Global News Podcast

Canada’s most oil and gas rich province, Alberta, has voted to reject a move towards holding a referendum on independence from Canada. The Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney said they were pleased with the result. More than three quarters of voters said they were against holding a future binding referendum that would have split Alberta from the rest of Canada. The vote took place at a time when Canada is embroiled in a trade war with the US.
Also: More civilians have died in the latest round of drone attacks in Sudan. Police have charged a man alleged to have nearly killed an Australian MP. A key advisor to President Zelensky says that Ukrainians are dying because the US is "restricting intelligence sharing". New evidence has found that Shakespeare was not the only author of the play Edward III.
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: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Photo: A supporter of the Forever Canadian group, who wants Alberta to remain in Canada, waits for the results of a non-binding referendum on Alberta sovereignty in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada October 19, 2026.
Credit:
Reuters/Todd Korol TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Overnight curfews are in place in parts of Paris, Lyon, Lille and Nice as the French authorities try to crack down on violence and looting which has scarred the country since Saturday. Demonstrations have been banned in the French capital, which experienced some of the worst unrest that spilled over from massive protests against the cost of living.
Also: Japan heads to Mars to make history in space exploration; young Israeli voters speak to the BBC ahead of next week's election; a Bangladesh minister resigns after going viral on social media for wielding a gun in suspected drugs raid; the researchers trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of the pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart; and Apu returns to the Simpsons after nine years away.
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: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Photo: A protester in Paris throws a bicycle onto a burning car amid clashes during a day of demonstrations
Credit: REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

Residents of Gaza have described the World Food Programme's decision to drastically reduce lifesaving assistance as "disastrous". The number of people helped by the UN agency will be reduced by around a third to one-point-one million people, as it grapples with a funding shortfall. Also: An Australian lawmaker is in a critical condition after being hit by a car in what the prime minister described as an attack. A Kenyan court delivers its judgement in the trial of a cult leader accused of murdering almost two hundred people who starved to death.The French government says it's imposing temporary curfews in some cities to prevent any continuation of the violent unrest that swept the country over the weekend. A spacecraft is set to take off from Japan on the world's first mission to bring back samples from Phobos, one of two small moons orbiting Mars. And the British government has launched a campaign to clamp down on people playing music out loud on buses and trains - with fines of around $130.
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: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Photo: Palestinian children queue to receive food from the World Food Programme (WFP)
Credit: Reuters/Mahmoud Issa

What happens if Donald Trump loses the midterms, and why do these elections matter for Republicans and Democrats? What is gerrymandering? A stump speech? PACs and Super PACs? Dark money? In this special joint episode, we explain some of the basics of next month's US elections. The Global News Podcast's Celia Hatton is joined by Anthony Zurcher and Sumi Somaskanda from Americast to help decode the weird and wonderful jargon surrounding the midterms. We hear from our listeners about which phrases have them stumped.
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: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Photo: US President Donald Trump responds to a question from the news medis.
Credit: Shawn Thew - POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

With President Macron's final months in office set to be marred by the continuing protests and riots, how will the violent unrest influence France's upcoming election? Our reporter says the government's failures could help the far-left and far-right at the polls. Also: four soldiers are killed in a fire at a Canadian military base; Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro butt heads in Brazil's presidential TV debate; we speak to the son of the American journalist attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank; a Kenyan doomsday cult leader awaits court verdict; and recycling sportswear - do you want to buy an Olympics kit originally made for an athlete?
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: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Photo: A French firefighter extinguishes a blaze as clashes between riot police and demonstrators continue.
Credit: EPA/Shutterstock