Messages in a bottle from two Australian World War One soldiers have been found on a beach and are now back with their relatives. Debra Brown's family were cleaning up on Wharton Beach when they found a thick glass bottle with the notes inside. Herbie Neville, the great nephew of one of the soldiers, says it's unbelievable to receive the letters. Plus, the memorial unveiled in the UK for veterans who were expelled from the armed forces because of their sexuality. The oldest woman to finish the Iron Woman competition. The students here in Britain helping to restore an Ancient Egyptian mummy. Happy stories and positive news from around the world - our weekly collection.
Presenter: Alex Ritson. Music composed by Iona Hampson.
Harriett Gilbert welcomes Nigerian author Oyinkan Braithwaite into the World Book Club studio to discuss her internationally bestselling debut, My Sister, the Serial Killer — a darkly comic thriller that has captivated readers around the globe.
This is the story of two sisters, Korede, the responsible and overlooked older sibling, and Ayoola, the beautiful younger sister with a deadly secret. When Ayoola’s boyfriends keep turning up dead, Korede finds herself in an impossible position — torn between loyalty to her sister and her own moral compass. Set against the backdrop of modern-day Lagos, this sharp, fast paced novel explores family, power, and the lengths we go to for those we love.
Oyinkan Braithwaite answers your questions about why are some forms of violence treated as ordinary while others shock us? How far does beauty allow someone to escape consequences? And what exactly defines the bond — or the burden — of sisterhood?
Diplomats in Tanzania say there's credible evidence at least five-hundred people have been killed in days of clashes between protesters and security forces over disputed election results. The protests broke out after the President's main challengers were excluded from the ballot. A senior opposition politician told the BBC that police and foreign mercenaries were killing "with impunity". Tanzania's foreign minister has denied reports of widespread killings.
Also: US judges rule the Trump administration must maintain food aid for millions of Americans, despite the government shutdown. The Israeli judge who has resigned after revealing evidence that a Palestinian prisoner was sexually abused. Scientists create a single anti-venom that protects against 17 different poisonous snakebites. And Egypt's long awaited billion dollar Grand Museum finally opens its doors.
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
For some they’re the stuff of nightmares, but many of us can’t get enough of horror films. For Halloween, CrowdScience investigates the science of why we enjoy films that scare the living daylights out of us.
CrowdScience listener Maria from Taiwan is one of those people who would rather avoid frightening films, yet her husband loves them and is always trying to get her to watch with him. She wants to know why people like her husband are so drawn to horror films.
To try and find out, presenter Anand Jagatia travels to the Recreational Fear Lab in Aarhus, Denmark, which is dedicated to understanding why people frighten themselves for fun. He meets the research lab’s directors Mathias Clasen and Marc Andersen who explain how horror and recreational fear could help us cope better with uncertainty, bond with those we are frightened beside, and perhaps even have some physical health benefits. They also take Anand to a haunted house, called Dystopia, which has used the Recreational Fear Lab’s research to become as terrifying as possible.
And we hear from horror film music composer, Mark Korven, who creates tension and fear using an invention he calls ‘the apprehension engine’. He speaks to BBC Naturebang’s Becky Ripley who has been investigating sounds that scare us and their evolutionary origins.
Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
(Photo: Couple watch horror movie with blanket to cover their heads. Credit: WC.GI via Getty Images)
China's President, Xi Jinping, leads the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in South Korea, which President Trump chose to leave. Chinese media said Mr Xi told a closed-door meeting of regional leaders that they should deepen economic co-operation in the face of challenges unseen in a century. Also, the United Nations has said that the "horror" continues in El-Fasher, with aid agencies warning that too few civilians are being allowed to leave the Sudanese city, which has fallen to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. A friend of King Charles tells the BBC that the monarch would have been frustrated and angry with his brother, Andrew, who's now been stripped of the title 'prince' following a damaging sex scandal. Another high-profile, broad-daylight robbery in France, just weeks after a raid at the Louvre museum in Paris. And why bats are finding sanctuary in churches.
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
New research reveals how digital platforms are being weaponised to abuse and exploit women in Kenya. We hear from a victim of online sexual abuse who gives a harrowing account of her experience, and also speak to a Digital Rights adviser on what needs to be done to protect women.
Plastic waste is not only bad for the environment but can also be harmful to human beings. We hear about the risks, and also how one project in Lagos is turning discarded plastic into fashion.
And we hear more about the Seychelles' Kreol Festival, which celebrates the nation's creole heritage and is now in its 40th year.
Presenter: Nyasha Michelle
Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Okereke, Sunita Nahar, Yvette Twagiramariya, and Tanya Hines
Technical Producer: Jack Graysmark
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Alice Muthengi, Maryam Abdalla and Sam Murunga
Andrew is no longer a British prince. We hear from the brother of the woman whose harrowing experience of sex trafficking, detailed in her memoir, ultimately led to his downfall. We also speak to a close friend of King Charles about what this scandal means for the future of the monarchy.
Also in today’s programme: how the world keeps failing Sudan, researchers in Denmark have created a broad-spectrum anti-venom that could revolutionise life-saving treatment for snake bites, and the Indian women’s cricket team pulls off a record-breaking run chase.
(Photo: Sky Roberts (C), a brother of late financier Jeffrey Epstein's late victim Virginia Giuffre, speaks on the day of a rally in support of Epstein's victims in Washington DC, 3 September, 2025. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The daylight robbery of precious crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris has us stealing your attention to inspect heists and crime scenes in science.
We explore how stealthy spiders use tricks and deceit to rob precious prey from one another, and we look at how seagulls and other birds have the advantage when it comes to stealing food from humans. We also learn how our immunological security systems try to prevent bacteria from doing an iron-heist from our cells and blood.
But what about figuring out whodunnit? Forensic ecologist and palynologist Professor Patricia Wiltshire shares how pollen can be instrumental when solving crimes and how thorough, detailed forensic work can help uncover the truth when unravelling mysteries.
We also hear about the tensions between elephants and humans in Kenya, why we prefer the taste of certain foods, and how the code to a famous puzzle-filled sculpture might have finally been cracked.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Phillys Mwatee and Kai Kupferschmidt
Producers: Imaan Moin, with Lucy Davies, Eliane Glaser and Robbie Wojciechowski
Britain's King Charles has begun the process of removing his younger brother's "prince" title and told him to vacate the Royal Lodge in Windsor. It comes as controversy swirls over Andrew’s friendship with the late child sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, and allegations of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre. In a statement, Giuffre's family call her "an ordinary American girl who brought down a British prince". Andrew has denied, and continues to deny, all allegations made against him. Also: relief efforts are being stepped up in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa; Victoria becomes the first Australian state to approve a treaty with its Indigenous peoples; the BBC speaks to Russians refusing to be silent in the face of Putin's repression; Hamas returns the bodies of another two hostages to Israel under the Gaza ceasefire deal; President Trump caps refugee admissions with priority given to white South Africans; a squeeze in US public broadcasting funding forces Radio Free Asia off the air; what causes brain fog; and the bizarre deathball sponge lurking on the deep sea floor. 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
