US Congress votes to release Epstein files

Both houses of Congress in the US have passed a bill that aims to force the publication of files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Once President Trump signs it into law, the Justice Department will have a thirty day deadline to release the documents. Also: Donald Trump defends the Saudi Crown Prince on his first White House visit since Jamal Khashoggi's murder; violence rises between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank; five hikers die in Chile's Patagonia; a report from the front line of Europe's standoff with Russia's shadow fleet; Meta wins a five year legal battle; we look at the future of test cricket; and Australian prisoners fight for their right to Vegemite.

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]

British MP's warned of 'relentless' China spying campaign

British politicians have been warned by the security services that they face a significant risk of espionage from the Chinese state, after an MI5 alert identified two LinkedIn profiles it says have been operating on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security. The UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis has warned that the government won't tolerate covert attempts by China to interfere in the UK's sovereign affairs.

In the Philippines, prosecutors have charged several people in connection with an ongoing corruption scandal linked to inadequate or non-existent flood defences. Also: the global vaccine alliance GAVI says it has prevented nearly one and a half million deaths from cervical cancer through a three-year vaccination campaign in low-income countries. How AI could help speed up research into ways of stopping anti microbial resistance. A human rights group accuses the French oil giant, Total, of complicity in war crimes at one of its gas sites in Mozambique. Cambridge Dictionary names ‘parasocial’ as its Word of the Year for 2025 - and should there be a universal scale to measure spice levels?

UN backs Trump's Gaza peace plan

The UN Security Council has approved a US-drafted resolution to move to the next stage of Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan. It aims to set up a transitional administration and international stabilisation force, but the details remain vague. Israel has taken issue with parts of the resolution and Hamas has rejected it. Also: Israeli settlers continue to attack Palestinians in the occupied West Bank; students are kidnapped from a girls' boarding school in Nigeria; an explosion in Poland fuels fears of hybrid war; the latest from COP30; an exclusive interview with Google's boss about AI; how to stop ticket resellers ripping off fans; Netflix confirms Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua boxing fight, and what's the word of the year?

Ex-Bangladesh leader sentenced to death

Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death. A tribunal in Dhaka found she had ordered security forces to kill protesters during student-led anti-government demonstrations in 2024. The UN estimates up to 1,400 people died during the uprising, most by gunfire. Sheikh Hasina was tried in her absence and has been living in exile in India since being forced from power. She has dismissed the court's verdict as politically motivated.

Also: a plea from the UN aid chief to stop the supply of weapons to the rival armies in Sudan. A BBC investigation has uncovered evidence raising doubts about the trial of US marines over the killings of Iraqi civilians in 2005. Researchers look to artificial intelligence to treat a type of brain cancer, by detecting early signs that tumours are returning. And we drop in on a knitting session in Denmark to find out why young people are driving a boom in traditional crafts.

Ecuadorian drug lord arrested

Ecuador's Los Lobos drug cartel leader, Wilmer "Pipo" Chavarria, has been captured in Spain. He'd been hiding in Europe after faking his own death. The arrest came as Ecuadorians voted not to allow foreign military bases in their country. Also: President Trump calls for the release of the Epstein files; violence erupts in Bangladesh ahead of the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's trial verdict; an auction of items from Nazi concentration camps is cancelled; Chile's election results; we visit the Amazon rainforest as COP30 debates soya beans; and Sky Sports ditches its "patronising and sexist" new TikTok.

The Global Story; The hostage negotiator’s guide to making deals with Putin’s Russia

Donald Trump has spent this year trying to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine. So far, Vladimir Putin doesn’t seem interested in the US’s proposals. One man who has successfully negotiated with Russia – and with many of America’s adversaries – is Roger Carstens, former Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. From 2020 to 2025 he worked to free dozens of US citizens taken hostage and wrongfully detained around the world, including in Russia. Securing their release often required complex deals that took years to put together. What does it take to successfully negotiate with Putin’s Russia?

With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, 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.

Producer: Lucy Pawle Executive producer: James Shield Senior news editor: China Collins Mix: Travis Evans Photo: Roger Carstens. Credit: BBC

Protests at COP30

Thousands of indigenous people and activists demonstrate against global warming in the Amazonian city of Belém, where COP30 is taking place. It's the first time since 2021 that people have been allowed to protest outside the UN climate talks. Also: Palestinian families suffer, as heavy rains destroy camps in Gaza; Pakistan's Balochistan province bans child marriage; Mexican cities see protests over growing violence and insecurity; Ecuadorians are set to vote on allowing foreign military bases back into their country; and Pope Leo hosts some of Hollywood's biggest stars, describing them as "pilgrims of the imagination".

The Happy Pod: Saving a drowning man changed me

We speak to a woman who saved the life of a kayaker, after spotting him floating face down in Idaho's Snake River. Rachelle Ruffing says knowing CPR allowed her to 'make a miracle' which has changed her, and everyone should learn how to do it. She says she still finds it hard to believe that the man made a full recovery and that attending his recent wedding was a privilege.

Also: the Afghan women's football team returns to the international stage, four years after the players fled the Taliban. FIFA changed the venue of the tournament to allow them to take part. Conservationists find a way to save a rare albatross by getting birds from another species to act as foster parents for their eggs. We hear how old home movies are being rescued so people can relive precious family moments decades later. Plus, after the fat bears of Alaska, we find out about the squirrels bulking up for winter in Texas; and we meet the man who can charm animals with his music, even stopping a herd of rhinos in their tracks.

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

Trump to sue BBC for 'up to $5bn'

The US President has said he will begin legal action against the BBC within the next few days after receiving an apology but no financial compensation over a misleading edit in a documentary about him. Lawyers representing Donald Trump had asked for a retraction, an apology and a payout after it was revealed that his speech at a rally on 6th January 2021, the day of the Capitol riots, was edited to give the impression he'd made a direct call for violence. Meanwhile, leading Democrats have accused President Trump of trying to deflect attention from questions about his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after he announced he was asking the attorney general and FBI to investigate prominent Democrats who he claims "spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his island". Also: the BBC speaks to Palestinian farmers who have been attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank; the AI company that claims its chatbot has been used by Chinese spies to hack organisations around the world; the mining giant BHP is found responsible for the collapse of the Mariana dam in Brazil ten years ago; and film tourism is a multi-million dollar global business, but is it always a good thing?

Russia hits Ukraine in deadly strikes

Russian drones and missiles hit an apartment block in eastern Kyiv, killing at least six people. President Zelensky has accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians. Also: The UN approves a formal investigation into allegations that the Rapid Support Forces massacred 2,000 people in the Sudanese city of El Fasher; Japan summons the Chinese ambassador, as a row over Taiwan escalates; high blood pressure in children has doubled in 20 years; and the Japanese woman who 'married' her AI boyfriend.

Get in touch: [email protected]

BBC refuses to pay Trump compensation

The BBC has sent a letter of apology to Donald Trump, saying it regrets the way a programme spliced together parts of his speech from the day of the Capitol riots. But the corporation's lawyers have rejected Mr Trump's demand for compensation. The president has threatened to sue the BBC for $1bn over the edited clip. Also: The former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has denied committing crimes against humanity. New analysis from COP30 has shown that 1,600 delegates from the fossil fuel industry are in attendance. Germany has announced plans for military conscription, in the shadow of the war in Ukraine. And a rocket owned by Jeff Bezos has been launched carrying NASA satellites bound for Mars.

France remembers terror attacks ten years on

A series of events are being held in Paris to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the worst attacks on French soil in modern history. The Islamist terror attacks, in which 130 people died, began at the Stade de France with three explosions caused by suicide bombers. They then spread to restaurants, cafes and bars, and to the Bataclan theatre where 90 concertgoers were killed. Also: new figures show that the world's burning of fossil fuels is this year set to release more carbon dioxide than ever before. Climate scientists say that efforts to cut emissions are moving too slowly to meet international targets. But a growth in renewables is giving hope that the world's warming trend can still be curbed. What new DNA analysis tells us about Adolf Hitler. A swatch of fabric with the Nazi leader's blood was taken from the sofa on which he killed himself and apparently reveals that he suffered from a genetic disorder that stunts normal puberty. And the new drug raising hope in the fight against malaria.

Get in touch: [email protected]