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On 25 February 1986 the Philippines, Asia’s oldest democracy peacefully took control of its destiny. Ferdinand Marcos, a democratically elected president-turned dictator, who remains accused of widespread graft and human rights abuses, had gambled on one too many rigged elections. After days of mounting protests and the defection of the military to the opposition, Marcos and his family were ejected from their gilded palace in Manila. These events have since been named the People Power Revolution. The uprising ushered in a return to constitutional democracy, guardrails on executive power, and a new constitution that redistributed power from Manila to local governments across the 7,500-island archipelago. It was also supposed to seal the fate of the Marcoses once and for all: permanent exile in Hawaii. Forty years on, not only are the Marcoses back, but they’re arguably stronger than ever. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jnr, is now president, with his sister, son, and various cousins in Congress. It’s a far cry from the Philippines of 1986, when the post-revolution state vowed ‘never again’ to let any Marcos near the halls of power.

US President Donald Trump says that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead following after a day of U.S. and Israeli military strikes. Iranian state media denies Mr Khamenei is dead. We bring you the latest political and diplomatic developments from across the world and from inside the country.

(Photo: People walk near a mural featuring images of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters).

Reuters )

President Donald Trump confirms that "major combat operations" are underway against targets in Iran in a joint operation by the US and Israeli military. The office of Iran's supreme leader, and the presidential office in Tehran, were reportedly targeted, as well as military sites across the country. In response Iran launched strikes at US military targets across the region - with damage reported in Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait. 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]

The US and Israel have carried out a joint attack on Iran. President Donald Trump confirms the start of a 'major combat operation,' and calls for regime change. We bring you reaction from neighbouring countries in the Middle East and the Gulf. We also hear from an Iranian resident in the capital Tehran, and views from Washington and Israel.

(Photo: Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran, after Israel launched an attack, February 28, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

On the 3rd of January this year, Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, was removed from office by a US military intervention. He was flown to the United States to face charges of drug trafficking and partnering with terrorist groups, charges he denies. His leadership and that of his predecessor and mentor Hugo Chavez saw Venezuela move from being an oil rich, prosperous country to a country which was heavily sanctioned and under investigation by the International Criminal Court. Maduro's Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, has now succeeded him as acting president. Some Venezuelans feel that she represents only continuity with Chavismo, the political system Hugo Chavez created. Others feel that Rodriguez will be forced to adapt in order to survive. Jorge Perez and Alicia Hernandez of BBC Mundo have been following what is happening in Venezuela closely.

Snow leopards are beautiful, yet elusive creatures. They like to live high up in snowy mountains, including certain areas in the Indian Himalayas. A group of women in one of India's coldest and most remote regions have joined the efforts to conduct a snow leopard census, using camera traps to count the big cats and protect them and their habitat. Ashay Yedge of BBC Marathi recently traveled to the world's second-highest village to speak to them about their work.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.

Presented by Irena Taranyuk

Produced by Laura Thomas and Caroline Ferguson

(Photo: Irena Taranyuk)

دفترچه‌ اضطرار که توسط مشاوران شاهزاده رضا پهلوی نوشته شده و با مقدمه‌ او انتشار یافته تلاش می‌کند چه تصویری از دوره‌ پس از جمهوری اسلامی به ما عرضه کند؟

میهمان‌ها:

نعیمه دوستدار، فعال سیاسی جمهوری‌خواه

عبدالرضا احمدی، فعال سیاسی پادشاهی‌خواه

این برنامه در تاریخ یکم اسفند امسال ضبط شده است.

Billions of pounds is lost each year to fraud, be that by criminals simply stealing someone's money or by thieves tricking victims into giving them their details before draining their bank accounts. It's a crime that is massively under-reported, with very low conviction rates too. To tackle this, a new agency's been created called 'Report Fraud'. It replaces the problematic "Action Fraud" which had been the place for victims to report fraud for over a decade. Paul Lewis interviews Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf who's the Head of Report Fraud.

There are calls for a cut in the interest rate on some student loans. In recent weeks some graduates have been saying they feel they were missold their loans, because they're only paying off interest on what they owe, despite high levels of payments. The Department for Education says that its making what it called "tough but fair" decisions to protect taxpayers and students. We'll discuss that with the Higher Education Policy Institute.

There is growing pressure from charities and MPs for the government to introduce statutory regulation of the bailiff sector in England and Wales as a matter of urgency. Campaigners say it's about making sure people who are in debt aren't on the receiving end of bad practice form bailiffs breaking the rules.

And half a million households on heat networks now have new protections when it comes to their heating bills.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

Reporters: Bisi Adebayo and Dan Whitworth

Researcher: Niamh McDermott

Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast on Radio 4 12pm Saturday 31st January 2026)

President Donald Trump says he will direct every federal agency to immediately stop using technology from AI developer Anthropic. The company behind the AI assistant Claude is mired in a row with the White House after refusing demands to give the US military unfettered access to its AI tools. Anthropic says “no amount of intimidation or punishment” will shift its opposition to its technology being used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons, and says it will challenge the White House decision in court.

Also: the former US President, Bill Clinton, tells a Congressional committee he did nothing wrong during his acquaintance with Jeffrey Epstein. President Trump says he's "not happy" with the outcome of the third round of nuclear negotiations with Iran, but the Omani mediator says "peace is within reach" and calls for more time to be given to diplomatic efforts. We look back at the career of the American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, who has died aged 86. Argentina's president Javier Milei tries to scrap laws protecting glaciers from the mining industry, promising the changes will lead to one million new jobs. And why the English Premier League is to launch its first direct-to-customer streaming platform next season.

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]

Photo: YURI GRIPAS/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

When the film I Swear won three Bafta awards, what happened at the ceremony prompted a much bigger story and wider discussion. The film portrays the life of John Davidson who grew up with Tourette syndrome – the incurable condition, which causes sudden, repetitive sounds or movements. During the awards, Davidson shouted out an involuntary racial slur, which was picked up by microphones and broadcast. In a statement, Davidson said he was "deeply mortified” and that the tics, as they are known, were involuntary and did not carry any meaning. In our conversations, we bring together two black Americans with Tourette’s. They share their experiences, including dealing with the police. We also bring together three people in the UK to give an insight into their lives with Tourette’s.

A plot twist in Hollywood has taken place in the last 24 hours, but in the spreadsheets rather than on the screens, as Netflix decides it's not willing to counter Paramount–Skydance's US$111bn bid for Warner Bros Discovery. We discuss what this means for the studio house that brought Bugs Bunny, the Looney Tunes, Harry Potter and the DC Universe to audiences worldwide.

Vishala Sri-Pathma hears how US President Donald Trump has directed every federal agency to immediately stop using technology from Anthropic, as the row between the White House and the AI developer continues.

Meanwhile, with the United States oil blockage of Cuba continuing for nearly a month, Will Grant reports on the economic and humanitarian crisis engulfing the Caribbean country.

And as Pokémon celebrates turning 30 with its first ever theme park in Japan - we find out how a kids’ craze become a cultural heavyweight.

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

(Picture: The Warner Bros. Studios water tower in Burbank, California, on 11 September 2025. Credit: Allison Dinner / EPA / Shutterstock.)