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Following Donald Trump's annual State of the Union address, we look into some of his claims about the economy and immigration. Also: Japan announces a timeline for deploying missiles to a small island near Taiwan in a move that angers China. The Spanish government declassifies documents related to a failed coup 45 years ago which had threatened the transition from military dictatorship to democracy. And how to watch the planet parade this week.

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 German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, says there is a 'great opportunity' to develop a relationship with China, following a meeting with its leader Xi Jinping, in Beijing.

Merz is currently on his first visit to China, which is Germany's biggest trading partner, since becoming leader 10 months ago.

Plus a dispute is brewing between Washington and an AI company over military use of its technology.

Presenter: Bisi Adebayo

Producer: Matt Lines

Editor: Justin Bones

US President Donald Trump makes the longest-ever State of the Union address, claiming America's enjoying a golden age.

But will his message on the economy be enough to persuade voters worried about persistent high prices?

Also in the programme: Sri Lanka's former intelligence chief has been arrested in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 270 people; and we'll hear from the small Norwegian club inside the Arctic Circle that's shaking up European football.

(Photo shows US president Donald Trump delivering the State of the Union address at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. on 24 February 2026. Credit: Kenny Holston/Reuters)

In this episode, we look at what the release of lawyer Ahmed Souab means for freedom of expression and the people of Tunisia. The Tunisian lawyer and critic of he current government, has been serving a five-year sentence after warning that judicial independence in Tunisia was collapsing. His detention sparked anger among political and civil groups who saw it as part of a wider crackdown on dissent.

We also explore the myths, mysteries, and cultural significance of the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi State, Nigeria. After a six-year break, some 50,000 fishermen gathered at the Matan Fada River, each determined to catch the biggest fish.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producer: Ayuba Iliya

Technical Producer: Herbert Masua

Senior Producers: Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

The number of people working past retirement age is growing. New analysis of tax data found a 12% rise over the past five years. It was carried out by the specialist employment law firm, Littler, which says official estimates for the last financial year show 2.1 million workers and self-employed people are over state pension age.

For some people carrying on working is a positive choice. They enjoy the routine, like the social side, and of course the money but for others it’s much more about necessity, when pensions alone not stretching far enough.

But, how flexible are employers when it comes to older workers and what are the tax implications of collecting your state or private pension while still working?

To talk it all through Felicity Hannah is joined by Zoe Alexander, Director of Policy at Pensions UK, Morgan Vine, Director of Policy at charity Independent Age and Julie Dennis, Head of Inclusive Workplace Strategy at ACAS.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

Producer: Sarah Rogers

Editor: Jess Quayle

Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson

(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday the 28th of January 2026)

Here are 4 phrases with 'grass'. Don't kick learning them into the long grass!

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President Trump touts his record in office in a fiery "America First" State of the Union address -- the longest in US history. The speech comes as polls suggest Americans are souring on his second-term agenda ahead of crucial mid-term elections. We have the highlights and analysis from Washington. Also: the UK introduces ETA for travellers entering the country; Thai authorities investigate tiger deaths; debate rages over a golden ram's head looted from Ghana; how an AI computer engineer accidentally hacked robot vacuums; and we meet Rose Wylie who's making art history at 91.

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]

US President Donald Trump looks on as he delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. February 24, 2026. PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS/NATHAN HOWARD

Aged 16, coming out of an audition, budding British actor Dan Whitlam was caught up in a fight with a group of boys in London. He was stabbed twice in the back with a screwdriver. The wound pierced and collapsed his lung. The physical scars healed quickly but the mental ones took a lot longer. For years Dan battled with panic attacks and anxiety. He was plagued with worries that his lung had collapsed again, his father became his chaperone as he was afraid to walk the streets alone.

Two years later, Dan met his attacker as part of a restorative justice programme, and while he got the apology he needed the panic attacks and fear continued. What helped him was writing about that day. He told the story of the stabbing through poetry and added to it a new narrative, one that painted his attacker in a kinder light. He wanted to humanise him, make him less of a monster and show that there is more than one side to each of us. Dan has gone on to perform this poem hundreds of times and earned himself a huge following for his work as a spoken word artist and musician. He writes primarily for what he calls a lost generation – young adults who grew up in an age of social media, digital natives who are inundated with options, comparisons and aspirations. He also now writes a lot about love. Dan's poetry collection is called I Don't Want To Settle. He will be on tour in Europe and the US in November. The presenter is Jo Fidgen.

Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.

For more episodes like this, just search 'Lives Less Ordinary' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Lord Mandelson was released in the early hours of Tuesday morning - and tonight lawyers for the former UK Ambassador and Labour minister have said he'd been arrested on "a baseless suggestion" that he was planning to leave the country.

Also on the programme: As the government prepares to introduce its criminal justice reforms, a justice minister insists they won't back down on plans to reduce the number of jury trials.

As the latest retail crime figures are released, the view from the frontline: our presenter visits Northampton to see how police are tackling shoplifting.

And there has been a dog among the swans tonight - but a friendly one: the co-owner of Swansea City Football Club - the American rapper Snoop Dogg - attends a home game for the first time.