BBC

Oil and gas traders took a breath on Wednesday after Trump pledged help in the Strait of Hormuz, but experts say there are still signs the price of crude could break through the $100 mark as hundreds of tankers are anchored and unused in the vital waterway. Meanwhile, TikTok has told the BBC is won't bring in end-to-end encryption in its popular social media app

On this episode, we examine the future of the US-brokered peace deal after Washington sanctioned Rwanda’s defence forces and senior military officials over the eastern DR Congo conflict. Kigali calls the move is unfair and accuses the DRC of failing to meet its own commitments. Meanwhile, Ethiopia has opened its first unmanned police station in Addis Ababa, letting citizens report crimes digitally. The pilot is part of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s push to modernize public services, but is raising questions about adoption and data protection.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producer: Keikantse Shumba, Daniel Dadzie and Ayuba Iliya

Technical Producer: Jonathan Mwangi

Senior Producers: Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Student loans and their impact on graduates’ finances have dominated the news recently. The average student debt in England for 2024 graduates was approximately £53,000, with repayments being made when salaries hit a certain threshold set by the government.

But, the finer details on who gets what and how it's all repaid varies vastly depending on when and where students study. Rules also differ vastly across the UK.

Recent campaigns have highlighted 'Plan 2' loans which focused on students in England who studied between September 2012 and July 2023 and the Chancellor's decision to freeze the salary threshold for repayments on these loans for three years, which means some graduates will now have to pay even more.

In this episode we'll discuss the rules for current students, past graduates, as well as how maintenance loans are worked out and what support might be available.

Joining Felicity Hannah is Tom Allingham from student money website, Save the Student and Graham Wright from the University of the West of England Bristol and National Association of Money Advisors.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

Producer: Sarah Rogers

Editor: Jess Quayle

Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson

(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday the 4th of February 2026)

Also, dropping off at Belfast International Airport? From next Monday it will cost you £5

There are a few phrases in English about card games. Learn what it means to lay all your cards on the table, and more in this podcast.

TRANSCRIPT

Find a free transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/s5english_in_a_minute

FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:

Visit our website

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

Follow us

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

LIKE PODCASTS?

Try some of our other popular podcasts including:

✔️ Learning English Stories

✔️ Learning English from the News

✔️ 6 Minute English

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

As the US-Israel war with Iran continues the Trump administration is facing mounting calls from Congress to explain why it started its campaign now, and how long it could last. In an attempt to curb surging oil and gas prices, President Trump says the US navy will, if necessary, escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran.

The crisis in the Middle East is continuing to cause turmoil on the financial markets. Shares across Asia opened sharply lower. Also, scientists in Spain studying how women's brains are altered during pregnancy say they've identified changes influencing how mothers bond with their babies. And an English golf club stumbles across an unexpected find underneath part of its course - an abandoned wine cellar.

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]

A near-pristine desert wilderness on southern Africa’s remote Atlantic coast in Namibia could host a huge green hydrogen development, raising hope for wealth and desperately needed jobs. Supporters say it could help tackle youth unemployment, which is among the highest in the world. But there are big questions about what the plan will mean for people and wildlife living nearby. The development would take place next to a national park that is home to rare plants and animals. Conservationists warn it could damage fragile desert habitats and put pressure on the coastal ecosystem. Johannes Dell travels to the port town of Lüderitz and the surrounding desert to hear from the people who would live with the changes.

The US President doubled down on criticism of Keir Starmer for delays in allowing the Americans to launch strikes on Iran from Diego Garcia. We ask if the Transatlantic relationship can weather the conflict with Iran.

Also on the programme: oil and gas prices rocket as Iran attacks shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

And which piece of music gives you the chills? A study finds that spine-tingling response to emotive music and art could be genetic.

President Trump says the US Navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz "if necessary", after shipping traffic almost entirely halted through the key sea passage following Iranian threats to "set fire" to ships. We hear the latest on shipping in the region.

We also head to Lebanon as hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah continue to escalate. What does this mean for the future of the country?

And OpenAI says it’s rewriting parts of what it calls an “opportunistic and sloppy” deal with the US government over the use of its AI in classified military operations.

(PHOTO: Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo).

President Trump says both Iran's leadership and military have been knocked out by US and Israeli attacks on day four of the war. We'll bring you the latest and hear from Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister as Israel pursues the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia; and how might Gulf states react if Iran continues to attack them?

(An explosion in Tehran, Iran as US/Israeli attacks continue. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)