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There are some things that you can just assume to be true. This expression is for those. Learn how to use it expression with Feifei and Phil.

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Growing fears for the ceasefire in the Middle East after the US and Iran trade fire as American forces try to open up the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. President Trump said two US-flagged merchant vessels were able to transit the waterway. The UAE said Iran also launched cruise missiles and drones towards its oil facilities. Also: Two people are killed and several others injured when a car drives into a central pedestrian zone of the eastern German city of Leipzig; the South Korean owners of tech giant Samsung agree to pay a huge inheritance tax bill of eight billion US dollars - the largest such payment in the country's history; stars turn out in all their glory for this year's Met Gala despite fears of a backlash against the new sponsor Jeff Bezos. And, Wu Yize becomes the second Chinese winner of the World Snooker Championship.

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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Eighteen months ago, the renovation of the railway station in Serbia’s second biggest city, Novi Sad, led to a tragic accident. A substantial concrete canopy, which ran across the front of the station building, suddenly collapsed, killing sixteen people. The disaster sparked mass protests. Marchers demanded justice for the dead and injured. As the protests spread, to the capital, Belgrade, and to towns and cities across the country, the demands evolved. Protesters accused the government of corruption and of covering up the truth about what happened. The government accused the protesters of being foreign agents, supported and organised by malign outside forces. Now, after more than a year, the mass protests have finally subsided. Jill McGivering is in Serbia to find out what’s happened to that explosion of anti-government anger.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.

In Scotland, from 1940 to 1963, the artist Joan Eardley produced a cache of monumental seascapes, landscapes, and poignant portraits. When she died aged 42 of breast cancer, people were still trying to categorise her work - part abstract expressionist, part Scottish colourist, part social realist, part kitchen sink (one of her first solo exhibitions was in a cinema). She worked with oil and pastels, but also used collage and plaster on her canvas, as well as gravel and sand and bits of plants (one gallerist scraped these bits off, confused.) She even used graffiti in her portraits of children living in tenements in Glasgow, decades before it became fashionable. A new exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland hangs Joan's work alongside some of the most cherished and valuable paintings in their collection, including works by Monet and Constable. Curator Kerry Gledhill talks to Antonia Quirke about looking for 'synergies' between the works she has chosen to exhibit, and about Joan's short, passionate, productive life and working practice.

Are ships moving in the Persian Gulf and could it lead to the resumption of hostilities between the US and Iran? Andrew Peach finds out more on the latest developments and speaks to maritime expert Captain John Konrad.

Meanwhile, with two clubs celebrating joining the English Premier League, we hear about the financial challenges facing those joining football's elite.

And, why the success of the vintage clothing industry is attracting criminals.

Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia, Europe and the USA.

(Picture: Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, on 4 May 2026. Credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi / ISNA / West Asia News Agency, via Reuters.)

There's been an escalation of the conflict in the Gulf after the US said it had sailed two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it had fired warning shots at one warship and denied US claims that two US-flagged merchant ships had transited the waterway. Iran has retaliated. The UAE says four cruise missiles were fired towards its territory and a drone hit the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.

Also, Cape Verde has refused docking permission to a cruise ship with a suspected outbreak of hantavirus; and Samsung pays a massive inheritance tax bill in South Korea - but do some super-rich companies dodge tax bills?

(Photo: Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, 4th May, 2026. Credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via Reuters)

As recently as a few years ago, the idea of a self-administered injection that would deliver proven weight-loss results might have sounded fantastical. Today, these medications are a reality and a global phenomenon; hailed in many quarters as “miracle drugs" for their success in treating obesity and diabetes. They do this by replicating a gut hormone called GLP‑1, which tells the brain you’ve eaten enough and nudges the pancreas to release insulin; and this hormone was discovered and decoded thanks to years of work by today's guest. Jens Juul Holst is a Professor of Medical Physiology and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. His efforts laid the groundwork for today’s weight loss jabs, earning him a slew of high-profile accolades and awards. Now it seems they might not only have positive impacts on obesity and diabetes, but also other health issues... But alongside the big success comes some big questions: including concerns over side effects, weight regain post-treatment, the black market in such drugs, and their cost and accessibility. In a frank conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Jens address these issues and shares his hopes for the future of GLP-1-focused research.

Leonard has a proposition for Carol, and Natasha looks forward to showing off her skills.

Video game retail chain GameStop has made a surprise $56bn bid to take over the online marketplace eBay. GameStop’s CEO says he plans to create a competitor to Amazon.

Also, the US military says it’s started guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz as part of President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom”.

And steel boss Lakshmi Mittal and vaccine maker Adar Poonawalla have bought a majority stake in Indian Premier League cricket team the Rajasthan Royals for about $1.65bn

Presenter: Bisi Adebayo

Producers: Niamh McDermott and Barbara George

The US military says its warships have helped two US-flagged vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz, breaking an Iranian blockade. It's denied Iranian reports that one warship had been forced to turn back. Also: More than 30 world leaders - including the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney - attend the European Political Community summit in the former Soviet republic of Armenia, to discuss the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Three people have died on board a cruise ship that was crossing the Atlantic, following an outbreak of a respiratory illness - believed to be Hantavirus. The video game retail chain GameStop launches a $56bn takeover bid for the much bigger firm, eBay. Australia begins public hearings into the killing of 15 people in a gun attack on a Jewish event on Bondi Beach in December. A BBC investigation finds scammers in Uganda are posting online content of dogs in distress in a shelter to get money from international donors. The former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, is in a critical condition in hospital. And a team of North Korean women footballers is due to cross the border to play their neighbours in the semi-final of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League - the first time athletes from the north have travelled to South Korea since 2018.

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]