Author: BBC World Service

Israel leader Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the UN General Assembly in Geneva just days after several leading countries announced the recognition of Palestinian statehood. We speak to the father of an Israeli soldier who was captured on 7 October 2023. The father was at the UN and turned his back on the Israeli prime minister.

Also in the programme: the former FBI director James Comey, who led the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 Trump campaign, has been indicted. We hear the latest; and after a breakthrough in the treatment of Huntingdon’s disease this week, we speak to Arlo Guthrie whose father Woody, the celebrated folk singer, died of the condition.

(Photo: Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, New York, USA. Credit: SARAH YENESEL/EPA/Shutterstock)

Malawi re-elects former President Peter Mutharika. At 85. How did he beat other contenders?

What's life like in Bunagana town along Uganda's recently reopened border with rebel held eastern DR Congo

Nigerian women push for more female MPs. Does reserving seats for women in parliament help ?

Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Nyasha Michelle and Stefania Okereke Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical Producer: Ricardo McCarthy Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard

The former FBI boss James Comey has said he is innocent and welcomes a trial after being indicted on two criminal charges. Donald Trump has been seeking retribution after the FBI investigated his 2016 presidential campaign over possible ties to Russia. Also: TikTok avoids shut down with US operations to be handed to a group of investors, use of the party drug mephedrone soars in Russia, and new research suggests humans may have evolved half a million years earlier than previously thought.

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

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

Also on the programme: the havoc caused by drones closing airspace and airports in Denmark; and the musician Arlo Guthrie - whose family has been wrecked by Huntington's disease - on the promise of this week's medical breakthrough.

(Photo: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives for the verdict in his trial at the courthouse in Paris. Credit: Reuters)

The former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in jail after he was found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Also: the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas speaks at the United Nations General Assembly via video link, the BBC releases a film calling for international journalists to be allowed into Gaza, and Bolivia’s former anti-drugs chief is arrested after cocaine lab was found on his property. Fake Labubu dolls make up 90 per cent of all counterfeit toys seized at UK borders, Zimbabwe’s quest to become Africa’s blueberry capital, and how yoghurt might have helped the late Maria Branyas Morera live to 117. 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

The former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, is sentenced to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy. Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy had allowed close aides to contact Libyan officials with a view to obtaining financial support for his election campaign. Mr Sarkozy insisted he was innocent and said he would appeal the ruling.

Also in the programme: three days after several world powers recognise Palestinian statehood, Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the United Nations General Assembly via video link, having been barred from entry to the US by President Trump; plus how Zimbabwe aims to become the world’s top supplier of blueberries.

(IMAGE: Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, leave the courthouse in Paris, France, 25 September 2025 / CREDIT: YOAN VALAT/EPA/Shutterstock)

A new HIV prevention drug will be made available at a lower cost in over 100 low-income countries within two years, including across Africa. It's a move expected to give millions access to the breakthrough treatment and potentially bring the world closer to ending the HIV/Aids epidemic. So, how affordable and effective is it?

Also, Zimbabwe continues on a quest to become Africa’s blueberry capital after recently signing a tariff free export agreement with China, one of the largest consumers of the fruit. What impact will it have on the country?

And why students in Europe are learning Hausa, a language spoken by millions of people in West Africa

Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya and Patrcia Whitehorne in London. Madina Maishanu in Abuja. Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa Senior Journalists: Sunita Nahar and Karnie Sharp Editors: Andre Lombard, Samuel Murunga, Maryam Abdalla and Alice Muthengi

President Trump says US immigration staff are facing an unprecedented increase in attacks by what he called 'Deranged Radical Leftists'; he made his comment after a deadly gun attack at an immigration centre in Dallas. 'Anti-ICE' messaging was found on ammunition at the scene. Also: Syria's first head of state to speak at the UN General Assembly for nearly sixty years calls for all sanctions on his country to be lifted, China commits to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by up to ten percent, and we meet the history-making astronauts headed for the Moon.

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