Global News Podcast

The White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has been ousted after just five days, amid criticism of her first media briefing and questions about her legal background. Also: figures released by the Brazilian government indicate that deforestation in the Amazon has hit record lows. Police in the US state of Oregon have described how a teacher and a school parent fought off the gunman who killed four people at a primary school on Thursday. Ukraine says a counteroffensive has liberated more than 270 sq km of occupied land from Russian troops - we have a special report from the frontline. More than 120 people have been arrested during clashes with police in the Albanian capital, Tirana. An investigation into fraud involving penile implant surgeries has been launched in Sicily, and should car radios be a legal requirement?
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: White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia at her first media briefing in the role, 13th October
Credit: Reuters

The BBC has witnessed Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and set fire to olive trees in the occupied West Bank. Also: President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is "only standing up for Ukraine's interests" after scathing criticism from Donald Trump. There has been a stark rise in anti-government activists deported to Russia from the EU and US, where they'd been seeking sanctuary. Researchers at the University of Maryland in the US have developed a tool to spot whether ideas are AI generated. A new version of Tesla's Roadster electric sports car, equipped with thrusters which apparently allow it to hover and turn in mid-air, has been unveiled in Texas. The number of ships that have reported being attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz has hit a record high, BBC Verify analysis shows. A pioneering same-day test has been used to detect hidden and drug-resistant infections among children in intensive care. Experts are deciding whether to get rid of "leap seconds" altogether and replace them with a "leap hour" instead. And low-budget Spanish film La Bola Negra is emerging as a major Oscars contender.
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: Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and olive pickers in the West Bank, Abu Falah - 16 Oct 2026
Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

A 16-year-old has shot dead three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, in the US state of Oregon. The gunman was shot dead by a member of the public. Also: Britain's defence secretary says he's been reassured by the US that Starlink satellite services used by Ukraine’s military have been restored. In Yemen, the presidential palace and seat of the government in the port city of Aden has been attacked by Houthi rebels. Venezuela's ousted President Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty to conspiracy to torture in a New York court. The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, apologizes to the organisation's council for his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. We hear from people with sight loss that say smart glasses are a 'game changer'; and a 99-year-old becomes the world's oldest wing walker.
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: Emergency personnel at the scene of the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, 15th October.
Credit: Reuters

More than 30 people have been killed after a school roof collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, with the majority thought to be children under the age of 13. The owner of the school has been arrested, with police warning the building was extremely dangerous and there was a risk of further collapse. Also: the BBC has identified 254 incidents in which the Israeli military has been accused of killing or injuring people in Gaza, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank and Israel, which it said it would investigate - but no outcome has been publicly disclosed; Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle carry out their first joint engagement since returning to the UK; one of the most shocking court cases of recent years, the Pelicot trial, comes to the stage in London next month. Dominique Pelicot was jailed for 20 years for drugging and raping his wife and allowing at least 50 other men to abuse her while she was unconscious; Ukraine attacks one of Russia's major oil refineries, hours after President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy vowed to renew strikes; we report from Iowa, where Democrats lead in early polls for next month's mid-term elections; the World Athletics president aims for African "legacy" with 2029 World Championships in Kenya; and research suggests dogs can link shapes to sounds.
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: Police officers and military personnel gather as they survey the site of a school roof collapse at a hospital morgue in Peshawar, Pakistan, October 15, 2026.
Credit: REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Volodymyr Zelensky says he feels "betrayed" by Donald Trump after the US-Russia diesel deal and an apparent decision to curb access to the Starlink network, which has been vital to Ukraine during the war. President Zelensky accused the White House of being on the wrong side of history. Also: student protesters attack government buildings in Albania; Turkish police raid and shut down the opposition station Halk TV; China and North Korea build bridges - metaphorically and literally; the Wildlife Photographer of the Year reflects on what his shot of a grieving elephant can teach us; and the dog that sniffs out invasive "sea vomit".
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: Ukraine's President Zelensky in London, 14th October.
Credit: EPA/Shutterstock.