Global News Podcast

President Trump grants Hungary a one-year exemption from US sanctions on Russian oil and gas purchases during a visit to the White House by his right wing ally, Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban. The sanctions were introduced in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Also: Senators fail to agree a compromise to pay essential federal workers, including air traffic controllers, during the US Government shutdown; more than 200 people have been charged with treason after protests against the disputed election in Tanzania; Nobel Prize-winning American scientist James Watson, one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, has died aged 97; and archaeologists have compiled the most detailed map yet of the roads that criss-crossed the Roman Empire from Great Britain to North Africa. 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 c

Tesla shareholders have approved a record-breaking pay package that could make the electric car company's founder Elon Musk a trillionaire if he can deliver a future filled with self-driving taxis and humanoid robots. More than three quarters of shareholders backed the plan which requires Mr Musk to substantially raise Tesla's market value over a period of years. Also: Typhoon Kalmaegi is weakening but the devastation and lives lost in the Philippines and Vietnam has been overwhelming; Artificial Intelligence and the chatbot which has been encouraging a young woman to kill herself; the Kashmir cricket scandal; and Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as the speaker of the US House of Representatives, bows out of politics at 85.

The leaders of the three greatest producers of carbon emissions — the US, China and India — are staying away from the COP30 summit, which officially starts on Monday. The UN says it's now "virtually impossible" to achieve the international target of limiting global warming to 1.5C. Also: South Africa says it's received distress calls from 17 citizens lured into fighting for Russia in the war in Ukraine; and China's astronauts say they've held the first ever barbecue in space.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 Federal Aviation Administration in the US has said that if the government shutdown continues, it will cut air traffic by ten per-cent across forty busy airports from Friday, in order to maintain safety. Air traffic controllers have been working without pay for more than a month and some of them are now calling in sick. The Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, insists air travel is still safe, and the decision to cancel the flights is being made to ensure efficiency. Also: the BBC has been allowed to enter Gaza for the first time since the ceasefire was declared last month; Mexico's first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has called for sexual harassment to be made a crime in the country after footage showed a man trying to grope her in the street; and a typhoon which has caused devastating floods across the central Philippines has killed at least 114 people.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 aro

Zohran Mamdani has won New York’s mayoral election after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, making history as the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest in more than a century. The 34 year old surged to victory with promises to tax millionaires to pay for expanded social programmes. Meanwhile, Democrats are projected to win governor races in Virginia and New Jersey. Also: a cargo plane has crashed at Louisville airport in Kentucky, sparking a huge fire and killing at least seven people; the UN says new restrictions by the Taliban have forced it to suspend operations at a crucial border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran; Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said his government will seek an independent investigation into a police raid in Rio de Janeiro that left more than 120 people dead; the American man who faked his own death and fled to Scotland after being accused of rape; and Paris residents are offered a chance to be buried alongside the rich

Dick Cheney, who became one of the most powerful vice presidents in US history as George W Bush's number two during 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, died Monday. He was 84. Also: Sudan's military government meets to discuss its response after its last stronghold in the Darfur region was seized by paramilitaries; New Yorkers vote for their next Mayor, and scientists in Kenya find evidence that the first humans used stone 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 government shutdown in the United States is set to become the longest in the country's history as Democrats and Republicans fail to agree on a new budget, leaving more than 40 million Americans who rely on food stamps facing great uncertainty. The White House says it will use emergency funds to provide reduced food aid. Also: the Israeli military's former top lawyer is arrested over the leak of a video allegedly showing Palestinian detainee abuse; dozens of people are killed after an earthquake in northern Afghanistan; the BBC visits India's Bihar state ahead of elections; what's causing an Antarctic glacier to rapidly retreat; Starbucks sells part of its operations in China; fast fashion giant Shein bans sex dolls on its online platform; the latest from Prince William's trip to Brazil; a conversation with Salman Rushdie; and Indonesians rail against "ugly" glass elevator on Bali cliff.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and

Messages in a bottle from two Australian World War One soldiers have been found on a beach and are now back with their relatives. Debra Brown's family were cleaning up on Wharton Beach when they found a thick glass bottle with the notes inside. Herbie Neville, the great nephew of one of the soldiers, says it's unbelievable to receive the letters. Plus, the memorial unveiled in the UK for veterans who were expelled from the armed forces because of their sexuality. The oldest woman to finish the Iron Woman competition. The students here in Britain helping to restore an Ancient Egyptian mummy. Happy stories and positive news from around the world - our weekly collection.Presenter: Alex Ritson. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

Doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London have used microchips to help blind patients regain the ability to read. Also: the woman who played the clarinet during brain surgery, helping the doctors fine tune their treatment for Parkinson's; Thailand's water buffalo beauty contest; and how polystyrene boxes that keep fish fresh are being replaced... using mushrooms. Happy stories and positive news from around the world - our weekly collection.Presenter: Jannat Jalil. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

A singing group designed for women with post-natal depression has been shown to deliver long lasting improvements in their wellbeing. A three year study found that it helped them with symptoms like low mood, stress and anxiety and that these benefits lasted for several months after the sessions ended. Also: big celebrations as Cape Verde qualifies for the men's football World Cup. It's the second smallest country by population to reach the finals. The women reviving Aztec traditions on Mexico's island farms. Chinampas are an early model of sustainable agriculture but were at risk of disappearing. An ingenious way to fix broken life-saving equipment at remote hospitals that can't get the spare parts they need. The DJ with a difference who's filling dancefloors in Sweden - with people over the age of 50. Plus engineering meets art with a unique dinosaur sculpture, and why people love goat yoga.Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Presenter: Vanessa Heaney. Music com

We hear how a man's search for his birth mother ended in an unexpected but familiar place - his favourite local bakery. Vamarr Hunter was shocked to discover that the bakery's owner, whose company and motherly advice he'd enjoyed for years, was the woman who'd given him up for adoption when she was 17. Lenore Lindsey says being reunited has made her a warmer person and it feels like they were never separated.Also: The international football star who cycles to work, uses public transport and wears second-hand clothes. Héctor Bellerín, who plays for Real Betis in Spain, uses his profile to champion greener choices - arguing that with power comes responsibility.Green turtles have recovered from the brink of extinction, in what scientists are describing as a major conservation victory. They've been classed as endangered since the 1980s but their numbers are bouncing back.The winner of one of the world's most prestigious prizes describes how he initially thought his wife was playing a joke on him. Fred Ramsdell

An 18-year-old entrepreneur who has helped more than twenty thousand teenagers get skills, training and mentoring has been recognised with a global student prize. Adarsh Kumar grew up in poverty in rural Bihar and says he was inspired by wanting to solve the problems he saw around him - and the example set by his hardworking single mother. He plans to use the ten thousand dollar prize to help improve the lives of even more people - and believes the first step in changing the world is to change his home state. Also: we find out how teenagers who've been struggling with school attendance are learning important life lessons - from three year olds. The scheme pairs them with a nursery child to give them a sense of responsibility and helping others. We celebrate the winner of Fat Bear Week in Alaska - which saw tens of thousands of people around the world vote for the brown bear who'd done best at gorging on salmon and berries to prepare for winter. How new technology is helping Premier League football fans with

To mark two years of the war in Gaza, our correspondents bring you this special episode of the Global News Podcast from the BBC Bureau in Jerusalem. Jon Donnison is joined by our Gaza correspondent Rushdi Abualouf, our International Editor Jeremy Bowen, and our Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell. They discuss the history of the conflict, their memories of the October 7th attacks, and respond to questions from BBC World Service listeners. As talk of a potential ceasefire brokered by the US President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dominates the news agenda, we look back at the impact this war has had on people living in the Gaza Strip and Israel. 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

For the first time ever, a successful treatment has been found for the devastating brain disease, Huntington's. The inherited condition, which resembles a combination of dementia, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease, affects hundreds of thousands of people in the US and Europe. The scientists who developed the new gene therapy, and people who have the disease, say its a huge breakthrough that could give people a better quality of life for decades.Also: we meet the teacher who's launched a Happiness Project to help her pupils learn about what really matters, and is encouraging others to do the same. We find out about the small actions that have transformed how people feel about a living in a huge public housing complex in Mumbai, bringing a true sense of community. It's Fat Bear Week in Alaska - a time to celebrate weight gain as the beautiful inhabitants of Katmai National Park prepare to hibernate. Plus a new way to bring more poetry into your life; the dogs getting to swim in German public pools; and the

A nurse in the US state of Kentucky has gone viral after she saved a baby raccoon who became 'drunk' on fermented fruit. The cub had passed out after eating peaches, thrown away by a distillery. Also: we hear from Bárbara Hernández, a cold water swimmer from Chile, known as the Ice Mermaid. She's front crawled her way to a Guinness World Record, completing the farthest ice swim ever by a woman. Plus, the man recreating a childhood photo, the 81-year-old woman who planted 4,000 trees; and Carlos Acosta on his latest milestone. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Presenter: Paul Moss. Music composed by Iona Hampson

A man who survived alone on a glacier for six days after a near death fall says it's made him appreciate what really matters. Alec Luhn slipped during a solo hike after deciding to mend his broken shoe with tape, rather than turn back. He says his only regret would have been not spending more time with his family, and urges others to understand how fragile life is. Also: a rare discovery of a huge store of fresh drinking water, deep under the Atlantic Ocean, that could help tackle the mounting global shortages. The vaccine being rolled out to protect Australia's much loved koalas from a disease that's threatening their survival. How a new farming method can boost food production in Malawi -- with help from a solar-powered tractor. Why thousands of single people have put down their dating apps and flocked to the small Irish town of Lisdoonvarna in the hope of finding love the old-fashioned way. Plus, the female iguana who's had eight babies - despite never having been in contact with a male. The process, kno

A new blood test could dramatically improve survival rates for women with ovarian cancer by detecting it much sooner. The researchers tell us it's a game changer that could go on to save tens of thousands of lives around the world every year. Also: we meet the female Muslim jockey breaking new ground and inspiring the next generation. Khadijah Mellah has just made her amateur debut. Plus the woman who underwent a rare triple organ transplant talks about the joy of getting back to normal life; how a hand-cranked washing machine is saving thousands of people from hours of back breaking work; football's Homeless World Cup; and why a member of indie band Kasabian is opening a new music venue in a tiny Welsh town. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

After China's President Xi welcomed North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin to Beijing: we ask what do Western nations make of this show of strength?In this special edition, Celia Hatton is joined by our correspondents across the globe to discuss the reaction to the military parade. China marked the anniversary of the end of World War Two by showing off its next generation of cutting edge weaponry. We ask if the alliance between the three nuclear armed leaders poses a real threat to the West?

We meet the woman sending hugs from Texas in the form of a quilt. Connie Kortz set up a network of volunteer quilters, who make them for people who are in need. Called 'Hugs from Texas' -- the group donated quilted blankets to the families affected by the devastating floods earlier this year.Also, find out about the traditional ceremony that takes place for the first time a baby laughs. We go to the football match between Dulwich Hamlet FC and Altonaer which is celebrating 100 years of friendship.The Happy Pod is our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

We hear about the Dad Letter Project which was set up by a father and daughter in the US to send handwritten notes of love and support to people all over the world. Rosie wants to share her treasured experience of receiving letters from her dad Buz when she was growing up. They've already had thousand of requests, often from young women who've lost their own fathers and need advice -- or just for somoene to say they're proud of them. Also we meet Logie the litter picking dog, who's helping clean up our oceans by swimming out to fetch plastic bottles and other rubbish. We find out how cooking classes taught by refugees are helping them learn new skills and build closer ties with their new communities; why knitting and other-old fashioned hobbies are gaining popularity among Gen Z; and what a difference a local shop can have in a remote community.Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.