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Pakistani military jets have hit targets inside Afghanistan, bombing parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, as open military conflict surged between the two countries. Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said Islamabad's patience had run out and declared the neighbours at "open war" following months of tit-for-tat clashes and heavy losses for both sides. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against militant groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government denies. Also: the BBC has obtained a video that shows how Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian boy and stood around as he bled to death. Netflix drops out of the bidding war for Warner Brothers Discovery, leaving Paramount as the top contender to acquire the legacy studio. As former US President Bill Clinton prepares to testify before a Congressional committee investigating the fall-out from the Epstein files, his wife Hillary, who appeared before the panel on Thursday, says her husband's connection with Epstein ended several years before anything about the sex offender's criminal activities came to light. In a landmark trial in Los Angeles, the woman at the heart of a case against social media giants says she became addicted to their platforms aged six. The British Labour government suffers a by-election defeat in key political test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. How Pokémon's 30th anniversary is being marked worldwide. And we test our spelling skills after a survey reveals the words British pupils most struggle with. 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

Concert pianist Yirui Weng, 32, grew up in a communist, atheist family in China, where religion played no part in her life. Music, however, always did. As a gifted young pianist, she immersed herself in the great works of Western classical music. When Yirui moved to Italy to pursue her musical studies, curiosity began to replace indifference. While playing Vivaldi’s Gloria, she found herself drawn not just to the beauty of the music, but to its unfamiliar language: “Lamb of God”, “Son of the Father”. What did these words mean and why had composers been inspired by them for centuries? After meeting a Chinese priest in Milan, Yirui began attending catechism classes and encountered the teachings of Jesus for the first time. In 2023, Yirui was baptised. John Laurenson travels to Rome to meet Yirui Weng. She reflects on her journey of faith and explores a deeper question: why is music such a powerful and universal expression of belief?

With a landmark court case in California hearing from a woman who says tech giants Meta and YouTube’s owner Google harmed her mental health as a child, we catch up with our correspondent in Los Angeles, Peter Bowes, on the legal proceedings and discuss how damaging and addictive social media websites can be during a person's formative years. Elsewhere, as Netflix squabbles with Paramount for control of Warner Brothers Discovery and its worldwide franchises including Harry Potter and Superman, we hear from former Paramount executive Guy Petty on why Netflix's CEO Ted Sarandos is heading to the White House. Rahul Tandon speaks to Moritz Riesinger of the IG Metall union in Germany as it comes to a temporary agreement with Elon Musk over its Tesla factory near Berlin. And economist Cary Leahey of Columbia University explains why the latest unemployment figures in the United States has risen once again. Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Europe, Latin America and the USA. (Picture: Supporters of plaintiff Kaley G.M. hold signs as they stand outside the courthouse in Los Angeles, California, on the day she takes the stand at a trial in a key test case accusing Meta and Google's YouTube of harming children's mental health through addictive social media platforms. Credit: Reuters / Mike Blake.)

It’s expected to be a close race between Labour, Reform UK, and the Greens. We hear from the count and speak to political scientist Paula Keaveney about the apparent fragmentation of British politics. Also on programme: Democrats on the Republican-led House Oversight Committee have defended the former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after her deposition about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And the television series Our Friends in the North is adapted for the stage. Writer Peter Flannery and actor Christopher Eccleston discuss the show’s enduring success.

In a published opening statement, Mrs Clinton said she had no recollection of ever meeting Epstein and castigated the committee for failing to question people who did have dealings with him, including President Trump. Also on the programme: as Iran and the US resume nuclear talks in Geneva, Iranians fear it's the last chance for diplomacy. And how our two eyes evolved from a cyclopean ancestor, (Picture: Chairman of the House Oversight Committee James Comer speaks to the press ahead of US former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's scheduled testimony. Credit: Federova / EPA)

Brian tries his hand at matchmaking, and Helen has the time of her life.

Iran's president says Tehran isn't pursuing nuclear weapons and has no intention of doing so, as a third round of crucial talks with the US continues in Geneva. Also: former US secretary of state and first lady, Hillary Clinton, appears before a Congressional committee investigating the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his country "could get along well" with the United States, if Washington recognises Pyongyang as a nuclear power. US condemns the use of drones by both sides in the conflict in Sudan. And a new study reveals why some older people's minds are as sharp as they were when they were young.

The president and chief executive of the World Economic Forum, Borge Brende is stepping down after an investigation into his links with Jeffrey Epstein. The Forum says it found no additional concerns. The price of lithium, a key ingredient in EV batteries, has surged after one of the world’s top producers, Zimbabwe, suddenly banned exports. We also hear from Volvo UK over the recall of electric cars over a fire risk with some of its batteries.

The president of Israel Isaac Herzog has just concluded an official state visit in Ethiopia. We look at the historic ties between the two countries, and what the visit means for the horn of Africa region. Also, a report by the Alliance for Malaria Prevention warns that progress made in containing the disease could be stalling due to global aid funding cuts. The report predicts that a reduction of financing by 30 percent could see an additional 146 million malaria cases by 2030. We speak to the Executive Director of the Alliance. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba and Albert Kirui Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

The former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, will testify in the congressional investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Her husband, the former president, Bill Clinton, will testify on Friday. Also on the programme: a third round of talks between Iranian and American officials are being held in Geneva; and a new study that discovered the key to staying mentally sharp in old age. (Photo: Hillary Clinton attends the Mumbai Climate Week in Mumbai, India on February 18, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

Also, Nolan talks MLA pay

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the countless venues across the Roman Empire which for over five hundred years drew the biggest crowds both in the Republic and under the Emperors. The shows there delighted the masses who knew, no matter how low their place in society, they were much better off than the gladiators about to fight or the beasts to be slaughtered. Some of the Roman elites were disgusted, seeing this popular entertainment as morally corrupting and un-Roman. Moral degradation was a less immediate concern though than the overspill of violence. There was a constant threat of gladiators being used as a private army and while those of the elite wealthy enough to stage the shows hoped to win great prestige, they risked disappointing a crowd which could quickly become a mob and turn on them. With Kathleen Coleman James Loeb Professor of the Classics at Harvard University John Pearce Reader in Archaeology at King’s College London And Matthew Nicholls Fellow and Senior Tutor at St John’s College, Oxford Producer: Simon Tillotson Reading list: C. A. Barton, The Sorrows of the Ancient Romans: The Gladiator and the Monster (Princeton University Press, 1993) Roger Dunkle, Gladiators: Violence and Spectacle in Ancient Rome (Pearson, 2008) Garrett G. Fagan, The Lure of the Arena: Social Psychology and the Crowd at the Roman Games (Cambridge University Press, 2011) A. Futrell, Blood in the Arena: The Spectacle of Roman Power (University of Texas Press, 1997) A. Futrell, The Roman Games: A Sourcebook (Blackwell Publishing, 2006) Keith Hopkins and Mary Beard, The Colosseum (Profile, 2005) Luciana Jacobelli, Gladiators at Pompeii (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003) Eckart Köhne and Cornelia Ewigleben (eds.), Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome (University of California Press, 2000) Donald Kyle, Spectacles of Death in Ancient Rome (Routledge, 1998) F. Meijer, The Gladiators: History’s Most Deadly Sport (Souvenir, 2004) Jerry Toner, The Day Commodus killed a Rhino: Understanding the Roman Games (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014) K. Welch, The Roman Amphitheatre from its Origins to the Colosseum (Cambridge University Press, 2007) T. Wiedemann, Emperors and Gladiators (Routledge, 1992) In Our Time is a BBC Studios Production

We hear from a Mexican city in Sinaloa state where one of the big drug cartels is locked in its own civil war. Our correspondent Quentin Sommerville visited the state capital, Culiacán, where he witnessed scenes of brutal violence that have brought pain and terror to residents. Also: Cuba says its coastguard has killed four people on board a US-registered speedboat, in an exchange of fire off the Cuban coast. It said those on the boat were Cubans, living in the US, with a history of violent activity - and "terrorist" intentions. The American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, called the shootout "highly unusual" and said the US would conduct its own investigation into the incident and not rely on the Cuban version of events. A British clinical trial on more than 500 people across 15 countries found that a new tablet to treat HIV - which combines two current treatments - is highly effective at keeping the virus suppressed. A BBC Eye investigation has revealed that Nepal’s top police officer gave the order allowing the use of live fire during last year’s deadly crackdown on Gen Z protests - one of the worst in the country's history. And the robot that conducted Denmark's National Symphony Orchestra. We have the verdict on its performance. 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 Mexican city in Sinaloa state where one of the big drug cartels is locked in its own civil war. Our correspondent Quentin Sommerville visited the state capital, Culiacán, where he witnessed scenes of brutal violence that have brought pain and terror to residents. Also: Cuba says its coastguard has killed four people on board a US-registered speedboat, in an exchange of fire off the Cuban coast. It said those on the boat were Cubans, living in the US, with a history of violent activity - and "terrorist" intentions. The American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, called the shootout "highly unusual" and said the US would conduct its own investigation into the incident and not rely on the Cuban version of events. A British clinical trial on more than 500 people across 15 countries found that a new tablet to treat HIV - which combines two current treatments - is highly effective at keeping the virus suppressed. A BBC Eye investigation has revealed that Nepal’s top police officer gave the order allowing the use of live fire during last year’s deadly crackdown on Gen Z protests - one of the worst in the country's history. And the robot that conducted Denmark's National Symphony Orchestra. We have the verdict on its performance. 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

This week marks four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest and deadliest conflict in Europe since WW2. Ukraine has put its official losses at 55,000 soldiers, and the BBC has verified the deaths of more than 180,000 on the Russian side, although the true toll is likely to be much higher. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded, and millions have been displaced. In today’s episode, the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen, travels through Ukraine, speaking to people living on the front line, to soldiers, and to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, about what they would concede – if anything - for a peace deal with Russia. 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 United States says it will ease restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports to Cuba's private sector as Washington's blockade leads to a worsening crisis on the Caribbean island. Former US treasury secretary and onetime Harvard president Larry Summers retires from his roles at the university. Elsewhere in Milan, Gucci is facing a backlash after using AI to make images to promote its forthcoming show at Milan Fashion Week. Critics have questioned how using AI instead of human models and photographers is in keeping with the fashion giant's values.

The government has said it is not pausing legislation that would see the Chagos Islands transferred to Mauritius. That's despite Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer telling Parliament that the process would be paused "for discussions with our American counterparts". A government spokesperson said Falconer had "misspoken". Also on the programme: as more shops use facial recognition technology to deter shoplifters, we find out what it’s like to be falsely accused. And new research uncovers clues to the origin of the organ that gave Charles Darwin a "cold shudder": the eye.

The United States is ending its health programmes in Zimbabwe, including HIV treatment for one point two million people. The US embassy said Harare had pulled out of negotiations over a new health aid agreement which would have provided 367 million dollars over five years. The US has been renegotiating aid to Africa following the abolition of USAID by President Trump.   Also on the programme: The influential economist, Larry Summers, resigns from Harvard over the Epstein files and the Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, apologises to staff about his links with the convicted sex offender; and we'll hear why Emperor penguins are facing the threat of extinction.   (Photo shows a health official opening a rapid HIV test during the launch of Lenacapavir, a long‑acting HIV prevention injection outside Harare, Zimbabwe on 19 February 2026.Credit: Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters)

Chelsea follows Susan’s advice, and Brian is grateful to Rex.

Following Donald Trump's annual State of the Union address, we look into some of his claims about the economy and immigration. Also: Japan announces a timeline for deploying missiles to a small island near Taiwan in a move that angers China. The Spanish government declassifies documents related to a failed coup 45 years ago which had threatened the transition from military dictatorship to democracy. And how to watch the planet parade this week. 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