Global News Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How US model agencies helped Epstein access victims Nov 10, 2026

Show notes

A BBC investigation uncovers new evidence about how model agencies, scouts and powerful fashion figures helped Jeffrey Epstein gain access to young women after his conviction for sex offences. A woman raped by the financier says the president of her model agency put her in danger when he sent her to two photoshoots at Epstein's Florida beach house. At the time, in 2009, Epstein was serving a jail sentence for sex offences against a minor but was allowed to work each day from his home.

Also: dozens of soldiers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are sentenced to death by a military court for offences including cowardice and mutiny. Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US begin two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, aimed at ending the war. One of Russia's few independent news outlets, Novaya Gazeta, is shut down. In a unique experiment, movie fans in the Netherlands are hypnotised before watching their favourite film, so they can experience the movie as if for the first time. A round-the-world cruise ship, which left passengers stranded in Cambodia after its operator ran out of money, has been seized in Singapore. And five stars are shortlisted for the 2026 BBC World Service Women’s Footballer of the Year.

Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: Jeffrey Epstein Credit: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services sex offender registry

Trump backs Hegseth as he faces impeachment push Nov 10, 2026

Show notes

President Trump has said the resumption of US strikes against Iran is "quite unlikely and unnecessary". He expressed support for his defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, after a Republican Congressman, Thomas Massie, introduced articles of impeachment against him for waging war in Iran and elsewhere without Congressional approval. Also: President Trump says the FBI is investigating claims that Jensen Huang, the boss of the US tech giant Nvidia, had an affair with a suspected Chinese agent. He said he'd spoken to Mr Huang - who'd told him he had no idea that the woman was a spy. France has accused Iran of being behind cyberattacks last month that heated up supermarket fridges and freezers, spoiling millions of dollars' worth of food. The former British comedian and actor, Russell Brand is beginning a prison sentence of ten-and-a-half years for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009. We have a special report from the Libyan city of Derna, which has been rebuilt after Storm Daniel triggered the worst flood disaster in the world this century. Astronomers say the Earth has another temporary moon that's fallen into our planet's gravitational pull. And the author M John Harrison is awarded the prestigious Booker Prize for his dystopian novel, The End of Everything.

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: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaking at the Pentagon in March. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

China denies spying on Nvidia boss Nov 09, 2026

Show notes

Nvidia says it's investigating CEO's affair with tech executive Alice Huang, as shares in the firm fall in pre-market trading. Also: BBC investigation finds one of Europe’s most powerful drug gangs recruits teenagers from across France to carry out murders and kidnappings. COP31 UN Climate summit gets underway in Turkey, focusing on delivering on past promises. The former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who's facing the death penalty in her home country, requests a new passport and identity card so she can return. Pope Leo, who's on a tour of South America, criticises Argentine president Javier Milei over austerity measures. Eight years after Australian cricket was rocked by the infamous "sandpapergate" scandal, one of the players involved - David Warner - breaks his silence, saying the whole team knew about ball tampering. And could a vibrating mattress help fight Alzheimer's disease?

Nvidia investigates CEO's affair with suspected Chinese spy Nov 09, 2026

Show notes

The US tech giant Nvidia has opened an independent investigation following reports its chief executive, Jensen Huang, had a relationship with a woman suspected of spying for China. Mr Huang apologized to his wife and his children for being unfaithful. The chip maker said it had no reason to believe its secrets or US national security were compromised. Also: an anti-terrorism investigation is launched in Poland after a mass shooting in the city of Krakow left six people dead. In Egypt two trains have crashed south of the capital, Cairo, killing seven people and injuring more than 100. South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress, has recorded its worst result in local elections since Nelson Mandela led the country into democracy. The Indian capital Delhi records very poor air quality during Diwali celebrations. Billionaires on the ballot in California - should they pay more tax? And a miraculous rescue in the Pacific Ocean as cruise ship pianist is picked up by fishermen.

The Global Story: They fled Russia. The US sent them back Nov 08, 2026

Show notes

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, many Russians who opposed the war – or feared being sent to fight in it – fled the country. In much of the West, they were welcomed as courageous dissidents. But four years on, the number of Russians being forcibly returned from the US to Russia is rising. Is the tougher stance on Russian asylum seekers evidence of the Trump administration seeking closer ties with Moscow? Or is it part of a wider immigration crackdown, driven by domestic politics? In this episode, Tristan Redman speaks to the BBC’s Will Vernon about the Russian refugees he has met who face persecution if they are forced to return home. The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Poland in shock as six killed in shooting Nov 08, 2026

Show notes

Poland has begun two days of mourning after a gunman opened fire on the main square in the city of Krakow, killing six and injuring 15 others; three more bodies were found at the suspect's home. The authorities say he used military weapons and is thought to have been inspired by far-right ideologies. Also: Israel's president invites Gadi Eisenkot, the main rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to try to form a government after last week’s inconclusive election. Heavy rains in Gaza cause flooding for tens of thousands of misplaced residents living in desperate conditions in tents. The former president of Paraguay is charged in connection with the banking scandal that led to his impeachment. The Ultimate Fighting Championship boss, Dana White, tells us he is meeting President Trump on Monday after he was apparently offered the job of White House Press Secretary. The super sock that's supposed to improve running but has proved divisive. And why thousands entered a competition to find the most "distinctly Boston" accent.

The Happy Pod: Celebrating the wedding that never happened Nov 07, 2026

Show notes

When Bridget's relationship fell apart, she turned to the internet with a proposal: come to Northern Ireland and celebrate the wedding that never happened. What followed was a story that has resonated worldwide as 11 strangers answered the call and helped transform loss and heartbreak into an unforgettable week of connection, companionship and adventure.

Also on this podcast; meet the 25-year-old who is on a mission to give one million people access to safe water by 2030. Diana Virgovicova was diagnosed with ovarian cancer as a teenager -- a disease which she believes was linked to the use of agricultural pesticides in her town. After she realised contaminated water was a global problem, she taught herself quantum chemistry to find a way to clean up water.

Also, the family living on the UK's most remote inhabited island and we go to Washington DC's annual High Heel Race.

Picture: Eleven strangers from across the world travelled to Northern Ireland to celebrate Bridget's 'non-wedding'. Credit: Rob Dight / Epic Love Photography

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Trump appoints new chief of staff after midterm defeat Nov 07, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump names the immigration hardliner, Stephen Miller, as the new White House chief of staff after the Republican Party's historic losses in the US midterm elections. Mr Miller's appointment to one of the most powerful positions in Washington has been criticised by Democrats and some Republicans. Also: Paraguay's president, Santiago Peña, is impeached and placed under house arrest. Thomas Markle - the estranged father of Prince Harry's wife, Meghan - appears in court over child sex abuse material; he denies wrongdoing. More than 200 Palestinian couples are married at a mass ceremony in war-torn Gaza. The American-Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv speaks to the BBC about his new movie, The Liberation. And were ancient Siberian nomads smoking cannabis?

Photo: Stephen Miller, the newly-appointed White House chief of staff, speaking on 20th October in the Oval Office. Credit: Reuters

Tech stocks tank over AI panic Nov 06, 2026

Show notes

Investors dump tech shares over fears of slowdown in AI development following the sweeping Democrat victory in the US midterm elections. Markets in Asia suffer sharp losses. Japan’s Nikkei index and South Korea’s Kospi closed 6% down on Friday.

Also: the leader of a doomsday cult in Kenya is sentenced to 200 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering more than 190 people; Paraguay's president faces impeachment after a banking scandal puts the country in crisis; another wave of bomb threats disrupts passenger flights in Europe; Gavin Newsom spares 500 prisoners from the death sentence in California; and the Pope heads to Latin America three weeks after lung cancer surgery.

Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Photo: Currency dealers talk in front of an electronic board displaying the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) in Seoul, South Korea. Credit: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Pete Hegseth under pressure after US elections Nov 06, 2026

Show notes

Pressure grows on the US defence secretary following the Republicans' midterm losses. The war in Iran, which Pete Hegseth supported, is being blamed for the defeats - but President Trump said he intended to keep Mr Hegseth on. The defence secretary issues a defiant video statement defending his record. Also: Melania Trump hosts Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House. US tech stocks lose hundreds of billions of dollars over fears the Democrats could slow down AI development. Paraguay's president faces impeachment over the collapse of a bank that he had connections with. And the blind Nigerian woman hoping to retain her martial arts title.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected