Nigeria: A deep dive into the spike in school mass abductions by armed groups in northern Nigeria. We hear from the parents of some of the victims and ask: Who is behind the kidnappings and what's the government doing about it?
And how are mental health institutions perceived in Africa? We speak to someone in Uganda about their mental health journey and experience at the country's main referral facility.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba and Ly Truong
Technical Producer: Jonathan Mwangi and Philip Bull
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
The European Union has reached an agreement to phase out its remaining imports of Russian gas by 2027. The decision came after a lengthy meeting in Moscow between US and Russian representatives resulted in no breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine. The sovereignty of the eastern region of Donbas, largely controlled by Russia, is at the heart of the negotiations, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refusing to cede the territory.
Also in the programme: we go to the Swiss town where you can pay with Bitcoin; and the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 will resume at the end of the month, 11 years after its disappearance.
(Photo: A gas torch is seen next to the Lukoil company sign at the Filanovskogo oil platform in the Caspian Sea, Russia. Credit: Reuters / M. Shemetov).
Talks in Moscow between President Putin and the US envoy, Steve Witkoff, about a peace plan for Ukraine have ended without a breakthrough. Russian negotiators described the meeting as productive and useful, but the Kremlin aide, Yuri Ushakov, said no compromise had been reached over Ukrainian territory. Also: on the first anniversary of an attempted coup in South Korea, the president praises civilians who defended democracy; Wikipedia's most read pages of 2025 are revealed, from Charlie Kirk to Ozzy Osbourne; we hear from a working mother in Japan, where the country's first female prime minister has made 'work' a national slogan; and the Fabergé egg, commissioned by Russia's last Tsar, which has sold at auction for a record $30 million.
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
President Vladimir Putin has accused European countries of being on the side of war and putting forward proposals to end the conflict in Ukraine that they knew would be unacceptable. He added that Russia was ready for a wider war with Europe if that's what they wanted. Mr Putin was speaking shortly before he started talks with President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow.
Also in the programme: a rising death toll after floods in Indonesia; and a Faberge egg sells for millions at auction.
(Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin, presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev and foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov attend a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 2, 2025. CREDIT: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS)
Special envoy, Steve Witkoff, meets President Putin at the Kremlin with the latest US plan to end war in Ukraine. President Zelensky says Ukraine is committed to achieving a "real and secure peace". Also: The number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra in Indonesia has risen to more than seven-hundred. Hundreds more are feared buried in mud; the Sri Lankan authorities say the flash flooding and landslides have also killed hundreds there. One-hundred-and-fifty-thousand people have attended a mass held by Pope Leo in Beirut. A special BBC report on a dam collapse at a Chinese copper mine in Zambia leading to toxic waste, including heavy metals, pouring into the surrounding waterways and farmland.
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 number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to more than 700. In addition, 500 people are still reported missing, with many feared buried under mud. Around one million people have been evacuated from their homes, with meaningful assistance still yet to reach hard-hit isolated areas. Newshour got through to one resident, a man called Lodewick Marpaung in north Sumatra. He pleaded for help.
Also in the programme: US envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to the Kremlin - can he strike a deal on Ukraine? Also, Japan's new leader says she's giving up her own work-life balance - and everyone must 'work like a horse'.
(Photo: A picture taken with a drone shows piles of wood that were swept away by the floodwaters in a flood-affected village in Sumatra, Indonesia, 1 December 2025. Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces. Credit: Hotli Simanjuntak/ EPA/Shutterstock)
A rare conversation with Egypt's Foreign Minister about the Sudan War and the tensions with Ethiopia over the river Nile, and Focus on Africa moves its hub from London to Nairobi.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty has denied that his country is supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces in the war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. He also spoke about tensions with Ethiopia after the collapse of talks over use of the waters of River Nile.
And after more than six decades of broadcasting from London, Focus on Africa has just arrived in its new home, Nairobi.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba and Ly Truong
Technical Producer: Philip Bull
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
After months of fighting, the Kremlin says Russian forces have seized the frontline city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. It links several other key cities in the Donetsk region. Last month, Ukraine sent reinforcements to try to fend off the Russian attack. Kyiv has not acknowledged the loss of the city. Also: the White House defends Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over US military action off the coast of Venezuela; the presidential election result in Honduras is too close to call; the World Health Organization calls for weight loss jabs to be more widely available; what Australian teenagers make of an up-coming social media ban; the eighty-five-kilometre long traffic jam in Siberia; and an interview with the Taiwanese director who shot a critically-acclaimed film on iPhones.
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
Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines are grappling with severe flooding, landslides and storm damage after torrential rain and vast cyclones hit the region over the past few days.
Also, the presidential election in Honduras is too-close-to-call, and the Oxford English Dictionary releases its 'word of the year'.
(Photo: A military rescue team vehicle makes its way through a flooded road after heavy rainfall in a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 30 November 2025. Credit: Chamila Karunarathne/EPA/Shutterstock)
