The Happy Pod: Sending my mother's ashes around the world

Thousands of people have attended a special vigil on Bondi Beach in Sydney for victims of Sunday's shooting at a Jewish celebration. Australia's Prime Minister has said the two gunmen, who killed fifteen people, were not part of a wider extremist cell. Also: intensive negotations are being held in Berlin on how to end the Russia-Ukraine war; Jubilation for supporters of the far right candidate, Jose Antonio Kast, after his decisive victory in Chile's presidential election; the acclaimed Hollywood director, Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle have been found dead at their home in Los Angeles, and advice from the Royal Horticultual Society on how best to grow tabletop vegetables - a kind of bonsai sized greens. 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]

As Australians reel from a deadly shooting at a Hanukkah celebration, some are questioning whether the government did enough to prevent antisemitic violence. Also: Chile has elected the right-wing candidate, José Antonio Kast, as its next president. The family of film director Rob Reiner say he and his wife are dead, as Los Angeles police conduct an investigation at their home. The Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai is found guilty of sedition and colluding with foreign forces, in a verdict that he says is politically motivated. And we speak to the British actor Dame Helen Mirren about her mission to save olive trees in Italy. 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]

**This episode contains descriptions of abuse and violence**In November, the Italian parliament voted unanimously to introduce the term “femicide” into the country’s legal code. The murder of a woman – on account of her gender – is now a distinct crime, punishable with a life sentence.The United Nations reported that last year nearly 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members.Italy is the latest country to adopt a specific law in an effort to curb violence against women following a string of brutal murders of young women. One of the most publicized was Giulia Tramontano, who was repeatedly stabbed by her partner while seven months pregnant. Her murder - along with another case – sparked fierce outrage across Italy, culminating in the new law being passed.In this episode, we hear from Giulia’s sister, Chiara Tramontano and the BBC Southern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford.The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.Producer: Valerio Esposito Executive Producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior News Editor: China Collins Photo: A photo of Giulia Tramontano. Alessandro Memoli/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images

Police in Australia say 12 people have died in an antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach; 29 people were taken to hospital, including a child. The shooting targeted a gathering to mark the first day of Hanukkah. One gunman is among the dead, a second is in hospital, and the police are investigating whether a third was involved.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]

President Donald Trump has promised retaliation against the Islamic State militant group after two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an ambush in Syria. Damascus has condemned the attack as well. Also: Israel says it has killed the senior Hamas commander Raed Saad. The opposition in Belarus celebrates the release of political prisoners. Chile's presidential election sees a communist candidate take on the far-right. And, with the latest Avatar film about to hit cinemas, we hear from the composer who spent years writing its score.

A pop-up cafe in Tokyo is giving people with dementia a place to volunteer as well as a sense of community. Its owner Toshio Morita has become something of a local celebrity. At Orange Day Café, muddled orders, long pauses and gentle confusion aren’t mistakes — they’re the point.Also:A Northern Irish man who suffered a cardiac arrest had his life saved after his golden retriever, named Polly, alerted his wife after he stopped breathing. Polly the dog has been hailed a hero by the charity, the British Heart Foundation.A revolutionary gene therapy has successfully treated patients with aggressive and previously incurable blood cancers. In Kenya, the Rare Gem Talent School has been set up specifically to teach dyslexic children. A condition that is believed to impact around 10% of people globally.A woman in Kerala, India, has started a camp to help women who are going through a divorce. And a French man in London has become the face of a homelessness charity after his virtuoso piano playing at a train station went viral. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Republicans accuse the Democrats of playing politics with release of photos from the estate of late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, that feature rich and powerful people, including Donald Trump. Also: Thailand attacks what Cambodia describes as civilian facilities near their shared border; Iranian security forces use violence to detain Nobel Peace Prize winner, Narges Mohammadi; the curtain is about to come down on John Cena, one of the most celebrated wrestlers from the world of Sports Entertainment and analysis shows pop song lyrics are getting sadder. 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]

The UN says a powerful storm is sweeping through Gaza, leaving 800,000 people in danger from deluged camps and collapsed buildings.Also: an Australian minister accuses Reddit of trying to protect its profits, after it launches a legal challenge against the country's landmark social media ban for under-16s; how a growing number of young women are challenging the Iranian authorities; why the low-budget French videogame "Clair Obscur" has seen off its bigger American rivals to sweep the Game Awards; why conservationists fear some of the world's rarest apes, the Tapanuli orangutans, may have been destroyed in a devastating cyclone; and how changes in polar bear DNA could help protect the Arctic animals from climate change.    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]

A day after US troops seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Washington has imposed sanctions on six more ships said to be carrying Venezuelan oil. Also: President Zelensky focuses on the fate of Donetsk; NATO cautions against European complacency over Russia; Kohl eyeliner achieves the status of 'Intangible Cultural Heritage'; Open AI strikes deal with Disney; FIFA is urged to review World Cup ticket prices; Austria passes controversial law on head coverings; whales are filmed hunting with dolphins; and Snoop Dogg becomes an Olympic coach.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]

María Corina Machado, Venezuela's Nobel Peace Prize winner, speaks after her first public appearance in 11 months. She has mostly been in hiding since the country's disputed presidential election in 2024. She confirms the US helped her escape the country. She says President Maduro's regime is weaker than ever - partly as a result of the actions of President Trump, who announced the seizure of a tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Also: France battles to control violent drugs gangs that are exploiting children. In the worst affected city, Marseille, the number of teenagers caught up in the drug world has risen six fold in recent years. Victims of a typhoon, that battered the Philippines four years ago, sue the oil company Shell, accusing it of contributing to climate change and therefore making such weather events more severe. A BBC investigation discovers endangered species - including tigers and sharks - are offered for sale on Facebook. Research finds that living in extreme heat can severely affect children's development. And the last letter written by Mary Queen of Scots is going on public display for the first time in a generation in the city of Perth, Scotland. 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]