Meta 'hid the truth' over child safety, US court hears

Meta 'hid the truth' over child safety, US court hears

The technology giant Meta has gone on trial in California over allegations its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, are deliberately designed to keep young people hooked. Nearly thirty US states are seeking changes to the platforms and financial penalties amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars. California's prosecutor told the court Meta had put profits over safety and deliberately misled the public. Meta strongly denies the accusations. Also: the United States announces sanctions against the president and a senior lawyer of the International Criminal Court; the head of the WHO warns that the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is far from being under control; Earl Spencer is to publish a book telling the life story of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, from his perspective; and could tree shrews help us correct short sightedness in humans? 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 [globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk] Photo: The Meta logo is displayed on a mobile phone in Liverpool, Britain, 09 June 2026. Credit: Photo by ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA/Shutterstock

Russia says Ukraine launched over 600 drones towards Moscow

Ukraine says at least 17 people were killed in overnight Russian attacks, with most of the deaths in the north-eastern Kharkiv region. In one attack in the city of Kharkiv at least 10 people - including children - were killed and several others injured after a Russian air strike hit an apartment block. Moscow has threatened the UK with "consequences" after it was confirmed that Ukraine used British-made drones in recent attacks. Also: a court in Syria has issued a death sentence to a cousin of the ousted leader, Bashar al-Assad, after convicting him of crimes including murder and torture during the country's civil war. Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term. Scientists say the impact of rising global temperatures on the health of older people has been significantly underestimated. And why sheep farmers in Wales are feeling happier. 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 [globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk] Photo: Drone launched by Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv region, Ukraine Credit: Reuters

Meta faces landmark trial on child privacy

A six week jury trial is about to get underway in California, which could pose the biggest threat yet to Meta's operations. A coalition of US states have accused the parent company of Facebook and Instagram of putting profits ahead of children's safety, by deliberately designing platforms to be addictive to young users. A Meta spokesperson said the claims were "unsubstantiated", and the company stood by its record of creating strong protection for teenagers. The states are seeking upwards of $1 trillion from Meta. Also: President Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has failed to overturn Israel's objections to a US backed Gaza peace plan after two days of talks in the Middle East. The US President has also threatened to bomb Oman - a US ally - if it "gets in the way" of his administration's own talks with Iran. Fifa has sacked its chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, weeks after he criticised the organisation’s president, Gianni Infantino. As Russia and Ukraine trade more deadly strikes, the deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence service, GUR, tells the BBC he expects the coming winter months to be harder for civilians than last year. Russia's prominent anti-war politician Lev Shlosberg has been sentenced to eleven years in prison for criticising the conflict in Ukraine. Witnesses have begun giving testimony in the long awaited murder trial of the American rapper, Tupac Shakur. A special report on Germany's efforts to tackle small boat crossings by migrants to the UK. And how the success of Italian athletes with African heritage at the European Athletics Championships could combat racism in Italy. 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 [globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk] FILE PHOTO: People are seen behind a logo of Meta Platforms, during a conference in Mumbai, India, September 20, 2023. PhotoCredit: REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File

Trump envoy in Israel for Gaza peace negotiations

President Trump's Middle East envoy, Jared Kushner, meets Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for Gaza peace talks. It comes a day after he held negotiations with Hamas officials in Cairo. Also, China's leader, Xi Jinping, makes a rare reference to the killing of protesters in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in 1989. We look back at the life of the US actress Hayden Panettiere, who has died aged 36. We hear about the British prime minister, Andy Burnham, who thought he was messaging a senior White House official, but wasn't, and about a Ferrari car which no longer has the traditional engine roar. 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. Photo:Jared Kushner speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026. Credit: Photo by GIAN EHRENZELLER/EPA/Shutterstock Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk [globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk]

Trump orders cuts to US-South Korea drills, citing ties with Kim Jong Un

Donald Trump has ordered a substantial reduction in joint US-South Korea military exercises, saying they are "too expensive" and risk damaging his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In a post on Truth Social, he also noted that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in the "denuclearisation" of Iran. Also: Russia and Ukraine trade deadly attacks, with a well-known book market in Kyiv among the targets; Brazil’s presidential campaign gets under way; a 60-day US-Iran agreement expires without resolving key disputes; four paintings by Renaissance master Antonello da Messina are stolen from his hometown of Messina in Sicily; Cameroon makes history by winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time; and the alarming lengths that some social media influencers are going to for a photo close up with a shark. 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 [globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk] Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019. Credit: Reuters