Global News Podcast

The BBC has gained rare access to rebel-held parts of Myanmar, where thousands of civilians have been displaced in an air and ground offensive by the country's military government. The attacks in Myanmar's western Chin State come ahead of the country's first general election since the army overthrew the government in 2021. Also: Israel’s security cabinet officially recognises 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. And: Spaniards prepare for their annual Christmas lottery, known as "El Gordo".
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

After the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Australia tightened its gun laws, and has since been considered a world-leading example by gun control advocates of how to lessen the chances of mass shootings occurring.

However, the mass murder of at least 15 people in an antisemitic attack at Bondi beach on Sunday has again raised the issue of gun access, and Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has said he is “ready to fight” to strengthen the laws again.

On today’s show, Ariel Bogle, an investigations reporter with Guardian Australia, explains why the number of guns in Australia has been rising, and how stricter laws might be received in the country.

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: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Marty Peralta

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Photo of unregistered handguns that were returned to police, near Smederevo, Serbia. Credit: Dimitrije Goll /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

The United States has released dramatic footage of its forces seizing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, ten days after taking control of another ship in similar circumstances. Washington says the tankers’ oil is funding narco-terrorism, while Caracas accuses the United States of theft and kidnapping.

Also: with just one Israeli hostage’s remains still held by Hamas in Gaza, Israel’s Hostages Family Forum begins winding down its operations. The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has ordered a review into the police and intelligence services after the mass shooting at Bondi Beach last week. President Volodymyr Zelensky says he would support direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian teams if it unlocked prisoner swaps or paved the way for negotiations between him and Vladimir Putin. A German engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to travel to space on a Blue Origin rocket. And astronomers marvel at an unusual lemon-shaped exoplanet the size of Jupiter spotted with the James Webb Space Telescope.

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

Videos capturing the joy and emotion of families reuniting at Dublin Airport for the festive season have received thousands of views online. We speak to the team behind the cameras to find out why they wanted to share the messages of love.
Also: meet the 'bubbliest' wedding judge in Texas. Judge Adam Swartz has gone viral for his ceremonies. We visit two rare grapefruit trees serving as a memorial to a community elder, who brought them from Grenada to the UK. Plus, a new world record for the number of golden retrievers in the same place at the same time and... knock, knock... it's time for a Christmas carol. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Celia Hatton. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

After months of political wrangling, parts of the long-awaited Epstein files have been released by the US Justice Department. The trove consists of thousands of documents related to the late sex-offender. Pictures include the former US President Bill Clinton, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor - Britain's former prince, musicians Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson. Being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. The justice department did not release all existing files, and the published ones were heavily redacted, prompting frustrated reactions from survivors of Epstein's abuse.

Also: the US carries out dozens of strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria. Anti-government youth protesters in South Korea are taking cues from the American right's MAGA movement. Italy announces a fee for tourists to visit the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Putin vows revenge on Ukraine after an oil tanker was blown up in the Mediterranean Sea. Palestinians tell the BBC they were sexually abused in Israeli prisons. And how a lost radio play by Tennessee Williams was found more than four decades after his death, and has now been heard for the first time.

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