Drones become Hezbollah's primary weapon against Israel

Romanian authorities say a Russian drone has crashed into a residential building in eastern Romania, causing a fire and injuring two people in the major port city of Galati. The episode has sparked a chorus of condemnation from NATO and EU leaders, who have accused Russia of acting recklessly. The Romanian president, Nicușor Dan, has described this as the most serious security incident to occur on Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Also: eight students have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a deadly fire at a girls school in Kenya; Anthropic, the firm behind the Claude chatbot, overtakes OpenAI to become the world's most valuable AI startup; WHO chief lands in the Democratic Republic of Congo to address rare Ebola outbreak; what two decades of anonymous Google searches tell us about our habits over time; and Lucian Freud’s muse Sue Tilley tells us what it’s like to be the subject of a painting worth a fortune. 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 BBC reports from the Israel-Lebanon border, where fibre-optic drones have become Hezbollah's primary weapon of war. Also, Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israeli troops to take control of even more of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the UN has added Israel and Russia to its blacklist for sexual violence in conflict zones. A 21-year-old Austrian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for planning a jihadist attack on a Taylor Swift concert. The people of Kenya are coming to terms with one of the worst school fires in the country's history. Jannik Sinner is out of the French Open in the biggest shock of the tennis tournament so far, but how much was Europe's heatwave to blame? And an underwater recording of bearded seals is named the sound of the year. 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 fire at the Utumishi Girls Academy started in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least 16, as the students were asleep in the dormitory block. More than 800 children were in the school at the time. Kenyan officials say the cause of the fire has not yet been established. Boarding schools in the country have experienced several fatal fires in recent years, with overcrowding and poor safety standards frequently blamed for the high number of casualties.Also in this podcast: Israel conducts airstrikes in Lebanon's Tyre, Sidon and Beirut. The US says it wants to treat Americans with Ebola abroad - we ask a doctor if that is the most efficient way to curb the spread of the disease. Why the price of coffee has surged. Australia sues the manufacturing giant 3M for a record sum over its alleged use of toxic chemicals such as PFAS in firefighting foam. A Google engineer is charged with insider trading after winning $1.2m on Polymarket betting. A buffalo in Bangladesh is spared from Eid sacrifice - after it went viral for what people say is a likeness to Donald Trump. And is a black flowing gown an acceptable tennis outfit at the French Open?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 US has launched more strikes against Iran, claiming to hit drones and a military site in Bandar Abbas. Tehran says it's fired at ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, including an American oil tanker with its radar system turned off. Also: Matthew Perry's former assistant is sentenced for his role in the "Friends" actor's death; FIFA is investigated over the price of World Cup tickets; manosphere influencers fuel the gender divide in Kenya; Laos rescuers find villagers trapped in a flooded cave; how the war in the Middle East is affecting India's mango economy; who's won the fantasy football Premier League; and Ozzy Osbourne gets the AI treatment. 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]

Unionised workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea approve a landmark profit-sharing deal, putting them in line for bonuses averaging $400,000. The agreement with the world's largest memory chipmaker avoids a strike that had threatened the global supply chain. Workers had demanded a bigger slice of the tech giant's surging profits amid the AI boom.Also: Israel says it has killed the new head of Hamas' military wing, just days after targeting his predecessor. In the US, Maga Republicans show their dominance of the party, after Ken Paxton beats John Cornyn in the Texas Senate primary. Spanish police raid the headquarters of the governing Socialist Party in a corruption probe. People in Iran have been able to go online to speak to family and friends outside the country, some for the first time in three months. Bolivia's Congress grants President Rodrigo Paz emergency powers to deploy troops amid widespread protests. Ghana begins repatriating around 800 of its citizens from South Africa amid hostility towards migrant workers. High cost of living and soaring sheep prices mean many cannot afford to take part in the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. And the Supreme Court in Italy rules that a hotel acted lawfully when it refused to give tap water to a tourist. 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]

Nasa announces details of its plans to establish a permanent base on the Moon. Nasa chief Jared Isaacman said construction of the proposed twenty-billion-dollar facility is planned to happen over the next seven years, with the completed base expected to cover hundreds of square kilometres. Also: Israel expands its operations in Lebanon; Tehran promises to retaliate for strikes in southern Iran; El Chapo's nephew is arrested in Mexico; the idea of independence for the Canadian province of Alberta sparks fierce debate on whether it's a step towards Canada becoming the 51st state of America; the oil giant, BP, removes its chairman; therapy dogs in Uganda; and explaining the success of Tayto crisps.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]

Several children and adults have been killed in a collision between a train and a school bus in Belgium. Federal police said the vehicle had been on its way to a special education school. Police have launched an investigation into the crash, with officials saying safety barriers on the level crossing had been down.Also: Iran vows to retaliate after Monday's US strikes. Israel says it will intensify its attacks against Hezbollah, as Lebanon reports multiple casualties in overnight strikes. A human rights watchdog has found evidence that the United Arab Emirates recruited Colombian soldiers to fight alongside paramilitary forces in Sudan. In Sydney, a light show is cancelled after 89 drones fall into Darling Harbour. And experts involved in the rescue of teenagers from a cave complex in Thailand in 2018 are called to search for seven people trapped in a Laos cave. Protected birds of prey are being illegally killed in Britain, conservationists say. And Ferrari unveils its first fully electric car.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 US says it's launched new strikes on Iranian missile sites and boats, despite the ongoing ceasefire and diplomatic moves towards a peace deal. Meanwhile, Tehran says it will lift the nationwide internet shutdown today. Also: Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon exchange fire; Ukraine calls Russian strike threats "shameless blackmail"; WHO warns the Ebola spread in central Africa is outpacing response efforts, and we hear from a journalist in Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Europe swelters in "climate whiplash" heatwave; Saudi Arabia scales back ambitious megaprojects as funding dwindles; an update from the controversial Enhanced Games; and the diamond that saved a thousand lives in Sierra Leone.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]

In his first teaching document, Pope Leo warns AI risks accelerating war and threatens humanity. It was published at an event in the Vatican attended by AI experts including the co-founder of Anthropic. Also: Muslims begin annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca as Saudi city hits 42C; the “revolutionary” gene editing therapy that could lower bad cholesterol by up to 62% for life; a new species of tiny blue octopus found 1,800 metres beneath the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador; the Japanese businessman who transformed the 7-Eleven chain, Toshifumi Suzuki, dies aged 93; and British pensioner, Harry Heasman, becomes world's oldest wing walker.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 Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan co-ordinate their response to the Ebola outbreak as the number of suspected cases in the DRC surpasses 900. Also: a pro-Palestinian activist makes serious allegations about her treatment after being detained on board a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza, which Israel denies; President Trump says Iran and the US "must take their time" to reach an agreement, dashing hopes of an imminent deal; we hear from women in Afghanistan where activists say the number of forced underage marriages have risen in the five years since the Taliban stopped girls over the age of twelve going to school; and we go to the controversial Enhanced Games - or the "Olympics on steroids".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]