A medical bulletin from the Vatican has announced that Pope Leo has undergone a successful operation to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung. It said the Pope had woken up normally and returned to his room after a brief period of observation. Pope Leo had announced on Sunday that his operation was imminent but the cancer diagnosis only came after the procedure had been carried out.

Also: 30 years after the American rapper Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, a former gang boss has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for his part in the murder. Cornell University in the US has suspended some campus parties in response to a former student’s gang rape allegations. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said anonymous contributors to the Israeli documentary "NAZA" about the war against Hamas in Gaza must have their identities revealed; we speak to the film's directors. A major report by England's football regulator has warned that many clubs are living on edge of financial disaster. How minuscule robots piloted by magnets could deliver doses of medicine to specific parts of the body. And a new species of dinosaur is discovered by a British scientist.

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: [email protected] Photo: Pope Leo XIV arriving at the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, 13th October. Credit: EPA

The International Monetary Fund says in its latest report that global growth has weathered the Middle East conflict better than had been feared, with rerouting of oil supplies and the release of energy stocks helping reduce the negative impact of the Iran war. But the IMF also warns that emergency stocks are now depleted. Also; the authorities in the American state of Tennessee release dramatic phone calls that were made to the emergency services after the botched execution of Christa Pike; Pope Leo has been admitted to hospital for a lung operation; a leading Iraqi human rights organisation says the government must do more to protect women who speak out about sexual violence, and Rwanda has agreed to host Formula One races, bringing the sport to Africa for the first time since the South African Grand Prix in 1993.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department at the International Monetary Fund Silvana Tenreyro at annual meeting of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Bangkok Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Researchers in Australia say there were 11.4 million new dementia cases in 2023. They expect that number to more than double to 24.7 million by 2050. Women and people from lower- and middle-income countries are most likely to be affected. We speak to Professor Henry Brodaty, co-author of the study, who tells us this is because of "an epidemic of ageing".

Also: the BBC reports from the frontline of the conflict in Yemen. US federal agents have raided the home in Washington of the Democratic congresswoman, Ilhan Omar. Elon Musk has given what's believed to be a record amount of money to Republican groups ahead of the US midterm elections. We're in Hungary, six months on from the defeat of Viktor Orbán's party in parliamentary elections. And the actress Selma Blair is charged with assault after an alleged incident on a flight from Los Angeles to New York 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: [email protected]

Photo: A 90-year old man uses a walking stick at the Forget Me Not, Dementia Friendly Cafe, in Salford, England. Credit: Reuters

Major French supermarket chains have reported being hit by a cyberattack that caused their refrigerators to defrost. More than 150 Intermarché stores were targeted, along with almost 100 Coopérative U outlets. The hackers may have also hit other major chains in France and neighbouring countries.

Also: Saudi airspace remains heavily disrupted, as Yemen's Houthis continue a barrage of missile attacks. President Zelensky says Washington has to make Russia respect the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump, after Russian strikes hit Ukrainian power plants overnight. Thousands have rallied in Delhi for what they call a March for Democracy, aimed at removing the head of India's electoral commission, following fraud allegations. Why AI data centres could be a major issue for voters in the US midterms. Pakistan detains the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after sacking him and his government and declaring a local emergency. We speak to the president of Microsoft about the dangers of AI going rogue... and the case of a Qing period porcelain bowl found mysteriously smashed inside the British Museum.

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.

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Photo: FILE PHOTO: A customer shops in a supermarket in Nice, France, March 1, 2023. Credit: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

The main international airport in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, is attacked on consecutive days by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. More than a dozen people have been killed and hundreds injured. The Houthis say they launched the strikes because of the Saudis' support for government forces in Yemen's civil war.

Also: a BBC investigation looks into the circumstances surrounding the shooting of mourners in Kenya at a national farewell for a former prime minister. The Pope is to undergo surgery to remove a lump on his lung. A boat carrying hundreds of migrants from Djibouti to Yemen sinks, leaving almost 140 people dead. And why are shark bites on the increase in Australia?

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.

Photo: Surveillance footage shows smoke and fire as people react to the attack at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on 10th October 2026. Credit: Saudi Ministry of Media, via Reuters

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: [email protected]

At a recent Meta product launch, Mark Zuckerberg promised that the company’s smart glasses would give wearers “new superpowers”, but what are they? Amid criticisms of its privacy and child protection policies, Meta is betting big on smart glasses as a way to restyle the company’s image, but they too have caused controversy – dubbed by critics ‘pervert glasses’ because they have been used to film women without their knowledge. So why are Meta and other big tech firms investing billions in this tech? Who is it for? Lily Jamali, the BBC’s North America technology correspondent, joins us to explain.

For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

A major diplomatic row has erupted between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. After Mr Zelensky criticised a decision by Mr Trump to buy Russian diesel, the US president lashed out. He called for a new leader in Ukraine, and said Mr Zelensky was prolonging the war with Moscow. Mr Trump warned the Ukrainian leader not to bomb Russian oil refineries. Also: people in Mexico are bracing themselves for another hurricane. The Indian government stops a protest calling for the resignation of the head of the election commission. An AI agent sends a fake tip about an unsolved murder to police in the US city of Philadelphia. And would you like a tattoo that you can turn on and off?

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: [email protected] Photo: President Trump leaves the White House. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

A Nigerian man has completed a 168-hour dance marathon in a bid to set a new world record. Benjamin Daniel - better known as 'Ben Dancer' - moved and grooved for seven days straight in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest individual dance marathon. The 33-year-old would dance for eight hours before taking a 40-minute rest break. There were many times Ben wanted to give up, but he was spurred on by cheering crowds at Freedom Park in Lagos.

Also: How Dolly Parton's dream of every child growing up in a house full of books is gradually becoming a reality. The 11-year-old chess prodigy who's made history as the youngest Woman Grandmaster ever. How an usher went from sweeping the aisles to performing on stage in the same theatre. And the grand reveal of a prank between friends that lasted 25 years.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Image: Ben Dancer dancing on stage at Freedom Park in Lagos. Credit: SAYCHEESE

Presenter: Helena Burke. Music composed by Iona Hampson

President Trump is temporarily lifting a number of sanctions on Russia in a deal which will see Moscow supply the US and global markets with diesel to try to bring down energy costs. President Zelensky of Ukraine said easing sanctions without a clear de-escalation agreement was weak and would allow Russia to continue to wage war. Democrats on the US Senate foreign relations committee called the move a total betrayal of Ukraine, European allies and American national security. Also: the US imposes sanctions on the International Criminal Court hours after one of its former judges wins the Nobel Peace Prize. Prosecutors in the UAE say the co-pilot on the hijacked Flydubai passenger jet was planning a suicide attack on Israel's Tel Aviv airport. Manchester City manager, Enzo Maresca, insists his club will eventually be cleared of breaking football's financial rules. Lost notes indicate Rosalind Franklin understood a DNA breakthrough before her rivals. The tech firm Anthropic raises eyebrows by announcing it will ban users from what it's called abusive or cruel behaviour towards its AI models. The Madame Tussauds wax museum in the German capital, Berlin, has opened a new display with the world's first wax kebab. And 30,000 bottles of wine are stolen 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: [email protected] Photo: A diesel gas pump at the 76 gas station in Los Angeles. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

This year's Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Navi Pillay, the South African former UN human rights chief. The Nobel committee said Ms Pillay had shown that legal measures could help prevent acts of war and violence. At a news conference after being awarded the prize, she warned against growing political attacks on international law.

Also: More airlines are suspending flights to Saudi Arabia after three people were killed in two Houthi attacks on Riyadh's international airport. The US Defense Department is facing criticism over plans to livestream the execution of a man who killed 13 people at an army base. Demonstrations are taking place in New York after ICE agents shot and wounded a man with his child inside his car. The BBC speaks to Ukrainians rushing to leave Kyiv before winter. Malaysia shuts schools as haze from Indonesian fires chokes South East Asia. How technology which can track the division of cells in a mouse could help scientists understand how diseases take hold in humans. And the artist behind a statue that depicted President Donald Trump naked and sitting on a man explains the artistic vision behind the work.

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.

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Photo: South African lawyer Navi Pillay at a news conference in Nuremberg, Germany after winning the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Nidal Hasan, a former army psychiatrist who killed 13 unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas, will not only be the first person to die by a US military firing squad since 1945. His execution, which is set for December, would also be the first to be seen by the public in the US for 90 years. Also, cars have been set on fire and shops owned by foreigners were reportedly targeted during violence in South Africa because of tensions surrounding illegal immigration. Police in Britain have accepted that they behaved unlawfully when they searched the homes of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles and former prince who was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He denies any wrongdoing. Microsoft has been suspended from a US visa programme that hires skilled foreign workers as the Vice President, JD Vance, accuses the software giant of giving away American jobs. And could Jonathan the tortoise, who is 194, help humans live longer lives?

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: [email protected]

At least 30 people have been killed in a Russian air strike at a bus stop in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. Eighteen others were wounded. The attack follows a dramatic surge in Russian attacks across the country and a heavy increase in civilian casualties. President Volodymyr Zelensky says the attacks will not go unanswered.

Also: Israel has downgraded the British consulate in East Jerusalem, after threatening to close the site completely over the UK's decision to sanction Israeli goods from illegal West Bank settlements. It’s been nearly a year since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but most of Gaza remains destroyed as a peace deal continues to stall. Recent successful recovery efforts show that species loss can still be reversed, according to a report by the environmental group WWF. The veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar, one of the most outspoken figures in the Indian film industry, has died aged 75. A BBC investigation has found workers in South East Asia are being paid less than $2 an hour to make official football shirts. Margaret Hamilton, the pioneering computer scientist who helped land US astronauts on the Moon, has died aged 90. And a man who spent 28 years walking from the UK to Chile has finally returned home.

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: [email protected]

Hundreds of protesters have demonstrated outside parliament in Madrid after the death of an 87 year old woman who became a symbol of Spain's housing crisis. Maricarmen Abascal was forcibly removed on a stretcher from her apartment of more than 70 years last month after she was unable to afford big rent increases. The company that owned the flat later offered to allow her to return at a lower rate - but she was unable to sign an agreement as she had been admitted to hospital. Also, US prosecutors are expected to bring new charges against the former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores for the alleged torture of American citizens. And a judge in the US state of Tennessee has ordered officials to preserve all evidence from the botched execution of Christa Pike last week.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Candles and messages in memory of Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old Spanish woman whose eviction sparked nationwide housing protests. Credit: Reuters/Violeta Santos Moura

Israel has been remembering the deadliest single day in its history on 7th October 2023 when Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups stormed communities along the border with Gaza, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. The anniversary comes weeks before an election in which the question of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal culpability for the country's worst-ever security failure will be a central issue.

Also: the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described Moscow's latest round of attacks on his country as ''the Russian army's birthday gift for Vladimir Putin''. The World Health Organization has requested more information from Russia following unconfirmed reports that a second employee at a plague research lab in Siberia has contracted pneumonia. Malaysia pushes ahead with a ‌controversial move to repatriate thousands of migrants from Myanmar, where they could face persecution. The BBC visits a men's community group in South Africa where participants are encouraged to speak out about violence against women, and confront their own behaviour. Scientists Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for solving the mystery of life's asymmetry. And could the gender pay gap extend to AI agents?

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: [email protected]

Photo: Israeli family members at a memorial site for victims of the Nova music festival on the third anniversary of the 7 October attacks near Re'im, southern Israel Credit: EPA

President Macron holds an emergency meeting after more than a quarter of a million French people take part in fresh school protests. Although most gatherings were peaceful, there were sporadic clashes, with police using batons and tear gas to disperse crowds. Lawyers for Christa Pike, the American woman who survived a botched execution attempt last week, say she's regained consciousness and is able to talk. They say she's receiving critical care and remains handcuffed to a hospital bed. Events are being held in Israel to mark the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks that triggered the war in Gaza. The Oscar-winning actress and one of the last survivors of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Eva Marie Saint, has died. She was 102. And one of football's greatest ever players, Lionel Messi, makes his final international appearance for Argentina.

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: [email protected] Photo: A masked student kicks a tear gas canister amid clashes with French riot police during a demonstration in Paris. Credit: Reuters/Abdul Saboor

As fighting surges again in Yemen, government forces supported by Saudi Arabia say they've been making significant gains in an offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis. We hear how the conflict is affecting people in one of the key battlegrounds - the southwestern city of Taiz, which is surrounded by the Houthis. Also: protesters and police clash in several French cities, as students, parents and unions join demonstrations across the country calling for more investment in schools. The space scientist Dame Dr Maggie Aderin on the remarkable story of the Hubble Space Telescope - the subject of a new podcast. Protests spread in Japan over the murder of a woman on the island of Okinawa, allegedly committed by a US marine. We hear tributes to Jeffrey Archer, the British politician and author who died on Monday, and look back at the rises and falls in his life. And a study finds that book bans are on the increase in US public schools.

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: [email protected] Photo: a mother with her 11-year-old injured son, Taiz, Yemen. Credit: BBC World Service

Iran-backed Houthis claim they hit several targets in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh Airport, while Saudi-led forces attacked Houthi military strongholds on the Red Sea coast. The Yemeni government has launched an offensive against the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa. Also: Student demonstrations intensify in France ahead of a national day of protests. The Nobel Prize in Medicine is awarded to Karl Deisseroth from America and Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel from Germany for their work in the field of optogenetics. Russia downplays reports that a lab technician who died last week may have been exposed to pneumonic plague. The bestselling British author and politician, Jeffrey Archer, has died. A concert pianist invents a "Standing Grand" piano and dust off your CV if you'd like to be Finland's official 'smeller'.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Saudi-backed Yemeni government fighters advance against the Iran-backed Houthis, near Dhubab. Credit: Southern Giants Brigades/Reuters

Investigators believe the co-pilot accused of trying to take over a Flydubai plane heading for Israel was a "lone wolf" extremist who wanted to fly the aircraft into an airport or tower block. Also: why did the US military withdraw expensive bombers from a base in the UK? Oil exports from the Middle East are getting back to levels last achieved before the US began bombing Iran. Spain's prime minister calls an election over a housing crisis. Researchers try to find out why more young people are getting cancer, and what lemurs in Madagascar and trained human singers have in common.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Flydubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport. September 30, 2026. Credit: Reuters

Brazilians voted on Sunday in a high-stakes presidential election pitting incumbent left-wing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against the right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro amid a regional shift to the right. Bolsonaro won the first round, but failed to win an outright majority, with a run-off scheduled for 25 October.

Also: The US has pulled its B1 bombers from an airbase in England which was the target of a suspected terror plot. Israel has barred the British Green Party leader after his party passed a motion defining Zionism as racism. Ethiopian troops entering Mekelle have sparked regional fear of a return to active civil war. Tech giants are paying workers in India to record their physical actions so AI can learn human movements. Glastonbury tickets sold out in under an hour despite being the most expensive ever at more than 500 dollars each.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Brazil's presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party Credit: Reuters/Diego Herculano

Climate scientists have put out a dire warning about this year’s El Niño; that it will likely be the worst in recorded history. And if previous ‘super’ El Niños are anything to go by, that means that this cycle will bring extreme weather - flooding, drought, wildfires, and hunger- across the world. But how do scientists know what the effects of an El Niño will be? And how do they communicate that information to governments and the public in a way that causes calm preparedness instead of panic? Tom Di Liberto is a former climate scientist for the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a science communicator, who specialises in monitoring El Niño phenomena. He joins us on today’s show.

Christa Pike's botched execution has reignited the debate surrounding the death penalty in the United States. Tennessee's head of prisons is to resign amid growing scrutiny. Also: Ethiopians fear a return to civil war after government forces take control of the Tigrayan regional capital. Tens of thousands of people protest against the housing crisis in Spain. Investigators say the co-pilot of the FlyDubai plane attacked his captain with an axe kept inside the cockpit. Nearly 200 people are under medical observation after a Russian lab worker reportedly died from pneumonic plague. Germany's Oktoberfest is handing out shorts to female riders after a surge in upskirting videos. And a new species of lizard has been discovered living high up in the Peruvian Andes.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Death chamber seen through the steel bars from the viewing room at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas in September 2010. Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice via Reuters

Fat Bear Week is back! The annual contest sees people around the world vote for their favourite bear, ahead of hibernation season. More than two million votes were cast this year's tournament which is based at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

Also, meet the tattoo artist covering people's scars with artwork to make them feel more confident.

Cath Bowie, aka GrumpyGran 1948, tells us how she got into streaming and the game Fortnite. She's just been recognised by Guiness World Records as the world's oldest female Fortnite streamer at the age of 78.

Plus, 'Walk with a Doc', a scheme that gets people out walking with their local doctor and, have you ever heard an Elephant's rumble? We find out what it means.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Image: Fat Bear Week winner, 'Backpack'. Credit: Katmai National Park and Preserve/Explore.org

Christa Pike's legal representatives say the convicted murderer is unconscious and on a ventilator in hospital in Tennessee, after surviving two lethal injections on Wednesday. They have requested that all evidence related to the incident be preserved. We hear the account of Nashville reporter Steven Hale, one of a small number of journalists who witnessed the botched execution.

Also: G7 leaders agree to release up to 100 million barrels of diesel and crude reserves, days after President Trump's threat to ban diesel exports from the US. New York Governor Kathy Hochul says the woman at the centre of the Cornell University rape case was "failed" at "every turn". She also announces plans to change state law around consent. Argentina becomes the latest nation to offer citizenship to foreigners who invest large sums of money in the country. The swimming classes helping child amputees in Gaza. SpaceX astronaut Jessica Watkins has made history by becoming the first black female commander to lead a crew into orbit, breaking a US speed record in the process. And what is the true cost of buying a home for just one euro 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: [email protected]

Photo: Emergency vehicles at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Tennessee, from where Christa Pike was taken to hospital following her botched execution. Credit: Denny Simmons/The Tennessean/USA Today Network

An Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, says he fought to open the cockpit door of the stricken Flydubai airliner because he was determined to save the lives of his passengers and crew. Also: Washington urges European countries to start using their diesel reserves. We look at the student demonstrations against school conditions in France, where there have been more violent clashes. Kenya is at a crossroads, as its young people challenge the political elites who've governed the country for decades. The English football club, Manchester City, files an appeal against an independent commission's ruling that found it guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. London's Kew Gardens prepares to undergo a major refurbishment. Starbucks opens two branches in the Chinese region of Xinjiang - but the move is criticised by US congressman, John Moolenaar; and the attempt to free a large shark trapped in a canal in the South Korean city of Busan is halted.

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: [email protected] Photo: Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed Credit: Narendra Modi YouTube Channel

French students set fire to bins and erected blockades outside schools, as they protest against overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and crumbling facilities. Hundreds of people have been arrested and dozens injured. Fires have broken out at some schools that are being blockaded. President Macron said concerns over funding and studying conditions were legitimate but do not justify violence.

Also, from the US: the family of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, is suing the Trump administration. The Tennessee prisoner who survived a botched execution, Christa Pike, is critically ill in hospital. New York's Attorney General Letitia James is appointed to investigate the alleged Cornell University gang rape. British scientists launch a clinical trial for a vaccine to protect against lung cancer. And Cristiano Ronaldo walks away from the Portugal football team.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Clashes occur between riot police and demonstrators during a high school students' protest against education conditions in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, France, 01 October 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

The US state of Tennessee fails to execute a woman on death row, who survived two lethal injection attempts. Christa Pike, who was convicted of murder thirty years ago, has been taken to hospital. The governor of Tennessee has ordered a temporary halt to executions.

Also: A sell-off in global bond markets intensifies; government forces in Ethiopia appear to have captured the strategic town of Alamata, in the Northern Tigray Region; Cubans living in Florida create a new organisation to plan for investment in a post-communist Cuba; Benjamin Netanyahu reacts to the apparent attempt to crash a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv; we hear from a critical care physician on working in Gaza; examining the winning entry of a prestigious scientific photography competition - was it made using AI? And on World Sake Day, we look at how sales of the drink have fallen in Japan.

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: [email protected] Photo: Death row inmate Christa Pike entering a Knox County Criminal Court in Knoxville, Tennessee, US on December 4, 2007 Credit: Reuters

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it's too early to say who was behind the foiled attempt to crash an airliner travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Israeli passengers have described how they overpowered the co-pilot after he stabbed the pilot and sent the plane into a nosedive. Two other aircrew who were on board then took control and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Mr Netanyahu said investigators would examine whether the attacker had accomplices or ties to Iran. Also: Switzerland's glaciers lost more than five per cent of their ice this year as a result of Europe's record-breaking heatwaves, according to a new study. Six Flags Magic Mountain, an amusement park in California, has announced it will permanently close a popular rollercoaster after more than 100 riders alleged they suffered brain injuries. Latest research reveals that children are far more likely than adults to judge a person's emotions by what they hear rather than what they see. And a new AI-generated commercial by movie star Greta Garbo advertising ball bearings decades after her death has reignited debate about the ethics of re-animating dead stars.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Yaniv Hayun (pictured on the left), one of the men who helped incapacitate the attacker on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, speaks to the media after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport, September 30, 2026. Credit: Reuters

An Israel-bound flight with about 170 people on board has landed safely in Saudi Arabia after a fight broke out between pilots, triggering a hijacking alert. Two Israeli officials said the co-pilot is believed to have stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane. Officials from Tabuk airport, where the Flydubai flight landed, say they are being treated in hospital. Also; Russia has carried out another massive overnight attack on Ukraine's Kyiv region, hitting energy infrastructure and residential buildings. President Zelensky says seven people have been killed and 24 injured across Ukraine in the latest drone and missile strikes. Africa's richest man has launched the construction of a giant oil refinery on Kenya's coast, describing it as a new chapter in the continent's industrial journey, and we find out the winner of the 2026 Fat Bear Week in Katmai National Park in Alaska, a contest in which 16 bears took part with two million votes cast from 100 countries around the world.

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: [email protected] Photo: A Flydubai aircraft sits on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, 30 September 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

After talks with AI industry executives at the White House, President Trump says they've signed a deal to police themselves which is "morally binding". Meanwhile, he has ruled out a joint venture with China on Artificial Intelligence, saying it would amount to "giving away secrets" to Ameria's main economic rival. Also: South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation amid growing alarm about violence against women. The English Premier League confirms Manchester City have been found guilty of serious breaches of its financial rules. A man who spent 41 years on death row in the US for murder is released on bail after newly analysed DNA evidence did not link him to the crime. The UK's Prime Minister Andy Burnham sets out an ambitious agenda in a major speech to his party. A rare painting of Rome by the renowned artist William Turner returns to the eternal city. And a week-long dance-a-thon in Nigeria.

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: [email protected] Photo: Anthropic's Tom Brown, SpaceXAI's Elon Musk, Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Atreides Management's Gavin Baker at the launch event for America.gov, a new AI-powered US government website. Credit: Reuters/Kylie Cooper

More than 100 Israeli settlers have attacked a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, preventing the return of a family who'd been forced to flee their home. The Israeli army said settlers, defying a High Court order which allowed the return of the Palestinians, had hurled rocks, blocked roads and set fire to houses and vehicles in Jalud. Also: Spain's government has agreed plans to ban evictions until 2030, as it attempts to deal with a housing crisis. The proposal follows nationwide protests after an 87-year-old woman was forced to leave her home in Madrid because of a massive rent increase. The Malaysian government has started repatriating about 5000 asylum-seekers from Myanmar, including many Rohingyas, under a controversial deal agreed with Myanmar’s military ruler; and, a film about social media takes another critical look at Facebook.

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: [email protected]

Photo: A destroyed vehicle sits in the estate of Palestinians, Mahmoud al-Tubasi, 60, and his wife Aida, 51, which they say was attacked by Israeli settlers, in Jalud in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Credit: Reuters

Researchers at the University of Calgary say spending too much time on social media, gaming or streaming can affect young people's wellbeing in similar ways to being poor, born prematurely or having bad parenting. The study also links excessive screen time to obesity, diabetes and heart problems. Critics say the findings are "not insignificant" but insist that screen time is not the only reason teenagers become emotionally distressed or fail to reach their academic goals. Also: Russian drone strikes Ukraine's National Academy of Science in Kyiv, sparking a huge fire; prosecutors in New York reopen an investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University in 2024; Google Earth's updated satellite imagery shows the scale of destruction in Gaza; a special report on the brutal kidnappings plaguing Nigeria; the backlash over plans to build data centres; and an 11-year-old British girl becomes the youngest chess player in history to earn the woman grandmaster title.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Social media app icons, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp, displayed on a mobile phone screen

Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have asked the UAE leader to deny reports by Haaretz newspaper that he had been warned about an imminent Hamas attack just days before October 7th. With elections now just a month away, Mr Netanyahu's rivals have seized on the report as just the latest example of warnings that he ignored. Also: we hear how unproven rape claims led to violent demonstrations erupting at an Indian university this weekend; we have the latest on protests in Spain sparked by the forced eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her flat; how scientists came up with a solution to help bananas stay yellow even when they're old or damaged; and the South Korean boy band, Big Bang, returns to London 20 years after they burst onto the music scene and helped turn KPop into a global phenomenon. 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: [email protected] Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 24, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Five men have been arrested over a suspected plot to attack a UK air base also used by the US military. Donald Trump said the men had planned to cause significant damage. Since March, the US has been launching attacks against Iran from the base in southern England. Police say they received a call during the night about three suspicious vehicles driving towards the area. Counter terrorism police are reportedly investigating whether Iran is linked to the incident. Also: We take you to the front lines of Houthi attacks in Yemen as the armed group makes more strategic advances; Twelve people are missing after an avalanche in the Himalayas; Venezuelans take to the streets demanding the return of the opposition leader Maria Corina Machado; And we look at the enduring allure of Route 66 as the famous highway celebrates its 100th birthday.

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: [email protected] Photo: An image that circulated on social media following the arrests of five men near RAF Fairford Credit: The BBC is unable to verify the original source but has geolocated it and has confirmed it appears to be authentic.

The United States is one of the few wealthy countries where commercial surrogacy remains legal. Bans elsewhere in the world, combined with a largely free-market approach at home, have made the US an international destination for would-be parents from around the globe – fuelling the industry’s rapid expansion. But could it all come to an end? Today on The Global Story, we speak to fertility technology reporter Emi Nietfeld about how the US became a global hub for surrogacy – and why a series of high-profile cases is raising difficult questions about the industry.

OpenAI says it has alerted dozens of global institutions, including governments, that their websites may have been accessed improperly by rogue AI agents. The US company says the bots sometimes tried to get information using "extreme means". Also: President Trump rejects Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week; fighting erupts in Ethiopia's Tigray region stoking fears of a return to civil war; a court battle ends with a contentious Protestant march set to take place in Northern Ireland; Bangladesh launches a nationwide vaccination campaign amidst its worst-ever measles outbreak; Pope Leo celebrates Mass in Paris; we hear about a new film highlighting Tenzing Norgay's unique part in conquering Everest; and why zero-spend 'dopamine websites' are taking off around the world.

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: [email protected] Photo: A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed OpenAI logo. Credit: Dado Ruvić – Reuters

A rapid new test for brain tumours is taking diagnosis time from weeks to hours. It means patients are spared weeks of uncertainty and can start treatment sooner. The Happy Pod speaks to the doctors behind this breakthrough, who say it's a "privilege" to be developing something that can help people.

Also, a baby has been born on one of the most remote and northernly Scottish islands for the first time since 1992. An entrepreneur in Ghana has worked out a way to turn plastic packaging waste into school desks. Plus, a woman in Wales has received a life saving kidney transplant, after her plea on social media found a donor match and, the six year old breaking records in China with a Rubik's Cube.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

One of the world's richest football clubs, Manchester City, is found guilty of breaching dozens of financial rules and could face compensation claims from rivals. Also; Iran extends a new offer to the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week; Pope Leo warns against the dangers of AI on a state visit to France; The head of the BBC, Matt Brittin, says AI could be used to create and present programmes in the future; South Africa's new ambassador to the US rejects President Trump's claims of mass violence against white Afrikaners like himself; FBI agents tell the BBC of their shock, fear and anger after hackers access the private and personal information of the agency's entire workforce; And we profile China's first lady, Peng Liyuan, the wife of President Xi as the couple end their state visit to the US.

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: [email protected] Photo: Kevin De Bruyne lifts the Premier League trophy with team-mates. Credit: PA

A rapid new test for brain tumours can slash the time it takes for an accurate diagnosis from up to eight weeks to two hours. It means surgeons can get results even while they are operating, and patients are spared weeks of uncertainty whilst being able to start their treatment sooner. Also: Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky says that President Trump has made a “final decision” to give Ukraine licences to produce patriot missiles. Indonesia pardons a former Filipino maid, who was sentenced to death after being found carrying heroin through an airport. We hear the latest about the Ebola outbreak from a doctor who spent six weeks in Northern Congo. Nepal’s Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, says flooding in his country “was a warning to the world” and calls for cooperation to deal with climate change. An organisation in the United Kingdom says better regulation of beauty products is needed as young children continue to use skincare and makeup. And Pope Leo visits Paris for a mass, but his first engagement gives a warning about artificial intelligence and assisted dying.

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: [email protected] Photo: Neurosurgeon Stuart Smith in operating theatre Credit: Nottingham University Hospitals

Tech billionaires join Donald Trump and Xi Jinping for dinner at the White House at the end of the first full day of the Chinese President's visit to the US. Mr Xi said that in their discussions earlier, he and his host had reached "common understanding on many issues" but didn't elaborate. No concrete breakthroughs have been reported on contentious matters such as Iran and AI. Also: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fiercely defends military action in the Middle East to a half empty UN General Assembly. Earlier, the Palestinian leader told the same gathering Israel was threatening his people's existence. The Italian government approves a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools. Hundreds of people gather in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to call for the return of the exiled opposition figure, Maria Corina Machado. The eviction of an 87-year-old in Spain triggers angry protests and put the country’s housing crisis under the spotlight. And new research on how well dogs can understand the human language.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Annabelle Gordon/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

Image description: US President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan at the White House in Washington

Australia launches an urgent review after an AI agent belonging to OpenAI hacked a government healthcare portal. The government has set up a taskforce to examine what happened and whether laws were broken. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused OpenAI of an "unacceptable delay" in informing the authorities about the intrusion. In response, OpenAI said "our models took actions we did not intend" and that it found no record of patient data being accessed. Also: Three US news outlets are denied access to the White House despite a ruling from a US judge overturning President Trump's ban. Tigrayan rebels say they are in a "full-blown war" with the Ethiopian government. As he begins a state visit to Washington, President Xi Jinping says China and the US should be partners, not rivals. Researchers find elephants use medicinal plants to treat themselves. The Afghan cyclist who disguised herself as a man to evade Taliban, wins a silver medal at the Asian Games. And joy in Thailand as a young Thai singer wins America's Got Talent.

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: [email protected] Photo: Illustration showing the Australian Medicare smartphone app and medicare card. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington for a three-day state visit and was met by Donald Trump in a rare planeside welcome. As President Xi touched down, the US treasury secretary announced that a bilateral trade truce has been extended.

Also, the US-backed group, known as the Board of Peace, has presented a partial plan for reconstruction in Gaza, despite the lack of progress in the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas. An AI agent developed by OpenAI hacked Australia's government health website earlier this year, without the company's knowledge. Meta has announced a new model of audio-only smart glasses. Britain has expanded its defence into space, calling it the next battleground. An ancient wall discovered beneath Paris has been described as a “major breakthrough” in archaeology there. France imposes restrictions on the "wrong type" of hikers visiting Mont Blanc and is bringing an iced coffee to a job interview acceptable or unprofessional?

(Photo: US President Donald Trump welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

Get in touch: [email protected]

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.

Gunmen kill 11 people after storming a house in KwaMakhutha township near Durban in South Africa. Police are investigating links to a feud between rival groups, as the nation grapples with sky-high murder rates and violence. Also: the IMF warns that record global debt requires urgent fiscal action, urging economies such as the US and UK to reduce borrowing. China's plans for the future of AI. The family feud over Dolly Parton's estate involving the country music star's nephew Bryan Seaver. Astronomers discover the youngest planet on record, Elias 2-24 b, about 450 light years from Earth. And could the lost hidden tomb of Egyptian queen Nefertiti finally be found?

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: [email protected]

Photo: Mass shooting in KwaMakhutha, South Africa, Durban - 23 Sep 2026 Credit: EPA

President Donald Trump says talks held in New York between US and Iranian officials were productive. Earlier in a speech to the UN General Assembly he threatened to annihilate Iran if a deal was not agreed. Also: the US introduces global sanctions that could ground most Iranian aircraft. A Sri Lankan court hands long prison sentences to 15 men in connection with the Easter Sunday bomb attacks in 2019 that killed 270 people. The British broadcaster Piers Morgan calls for a newly-released book by Earl Spencer about Princess Diana to be pulled from the shelves because of a factual error. Colombia's president sends the army into a city on the Caribbean coast to quell attacks by an armed group there. Scientists warn that the current El Nino weather system hasn't finished setting new records. A Ghanaian entrepreneur turns waste plastic into school desks. And a six-year-old girl sets a new women's world record for solving the Rubik's Cube.

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: [email protected]

Photo: US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York Credit: Toby Melville/PA Wire

Nicaraguan authorities are alleged to have carried out enforced disappearances, torture and arbitrary detention of political opponents as part of widespread and systematic attacks on civilians. Also: weather experts warn that the El Niño developing in the Pacific Ocean is already the strongest ever recorded. The Star Wars museum, housing George Lucas' vast art collection, finally opens in Los Angeles. The purchase of a 17th-century painting in the Netherlands reignites debate about the origins of golf. A study by the University of Cambridge reveals baby girls tend to be more people-focused than boys from the first hours of their lives. How to make driverless cabs less enticing venues for backseat romance. And wildcats, long considered functionally extinct, are being successfully reintroduced to the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland.

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: [email protected] Photo: Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega with a Nicaraguan flag. Credit: Leonardo Fernández Viloria - Reuters

Several US news organisations have temporarily stopped their pooled coverage of White House events, after Donald Trump revoked access for CNN, Politico and MS NOW. The president accused them of writing "lies" about him. Donald Trump has launched his own TV channel in response. Also, the UK's prime minister Andy Burnham has said Britain will provide "defensive air-to-air refuelling" support for Saudi Arabia. World leaders are gathering in New York City for the UN General Assembly. Fifa president Gianni Infantino has proposed an external review of how world football's governing body operates, and says he is open to reform. A Rwandan man has become the first person charged in the UK with offences relating to the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Lithuania's prime minister has told the BBC his country has made evacuation plans in the face of threats from Russia. The media giant Paramount Skydance has reached a settlement with a California-led group of US states. Darts world champion Luke Littler has threatened to stop playing in the Netherlands after being booed and whistled at in Amsterdam.

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: [email protected] Photo: MS NOW journalist Vaughn Hillyard outside the White House after US President Trump barred reporters from MS NOW, CNN and Politico from entering the White House press room Credit: EPA/Shuttershock

A powerful typhoon passing Japan's east coast is bringing heavy rainfall and major disruption. More than 1.9 million people in and around Tokyo have been told to evacuate. Winds from Typhoon Dujuan have caused power cuts for thousands of people, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. Large events - including the Asian Games and Tokyo Game Show - have been postponed or called off.

Also in this podcast: Nearly 500 people have been arrested in a major transatlantic operation targeting criminal gangs; officials in Gaza have announced plans to demolish more than 250 buildings; Vladimir Putin's political party is on course to retain its majority in Russia's parliamentary elections; a new trial aims to help dementia patients remain in their own homes and out of care facilities; and how arguments over sunbeds on European beaches have turned deadly.

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: [email protected] Photo: Pedestrians wait at Shibuya crossing under heavy rainfall triggered by Typhoon Dujuan in Tokyo. Credit: Franck Robichon - EPA/Shutterstock

Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls a state election result in Germany a "disaster" for his ruling CDU party but vows to remain in office. Preliminary results indicate the CDU has suffered heavy losses to the far-right AfD party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while in Berlin it was defeated by the far-left party Die Linke. Also: US officials say 18 suspects in the assassination of the Haitian president Juvenal Moise five years ago are being extradicted to Florida to face trial. The sister of Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister, Imran Khan, has been arrested ahead of planned opposition protests. President Trump speaks about plans to turn his triumphal arch in Washington DC into a military complex. In Indonesia, BBC Eye investigates allegations of sexual abuse at a  prominent  Islamic boarding school. And Earl Spencer says the treatment by the press of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan echoes that of his sister Princess Diana before she died in a car crash.

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: [email protected] Photo: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addresses the media following the state elections in Berlin, Germany, 20th September 2026. Credit: EPA/Shuttershock

As the midterm elections in America approach, the economy is one of the deciding factors for how people will vote.

Before his second term started, President Trump promised to tackle the so-called affordabilty crisis. But since then, the war in Iran has led to soaring gas prices and a range of tariffs have made some goods more expensive.

How do global events impact people’s finances and in turn how they vote in elections? The talk show host and financial expert Dave Ramsey joins us to discuss.

For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Ed Sheeran has spoken out at the start of his first show since the rapper Macklemore was dropped from his US tour over pro-Palestinian comments. The British singer said the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 were horrific, but Israel's subsequent response had been disproportionate. He said his heart had been broken by the scale of devastation. Also: for the first time since those Hamas attacks on Israel sparked the war on Gaza, half a million children inside the territory are returning to formal education. Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen say they have carried out drone and ballistic missile attacks on the Saudi capital Riyadh, as well as energy sites on the country's Red Sea coast. Germany is holding two state elections this weekend in the wake of the recent successes of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland - or AfD - party which recorded its best ever result. And Google has confirmed that its AI system, Gemini, hacked into three companies during a test in May.

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: [email protected]

Photo: Ed Sheeran performs at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend 2025 - Liverpool. Credit: BBC/Jamie Simonds

Meena and Minal were born in India, but adopted by different families and raised near each other in the Netherlands. When they first met in their early teens at an event hosted by the adoption agency their parents had used, they were struck by the uncanny similarities in their appearance and mannerisms. This year, Minal took a DNA test, which revealed the Meena she already knew was her biological sister.

Also, we hear from the Cateura Orchestra of Recycled Instruments -- a group in Paraguay which play music on instruments made from landfill waste. Plus, Brad Ryan and Grandma Joy's adventures to visit every national park in the United States, before going on Safari trips around the world. For them, it wasn't about the sights, but healing their relationship, after they had not spoken in ten years. Why probiotics could help corals, and the table tennis club helping people with Parkinson's disease.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Image: Meena Geltink and Minal Tijssen holding a picture of their younger selves. Credit: Reuters

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson