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The Iranian foreign minister has again said Tehran is ready for talks with Washington on the basis of mutual respect -- as the US continues to threaten military action over Iran's nuclear programme. Newshour speaks to former US national security advisor Nate Swanson.
Also in the programme: Inside the Roj prison camp in Syria; and forty years of Poems on the Underground.
(Picture: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Turkey, Istanbul. Credit: EPA)
Africa’s beauty and personal care industry is growing, as more people look to achieve glowing skin and the perfect make up look.
But many products on the market still do not cater to black skin. Last year, a study by US-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that over 3000 beauty products targeting black women contain health hazards.
Focus on Africa: The Conversation host, Nkechi Ogbonna spoke with Zithobe Macheli, a skincare influencer from South Africa and Jessica Molefe, a make-up artist from Botswana to get their thoughts on this growing industry.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Negash Technical Producer: Terry Chege Senior Producer: Priya Sippy Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
Are You Dead?
That’s the name of an app that’s gone massively viral in China. Every two days, you click a green button to confirm you’re alive and well – but if you miss it, an emergency contact is alerted.
The app is aimed towards those who live alone, so it’s got us contemplating the science of connection and loneliness. First, we take a look at the most isolated trees on Earth and how they act as important recorders of history. We also discuss NASA’s space probe Voyager 1, and how we can connect with a device that’s 25 billion kilometres away from us.
We’re joined by glaciologist Liz Morris, who shares what it was like to do research far from civilisation, in Antarctica.
Then we reunite with a species that we thought was lost for ever, and answer an important question: just how big can spiders get?
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Candice Bailey and Ogechi Ekeanyanwu Producers: Ella Hubber, with Lucy Davies, Imy Harper, Tim Dodd, Sophie Ormiston and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins
US President Donald Trump says Russia's Vladimir Putin has agreed not to attack Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and other cities and towns for a week due to "extraordinary cold" weather. Also on this podcast, Venezuela’s parliament has passed a new bill that will roll back decades of tight state control over the country's oil sector. In Afghanistan, new research has shed light on the impact of the Taliban's informal ban on birth control services for women. Scientists say polar bears living in the Norwegian Arctic are getting fatter despite declining sea ice levels. We hear from Iranians around the world who are fearful for the safety of their loved ones in Iran. British boxer Anthony Joshua has spoken publicly for the first time since two of his friends were killed in a car crash in Nigeria. Millions of potatoes are being given away in certain parts of Germany.
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
Donald Trump's "border tsar" Tom Homan says he is working on making ICE operations in Minneapolis "safer, more efficient, by the book". Also on the programme, the bodies of 15 Palestinians have been returned as the Gaza ceasefire moves into its next stage; and, the hidden, subconscious forces behind our everyday choices.
(Photo: US Border Czar Tom Homan speaks at his first news conference after replacing Greg Bovino as the lead of ICE operations at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 29 January 2026. CRAIG LASSIG/EPA/Shutterstock)
China and the UK have agreed a number of new deals during the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing. They include visa-free travel for UK citizens visiting the country for less than 30 days, and a partnership aimed at increasing trade in services between the two countries. The British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has also announced a $15bn investment in China. Keir Starmer says the relationship between the UK and China is in a "good, strong place" after talks with President Xi Jinping.
Also: scientists plan to drill through the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica to understand how fast the ice is melting. China has executed 11 members of a notorious mafia family that ran scam centres in Myanmar along its border. India joins a growing number of countries considering restricting social media for children. Tesla reports its first drop in annual profits as it drives towards a brave new world of artificial intelligence and robotics. Hungary's long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces his most serious challenge yet in the country's upcoming election - we hear about his main challenger Peter Magyar who is leading in the polls. And a film promising a rare glimpse into the life of the US First Lady Melania Trump is released in cinemas worldwide, but early ticket sales fall flat.
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 military government in Guinea-Bissau has suspended a scientific trial for the hepatitis B vaccine administered to newborns. The trial is funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the tune of $1.6 million and conducted by scientists from the University of Southern Denmark. The Bissau government says the study will be subjected to a technical and ethical review.
And, almost three decades after his death, Nigeria's Fela Kuti, who pioneered the Afrobeats music genre, is set to be feted with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Bella Twine, Blessing Aderogba and Mark Wilberforce Technical Producer: Terry Chege Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
The British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says "good progress" was made in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping of China. Our China correspondent will give us her assessment. Also on the programme: as President Trump steps up the rhetoric on Iran, what could happen if the US strikes it? And the musical director who stood in for Puccini’s challenging Turandot when the star tenor suddenly fell ill. (Photo: UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer shakes hands with President Xi Jinping of China ahead of a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during his visit to China. Credit: PA)
Donald Trump has warned Iran that "time is running out" to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme following the steady build-up of US military forces in the Gulf. The US president said a "massive armada" was "moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose" towards Iran, referring to a large US naval force. Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful, but warned that a new US attack would prompt a response "like never before". Also: We report from Mozambique where an intense clear-up operation is underway following weeks of severe flooding. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has made a robust defence of the Trump administration's Venezuela policy, weeks after US special forces seized President Nicolás Maduro. And could dementia be diagnosed earlier by looking at changes in the way people use language?
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
Is the United States about to launch a larger attack on Iran, than last June, when 'Operation Midnight Hammer' targeted its nuclear programme? Earlier this month President Trump told protesters that "help was on the way," and now thousands are dead. We hear from a former US envoy to Iran.
Also on the programme: Tensions over ICE agents persist in Minnesota - we get a view from the Democrats; and we hear the extraordinary story of mathematician Dr Gladys West, who has died at the age of 95.
(Photo: The USS Abraham Lincoln shown in 2019; Credit : US Navy via Reuters)