Global News Podcast

Israel approves death penalty for October 7 attackers

Parliament in Israel passes a law to set up special military trials for Palestinians accused of taking part in the deadly Hamas-led attack in October 2023. The tribunal will be able to sentence those convicted to death. Also in this podcast: the European Union approves new sanctions against Israeli settlers accused of “supporting the extremist and violent colonisation of the West Bank". Ministers start to resign from Keir Starmer's government, as the embattled British prime minister fights to stay in office. The UN says more than 400 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan since a cross-border conflict with Pakistan broke out in October last year. A senator in the Philippines takes refuge inside parliament to avoid arrest over his alleged role in former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. President Emmanuel Macron co-hosts the "Africa Forward Summit" in Kenya, to try to reset France's relationship with the continent. And new research suggests participating in the arts slows the ageing process. 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

Pressure mounts on Starmer to resign as British PM

More than 70 MPs from Britain's governing Labour party have publicly called on the prime minister Keir Starmer to stand down, following disastrous local elections results. Several senior ministers have urged him to set a timetable for his departure. Earlier Keir Starmer insisted he would not quit, and would fight any leadership challenge. Also: Iran says it is ready to respond to any aggression, after President Trump dismissed its latest peace proposals and said the ceasefire was on "life support". Researchers are warning that increased ship traffic off South Africa, due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is causing dangers for whales. Our correspondent returns home to Khartoum, which was battered during Sudan's civil war. The last remaining passengers are evacuated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship, as the crew sets course for the Netherlands where it will dock for disinfection. We look at how AI centres are causing a shortage of memory chips, pushing up prices of tech products. The hugely popular online puzzle Wordle is being turned into a TV game show. And we're at the Cannes Film Festival with the inside track on movies to look out for this year. 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

Iran says its peace terms - rejected by US - are 'generous'

Donald Trump calls Iran's counter offer to end the war "totally unacceptable". Iran defends its proposals, saying they are "generous". Tehran wants the release of its frozen foreign assets, an immediate end to the war on all fronts and a halt to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. Also: the final passengers from the cruise ship with hantavirus are repatriated. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, speaks of his hopes for a new deal with the EU, as he tries to shore up support after last week's dismal election results. The former Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, is met by cheering crowds in Bangkok after being released from prison. And the holiday hotels looking to ensure that all their guests get a sun lounger. 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

Evacuation begins of hantavirus ship

A complex repatriation of passengers on board the cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has begun, with more than 90 of the 150 people on board disembarking on Sunday. Most of those who have left the MV Hondius have been repatriated to their home countries on specially chartered flights, while Spanish health workers and the World Health Organization continue the evacuation operation in Tenerife. Three people have died in the outbreak. Also: a landmark trial begins in Syria against Altef Najib, who is accused of responsibility for massacres and torture in the name of the ousted Assad regime. Iran has responded to the latest US peace proposal, but President Trump rejects Tehran's bid as "totally unacceptable". We meet a Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank who say they were forced to exhume their father's grave, after Israeli settlers started digging at the cemetery where he had been laid to rest. Mothers in Mexico call on football fans to join their fight for justice for their missing relatives. And with the World Cup only a month away, we visit one of the tournament's hosts - Kansas City. 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

The Global Story: What Elon Musk did next

It’s been a year since billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk left his informal position in President Trump’s White House in May 2025. But behind the scenes, Musk has been busy. Musk has spent the last few weeks in a California courtroom, where he is suing his former business partner, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In January, Musk applied for permission with the US government to launch a million satellites into orbit, some of which he says will serve as solar AI data centres. And he is preparing to take his company SpaceX public, with an estimated valuation of over $1 trillion. Though his political presence has waned, is it possible that Elon Musk is more powerful than ever? We speak to the BBC’s North America technology correspondent Lily Jamali about what the world’s richest man has been up to since leaving the White House. The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.