Author: BBC World Service

The US President warns his forces will come to the rescue of peaceful Iranian anti-government demonstrators if they are targeted by Tehran. A senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has responded by saying Donald Trump should know that US interference would lead to chaos across the region. Also: two French managers of the bar in the Swiss ski resort that suffered a deadly fire on New Year's Eve have been interviewed; new mayor Zohran Mamdani is formally sworn in in New York; the difficulty of not having a birth certificate in South Africa; Donald Trump gives an update about his health after concerns were raised; and what to look out for in space travel in 2026.

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

Photo by ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock

How many hours a day do you spend on your smartphone?

Smartphones have become essential to daily life - but concerns about overuse are growing. Research has linked smartphone addiction to depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

Focus on Africa host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to 27-year-old Dion Rapakgadi from Johannesburg about his past struggles with phone addiction, and to Kenyan musician Nviiri the Storyteller, who recently swapped his smartphone for a basic “dumb phone.”

We also hear from Dr Ethel Obeng-Treve, a Clinical Psychologist from Ghana, who shares insights on how to have a healthier relationship with your smartphone.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Weldye Senior Producer: Priya Sippy Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

As new images emerge of the fire at "Le Constellation" bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, the families of those still missing face an agonising wait for news: we have the latest from the investigation.

Also in the programme: President Trump says he's ready to step in to defend the anti-government protesters in Iran; we hear from a protester. Plus life at a hundred – we speak to one woman, still laughing - and still performing – at 100 years old.

(IMAGE: People pay their respects to the victims with flowers near the area where fire broke out at the 'Le Constellation' bar leaving people dead and injured, during New Year's celebration, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, 02 January 2026 / CREDIT: Jean-Christophe Botte/EPA/Shutterstock)

Hundreds take part in a vigil in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana after around 40 people died in a fire at a bar while out celebrating New Year. Also: Colombia's armed forces say they have "neutralised" the main leader of one of Venezuela's most powerful and far-reaching criminal gangs; fresh research indicates that psychedelic drugs could be beneficial in treating a range of mental disorders; the UN children's agency Unicef estimates that more than a million Palestinian children trapped in Gaza desperately need mental health support and we talk to the great grandson of the Czech artist, Alphonse Mucha, best known for his paintings of graceful powerful female figures that helped define the Art Nouveau era.

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 President of Switzerland says the fire at a ski resort early on New Year's Day which killed around 40 people is one of his country's worst tragedies. Witnesses at the bar in the ski resort of Crans Montana say the entire ceiling was ablaze within seconds.

Also in the programme: There have clashes in a number of small towns across Iran, on the fifth day of anti-government protests; China has introduced a series of tax incentives - including levies on contraceptives and exemptions for childcare - to try to boost its falling birth rate; and new tax regulations are taking effect today in forty-eight countries over the personal ownership of cryptocurrency.

Plus punk rock is 50 years old this year. Why does this rather simple music keep influencing musicians even now?

(Photo: Officials say around 40 people were killed and 115 injured in the fire. Credit: Getty Images)

Swiss police say dozens of people have died in a fire at the ski resort of Crans-Montana. More than a hundred others were injured, many seriously. The fire broke out early in the morning in a bar packed with people celebrating the New Year. We hear from the scene.

Also in the programme: as the latest US visa bans and restrictions take effect in a large number of countries, mainly in Africa, we hear from the Nigerian government; plus what's behind the latest purges of China's top military officers?

(IMAGE: Furniture pieces lie on the ground as an ambulance stands at the site of an explosion and fire at the "Le Constellation" bar, where several people died and others were injured after an explosion tore through a crowded New Year’s Eve party, according to Swiss police, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, January 1, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from video / CREDIT: Valais Canton Police/Handout via REUTERS)

January 1 isn’t just the start of a new year. For a significant number of Africans, it’s also the birthday written on official documents, often by default, not fact. This episode explores how missing birth records, colonial systems and migration shaped identity on paper, through voices from Somalia, France and Morocco.

We then turn to Mali, where new US travel restrictions have taken effect, affecting several African countries. We hear reactions from the streets of Bamako and unpack what the bans mean for diplomacy, mobility and power in the Sahel.

Presenter : Charles Gitonga Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Basma El Atti, Bella Twine, Blessing Aderogba Technical Producer: Terry Chege Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Swiss police say dozens of people have died in a fire at the ski resort of Crans-Montana. They say more than 100 others were injured, many of them seriously. The fire broke out early in the morning in a bar packed with people celebrating the New Year. The cause is still under investigation, but the authorities don't think it was a terror attack. Also: New US travel restrictions have come into force for people from dozens of countries; more than half of them in Africa. New York City has its first Muslim and South Asian mayor as Zoran Mamdani was sworn in at midnight in the historic City Hall subway station, and how one village in China makes 80 per cent of all red lanterns for New Year celebrations.

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