BBC

The number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to more than 700. In addition, 500 people are still reported missing, with many feared buried under mud. Around one million people have been evacuated from their homes, with meaningful assistance still yet to reach hard-hit isolated areas. Newshour got through to one resident, a man called Lodewick Marpaung in north Sumatra. He pleaded for help.

Also in the programme: US envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to the Kremlin - can he strike a deal on Ukraine? Also, Japan's new leader says she's giving up her own work-life balance - and everyone must 'work like a horse'.

(Photo: A picture taken with a drone shows piles of wood that were swept away by the floodwaters in a flood-affected village in Sumatra, Indonesia, 1 December 2025. Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces. Credit: Hotli Simanjuntak/ EPA/Shutterstock)

A rare conversation with Egypt's Foreign Minister about the Sudan War and the tensions with Ethiopia over the river Nile, and Focus on Africa moves its hub from London to Nairobi.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty has denied that his country is supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces in the war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. He also spoke about tensions with Ethiopia after the collapse of talks over use of the waters of River Nile.

And after more than six decades of broadcasting from London, Focus on Africa has just arrived in its new home, Nairobi.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers:  Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba and Ly Truong

Technical Producer: Philip Bull

Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Also, Sinn Féin’s former publicity director warns that Stormont is in big, big trouble.

This expression means to leave early and quickly. Learn how to use it here.

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After months of fighting, the Kremlin says Russian forces have seized the frontline city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. It links several other key cities in the Donetsk region. Last month, Ukraine sent reinforcements to try to fend off the Russian attack. Kyiv has not acknowledged the loss of the city. Also: the White House defends Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over US military action off the coast of Venezuela; the presidential election result in Honduras is too close to call; the World Health Organization calls for weight loss jabs to be more widely available; what Australian teenagers make of an up-coming social media ban; the eighty-five-kilometre long traffic jam in Siberia; and an interview with the Taiwanese director who shot a critically-acclaimed film on iPhones.

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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UK-US agree zero tariffs deal on pharmaceutical products. The agreement means that the NHS will have to pay more for new medicines. We speak to a leading member of pharmaceutical industry.

Also:

The chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility resigns after the body mistakenly released its assessment of the budget early. We hear from one MP supportive of the chairman's decision to quit. And Zootropolis, the new Disney animation that is breaking records.

The two sides of the American economy today as consumers spend on Cyber Monday but manufacturers issue dire warnings.

Presenter Bisi Adebayo hears from Jamaica which has just been promised a $7b billion boost as it rebuilds after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.

And Serbia is warning it could be just days away from a major fuel crisis - the country’s biggest oil refinery may have to shut down unless the United States grants it a license to keep operating under sanctions rules.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.

What’s it like to wake up with a brand new voice?

For those with foreign accent syndrome, this is their reality. Patients who develop this rare speech disorder start speaking in a brand new accent that they often have no connection to.

So how does losing the voice you’ve known your entire life shape, or break, your identity?

Presenter Ella Hubber speaks to Althia Bryden, who developed foreign accent syndrome last year, and Sarah Colwill, who has lived with the condition for the past 15 years. They share the deep impact it has had on their identity and connection to those around them.

And to understand what is happening in the brain to cause this complete change in accent, and whether it’s really even an accent at all, Ella speaks to professor Nicholas Miller, who has been unpicking the mystery of foreign accent syndrome for decades. And professor Stefanie Keulen shares that there are actually multiple types of the condition.

Even though foreign accent syndrome is rare, it is found around the world, can affect anyone, and highlights just how deeply our voices influence all aspects of our lives.

Presenter: Ella Hubber

Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Ella Hubber

Assistant Producer: Minnie Harrop

Editor: Martin Smith

Amber struggles with her emotions, and Joy has reservations.