BBC

US hospitality industry leads on new jobs growth, but is AI still impacting hiring for white-collar roles?

Moscow says the Russian economy is proving resilient in the face of international sanctions - we hear how the economy hits the local business from the Russian business owner in St Petersburg.

And the legacy of the co-founder of Netflix, Reed Hastings, who departs the streaming giant today after almost thirty years.

Astronauts onboard the International Space Station were ordered to prepare for evacuation after an air leak suddenly got worse. The situation returned to normal after two Russian cosmonauts completed repairs. We talk to retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who served as commander of the ISS in 2013.

We'll also hear from the Sherpa who went missing on the upper slopes of Mount Everest for six days and survived; and we remember Kanya King, the founder of the MOBO awards recognising Black music and its impact.

(A view of Earth from the Cupola on the earth-facing side of the International Space Station is seen in this NASA handout photo taken June 12, 2013 and provided June 17, 2013. Credit: Reuters)

31 May – 5th June 2026

Writer: Shaun McKenna

Director: Mel Ward

Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood

Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas 

Pat Archer …   Patricia Gallimore 

Natasha Archer … Mali Harries 

Tom Archer … William Troughton 

Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman 

Ian Craig …  Stephen Kennedy 

Rex Fairbrother ... Nick Barber

Martyn Gibson … Jon Glover

Eddie Grundy … Trevor Harrison

Ed Grundy … Barry Farrimond

George Grundy … Angus Stobie

Will Grundy … Philip Molloy

Brad Horrobin … Taylor Uttley

Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell 

Adam Macy … Andrew Wincott  

Akram Malik ... Asif Khan

Zainab Malik ... Priyasasha Kumari

Stella Pryor … Lucy Speed 

PC Nicola Trueman … Clare Corbett

Andy Zaltzman is joined by his panel of political satirists to unpack the critical essays of Tony Blair, the spending habits of Peter Murrell and the SNP, the sweltering heat, social media ban proposals for under 16's and young people in record levels of unemployment.

This week’s panellists are Scott Bennett, Cody Dahler, Ayesha Hazarika and Bella Hull.

Written by Andy Zaltzman.

With additional material by: Angela Channel, Sam Nicoresti, Pravanya Pillay and Peter Tellouche.

Producer: Rajiv Karia

Executive Producer: Pete Strauss

Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter

Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

One of the biggest artificial intelligence developers, the US firm Anthropic, has proposed a coordinated global slowdown on building advanced AI systems, saying that the latest large language models could escape human control. Also: President Putin delivers a keynote address at an annual economic forum in St Petersburg, insisting that the Russian economy remains strong. The director-general of the World Health Organisation says significant challenges remain around the development of a vaccine for the new species of Ebola. Prosecutors in El Salvador say leaders of the infamous MS-13 gang currently on trial will be sentenced to thousands of years in prison. The military government in Mali bans motorcycles outside major cities to combat militant attacks. And the authorities in Japan say they are still searching for an "extremely intelligent" bear that's evaded capture after attacking people in Fukushima province.

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: Anthropic logo

Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

PCOS affects an estimated 170 million women worldwide during their reproductive years yet as many as 70% of those affected remain undiagnosed, according the World Health Organization. Experts hope that will change following the condition’s recent renaming to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), a term they say better reflects its impact on the whole body, not just the ovaries. So what is it like to live with the condition?

We spoke to 35-year-old Bianca Chenai from Zimbabwe, and 25-year-old Ghanaian, Juliana Naa Dede who have been living with PMOS from a young age. 

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Fana Negash and Basma El Atti

Technical Producer: David Nzau

Senior Producer: Priya Sippy and Carolyne Kiambo Jotham

Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

US jobs growth was way better than expected last month. The world’s biggest economy added twice as many jobs as economists had forecast: 172,000 versus predictions of around 88,000. Many of the new jobs were in the hospitality sector as pubs, bars and restaurants ramped up hiring ahead of the World Cup. The figures cover the lead up to the tournament, being jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

Plus, nearly a year after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the families of victims in India say they’re being paid significantly less in compensation than their counterparts in the UK.

We hear from one of Vladimir Putin’s top advisers on the state of the Russian economy, and from a co-founder of the AI giant Anthropic, who says artificial intelligence needs to be reined in.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne

Producer: Gideon Long

One of the biggest artificial intelligence developers, Anthropic has warned that the latest models might escape human control. It has proposed a co-ordinated global slowdown on building AI systems. One of the firm's co-founders, Jack Clark has been speaking to BBC.

Also in the programme: the latest from Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg; and how an outsider reached the French Open tennis final.

(Photo: Anthropic logo. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Also, PSNI move in to take down racist banner from Moygashel playpark.

Volodymyr Zelensky has written to Vladimir Putin inviting him to a face-to-face meeting with the aim of negotiating an end to their war. In an open letter to the Russian leader, the Ukrainian President said it would be "wrong to simply wait" until the war in Europe becomes the focus of the US's attention once again.

Also: President Trump says he's spoken directly to Hezbollah about a possible end to the fighting in Lebanon, despite the US categorising the Iran-backed militia as a foreign terror organization. Some families of those who died in the Air India crash in 2025 have told the BBC the airline has offered them a final compensation settlement, if they give up their right to sue the company or its suppliers in future. A Nepali climbing guide is found alive on Mount Everest after surviving almost a week alone. Intelligence agencies warn that Chinese agents are posing as online recruiters to trick western governments and military personnel into disclosing state secrets. Scientists report that the world's mangrove forests are showing signs of recovery after decades of destruction. Plus, a lipstick worn by Marilyn Monroe and her recipe for stuffing are just some of the items belonging to the Hollywood star that have sold for thousands of dollars at auction.

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]

Credit: Photo by SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/Shutterstock (16910105s)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Rutte in Kyiv, Ukraine, 03 June 2026. Rutte arrived in Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials amid the Russian invasion.

NATO Secretary General Rutte visits Kyiv, Ukraine - 03 Jun 2026