum pays $4.8m for a piece of jewellery from the reign of Henry VIII, found by a metal detectorist.

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@bbc.co.uk

Members of Congress in Washington DC can now view the millions of documents from the investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files, without the extensive redactions made by the Justice Department. According to a letter sent to lawmakers they can take notes of the documents, but not make electronic copies. Also: lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, say she will speak fully and honestly about her relationship with the late sex offender, but only if President Trump grants her clemency. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has told his MPs that he will not quit after the leader of his party in Scotland called on him to resign. A lawyer at a landmark trial in California has accused the technology giants, Meta and Google, of deliberately making their platforms addictive to children. Australia's prime minister has defended a visit by the Israeli president, after clashes in Sydney between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Officials at the Winter Olympics in Italy are to investigate why medals keep breaking.

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@bbc.co.uk

A court in Hong Kong has sentenced the tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison. Mr Lai, who is a British citizen, was found guilty of foreign collusion and publishing seditious material, but his family says it was a political trial. The British government has expanded its visa scheme to more people living in Hong Kong in response to the sentence. Also: the Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi says she hopes to pursue major reforms after her resounding victory in the general election on Sunday; the dilemma for prosecutors in France as identical twins, with nearly the same DNA, are accused of murder; and the Ghanaian guitarist, composer and band leader Ebo Taylor has died at the age of 90.

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@bbc.co.uk

Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has led her party to a decisive election victory. Her Liberal Democratic Party won more than two thirds of the seats in the lower house of parliament. It gives Ms Takaichi wide scope to push through her conservative agenda. She's promised to boost defence spending, tighten immigration and revise Japan's pacifist constitution. Also: Thailand's incumbent prime minister has claimed victory, after early vote counts gave him a big lead in the country's general election. The Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner, Jimmy Lai, has been sentenced to twenty years in prison under the territory's strict national security law, which China says is necessary for stability. The man convicted of shooting dead fifty one people at two mosques in New Zealand seven years ago has begun an appeal against his conviction and sentence. The Seattle Seahawks have won the Super Bowl -- the biggest prize in American football.

The US military has begun to transfer up to 7000 Islamic State (IS) group detainees held in prisons in Syria to Iraq, which officials say is to prevent prisoners breaking out and regrouping. The transfer comes weeks after the US led large-scale strikes on IS group targets in Syria. The move comes after clashes between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which last week ended in a deal that would see the gradual integration of Kurdish forces and institutions into the state, and transfer control of the prisons to Damascus. Today we talk to Josh Baker, investigative journalist and host of the BBC podcast I Am Not A Monster, about the state of the IS group, and whether the country’s instability could lead to a resurgence in Syria

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.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle Senior news editor: China Collins Mix: Travis Evans

Photo: A member of the Syrian security forces stands in front of the gate of the Al-Hol camp, which houses families of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Credit: Mohammed al-Rifai/EPA/Shutterstock

The Winter Olympics in Italy are disrupted by violent protests and the authorities launch an investigation after severed cables cause mass delays on the railway network. Also: The veteran French politician, Jack Lang, resigns as head of the Arab World Institute in Paris over his links to the late American sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. France urges people to have more children to boost the population because there were more deaths than births last year. Spain carries out the world's first face transplant from a woman who gave consent before she underwent an assisted dying procedure. President Zelensky says the US wants a peace deal agreed between Russia and Ukraine by June. Voting is underway in a general election in Thailand, where the governing Conservative Party faces tough competition from the People’s Party. Critics are sceptical about Elon Musk's plans to build AI data centres and send them into space. Washington Post CEO, Will Lewis, steps down after mass layoffs at the newspaper, and a new exhibition about Iran's new wave of cinema opens in London.

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@bbc.co.uk

We speak to Joe Bloom, the man behind the social media account 'A View From A Bridge' which shares people's meaningful conversations to millions online. The idea is simple: an old-school phone is placed on a bridge and strangers are invited to pick it up and share their stories. Famous faces such as Max Richter, Cynthia Erivo, Paul Smith and many more have all bared their souls. Plus, the 13-year-old boy who saved his family after they were swept out to sea off the coast of Australia - Austin Appelbee has been described as a 'hero' by emergency services. We meet Leo Gottesman, the 82-year-old goalkeeper. We also hear about pledges to make Addis Ababa the best city in Africa to be a mother and raise a child -- and, as the Winter Olympics get underway in Milan, we look at the hotel in Scotland producing the world's best curlers. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Celia Hatton. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

(Image: Cynthia Erivo contributing to A View from a Bridge. Credit Joe Bloom/@aview.fromabridge)

President Trump says he only watched part of a video including a racist animation of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, before it was posted on his own social media. The clip was at the end of a 62-second video he shared containing claims about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. It was up for twelve hours before it was deleted. There has been a furious backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, which the White House initially dismissed as ''fake outrage'', but later blamed the post on a staffer who it said had '‘erroneously'’ shared it. Also: how the release of the Epstein files has triggered a number of investigations into Europe's political elite. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is hoping to secure a stronger mandate in this weekend's snap election; we hear what is on the minds of voters. The Cuban government announces emergency measures to save energy, in the face of US moves to block oil imports. The EU orders TikTok to change the "addictive design" of its platform or face a heavy fine.

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@bbc.co.uk

When will Africa win its first Winter Olympic medal? In this special bonus episode from More than the Score podcast, we speak to the athletes and ask how hard it is for new countries to compete on the world stage. Three countries are making their Winter Olympic debuts at the 2026 Games, the African nations of Benin and Guinea Bissau along with the United Arab Emirates. But the established winter sport nations such as Norway, the United States of America, Canada and Germany are looking to dominate the medal table once again. More than 3500 athletes from 93 countries will be competing for 195 medals at the Milan-Cortina Games. Eight African nations will be represented this time with Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa along with the two debutants taking part. South Africa is sending its largest ever team with five athletes, but over six decades since an African nation made its Winter Olympics debut, the continent's first medal remains elusive. We speak to South Africa's sole cross-country skier Matt Smith and Simidele Adeagbo - the first Nigerian to compete at the Winter Olympics in 2018 and the first black female Olympian in the sport of Skeleton. Every weekday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoresheet from all over the world of sport. To hear more, search for More than the Score wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

One of Russia's top generals has been rushed to hospital after being shot several times by an unknown assailant in an apartment building. The condition of Vladimir Alexeyev is unknown. Also, a Ukrainian soldier believed dead since 2022 comes home from captivity. A major study finds that statins do not cause most of the listed side-effects. Our correspondent is on the road with some of the main contenders in the up-coming election in Thailand. And we hear from an Indian teacher who has created hundreds of learning centres. She's been awarded a million-dollar prize. 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@bbc.co.uk

In Venezuela, families of political prisoners have been rallying outside the Supreme Court in Caracas, chanting for the release of their loved ones. Lawmakers in the country have approved the first step of an amnesty bill introduced by the interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, in a move towards freeing hundreds of opposition politicians, journalists and human rights activists detained under previous governments.

Also: scandal in Norway as police launch corruption investigation into the former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland's ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Scientists in China find a potential alternative to conventional cervical cancer tests. We find out how South Africa's fight against HIV has been affected by the sweeping cuts to the United States foreign aid programme. Finland becomes the latest country to adopt a priority traffic system, allowing lights to turn green for emergency vehicles. How a previously unknown Michelangelo drawing became an auction sensation. And - why ski jumpers are being accused of a very unusual form of cheating in the run-up to the Winter Olympics.

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@bbc.co.uk

Photo credit: Ronald Pena

Two days of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending Moscow's war on its neighbour have ended with the exchange of more prisoners - but there's been no word on a peace agreement. The US envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the negotiations had been productive, but that "significant work" remained. Also: the UN human rights chief has appealed for hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, with the agency warning that it's currently operating in survival mode. China's leader, Xi Jinping, holds calls with his American and Russian counterparts in the space of a few hours, as he exerts his influence on the world stage. Savannah Guthrie, one of the best-known television news anchors in the US, makes a tearful appeal on behalf of her mother, whose disappearance is being treated by police as a kidnap. And the town in Japan that's cancelled a cherry blossom festival to try to stop thousands of tourists disturbing the peace.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Trump orders the withdrawal of hundreds of federal agents involved in the contentious immigration crackdown in Minnesota. In an interview with NBC, he says that "maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch" but insists the enforcement effort will remain "tough".

Also: the last nuclear weapons treaty between Russia and the United States expires, leaving the world without a framework designed to prevent nuclear war for the first time in decades. We meet the Ukrainian war widow who moved her husband's grave, fearing Russian forces would seize their hometown in the eastern Donbas. Saudi Arabia introduces passports for camels to better manage the country's prized herds. The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces scrutiny over his former ambassador Peter Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC launches emergency radio programming to help Iranians access information more easily. Colombia's largest drug cartel suspends peace talks with the government after President Gustavo Petro agreed with Donald Trump to attack its leader. And why all Olympic curling stones originate from an uninhabited Scottish island.

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@bbc.co.uk

With little optimism about the outcome of the latest peace talks, Ukraine says it will focus on military matters. Its team said it's trying to get a sense of what Moscow and Washington were "really ready for." Also: dozens are feared to have been killed by gunmen in central Nigeria. Walmart becomes the first "traditional firm" to become worth more than one trillion dollars. Water shortages worsen in parts of South Africa, with people fearing the prospect of "day zero." Iran allows female motorcyclists to obtain licences. Two former South Sudanese refugees walk the length of Britain to draw attention to the conflict in their home country. And the Muppet show celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new special episode.

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@bbc.co.uk

Our correspondent Orla Guerin travels alongside Colombia's Jungle Commandos - an elite police force - as they seek to eradicate cocaine production in the Colombian Amazon and Andes. The defence minister told the BBC that they destroy cocaine factories "every forty minutes". Meanwhile in Washington, following months of tension, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro met President Trump for the first time to discuss efforts to combat drug trafficking and increase trade.

Also: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi, is shot dead. Could Russia be readmitted to international football tournaments by Fifa? As Spain plans to legalise half a million undocumented migrants, we hear from a charity helping them. Why the people of Florida have been collecting frozen iguanas and British comedian John Bishop's real life story which inspired a Hollywood film - Is This Thing On?

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@bbc.co.uk

President Zelensky accuses Moscow of using the coldest days of winter to terrorise Ukrainians, as temperatures drop to -20 degrees celsius. Also: French police raid the Paris offices of the social media platform, X. Spain becomes latest country to consider banning social media for children. Iran's president says he will pursue talks with US. Only five patients cross the border out of Gaza, as the Rafah crossing reopens for first time in nearly two years. And the Italian authorities investigate claims that an art restorer painted the face of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on an angel in an historic church.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Trump says India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil as part of a trade deal with the United States. In return, Washington will lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18%. Mr Trump said Delhi has pledged to buy more oil from the US and, potentially, from Venezuela. Also: Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in Congress about Jeffrey Epstein. Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway's crown princess is due to go on trial in Oslo on 38 charges, including the rape of four women. BBC Russia Editor, Steve Rosenberg takes part in a new documentary on the challenges of reporting from inside the country. NASA is hit by fuel leaks during a practice countdown for the Artemis II crewed mission round the moon. And a boy swims four hours through rough seas to save his mother and younger siblings off Western Australia.

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@bbc.co.uk

The reopening of the Rafah crossing is a key part of President Trump’s ceasefire plan for Gaza, but only about 50 Palestinians are being allowed to cross in each direction, each day. Also: Pakistan begins a nation-wide anti-polio campaign to vaccinate more than 45 million children; Syria's only woman in the transitional government tells the BBC about the challenges facing her country; technology companies in Japan try to help those living with dementia; the UK's former ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, resigns from the governing Labour Party after more revelations in the Epstein scandal; and the price of gold and silver continues to fall, after records highs.

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@bbc.co.uk

Liam Ramos and his father were freed from detention in Texas and are now back in Minneapolis. The detention of the boy, photographed wearing a blue bunny-shaped hat, and a Spider-Man backpack sparked a national outcry. Also: The former British Ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, has resigned from the governing Labour Party because he said he does not want to cause further embarrassment by his links to Jeffrey Epstein. He appeared in the latest release of files by the US Department of Justice. Israel has said the Rafah border crossing -- between Gaza and Egypt -- will re-open for Palestinians on Monday. Oil prices fall by three percent in early trading amid signs of a de-escalation in tensions between Iran and the US. Artificial intelligence now has its own social network. And we'll bring you a round up of who won, who lost and who performed on stage at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. This episode has been changed from its original version, for editorial reasons.

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@bbc.co.uk

In September 1999, just weeks into Vladimir Putin’s first premiership, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings, over a period of twelve days, killing hundreds and plunging the entire nation into fear. The government blamed Chechen militants, a conclusion corroborated by many journalists at the time. But whispers of a darker conspiracy persist to this day. A new BBC podcast, The History Bureau: Putin and the Apartment Bombs, tells the story of those bombings and re-examines how these tragic events helped propel Vladimir Putin to power. Asma talks to the host of the series, Helena Merriman.

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.

Producers: Viv Jones Executive producer: Bridget Harney Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Moscow apartment buildings in the 1990s. (Credit: BBC)

A second woman has alleged she was sent to Britain by the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, to have sex with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor who has always denied wrongdoing. Also: there are explosions in Iran amid heightened tensions; a US federal judge allows ICE to continue the immigration crackdown in Minnesota; Pakistan's army kills rebels in Balochistan province; European and non-English movies gain momentum ahead of the Oscars; the ethics of AI creating life; and do dogs need clothing?

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@bbc.co.uk

We meet a woman whose near death experience as a teenager inspired her to study why some people are willing to risk their lives for others. Dr Abigail Marsh was rescued by a stranger after a car accident and wanted to understand what drove him to help her. She says altruists, those who instinctively help without expecting anything in return, are more sensitive to the needs of other people -- but we can all learn to be kinder.

Also: we hear from a man whose willingness to help others led him to donate a kidney. It went to a woman he'd become friends with after he supported her through a personal tragedy.

We find out about an Australian scheme to help dads and their kids be healthier, which also showed the benefits of rough and tumble play. And it's inspired a project at a prison in Scotland that aims to make dads better role models by playing with their kids. It's hoped that helping them become better parents will make them less likely to reoffend.

Plus, why a crying horse soft toy has been a surprise hit with young workers in China, and what its like to be a patient helping to develop new medical treatments by volunteering for a clinical trial.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

(Presenter: Jannat Jalil. Music composed by Iona Hampson)

(Photo: Dr Abigail Marsh. Credit Georgetown University)

The US Justice Department releases millions more pages of files in its Epstein investigation. Victims of the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, have promised to fight on, after they accused the US Department of Justice of protecting abusers. Also: Mexico's president warns that US tariffs on countries helping Cuba could trigger a humanitarian crisis. Claudia Sheinbaum's comments come after President Trump signed an executive order threatening additional tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba. Iran’s foreign minister insists his country is ready to discuss its nuclear programme with the US. Anti-ICE protests take place across the US following fatal shootings in Minneapolis. We look back at the life of the Emmy-winning actress, comedian and screenwriter Catherine O'Hara who has died at the age of 71. And, Bridgerton season four is on our screens. The Regency era drama is number 1 on the streaming platform, Netflix.

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@bbc.co.uk

US President Donald Trump is again threatening military strikes on Iran, saying he has sent a ‘huge armada’ to the Middle East while signalling he is open to negotiations. Meanwhile, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has been holding talks in Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate. Also: during a visit to China, the UK prime minister Keir Starmer announces that Beijing has lifted sanctions on a group of British MPs who criticised its treatment of Uyghur Muslims; President Trump declares a national emergency on Cuba and imposes punitive tariffs on countries supplying oil to the island; a major study finds that our genes may be just as important as lifestyle and environment in determining lifespan; Kurdish-led forces in Syria say they’ve agreed a deal to integrate their fighters into the Syrian army; in New York, a man is arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent in a bid to free a high-profile murder suspect, Luigi Mangione.

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@bbc.co.uk

US President Donald Trump says Russia's Vladimir Putin has agreed not to attack Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and other cities and towns for a week due to "extraordinary cold" weather. Also on this podcast, Venezuela’s parliament has passed a new bill that will roll back decades of tight state control over the country's oil sector. In Afghanistan, new research has shed light on the impact of the Taliban's informal ban on birth control services for women. Scientists say polar bears living in the Norwegian Arctic are getting fatter despite declining sea ice levels. We hear from Iranians around the world who are fearful for the safety of their loved ones in Iran. British boxer Anthony Joshua has spoken publicly for the first time since two of his friends were killed in a car crash in Nigeria. Millions of potatoes are being given away in certain parts of Germany.

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@bbc.co.uk

China and the UK have agreed a number of new deals during the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing. They include visa-free travel for UK citizens visiting the country for less than 30 days, and a partnership aimed at increasing trade in services between the two countries. The British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has also announced a $15bn investment in China. Keir Starmer says the relationship between the UK and China is in a "good, strong place" after talks with President Xi Jinping.

Also: scientists plan to drill through the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica to understand how fast the ice is melting. China has executed 11 members of a notorious mafia family that ran scam centres in Myanmar along its border. India joins a growing number of countries considering restricting social media for children. Tesla reports its first drop in annual profits as it drives towards a brave new world of artificial intelligence and robotics. Hungary's long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces his most serious challenge yet in the country's upcoming election - we hear about his main challenger Peter Magyar who is leading in the polls. And a film promising a rare glimpse into the life of the US First Lady Melania Trump is released in cinemas worldwide, but early ticket sales fall flat.

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@bbc.co.uk

Donald Trump has warned Iran that "time is running out" to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme following the steady build-up of US military forces in the Gulf. The US president said a "massive armada" was "moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose" towards Iran, referring to a large US naval force. Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful, but warned that a new US attack would prompt a response "like never before". Also: We report from Mozambique where an intense clear-up operation is underway following weeks of severe flooding. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has made a robust defence of the Trump administration's Venezuela policy, weeks after US special forces seized President Nicolás Maduro. And could dementia be diagnosed earlier by looking at changes in the way people use language?

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@bbc.co.uk

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in China on a three-day visit, the first of its kind by a British PM since 2018. The UK government views it as an opportunity to strengthen trade and cultural ties between the two nations after years of acrimony. For China, this is part of a charm offensive in the hope that some will now look at Beijing as a stable, predictable partner - in contrast to the US.

Also: the body of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza has been laid to rest in Israel. In a historic change for Anglicans worldwide, the first woman to be appointed Archbishop of Canterbury is officially confirmed. Several countries in Asia have begun tightening health surveillance and screening at airports, after two cases of the highly contagious Nipah virus were confirmed in India. Kim Keon Hee, the former first lady of South Korea, is found guilty of bribery charges. How conservationists in England turn old barges that once transported coal into habitat for endangered wildlife. And we learn about the two-year-old snooker prodigy Jude Owens who's already secured two Guinness World Records.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Trump says he will "de-escalate a little bit" in Minneapolis, as protests continue over the killing of two US citizens by federal immigration agents. Also: TikTok settles out of court in social media addiction case; a leading tech company leader warns of an AI bubble; how Soviet architecture is helping Russia in the Ukraine war; Saudi Arabia moves away from futuristic megaprojects as money dries up; and Coco Gauff's tennis racket smashing video goes viral.

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@bbc.co.uk

Two decades in the making, the EU-India agreement will allow free trade of goods between the bloc of 27 European states and the world's most populous country. Together, they make up nearly 25% of global gross domestic product and a market of two billion people. The deal will see a number of huge tariff cuts across a range of goods and services, and a joint security partnership.

Also: new videos from Iran show bodies piled up inside a hospital, as rights organisations warn that thousands have died during the crackdown against anti-government protests. Spain is to grant legal status to half a million undocumented migrants. A new AI project in Britain helps schoolchildren connect with Holocaust survivors. US Republican Chris Madel ends bid for Minnesota governor and calls ICE action in the state "a disaster". A new study reveals how menopause triggers a loss of grey matter in the brain, similar to changes seen in Alzheimer's patients - but can the effects be mitigated? Tech giants in the US face a landmark trial over social media addiction claims. And why tennis stars Alcarez, Sinner and Sabalenka have been told to remove their fitness trackers.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Trump is sending Tom Homan to lead the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Reports suggest the current border patrol chief, Gregory Bovino, will leave the city with some of his agents, in an apparent White House policy change. It comes after federal agents killed two US citizens - Alex Pretti and Renée Good - in recent weeks. Also: the latest from the storm in North America; we hear from a Palestinian journalist about the likelihood of moving to the next phase of the Gaza peace plan; Nike "automation" lays off more staff; scientists map dark matter; and what makes magic mushrooms magical?

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@bbc.co.uk

The Trump administration is facing a growing backlash over its immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, after another US citizen was shot dead by federal agents on Saturday - the second such case in a month. The former president Bill Clinton has urged Americans to stand up and speak out, with President Barack Obama warning core US values "are increasingly under assault." Some Republicans have joined Democrats in calling for a full investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti.

Also: the Israeli military says it has retrieved the remains of the last hostage from Gaza, a key condition of the agreement to end the war with Hamas. Israel's Supreme court hears a case brought by foreign journalists demanding free access to Gaza. European ministers say a new pact on clean energy development in the North Sea will help them break dependence on fossil fuels from Russia and other petro-states. Why gold prices have surges to record highs. The field research in Mexico that tells us how spider monkeys share knowledge on how to find the ripest fruit. And we mark 100 years since inventor John Logie Baird publicly demonstrated the first proper television set.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Trump says his administration is "reviewing everything" as outrage grows over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by US federal immigration agents. State and federal officials have provided conflicting accounts of the moments prior to his death. Also: a huge winter storm in the United States leaves more than a million households and businesses in the United States without power; Interpol is accused of not doing enough to stop Russia pursuing its political opponents abroad; thousands of people have queued at a zoo in Japan to see the country's final two giant pandas before they leave for China on Tuesday; and we look back at the life of BBC Delhi correspondent Mark Tully, who has died at the age of 90.

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@bbc.co.uk

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seemed to challenge Donald Trump in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, declaring that “the old world order is not coming back” and urging fellow “middle powers” to come together. In response, Trump said Canada gets “a lot of freebies” from the United States and “they should be grateful”. After striking a major trade and tariff deal with China – the US’s rival superpower – is Carney emerging as the leader of a global resistance to Trump? And does he have an alternative vision for the world? We speak to Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent.

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.

Producers: Aron Keller, Hannah Moore, Sam Chantarasak and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins (Photo: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Credit: Jessica Lee/EPA/Shutterstock)

Masked ICE agents in Minneapolis have shot a US citizen dead -- the second such killing this month - sparking further protests in the city. The Department of Homeland Security says he was violent and armed with a gun. Also, we report from Myanmar on the final stage of elections, with the dominant pro-military party on course for a landslide victory; Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has described the first three-way peace talks with Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi, as "constructive"; and an exhibition at Britain's National Archives of Love Letters across the generations.

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.

Mesfin Dollar, who grew up in rural Ethiopia, had to travel to the US for two heart surgeries as a teenager. Twenty-five years later, by chance, he was reunited with the surgeon who saved his life -- when they both volunteered for a charity mission to his home country. Mesfin and Dr Jim Kauten went on to work together, performing hundreds of life-saving operations.

Also: a Paralympic athlete and musician who's blind talks of his joy at being sent a specially designed amplifier. It's thought to be the first to include braille on the controls, giving Anthony Ferraro the freedom to adjust the sound of his guitar himself.

How farmers in rural Malawi are getting help and advice from Articial Intelligence through a new chatbot.

Why a cow in Austria has found fame for using a broom to scratch her back -- suggesting cattle are far more intelligent than we think.

Plus a woman who's entered the male-dominated world of lorry driving in her fifties - and a girl who joined her father's photography business at the age of nine.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Anger is mounting over President Trump's comments about NATO troops' role in the Afghanistan war. Non-American veterans have demanded an apology, saying they fought alongside US soldiers on the front line. Also: the United States, Russia and Ukraine hold their first trilateral peace talks; the UN Human Rights Council approves an inquiry into Iran's protest crackdown; Alex Honnold postpones his controversial free solo skyscraper climb; and are you a grumbletonian -- consult the old dictionary of London slang.

A spokesman for Britain's prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said President Trump was wrong to diminish the role of NATO troops during the war in Afghanistan. There's been an angry backlash to the US president's claims that NATO allies avoided the frontline during the conflict. The Polish defence minister said the sacrifice of their troops should not be forgotten. The Dutch foreign minister described Mr Trump's comments as false. Roughly a third of coalition soldiers killed in Afghanistan were non- American. Also: the BBC is granted rare access to one of Ukraine's few operating nuclear power plants; South Africa says Nelson Mandela memorabilia can be auctioned; women's health is on the agenda at the World Economic Forum; limit on liquids is scrapped at London's Heathrow airport; and can ageing novelists retire?

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@bbc.co.uk

Long-running negotiations to secure TikTok’s future in the US have ended. The Chinese social media app will split its American operations from the rest of its global business. Also: Ukraine's President Zelensky says Kyiv and the US have reached a deal on post-war security guarantees, ahead of the first set of trilateral peace negotiations; the BBC is given rare access to facilities in Yemen where former detainees report being blindfolded, beaten and sexually abused; the US concludes the complicated process of withdrawing from the World Health Organisation; and a 410-million-year-old fossil may have been an entirely different form of life no longer found on Earth.

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.

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globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Donald Trump has presided over a signing ceremony inaugurating his Board of Peace. Speaking in Davos, he expressed his belief that it'll help forge what he called a "glorious and everlasting" peace for the Middle East and the wider world. Nearly twenty other dignitaries have signed the agreement. Mr Trump said the board would work in conjunction with the United Nations. Critics say it is designed to replace some of the UN's functions. Also: Denmark's prime minister has insisted her country's territorial integrity must be respected, a day after President Trump said a possible deal on Greenland will achieve everything he wants. Two people have died and several are feared buried after landslides in New Zealand's North Island. Wildlife rangers in Pakistan have seized 11 lions illegally kept in Lahore after one of the animals escaped and attacked a girl. And the nominations for this year's Oscars are out - with the vampire horror Sinners up for a record 16 different awards.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Trump has said that a possible deal covering the future of Greenland will achieve "everything" he wants - after rowing back on threats to seize the island by force or levy further tariffs on European allies who oppose his desire to own it. Mr Trump announced he had agreed what he called the "framework of a future deal" after talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, but gave few details. Also: several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, say they'll join President Trump's Board of Peace. Three activists who organised an annual Tiananmen Square vigil in Hong Kong, before it was banned, have gone on trial. We visit a car factory in Slovakia, a country which makes the highest number of cars per capita in the world. And researchers say they've found the world's oldest known cave painting on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

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@bbc.co.uk

US President Donald Trump says he is seeking immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland. He told world leaders at the Davos World Economic Forum that he wouldn't use force to take the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Also: The BBC has seen photos of hundreds of victims of the bloody suppression of protests in Iran that were shown to relatives trying to identify the dead. The man who assassinated the former Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has been sentenced to life in prison. Safety measures are introduced in Pakistan to protect people from kite flying, and OpenAI adds age prediction to ChatGPT to strengthen safety for teenagers and children.

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@bbc.co.uk

Donald Trump says "we will work something out" over Greenland, ahead of meetings with European leaders at the World Economic Forum. Mr Trump made the remarks at a news conference to mark the first anniversary of his second term. Also: Snapchat's parent company settles a social media addiction lawsuit. The Syrian government announces another ceasefire deal with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Relatives of anti-government protesters killed in a crackdown by the Iranian authorities struggle to identify the bodies of missing loved ones. Environmental activists are angry at plans to restart oil drilling in the Niger Delta. Scientists say they've developed a robotic hand that could be better than a human's. And the Austrian cow that has the ability to use tools.

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@bbc.co.uk

The European Commission President says that the EU stands in "full solidarity" with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark - adding that their sovereignty is "non-negotiable". Ursula von der Leyen warned there would be an "unflinching" and "united" response to the US threat to take over the island. Also: Donald Trump has condemned Britain's decision to give away the Chagos Islands as an "act of great stupidity;" The British government has given approval for China to build a super-embassy in central London, despite concerns it could be used for spying; Israeli demolition teams have begun to tear down the east Jerusalem headquarters of the UN relief agency for Gaza; rescue teams in Spain are using cranes and other heavy machinery to access the trains which crashed on Sunday. Vietnam's ruling Communist Party is meeting to pick new leaders and set key targets for the young, fast-growing economy; research in Antarctica has found that penguins are breeding up to two weeks earlier because of climate change; and the Beckham family feud has finally exploded into the spotlight.

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@bbc.co.uk

Donald Trump says he will "100%" follow through on his threat to impose further tariffs if a deal isn’t reached over Greenland. He also refuses to rule out the use of force. Denmark has "substantially" increased the number of soldiers deployed to the autonomous Danish territory -- although they're part of exercises aimed at Russia rather than the United States. President Trump has told the Norwegian prime minister that he can no longer think, in his words, "purely of peace", and that he wants "complete and total control" of Greenland. Also: the Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine, tells the BBC that he's had to go into hiding for his safety. Clashes erupt at a Syrian prison holding Islamic State fighters. Could Britain be about to follow Australia and introduce a social media ban for under-16s? And we look back at the life of the Italian fashion designer, Valentino, who has died at the age of 93.

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.

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Keir Starmer has given a special address to set out Britain's stance over Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on European countries opposing his move to annex Greenland. The British prime minister said tariffs were no way to resolve differences within an alliance, and that calm discussion was needed instead. Also: Mr Trump criticises Norway, mistakenly accusing its government of not awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize; Investigations begin after Spain's worst train crash in a decade; the Pentagon prepares to deploy 1500 soldiers to Minnesota where protests continue over immigrant deportations; Snap elections are announced in Japan next month; Russia's President Putin is invited onto the Gaza peace board; trials are underway for a blood test for Alzheimers; and why short attention spans may be changing the ways films are made.

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.

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At least twenty-one people are killed in Spain after two high-speed trains collide. The accident occurred when a train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz in Andalusia, crossing on to another track. Also: the dispute between European countries and the United States - over Donald Trump's determination to annex Greenland - continues to escalate; Senegal wins the Africa Cup of Nations in men's football for the second time after an enthralling - and sometimes chaotic - final; China meets its economic growth target - but there are problems ahead; and a bumper fruit crop in New Zealand means they're preparing for a stellar breeding season for the world's fattest parrot - the Kakapo.

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.

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For most of the years since World War 2, many global powers said they adhered to a rules-based international order. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House that idea is falling away. But did it ever exist in reality? And what’s the alternative now? The

BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen wraps up our week of special coverage.

Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Xandra Ellin Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

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.

Photo: Presidents Putin, Trump and Xi as Russian dolls. Credit: Yuri Kochetkov. EFE/REX/Shutterstock

President Trump warns he'll impose fresh trade tariffs on countries that oppose his plan to annex Greenland. European leaders have condemned the move, describing it as blackmail. Also: Iran's supreme leader acknowledges that "a few thousand people" were murdered during recent anti-government protests; a US federal judge calls for ICE agents in Minneapolis to face restrictions; Yoweri Museveni becomes Uganda's president for the seventh time in a row; NASA's Artemis II Moon rocket arrives at the launch pad; scientists debunk claims linking paracetamol to autism; the Scottish football team's change of clothes sparks a row over identity; and 'Sentimental Value' wins big at the European Film Awards.

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@bbc.co.uk

We hear from a woman whose determination to avoid going blind has inspired her doctors to develop a new treatment for a rare eye condition. Nicki Guy says the injection of a low cost, water-based gel has been life changing and given her the chance to see her son grow up. The treatment has already helped restore the eyesight of dozens of other people with hypotony - which can cause the eye to collapse, leading to blindness.

Also: the new Barbie doll that's designed to help improve understanding and acceptance of autism. A neurodiverse writer says she hopes it will help young girls understand it's not something to hide or be ashamed of. A revolutionary way of treating some cancers is being offered to people in the UK with an aggressive form of leukaemia for the first time. Research has shown genetically modifying the patient's own cells to recognise the blood cancer, can extend their lives or, in some cases, offer a cure. Plus, how one man's regular habit of having gumbo at the same restaurant twice a day may have saved his life; the 24-year-old in charge of protecting the Pacific Ocean around the remote Pitcairn island; and the amateur football team who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in English footballing history by beating a side from the Premier League.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Valerie Sanderson. Music composed by Iona Hampson Picture: PA

President Trump has named the members of his 'Board of Peace' that will oversee the second phase of the Gaza peace plan. Among them are the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the former British prime minister, Sir Tony Blair. But no Palestinian or Arab has been appointed. Also, two tiny fragments of one of mediaeval Europe's greatest artworks, the Bayeux Tapestry, have been returned to France from Germany years after they were stolen. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late Shah of Iran, has called on the international community to protect the Iranian people by degrading the Islamic regime's capacity for repression. A group of British parents take TikTok to court, saying their children died after taking part in dangerous viral trends. And the story of rare drawings by a prisoner at the Dachau concentration camp which are being sold in New York.

Against the backdrop of Donald Trump's tariffs, America's closest ally, Canada, has struck a trade agreement with its rival, China. Speaking in Beijing, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the relationship with China had been "more predictable" than the one with the US. Is President Trump pushing his allies into Beijing's orbit? Also: Taiwan's tech firms will invest $250 billion in the US in exchange for lower tariffs. The government of Myanmar has begun its defence at the International Court of Justice against charges that it committed a genocide of the Rohingya people. South Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol is sentenced to prison for his 2024 attempt to impose martial law. And we take a look at the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, as host nation Morocco prepares to face Senegal in the final.

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.

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Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump at a private White House meeting, calling it a recognition of his “unique commitment” to Venezuelan freedom. Mr Trump posted on social media that it was a gesture of mutual respect, and thanked her. The talks come weeks after US forces seized Nicolas Maduro in Caracas and charged him with drug trafficking. Also: President Trump threatens to deploy military personnel to Minnesota as tensions grow over the deployment of ICE officers in the city of Minneapolis. Families of protestors killed in Iran say they are being charged large sums of money to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones. Scientists unveil a detailed new map of the landscape beneath Antarctica’s ice. Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney meets China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing as both countries seek to forge closer ties. We hear why more people are cutting out alcohol all year round, and how naturally mummified cheetahs found in a Saudi cave are yielding rare DNA from an extinct population.

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@bbc.co.uk

A year-long investigation by the BBC Afghan Service has found that two groups are competing for power within the Taliban leadership. One is aligned to the supreme leader and his hardline policies. The other is said to favour more international engagement and giving women wider access to education. Also: Elon Musk's social media platform X has announced new measures to stop its AI chatbot, Grok, creating sexualised images of real people. This function will now be blocked, including for paying subscribers, if local laws demand it. Election officials in Uganda say logistical problems have delayed voting in presidential and parliamentary polls. Delays were blamed on failures in biometric identification kits and lack of equipment. And astronauts splash down to Earth after medical evacuation from the International Space Station. 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@bbc.co.uk

The United States has not changed its ambition of taking over Greenland after hosting high level talks at the White House. Denmark's foreign minister described the discussions as constructive, but warned there was still a fundamental disagreement over the Arctic island's future. Also: President Trump says the killing of protesters in Iran has stopped amid threat of US strikes; the Gaza peace plan moves to phase two; a leaked recording of the Taliban in Afghanistan hints at political division; the International Space Station carries out its first medical evacuation; and a renowned Michelin star restaurant gets a one star hygiene rating.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Trump says countries trading with Iran will face an immediate 25% percent tariff on business with the United States, in response to Tehran's deadly suppression of protests. China alone is estimated to buy around 90% of the oil that Iran exports to the global market. As Washington considers additional action, we hear from Iranians who have lost loved ones in the lethal response to the nationwide demonstrations.

Also: we hear from a Syrian man who was duped into fighting in Ukraine by a former Russian teacher, who promised hundreds of foreign recruits they could avoid combat. The US states of Minnesota and Illinois sue the Trump administration to try to halt mass deployments of ICE agents. A mobile app has gone viral in China as young people living alone seek reassurance that someone will be alerted if they go missing. More than 100 environmental officers in India are searching for an elephant that's believed to have killed at least 22 people in the state of Jharkhand in the past week. Archaeologists celebrate the discovery of what could be the largest ever Roman villa in Wales. And the man whose body began brewing its own alcohol.

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@bbc.co.uk

In this special edition of the Global News Podcast, BBC correspondents answer your questions about the anti-government protests that spread across Iran. Can the Iranian regime survive? Will Donald Trump intervene? How would regime change affect the world? Matthew Amroliwala speaks to two of the BBC's diplomatic correspondents - Caroline Hawley in London and Paul Adams in Washington - as well as Siavash Ardalan, from BBC Persian.

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@bbc.co.uk

Videos verified by the BBC and eyewitness accounts appear to show security forces in Iran ramping up their response to protests that have spread across the country. Activists say dozens of bodies seen piled up in black bags outside a morgue near Tehran are dead protesters. US President Donald Trump says Iran's leadership is seeking to negotiate following his threat of military intervention, but warns that he "may have to act before a meeting".

Also: President Trump tells Cuba to "make a deal" with Washington or face consequences, warning the flow of Venezuelan oil and money to the country will stop. The UK government has paid "substantial" compensation to a man who was tortured by the CIA before being shipped to Guantanamo Bay where he is still imprisoned. Greenland residents tell the BBC they want to be left alone, as their island becomes embroiled in a geopolitical storm. Six skiers have been killed in a series of avalanches across the Alps. Doctors say they have achieved the previously impossible - restoring sight and preventing blindness in people with a rare but dangerous eye condition. Timothée Chalamet, Jessie Buckley and Seth Rogen were among the winners at this year's Golden Globe Awards. And how soon could humanoid robots carry out our household chores?

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@bbc.co.uk

When the US government captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, on Saturday, most of the world was shocked. But US officials had for years been gaming out different scenarios, including predicting what would happen if Maduro was ousted. According to one man who took part, each ended in disaster. On today’s episode, we speak to the former Washington Post journalist Douglas Farah, who participated in war games on Venezuela during Donald Trump’s first term, as well as during the Obama and Biden administrations. 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.

The Australian 'kindness influencer' who raised nearly two million dollars to help an elderly US veteran. Samuel Weidenhofer flew thousands of miles to find Ed Bambas after being told he needed help. Ed, who's 88, was still working in a shop because he couldn't afford to retire, having lost his pension and healthcare. Also: one of the few people ever to walk around the world says he was inspired to keep going by the rescue dog he adopted along the way. Tom Turcich spent seven years making the journey with Savannah, who he describes as the best possible companion. The family of a US Air Force serviceman have been reunited with his dog tag, seventy years after it was lost. We hear how a young woman in the UK is trying to dispel the stigma surrounding a medical device known as a stoma bag, by turning them into fashion accessories. Plus some very big baby news as a US zoo prepares to welcome a very rare elephant calf. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world. Presenter: Alex Ritson. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Videos and messages that have made their way out of Iran despite an internet blackout show crowds gathering to protest against the government for a 13th night. Rights groups say they have documented the deaths of around 50 demonstrators amid an increasingly violent response by the authorities. Donald Trump has again warned that the US could strike Iran if protesters are killed, while Iran's leadership has accused the US of stoking unrest.

Also: a new video has emerged of the deadly shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a US immigration enforcement officer, filmed by the agent who fired the lethal shots. We look at the family feud of the Beckhams. The mind-reader Oz Pearlman leaves a BBC presenter stunned when performing one of his tricks. Ten years after David Bowie's death, the musician's childhood home is set to open to the public. And is golf really a sport?

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.

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Anti-government unrest has continued to spread across Iran, despite an internet blackout and a defiant address by the Supreme Leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the protesters as "a bunch of vandals" and said the authorities would not back down. Demonstrations began nearly two weeks ago because of anger at rising living costs. Also: Russia uses a powerful hypersonic missile against the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, in another wave of air attacks. Switzerland observes a national day of mourning for the victims of the New Year's eve fire. And why the giant pandas in a Japanese zoo will soon be replaced by people in panda suits.

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@bbc.co.uk

Protests have been taking place in cities across Iran, in the biggest show of opposition to the clerical authorities for 17 years. Reports of clashes between Iranian security forces and demonstrators in Tehran and other cities. Also: officials in Minneapolis say the FBI has blocked them from investigating the shooting dead of a woman by a US immigration agent. The Trump administration alleges she tried to run over officers - local officials reject that claim. As NASA prepares to evacuate a sick crew member from the International Space Station, we ask how astronauts can stay healthy in space. Skye Newman fends off Sombr, Jim Legxacy and Geese to be crowned BBC Sound of 2026 winner. And why boredom is a good thing.

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.

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The Lebanese military says it has completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, but Israel has warned far more needs to be done. The army in Lebanon says the south of the country is now free of non- state weapons. The area had long been dominated by Hezbollah. Also: President Trump has signed a memorandum ordering the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organisations -- nearly half of them UN bodies. Cambodia says it has extradited a billionaire businessman from China, who is accused of masterminding a vast cryptocurrency scam. And human like robots - aptly named humanoids - take centre stage at the annual consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas.

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@bbc.co.uk

The mayor of Minneapolis in the United States has strongly rejected the Trump administration's account of the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in the city. Jacob Frey said video of the incident directly contradicted assertions by the White House that the agent had shot Renee Good in self defence. Hundreds of people gathered in protest at the site of her shooting, lighting candles overnight. Video shows she was shot as she drove off when ICE agents were trying to stop her. Also: President Trump has said that Venezuela has agreed to use the proceeds from the sale of its oil to buy only American-made goods. A study in Britain indicates that people who stop weight-loss jabs put the weight back on much quicker than if they'd lost it by dieting. And Aldrich Ames, the most damaging CIA traitor in agency history, dies aged 84.

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.

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The United States says it has seized two tankers accused of violating sanctions against Venezuela. One of them, a Russian ship, was boarded in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Britain. The US coastguard had been pursuing the ship for weeks since intercepting it off the Venezuelan coast. During the chase, the vessel underwent a change of name and adopted a Russian flag. Russian support including a submarine was on its way before the tanker was seized. The other tanker, sailing under the flag of Cameroon, was seized in the Caribbean. Also: the White House says that President Trump has been discussing options, including military force, to acquire Greenland, which it says is vital to US security. How a collection of preserved bowel cancer samples could help to unlock the mystery of why the disease is rising around the world, especially among younger people. And the Iron Age battle trumpet discovered in England - the most complete such instrument found in Europe.

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@bbc.co.uk

The US claims that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority to deter threats from Russia and China in the Arctic. Washington hasn't ruled out the use of military force. Also: Ukraine and allies say they've made progress in talks to ensure the country's security in the event of a ceasefire with Russia; the Venezuelan military and government crack down on dissent; the anti-government protests that have engulfed Iran; an inside look at one of the world's first quantum computers; and Lego's high-tech upgrade.

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.

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In this special edition of the Global News Podcast, BBC correspondents answer your questions about the US operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Why did the US carry out this operation? What will happen to Venezuela's oil reserves? And who will run the country now? Matthew Amroliwala speaks to our South America correspondent Ione Wells, our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams in Washington, and the BBC's Sumi Somaskanda who is on the border between Venezuela and Colombia.

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@bbc.co.uk

European allies rally to support Denmark following renewed calls by the US that it must control Greenland. It comes as talks are held in Paris on security guarantees for Ukraine. Donald Trump has said that the US "needed" Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow Nato member Denmark - for security reasons. Also: Swiss officials say ski bar not checked for five years before deadly fire that killed 40 mainly young people. Security forces patrol Venezuelan streets as opposition calls for release of political prisoners. Conservationists in Kenya pay tribute to beloved "super tusker" elephant, Craig. And we take a look at new global indoor fitness craze.

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@bbc.co.uk

The ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is transferred by armed forces to make his first appearance in a US court on drug trafficking and weapons charges, alongside his wife Cilia Flores. Both were seized by American forces from their compound in Caracas and flown to detention in New York, before being led in handcuffs into a Manhattan courtroom. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he's "concerned rules of international law have not been respected", as nations discuss the US actions at a UN Security Council meeting. And we learn more about Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's right-hand woman, who is due to be sworn in as acting president of Venezuela.

Also: a court in Paris convicts 10 people of cyberbullying France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, over false claims about her gender and sexuality; China and South Korea reaffirm their ties at a summit in Beijing; and we look back at the life of Eva Schloss, Holocaust survivor and Anne Frank’s step-sister, who has died at the age of 96.

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@bbc.co.uk

The US has warned the new interim leader of Venezuela to do as it says - or face the consequences. Donald Trump says if Delcy Rodriguez "doesn’t do what’s right, she's going to pay a very big price". The ousted Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, is due to appear in court in New York. Also in this podcast, Denmark's prime minister has told Donald Trump to "stop threats" about taking over Greenland. Police in Switzerland say they have now identified all forty victims of the New Year's Day fire in a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. Iran's government has announced that it will begin paying a new monthly allowance to every citizen. The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, has markedly increased his defence budget for 2026. The movie Avatar: Fire and Ash has made more than a billion dollars at the global box office.

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@bbc.co.uk

A US woman whose bone marrow saved a father of three in Australia has spent Christmas with him and his family. Gennaro Rapinese, whose leukaemia was cured by the donation, greeted Cassidy Feeney at the airport in Perth with the words 'you saved my life'. Cassidy, who'd never met Gennaro before, says she decided to donate because she'd want someone to do the same for her loved ones - and believes everyone should care more about others and less about themselves. Also: How a community rallied around to help after customers left a restaurant in Montreal without paying a large bill. The owner of Mama Khan's uses his profits to run a soup kitchen and deliver free meals to those in need. The company in Sweden that's tackling loneliness by giving employees time off dedicated to working on their friendships. A chance encounter and a small act of kindness that led to a couple getting engaged. Plus a very rare pink platypus, and why millions of people around the world sing the Scottish folk song, Auld Lang Syne, to mark the new year. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Oliver Conway. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Nicolas Maduro has arrived at a detention centre in Brooklyn, New York where he will be held ahead of an expected first court appearance on Monday. Live TV showed Mr Maduro being led away in a hooded jacket and handcuffs by US agents after the plane transporting the captured Venezuelan president and his wife arrived at an air base north of the city. In 2020, Mr Maduro was charged in absentia over alleged drug and weapons offences. He has always maintained that the accusations are a pretext for regime change and denied links to drug trafficking.

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@bbc.co.uk

Following the capture of the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by the US military, President Trump has said the United States intends to run the South American country until there can be a "safe, proper and judicious transition". The president was pressed by reporters about who would be running Venezuela during the transition period and offered few details on who exactly would be in charge. He added that Washington wasn't afraid of putting boots on the ground. The announcement comes as the United Nations Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Venezuela's future and the US actions, which U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres views as setting "a dangerous precedent." Nicolas Maduro's vice -president has called for his immediate release, but the exiled opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, says Venezuela's hour of freedom has arrived. We look at what may happen next and whether Donald's Trump's actions have any legal justification.

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@bbc.co.uk

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country", writes President Trump on his Truth Social website. Venezuela has declared a national emergency and says military personnel and civilians were killed in the attacks. Caracas has demanded proof that Mr Maduro and the Venezuelan first lady are alive. The US attorney-general, Pamela Bondi, says the couple will stand trial on charges of drug trafficking and terrorism, and will soon face "the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts".

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@bbc.co.uk

Officials investigating the ski resort fire in Switzerland say they're focussing on the bar's safety measures. Also: Iranian officials warn the US against intervention over protests; swapping life in the US for life in Russia; Argentina's 'tax innocence law'; the AI chatbot, Grok, says it will fix safeguards; and Venus Williams wins a wild-card entry to the Australian Open.

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@bbc.co.uk

Photo by: Reuters

Hundreds take part in a vigil in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana after around 40 people died in a fire at a bar while out celebrating New Year. Also: Colombia's armed forces say they have "neutralised" the main leader of one of Venezuela's most powerful and far-reaching criminal gangs; fresh research indicates that psychedelic drugs could be beneficial in treating a range of mental disorders; the UN children's agency Unicef estimates that more than a million Palestinian children trapped in Gaza desperately need mental health support and we talk to the great grandson of the Czech artist, Alphonse Mucha, best known for his paintings of graceful powerful female figures that helped define the Art Nouveau era.

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@bbc.co.uk

Donald Trump says he is withdrawing the National Guard from the Democrat-led cities of Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland after the Supreme Court blocked the deployment of troops for policing duties. But the president said federal forces would "come back" if crime rates go up.

Also: President Volodymyr Zelensky says only 10 per cent of a peace deal with Russia remains to be agreed, but Ukraine is not prepared to sign a "weak agreement" that would prolong the war. We speak to a Syrian refugee who spent years living in Europe but is now ready to move home. The discoveries that could solve the mystery of a medieval Welsh cemetery. And a campaign to build more toilets for women in the Japanese parliament. Photo credit: Reuters.

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@bbc.co.uk

Queen Camilla tells the BBC that as a teenager, she was the victim of an attempted indecent assault on a train journey. She says she fought off her attacker and felt furious about the experience for many years afterwards. The Queen has been a long-standing campaigner against sexual violence. Also: delivery workers go on strike in India; why it's been a bumper year for gold and silver; how to create a factory in space; the peril of the albatross in South Africa; and why American music fans can't get enough of Spanish-language tunes.

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@bbc.co.uk

Protests over Iran's worsening economic problems have spread from the capital, Tehran, to other major cities. University students have now joined the demonstrations, calling for an end to poverty and corruption. How will the government respond? Also: the US places sanctions on Iranians and Venezuelans accused of the "aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons". Poland considers a bill to recognise same-sex couples for the first time. Some of the world's top aid organisations are set to be barred from Gaza under new Israeli rules. And researchers try a creative way of addressing homelessness.

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@bbc.co.uk

The United Arab Emirates says it will end its operations in Yemen, after Saudi Arabia conducts a strike on the southern port of Mukalla. Riyadh claims the target was a UAE-linked weapons shipment, intended for separatists. The attack marks the most significant escalation in a widening rift between the two Gulf powers, who once cooperated in a coalition against the Houthis.

Also: protests are spreading in Iran, sparked by rising prices and the plummeting value of the currency. China has launched rockets on a second day of large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. South Korea announces steep fines for companies found guilty of price fixing. BBC analysis suggests Russian losses in the war with Ukraine have been growing faster than at any time since the start of the full-scale invasion. Nepalese authorities are scrapping a clean-up scheme that was meant to encourage climbers to bring down their waste from Mount Everest. A new search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH-370 begins in the Indian Ocean. We speak to the dinosaur hunters who discovered a spiky “punk rock" dinosaur. And why the Danish Postal Service will stop delivering letters, ending centuries of service.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Trump has warned that Hamas will have "hell to pay" if it does not disarm quickly as part of the Gaza peace deal. He said he hoped to reach phase two "very quickly". He was speaking during a visit by the Israeli prime minister. Also: Russia accuses Ukraine of launching a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences – a claim Kyiv has denied; the Bangladeshi politician and former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has died aged 80; researchers monitoring shark populations in the Mediterranean say some shark species are in danger of disappearing; and a young man retraces his father's epic journey and cycles from the English city of Derby to Derby Street in Sydney, Australia.

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@bbc.co.uk

President Zelensky says the US has offered security guarantees for fifteen years although he wished it could be longer. Also; China conducts large-scale military exercises around Taiwan; India’s Supreme Court puts on hold an order that suspended the life sentence of a former member of the governing BJP party for raping a teenager; Israel's announcement that it will formally recognise Somalia's breakaway region, Somaliland, is condemned by regional blocs and neighbouring countries; a crackdown on bird poaching in China and Cristiano Ronaldo says he won't stop playing football until he has scored one-thousand goals.

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@bbc.co.uk

Voting has begun in the opening phase of Myanmar's heavily restricted general election, the first since the military seized power nearly five years ago in a coup, an act that sparked civil war. The first round of voting takes place in around a quarter of the country; two more rounds are due to take place next month. Also: we look at how deportation fears in the US are driving money transfers to Honduras. A Siberian tiger gives birth to a record five cubs, it's China's first documented case of a tiger having quintuplets in the wild. Research suggests that a mysterious force called Dark Energy - which drives the expansion of the Universe - might be changing, in a way that challenges our current understanding of time and space. And Aryna Sabalenka takes on Nick Kyrgios in what's been dubbed the 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis match. We look at why it's polarising opinion.

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@bbc.co.uk

We look back on our happiest stories from the past year, including: the man who created 'Christina's Corner' for his most loyal customer; the life-saving medical breakthrough in the fight against Huntington's; and the four-legged litter picker taking the internet by storm. Plus: the survivors of an atomic bomb tell us why they want peace; the blood test helping detect ovarian cancer early; the cafe in Tokyo where people with dementia can volunteer; diplomacy through folk music 'From China to Appalachia'; and the rat that helps sniff out tuberculosis.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, ending weeks of deadly border clashes. It paves the way for prisoner exchanges and for a million displaced civilians to return to their homes. Also: President Trump claims US strikes "decimated" IS targets in Nigeria; the latest on Russia-Ukraine peace talks; Myanmar lifts a curfew after four years; China's high-speed railway races to a new milestone; the Iranian actress, Taraneh Alidoosti, speaks out against women's oppression; how TV adverts fight - and reinforce - stereotypes; an elusive wild cat is rediscovered in Thailand; and we meet the Slovenian ski jumpers heading to the Winter Olympics.

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@bbc.co.uk

Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak has been convicted of abuse of power and money laundering in the biggest case to emerge from the 1MDB state fund scandal. The seventy-two year old, who is already in jail for other charges linked to 1MDB, is sentenced to a further 15 years. His lawyer says he will appeal.

Also: there have been demonstrations outside the Delhi High Court against the decision to suspend a life sentence for rape imposed on a former governing party official, Kuldeep Sengar; heavy rain storms across large parts of California have triggered floods and mudslides and left at least three people dead; President Zelensky says he'll meet President Trump this Sunday to discuss the latest peace plan for Ukraine; and hopes for finding a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

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@bbc.co.uk

Donald Trump says US air strikes have killed multiple Islamic State fighters in Nigeria. He described the group as "terrorist scum" who had persecuted innocent Christians. Also: as Russia considers the latest US-backed peace plan, Ukraine's President Zelensky hails "new ideas" to end the war; former Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, endorses his son Flavio to effectively stand in for him in next year's elections; how neutral Switzerland tried to maintain an uneasy compromise during the Second World War; and how an unexpected knock at the door one Christmas led a homeless man making himself at home - for 45 years.

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@bbc.co.uk

US officials have uncovered a million more documents which could be connected to the dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Department of Justice said that given the volume of material, its full release may take a few weeks. Also: Israel's parliament approves the first reading of legislation for a politically controlled inquiry into the October 7th Hamas-led attacks, disappointing families of the victims; Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank celebrates Christmas for the first time since the war in Gaza began; Californians evacuate their homes as an intense storm approaches; we look back on a year of AI; and tracking Santa's sleigh, will he deliver all those presents on 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 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@bbc.co.uk

President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented a draft agreement to end the war in Ukraine, after negotiations with US. It is now being reviewed by the Kremlin. The document includes security guarantees for Ukraine from the US, NATO and Europe, but President Zelensky says the question of ceding territory is still unresolved. Also: France, Germany and the European Union condemn a decision by the US to impose visa bans on the former EU commissioner Thierry Breton and four others involved in regulating tech companies. The French President Emmanuel Macron says the measures amount to "intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty". More than 100 people have been killed in the past two weeks in drone attacks in Sudan’s South Kordofan region. The United Nations says it is alarmed by the growing use of drones by both Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. And as people prepare to hand out their Christmas presents, we look at the impact of AI toys on child development.

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@bbc.co.uk

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