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The Venezuelan government says 1,430 people are now known to have died following Wednesday's twin earthquakes, and many thousands are still missing. More international search and rescue teams have arrived in the country to help with efforts to find survivors. A 72-hour window of opportunity that rescuers believe is the best chance of finding people alive is ending.

Also: the United States has launched a wave of strikes on Iran, following a drone attack on a Panama-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded by attacking US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Heavy explosions and gunfire have rocked the Pakistani city of Karachi after militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the headquarters of a paramilitary unit. Ice in the Swiss Alps is melting at an unprecedented rate, as a record-breaking heatwave continues to grip Europe. Thousands take part in Hungary's LGBT Pride parade in Budapest, the first since Viktor Orbán was ousted as prime minister. Proud Vespa owners celebrate the Italian scooter's 80th birthday by riding around Rome. And how do tiny biting flies called midges help the world's billion dollar chocolate industry?

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Photo: Rescue workers conduct a search-and-rescue operation in a building damaged by the earthquakes in Caracas, Venezuela, 27 June 2026.

Credit: RONALD PENA R/EPA/Shutterstock

More than 1,400 people have been killed and 3,360 others injured in the Venezuela earthquakes, according to the government, as rescuers keep searching for survivors and families wait desperately for news.

Also on the programme, an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz has been struck by an unidentified projectile, following the first exchange of fire between the US and Iran since their deal to end hostilities; and we hear from the official chef for Norway's World Cup team.

(Photo: Members of the El Salvador rescue team search for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building following an earthquake, in La Guaira, Venezuela, June 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)

نوستالژی چیست؟ نوستالژی یک حالت روانی از سر درماندگی‌ست یا نیرویی‌ست بسیج‌کننده و هویت‌ساز؟ نوستالژی چگونه در سال‌های اخیر در ایران رشد کرد و چه کارکردی یافت؟ 

میهمان‌ها:

نغمه سهرابی، استاد تاریخ خاورمیانه

اسفندیار طبری، مدرس فلسفه سیاسی

As Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez says she has faith and hope that survivors of Wednesday's earthquakes will be rescued - we hear about the reality from Carcas.

Also on the programme: after the US Supreme Court removes the protected status from hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in America, we hear from one woman who could be affected; and an appreciation of Mel Brooks - as the comedy legend turns 100 years old.

(Photo: Family members react as firefighters and volunteers work to get their loved ones out from the rubble of a collapsed building after earthquakes hit the country in La Guaira on June 26, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

Every World Cup has its stand‑out personalities and talking points. This year, fans have been as delighted by Lionel Messi’s performance in the tournament, his sixth World Cup, and by the stand‑out style of DR Congo superfan Lumumba Vea, as they have been sometimes baffled by hydration breaks. But only a handful of moments are remembered throughout the decades. In 1986 in Mexico City, Diego Maradona scored two goals for Argentina in a match against England that will never be forgotten. World Service News editor Lourdes Heredia, it turns out, was there and witnessed what Maradona would go on to call his 'Hand of God' goal.

A few weeks ago in Afghanistan, in the western city of Herat, people took to the streets in a rare protest after local Taliban government officials reportedly began arresting women perceived to be “improperly wearing the hijab." Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women’s rights have been restricted more and more. Women are no longer allowed to go to secondary school or university, beauty parlours have been banned, travel restrictions have been put in place dictating how far women can travel from home, and women have been ordered not to speak when out in public. Mahjooba Nowrouzi and Mamoon Durrani of BBC Afghan have been reporting on these protests and looking into Taliban leadership.

The Fifth Floor is at the heart of global storytelling on the BBC World Service, bringing you the best stories from journalists in the BBC's 43 language services. We're here to help you make sense of the stories making headlines around the world; to excite your curiosity and to get to grips with the facts.

Recent episodes have investigated Russia’s youth armies and how they make soldiers of Ukrainian children; featured the BBC team who were the first journalists to the site of the Nigerian school kidnappings and reflected the effects of internet blackouts in Iran, Uganda and India.

If you want to know more about Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and the legacy of Hugo Chavez; or how Vladimir Putin’s network of deep cover spies operates; or why Donald Trump signed an executive order granting white South Africans asylum in the US, we have all those stories and more.

Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Laura Thomas and Caroline Ferguson

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

Fifa has introduced mandatory hydration breaks for this World Cup, essentially splitting the games into four quarters. The mandatory three-minute drinks stoppage at all 104 games has been introduced to help players cope with the stifling heat and humidity levels in Mexico, Canada and the United States. It has been criticised for allowing coaches to make tactical changes while broadcasters can - and many have - opted to cut to lucrative commercial breaks while play is halted.

The breaks have also attracted criticism from the likes of the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk and USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Fifa says the measure "is part of a focused attempt to ensure the best possible conditions for players, drawing upon the experiences of previous tournaments, including the recent FIFA Club World Cup."

In a special bonus episode from the More than the Score podcast, the BBC’s Lee James is joined in Toronto by CBC's Olympic and sports commentator Matt Cullen, and BBC football tactics correspondent Umir Irfan, to discuss who benefits from a mid-half break in play - players or broadcasters?

More than the Score brings you more than the men’s football World Cup - the new teams, standout stars, trends and fandoms shaping the tournament in ways the stats don’t show. With 48 teams competing across Mexico, the US and Canada, BBC World Service promises to take you deeper - from the group stages to the final. Search for More than the Score wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

We find out about bike buses - an increasingly popular way for children to cycle to school safely. They involve travelling in a large group, escorted by adults, and stopping for pick ups and drop offs along the way. The idea started in Spain and Portugal a few years ago, but has seen a recent boom - thanks in part to some celebrity supporters.

Also: the woman who's been encouraging acts of kindness by spelling the word in a cycle route across the US states of Minnesota and Iowa. Nahla Summers also encouraged people to join her on her two seated quadricycle to talk about the importance of being kind.

How the vaccine against HPV has almost eliminated cervical cancer among women in the UK.

The professor whose memoir on losing her mother to dementia and her grief over climate change has won the highest prize in Caribbean literature.

The dogs helping in the battle against an invasive species threatening crops and ecosystems in the US.

Plus a moment of pure joy for Cape Verde fans at the FIFA Men's World Cup.

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

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

The PCS union is calling for Capita to lose its contract to administer the Civil Service Pensions scheme six months after it took over. It follows problems which have seen thousands of retired civil servants waiting months for pension payments. The Union says it would like the contract to be managed by the government instead. Capita says it is making progress on getting things 'back to normal levels' and that it’s got extra trained staff working on the backlog.

Why is the take-up of child benefit, which is worth at least £1,400 per year, at its lowest level for more than twenty years? HMRC says it works with 'many partners' to promote take-up and provide information to new parents in hospitals across the UK. But what else can be done?

A debt advice provider calls for a new social energy tariff to give cheaper gas and electricity to those on lower incomes, ahead of price rises in July.

And, the new rare bank note to celebrate Scotland qualifying for the World Cup for first time in more than 25 years.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

Reporters: Hannah Mullane and Jo Krasner

Researcher: Catherine Lund

Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 30th May 2026)

The number of people killed in Wednesday's powerful double earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to more than 900, with over 3,000 injured. Also: the US strikes several targets in Iran in retaliation for an alleged attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guard reportedly responds by targeting US sites in the Gulf. Israel and Lebanon sign a framework agreement brokered by the US. Scientists find evidence of vast hidden magma systems inside Mars. The symphony orchestras playing live film scores in cinemas. The influence of the Spice Girls 30 years on. And the German mathematician who's predicted the winner of every World Cup since 2014.

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]

Photo: People standing outside a collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 26, 2026 after back-to-back earthquakes.

Credit: REUTERS/Maxwell Briceno

As Norway’s crown princess, Mette-Marit, convalesces from lung transplant surgery, we bring together patients and doctors to share their experiences of this major life-saving procedure. Since the 1980s, lung transplantations have become increasingly routine, but as every operation relies on suitable donor organs becoming available, the timing is always uncertain.

“Everything was so quick, everything was so scary,” says Aimee Morrison, who received her new lungs last year, only months after being told she had a chronic degenerative condition, “You don’t really get an opportunity to think about what’s happening … 10-12 hr surgery, unknown results, what’s going to happen afterwards…” As we hear, Aimee’s story was particularly dramatic as only a week before her operation she had given birth to her daughter.

Lung transplant patients require life-long aftercare from physicians like Dr Vicky Gerovasili, as their condition will always eventually deteriorate. “That can be very emotionally stressful,” she says,”but it's also very rewarding because we are becoming part of their life and their family. I sign off patients to go scuba diving, travel the world and that's fantastic to see.”