BBC

Several sources are reporting that a French-owned container ship has successfully braved the troubled Strait of Hormuz. The CMA CGM Kribi is believed to be the first western vessel to pass through the passage since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran. It was not immediately clear how the vessel secured safe passage.

It comes as Iran carried out two attacks on commercial plants in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi

Also there's better-than-expected jobs news for the US. And we hear from a trade expert who examines President Trump’s latest tariff announcements of up to 100% on some imported medicines.

And why the price of chocolate is remaining stubbornly high

Presenter: Gideon Long

Senior Producer: Craig Henderson

Divorce rates are steadily rising in many African countries. For example, government data shows the divorce rate in South Africa rose by 8.9% between 2023 and 2024. It increased by 16% in Zambia from 2022 and 2023, according to media reports.

But despite the stigma that still surrounds divorce, attitudes are changing. In Kenya, some high-profile figures have even celebrated separations with “divorce parties,” while the idea of a “divorce glow-up” is gaining traction online.

Focus on Africa host Nkechi Ogbonna speaks to 34-year-old Millicent Bundi from Kenya, who is sharing her post-divorce journey publicly, and Zambia’s Magnus Mando (Mag44) about the challenges of divorce as a gospel singer.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Fana Negash and Carolyne Kiambo

Technical Producer: David Kinyanjui

Senior Producer: Priya Sippy

Editor: Maryam Abdalla

President Donald Trump says the US "hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran", adding that Iranian bridges are "next, then electric power plants." Mr. Trump has also signalled his openness to diplomacy in an effort to end the war. Iran has launched fresh strikes on Israel and Gulf nations, after the US and Israel stepped up their attacks on Iran's infrastructure.

Also in the programme: an update on the progress of the Artemis II moon mission; and the unusual way octopuses have sex.

(Picture: US President Donald J. Trump. Credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

The Artemis II mission has completed a critical engine burn that's propelling the Orion spacecraft and its four astronauts on a journey to the far side of the Moon. It's the first time in over 50 years that humans have left Earth's orbit. Also in this podcast: Iranians describe mounting desperation after a month of war. The military general behind Myanmar's coup five years ago becomes the country's president. President Trump fires US Attorney General Pam Bondi. And the tortoise that the world thought was dead - but it turned out to be fake news.

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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When Megan Garcia travelled to Rome, she carried with her a mother’s grief. At the Vatican she met the Pope and asked him to pray for her son Sewell, who died last year at the age of 14. In the months after his death, Megan discovered Sewell had been spending hours talking to an artificial-intelligence chatbot, which he believed was a real person for more than a year. He formed a deep emotional attachment to it, confiding in it about his life and feelings. Megan believes that relationship played a part in her son’s death. She is now pursuing legal action against the company behind the chatbot, arguing that safeguards for young users were inadequate. The company disputes the claims. But rather than losing her belief, Megan turned to prayer and devotion to the Virgin Mary, finding comfort in the idea of a mother who also knew the pain of losing a child.

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

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing to go public. Could it become one of the world’s most valuable companies?

One year on from “Liberation Day”, when sweeping tariffs reshaped global trade, we ask who’s winning and who’s paying the price.

And from bankruptcy to comeback, Leanna Byrne speaks to the boss of Polaroid about why instant cameras are thriving again.

(Photo: NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission lifts off in a Dragon spacecraft, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, from the launch pad of Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA, 28 September 2024. Credit: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock).

President Trump has sacked Pam Bondi as the US Attorney General. Bondi has been criticised for her handling of the files related to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. We speak to Gloria Allred, a well know human rights lawyer who represents many of Epstein's accusers.

Also in the programme: is it time to rethink the pensions triple lock? We speak to Lord Willetts who was in former Prime Minister David Cameron's cabinet when the policy was introduced in 2010; and the 91-year-old lollipop man retiring after nearly 3 decades on the job.

President Trump has sacked Pam Bondi as the US Attorney General. She was a close ally of Mr Trump but had been criticised for her handling of the release of files relating to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Writing on social media, Mr Trump described her as a loyal friend saying she had done a tremendous job overseeing a crackdown on crime but was moving to a new role in the private sector. Mr Trump's former personal lawyer, the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, will take over on a temporary basis.

Also in the programme: nations meet to find a solution to the Strait of Hormuz; and Artemis 2 heads out of orbit.

(Photo: Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi attends a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 24 March 2026. CREDIT: GRAEME SLOAN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

Miranda learns about Brian’s past, and Oliver wonders if he should give up riding.

The UK hosts 40 nations for talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. French President Emnnauel Macron says using force to open the vital shipping lane is 'unrealistic', and criticises the US for its mixed messages on the war. Also: a 200-year old discovery off the coast of Denmark, the latest on the Artemis II Moon mission and becoming the first blind man to run a solo marathon.