BBC

Is the United States about to launch a larger attack on Iran, than last June, when 'Operation Midnight Hammer' targeted its nuclear programme? Earlier this month President Trump told protesters that "help was on the way," and now thousands are dead. We hear from a former US envoy to Iran.

Also on the programme: Tensions over ICE agents persist in Minnesota - we get a view from the Democrats; and we hear the extraordinary story of mathematician Dr Gladys West, who has died at the age of 95.

(Photo: The USS Abraham Lincoln shown in 2019; Credit : US Navy via Reuters)

Problems escalate for Kirsty, and there's an emergency at the shop.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in China on a three-day visit, the first of its kind by a British PM since 2018. The UK government views it as an opportunity to strengthen trade and cultural ties between the two nations after years of acrimony. For China, this is part of a charm offensive in the hope that some will now look at Beijing as a stable, predictable partner - in contrast to the US.

Also: the body of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza has been laid to rest in Israel. In a historic change for Anglicans worldwide, the first woman to be appointed Archbishop of Canterbury is officially confirmed. Several countries in Asia have begun tightening health surveillance and screening at airports, after two cases of the highly contagious Nipah virus were confirmed in India. Kim Keon Hee, the former first lady of South Korea, is found guilty of bribery charges. How conservationists in England turn old barges that once transported coal into habitat for endangered wildlife. And we learn about the two-year-old snooker prodigy Jude Owens who's already secured two Guinness World Records.

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.

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The Swiss franc soars to its highest level against the dollar in more than a decade as investors flee the dollar in search of a safe haven. We look at what that means for Swiss exporters and the central bank.

Plus, why have several big global companies announced job cuts, even though they appear to be doing well financially?

And the boss of Cisco warns of "carnage" if an AI-driven bubble on stock markets bursts.

The UK's prime minister Keir Starmer has arrived in China for a three-day visit - the first by a British prime minister in eight years.

Sir Keir is seeking to strengthen trading and cultural ties between the two nations after years of acrimony.

Also in the programme: We'll hear from people inside Iran as families and friends try to count the number of dead during the recent crackdown; and new research into the late novelist Terry Pratchett suggests a person's use of words could help diagnose dementia much earlier.

(Photo shows UK prime minister Keir Starmer arriving in Beijing, China on 28 January 2026. Credit: Carl Court/PA)

January is marked worldwide as cervical cancer awareness month. According to the World Health Organisation, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, yet it kills over 350,000 women globally every year. We look at how Kenya, where more than half of those diagnosed die within a year, is approaching the disease; and how Botswana manages to keep prevalence low. Also, weddings are a big deal in Nigeria, but what options do couples have when that dream wedding is just too expensive?

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba and Chiamaka Dike

Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango

Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Also, NI pubs call on Finance minister for rates help & callers on Nolan's tinted hair.

President Trump says he will "de-escalate a little bit" in Minneapolis, as protests continue over the killing of two US citizens by federal immigration agents. Also: TikTok settles out of court in social media addiction case; a leading tech company leader warns of an AI bubble; how Soviet architecture is helping Russia in the Ukraine war; Saudi Arabia moves away from futuristic megaprojects as money dries up; and Coco Gauff's tennis racket smashing video goes viral.

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]

Africa's 250 million nomadic herders, or pastoralists, are the invisible keystone of the continent's food system. They provide 50% of Africa's meat and 75% of its milk, moving livestock across vast rangelands in response to seasons, weather and grazing patterns that have sustained communities for millennia. Yet pastoralists are routinely dismissed as backwards, a relic in the way of progress and modernisation. Climate change, land grabs, and conflict force them off ancestral routes. Their knowledge is often ignored. But in the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, a different story emerges - one where these herders aren't obstacles to climate solutions but pioneers of them.

As Keir Starmer prepares to fly to Beijing, can he sell his trip as an economic win - without selling out on human rights?

We hear from a Labour MP - and we visit London's Elephant and Castle neighbourhood, where the links between UK and China are visible - and appear to be growing.

Also on the programme: on Holocaust Memorial Day, we speak to Maurice Blik, the man who became a famous sculptor on the origins of his craft - in a concentration camp.

And.. as MENSA turns eighty - can it stay relevant?