Global News Podcast

European Union leaders strike a deal to give Ukraine a $105 billion loan after failing to agree on using frozen Russian assets. Zelensky welcomes EU backing. Putin tells BBC the West is "making Russia the enemy." Also: TikTok owners sign deal to avoid US ban. We travel down into the deep tunnels in Finland where nuclear waste is to be buried. The Bank of Japan raises its interest rate to its highest level in 30 years -- but it's still less than 1%. A mysterious object from outside our solar system heads to its closest point to Earth. Known as 3i Atlas, it's travelling at more than 200,000 km/h. 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. F

The Chinese-owned app TikTok has agreed to sell its US operations to overcome the threat of a ban prompted by national security concerns. The joint venture will be led by American investors. ByteDance's video-sharing platform boasts over a billion users worldwide, including more than 170 million in the United States.Also: US Democrats release another batch of Epstein photos. Australia announces a gun buyback scheme in the wake of the Bondi Beach mass shooting. Violent protests erupt in Bangladesh after the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. We meet the Ukrainian war widows who are fighting for their husbands legacies. And how researchers are using drones to investigate the health of whales in the Arctic.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 matte

European Union leaders hold high-stakes negotiations over whether to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine's war effort. Belgium - where most of the assets are held - is under pressure to drop its opposition. Without the funds, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said his country's drone production would have to be cut. Also: power cuts in major cities in Sudan are blamed on drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. A French doctor is jailed for life for poisoning dozens of patients. Peter Arnett, the Pulitzer prize-winning war reporter, dies at the age of 91. And FIFA links up with Netflix to launch a new football game, which won't need a console.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

In the wake of the shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia's government has announced a number of measures to address antisemistism, including giving officials the power to reject the visas of anyone who engages in religious hate speech. 15 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.Also: in an end of year speech, President Trump has been telling the American people about his achievements since returning to office. YouTube has secured exclusive broadcasting rights for the Oscars awards ceremony from 2029. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer orders the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich to donate more than three billion dollars in proceeds from the sale of Chelsea football club to Ukraine, or face having the money confiscated. Human rights groups say the Iranian champion boxer Mohammad Javad Vafaei-Sani is at imminent risk of execution. Officials in Japan warn people not to be fooled by AI-generated videos of bears cozying up to humans, as fa

Naveed Akram, the surviving suspect of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, is charged with fifty-nine offences including fifteen counts of murder, as well as committing a terrorist act. He was charged at his bedside in hospital, after coming out of a coma. His father, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police during the attack, which targeted Australia's Jewish community at an event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah. Also: the head of the World Health Organisation calls for the immediate release of health workers who are believed to be detained in south-western Sudan. The authorities in the Indian capital, Delhi, roll out strict measures to curb air pollution, that has been in the severe category for the past few days. The tiny mountain kingdom of Bhutan has announced it will spend a billion dollars of the country's reserves to build what it's calling a "mindfulness city." And scientists warn that nature photographers are causing irreparable harm to the endangered Galaxy Frog in India. The Global News Podcast bri

Susie Wiles, one of the most powerful people in Donald Trump's team, gave a rare insight into the administration in a candid interview with Vanity Fair. The White House chief of staff described the president as having an "alcoholic's personality" and Vice President JD Vance as having been a "conspiracy theorist" for a decade. Wiles has now claimed the magazine disregarded "significant context" to create a "disingenuously framed hit piece". Mr Trump said he had full faith in Ms Wiles.Also: Donald Trump says he's ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going to and from Venezuela, escalating his pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduro. Funerals have begun in Australia for the victims of Sunday’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach. Nick Reiner, son of the Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle, has been charged with their murder. Why having difficulty concentrating or losing personal confidence in midlife may put a person at an increased risk of dementia, according to a study. How a pi

Australian police say one of the Bondi attackers, Sajid Akram, was an Indian citizen. He and his son Naveed spent weeks in the Philippines, where there's been a long-running Islamist insurgency, before Sunday's deadly attack on a Jewish festival. Also: millions are at risk of starvation in Afghanistan this winter; peace talks continue in Berlin aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war; and the US says it has carried out more strikes on boats it suspects of trafficking drugs in the Pacific Ocean. 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 Donald Trump has filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit in Florida, accusing the BBC of defamation and violating a trade practices law over the way his speech was edited ahead of the US Capitol riot in 2020. Also: The US President says a Russia-Ukraine peace deal is closer than ever after talks in Berlin. European leaders say they're optimistic, but remain circumspect. Scammers are targeting children with cancer to raise money with online videos, but the donations raised are not reaching the families. Police in Australia say the two men who killed 15 people at a Jewish Hannukah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach had ISIS flags in their car. And the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is putting gifts she received from world leaders up for auction.

Thousands of people have attended a special vigil on Bondi Beach in Sydney for victims of Sunday's shooting at a Jewish celebration. Australia's Prime Minister has said the two gunmen, who killed fifteen people, were not part of a wider extremist cell. Also: intensive negotations are being held in Berlin on how to end the Russia-Ukraine war; Jubilation for supporters of the far right candidate, Jose Antonio Kast, after his decisive victory in Chile's presidential election; the acclaimed Hollywood director, Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle have been found dead at their home in Los Angeles, and advice from the Royal Horticultual Society on how best to grow tabletop vegetables - a kind of bonsai sized greens. 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, deliver

As Australians reel from a deadly shooting at a Hanukkah celebration, some are questioning whether the government did enough to prevent antisemitic violence. Also: Chile has elected the right-wing candidate, José Antonio Kast, as its next president. The family of film director Rob Reiner say he and his wife are dead, as Los Angeles police conduct an investigation at their home. The Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai is found guilty of sedition and colluding with foreign forces, in a verdict that he says is politically motivated. And we speak to the British actor Dame Helen Mirren about her mission to save olive trees in Italy. 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 spec

**This episode contains descriptions of abuse and violence**In November, the Italian parliament voted unanimously to introduce the term “femicide” into the country’s legal code. The murder of a woman – on account of her gender – is now a distinct crime, punishable with a life sentence.The United Nations reported that last year nearly 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members.Italy is the latest country to adopt a specific law in an effort to curb violence against women following a string of brutal murders of young women. One of the most publicized was Giulia Tramontano, who was repeatedly stabbed by her partner while seven months pregnant. Her murder - along with another case – sparked fierce outrage across Italy, culminating in the new law being passed.In this episode, we hear from Giulia’s sister, Chiara Tramontano and the BBC Southern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford.The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and dis

President Donald Trump has promised retaliation against the Islamic State militant group after two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an ambush in Syria. Damascus has condemned the attack as well. Also: Israel says it has killed the senior Hamas commander Raed Saad. The opposition in Belarus celebrates the release of political prisoners. Chile's presidential election sees a communist candidate take on the far-right. And, with the latest Avatar film about to hit cinemas, we hear from the composer who spent years writing its score.

A pop-up cafe in Tokyo is giving people with dementia a place to volunteer as well as a sense of community. Its owner Toshio Morita has become something of a local celebrity. At Orange Day Café, muddled orders, long pauses and gentle confusion aren’t mistakes — they’re the point.Also:A Northern Irish man who suffered a cardiac arrest had his life saved after his golden retriever, named Polly, alerted his wife after he stopped breathing. Polly the dog has been hailed a hero by the charity, the British Heart Foundation.A revolutionary gene therapy has successfully treated patients with aggressive and previously incurable blood cancers. In Kenya, the Rare Gem Talent School has been set up specifically to teach dyslexic children. A condition that is believed to impact around 10% of people globally.A woman in Kerala, India, has started a camp to help women who are going through a divorce. And a French man in London has become the face of a homelessness charity after his virtuoso piano playing at a train station

Republicans accuse the Democrats of playing politics with release of photos from the estate of late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, that feature rich and powerful people, including Donald Trump. Also: Thailand attacks what Cambodia describes as civilian facilities near their shared border; Iranian security forces use violence to detain Nobel Peace Prize winner, Narges Mohammadi; the curtain is about to come down on John Cena, one of the most celebrated wrestlers from the world of Sports Entertainment and analysis shows pop song lyrics are getting sadder. 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 mom

María Corina Machado, Venezuela's Nobel Peace Prize winner, speaks after her first public appearance in 11 months. She has mostly been in hiding since the country's disputed presidential election in 2024. She confirms the US helped her escape the country. She says President Maduro's regime is weaker than ever - partly as a result of the actions of President Trump, who announced the seizure of a tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Also: France battles to control violent drugs gangs that are exploiting children. In the worst affected city, Marseille, the number of teenagers caught up in the drug world has risen six fold in recent years. Victims of a typhoon, that battered the Philippines four years ago, sue the oil company Shell, accusing it of contributing to climate change and therefore making such weather events more severe. A BBC investigation discovers endangered species - including tigers and sharks - are offered for sale on Facebook. Research finds that living in extreme heat can severely affect children

US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid escalating tensions. President Trump said it was done for "very good reason" but Caracas accused Washington of "blatant theft" and "international piracy". Also: María Corina Machado arrives in Norway for her Nobel Peace Prize; the latest on Ukraine peace talks; we hear from Palestinians as severe storms hit Gaza; scientists shed light on the discovery of fire; Nicolas Sarkozy's new book on his experience in prison; Italian cuisine gets the UNESCO stamp of approval; film critics are panned in the digital age; and would you hand over your social media history for a trip to the US?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 bo

A sperm donor who unknowingly harboured a genetic mutation that dramatically raises the risk of cancer has fathered at least 197 children across Europe, a major investigation has revealed. Some children have already died and only a minority who inherit the mutation will escape cancer in their lifetimes. Denmark's European Sperm Bank, which sold the sperm, said families affected had their "deepest sympathy" and admitted the sperm was used to make too many babies in some countries.The sperm came from an anonymous man who was paid to donate as a student, starting in 2005. Also: the daughter of the Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Coria Machado has collected her mother's Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. The new sound therapy offering hope to sufferers of tinnitus. We hear from the border between Thailand and Cambodia as half a million people flee the fighting. The leader of the National Rally in France, Jordan Bardella, who is favourite to win the French presidential election in 2027, speaks to the BBC. We hear

After pressure from Washington, President Zelensky has said he will seek to change Ukrainian law so an election could take place within three months. He said this could only happen if the US and Europe guarantee security. Also: Russia's Vladimir Putin hosts "Heroes of the Fatherland Day"; Donald Trump lashes out at European allies; controversy over the UN's environment report; fighting between the Congolese army and M23 rebels continues in the DRC; the zoologist, Ian Douglas-Hamilton, dies; and a milestone moment for the Turner 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. Ge

In a world first, millions of Australian children and teenagers are prevented from accessing social media accounts. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told adolescents to make the most of the situation by taking up a new sport or reading a book, instead of scrolling on their phones. Under the legislation, companies could face heavy fines if they don't take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from opening social media accounts. Social media firms have argued the ban would be ineffective, difficult to implement, and could isolate vulnerable teenagers.Also: tens of thousands flee their homes in border areas of Cambodia and Thailand after a resumption of fighting. An investigation finds at least 1700 civilians have been killed in airstrikes by Sudan's armed forces since the start of the civil war. South Korean police raid headquarters of the e-commerce giant Coupang. And a British man who was paralysed permanently 9 years ago, attempts a world record for sit-skiing to the South Pole. The Global News Podcast brings

The US chipmaker, Nvidia has been authorised to sell advanced AI chips to China - in a major reversal of Washington's national security policy. The Democratic Senator, Elizabeth Warren, said the decision risked turbocharging China's bid for technological and military dominance. Donald Trump has also announced a $12bn rescue package for US farmers hit by his tariffs. Also: scientists say a revolutionary treatment for blood cancers is delivering impressive results; Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces say they've taken control of the country’s largest oil field; a takeover battle is underway for Warner Brothers - as Paramount outbids Netflix; the wreck of an ancient ornate pleasure boat is discovered off the coast of Egypt; and the headset that made it possible for a man with almost no sight to watch a live football match. 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,