Global News Podcast

The Happy Pod: I invented a way for my brother to communicate

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 probably saved its life. The women using their own experiences with breast cancer to tackle cultural taboos about the disease in Uganda, and encourage others to get treatment. After the Boston marathon, we hear from an elite female athlete hoping to inspire others by running the race while 22 weeks pregnant. And we find out why two runners stopped to help another who collapsed within sight of the finish line. Plus a statue honouring a giant rat who sniffed out landmines in Cambodia; and why a nature festival has had to clarify that visitors should come fully clothed. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world. Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson Image credit: NARBE House

US and Iran travel to Pakistan for peace talks

US and Iran delegations are travelling to Pakistan for further peace talks - but there might not be a direct meeting between the two sides. We ask our world affairs editor about the likelihood of progress in Islamabad, and what a deal to end the war might look like. Also: the key suspect in Syria's notorious Tadamon massacre, Amjad Youssef, is arrested; Gazans battle disease-carrying rats in displacement camps; we hear from the Israeli man detained for wearing a kippah embroidered with the Palestinian flag; an interview with a Jeffrey Epstein survivor; a film review of Michael Jackson's controversial new biopic; and could a hairdryer have helped rig a $34,000 bet? 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

Spain dismisses reports US wants it suspended from Nato

Nato says there is no provision for members to be suspended - after reports the US is considering trying to suspend Spain over its stance on the Iran war. Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez has dismissed the reports. Also, the BBC has uncovered evidence that women who were abused by Jeffrey Epstein were housed by him in at least four London flats after the British capital's police force decided not to investigate the convicted sex offender. A US special forces soldier involved in the military operation that captured Nicolás Maduro has been arrested after he allegedly bet on the removal of Venezuela's former leader before the information was publicly available. The Israeli military has issued an urgent evacuation warning to the residents of the southern Lebanese town of Deir Aames, saying it wants to carry out operations against alleged Hezbollah militants there. Around sixty countries are attending a climate conference in the Colombian city of Santa Marta. And the Chinese artificial intelligence company, DeepSeek, has unveiled its long-awaited new model which achieves strong performance compared with other AI models. 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 Lebanon ceasefire is 'extended by three weeks'

President Trump says the Lebanon ceasefire has been extended for another three weeks, after hosting talks with diplomats from Israel and Lebanon at the White House, but insisted he won't "rush" a deal with Iran. Also: the Kremlin battles to control cyber space. The tech giant Meta plans to cut 10% of its global workforce. A huge chunk of ice blocks the route to the summit of Everest, at the start of the peak climbing season. A new study says giant octopuses may have been among the top predators of the world’s oceans when dinosaurs still roamed on land. And the last surviving pupil of the composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff, dies at the age of 101. 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

Lebanon accuses Israel of war crime after journalist killed

The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, accuses Israel of deliberately targeting journalists, a day after another reporter, Amal Khalil, was killed in an Israeli attack. Also: a UN official tells the BBC that even if the Iran war ends tomorrow, at least 32m people around the world will be pushed back into poverty. The UK and France sign a new three-year deal to try to stop migrants crossing into Britain on small boats. For the first time the Tanzanian authorities admit hundreds were killed in protests after the presidential election last October. A South African court blocks the repatriation of the body of the former Zambian president Edgar Lungu - halting plans for a state funeral in his homeland. Pope Leo ends his 11-day trip to Africa, visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, highlighting reconciliation, migration and inter-faith dialogue. The International Criminal Court says the former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte will face trial for crimes against humanity over war on drugs. And artificial intelligence experts at the Sony corporation have built a table tennis robot that's defeated elite players. 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