BBC

The Artemis II astronauts are bound for a return to Earth after conducting a historic lunar fly-by and witnessing a total solar eclipse from their spacecraft.

The spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth - 252,756 miles (406,771km), the furthest distance humans have travelled into space. We'll hear from NASA's Head of Science.

Also in the programme: Multiple reports indicate new US strikes on Kharg Island in the Gulf as President Trump posts that "a whole civilisation will die tonight" unless a deal is reached; US vice-president JD Vance visits Hungary ahead of elections; Cambodia says it's cracking down on scammers; and Kanye West has been blocked from travelling to the UK over anti-Semitic comments.

(Photo shows the Moon rises over the Halde Hoheward near Herten, Germany on 7 April 2026. Credit: Christopher Neundorf/EPA)

John Campbell is in for Nolan, he also hears about a family losing their care package.

What's the date today? Do you know how to say it? Listen to the programme to find out.

FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:

Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish

Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:

✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters

LIKE PODCASTS?

Try some of our other popular podcasts including:

✔️ Learning English for Work

✔️ Learning English from the News

✔️ Learning English Stories

They're all available by searching in your podcast app.

When we enter a flow state, we feel fully focused. Learn how to use this expression with Feifei and Becca. For more great language tips and programmes visit bbclearningenglish.com

As always, find a free transcript here:

✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak_2026/ep-260406

And discover the NEW series of Office English. Topics covering small talk, organising meetings and rules. Find it here:

✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/office-english, or search 'Learning English for Work' in your podcast app.

We send a newsletter with our weekly highlights - subscribe here:

✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters

If you enjoy this podcast, you might like our others! Search 'BBC Learning English' to discover the range.

The Artemis II astronauts have travelled farther from Earth than any human in history and successfully looped around the far side of the Moon. The NASA crew is now on its way back home after taking photographs of the lunar surface and witnessing a solar eclipse. Also: Donald Trump dismisses concerns that the US targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran could be a war crime; the BBC gets special access to a siezed scam compound in Myanmar; Albanian environmentalists protest against Ivanka Trump's plans for a luxury island resort; and fancy a curling match for a night out?

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]

Albania has had many different faces over the last hundred years. Once ruled by the Ottomans, it became a kingdom before turning into a totalitarian communist state after World War Two. During this time, no one was allowed in or out; all private property became state-owned, and bunkers sprang up across the country. After the fall of the communist regime, Albania descended into chaos. In 1996, a pyramid scheme that three-quarters of the population had paid into, collapsed. People lost everything, and the country, especially the south, erupted into violence.

These days, Albania is aiming to shake off its past and transform its reputation from a country marked by corruption to one known for luxury tourism. With its miles of unspoilt beaches, snow capped mountains, and olive groves that could rival anything Greece has to offer, it is unsurprising that it is quickly attracting investors. Among them are Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who, having bought an island off the coast of Vlorë, have more recently been spotted on the secluded beaches of Zvërnec and Nartë, currently home only to endangered monk seals, sea turtles, and a few sheep. They, like others, hope to benefit from new government incentives to build luxury five-star plus resorts.

However, ghosts of Albania’s communist past remain. Land disputes, allegations of corruption, and a lack of infrastructure could derail these resorts before they have even broken ground. Emily Wither travels to Albania to find out whether it will be able to rebrand itself, and whether its dream of luxury escapism will become a reality.

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

The astronauts on the Artemis Two mission have taken humanity deeper into space than ever before. The four crew members have travelled further from Earth than any other human, beating the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Their craft will now make its journey round the far side of the Moon.

Also on the programme: President Trump issues his latest warning to Iran; we hear about the impacts of new laws governing the ownership of primates and can curling become the new darts? We hear from one of the captains competing tonight.

United States President Donald Trump said the US will target civilian infrastructure if Iran doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz. He has given Iran a deadline of tomorrow to reopen the passage. But what happens if that deadline passes? And why are some vessels already allowed to pass through?

Meanwhile, new shipping routes are opening in the Arctic. We hear why the United States is investing in a new fleet of icebreakers.

Plus, a new Super Mario movie has become a box office success, despite early doubts.

Four astronauts have taken humanity deeper into space than ever before, breaking a record set in 1970. We hear from space expert Dr Kevin Fong as well as Young and Sick, one of the bands whose songs have been played to the Artemis crew.

Also on the programme: President Trump repeats his deadline for Iran to agree to a deal with the United States; and the discovery of Yiddish songs performed during the Holocaust.

(Picture: A view of the Moon taken by an Artemis II crew member through the window of the Orion spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Handout via REUTERS)

The rapid spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria is already claiming lives - and a far greater global crisis is on the horizon.

In this three part series for Discovery, reporter Roland Pease traces how we reached this point, uncovers the forces driving resistance ever faster, and meets the scientists racing to outpace evolving superbugs before our lifesaving medicines fail for good.

Episode 3 - Failed market. A successful new antibiotic must not only treat bacteria that resist existing therapies, it must be kept in reserve for only the hardest cases lest new kinds of resistance evolve, and yet it must pay back the developers' investment. No wonder several leading antibiotic companies have failed financially in the past 8 years. Is there a way to make antibiotic development pay?