Global News Podcast
BBC World Service
The latest from Iran and the Middle East, and the rest of the world’s news, from the BBC World Service. As the US-Israel war with Iran continues, The Global News Podcast brings you the news from across the region – including Iran, Israel, Lebanon, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. We also continue to bring you stories from around the globe, including expert analysis and insight.Episodes are published 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 an episode. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 29, 2026 • 27min
Yemen's Houthis launch missile attack on Israel
Missile and drone strikes from Yemen raise fears of a wider regional conflict. Massive anti Trump protests spread across US cities, while Europe sees rallies against the far right. Ethiopia faces fuel shortages linked to Middle East turmoil. Authorities also probe beauty brands over skincare marketing aimed at young girls. A truck loaded with 400,000 Kit Kats vanishes.
Mar 28, 2026 • 27min
The Happy Pod: The hug that stopped a bombing
Nathan Newby, a Leeds hospital patient awarded the George Medal, shares how he calmed a would-be bomber with conversation and a hug. Then it jumps from seven dogs in China sparking a drone-led rescue, to a long-overdue apology for women football pioneers, Washington’s cherry blossoms, and even hummingbirds sipping fermented nectar.
33 snips
Mar 28, 2026 • 31min
US says Iran war could end in ‘weeks’
John Simpson, veteran BBC world affairs editor and frontline correspondent, unpacks whether the Iran war could drag on for weeks and why Tehran’s power centre may resist a quick deal. The conversation also sweeps through Lebanon’s deepening civilian crisis, Ukraine’s fear of being overshadowed, Germany’s urgent rearmament, a hacking breach tied to Kash Patel, Tiger Woods’ arrest, and whether AI gives dangerously flattering life advice.
13 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 28min
Inside Tehran: 'My daughter is under the rubble'
Nawal Al-Maghafi, a BBC investigations reporter, tracks the human toll of strikes across Tehran. Yolan Nell, a BBC Middle East correspondent, follows Israel’s widening military action in Iran and Lebanon. Jake Kwon, a BBC correspondent in Seoul, explains how tensions around Hormuz are squeezing South Korea’s naphtha and plastics supply. There is also a remarkable look at sperm whales rallying around a mother giving birth.
10 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 27min
Transgender women athletes banned from female Olympic events
Olympic rules ignite a fierce fight over transgender women in female events and new sex testing before Los Angeles 2028. Tension rises as Donald Trump delays threatened strikes on Iranian energy targets. There is also a legal battle over Nicolás Maduro’s defence funds, Paul McCartney’s long awaited new album, and Erling Haaland’s remarkable Viking book donation.
22 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 29min
Israel says it's killed an Iranian naval commander
Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent and Middle East analyst, joins from Doha. He explores Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and rising Gulf tensions. The conversation follows fuel shocks from Africa to the Philippines, life under bombardment inside Iran, a choreographed Belarus North Korea meeting, and Australia’s sunscreen scandal.
7 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 26min
Meta and Google found negligent in social media addiction trial
A California jury says Meta and Google built addictive platforms, in a case that could ripple across the tech world. Whistleblower claims add more drama. There is also a tense standoff over possible US-Iran talks, frustration over life in Venezuela, an Air Canada language row, a possible d'Artagnan discovery, and fresh clues about when dogs first bonded with humans.
44 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 29min
Iran ridicules - then rejects - US peace plan
Sebastian Usher, a BBC Middle East analyst, unpacks the reported US peace proposal to Iran and Tehran’s sharp rejection. The conversation tracks oil shock fears, the Philippines hunting for sanctioned supplies, and recession warnings from BlackRock. It also turns to Jeffrey Epstein survivors seeking accountability, Dutch schools testing phone bans, and a heroic koala rescue dog heading into retirement.
36 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 26min
US reportedly offers 15-point plan to end conflict
David Willis, a BBC correspondent covering US politics, digs into reports of a 15-point US plan for Iran and the high-stakes talk around the Strait of Hormuz. The conversation also jumps to Meta’s costly child safety ruling, Russia’s huge drone assault on Ukraine, Denmark’s shaky election result, and the rare joy of more gorilla twins in Congo.
43 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 29min
Trump's peace plan still vague as war with Iran continues
Paul Adams, BBC diplomatic correspondent, tracks murky US-Iran contacts and Tehran’s hardline security shift. Joe Inwood, BBC conflict reporter, paints a tense picture of life in Iran under bombardment. Matt McGrath, BBC environment correspondent, unpacks why Washington will pay TotalEnergies, the French energy giant, to ditch offshore wind. Also: shaky markets, Cuba’s fuel crisis, Denmark’s vote, and baby eel smuggling.
