Global News Podcast

Hegseth attacks Europe over migration in D-Day speech

Sun, 07 Jun 2026

Pete Hegseth has used a D-Day anniversary speech in northern France to criticise European nations for allowing what he described as an "invasion" on their shores. The US defence secretary said Europe's beaches were being ''stormed by migrants with dangerous ideologies.'' His comments mark a further criticism of European migration policy by senior members of the Trump administration.
Also: Iran has accused the United States of violating its obligations as a World Cup host because of its refusal to grant visas to some staff travelling with the Iranian football team. Ukraine launches another major drone attack on the Russian city of St Petersburg. More foreign migrants are evacuated from South Africa following a surge in attacks on immigrants. A funeral is held for a seven-month-old Palestinian baby shot dead by an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank.
People in Peru are voting in a highly polarized election to choose their ninth president in a decade. And the Russian tennis player Mirra Andreeva has won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open.

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Photo: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth giving a D-Day anniversary speech in France
Credit: Reuters

The Happy Pod: Kinder medicine for millions of cancer patients

Sat, 06 Jun 2026

A new DNA test can distinguish between patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy and those who are not, meaning many with the most common form of breast cancer can avoid the brutal treatment. Also, scientists have found a daily pill that could double the survival time for people with advanced pancreatic cancer. Daraxonrasib appears to be a breakthrough in managing a disease that has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers.
Plus, we hear from Sterling Nasa, the student who ended up on stage during a concert performance of La La Land. A pianist was taken ill half way through the show, and the conductor appealed to the audience for help.
A British man is hoping to become the first person with a physical disability to go to live and work in space. John McFall lost his leg when he was 19 -- but he hasn't let that stop him -- he has already become a paralympian and a surgeon.
Finally, we meet Dr Shaunna Burke who has reached the summit of Mount Everest despite living with stage 4 incurable cancer. She becomes the first woman to do so
Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

(Picture: A doctor examining a mammogram to determine if a woman has breast cancer. Credit: PA)

US grants visas to Iran World Cup footballers

Sat, 06 Jun 2026

Washington has confirmed that Iran's World Cup players have been issued visas to enter the United States, ten days before their first match in Los Angeles. The team will be based in Mexico during the tournament, but all three of their group stage matches will be held in the US. Iranian media are reporting that some staff travelling with the national team are yet to be given visas.

Also: Downing Street hits out at ''people seeking to stir division'' after JD Vance blamed the murder of a British student on the "mass invasion of migrants". The crew of the International Space Station get the all clear after being put on standby to evacuate because of leaks. President Putin firmly rejects Volodymyr Zelensky's invitation to have face-to-face talks about ending their war. Why some politicians in France are unhappy about a banquet craze taking over towns and villages. And the actor Anthony Head who starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso has died at the age of 72.

Photo: Iran's Amir Razzaghinia, Ali Nemati and Hossein Kanani line up during the national anthems before their International Friendly against Gambia in May 2026
Credit: REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Anthropic: AI could escape human control

Fri, 05 Jun 2026

One of the biggest artificial intelligence developers, the US firm Anthropic, has proposed a coordinated global slowdown on building advanced AI systems, saying that the latest large language models could escape human control. Also: President Putin delivers a keynote address at an annual economic forum in St Petersburg, insisting that the Russian economy remains strong. The director-general of the World Health Organisation says significant challenges remain around the development of a vaccine for the new species of Ebola. Prosecutors in El Salvador say leaders of the infamous MS-13 gang currently on trial will be sentenced to thousands of years in prison. The military government in Mali bans motorcycles outside major cities to combat militant attacks. And the authorities in Japan say they are still searching for an "extremely intelligent" bear that's evaded capture after attacking people in Fukushima province.

Zelensky proposes face-to-face meeting with Putin

Fri, 05 Jun 2026

Volodymyr Zelensky has written to Vladimir Putin inviting him to a face-to-face meeting with the aim of negotiating an end to their war. In an open letter to the Russian leader, the Ukrainian President said it would be "wrong to simply wait" until the war in Europe becomes the focus of the US's attention once again.

Also: President Trump says he's spoken directly to Hezbollah about a possible end to the fighting in Lebanon, despite the US categorising the Iran-backed militia as a foreign terror organization. Some families of those who died in the Air India crash in 2025 have told the BBC the airline has offered them a final compensation settlement, if they give up their right to sue the company or its suppliers in future. A Nepali climbing guide is found alive on Mount Everest after surviving almost a week alone. Intelligence agencies warn that Chinese agents are posing as online recruiters to trick western governments and military personnel into disclosing state secrets. Scientists report that the world's mangrove forests are showing signs of recovery after decades of destruction. Plus, a lipstick worn by Marilyn Monroe and her recipe for stuffing are just some of the items belonging to the Hollywood star that have sold for thousands of dollars at auction.

Credit: Photo by SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/Shutterstock (16910105s)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Rutte in Kyiv, Ukraine, 03 June 2026. Rutte arrived in Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials amid the Russian invasion.
NATO Secretary General Rutte visits Kyiv, Ukraine - 03 Jun 2026