Global News Podcast

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.ukPhoto 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