BBC

After 104 matches and 307 goals, the nail-biting World Cup final has arrived, with Spain and Argentina going head to head. President Donald Trump is attending the match, with the US leader throwing his support behind Argentina. We’ll be getting live updates on the game.

Also in the programme: A Cuban dissident released from prison goes into exile in the US; we get the latest from Guyana where a ferry carrying 133 people has capsized; and we speak to one of this year’s North Pole Marathon champions about running on ice and evading polar bears.

(Photo: General view of the stadium before the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match. Credit: Ronald Wittek/EPA/Shutterstock)

In an exclusive investigation, a whistleblower has told the BBC how he unearthed evidence suggesting that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick failed to disclose a business relationship with the paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein.

Simon Andriesz was a trader at one of Lutnick’s Wall Street firms, but it wasn’t until the Epstein files were released earlier this year that he says he confirmed a longstanding suspicion that his boss was misrepresenting his relationship with Epstein.

BBC financial investigations correspondent Andy Verity joins us to unpack the new investigation.

For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Opportunity knocks for Harrison, and Rex takes a step in the right direction.

Tonight, Spain meet the defending champions, Argentina, in the World Cup final. Kick-off at the New York New Jersey Stadium is at 2000 BST. We hear from fans and a former FIFA official.

Also in the programme: Russian airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, have killed one person and wounded at least fourteen others; Tate brothers arrested in US as further UK charges take total to 59; and bare nails as a fashion choice and what they might say about those who choose them!

(Photo: An Argentina fan hugs a fan (L) of Spain as Argentina soccer fans take over Times Square ahead of the World Cup final game, in New York, New York, USA, 18 July 2026. Credit: EPA)

Two American soldiers have been killed and a third is missing following an attack on a military base in Jordan on Friday. US Central Command said the troops died while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone strikes. Also: Ukraine strikes warehouses of "Russian Amazon" in revenge attack. Cuban dissident artist Otero Alcantara exiled after five years in prison arrives in the US. We hear about the new Netflix immmersive psychological horror game Unhinged. President Trump threatens new Canada tariffs over wildfires sending "filthy" air into US cities. And Kylian Mbappe becomes World Cup record scorer as England beat France to finish third in the competition.

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]

Photo: US flag pole on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC

Credit: Photo by Aaron Schwartz/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock (16978296b)

Set against the backdrop of one of the world’s toughest child protection laws, Brishbhanu Baruah explores how India’s landmark Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) is reshaping the lives of young people. Introduced after the 2012 Delhi gang rape, Pocso has been praised for exposing hidden abuse, trafficking, and child marriage. But as reported cases surge into the tens of thousands each year, a growing number involve teenagers in consensual relationships who now face investigation, trial, and the possibility of long prison terms. Through testimony from lawyers, campaigners, families, and young people themselves, he examines how a law designed to protect children can also criminalise young couples, strain families, and devastate education and career prospects.

Tehran said its strikes on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait were a response to a seventh consecutive night of US air attacks.

Also in the programme: we speak to Canada's Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience as smoke from hundreds of wildfires spreads across North America; and we ask how English and French footballers are trying to motivate themselves for the World Cup third place play-off

(Photo: Picture of a US military logo. Credit: Getty)

هنری کسینجر زمانی گفت یک ناو جنگی برابر است با صدهزار تن دیپلماسی. آیا هنوز چنین است؟

میهمان‌ها:

حسین آرین، تحلیلگر امور نظامی

حمیدرضا عزیزی، پژوهشگر مطالعات بین‌الملل

Iran has fired missiles and drones towards Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain after the US attacked Iranian targets. The two countries have been exchanging blows for seven consecutive nights, despite the temporary ceasefire. We speak to experts about Iran's strategy and what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz.

Also in the programme: Ukrainian drones strike deep inside of Russia and India's private sector makes strides in space.

(Photo: U.S. warship launches a munition at an unknown location during what the U.S. military says are latest strikes on Iran. Credit: Reuters)

In Belarus, new legislation from the government of President Alexander Lukashenko targets anyone who might be regarded as an opponent with charges of being ‘extremist’. Dozens of independent media outlets including the BBC have recently been designated as ‘extremist organisation’ in the country, as the government cracks down on dissent. But the Belarus government isn’t only targeting media outlets. It’s taking aim at a wide variety of groups and organisations, including a well-respected Belarus university, the European Humanities University, which since 2005 has been based in the apparent safety of Lithuania. But recently, students, staff and their families have begun to be visited by Belarus's security service, the KGB. BBC Russian's Alina Isachenka has been investigating.

The custom of men being married to more than one person at the same time, known as polygamy, is practiced in many parts of the world, particularly across the African continent. It's traditionally rooted in cultural, social, and economic values across various tribes in different regions, such as the Zulu in South Africa, a country where polygamous marriage is legally recognised. Now, a new hit Zulu language TV series, The Polygamist, has got people discussing the topic. BBC Africa reporter Khanisile Nkobho has been following the issue. 

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.

Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean.

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)