Global News Podcast

Iran says it has shot down US fighter jet

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran says it has shot down a US fighter jet over the west of the country. Iranian state media has published pictures and videos purporting to show par...

Artemis II leaves Earth's orbit and heads for Moon

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Artemis II mission has completed a critical engine burn that's propelling the Orion spacecraft and its four astronauts on a journey to the far sid...

World leaders plan how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The UK hosts 40 nations for talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. French President Emnnauel Macron says using force to open the vital shipping lane...

Reach for the Moon

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nasa has said it's back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon, after the Artemis II mission successfully blasted off from Cape Canaveral i...

Iran war: World leaders respond to economic impact

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Countries outline measures to try to reduce the impact of rising energy prices, as stock markets rise on President Trump's statement that the war may ...

Trump: US to leave Iran in '2 or 3 weeks'

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump says the US will end its war against Iran in the next "2 or 3 weeks" - but it will be up to other countries to secure the vital Strait...

Hegseth: US 'closer than ever' to defeating Iran

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

US Defence Secretary says President Trump is willing to make a deal to end the fighting, but if Iran doesn't accept the terms, the war will continue. ...

US downplays suggestions it could commit war crimes in Iran

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The White House has downplayed concerns that Donald Trump's threat to hit Iran's civilian infrastructure could lead to the US potentially carrying out...

Can the US really take control of Iran's oil?

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump says the US is in serious discussions with what he described as a new and more reasonable regime to end military operations in Iran. A...

Recommending: 13 Minutes Presents Artemis II

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Humans are returning to the Moon - hear all about it on the BBC’s space podcast. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is following Nasa’s mission to lo...

Trump says he could 'take the oil in Iran'

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has said he could "take the oil in Iran" and possibly seize Kharg Island through which most Iranian oil is exported. He spoke to the F...

The Global Story: Are we heading for World War Three?

29 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been almost a month since Israel and the US launched their war against Iran, and already there have been strikes in more than a dozen countries...

Yemen's Houthis launch missile attack on Israel

29 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Houthis in Yemen have carried out a second missile and drone attack on Israel, and have warned they'll keep conducting strikes in the coming days....

The Happy Pod: The hug that stopped a bombing

28 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A patient who stopped a bomb attack at a hospital has revealed he hugged the would-be-attacker to calm him down. Nathan Newby spent two hours talking ...

US says Iran war could end in ‘weeks’

28 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers meeting in France that the war on Iran could continue for another few weeks, and that ...

Inside Tehran: 'My daughter is under the rubble'

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Data examined by the BBC shows the devastating impact of the attacks on Iran's capital, Tehran, since the start of the US-Israel war. According to the...

Transgender women athletes banned from female Olympic events

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The International Olympic Committee says women's events at the 2028 Los Angeles Games will be restricted to biological females, after years of controv...

Israel says it's killed an Iranian naval commander

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US military says an Israeli airstrike that killed the Iranian revolutionary guard's naval commander, Alireza Tangsiri, "makes the region safer". I...

Meta and Google found negligent in social media addiction trial

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A jury in California has concluded that Meta and Google intentionally built addictive social media platforms, in a case brought by a 20-year-old woman...

Iran ridicules - then rejects - US peace plan

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran's state broadcaster says that Tehran has responded "negatively" to a US peace plan. A senior, unnamed official said Iran would end the war when i...

US reportedly offers 15-point plan to end conflict

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

US and Israeli media outlets are reporting that the Trump administration - with the help of Pakistan- has handed Iran a 15-point ceasefire plan. Presi...

Trump's peace plan still vague as war with Iran continues

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Israel and Iran continue to strike each other after the US says plans for talks with Tehran remain "fluid". We also hear how President Trump's vague p...

Tehran calls reports of US talks 'fake news'

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The speaker of Iran's parliament has said no negotiations have taken place with the United States, contradicting President Trump's announcement that t...

Donald Trump says there are points of agreement with Iran

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has said that the United States and Iran are in discussions aimed at ending current hostilities after he called off American strikes o...

Is Israel planning a full-scale ground invasion of Lebanon?

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Israel’s defence minister has announced that his country is expanding its ground campaign in Lebanon. Israel Katz warned of a prolonged operation ag...

The Global Story:How does war affect a child’s brain?

22 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For nearly forty years, Fergal Keane has reported for the BBC from some of the world’s most brutal conflicts – in Gaza, Iraq, Rwanda, Sudan, Ukrai...

Trump gives Iran 48 hours to reopen shipping channel

22 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has threatened to attack Iran's power plants, if Tehran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days. Iran has said it will tar...

The Happy Pod: Beers, braids and bonding

21 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We meet the men on a mission to help fellow Dads connect with their daughters, through a movement called 'pints and ponytails'. It's a chance to learn...

Trump considering 'winding down' Iran military campaign

21 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump posted on social media that the US was getting very close to meeting its objectives in Iran. Earlier he told reporters he didn't want ...

Iran renews attacks on Gulf countries

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tehran has fired missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours causing blazes at a Kuwait refinery and a Bahrain warehouse. Israel has launched more air ...

Israel holds off attacking Iranian gas infrastructure

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said Israel will hold off future attacks on Iranian gas fields after being asked to do so by Presi...

Oil and gas prices surge after energy plant strikes

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Energy prices have surged after strikes on key gas facilities in Qatar and Iran, as the Middle East war continues to escalate. Iran has targeted Qatar...

Iran attacks energy facilities in the Gulf

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Qatar's state-owned petroleum company says an Iranian ballistic missile attack on its main gas complex at Ras Laffan has caused widespread destruction...

Israel's third top-level assassination in two days

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed in an overnight Israeli strike. It comes just a day after Israel assasinated Ali Larijani a...

Deadly Israeli strikes hit central Beirut

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Israel has launched a series of deadly strikes in central Beirut and ordered mass evacuations in southern Lebanon, as it ramps up its air and ground o...

Israel says it's killed Iran's top security chief

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Israel's foreign minister said Iranians were "safer" without Ali Larijani and Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani, after the Israe...

US allies reject Trump's call for help in Strait of Hormuz

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US President has repeated his call for other nations, particularly Nato allies, to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump says he has been...

Germany and UK tell Trump this is 'not Nato's war'

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Germany and Britain say the war against Iran has nothing to do with Nato and the alliance won't be taking part in any effort to reopen the Strait of H...

The big winners at the Oscars

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One Battle After Another wins best picture at the 98th Oscars, while Jessie Buckley wins best actress for her role in Hamnet, and Michael B. Jordan be...

Attacks continue after Trump says Iran deal not good enough

15 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After President Trump said Iran seemed ready to make a deal to end the war but the terms weren't good enough, Tehran has been carrying out further mis...

Trump urges nations to secure Strait of Hormuz

15 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump calls on other nations to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz which Iran has largely blocked, driving up global energy p...

The Happy Pod: Turning my toddler's tales into tunes

14 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen Spencer has set his daughter's stories to music. What started as something he posted for his few followers has turned into a social media sens...

Iran says US Kharg Island attack a failure

14 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday President Trump said the US had obliterated military targets on the Iranian oil hub island of Kharg and threatened to target the oil infrast...

US strikes Iran’s key oil island

14 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump says the United States has carried out strikes against military targets on Kharg island, Iran's main export terminal for oil in...

Highest daily strike total on Iran, says US

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the bombardment of Iran continues, the American defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, says the US is decimating Iran's military, as it plans to carry ou...

US aerial refuelling plane crashes in western Iraq

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

US officials have said a KC-135 refuelling plane that went down in western Iraq was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. They said it had invol...

Iran's new leader in defiant first message

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iranian state television has broadcast a message in the name of the newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. The message was read by an annou...

UN Security Council demands Iran halt attacks

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

At a meeting in New York, the UN Security Council has backed a resolution calling for Iran to stop its strikes on Arab Gulf states and Jordan, but mak...

Three ships hit in the Strait of Hormuz

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Three commercial ships were damaged by 'unknown projectiles' in the Strait of Hormuz, as 32 members of the International Energy Agency agree release o...

Iranian residents tell BBC about US and Israeli bombardment

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The BBC hears from Iranian residents about life under bombardment, as the US says its military campaign is a "resounding success" - and ahead of sched...

Hegseth: Today ‘most intense’ day of US strikes on Iran

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, says Tuesday's attacks on Iran will be the most intense day since the war began. Echoing the words of Preside...

Oil price drops after Trump hints at short Iran war

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Oil price falls and stock markets rally after President Trump hints that war with Iran could be shorter than he'd previously said. But he also says Am...

Iran war: Oil prices soar

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The benchmark oil price has passed $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022. But Donald Trump says the economic fallout from the US-Israel war with...

Mojtaba Khamenei named as Iran's new supreme leader

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Supporters of the Iranian regime have taken to the streets to celebrate the selection of the country's new spiritual leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He will...

Bonus: War and climate

08 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How do conflicts like the US-Israel war with Iran impact our planet?In this special bonus episode of The Climate Question podcast, we answer listeners...

Iranian clerics reach consensus on new supreme leader

08 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Members of the Iranian clerical body tasked with choosing a new supreme leader says there's consensus on a replacement for the late Ali Khamenei. In I...

US and Israel hit Iranian oil depot

08 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US and Israel target Iranian oil facilities for the first time since start of war - but Tehran remains defiant. It continues to retaliate, launchi...

The Happy Pod: My friends made me a new hand

07 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Lois, 14, and her classmates used a 3D printer to create her new hand as part of a school project. Now they want to make prosthetic limbs for other pe...

Iran president apologises for striking neighbours

07 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said Iran will stop striking its neighbours as long as no attacks originate from them; he's apologised f...

US: 'achievable objectives' in Iran in four to six weeks

07 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, didn't give details of what these objectives were. But she said that when the goals of the war we...

Trump demands Iran's unconditional surrender

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump says there will be no deal with Iran, only unconditional surrender, as the US and Israel continue their bombardment of Tehran and othe...

US and Israel 'moving to next phase' of war with Iran

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the amount of firepower over Iran was about to surge dramatically. The Israeli military said it had begun...

US and Israel step up attacks on Iran

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Massive explosions are reported in Tehran and in Karaj to its west as the United States and Israel step up their attacks on Iranian cities. We hear wh...

US Senate blocks bid to limit Trump's powers for Iran war

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the US and Israeli war against Iran enters its sixth day, a bipartisan resolution in the US Senate aimed at limiting President Trump’s war powers...

US submarine sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Pentagon has released footage of a US submarine firing on an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean and sinking it. Earlier, the Sri Lankan Navy pick...

US Congress receives classified briefing on war with Iran

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the US-Israel war with Iran continues the Trump administration is facing mounting calls from Congress to explain why it started its campaign now, a...

Israel hits Tehran and Beirut with 'simultaneous strikes'

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Israeli defence minister says he has told troops to "take control" of new positions in Lebanon. The IDF says it's targeting Hezbollah. Israel says...

Iran widens retaliatory attacks in Gulf countries

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On the fourth day of the US and Israel's war against Iran, Tehran has widened its retaliatory attacks in the Gulf region, with two of its drones hitti...

US says Iran war will not be 'endless'

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The US and Israel strike targets across Iran for a third day. The American Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, says Washington's objectives won't be a...

Trump warns of more US deaths in Iran war

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump has warned that more American military personnel are likely to be killed as the US and Israel continue their attacks on Iran. T...

The Happy Pod: The chance encounter that became a lasting friendship

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We meet two women who have forged an unconventional friendship after meeting by chance more than four years ago. Neena found Carol's lost subway card ...

Israel continues to strike Iran after Ayatollah's death

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Israel is launching strikes on Iran for a second day after initial joint attacks with the US killed the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran ...

Iran's Supreme Leader killed in US-Israeli strikes

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed in his office by US and Israeli strikes - ending his 36-year iron rule of the Islamic R...

US and Israel carry out joint attacks on Iran

28 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump confirms that "major combat operations" are underway against targets in Iran in a joint operation by the US and Israeli militar...

Trump blacklists Anthropic in AI battle

28 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump says he will direct every federal agency to immediately stop using technology from AI developer Anthropic. The company behind t...

Pakistan says it's killed almost 300 Afghan Taliban

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Latest attacks mark escalation in long-running tensions between the two South Asian neighbours. Islamabad has repeatedly blamed the Afghan Taliban for...

Pakistan strikes Afghan capital

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Pakistani military jets have hit targets inside Afghanistan, bombing parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, as open military conflict surged between the...

US and Iran hold crucial talks mediated by Oman

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran's president says Tehran isn't pursuing nuclear weapons and has no intention of doing so, as a third round of crucial talks with the US continues ...

A special report from Mexico on the deadly drugs trade

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We hear from a Mexican city in Sinaloa state where one of the big drug cartels is locked in its own civil war. Our correspondent Quentin Sommerville v...

A special report from Mexico on the deadly drugs trade

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We hear from a Mexican city in Sinaloa state where one of the big drug cartels is locked in its own civil war. Our correspondent Quentin Sommerville v...

President Trump hails the golden age of America

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Following Donald Trump's annual State of the Union address, we look into some of his claims about the economy and immigration. Also: Japan announces ...

Trump delivers longest-ever State of the Union

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump touts his record in office in a fiery "America First" State of the Union address -- the longest in US history. The speech comes as pol...

Ukraine defiant on the 4th anniversary of Russia's invasion

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Zelensky has praised the endurance and courage of the Ukrainian people as the war with Russia enters its fifth year. With events being held...

Ukraine marks 4th anniversary of Russian invasion

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Russian strikes on Ukraine have continued on the 4th anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion. But in recent days Kyiv has been recapturing territo...

ICC judges hear charges against ex-Philippine leader

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have begun setting out their case against the former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, wh...

Violence erupts in Mexico after army kills drug lord

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Violence has broken out in several cities across Mexico hours after the military confirmed it had killed one of the country's most feared drug lords -...

The Global Story:The tightrope of reporting in Putin’s Russia

22 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Next week marks four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In that time, there’s been an intense crackdown on freedom of speech and dissen...

First large protests in Iran since deadly crackdown

22 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Students at several universities in Iran have staged anti-government protests - the first on this scale since January's deadly crackdown. It's not imm...

The Happy Pod: Former teacher celebrated as a crocodile

21 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After identifying a new species of ancient crocodile for his PhD, Ewan Bodenham honoured his favourite physics teacher who inspired him many years bef...

Trump lashes out at 'disappointing' Supreme Court ruling

21 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has lashed out at the US Supreme Court, after judges struck down his sweeping trade tariffs. The president has outlined a new plan to ret...

US Supreme Court rules against Trump's global tariffs

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs have been struck down by the US Supreme Court, in a major blow to the President's economic agenda. With a 6-3 m...

Former Prince Andrew released as investigations continue

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After a day of questioning by police on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his role as a UK trade envoy, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has bee...

Former Prince Andrew arrested

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in custody over his links to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in publi...

Israel accused of trying to annexe West Bank

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, has told a meeting of the Security Council that Israel's plans for greater controls in the occupied West Bank ...

Russia-Ukraine peace talks end after two hours

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Kyiv's chief negotiator describes US-mediated negotiations with Russia as difficult and complex, but says there has been progress. Also: European foot...

Iran claims progress in US nuclear talks

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Iran's foreign minister said the two sides agreed on a set of principles that could pave the way for a possible deal. But the US vice president, JD V...

Jesse Jackson dies at 84

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The American civil rights leader, Jesse Jackson, who twice ran for the Democratic nomination for president, has died aged 84. Tributes have been flowi...

Hillary Clinton accuses Trump of Epstein 'cover up'

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hillary Clinton, the former US secretary of state, and her husband, the former president Bill Clinton, have agreed to testify in the congressional inv...

UK weighs up faster rise in defence budget

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The UK is considering significant increases to its military spending, to three per cent of the public national income within the next three years. The...

Israel lays out conditions for any Iran nuclear deal

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Israel's prime minister has demanded the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran as part of any deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. Benjamin Netanya...