Partial restoration of phone services in Iran

An Iranian official has told the Reuters news agency that about 2,000 people have been killed in the protests, including security personnel. Some in Iran have now been able to make phone calls abroad to relatives, and have described bloodshed. One protestor, Erfan Soltani, will reportedly be "executed tomorrow". Also: the French far-right politician Marine Le Pen has begun her appeal against a two-year prison sentence and a ban on standing for public office. South Korean prosecutors have asked for the death penalty for the former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, over his attempt to impose martial law in December 2024. And is good gut health the secret to a long life? Our reporter is assessed by doctors. 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 Trump says countries trading with Iran will face an immediate 25% percent tariff on business with the United States, in response to Tehran's deadly suppression of protests. China alone is estimated to buy around 90% of the oil that Iran exports to the global market. As Washington considers additional action, we hear from Iranians who have lost loved ones in the lethal response to the nationwide demonstrations.Also: we hear from a Syrian man who was duped into fighting in Ukraine by a former Russian teacher, who promised hundreds of foreign recruits they could avoid combat. The US states of Minnesota and Illinois sue the Trump administration to try to halt mass deployments of ICE agents. A mobile app has gone viral in China as young people living alone seek reassurance that someone will be alerted if they go missing. More than 100 environmental officers in India are searching for an elephant that's believed to have killed at least 22 people in the state of Jharkhand in the past week. Archaeologists celebrate the discovery of what could be the largest ever Roman villa in Wales. And the man whose body began brewing its own alcohol.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 this special edition of the Global News Podcast, BBC correspondents answer your questions about the anti-government protests that spread across Iran. Can the Iranian regime survive? Will Donald Trump intervene? How would regime change affect the world? Matthew Amroliwala speaks to two of the BBC's diplomatic correspondents - Caroline Hawley in London and Paul Adams in Washington - as well as Siavash Ardalan, from BBC Persian. 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 protests in Iran continue into their third week, the country's foreign minister claims the situation is "under total control". President Donald Trump has warned that the US could intervene and has "very strong options". In response, Iran says it's "prepared" for war, but "does not seek" it. Also: Myanmar is accused of genocide over attacks on the Muslim Rohingya minority in 2017. The chairman of the US Federal Reserve is facing legal action. He claims it's a political attack. Hamas says it's prepared to hand over power in Gaza -- but is it? We hear how the campaign to end child marriage in the US has some powerful opponents. And, the chimpanzee who beat humans at a memory test has died.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]

Videos verified by the BBC and eyewitness accounts appear to show security forces in Iran ramping up their response to protests that have spread across the country. Activists say dozens of bodies seen piled up in black bags outside a morgue near Tehran are dead protesters. US President Donald Trump says Iran's leadership is seeking to negotiate following his threat of military intervention, but warns that he "may have to act before a meeting".Also: President Trump tells Cuba to "make a deal" with Washington or face consequences, warning the flow of Venezuelan oil and money to the country will stop. The UK government has paid "substantial" compensation to a man who was tortured by the CIA before being shipped to Guantanamo Bay where he is still imprisoned. Greenland residents tell the BBC they want to be left alone, as their island becomes embroiled in a geopolitical storm. Six skiers have been killed in a series of avalanches across the Alps. Doctors say they have achieved the previously impossible - restoring sight and preventing blindness in people with a rare but dangerous eye condition. Timothée Chalamet, Jessie Buckley and Seth Rogen were among the winners at this year's Golden Globe Awards. And how soon could humanoid robots carry out our household chores?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]

When the US government captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, on Saturday, most of the world was shocked. But US officials had for years been gaming out different scenarios, including predicting what would happen if Maduro was ousted. According to one man who took part, each ended in disaster. On today’s episode, we speak to the former Washington Post journalist Douglas Farah, who participated in war games on Venezuela during Donald Trump’s first term, as well as during the Obama and Biden administrations. 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.

A medic at one Tehran hospital reported "direct shots to the heads of the young people, to their hearts as well", while a doctor said an eye hospital in the capital had gone into crisis mode. Despite this, large crowds have returned to the streets of Iran's capital, including entire families with children, defying increasingly severe warnings from the authorities. Also: the US military has ​carried out 'Operation Hawkeye' strikes in Syria against the Islamic State, as revenge for the killing of two American soldiers. We hear from Venezuelans who have fled to Colombia, after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Why a deadly train crash in 2023 in Greece could lead frustrated voters to turn to new political options in the 2027 election. The case of a Google employee made redundant after reporting sexual harassment. Why a rare Superman comic that was once stolen from Nicolas Cage has sold for $15m. And how much are dogs eavesdropping on us?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 Australian 'kindness influencer' who raised nearly two million dollars to help an elderly US veteran. Samuel Weidenhofer flew thousands of miles to find Ed Bambas after being told he needed help. Ed, who's 88, was still working in a shop because he couldn't afford to retire, having lost his pension and healthcare. Also: one of the few people ever to walk around the world says he was inspired to keep going by the rescue dog he adopted along the way. Tom Turcich spent seven years making the journey with Savannah, who he describes as the best possible companion. The family of a US Air Force serviceman have been reunited with his dog tag, seventy years after it was lost. We hear how a young woman in the UK is trying to dispel the stigma surrounding a medical device known as a stoma bag, by turning them into fashion accessories. Plus some very big baby news as a US zoo prepares to welcome a very rare elephant calf. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world. Presenter: Alex Ritson. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Videos and messages that have made their way out of Iran despite an internet blackout show crowds gathering to protest against the government for a 13th night. Rights groups say they have documented the deaths of around 50 demonstrators amid an increasingly violent response by the authorities. Donald Trump has again warned that the US could strike Iran if protesters are killed, while Iran's leadership has accused the US of stoking unrest.Also: a new video has emerged of the deadly shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a US immigration enforcement officer, filmed by the agent who fired the lethal shots. We look at the family feud of the Beckhams. The mind-reader Oz Pearlman leaves a BBC presenter stunned when performing one of his tricks. Ten years after David Bowie's death, the musician's childhood home is set to open to the public. And is golf really a sport?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]

Anti-government unrest has continued to spread across Iran, despite an internet blackout and a defiant address by the Supreme Leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the protesters as "a bunch of vandals" and said the authorities would not back down. Demonstrations began nearly two weeks ago because of anger at rising living costs. Also: Russia uses a powerful hypersonic missile against the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, in another wave of air attacks. Switzerland observes a national day of mourning for the victims of the New Year's eve fire. And why the giant pandas in a Japanese zoo will soon be replaced by people in panda suits. 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]