Author: BBC World Service

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Newshour - Trump: Gaza starvation is not ‘fake’

President Trump said there is 'real starvation' in Gaza that cannot be ‘faked’, contradicting claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that reports starvation in the territory was exaggerated. We hear from the Doctors Without Borders on the ground in Gaza city, and one of the first Israeli rights groups to label Israel's campaign in Gaza 'genocide'.

Also in the program: Thailand and Cambodia announce an immediate ceasefire after days of border clashes, and the Shaolin Temple's chief monk is stripped of his position after accusations of embezzlement and breaking his vows of celibacy.

Picture: A Palestinian child suffering from malnutrition receives treatment at a healthcare center, amid widespread hunger, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

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Focus on Africa - Somalia: The “hole” at the heart of a seized arms ship

A stand off as Somalia demands release of a cargo ship carrying military equipment that was seized by semi-autonomous Puntland. The ship was reportedly transporting military equipment to Turkey’s military base in Mogadishu.

Why indigenous plants are making a comeback in African diets?

And after Nigeria's Super Falcons historic victory at WAFCON, in Morocco, we ask what does this mean for the future of African women's sport ?

Presenter: Richard Kagoe Producers: Charles Gitonga in Nairobi with Sunita Nahar and Patricia Whitehorne in London. Technical Producer: Philip Bull Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.

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Global News Podcast - The UN warns that it’s “make or break” for malnourished Palestinians

President Trump has acknowledged that there is real starvation in Gaza and that Israel has a responsibility for the flow of aid. Also in this podcast: Thailand and Cambodia agree a ceasefire, Google admits that its earthquake warning alerts haven't worked, the Chinese monk accused of corruption and womanising, and a BBC editor who has penned a musical satire.

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: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

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Newshour - More than 100 trucks of aid sent to Gaza

More aid trucks have been seen crossing into Gaza where Israel has eased its blockade and military operations under intense international pressure, but humanitarian organisations have warned that the supplies are nowhere near enough to ease the hunger crisis gripping the Palestinian territory.

Also in the programme: as France describes the European Union's trade deal with the US as "submission", the EU's top negotiator tries to make the case for the deal; and Google admits its earthquake warning system failed to alert millions of people in Turkey before the devastation of 2023.

(Photo shows trucks carrying aid lining up near the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on 28 July 2025. Credit: Reuters)

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CrowdScience - Could technology improve our brains?

What comes to mind when you imagine the future of humanity? Could a computer make your mind more efficient? Enhance your cognition? Or cure a disorder you've been grappling with all your life? CrowdScience listener Mariana from Mexico hopes that one day technology will be able to help improve our brains. 

Presenter Alex Lathbridge seeks out some of these brain boosters, exploring emerging technologies in deep brain stimulation at City St George’s University of London in the UK. Professor Francesca Morgante and Dr Lucia Ricciard explain how they’re using technology to treat Parkinson’s.

And could brain technology help with even the most enigmatic elements of our minds? Dr Robert Hampson at Wake Forest University in the USA takes us through his research in restoring memory impairment.  

Along the way we interrogate the ethical implications of the breakneck speed of progress in brain augmentation research with researcher Anders Sandberg from the Institute of Future Studies in Sweden.   

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge  Producer: Emily Bird  Series Producer: Ben Motley

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CrowdScience - Trailer: 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

The epic space story of a sci-fi dream that changed spaceflight forever. Told by the Nasa astronauts and team who made it happen. Our multi-award-winning podcast is back, hosted by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock. She tells the story of triumph and tragedy - of a dream that revolutionised modern space travel forever.

You can listen to the trailer here. To hear episodes, search for 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. Archive: Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office.

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Good Bad Billionaire - Sam Walton: Walmart’s founder

Sam Walton put discount megastores on the map and built the largest retailer on Earth. He founded Walmart, which now has around 10,500 stores across 19 countries, and 255 million customers a week, thanks to their low prices. They also employ more than two million workers.

BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng explore Sam’s penchant for piloting his small plane to drop in, unannounced, on his stores around the USA, and discover why he danced the Hula on Wall Street, covered in leis and wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

In this special series, Good Bad Dead Billionaire, find out how five of the world's most famous dead billionaires made their money. These iconic pioneers who helped shape America may be long gone, but their fingerprints are all over modern industry - in business trusts, IPOs, and mass production. They did it all first, but how did they make their billions?

Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast exploring the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility, before inviting you to make up your own mind: are they good, bad or just another billionaire?

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Unexpected Elements - Trailer: 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

The epic space story of a sci-fi dream that changed spaceflight forever. Told by the Nasa astronauts and team who made it happen. Our multi-award-winning podcast is back, hosted by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock. She tells the story of triumph and tragedy - of a dream that revolutionised modern space travel forever.

You can listen to the trailer here. To hear episodes, search for 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. Archive: Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office.

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Newshour - Israel allows aid to enter Gaza by road and in airdrops

Desperately needed aid has been trickling into Gaza after international outrage over starving Palestinians led to Israel easing its blockade and military operations. We will hear from a former Israeli Prime Minister - and talking to an Israeli philosopher about the impact of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on Israeli public opinion.

Also in the programme: The US and EU have agreed a trade deal which will see a blanket US tariff of 15 percent on imports from the bloc; England have retained the Women's European Championship title after a nail biting penalty victory over Spain in the final; and concern in the fashion industry after an advert in Vogue uses AI models.

(Photo: Internally displaced Palestinians carry bags of flour near a food distribution point in Zikim, northern Gaza Strip, 27 July 2025. Credit: Mohammed Saber / EPA / Shutterstock)