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& Stormont signs off security system worth nearly £1m– a waste of taxpayers’ money?

President Donald Trump says talks held in New York between US and Iranian officials were productive. Earlier in a speech to the UN General Assembly he threatened to annihilate Iran if a deal was not agreed. Also: the US introduces global sanctions that could ground most Iranian aircraft. A Sri Lankan court hands long prison sentences to 15 men in connection with the Easter Sunday bomb attacks in 2...

Wular and Dal lakes are among Kashmir's most famous natural treasures, but decades of pollution, encroachment and neglect have taken their toll. Chhavi Sachdev follows conservationists, farmers and local communities as they attempt an ambitious restoration effort. Along the way, she discovers migratory birds returning, lotus flowers reappearing, and a circular economy transforming ecological waste...

We're assessing where a busy day of diplomacy at the UN General Assembly has left the global oil market. Face-to-face talks have begun between the US and Iran. But President Trump also concedes that a peace deal is unlikely before November. Can the stretched global oil supply survive that long? Also in the show, why are Xboxes on the wane, and why do women screenwriters write better movies? (Pictu...

Alan comes to the rescue, while Pip and Stella face wedding complications.

The prices companies are paying for shipping the fuel have risen 12 fold in the last few months. In that time Brent Crude oil has fallen below 100 dollars a barrel, relieving some pressure that the rising prices have put on inflation around the world. But there are concerns that the shortage in tankers could reverse those falls. Also, Volkswagen's top executive in China says the country's domestic...

BBC reporter Madina Maishanu takes us inside the cells where 37 artisanal miners died last week. Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo says a panel investigating the deaths in Niger State will examine the circumstances of their arrest, detention and whether they were tortured or denied medical care. And, from underground beats to international stages, Morocco’s urban music is going global...

Nicaraguan authorities are alleged to have carried out enforced disappearances, torture and arbitrary detention of political opponents as part of widespread and systematic attacks on civilians. Also: weather experts warn that the El Niño developing in the Pacific Ocean is already the strongest ever recorded. The Star Wars museum, housing George Lucas' vast art collection, finally opens in Los Ange...

Plus, organ donor recipient families on why organ donation matters more than ever.

Same hair, same style, same ways of waking and talking? They might be the 'same person, different font'. Learn how to use this expression with Becca and Feifei. Get a free transcript for this episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak_2026/ep-260921 Have you signed up to our email newsletter yet? If not, what are you waiting for?! Get weekly tips from...

Several US news organisations have temporarily stopped their pooled coverage of White House events, after Donald Trump revoked access for CNN, Politico and MS NOW. The president accused them of writing "lies" about him. Donald Trump has launched his own TV channel in response. Also, the UK's prime minister Andy Burnham has said Britain will provide "defensive air-to-air refuelling" support for Sau...

When President Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland opened its doors and their hearts to Ukrainian refugees. Millions of Ukrainians passed through Poland, getting all kinds of help from local people and from the Polish government. Many stayed. But there has been a dramatic change in feelings towards Ukrainians, particularly in recent months. From over 80% of Poles feel...

Paramount Skydance has settled a lawsuit with dozens of US states, removing a major hurdle to its $110bn (£82.8bn) merger with Warner Bros Discovery. We hear from the Hollywood film editor. Also in the show, we are looking ahead to talks between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping this week and we hear of more passenger chaos, this time in US airports. (Picture: Paramount water tower at Paramount Stud...

Cultural entomologist Bridget Nicholls investigates an intriguing natural phenomenon. An ant becomes infected by a fungus which takes over its nervous system, turning the ant into a vehicle for the fungus’s reproduction and killing the ant in the process. It sounds like science fiction, but it's happening in rainforests around the world. It's a parasitic relationship that has inspired the TV serie...

Ruth has concerns for a friend, and Brad is the topic of debate.

A powerful typhoon passing Japan's east coast is bringing heavy rainfall and major disruption. More than 1.9 million people in and around Tokyo have been told to evacuate. Winds from Typhoon Dujuan have caused power cuts for thousands of people, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. Large events - including the Asian Games and Tokyo Game Show - have been postponed or called off. Also in thi...

Shares in Novo, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy have fallen more than five per cent as the Danish pharmaceutical company sets out its future growth strategy. China and the US talk AI ahead of talks between the countries' leaders this week. And thousands protest in Barcelona against overtourism and plans to expand the city's airport. Presenter: Luke Wilson Producer: Barbara George

For months now, power blackouts have been disrupting life and business for thousands of people in Gambia. The crisis has recently sparked protests in the capital Banjul and surrounding areas and at least 20 people have been arrested. The country's main power provider, NAWEC, says the outage is the result of rising demand, limits on electricity imports, and technical challenges. As public frustrati...

American journalist Austin Tice, vanished in Syria, but the US president says he’s alive. For more than a decade Austin's mother Debra has been leading the search for her son. As Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat travel to Syria to help Austin’s mother’s search, a source gives Josh information that might unlock where he is.

Stephen Watson speaks with Naomi Long & Gavin Robinson as well as Carol Little

Terrified', 'fantastic', 'amazing' - learn how to use strong adjectives. Find Learning English Grammar: ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus NEWSLETTER: ✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters L...

Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls a state election result in Germany a "disaster" for his ruling CDU party but vows to remain in office. Preliminary results indicate the CDU has suffered heavy losses to the far-right AfD party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while in Berlin it was defeated by the far-left party Die Linke. Also: US officials say 18 suspects in the assassination of the Haitian presi...

With Presidents Xi and Trump expected to meet in the United States this week, Will Bain looks back on the history of trade between the two great nations. It's always been fraught with controversy but there's also been a need or desire to get along. President Nixon was the first to visit China in 1972 and spoke with passion about the possibilities for the future between them. Trade then grew quickl...

As the midterm elections in America approach, the economy is one of the deciding factors for how people will vote. Before his second term started, President Trump promised to tackle the so-called affordabilty crisis. But since then, the war in Iran has led to soaring gas prices and a range of tariffs have made some goods more expensive. How do global events impact people’s finances and in turn how...

Natasha throws a spanner in the works, and Eddie is left touched.