Four countries boycott Eurovision over Israel's inclusion

The Eurovision Song Contest has been thrown into turmoil after four nations said they would boycott next year's event. Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia had wanted Israel to be excluded because of the war in Gaza, but a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union said it could take part. Other countries, including Germany, had threatened to walk out if Israel could not participate. Also: A prominent Palestinian militia leader and Hamas opponent has been killed in Gaza. The US military says it conducted another deadly strike on a boat suspected of carrying illegal narcotics as questions mount over the legality of previous attacks. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo sign a peace deal in Washington. A British inquiry has found that Vladimir Putin bears "moral responsibility" for the poisoning of a woman in England with the nerve agent Novichok in 2018. And how a volcanic eruption may have helped spread the Black Death in the 1300s.

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: [email protected]

Why is President Putin visiting India?

Russia's leader visits India for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. India's prime minister is under pressure to stop buying Russian oil over accusations the trade is financing the war. Also: The New York Times is suing the Pentagon over its attempt to make journalists sign a pledge to only report authorised information. A study by the Gates Foundation has found that the number of preventable child deaths is due to rise this year for the first time this century. We go to New Orleans to examine the controversy surrounding an operation to arrest undocumented immigrants. A US senator gives us his view on President Trump's comments in which he describes America's Somali community as "garbage". The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest debate whether Israel should be allowed to continue in the competition.

Kremlin talks on how to end Ukraine war

Special envoy, Steve Witkoff, meets President Putin at the Kremlin with the latest US plan to end war in Ukraine. President Zelensky says Ukraine is committed to achieving a "real and secure peace". Also: The number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra in Indonesia has risen to more than seven-hundred. Hundreds more are feared buried in mud; the Sri Lankan authorities say the flash flooding and landslides have also killed hundreds there. 150,000 people have attended a mass held by Pope Leo in Beirut. A special BBC report on a dam collapse at a Chinese copper mine in Zambia leading to toxic waste, including heavy metals, pouring into the surrounding waterways and farmland.

Russia claims capture of key Ukrainian city

After months of fighting, the Kremlin says Russian forces have seized the frontline city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. It links several other key cities in the Donetsk region. Last month, Ukraine sent reinforcements to try to fend off the Russian attack. Kyiv has not acknowledged the loss of the city. Also: the White House defends Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over US military action off the coast of Venezuela; the presidential election result in Honduras is too close to call; the World Health Organization calls for weight loss jabs to be more widely available; what Australian teenagers make of an up-coming social media ban; the 85km long traffic jam in Siberia; and an interview with the Taiwanese director who shot a critically-acclaimed film on iPhones.

Sudan civil war: the terrifying escape from El Fasher

The BBC has visited a camp where people are taking refuge after the fall of Sudan's El Fasher - one of the most brutal chapters of the civil war. People fleeing the besieged city described witnessing atrocities by RSF fighters. Also: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asks to be pardoned; an investigation into Georgia's potential use of chemical weapons against anti-government protesters; the US hosts "productive" peace talks to end Ukraine-Russia war; Dignitas founder dies through assisted suicide; the testimony of a woman held captive in Iraq; an update on the rescue operations in flood-hit Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand; the latest from Pope Leo's Lebanon trip; and rage bait is Oxford's word of the year.

The Global Story: The international drama of Miss Universe

Miss Universe 2025 has been rocked by controversies and chaos, from stage falls and contestants storming out, to judges quitting and allegations of vote rigging – which the organisers deny.

The pageant – styled as a celebration of women of all backgrounds and nationalities – has suffered waning international attention in recent years, with many questioning the ideals of femininity it seems to espouse.

Could the drama of this year’s competition get people watching again?

BBC journalist and Miss Universe expert, William Lee Adams, joins us to discuss.

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.

Producers: Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch is crowned as Miss Universe 2025. Rungroj Yongrit/EPA

Why there's hope for Haiti

Armed gangs now control much of Port-au-Prince and more than a million people have been forced from their homes. In this Global News Podcast special, Nick Miles and Nawal Al-Maghafi hear from Haitians on the front line, including a pro-democracy activist, a feminist campaigner supporting survivors of sexual violence, and a medic trying to keep emergency services going in a city under siege. They tell us how people are resisting, what real change would look like, and why so many people still believe Haiti has a future worth fighting for.

Venezuela stands up to Donald Trump

Venezuela has condemned as a "colonialist threat" President Trump's warning that its airspace should be considered closed. The US does not have the authority to shut another country's airspace and the foreign ministry described his social media post as an illegal and unjustified aggression. Also: the number of people killed as a result of Israel's military offensive in Gaza in the past two years has risen above 70,000 according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian territory; rescue operations are continuing in Indonesia after floods and landslides killed more than 300 people in Sumatra; and King Charles leads tributes to the British playwright and Oscar winning screenwriter, Tom Stoppard, who has died at the age of 88.

The Happy Pod: Diabetes Awareness Month special

In this special episode we're marking Diabetes Awareness Month with a range of stories about innovation, advocacy and education -- including a book helping children newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It began as a university project for Lea Leleta Sümer, who's from Bosnia-Herzegovina and has lived with the condition since she was two years old. She wanted to help children like her come to terms with their condition, as well as educate others.

Also: The Barbie Doll with Type 1 diabetes - a collaboration from Mattel and the international diabetes charity, Breakthrough T1D. We meet the women who inspired the doll.

We speak to Sally TM, of RuPaul's Drag Race UK fame, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes around the age of 10. Sally uses her art and platform to advocate for people living with the condition.

As Italy becomes the first country to implement a nationwide screening programme, we hear from the man who has pioneered it.

Plus a teacher who's broken the world record for the fastest marathon by a male with type 1 diabetes. And we find out how recent advances in technology have made the daily management of the condition easier and safer, and consider what's to come.

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

Presenters: Harry Bligh and Alex Ritson. Music composed by Sarah Warren

Technical issue causes global flight disruption

Airbus has grounded thousands of its planes to fix a technical problem. Airlines are working to install a software update but flight delays and cancellations are expected over the coming days. Also: Donald Trump says he will cancel every order Joe Biden signed with an autopen and pardon a Honduran ex-president convicted of drug-trafficking; the WHO issues guidelines on infertility and how it could be treated; President Zelensky's top aide Andriy Yermak resigns amid Ukraine's corruption scandal; the link between tattoos and skin cancer; and Russia eyes up remote-controlled spy pigeons in the drone age.

Hong Kong fire kills at least 128 people

The authorities in Hong Kong say fire alarms weren't working properly in the tower blocks where a blaze killed more than 100 people. The buildings were being renovated, and police say they've found materials that are believed not to be fireproof. Also: rescue services tackling heavy floods in South East Asia say they're struggling to cope as roads and communication infrastructure have been severely damaged; how 70 species of sharks and rays are to receive better international protection; and a stand-off between three nuns and their convent in Austria may have reached a resolution.

National Guard member dies after shooting in Washington DC

President Trump says that one of the US National Guard soldiers who was shot on Wednesday in Washington has died. Sarah Beckstrom was twenty. Mr Trump said the other soldier, Andrew Wolfe, was in a serious condition, as was the suspected gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He's an Afghan national who'd worked with the CIA in Afghanistan. Also: Video has emerged showing Israeli security forces shooting dead two Palestinians who appeared to have surrendered in the occupied West Bank. More than ninety people are now known to have died in Hong Kong's worst fire in decades. Surprising and rather gruesome new evidence has been found about how cats became domesticated; and we hear about a church in the US where worshippers are encouraged to hold poisonous snakes.