BBC News

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has backed a proposal for Canada to become the European Union's first "associate member". Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has been seeking closer ties with Europe as relations with the United States deteriorate over President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, and remarks about Canada becoming the “51st state”.

Also in the Global News Podcast:

07:03 Officials in Gaza say at least 20 people are dead after the collapse of a building weakened by Israeli strikes.

10:04 Saudi Arabia shoots down a drone that it claims was fired at Mecca by the Iran-backed Houthis – who deny it

15:06 Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci is found guilty of war crimes by the International Criminal Court

18:42 German Chancellor Merz is under growing pressure after victories by the far-right AfD

21:52 Musicians quit Ed Sheeran’s US tour in solidarity with the rapper Macklemore who was dropped from the lineup after saying “Free Palestine” on stage

The Global News Podcast brings you the best of the BBC’s news coverage and analysis from around the world. You can watch us on YouTube every weekday – and find the audio version wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected].

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New student housing is transforming Scotland's cities. But as thousands of rooms are built, many students say affordable accommodation remains out of reach.

Journalist Thea Kellock explores the business behind Scotland's student housing boom and asks who these developments are really built for.

In this video:

00:00 - The student accommodation boom

00:43 - The human cost of private PBSA: Lara

02:57 - How much PBSA is there?

03:45 - Why is there so much being built?

04:22 - The pros and cons

05:34 – The financial cost of private PBSA

06:15 -The international student perspective: Saba

07:12 – The scammer

08:16 - ‘These buildings aren’t filling up’

10:23 – The PBSA alternatives

11:18 – The Slurp student accommodation snapshot

13:17 – A complex picture

13:46 – University of Edinburgh Statement

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#Students #StudentLife #BBCNews

Over the last week, the Houthis - an Iran-backed militant group in Yemen - have captured two strategic islands along the Red Sea coast, consolidating its control of a key international shipping route known as the Bab al-Mandab strait.

Saudi Arabia has relied on access to the strait for exporting its oil to customers in Asia. With the Strait of Hormuz already closed due to the Iran war, the Houthis’ control of this vital waterway threatens to deepen the global oil supply crisis.

Tristan Redman is joined by the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner to unpack who the Houthis are, what they want, and how they have come to hold so much influence on the world’s economy.

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Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction

1:24 Frank's prediction

3:29 Who are the Houthis and who are their rivals?

6:43 What is the link between the Iranians and Houthis?

8:58 When does the US become involved in the Yemen situation?

10:48 What was 'Signalgate' and why was it so significant?

12:41 Why is the Houthis recent military advance so important?

17:56 How is Saudi Arabia involved?

#Yemen #BBCNews

Rises in petrol, diesel and airfares pushed UK inflation up to its highest level in five months in the year to August.

Inflation accelerated to 3.1% from 2.9%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The cost of filling up a vehicle soared in August as the conflict in the Middle East continued to disrupt global oil supplies.

Petrol prices jumped to their highest for nearly four years, the ONS said, while diesel also rocketed.

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#Inflation #UK #BBCNews

At least 20 people have been killed, including five children, and dozens are missing after a war-damaged building collapsed in the Gaza Strip, according to local rescue teams.

Video footage shows the search for bodies and survivors continuing in the rubble of the multi-storey building in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City, its floors sandwiched together.

Locals said 10 families had been living in the apartments despite warnings that they were unsafe.

Members of the Hamas-run Civil Defence rescue service said they had initially been working with "empty hands" due to tight Israeli restrictions on equipment allowed into Gaza. However, they have since been able to borrow some heavy machinery.

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Residents of a village in Oxfordshire have voted to become independent from the UK in a symbolic referendum held in protest at plans to house more than 1,000 migrants at a former military base.

Villagers in Piddington, near Bicester, voted on Tuesday over Home Office proposals to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at nearby MoD Bicester.

The 350 residents were invited to cast their ballot in a small box outside the village hall, the community hub of Piddington.

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#Piddington #UK #BBCNews

New figures suggest the state pension will rise by 3.9% to up to £13,000 a year. The increase is based on earning figures as dictated by the triple lock, the policy the government uses to guarantee pension growth.

The rise has reignited debates about the long-term affordability and generational fairness of state pensions which have seen costs balloon in recent years.

Alex and James are joined by economics editor Faisal Islam who’s also been speaking to Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark about calls for greater AI safeguarding.

Plus, the Thirlwall inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at the Countess of Chester hospital has delivered its findings, describing a "complete failure" to protect infants from harm. Michael Buchanan, social affairs correspondent, was at the inquiry and has been following the crisis in UK maternity care.

0:00 – Intro

1:10 – What is the triple lock?

3:26 – Is the triple lock affordable long-term?

4:22 – Is there a generational divide over pensions?

13:48 – Could the state pension become taxable?

15:59 – What are the recent AI warnings?

19:40 – Are AI firms talking up the risks?

22:54 – The Lucy Letby inquiry report

25:34 – How safeguarding failed at the hospital

29:00 – The hospital and government's response

34:01 – Where Letby's legal appeal stands

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Official data shows police forces across England and Wales, excluding the British Transport Police, recorded 502,011 shoplifting offences in 2025-26 alone.

More than half of those investigations were closed with no suspect identified.

The government said it is exploring other avenues of tackling prolific shoplifting, in addition to prison sentences and drug treatment, such as technology or court orders preventing them from visiting certain shops or areas.

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#Shoplifting #BBCNews

US President Donald Trump has said fears about the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) are a "hoax", as he criticised calls to have more guardrails in place for the fast-moving technology.

OpenAI boss Sam Altman thinks people should have more faith in his company and others like it to do the right thing when it comes to AI development amid rising public concerns about all the risks.

"The world should trust that we are going to do the right thing because it's the right thing and we feel the magnitude of this," Altman said on Tuesday during a conference in San Francisco.

However, Altman noted that people were justified in their fears around AI, as the capability of the tools has progressed rapidly.

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As Canada continues to wage a trade war with the US, an internal battle is being fought over the country’s identity. Next month, voters in Alberta, the country’s wealthiest province, face a referendum on whether they want the opportunity to explore a separation from Canada.

Supporters say Alberta would thrive on its own, because of its rich reserves of oil and natural gas. Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that independence would lead to years of economic and political turmoil, “right at a time the world is fundamentally uncertain.”

How might the Trump administration leverage this Canadian identity crisis? And how is the Alberta separatist movement complicating Carney’s “Canada Strong” messaging? Nadine Yousif, the BBC’s senior Canada reporter, explains.

0:00 Could Alberta really leave Canada?

1:03 Why Alberta wants independence

2:54 How divided are Albertans?

4:10 What exactly is Alberta voting on?

5:32 Why is Alberta so wealthy?

8:35 Why is the independence movement growing?

15:18 Could Alberta survive economically on its own?

19:20 Is Trump encouraging Alberta's independence?

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#Alberta #Canada #Trump #BBCNews