BBC

The Trump administration is deploying military assets and a specialised team, as well as millions of dollars in financial aid to help relief efforts in Venezuela. The country's health minister says at least 235 people are now known to have died in Wednesday's powerful earthquakes, and large numbers of people are still unaccounted for. Also: hundreds arrested across Kenya as demonstrators mark two years since a deadly crackdown on youth-led protests. King Charles and Queen Camilla won't move into Buckingham Palace when a $500m refurbishment is completed next year. Scientists discover twin "super-puff" planets that are less dense than candy floss. Researchers manage to read a scroll that was burnt to a crisp in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2000 years ago. And we look at how the tiny nation of Cape Verde has invested in football... as its exceptional run at the Men's Football World Cup continues.

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 work to rescue casualties from the rubble of a building in La Guaira after earthquakes hit Venezuela

Credit: REUTERS/Gaby Oraa

Sitting on his grandad’s knee, a young Bhavik Haria was introduced to devotional Hindu music. Since childhood, he’s been hooked on the moving instruments and tales of gods and deities. Fast forward to his late 20s – and it was during the Covid pandemic that Bhavik realised how the landscape was changing in his community. Young people were no longer engaging with these bhajans. The instruments and sound were just not resonating. A trend began in India of bhajan jams – incorporating Western instruments to devotional music that appealed to all ages. We follow Bhavik from London to Ahmedabad, on his mission to keep bhajans alive by appealing to all ages through fusion music. And we find out why bhajan jams are helping the Hindu diaspora feel connected to their cultural and religious roots.

The UN says more than 100 buildings have collapsed as rescuers search the rubble for survivors. We hear from a resident of Caracas and the former head of the USAID office which used to lead the United States government’s response to foreign disasters.

Also in the programme: King Charles has disclosed he paid £12.9m in tax for 2024-2025, becoming the first monarch to reveal their tax bill. Would a proposal to tax California’s billionaires raise much-needed cash, or encourage the state’s richest citizens to flee? And the teenager working with Sir Stephen Fry to create a Latin audio guide for a Bath tourist attraction.

FIFA is blocking logos from brands like Levi's, Heinz, and Beats at the World Cup. We find out why, and how the banned brands are turning the ban into a viral marketing moment.

Micron Technology has overtaken Meta, Tesla, and Apple in market valuation, but most people have never heard of it. So what does this chipmaker actually do, and how much is it cashing in on the AI boom?

The International Maritime Organization has "temporarily" paused its sailor evacuation plan in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was attacked. So what does this mean for the 11,000 seafarers still stranded?

Plus, can Toy Story help Disney's new CEO get the magic back?

Presenter: Leanna Byrne

Producers: Rob Cave and Niamh Mc Dermott

At least 180 people are now confirmed to have died in northern Venezuela after two powerful back-to-back earthquakes. Thousands are still unaccounted for.

We hear from two people whose homes have been destroyed.

Also in the programme; the owners of Hong Kong's last independent bookshop are arrested; and how scientists have managed to read ancient papyrus scrolls burned to a cinder when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Photo: People on motorbikes drive past damaged buildings following the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela Credit: RONALD PENA R/EPA/Shutterstock

Ed attempts to keep the peace, and negotiations are made at Bridge Farm.

A huge rescue and recovery operation is under way across northern Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck on Wednesday evening, killing more than 160 people and injuring over 1,000. Rescue teams are searching for survivors in Caracas and several other states after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude tremors hit during a national holiday, when many people were at home. Also: in Washington, a meeting between Donald Trump and Republican senators descends into a heated row over Iran; oil prices fall back to pre-war levels after the US and Iran agree a 60-day ceasefire; police arrest the owners of one of Hong Kong’s last independent bookshops; the Vatican begins a five-year laser restoration of Raphael’s sixteenth-century Loggia in the Apostolic Palace in the Italian city of Trieste; Europe's only gender-segregated beach becomes the centre of a row between tourists and locals; and why young South Koreans are placing orders on fake delivery apps.

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: Apartment buildings damaged by the powerful earthquakes in Catia la Mar, Venezuela, 25 June 2026.​​

Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

The United Nations has warned that nearly three million children could contract HIV by 2040, with more than half at risk of dying from AIDS-related illnesses if prevention and treatment efforts are not significantly expanded. The agency says the overwhelming majority of these infections are expected to occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where young people remain disproportionately affected by the epidemic. Amid these concerns, a major scientific breakthrough is offering new hope. Lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention injection administered just twice a year, is being hailed as a potential game-changer, particularly for young people and others who struggle to adhere to daily prevention pills.

In United States, Minnesota , the fentanyl epidemic continues to devastate families and communities, with overdose deaths leaving a lasting toll.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Blessing Aderogba

Technical Producer: Herbert Masua

Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba

Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

A huge rescue and recovery operation is underway across northern Venezuela after two back-to-back earthquakes struck overnight. At least 164 people have died, but experts say the number could well rise to thousands as the extent of the damage becomes clear.

Also in the programme: The French government's response to the heatwave; and how Canadian football fans are trying to be cheerful about moving to the US.

(Photo: A firefighter in the Venezuelan capital Caracas looks for his sister and nephew in the earthquake rubble of a building in La Guaira, Venezuela. Credit: Reuters/Gaby Oraa)

Nolan talks to Scott Cuthbertson, Rainbow Project CEO and DUP MLA Peter Martin