The Happy Pod: The choir proud to admit they can't sing

The Off-Key Choir in Southport on Merseyside has a simple motto: just because you can't sing doesn't mean you shouldn't. Around 80 members come together every week to sing their hearts out, without the pressure to hit all the right notes. Since it was formed in 2018, the choir has also acted as a support group. It has become so popular there is now a waiting list to join.Also: the successful canopy bridge project giving animals a safe way to cross roads in the vast Amazon rainforest. How a pirate ship themed video game is helping stroke survivors in Mexico to regain mobility. A pilot scheme from Guide Dogs is turning ultrasound scans into 3D printed models for expectant parents with sight loss to feel their unborn baby's features. Campaigners across Africa are celebrating after a UN vote to adopt a new world map reflecting the true size of the continent. Plus, as a new Gruffalo book is released, we hear why the original story resonates with so many children. (Image: Sheila Byrne, member of the Off-Key Choir. Credit: BBC)Presenter: Chantal Hartle. Music: Iona Hampson

Houthi fighters seize control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, following a lightning military offensive that's cemented their grip on a vital maritime corridor. Also: Despite efforts to control the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials have confirmed that the virus has now spread to another region in the North West of the country. The British parliament votes against changing the law on assisted dying. The proposed legislation would have allowed adults, with fewer than six months to live, to apply to end their own life -- subject to certain safeguards. Leaders of the BRICS group of nations are attending a summit in the Indian capital Delhi this weekend. It looks set to be dominated by the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as economic challenges. 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: Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, delivers a televised statement in Sana'a, Yemen Credit: Al Masirah TV

Reports from Yemen say fighters from the Iranian-backed Houthi group have taken over the island of Perim, in the Bab el-Mandab Strait - a crucial shipping route. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and thousands displaced since the Houthis launched an offensive in the south-west of the country a week ago. Also: the artificial intelligence company, Anthropic, says it's uncovered attempts to use its AI models to develop biological and conventional weapons. We report from New York as the city marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Six Nigerian nationals accused of defrauding more than 100 women through online romance scams are extradited from South Africa to the US. And a new frontier opens up for the NFL in Australia. 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]: Houthi fighters march during a campaign to mobilize more fighters amid an escalation of fighting in Yemen Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

The Israeli army claims to have destroyed a series of underground tunnels used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. They reportedly found Iranian-made rockets, anti-tank missiles, drones and other munitions. Also: the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, initiates defamation proceedings against an Israeli newspaper that alleged he was warned in advance that Hamas was planning the October the 7th attacks; both President Trump and his deputy JD Vance have spoken at the end of a two day Republican mid-term convention in Dallas; we hear from a New York firefighter trapped inside one of the Twin Towers on September 11th twenty five years ago; a new proposal to change the rules of tennis to remove terms like love and deuce is being debated in Australia; and, one of London's grandest hotels is locked in a legal battle over allegations a guest failed to settle a bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 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: Footage released by Israel which it claims shows an explosion at a Hezbollah underground complex in southern Lebanon's Ali al-Taher ridge. Date and location of the footage has not been independently verified. Credit: Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation

An urgent search for survivors is underway after a ferry in the Philippines catches fire. Dozens are still missing and at least five people are dead. The Philippine coastguard says it's still too dangerous to board the ferry, but they fear people are trapped inside. Also: a port city in Yemen is captured by the Houthi rebel group. Donald Trump promises $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans win the midterm elections. The commander and pilot of the Artemis II space mission retire from spaceflight. Anti-immigration protesters in the UK mistake the Pakistan under-19 cricket team for migrants. Officials say August this year was the world's joint hottest month on record. And the Bayeux Tapestry goes on public display in London - the first time it has left France since the eleventh century. 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 drone view shows burned MV June Aster, after a fire broke out on the ferry, off the coast of the Philippines. Credit: Reuters

US Republicans have kicked off their first-ever midterm convention to rally voters ahead of November's elections, despite Donald Trump's low approval ratings. In a lengthy speech, the president defended his policies and promised voters a $5000 payout if the Republican party wins and holds on to Congress, although it's not clear if his pledge is legal. We speak to our correspondent at the convention in Dallas, Texas. Also: dozens of people are missing after a ferry catches fire in the Philippines; the family of a black woman found hanged on a tree demands answers; Apple unveils its foldable iPhone Duo; an Indian food inspector's crackdown in Mumbai goes viral; and time is running out for the leap second. 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] Picture: US President Donald Trump gestures after his speech during the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas. Credit: REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak

A top safety researcher at Anthropic has warned that AI might be able to improve itself to the point where it poses an existential threat to humanity. Another former employee says that no other human activity poses this level of danger after quiting the company. There has been a growing number of voices within the industry calling for international coordination to slow AI development. Also: The British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, defends his government's decision to impose sanctions on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The killing of eight women in Cameroon over the course of a week renews calls for legislation targeting gender-based violence. Funeral ceremonies for King Harald V take place in Norway. We hear from the first Afghan woman who has climbed Mount Everest. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, begins his three nation trip across Latin America. A new study by Oxford University says people who regularly have hot cups of tea or coffee are at a greater risk of developing cancer in their oesophagus. And the American television show, South Park, gets a new name.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]: Anthropic logo, a keyboard and a robotic hand Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

The Israeli government takes retaliatory action after Britain, France and Canada impose sanctions on illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has announced countermeasures including shutting the UK's consulate in East Jerusalem. Also: fighting between US and Iranian forces flares again with the Americans striking Iranian oil tankers and Tehran targeting a US military base. Newly released files show that toxic air quality was being recorded in Manhattan soon after the 9/11 attacks even as officials played down health risks to the public. A global survey finds a dramatic decline in teenagers' performance at school in the digital era. British scientists are developing a screening test that can show whether a patient has a brain tumour by analysing their tears. And fans celebrate as the legendary TV show, Star Trek, turns sixty.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: Israeli minister of foreign affairs Gideon Saar speaks at a news conference in Jerusalem, after the UK and other countries announce sanctions on settlements in the occupied West Bank. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

Twelve countries ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank; Britain's Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, says plans to build thousands of new homes there are unacceptable. Also: Canada's imposes retaliatory tariffs on various American goods; fighting escalates between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi group; the medical charity, Medecins sans Frontieres, warns that international funding cuts have closed healthcare facilities across Sudan; the boss of one of the world's leading computer chip makers, ARM Holdings, predicts artificial intelligence will cure cancer; masterpieces by the Impressionist painter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, are stolen in France; and we speak to the writer of a new documentary on the English rock band, Oasis.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]: Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband making a statement on Israel-Palestine in the House of Commons. Credit: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are terrified for their children's lives at school after an increase in attacks by Jewish extremist settlers. Three pupils at a school south of Nablus have been killed since April. Ambulance crews have been stationed on the road outside the school, while several parents have volunteered to stand outside the gates. Meanwhile, the UK is to ban Israeli goods from West Bank settlements as part of a new policy towards Israel. Also: in Ukraine's third-largest city, Odesa, councillors are voting to crack down on the Russian language - even though it's spoken by most residents. Staff at the Eiffel Tower in Paris go on strike after bosses agree to make the site a women-free zone for a visit by a conservative Hindu group. King Charles makes it clear that Harry and Meghan's return to Britain doesn't make them working royals. We ask if loud influencers are ruining tennis tournaments. And in the UK, blind parents are being given 3D prints of ultrasound scans to improve their pregnancy experiences.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]: School children in al-Mughayyir 6th of September Credit: EPA/Shutterstock