US pledges $150m in aid after Venezuelan earthquakes

US pledges $150m in aid after Venezuelan earthquakes

The Trump administration is deploying military assets and a specialised team, as well as millions of dollars in financial aid to help relief efforts in Venezuela. The country's health minister says at least 235 people are now known to have died in Wednesday's powerful earthquakes, and large numbers of people are still unaccounted for. Also: hundreds arrested across Kenya as demonstrators mark two years since a deadly crackdown on youth-led protests. King Charles and Queen Camilla won't move into Buckingham Palace when a $500m refurbishment is completed next year. Scientists discover twin "super-puff" planets that are less dense than candy floss. Researchers manage to read a scroll that was burnt to a crisp in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2000 years ago. And we look at how the tiny nation of Cape Verde has invested in football... as its exceptional run at the Men's Football World Cup continues. 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 Photo: People work to rescue casualties from the rubble of a building in La Guaira after earthquakes hit Venezuela Credit: REUTERS/Gaby Oraa

Over 160 people dead in Venezuela earthquakes

A huge rescue and recovery operation is under way across northern Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck on Wednesday evening, killing more than 160 people and injuring over 1,000. Rescue teams are searching for survivors in Caracas and several other states after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude tremors hit during a national holiday, when many people were at home. Also: in Washington, a meeting between Donald Trump and Republican senators descends into a heated row over Iran; oil prices fall back to pre-war levels after the US and Iran agree a 60-day ceasefire; police arrest the owners of one of Hong Kong’s last independent bookshops; the Vatican begins a five-year laser restoration of Raphael’s sixteenth-century Loggia in the Apostolic Palace in the Italian city of Trieste; Europe's only gender-segregated beach becomes the centre of a row between tourists and locals; and why young South Koreans are placing orders on fake delivery apps. 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 Photo: Apartment buildings damaged by the powerful earthquakes in Catia la Mar, Venezuela, 25 June 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Twin earthquakes strike Venezuela

A state of emergency is declared in Venezuela after two strong earthquakes close to the capital, Caracas. The authorities fear many casualties as rescue operations take place amid the rubble of collapsed buildings. Also: President Trump launches the 250th birthday celebrations of the United States with a campaign-style rally in Washington. The World Health Organization prepares to launch clinical trials next week of two Ebola treatments in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A member of the cult-like group The Zizians has been arrested in the US over the deaths of her parents. Dettol faces a boycott in China after "toxic men" advert backfires. And Euclid space telescope captures largest and most detailed image of our Milky Way with over 60 million stars and 50 exoplanet systems. 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 Photo: Emergency services work at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 24, 2026. Credit: Reuters

Ukraine knocks out power in Russian-occupied Crimea

Ukrainian strikes on energy facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea have left its biggest city, Sevastopol, without power. The Moscow-appointed governor urged residents not to panic. Ukraine has been intensifying attacks across Crimea as it attempts to cut off the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. The authorities have been forced to suspend fuel sales to the public. Also: as sweltering temperatures continue across Europe, tens of thousands of homes are without power in northern France. Temperatures are set to peak across the country on Wednesday during a record-breaking heatwave. The US Senate has approved a measure demanding that President Trump halt the war in Iran or seek congressional approval before continuing military action. And, how a 5-minute walk every hour can make a tangible improvement to our health and could help to get more work done. 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 Photo: A satellite image shows smoke rising from Crimea Bridge, amid Russia-Ukraine conflict, Crimea, June 22, 2026. Credit: Vantor/Handout via REUTERS

Lebanon won't accept any deal unless Israeli troops withdraw

The Lebanese president says he will not accept any peace deal that does not include the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. The two sides met in Washington on Tuesday for a fifth round of talks. Hezbollah has accused Israel of violating the recently-agreed ceasefire claiming IDF soldiers opened fire on a group of civilians in Lebanon killing two people. Also in this podcast: A United Nations-backed commission accuses Israel of deliberately targeting and killing Palestinian children in what it calls a "genocide". Kim Jong Un announces that he's equipping North Korea's navy with nuclear weapons. People across western Europe brace for what's forecast to be the hottest day of the year. Researchers in Australia discover why some memories are more vivid than others. And we hear from the men being paid $50,000 to watch the World 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 Photo: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a press conference in February 2026 Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Azakir