Global News Podcast

The UN says climate change is having a serious effect on the global supply of fresh water. Rivers and lakes are drying up while glaciers are retreating according to a new report. Also: South African police have found the body of a ninth murdered woman since July, as concern grows over a string of unexplained deaths near Johannesburg; Canada's prime minister has told the European Parliament he welcomes ambitions for associate EU membership in a speech containing thinly veiled criticism of Donald Trump's America; The chief executive of Microsoft AI says that unless adequate restrictions are implemented in the development of artificial intelligence, it could lead to the emergence of a new silicone species which would compete with humans; President Putin attempts to use parliamentary elections to claim support for the war in Ukraine; Buckingham Palace hits back at accusations made by Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer that within days of her death - the King, then Prince Charles, told him she would be "forgotten soon enough". The Palace said the King was “mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason." And the controversy in Australia over the presence of crocodiles at the location chosen for the rowing and canoe sprints at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
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: Drought forces Indonesian villagers to collect water from dried-up creeks, Indonesia on 17th Sep 2026
Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

The US central bank has raised interest rates for the first time in more than three years, to try to curb inflation. The Federal Reserve lifted its benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point and suggested it could do so again before the end of the year. In a social media post, President Trump demanded "lower interest rates... and fast."
Also: Nepal has sharply revised upwards the number of people missing after last month's flash flood to 6,150. Hundreds more are missing across the border in Tibet. What American scientists are trying to achieve by putting human brain cells in mice. The racing driver, Ollie Millroy, who says he “owes his life” to a rival who pulled him from his burning car during a race in Shanghai. And we look back at the life of one of Nigeria's best-known actors, Olu Jacobs, who has died at the age of 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
Photo: Federal Reserve Chairman Warsh speaks after interest rate hike, Washington, USA - 16 Sep 2026
Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has backed a proposal for Canada to become the EU's first "associate member". Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has been seeking closer ties with Europe as relations with the United States deteriorate over trade.
Also: Rescuers in Gaza are searching for survivors after a war-damaged building collapsed overnight, killing more than twenty people; The former leader of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes committed during the fight for independence from Serbia; Yemen's Houthis say they've shot down a Saudi F-15 jet while also denying Saudi claims they targeted Mecca; The German Chancellor will miss the United Nations General Assembly to attend a crunch party meeting on his future; The state of women's rights in Iran four years after the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, after she was arrested by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. And, the controversy surrounding singer Ed Sheeran after his support acts pull out of his US tour because of the decision to drop the rapper Macklemore for making pro-Palestinian comments on stage.
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: Canadian PM Mark Carney arrives ahead of State of the European Union address in Strasbourg
Credit: REUTERS

A conference in San Francisco hears from Open AI's boss, Sam Altman, who says the world should trust his industry's ability to do the right thing, amid concerns that it's developing too quickly. But speakers at a rival conference held in Washington, DC, call for greater regulation. Also: the Pentagon issues a report which says the Iran war has left the US military with a shortfall of munitions. All support acts for the British singer, Ed Sheeran, withdraw from his US tour in solidarity with Macklemore, who was dropped from the line-up for making pro-Palestinian remarks. Villagers in England voice their anger about immigration by holding a symbolic referendum to leave the UK. And the mother in the US who's been put on the child abuse and neglect register for allowing her five-year-old son to go on a walk by himself.
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: A control unit at a semiconductor factory, used to power AI data centers.
Credit: FILIP SINGER/EPA/Shutterstock

There's been no pause in fighting between Russia and Ukraine, despite President Trump's claim that both sides would temporarily stop targeting critical infrastructure. Russia says a gas pipeline was hit in the south of the country in an attack overnight, while officials in Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine said Russian attacks had disrupted power supplies to some areas.
Also: a NATO fighter jet shoots down a drone which entered Lithuanian airspace. Train travel is brought to a halt in parts of the Netherlands because of what officials suspect are coordinated acts of sabotage. We hear from a UN representative in Djibouti, where thousands of Yemini civilians have fled to escape fighting. Nairobi in Kenya will be the first African city to host the World Athletics Championship, beating rival bids from London and Rome. The number of people in Japan who are aged 100 or older has passed 100,000 for the first time. “Widow’s Bay” breaks records at the Emmy television awards. And researchers at Cambridge University say reading for pleasure is linked to better mental health, lower stress levels and a reduced risk of dementia.
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: Workers clear up debris at the site of a Russian strike on a petrol station in Kyiv, Ukraine, 15 September 2026
Credit: EPA/Shutterstock