Global News Podcast
Episodes
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz a day after declaring it open
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Iran says its forces are in full control of the Strait of Hormuz and passage through the vital oil waterway would remain restricted, unless the US rem...
The Happy Pod: Filling the empty chair left by my best friend
18 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We meet the man helping to tackle loneliness by offering strangers somewhere to sit and chat. Dean Perryman started the Empty Chairs project, honourin...
US and Tehran dispute the future of Iran's uranium
18 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has again insisted that Tehran is ready to hand over its enriched uranium as part of a deal to end the war, despite Iran saying no suc...
Tens of thousands of Lebanese return home after ceasefire
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A 10-day pause in the fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah has led to tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese families returning home. Despit...
Ceasefire in Lebanon begins
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into effect after it was brokered by the United States. Hezbollah have indicated they will obse...
Pope Leo: 'world ravaged by handful of tyrants'
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In unusually forceful political remarks, Pope Leo has said the world is "being ravaged by a handful of tyrants". Addressing a crowd during his visit t...
BBC in Iran as mediation efforts continue
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet gains rare access to report from Iran. Residents living under the fragile ceasefire tell her t...
Iran warns it will block Gulf and Red Sea
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Iran warns that it will block trade through the Red Sea as well as the Gulf and the Sea of Oman, if the United States continues its own blockade of Ir...
Three years of war in Sudan
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sudan marks the third anniversary of its civil war. The fighting has led to a de facto partition of the country and created the world’s largest huma...
China calls US blockade of Iranian ports 'dangerous'
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
China has described the US blockade of Iranian ports as "irresponsible and dangerous". The measure came into force on Monday, after peace talks failed...
US Vice President suggests talks with Iran could resume
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
JD Vance says progress was made in discussions with Iran at the weekend and the ball is in Tehran's court. But he also accuses the Iranians of "econom...
Pope: 'I will not debate war with Trump'
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Pope Leo has said he has "no intention to debate" Donald Trump, after the US leader criticised the pontiff's comments about the war in the Middle East...
Péter Magyar wins the Hungarian election by a landslide
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, has promised closer ties with the European Union - and an anti-corruption drive - after winning the Hungaria...
The Global Story: The medications that can trigger sex and gambling addictions
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A BBC investigation has heard from hundreds of people who say they developed sex and gambling addictions after taking a category of prescription drugs...
'Historic' US Iran talks end without deal
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marathon talks between senior US and Iranian officials on ending the Middle East conflict have ended in failure. Speaking after the negotiations in Pa...
The Happy Pod: From a small town, to the moon
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The mayor of Ingersoll beams with pride at the Canadian town being represented on Artemis II. Ingersoll is home to 15,000 people, including the astron...
Artemis II splashdown
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nasa's four Artemis astronauts: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen ha...
JD Vance heads to Pakistan for talks with Iran
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Islamabad warns that the gap between the negotiating positions of the US and Iran remains wide. Each has accused the other of breaking the terms of th...
Israel to hold direct talks with Lebanon
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructs his cabinet to begin direct talks with Lebanon, but states "there is no ceasefire" and Israel will "contin...
Iran: Attacks on Lebanon are 'grave violation'
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Israel's attacks on Lebanon violate the ceasefire agreement with the United States, and warns that upcomi...
US-Iran ceasefire under strain
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard says it will deliver a "regret-inducing response" if Israeli strikes on Lebanon don't stop immediately, according to s...
Hegseth claims 'historic battlefield victory' over Iran
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As a fragile ceasefire begins, both the United States and Iran claim victory. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says Iran will no longer enrich uraniu...
The US, Israel and Iran announce two-week ceasefire
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Iran and the US have announced a two-week ceasefire which includes the reoping of the Strait of Hormuz and safe passage for ships. Peace talks will co...
Trump warns Iran 'whole civilisation will die tonight'
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has warned that "a whole civilisation will die tonight", as his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches. Iran's Re...
Artemis II astronauts fly around the Moon
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Artemis II astronauts have travelled farther from Earth than any human in history and successfully looped around the far side of the Moon. The NAS...
Intelligence chief of Iranian Revolutionary Guard killed
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The intelligence chief of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps, general Majid Khademi, has been killed in a US-Israeli air strike. An Iranian st...
Trump extends Iran's deadline to open Strait of Hormuz
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has changed the deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to Tuesday, and threatened to bomb Iran's bridges and power plants if ...
US gives Iran 48 hours to make deal or open Strait of Hormuz
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has given Iran 48 hours to make a deal or open up the Strait of Hormuz - an ultimatum Tehran has rejected. Both countries are trading ...
The Happy Pod: The decades long wait for the World Cup
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We now know the 48 nations that will be competing in the summer's FIFA World Cup. The final two sides to qualify - Iraq and the DRC - have each waited...
US in desperate search for missing aviator in Iran
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
American forces are searching for a missing crew member after a US fighter jet was downed in Iran. Iranian state media says Iran's security forces are...
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...