BBC Global News

Anti-government unrest has continued to spread across Iran, despite an internet blackout and a defiant address by the Supreme Leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the protesters as "a bunch of vandals" and said the authorities would not back down. Demonstrations began nearly two weeks ago because of anger at rising living costs. Also: Russia uses a powerful hypersonic missile against the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, in another wave of air attacks. Switzerland observes a national day of mourning for the victims of the New Year's eve fire. And why the giant pandas in a Japanese zoo will soon be replaced by people in panda suits. 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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Protests have been taking place in cities across Iran, in the biggest show of opposition to the clerical authorities for 17 years. Reports of clashes between Iranian security forces and demonstrators in Tehran and other cities. Also: officials in Minneapolis say the FBI has blocked them from investigating the shooting dead of a woman by a US immigration agent. The Trump administration alleges she tried to run over officers - local officials reject that claim. As NASA prepares to evacuate a sick crew member from the International Space Station, we ask how astronauts can stay healthy in space. Skye Newman fends off Sombr, Jim Legxacy and Geese to be crowned BBC Sound of 2026 winner. And why boredom is a good thing. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

The Lebanese military says it has completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, but Israel has warned far more needs to be done. The army in Lebanon says the south of the country is now free of non- state weapons. The area had long been dominated by Hezbollah. Also: President Trump has signed a memorandum ordering the withdrawal of the United States from sixty-six international organizations -- nearly half of them UN bodies. Cambodia says it has extradited a billionaire businessman from China, who is accused of masterminding a vast cryptocurrency scam. And human like robots - aptly named humanoids - take centre stage at the annual consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas. 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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The mayor of Minneapolis in the United States has strongly rejected the Trump administration's account of the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in the city. Jacob Frey said video of the incident directly contradicted assertions by the White House that the agent had shot Renee Good in self defence. Hundreds of people gathered in protest at the site of her shooting, lighting candles overnight. Video shows she was shot as she drove off when ICE agents were trying to stop her. Also: President Trump has said that Venezuela has agreed to use the proceeds from the sale of its oil to buy only American-made goods. A study in Britain indicates that people who stop weight-loss jabs put the weight back on much quicker than if they'd lost it by dieting. And Aldrich Ames, the most damaging CIA traitor in agency history, dies aged 84.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

The United States says it has seized two tankers accused of violating sanctions against Venezuela. One of them, a Russian ship, was boarded in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Britain. The US coastguard had been pursuing the ship for weeks since intercepting it off the Venezuelan coast. During the chase, the vessel underwent a change of name and adopted a Russian flag. Russian support including a submarine was on its way before the tanker was seized. The other tanker, sailing under the flag of Cameroon, was seized in the Caribbean. Also: the White House says that President Trump has been discussing options, including military force, to acquire Greenland, which it says is vital to US security. How a collection of preserved bowel cancer samples could help to unlock the mystery of why the disease is rising around the world, especially among younger people. And the Iron Age battle trumpet discovered in England - the most complete such instrument found in Europe. 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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The US claims that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority to deter threats from Russia and China in the Arctic. Washington hasn't ruled out the use of military force. Also: Ukraine and allies say they've made progress in talks to ensure the country's security in the event of a ceasefire with Russia; the Venezuelan military and government crack down on dissent; the anti-government protests that have engulfed Iran; an inside look at one of the world's first quantum computers; and Lego's high-tech upgrade.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

In this special edition of the Global News Podcast, BBC correspondents answer your questions about the US operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Why did the US carry out this operation? What will happen to Venezuela's oil reserves? And who will run the country now? Matthew Amroliwala speaks to our South America correspondent Ione Wells, our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams in Washington, and the BBC's Sumi Somaskanda who is on the border between Venezuela and Colombia.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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European allies rally to support Denmark following renewed calls by the US that it must control Greenland. It comes as talks are held in Paris on security guarantees for Ukraine. Donald Trump has said that the US "needed" Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow Nato member Denmark - for security reasons. Also: Swiss officials say ski bar not checked for five years before deadly fire that killed 40 mainly young people. Security forces patrol Venezuelan streets as opposition calls for release of political prisoners. Conservationists in Kenya pay tribute to beloved "super tusker" elephant, Craig. And we take a look at new global indoor fitness craze.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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Delcy Rodriguez is sworn in as Venezuela's new president at a special ceremony in the capital, Caracas. Meanwhile, her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty on drugs charges in court in New York. Also: the US tech company Nvidia introduces a new AI technology - that the chip designer says will help self-driving cars reason more like humans; the South African justice system is in crisis with many trials taking years to get to court; and a former school teacher is unmasked after posing as a senior naval officer at national days of mourning. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

The ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is transferred by armed forces to make his first appearance in a US court on drug trafficking and weapons charges, alongside his wife Cilia Flores. Both were seized by American forces from their compound in Caracas and flown to detention in New York, before being led in handcuffs into a Manhattan courtroom. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he's "concerned rules of international law have not been respected", as nations discuss the US actions at a UN Security Council meeting. And we learn more about Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's right-hand woman, who is due to be sworn in as acting president of Venezuela.Also: a court in Paris convicts 10 people of cyberbullying France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, over false claims about her gender and sexuality; China and South Korea reaffirm their ties at a summit in Beijing; and we look back at the life of Eva Schloss, Holocaust survivor and Anne Frank’s step-sister, who has died at the age of 96.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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The US has warned the new interim leader of Venezuela to do as it says - or face the consequences. Donald Trump says if Delcy Rodriguez "doesn’t do what’s right, she's going to pay a very big price". The ousted Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, is due to appear in court in New York. Also in this podcast, Denmark's prime minister has told Donald Trump to "stop threats" about taking over Greenland. Police in Switzerland say they have now identified all forty victims of the New Year's Day fire in a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. Iran's government has announced that it will begin paying a new monthly allowance to every citizen. The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, has markedly increased his defence budget for 2026. The movie Avatar: Fire and Ash has made more than a billion dollars at the global box office. 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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A US woman whose bone marrow saved a father of three in Australia has spent Christmas with him and his family. Gennaro Rapinese, whose leukaemia was cured by the donation, greeted Cassidy Feeney at the airport in Perth with the words 'you saved my life'. Cassidy, who'd never met Gennaro before, says she decided to donate because she'd want someone to do the same for her loved ones - and believes everyone should care more about others and less about themselves.
Also: How a community rallied around to help after customers left a restaurant in Montreal without paying a large bill. The owner of Mama Khan's uses his profits to run a soup kitchen and deliver free meals to those in need.
The company in Sweden that's tackling loneliness by giving employees time off dedicated to working on their friendships.
A chance encounter and a small act of kindness that led to a couple getting engaged.
Plus a very rare pink platypus, and why millions of people around the world sing the Scottish folk song, Auld Lang Syne, to mark the new year.
Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Presenter: Oliver Conway. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Nicolas Maduro has arrived at a detention centre in Brooklyn, New York where he will be held ahead of an expected first court appearance on Monday. Live TV showed Mr Maduro being led away in a hooded jacket and handcuffs by US agents after the plane transporting the captured Venezuelan president and his wife arrived at an air base north of the city. In 2020, Mr Maduro was charged in absentia over alleged drug and weapons offences. He has always maintained that the accusations are a pretext for regime change and denied links to drug trafficking.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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Following the capture of the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by the US military, President Trump has said the United States intends to run the South American country until there can be a "safe, proper and judicious transition". The president was pressed by reporters about who would be running Venezuela during the transition period and offered few details on who exactly would be in charge. He added that Washington wasn't afraid of putting boots on the ground. The announcement comes as the United Nations Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Venezuela's future and the US actions, which U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres views as setting "a dangerous precedent." Nicolas Maduro's vice -president has called for his immediate release, but the exiled opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, says Venezuela's hour of freedom has arrived. We look at what may happen next and whether Donald's Trump's actions have any legal justification.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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"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country", writes President Trump on his Truth Social website. Venezuela has declared a national emergency and says military personnel and civilians were killed in the attacks. Caracas has demanded proof that Mr Maduro and the Venezuelan first lady are alive. The US attorney-general, Pamela Bondi, says the couple will stand trial on charges of drug trafficking and terrorism, and will soon face "the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts".The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Officials investigating the ski resort fire in Switzerland say they're focussing on the bar's safety measures. Also: Iranian officials warn the US against intervention over protests; swapping life in the US for life in Russia; Argentina's 'tax innocence law'; the AI chatbot, Grok, says it will fix safeguards; and Venus Williams wins a wild-card entry to the Australian Open.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.ukPhoto by: Reuters

The US President warns his forces will come to the rescue of peaceful Iranian anti-government demonstrators if they are targeted by Tehran. A senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has responded by saying Donald Trump should know that US interference would lead to chaos across the region. Also: two French managers of the bar in the Swiss ski resort that suffered a deadly fire on New Year's Eve have been interviewed; new mayor Zohran Mamdani is formally sworn in in New York; the difficulty of not having a birth certificate in South Africa; Donald Trump gives an update about his health after concerns were raised; and what to look out for in space travel in 2026. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.ukPhoto by ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock

Hundreds take part in a vigil in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana after around 40 people died in a fire at a bar while out celebrating New Year. Also: Colombia's armed forces say they have "neutralised" the main leader of one of Venezuela's most powerful and far-reaching criminal gangs; fresh research indicates that psychedelic drugs could be beneficial in treating a range of mental disorders; the UN children's agency Unicef estimates that more than a million Palestinian children trapped in Gaza desperately need mental health support and we talk to the great grandson of the Czech artist, Alphonse Mucha, best known for his paintings of graceful powerful female figures that helped define the Art Nouveau era. 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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Swiss police say dozens of people have died in a fire at the ski resort of Crans-Montana. They say more than 100 others were injured, many of them seriously. The fire broke out early in the morning in a bar packed with people celebrating the New Year. The cause is still under investigation, but the authorities don't think it was a terror attack. Also: New US travel restrictions have come into force for people from dozens of countries; more than half of them in Africa. New York City has its first Muslim and South Asian mayor as Zoran Mamdani was sworn in at midnight in the historic City Hall subway station, and how one village in China makes 80 per cent of all red lanterns for New Year celebrations. 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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Donald Trump says he is withdrawing the National Guard from the Democrat-led cities of Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland after the Supreme Court blocked the deployment of troops for policing duties. But the president said federal forces would "come back" if crime rates go up.Also: President Volodymyr Zelensky says only 10 per cent of a peace deal with Russia remains to be agreed, but Ukraine is not prepared to sign a "weak agreement" that would prolong the war. We speak to a Syrian refugee who spent years living in Europe but is now ready to move home. The discoveries that could solve the mystery of a medieval Welsh cemetery. And a campaign to build more toilets for women in the Japanese parliament. Photo credit: Reuters.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk