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BBC episodes

  • The English We Speak: Throw ideas at the wall
    Sometimes you want to come up with ideas without thinking too much. That's when you throw ideas at the wall to see if anything sticks. Learn how to use this expression with Feifei and Phil.

    As always, find a free transcript here: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak_2026/ep-260608.

    For more great language tips and programmes visit bbclearningenglish.com

    We send a newsletter with our weekly highlights - subscribe here: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters
    3 min
  • Donald Trump tells the BBC Israel did not defy him
    Donald Trump has told the BBC that Benjamin Netanyahu did not defy his orders to stop attacking Iran; the Israeli missiles were already on their way to Iran when he spoke to the Israeli Prime Minister. Israel and Iran have agreed to halt strikes on each other, but Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon continued on Monday. Open AI, which makes ChatGPT, plans to sell shares through a stock listing in the US. Sudanese children return to school, despite four years of civil war. The Somalian football referee, Omar Artan is denied entry to the US for the World Cup, despite having valid paperwork. We hear from a Rwandan woman who's dedicated her life to giving a voice to women survivors of abuse. And we find out why record numbers of octopuses are appearing in the UK.

    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: U.S. President Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach.
    Credit: Reuters
    31 min
  • Khartoum: Lessons in war
    For three years a brutal civil war has been raging in Sudan. Hundreds of thousands have been killed. Millions have been forced from their homes. But the war has other hidden costs – particularly for the young. It’s estimated that 60% of the population is under 25, and millions have lost out on their education. Now after the capital Khartoum was recaptured by the army, for the first time in years, school and universities have re-opened in the city. But as Mohanad Hashim reports, the lives of Khartoum’s youth are still shaped by war.

    Reporter: Mohanad Hashim
    Producer: Alex Last
    Sound mix: Neil Churchill
    Production coordinator: Katie Morrison
    Series Editor: Penny Murphy

    (Image: Kids on a swing at a communal kindergarten in Khartoum. It was set up by local mothers who stayed during the battle for the city. Credit Alex Last/BBC)
    33 min
  • Another legal setback for Trump
    A federal judge has overturned the $100,000 H 1B visa application fee ordered by President Donald Trump saying it's an unlawful tax.

    IATA, the airline industry's main body says it likely to miss its key emission target.

    And China's Xi Jinping is in North Korea. What's he after?
    29 min
  • Has President Trump forced Israel to stop attacking Iran?
    Iran's military has said it's halting military operations against Israel and media reports in Israel say that it is stopping attacks on Iran “at Trump’s request”

    Also on the programme: is overheating going to be an issue in the World Cup which starts this week? And the octopus "super bloom" around the shores of England.

    (Picture: Iranians examine an unexploded missile. Credit: Reuters)
    52 min
  • The Life Scientific: Helen Hastie
    What if robots of the future weren’t just clever machines, performing tasks in isolation, but trusted teammates you could have a chat with? That could respond naturally to conversational cues and even explain their work? Making this relationship a reality is a focus for Helen Hastie, Professor of Human-Robot Interaction and Head of the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. Helen’s career has taken her from developing early dialogue systems - the ancestors of today’s generative AI - to working on sophisticated bots that can serve coffee with a side of small-talk, teach struggling kids with empathy, or provide calm and confident decisions as triage nurses. She’s also driven some of the UK’s flagship robotics initiatives, including as co-lead of the National Robotarium. Talking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili - who reveals he was once told off for rudeness by an early chatbot - Helen explains her hopes for useful, reliable and ultimately trustworthy robots; machines that aren’t just in our world but a welcome part of it.
    28 min
  • 08/06/2026
    After conducting pregnancy tests on the Brookfield cows Alistair chats to David about the poisonous atmosphere at Home Farm, wondering if David might be able to soften Brian’s hardline stance. When David mentions trade stand bookings for the Borchester Show are right down Alistair says a client complained about the payment system on the showground last year. David says he’ll investigate, before Alistair chases up numbers for the minibus trip to the Women’s T20 World Cup on Friday.
    Amber’s pleased by the uptick in social media engagement for the Borchester Show since she took over strategy from George. The money they earn will help cover the cost of all the baby gear they need. David calls, asking Amber to use her contacts at Farm Supplies to find out why trade stand bookings are down, and to target local businesses with positive messaging. Later, Amber and George are able to confirm the slow wi-fi led to payment difficulties last year, putting businesses off booking again. David vows to try and fix it.
    Stella enthuses about wedding preparations to distracted Pip, who’s waiting for the call from a genetic counsellor. After several false alarms Pip finally speaks to the counsellor, then later tells Stella about the issues they covered, including potential risks to having children in future. Stella suggests focusing on the next step and Pip says she’s agreed to take the private BRCA gene variant test. It’s hard, but once Pip’s done the test, they’ll know for sure without having to wait for Ruth’s NHS referral, which she hasn’t even asked for yet.
    14 min
  • Iran says it's stopping strikes against Israel
    Iran's military has said it's halting military operations against Israel, after the first direct hostilities between the two sides in two months. It said it had delivered what it called a 'painful response' to Israel, warning it against further attacks, including in southern Lebanon. Also: On a visit to Spain, the Pope has been speaking about child abuse carried out by members of the Catholic Church. The British prime minister Keir Starmer gives tech companies a three-month deadline to stop children from seeing or sending explicit images. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea for a two-day visit, his first to the country in seven years. And can a AI humanoid robot perform as well as a human magician?

    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: Israeli settlers stand next to part of a missile protruding from the ground, following strikes from Iran in the central Israeli-occupied West Bank.
    Credit: REUTERS
    27 min
  • African prisoners of war in Ukraine
    Over 3,000 African fighters are involved with the Russian army as claimed by Ukrainian authorities. Many of them say they have been misled or coerced into fighting by illegal recruitment agencies promising a good job and salary in Russia.
    We speak to the BBC's Sammy Awami who gained access to a prisoner of war facility in western Ukraine, and spoke to some of the young men trapped there.

    And we hear about the frustrations of African fans hoping to travel to the US for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

    Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
    Producers: Godwin Asediba, Ayuba Iliya and Blessing Aderogba
    Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango
    Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba
    Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla
    23 min
  • Markets Rattled by Tech Sell-Off and Middle East Tensions
    Global stock markets have fallen sharply after a sell-off in technology shares combined with growing uncertainty over tensions in the Middle East.

    South Korea's Kospi index briefly suspended trading after plunging at the open, while Japan's Nikkei also suffered heavy losses.

    Plus, Chinese President Xi Jinping is in North Korea for talks with Kim Jong Un. We look at what the visit could mean for trade and economic ties between the two neighbours.

    Oil prices initially surged before easing back. We ask what that tells us about how investors are assessing the risk of a wider regional conflict.

    And Prada has entered the space race. The Italian fashion house has helped develop part of a new spacesuit for future NASA missions.

    Presenter: Leanna Byrne
    Producer: David Cann
    12 min

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