Global News Podcast

Iranian state media says air defence systems were activated in several cities including Isfahan and Tabriz. Also: people in India begin voting in the first round of a seven phase general election, and the four fastest finishers in Beijing's half marathon have their prizes withdrawn.

President William Ruto declares 3 days of national mourning. Two survivors have been taken to hospital. Also: A Palestinian bid for full membership of the UN is vetoed by the US at the Security Council, and why so many of China's major cities are sinking.

Talks on the Italian island of Capri also include the Middle East crisis. Also: We hear from an Israeli hostage released last year whose husband is still captive in Gaza, Germany arrests two Russian dual nationals suspected of planning sabotage attacks, and what to do about fire ants in Australia.

The vote on the 95 billion dollar bill is set for Saturday and includes more military funding for Israel, as well as humanitarian aid for Gaza. Also: Israel says it will make its own decision amid calls for restraint in the wake of Iran's unprecedented attack at the weekend, and could 2 fossilised jawbones found in southern England be from the biggest marine reptile ever to have lived?

President Zelensky calls for more air defences after a missile attack kills at least 14. He described the attack in Chernihiv, which destroyed an eight-story building and damaged a hospital, as Russian terror. Also: A BBC investigation uncovers the death of more than 50,000 Russians in the war, and a controversial emoji forces Apple to update its software. All this and more in the podcast with the top news stories from around the world - from the BBC World Service.

All aid for Gaza is subject to strict Israeli security checks. The UN is also calling on Israel to do more to stop the escalating violence in the West Bank. Also: Belgian police told to shut down meeting of right-wing European politicians in Brussels, and is France's culinary reputation in decline?

As Israel's war cabinet meets to decide how to respond to Iran's drone attack, its allies urge restraint. Also: fighting continues in Gaza, and Copenhagen's iconic stock exchange is engulfed by fire.

The former US President Donald Trump denies trying to disguise a hush money payment to an adult film star in 2016. Also, donors pledge more than $2bn in aid for Sudan, and record ocean temperatures have caused the mass bleaching of coral across large parts of the world's seas.

Almost nine million people have been displaced and the UN is warning of looming famine. Also: Israel is still considering its response to Iran's attack at the weekend, and China investigates whether three African runners allowed a Chinese competitor to win a key race.

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, was speaking at a Security Council emergency meeting on Iran's missile and drone attacks on Israel. Also: Haiti's main political parties urge the outgoing prime minister, Ariel Henry, to speed up the installation of a new transitional council, and the teenager with a memory like an encyclopedia..

Israel says it intercepted vast majority of missiles and drones fired by Iran. Iran said the attack "achieved all its objectives". President Biden to discuss diplomatic response with other G7 leaders amid international calls for restraint. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting later.

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military was "ready for any scenario". Sirens were heard as Israel's air defences came into operation.

This week, we meet the 105 year-old man celebrating his thirteenth total solar eclipse. Also: The AI technology giving back a voice to the voiceless. And our intrepid reporter goes in search of the crookie.

A nine-member political body, tasked with filling the leadership vacuum in Haiti, has been created although their names have not been made public. Also: the US says Iran could attack Israel with drones and missiles within hours, and a Norwegian minister resigns over plagiarism claims.

The BBC gets rare access to one affected area in Sudan. Also: Belgium has opened an investigation into suspected Russian interference in the European Parliament, and how did a star manage to explode giving off more light than ever seen before?

In what was dubbed the trial of the century, in 1994 he was accused of murdering Nicole Brown, and her friend. Also: The Colombian capital Bogota begins rationing water to millions because of a prolonged drought that has left reservoirs exhausted, and a Japanese astronaut is set to become the first non-American to set foot on the Moon during one of NASA's upcoming Artemis missions.

A court says she was the mastermind behind a scheme to defraud the Saigon Commercial Bank of more than forty billion dollars over a ten-year period. Also: President Zelensky makes a plea for more air defences, and the death is announced in Japan of the first foreign-born sumo champion - Akebono.

In Rafah in southern Gaza, prayers were held beside the ruins of al-Farouk mosque, destroyed in Israeli bombardments. Also: Israel cofirms the killing in Gaza of three sons of the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and the European Parliament approves sweeping new asylum rules aimed at transforming how refugees and migrants are processed.

More than 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate with warnings that the situation will worsen. We hear from the Russian side of the border with Kazakhstan. Also: Chinese President Xi has hosted the former leader of Taiwan in a historic meeting, and we'll tell you what to do when you're angry.

It joins more than 12 other states where abortions have been largely outlawed since the federal right to a termination was removed two years ago. Also: Gaza receives its largest airdrop of aid in six months, and the British scientist who gave his name to a subatomic particle -- the Higgs bosun -- has died at the age of 94.

Europe's human rights court ruled that their rights were violated by climate inaction. Also: trial begins of 27 people charged in connection with the Panama Papers scandal, and Scrabble gets a makeover.

A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle was witnessed by millions across the continent. Also: Trump says let US states decide abortion rights, and scientists say Long Covid blood clues could prompt future trials.

It comes despite the group not being recognised as legal residents of Myanmar. Also: We return to the Ukrainian town of Bucha two years after a massacre by Russian troops, Boeing plane forced to land as engine cover falls off and Back to Black stars defend Amy Winehouse biopic.

Israel's military says it has completed its mission in Khan Younis and its troops will rotate out. Also: IAEA urges restraint after a drone attack on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and a British man becomes the first person to run the length of Africa.

The protests in Israel came after the IDF recovered the body in Gaza of an abducted Israeli. Also: Slovakia's presidential election has been won by a nationalist who's sceptical of sending military aid to Ukraine, and fans from around the world flock to the village where the British popstar Harry Styles grew up.

This week, the remarkable rescue of a reindeer herder from Lapland's frozen wilderness. Also: how music is helping refugees heal from war in Uganda. And how a young sumo wrestler has earned a place in the history books

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called the killing of aid staff in the convoy a "grave accident". Also: thousands evacuated after Russian dam breach, and a missing Californian dog is found over three thousand kilometres from home.

A report says the incident was a grave mistake caused by an identification error. Also, a senior WHO official says the humanitarian situation in Sudan is catastrophic; and flood warnings are issued across south-eastern Australia after heavy rain.

Joe Biden says US support for Israel will depend on steps being taken to 'address civilian harm' and 'humanitarian suffering' in Gaza. Also: Peru's congress votes against impeaching President Dina Boluarte who's being investigated for corruption in a scandal over her Rolex watches, and we mark the 28th anniversary of the Lara Croft video game franchise.

Nato's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, hails its success as Ukraine pleads for more missiles. Mr Stoltenberg stressed helping Ukraine is not in question. Also: Emergency workers in Taiwan say more than 600 people remain trapped after Wednesday's strong earthquake, and as veteran hard rockers Kiss sell off their back catalogue for $300 million we hear from co-founder Gene Simmons.

In a rare admission, Israel said its attack on a humanitarian convoy which killed seven aid workers was a tragic error that had occurred due to a misidentification. Also: The French parliament tries its hand at Britain's often raucous Prime Ministers Questions, and the dead politicians appearing on the campaign trail for this month's general election in India, thanks to AI.

Israel's promised an independent investigation after the air attack on an aid convoy on Monday. Also: the secrets of how a new pope is elected are revealed, and Greenwich Moon Time? US scientists are asked to come up with a universal time zone for the Moon where time moves more quickly than on Earth.

Israel has expressed deep sorrow over the incident, in which at least seven foreign aid workers were killed. Also: Joe Biden and Xi Jinping hold their first direct talks since last November, and why it's been a bumper year for billionaires who've accrued an extra $2trn.

Prime Minister Netanyahu calls the air strike in Gaza on Sunday unintentional. Also, Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal becomes Africa's youngest elected president, and a row about the German national football team's shirts.

A senior Iranian commander was among at least seven killed in the attack on a consulate building in the Syrian capital. Israel has not commented. Also: Russia denies media reports that its agents are behind a mystery illness that's affected US diplomats, and warnings of exceptionally hot days for months to come in India.

Dozens of bodies found as Israeli forces withdraw from al-Shifa hospital. The Hamas-run health service says it's now completely out of service. Also: Turkey's opposition wins big in local elections on a night of heavy defeats for the party of President Erdogan. And hundreds of people turn out to mark the closure of an independent bookstore in Hong Kong.

In its strongest-ever showing the CHP is well ahead of President Erdogan's AK party in many urban centres. Also: Israel's prime minister says negotiation and military force is still the best way of securing the release of the Gaza hostages, and how football's Homeless World Cup changed lives.

A police investigation in Peru began after a news report drew attention to luxury watches President Dina Boluarte was wearing at public events. Also: data from millions of AT&T telecom accounts leaked online, and who is stealing souvenirs from the US president's official aircraft, Air Force One.

Ten-year-old Zeke and his mum want your help to track down a Japanese football fan who gave him a much loved football shirt. Also: the woman who broke eleven running records in six days, the elephant seals tracking climate change, and some very rare baby frogs.

Donald Tusk says if Ukraine is defeated by Russia, nobody in Europe will be able to feel safe. Also: Iranian TV host stabbed outside London home, and South Africa wants to preserve its wild animals by eating them.

An eight-year-old girl is the only survivor as 45 die after the vehicle fell 50 metres into a ravine. Also: a new discovery may provide an alternative to surgery for those with the breast cancer gene, and Oppenheimer premieres in Japan to mixed reactions.

Co-founder of the failed crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, defrauded customers and investors of his now-bankrupt firm. Also: France moves closer to a ban on hair discrimination, and study says climate change could affect timekeeping.

Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his nation would not be cowed into submission after 'constant attacks' by the Chinese coastguard. Also: The new test that could detect early signs of motor neurone disease, and the author of The Gruffalo on the book's enduring popularity after 25 years.

They were abruptly cancelled by the Israeli Prime Minister after Washington did not veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Also: UN investigators accuse the Burmese military of being behind an online hate campaign against the Rohingya minority ahead of a brutal crackdown in 2017, and Bruce Springsteen becomes the first international songwriter to be awarded a UK Ivors Academy Fellowship.

Thai parliament approves the marriage equality bill by a big majority. It still needs approval from the senate and royal endorsement to become law. Also: Investigators in the US recover the data recorder from the ship that destroyed a bridge in Baltimore, and a European firm which built a flying car has sold the technology to China.

The US president says the federal government will pay for the entire cost of repairs after a vessel lost power in one of America's busiest shipping lanes and hit the bridge. Also: After hearing rival arguments, US Supreme Court judges appear unlikely to limit access to a widely-used abortion drug; and why the future of Germany's beloved sausage dog could be under threat.

Rescuers searching Patapsco river for survivors after ship collision. Also: China former football chief jailed for bribery, could adult nappies overtake children's ones in Japan and AI generated recipes.

It's the first time the Security Council has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas since the war began in October. Also: Donald Trump wins more time to post bond in his New York fraud case, but fails in his attempt to delay his criminal trial over alleged hush money payments, and the Oscar winning British actress Olivia Colman on why she would be paid much more if her name was Oliver.

President Emmanuel Macron warns Russia against trying to blame Ukraine for deadly militant attack on a Moscow concert venue. Also: Apple, Alphabet, and Google to be investigated by the EU, and scientists to hunt for mysterious 'ghost' particles.

People queued to lay flowers at a makeshift shrine to the victims of the atrocity. Two men have been charged with committing an act of terrorism. Also: In a rare audio statement, the reclusive leader of the Afghan Taliban warns that the movement will toughen how they enforce their version of Islamic law, and Senegal holds its delayed Presidential poll peacefully.

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky says it's 'absolutely predictable' Russia would seek to divert blame for Friday's shooting attack near Moscow. Russia's president Vladimir Putin implicated Ukraine in a televised address, as the death toll rises to 133. Also: Hamas says 19 people were killed while queuing for aid in Gaza, and why onions are proving to be a key issue ahead of India's election.

The Russian president says people in Ukraine were ready to help the gunmen flee accross the border before they were arrested by Russian authorities. Ukraine has denied any involvement. Also: the role of social media in the Princess of Wales' revelation of cancer treatment, and the personal story behind the rap sensation, Lil Nas X.

This week, Finland has been voted the happiest country in the world for the seventh year running, we find out why. Also: The mountain rescue team who survived a helicopter crash and saved a man stranded in a crevasse. And ding dong, who's there, a fish!

The Princess of Wales revealed she is undergoing chemotherapy after receiving major abdominal surgery in January. It follows weeks of speculation about her wellbeing. Also: at least 40 people have been killed after a shooting at a Moscow concert hall, and there are further signs of a growing rift between Israel and its strongest ally, the United States, over the war in Gaza.

Up to a million people left without power after Russian missiles targeted energy infrastructure. Also: Russia and China block US call for immediate Gaza ceasefire at UN, and the real reason your baby smells nice, while your teenager doesn't.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, was speaking in Cairo after talks with senior ministers from Arab countries. Also: US government accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone market, and first-ever pig kidney transplant into a living human hailed a success.

The Americans have submitted a draft resolution to the UN calling for an end to fighting. Also: the European Union looks set to clamp down on unpaid internships, and why there's so much excitement around a newborn in an Athens zoo.

The BBC has been given graphic accounts of rape and ethnic violence in Sudan. Also: French regulators impose a fine on Google of more than $270m for violating intellectual property rules, and an age limit is being imposed on retinol skin products being sold in Sweden.

Polish farmers are blocking roads and border crossings in protest against the EU agreement to extend duty free imports of Ukrainian produce. Also: The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is back in the Middle East for the sixth time since the war in Gaza began, and we find out how China is dealing with its ageing population.

The country has been rocked by weeks of violence after gangs raided prisons, released thousands of inmates and forced the prime minister to resign. Also: The US Supreme Court refuses to block a law in Texas that allows the state to detain and deport suspected illegal migrants, and Google develops an Artificial Intelligence football coach to help teams improve their performance.

Authorities say Article 23 is necessary for stability, but critics fear it will further erode civil liberties. Also: The US urges Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, and a world tour for 'those' ruby slippers before they are sold at auction.

The UN-backed report says famine is expected between now and May in the north of Gaza. Also: Donald Trump's lawyers say he can't raise the multi-million dollar bond he needs to appeal against a civil fraud judgement, and could robopets help reduce loneliness?

The president says his victory will allow Russia to become stronger and more effective. Also: The Israeli prime minister promises that Palestinian civilians will be able to leave Rafah before Israeli forces launch their assault on the southern Gazan city, and what's the secret to happiness?

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. What keeps China’s president up at night? The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC, with Katya Adler. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Moscow accuses Ukraine of 'terrorism' and 'sabotage' aimed at disrupting the ongoing presidential election. Also: The largest democratic exercise in the world - the Indian elections - will take place over six weeks from April, and why the lavish French banquet has become more of a frugal feast.

This week, the singer Jordan Davis tells us how the need for more positive and uplifting stories inspired his latest song, Good News Sold. Also: the school children surfing the web without internet access, and the birth of a rare, bright orange baby monkey.

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said synthetic drugs were now the number one killer of Americans between the ages of eighteen and forty-five. Also: Georgia prosecutor's ex-lover resigns from Trump case, and python meat could soon be on the menu!

Vladimir Putin is certain to win six more years in office. Also: The first ship carrying aid to Gaza has arrived off the coast of the territory, and a new biography reflects on artist Keith Haring's life.

The US Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer sharply criticises the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu accusing him of prioritising his "political survival". Also: Elon Musk's Starship goes "farther than ever", and $500k sand dune built to protect holiday homes in US washes away in days.

Survivors say the engine cut out three days into their crossing, leaving them without food or water. Also: Our Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg is on the campaign trail ahead of this weekend's Presidential election, and a new campaign hopes to give slugs an image makeover.

Alexei Navalny ally Leonid Volkov says a man working on behalf of Vladimir Putin attacked him outside his home with a meat hammer. Also, child mortality at a record low; another mass kidnapping in Nigeria; and the sounds of coral reefs.

Ariel Henry has stepped down and a transitional presidential council will be established. Also: An aid ship towing two hundred tonnes of humanitarian assistance is on its way to Gaza, and X-rays reveal the secrets of a 280 year old violin.

The US says it's trying to help deploy a multinational police force to Haiti which is descending into anarchy. Also: the authors whose work is being used to develop AI without their permission, and the fake pieces of Russian art that have been sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The blockbuster biopic won seven awards, including best picture, best director and best actor. Also: The start of Ramadan brings no relief for the people of Gaza, and Princess Kate says sorry over the confusion caused by her editing of a family photograph.

It has strongly rejected a call by Pope Francis for Kyiv to negotiate an end to its war with Russia and have 'the courage to raise the white flag'. Ukraine's foreign minister says it will never raise any flags other than its own. Also: EU diplomats leave Haiti as gang violence intensifies, and the premier of the Australian island state of Tasmania promises to build the world's largest chocolate fountain if he's re-elected.

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. Could just 100,000 people decide the US election? The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC, with Katya Adler. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Fifteen students and four women were taken from a school in the state of Sokoto. The army is still searching for hundreds abducted in Kaduna state on Thursday. Also: Indonesia investigates how two pilots fell asleep at the controls for almost half an hour, and scientists report a breakthrough in the quest to resurrect the woolly mammoth.

This week, how Nasa is harnessing the power of sound to help people visualise the universe. Also: we meet the man making bees whoop. And the woman making history in college basketball.

The UN says a quarter of the population in the Palestinian territory are on the brink of famine. Also: The UN's nuclear watchdog says its specialists have heard several explosions near the Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine, and the creator of one of Japan's most popular comics of all time has died.

The address was the last of its kind before the US election in November. Also: US and EU plan to bring large scale humanitarian aid into Gaza by sea, and new reports of mass bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef.

Giving his annual State of the Union address, the US President accused Donald Trump of "bowing down" before Russia and said the US would not back down from supporting Ukraine. Also: Gunmen on motorbikes have reportedly seized more than 100 schoolchildren in the second mass kidnapping this week in Nigeria, and anticipation mounts ahead of a heavyweight boxing bout in Saudi Arabia.

President Biden will announce the plan in his State of the Union address. The facility would allow the US, its allies and aid organisations to bring in food, water and medicine. Also: Gunmen on motorbikes have reportedly seized more than 100 schoolchildren in the second mass kidnapping in Nigeria this week, and anticipation mounts ahead of a heavyweight boxing bout in Saudi Arabia.

It had been hoped a 40-day ceasefire could be in place for the start of Ramadan. Hamas said talks would be ongoing until agreement is reached. Also: India's Hindu nationalist Prime Minister makes a controversial visit to Kashmir, and why criminal gangs are targeting song birds in Cyprus.

It says the top UN court must act to prevent a catastrophic famine. Also: Ukraine's southern city of Odesa is hit by a deadly missile strike; and the surprising reason a K-pop star has apologised to her fans.

But Nikki Haley drops out of the Republican presidential race. Also: Alexei Navalny's widow calls for an election day protest against Putin; and the Oscar nominated film about an LA repair shop that fixes musical instruments for free.

People across the country vote in the biggest day in the 2024 election so far. Also, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, supports a Czech initiative to secure hundreds of thousands of artillery shells for Ukraine, and Italy welcomes the first of hundreds of migrants from Libya.

The vessel was 'attacked by drones' near the Crimean peninsula. Moscow has not yet commented. Also: As China battles economic setbacks, it's announced an ambitious growth target and a boost to military spending; and more than a dozen US states pick their presidential choice in Super Tuesday elections.

The nine judges unanimously ruled Mr Trump can contest the Republican presidential primary in Colorado, overruling the state's decision to disqualify him for his part in the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Also: the US Vice President urges Israel to get more aid into Gaza during meeting with an influential member of the Israeli war cabinet, and Ghana's finance ministry warns new anti-gay laws could put the country at risk of losing billions of dollars in economic aid.

Armed gangs stormed prisons, leading to thousands of freed inmates. Also: fake AI images being used to falsely portray black voters alongside Donald Trump, and a joint US-Russian crew blasts off for the International Space Station.

The US Vice President calls for an immediate ceasefire saying that Palestinians had suffered too much for too long. Also: armed gangs in Haiti have stormed a prison, helping up to four-thousand inmates escape, and the mystery of star dunes is solved.

A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast. Trump’s trouble with abortion. The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC, with Katya Adler. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

It comes amid a growing humanitarian catastrophe in the heavily populated territory after months of Israeli military operations against Hamas. Also: Germany launches an investigation into an apparent intercept of its military officers discussing sensitive details about the conflict in Ukraine, and the American fashion icon, Iris Apfel, dies at the age of 102.

This week, a former professor donates $1 billion to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Also: the felines and felons providing mutual support in Chile, and do apes have a sense of humour?

The White House says it's also redoubling its efforts to open a maritime corridor for humanitarian supplies as ten children are reported to have died from starvation. Also: Elon Musk sues OpenAI - the artificial intelligence firm he co-founded - for breach of contract saying it's abandoned its non- profit mission, and could skiing on Europe's mountain slopes become a thing of the past?

Thousands took to the streets chanting anti-Putin slogans, despite a heavy police presence. Also: growing calls for a full investigation into Israel's role in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians trying to get aid in Gaza; and researchers say one billion people around the world are now classed as obese

More than a hundred Palestinians were killed and many more wounded as they tried to get desperately needed food from the convoy in northern Gaza. Also: President Biden and Donald Trump visit the US- Mexico border to address the surge in immigration - a crucial issue in this year's presidential election, and the French footballer, Paul Pogba, says he'll appeal against a four-year ban for doping.

Mr Putin made his comments his in state of the nation address ahead of elections next month. Also: Hamas health officials say more than 30,000 Palestinians have now been killed in Israel's offensive. And meet the people who can only celebrate their birthday every four years.

The US Senate's longest-serving Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, has announced he's stepping down from his leadership position in November. Also: US reacts to breakaway region of Transnistria asking Russia for "protection from Moldova", and the scientist who produced an award-winning music video to illustrate his PhD on kangaroos.

Other aid deliveries into the territory have already been suspended because of looting. Also: France's Nato allies reject idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine, and the owners of a wonky public house in England have been ordered to rebuild it.