Global News Podcast

The Israeli navy has intercepted boats carrying aid to Gaza and detained the activists on board. Also: Indonesian rescuers search for 59 children trapped under rubble of collapsed school, BBC analysis finds a surge in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, the EU considers constructing a drone wall, comedy turns into controversy in Saudi Arabia, the latest on the US government shutdown, a preview of the Czech parliamentary elections, and we look back at the life of world-leading chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall. 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 race to save dozens of students after a school collapses in Indonesia. At least four students were killed and about 100 injured, some critically, after the two-storey Islamic Boarding School in East Java caved in. Hundreds of students, most of them teenage boys, had gathered to pray in the building when it gave way. The authorities on Wednesday said crying and shouting could still be heard from under the rubble, while anxious relatives who had camped out at the school overnight awaited news of their loved ones. Also: shutdown at Oktoberfest after an explosion in Munich, the controversial South African opposition politician Julius Malema is found guilty of gun charges, dozens are dead after an earthquake in the Philippines, and Indian doctors get help with their handwriting. 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 partial government shutdown has come into effect in the US. Democrats and Repulicans failed to agree on a spending bill, meaning hundreds of thousands of federal workers face not being paid. Also, the UN is appealing to the ruling Taliban to restore nationwide communications after the internet was cut across Afghanistan. The UN has announced a new security force to try and tackle gangs in Haiti. Leaders of the European Union will discuss how to protect their countries from drone attacks during meetings in Denmark. Scientists in the US are developing a technique that could use almost any cell in the body as the starting point of life. Official figures show Switzerland's glaciers have lost a quarter of their total volume over the past decade. Plus, an AI actor has been unveiled at the Zurich Film Festival.

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 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 Hamas has days to accept a 20-point peace plan in Gaza or they will 'pay in hell'. Also: the search for survivors after a school collapses in Indonesia, a BBC undercover reporter investigates illegal dogfights in Europe, and the South African ambassador to France dies after falling out of a hotel window in Paris. Plus we look at the plight of migrants from Haiti who have crossed into the Dominican Republic. 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 declared that peace in the Middle East is "beyond very close" as he presented a new plan alongside the Israeli prime minister, with both men saying Hamas must agree to it or Israel will finish its offensive in Gaza. The Palestinian group is studying the 20 point proposal. Afghanistan is hit by an internet blackout, as the Taliban enforces what it sees as a "morality" crackdown. A federal budget stand-off is threatening to shut down the US government for the first time in almost 7 years. A trade deal that's been the cornerstone of US-Africa economic relations for 25 years expires later today. UN investigators say they've found clear evidence that the Burmese army has replaced the Rohingya villages and homes it destroyed inside Myanmar with military infrastructure. Ukraine and Russia increasingly turn to convicts, as they struggle to recruit more soliders for the war in Ukraine. A convoy including Ecuador's president Daniel Noboa is attacked by protestors angry over a cut in fuel subsidies. Plus, the so-called Bitcoin Queen, accused of stealing more than five billion dollars worth of the cryptocurrency from investors, pleads guilty to charges 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

President Trump unveiled a wide-ranging Gaza peace plan on Monday and won cautious backing from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned he was still ready to "finish the job" against Hamas. 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's cyber correspondent was offered money if he helped criminals hack his employer's IT systems. They said they would steal data or install malicious software and hold his employer to ransom. Joe Tidy played along with them for a couple of days before things turned ugly. Also: President Trump posts then deletes a video promoting fake news about something called med-beds which conspiracists believe have magic powers to restore missing limbs and reverse ageing. The Danish government temporarily bans civilians from flying drones, as it prepares to host an EU summit this week - this follows drone incursions in European airspace, prompting suspicions that Russia is deliberately testing Nato defences. And trials are carried out in Britain to test whether tomatoes can be genetically edited to boost people's vitamin D levels. 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

Moldova's pro-European party has won a new majority in parliament after elections seen as critical for the country's future path to the EU. President Maia Sandu warned of "massive Russian interference" after voting on Sunday and said the future of her country was at stake. Also: A new US peace plan for Gaza, promoted by President Trump, would encourage Palestinians to remain in the territory and speaks of eventual Palestinian statehood, but neither Israel nor Hamas has given a conclusive response. The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, has ended his bid for re-election. The first rollout of the HPV vaccine in Pakistan, designed to protect women against cervical cancer, has been hit by misinformation. The Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law says he's been denied entry to Singapore. Switzerland has narrowly approved a plan to introduce electronic identity cards. Plus, we get the latest from golf's Ryder Cup and cricket's Asia Cup. 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

On Monday President Trump and the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a press conference in which they made extraordinary new claims about autism. They suggested a potential link between the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and the development of autism. They also advocated spacing out childhood vaccinations. The two men's interest in the link between vaccines and autism goes back decades but these claims did not originate in the US. They trace back to the UK in 1998, when disgraced former doctor Andrew Wakefield first published his now-debunked theory linking MMR vaccines to autism cases in children. Today on the Global Story science journalist Adam Rutherford explains how the Wakefield vaccine conspiracy became the biggest medical disinformation disaster in recent history, and how these ideas found fertile ground in the Trump administration. Every weekday, this is The Global Story. The world is changing. Decisions made in the US and by the second Trump administration are accelerating that change. But they are also a symptom of it. With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, 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.

Extending his controversial use of the military in Democrat-led major US cities, Donald Trump says he's authorised soldiers who will be deployed to Portland to use "full force" if needed. He described the city in Oregon as "war-ravaged". Also: nearly 40 people are killed in a crush at a political campaign event in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the people of Moldova vote in a parliamentary election that will help determine if the country moves closer to the EU or Russia, and scientists say the tiny particles that help form stars and planets are much spongier than previously thought. 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

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 man cycling hundreds of miles dressed as a paramedic gorilla. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world. Presenter: Oliver Conway. Music composed by Iona Hampson

United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme look set to be reintroduced after the failure of a last-ditch diplomatic push to delay them. Iran's president has strongly criticised the US and other UN Security Council members for blocking Russia and China's efforts. Also: Democrats have released a new batch of files relating to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, human rights experts warn that Russia's strategy of repression is spreading to other countries, and the passenger train celebrates its 200th birthday. 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 his address to the UN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and calls Palestinian recognition 'disgraceful'. Dozens of delegates walk out of his speech. Also: more than 200 suspected cyber scammers in Africa are arrested; young Ukrainian soldiers learn leadership skills at a British university; and 66 years after they were first produced in the Soviet Union, India finally pensions off its remaining fleet of Mig 21 fighter jets. 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 former FBI boss James Comey has said he is innocent and welcomes a trial after being indicted on two criminal charges. Donald Trump has been seeking retribution after the FBI investigated his 2016 presidential campaign over possible ties to Russia. Also: TikTok avoids shut down with US operations to be handed to a group of investors, use of the party drug mephedrone soars in Russia, and new research suggests humans may have evolved half a million years earlier than previously thought. 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 former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in jail after he was found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Also: the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas speaks at the United Nations General Assembly via video link, the BBC releases a film calling for international journalists to be allowed into Gaza, and Bolivia’s former anti-drugs chief is arrested after cocaine lab was found on his property. Fake Labubu dolls make up 90 per cent of all counterfeit toys seized at UK borders, Zimbabwe’s quest to become Africa’s blueberry capital, and how yoghurt might have helped the late Maria Branyas Morera live to 117. 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 US immigration staff are facing an unprecedented increase in attacks by what he called 'Deranged Radical Leftists'; he made his comment after a deadly gun attack at an immigration centre in Dallas. 'Anti-ICE' messaging was found on ammunition at the scene. Also: Syria's first head of state to speak at the UN General Assembly for nearly sixty years calls for all sanctions on his country to be lifted, China commits to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by up to ten percent, and we meet the history-making astronauts headed for the Moon. 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

Russia hits back at the US President Donald Trump, after he called the nation a 'paper tiger'. The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said 'Russia is generally associated with a bear. There are no paper bears. Russia is a real bear.' We unpack the importance of words in the US-Russia relationship and whether President Trump’s comments will have any impact on the ground in Ukraine. As Syria’s interim President, Ahmed Al Sharaa, addresses the United Nations General Assembly, Syrians in Damascus give us their opinion. Also: Super Typhoon Ragasa causes chaos in southern China, a landmark deal to slash the price of injectable HIV prevention drugs, and a breakthrough in treating Huntington’s disease. Plus: Denmark’s prime minister apologises to the victims of a forced contraceptive programme in Greenland and Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show returns to our screens, after being suspended by ABC. 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 Kyiv can 'win all of Ukraine back in its original form', marking a major shift in his position on the war with Russia. His comments came after talks with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Also: a super typhoon is heading towards the southern Chinese coast, where hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated. We hear from Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who says he's survived attempts on his life and is a target of Al-Shabaab, an Islamist group affiliated to Al-Qaeda. And, one of the greats of Italian cinema, Claudia Cardinale, has died at the age of 87. We look back at her life. 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 UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has opened the eightieth General Assembly in New York with a warning that some countries are flouting international law. Donald Trump used his address to dismiss the UN as an organisation that had lost its purpose. We also break down the US President and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's unsubstantiated claims linking the use of paracetamol during pregnancy to an increased risk of autism in children. Denmark's prime minister says she's not ruling out Russian involvement after Copenhagen and Oslo airports were closed by drones flying nearby. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, at the same time as increasing ties with Russia. Hong Kong and southern China are bracing for 'super typhoon Ragasa', with schools and businesses closed and shelves reportedly stripped of goods. NASA has announced 10 new astronaut candidates - selected from a pool of eight thousand, and the curious case of a man in South Korea who was prosecuted for taking a snack from an office fridge without permission. 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