Police are expected to continue searching Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former home until Monday, the BBC understands.
The former prince was released from custody after 11 hours on Thursday night, following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office; he has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. As the UK police continue their investigation, prominent figures in the US ask whether they'll also see criminal investigations out of the Epstein files.
Also in the programme: As the US says it won't accept global governance of AI, we'll hear why Google is being sued over an AI-generated voice, the climber guilty of manslaughter for leaving his girlfriend on a mountain; and the astonishing promise of a multi-purpose vaccine delivered by nasal spray.
(Photo shows a police van patrolling the area on 20 February 2026 where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on 19 February in Sandringham, Norfolk)
Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs have been struck down by the US Supreme Court, in a major blow to the President's economic agenda. With a 6-3 majority, judges ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed the levies using a law reserved for national emergencies.
Also: an AI summit in India has ended without a global agreement on governing the technology, after strong opposition from the United States. British police continue to search the former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, after the former Prince was released under investigation. Iran says it will be ready to submit its plan for a possible nuclear agreement with the US in the next two or three days. The BBC has identified the names of more than 180,000 Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine. In a world first, lion DNA has helped to convict poachers in Zimbabwe. And Spanish construction workers have finished work on the tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona.
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
We speak to a Kenyan man who says he believed he was travelling to Russia to join a basketball team but was instead coerced into military service. He describes signing a contract in Russian, witnessing death in battle, and fighting in a war he says he never agreed to join.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Negash.
Technical Producer: Herbert Masua
Senior Producer: Priya Sippy.
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
Identical twins on trial for murder in France have left forensic experts unable to answer the question of which one pulled the gun’s trigger. With both having the same DNA, it got the Unexpected Elements team thinking, when do identical twins cease to be identical?
First, we look at how scientists have been confronting the possibility that they might soon be able to create an evil twin to life itself - mirror life. Also, we hear why the ‘Tatooine planets’ which orbit twin stars are so rare in our galaxy.
We’re then joined by professor of developmental psychology Nancy Segal, who explains why prosecutors should be able to distinguish between the French twins on trial. Plus, we hear how African farmers are struggling with a lack of data on pre-harvest crop loss.
And finally, why gorse flowers smell like pina coladas, and how the use of DNA evidence in court can still come down to interpretation. That’s all on this week’s Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Michael Kaloki
Producers: Ella Hubber, with Lucy Davies, Sophie Ormiston, Imy Harper and Tim Dodd
After a day of questioning by police on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his role as a UK trade envoy, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been released. He hasn't responded to the BBC’s requests for comment on any of the specific allegations prompted by the release of the Epstein files last month. In the United States, members of Congress have urged the US government to take action against associates of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following the former Prince's arrest. Also: In Venezuela hundreds of political prisoners could soon be released after an amnesty bill has been approved. Following the recent deadly protest in Iran, it's emerged that dozens of protesters were promising athletes. In Austria, a " gross negligent manslaughter " verdict for a man who left his girlfriend on Austria's highest mountain; The US President welcomes global leaders to Washington for the launch of his "Board of Peace". And scientists make a revolutionary nasal spray universal vaccine for cold, flu, COVID and allergies that works on mice.
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
Police in Britain say the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been released under investigation following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. After being held for a day, he was photographed slouched in the back of a car leaving a police station in eastern England. Earlier his brother, King Charles, said the investigation would have the Royal Family's full support and co-operation. Police are looking into allegations that when he was a British trade envoy, he shared confidential documents with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Officers have searched his current and former homes at Sandringham and Windsor. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
Also in the programme: President Trump's Board of Peace meets for the first time, pledging to end conflicts and rebuild Gaza; and the fantasy epic Game of Thrones gets a Shakespearean twist.
(Photo: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, younger brother of Britain’s King Charles, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaves Aylsham Police Station in a vehicle on the day he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Britain February 19, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Phil Noble)
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in custody over his links to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Police have been looking into allegations he shared documents with Epstein when he was a British trade envoy. Officers have also carried out searches at two addresses in England, including the former prince's residence at Sandringham. Also: a UN fact-finding mission in Sudan has determined that atrocities carried out against non-Arabs by the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur point to genocide. As the Board of Peace meets for the first time in Washington, is Hamas regaining control of Gaza? The paradox of China - the world's biggest polluter has installed more solar and wind projects than the rest of the world. A British couple are sentenced to ten years in prison in Iran. And as the celebrated conservationist David Attenborough approaches 100, we look back at his most memorable broadcast.
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
Nigeria’s Senate has passed a controversial electoral law after tense debates over how election results should be transmitted during elections. At the centre of the dispute was a provision allowing election officials to revert to manual transmission of results if electronic methods failed. Opposition lawmakers had sought to remove the clause, arguing that it could undermine transparency.
And Ndaba Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela, says African youth are still missing from leadership conversations, and speaks on the potential of Africa's youth, leadership and gender based violence.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Herbert Masua
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
King Charles said the "law must take its course" in response to Andrew's arrest, and that the police has his ‘full and wholehearted support and co-operation’. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has denied all wrongdoing arising from his relationship with the US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Also in the programme: There are sgns in Gaza that Hamas is tightening its grip on the territory; South Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison for insurrectionl and why the fantasy epic Game of Thrones is inspiring a Shakespearean theatre company.
(Photo shows Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at Westminster Cathedral, central London on.16 September 2025. Credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
A senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, has told a meeting of the Security Council that Israel's plans for greater controls in the occupied West Bank amount to de facto annexation. Since last week, Israel has approved a series of reforms to property laws, making it easier for Jewish settlements to expand in the West Bank. Also, the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates has pulled out of a keynote address to a major AI summit in India after growing scrutiny over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The tech billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg, has defended his Instagram site in a landmark legal case over social media addiction in LA. The Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp owner said he regretted Meta's slow progress in identifying under-age users, in the face of a barrage of criticism. Fiji's former military leader, Frank Bainimarama and a former police commissioner have both been arrested and charged with inciting mutiny. A climber in Austria is going on trial after leaving his girlfriend to die on Austria's highest mountain. How content crazy influencers are taking over restaurants in major cities, one ring light at a time. And, the Australian TV reporter Danika Mason has apologised after appearing drunk in a live broadcast from the Winter Olympics, but not everyone thinks it's a bad thing...
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.
