Global News Podcast

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Houthis tighten squeeze on crucial shipping route Sep 11, 2026

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Reports from Yemen say fighters from the Iranian-backed Houthi group have taken over the island of Perim, in the Bab el-Mandab Strait - a crucial shipping route. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and thousands displaced since the Houthis launched an offensive in the south-west of the country a week ago.

Also: the artificial intelligence company, Anthropic, says it's uncovered attempts to use its AI models to develop biological and conventional weapons. We report from New York as the city marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Six Nigerian nationals accused of defrauding more than 100 women through online romance scams are extradited from South Africa to the US. And a new frontier opens up for the NFL in Australia.

Photo: Houthi fighters march during a campaign to mobilize more fighters amid an escalation of fighting in Yemen Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Israeli military demolishes Hezbollah tunnels in Lebanon Sep 11, 2026

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The Israeli army claims to have destroyed a series of underground tunnels used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. They reportedly found Iranian-made rockets, anti-tank missiles, drones and other munitions. Also: the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, initiates defamation proceedings against an Israeli newspaper that alleged he was warned in advance that Hamas was planning the October the 7th attacks; both President Trump and his deputy JD Vance have spoken at the end of a two day Republican mid-term convention in Dallas; we hear from a New York firefighter trapped inside one of the Twin Towers on September 11th twenty five years ago; a new proposal to change the rules of tennis to remove terms like love and deuce is being debated in Australia; and, one of London's grandest hotels is locked in a legal battle over allegations a guest failed to settle a bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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 Photo: Footage released by Israel which it claims shows an explosion at a Hezbollah underground complex in southern Lebanon's Ali al-Taher ridge. Date and location of the footage has not been independently verified. Credit: Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation

Philippine ferry erupts in flames Sep 10, 2026

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An urgent search for survivors is underway after a ferry in the Philippines catches fire. Dozens are still missing and at least five people are dead. The Philippine coastguard says it's still too dangerous to board the ferry, but they fear people are trapped inside.

Also: a port city in Yemen is captured by the Houthi rebel group. Donald Trump promises $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans win the midterm elections. The commander and pilot of the Artemis II space mission retire from spaceflight. Anti-immigration protesters in the UK mistake the Pakistan under-19 cricket team for migrants. Officials say August this year was the world's joint hottest month on record. And the Bayeux Tapestry goes on public display in London - the first time it has left France since the eleventh century.

Photo: a drone view shows burned MV June Aster, after a fire broke out on the ferry, off the coast of the Philippines. Credit: Reuters

US Republicans kick off first-ever midterm convention Sep 10, 2026

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US Republicans have kicked off their first-ever midterm convention to rally voters ahead of November's elections, despite Donald Trump's low approval ratings. In a lengthy speech, the president defended his policies and promised voters a $5000 payout if the Republican party wins and holds on to Congress, although it's not clear if his pledge is legal. We speak to our correspondent at the convention in Dallas, Texas. Also: dozens of people are missing after a ferry catches fire in the Philippines; the family of a black woman found hanged on a tree demands answers; Apple unveils its foldable iPhone Duo; an Indian food inspector's crackdown in Mumbai goes viral; and time is running out for the leap second.

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 Picture: US President Donald Trump gestures after his speech during the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas. Credit: REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak

AI scientist quits Anthropic over risk to humanity Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

A top safety researcher at Anthropic has warned that AI might be able to improve itself to the point where it poses an existential threat to humanity. Another former employee says that no other human activity poses this level of danger after quiting the company. There has been a growing number of voices within the industry calling for international coordination to slow AI development. Also: The British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, defends his government's decision to impose sanctions on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The killing of eight women in Cameroon over the course of a week renews calls for legislation targeting gender-based violence. Funeral ceremonies for King Harald V take place in Norway. We hear from the first Afghan woman who has climbed Mount Everest. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, begins his three nation trip across Latin America. A new study by Oxford University says people who regularly have hot cups of tea or coffee are at a greater risk of developing cancer in their oesophagus. And the American television show, South Park, gets a new name.

Photo: Anthropic logo, a keyboard and a robotic hand Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Israel hits back at sanctions on settlers Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

The Israeli government takes retaliatory action after Britain, France and Canada impose sanctions on illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has announced countermeasures including shutting the UK's consulate in East Jerusalem.

Also: fighting between US and Iranian forces flares again with the Americans striking Iranian oil tankers and Tehran targeting a US military base. Newly released files show that toxic air quality was being recorded in Manhattan soon after the 9/11 attacks even as officials played down health risks to the public. A global survey finds a dramatic decline in teenagers' performance at school in the digital era. British scientists are developing a screening test that can show whether a patient has a brain tumour by analysing their tears. And fans celebrate as the legendary TV show, Star Trek, turns sixty.

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 Photo: Israeli minister of foreign affairs Gideon Saar speaks at a news conference in Jerusalem, after the UK and other countries announce sanctions on settlements in the occupied West Bank. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

UK sanctions Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank Sep 08, 2026

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Twelve countries ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank; Britain's Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, says plans to build thousands of new homes there are unacceptable. Also: Canada's imposes retaliatory tariffs on various American goods; fighting escalates between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi group; the medical charity, Medecins sans Frontieres, warns that international funding cuts have closed healthcare facilities across Sudan; the boss of one of the world's leading computer chip makers, ARM Holdings, predicts artificial intelligence will cure cancer; masterpieces by the Impressionist painter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, are stolen in France; and we speak to the writer of a new documentary on the English rock band, Oasis.

Photo: Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband making a statement on Israel-Palestine in the House of Commons. Credit: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire

West Bank parents fear after settler attacks on school Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are terrified for their children's lives at school after an increase in attacks by Jewish extremist settlers. Three pupils at a school south of Nablus have been killed since April. Ambulance crews have been stationed on the road outside the school, while several parents have volunteered to stand outside the gates. Meanwhile, the UK is to ban Israeli goods from West Bank settlements as part of a new policy towards Israel.

Also: in Ukraine's third-largest city, Odesa, councillors are voting to crack down on the Russian language - even though it's spoken by most residents. Staff at the Eiffel Tower in Paris go on strike after bosses agree to make the site a women-free zone for a visit by a conservative Hindu group. King Charles makes it clear that Harry and Meghan's return to Britain doesn't make them working royals. We ask if loud influencers are ruining tennis tournaments. And in the UK, blind parents are being given 3D prints of ultrasound scans to improve their pregnancy experiences.

Photo: School children in al-Mughayyir 6th of September Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Merz: Germany faces 'tectonic shift' after AfD victory Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

Friedrich Merz says the decisive win in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt by the far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD, signals the need for a major reckoning. The AfD's national co-leader, Alice Weidel, says it's aiming to win at least forty per cent in the next general election. Also: the funeral of the Bosnian Serb war criminal, General Ratko Mladić, has gone ahead in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, where some people consider him a national hero. The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, has warned of a "dangerous escalation" by Israel after women and children were killed in an air strike on a residential building in southern Lebanon. A new film about the most important weather forecast in British history, which gave the go-ahead for D-Day on the sixth June 1944, is released in the UK. And the BBC speaks to the 13-year-old who has written a symphony warning about the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

Photo: Description: German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz attends a press conference the day after the Saxony-Anhalt state elections in Berlin, Germany, September 7, 2026.

Credit: REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Historic win for far-right in Germany Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is heading for a dramatic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Although it is projected to fall short of a majority, the AfD says it has won a mandate to govern. Commentators and political opponents speak of the outcome as a watershed and break with the past. No far-right party has won control of a German state since World War Two.

Also: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he expects the war with Russia to continue into the winter, following talks with Donald Trump's top envoys in Kyiv. The BBC investigates the claim that individuals working for the Saudi government may have been involved in the 9/11 attacks. Iran warns of "a faster, heavier, and more painful response" to US attacks, as hostilities between the two sides escalate. At least five people have been killed and five others injured after a cargo plane sped off a runway at Miami International Airport. Portugal gives festival-goers wristbands that can instantly detect the date-rape drug GHB. We look at how Nigeria's problems with mass abductions from schools are affecting children's access to education. A volcanic eruption in Indonesia disrupts thousands of flights, and how sleep tracking can actually make your sleep worse.

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 Photo: Ulrich Siegmund during a far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) election party following Saxony-Anhalt state election, in Magdeburg, Germany, 06 September 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

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