Author: BBC World Service

At least 20 people, including five journalists, are reported to have been killed in an Israeli strike on a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip. Also: Ukrainian soldiers in the Donbas speak to the BBC about fierce fighting and high casualty rates; paramilitaries in Sudan's Darfur region are accused of killing civilians fleeing the besieged city of El Fasher; President Trump threatens to send National Guard troops into another Democratic stronghold, Baltimore.

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 Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen have struck a military compound housing the presidential palace in Sanaa. They also hit the city's power station. Mr Netanyahu insisted that the Iran-backed group is paying a heavy price for its attacks on Israel. Also: Zelensky vows to continue fighting as Ukraine marks independence day; costumes and colour fill the streets on the first day of the Notting Hill Carnival in London.

Israel says its latest airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen have destroyed the presidential palace in Sanaa along with the city's power station. Benjamin Netanyahu said the Iranian- backed group was paying a heavy price for its attacks on Israel. The Houthis say the Israeli strikes killed four people.

Also in the programme: Serbia's president promises to lower the cost of living to quell anti-government demonstrations; what Spotify playlists tell us about the habits of moguls and politicians; and the children learning to make music in the midst of the war in Gaza.

(Photo: Photo: Child overlooking smoke rising in Sanaa. Credit: Shutterstock)

Ceremonies have been taking place today in Ukraine to mark 34 years since the country gained its independence from the Soviet Union. President Zelensky said that, three-and-a-half years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine would not settle for anything less than a just and lasting peace. The BBC’s Zhanna Bezpiatchuk tells us about the mood in Kyiv today.

Also in the programme: the Nigerian military says it’s killed more than 30 jihadists in recent air strikes; and the Palestinian teachers in a displacement camp in Gaza City who are sharing their musical knowledge with children.

(Photo: A Ukrainian flag flutters next to the Independence Monument at the Independence Square in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 23rd August 2025. Credit: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA/Shutterstock)

Palestinian media say many people were killed by Israeli strikes on a camp for displaced people in southern Gaza's Khan Younis. An entire family is said to have died when their tent was hit. Other strikes were reported in central and northern Gaza - while the Israeli military is continuing its offensive on Gaza City. Also: Nigerian forces have attacked a bandit camp in the north of the country, and would you consider leaving Earth to spend a year in a simulated Mars environment? 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 US justice department has released transcripts of its recent interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell, the jailed associate of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In them, Maxwell denied the existence of any "client list" kept by Epstein. She also said she'd never seen President Trump acting inappropriately.

Also in the programme: A day after a famine is declared in Gaza City - aid agencies in the Gaza Strip say they're afraid the hunger will spread; the folk singer who found she'd released a new album when she hadn't; and we'll hear the case for and against the sensitivity reader.

(Photo: Court sketch of Ghislaine Maxwell during jury selection in New York, November 17th 2021 Credit: REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)

A day after a famine is confirmed in Gaza City, a spokesperson for the UN children's agency UNICEF tells us she's afraid hunger will spread. We ask the Norwegian government what other countries can do to put pressure on Israel to let in aid.

Also in the programme: Jeffrey Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell tells the authorities she never saw President Trump in any compromising situations, and there is no ‘list’; but how credible is a convicted criminal seeking release? And we discuss whether novels really benefit from “sensitivity readers”.

(IMAGE: Palestinian doctor Ahmed Basal examines a child for malnutrition at Al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City, August 7, 2025 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)

We hear about the Dad Letter Project which was set up by a father and daughter in the US to send handwritten notes of love and support to people all over the world. Rosie wants to share her treasured experience of receiving letters from her dad Buz when she was growing up. They've already had thousand of requests, often from young women who've lost their own fathers and need advice -- or just for somoene to say they're proud of them. Also we meet Logie the litter picking dog, who's helping clean up our oceans by swimming out to fetch plastic bottles and other rubbish. We find out how cooking classes taught by refugees are helping them learn new skills and build closer ties with their new communities; why knitting and other-old fashioned hobbies are gaining popularity among Gen Z; and what a difference a local shop can have in a remote community.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, says the famine in Gaza City is a 'failure of humanity' after a UN-backed body raised its food insecurity status in parts of the territory to the most severe. Also: FBI agents search the office and home of President Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton; the head of NATO has called for robust security guarantees for Ukraine; and scientists discover a new species of dinosaur with a sail-like structure along its back.

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 UN's top humanitarian official Tom Fletcher says the report on the famine in Gaza City is 'irrefutable testimony'. But Israel categorically denies any claims of famine.

Also in the programme: the FBI raids the home of President Trump’s former advisor John Bolton; and the Indian government cracks down on online gambling.

(Image: A child reacts surrounded by pots as Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on 21 August 2025. Credit: Reuters/Hatem Khaled)