BBC

In this episode, we explore two important stories from Africa. First, Algeria’s parliament has passed a revised law criminalising French colonial rule. The amendments remove earlier demands for an official apology and reparations after the Senate requested the changes. The law still includes demands for compensation for victims of French nuclear tests in Algeria.

We then turn to Tourette syndrome, a neurological condition causing involuntary tics that affects millions worldwide. In Africa, the condition is often misunderstood leading to stigma. Advocates are pushing for awareness, early diagnosis and support. We hear from someone in Nigeria about what it’s like to live with Tourette syndrome.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Basma El Atti and Ayuba Iliya

Technical Producer: Jonathan Mwangi

Senior Producers: Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Israel has launched more attacks against suspected Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including an apartment building in the capital Beirut. The Hezbollah militia is an ally of Iran.

It comes as the Lebanese health ministry has announced that 570 people have been killed in Lebanon since strikes began on 2nd March as part of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Israel's evacuation orders have driven more than three quarters of a million people from their homes. We'll hear from the Lebanese capital and we'll hear from Dubai and Riyadh about the disruption to energy shipments from the region.

Also in the programme: Russia's campaign of sabotage against Ukraine's European allies; how Britain's old church organs are being dumped, and how some dogs really can sing along to music.

(Photo shows smoke rising after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on 11 March 2026. Credit: Raghed Waked/Reuters)

Mortgages are one of the most important financial products most of us ever come across, but they're also complicated. With more than 7,000 products on the market, how do you pick the right one for you?

It can feel pretty overwhelming and hard to choose the best product at a time when rates are held at 3.75% but expected to fall, and relaxed lending rules mean some people can borrow 6.5 times their salary over longer terms.

We'll answer listener questions about trackers, what term you should pick, and what to do if you're a first-time buyer.

Paul Lewis is joined by Sally Mitchell, a mortgage advisor at Versed Financial, and Paul Broadhead from the Building Societies Association.

Presenters: Paul Lewis and Felicity Hannah

Producers: Sarah Rogers and James Graham

Editor: Jess Quayle

Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 11th February 2026)

Do you hate it when people pour water on your ideas, or is it like water off a duck's back? Learn these 'water' phrases and more here.

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Also, the PSNI are set to introduce a new taser. Nolan talks to former firearms officer

The BBC hears from Iranian residents about life under bombardment, as the US says its military campaign is a "resounding success" - and ahead of schedule. Tehran accuses its enemies of targeting civilians. We also hear from one of the world's biggest shipping companies about how it's unwilling to risk its employees and vessels by sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. In other news, passenger trains are set to resume between China and North Korea. And why some people think it's important to distinguish between books written by humans and AI.

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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What next for the Syrian detention camps and their residents? After the fall of the so-called “caliphate”, tens of thousands of women and children from around the world - followers of the Islamic State group as well as its victims - ended up in a handful of camps in north-eastern Syria. Once run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, those camps are now in the process of being closed down by the Syrian authorities. This three-part series from the Global Jigsaw explores the trauma that led to their prolonged existence and how it might affect their future.

In part two, we examine where governments are drawing the line on repatriation, from Britain’s tough stance to Kazakhstan’s model of success.

Contributors: Mina al-Lami, Jiyar Gol, Barry Marston, Clare Denning, Mohammed Al-Jumaily, Bryn Windsor

Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov

Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg

Music: Pete Cunningham

The BBC understands the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has written to the home secretary saying the controversial Al Quds Day march - which was set to take place in London this weekend - should not be allowed to go ahead. The annual event has been criticised for representing the views of the Iranian regime and for antisemitic and anti-Israel hostility. We'll hear from Lord Walney who supports a ban, and from one of the organisers of the march.

Also on the programme:

The creator of Wordle tells us why he's moving from a simple word game to cryptic crosswords:

And if you're a woman who drives an Uber or hails one in the United States, you can now ask for a women-only journey. We talk to a female cabbie and the owner of a new women's taxi business here in the UK.

The International Energy Agency is meeting in Paris to discuss the release of strategic oil reserves in a bid to bolster supplies and calm energy markets as the US-Israel war with Iran ends the 11th day. Sam Fenwick hears from the former head of oil industry and markets at IEA, Neil Atkinson.

(Picture: A person pumps gas at a Shell gas station in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, 05 October 2022. Credit: MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The White House press secretary warns that US combat operations in Iran are intensifying while Iran's defence capabilities are in decline.

Also in today's programme: Tehran residents describe intense bombing in the city. With oil prices soaring across the globe we hear from Mark Menezes, CEO of the US Energy Association, who previously served as Deputy Energy Secretary in President Trump's first administration. And we also discuss Iran's world heritage sites under threat from US-Israeli attack.Plus, to mark the 150 years since the first ever telephone call we hear from Marty Cooper, the inventor of mobile phone.

(Picture: A dredger sits anchored as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz. Credit: Reuters/Benoit Tessier)