Global News Podcast

Pressure grows on the US defence secretary following the Republicans' midterm losses. The war in Iran, which Pete Hegseth supported, is being blamed for the defeats - but President Trump said he intended to keep Mr Hegseth on. The defence secretary issues a defiant video statement defending his record. Also: Melania Trump hosts Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House. US tech stocks lose hundreds of billions of dollars over fears the Democrats could slow down AI development. Paraguay's president faces impeachment over the collapse of a bank that he had connections with. And the blind Nigerian woman hoping to retain her martial arts title.
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 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks in a video statement, in Arlington, Virginia, US in this still image from handout video released November 5, 2026.
Credit: X/Reuters

French riot police have fired tear gas at protesters in several cities in the latest day of demonstrations over the rising cost of living and public services that began with student strikes in September.
French riot police have fired tear gas at protesters in several cities. A school near the southern city of Toulouse has been set on fire. Unions, who've called a general strike to demand higher pay, say they expect 800,000 people on the streets across France.
Also: Flights across Europe have again been disrupted by a series of bomb threats, with at least twelve planes affected. British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and sexual assault and told he faces jail. The Portuguese striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, has announced he is retiring from international football. New Zealand's party leaders have been making their final appeals to voters, before a general election with no clear frontrunners. Was an Italian chef really fired over refusal to put pineapple on pizza? And... we speak to Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw about their favourite moments from filming the second series of the hit Netflix spy thriller Black Doves.
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 masked protester holds a red flare during a demonstration in Paris
Credit: REUTERS/Hannah McKay

President Trump said it was "largely true" that the Republicans' defeat in the US midterm elections was because of the war on Iran. The Vice-President, JD Vance, went further, suggesting the political fallout from the conflict wasn't worth it. We'll also have the latest on the Senate race in Alaska, in which a winner has yet to be declared. Also: tens of thousands of secret police files are released in Hungary. A Hong Kong activist is sentenced to 10 years in prison. And there's outrage in Denmark after a man was tricked into being filmed for a reality TV show.
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: President Trump addresses White House construction workers, 04 Nov 2026
Credit: Photo by Annabelle Gordon/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock.

Democrats have stormed to success in the US midterm elections, capitalising on voter anger about the Iran war, the economy and threats to democracy under Donald Trump. Both the Senate and the House have been flipped by a wide margin. Senate seats turned from Republican to Democrat in Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Maine, as well as North and South Carolina. Many of the seats had been held by Republicans for decades. In a first reaction, Iran's supreme leader said he doesn't expect US policy to change, although his chief negotiator earlier said the results showed Americans didn't want war. Also; Israel's president has begun consultations with party leaders on who can form a government after last week's inconclusive vote, and President Zelensky has given Ukraine's highest civilian award for women to the American first lady, Melania Trump, for a ceasefire which she's credited with brokering in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.
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: Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed walks onto the stage after his victory in the US midterm elections in Detroit, Michigan
Credit: Reuters/Brian Snyder

The Democratic Party inflicted a huge upset on the Republicans in the US midterm elections. In the Senate race in Texas, the Democrat James Talarico is projected to beat the Republican Ken Paxton. He'll join Democratic Senators from South and North Carolina, and Ohio, who've flipped seats in a change that will see the Republicans lose control of the Senate. The Democrats are already expected to win a majority in the House of Representatives - a victory which will have a major impact on President Trump's ability to govern. Writing on social media, the president said that if he'd been on the ballot, the Republicans would have won 'in a landslide'.
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: Supporters react after media outlets projected Democratic US Senate candidate and Texas State Representative James Talarico's victory in the US midterm elections in Austin, Texas, US, November 3, 2026.
Credit: Reuters