Global News Podcast

Israelis turn out in large numbers to vote in what many view as one of the most pivotal elections in the country's history. The campaign has been shaped by the issues of democracy and security and is widely being seen as a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership.Also: Officials aligned with the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan say drone strikes on the city of Nyala have killed over a hundred people. A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is holding in the Russia-occupied city of Oleshky, to allow in humanitarian aid. Media groups in India have told the country's supreme court that the government’s new privacy law would challenge the entire concept of news and amount to pre-censorship. The US Justice Department is set to file new charges against James Comey, marking the third time in just over a year that the Trump administration has tried to prosecute the former FBI director. Football star Kylian Mbappe has been dropped by two of his Chinese sponsors after a video emerged of the player making fun of China’s revolutionary hero Mao Zedong. As the sixth instalment in Sarah J. Mass’s ACOTAR series is released, we learn why the romantasy genre has become so popular. And finally, a two-metre-tall skeleton of a dinosaur is expected to sell at Southby’s for $9m. 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 ultra-Orthodox Jewish man casts his vote for the 26th Knesset elections in the city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, 27 October 2026. Credit: EPA/ Shutterstock

This week the Chinese President Xi Jinping and his inner circle are meeting in Beijing for a series of closed-door meetings, known as plenums. Once those meetings have concluded, we're expecting to learn more about the senior figures that could shape the look of China's ruling Communist Party in the years to come. In this bonus episode we answer your questions about the next generation of Chinese leaders and how they might run the world superpower. Presenter Celia Hatton is joined by the BBC's China correspondent Stephen McDonell in Beijing and Shawn Yuan from the BBC Global China Unit and other Chinese expert guests.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]: Chinese President Xi Jinping pictured during a meeting in Beijing, China, May 15, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Evan Vucci/Pool

Brazil's left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been elected to a fourth term in office, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in the runoff of the presidential election. The right-wing challenger Bolsonaro has called for the election to be annulled, following in his father Jair Bolsonaro’s footsteps by not recognising the results. Lula becomes the first president in Brazil's history to win a fourth term.Also: joy and disbelief on Serbia's streets as a student-led protest movement defeats the long-standing leader Aleksandar Vučić. The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returns to Caracas after nearly a year in exile. Why the money from China's soaring exports isn't reaching the nation's workers. Uganda imposes a 21-day Ebola quarantine for travellers arriving from the DRC. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly clashes with his military chief. And why wind-up radios are flying off the shelves in the UK.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 President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Workers' Party (PT) candidate for re-election, gestures as he addresses supporters after his victory in the presidential runoff election, at Paulista Avenue, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 26, 2026. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

Protests against poor economic conditions have been held across France. Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested after clashes with riot police in cities including Paris and Marseilles.Also: campaigning intensifies ahead of the US mid-term elections. We have a special report from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. Gianni Infantino claims the "vast majority" supports his bid for re-election as head of world football's governing body, FIFA. Final rallies are held in Brazil ahead of Sunday's presidential run-off election between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro. One man has been arrested after Hitler's Eagle's Nest retreat in Bavaria was engulfed in flames. And Europe's busiest shopping street, Oxford Street in London, prepares to go traffic free.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: People clash with police during a demonstration against the high cost of living in Bordeaux, France, 24 October 2026. Credit: EPA/Shuttershock

The White House says the US first lady, Melania Trump, has brokered a local ceasefire for a frontline city in a Russian-occupied part of Ukraine. The truce in Oleshky, in the Kherson region, is due to begin on October 29. The White House says the city is on "the brink of disaster" without medicine, food and clean water. Residents of the city have resorted to eating garden weeds to survive. Also: Donald Trump files a lawsuit seeking to block Alaska's result in the midterms if the Republican incumbent does not win his Senate seat. We look at the legacy of the iPod as the device turns 25. The company behind ChatGPT announces that it will no longer train its AI models live on the internet amid security concerns. Brazilians go to the polls on Sunday in what’s predicted to be an incredibly close presidential election. And the hunt for the next James Bond is underway, with screen tests rumoured to be taking place in London.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]: Rally demanding the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to evacuate Ukrainian civilians from Oleshky in Kherson region, in Kyiv. October 6, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko

Our senior international corrrespondent Orla Guerin reports from Yemen where fighting has intensified between government forces and Houthi rebels. Also: Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong steps into the limelight as rumours swirl over the health of the North Korean leader. Demonstrators stage peaceful protests across Venezuela calling for the safe return of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. President Trump is ordered to answer questions under oath in BBC lawsuit. New York city council votes to ban the use of horsedrawn carriages in Central Park after a long campaign by activists who say the animals suffer. A retired decorator becomes a millionaire after Pokemon cards sold at auction. And Raye wins the 2026 Mercury Prize for her album This Music May Contain Hope.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: Yemeni families seek refuge in a camp near the port city of Aden Credit: Lee Durant - BBC

A cyber security flaw has prompted governments in Finland and the Netherlands and websites such as Wikipedia and the BBC to go completely dark temporarily. The flaws in a programming language were discovered by AI. PHP is a scripting language that powers 70 per cent of all websites in the world. Also: Three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi next month to try to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. We hear about an Iranian prisoner who went to extraordinary lengths to chronicle the brutal reality of life Inside one of the country's notorious jail's. Our correspondent details the rise in the number of wild elephants dying in Sri Lanka. The new rules that mean you won't have to clean up before you leave an Airbnb. And why John Malkovich is tipped for an Oscar for his performance in Wild Horse Nine.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]: The website of the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU Institutions, Bodies and Agencies displays a warning message after critical vulnerabilities were detected in the PHP programming language Credit: Rob Engelaar - EPA/Shutterstock

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says intelligence on early warning systems for Russian strikes "works now", and that he is thankful to the US. After meeting President Zelensky, Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is now in Russia to share peace proposals with President Putin.Also: We report from Kansas ahead of the US midterm elections; Indonesia's worst wildfire season in a decade causes an air pollution crisis across South East Asia; the Egyptian man sentenced to prison for impersonating a judge; the third attempt to free a shark trapped for a month in a South Korean harbour; and the trees causing an overpowering smell in Vietnam's capital. 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]: Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy at a press conference in Norway Credit: Reuters/Cornelius Poppe

Overnight curfews are in place in parts of Paris, Lyon, Lille and Nice as the French authorities try to crack down on violence and looting which has scarred the country since Saturday. Demonstrations have been banned in the French capital, which experienced some of the worst unrest that spilled over from massive protests against the cost of living. Also: Japan heads to Mars to make history in space exploration; young Israeli voters speak to the BBC ahead of next week's election; a Bangladesh minister resigns after going viral on social media for wielding a gun in suspected drugs raid; the researchers trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of the pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart; and Apu returns to the Simpsons after nine years away. 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 protester in Paris throws a bicycle onto a burning car amid clashes during a day of demonstrations Credit: REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

What happens if Donald Trump loses the midterms, and why do these elections matter for Republicans and Democrats? What is gerrymandering? A stump speech? PACs and Super PACs? Dark money? In this special joint episode, we explain some of the basics of next month's US elections. The Global News Podcast's Celia Hatton is joined by Anthony Zurcher and Sumi Somaskanda from Americast to help decode the weird and wonderful jargon surrounding the midterms. We hear from our listeners about which phrases have them stumped.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]: US President Donald Trump responds to a question from the news medis. Credit: Shawn Thew - POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

Since World War Two ended, most people living in the United States or Europe have generally upheld a consensus about its morality; that it was a just war fought against an evil Nazi regime, and the allies were right to fight it. But in a viral podcast debate with the British conservative Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tucker Carlson seemed to disagree with that narrative, causing deep consternation within the wider conservative movement. The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Newscast’s Adam Fleming about Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and the strand of British conservatism he represents. We also hear from the Conservative politician and Times of London columnist Lord Daniel Finkelstein - whose parents were survivors of a Nazi concentration camps and a Russian gulag - about why he thinks one of America’s most influential right-wing voices is casting doubt on World War Two history. For more from the Global Story please subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts.(Photo: Tucker Carlson speaks at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, 18 July, 2024. He has short brown hair with side parting. He gestures with both arms outstretched to the side as he speaks into a mic. He wears a dark blue jacket, a blue and white gingham shirt and a dark blue tie with yellow, diagonal stripes. Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters) Producer: Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth Executive producer: James Shield Digital producer: Sam Gruet Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

When a storm washed out the only road connecting North Carolina's Outer Banks, Kimberly and Jayden turned to the locals of Hatteras Island for help. None of their family or wedding suppliers could get there for their big day. But, after a social media appeal, the locals rallied round the couple and their wedding went ahead. The couple estimate between 500 to 800 strangers attended their wedding. Also, a black Labrador has just been named as Animal of the Year. Six year old Sgaith sniffs out an invasive marine creature called the carpet sea squirt with her handler, Dr Texa Sim. Archaeologists have found what they believe to be the world's oldest shipwreck. It's just off the coast of Turkey and it's thought to be 4,500 years old. Although the ship's wooden structure has not survived, some of its contents are still lying on the seabed. Plus, the drug trial offering hope to people with alopecia. Why women are dominating the Motorsport, Top Fuel Drag Racing - and the man who ran a marathon, with strangers celebrating him along the way. Image: Kimberly and Jayden getting married. Credit: GwenyGrace PhotographyOur weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson.