The Global Story: Citizen Vigilante and Elon Musk’s war on ‘woke’ films

Washington and Tehran continue to exchange strikes, President Trump restores the US blockade of Iranian ports and unveils a new levy on cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Also: the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, is again hit by Russian ballistic missiles after Ukraine launches a european defence system in Paris; Hungary's new government pushes through an amended constitution; US states sue to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger; British counter-terrorism police take control of the investigation into the killing of the former government minister, Ann Widdecombe; the legal and ethical rows over euthanasia in Spain; the travails of the diamond industry; and Dua Lipa teams up with a Portuguese bookstore to promote banned literature.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]: United States President Donald J Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 13 July 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

A new vaccine to tackle Ebola will now be tested on people after the UK regulator gave permission for trials to take place. University of Oxford scientists began developing the vaccine - aimed at tackling the Bundibugyo species of the virus - eight weeks ago, when a public health emergency was declared by the World Health Organization. It is the first - out of four vaccines under development - to enter clinical trials. The epidemic, centred on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has killed more than 700 people. Also: the dispute over who controls the Strait of Hormuz has intensified with some of the heaviest exchanges of fire since the US and Iran agreed an interim peace deal last month. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has visited the wildfire zone in the southern province of Almería, where 13 people have died. Almost 3 million people in China have been evacuated from their homes as a result of Typhoon Bavi. The actor Sam Neill, known for films such as Jurassic Park and the Piano, has died at the age of 78.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: Researcher Alex Sampson holds the experimental Ebola vaccine Credit: BBC/TREVOR LLOYD

Thai officials are investigating an explosive fire which tore through a bar in the capital Bangkok, killing at least 27 people. Dozens more were injured, many critically. Eyewitnesses say the fire started near the stage and spread across the ceiling, filling the room with smoke. Also: the US and Iran carry out more tit-for-tat attacks, amid conflicting claims over whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or not; an investigation into the Chinese man accused of being Mexico's "Fentanyl King"; the US Republican senator Lindsey Graham - who turned from being a critic of Donald Trump to one of his key allies - dies suddenly at the age of 71; we hear from the grandaughter of the last woman to be executed in Britain as she is granted a conditional pardon; and a T.rex fossil could become the most expensive ever.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 woman near the scene of the fire at a Bangkok bar. Credit: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa TPXA

Citizen Vigilante is a low-budget action thriller starring actor Armie Hammer as a vigilante who hunts down migrant criminals in Europe. The movie faced a muted reception - until Elon Musk posted it to his hundreds of millions of followers on X.com. We speak to journalist Mike Wendling to understand why this film has become a lightning rod for political and cultural debate, and what its sudden rise reveals about the far-reaching influence of the world’s richest man.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.

The US has carried out more strikes on Iran after accusing it of attacking a container ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Diplomatic efforts continue to solve the crisis, with talks held between the Omani and Iranian foreign ministers. Also: the Trump administration issues subpoenas to journalists who wrote an article about Air Force One; we're in the western Canadian province of Alberta as people there consider the idea of becoming an independent state; the US government pays compensation for the first time to staff affected by "Havana Syndrome"; Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine kill at least seven and wound dozens; and why some people are welcoming a bid by the satirical website The Onion to convert the right-wing conspiracy platform Infowars into a parody of itself.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: Vessel in the Strait of Hormuz near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran. Credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/via WANA via Reuters

When Nidhi and Vik moved to Northern Ireland, they came up with an unusual way to make new friends - hosting dinner parties made up of strangers. Now the couple, originally from India, have connected with 60 people and counting. Vik says he wants to make the whole world his friends.Plus, the Iranian father helping his blind son experience the football World Cup. He uses a makeshift football pitch to mimic what's going on. Also, a listener tells us about their chance encounter with a teacher they hadn't seen for 12 years. We go to a picnic where the only thing on the menu is unlimited cake, and the payphone in Washington DC that tells jokes. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson(Photo: Nidhi and Vik preparing for their Masala Talkies. Credit: Your Pal Moments.)

The US demands a public guarantee from Iran that the Strait of Hormuz is open and that ships will not be targeted as they pass through, to ensure that talks can move forward. President Trump says both sides have agreed to continue talks, despite the escalation in hostilities. Mediators from Qatar are travelling to Iran to try to salvage the fragile peace deal. Also: there's relief in Nigeria after all the children and teachers who were kidnapped from a school in Oyo State in May are rescued. We have a special report about the increasing number of Russian drones and bombs that are killing civilians and causing severe damage in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. Apple files a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of stealing trade secrets. Deforestation is slowing down in the Brazilian Amazon, but the presidential election in October could be crucial in determining its future. Spain beat France to reach the semi-final of the men's football World Cup. Palaeontologists in Thailand discover a new species of dinosaur, and we visit a Buddhist temple in South Korea that's hosting dating retreats to help boost population growth.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: Map of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran taken June 22, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Fire crews in Almeria battle one of Spain's deadliest blazes where several tourists, unable to flee from the rapidly spreading fire, have been among the victims. Hot conditions in Southern Europe are making the situation worse. Also, Japan is running out of male heirs to the Imperial throne, a woman clings to her husband to stop him being sucked out of the window of a Ryanair plane, and the 900-year-old Bayeux Tapestry, depicting one of the most defining moments in English history, returns to the UK from France.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]: Wildfire near Los Gallardos, Almeria, Spain. Credit: Reuters

Ayatollah Khamenei - Iran's former supreme leader who was killed by US-Israeli strikes - has been laid to rest as fighting continues over control of the Strait of Hormuz. We speak to the BBC's Lyse Doucet, who's just returned from Tehran. Also: thousands of Venezuelans displaced by earthquakes are at risk of disease; Ukrainians attack a military conscription team hunting draft dodgers; Gazans turn to farming amid food insecurity; an alleged Ghanaian romance scammer is extradited; Donald Trump puts his name on a Florida airport; and the latest from the World Cup - as France knocks out Morocco and Norwegian football fans channel their inner Viking.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: Crowds taking part in the burial of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the city of Mashhad Credit: Iranian Supreme Leader Office

The US has carried out a second wave of airstrikes on Iran after Tehran attacked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week. The perimeter of Iran's main nuclear plant, at Bushehr, was reported to have been hit. Iran said attacks on its civilian infrastructure could be war crimes. Tehran ordered retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Bahrain and Kuwait. Also: the toll of the war on tanker sailors in the Gulf; scandal forces a leading US Democratic Senate candidate to suspend his campaign; Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler dies at 75; rising false claims about the Ebola outbreak in the DRC; why young people may be best placed to take advantage of AI; the danger facing a little-known desert rain frog; and scores to settle: Morocco take on France again in the World Cup.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: Explosion at unknown location, Iran Credit: Reuters