US announces a ceasefire extension with Iran

President Trump has announced an extension to the ceasefire with Iran until talks come to a conclusion. In a social media post, he said the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue until Tehran presented what he called a "unified proposal". The truce between the two sides was due to expire on Wednesday. Mr Trump said he'd been asked to hold off on attacking Iran by Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator. Also: the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, says it has launched drones and fired rockets into northern Israel. The Iranian-backed movement called the attacks a response to ceasefire violations by Israel. OpenAI is facing a criminal investigation in Florida into whether ChatGPT advised a man on the best way to carry out a mass shooting at a university last year. A diplomatic row has broken out after a well-known Russian television host made offensive remarks about the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. And pop superstar Madonna is offering a reward for the return of a costume she wore on stage at the Coachella music festival in California, after several outfits went missing.

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: [email protected]

Mandatory Credit: Photo by ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock (16839879i)

Trump says US in 'very strong position' for Iran talks

The US-Iran ceasefire deal is set to end on Wednesday but Donald Trump says he does not want to extend the deadline. The US President believes the US is in a very strong negotiating position. Iran has not yet confirmed if it will attend peace talks in Islamabad. The US vice-president J D Vance, who will lead the American team, is reportedly yet to leave Washington. Also: the British prime minister Keir Starmer comes under intense pressure over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, fuelling doubts about whether he can survive as prime minister; Japan says it will scrap the weapons export rules that it's had in place since the end of the Second World War so it can sell lethal arms to its allies; and a group of women in Spain target the lingering symptoms of breast cancer treatment with the help of archery.

Uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks

Iran's chief negotiator has cast fresh doubt on whether a second round of peace talks with the United States will go ahead in Pakistan. Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said Tehran would not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and was prepared to show "new cards on the battlefield". The US vice president, JD Vance, is expected to lead the American delegation. Also: outrage after a social media image shows an Israeli soldier hitting a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon. One of the most influential figures in the technology industry, Tim Cook, is stepping down as the chief executive of Apple. The American singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murdering a teenage girl whose remains were found in his car.

US seizes Iranian-flagged cargo ship

The US military says it has intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman as part of its naval blockade. Iran has promised to retaliate. The announcement came after the White House confirmed US Vice-President JD Vance would lead another delegation for a second round of talks on ending the war with Iran in Pakistan. Tehran has not yet confirmed its attendance. Iranian state media has reported that officials will not participate while the US blockade remains in place. Also, a gunman in the US state of Louisiana kills eight children - aged from one to fourteen years old. How DNA databases are helping dozens of Kenyans track down the British soldiers who fathered them and then disappeared. And a humanoid robot breaks the half marathon world record in Beijing.

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: [email protected]

The Global Story: The AI model that’s ‘too powerful’ to be released to the public

Anthropic - one of Silicon Valley’s leading AI firms - recently announced that they have built a model which is too dangerous to be released to the public.

Instead, they are only giving access to the model to a handful of big companies, to help them find security vulnerabilities.The company says the model has already found weak spots in “every major operating system and web browser”. Is this a genuine example of a company acting responsibly, or more of a carefully calibrated publicity move?

We speak to the BBC’s North America tech correspondent, Lily Jamali, about whether this is a watershed moment.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

Producers: Viv Jones and Aron Keller

Digital producer: Matt Pintus

Mix: Travis Evans

Executive producer: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

Credit: Jurassic Park (1993) / Dir: Stephen Spielberg / Universal Pictures

Photo: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Reuters/Denis Balibouse.

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz a day after declaring it open

Iran says its forces are in full control of the Strait of Hormuz and passage through the vital oil waterway would remain restricted, unless the US removed its blockade of Iranian ports. President Trump has said the US will continue to stop ships going to or coming from Iran until a peace deal is agreed. Tehran warned any vessels approaching the shipping lane would be "targeted". Also: Hezbollah has denied being responsible for an attack that killed a French UN peacekeeper in southern Lebanon. Pope Leo says he was not seeking to debate Donald Trump when the pontiff criticised "tyrants" for spending billions on wars. At least six people have been killed after a person opened fire in Kyiv on Saturday, shooting at people on the street and taking others hostage in a supermarket. We hear about the challenges faced by people with disabilities in Nigeria. One of France's most celebrated film stars, Nathalie Baye, has died aged 77 - we look back at her career. And how China fell in love with snooker.

The Happy Pod: Filling the empty chair left by my best friend

We meet the man helping to tackle loneliness by offering strangers somewhere to sit and chat. Dean Perryman started the Empty Chairs project, honouring the memory of his best friend. After he posted the concept online, it has been replicated around the world.

Also: How technology has allowed a dancer with a muscle-wasting disease to see herself performing on stage again. A headset allowed Breanna Olson to control a digital avatar with her brainwaves in real time. Plus, we meet the 95-year-old swimmer still breaking records and showing no signs of slowing down. Brazil gets its own tartan. And we introduce you to Marcus, the black labrador too friendly to be a guide dog, but who's found his calling supporting cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Photo: Dean Perryman hosting an Empty Chairs event in his distinctive orange hoodie. Credit: @EmptyChairsUK

US and Tehran dispute the future of Iran's uranium

President Trump has again insisted that Tehran is ready to hand over its enriched uranium as part of a deal to end the war, despite Iran saying no such agreement is in place, and that its nuclear material is "going nowhere". Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open - but shipping companies have been warned to steer clear. Tehran threatens to shut the key shipping lane once more if the United States continues its blockade of Iranian ports, hours after the waterway was announced as reopened following the 10-day ceasefire deal in Lebanon.

Also: the head of AI firm Anthropic visits the White House for a "productive and constructive" meeting, following months of tension between the Pentagon and the tech company. The rising value of Pokémon cards sparks a crime spree across North America and the UK. The BBC reports from a marathon patrol mission in one of the harshest environments on Earth - Canada's vast Arctic - as global tensions grow. Dubai police arrest an Irish fugitive, Daniel Kinahan, who is accused of heading one of Europe's most violent criminal gangs. There is outrage among football fans over train ticket prices for travel between New York City and the New Jersey stadium hosting the football World Cup final, prompting accusations of price gouging. And the Bafta Games Awards in London hands the top prize to the French video game, 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33'.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese return home after ceasefire

A 10-day pause in the fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah has led to tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese families returning home. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has said it reserves the right to continue targeting the Iran-backed militant group. It also says civilians could be forced to move again. Also: finance ministers and central bankers express concern about a powerful new AI model that could undermine financial systems. Large crowds gather in Douala, Cameroon's biggest city, for a mass with the Pope. Harry and Meghan are in Australia. Is the trip about making money or for charity? And Japan unveils a new word for extremely hot summer days.

Ceasefire in Lebanon begins

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into effect after it was brokered by the United States. Hezbollah have indicated they will observe the truce, though Israeli troops are to remain in Lebanese areas they have occupied. Iran has welcomed the development but wants a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. President Trump says Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium, one of the key sticking points in negotiations to bring the war to an end. Fresh talks, he said, could resume as early as this weekend with Washington and Tehran "very close" to making a deal.

Also: the British Prime Minister is facing calls to resign, after it emerged that his former ambassador to the US was appointed despite failing security vetting. Peter Mandelson was sacked last year over his friendship with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The future of the Saudi-funded golf tour LIV hangs in the balance as cash appears to be running out. The four astronauts of Nasa's Artemis II say their Moon mission gave the world a sense of hope and unity at a time when both feel in short supply. After a row over tennis tech rules at the Australian Open, tennis stars will be allowed to use trackers and watches to monitor their performances at upcoming majors such as the French Open. And how the escaped wolf Neukgu captured headlines in South Korea, setting firefighters and police on a week-long chase.

Pope Leo: 'world ravaged by handful of tyrants'

In unusually forceful political remarks, Pope Leo has said the world is "being ravaged by a handful of tyrants". Addressing a crowd during his visit to a region of Cameroon affected by a separatist insurgency, the head of the Roman Catholic Church condemned the people who -- he said -- manipulated "the very name of God" for their own gain. Also: a Lebanese official has told the BBC that President Joseph Aoun is not planning to speak to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu - despite earlier suggestions from President Trump and Israeli officials. The outspoken South African opposition politician, Julius Malema, is sentenced to five years in prison for weapons offences. At least 17 people die in Ukraine following a massive Russian drone and missile attack. France looks to ban under-16s from using social media platforms, following Australia's lead. A study finds that communication between sperm whales closely parallels human language. And two rare paintings by the French Impressionist, Claude Monet, are sold at auction in Paris for a total of nearly $20m.

BBC in Iran as mediation efforts continue

The BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet gains rare access to report from Iran. Residents living under the fragile ceasefire tell her they feel scared and are unsure if a US deal can be struck. Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshall Asim Munir, has landed in the capital to try to accelerate mediation efforts and narrow the gaps between Tehran and Washington, as President Donald Trump and the White House signal optimism over diplomatic discussions.

Also: a large fire breaks out at one of Australia's two oil refineries, raising fears that it will put additional pressure on fuel and petrol access. A US court rules that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been operating as an illegal monopoly, in a verdict that could shake up the live music industry. Why some patients are requesting blood from donors who haven't been vaccinated against Covid-19. A study of more than 10 million siblings explores how birth order could affect your health. And we visit Swedish schools that are returning to pen and paper in the digital age.