BBC

It's 50 years since the Sex Discrimination Act meant all women could take out mortgages and loans without needing a man to approve it.

In this programme we'll take a look at how things have changed for women's finances since then and what challenges they still face. From the cost of childcare to lower wages and pension pots.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Penny East, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, which is a gender equality and women's rights charity, and Louise Claro, Managing Director of Circle Financial Services and an independent financial adviser.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

Producers: Sarah Rogers and Catherine Lund

Editor: Jess Quayle

Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast at 3pm Wednesday 7th January 2026)

The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into Peter Mandelson over allegations of misconduct in public office. It comes after the former Labour minister and US ambassador was accused of passing market-sensitive government information to US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We hear from a Labour MP who is calling on the government to fully disclose any information it has about Mandelson.

Also on the programme: ahead of the National Cancer Strategy for England being published tomorrow, the government promises better care for children with cancer. And does it matter which wood a cricket bat is made from?

There’s a major shift at the top of the Walt Disney Company, as one of entertainment’s most iconic brands welcomes a new leader. Ed Butler examines who Josh D’Amaro is, why he’s been chosen, and what his appointment reveals about the wider state of the industry.

Plus, how high street giant Walmart grew into a trillion dollar business.

And the reasons behind strike action by port workers in Bangladesh.

(Photo: Josh D'Amaro, Disney Experiences Chairman, who was named next CEO of The Walt Disney Company, poses for a picture in this undated handout image, obtained by Reuters on February 3, 2026. Credit: REUTERS)

After trading insults on social media, President Trump and Colombia's President Petro meet for the first time today, at the White House in Washington. We also report from Colombia, where our correspondent has been out with the anti-narcotics police, known as the Jungle Commandos.

Also in the programme: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of Libya's former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, is reported to have been killed at his home in Zintan - we hear from a journalist who met him; as Sudan's army claims to have re-taken another besieged city, Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council describes a “forgotten horrific conflict” and a “starvation crisis beyond belief”; plus the Australian scientist who helped invent the cochlear implant which now allows hundreds of thousands to hear – and who has just won a prize for his lifetime’s work.

(IMAGE: U.S. President Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro meet at the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2026 / CREDIT: Colombia Presidency/Handout via REUTERS)

Will there be good news for Stella? And there's a changing of the guard at the dairy.

President Zelensky accuses Moscow of using the coldest days of winter to terrorise Ukrainians, as temperatures drop to -20 degrees celsius. Also: French police raid the Paris offices of the social media platform, X. Spain becomes latest country to consider banning social media for children. Iran's president says he will pursue talks with US. Only five patients cross the border out of Gaza, as the Rafah crossing reopens for first time in nearly two years. And the Italian authorities investigate claims that an art restorer painted the face of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on an angel in an historic church.

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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We hear from a former senior advisor to President Bill Clinton, Sidney Blumenthal and also from one of the survivors of sexual assault by Jeffrey Epstein, Lisa Phillips who was a young model at the time.

 

Also on the programme: China bans hidden car door handles; and the heroic Australian teenager who swam miles to save his family.

 

(Photo: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive for Donald Trump's inauguration Credit: Shawn Thew/Reuters)

French prosecutors raided Elon Musk’s X offices in Paris as part of a cybercrime investigation into alleged illegal data extraction and possible links to child pornography.

Also, US and India reach trade deal to slash US tariffs on the nation's goods to 18% from 50%.

And the European Union has told the BBC it was unacceptable for the US to threaten trade tariffs during its row over the future of Greenland.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne

Producer: David Cann

Editor: Justin Bones

Ethiopia's national airline has resumed flights to the northern Tigray region after being suspended for a week amid military tensions. The suspension heightened fears of renewed conflict between the national army and Tigrayan forces - who accuse Addis Ababa of killing civilians using drones.  We hear from people in Tigray.

 

Also, are you using the right helmet while riding on a motorcycle? We look at the increase in the number of injuries and deaths from motorcycle accidents across many African cities.

 

 

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Carolyne Kiambo, Keikantse Shumba and Ayuba Iliya

Technical Producer: David Nzau

Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Commentators Newton Emerson and Emma De Souza give their analysis