BBC

Britain's governing Labour party and main opposition Conservatives have suffered heavy losses as the populist right wing Reform surges ahead in early results from English local elections.

We look at what this means for the country's traditional party system and how long the current prime minister can last in light of these results.

Also in the programme: President Trump says the ceasefire with Iran is still in place despite a series of clashes in the Strait of Hormuz; we mark the 100th birthday of the documentary maker David Attenborough; and we'll look at how the war in Iran is causing a shortage of saffron in Italy.

(Photo shows the UK's prime minister Keir Starmer speaking at a meeting with Labour Party members in Ealing, West London on 8 May 2026. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

Nolan talks to UUP leader Jon Burrows and Allliance MLA Nuala McAllister

The US says it struck Iranian military facilities after Iran targeted American warships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran claims the US was violating the ceasefire. President Trump says the ceasefire is still intact. Also: Russia prepares to celebrate Victory Day amid fears Ukraine may launch a drone attack. Fashion companies prepare for the introduction of strict new sustainability laws in Europe. We take a closer look at the US immigration crackdown. Protests in Japan over the lifting of restrictions on arms exports. And the British wildlife film maker, David Attenborough, celebrates his 100th birthday.

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.

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Thirty years after the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, some convicted perpetrators are returning to the communities they once devastated. Felin Gakwaya travels to eastern Rwanda to meet both survivors and perpetrators living side by side again. He hears from Daniel Gasangwa, who went to visit the men who killed members of his family after they were released from prison — and told them not to be afraid, because they had been forgiven. He also meets Steven Ngabonziza, whose own path to forgiveness came not first through church, but through war, prison discipline and the slow work of reconciliation. And he hears from Viateur Ruribikiye, a perpetrator who now speaks of confession, repentance and God’s pardon. Through their stories, which include discussions of violence and loss, the programme explores forgiveness not as an abstract idea, but as something lived out in villages, churches, homes and memories that have not gone away.

This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Heart and Soul, exploring personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

Polls have just closed in elections in Scotland, Wales and parts of England. We speak to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.

Two British-Chinese dual nationals have been convicted of spying for China. What message does the case send? We hear from one Hong Kong dissident living in the UK.

Three women with links to the jihadist Islamic State group have been arrested on returning home to Australia. We'll speak to the senator who visited their camp in Syria and campaigned for their return.

And celebrating David Attenborough's 100th birthday, with a new choral work.

As airlines cut flights over high jet fuel costs the EU's transport commissioner says passengers must still be compensated.

We hear from the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen on how the industry is responding to rising costs and supply chain issues.

And would you sue for guaranteed access to a sun lounger on your holidays?

Eight cases connected to the cruise ship have been identified, but authorities fear that the dozens of passengers who disembarked on St Helena two weeks ago could be carriers of the virus. The World Health Organisation, however, has said that it does not believe this is the beginning of a pandemic.

Also on the programme: in the UK two men are convicted of spying for China, one of them an immigration official; and the AI fitness instructors selling unreal gains.

(Picture: The cruise ship MV Hondius leaves Praia, Cape Verde, May 6, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)

Brian fears the worst, and Brad comes to a decision.

For a while now, Sudan's military government has been accusing Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates of working with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudan war that entered its fourth year in April. Both the UAE and Addis Ababa have refuted that claim. An investigation by the Reuters news agency in January showed the presence of a secret training camp in Ethiopia allegedly used to train thousands of RSF fighters. We speak to a Horn of Africa expert.

Also, bicycles are fading away in many parts of urban Nigeria, but in the northeastern rural community of Mishara, they remain a symbol of love and commitment to marriage.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Bella Twine and Ayuba Iliya

Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango

Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga

Editors: Priyanka Sippy and Maryam Abdalla

US media reports say what's being considered is a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran, which could set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations. A senior member of Iran's parliament has dismissed it as a "wish list", while a foreign ministry spokesman said Tehran would share its views of a US proposal with Pakistani mediators. Pakistan's foreign minister said his country was "endeavouring to convert the current ceasefire into a permanent end to this war".

Also: Three women with links to the Islamic State group have been arrested after arriving in Australia with their children after years in detention in Syria. Vigils are held across Australia for a five year old Aboriginal girl who was allegedly murdered. And, Ukraine looks at banning surrogacy for foreign parents - amid concerns that poor vulnerable women in a country at war are being exploited and there are not enough protections for the babies.

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]