Global News Podcast

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

The Global Story - Is Iran really trying to kill Trump?

Last month, President Trump secretly swapped planes via a catering truck as he left a Nato summit in Turkey. The elaborate ruse, first reported by the Washington Post, was in response to a possible threat from Iran. But how serious were the US administration’s fears of an assassination attempt? And does the Iranian regime have the capability to carry out such an operation beyond its borders? We speak to Parham Ghobadi, a senior reporter at the BBC’s Persian Service, and Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post, to understand more about what transpired on Air Force One, the history of Iran’s alleged assassination plots, and why the Iranian regime’s prime target might be its own citizens. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts. Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie, Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin Executive producers: Martine Powers and James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Digital producer: Sam Gruet Studio manager: Mike Regaard Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: A catering truck is parked on the other side of Air Force One, before U.S. President Donald Trump's departure from Ankara en route to Washington after his participation in the NATO leaders' summit, at Ankara Esenboga Airport in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. Credit: Reuters/ABC-TV/Pool/File Photo

Indonesia earthquake: rescuers search for survivors

Rescue workers have been attempting to reach suvivors of a powerful earthquake that hit the Indonesian island of Flores in the early hours of Saturday morning. Around fifty people have died and some five thousand have been evacuated from their homes. Also: Israel has carried out its deadliest strikes in Lebanon for months killing eleven people. Moroccan police stopped hundreds of people from illegally crossing into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta, two weeks after tens of thousands entered the exclave. International observers of Zambia's election have told political parties to tone down inflammatory statements, saying the poll was marred by intimidation, abductions and an hours-long pause in the vote count. The Spanish government has ordered an investigation into the likely shooting of an endangered killer whale that was captured on video with wounds to its dorsal fin. The nineteen year old British cyclist Fin Tarling has died in a crash during the Tour of Portugal race. The Miss Universe Canada pageant is introducing a ''comprehensive costume guide'' after a row triggered by two contestants wearing Indigenous-style costumes. 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: A man cries outside his family house that was damaged by the earthquake in Indonesia Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

The Happy Pod: How Neil the Seal won hearts across the world

Neil the Seal has captured the hearts - and laughs - of people across the world with his mischievous antics. The elephant seal keeps returning to the Australian island of Tasmania to chew traffic cones, attack street signs, and block traffic with his 1,000 kg body. His hijinks have made him a local icon and an internet celebrity. We find out why Neil keeps venturing to Tasmania's suburban streets to cause a ruckus. Also: How a group of Afghan women defied the odds to return to international football. Despite opposition from the Taliban, the players -- now scattered across the globe -- reunited to form Afghanistan's new national team. The woman who accidentally threw away a million dollar lottery ticket - and the incredible way she found it again. Scientists say they've created the first ever truly biodegradeable party balloons. They say existing options kill tens of thousands of marine animals a year. Plus: how an ordinary man in Italy made one of the most important archaeological discoveries in decades; and a world surfing championship - for dogs. (Photo: Neil the Seal in Tasmania, Australia. Credit: @neiltheseal22) Presenter: Helena Burke. Music composed by Iona Hampson.