Category: 2-DailyNews

Chef Gary Thomas has a lot on his plate. That’s because he’s in the business of feeding thousands of people a day on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Not just any ship – the Star of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world. 

The Weekend Intelligence’s senior producer Barclay Bram braved a trip to the Bahamas to try to figure out the secret behind one of the most impressive food operations in the world. 

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President Trump said today that one of the National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C. yesterday has died. Speaking to reporters during a trip outside Russia, Russian president Vladimir Putin addressed the prospect of a peace plan that would end the Russia-Ukraine war. The death toll from the massive fire at a Hong Kong apartment complex is still rising.

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The authorities in Hong Kong say more than 80 deaths have now been confirmed after the city's worst fire in decades. Officials think that number will grow, with more than 200 people still missing. It's unclear what caused the fire but the eight residential blocks were undergoing renovations. The contractor is reported to have breached safety requirements on multiple occasions during construction projects. We speak to a former firefighter who is an expert in tower fires.

Also on the programme: How Israel's offensive on Lebanon has continued, despite a ceasefire; and a scientific study casts new light on how cats came to be domesticated and part of the daily life of so many human beings.

(Photo: Smoke billows from an apartment fire in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, China, 27 November 2025. Credit: Leung Man Hei/ EPA Shutterstock)

Why does America support Israel? 

The answer isn’t rooted in theology or special-interest politics but is grounded in strategic national interest. Victor Davis Hanson explains how Israel’s status as the Middle East’s only stable democracy, its alignment with U.S. security priorities, and its role in countering Iran’s decades-long campaign of terror against Americans make it an essential ally on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words."

“ There's only one government that is truly a free democratic government, and that's Israel. So, it has affinities with the United States and interest with the United States that transcends anything to do with the 7 million Americans who are Jewish Americans. That's just a given. 

“They are not directing American policy. They couldn't unless Israel was democratic, consensual, Western, an outpost in a dangerous part of the world that has key resources for global prosperity with oil and, more importantly, is an enemy of our existential enemy that transcends any question of Israeli or Iranian animosity, and that's the theocratic government of Iran that began its existence by taking Americans hostage and storming our embassy.”

(0:00) Introduction: Why the U.S. Supports Israel

(1:39) The History of the U.S. and Israel

(3:08) Iran: The Shared Threat

(4:02) Strategic Alliances

(4:40) Why Israel Is Unique in the Middle East

(7:05) U.S. Interests: The Real Bottom Line

(8:05) Final Thoughts

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In this encore episode, we take a look at keepsakes. Clearing out a closet, attic or garage can be a chore. Old photographs, clothes and books can create clutter, or take up space that’s sometimes needed for something else. But every so often, the heirlooms or mementos that you find retain some value: if that’s emotional value, it can be hard to part with them. If it’s financial, that can make it easier, as Willem Marx hoped it would be with his childhood stamp collection in London. 

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Pope Leo has called for peace on the first day of his visit to Turkey, and urged Ankara to embrace the role of mediator in the world's conflicts. His host, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said he doesn't believe the differences between people, including religion, should be a source of conflict. Also: US officials issue an update on the two National Guard officers shot in Washington DC. The suspect is an Afghan immigrant who worked with US forces in Afghanistan. Two Chinese teenagers are arrested in South Korea, accused of spying on a military air base. A lawyer critical of the government is freed from detention in Tunisia. And the Japanese brewing giant Asahi says beer production had been disrupted by a cyber attack.

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

Emergency teams in Hong Kong are still working to extinguish fires at a giant housing complex a day after the blaze broke out. Sixty- five people have now been confirmed dead. Over two hundred are still missing.

Also in the programme: Hamas has urged mediators to pressure Israel to grant safe passage for dozens of its fighters holed up in tunnels in southern Gaza; the Australian fifteen year-olds taking their government to court over its social media ban for kids; and John Lennon's son on why his father's political activism still hits home today.

(Photo: One 51-year-old resident - with the surname Wan - tells Reuters she bought her apartment in Wang Fuk Court over 20 years ago. Credit: Reuters)

A military general has been sworn in as Guinea-Bissau's transitional president following the 15th coup in the country. Why is the country prone to coups?

BBC speaks to families of missing students in Niger state as Nigeria declares a state of emergency following a surge in kidnappings.

And we look at what could be the reasons behind America’s move to exclude South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Joseph Keen, Sunita Nahar, Elphas Lagat in London Technical Producer: Pat Sissons Senior Producer: Yvette Twagiramariya Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard