Global News Podcast

We hear how a woman helped save one of India's rarest birds by holding baby showers to celebrate the arrival of their chicks. Thousands have now joined Purnima Devi Barman's Hargila Army, which campaigns to protect adjutant storks and guards their nests.
Also: a chef stranded on the cargo ship, Avontuur, for months during the pandemic says inner strength can turn a challenge into an opportunity; the volunteers helping older people feel the wind in their hair on cycle rides; the baby found at a train station who's inspired a song; and the huge range of unique moves that keep cockatoos dancing.

Presenter: Nick Miles
Music: Iona Hampson.

(Picture credit: Getty Images)

The UN Security Council is to meet on Sunday to discuss the Israeli government's decision to expand its war against Hamas by taking control of Gaza City. The announcement follows widespread condemnation of the Israeli plan. The UN Secretary General's chief spokesman described it as a "dangerous escalation". Saudi Arabia has said it "categorically condemns" Israel's announcement while Turkey has called for global pressure to prevent the plan from going ahead. Also: President Trump and the Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet in Alaska next Friday for Ukraine war talks; and the Nasa astronaut Jim Lovell, who guided Apollo 13 safely back to Earth, dies aged 97.

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 Israeli government's decision to take over Gaza City has prompted criticism from international leaders, including Germany, a long-time ally of Israel and one of its largest arms suppliers. The prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier said his ultimate aim was the occupation of the whole of the Gaza Strip. The security cabinet wants the disarmament of Hamas, the return of all hostages and the establishment of an alternative civilian administration.

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 families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have joined protests outside a crucial meeting of Israel's security cabinet in Jerusalem. It's been convened by Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss plans for the Israeli army to occupy the entire Gaza Strip. The proposal is reported to focus initially on Gaza City, whose one million residents would be relocated further south. The plan has drawn criticism from the head of the Israeli military, Eyal Zamir, who says it would endanger the lives of soldiers and hostages. Also: Kremlin says Trump and Putin to meet in coming days to discuss Ukraine, and OpenAI launches new chatbot GPT-5.

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 Kremlin has said planning is underway for a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump next week, but denied the Russian leader has agreed to a subsequent meeting with the US president and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. The Trump administration's long-threatened tariffs on around ninety countries have taken effect on imports from dozens of countries, raising the effective US rate to its highest level in nearly a century. Relatives of hostages held in Gaza have set sail towards the territory in a flotilla of eleven boats adorned with flags and protest posters, calling on the Israeli government to stop the war, amid discussion of plans to escalate the military conflict in Gaza. German police have arrested three men suspected of being members of the outlawed Reichsbeurger group and of planning high treason. The families of those killed in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad two months ago, say it's like 'losing him twice' after receiving parts of a stranger's body, instead of their relative. The dangers of unregulated cosmetic procedures like botox and what the UK government is doing about it. Why a new investigation into Pompeii has shed new light on what happened after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and why one 90's superhero has joined in with the Trump recruitment drive for ICE agents to ramp up immigration raids and detentions across the United States.

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