BBC

In a speech to the Knesset the US President hailed a ‘historic dawn’ in the Middle East as Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees return home under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

We hear from voices on the ground and the BBC’s Tim Franks in Jerusalem to assess what the chances are of a lasting peace.

Donald Trump and other world leaders have signed an Israel- Hamas ceasefire deal at a summit on Gaza in Egypt. There have been joyous scenes in the Palestinian territories and Israel, as the two sides carried out an exchange of hostages for detainees, as part of the peace plan. Newshour hears from a relative of Yossi Sharabi who was was killed by Hamas and whose body was returned today.

Also in the programme: Madagascar's missing president; and Jordan's King Abdullah on the prospects for peace.

(Picture: US President Donald Trump poses for a photo during the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt. Credit: PA)

Have you ever pondered the fact that the universe is expanding? And not only that, it's expanding at an increasing speed - meaning everything around us is getting further and further away?

If that isolating thought makes you feel slightly panicked, don't worry: this programme also contains wine!

Brian Schmidt is a Distinguished Professor of Astrophysics at the Australian National University, known for his work on supernovae: massive explosions that take place when stars come to the ends of their lives. They are among the most energetic events in the universe and incredibly difficult to find; but that’s what his High-Z Supernova Search Team did, identifying enough of these rare and distant explosions to measure just how fast they were moving away from us.

This led them to the realisation that, contrary to long-held belief in cosmology, the expansion of the universe was speeding up; a discovery which earned Brian a share of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics. As if that wasn't enough, he's gone on to discover one of the earliest stars in the universe; run a university; and become a winemaker, at his very own vineyard just outside Canberra.

In a conversation spanning the genius phraseology of writer Douglas Adams, the importance of pisco sours, and the similarities between astronomy and viticulture, Brian tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili how his supernovae breakthrough paved the way for a revolution in astronomy - and where the field needs to go next...

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili

Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor

Revised for World Service by Minnie Harrop

There's a shock for David, and Khalil is impatient.

Mali's military government is reportedly engaged in talks with the militant group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) amid an ongoing blockade which has paralysed a key trade route for fuel, food, and essential goods. Could the crisis also threaten Mali’s stability and governance?

A BBC Africa Eye investigation in Cape Town, South Africa, reveals how self-appointed healers and shamans are openly using psychedelic drugs as part of treatment for mental health issues.

And if you are in a relationship, do you have 'a swag gap'? We hear more about the new phrase that is going viral on social media and whether being more stylish and confident than your partner can be a deal breaker.

Presenter: Nyasha Michelle

Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke, Mark Wilberforce and Joseph Keen

Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris

Senior Journalist: Patricia Whitehorne

Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Hannah Mulane breaks down China’s latest economic data. Could it strengthen their hand ahead of trade talks with the US?

We also look at whether France’s new government can push its budget through parliament.

And how the Australian Royal Mint are looking to cash in on animated cartoon Bluey now estimated to be worth two billion dollars.

The last 20 living hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are now back in Israel after more than two years in captivity. President Trumps address the Israeli Knesset and Busloads of Palestinian prisoners and detainees have been handed over in the West Bank. 

(Photo: Released hostage Nimrod Cohen who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, holds an Israeli flag as he arrives at Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), amid a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 13, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)

More than two years after attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, Hamas has handed over the last 20 living hostages. Meanwhile, Israel has begun releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Donald Trump, who brokered the deal, has spoken to the Israeli parliament, hailing what he called the "dawn of a new Middle East".

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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How to pronounce the words 'photographer' and 'photograph'? Learn about word stress.

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Political commentator Alex Kane reacts to interview.