Global News Podcast

President Trump says a short truce between Russia and Ukraine was agreed at his request. They've also each pledged to release 1,000 prisoners-of-war. The deal coincides with Russia's commemorations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. A big parade in Moscow's Red Square has been scaled back, with no tanks or missiles. Also: Britain's prime minister, Keir Starmer, is facing r...

Britain's right-wing populist party Reform makes gains as votes are counted in local elections. With a promise to reduce immigration, the party looks set to win council seats across the country, mostly at the expense of the more centrist Labour and Conservatives. Also: South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa faces calls to resign after a court rules he will be investigated over the theft of more...

The US says it struck Iranian military facilities after Iran targeted American warships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran claims the US was violating the ceasefire. President Trump says the ceasefire is still intact. Also: Russia prepares to celebrate Victory Day amid fears Ukraine may launch a drone attack. Fashion companies prepare for the introduction of strict new sustainability laws in Eu...

US media reports say what's being considered is a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran, which could set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations. A senior member of Iran's parliament has dismissed it as a "wish list", while a foreign ministry spokesman said Tehran would share its views of a US proposal with Pakistani mediators. Pakistan's foreign minister said his country was "...

For years, Ukraine has been one of the world’s leading hubs for commercial surrogacy - attracting couples from around the world with lower costs and more relaxed laws. Despite Russia’s full-scale invasion, the industry has continued to operate. But now, a proposed law being debated in Ukraine’s parliament could ban surrogacy for foreign parents. Also: Rumours are swirling that a US-Iran deal could...

US media and Pakistan negotiators suggest Washington and Tehran are close to agreeing a deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran. Donald Trump has warned the bombing would be more intense than before if Iran doesn’t agree to peace deal. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces continue to strike Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Also: The World Health Organization has confirmed an eighth case of Ha...

President Trump is pausing efforts to help ships get through the Strait of Hormuz, amid what he called "great progress" towards a peace agreement with Iran. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi holds talks in China to discuss the conflict. Also: President Zelensky has condemned the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine, which left more than twenty people dead; Spain says it'll let a cruis...

The World Health Organization says there may have been human-to-human transmission of a rare respiratory virus usually spread by rodents onboard a cruise ship off Africa's west coast. Three passengers have died and another is seriously ill. The ship was denied permission to dock in Cape Verde after cases of hantavirus were confirmed. The WHO says the risk to the global population is "low". Also: t...

Growing fears for the ceasefire in the Middle East after the US and Iran trade fire as American forces try to open up the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. President Trump said two US-flagged merchant vessels were able to transit the waterway. The UAE said Iran also launched cruise missiles and drones towards its oil facilities. Also: Two people are killed and several others injured when a...

The US military says its warships have helped two US-flagged vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz, breaking an Iranian blockade. It's denied Iranian reports that one warship had been forced to turn back. Also: More than 30 world leaders - including the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney - attend the European Political Community summit in the former Soviet republic of Armenia, to discuss the con...

The US is set to deploy navy destroyers, aircraft and troops in an operation to guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz from Monday. President Trump called "Project Freedom" a humanitarian gesture, but Iran has warned that any US interference would be considered a violation of the ceasefire. Meanwhile, human rights groups have accused the authorities inside Iran of carrying out widesprea...

Since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, there has been an ongoing debate over the role played by Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in convincing Donald Trump to go to war. But when it comes to ceasefire announcements, it has been the US President taking the lead - if the Israelis are present at all. So when it comes to ending the wars in Iran and Lebanon, are the Americans leavin...

President Trump is criticised by senior figures in his own Republican Party, as he doubles down on a plan to pull out more than 5000 US troops from Germany. What will a withdrawal mean for global security? Also: Britain's Prime Minister suggests banning some pro-Palestinian protests; JNIM militants launch a large-scale operation in Mali; we meet a former Russian soldier who's fled the fighting in...

We meet a woman who started running marathons topless after having both her breasts removed because of cancer. Louise Butcher tells us she wanted to display her mastectomy scars with pride. She says she wants to empower other women and show that surviving the disease is about power not pity. Also: Preserving voice notes from almost a hundred years ago. The so called 'speaking letters' were recorde...

One report says the US may deploy a hypersonic missile in the Middle East for the first time, as part of efforts to put pressure on Iran to reach a deal. This comes as a deadline passed for Donald Trump to secure authorisation from the US Congress to continue the war against Iran. US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, argues President Trump does not have to comply with the War Powers Resolution beca...

Myanmar's military government says the detained democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been moved to house arrest, and her sentence reduced to 18 years. State media have shown a picture of the Nobel laureate sitting with two uniformed men. Her son says the published image is old and he has had no reassurance that his mother is still alive. Also: Republicans and Democrats clash over a deadline for...

Saudi Arabia will withdraw its multi-billion dollar backing of LIV Golf at the end of the season, plunging the future of the series into further doubt. LIV was formed as a breakaway from the longstanding PGA tour, offering large sums to lure away some of golf's top players. The move was always seen as controversial - human rights groups accused Saudi Arabia of using sports sponsorship to distract...

An Australian inquiry into an antisemitic mass shooting at Bondi Beach which killed 15 people has recommended that the authorities should bolster security at Jewish events. The royal commission's interim report revealed that an Australian Jewish group had warned of a terrorist attack just days before the incident. The Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese says major changes have already been...

Russia has announced that its annual military parade in Moscow, which commemorates its victory in World War Two, will be scaled back this year because of the threat from Ukraine. For the first time since 1945, there will be no armoured vehicles or missiles systems on show across Red Square. Also: the British Government rules that a woman abused by the late Harrods owner Mohammed El-Fayed was a vic...

President Trump has called the bond between the US and the UK a friendship "unlike any other on Earth" at a state dinner attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla. Earlier in a historic address speech to Congress, King Charles praised NATO and said the UK-US partnership was more important than ever. We ask if these warm words can repair the two countries' relations. Also: The former FBI director,...

The United Arab Emirates says quitting the Opec and Opec+ groups of major oil producing nations will provide more flexibility. The move is being seen as a blow to the groups' de facto leader Saudi Arabia. Also, Russia has accused Ukraine of destabilising global energy markets after renewed drone strikes caused a huge fire at an oil refinery in the Black Sea port of Tuapse. At least 15 people have...

The Californian man suspected of trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington attended by President Trump and other senior administration figures is due in court to face charges of assaulting a federal officer and using a firearm during a violent crime. King Charles and Queen Camilla are preparing to arrive in the US capital for a state visit amid heightened security. Iran'...

Warning: this episode includes discussions of child sexual abuse and upsetting scenes. The BBC has been following a global team of undercover officers as they investigate the most hidden corners of the internet to stop those who exploit and harm children. A dedicated network of specialist investigators has successfully tracked and caught serial paedophiles who operate across the dark web with the...

A person is in custody after shots fired at event with President Trump. He praised the secret service operative who'd intercepted him. The US president and the first lady were unharmed. Also with Mr Trump was the US Vice-President, JD Vance, the Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, and other members of the president's cabinet. In other news, the latest hopes for a new round of talks between Iran and t...

Ari wanted to help his brother Ben engage with the world after he lost the ability to walk, talk or move his hands. So he designed and built him a bespoke communication and entertainment system - allowing him to chat, go online, watch TV or play video games with just two buttons. Also: the endangered Mexican amphibian found in a river in the UK. Experts say the young girl who captured the axolotl...